My first baby was born twenty four years ago (on the 7th of May) and my life changed for ever. It was extremely hard bringing that wee boy up, virtually on my own as his own father ignored his existence but every single struggle was worth it. My dad was delighted that his first grandchild was born on his birthday. We had a family get together today and I splashed out and lunch including wine was £2.85 per person, which is a great deal cheaper than taking everyone to the pub for lunch. Our menu? Caesar salad, followed by Roast Pork and all the trimmings finished off with homemade lemon meringue pie.
I followed the recipe on the BBC website from the Hairy Biker's programme and it was incredibly simple to make, albeit a bit expensive as it needed five eggs, but a delicious treat for a birthday. I tried my first attempt at 'blind baking' the tart case and then made the lemon filling, below is the lemon sauce in a cold water bath as I cooled it down before adding the egg yolks, which not only thicken it but give the lemon sauce a beautiful golden colour.
The final product tasted a lot better than it looked but it was a triumph as everyone enjoyed it. I really love a salad to start with and as I have recently perfected a cheap and simple Caesar dressing, it was easy to have this to start with. I used a some of the gammon which I cubed and fried until crispy along with the croutons, which I fried in oil infused with garlic. A light sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan finished this perfectly. So here we all are and Dearly Beloved is taking the photo, Dad at the head of the table - born in May 1939! yes he is 71! My son back from working away in Leek, Staffordshire, his girl friend Shelley, my mum, our lovely girly Josie and me! A delicious but frugal feast to celebrate their 24th and 71st birthdays.
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