Mac-Heaven!!!

Gaynor Young — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 03:46:20 +0000

I love having friends round to lunch.
I take great delight in setting my table. I have unusual placemats. Each one is made of a different kind of material. They are catch-your-breath unique and beautiful. I have marvellous plates from Wonki Ware in shades of blue and white. Recently I bought stunning Carrol Boyes glasses which are almost turquoise in colour. They somehow make your drink seem slightly magical! These are all offset by my red and white spotted serviettes. My table looks a cheery, happy place!
And what do I serve? In winter, the butternut soup from Woolworths is a firm favourite. Recently I invited my friend, Jan, around to lunch and her remark was: “Thank you, Gaynor. What are you serving? Butternut soup!”
I realised that my usual butternut soup had had it’s day!
I am an incredibly “mean” mince maker! Seriously, my spaghetti bolognese without the spaghetti is out of this world. It has tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic and courgettes in it which together with the Gaynor-spicing, make it an ambrosial heaven! I served it to Jan with a wonderful salad from Woolworths and Jan had two helpings! Of my mince not the salad. Or maybe she had an extra helping of salad too, I forget. The fact of the matter, is that Jan simply loved my spaghetti bolognese without the spaghetti!
My meal was a hit!
I then went round for two meals at Jan’s. So – it was my turn to reciprocate! Oh glory be, what to serve now? There was only one answer: Mum’s macaroni cheese. I have tasted macaroni cheese all over South Africa but none quite matches up to her idyllic meal. It just has something about it that is different. It makes the tasting quite an enchanting experience.
At 7.30 in the morning, I rang Mum. This sleepy voice answered.
“Hi there, Mums…um…did I wake you?”
“I was dozing over my coffee,” she answered.
“Well, Mums, I was wondering if you perhaps have one of your macaroni cheese’s in the deep freeze. Jan is coming round to lunch and I wondered if you could…er…spare one?”
“I’m afraid I I don’t, love. Sorry,” was her response.
Damn and blast! Okay, I could get one of my Woolworths macaroni cheeses out of my deep freeze. I could add tomato and…yeah, a touch of cream. Maybe I could fill Jan up with wine first. T’would dull her tasting senses a tad! At eleven o’clock my bell rang. I answered the door to my Mother. In her hands, smiling up at me in utter delectable-ness was her macaroni cheese.
“I dreaded to think what you would concoct for Jan. Heat it at 180 degrees for fifteen minutes.”
Jan and I finished the macaroni cheese at lunch. Not a scrap was left.
That is the kind of Mother that I have.
Whenever it is my turn to make dinner for the ten people in our Bible study group, Mum springs into action. Gorgeous pizza, quiches and wonderful oogley soup, which is a rapturous experience!!! I am quite prepared to order in pizza, buy quiches and wonderful butternut soup from Woolworths!
“Why spend money, when I can make it!” is Mum’s response.
Whereas other people have caterers, I have Mum!
Whenever I write a blog, I always wish to leave my reader with something. Today I want to leave you with Mum’s recipe for macaroni cheese. She said to me: “Gaynor, there is nothing special about this macaroni cheese recipe!”
I beg to differ. I know. I have eaten it time and time again. I have never tasted another quite like it!
She makes a white sauce and then throws in lots of cheese, a tin of tomatoes, mushrooms, mustard and sometimes bacon. She mixes this over cooked macaroni and adds her own little sprinkling of spices. Mum then places this sloppy mixture in a bowl with cheese and breadcrumbs covering the top and bakes it at 180 degrees for fifteen minutes
Maybe Mum just gives it that special something that makes it unique. Or maybe you too will experience the delight I discover in that dish every time it passes my lips.
I also marvel at the big heartedness of mothers.
Of this ‘Mums’ in particular.

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‘Oh no! ……………..Disaster!’

Gaynor Young — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:30:48 +0000

You know sometimes things happen that make you realise how important people are in your life!

On Tuesday evening, Perdita (my wire haired Dachshund) and I were making our regular walk from my apartment to my Mum’s. It was a beautiful evening and I was humming as I strolled. Perdita strutted along beside me, gleefully barking and generally winding up the other dogs in the neighbourhood. It was a case of: “Ha!You’re locked up! Look at me!”
Perdita got her comeuppance! ‘Bark, bark’ as we approached my Mum’s neighbour. They have two enormous dogs who Perdita gets great joy in taunting. Well, not only did they bark back, but also charged out of their open garden gate towards us! Perdita was utterly horrified. I bent down attempting to rescue Perdita but in doing so lost my balance as the two dogs bowled into me at full pelt!

The good news is – Perdita is fine! The bad news – I have broken two bones in my spastic right hand. It is now in a plaster cast for 6 weeks. I have also dislocated and broken the middle finger on my good left hand. This is currently strapped to my ‘wedding’ finger. Today we saw the orthopaedic surgeon who is operating on it this evening and putting in steel pins.
Glory be, I come out of hospital tomorrow only to go back in on Monday!
Please pray that all goes well in tonight’s operation.
For the time being, I have moved in with my Mum who, thank the Pope,is a trained nurse. Throughout my turbulent life, my Mum has been the most important person to me. She has raised me twice, and continues to rescue me when disasters strike.
She is also my best friend.

Love you Mum!
Ps. I guess blogging now is going to be a slower affair as my typing skills are truly tested!

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Mac-Heaven!!!

‘Oh no! ……………..Disaster!’