What a relief!

After doing the big food shop yesterday, we toodled along to the Pub. Al, our gardener, had been while we were away so he needed paying. We don't like to leave paying small one man businesses any longer than is necessary.

We were also curious. When we'd seen Fran & Den on Monday, we were told that Al had reported at the Pub that there were problems with our kitchen installation. We wondered what they were.

It turned out it was just that he'd been round twice. On neither occasion was there any sign of workmen. He was therefore surprised when we reported it was finished on Saturday. There's a few tweaks to be done, the odd finishing touches, that's it. And on the whole we're pleased with the results.

Then the saga of all the problems with new kitchens, especially new kitchen equipment, came. Al, too, is renovating his kitchen. He's pleased so far with his new cooker & microwave, but, by the time some of the horrendous experiences of some people with new fan ovens etc were related, I was feeling distinctly nervous about cooking dinner. I remember the last time we changed cooker how often food was burnt or not cooked. I came to the conclusion then, that every cooker has its own personality & foibles. You've just got to discover them & adapt.

We got home & I started cooking. Result - flavoursome chips, sweet glossy Vichy carrots, puff pastry suitably puffed & golden, chicken vol-au-vent filling warm & tasty. I admit the pastry was a little bit over browned but I can easily adjust my cooking times in future.

Oh, how great it was to eat real home cooked food again! The Fox had cooked on Sunday but it was just a mass produced frozen pie. This was a meal made with raw ingredients. OK. The puff pastry was frozen, but I'd rolled & cut it into vol-au-vents, the sauce was condensed soup & the chicken was just some left over from a roast I'd done some time ago. But it tasted of home. What a relief!

Today it's the Fox's turn to try real home cooking. He's getting out his beloved wok & doing us a salmon & green bean stir fry. And I, for on, am looking forward to it.

It's good to be back to some normality again!