Monday's Dinner - Tasted Better Than It Looked

We came home late from work and I was in charge of cooking. Dinner tasted better than it looked - just.

Beans - Jo

Curry egg and potato thing - Joe

Thursday - Chocolate and Wine at Haley & Clifford

This week we toddled up to Haley & Clifford in Roundhay for a wine and chocolate tasting.  Haley & Clifford is probably my favourite deli in Leeds, as it stocks a fantastic range of cheeses, antipasti and cakes as well as lots of treats like pastas, pickles, olive oils etc.  I always want to spend a fortune when I'm in there and it really does have goodies to suit all tastes. 

On Thursday we were there specifically to taste some chocolate and some wine.  It was a lovely evening trying New World whites and roses and some brilliant Spanish reds, as well as some very yummy chocolate (I was a particular fan of the chilli chocolate which had a subtle and surprising kick!).  Joe and I were sufficiently convinced to pick up a nice rose and a New Zealand Sauvingnon Blanc, which will be a nice treat when summer roles around! 

We also managed a sneaky try of the Haley & Clifford pork pies which are fantastic and are going to be our wedding pork pies!  Superb.

Haley & Clifford's awesome pork pies - the best bit?  No jelly!

Our wine purchases

After a few drinks, we headed home for some late night treats - a fried egg sandwich for Joe and a fish finger sandwick for me (keep those stinky eggs away, thanks!).  This week we are definitely on a health kick....been far too naughty recently!

Joe's oeuf sandwich

My fish finger sandwich

Wednesday Jo at Home

On Wednesday, sob sob, I was abandoned at home while Joe lived it up in town.  When I say lived it up, what I mean is he and Hunter Pig (his other wife) went for dinner and cocktails like a couple of girls.

I stayed at home and put stamps on our wedding invites - rock on!  To cheer myself up I indulged in roasted vegetables with Mexican spices and a poached egg.  Woop woop!  For a more exciting blog post, perhaps see Joe's simultaneous post about his dinner - much more fun!

Roasted veg and an oeuf - an action shot!

Friday - Home alone! Again!! Sausage, Egg & Chips.....

Jo and I both had the day booked off work, and after a quick run and a little tidying we decided on a trip to York to find some festive cheer and do some Christmas shopping. Earlier in the week, lunch at the House Of Trembling Madness had been recommended to us - thanks @EisntCNeil. It's a very cool pub above a very good booze shop that's definitely worth checking out - it is mad! We both has the beetroot, parsnip and horseradish soup which was a big old portion of wintertime goodness with a load of bread to dip - yum!

A sausage snack

A very good soup

At 5.30pm I dropped Jo off with a friend to get ready for her work Christmas party, and I headed home for some peace and quiet!! (only kidding Jo!).... My evening consisted of pottering in the kitchen, drinking red wine, eating and watch TT: Closer To The Edge which was awesome - those guys are totally barmby!!

Tuesday night experiments!

When I don't have enough time to cook I get a bit stressed.  For some reason, cooking is one of the few things that really relaxes me after work, so I get huffy when things get in my way!  After having to ask Joe to make dinner last night, I didn't care that we didn't leave until after seven - I was cooking!

Today was also experiment time - a veg box from Riverford last weekend means we have lots of food in the fridge so it's a perfect time to try something different!  Tonight was potato cakes with a poached egg and tomato and chorizo sauce.  It took quite a lot of simultaneous activity but ended up pretty good!

Four pans on the go - just before the eggs went in!

And the finished product...poached eggs on potato cakes with a tomato and chorizo sauce

Oh and also an excellent wine delivery.  Fifteen bottles just before Christmas.  Awesome.

Monday - Autumn Foods & Figs for Pudding - and a Birthday!

It's Joe's sister Sally's birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY SALLY!!!!!!

Birthday Girl Sally with me and Joe at Sacre Coeur

Joe also dragged me out for a run after getting home from work.  It poured with rain and was really dark (although Joe was sporting a rather fetching head torch!)

I got through it thinking of dinner - roasted root veg and chorizo - cooking in the oven.  Yum.  And topped with a poached egg for me and a fried egg for Joe.  Although it did start Joe's query on twitter - what is the right way to pronounce chorizo?! 

Roasted roots, chorizo and a poached egg

Dessert - baked figs with honey, yogurt and shortbread crumbs

Tuesday - A Medley of Vegetables and a Perfectly Poached Egg

As we now get a veg box we always have a fridge full of the stuff, which is no bad thing I suppose! I have become a recent convert to pork pies, but have always been a fan of eggs as many friends will testify! Can you believe that before Jo met me she hated everything about them!

She is now seen the light and makes mean poached egg; the process sounds really simple but I think they are pretty hard to execute properly - I will admit that I use these - the shame!

I mention this as the poached eggs on top of the baked veg today were perfect and the pictures below don't do them justice - so well done Jo!!

I think my picture editing here is a fail - don't know why it looks so weird!

Thursday - Riverford Veg Medley with Egg and yesterday's Pesto

It's Mums birthday on Monday so it was late night shopping for me, while Jo had a few drinks on a work night out. I obviously can't say what we have got her, but she may mention it on her blog on Monday.

Also, yesterday I created my sponsorship page for my running, which will be for the Seve Ballesteros Foundation - I am aiming for a £1000 and am on zero at the moment so feel free to put your hand in your pockets for a good cause!....click here to find it.

Back to the food, Jo whipped up a Veg Medley (made from today's Riverford delivery) topped with an egg and the left-over pesto that I made yesterday.

Ps. This is a quick mention about some of the brilliant work an old friend of mine is doing on the Wirral at Claremont Farm - check it out here

Wednesday - up to date at last!!!

Tonight's dinner - quick pea soup with a poached egg on top!!