the ex-pat thing

We decided pretty early on that we didn't want to do the ex-pat thing of shopping in the English shop for HP sauce, Heinz beans and proper sausages made of sawdust and pigs' ears like they should be.

But we have to confess to three things:

1) We brought over (and have had replenished by friends and family) HUNDREDS of PG Tips tea bags. As far as we are concerned, we feel we are simply helping ourselves gently to make the transition to Lipton Yellow Label.

2) We have so far been to two carol services - one at the Anglican chaplaincy and one at a friend's house. The Anglican one was quintessentially English - "In the bleak midwinter", readings from Scripture and from George Herbert et al, and a choir singing Rutter, Handel and Bach. It was followed by quiche, pizza and vin chaud * in the adjoining hall, but if you rename it "mulled wine" I suppose you are back in the quintessentially English again. What could be more English than quiche with the vicar?

3) and the reason for posting this. We have found that scones and strawberry jam go extremely well with Mascarpone cheese. We bought the cheese to stuff dates with (don't ask!) but just tried it on some scones Pat had happened to make, and if you close your eyes and think hard you could almost be back in the Willow Tree in Amersham.

* heating wine thoroughly to make mulled wine or vin chaud, evaporates off the alcohol.

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