Food

I am increasingly unwilling to settle for fast food or those instant meals that just require milk, water or a few minutes in the microwave to cook. I think I'm becoming a food snob.

The thing is, making a meal from scratch is hardly more difficult than buying it or making it from a packet, and almost always cheaper. Take tonight's meal: roasted chicken with root vegetables (pumpkin, parsnip, potato and onion), steamed broccoli and beans, tomato chutney and homemade bread (admittedly, made by a friend, not me). I have enough left over to freeze for five more meals and the prep time was only about half an hour with a few hours for the cooking itself. It tastes amazing and I know that there are no nasties lurking in my dinner. The meal cost very little to make as well, probably no more than $15 (I don't really look at grocery receipts, but the chicken was something like $10 and the vegies are never expensive).

I am very happy, and very, very satisfied.

Tomorrow's dinner will be lamb cutlets with polenta, more of that chutney and steamed broccolini. Polenta generally takes 15 minutes to cook, the little cutlets only need to be done in the pan for 5 minutes and the broccolini will take another 10 minutes in prep + cooking time.

I have so many things planned for my kitchen. Thai curries, couscous salad, pasta with chilis and parmesan, spag bol! Yum yum.