It's still spring. It can cool down any time now.

On Sunday, I did very little. It was nice. And that night there were fireworks nearby and while we couldn't see the lower ones, the bigger ones were over the treeline and quite spectacular! The Boyo, of course, rushed around the garden the whole time, trying to outbark the noise.

On Monday, the cat came home from the cattery (where he was a model guest) and was very pleased about it. I continued to do little besides read (and try not to expire from the heat) but that night I made Pasta with Celery and Lemon (omitting the chilli and adding toasted pine nuts) which we enjoyed.

Today, I made Roasted Asparagus Salad with Valencia Oranges and Ginger-Citrus Vinaigrette, followed by Chocolate Cloud Cake. Why the cake? Mum's birthday! She had many phone calls and I gave her a little glazed pottery bowl I found at a market on our last day (we'd been admiring a piece by the same potter the night before.) She was very happy with that and very happy with dinner! The salad was really very good (and I liked the method of slicing oranges in the recipe. Less awkward) and the cake. Oh my. It's rich. Very rich. Like a giant, intensely flavoured brownie topped with clouds of cream. And rich. Did I mention rich?

And I didn't even use Cointreau. Or all the cream! (The cream is absolutely necessary btw. The cake would be too overwhelming without it.)

We're looking at the cake and going, we are not going to finish that before it goes stale. Who can we share it with?!