* Mexican Cornbread Muffins {Meatless Mondays}

I absolutely LOVE cornbread, but Neil isn't usually a huge fan. Possibly because most of the time I use a medium grain polenta to make it, and he finds it a tad too gnarly. In which case I usually end up eating the whole lot - not in one sitting... but it's too close to call.

I managed to get hold of some fine polenta in Tesco's the other day, and seeing as I'm always trying to conquer my oven's urge to C-4 small cakes and muffins - I thought I'd have a go at making mini cornbreads... because I am determined to win this particular battle (with the oven) and selling Neil a Mexican Cornbread Muffin was going to be a damn sight easier than saying "I made cornbread". 

I was keeping my fingers crossed that he wouldn't connect the dots.

He didn't. Or maybe he did and decided to play along. He does that A LOT. It's part of his charm.

"Oooh look what my mum bought me!"

"Your mum bought you a new desktop for £600?"

"Ummm... yes?"

"With our debit card?"

"Ummmmmm...mmm... yessss???"

....... "That was nice of her."

What's not to love?!?!!!

He actually enjoyed the muffin that I let him taste test, warm from the oven. I taste tested two. One of them was eaten very quietly in the kitchen, away from all eyes but the dog's. Her eyes said "If you don't give me some of that I'm telling." 

So I shared.

* Savoury Courgette & Cheddar Loaf

I got half way through making a pork and chorizo casserole when I realised I had no suitable bread to sop up the juices with. I could have whacked a few ingredients into the breadmaker and made a rapid rustic loaf, but it honestly didn't occur to me - the easy option never does... not until my kitchen looks like a bomb has gone off in it, and I'm left standing dazed and confused in the midst of the carnage, covered from head to toe in flour of some description, wondering whose bright idea this particular experiment was... and OHMYGOD WHY IS THE OVEN PINGING???!!!???

This is usually about the time that the dog deserts me. My ever faithful companion, who feels it necessary to lie right in the middle of my kitchen floor within my precious cooking triangle, so that I nigh on break my neck every time I move from A to B to C... decides that the entertainment is about to reach crescendo point... and she abandons me.... just slopes off and leaves me to cope alone with the chaos.

This is when I know I've been talking to myself. Loudly. The dog always disappears when my volume control goes on the fritz.

Though she came straight back when I sliced a lovely chunk of this bread off, warm from the oven and smothered it in butter.

I didn't share.

* Cheese and Ham Loaf

I've been battling the urge to turn the heating on, and I reckon tonight is the night that I'm going to give in. We have storage heaters, so have to predict what the temperatures will be the following day, and heat the house accordingly. If we get it wrong, we either boil or freeze. 

This happens ALOT.

I got home from work today and the house was too cold to just sit in, so I decided to warm the place up and use the oven to make my lunch. I'm running low on supplies at the moment - a rarity that more often than not, requires a brown paper bag and lots of blowing in and out of it (I HATE when my cupboards are bare)... anyhoo - I had a bit of ham left and some cheese, so decided I'd make a ham and cheese loaf and eat it whilst it was still warm from the oven, smothered in two inches of butter.

What?

I'm having a fat day.