Summer Challenge- The 3 Course Meal

Before you find out the outcome of the meal I want to state for the record that I put alot of time and effort into this meal for my family.
I had this on my Summer Challenge list because I hardly never cook (my Dad is amazing at it so I don't even bother when he can rustle something up twice as fabulous in half the time.)

So I spent ALL day in the kitchen trying to create a masterpiece.

I pored over recipe books from Jamie, Nigella, Gordon, Delia, you name it and decided on ciabatta topped with goats cheese, rocket and tomato for starter, a slow roast lemon and thyme chicken for mains and "molten chocolate babycakes" for dessert.

But it did not turn out the way I planned.

The starter was average (a 5/10 rating if it was Come Dine With Me) the chicken for the main course was dryer than the Sahara desert (which would have gained 1/10) and the rice I made to serve for it went ballistic. Who knew that rice could be inedible from being burned and undercooked simultaneously? And that it would fill the whole kitchen with it's evil uncooperative fumes?

However the pudding (slightly) made up for the untouched mains. They were gorgeous. And as I am a firm believer that every cloud has a silver lining, the fact that the main course was inedible meant that people could finish these AMAZING Nigella Lawson Molten Chocolate Babycakes- with a name like that how could they taste like anything other than pure chocolate perfection?

Here is a photo of my creation:
(I won't bother showing you photos of weird bread, burned rice and freaky chicken)
But I had a go and that's the main thing and all that jazz etc etc etc.

I don't think I will be showing my face in the kitchen for a long time though as my 10 year old sister had a go at her own 3 course meal and would have received 30/30 on Come Dine With Me for her Calzone Pizza perfection. Yep I was out done in the kitchen by a 10 year old. I'd better get used to it.

Wish me luck on my other challenges (hopefully they will be more successful than this one...)Many virtual hugs and kisses,
Beth Ruby xoxo