This morning we woke to celebrate our eldest child's 15th birthday.
FIFTEEN.
How on earth even have we been parents for soooooooo long?!!!
After nearly 2 full days in labour I gave birth to my first baby in London all those years ago.
It was a monumental moment.
One that changed our lives forever.
In exactly the way we wanted.
Remember how many people tell you during your first pregnancy that "Having children changes your life forever", said in a tone that implies that it changes it in a negative way.
"Goodbye sleep......".
"You'll never be able to do those things again....."
It's true indeed that our lives DID change that day.
That day we gained humility like we never had before.
We gained the knowledge that actually we knew nothing at all & never would ever again.
Yet at the exact moment we had everything that could ever matter (except the four other children we were yet to have......)
Our little baby borne that day has grown into a fine young man.
We are still fumbling our way through, now heading into the young adult years....what even?!!!!
We are ever so proud of him.
He is so ace to have around- funny, clever, sensitive, loving, compassionate and just so darn ace to spend time with.
Happy Birthday Jasper.
PORK & CHORIZO SAUSAGE ROLLS:
This recipe is my twist on the regular homemade sausage roll.
My kids (and everyone else) love them.
I use real mince, not the indistinguishable product that is sold at the supermarket as sausage mince. Trust me you REALLY don't want to know what is in that!!!
This is super easy and SOOOOO yummy!
So easy my four year old actually made these.
My little kids always love making the messy recipes that involve mince meat- it feels like playdough to them. A great way to get them in the kitchen.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- 500g Pork mince
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 slices stale sourdough, crusts removed and cut into large chunks
- 2 chorizo sausage, skin peeled off and cut into chunks
- rind of half a lemon
- a good handful of Italian parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Spanish Paprika (regular sweet will work if you don't have the Spanish variety)
- 1 large red chilli, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons good tomato sauce (I use our homemade one- use tomato relish rather than bought sauce if you can, it will give a better flavour)
- 4 sheets puff pastry, sliced in half
- egg wash
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Add the bread, chorizo, garlic, parsley, lemon rind, & chilli to a food processor and blitz till the ingredients are a crumb.
Now add the pork mince to the food processor and blitz (pulse mode) till almost a paste but still with a little texture.
Add to the other ingredients and add the tomato sauce. Mix with your hands till all ingredients are mixed well.
Add the mince mix to the middle of the halved sheet of puff and roll over the ends.
Slice to desired size and place on baking paper.
Brush with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes or until browned.
I LOVE this track- I hope my kids are judged by who they are and not where they came from......
Oscar arrived early after a high risk pregnancy that had featured a threatened miscarriage at 21 weeks and premature labour at 29 & 31 weeks. My waters broke at 34 weeks and he came into the world a week later. I was 25. An infant. Naivety and the instant impervious love you have for your child got us through those early weeks of operations and diagnoses. I look at him now, a man in the making, on the verge of needing to shave and think, I have no idea how to do this and yet every day we do it. And here they are, a living testament to our pure love. It's really quite something.
ReplyDeleteoh Happy birthday Jasper, 15 is special! And congratulations to you two, GG and GB. Its is such a treat to raise a child, those first moments together, those overwhelming moments, full of joy, and sheer happiness. You will never know just how much your words, your love and kindness helps me to be a better parent. I just adore the way you parent, and I think you sincerely for sharing that with so many.
ReplyDeleteOh your boys are all gorgeous from the tippy top to the lucky last
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to hear a parent talk so sweetly about their teenager - I seem to hear a lot of negative talk about moody teenagers who don't care about anything. I find myself dreading the teenage years, but something tells me that that's the wrong energy to buy into. I'll read more of your words, and I know I'll enjoy my boys as teenagers as much as I do now! x
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Jasper! As a mother of 5 boys I am always heartened to read your posts. Your boys sound like fine young men and very wonderful! I wonder where in London you were living 15 years ago. My oldest is 15 too, born in January. We were living in Kentish Town in the summer of 1998! Sweet days xxx Sarah
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words Mama. xx
ReplyDeleteSalutations to your young man! Your very blessed in your lads!
ReplyDeleteaw thanks Pippa- this post is actually over a year old. but thank you! you are right- I am so very blessed. x
ReplyDelete