Diary of a Wannabe Househusband – February

Each month, wannabe househusband Liam McClelland will share his thoughts on becoming the perfect house-proud gay…

Whoever my landlord let wire her flat clearly wasn’t certified and definitely got carried away fitting too many lights on one circuit as the last two working bulbs blew in the living room. This isn’t so much of a problem due to the number of fairy lights we have knocking around the flat. I think it’s out of stubbornness, and the knowledge that if we can hold out for another 2 months the clocks go forward, the evenings will get lighter and we won’t need the lights on that much (and not wanting to fork out any money).

When it came to hosting last month’s dinner party the lack of these lights didn’t really hamper the evening, with fairy lights and a candelabra on the dining table it made for a warm and cosy ambiance to entertain in. To paraphrase The Dowager Countess ‘One should never dine under the glare of downward lighting, it would make one feel like they were on stage at the Gaiety’ and it also cut out a pet hate of mine, the not so subtle dimming of lights whilst dinning.

I took into consideration, with it being January, that people might be on some form of diet so made possibly the healthiest three course meal I’ve ever cooked. To start; Blood Orange, Roasted Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad, as blood oranges only have a short season (from now till March) I really wanted to try using them in something that wasn’t going to be packaged in a carton and sold as a breakfast drink. The main course was Seared Tuna with a Salsa Rossa served with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a Tomato and Basil Quinoa, a fantastic little seed is so rich in protein that it’s ideal for all those who are hitting the gym hard (remember protein for growth and repair). Finally for dessert Spiced Baked Apples stuffed with mixed dried Fruit, whilst this final dish may have had a bit of sugar and butter in I still believe it counted towards ones five-a-day.

There were also teetotallers in attendance; thankfully they provided their own drinks. That sounds like I didn’t take them into consideration when planning, I did, and I provided a jug of water (with limes and fresh mint). Guests should, when receiving an invite, inform their host of any dietary requirements they may have (vegetarian, allergic to etc). Please remember, being “intolerant” to certain food groups is not the same as being allergic to it. If you find you have a guest who seems to shoot down every idea you have for the menu you are planning, just accept you are not going to satisfy them concentrate on ensuring that the other guests have a fantastic time.

It’s nice to see the art of gift giving isn’t dead when it comes to being the host. This month’s guests brought round with them 2 boxes of chocolates and a bottle of pink fizz. Night the chocolates came in handy after the courses had been finished. The conversation was still flowing and as I hadn’t supplied a cheese board it was nice to be able to pass the boxes round from time to time.

After what has been a rather grey and dull month I decided to treat myself to a late brunch at The Breakfast Club in Soho (and as justification to this self indulgence I took my flatmate along too). In the words of my flatmate ‘Am I dressed cool enough to come here?’ ‘Not really’ I replied “But I’m wearing double denim so we’re fine’. The quirky interior, friendly staff and flexible opening times make this place a must if you’re craving huevos rancheros for breakfast, pancakes for lunch or even the Full Monty English breakfast for dinner. The banana and peanut butter milkshake is a must too; no one is too old to enjoy a good shake.

Featured image by Richard Casey, Flickr