A new yearning

Having become totally addicted to Australian masterchef (thank you Facebook friends for that addiction!! You know who you are!!!) and still loving the Great British Bake Off I'm feeling that my cooking skills are lacking.  I want to learn how to cook properly or at least expand my reportoise - which fits in nicely with with my new spreadsheet of recipes I've started (oh I do love a good list!)

So yesterday. Day one:

I learnt to make a proper cup of cocoa for the husband.  However he didn't enjoy it as much as hot chocolate but its a skill to have.

I learnt that dark chocolate chips in an apple and pear crumble can only improve things :) (have I previously mentioned oatmeal in crumbles?!? Makes them all crunchy - just add a handful)

And I learnt that James Martins bread mix is really not very good!!! It didn't rise and was very stodgy - does this look like a good loaf to you?!?

 

Indeed!!!

So onto today - Day 2

I learnt that sometimes an oven chip sandwich is the only thing that will do

And I cooked these potato cakes for the little mans dinner. 

Very easy to make - mix leftover mash potato with 2tbsp of flour, an egg and a handful of cheese. I then shaped them into patties and open frozen them before putting in a freezer bag.  To cook I started to fry them as stated in the recipe but they were cooking in the middle so I shoved them under the grill.  

The possibilities of these are endless and I will add some other bits another time - such as peas, ham, tuna.