Mamma's new pasta maker
I try really hard to involve the boys, whenever possible, in cooking or food preparation. It means a lot of mess and things take a lot longer, but it also means they know how to cook, where their food comes from and are more likely to eat it!
I am very lucky in that my number one son has good table manners, number two is definitely more fussy and gets away with more! We have always taken them to pubs and restaurants from an early age, so that as they grow up, they know how to behave. Not that we go to a lot of restaurants, but even ordering a plate of chips means they order, then have to sit and behave, whilst they wait. They love it, they like sitting at a bar and asking for a blackcurrant squash "with a straw and no ice please" and they like the fact they feel grown up. We have been in some pubs where the locals have frowned upon us, but we usually only have one drink and then go, with two fidgety children, we know when not to push it! It also means that we feel as if we haven't given up everything in our lives for the children, as going out together is so rare, a fleeting moment when the boys are sat happily blowing bubbles down their straws, is enough for us!
At home they make pasta, help bake cakes, spreading, making jams, stews, popcorn and porridge. I closely supervise anything that involves the oven and don't allow them to handle sharp knives yet. We try to sit down and eat together as often as possible at the table, laying the table, carrying things to and from the table and sometimes even writing or drawing menu's {another sneaky way to encourage writing!}.
We have huge pressures on time and at least once a week, I forget to take meat out of the freezer so serve up pizza's! Besides I grew up on fish fingers, faggots and smash and I turned out alright ~ didn't I?
aren't these images absolutely delightful? I found them here on a great blog, called 'and her head popped off' and are of artist Nina Schmidt. My friend Jo, of 'wag, bark, love' discovered the blog today. 
freezing in fact. Some places dropped to below -18, the coldest temperatures for over 30 years. In the UK there are estimated to be 10,500 homeless or rough sleepers, mainly on the streets of our big cities. I cannot imagine being homeless ~ today I am thankful for my family and warm home.
there's only one thing to do here when the temperature drops to minus six and there is snow on the ground. We head for the hills, where the first hole of the local golf club turns into a 'black run' ski slope! Most villagers have a sledge and most teenagers seem to find something inflatable {inner tube/paddling pool/surf board} to launch themselves down the slopes on! Check out this clip on you tube for some really crazy sledging from last year!
