That time I tried a 'recipe box' and wasn't very good at it

While deleting old emails I found one I sent to my boss four years ago (12 Oct 2015) bemoaning the fun / misery of trying a recipe box where they send you all the bits and bobs and you make a delicious and healthy meal. It turned out to be a bit of a faff. At one point the recipe called for taking a small pot of hazelnuts, rubbing off the skin, then chopping them. I've never chopped a hazelnut before in my life, I just eat them as they are (or buy machine-chipped ones which is a better strategy and I'll be sticking to that in future). The hazelnuts were just pinging everywhere (I think I tried the old squashing them with the knife laid flat, as you do with garlic - don't think it worked). Gosh it was so miserable, haha.

"The [recipe] box wasn't an unqualified success. I'm actually really crap at cooking and although I followed the instructions closely I went off-piste a couple of times and things ended a lot more wetly than planned. There was a bit where I was supposed to roast the aubergine (success), let it cool (less successful) then peel the skin off with my bare hands. Alas the cooling didn't really happen and I ended up soaking them in cold water to try and reduce the temperature. This was my first mistake.

Also my rice was not in need of 'fluffing up'. Sadly mine was in need of draining. My kitchen is swimming in liquid.

And the main bit of the meal was way too spicy, there was no warning about how spicy it was.

I might have a little cry and eat some Ambrosia pudding. White, bland, stodge. Next time it will be pie and chips."

Haha, poor me.