I'm home!
The best part about being back is coming home to my kitchen.
My place of comfort, it has slowly extended into my glorious garden in the form of potted herbs and planted vegetables.
I'm finally back in my Scotland.
It's really the little things.
There's something so special about cooking familiar flavours in your own home.
Even the simplest meals become an absolute pleasure to make.
I can be anywhere else in the world, even somewhere I enjoy completely, and yet never quite have that same feeling.
Home presents a warmth I seldom feel elsewhere. I can cook in the kitchen for hours at a time and feel completely at ease, here in the place I have so many fond memories.
Now that I'm back, I am reminded of all the reasons I started cooking in the first place.
I started with simple meals, over time trying to perfect the recipes.
But my love for food really began when I started adding my own little twists to the old recipes. The first time I remember doing this was when I was 12 years old and decided the chocolate truffles would taste better with orange zest.
And then I experimented with different decorations.
Then different fillings.
Before I knew it, I had created something of my own - something that would spark a lifelong interest in the culinary world.
It's a nice feeling, being able to cook at my leisure.
Old habits I had forgotten returned to me today as I blew the dust off my pasta machine and grabbed my '00' flour from the shelf.
Homemade pasta had been my newest experiment before I disappeared to the other side of the world.
Rolling pin in hand, my shirt sleeves lazily pushed to my elbows and flour up to my forearms, I got to work.
It was great to get back into the familiar rhythm.
Knead, roll, machine, shape. Knead, roll , machine, shape.
It actually felt nice to be surprised as I glanced at the clock and realised I had been at work for hours. Being so consumed by the work was ridiculously enjoyable.
It's funny, but at this point I just want to share all of the fun and creativity I've been able to enjoy here.
This room has been a gateway to one hundred and one amazing experiences, and since I have so much to share I'll cut this short.
If I could let you sample all the food, I would, but since technology hasn't taken us that far yet, here's a few photographs of some of my favourite creations. From, sweet to savoury, classy to convenient, here are the products of my much enjoyed work in this magical room.
Working diligently in my kitchen with good music (and a glass of wine) is probably when I am at my most relaxed.
If you ever find something in life that gives you this much joy, please never let it go.
Until next time.