Standing in the kitchen Kate jabbed the knife in to the pan of potatoes she had on boiling. Checking they were cooked through and soft. Jabbing the little knife through several of the chunks she turned the gas off she carried the pan over to the sink and drained them in to a colander.
"what's all this for?" mike asked walking in
"mashed potatoes for the bubble and squeak." she smiled
"yummy. Who doesn't love fried mashed potatoes?" Mike said
"i know right and the best thing is the kids don't actually realise there are veggies in there" Kate smiled adding several chunks of butter in to the potatoes hitting them with the masher "and mashing potatoes is really therapeutic" She smiled
"therapeutic how so" Mike grinned
"because you just think of someone you hate and smash the hell out of the spuds" she said pounding the masher down in the bowl.
"remind me not to piss you off" he grinned
"i thought you already knew that" she smiled reaching for the bowl with the left-over vegetables she had already chopped mixing it through the buttery mash.
"so what else are we having" mike asked
"its going to be like a buffet. Left over ham, chicken, bread rolls. I have baked some sausage rolls the pasta salad and that sort of stuff . it will be a help yourself" she smiled folding the veg in to the mash
"right" Mike smiled "anything I can do to help" he asked
"yeah, can you get the rolls out of the pantry and put them in the oven" Kate smiled
"okay" he smiled walking over pulling them out.
Smiling Kate poured some oil in to the frying pan scooping the mashed potato mixture in to the pan hearing it sizzle. Leaving it to crisp on the one side before flipping it over and crisping up on the other side.
Frying it in batches she put the cooked potato in to a bowl covering it with some foil to keep it hot. She was soon done and she placed it on to the table as Mike pulled out the rolls from the oven placing them on the bread board to cool
Once everything was on the table Kate smiled opening the back door. It was a gloriously warm day so as the big table inside was being used for the food, they were eating outside.
With all the work done and the food cooked the Kids all suddenly made a appearance grabbing plates. Grace piled a large helping of the bubble and squeak on to her plate and was just about to add a second
"um Gracie why don't you eat what you have first and then if you want some more then you can come and get some" Mike said adding a couple slices of ham to her plate
"i will eat it all honest" she said
"well eat what you have first okay" Kate said putting some of the food on to her plate walking outside sitting in the shade. There was a nice breeze blowing up off the water. She smiled as Mike walked out handing her a glass of wine.
"thanks" she smiled sipping it. Placing the glass on to the table. She smiled as Mike sat down opposite her.
"you alright?" he asked
"yeah fine" she smiled tucking in to her plate.
They had been right to stop Grace piling her plate with the bubble and squeak as she had left some on her plate saying she was full and then immediately asking what was for pudding.
"Grace" Kate sighed "you have just left half of what you have put on your plate saying you were full and yet you are asking about pudding"
"well, I do have a little bit of room just here" she said pointing on her belly
"really" Kate raised a eyebrow "fine well just let your dinner go down a bit more and then we will have some trifle"
"i don't like trifle" Grace said
"not even chocolate trifle?" Kate smiled "with chocolate angel delight and chocolate fudge cake?"
"I like that" Grace smiled
"right well we need to put everything away in the fridge and that and then we can have pud okay" Kate smiled "make some more room for the chocolate"
"yay" Grace cheered running in to the house picking things up off the table
"i don't think I have seen her being this helpful." mike smiled watching as she picked up a bowl carrying it over to the bin. "maybe a little too helpful" he said stopping her in the nick of time before she dumped the things in to the bin.
Portioning up some of the trifle in to bowls Grace ran back in to the kitchen grabbing the first bowl which also looked like it had the most in, sitting in the living room in front of the television watching beauty and the beast.
Sighing Kate handed the rest of the bowls out. Even Nicole was happy with this pudding even though it was chocolate overload Nicole seemed happy with this but then as a little kid she had loved angel delight especially the chocolate one with chocolate swirled through. With the addition of strawberries and the chocolate cake it was the perfect summer treat.
Later that evening Kate lent back against the sofa. She could feel her eyes drooping, the wine and the early mornings with late nights catching up on her. Mike had got a box set on that he had found in lockdown and she was half watching but it wasn't really her cup of tea, it was a real crime drama. Picking the bowls up which lay discarded on the coffee table she carried them in to the kitchen she dumped them in to the sink, she would put them in the dishwasher in the morning.
"think I am going to hit the sheets" she said walking back in to the living room
"okay" Mike smiled "I'll be up in a bit I just want to finish this episode" he smiled "night" he said
"night" she smiled walking up the stairs. She looked there was no way it would be 'one more' episode he was addicted.
Walking along the landing she poked her head around the doors of each of the kid's rooms. They were sleeping soundly. Grace with several of her new toys, Nicole with her little fairy lights shining down on to her face, and Chris curled up in a ball lay on his front with his bum in the air. It was so cute the way he slept but how he was comfy like that.
Heading in to her own room she slid under the thin sheets. Downstairs she could hear the music for the series starting up again indicating he was gripped and was in fact starting another episode. Closing her eyes there was no point in trying to wait up. She didn't mind as there had been time when she just had to watch the next episode and would be up until all hours watching them.
hey so hope you all had a fab Christmas. i dont know if you eat bubble and squeak down under but it is lush. all the left over veg mixed with mash and fried in a pan yummy. i also happen to love it for brekkie with some toast. anyway we would always have it on boxinig day at my nans so i still cook it now.
enjoy and there are only 3 days left of 2020
