Last year I had the pleasure of visiting Savannah, Georgia to cook with a lovely lady by the name of Paula Deen, the Queen of Southern cooking (you may have heard of her). Paula’s known for her love of butter, cream and all things on the not-so-good-for-you scale. Now those of you who know me and my style are probably asking what the hell was I doing on her show but on our episode I had the butter locked away and I have to say she was an excellent sport without her favourite staple. How could she not be? Our food was deeelicious, as they say. Did I fail to mention that we were filming for her new season of “Paula’s Best Dishes“? It was so much fun shooting with her. Apparently she has a thing for shaved heads. You’ll have to watch it to see what I mean (see air dates below) but in the meantime click here to see pics or here to see the show!

One of the recipes we made was this one, Braised Greens with Fried Eggs. The eggs were as fresh as a daisy coming directly from her coop and we even picked the greens straight from her garden. Pretty impressive if you ask me! I actually make this meal often in my house as it’s a great way to eat your greens.

RECIPE: (My version)

Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion – finely chopped
2 large bunches greens (Swiss Chard, Kale, Collards) – stems removed & chopped. Leaves chopped and rinsed.
2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
organic eggs (how ever many you want)

DIRECTIONS:

Heirloom tomato season’s in full swing. My neighbor grows them and apparently had a major growth spurt (the tomatoes not him) so he very graciously left a bunch of these beauties on my door step the other day. I was making lunch for my missus and myself yesterday and this is what I came up with to beat the heat. Now because heirlooms are in season you can eat them as is with just a pinch of salt but in my genius (?) I decided to grill them slightly to add that charred flavour. The end result…not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Give this a go and Happy Monday guys.

RECIPE:

1 eggplant – 1/2″ rounds
1 large heirloom tomato (whatever color, shape & size you like) – cut into 1/2″ slices
Kosher salt
black pepper

ARUGULA WALNUT PESTO
Makes 2 cups (extra for another time or see another recipe below)

2 cups baby arugula – packed
1 cup Italian parsley leaves – packed
1 lemon – zested
1/2 lemon – juiced
1/4 cup toasted walnuts – toast in a dry heated saute pan for 3-4 minutes tossing periodically until browned but not burned
1 1/2 cups olive oil
S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Add all pesto ingredients in a food processor except for the olive oil. Blend and while blitzing gradually pour in olive oil. Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Done. Set aside.

Preheat a griddle pan on high heat for 2 minutes. Spray liberally with olive oil spray. Season each tomato slice with salt and pepper and sear for 1 minute on each side to char. You don’t want to cook the tomato just caramelize. Remove.

Once tomatoes are done, in same pan drizzle olive oil, season eggplant slices and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until soft to the touch.

NOTE: Before flipping them over drizzle some olive oil on eggplant. Remove.

TIP: You can grill the tomatoes and eggplant ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

To assemble:

Lay eggplant on plate, spoon some pesto on top and lay tomato slice on top. Repeat. Finish with a dollop on pesto on top.
As easy as that.

Here’s another beauty: Heirloom Tomato Green Bean Salad

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

It’s been a while. How’ve you all been? Anything new in your lives? As you can probably gather by my absence our little man has arrived. Dillon Jet Murphy. Oh yes and man what a few….or 6 weeks it’s been. He arrived safe and sound on June 14th, one day early. That’s my boy, ahead of schedule. It’s been an amazing transition and to be honest it’s been pretty fluid. Christy’s taken to mummyhood like you wouldn’t believe. I think it must be something that just kicks in for all you child bearing women. This nurturing, loving, motherly instinct just appears as soon as the head popped out. BTW that’s a whole other conversation. Fellas stay north of the border.

But let me tell you a quick story about that ‘popping out’ subject before I forget it (although that’s not likely to happen me thinks). We were in Christy’s OB’s office for a regular check up. This was maybe 6 weeks before the baby was due. In case you don’t know I’m a planner. I like my shit to be organized so I wanted to go over the delivery day to explain to the doc what I planned on doing. That there should be an indication of how the conversation went. I went in there about to ‘tell’ the doctor what I was going to do during Christy’s delivery. I must have been on something. I went on the say I’d like to be up at Christy’s head on that side of the curtain. My plan was to talk to her to keep her calm and relaxed. You know the dutiful husband stuff: “C’mon girl just one more push. He’s almost there,” and that type of jargon. To his credit he let me ramble on and finish my piece but clearly he was thinking ‘I’m going to fuck with this guy big time.’ Once I was done he very calmly looked at me and proceeded to nearly shit himself laughing. “What are you laughin’ at?” I said. He said “Firstly there is no curtain,” to which my thoughts were ‘There is in the movies, I’ve seen it!’ He went on “And secondly you will be working during all of this.” Silence took over as I pondered this.

Say what now?

As if he read my mind he says “You’ll be right here (demonstrating) holding Christy’s leg up and pressing it back so the baby can come out.”
“You’re havin’ a laugh, the only leg being pulled here is mine. Have you lost the plot?” I said. “I want nothing to do with any ring side seat of said baby arrival. I have no interest in seeing aaaanything liquid or solid coming out of my beautiful wife.” He said “She’ll probably poop.” You can imagine my face. “Ok relax there sunshine” I said. No one in their right mind wants to see their wife ‘poop’ but there are websites for that if you do. Apparently, as he informed me there’s only the doctor, who by the way only comes in for the grand finale of the event, and one nurse. That’s it. One nurse. As you can tell my birth plan wasn’t going quite according to plan. Needless to say it all worked out and no I didn’t have to hold any leg, thank God. The nurse, who’s the real hero here said I didn’t have to. I kept eye to eye contact with the Missus at all times. Listen up fellas EYE to EYE at ALL times.

Mummy and baby did great & I learned I’m a great a great counter. Finally something I learned in school paid off.

Alright that’s it for today. I do have a few more tidbits to tell you so I’ll pop them up in between the 500 diaper changes a day. But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re blessed with this little fella.

Life. Is. Good.

Cheers.

Read my previous post here.

Hey guys,
As I was getting set to do a 4th of July BBQ for one of my regular clients a few weeks ago, which was to be a typical meat laden extravaganza, I got a call saying they had all gone vegan. Huh? Everyone? For 4th of July? Hell yes, this was going to be a first! As you already know I’m a healthy cook…..organic, grass fed, whole grains, & all that but vegan? This was going to be a new one especially for a big bbq. Of course I pulled it off and the guests all loved it so thank God for that. I might have to change my name to the Healthy Irish-Veganman. This is not the point of my post but it does correspond.

I had wondered how their new vegan lifestyle came to be all of a sudden so I asked. Low and behold they had seen a movie called Forks over Knives. I’d heard of it and imagined it was along the lines of other food related movies I had seen like Ingredients, Food Inc, & Food Matters but I hadn’t seen it yet. My client really wanted me to see it so they sent me a copy. As some of you may know the missus and I had a baby last month so movies have not been high on the agenda but yesterday we found time to watch it in between the 45….. hundred diaper changes.

The premise: eating a plant based diet (and avoiding processed foods) along with whole grains can help control if not reverse some degenerative diseases like cancer and type 2 diabetes. Now for me eating a diet loaded with fruits and veggies is a no-brainer for health, but as well as this you have to learn more about what not to eat like all the processed foods on the market nowadays. Now, full disclosure, I’m not vegan but I don’t eat a lot of meat and/or dairy and haven’t eaten red meat in years. Christy is vegetarian so I guess that makes it easier when deciding what to have for dinner and the fact I love vegetables helps. That stems from how I grew up in Ireland. We didn’t have TV dinners or fast food in those days.

The movie follows two doctors who unbeknown to each other were on the same path of proving the benefits of eating a vegan diet. I think when people hear the word ‘vegan’ they think tree hugging hippies traveling around in a bus listening to Blues Traveler smoking weed wearing hemp clothes, which may indeed be the case for some but I think you’ll find a lot more people are actually leading a plant based diet life style than we realize, especially for the health benefits. Even an Irishman is open it.

As my Mexican-born & raised neighbor said today, “When any of us were sick or coming down with something my grandmother used to say, ‘Nutrition first then medicine.’ Thanks to her I saved my tonsils. I smelled like garlic and onions for days but the infections and pain went away & saved my tonsils.”

The whole idea of eating for health and self medicating with food is not a new one but this movie actually had science to back up some claims. I’m not hear to preach but I do think if you get a chance watch this movie. It might just open your eyes to something new and you never know it may even help you. It’s worth a look I promise you.

If you’ve seen it or plan on it I’d love to hear your thoughts when you do.

Cheers.

Congratulations to Michelle for having the best caption on my last post about our pregnancy. She wrote an amazing poem that knocked our socks off. As promised I picked out three of my favourite kitchen utensils for our winner:

1. Measuring spoons – who can live without them? The great thing about these by Progressive is that they’re magnetic so they’ll keep your drawers nice n’ tidy (and that keeps the missus happy in my house!)

2. A Microplane – other than my knives this gets used the most. Citrus zest is probably my favourite secret ingredient to use.

3. A Knife – need I say more? Every good cook needs a knife.

It was hard to pick just three things but these are brilliant tools every kitchen should have.

Cheers Michelle! I hope you like the goodies as much as we appreciate the poem.

“The Healthy Wee Little Irishman”

I’m a wee little Irishman, in my mommie’s belly.
Kickin’ and a squirmin’, it’s more fun than watching telly.
My daddy thinks he’s a tough guy.
But I show him.
With my best Alien move, I scare him off the couch.
We haven’t really met yet, but that oughtta give him an ouch.
Daddy’s sort of strange, he wiggles and pokes me like a bun.
I guess it’s his idea of having fun.
Someday I’ll grow up, and we’ll share a pint.
And remember the days when I was just a wee little lad …
Strong and healthy
Just like Dad.

I’ve found the best way to keep my missus from eating crap during her pregnancy is to keep healthy ready-made snacks on hand, which is why I’ve been on a tart run lately. This one in particular she loved (she wanted me to stress that). Making tarts and frittatas are not only easy but they’re nutritious and make perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch and snack meals. With the obesity epidemic expected to climb in numbers over the next couple of years, it’s time to make smarter choices, healthier choices. Who’s with me?

RECIPE:
Makes one tart

1 x 9″ pie shell (I got a frozen one at Whole Foods)

Filling:
3 organic eggs
1/3 cup reduced fat mozzarella
1 cup Parmesan
1/3 cup fresh oregano – chopped
1 cup low fat organic milk
1/4 tsp S&P
2 Japanese eggplants – cut into 1/4″rounds
olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 425°F

Begin by grilling (or sauteeing) the eggplant rounds on medium heat in pan with olive oil for 2-3 minutes each side until browned. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a large mixing bowl. Fold in remaining ingredients mixing thoroughly EXCEPT the eggplant. Put a layer of eggplant on bottom of pie shell. Pour filling on top and stir gently to spread evenly in shell.

Lay the eggplant rounds on top in concentric circles to cover top of tart. Place pie on oven tray and pop in middle shelf for 30 minutes approx or until when pierced in center with a toothpick it comes out clean.

Another perfect Mothers’ Day brunch idea! Gotta keep all the Mums happy!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Ever go to the store and buy a bag of limes only to use half of them? Well that’s exactly what yours truly did. They usually just sit there looking at me until I throw them out. This time I actually decided to use them and that’s where this little beauty came from, which is so simple to make. I had some mini tart shells leftover but you could make a bigger tart (you might want to double the recipe) and even put some meringue on top.

RECIPE:

Makes 10-12 mini tarts

1 stick organic butter
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp lime zest
5 organic egg yolks

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat. Once done add in all other ingredients and whisk until combined. Put the pan back on the stove on medium heat and using a spatula stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. When the curd coats the back of the spatula you’re good to go. Strain the mixture into a fine sieve over a bowl pushing through all the curd until you just have the zest and other bits left.

Place a piece of plastic directly on top of the curd which prevents a film forming on it. Pop in the fridge overnight.
This will last for a few weeks in the fridge but be sure you transfer to an airtight container (jars work great).

Serving suggestion: As I said, I had some little tart shells so I just filled them as a quick mini dessert. You can usually buy them at your local bakery. Finish with a sliver of strawberry and a smidge of zest on top. Fresh and easy. Booya.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Spring is probably my favourite time of the year, food-wise anyway. I love all the new seasonal ingredients at the farmers’ markets now and nothing says Spring like a lovely tart…of the food variety that is. You guys will love the flavor of this tart and is perfect for a picnic or even Sunday brunch.

RECIPE:
1 x 9″ pie shell (I got a frozen one in WholeFoods)

Filling:
3 organic eggs
1/3 cup reduced fat organic mozzarella
1 cup Parmesan
1/3 cup marinated sundried tomatoes – chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil – chopped
1 cup low fat organic milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 zucchini – cut in 1/4″ rounds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 425°F

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a large mixing bowl. Fold in remaining ingredients EXCEPT zucchini, mixing thoroughly. Pour filling into pie shell and stir gently to spread evenly in shell. Lay the zucchini rounds on top in concentric circles to cover top of tart.

Place pie on oven tray and pop in middle shelf for 30 minutes approx or until when you pierce the center with a toothpick it comes out clean.

How ’bout trying this for Mother’s Day?

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

As you may know my good lady Christy is preggers with our baby boy due in a couple of months (you may have read my thoughts on that subject). As you can imagine her appetite is pretty good so I wanted to make sure she has some variety in her diet. She loves to snack so this is where this recipe idea came out of. Her favourite afternoon snack is non-fat Greek yogurt with berries so I figured adding some texture would be less boring….hence homemade granola. Typically store bought granola is loaded with sugar so I wanted to make something a bit cleaner. I used a little bit of maple syrup so it’s not as sweet as store bought but enough to satisfy your sweet tooth while still being healthy. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

RECIPE:
Makes about 4 cups

2 cups old fashioned oatmeal (not the quick cooking oats)
1/4 cup organic maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp almond extract
4 oz dried organic blueberries*
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
2 organic egg whites

*NOTE: Look for blueberries that don’t have sugar added.

TIP: You can play around with the fruit ingredients like adding dried cherries and even add in some slivered almonds or chopped walnuts depending on what you fancy.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 400°F.
In a large mixing bowl toss everything together until combined. Place a sheet of parchment paper or a Silpat on an oven tray and lay the granola out in a single layer. Pop in oven for about 30 minutes giving it a mix every 10 minutes or so.

Once done let cool completely and store in an air tight container.
It’s as easy as that.

Serving Suggestion: For a great healthy snack try some non-fat Greek yogurt, fresh blueberries, sliced strawberries with 1/2 cup of the granola. Delicious.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

So, the boy’s nearly cooked (I figured a culinary term would work well). Only 2 months to go, so all guns are blazin’ right now between the nursey, breast pump, snot suckers, baby shower and college fund. I’ll tell you what it seems like –  it’s like he’s ready to get out o’ there with all the Riverdancing he’s doing. I thought I had problems sitting still. This kid’s either listening to some techno in there or he’s just itching to get out to see us ’cause boy is he active!  Christy says it’s her favourite thing when she feels him moving around and kicking. I, on the other hand, am finding the whole ‘come feel the baby he’s kicking the shit out of me’ a little how shall we say….freaky. Listen, I can’t wait to see the little fella, that has nothing to do with it, it’s just strange trying to get get used to it.

Here’s a scenario. True story. We were on the couch the other night watchin’ a little telly (the telly isn’t actually little we just watched a little bit of it in case you were wondering. I tend to go off on these little diversions every so often. Don’t worry about it. Moving on)….aaaaanyway, Christy says “c’mere put your hand here. Feel your son.”  Of course I’m not going to say no. How can I? It’s cute and adorable and shit. So Christy puts my hand on her tummy. So far so good.  I waited 20-30 seconds…nothing. I said, “Maybe he’s tired from all the techno” so being the smart arse I am I start wiggling her tummy while making funny baby noises as one does. I know what your thinking, ‘Even the toughest guys like Gavan with all those tattoos just melts when a baby comes in the picture.’ You’re right I am severely tough but yes, there’s a time and a place for it. I thought I was well tough and smart when I started wiggling then poking her tummy until I got this massive round house kick which came across her stomach and straight into the palm of my hand. I shit you not, I jumped off that couch as if someone had shoved a cheese grater up my behind! Did I mention the rather not so tough some might say almost effeminate yelp I gave out? No? Well that’s ’cause I didn’t….realize it till Christy told me. I don’t believe her because as you all know I’m too tough for that.

I know I’m not the only one who gets freaked out by this but it is what it is. Maybe I should start a support group entitled, ‘Dudes Who Get Freaked Out by Their Missus’ Tummies Moving For No Apparent Reason Apart From the Little Person Who is in There Winding Their Daddies up.’
Catchy, no?

Eight weeks left to get used to it I suppose.

As you’re here you might as well take a gander at my previous posts on said subject. My thoughts….just my thoughts!

G’luck he says to himself. (And by he I mean me.)

Hey guys,

I got this email from a friend recently with an article in it about the toxicity of onions so I figured I’d pass on what I learned and see if any of you have any experience or have any comments on it. Basically the crux of the article says that onions are a magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. It says that when you cut an onion but only use say half of it, you should never reuse the other half even if it’s been stored in a Ziploc or container in the fridge. Instead we should just chuck out the other half. I’ve always reused leftover onion and I’m still kicking so take this for what it’s worth. I know I’m not alone but I hate to waste food so I always try to use up everything but now I might have to rethink this.

How ’bout this one: In 1919 40 million people died from the flu. A doctor went to one family’s house and saw that everyone was healthy. When he asked them what they did to prevent them from getting the flu he found out that had put an unpeeled onion in every room of the house. The doc put one of the onions under a microscope and found the onion had absorbed the bacteria which kept the family from getting it. Might be worth a try next flu season.

Another example: This lady said she got pneumonia and obviously was pretty sick. She had heard that putting an onion with both ends cut off in a jar and putting it next to a sick person would turn the onion black from absorbing all the germs. She tried it and said it did turn the onion black and she started to feel better. Who knew?

Now if you do have some leftover onion one way to get around having to chuck it out would be to cook it there and then and keep it in the fridge for next time. I wouldn’t keep it for for too long but at least you’ll use it.

I’ve never heard of any of this so I’d be interested to hear what you guys think. Anyone have any first hand experience with this?? Do tell.

Spring is alive and well now so there are lots of new fruits & veggies available. This is my favourite time of year when we start to move away from the deep leafy green veggies and into the lovely seasonal fruits and bright coloured veggies. If you were ever looking for a time to get into cooking this would be it. There’s so much to play around with so get yourself to your local farmers market get to it.

Here’s what’s in right now:

Asparagus, Avocados, Artichokes, Basil, Green Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Cherries, Citrus, Grapefruits, Kumquats, Lemons, Navel Oranges, Tangelos/Tangerines, Collards, Cucumber, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mushroom, Nectarines, Green Onion, Passion Fruit, Green Peas, Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Turnips.

Check out the recipes I’ve linked to if you need some ideas.

Cheers.

I guess my good lady’s baking kick is rubbing off on me — or is it that I’m softening up to her cravings? Either way it seems she’s in a win-win situation, right? Now if I could only convince her that a cake is good enough for a push gift but that’s another story.

I love cakes that are more on the savory side rather super sweet, which is exactly what this is. It’s also refreshing and would make a lovely addition to your Easter buffet or let’s not forget Mother’s Day which will be here before you know it.

RECIPE:
Makes one cake

5 organic eggs (separate yolks & whites. You’ll use 5 yolks but only 4 whites)
3/4 cup lemon infused olive oil (found in Wholefoods or specialty food shops)
1 lemon – zested then juiced
1 cup almond flour/meal (plus additional for dusting cake tin, also got it in Wholefoods)
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1/4 cup confectioners sugar (for egg whites)
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray spring form or round pan with oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Spray parchment. Sprinkle additional flour/meal in pan and swirl around making sure bottom and sides are coated in a layer. Discard the rest.

Mix together lemon zest with almond flour. Set aside. Keep juice until later.

Beat together (5) yolks and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a large bowl. I used good ol’ fashion elbow grease, namely myself and a whisk, but if you want (or have already exercised) beat with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes (add a couple more mins if beating by hand). Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil and lemon juice. Beat until just combined.
NOTE: Mixture may look separated but it’s ok. Fold in almond meal until combined. Set aside.

Beat (4) egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another clean, dry bowl. Again I used a whisk but if you prefer use a hand blender on medium-high speed until light and foamy. Add confectioners sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes or so depending on your muscle work.

Fold whites into yolk mixture and gently combine making sure the batter is smooth.

Pour batter in cake pan scraping everything from bowl. Tap the pan on your counter to make sure all air bubbles are gone.
Pop in oven for 40 minutes. Check to see if it’s done by piercing the center of the cooked cake with a toothpick. If it comes out clean you’re good. Let cake cool for an hour before turning out and demolishing.

Most olive oil cakes tend to be on the dry side but this one is super moist from the airiness of the egg whites.

Serve with some fat free Greek yogurt and/or fresh berries.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Soda bread is one of those classic Irish bread recipes that’s handed down from generation to generation. It’s one of the first recipes I learned way back when. If you’ve been following me for a while you’re probably familiar with my brown soda bread recipe and video and even my sweeter version in the form of mini scones (right?). Well I’m back at it just in time for Easter and even Mother’s Day with another savory soda bread recipe with a lovely Spring twist added.

RECIPE:
Makes around 16 5″ scones or 1 large loaf

4 cups organic white all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 bunch asparagus – cut into 1/4′ slices, blanched in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, drained and refreshed in ice cold water
DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 400°F (200°C)
Sieve flour and baking soda together and add to other dry ingredients in a large bowl along with asparagus. Make a well in the center of mixture and pour in buttermilk. Stir using one hand in circular motion starting in the center of bowl working towards the outside until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be sticky. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead lightly 4-5 times. Roll flat to about 1 inch thick and use a 5-inch round cookie cutter to shape scones.

NOTE:Use a larger cookie cutter if you want but add extra time to bake if you do.

Bake 10–12 mins and let cool on wire rack.
If you make the recipe as a loaf cook for 15 minutes at 450F and another 15 minutes (30 minutes total) at 400F. Bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom when cooked.

Put a bit o’ butter on those scones, Andre! (Does anyone get that?)

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers’ market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

You might have read my last post and probably found my writing unbelievably hilarious (as only I think I am) although that being said, everything sounds funnier in my head and doesn’t always translate…But as promised I have another classic granny foot-in-mouth story only this time from my own Mum.

When we found out what we were having I gave all my family the opportunity to find out. I mean they would’ve found out anyway sooner or later since I posted it on my site but I gave them the early bird option. We got an ultrasound picture from the doctor so I texted it to Mum. Now take a look at the photo and let me know what you see. It looks pretty clear to me but for some reason my Mum saw something completely different. While on Skype with the ‘rents the other day Mary says “I saw the photo of the baby you sent.” It took us a while to get which photo she was referring to since that particular photo (the one above) was SIX weeks ago but ok, great.

She continued, “He has a great big smile and all that hair!”

What the hell are you talking about?
I didn’t say that obviously ’cause I didn’t want to be rude but this was too easy. Deep down really I knew this was going to be fun. Remember, the baby was only 4ish months at that stage so there’s no way there was any smile or hair for that matter….in the photo. For crying out load it’s not even his head unless his arse looks like his head. Also remember the photo I sent was a clear hint of what sex the baby is.

I wasn’t sure what to say. Had Mum lost the plot? Was she looking at the right photo? Did babies look different back in her day?

“Just to clarify Mum, that’s his gonads you’re looking at, not his hair”

Silence….except for Dad pissing himself laughing in the background.

“Well I see what I see and that’s a good looking baby.”

That I cannot argue with so I let it alone. When my family’s right they’re right but when they’re wrong, boy is it comical.

…and the journey continues.

Cheers.