Bubble and Squeek

MORE bad news for Smashy. I think I may have underplayed the opponent he came face to face with. Rather than David v Goliath it turned out his work experience challenger was none other than a member of the famous professional wrestling tag team The Valleys Boys. Aforementioned Workie climbs into the ring every weekend with his brother and wrestles in his undies with other half-naked tough guys.
Our own heavyweight champ might think twice about taking him on in another verbal joust if he takes a peek at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YSBQh-L6xo.

Meanwhile, it has been a very busy couple of days on Meeja Wales. The steam was coming out of my ears on Friday night when I realised the Snail was so far behind and that I was going to have to work above and beyond the call of duty to get things done. Still, when it was all over I was able to drown my sorrows with the usual suspects.
We started in the old new O'Neill's opposite the office where the Wonderful One was soon in full-scale rant. The pub was heaving with stag parties and hen nights and our favourite moaner wasn't too impressed. "Look at all these low lifes," he ranted, finger pointing towards the bar. "None of them are working, they are just spending our money on the beer, bumping into anyone they fancy and then shouting at them to get out of the way. I hate them, I hate them."
Thus, he managed to dismiss the entire city centre revellers in one sweeping statement.
Deciding to keep him out of trouble, we then proceeded to its sister pub the new old O'Neills where we were joined by the likes of Danny Boy (the poipes, the poipes), the Prince of Darkness, Smashy, the solicitor and my lovely Wren.
It started to warm up nicely with a good solo act playing some rousing songs. It obviously inspired the Prince who soon returned from the bar with a tray of Sambuccas. It was all downhill after that.

On Sunday I cooked my famous Mascarpone Roast Chicken. Finding I had some veg left over, the following day it seemed only right to cook bubble and squeak with some very tasty bratwurst German sausages from Sainsbury's.
First, I peeled and chopped potatoes and put them on to boil for 10 to 12 minutes, adding some frozen peas five minutes from the end. When they were soft to the tip of a knife I added butter and milk, then mashed up the peas and potatoes together and added some savoy cabbage and parsnips left from the previous evening. Mashing them well, I then put on a frying pan and heated some olive oil flavoured with chilli, coriander and lavender then added scoops of the Bubble and Squeak and flattened it out in the pan.
Continually turning it in clumps as it browned I later served it up with some woodsmoke brown sauce from Sainsbury's and the sausages. It was delicious.

Monday night I joined the Fugitive, Shutts, Wathanovski, the Wonderful One, the Prince and Smashy in the boozer. On the way home I bumped into a taxi driver who just over a year ago told me he was emigrating to Italy to start his own olive farm.
What are you doing back? I asked.
Turns out he has only returned for a month having had a very successful first year growing olives for the Italians. In fact, the British ex-pat community even gave him an award for the best olive oil produced that year. A real Cardiff success story.