How to make the perfect roast chicken

It's official.  London's favourite dish is a roast dinner, followed closely by pizza and spaghetti bolognese.

Tesco have released some research as part of their Love Every Mouthful campaign which shows that nearly half of all parents admit to sticking to what they know in the kitchen, rather than trying something more adventurous.

I can understand this, with bills going up and up and families tightening their belts, when you have kids to feed it's not always easy to take a risk on something they haven't tried before.

But, the Love Every Mouthful campaign also encourages shoppers to celebrate food in all it's glory, by highlighting fresh, seasonal British ingredients.  So, if you're going to make a roast dinner, lets make it the best you possibly can.

We love a Sunday roast in our house (or any other day for that matter), and invariably will chose chicken as we try to limit the amount of red meat we consume.  We all have our own particular ways of making a roast, but here are my top tips for the perfect Sunday lunch.

• Buy the highest quality chicken you can afford.  We only ever eat free range, but look for organic, free range or RSPCA Freedom Food labels.  There's more information on labeling and welfare standards here.  We used to keep chickens at home so I know what intelligent creatures they are.  I can't bear to think of them being intensively farmed in filthy, over-crowded sheds.  You'll notice the difference in taste too, so I'd rather buy a smaller bird than a lower quality one.

• My favourite way to roast chicken is with lemon and thyme.  Slice some cuts in the lemon and pop it inside the chicken.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the skin, sprinkle with sea salt and thyme.

• Cover with foil, and cook according to weight - typically 20 minutes per 450g plus an extra 20 minutes. Remove the foil for the final 30 minutes for a brown, crispy skin.  Check it's cooked thoroughly by pushing a sharp knife or skewer into the thickest part of the thigh - the juice should run clear.

• Pour the juices into a jug as it cooks.  The fat will rise to the top and you can use this to roast your potatoes, and the meat juices will be used to make gravy.

• Make sure you leave your chicken to rest after it's cooked otherwise it will be a nightmare to carve.

• For the perfect roast potatoes, par boil first for 5-10 minutes.  A tip in was given ages ago is to put a splash of vinegar in the water. I don't know why, but it gives potatoes that are crispy on the outside and fluffy inside - I always do it now.  Once you've drained the spuds, give them a little shake in the pan to roughen up the edges.

• Heat up your fat in the roasting tray (preferably the same tray you cooked your meat on so you get all the flavours).  Once it's really hot, add the potatoes and a sprinkle of sea salt. Give them a gentle shake to cover them all in fat. Cook on a high heat (around 220 degrees) for about 40 minutes.

• To make the gravy I use the meat juices and one Oxo cube.  Crumble the stock cube into a saucepan with the juices.  Heat and stir, adding a splash of wine if you happen to have any open.  Once it starts to boil and thicken, reduce the heat and dilute to the right thickness using hot water from your vegetable pans.  You shouldn't need any powder, granules or thickener.

And that's it - all that remains is to fight over who's having a leg and who's getting the breast.

How do you make your roast chicken dinner?  Do you have any secret tips you want to share, or rituals about how you cook it?

Disclosure: I was sent the ingredients for a roast chicken dinner by Tesco. All words and photos are my own.

Magpie Monday - Bonnie Scotland

OK, OK I'm sorry.  I've been AWOL for a few weeks, but don't worry I haven't been slacking, I've been busy sourcing lovely thrifted bargains to show you!

I had no idea the school holidays would be so hectic.  It's the first proper one for us as Ruby just started school last September and I totally underestimated how difficult it would be to carry on blogging with her at home. And anyway, we've been out and about and on holidays so I really haven't been around much.

I was very lucky to spend a few days away with friends up in Edinburgh - child-free!  So it was time to indulge the group passion of charity shopping - don't you just love thrift-loving friends?  Arthur's Seat?  The Royal Mile? Pah, seen them I don't suppose they've changed much, so there was very little sight-seeing, just two whole days of bargain-hunting.

Having a local as a guide, she took us straight to Stockbridge, an area just north of the city and only a few minutes stroll from the centre.  It's chok-a-blok with charity shops, broken up by cool little cafes and coffee shops.  My idea of heaven, right?

I got lots of bits and pieces, mainly clothes and a few books.  In fact, I bought so much that I ended up having to mail some bits back to myself in the post because they wouldn't go through hand luggage!  I got a complete pin-hole camera set, not realising that the developing fluids wouldn't get through security, so that had to be posted, and some enourmous old OS maps - those were dispatched in a mailing tube an arrived home a few days after I did.

We also spent some time in Dundee where we were treated to a visit to the Tayside re-use centre.  A total Aladin's cave, this place is massive.  Here I picked up my favourite bargains.

No trip to Scotland would be complete without some tartan, and I bought this huge piece of woolen fabric for just £1.  It will be perfect for making cushions.

The pretty polka dot cotton was 50p.  The spoons I initially picked up to hammer-punch words on, but on closer inspection they are marked as 'Afghan silver' and hallmarked - does anyone know what that means? They were £2 for the set.

Lastly, my favourite, this stack of vintage Tala cake tins for only 10p each.

I have an upcycling project in mind for these, but after reading Capture by Lucy's new linky Sunday Prop Shop, I'm thinking maybe I should just keep them.

Do take a look at Lucy's beautiful blog where she shares her tips on photography and styling.

So, how about you?  Have you had a busy summer?  Did you find time for any thrifting?

Grab the badge and link up your finds.

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Bento Lunches and a giveaway

Just in time for back to school, we were sent the Click Lock Bento lunchbox by Munchkin to try out.    

Originally from Japan, the Bento craze is sweeping the nation, and I wanted in on the action.  Any clever ways to get my daughter trying out new foods has got to be good.

The Click Lock box is perfect for this type of lunch.  It has 3 separate, lidded sections with cutlery that clips in securely to the underside of the lid - no more lost yogurt spoons!  Hopefully.

It's BPA free and dishwasher safe, and with the smaller sections being fully removable, it's really easy to keep clean.  The secure clip locks at the side keep the lid on tight, meaning the food stays fresh, but they are easy for little hands to manage.

At around £7 it's quite pricey for a lunchbox, but it has really inspired me as a mum to be more adventurous packing up lunches, and so far has encouraged Ruby to eat up all her lunch and try new things - the small portions really help when something's never been tried before.

I do have to say, it's not that big overall, but maybe I just feed my child too much!  There's no room for a drink, so I pop it inside her named lunch bag with a carton of juice or a bottle of water and her break-time snack.  I guess though it's a perfect size for pre-schoolers.

The Munchkin bento boxes are available in supermarkets and department stores nationwide, or there's an Amazon link below (this is an affiliate link).  They come in pink; blue and green colours.

So, what exciting lunches have we come up with so far?

On day one back to school, we had a ladybird theme, all black and red, with a little chocolate ladybird treat.

Included was:

• Flower shaped ham sandwiches
• Chorizo slices and black olives
• Babybel cheese
• Strawberries and blackberries
• Raspberry fromage frais
• Chocolate treat (don't tell Daddy)

This new style of lunchbox was a total surprise for Ruby and she knew nothing about it until she opened up her bag at the school dining table.  She was thrilled with it and ate every last item, and asked what could we do the next day?

So, for today, I made her a star themed lunchbox, with a little note inside.

Today we have:

• Star shaped cream cheese sandwiches
• Star shaped crisps
• Homemade blackberry jelly with star confetti
• Watermelon and mango shapes with grapes

Boy my cookie cutters have had a work out! I wonder what she'll make of it today?  Do you think I'm capable of keeping this up every day?

If you're looking for more inspiration, check out the Ana Mum Diary's review and you HAVE to check out the amazing creations Capture by Lucy comes up with in her Bento Babies series.

Keep reading below for your chance to win your own box...

Disclosure: We were sent this product for the purposes of this review.  All thoughts, opinions and photos are my own.

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED.....
                                         

You can win your very own bento clip lock box, by entering this giveaway.  Follow the instructions on the rafflecopter.  Closes on 20th September 2013 at 12pm.  UK entries only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to make blackberry jelly

The hedgerows are dripping with ripe, juicy blackberries and it's one of my favourite fruits to forage.  The saying goes that the devil pees on them after 11th October, so my advice would be to get them while you can!

Usually I make pots and pots of jam to see us through the winter, and a few bottles of cordial, but I don't know why I've never thought of making jelly before now.  My daughter loves jelly, and if you use silicone cake cases, they are great in lunchboxes.  Of course, the advantage of making your own is that you know exactly what's gone into it and can adjust the sugar levels according to taste. I've used pork gelatine here, but if you can't eat that then get a vegetarian substitute. It's really easy to make, so why not have a go?

Ingredients:

(these will vary according to how much fruit you've been able to pick, so just adjust using this ratio)

These quanities made 2 large servings.

• 300g fresh, ripe blackberries
• 100g sugar (my berries were very sharp, but you may want to use less than this)
• 3 leaves of gelatine (or according to packet instructions)

Wash your berries and remove any stalks.  Place in a pan with a splash of water, and add the sugar.

Heat over a medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Cook for around 10 minutes, until the fruit has gone mushy and released it's juices.

Strain through a muslin or clean tea towel and sieve into a measuring jug and measure the amount of liquid you have.  Mine was exactly 1/2 pint.  Your pack instructions will tell you how much gelatin to use.

For a nice, firm but wobbly jelly, I used 3 leaves of gelatine.  Soak these in some cold water for about 5 minutes.  Return your fruit liquid to a clean pan and bring to a simmer.

Add the gelatin to the juice (squeeze out the excess liquid from the jelly and discard the water), stirring until it dissolves.  Leave to simmer for 2 minutes, then pour into glasses or moulds.

When the jelly has cooled to room temperature, pop in the fridge to chill and set.

Have you been blackberrying this year?  What do you make with yours?

The Great British Walk at Wicken Fen with the National Trust

Last weekend we got the opportunity to attend a brilliant event with the National Trust to mark the launch of the Great British Walk Festival.

Now, for someone who doesn't drive, I can on occasion be heard grumbling about all the places I can't get to, not having my own a car.  But it seems I had that all the wrong way round. What I should of course be doing, is celebrating all the wonderful places and hidden gems that can only be explored on foot.

Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one such gem.  It was the first ever nature reserve that the infant National Trust purchased (for a mere £10), and has been in their expert care ever since 1899.

A hugely important wetland area in terms of diversity of species, it offers many treasures if you get out and explore.  Much of the area is accessible with buggies or wheelchairs, with special raised boardwalks, and of course, this part of the world is famously flat.

It was a glorious day, and our guide Lois talked us through the history of the area, how the wind pumps worked, how historically the area supported the local residents.  She was a wealth of knowledge about the plant and animal life and Ruby was very happy to follow her around soaking up the information.  We had a giggle listening to her tell Lois about some dragonflies we'd seen on holiday who were 'having a cuddle in the air'.

We headed out to the Butterfly Walk where entomologists and  lepidoterists have for hundreds of years studied the huge range of insects and butterflies.  We were loaned nets to catch our own bugs, and identification sheets to see if we could work out what they were - although with 1,500 different kinds of beetle alone, it was no easy task!

After the creepy-crawlies, we ambled back to the visitor centre, stopping off at one of the bird hides for a bit of twitching.  There was a huge variety to see, both on the water and on the well stocked bird feeders.  We saw Coots; Goldfinches and Collared Doves but luckier (and quieter!) visitors might spot Hen Harriers; Cuckoos, Barn Owls and Widgeons at Wicken.

After that it was time to re-fuel with some lovely lunch (they have a great cafe on site, but it is rather plagued with wasps from the nearby orchard which was a major problem for me.  Maybe they should check-out my top tip for keeping wasps away!)

Once we were all fed and watered, we headed off for more activities.  Pond-dipping was first for us, and Ruby thoroughly enjoyed this.  It was amazing to see what's lurking below the surface and we were very lucky to see a Great Crested Newt.  These are specially protected and as such he was only allowed out of the water for a very short time.

Next we headed off on a boat trip up the lode - a kind of Roman canal, if you will.  We were paired up with Alice and her family, and after allaying their fears - they misheard the skipper and thought he'd said "you girls sit up at the shark end", when he actually said the sharp end or front of the boat - we were in great spirits as we leisurely set sail, taking in all the beautiful water lilies and reeds.  Sadly we didn't see any Otters or Water Voles, but I gather there are many.

Our final activity of the day was geocaching.  Now, we've tried this before on a phone app and never managed to find them.  This might be because they were mini caches locally which apparently are hard to find.  But we needn't have worried, this was a special trail for us, and armed with the pre-loaded GPS receiver, the girls hurried off in search of treasure.  At each cache they collected components to make a little dragonfly, and they thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

We had a truly fabulous day.  It was brilliant to be in the great outdoors, catching up with other bloggers Jax; Cerys; Alice; Claire and Alex and their families.  Wicken Fen is a true joy to explore, we loved it so much we didn't want to go home - but more about that in my next post!  Go check out the map of the Great British Walk page and find somewhere new, local to you to explore.

Disclosure: We were invited to this event by the National Trust who provided all the activities, expenses, refreshments and a goody bag.  All views expressed are my own.

 

Autumn - my favourite time of the year

Why do I love the autumn so much?  I’ve always loved it, even since I was a child jumping in piles of leaves at the park.

Keats famously described it as the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. These final days of summer, shadows long in the evening sun. Fruit trees laden with ripened bounty, hedgerows dripping with jeweled berries.

My breath makes dragon smoke on those cold, crisp mornings.  A walk in the wood with its dappled sun and fallen leaves scrunching underfoot.  The rich colours of golds, burnt orange; vibrant reds and warm chestnut browns - nature's final dazzling display before winter draws in.

Shiny mahogany conkers and acorns squirreled into pockets.

Wrapping up warm.  Long socks; wellington boots and hand knitted scarves. Hunting for last year’s mittens.

An excuse to splash out on a new season garment like these cosy jumpers from Hobbs.

Indulging in comforting hot chocolate; rustic soup with warm crusty bread; homemade apple pie and cream.

Scrumping apples and climbing trees.  Gathering chestnuts from the forest floor.

Coming in from the cold with a red nose, rosy cheeks and tingling toes.

Lazy evenings in front of a real log fire, snuggled in front of the telly with the new season’s drama or learning a new craft.

A long soak in a bubble bath before bed.

The sense of calm and return to routine that back to school brings.  Taking five with a hot mug of coffee, sipped in the garden before tackling the day.  

What's your favourite season?  Are you a leaf kicker or a spring worshipper?

Disclosure: This is a featured post in association with Hobbs.  Please see my Disclosure Policy for more details.

Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction?

The myth of Robin Hood occurs frequently in English and as a result American popular culture. Being immortalised in movie greats such as the Disney film of 1973 and not-so-greats such as the spandex-clad 1991 film starring Kevin Costner. This was a film that unleashed the Bryan Adams cheese-fest “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” on the unsuspecting [read, undeserving] world. As entertaining as both these films may be, how much of the tale is rooted in truth and what, if any, is pure fiction?

 Source: Daren Green

There is one fact that stands clear above all in the Robin Hood debate and that is that his existence has never once been proven. But with such a rich tale there surely must be some basis of truth in it. The UK short break specialists Center Parcs, whose head office is in Sherwood Forest, know a thing or two about forest holidays and have asked me to look into the matter and split fact from fiction.

  

How Old Is He?

That there is a definite change in the roles of Robin Hood throughout the centuries is unquestionable. The first mentioning of the outlaw comes in the 15^th Century where these words are written, “Robyn hode in scherewode stod”. But even this most simple fact seems debatable. The modern Robin Hood is depicted as being the leader of a band of outlaws that live in Sherwood Forest. But many of the early tales place him up and down the country, with a particular focus on the Yorkshire area with some sources placing him as north as Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. This obviously runs against what modern retellings would have us believe. I believe this location shift came about in the time when he was pitted against his archenemy, the Sherriff of Nottingham.

Robin’s Nemesis

The Sherriff of Nottingham is of course renowned for his cruel and exploitative reign of terror over the poor peasants of Nottingham. He ran an extortion racket that Don Vito Corleone would be proud to call his own, whether or not he made the peasants an offer they couldn’t refuse is unfortunately lost to the annals of history. This strand of the tale plants itself in the reign of King Richard I, who in absentia (off crusading) imparted the power of tax collection on the Sherriff. This addition definitely came about later than the 15^th Century mentioning quoted above. Other than Richard I’s reign, Robin has been placed in the era of King Edward, handily without any clarification of exactly which one. Considering there has been eight King Edwards this really does throw the cat amongst the historical pigeons and make it very hard to accurately date our favourite bandit. A good assumption would be to place him in the era of one of the first three who all directly succeeded one another after the death of King Richard I.

Robin’s Merry Men (And Woman)

So, if even the era in which our outlaw lived is debatable then surely the rocks by his side, his most prized allies were based in reality? I’m sorry to say that even this appears questionable. With the exception of Little John all the prominent members of his band of merry men are added on at a later date. Maid Marian may well come from an oral tradition originating in France of a shepherdess named Marion and her shepherd lover Robin. Friar Tuck is also added at around the same time as Marian. Both Marian and Tuck find their roots in the May Games, a pagan celebration for the beginning of spring. Robin himself is mentioned throughout these tales and so it is probably in the lines of these songs that the band unites rather than in the forests of Nottingham.

Robin The Philanthropist

  

So far I have pretty much knocked a lot of the truth out of the Robin Hood story, but surely his famed charitable ways have some basis in truth? What of “Take from the rich and give to the poor”? Well you will be pleased to hear that this seems to be as pivotal to the whole tale as Robin himself. This kind nature goes back to the earliest books written about the man.

Unfortunately it appears that a lot of the Robin Hood myth is exactly that, a myth. But that is not to say there can be no element of truth in it, far from it in fact. For a figure to have proven so irresistible to storytellers and writers alike there must be a grain of truth in it somewhere. That his story has been twisted throughout the centuries is inevitable as the oral tradition of storytelling as something akin to Chinese Whispers. Maybe it’s just the romantic in me, but I want to believe in our swashbuckling hero and I’ll be darned if the lack of facts will get in my way. What do you think? Fact? Or fiction?

Disclosure: This is a featured guest post in association with Center Parcs. Please see my disclosure policy for further details.