Party Food FTW...

Morning, folks. Today's the feast of St Lucia, which I know about, like an expert. This is because I've watched the Netflix show Home for Christmas (season two covers it) and because I subscribe to Scandikitchen's weekly newsletter. Basically, I might as well be Swedish. In other/related news, we're twelve days off the big one. If you're gearing up to celebrate Christmas, then I hope that's going well for you. If you're not, then I hope your December is treating you beautifully. Onwards and upwards to us all.

The view from my desk last week,
If only I'd taken it straight on,
 incase I used it online for any reason.

Writing News

I'm still technically on leave. Ha, ON LEAVE.  I like saying that, because it sounds like I have a proper job instead of merely being between writing projects. Perhaps I should change my email to say I'm out of the office and will be back at my desk in January. Except I'm typing this at my desk so that doesn't work. Anyway, it's all quiet on the writing front and I'm loving having some space in my head. 

Rita Moreno's in
both versions!

Culture

Last week's cinema visits saw me watch Boxing Day (not bad) and West Side Story (mesmerising). TV wise, I'm hoovering up Succession, (last episode tonight!) Impeachment, and Only Connect in real time, whilst filling all other viewing gaps with Netflix Christmas films. (Single All The Way is my current new fave.) Podcasts in my life have been represented by Out with Susie Ruffell, The Shift on Life After Forty, and Brett Goldstein's Films to be Buried With. All interview-based, and chattily informative. They make every car journey, meal prep, and make-up application time, fly by.

Food and Drink

Saturday night saw a long-overdue catch up with some mates. I could have cooked or ordered a take away, but nah. I went with the only choice at this time of year. Markies Party Food. The Chicken Doughnut Dippers flowed and the Banging Cauliflower Nuggets were nicer than I'd assumed. Good times. In other culinary news, I've become obsessed with looking at pictures of German Christmas baking. There's a recipe book called Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas  that I wish I'd had in November. That's when I had time to bake up a storm. Right now it's too late, so I'm consoling myself with the thrill of a steeped cranberry or a slab of gritty marzipan via Instagram. One must do what one can when the circumstances are trying.

 Who knew there'd be a Sainsers gif?
Apparently, this is it!

Out and About

I mean, what can I say? It's been a quiet one. Sainsburys has seen a lot of me. There was a quick nip to Tesco and then that one time when I dashed into Asda. And, of course, Marksies had to deal with my pillaging of the party food aisle. It seems I'm quite ecumenical when it comes to supermarkets. Slightly more excitingly, I had the full-throttle IKEA experience when it transpired I needed more plates, wine glasses, and forks for Christmas. So yeah. That was fun.

All in all, it's been a chore-busy week. It's that time of year, I guess. Hopefully there'll be less chores and more fun in the week ahead. LOLZ. Who am I kidding? 

Have a lovely week, folks.