DISCLAIMER THOUGH ...
*We all helped ... a bit...*
My smartypants mother has finally completed her PhD! Insane or what?!
And so, we thought it was about time we got as much of our family together for a little celebration.
After a day of putting together quite a feast in the kitchen, we shared cuddles, bubbles, laughs and lots of love.
This variation of roast potatoes was a veggie version of a recent recipe in The Times magazine!
So easy - slice potatoes as if you're making dauphinoise, Mix in a large bowl with melted butter (instead of duck fat as per The Times), salt, pepper and oregano (we used rosemary though!) and bake for 1hr 15mins at 200 degrees.
Easy peasy and hands down the best roast potatoes I've had in a while!
We had two types of pasta going! We figured this was a safe bet, as everyone loves pasta!
You can't go wrong with Spaghetti Napolitana! Finger kissingly bellissima just like the Italians (or in our case Indians) do it!
And then for the (slightly) more adventurous there was baked Rigatoni with spinach and green peppers in a cream sauce and a baked cheese topping...carb overload, cheese overload = absolutely divine!
And then what happened next was great ... my little sister got involved and got her hands stuck in making desert. Delicious apple crumble with custard and pouring caramel sauce. This literally vanished as soon as I put it down on the table so there are no photos of the finished product! Testament to just how indulgent it was!
Clearly our theme was carbs, carbs and more carbs! But I mean, who's complaining? Right?!
Once we got all the prep underway and cooking, it was time for all the family to pile in!
And I got to play with the camera - I'm not very good at taking photos yet, it seems my hands are not very steady, and I've not quite worked out how to adjust the shutter speed for those action shots!
But anyway here's a selection of the less blurry shots!
My dad and his aunt - apparently this is their first ever photo together! Even though they've lived with each other for so many years!! (And you can just see me clicking the photo in the mirror!)
My dad's cousin/brother/best friend ever! These two grew up together in Mombasa, and from the stories were unbelievably naughty. They pulled off some pretty great stunts in their time including moving a neighbour's bed from his bedroom to his flat roof and then lurking about laughing while they saw him running around searching for it! (Not sure I'd have got away with doing anything remotely as cheeky as a child!)
My dad's aunty and uncle, and my cousin brother - budding psychiatrist Rajiv!
My aunty and cousin with the newest family member Aidan!
My mum being congratulated by my aunty Naina!
And my mum's bestie tucking into dinner! We had a bit of a production line going with all that food!
My talented little sister who clearly had a big appetite on the weekend with the size of that plate!
But the star of the show was our newest addition - here again with his yummy mummy!
What I love about our family is that everyone just gets stuck in, makes some noise and has a good time! There are no formalities with us and its a more the merrier kind of attitude.
I love family time. They're my favourite dinner party guests and I can't wait till we have them all over again!
P.s. try out those potatoes - they look great when they come out of the oven with a crispy top - and they're definitely a crowd pleaser!
No comments:
Post a Comment