Catching up!

Over a coffee this morning, Sophie and I caught up with Masterchef and discovered the 2025 champion, Harry. We thought it was well-deserved. His three-course meal looked delicious! Gregg disappeared for the last two episodes and not a word was said, not even a disclaimer at the start. Anna Haugh joined the show and was warm and encouraging, but I have seen her be a bit abrasive on other shows!

Here are the results for our MasterChef terms for 2025!

They are:

1. Cookery: 38 
2. A "crumb": 17
3. Ethnic background: 19
4. Influenced by close family members:19
5. A "crisp": 4
6. Gochujang: 1
7. A mention of neurodiversity/mental health: 2
8. "Too much on the plate": 4
9. Home-made pasta (esp. in the first round): 19
10. A "soil": 3
11. Bragging about travel: 13
12. Fusion: 5                      
13. A "bonbon": 5
14. An ingredient cooked "three ways": 8
15. A "tuile" or even "tweel!": 19
16. Scissor-cut noodles (not as popular as we thought!): 2
17. Sumac: 2                                           
18. A "brittle": 1
19. Fondant potatoes (less popular this year): 7
20. Sous-vide: 2
21. A "jus": 1
22. Panna cotta: 3
23. Crying (contestants or presenters): 17
24. Soufflé: 2
25. A "foam": 3
26. De-constructed: 4
27. Being on a "journey": 6
28. Our old favourite - a chocolate fondant: 2
29. Pearls/faux caviar: 3
30. Background sob story: 5
31. Velouté: 1
32. "Looks like cat sick!": 5 

The rest of the day was spent doing mounds of washing and trying to get everything dry (it poured first thing but then the sun came out), and preparing tonight's dinner of chicken casserole with dumplings. I think we all felt a little tetchy today as the holiday is over and work is calling tomorrow! Grrr!

The cats have stayed close all day and Gomez spent most of the day upstairs on Sophie's bed catching up on his sleep. He was very affectionate this morning and curled up on the sofa with us while we watched MasterChef. Sophie put down the large, flat stones in the gravel garden so Mooney could use them to get to the grass. He loved them!