Illness, motherhood and children are not a good mix

I’ve been ill lately and it’s had a few problems. Littleun has been great playing nurse bringing me juice and trying to make me feel better. Inevitably in the only way a child can, by showing off. He has played every one of his musical instruments for me in a sort of concert method, taking his bow and clapping loudly each time. Wonderful, least it would be if it weren’t for this ragging headache that has been making itself known for the last 5 days! I suggested that maybe the music was hurting Mum and he stopped.

Mmm peace and quiet. Well almost, the singing started soon after. Apparently “row row the boat” is the only song that will make Mum better and is proudly (and loudly) sung every 5 mins or so.

I found out that you can’t be ill if you are a mum, especially if this happens to be a time where the Fella isn’t about. Have you ever tried to buy tissues, wet wipes and medicine whilst having a child hanging off your arm and dropping all your money everywhere? Apparently the assistant at Boots hasn’t otherwise instead off laughing her shrill laugh she’d of helped me!

I braved the supermarket, thinking that I had to get some food in. Littleun may well be enjoying his picnics but it really was time for some proper food. Again, not a clever idea. I dragged myself around the store, Littleun helping with the shopping. All going well and we headed to the checkout where my bill came to £10 more than normal. I didn’t think much of it till I got home and started putting it all away. I can tell you now it is not sensible to shop when ill; I mean really what am I going to do with a yam yam and a massive bag of dog biscuits (I don’t own a dog)?!

Finally got a lie in today, guess that Littleun realised Mum needed sleep and left me alone. When I woke up I opened his bedroom door, said hello and went to the bathroom. Soon heard him go “oh oh mess mum” now this is normally his excuse for getting everyone of his books off the shelves and stuffing them in his bed, so I ignored him. Mistake! When it came to me actually going into his room I realised this. Wallpaper everywhere. I don’t mean little bits two or three inches long but blooming huge sheets off the stuff covering the whole room. Ironically I have been trying for the last month to remove the very same stuff from the corridor, with no success, it was that welded on.

That set the tone for the day. By 6.30 we are ready for him to go to bed, I’m off my head on covonia and anti’s and he is just plain bonkers, we are fighting the “its bedtime routine” when we both see it, a lovely robin sitting on the roof opposite our window studying us as if to say, “what are you doing?” And suddenly I don’t feel so ill…

Apples, glorious apples…

I love apples, in particular a Cox for a sweet apple or a Bramley for cooking, which is why we grow them in the garden. This year is the 200th celebration of the good old Bramley so off we headed up to Wisley RHS to enjoy their celebrations. Wisley is a Royal Horticultural testing garden growing hundreds and hundreds of plants, vegetables and fruits, beautiful place especially this time of year.

We had various tents spread around the acres showing all sorts of food and wares for us to sample (the best had to be Jolly’s dips, scrummy chillis & chutneys) surrounded by the gentle hum of people enjoying themselves, oh also a lovely big lake in the background with some very noisy ducks.

I picked up the following recipe, you've got to try it, it’s so tasty as we found out (diet out the window today!):

Burnt Apple Cream

1kg of Bramley (or other dissolving cooker) apples
1 Cinnamon stick
150g Caster Sugar
250ml Double Cream
4 tbsp Soft Brown Sugar
Ground Cinnamon

*Peel, core and slice apples, then cook over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, with cinnamon stick and a little water, until apples form a purée. Stir in the caster sugar to taste.
*Divide purée between six heatproof ramekins, leaving a generous centimetre at the top and chill thoroughly.
*Whip cream until very thick. Spread over chilled apple purée, covering it completely and levelling across the top. Return to fridge or, briefly, freezer, until cream is very cold but not frozen ( this allows you to caramelise the sugar without boiling the cream).
*Preheat grill to max heat. Sprinkle a thin even layer of soft brown sugar over the chilled ramekins (not more than 2tsps per ramekin).
*Place ramekins under the grill until sugar starts to melt and bubble. With a bit of luck this will happen before the cream underneath starts to bubble up but don’t worry if this does happen. It may not look so good but will still taste great.
*Return ramekins to the fridge until quite cold. Serve with a pinch of powdered cinnamon on top of the caramel.

As well as the apples they also had on show some of the other vegetables they had been growing, in particular the pumpkins and squashes.

Hidden in all corners around the place we had fun finding them along with our first Robin of the season.


Pumpkin festival next week...