Accidentally Cooking

Just for once, just one time, I'd like to have something in my life that I had planned to do and actually did as planned.

I rely heavily on takeaways.  It isn't good.  I got into the habit when I was feeding father, DH and bear who didn't like the same food.  One would eat beef but not lamb, one would eat lamb but not pork, one adored sweetcorn, another loathed it etc etc etc.  The safe meals were prepared, crumbed chicken, Indian takeaway, Chinese takeaway or fish and chips.  Father used to adore his takeaways.

Then father went and I stopped being able to eat gluten, so it cut down some of the takeaways, but we were still having far too many.  Then suddenly - we weren't.  I have no idea why.  We haven't had a takeaway for the last month.  It is unprecedented.  Some of the meals are fancier than others.  We have had (relatively healthy) tinned sauce with pasta, but also chicken breasts baked in foil with potato bourgeoise.  Tonight it was fish fingers, but it could be a chili, a nice fresh pasta, shepherd's pie or smoked haddock.  I don't know where it's come from.  DH is loving the food, bear is happy, I'm enjoying the food but I have no idea why I'm suddenly cooking.

Tonight I watched the programme on ITV called Save Money: Good Food.  It seems like a version of Eat Well for Less, but slanted slightly differently.  The recipes that they prepared don't seem to be available on the website or facebook, but there is an expensive cookbook.  The food looked good, though perhaps not what I would eat.  I'll watch the rest of the series and point bear in its direction (he's been binge watching junior masterchef) for his opinion.  I'm interested in the extra tips about storing food, use by dates and working hard to eliminate waste.  I was interested that they used up the thick broccoli stems by grating them into another dish.  Those sort of ideas are worth watching.

There's a low lying grumble about food prices going up.  Even before Brexit there were issues about soil degradation, climate change and food security, and I suspect that over the next few years there will be a lot of encouragement from the government about making the most of food.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if we got a Ministry of Food again.  What is surprising me is that I may be ready if it comes.