When you have a lot to do to get ready for a bbq you really appreciate not drinking the night before!
I took all the things out of the freezer and left them to defrost and we went down to the Mount for a coffee.
It was very busy down there as a very large cruise ship was in so lots of 'cruise ship shaped' people walking around. They stand out like a sore thumb with their trainers, socks, cropped trousers for the ladies and shorts and polo tops for the men and both usually with baseball caps on and usually very overweight! And if that is not enough to recognise them they all have an identity card hung around their necks! I really hope I never look like that if I get to go on a cruise.
After coffee we went home and I started getting myself organised and prepared all the food and got the plates out. I had planned to cook beer can chicken and had bought a can of beer to perch it on. My friend Les called me for a chat and as I was talking to her I saw Jon with the tape measure, measuring the chicken!! Now, I always go by weight so not sure what he was up to.
I finished chatting to Les and asked him. He told me that the size of the can plus the chicken was going to be too high for the lid on our new bbq!! We decided to cook it on the other bbq that we have downstairs in the garden but I had to go and buy a smaller can of beer at the local off licence. The man laughed at me when I told him I wanted one small can and what it was for. Unfortunately, they don't sell them on their own so I had to buy a six pack. this is one expensive beer can chicken!
I was all sorted by the time Sharon, Des and Margaret arrived and we had a lovely afternoon with them and lots of laughter . The beer can chicken was a huge success as was the fresh tuna. We also cooked some cabbage on the bbq as we had seen when in Rarotonga and it was yummy. I also cooked a green bean recipe with pecan nuts and a maple and vinaigrette dressing far too much food but it is New Year!
For pudding we had a Heston Blumenthal Waitrose Hidden Orange pudding which I had bought last January from the local deli which sells a few Waitrose items. They are usually $50 but I had bought it for $25 still expensive but oh my word was it worth it. It has to be the best ever Christmas pudding I and everyone else has ever eaten and the candied orange in the middle was delicious. I had also managed to find a jar of brandy butter so we had a real feast.
We had a few showers of rain during the afternoon but our new sunshade was big enough to keep us all dry. However, about 8.30 we had a big downpour and so came indoors. Jon had so much to drink and I did think he would pay for it later but he enjoyed himself and he doesn't drink much usually these days.
Sharon and Des left at about 10.00 and I had a lot of clearing up to do. I let Jon help for a little while and then thought it was better to send him off to bed before he did some damage! I soon had the kitchen shipshape and then I went to bed.
What a way to start the New Year.
WEATHER
Sunny spells with a few showers 25 degrees.
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