I don't often get to spend time watching Saturday Kitchen on (BBC 1 - 10 a.m. to 11:30), but the lazy days of the Christmas break mean that the children are playing an X Factor singing game together (One contestant and one judge: how's that for good odds?) and we have nowhere else we need to be. I do like to have Sat. K. on in the background when I am tidying up the kitchen, reading the newspaper or checking my emails. It's like 4 or 5 cooking shows in one, as it bounces from the studio kitchen, to Celebrity Masterchef to Rick Stein on location somewhere picturesque and more.
We spent part of New Year's Day at a lovely afternoon tea to meet a friend's new grandchild. New Year...new baby...a joyful reason to get togeher...old friends and new acquaintances. It felt right.
As I poured myself another cup of tea, I overheard a conversation about the recession. No surprise really: it is a popular topic these days. One woman's parting shot from the cakes struck me as being particularly gloomy: "and it will only get worse in 2009!" Oh, how I wish that wasn't her approach to the new year, and I know she isn't alone.
I know that times are hard and people are fearful, but I see the new year as bringing opportunity. We live in a consumer society, where everything can be bought, made more convenient and a lot of socializing is done out of the house, all for a price. If, like me, the current economic climate has wreaked havoc with your restaurant habit and wiped out your frequent meetings with friends at the local Starbucks, Costa or Caffe Nero, how about making your kitchen the social meeting place of the season?
If you are thinking that a cup of Nescafe and a packaged biscuit at home are a poor substitute for the gorgeous coffee drinks and millionaire's shortbread or pain au chocolat to which you have become accustomed, you are right. You must up your game! If your own tuna and cucumber on wholemeal does not match up to the grilled panini and chicken caesar salad you order out, this is the perfect opportunity to resuscitate your kitchen skills.
Won't it feel good to be able to say "Come here. I'll fix us something nice and we'll save a few pounds."? I'll bet the relief will be palpable. You may even get a bunch of early daffodils or tulips out of the deal. Just think about it:
- You don't have to go to great expense. If you don't own a cappuccino machine, make a strong coffee in your cafetierre and froth some hot milk with a handheld Aerolatte. Sprinkle on some cinammon or hot chocolate mix and you are in business.
- You have privacy. You don't have to listen to other customers' conversations and you can be sure that your own aren't overheard. You can even laugh out loud!
- You save the time travelling and looking for parking.
- You can make friends feel really special by preparing something, no matter how simple, for them. That's a real treat.
- Once you have established this new idea by inviting friends over a few times, others will surely reciprocate.
If you are already an accomplished host(ess), this is a good time to learn how to serve "big", while making your spend "small." I have a few tips there. Email me at lisa@yourgreatlife.co.uk and I will send you my Top Tips for Entertaining on a Budget.
If you aren't known for inviting anyone over for other than a takeaway, this is a perfect opportunity to become more confident in the kitchen.
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Even packaged food can be made beautiful if served on a pretty dish. Banish the packaging to the bin.
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Set the table with nice tableware and napkins according to the mood or occasion. Lighting is important. If you can dim your kitchen lights and light a few candles in the centre of your table, you can make a kitchen dinner more bistro-like for a dinner for two, or an evening with friends.
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Tuck your clutter away. A clear space will do wonders for you by limiting your distractions so you can concentrate on the time you have with your guest.
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If you are serving lunch or dinner and making it yourself, the best trick is to serve food that can be mostly done ahead of time. That will limit any panic you may feel, and you will have had time to clear up the cooking pots and cutting boards.
For more in-depth help in this area, please contact me for coaching on Confidence in the Kitchen. If you want to make one of your New Year's Resolutions to learn to cook, you can become adept at cooking for yourself, your date or partner, your family, a group of friends or even a crowd in no time.
My New Year's Resolution to cook beautiful and delicious food on a smaller budget started early. I have been practicing the economical approach to grocery shopping and cooking for several months already. It required a new attitude about which markets to use ( no more label snobbery allowed, although quality of food must be maintained ), and new behaviour. My habit of picking up unnecessary gourmet condiments, expensive designer breads and sauces, and convenient microwaveable rice packets has been replaced by my own recipes. My freezer is packed with ziploc bags of homemade stock, winter-warmer soups, bolognese sauce and chili. I have even taken to making my own breadcrumbs from the ends of the loaves and storing them in the freezer for when I need them.
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