Hello You!

OMG long time no see.  How the devil are you???  Okay, so it has been a while - 9 months to be exact.  Enough time to have been pregnant and given birth but that's not what I have been up to!  Way too busy for that kind of stuff.

I got very despondent in the middle of last year during our kitchen renovation.  I couldn't be bothered to write because I had nothing note worthy to write. Unless of course you wanted to read about what a pain in the backside it all was having no floor in the middle section of the house, no Internet and no kitchen.  Then I suppose I just got out of the habit of putting fingers to keyboard.

But how things have changed since I last wrote.  I am now one child down, in that the boy has left and gone to University.  As far as that is concerned I couldn't be more please, he is happy to be out of the house and should have a first in drinking by the end, (obviously I am ever hopefully as far as his studies go).
In other news my kitchen sparkles and shines like no other before bringing me great joy, completely worth all the heartache.

The finished article 

And wonders of wonders I am learning the wonderful art of cooking at the very prestigious Leiths.  Truthfully I couldn't quite believe it during the first term, little ol' me at Leiths, how funny is that.  And even now, I still love every minute.  It's hard and takes a lot out of you but gives just as much back.  I have made the most wonderful things, pies with aspic - which I would never in a million years try on my own.

Something to reference my flavours with.

 Hot watercurst pie, something I am proud of.

Plucking and drawing (to pull its guts out) pheasants, okay I only plucked one feather out and that because I was told I had to.  And no I didn't touch it's innards.  If I can't pluck the creature I definitely can't pull its guts out!  We cook every day and have some wonderful demonstrations, a stand out one was offal.  Deep fried sheep's brains, marrow, sweet bread's and ahh yes some liver and kidneys to follow.  As part of each cooking session we have time plans to write, now they are a right pain but a necessity.  To top this, as part of the course we are doing a Wine and Spirits Diploma.  How my head hurts sometimes and yet I just love it.

Pate sucree tarts, obvioulsy I am still working on the presentation side of things.