This isn't a commentary on diets and eating plans, nor is it a suggestion that you go out for dinner with partners other than your own... Far from it. In fact this is about it being ok to "cheat" to get to the food you want to eat :-) The idea came from Ruby, although indirectly to be honest. You see, she has this itty bitty wand with bigga lotta power and when she feels like it - which she often does - she uses her awesome powers to grant me shortcuts around the kitchen! No, unfortunately it isn't as spectacular as going to sleep with the kitchen looking like a bomb hit it and waking up to a perfect and sparkling one. What she does is make sure that stubborn, baked on food washes off quickly or she stops the oil from spattering all over the stove. Little things that make a big difference!
It got me thinking about cooking and shortcuts in the pursuit of food. Let's be honest... unless you're home like Miss Twinset or have staff like the Other One, the chances are that many of us are out at work all day and coming home hungry and hurried. Yes, I can cook a meal from scratch, but if there are shortcuts that exist... why not use them to cut down on the time it takes to get rid of the "hungry" part of my day? Before you all gasp in horror... I'm not suggesting that we live on take-away food (although there is some good stuff out there), what I'm suggesting is that we make use of all those wonderful cook-in sauces & premixed packs (you know the ones... just add 400g of chicken, some milk and an onion). Even frozen pastry or oven chips are a shortcut to getting a meal done!
You see, a real chef would tell you that you should make pastry from scratch because it's simple and it tastes better, but it also takes a while! Yes, you could peel potatoes and cut them up into chips, but that also takes time. When you need to get a hot, tasty meal on the table, there is nothing to stop you from making use of these "time saving devices". Yes - technically it's cheating - but it works!
So - thanks to a mischievous and mostly good natured red sparkly kitchen fairy - the "Cheat" is officially on the list of things TO DO!!
Until next time...
WTG Ruby!!!!!!!!! Is she for hire, or does she only work for you? Thanks for validating me, now I don't need to feel guilty on those rare occasions when I enter the kitchen (other than to make tea) about using things in packets!!! Though to be honest, I'd first have to find the scissors lol.
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