In praise of not DIY

We have been here before. The joy, the sheer staggering JOY, of not having to cook for myself. I still can't eat in company with anyone else (possible Christmas bubble waiver if I can wangle an effective quarantine for most of the rest of December), but it's my birthday and I can get a restaurant home delivery if I want to. 

I did this a couple of times over the summer, but not sure I wrote them up. They were mostly a bit on the expensive side, and sadly disappointing in scale. Nice enough, but a bit too obviously less good than actually eating in a restaurant. Still, I've heard better things recently, and goodness knows restaurants need support at the moment. I thought I'd give something else a whirl.

So this time I went Cote at Home. I may have had my head turned by the thought of their (unsurpassed) creme caramel, not to mention the potential to add orders for wine *and* some useful deli bits which will hopefully see me through said quarantine. All I ordered for immediate eating was two main courses and a couple of sides. And pudding, obvs. I have a feeling it's going to do me for four full meals. Blimey. 

This isn't even all of meal #1 (though admittedly the chips are going to do two nights). And it does look good.

Posh ready meal chicken and chips. With cauli leftovers, because I am classy.

Let us not speak of the waste, though all of it is recyclable. I am lucky that new downstairs neighbours haven't quite moved in yet - allll the recycling bins are mine for now.

This blog makes me feel a bit like my first Confined Kitchen entry: an M&S curry because I was pretty fed up about the pandemic. I love to cook, but sometimes, just occasionally, I love not cooking too.

If you do feel like cooking, a reminder that there's a relaxed, non-timed cook-what-you-fancy festive #ConfinedCookalong on Saturday 12th. I may be making stollen. I may be making something a tidge less ambitious, depending on how my week goes and how badly I feel like double-proofing and kneading something for an entire afternoon. I keep nearly buying fancy mincemeat in Waitrose, but Katie's nicely spiced muffins from yesterday are also calling. Something will be cooked. Join me if you fancy it. 

 

And of course tomorrow there will be cocktails. Champagne cocktails here. Yep. See you xx