recipes – Travel stories

(Irish sky – we have the best clouds!)

We travelled for 4,500 kilometers in wind and rain and sun. We were coughed on and sneezed near, and we were never ill. But we’re home now and we have the ‘flu…..

(French sky)

So my thinking is not very clear today and that may lead to this post not being very clear but I have hope! It’s about trying. We use that word all the time but do we really know what we’re saying?

(More French sky)

Today I’m trying to write my blog. Trying involves a lot of effort. There’s a lot of gazing out at the cloudy blue sky. There’s a lot of thoughts about all the other things I should be doing at the same time. There’s a lot of re-writing and deleting. It’s very hard work. Very serious work. Do you realise what work is involved in this blog writing? Oh, its tough. It’s not much fun either and I doubt if it’s fun to read…..

(Spanish sky)

Usually, I don’t try to write my blog. Usually, I just write my blog. There’s no effort. I hardly look up. Once I start I couldn’t care less about what else needs to be done. I hardly change a thing (except spellings, I still manage to mis-spell!). It’s very easy. It’s not serious, it’s funny in my tummy! There’s no work involved. It’s not tough, it’s fun to do and maybe it’s even fun to read……

(Irish sky)

It’s so much easier when I don’t try…… and instead just do it…… Trying is no fun, I like fun.

Was that clear? Mairead.

PS I have set aside a large inbox area in my email for correspondence relating to recipes from you…. but so far there’s only one recipe in there (thank you Madge, we will be eating Chicken in White Wine and Mushroom Sauce tonight and thinking happy thoughts about you). I’m guessing you might be trying to get around to sending me one…. stop trying! I need your recipes, now. Thank you.

(Beautiful things in my mother’s house)

I have a request, so listen up!

If I’m going to continue showing you how possible it is to “make” time to do the things you want to do, then I’m going to need a little help. In a particular area – dinner! I’ll be specific (it’s always useful to be specific when you’re considering (or asking for) what you want)…….. I want recipes.

(My brother cooks Irish lunch)

In order to make time to do the things you want to do, something’s gotta give! Something that you give time to now will need to give up it’s time. Or, if it’s an essential task, at least give up some of its time. And that’s where you’ll need to be creative. So I’m going to start by being creative with dinner! I’m creating ways to allow dinner to give up some of its time. To be clear, I’m quite happy to keep the time I spend eating the dinner, it’s the preparation time I want back.

(Time to eat)

So…

… I need recipes. Very particular recipes: To feed four people. With a preparation time of ten minutes, maybe I could stretch to fifteen minutes but… no longer than that. Where a pot, dish, saucepan or receptacle containing some food goes into an oven and when the timer goes off, we eat. I don’t care how long the timer takes, because while it counts down and the dinner cooks I’ll be writing 🙂 I’m happy to make a salad to go with the dinner and I think I could probably do that in five minutes.

(The beautiful rain on Sunday)

Also, I like fish but one of the four people to be fed doesn’t…. He could go without, but I like him…. So, it would be a bonus if you know a great fish recipe (I’m thinking of the Cod in red pepper sauce that we got at Rosa’s Casa Rural near San Sebastian) where the fish looks like meat…. (any meat would do, but I’m thinking chicken already looks a bit like fish???) but that would just be a bonus, not essential.

(Unhealthy breakfast today)

Please, please send me your favourite, ten minute prep, in a pot, into the oven, onto the table recipe. One that you’ve tried and it works. (When I’ve sorted dinner I’m going onto housework next, so start thinking about that.)

Bon appétit, Mairead.