Feel Good Food...

It must be my age or an iron deficiency but lately I find myself tearing up when I encounter kindness, good service or 'pay it forward' type stuff.

Today I am trapped in Ludlow. If I was to choose somewhere to be trapped it would be Ludlow or possibly Barbados... My husband's car needed some TLC and so, till 3pm I am camped in the library, writing. (The library is not a quiet zone today.... the baby noises are fine, the ignorant parent noises on mobiles and shouting details from computer screens less so.. sigh..)

I am writing a script for a sit com. Get me! My belief in myself is concerning but hey ho.

Writing makes you hungry so at lunch time I ventured out to get something yummy.

Ludlow is the gastro capital of ..... well, everywhere. There's a plethora of eateries stocked with delicious produce from an unending list of local producers; Monkland Cheese, Swifts Bakery, DW Wall butchers in the high street and AH Griffiths on the Bull Ring with pies and meats and game. Then there's the market in the Medievil square, the cafes and of course the restaurants, including the award winning La Becasse and Mr Underhills.

Today I did not need caviar, walnut bread, home reared pork pie or a Ludlow sausage, I just wanted to grab a little takeaway cup of home made soup and a roll. I stood on the tiny pavement off the Bull Ring close to The Feathers Hotel. Along the street I noticed a little alley called Fish Street and there I found the tiniest cafe in the world, (possibly.)

On the board outside THE CAFE my lunch was advertised: Small Soup and a roll. £1.95. Perfect.

Inside was a joy; four clean little tables and a minute serving area. My order was taken and I stood talking with a delightful boy who told me that he was slightly worried about Friday's weather as he had plans to look into some family history. He also told me that he'd just eaten his lunch, a hot curry. He, like me, prefers his curry to be hot. Quite right too.

THE CAFE is staffed both by learning disabled members and by volunteers. This space provides work, training, and social opportunities and offers a great service and delicious food. Next time you are in Ludlow, pop in for your lunch or a snack, you won't be disappointed, my soup and warm home-made bread was delish and the feel-good factor warmed me through.

This house is inundated with fairies....

A couple of nights ago, long past bed time, the 7yo wandered downstairs in her pink PJ's. Usually she's back down looking for food as she hardly gets anything to eat during the day: Oh wait, that is if you don't count a cooked breakfast like scrambled egg on toast, biscuit break at school with milk plus a two course lunch and cake break in the afternoon with juice! Oh yes and the huge dinner I provide, (the Irish mother in me doesn't trust that the sproglets will have eaten enough nutrients/their body weight during the day,) followed by a pudding and often cheese and biscuits..... ! BTW, there's not a pick on her or the 5yo... I, on the other hand....

Anyhoo...

'No more food!' I said before she had time to open her cute Springwatch gaping beak..

'I don't want food, I just can't suck my thumb because my wobbly tooth is annoying me.'

The tooth next to a front tooth has been precarious for some considerable time.

'Oh dear,' I said, in that matter-of-fact-stuff-and-nonsense-way that British mothers have when they're tired, the house is a pig sty, the garden needs watering and the husband has just asked for shirts to be ironed sometime this month.

'Why don't you pull it out? Good girl, back to bed now.'

She stomped off.

Two minutes later she was back, the 5yo in tow. He was well impressed.

'She pulled her tooth out mummy. We're going to show Daddy and give him the heeby-jeebies.'
(Daddy's not keen on these teeth matters.)

Later that night hubby and I checked on the babies sleeping. In the 7yo's room there was a little note.......



I'm pleased to say that the Fairy came and complied with instructions. She also left £1, probably because she couldn't find a 50p in her purse!

De-li-cious!

For those of you familiar with Nigella Lawson, or Slapper Jenkins as I like to call her, (http://www.nigella.com/) you will know that she makes great food even if it is a little naughty on the hips! Today I tried to copy her version of Rocky Road which looks great in her book. OK I didn't exactly have ALL the ingredients, but what mum does? I rifled through my cupboards substituting cashew nuts for brazils, (who likes brazil nuts anyway!? Oh, you do. Sorry, clean out today!) Dark chocolate got changed to milk chocolate....milk, see that's even good for you. I actually had mini marshmallows and I decided I'd go a bit off-piste with some crushed Crunchie Bars (how that honeycomb and chocolate made it passed my mouth is a complete mystery!)

Anyway I mixed it all up and the result was......domes of dog-doo. De-li-cious!