Easter

Just a flying visit...

For a change I've not spent the day slaving over a hot stove, instead I've been wading through Easter Eggs and other various seasonal treats.

That's right, who needs to cook on Easter Sunday when we're inundated with eggs and chocolate, I've enough here to last me till... well next Easter. Actually, while I'm here, could someone explain why we celebrate with eggs, it's beyond me?

Anyway, the real reason I'm blogging - I have a confession to make. Back on Ash Wednesday I wrote that I would be giving up on chocolates, sweets and fizzy drinks for lent... well... lets just say it's not gone so well.

But I have a valid reason, it has become a tradition to eat such rubbish on a Thursday afternoon while I present some student radio... I blame Amy (she's a bad influence).

If you do feel let down, please feel free to comment below... but be kind, I have made some progress! But avoiding the good stuff (the stuff that's 'bad' for me) is much harder than this cooking malarkey. 

Tea Time

Over the last month I have served up various dishes from around the world, well mainly Europe, but then I'm nothing if not continental.

You've had tapas and soup to start, Mums spaghetti bolognese for a main and a choice between pancakes and crumble for dessert. So, what's left - tea or coffee?

When Mum said she was going to teach me to make tea I thought leaf it out, but she was serious. She compared my last cup of tea to cats pee - well that's rude and can cats make tea, maybe they could... if they had thumbs?

Anyway, it's Mum's show and I guess making tea is a valuable life skill - so here goes... head first into tea making...

Well, there isn't much I can say about the lesson... First I gathered up all my components, to save time if things got hectic (as seen on the right). Filled and boiled the kettle (with water of course)... while you're waiting for a kettle to boil... you have to entertain yourself for a while.

Traditionalists will argue that the best tea has to be made in a pot but muggins here argues that making it in the mug saves on washing up and therefore is more economical - FACT.

Anyway, once the kettle had boiled I had the arduous task of pouring the boiled water onto the tea bag in the mug. You may think this is easy but navigating boiling water into a 15 centimeter circumference is far from easy - but I managed.

But here is the really important bit, judging when to remove that teabag. Its a crucial factor in order to maximise taste, colour and overall satisfaction to the tea belly. It's difficult to know whether people like it weak, strong, or somewhere in the middle and however you make it, it wont be right.

But Mum is teaching me to make a 'good' cup of tea so I left it for a few minutes to brew.

Once Mum had given me the nod (she was milking this for all it was worth), I fished the bag out... added some milk (again this changes with taste) and served.

The lesson was in the bag.

A completely different challenge but the same outcome, I'm getting the hang of this cooking malarkey.