birthday shenanigans part 1

 Nothing says ‘six year-old birthday food’ more than crust-less sarnies (egg mayo or ham), cocktail sausages, hula hoops, carrot sticks, houmous, juice, haribo, cake and chocolate biscuits. It’s just a shame Ana and Claire chose to eat it all – accompanied with large glasses of wine rather than juice – rather than save themselves for curry.

Consequently our initial foray supporting this year’s National Curry Week ends up being postponed in favour of tea (for Mrs B) and a frozen pizza for me, along with random left-overs.

This is not what you expect when you look at a food blog, is it? Apologies

Almost 40

After desperately chasing my youth in the pub with Charlie and Gavroche from work - including getting accidentally sprayed with shampagum by a waitress - today I wake up ever-so slightly older.

Sadly Milo doesn't respect my new-found wisdom and a) wakes up heinously early and demands nibbles, and b) tells me he's not going to tell me about my surprise breakfast, which the lovely Ana cooks whilst I have a much-needed post-nibble snooze.

Even better, after a leisurely breakfast/game of Lego, we head out for a birthday Gourmet Burger - which I've craved since he was born - before buying a birthday table cloth (which I've also craved) and some birthday flowers (which I've also apparently desired for ages), and hurrying back to prep dinner.

The thing is I don't really feel a massive urge to go out, but I do fancy a nice dinner, with booze and friends. But I'm not cooking it all as it's my freaking birthday!

Kendra Kats, sans the sickly Brian, turns up with a wooden boat full of crudites, and Hugh's carrot houmous and dukka, which turns out to be almost fatally more filling than we thought.

We weigh in with classic Bill Granger Kashmiri potatoes, dhal with lime and fragrant chicken and spinach curry. Which myself and Greg bravely soldier through for the greater good of the ladies waistlines.

Having eaten our weight in dinner (well, hopefully not mine and Greg's), Spandy comes up trumps not only eschewing her standard Lemon Soup, but turning up with an amazing plum crumble cake AND musical candle arrangement. Luckily off-setting my silly hair.

Happy Birthday me. 39 years and now stone.

delia smith's lime chicken curry

Hurrah, it's Ana Louise's birthday! She's off to the country for a weekend of what I can only presume is two days of stitching samplers, reading the good book and singing psalms of salvation with her fellow sisters of the not-at-all fallen virtue - Lucy, Spandy and Kendra.

However, before her weekend of purity she first has to get through a single night of devilment featuring Mrs Sam Carter, Mr Davisss Taylor, Mr Benjamin Jack Taylor, a whole host of booze and Mrs Delia Smith's patented Lime Chicken Curry:

Did she manage it? What do you think...

sources
lime chicken curry - Delia, How to Cook Book Two, p107

international babs cabs weekend

It's another International Babs Cabs weekend, and this time it's her 70th birthday! Or 71st if you're my brother and completely deluded. Anyway, the usual rules apply - both the weekend the new exciting 'five of the best' style:

1. Scorchio!
Although not as baking as usual. We still manage to get the paddling pool out, *obvs*, and fill a bucket with icy, icy beer;

2. Chilli vs Quiche
Traditionally my mum's birthday lunch is hot chilli (and it is hot), and a variety of quiche, cold meats and cold meats. As ever, there's not enough chilli and about five quiche too many;

3. Being bullied by my mother
When we get down on Friday, my mum is on excellent form. So much so she gangs up with Ana and spends the evening bullying me into agreeing to move in September. Damn their eyes!

4. Funky Folkestone
Once again it's Triennial time, and the upshot is slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y, the hometown is getting cooler, dragging itself out of being a thoroughly depressing place, into a quite cool place to live. Naturally we spend Sunday lunchtime down the coastal path, playing on the Pirate Ships and slides, with Grandpa in tow, and we even manage to squeeze a bit of art into the equation - ringing the church bell on the sea front;

5. Fridge raiding
No trip to the in-laws is complete without several bags of left-overs making their way home. This time we manage a swag-load of booze, some chilli for lunch tomorrow, sweets'n'treats for Milo, some Tiger Bread and two platters of German and Spainish meats. The latter allows us to have an evening snack of Fino's tomato salad (sans chorizo), bread and meat, whilst watching the previously-mentioned Horrible Histories. Ana is now a massive fan.

Wot We Eight
Friday Night: Tandoori King Prawn and Tandoori Mixed Grill from The Prince of India;
Saturday: Chilli, meat, booze, pasties and Singapore Noodles (for Ana);
Sunday: Sandwiches and boiled egg for lunch, pizza for Milo's dinner, and tomato salad and more booze for dinner.

bad ballet, chilli faux pas and lovely kendra's lovely birthday

This post is going to be a 3-in-1 bumper edition (lucky you) mainly because we didn't cook anything for three whole days. This was only partially planned, and by not cooking anything you do have to take into account the fact I did spend several hours simmering a chilli whilst reading Biggles, but we'll come to that.

So, other than getting up at 5am to entertain her grandson, the main reason Kay had come up was because her and Ana were going to Royal Opera House to watch the ballet on Wednesday night. This meant I had to get home early to pick Milo up, however who should we see walking up the road whilst we were counting stars in the frankly-freezing early evening, but mummy and grandma. Apparently there had been an almighty cock-up with the trains (South West trains' cock-up rather than Ana and Kayosaurus'), so they missed the ballet and came home with a bag full of consolation wine and beer. My original plan had been to get Milo into bed, and then cook up the massive chilli I'd been roped into to making for the Nursery quiz night on Friday, with maybe have a smidgeon for my tea. Instead Ana belligerently ordered pizza, and I sat in the kitchen occasionally testing the chilli whilst reading the aforementioned Biggles.

Friday then was Nursery Quiz Night and I know for a fact I was looking forward to a) wiping the floor with the other parents using my amazing trivial knowledge, and b) wiping the floor with the other parents with my amazing chilli. One of the other mums in our team had also made a batch so there was a certain amount of intra-team banter about whose was best. Banter which didn't take into account the fact they'd simply tip the five or six different chilli into a big saucepan and cook the lot up together. We came joint second-to-last as well.

Finally then, lovely Kendra's lovely birthday! Having spent the day in the car on a flying visit home I was more-than ready to be royally feasted by Mr Tom Aikens in Tom's Kitchen, which looks a bit like Ollivander's Wand Shop from the outside.

Anyway, in between discussions of Argentinian barbecue techniques, a discussion of whether Little Eyolf is Ibsen's funniest play, rugby and working with Jean-Luc Picard, the delightful company of the birthday girl (closer to 40 than me), Mr Brian Bolger (a New Zealander, and therefore only to be trusted marginally), and the super couple of the acting world, Mr Alan Alan of the Alan Alan's Pearce and Mrs Caroline "And then all her clothes fell off" Martin, Ana Louise and myself were treated to the following:

• Spicy crab cakes (me)
• Baked scallops (Ana & Caro)
• Beetroot & Feta Salad (Brian, Kendra & Alan)
• Steak (Ana & Kendra)
• The world's smallest Shepherd's Pie (me)
• Seven Hour Confit of Lamb (Alan & Caro)
• Cod and Chips (Brian)

It was all amazing, and my initial misgivings about the size of the Shepherd's Pie were allayed by it's moist densosity. I couldn't have had another, although I might have given it a go.

ana's birthday

The lovely Ana's birthday dawns bright and beautiful, but our plans for a day spent shopping and lunching are dust in our mouths because the boiler man coming to fix the heating at 1300...

So with limited time we offload Milo onto Julia and head into Richmond for some light shopping, however we discover a spanking deli instead. Giuliano's is next to our usual Richmond Pub of Choice, and looks a bit intimidating, but in fact the staff are really nice and everything looks brilliant. I would have quite literally had everything but made do with bolognese with cappelletti pasta, whilst Ana had basil and cheese ravioli, as well as four pannetone. These were gifts you understand.

We also had some fizz to drink with our take away back home where "hey presto!", our heating is back online. Can there be any better birthday gift?

Sadly Milo lucked out of this culinary glory, and had to make do with broccoli and macaroni cheese, not that he was complaining. Apparently the trick is to grill the cheese at the end:

With him done we head out for dinner with Kendra and Brian at the brilliant About Thyme in Victoria/Pimlico. Seriously, go there it's fab and still a secret just about, although apparently the concierge at the Manderin Oriental is now recommending it...

For the record we had:

• Fizz - lots
• Piquillo peppers stuffed with cheese, fillet steak with fries, and creme brulee (Ana and Kendra)
• Beetroot and mozzerella-stuffed courgette flowers, steak and poached pear & ice cream (me)
• Piquillo peppers, sea bass and espresso (Brian Bolger esquire)
• Red wine - lots
• White wine - a surfiet

It was marvelous. Hurrah for birthdays!

sauteed chicken with cider & tarragon

It's day one of Milo's two-day birthday extravaganza, and because it's absolutely tipping it down we're already onto Plan B for the Family Birthday, erm day.

Not that he knows we originally planned to go the Wetland Centre's adventure playground of course, and the lure of playing in Eddie Katz with Amelia, Kayosaurus, Mikeplodocus and Matt and a large sack of wonderful presents is more-than satisfactory from his point of view.

Knackered from extensive running about like a loony, we've just got time for lunch at Strada before the McCarthy's have to head back to the Island, and the arrival of my mum who bears not only more gifts, but an amazing pirate treasure chest-themed cake she made:


Incroyable! It's an excellent end to a really good if knackering day - particularly for those of us who spent half of it stuck between two soft-play rollers, half way down a spongey castle.

With monkey in bed, and Ana wrapping presents and making party bags in the drawing room (although Ana does insist on calling it the lounge), I knock up another batch of our new favourite Waitrose-approved stews, sauteed chicken with cider and tarragon:


This time we *do* have it with tarragon, which definitely rounds the flavour out a bit more, and rather than double cream and cider we make it more Milo (and diet) friendly by using creme fraiche and apple juice. Once again, I make marvellous mash! The perfect accompaniment to Downton Abbey...

Food of the Milos
Over-excited by opening presents and seeing various grandparents, uncles and a smallish cousin food isn't a priority today. He has some scrambled eggs for breakfast, spaghetti and ice cream and strada and then several handfuls of sweets and a slice of my mum's cake for dinner. Not his finest culinary day, but he was very funny

sources
sauteed chicken with cider & tarragon - Waitrose Food Card, September 2010

international babs cabs weekend

Forget the septics, July the 4th is all about the International Day of Babs Cabs. Unfortunately we've double-booked ourselves for my mum's birthday. So, the plan is to go down a day early, and come back late-ish Saturday night in time for our date with Australia's greatest entertainers on the Sunday. It's a triumph!

We get down just after lunch on a scorching afternoon chez Shepway, and spend most of rest of the afternoon splashing around in the paddling pool set in the west lawn of my mum's extensive grounds. There's time to marvel at my brother's ludicrous fake tan, and milo also seizes the chance to dress like a bunny:


Tuckered out from all the sliding into water, monkey drops off about 9-ish which gives nanny the opportunity to indulge in some vital babysitting time and me and bobyena head out The Clarendon for some summer evening seaside drinks.

Saturday is all-action:

1. We find a slow-worm by the kitchen door. To be honest, my mum's garden is heaving with them but this is milo's first one. He's not too bothered by it, and even picks it up by the head:


2. We slide down terrifying death slides with mummy:


3. And we spend all afternoon in the garden, splashing in the pool with nanny, ollie, dylan and TC. Clokey, Pam, Saucepan, Jan, Tom, Roisin, Dan, JP, Moose, Lee, Jo, Keira, Hannah and Sarah take the sensible option and recline on deckchairs eating my mum's birthday chilli - hotter than last year fact fans!

Somebody conks out in the car on the way home, and I'm not too far behind by the time we get back. It's a good day, and as much as I complain about the old fruitbat my mum's birthday's are pretty cool affairs. Happy Birthday Babs!

Food of the Milos and the Anas and the Russells
After a breakfast of boiled eggs, we have ham sandwiches and houmous for lunch friday, and we all have my mum's thai coconut chicken for dinner. Saturday isn't so good for breakfast but once out Milo does have space for a 99 with flake. An ice cream total he manages to triple by the end of the day. Party food is salad and chilli, and tactically I take one for the team, and have about six bowls during the day, mainly to stop most of it coming back to our house in an ice cream tub. It doesn't work, and we still come back with a box of salad, some beetroot, half a pepper and some celery.

white bean polpettine & hot cinnamon doughnuts

As it's the weekend AND it's Kay's birthday, we have an exciting brunchy breakfast care-of last week's Waitrose Weekend Paper, hot cinnamon doughnuts with blueberry sauce.


They're not actually doughnuts, but cinnamon bagels cut in half and soaked in beaten egg - a bit like french toast really. The blueberry sauce is pretty good, and so successful is it (unless you're milo, in which case you just eat cheese and boiled egg) that maybe I'll buy the missing Cinnamon Sugar for next time. Although ana tells me for dietary reasons, there won't be a next time...

Luckily for Mikelodocus after last night's midnight-feasting, and the waistlines of the Barnes-McCarthy households, dinner isn't nearly so late. And only half as big. In fact, after it I'm starving.


Again, it's another amazing find in the pile of recipes malingering in the bedroom and classic Jill Dupliex - really really easy, and really tasty. Definitely having it again, deffo.

Food of the Milos
Okay, so NO to cinnamon doughnuts but he has a pretty good day of food otherwise. Boiled egg and soldiers instead of the doughnuts, a picnic at the playground consisting of Humzingers, Marmite Rice Cakes and apples, followed by a biscuit and a babyccino at Cafe Nero before going for his lunchtime snoopy snooze whilst mummy and grandma were at Homebase. As he's been such a good (ish) boy today, he gets sausage and homemade chips for dinner.

sources
hot cinnamon doughnuts - Waitrose Weekend Magazine, 24th April 2010
white bean polpettine - Jill Dupleix, Delicious, p35, 2005 (or 2006)

my birthday

36 - I don't so much have the key in the door as one foot in the grave. Still, is there any better way to start the half-way point in your life than with a beautiful sunny-yet-brisk day, breakfast made for me, three lovely cards (damn you postal workers), and a silicone ladle?

I even manage to keep it a secret at work until I casually wonder whether anybody wants to come down the pub for a birthday drink? God they hated that! The icing on the cake is the lovely Jude, Judy, Judith babysits for us and me and the anas go to The Idle Hour for a birthday dinner.

I had crab salad followed by one of their burgers, and the anas had stuffed mushrooms followed by pasta. Sadly the food wasn't as good as last time - it was a bit cold, there was only one person working so it took aaaages to get served, and it was all bit bland. BUT at least I got to go out with the anas on a pseudo-date.

milo's birthday - photos to come

A beautiful day for a beautiful monkey, sunday and mtb's second birthday is a beauty!

We wake up at an unusually decent time, and the three of us have tea (and milk) in bed whilst opening some presents and cards. We only open books in bed so it's all quite relaxed and nice.

After books we go into the flag-bedecked front room for the rest of his presents and breakfast before kayosaurus, mikeplodocus and amelia jamelia cecilia cordelia ophelia come up. Predictably he's more interested in the wrapping than the toys, but he at least likes the balloons - particularly the 'enormous' balloon.

Today's birthday treat is a trip on the train to the London Aquarium, where we meet Spandy, Ogregory, Harald and the newly-blonde Cerys. Everybody plays nicely, I think the Shark Walk came at just the right time, and we even managed to have a mini-picnic underneath the London Eye before everybody has to head home.

We have to be back at the flat for the arrival of my mum, Dan and Dylan. Mum brilliantly comes up with the goods and makes as close an approximation of the owl cakes I used to have for my birthday as 25 years, one house move and the onset of senioritis will allow. She even has a 'spare' cake just in case - that's being a mum for you!

And so a little blond boy goes to bed one year older, slightly fuller of cake than I would've liked, but still conks out immediately, despite not having his afternoon nap. A brilliant day indeed!

babs cabs birthday

A blistering saturday dawns and we head off to folkestone for mum's birthday. It's a great weekend; we spend the afternoon with friends in my mum's extensive grounds watching the monkey's splash about in the paddling pool.

Having knackered him out, we meet up with johnny and pam for a beer in saltwood, and a curry in hythe. We must be getting on because we only have a couple in each before sweet, sweet sleep beckons.

After spending sunday morning in the adventure playground on the front, eating ice creams we get home in time for the wimbledon final. Given how long it took, we survive on half of milos dinner and the residual fat from saturday's party food, whilst I knock together courgette and goats cheese soup for the week ahead.




Food of the Milos
et voila!

sources
courgette and goats cheese soup - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Year, p159
pizza - Top 100 Finger Foods, Annabel Karmel