Rather dull jacket potatoes. Cheese and beans for the kids. Tuna, coleslaw and salsa mashed together for the grown ups.

Home made chocolate muffins for pudding, as we’d all been good.

Weds night is home from London night. Given Mrs North followed me into the village and Grandma was in the house bathing Miss North, my best guess is whatever I can rustle from the fridge/cupboard.

Humbug.

Roasted sweet potato rough mash with toasted cumin seeds, shitloads of broccoli wi balsamic vinegar, rocket/feta/tomato/olive salad with a poached egg on top, 2 veg sausages (thanks mum) and a slice of ciabatta with roasted mushrooms. (Yeah…I’m vegi)

Good food need not be complicated.

Left over fish pie with broccoli. Quite yummy.

Yesterday I bunged an oxtail in the slow cooker with carrots parsnips onion garlic and red wine. This morning I skimmed off the fat, reduced the juice and slow cooked it all day again.

Mash and cauliflower set it off fine, along with a cheap Co-op chateauneuf du pape.

Salmon on croute.

My god it was worse!

Mrs North (normally a cook par excellence) took the hint and prepared dinner while I tidied the pigsty house.

Dubious tasting cod on a bed of undercooked pea and mint ravioli was too much even for my raised-on-public-school-food iron constitution. It found its way rapidly into the bin and I resorted to a bowl of cornflakes.

I’d categorise that experiment in the all time bottom one. Horror show!

Sorry to hear that, my pan fried salmon with boiled rice, soy and green beans was simple but delicious.

Followed by a (slightly stale if I’m honest) lemon curd filled and iced bun and a glass of Shiraz in that order.