When are you having your next one?

I have two beautiful boys. Kieran is 5yrs old and Taylor is 10m. They are just perfect, brilliant, wonderful! They make me laugh and cry (usually after stepping on Lego to be fair), and I wouldn’t swap them for anything.

Clearly however, my family isn’t complete, certainly not for everyone else. You see, I haven’t got a girl. Shame on me! It appears two boys isn’t “quite” right. And surely I want a girl, seeing as I am one? And if not a girl, another baby would be nice wouldn’t it?

No it bloody wouldn’t. As far as we are concerned our family is complete. I fought long and hard through fertility problems to conceive both of them and wear my battle scars proudly. I am a Mum, a position much sought after believe me, but I’ve made it and I believe I’m done. I don’t feel the ache any more. The pull towards having another child. I look at the boys, and I look at us as a family and I think “We’ve cracked it!”. I am content.

When being asked, several times a day, and often more than once a week by the same people, when I am having my next one, I answer politely that I’m quite happy as I am. I often get the standard response..

“Oh that won’t last, you’ll be ready for another soon!”.

Yes it’s chit-chat mostly but occasionally it appears more, as if I am letting the side down by not continually producing babies. People assume because I’m from a bigger family, I will be wanting a big family myself. Being part of a big family was and is bloody fantastic! I was one of six siblings and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Since becoming a mother myself I have quickly become to realise that my Mum must be some kind of modest saint with six of us to raise.

We are comfortable, we all fit nicely in the house, we have our own space, and we are ok financially. Another child would stretch us to be honest. All very cold and practical but that’s life. What we have works, we work and we are happy.

We don’t NEED another child, nothing is missing.

Just thought I’d clear that up for everyone.

Pad Thai Nicki Style #Worldfoods

As part of the Global Taste Team run by the lovelies from Worldfoods I am exploring many different flavours and recipes (and enjoying every minute of it!). This week the suggested recipe was Pad Thai and can be found at the bottom of this post. Worldfoods are keen for us to experiment and so I raided my veg box and here we go, Nicki’s Pad Thai.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breast

Courgette

Mushrooms

Chives

Beansprouts (you can get these from Tesco, but I use the ones from my Riverford veg box, fresh, crunchy and with a slightly nutty flavour)

Piquillo pepper (thinner than a normal pepper and sweeter)

Mushrooms

1 bottle WORLDFOODS Thai ‘Pad Thai’ Noodle Sauce

Fine egg noodles

Lime – cut into wedges

Dry Roasted peanuts (crushed)

Method.

  • Stirfry together in a little oil the chives, chicken, sliced peppers, courgette and mushrooms
  • When nearly cooked throw in the beansprouts for a further 2-3 minutes on a high heat.
  • Add the WorldFood Pad Thai sauce and turn to a low heat to simmer.
  • Serve with “just cooked” fine egg noodles and top with crushed roasted nuts and lemon wedges (save one wedges to drizzle a little juice over the noodles. And enjoy!

Pad Thai, by May Foong

 Serves 2-3 people

 Ingredients:

100g (or any combination of) Prawns / Chicken / Tofu

20g Chives, cut into 2” length

100g Bean sprouts

80g Flat rice noodles (information here: http://bit.ly/qU8WIl you can substitute with other noodles if you wish)

1 bottle WORLDFOODS Thai ‘Pad Thai’ Noodle Sauce

2 tbsp cooking oil

*Optional – add eggs (within the stir fry or as an omelette), spring onions, fish sauce, extra chilli pepper into the stir fry

Garnishing:

Pounded roasted peanuts

Coriander

Lime wedges

Chilli flakes

Sugar optional (palm sugar traditionally added in Thailand)

 Cooking Instructions:

1. Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes untill semi-soft. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat flavourless oil such as groundnut oil in a wok and pan fry the prawns until they turn pink, and set aside.

3. Pour in WORLDFOODS Thai ‘Pad Thai’ Noodle Sauce and bring to boil.

4. Add in the noodles and prawns and toss gently till well mixed.

5. Plate up the noodles and prawns, and add the chives and bean sprouts.

6. Garnish with roasted peanuts, chili flakes and lime wedges.

7. Enjoy!

 

If preparing the dish for children you might want to omit all chilli from the dish, depending on their taste.