Only three for dinner today - and it felt very relaxing. I shouldn't be too happy, Olias has caught Isis's cold and snot is dripping from his nose - giant viscous slugs, crawling out of tiny caves not big enough for their bulbous heads. Disease spreads like wildfire here and once somebody is ill, everybody will be ill. It's probably all due to our meagre diet of low energy food. He wasn't well and was taken up to bed. In addition, Isis has gone over a friend's house for the night.

A sleepover?

I've heard old people wittering on about how children grow up faster these days and this is proof. When I was five, if I had been taken to somebody else's house for dinner and to stay the night, the only thing I would have done is sit in a corner and whine.

The idea of a sleepover in 1972 was so obscure that I think even Americans hadn't yet discovered it - I never saw this on Charlie Brown or Hong Kong Fooey.

The world is changing and my old dinosaur memories are no more than that, but the children seem to be changing faster than I can adapt to. If it carries on like this, my kids will all be in their seventies, my brain will be in its sixties and the world will be in the forties (Celsius that is, due to global warming). Weird.

Dinner today was very enjoyable, the food was good, Olias was asleep, Isis was away and we had a peaceful time with Eve (who doesn't get enough attention, sandwiched between a demanding elder sister and a needy younger brother). I think I actually managed to taste what I was eating, untroubled as I was by background noise.

Afterwards Eve and I played games and read books.

This is probably a bit what it is like having one child - but then it is probably very different too. A bit of peace and quiet is nice, but given a week of this, I would miss the chaos and fighting. It was serene - but with the fighting comes laughter and with the chaos comes fun.

It will be back to normal in the morning - I'll enjoy the peace while it lasts.

Menu

Garlic and Lemon Chicken

Bulgar Wheat with Roast Vegetables




Ingredients*

Garlic and Lemon Chicken 2 Chicken Legs and 2 Wings 1 Onion ½ Lemon ½ Red Pepper 4 Cloves Garlic Splash Olive Oil Salt and Pepper

Bulgar Wheat with Roast Vegetables 200g Bulgar Wheat Roast Onion and Pepper (from the chicken) Handful of Assorted Olives 2 Sun Dried Tomatoes ½ tsp Mint Sauce Flat Leaf Parsley Squirt Lemon Juice Splash Olive Oil Salt and Pepper

Note: Couscous would be more normal but I prefer the texture of bulgar wheat, being a little chunkier. Either will do.

Preparation

Chicken: Cut the chicken into joints. Put in a roasting tin with the onion cut into ½s. Put the garlic cloves (whole and still in their skins) in the pan, the lemon cut into chunks and the pepper. Sprinkle over a little olive oil, salt and pepper the give if a good mix. Put in the oven for 40 minutes (160c). After about 30 minutes, take the onion halves and the pepper out to use in the bulgar wheat. Serve on the bulgar wheat with the juices (with some of the cooked garlic squidged in) poured on top.

Bulgar Wheat: Put the bulgar wheat in a pan and pour over boiling water. Simmer really gently for 3 minutes then turn the heat off and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Give it a test to see if it is soft but still has a bit of bite (if not, simmer a minute longer). Drain and leave in the sieve. Chop the pepper, onion, sun dried tomatoes and olives, then mix in the drained bulgar wheat. Add a little mint sauce (fresh mint would be better but it's February and there's no mint - plus even if there was, it's too bloody cold to go in the back yard and get any). Sprinkle a little olive oil and lemon juice over and stir in a little chopped parsley. Season and serve with a wedge of lemon for extra squirtings.

Today’s Ratings:

Eve: Yuk – but had a nice time sitting and chatting.

Here's Eve having a bowl of porridge. She got the idea after watching Abney and Teal and wanted to do the same. It had to be eaten with a wooden spoon too.

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*All quantities are very approximate and for a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids aged 5 years, 3 years & 8 months)

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JCBorresen@GMail.com