Ups and downs...and lots of yummy food

Hi there. Life has continued much the same for the last couple weeks in (I almost said Blacksburg) London. The frustrations have continued but have started to be resolved. I finally have my bank card and can get money without begging my husband. Our phone and internet services are on the way to being available. I've even got a job interview scheduled for tomorrow.

Oh joy of joys! A box has arrived just this moment! That's two out of the three now. We now have our quilts and photographs and I have my jewelry and sweaters and shoes! I try not to be a materialistic person, but sometimes you need to have your own possessions around you. Wow, we're getting there.

Anyways, that's about all the news. We've been cooking up a storm, though, and I'd like to tell you about that.

A week and a half ago, Andrew and I finally got to go to Borough Market, which is a huge market complex on the South bank. It's also, apparently, really popular! I had to focus and try not to lose my head among the crowds. There's no personal space in a situation like that. I forgot to bring my camera, but here are some photos Andrew took of our loot once we got home:

After we went to the market, we walked around London for a while and ended up at the Courtauld Institute of Art, which has a museum that I really wanted to see. Well, it just so happened that that very day was the 75th anniversary of the museum, so admission was only 75p instead of 6 pounds, so we had a lovely lunch on the terrace overlooking the Thames and toured the museum on the change in our pockets. It's a lovely museum, too. Lots of impressionist and post-impressionist stuff. Highlights include Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergere, Renoir's La Loge, and lots of gorgeous Cezannes and Gauguins. Delicious.

The next day was our big, important first attempt at a proper British Sunday Lunch, and boy did it turn out well! It was one of our best meals ever, if I do say so myself. Monica's friends Sara and Sally came over for the feast. Here's the menu:

Mixed leaf salad with figs, serrano ham, manchego cheese, and sherry vinaigrette
Roast beef with horseradish sauce
Steamed carrots with sherry and thyme
Sauteed brussels sprouts
Roasted potatoes
Yorkshire pudding
Apple crisp with cream

Again, I forgot to take pictures, although this shot of the aftermath speaks pretty clearly, I think:

The next day was an unqualified disaster for all sorts of reasons I won't go into, but the first box did arrive and I had a long talk with my mom, who prescribed fried chicken and biscuits, which we dutifully followed:

Other food successes of the past couple weeks included omelets with chorizo and wild mushrooms, this week's Sunday lunch with roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, and spinach salad, and a curry feast: