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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

They will be so drunk they will not care


What a gorgeous day it was in Vienna today. So beautiful that I was compelled to take photos of ducks in Stadtpark – to add to my extensive collection.

While Cate slaved away at work Gwenyth and I walked through Stadtpark and up into the Wollzeile where our first stop was Berndorf to buy Oven Mitts.

Gwenyth had found mine wanting – in that they did not protect your hands from the heat.  An important issue – not mitigated by the rooster motifs.

We accomplished this and then on to Kiehls in Tuchlauben to buy body lotions for Christmas presents. I am not a great fan of these products because I reckon that most of this stuff is just based on sorbolene which costs about €10 per litre with scents and junk added and the price multiplied by a factor of 50.

I have very dry skin and use Nivea which costs me about €6 for a large pot.

However – to show that I can also be gulled I must admit that I do use Kiehls Facial Fuel which is supposed to restore my face to its former glory – which of course it will not  - and I bought a tube of this without looking at the price and when I got home discovered that it was €44.

Stiffen the lizards.

The major victory of the day was in the knife department.

I have two very good German knives and one fabulous meat knife - but this was hand made by Cate’s father many moons ago and cannot last much longer.

So I have been looking for a good knife block – a replacement meat knife, a bread knife and some utility knives. Lo and behold they had just what I wanted in Berndorf in a set. The perfect block with all the knives I was missing.

This and a Sacher Wurstel at Café Diglas and the morning was perfect.

Wednesday is dinner party day so will be rather more stressful.

I have decided that I will not make my soup early. I did a trial run of my leek and potato soup when Cate was away last week and it was just awful.

So I will make it in the afternoon. But I am not going to try to do the Asian vegetables with the honey lemon chicken – I am going with an Austrian variation.

And I am going to try to get everyone so drunk early that they just don’t care.

I have some fabulous Austrian red wine – the best there is. It knocked their socks off last year and it will do the same this year. And for dessert wines I have some of the best I have ever tasted. And Anzac biscuits - and lamingtons – and pavlova.

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a fun shopping day! Hooray on the knife block find. it's always nice when you find just what you're looking for somewhat unexpectedly. good luck w/ wednesday's dinner! it'll be great! : ) it's always great w/ wine... heh!

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  2. So sorry to hear about the soup. But I can vouch for Austrian reds, some of the best ever.

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  3. My wife made one of the "required meals" my visiting younger son and his wife, macaroni and cheese, and then also chicken fried steaks. I wound up making a BBQ chicken sandwich. This is my second horribly tough bird out of that one bag of breast meat, and someone else made the first one. I have found the tenderloins are reliably better. Of course Cooper didn't mind, chicken is chicken to him.

    I am glad you found some knives. I seem to have everything I need in the knife department.

    So I gather Cate has made it safely back to Wien?

    Off to find coffee and Béné, and tackle the wife's dirty dishes.

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  4. We wait with bated/baited breath for your report on the dinner party. I'm sure it will go off without a hitch, just don't trip over one of the drunks when you bring out the pav. Here's to a cracking Christmas and a fabulous New Year to you and yours.

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  5. Sounds like a great meal - can't wait to hear how it went ! And, that everyone doesn't have too bad a hangover tomorrow.

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  6. My son makes a fabulous potato leeky soup with which he serves an onion cheese bread that is just terrific.

    Have a great time!

    P.S. You went to my fave places!

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  7. carmar76: It was a nice surprise Thanks

    fmcgmccllc: They were a real surprise to us!

    esb: Sorry about your chickens. yes cate is back.

    Sandy" Reported today.

    Me: They were all surprisingly well behaved.

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