Arrghh..it is so long since I have blogged I am now another year older. Time is flying faster than ever, but cooking is still a priority.
I love quiet parties..so it was just the 6 of us. Myself and my 5 favourite loved ones.
It is easy to overcomplicate celebration, so I was gentle with myself..(sort of.)
There was wine..obviously…and beef, which I never thought I could cook well. But I liked the idea of hot sandwiches and cold sides and plenty of chips 🙂 (all hail the Actifry.)
It must of being a birthday blessing, I managed to cook 3 pieces to cater for all, one well done, one medium, one rare. More luck than practice, but easy and care free….the cake was provided by my Love and I think we all ate well. We took photos..Never let teenage boys be incharge of a camera lol.) and made more memories.
Simple things make me smile.
Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy day..it was.
And now well pjs, a beef salad, the last glass of wine and an early night….I am getting old after all 🙂
A strange day…not a particular festival day for us, but always grateful for a day off…..BBQ time I think.
I am full of cold (and grumpy..ask my boyfriend lol )..but the sun is shining and it is family dinner day.
I suggested BBQ..we will keep it simple I said….but oohhhh I cannot do simple!!!
It will just be burgers and sausages.. (no steak, chicken, prawns.) but whilst My Love is at the Big Shop..I am secretly boiling Bantam eggs (it is Easter after all). There will probably be a potato salad….Hummus….cous cous??? Brownies…maybe millionaires shortbread…hey I am not going mad I am ill ..it will be a lovely distraction..unobligated cooking makes me happy.
I can’t do simple…It is a feast for the people I love…there is no better celebration than that..I shall cherish every moment
I always make a proper roast on a Sunday. I have had the odd occasion where I decided not to bother, but it doesn’t feel right. I love it too much…the sneaky glass of wine whilst prepping the veg, picking herbs from the garden, listening to the radio, the delicious smells. Everyone popping in and out of my kitchen pinching tasty titbits, fighting over who gets to lick the spoon.
There is a lot of chat about eating together as a family, We are a bit of a disjointed family..Sometimes just 3.sometimes many more. I like to think whoever sits at my table is family. A lot of focus is put on the meal, but it’s not just the food that is important.
I know I have said this before, but even if you are just sitting down to egg and chips it is important to sit together if you can.
It’s about learning manners, sharing, no mobile phones (yes, you can live without them for an hour). It’s about talking; it’s about being responsible for nurturing others (I expect just as much from the little ones as the big).
It might mean more to me that others, my son has aspergers, and sometimes needs a little encouragement in the use of a fork and actually eating. I feel supported around my table. My little community of love. A small triumph at the end of the week, where we all get a chance to catch up and make sure everyone knows we are there for them.
I am old fashioned I guess. I like proper napkins and sauces served in bowls. I am not posh or glamorous, but sometimes I think a little bit of ritual help it feel like home. I love that our kids help dish out. I love that they ask to leave the table…and no matter how much they think its funny, comedy burps have no place in my kitchen lol. I hope they are learning to enjoy food, and company, and real life, interacting with each other and hopefully having fun…
The best meals involve gathering every chair you have and then some….
Life has been a little rocky, for lots of reasons. And surely the best antidote to this is a feast?
It wasn’t grand. Hard-boiled eggs, bowls of crisps, cheese, salad, a fresh baked loaf, hot sausages, cold roast chicken, olives and dips…. a little wine, some fizzy pop..Scones and jam and cream….and most importantly…5 people I love.
A meal is not just about the food, the company is just as important. It seems the surrounding don matter either.
Being squashed around a noisy table with friends and family..Surely that is the best recipe you are ever going to get?
The chairs might not match. The napkins were kitchen roll….there was a bit of competitive pickled onion eating with the boys’ lol. It was wonderful….
If you are ever passing, pull up a chair…there is always room for one more.
a home full of love... 