I made time today, on this wet and miserable Autumn day, to cook in my kitchen.  Most of my meals lately have been quick and easy because I always seem to be too busy to spend time preparing meals.  Today I made time to kick back, relax a little and enjoy cooking at home.  It was great.

Inspired by a recipe on the beautiful Scandie Foodie blog for Sweet Potato Flat Breads I decided to have a go.  Unfortunately, having mashed the potato, I then realised my scales did not work so I had to guess the weight of the flours.  Judging by my pictures and then comparing them to Scandie Foodie, not very successfully as hers look much more like bread whereas mine look like mashed potato!  So ignore my efforts and have a look at her blog.  I will remake these as they were good but I am sure they will be much better if I follow the actual recipe.

Sweet Potato Flat Breads (from Scandie Foodie)

Ingredients

• 400 g cooked sweet potato, mashed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 140g rye flour
• 100g plain flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 225 °C and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment
2. Mash the sweet potato with the salt and add the flour, stirring until it is smooth
3. Use a large spoon and scoop the mixture in to 8 – 10 rounds on the baking sheet and flatten gently with floured hands
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes
5. Serve warm with butter

Or serve with bacon and a fried egg.  Really yummy!
We haven’t had a roast chicken for months and today was definitely the day.  Harvey spent the morning playing rugby in the pouring rain and I knew he would come in cold and hungry and so a roast chicken would help restore his usual good humour.

I like mine with tarragon and lemon.  I chop the stalk end off and stuff it inside the cavity with half a lemon. I finely chop the leaf end of the tarragon and mix it with salt, butter and a little olive oil. I then push this under the skin so the tarragon flavour infuses in to the chicken breast. I braved the rain myself to gather my vegetables.  I was very proud to be able to serve my family potatoes, corn, red cabbage and leeks, all of which I had grown myself. That looks a bit more appetising.I roasted the potatoes and steamed the other vegetables.
Le voila!  Lemon and tarragon roasted chicken with vegetables from the garden. A very delicious Sunday lunch which we all enjoyed.  No one commented on the complete lack of a dessert! I bought the chicken at Hartley Dyke, a local and very fabulous farm shop.  It wasn’t organic but it was free range and it was very flavoursome so I recommend it. I love their pumpkin display.I would say we had a mis-spent afternoon in the pub but apart from a glass of red wine it was coffees all round as we joined my cousin Bruce and his wife Fiona for a drink at The Milk House, a refurbished local pub.  It was our first visit and we were all impressed.  A lovely afternoon.
I was a proud Mama this evening as I watched Harvey singing in the choir during Evensong.  I really enjoy choral singing and I especially enjoy it when I can watch my little man singing.  He really is very good.

We have enjoyed the company of Beryl and all her attitude this weekend.  By bye, we will miss you so come and see us again please.