To encourage myself out this morning I decided that I needed more wine, just incase……

I was quite tired. It’s been a very busy December. However it is nice to go out on Christmas eve.

The town was quite busy with queues outside the shop doors. ( only 2 or 3 people allowed in at once.)

I quite enjoyed waiting in the little delicatessen where I buy wine. There is always so much to look at. Half of it I don’t recognise. If I am ever rich I think of going in there and trying out everything. It was interesting watching what people bought and how specific they were about what they wanted . I am sadly un Italian in my habits.

Probably the wine I buy is the cheapest in the shop, but I know the winery it comes from and the people who make it and that counts.

I thought of going for a coffee , but when I got there they were busy and no one else was sitting outside so I didn’t bother.

The piazza was looking cheerful.

I strolled home down the back streets as I wasn’t very relaxed and just wanted to go home. Constantly steaming up glasses is not much fun.

I now feel more wine secure😅😅

I decided as I wasn’t painting anything that maybe I should make lasagne.

I thought I had a tin of lentils. ( I didn’t so used fagioli cannelloni instead. Beans in other words.)

And I was using the extremely expensive sausage I bought in the butcher’s when I was trying to pretend I wasn’t just there to buy wine. It cost more than €7.

I cut about a third of the sausage into small pieces. It was quite tough , but smelled good.

Along with some facon , frozen minestrone, pepperoncini and 2 tins of chopped tomatoes it looked promising.

I was going to put the lasagne together tomorrow and only make enough for a couple of days until I checked the expiry date on the cheese so decided to just go for it and use up everything.

I had to use the gas oven as the microwave/ electric oven still fills up with smoke after my last attempt at lasagne when butter sort of exploded all over the inside.

Mostly I have burned things in the gas oven. But needs must , so I stuck 2 trays of lasagne in near the top , turned the oven right down. And hoped for the best.

I had 3 trays in all as everything didn’t quite work out with the amount of ingredients . The 3d lasagne is supplemented by a tin of peas and luckily the long life milk lived past its expiry date.

Now I have 3 lasagnes . Burned , ( scraped off and replaced with leftover cheese sauce) , medium done ,and very likely cooked.

When they are cool I plan to put portions in the freezer.

I considered going out tonight. I remembered the wine today , but not the cardio aspirins. Maybe the farmacia will be closed so I’ll go on Monday.

There were 250 positives in Basilicata today. (200 yesterday) and another 6 in Pisticci.

There are new rules in place . I think the Christmas Market might be cancelled. I won’t mind . Masks are to be worn outside all over Italy and there are other changes as well ,but these are the 2 that might affect me.

I thought I’d light more candles instead of going out.

Wine time now.

Cheers 🍷🍷