I Haven't Got Time To Do.....

I think it's a fair statement to say that a working mother is as busy as the President of the USA, at least, it feels like that sometimes. I do sympathise with part time working mothers though, because you're supposedly able to do your job and be a mother as you're only busy half the time... People often ask me how I find time to do anything that isn't work or mothering - things like going for a run, having a massage, throwing a dinner party, or writing a blog. The truth is I don't have the time at all. Not even close. And as I realised a long time ago that "free time" would never ever present itself to me one fine sunny day, I have resorted to taking it instead. I literally wrench it, wrestle it, hack it out and grab it for myself ignoring the phonecalls, emails and wails of children so that I can have some time that is spent on things that mean something to me alone. Life passes us by quickly, so the next time you think you don't have time to just sit down and have a coffee with a friend, think again.

As the weather is cooling off, I thought a warm and easy side dish might be useful.

Very Fattening Potato Bake

Thinly slice 1 1/2 peeled potatoes per person you are serving. Also thinly slice 1/2 onion or leek per person into rings. You will need some single cream, thyme (dried will do) and gruyere cheese. Grease a deep baking dish with some oil and spread a thin layer of onions followed by a solid layer of sliced potatoes, then drizzle on a coating of cream, a sprinkling of thyme, sea salt, pepper and then cover with gruyere cheese slices. Repeat this process until all the ingredients are used up, hopefully achieveing about 3- 5 layers. You can top the whole thing with grated parmesan cheese and lots of freshly ground pepper. Cover the dish with foil and cook it at about 200C for an hour or so. You can take the foil off for the last 10 minutes to brown the top. You'll know it's cooked if you can slide a knife point in easily. If you're in a rush, parboil the sliced potatoes (3 - 5 mins) before making the layers. Then the cooking time should reduce by approximately 30 minutes.