:: ELEVEN ::

Since I became a mother I've always made a point of cooking meals from scratch.
Partly because it's more cost effective, but also because it's important for me to know what my children are eating.

I chose to cook from scratch in the UK. In Algeria there is no choice... we do have supermarkets that sell some convenience foods but generally speaking they're overpriced and not too hot on the quality front...

And what's more children really appreciate good old fashioned home cooking.... 

 I'm not the greatest cook, my food is edible... sometimes it's even more-ish ....

The thing that's most satisfying though is the expectation my children have of coming home and knowing something warm and comforting is waiting for them.

Their day is punctuated by family meal times... the walk to school on a cold and dismal wintry day is preceded by something freshly baked and a cup of milky tea....

The school day is interrupted briefly by lunch-time..which they all come home for.

Cooking lunch at 10:30 in the morning isn't always fun... and I'm usually working on auto-pilot till at least midday, but I know they appreciate coming home and finding one of their favourite meals plated up and ready to go.

It's not always easy, knowing that the day will be full of cooking and feeding.. but Alhamdulillah that we're in a position to feed our children healthy and nourishing food...

There are so many children around the globe who for one reason or another won't be nurtured or nourished enough.

Cooking for your family doesn't have to be about putting fancy dishes in front of them... we're not looking for perfection. Home cooking should be an expression of love... finding joy in the mundane, raising it from a simple household task, to an act or worship... feeding others for the sake of Allah and creating your own family traditions.. this is what our children will love us for now, and remember us for in years to come inshallah. It's as much about us putting the time and effort in as anything else... and well I guess it's the job I signed up for!

Happy cooking people

xxx