Party!

I have just been asked by the plumber carrying out our gas safety check what I make of all this Royal Wedding lark. He wasn't mightily impressed. Those of you who know me know that I hold no favour for the Royal Family, but it does seem like a happy occasion and any happy occasion seems worth celebrating at the moment.

I would also like Lachlan not to see the cynical side of life at the moment; I remember with fondness enjoying royal weddings and the jubilee even though my dad was a republican. Lachlan can make his own mind up about things like this when he is older.

It's a shame I can't invite you all - I haven't heard of any street parties, so we are having our own family do tomorrow afternoon. I have spent the morning doing what I love most: occasion cookery. I started making mayonnaise from the Elizabeth David "Summer Cooking" recipe book and made a quick pavlova - it's the Kenwood all in one recipe: 4 egg whites to 9oz icing sugar. The pavlova is out and cooling and I'm poaching the chicken for the coronation chicken: the curry sauce with homemade mayonnaise is now chilling in the fridge and tastes yummy.

On the side in the kitchen is a simnel type cake in preparation - it will form a marchpane centrepiece. The fruit is just absorbing some tea and getting plumped up while I'm waiting for the Dove's farm gluten free plain flour to arrive.

Then I'll knock up some bread rolls and chocolate brownies although these won't be gluten free, and perhaps a qick rice salad.

Whatever you are doing tomorrow enjoy your day.