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SUNNY WITH MEATBALLS!

I've lapsed with my reading lately, so decided to make up for it by reading this for half an hour (in bed) this morning.




I found this novel via Mary of Mrs. Miniver's Daughter.   I like her taste in literature and as she  enjoyed the first novel and provided a link to an article by Ian Parker of the New Yorker, which also piqued my interest, I thought I'd give it a go.  The characters are, in the main, grotesquely unlikeable, but it's compulsive reading.  It's one of a set of five novels featuring Patrick Melrose, the second being a particularly difficult read apparently....we shall see.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays Patrick  in the upcoming TV series on Sky Atlantic.

It was a gloriously sunny morning and in the garden, I noticed that the petals had fallen off the pear tree and these pretty stamens remained, looking like little sea anemones. I'd never noticed this before.


The Aquilegia are coming out in force, all purple, despite us sowing various colours. We will buy  more seeds and try again.


I decided today would be a meatball day.

We are planning to visit the new IKEA in Exeter in the next two weeks. It will only take half an hour instead of an hour and a half to the Bristol store, which is a bonus.  We desperately need a new mattress as we have springs pinging out of the sides of ours (I kid you not, and they're bloomin' sharp). Mr. has had to cut them with pliers!

Mr. loves to have Swedish meatballs when we go and always brings back a couple of bags of frozen ones. I therefore decided to make some turkey meatballs for me.  It's the easiest recipe to throw together.


Saute a large, finely diced onion,  two grated garlic cloves and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes until soft and transparent (mine got a little coloured). Allow to cool slightly.

Pop an 800g pack of ground turkey into a large bowl, add 1.5 tablespoons of fresh parsley (or 1.5 teaspoons  of dried) a good pinch of freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, 1.5 teaspoon of both ground allspice and ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 beaten egg.



Add the slightly cooled onion/garlic and a cup of toasted breadcrumbs. I used a slice of sourdough, blitzed in a processor and toasted in the oven.

Now get your hands in there and mush it all together until well combined.



Form into small balls, mine came to 30 and pop them into a roasting tray that has been sprayed with oil.  I popped them on the middle rung of the Aga roasting oven for 15 minutes after which time their bottoms were nice and caramelised. I sprayed the tops, turned them over and gave them another 15 minutes  (or cook in a pre-heated oven at 180c for the same time).


Now the downside to this is that Mr. tried them cold and declared them the best meatballs he'd ever eaten .... dagnabbit!  He proceeded to quietly scoff them, hence the depleted plate.  They were intended for the freezer, but I'm pretty sure none of them will make it.  I admit, I've nibbled more than a few and they are delicious.


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