In recent months my interest in cooking has really waned. I was caught in a rut of preparing the same 5 or 6 staples every day. It was boring and I was over it. In addition, the noxious fumes emanating from our ancient oven made it hard to raise any enthusiasm about the cooking process as well. I didn't want to be the one responsible for poisoning my family either.
So I've stuck mainly to stove top cooking and it has all been dull, dull, dull.
Then we moved in with my parents. Now their cooking has changed considerably since the days I lived at home. I suspect cooking for 2 people makes it easier to be adventurous than the days where they cooked for 7 of us.
One of the first things they said when we "relocated" was they'd cook and we were to focus on parenting. Which was fine by me. Actually it was more than fine. It was fanbloodytastic.
But the thing is this. My passion and enjoyment of cooking has really increased in the past week. It's like learning a new skill in some ways. Mealtimes have been a treat because my parents prepare amazing, freshly sourced local produce for our meals.
Meals have been delicious AND healthy. Think baked rainbow trout with vegetables from Poppa's garden, or lamb chops with wedges and rocket salad. Simple but yummy.
So yesterday when my parents were away on a long walk we decided to prepare them dinner using one of the recipe books they had.
Our morning started with a trip to the markets. I had forgotten how much I love the vibrancy and cheapness of our local markets. The offspring ran round grabbing the vegetables off our list.

Then Husband and I whipped up these three dishes (which look pretty similar to the original don't they?)



And we all enjoyed a fabulous fresh and healthy dinner together. We all had fun preparing the meal together and I had forgotten how much enjoyment doing meal preparation as a family was.
My goal is to have 10 recipe staples for when we move home again. After all, I will have a brand new kitchen with a very hot oven.
I'll have absolutely no excuse!
What's your dinner recipe staple? (I'm collecting for my recipe collection and suggestions are VERY welcome)

Yes I know it isn't Tuesday.
And technically speaking I'm not actually writing about THE book of Revelations. Mainly because I'm not qualified to do so and also because unless the Bible has added a weight loss section, then really, it doesn't belong in this post.
So I think I've figured out the active lifestyle part of my life, the Bronze medallion followed by the half marathon should keep me nicely occupied for the next few months anyway.
But the eating?
Oh the eating.
The reason I didn't post on Tuesday was because I was ashamed. Recently I've just been eating, well, badly. Very, very badly. And whilst I've been really good about my husband's food and the kids, well I've been snacking and eating all those thing I just shouldn't.
And I was there thinking on Tuesday that what I needed was a new cookbook. Some inspiration. Tasty food, easy recipes. I even went shopping for one and came home empty handed apart from the chocolate bar I bought to cheer myself up
Now I need to digress a little.
Bear with me because it's important.
I love Twitter. I Twitter alot. And recently I was discussing this with friends. A couple in particular were very scathing of Twitter. They see it as nothing more than a way for people to list what they are having for lunch and who wants to know about that? Well, alot of people actually.
Thanks to Twitter I was given my first "proper" writing job. Thanks to Twitter I have a new role as an ambassador for a major Australian bank. (Yes, I know, me, a bank. More on that another time) Thanks to Twitter, Andre Agassi wrote to thank me for what I said about his (absolutely brilliant) autobiography.
Thanks to Twitter I have a new cookbook.
In addition I have been (re)fired up about eating sensibly again.
I feel enormously privileged that Jane Kennedy one of Australia's foremost comedians, writers and mother of five took the time to engage in a chat with me. In addition to her other skills, she can cook. Very well. And she's written a book on the subject
So I bought her book. Devoured it from cover to cover. Metaphorically speaking.
There are only 2 other writers who have made me laugh out loud when reading them, they are, Bill Bryson and Vicki Iovine. Jane Kennedy can now join their ranks.
Her book is called: "Fabulous food, minus the boombah" (for those of you unfamilar with our peculiar dialect "Boombah" is a term Jane has used since her teens for food that makes your bum big. And judging from my reflection in the mirror I've been eating way too many boombah foods.
So today we started off baking this:

Healthy, yes. Delicious, yes. And easy to do.
Though Jane's attitude towards those who say:
"But I can't cook."
is:
"What are you, a baby?
Of course you can.
Get a frying pan, turn on the heat, sprinkle some sea salt and pepper on a steak, add some olive oil, cook the steak.
Look, you cooked."
And next week, when I do my skinny Tuesday post, on you know, Tuesday, I will have a copy to giveaway. Yes, I love it THAT much I'm going to schlep back to Target and buy one for one of you.
It's that good.
I'll talk more about the recipes in this book over the coming weeks and how user friendly they are. But the cottage pies seem to indicate I'm off to a good start!
Is there a cookbook you can recommend or that YOU love? I'm seriously trying to expand my pitiful repetoire even though as I keep saying over and over, I'm not a baker!
Also while you are here, please do me a favour, and pop over and congratulate my friend Rach on her fab weight loss!
Now shhh, I'm eating.