...Lemony roast chcken...

Yes, I know. I think that I have neglected the blog. Truth is that I have been very busy lately at work, and making money is sweet, so I often work overtime.

Anyway, today I am going to share a recipe with you.

Lemony roast chicken with onions, mushrooms and baby potatoes. Five generous portions and leftovers for curries.

You will need:

• 1 large chicken (I buy the expensive one from Marks and Sparks as I am certain it tastes better than the cheap ones). If you have no access to Marks and Sparks, prefer organic chicken for a better flavour.Treat yourselves to good food.
• One bag of baby potatoes, or if you grow your own, certainly prefer your own crop. Fresh potatoes taste fantastic.
• At least 20 white, medium-sized mushrooms.
• 2 red onions, chopped roughly.
• Salt, pepper, paprika to taste.
• Rosemary, oregano and sage. Be generous with sage and rosemary, not that generous with oregano. Too much oregano can spoil the flavour.
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil (5 tablespoons will do).

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 6
2. Place chicken and all other ingredients in the over tray and roast for 45 minutes.
3. After 45 minutes in the oven, turn the chicken upside down and place the tray back into the oven for another 45 minutes.
4. Your dinner is ready. Drizzle some lemon on it, and voilà!

...Bared to you and Reflected in you (Crossfire I and II) by Sylvia Day...

I recently read these two books (erotica - if you are not into it don't keep reading) and I wanted to share my impressions with you.

Bared to You

A clever story; but totally imaginary. The book is full of tall, thin, fit, beautiful people, with the main protagonists being filthy rich. It does not correspond to everyday life for the average Jo.

Now, coming to the porn (sorry, I meant to say 'erotica'), this is also very average in my opinion.

OK, the erotic 'scenes' are spicy, but not spicy enough for someone who is into S&M. There is a balance of erotic domination and submission in the first book, while the main protagonists are trying to establish their sexual personas.

Oh, and basically no scene of anal penetration.

I think that the book is so soft for S&M lovers, that they would rather read the Bible instead.

The plot is interesting, but nervous wrecking. I was annoyed to read the repetitive descriptions of 'will he leave me?', 'have we broken up or not'?, etc...

But in the end, I also read the 'Reflected in You' book, as I had some time to kill in the Bank Holiday weekend.

Reflected in You

Same drama, some rich people some bitchiness, same repetitive boring story, but fewer sex scenes, and not S&M enough for me. Again, only a vague trace of anal, but now the rich male protagonist is clearly the dominant one; with the young Eva being submissive in the bedroom sector.

Frankly, I lost interest in the book before I reached the middle of it, but I carried or reading.

Towards and in the end of the book, there was a crime (murder) featured, but not much sex. The story of the murder investigation was not that cleverly conceived in my opinion; and of course it did not correspond to reality. I understand that Day's objective was not to write crime fiction but erotica, but frankly, she should have paid more attention to detail.

Conclusion

If you think that the book is totally crap, then think again. Have you read the Fifty Shades of Grey? If yes, then the Crossfire Series is a masterpiece compared to it. Really. The Crossfire series is better written than the Fifty Shades of Grey. No kidding!

But in the end of the day, nahhh, not good enough for me. Bloody hell! I have wasted 3 days of my life!

...Hot patio sizzle chilli peppers...

Do you love your chilli peppers? Now it is time to start your seeds indoors! 
 
I have just bought some seeds of the 'hot patio sizzle chilli' variety (posh Latin name: Capsicum annuum) and I am growing them in pots in the patio. I am planning to give a couple of them away as gifts, in pretty pots.

They are decorative and they are supposed to look like this when they fruit.

 
Yes, I bet mine will look equally great! 

Plus, I can use them in my curry. They are mildly spicy - just about right. Not too hot, not too mild!

I will keep you up-to-date about how this project is progressing. 

Meanwhile, bye for now!