Wimp out Wednesday

As I said, today is a day for me to collapse.  I've been sorting a few things in the kitchen and I realised that I have quite a lot of milk which ought to be used soon so there's two litres of the white stuff being transformed into rice pudding in the slow cooker as I write.  A large dollop will find its way to Auntie Hettie who dearly loves a home-made rice pud.  For her, it's definitely A Treat.

This morning I had an e mail from my friend Sarah who is visiting her family in California.  While she is there it is her son's twentieth wedding anniversary and she will be cooking a special meal.  On the menu - Shepherd's Pie.  Who would have thought Shepherd's Pie would ever be a treat?  When I was a child it was the last incarnation of the Sunday roast or a way of spinning out some mince but it's now been lifted to the luxury class and as Sarah is a first class cook I'm feeling a bit jealous!

Those of us who have more years behind us than we are likely to have ahead of us have seen a lot of foods go in and out of fashion.  When I was a girl fresh salmon was very exotic, as was fresh pineapple, chicken was a special treat and mango unheard of outside a rare jar of bought chutney.  Those can be bought at any supermarket now.   However the once cheap thrifty things of my youth, like oxtail, lamb shanks and bubble and squeak like are now foodie desirables!  How so?

And so the "humble" Shepherds Pie, home made bread (in fact anything home baked) and rice pud with a good skin are real treats.  Not that I'm complaining.