Planning, catch-up and cardamom.

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1. I find Alec sitting in bed with a Madhur Jaffrey book, planning dinner.

2. It's been a difficult week. While no-one's looking, I quietly play catch-up with the cardboard house advent calendar, fitting a tiny jelly to the table and assembling a few beds.

3. The scent of cardamom seeds and the oily, gritty feel of them under the pestle.

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