Day 1071 Caffeinated conundrums

I have had a great morning, lunch rush is looking tasty and I have a fun evening planned. I don’t even think the insulting heckles from the chef will move my positive mood! It’s been a really busy morning, it seems Clapham is slowly realizing that we do the best + cheapest coffee on the block…only took 20 years. I love (most of) my morning crowd and I’m worried some newbie that thinks they have a great personality will come in and ruin what we’ve made…

Salads:

Med veg + borlotti bean

Spinach + herb rice

Mushroom ragu pasta

Soup: Moroccan spiced veg

Sandwich: Cumberland sausage, Provola cheese, Spicy peach relish + tomato

Day 1070 Change of tone

Hello my sweet petals. Sorry for the miserable post yesterday, everything I said was true but not the best thing to read at the start of your week. Today I will keep it fun and light hearted, let’s talk about something positive…i’m thinking, i’m thinking…nope! Can’t think of anything, we’ll try again tomorrow!

Salads:

Moroccan spiced chickpea

Sumac rice

Sausage + ham pasta

Soup: Broccoli, potato + miso

Day 1069 Happy Monday

I think you can only be happy if you’re ignorant. I could go out for dinner and get a quick dopamine hit for a pretty penny (or use hard drugs but one is trying to cut down) but when the experience is over and reality kicks in, and you look past the end of your own nose, this world is well and truly fucked. Genuinely there is nothing we can do about it, we’re way too far gone.

Salads:

Coconut lentils + roast squash

Edamame + crispy shallot rice

Leek, black olive + tomato pasta

Soup: Carrot, orange + potato

Sandwich: Parma ham, Manchego cheese, Chilli relish + tomato

Day 1068 Hej!

My brother and I went to Ikea yesterday. We had a very amicable and enjoyable time, I’m so proud of us! It was interesting to find out that a lot of the deli custom (or more than I was expecting) are not Swedish warriors. The flat pack paradise is not what furnishes their abode. Does the name Billy and Kallax mean nothing to you?!

Salads:

Roast peppers + chickpea

Carrot + dill rice

Chicken ragu pasta

Soup: Spiced tomato + lentils

Sandwich: Garlic salami, Pecorino cheese, Tomato + spicy peach relish

Day 1067 I'll take what I can get

I had a great evening which is a surprise because Mother Nature came pounding down on me like a ton of bricks. Sometimes being a civil member of society can be a bore but if you keep your head down and stick to the rules you might just be rewarded in the most unexpected fashion. Xièxiè!

Salads:

Braised white bean + mushroom

Spinach + herb rice

Roast squash + rosemary ragu pasta

Roast pepper + crouton salad with ceaser dressing

Soup: Spiced broccoli + potato

Day 1066 For why?

Another leisurely morning fades away in to lunchtime mania and I have nothing on my mind. That’s obviously a lie, I have many things on my mind but nothing that I’d like to share because I think my mind is being unreasonable. I start trying to convince myself of the reasons to be reasonable and before you know it the time window that I had to show reason has gone. Oh well, maybe next time.

Salads:

Black lentil + cauliflower curry

Peshwari rice (no nuts)

Tomato, courgette + rosemary pasta

Soup: Broccoli, pea + potato

Sandwich: Mortadella, Provola, jalapeno relish + tomato

Day 1065 Who names their child Autumn?

The British public go through a weird transition period every autumn where they must be encouraged to leave their house in poor weather because they refuse to get out their winter clothing yet. That, or your an autumn gurly that has been waiting for it to be socially expectable to whip out your pumpkin spice selection as if that’s a personality trait that anyone likes or respects.

Salads:

Black bean + aubergine in black bean sauce

Seaweed + ginger rice

Sausage + ham pasta

Beetroot, dill + chickpea

Soup: Thai spiced veg

Day 1064 Quiet time

It seems like everyone around me is sickly at the moment. Weaklings. It’s been super quiet this morning which has been lovely because I dreaded opening the blinds today. Though I am the life of the party on most occasions (if I say so myself) I also really enjoy silence and staring off into the distance. On this morrow I got to indulge in the world inside my head, happy start to the week.

Salads:

Thai coconut curry

Miso rice

Almond, chilli + tomato pasta

Mushroom + crouton salad with cheese dressing

Soup: Velvet mushroom

Sandwich: Chorizo, Asiago cheese, Chilli relish + tomato

Day 1063 Happy Friday

I really want to write something positive to encourage that Friday feeling BUT I got a call from Lambeth this morning saying they will take us to court for not paying the fine for having the table and chairs outside. That, and I will be attending my first march/protest tomorrow because this genocide is one of the worst human rights violations I hope to ever see in my lifetime and if being a body on the streets of London help convince the government to change their stance then that’s the least I can do.

Salads:

Mexican beans

Roast paprika rice

Roast squash + tomato pasta

Day 1062 Smile

I have a lot I want to say but what’s the point? You don’t care, I don’t care, we all don’t care so let’s just carry on with our menial lives, let bygones be bygones and pretend because that’ll just be easier for everyone. Plus I have a really bad habit of snowballing when I start sharing my opinions and I know you’d never be able to comprehend my criticisms.

Salads:

Med veg chickpea

Herbed rice

Cauliflower + pumpkin seed pasta

BBQ braised pork + potato

Soup: Broccoli, spinach + potato

Day 1061 Makes me sick

Hello world, happy hump day! The change in the day’s schedule was welcomed but it was only enjoyable because I knew it would be for a short period of time. I’m happy to be back to normal (as normal as this place can be). I made the dumb decision of looking at the news this morning and I am in dismay of Starmer’s stance. One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter sure. But when, WHEN is Israel going to get penalized? At this point they are the only terrorists.

Salads:

Moroccan chickpea

Lemon + chive rice

Broccoli, chilli + garlic pasta

Soup: Lightly spiced spinach + potato

Sandwich: Mortadella ham, Herbed artichoke cream, Tomato + rocket

Day 1060 Three's a crowd

Today we are missing two members of the team. In the past I would panic about this, now I take a deep breath, sigh it out and just get on with it. What will be will be n dat. The miserable weather might work in our favor, every cloud, silver lining blah blah blah. At least we’re not bored!

Salads:

Moroccan spiced lentils

Sumac rice

Sausage + ham pasta

Roast mushroom + halloumi salad

Soup: Tuscan tomato

Day 1059 First day is the hardest

We’re gonna be short staffed this week which has cured my boredom slightly. Look at me trying to find the positives in what is a tekky situation. The busy distraction is welcomed as I have a couple niggling problems I need to keep my mind off. So far it’s been a happy Monday. Hazar!

Salads:

Braised borlotti bean + mushroom

Preserved lemon rice

Tomato, basil + french bean pasta

Soup: lightly spiced sweet potato

Day 1058 Cozy cafe

We’ve been surprisingly busy considering the weather. The heavy rain makes the deli feel so cozy, makes the impending winter look a little enticing. I’m telling myself this to veer my mind away from the misery that the winter will most probably bring.

Salads:

Chickpea coconut curry

Kimchi rice

Chicken + tarragon pasta

Soup: Tuscan tomato + basil

Sandwich: Fennel salami, smoked mozzarella, spicy peach relish + tomato

Day 1057 Spontaneous

I’m quite a regimented person, even my chaos has it’s own system. I decided to change my evening plans when one of my new favorite characters (in the sitcom that is the deli) asked if I’d want to see an Arsenal game. I had a great evening even though I was being a traitor to the blues. I’m lucky that i’m surrounded by a spontaneous crowd because they inject joy in what can be a monotonous life.

Salads:

Jerk spiced jackfruit curry

Coconut + ginger rice

Roast vegetable ragu pasta

Soup: Indian spiced leek + potato

Day 1056 High risk investment

It’s been a quiet morning but it’s moved along nicely. I found out how much Chelsea season tickets are and I am gagged. Paying that much for what is currently a mediocre team is true love. I mean, wouldn’t pay for my child’s education even if I was minted because if they don’t come out the other end more intelligent than me then what’s the point? And as we all know I’m a genius!

Salads:

Roast cauliflower + mung bean curry

Ginger + turmeric rice

Tomato, courgette + parsley

Soup: Lightly spiced sweet potato

Sandwich: Roast pork, Pickled vegetable slaw + Korean spiced mayo

Day 1055 Deep thinker

I’ve been sitting here procrastinating all morning and the rush is approaching fast so I really need to snap out of it. I will mask my daydreaming mind by professing to the public that i’m deep in meaningful thought. See what I did there? Very demure, very mindful.

Salads:

Braised chickpeas + roast squash

Spinach + herb rice

Sausage + ham pasta

Soup: Sweetcorn + potato

Sandwich: Cumberland sausage, Cheddar, Caramelized onion relish + tomato

Day 1054 Moist nights

Happy Monday everyone. I think many are suffering from an overindulgence in the devils juice over the weekend. It’s set to be a miserable week so I soaked up as much outdoor time as I could. While I can appreciate indoor fun, it can get claustrophobic after a while. Waking to wet darkness makes the mornings harder than they already are.

Salads:

5 spiced veg + black bean

Edamame + crispy shallot rice

Leek, black olive + tomato pasta

Braised lentils with sausage + ham

Soup: Carrot + ginger

Day 1053 Is this joke too cheesy?

What political party would that cheese vote for? Camembert is a solid tory, extra mature cheddar is probably a tory too but was tempted by the reform party because of the new influxes of foreign cheeses having a stronghold on our supermarket shelves. Babybel is labour through and through… even wears red.

Salads:

Med veg lentil

Herbed rice

Sausage + ham pasta

Soup: Indian spiced chickpea

Sandwich: Spicy salami, Gorgonzola, Caramelized onion relish + tomato

Day 1052 Managing

Staying on top of my work is constant drag on my overall mood. As I have been quite bored recently I decided to come up with a plan for my day so my mind doesn’t wonder. I could dwell on my bored and let it eat me alive or I could be proactive about it and find solutions. I sound like I really have a handle on things but we all know I’m a good talker.

Salads:

Mexican beans

Lemon + dill rice

Roast pepper + tomato pasta

Feta dressed salad with croutons