learn to cook well

My little 2 year old has just been diagnosed as a coeliac. Gluten is now the ENEMY in our house and I have to learn many new skills in the kitchen like baking my own bread, making delicious cookies out of disgusting ingredients and generally making boring food seem appetizing and interesting.

It is a challenge to get a 2 year old to eat at the best of times (unless of course we’re talking crisps and chocolate!!). I’ve tried disguising healthy ingredients with chocolate, but my clever boy saw through that. Pureeing stuff and hiding it in his favourite soup didn’t work either. That child has a true connoisseur’s palate. Sigh.

is the programme COOKED (south african, made for the BBC) showing on sky in the UK. A guy takes 30 of his friends on a coach around South Africa and cooks meals for them and they have fun times. I love it because the food is easy no no-nonsense food you can make at home or round a fire/picnic and it reminds me so much of those happy happy times I had with my friends back in SA. See the website http://www.cookedinafrica.com

Struggling to find good ingredients on a tiny budget but my confidence is growing and the dustbin’s been going hungry.

was a big hit. I did lots of different things (rather than the traditional tired turkey & stuffing. Ack) Perfect roast leg of lamb in rosmary & lemon. Beef ribs basted with a red wine basting. Loads of veggies and crispy roast potatoes. Fresh fruit salad for pudding. It was perfect and the timing of everything was perfect too.

I couldn’t have pulled it off a year ago with such ease. I’m proud of myself!

I have inspired my man – he’s going to cook me something special USING A RECIPE! Wow. This is SO not like him. He’s been just amazing. Hope his meal turns out well coz its really important to him that it does.

haha. Just realized what I wrote.

As I was saying, been on a roll – for the last couple of months I’ve cooked one delicious, imaginative meal after another. I just can’t go wrong at the moment. It’s been enjoyable too. The better I’m cooking the more fun I’m having with dishes. Also, the way to my man’s heart is definitely through his stomach so I’m having lots of fun in the kitchen and in the bedroom too :)