Happy St. Andrews Day, My Lovely Friends!!

Happy St. Andrews Day!

Ah, to take a breath without falling about in a wretched cacophony of coughing; to walk upstairs without collapsing at the top, legs stuck out over the last stair for the kids to find as they turn the corner towards me, they're shrieks of "MUMMY'S DEAD!!!" no longer ringing in my ear as I try to get up and tell them that I'm only really half dead....they'll still get their tea.

The big reveal is tomorrow. I shall put one toe, then another over my doorstep and venture into the big, bad, cold world to attend my yoga class. I think I understand, albeit slightly, what agoraphobics feel like; you get into a settled, uneasy routine at home and staying in makes you want to stay in and self fulfilling prophecies are born. In saying that, I can't wait to get out...I feel I'm escaping. The girls at yoga don't realise what a big treat tomorrow will be for me; there will be me, in a downdog, smiling like a crazy girl, whilst they look on, puzzled and grimacing, the same expression I usually wear.

Last Friday, approx. 10 days ago, just before I got ill, we had friends over for dinner. I made chicken with slightly spiced rice and a Mughlai cream sauce with toasted almonds. I served it with paratha. Beforehand, I'd put out some spicy onions and the lovely mango chutney dip I made at my party. These were served with pappadums and followed by onion bhajis.

For dessert, I made Nigella's Lemon Trifle Cake Thingy. My lemon cake was made in small tins and soaked with twice the amount of syrup as normal. A slice was plated and topped with raspberries, then topped with cream whipped with, amongst other things, Amaretto and lemon juice. Delightful.

Dessert without the cream as I was too greedy, once it was applied....to face!

The recipes will follow tomorrow as I have badges to sew onto a Cubs jumper and my sewing is like my singing voice.......

One of the drawings I was asked to do for Christmas gifts....just so you know I've not been entirely idle....

Food for Sickies

Every nation will have certain foods that they give to the sick and hungover; within every nation, there will of course, be variations and from city to city, it changes once again. Within those cities and towns, each family will tweak and add to each recipe, adding a little nutmeg here, some spring onions there.

In the west, a version of chicken soup tends to be favoured or at least some kind of broth. It's tasty, full of nutrients and hydrates the body and soul. It's the first thing I crave when ill, knowing that a little will go a long way to making me feel better.

When the main cook is ill, though, does she get her soup? What does she or he get fed in her time of need? Over the years, I've only been floored with illness a few times and I tend to lose my appetite. After a few days however, I need to eat and have been content in the past with a chippy fish and chips or similar, Chinese food, curry or scrambled eggs. Since the kids came along, all that changed as they too need to eat proper food regardless so, thanks to a well stocked freezer, we usually manage fine.

This week, I croaked out instructions to Brian; he made some classic dishes for the weak and bed ridden including vegetable and lentil soup, homemade bread and scrambled eggs which he was rather proud off: it was very good. His face at first when I suggested he make some bread though..... It was a meal fit for a king, very simple yet wonderful and I felt instantly better.

Other traditional dishes for the Glaswegian sick include Scotch Broth, which I'm making today, chicken noodle soup for the kids, mince and tatties for those in recovery, steak pie for the first day well and curry, a new tradition and a great one because of the ginger, the garlic...both super foods for getting you better and the spices give you that buzz; taste buds aren't always great when you've had the flu or similar so this is one dish you can be sure of getting a kick from.

Do you remember that huge vegetable curry I made just as I fell ill no connection, I promise! Well, that was my first proper meal with a little rice and paratha which Brian made, checking in with me every now and then to make sure it was being done right. It was and it was great.

When I started to feel a little better, I helped Brian make the bread for the Lahmacun, having already had the lightly spiced lamb mince in the freezer from the last batch I'd made. I don't think the photograph does it too much justice, what with the...um...burnt looking bits but believe me, it tasted wonderful; this is so easy, tasty and simple. Perfect in fact, for this week. See recipe below.

Yesterday, on feeling a little better, Brian took the kids to the park and I prepared a simple meal of what we call American Mac n' Cheese, because we add a mix of breadcrumbs and grated cheddar to the top of the homemade cheese sauce and bake it in the oven. I have no idea if this is accurate to how it is made in the US or not, I think we saw it in an American film once and the kids wanted to try it, hence the name.

Brian's bread, garlic'd

We'll be living off leftovers and making do for a few more days yet as the flu which has moved to my chest consumes me with coughing; I was so exhausted after making the mac and cheese last night that I had to lie down for an hour; how pathetic is that....but then I painted a wall afterwards and spent the rest of the night hyperventilating with no way to hide what I'd done when Brian came back from Aikido to find me comatose on the couch but it looks great today.

Lahmacun
For the dough:
150g bread flour
100g plain flour
1 teaspoon easy blend yeast
Half teaspoon salt
125ml warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine the flour yeast and salt and add water and oil- mix and form a dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes and place in an oiled bowl, turn over once and cover with clingfilm. Leave it somewhere warm to rise, approx. 1 hour.

Once it has approx. doubled in size, punch the air out of it and divide into 8 pieces. Roll into circles of approx. 12 cm each and leave them on an oiled baking sheet (I put down parchment paper first) with tea towels over them to stop them drying out, for about 20 minutes.

Lamb Topping:
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 fat garlic clove, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
250g lamb or minced lamb, very finely chopped in food processor
pinch of cayenne pepper, ground allspice
Half teaspoon cumin
*optional-half chilli pepper, seeds removed
3 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped plus more for serving
lemon juice
Melted butter

Fry onion and garlic together in the oil until soft but not coloured; sprinkle in some salt to help keep it from browning. Add the minced lamb along with the spices and then stir in tomato puree. Stir well and cook for 10-15 minutes until the lamb is browned and cooked through. Add the lemon juice (about half to 1 whole lemon) and season with salt and pepper.

Use the melted butter to coat the bread rounds, making sure you completely get the edges (so they stay quite soft). Place a large tablespoon or so of mince onto the bread and spread out with the back of a spoon. When complete, place in oven at 220 degrees Celsius/gas mark 7 for approx. 10 minutes. Keep your eye on it so that the mince doesn't burn although the top will catch slightly. Turn the baking tray(s) if need be.

If it is going to be a few minutes before they are taken to the table, drape them with a tea towel to stop the crusts getting hard. These are delicious as is but I like to sprinkle with some extra parsley and another squeeze of lemon juice and either serve alongside a green salad with a good goats cheese or with goats cheese dotted on top of the lahmacun. You can add this a minute or so before taking out of oven so that the goats cheese melts if you like. Really, really delicious.

I have to say, I wouldn't waste my time making this paltry amount of lamb topping as it freezes beautifully; I'd usually make 4 times the amount and freeze it in 250g batches. You could do the same with the bread, freezing it at the point you'd place it in the oven or make the entire lahmacun as normal and freeze from cooked; I can vouch for them defrosting beautifully and warming up splendidly in a hot oven for 5 minutes. Apply to face.

My wee ill laddie

Fraser didn't look great this morning and I hummed and hawed about sending him to school. He'd spent the night in my bed, tossing and turning and talking to himself. He looked pale and was coughing but was energetic enough. He wanted to go.

As he was about to be picked up, I looked at him, standing on the top step, looking down at me with a glassy eyed expression. "Do you need a hug?" I said. He nodded his reply and slowly came down the stairs. At that point, Lyn arrived and it was all a mad rush to get them in the car. I stood at the door, confused as I was about to tell him to stay at home. But off he went and I was sure he'd be ok but it didn't feel right. Instinct, girls, instinct.

I had coffee and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for breakfast and contemplated the day ahead. We have sunshine again, five days of it apparently although I've missed all potential doses of vitamin E. I began to get ready when the phone rang; Fraser was being sent home from school. I felt just awful for having sent him in the first place. Poor wee lamb. My friend Sam picked him up for me...thank you Sam...and brought home a fragile, pale, bug eyed wee laddie in need of tender loving care and lots of hugs.

He seemed not that bad to begin with; my boy, unlike my girls, takes it in his stride. No wailing or demands from him. I made him a cheese toastie and it went downhill from there. Not because of the cheese toastie I hasten to add. He became feverish and hot, felt sick and was mumbling to himself. I cooled his furrowed brow, gave him the last of the medicine...my sis is bringing me more...and made sure he had plenty to drink.

Now my mind was turned to how I was going to get the girls.

Luckily, Lyn came to the rescue once again...I have new found respect for single parents....and I sat with him in the bathroom for a while. He now lies sleeping, moaning from time to time, coughing and looking so tiny and forlorn. This is what husband comes back to tonight, what a shame.