Now Take my Mother in Law - Please





Thursday 3/1/2013

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Diary and Notes

Today is our real Bluestone holiday day and we’ve booked a Santa workshop for the kids in the morning (not Olias though as he is still less than 7 months old and the only thing he can make is a stink). I took Isis and Eve, while Toni stayed at the cottage. The Santa workshop was in my opinion pretty crap. There was no Santa at all, just a few pots of glitter, some glue, pens and a big mat. Santa’s helper (a young woman dressed in green but not made up like an elf) helped the kids put glitter on a cardboard snowman and lantern, then half an hour later it was all over. For 7 quid a child I thought it was a rip off, but the kids enjoyed it so who am I to pour scorn? Only the poor sod paying that’s who.

Part of the reason we have come to Bluestone is that Toni’s mum lives nearby and it’s a chance to meet up. She arrived in time for lunch bearing presents for the kids and an enourmous chocolate cake. We ate far too much then headed off to the pool for a swim and a splash in the waves.

(Note - Swimming after eating doesn't lead to exploding belly syndrome or death by drowning as has often been claimed - as far as I know anyway).

So there are 4 adults for dinner today and my 3 cherubs, it’s not my kitchen and is not as well equipped as I am used to. What’s the plan Jonny boy? Yesterday, when shopping, I took a small risk and assumed the oven here would be big enough to roast a small chicken and luckily for me it was. So today’s dinner was a very simple roast chicken, some roast potatoes, some steamed vegetables with a little butter and of course gravy. Normally, if I was going to roast a chicken I’d take a lot more time and have some extra tasty things to go with it – but as I am not at home and don’t have a great deal of stuff with me I’m stuffed (unlike my chicken). I did have a bulb of garlic to stick up the bird’s cavity, some all purpose seasoning (see yesterday) to rub on the skin with some olive oil and a small pot of oxo chicken gravy granules that I brought with me for any emergencies like these. Apart from that it’s fairly simple food but for people away from home it tasted like a home cooked meal and wasn’t bad at all. Afterwards, I took the girls to the pub to see if they had any ice cream on their desert menu and we ordered a huge strawberry sundae and three spoons. Sadly there was still some ice cream left at the end.

Pip pip.




Menu

  • Roast Chicken
  • Roast Potatoes
  • Steamed carrots, green beans and mange tout (I bought a pack of assorted little veg - including yesterdays sugar snap peas).
  • Gravy


    Preparation

  • Preparation
    The chicken I just rubbed with a little oil and seasoning and stuffed a bulb of garlic up its bum. While it was roasting I peeled some spuds and roasted them - essentially the same as the wedges yerterday but cut differently and cooked a bit longer. To make the gravy I got the roasting tin with the chicken drippings in really hot on the hob and poured in a splash of white wine and poured this into (as I'm away from home and cheating) some chicken gravy made with oxo chicken gravy granules and boiling water. I don't do this often but it's better than no gravy at all. After I carved the chicken any juice that came out went into the gravy as well, along with a little black pepper.

    Today’s Ratings:

    Isis : Chicken skin, potatoes and gravy - yum. Chicken meat – ok. Green beans - yuck.
    Eve: Potatoes and gravy – yum. Rest – yuck.
    Olias: He seemed to enjoy it all, especially chewing a chicken bone soaked in gravy.



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    JCBorresen@GMail.com