Jessica’s Recipe Bag and 13 years of marriage.

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary.  We celebrated 13 years of our lives since I walked up that isle.

25th June 2000

It always strikes me as a little strange to only celebrate the period of time we have been married – as if the years before we were married don’t count. Anyway after a weekend of partying, not enough sleep and a need to spend some ‘us-time’, I decided to cook.

Jessica’s Recipe Bag delivered the evening before

Jessica Andersson in her kitchen

And then I regretted it.  It’s not simply that I hate cooking but more that there are 100 other things I’d rather do.  But I know He loves me to cook so I made a conscious decision to move away from the keyboard.

I should also confess, I did have some help.  Jessica Andersson, a Swede, nutritional therapist and cook living in London, has recently launched her recipe+ingredients delivery service, Jessica’s Recipe Bag.  Her aim is to show people (like me) that given the right guidance and tools, cooking can be fun.  Or at least not a chore.

Jessica’s Recipe Bag arrived (as booked) the evening before, providing instructions and beautifully fresh produce for three well-balanced meals for the week.  The first rule I broke was to make two of these meals on one night for my hungry husband.

Jessica’s Caesar Salad recipe involved marinating the chicken breast (superb quality meat from the organic butcher HG Walter in Barons Court) making some homemade croutons as well as a delicious dressing.   All was going well.

Jessica’s Caesar Salad

And then the spanner arrived.  The BBC called.  Mark Forrest’s Show, to be precise, which goes out across 39 local BBC radio stations.  Mark was keen to interview me for my thoughts on (yes, you guessed it) genetic testing.  I looked at my husband.  This was OUR night and I didn’t want my BRCA campaigning to get in the way.

a table for 2, cooked by 2

Without so much as a whinge, He rolled up his sleeves and between us we prepared and cooked Jessica’s cod with pine nut sauce and sweet potato mash, answered Mark’s questions live on air (I’m 30 minutes into programme) while keeping the Smalls at bay.

Jessica’s recipes were foolproof and so our meal was absolutely delicious, while easy to prepare.  The BBC broadcast was spot on and the evening was an all-round success. It turns out marriage is team-work, after all.

Happy Anniversary to my Him. xxx

Jessica’s Recipe Bag:  I was sent a “couples bag” with 3 meals for 2 people (first bag £29 – regular price £42)