.... I opened the door smiling and relaxed!
26 January 2015
Another relaxing weekend it was not.
I had decided it was high time I had a dinner party.
I find that it is so easy as a parent to get totally wrapped up in the kids’ relentless social lives - all those activities and birthday parties.
One day it just dawns on you that your own social life has – well – gone down the drain.
Three socialite kids with a mum who ends up doing her weekly shop-up on a Saturday night.
Now that’s just sad!
So a dinner party was on the cards – what better way to catch up with old friends who live half a mile down the road but who you somehow never manage to see?
A meal for eight – no problem.
But then there was the delicate issue of a further 8 kids.
Did I want to feed them too?
I was mean and decided that I didn’t (I could already imagine the endless permutations of “I don’t like vegetables” and “what’s THAT?!” with blushing parents saying “Now come on little Johnny, you can at least try it. It’s DELICIOUS!”).
Then I remembered that 2 guests were veggie.
No probs.
Then I’d forgotten that another guest is coeliac.
Ok dokey.
Then came the realisation that my morning and early afternoon was filled up with – yes you guessed it – kids’ activities!
I dashed to the supermarket between Mr Small’s football and badminton, squeezed in a weights workout that nearly killed me and got home ready to tackle The Dinner Party.
“Mama, I’m hungry. When is lunch ready?”
Oh yes, I’d forgotten about that. The kids need lunch.
OK, let me just rustle up a quick lunch for five.
Clear up.
Wash up.
By now it’s 3pm – got to get going on the dinner party.
The Menu
Starter
Red pepper and basil soup with mini gluten-free pizzette
Main Course
Vegetarian tagine
Coriander rice and lentils
Greens
Dessert
Chocolate mousse
Sounds fine doesn’t it?
But all didn’t quite go to plan…
… little did I know that if I followed the gluten free flour recipe for pizza dough to the absolute letter that I would end up not with a dough but with a thick, pourable substance!
… and the tagine? Well I never use tofu but thought I’d give it a go. Here’s my advice: never experiment on guests! The tofu disintegrated and vanished.
… and the mousse. Well who would have guessed that by doubling up the quantities you’d end up with a lumpy mess, ‘cos that’s what happened!
The rescue plan…
… the mini pizzas came out fine – I just kept adding flour until it all looked about right and mercifully it worked. Starter sorted.
… the tofu? Who cares, it’s utterly bland anyway. I wouldn’t recommend it and the combo of sweet potatoes, chickpeas, carrots, cardamom, cinnamon and coriander was fab.
… the mousse? Weeeelllll, the kids loved the lumpy mess and I made a back-up crumble instead!
By 7.45pm I was ready to welcome my guests for 8pm.
No, hang on a sec I wasn’t.
I was still in my gym gear with my hair scraped into a messy ponytail.
Aaaagh!
Quick, into the shower.
Rummage around for something that doesn’t resemble my fit kit.
Pull on a dress, dry my hair, no time for make-up, put on my Milly Moore necklace and Pandora bracelet and…
Ding dong!
They’ve arrived and I open the door, smiling and relaxed.
I’ve done it: meal ready, the candlelit table looks great, kids fed, I’m wearing a dress, my hair’s down for once.
But…
Oh **** I’m wearing my fluffy slippers!