New Year's Eve and Cousin Helena

The mains

Two or three photos from last night's New Year's Eve dinner at the Sacred Heart Church's winter night shelter. Maestro Georges did us proud, as usual, this time with a buffet selection of salad, cold meats, quiches, salmon, prawn, cold and hot gammon ham, chicken drumsticks, satays, soup, potato, coleslaw, olives...and more.

and pudding too!

There was pudding to follow, I can still taste the Black Forest respberry gateau, Alas, I didn't manage any lemon tart and was too full for the mince pies - but I did snack on a heavily-fruited Christmas Cake (maybe it counts as one of the five-a-day fruit and veg?).

Much more importantly, the men piled their plates, with several telling me that it was the best food that they had for a long time. We've concentrated on providing nourishing hot dishes so far this winter, but I can see that variety and an extra effort at Christmas and New Year does a lot to raise the spirits, which is important when, just a few hours later, you are back on the streets, in the cold, trying to dodge the heavy rain showers, passing the time until the next shelter opens its doors.  

And I met a reader. It's rare that someone mentions to me that they've stumbled across this blog, so rare that there's a sudden flash of pleasure, like meeting distant family, maybe a second cousin twice removed that you didn't know existed. So, hello cousin Helena, glad you enjoy it.

Chilling out...