Right here we go.

It all started with tomato pasta.  It looks rubbish, but tasted lovely!!

From here, I decided to start sharing my experiences.  The following have their own wee stories, so I'll try and remember them to share them.  In order to make things something close to organised, I'll start with savoury :)

Med Veg

I found a pack of Mediterranean vegetables in Asda, and thought "Ooh they look right nice".  And they did!  Look at them, all colourful and herby.

I burnt them.

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the burntness.  I still ate them though.

Pasta n Sauce quiche

Ahhh, Pasta n Sauce.  Now.  This isn't just your average Pasta n Sauce - no no no!!  This is Pasta n Sauce quiche!  It looks bloody awful.  But tastes amazing.  Do you want the recipe??  Of course you do - who could resist this???
 - Make Pasta N Sauce (I tend to use chicken and mushroom, but have become partial to cheese, leek and ham and also cheese and broccoli) according to packet instructions.   At the same time, boil some sweetcorn until it's cooked.
 - Whisk up an egg or 2 and mix it in the pasta pan with the pasta.
 - Add the sweetcorn to the eggy pasta mix
 - Chuck it in an oven dish and pop it in the oven - about 180 for about 25 mins or so.
 - Eat.
 - Yum.

Squtternut Bosh soup

This is spicy butternut squash soup.  It was my first attempt at using a butternut squash, as I just assumed I wouldn't like them.  How wrong I was!!

I love butternut squash.

Chicken pie stage 1

 This was my first attempt of making a proper pie.  I didn't make the pastry, I bought it.  I've still not attempted puff pastry.  One day I might be brave enough!!

Chicken pie stage 2

Doesn't it look pretty :)

Chicken pie stage 3

Now, I was quite disappointed that the wee leaf pattern I'd made had disintegrated, but the pie was bloody good!!

Oooh, this is Mary Berry's Christmas Chutney.  I made it a few years ago to give as Christmas presents and had enough left over to enjoy it myself.  I highly recommend anyone to make it - you need some fairly big pans and a LOT of jars to keep it in (and a shed load of patience) but it's right worth it.

As a matter of fact, I've made it again this year to give as presents.  Lucky pals :)  Still, it's not attractive!

In American telly programmes and films (the above was inspired by The Devil Wears Prada, where Andi's boyfriend makes her grilled cheese when she's moaning about work) they don't seem to do toasties the same as how I was taught.  I grew up with a toastie machine that made the edges join up and be all nice and crunchy.
I decided to try and make it like an American, in a frying pan.

I burnt it.

Ah, now this I'm proud of.  This is my mum's lentil soup.  See when you're ill and you just want something comforting and that reminds you of being looked after when you were wee?  This is mine.  I'm sad to say my mum died in 2013, and since then I've tried to make the things that she made so that I can have those instant memories of standing watching her in the kitchen, via my senses of smell and taste.  Her scones -  I haven't mastered.  Her Smiddy Loaf (I'll come to that in a later post) - I've not quite managed that yet either.  But her soup.  That is my comfort.

I'm going to post this just now and continue with savoury in another post.  I've tried to add more pictures but Blogger doesn't seem to like it.  Back in a mo...