Tuesday 24 March 2009

‘Smoke flavoured reformed ham with added water’

Number of days until submission of PhD: 3

Stress levels: ‘Hard crack’ and rising to ‘caramel’.

I need to write my conclusion. It shouldn’t be a particularly hard piece to write, but writer’s block has hit. Of all the times…

So, as a tactic to get my writing flowing again, I thought that I would spend 15 minutes writing a quick post. I’ve missed writing my blog the last couple of days, in a strange way it has really helped me with writing the thesis.

Since the weekend I’ve effectively been banned from the kitchen. I miss it. However, it is nice having someone to provide every meal for me at the moment, I really appreciate it.

P3240126Before I was banned from the kitchen, in need of a quick lunch last week and with me having forgotten to make any bread, I rummaged through the freezer and pulled out a pizza. Great! Then I read the label. How can a description of ‘Smoke flavoured reformed ham with added water’, sound appetising to anyone? I suppose it saves having to check the ingredients on the back of the box.

Why on earth had we bought the pizza? We obviously didn’t read the label, but then I’m not sure how long it had been in the freezer for!

Faced with this pizza for lunch, with no other quick alternative, I set about chiselling off the the ham, adding some local bacon from the fridge and a few scraps of Cumbrian cheese. It was lovely. But this will be our last shop-bought pizza. From now on (once I’ve finished the PhD and I’m allowed back in the kitchen) we’ll be making our own.

The next time I write a post, the PhD will be handed in and I will have my life back (hopefully). I can’t quite imagine what that will feel like!

…back to the conclusion.

10 comments:

  1. Good luck with your thesis!

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  2. Good luck with the thesis.

    I haven't bought a ready made pizza (or sandwich meat like ham) for about 6 months now and your post has reminded me why! I love homemade pizza. It isn't as hard as people imagine and is well worth the effort.

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  3. Hey, stopped by to tell you good thoughts are coming your way from SF.

    Are you allowed to tell why you were banned from the kitchen? That seems a bit extreme, given what we've seen you produce.

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  4. Thank you both!

    Two reasons for the ban:
    1)I am the world's messiest cook. It is no exaggeration that whatever I cook, I will use almost every utensil in the kitchen. So cooking (and the cleaning) takes up time that I don't really have at the moment!

    2)With other things on my mind, I keep forgetting the simple things (like to make bread); and I keep putting things away in the the wrong place, like biscuits in the fridge rather than the biscuit-tin and cheese in the cupboard...

    So, it's for: my own sanity, so we still have food to eat, and hopefully to stop me getting distracted!

    Don't worry, I'm going to be straight back in there ASAP!!

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  5. Hi! Nice to find your blog. I'm on the thesis countdown too. Oh man...3 weeks until I defend.

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  6. Did you manage to finish in time? I finished my MA dissertation the week before Christmas - so I know what you've been going through! Such a relief though when it's over and you can get back to normality again!

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  7. Psychgrad - good luck with the defense! I can't even imagine that stage yet!

    Suzie - I'm still going on the thesis, luckily the proper deadline in Tuesday (I just wanted to give myself a couple of days to recover before going back to work at 8:30 on Wednesday morning. No such luck!

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  8. Hope that you got your thesis in on time!

    When you have slept for 72 hours and finally finished your laundry and bought some food. Why not try curing your own bacon. We also smoke ours but if you don't have a chimney you can skip that part.

    It will be one of the best moves that you have ever made, especially if you can procure a free range belly of pork (or loin if you are in funds). We have a wet cure recipe on our site.

    Beware, if you try this, you might even throw over academia and become a pig farmer :)

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  9. Hello there!
    I just love home made pizza!!!!

    (yes, I know, this post is old enough and you have had more than 50 pizzas till now....well, I just wanted to say hi!

    Crisa

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I'd love to know any comments you might have.