Funny how “The smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia”

I have never agreed more with Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince 😉

What are your favourite food memories from when you were growing up?  I am lucky to have so many that I truly treasure.

Homemade soup is a big family tradition and one we take very seriously!!  My favourites were always Lentil or Tattie Soup.  I remember watching my mum cooking in the kitchen and I would always get some of the grated carrot going in the pot or the cooked ham hough out of the pot! 

Then enjoying a bowl of steaming hot soup on a cold night with lots of bread to dip in.  My homemade baguettes are a perfect match to a good bowl of soup!!  I am proud to carry on this tradition with my two children and it’s a great way to sneak in those veggies 😉   

Then there was my granny’s home at the weekend and the smell of home baking radiating from the kitchen.  My granny was famous for her Sponges, Empire Biscuits and Melting Moments!  Who else can remember fighting over licking the spoon?!!  This memory is why I have added Empire Biscuits to my current Afternoon Tea Menu which I fill with my homemade raspberry jam. It is amazing how a classic if done well can taste so good.

I am so glad we now get to try various cuisines from around the world and love to experiment with food.  However, sometimes I just like to enjoy homemade comfort food like I was brought up on especially as the nights draw in!!  I hope my current menu choices help to spark some of those memories for you……

80s look at Children’s Birthday Parties

I am lucky I was an 80s child!  Well, I feel lucky as I remember childhood being like an episode of Stranger Things – well obviously without The Upside Down and the Demogorgon’s!!  We played outside with our friends all day on our bikes – We knocked on doors to say, ‘Is Michelle coming out to play?’ Do not even get me started on the fun we had playing skipping, kirby, marbles, red rover…...

Then when it came to birthday parties, I have a Spring birthday so my party was usually friends around to play in the garden. There were the usual party games! Pass the parcel, musical statues maybe Simon Says! Then a buffet and some ice cream and jelly!!! Always followed by a birthday cake (my gran always made) and the obligatory rendition of Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo……  Then the goodie bag was a piece of cake and a balloon!!

Now as a parent of two myself I start to panic when birthdays approach!!  Not only do I need to think of a venue, but there is also the theme to consider, then the games, food, party bags…… aaaaarghhhhhh!! Hands up all the bad mums like me who last year gave a silent whoop when I didn’t have to organise birthday parties!! 

So, when birthdays came around again this Spring, I decided to keep it simple.  I would go old school and have them in the garden!  I realised it doesn’t have to be expensive and it can be good to keep it simple!  Maybe if this last year has taught me anything it is that ‘it is not about all of the stuff but about the people in our lives!’  I am glad to say my children were so happy just to get to share their special day with some friends this year! 

I did want to add some extra treats/surprises, so I did my usual research online and especially Pinterest on some ways to have a party and keep the price down!  I have now created this Birthday Party ideas checklist to share this information with you.  As a business owner and a mum, I have always kept in mind quality and price when designing my children’s afternoon tea.  So, if you need any help with the food side, please check out what I offer and the amazing reviews I have received so far….

Above everything enjoy the parties this year and take a minute to think back on what you remember from your birthdays when you were little – What do you remember?  I bet you it is the small things!!

My eldest has now reached double digits so do I have sleepovers to look forward to now!!!  Is it still pizza takeway, talking all night, double dare and watching a Nightmare on Elm Street movie??!!!!