Enjoy being a stirrer! Cheap Thrill: #12

Life, as Christmas draws nearer, gets more and more frenetic, even if you haven't got to plan the Christmas play and manage children who struggle to cope with the necessary changes to routine that go hand in hand with the festivities - why would they want to go to school in a Christmas jumper when everyone knows that you go to school in your uniform? 

Despite being retired, I still find myself writing this in the middle of the night:

1. because I can't sleep
2. because my husband is snoring and
3. because in the morning I have to bake sausage rolls and banana muffins for a girly gathering tomorrow evening!

So, my latest cheap thrill involves taking time to relish and enjoy nourishing my family, whilst sneaking a few cheeky minutes to myself. Yes, I give you…risotto! 

Roast squash, sage, chestnut and pancetta risotto (thank you Jamie Oliver!)

I love risotto. It is so comforting to eat and can be made from the simplest of ingredients, which I usually have in my store cupboard. Now I have to admit to oven baking risottos on occasion, but for maximum creaminess, nothing beats the traditional method of slowly adding hot stock to rice and stirring gently until it is absorbed.

Watching the magic happen

For me it is a labour of love which cannot be rushed and is truly mesmerising and cathartic. I turn on the radio, stand at the stove and stir. My mind wanders as the rice releases its starch and I unpick my troubles or worries and they seem to evaporate with the steam. (A glass of wine to hand is also mesmerising and cathartic, but maybe thats another cheap thrill!) 

I am fascinated by the way the texture of the rice changes as the starch seeps from it, and it is up there with bread making in ticking my ‘earth mother’ boxes. All in all, it takes about twenty minutes to make, but in those twenty minutes I have to stay by the stove and pay it close and loving attention - no multi-tasking, no trying to fit in checking my bank balance or ordering another Christmas present - just carefully stirring the pan, waiting for the magic to happen. Bliss. And I am not alone - we visited my daughter last week who made us a delicious meal. ‘I love making risotto, Mum, it’s so therapeutic.’ Great minds!

Lovely lemon and prawn risotto

So next time you’re stressed and wonder where you're going to find a minute to yourself, try making a risotto. Not only do you sneak some time, you also get to provide a delicious meal for your family or friends! Joy, pure joy!