So this is my blog...

Well - after 3 or 4 aborted attempts I have finally managed to set up my own blog... Since that happening it has also taken me a couple of days before I managed to actually do any writing!

Being a bit of a techie by heart, when I realised I could customise, personalise and otherwise transform my blog page I immediately set to work trying to find out everything I could before starting the all important task of writing... But I realised today that if I waited until I was happy with the look of it before I started actually blogging, then it would never happen!

So I have defaulted back to my original settings and decided to put fingers to typewriter in earnest.

I wanted to start a blog to keep track of my adventures in cooking - which has been my constant passion as long as I can remember. I also just bought a shiny new digital camera with which I will hopefully be able to visually document stuff. If I can work out how to attach it to the computer... (Yes, I know I said I'm a techie - but this counts as hardware...?)

Here are some things you may want to know about me:

• I live in a small flat (apartment!) in the UK
  
• I have two cats who live in my kitchen, though I sometimes let them sleep in the bedroom if I'm feeling sappy.
• I've been with Boyfriend for 18 months - we live together... but between two houses!
  
• Boyfriend is lovely - even though he won't eat anything creamy or cheesy...
• I really like spicy food - expect to see a lot of it!

Now I hope that will do as an introduction - I'm excited to make a start!!

- kittie

What's in my kitchen...?

freezer
*******
1 portion roasted garlic ragu
1 portion chilli con carne

chicken breast * 2 packs
1 lb skirt of beef
turkey meat - loads!
1 large pack Swedish meatballs
4 slice sq sausage
2 beef sausages
1 slice haggis
1 ba' haggis
2 mackerel (not cleaned yet :-S)
1 turkey stock, with some meat in

tarragon
lime leaves

soya beans
broad beans
cooked chickpeas

garlic part-bake baguette
pita breads


cupboards
***********
tin shredded crab meat
tin jumbo crab meat
anchovies
3 * tin tuna
4 * tin soups - various
3 * tins baked beans
1 * tin chickpeas

3* 165 ml tin coconut milk

1 jar sweet chilli and lemongrass stirfry sauce
1 jar thai red curry sauce
1 jar black bean and red pepper sauce
5 * mac n cheese packs!
1 pk chicken noodle soup
6 * ramen noodle packs
2 * pot noodles

2 * tom yum paste packs
2 * panang paste
1* meatball sauce mix
1 * fajita mix
1 * thai holy basil seasoning paste
1 pk saefood chilli sauce mix
1 pck pad thai mix

1 tin mango slices
1 tin apricot halves
1 tin peach slices

1 pack almonds
1/2 pk walnuts
1 pack pinenuts

1 jar wholegrain mustard
Various jars olives
1 * pack salt cod
50 g dried porcini
1 pack dates
golden syrup

LOADS of pasta = bows, tagliatelle, twists, orrichete, tubes, spaghetti, linguine, lasagne

3 * portions rice vermicilli
3 * portions udon noodles
3 * egg noodles

3 * portions basmati rice
1 pack brown rice
1 * pk brown basmati rice

red lentil
green lentils
yellow lentils
yellow split peas
bulgar wheat
loads of porridge oats

semolina
various flours
yeast

3 * packs multiseed ryvita
some chocolate
1 lyles golden syrup sponge cake


fridge
******
1 cup malay curry paste
3 * various thai curry pastes (premade!)
3 * tubs various pesto (store bought and a bit yucky :-S)
1 * jar madras curry paste
1 * pack miso paste

anchovies
various cured sausages
chorizo

feta
white stilton
mature cheddar

yogurt

hummus

roasted red peppers
pickled hot chillies
4 * jars sliced jalapeños - red & green! I have no idea why I have so many... :-S
SD tomatoes
jar artichokes

sambal brandal
ghee
coconut oil
capers

1/2 pack rocket
1 mango

+ loads other condiments, pickles and other random bits and pieces!