I am just about the messiest cook ever….I simply can’t keep anything I cook in its pan or mixing bowl or whatever. Every evening after I start cooking, the kitchen starts to resemble the scene of a war. There is stuff everywhere. Last night, David said ‘I know you don’t like your new food processor much but did it really deserve that?’ after popping into the kitchen to see it (and me) splattered with tinned tomatoes along with the wall behind it and a liberal splat all over the work surface too. I was making my own special spicy base sauce for home made pizza (tonight’s supper) – you can’t hurry the flavour mingling process that goes along with a good pizza sauce.

Rosie, my little girl, wedges herself between my knees and the work surface and everything that drops off is hoovered up by her in an instant….well, except for lettuce, tomatoes and chilli. Isn’t it funny how dogs will eat salad off your plate if they think they can get away with it but not off the floor? Contrary pair! They will both happily ‘clean’ the plates after supper, even if we’ve had salad yet won’t touch it in the kitchen.

Archie once ate a whole ½ lb of butter off the work surface, tinfoil and all. Fairly obviously his stomach objected big time. Bless him, he’s such a spooked dog (from his previous life) that he’s terrified to put a foot wrong, even though we’ve never raised a finger to him. It makes him do strange things that if you weren’t laughing, your heart would break with sadness because of his obvious terror. On this occasion, he was so worried about being sick in the house while we were out, he found the darkest corner he could and puked up ½ lb butter and bile into it. Unfortunately for us, it was right beside the central heating pipes and so when we came home, you can imagine the smell!!! Archie was beside himself with misery thinking he was going to get another kicking or be kicked out again we think! Poor soul. It’s so heartbreaking.

They never cease to amaze me with the things they risk for food. Archie was hungry for a long time before he knew me (more of his story another day) and so I can see why he will scavenge if he gets the chance – he even emptied the compost bin last week before I took it up the garden to go on the main compost heap. But Rosie? She’s never wanted for anything in her short life. Why does she do it? One day, I had to go out for an hour after getting home from work. I cooked supper (a fiery chilli) and left it on a very low heat on the stove while I went and did my errand. When I arrived home, Rosie had eaten a crescent shape of the chilli out of the pan (as much as she could reach…she’s very small for a border), while it was actually still cooking. She must have burned her tongue and lips yet showed no ill effects or remorse.

I didn’t really intend this entry to end up about gutsy dogs, it kind of just happened – ah well, the story of my own triumphs and disasters in the kitchen will just have to wait for another day.

I just wanted today’s pic to be this rather nice view of part of the new kitchen (still not finished ten months on and it’s my fault because I don’t have time) after Jo has done her magic and before I have time to mess it up.