We spent some happy hours in the kitchen yesterday, producing a chicken, leek and noodle soup; some cooked down tomatoes; a bowl of creamy spinach; and, for the first time in many years, some strawberry jam.

As were cleaning up, Maggie suggested we needed to buy various meat ingredients for main meals between now and our early-morning departure on 25 April.  First, we did a finger-count of the number of meals.  We got to eleven (we ate out at a vegetarian Indian restaurant last night, we are going to a 21st birthday party tonight and we won’t be cooking on the evening of the 24th!)

Next, we did a body-count in the freezer compartments of our two fridges.  There were the makings of eight main meals for each of us.  So, much to Maggie’s surprise and disappointment, only a small amount of meat to be bought in.

The menu plan?

In no particular order: veal parmigiana, Atlantic salmon pie (using filo pastry), two meals of chicken bacon & mushroom pies (ditto), barbecued beef rissoles, an 8cm piece of Scotch fillet chargrilled on the BBQ, lamb chump chops (ditto but less char), duck breasts with a piquant sauce, pork belly marinated in chinese flavours then roasted in the Weber, beef stir-fried with black pepper and celery, one meal yet-to-be determined and various salads, rice, cooked vegetables and fruit salads.  And for morning teas – date and spice scones and an apple teacake.

That should see us through!