How to spend a rainy day at home…

There are so many great ways to have a fun and stress-free day in the comfort of your own flat. Perhaps Edinburgh’s gloomy weather is keeping you indoors or maybe you are spending time inside because a certain virus is floating about. Well no need to fret, here are some activities my flatmate and I are planning for this week to make the most of our free-time:

Make our favourite comfort food recipes

RECIPE 1 – Chickpea Curry

**Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp Tikka Masala Curry Paste (or your preferred curry flavour)
  • 1 onion
  • 1x400g canned chopped tomatoes
  • 1x400g canned chickpeas
  • 1x250g bag of spinach
  • Salt and pepper (to season)
  • Rice and naan bread (to serve)

Method:

  • Heat curry paste on frying pan for 2 mins (medium to high heat)
  • Dice onion and add to pan with paste
  • Leave until for approx. 10mins until softened and golden
  • Add chopped tomatoes to pan and allow to heat up
  • Season sauce with salt and pepper
  • Rinse and drain chickpeas, add to pan and allow to cook for 2 mins
  • Throw in spinach and wait for it to wilt (approx. 3mins)
  • The curry is complete!
  • Serve with rice and naan bread and ENJOY 😊
    • Top tip: curry is good refrigerated for 2 days and freezable for up to a month

RECIPE 2 – Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

**Makes 10

Ingredients:

  • 300g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 200ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 150g fresh raspberries
  • 100g white chocolate chips/chunks

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Line your muffin tin with ten paper cases
  • Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and proceed to add the sugar
  • Melt the butter and in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk
  • Pour the melted butter and the egg mix into the flour
  • Stir but take care not to over mix
  • Stir in half the raspberries and three-quarters of white chocolate chips/chunks
  • Spoon the mixture between the cases
  • Dot with the remaining raspberries and white chocolate chips/chunks
  • Cook for 15-20 minutes until golden
  • Let the muffins cool and BON APPETITE!

Recipe taken and modified from BBC Good Food – Raspberry chocolate muffins

Play our favourite boardgames and good ol’ playing cards

Some of our favourite boardgames are:

  • Ticket to Ride
  • Scrabble
  • Settlers of Catan
  • Discworld
  • Codenames
  • The Resistance

Watch some feel-good films

On our to-watch list are:

  • Little Miss Sunshine – this film is a roller-coaster but it leaves you feeling hopeful
  • Pride and Prejudice – not as good as the BBC show but very pretty to look at
  • 50/50 – who doesn’t love Joseph Gordon-Levitt?
  • When Harry met Sally – a classic
  • Spirited Away – or any Studio Ghibli film
  • Shrek – I have no shame
  • School of Rock – a blast from the past
  • Mighty Ducks – it is my life goal to make sure everyone has watched this childhood fave of mine