Saturday and Sunday

Saturday is house party day, which means balloons and a trip out to Morrisons in the car to buy crates of booze and crisps. Apart from the usual crisps and nuts, there is a big bag full of sweets including Parma Violets, and some weird little sugary balls made in New Mills. Mrs Jiffler adds a touch of class by rustling up a large batch of her popular Chocolate Orange Cookies for the revellers, while I pre-prepare some late night savoury mozzarella and red pesto crostini (posh mini cheese on toast).

Our tea is a big bowl of tagliatelle carbonara to soak up the booze. I’m not sure why, but I’ve been having tagliatelle cravings lately… The party goes well, with nobody really disgracing themselves. I tried the new Badger First Gold, which is up to the brewery’s usual fine standards: http://www.badgerbrewery.com/beers/index.asp

Cookies go down well, as do the crostini.

Sunday:

Hungover, as one might expect. A much needed fry up is rustled up by Mrs Jiffler for overnight guests, one of whom accidentally makes a cup of coffee using bisto gravy granules. I’m in need of air and some sort of sweet fizzy drink, so nip out to Waitrose for supplies.

A roast chicken seems appropriate, but I’m too lethargic to cook a full roast dinner. The chicken itself, stuffed with lemon is no problem, its just all the rest of the faff that goes along with it. Instead I accompany the chicken with a bag of salad (yes, yes the evil chlorinated variety, but we’re talking hangover here) which seems to be mostly watercress along with some unidentifiable green and red leaves, and a home-made honey and mustard dressing which is more honey than mustard. Some French bread (Arrghh French Bread! Super Furry Animals Fans…) helps to mop up the plate.