Monday 3 October 2011

Tongue in cheek

Continuing the food theme, as it's the most important thing in my life at the moment, I have been doing all sorts of easy cooking this evening.  Nigella Lawson put a tweet up about her no churn Margarita ice cream, and I thought, Monday night, why not?  125ml of lime juice, that's why not.  It went in my eyes, in my hair and all over me, but I think I got just about enough.  Mixed with Gran Marnier, tequila, whipped cream and icing sugar, it's currently in the freezer, waiting for tomorrow night, when I shall have forgotten all about it.  Another one of my school friends asked me if I was making my own tequila; I am a mum of two stroppy little madams, working for a woman I despise, of course I'm not giving up booze.  The unprocessed lot can do one if they think I am. 

So, anyway, with my head full of Margarita ice cream dreams, I flicked through Nigella Express, you know, the one where she appeared on television as a parody of herself, and I hope she is better now, as it broke my heart.  I'm sure she was on some kind of serious medication and no one told her that she was better off being at home, getting better.  Anyway.  I found, on page 94, the recipe for Breakfast Bars, which would be perfect for my suddenly on a massive health kick husband, as all the ingredients are natural and healthy, barring the tin of condensed milk.  Although I find that I could make condensed milk in the kitchen using a saucepan, a thermometer and about a tonne of sugar, so I think it counts as unprocessed.  *glare*

The bars are cooking, the ice cream is freezing, and I've successfully taken my mind off the horror that was returning to work.

Bugger.

Sunday 2 October 2011

Food

My school friend moved to Canada a while back and is now living a disgustingly healthy life in somewhere idyllic with monumentally breathtakingly beautiful scenery and bears and moose and things like that. I struggle with jealousy issues, especially when it is grey and drizzly here in W13, and even in the beautiful weather we've been having here.

Like, it seems, all Canadians, she is very outdoors-y and is constantly ski-ing, going for long walks with her son in a backpack, and eats only fresh fruit and vegetables. She is participating in a "challenge", and what is it with North Americans and their self imposed challenges? Seriously, the knitters I "know" via Ravelry are always "challenging themselves" not to buy wool, to only knit continental, to make 12 things in 12 minutes, and other crazy things. Can't we just enjoy life and living? Who outside of you and your immediate family cares if you've spent the mortgage money on wool? Have some self control! I have never, ever, committed an emotional purchase and you can tell that from the minimalist lifestyle I advocate and the tidy and disciplined state of my home and yarn stash.

Anyway, she is participating in this challenge here, which actually looks like a GOOD THING, and not really that far removed from what I will grandly call my eating and food philosophy.

Local, fresh, organic where not stupidly expensive, home made and ready meals once in a blue moon.

I will be actively avoiding buying bread for a month, as I make a better loaf than I can buy, and we can slice it thin enough for the Fusspot's sandwiches. I can make butter, but you know, life is just too short. I already make my own jam and it won't kill me to stop buying chocolate for me and the children for a month. I will still be eating sausages, ham and cheese, and buying Petit Filous, as both girls love them, but everything else will be home-made, or at least sourced locally.

To this end, I have spent today making chocolate and hazelnut spread, crab apple jelly and chicken stock, from a boiler hen, £2 from our local butcher. Amazing. I've pureed some pears for Hattie's breakfast tomorrow, and I'm going to make a loaf of bread in a bit.

Last night, we started as we mean to go on by having homemade burgers and chips with a tomato salad. Wonderful, and the fusspot ate a huge amount too. I think I rather spoilt it by eating a hangover busting Scotch egg with two pints of Diet Coke for lunch though...