Pancakes and death by a fever tree

 Had a lovely catch up with a friend in England yesterday. She had severed a tendon in her finger on Saturday slicing a piece of cheese with her Christmas present extra sharp knife. Although it was a pretty gory tale, she humoured me with funny anecdotes and spared me some of the grisly details. I was laughing throughout her narrative. Hope her operation on the said finger goes well today. Her description of being on gas and oxygen was hilarious.

My Nigella Lawson pomegranate jewel cake turned out really well, if I say so myself. Possibly could have done with a thicker layer of pomegranates on the top and more juice to pour over but the pomegranates from our garden were not all edible as some had gone mushy inside, pity. You seem to have to catch them just before they turn. Could try the cake with lemon or orange perhaps too. The almond flour works well and it came out quite light and airy - I managed with folding in the egg white. Was my first ever Nigella recipe. Will have to try some of her others. Her fried haloumi with chilli and lemon looks good.

So just after chatting to my friend I went for a walk in the garden with the dogs and just after I went inside with rain coming down and a bit of a wind, I looked out my bedroom window and was like, oh my gosh, the fever tree has come down. It came down right where I had been standing ten minutes earlier! Luckily other trees broke its fall slightly but it has damaged the fence a bit and it will all have to be removed. The tree cutters rocked up punctually at 7.10 this morning. I've requested we keep about six tree stumps to put up in the shade area with plants on to remember the fever tree and add to aesthetics.

Told my class on Zoom this morning it is Shrove Tuesday, or rather I tried to get it out of them - one got helped by his mum. My new Russian student had already been busy making pancakes at home before the lesson but he said Orthodox Easter is later than ours. Off to collect some Body Shop products I ordered and to try source a ZIMSEC O Level text book with the listening comprehension texts for my online student. My mum will be online for a funeral of a girl who was only two years older than me and was in my mum's first grade 7 class. She sadly died of cancer two weeks ago.