Day five - roast chicken

Tonight was a lemon and herb marinated flattie with roasted butternut, carrots and potato.  The S was a wonderful 'wifey' and prepared the dish and left it in the fridge for me to pop into the oven when I got home.  Of course I worked later than planned and his parents evening ended earlier than planned which resulted in me heating up the oven for a grand total of 5 minutes and then, well, nothing.  All in all that was the total of my work contribution to dinner this evening.  However making up for my ineptitude the 'wifey' rose to the challenge and got the chicken and veg into the oven, timeously checked, roasted, carved on a plate for dinner by 8pm.

On my plate I found perfectly cooked chicken with soft roasted butternut and potato browned from swimming in the lemon and herb marinade.  The carrots were still crunchy in the middle which added an additional element to the predominantly soft meal.

I am definitely taking advantage of the great home cooking by the 'wifey' as much as possible while I can. There was even left overs, which of course means lunch for tomorrow!

Day two - Sunday lunch

Today I was invited to Sunday lunch at the S parents house.  You can almost bet your life on the offerings that will be available; chicken roasted on the webber along with potatoes, salad dressed with his brother Jem's tangy and moreish homemade dressing and more than likely a third option which today was ripened avo and rosy cherry tomatoes.  So of course I went hungry.

My appetite was slightly abated on the arrival of the S ex girlfriend's parents. No of course that isn't awkward, there I was, mid sip of a particularly well made G & T while lounging back on the couch particularly unladylike and putting my feet up onto the coffee table. Only to be caught by surprise with their arrival which produced a most fantastic chocking fit on my behalf, caused of course by the particularly well made G & T.

Not. Awkward. At. All.

While I was most definitely listening to a story recounted by the clearly doting exes mother about how the 'oh so brave' S managed to save some cat from some vastly distressing fate some 6 years ago, I was quickly distracted by the delicious wafts that came wandering over from the webber to meet my nose. I secretly hi - fived myself - roast chicken it was!

We were spoiled with two perfectly roasted chooks, you could hear the knife crack through the crispy skin and then slide through the tender flesh inside.  Accompanying the star was a salad, of course dressed with Jem's perfectly sweet, sour and tangy salad dressing (note to self: I must get the recipe of that one), roasted potatoes left on the fire to be picked off the grill on your way back to the table after serving yourself up a feast and then finally to round off the perfectly ripened avo accompanied by little rosy red cherry tomatoes.

After lunch, the exes mother redeemed herself by serving up a slightly wobbling, golden disc of cheesecake encircled with sweet strawberries and freshly sour raspberries.  The cheesecake quickly stole the limelight from the main meal and was perfectly balanced by the strawberries which added sweetness and the raspberries which brought a final freshness to the whole ensemble.

Although starting out as predictable, Sunday lunch turned out to be not only surprising but still traditionally tasty with an all round perfect roast complimented by a fresh and sweetly delicious cheesecake.