Day Release

After much umming and aahing about the next food shop, Mr G and I decided that it was best if I did it. Being the main cook in the house, if something wasn't available, I would have a better idea about what to buy instead as a replacement, whereas he would have to be shopping on the phone, which isn't ideal right now!

So, today, I escaped to Tesco. I can't say it was the most pleasant shopping experience I've ever had, it was strange. Quiet. Ordered. Quite fully stocked, yet barren in parts (pasta aisle!), but I felt so uncomfortable being out that I couldn't fully concentrate and left without a few bits that I needed.

Bit of a switch around on the meal plan, we had pie last night. Tonight's tea was Blackened Pork steaks, I found a leg of pork in the freezer and I figured that I could make more use of it by cutting it up than roasting it. So, I cut four really thick steaks from it, and six slightly thinner ones, which will actually make two different meals on top.

Served with Pinch of Nom Savoury Rice, salad, jalapenos and sweet chilli sauce. Lush, and even the children agreed!

I've totally switched around this week's meal plan. I keep finding recipes online that I haven't tried and really like the look of. So, tomorrow and Thursday, Mr G and I are going in the kitchen and doing some cooking together. We've made a list of recipes that we haven't tried from the three main cookbooks we use, and I've added to it with recipes that I've bookmarked online. I love cooking with Mr G, he's a cracking little cook, and he actually enjoys it. I think he gets it, that satisfaction you get from someone enjoying something you've made. He just needs to build up his confidence a little, and let's face it, we've got plenty of time ahead of us, and little else to do.

Tomorrow's tea is now Recipe Tin Eats Chicken Chop Suey, served with chicken fried rice. Recipes we are making for the freezer are Coq au Vin, Creamy Pork Casserole and Beef Stroganoff. And on Thursday, it's a curry day. Tea will be Pinch of Nom Garlic and Lime Balti, which is batch cooked and in the freezer, and the dishes we will make are Chicken Saagwalla, Tom Kerridge's Coconut Chicken Curry from his Dopamine Diet cookbook, and a recipe for Pakistani Beef Curry, that was posted in a Facebook curry group that I follow. Make some onion bhajis too. We might be stuck in for the foreseeable but we are going to eat some bloody lovely meals while we are.

I've even managed to talk him into trying a lovely fish curry that I've had my eye on for some time. He must really love me. I'll have a pie on standby for him though, just in case he hates it ;-)