thankyou nigella, thankyou from the bottom of my heart

Sheesh I was cranky tonight. Really, really cranky. Crankier than I have been for a while, since the detox seems to have ironed the worst of the wrinkles out of my emotions.

It was my first shift back at work for a while, and after being on my feet all day I was tired, just plain tired. And I had a headache. And I really should have gone to the toilet before I left work.

So there I was, trying to reach the (still not fixed) toilet and the traffic lights before they changed and I lost the opportunity to cross for, I don't know, three minutes or so. I missed the lights and responded by hitting the pedestrian button vehemently, wondering what the traffic authority might have against me personally. Maybe 'wondering' is a little too generous... I muttered and vented and rolled my eyes before collapsing against the post of the traffic light to tap my foot and wait. It did cross my mind that perhaps I looked rather stupid, cursing and cussing about missing the lights - the world does not revolve around me after all! Just as I was starting to pull myself together a white ute screeched around the corner, encroaching on my position of safety on the footpath in its effort to beat the lights. Instantly I regressed into a fit of hissing and glaring and fury worthy of an adolescent. Again I started pulling myself together until the lights changed and I completed the remainder of my journey home unhindered.

I duly collapsed on the couch, poured over recipe books wondering what on earth to make for tea and pumped out a few rows of crochet on the darling scarf I'm working on before dragging myself to the kitchen to cook. I selected 'Linguine with Lemon, Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms' from Nigella Express and set to it. Chop, chop, mix a bit, stir, done. Gotta love fast food.

Half way through the preparation I stopped scanning the instructions for the barest of detail and started absorbing all Nigella had written:

Slice the mushrooms finely, and put in a large bowl with oil, salt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and zest, and marvellously scented thyme leaves.

Who writes like that in a recipe book? Nigella obviously. Marvellously scented thyme leaves... I slowed down just a little and smelt the thyme leaves (mmmm) and some of the crankies mosied off out the door.

Toss everything well, then add the chopped parsley, grated cheese and pepper to taste, before tossing again, and eat with joy in your heart.

Eat with joy in your heart! Ha ha. This is one lush recipe book. So I did. I took Nigella's advice and ate with joy in my heart, and my tongue joined the party with a little jig of excitedly firing tastebuds. Delicious!

Ah. Hearty, healthy food - a beautiful way to beat the crankies for sure and for real. I am so thankful for food. And for Nigella (who is still making me laugh with her querky little food homilies: 'I'm afraid this dish had to be forcibly taken away from me during the photo shoot for this book, otherwise I'd have eaten it all up before it could even have its picture taken.')