Eden Graduates from Nursery School.

I cannot believe that it has been almost five years since Eden was born. I look back on her first few days with us at home and I think to myself, where has all of this time gone. It has passed way too quickly. But, having said that, and looking at her now; seeing how beautifully she has grown, I must say, that I could not be prouder.

We have come so very far together, as a family. Soon we will be walking her through the doors of a new chapter of her life and a very significant and important milestone in all of our lives. Enrolling her on her first day at primary school will mark her transition into the very real and big, wide world. I won't see her for a rather large portion of the day. For five days out of the week, she will be gone; entrusted to the absolute care of somebody else. It is a little difficult to get your head around.

I know she will be okay because my little whirlwind of a daughter is so happy and excited about being 'a really big girl,' who gets to go to 'the big-school' and do new and different things that distinguish her from her younger siblings. It is so awesome to see in her, her own sense of self-achievement.

I cannot help but be filled with excitement at the prospect of my amazing girl making even bigger achievements in life. I am one very proud mama.

My Beauty: Our nursery graduate.

Bye-Bye, Summer!

As summer comes to a close and the unstable and rather horrendously schizophrenic weather starts to settle into a more consistent pattern, the beginning of fall brings with it a newly appreciated delight by way of warming hearty meals, like broths and soups to get us through the cooler days. Hopefully, there will be future posts where I get to show off some of my main autumnal into winter dishes, but first, let’s look at some of the beautifully light summer dishes I have served up this year for the family.

Possibly one of my favourite summer lunches, ever, is a decent serving of filleted salmon on a plate of tomatoes and leafy green salad leaves.

Salmon with Rocket Salad, Red Onions, Sliced Red Peppers. Dressed with Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar

Red Chilli: Adding a little spice. So many variations to creating awesome salmon dishes.

Halloumi: Light Lunch kinda salad day.

We enjoyed grilled halloumi and sliced pepper salads for light lunches when the weather was just too hot and nobody wanted to slave over the stove.

Filling & Vegan: Delicious brown lentil, spinach and chilli salad.

This year I really rediscovered my love for lentils of all varieties; we have especially been enjoying the brown ones. They have this wonderfully meaty texture and could be a good substitute for those trying to give up or reduce their meat consumption. The above salad makes a great vegan dish.

We also had a few treats along the way! I tend to cook gluten free, as it has been the best health choice for my daughter, who is rather sensitive to wheat.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Strawberries & Cream

A friend recommended using buckwheat flour and the result was an absolutely delicious pancake. Wonderfully nutty in flavour; it is an absolute upgrade from the gluten free flours out there, which are generally made from either potato starch or ground rice.

Summer has always been the season of exotic fruits and vegetables. I like to buy seasonal produce where I can and summer time means mangoes, mangoes and more mangoes! As a family, we cannot get enough of this all too easily enjoyed fruit.

Mango Crazy: The sweetest mangoes imported from Pakistan.

So, here you have a little breakdown of just a few dishes on our summer menu. I'll be posting a few tasty and interesting recipes in the coming (lets be optimistic) months. On that note and with a smile on my face, bye-bye summer heat-waves... Until we meet again next year, where perhaps you might be a little less severe.

Shepherd’s Pie - A Great British Classic & All-Time Children's Favourite

I have been away for a really long time! I mean we've seen birthdays come and go, milestones reached and surpassed. My husband and I have even converged ranks and started up our own family business, but more about all of that another time, perhaps. The thing is, we have been super busy as a family these last eight months while soldiering on through the thick of some serious family illnesses. My dear mother recently underwent major surgery and while, at present, she is recovering well, her journey back to full health will be a long and arduous one.

So, in the spirit of getting back in the saddle of this whole blogging thing, I wanted to share with you an awesome recipe, which I often make for my kids. Eden is at the age where she really loves to help out with the cooking, so getting her to smooth out the mashed potato topping is real fun.

Every once in a while I just love to cook up a great British classic of Shepherd's Pie; a dish that will likely always be a national favourite. Not only do my girls love it, but it makes for a good wholesome staple meal for a family dinner.

This is probably one of the simplest recipes of all time, as it only requires a few ingredients. The base consists of the wonderfully aromatic minced lamb and depending on your preferences, feel free to substitute with beef. Both variations turn out beautifully.

Great British Classic: Shepherd's Pie; a national favourite.

You will need:

• Minced lamb
• 1 Red onion, skin removed and finely diced
• 2 Cloves of garlic, skins removed and minced
• 1 Celery stalk, grated
• 2 Medium sized carrots, grated
• 1 Sprig each of rosemary and thyme, leaves reomoved from stems and chopped
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 Tablespoon of worcester sauce
• Stock of choice

• 4-5 Medium sized potatoes (with the skins on), chopped, boiled and mashed
• 2 Free range eggs, beaten
• 1 Handful of grated mature cheddar cheese
• Parmigiano Reggiano for topping

*There are no strict measurements here, as I say go with the flow and taste the food along the way. That way you are not adding in excess of anything. Let taste be the best judge.

The How To

1. Get started by lightly browning the minced lamb in a pan to cook off some of the excess fat. If you want really tender meat, the trick is the less browning, the better. I learnt this neat little method from all the years of practice I have had cooking for my three little ones. When you are constantly trying out new ways to get your kids onto solids and eating more grown up foods, you make new discoveries. Sometimes, I even skip the browning and put all of the ingredients into one pot and let it cook on a low heat for about 40 minutes. This results in such a juicy and tender dish, which the kids love.

2. Add in the red onion, garlic, celery, carrots, rosemary, thyme and season with black pepper. Add in the Worcester sauce and stock. If, at this point, you'd like to add some red wine this would be the moment but it's strictly optional. Some people think it adds depth to the flavour of this dish but in my honest opinion, it doesn't need wine and I prefer it without. Just be sure to cook off the alcohol, then add salt if needed and then transfer to an oven proof dish. If you want more of a chunky texture, you should chop your vegetables as opposed to going for the grater. I just like to keep it friendly for the little ones.

3. Boil your potatoes as per your usual method and prepare the mash, keeping a nice smooth consistency, combine with the cheddar cheese, salt and two eggs. Add a little black pepper to the mash as this gives it a nice kick.

4. Spread the mashed potato over the mince and top with some grated parmigiano and a little more black pepper. Place in the oven for around 20 minutes.

Serve with two types of steamed vegetables of your choice and dinner is ready.

Enjoy!

A Christmas to Remember.

I am not at all religious. Not even in the slightest. And yet, as a child, I grew up celebrating Christmas day each year. I mean we would go all out in our silly, over-the-top decoration of the living room (thankfully for my dad, not the entire house), the preparation and indulgence of the massive turkey dinner, with all of the trimmings that nobody really wanted and to top it off; the unnecessary expenditure on gifts. Still, we would all force the festivities down a right treat, in the end. I remember the event being somewhat fantastical as a kid, but as I have grown older, some of that charm and novel shine has simply lost its razzle-dazzle for me.

Tis the Season: For the sheer delight of our children.

The season often gets me thinking of the sheer lengths we will go to, for a simple smile... just so we can see the elation on our children’s faces; it really is magnificent. I remember my poor, wonderful mother would pre-cook the turkey the night before - a task that would go well into the early hours of the morning; it was no easy feat. On Christmas day, at eight o'clock in the morning she’d make her way through the freezing cold house just to spend the next two hours peeling and trimming potatoes along with the dreaded sprouts for a brood of four excitable children and an annually grouchy husband. The rest of the morning was spent prepping the sauce and veggie, cleaning and warming the house, washing-up, tending to an obligatory cut or burn and ultimately, conjuring up a spectacular, but humble little feast. She does this pretty much solo every year with some of the kids eventually chipping in as we got older. This is my nostalgic attachment to the Christmas Yuletide – my mother’s remarkable efforts.

Now that I am a mother myself, with three beautiful children, I too, find myself dancing to the all too familiar beat of the Christmas ritual; and a great performance it must be if I can create a few ecstatic smiles and wonderful memories with my own loved ones.

So, in dedicating this year’s annual cooking marathon to my amazing mother’s lifelong efforts; have a warm, merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.

Happy Holidays.

An Amazing Milestone... Reached.

I am marking today, with a post, by celebrating my beautiful boys seventh month in the world. Looking back on the day we brought him home from the hospital, I simply cannot believe how far he has come and how well he has grown. But I guess, somewhat more importantly, what I am really amazed by is the fact that he has thrived so brilliantly on breastmilk alone. So what this post truly honours, in essence, is my wonderful journey of exclusively breastfeeding my baby boy.

As clichéd as it may sound, Drayven really has had the best start to life and seeing him thrive every day is such a pleasure to behold. I have not seen a happier baby and I do believe that, while partly this is due to his cordial nature; breastfeeding has been an absolutely fundamental factor in his happiness and his experience of life to date. Dray is the smiliest little thing I have ever seen; he never stops smiling and this beautiful journey could not have played out more perfectly.

Despite all of the long sleepless nights of feeding, the fatigue, fighting off symptoms of mastitis and the sheer lack of energy to function on any given day of the week, I would not change a single thing. I wholeheartedly committed myself to this task and the rewards have proven exceptionally bountiful. I have made memories worth treasuring and have sealed a bond between us, which breastfeeding has only enhanced. Knowledge and experience is a wondrous thing.

Exclusivity: So proud to be able to look back at the  first two weeks after birth and see how far we have both come on this beautiful journey.

Exclusively breastfeeding at seven months. It was difficult getting here, but what a joy it has been; it almost seems easy now. What an achievement!

A special thank you must be made to my darling husband, Kade, for all your kind, loving words of support. Also, to our two beautiful daughters, Eden and Lydia, for all your precious help with changing diapers and making Dray laugh so heartily.

I love my incredible family.

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