Having done a whole series of happy holiday, good weather blogs I have decided to do one about our life here in the UK. We returned to wild, windy and wet weather and discovered that we have two roof leaks plus a knackered fridge door. Oh deep bloody joy, really makes us happy about being back here – not! Our ever helpful builder Phil has been round to view the problems but between the miserable weather and the fact that he is in the midst of a big job at the local conservative club means that he hasn’t been able to do anything to fix things yet. AAAAAARGH, drip,drip, drip and those bloody conservatives never cease causing me grief!
The best bit about being back in the UK is that we have the dogs back. The down side of having them back is that their body clocks don’t get the putting the clocks back malarkey so from 05.30 onwards we (well me actually) get hassled to wake up. I gave in at 06.00 yesterday, got up and started a Cookathon. Two and a half hours later we had an eight portion Frittata plus an Autumn Sunshine Curry that will give at least twelve portions. I find it easy to feed battalions but very difficult to feed just two.
Actually, early morning Cookathons are not a bad idea. Peeling, chopping and steaming butternut squash, sweet potatoes, swede, carrots & parsnips and boiling pre-soaked butter beans are mind numbingly tedious tasks so better done during that morning period when you have been woken up too early by hassling German Shepherds doing their alarm call duty and you are still semi comatose.
Speaking of hassling German Shepherds, they did it again this morning, had us both up and drinking tea at 06.10, got Garrath to take them out for wee-wees and pooh-poohs at 07.15 and are now happily fast asleep doing morning pack time on the bed with us. Maybe we should wake them up in the middle of the night then snuggle up on their beds and go to sleep?
We had the Autumn Sunshine Curry for supper and it was delicious, a vegetarian feast that needs no meat at all. In previous incarnations I have made it with just butternut squash and carrots then used cashew nots for the protein element, but this new departure with the other roots and the big fat beans for protein was a delight. I am inordinately proud of the fact that the curry masala was made entirely by hand from whole spices from my spice boxes, roasted then hand ground plus powdered turmeric, fresh ginger and garlic, and that it turned out to be just right. Smug? Me? Noooooooooooo!
The Frittata is our favourite, a Bobby’s take away Frittata which is fusion cooking at its best, Kashmiri meets Italian. We buy two portions of Special Kebabs and chips from Bobby’s, our local take away, knowing that the portions are huge, eat some of it for supper the the following morning I carefully chop the leftovers, mix it with 10-12 beaten eggs (depending on how greedy we have been the night before) season it then bake it in the combi microwave. Result – a delicious frittata that serves eight. We worked out that our two portion Special Kebab and chips actually provides ten meals that works out at only £1.56 per portion. How’s that for value? I can and do make lots of other kinds of Frittatas and tortillas (great portable food for me when I chair tribunals) but the Bobby’s version is our out and out favourite. Portioned, wrapped in foil and kept in the fridge it will serve as lunch either hot or cold for four days.
More German Shepherd hassling is imminent as it is nearly their walk time so Garrath will have to drag on some clothes and facilitate the first of the thrice daily walks. The day is bright and clear unlike yesterday, so that should be relatively enjoyable. Yesterday it was pretty miserable as we got soaked in the driving rain.
When Garrath returns from the morning walk I will ensure that all is well with the world by being in the kitchen preparing the dogs’ breakfast of tinned fish and potatoes plus shiny coat and skin conditioner capsules when then we can get on with our breakfast – Garrath’s turn to cook this morning – and we can get on with the rest of the day. Who knows what adventures it will hold?