Quality time with Lexi

If the two young 'uns sleep at the same time I usually try and spend some quality time with Lexi. Today mini chick and mini dude decided that was to be the case, so Lexi and I were left to our own devices. As it turned out I had taken some mince out of the freezer with the intention of making scotch eggs for dinner (an intention that has not left me, however my lack of bread crumbs, and now eggs as you will find out, may make it a little difficult).

So Lexi and I decided that we would make some sausage rolls. Well, I decided actually, Lexi agreed. At least I think she agreed. She smiled when I asked her if she wanted to make them, so let's take that as a yes shall we.

First thing's first, pastry comes out of the freezer and is put out of reach of Lexi. We have learned that this is a necessity after, when making mini quiches, the pastry ended up somewhat "holier" than it was previously, these holes almost perfect replicas of little miss Lexi's fingers.

So now I need an onion. Off little miss toddles to the cupboard and brings back an onion, peeling back the brown outer skin on her way and leaving a lovely little trail behind her. I need some carrots. Well, I got those myself and quickly peeled them and popped them on the table. So, Lexi armed with wooden spoon perched in front of the bowl, I chop the onions and grate the carrots and put them in the bowl. Lexi commenced to stir the mix of the two. I use that word rather loosely as "fling about the room" would be a more accurate description of what happened to the contents of the bowl.

Next, I grabbed an egg and cracked it into a little container for her to pour in. Sensational, this is going really well. In goes the mince and some parsley, mum gives it a bit of a mush around with the hands and Bob's your uncle, it's mixed and ready to go. Lexi is going great guns with the spoon, stirring it around, I cut the pastry all ready, grease the trays, and then grab an egg out of the fridge to use for the top of the sausage rolls. I crack the egg into the container, and within a split second Lexi has pounced upon it and chucked it into the mix. Okay. So the mix has two eggs now. No problem, it'll be okay. So I grab another egg from the fridge, and I repeat the process. Well, who would have thought, the same thing happened again. Three eggs in the mix. You'd think I would learn wouldn't you? Nope, apparently not. One more time, same thing. So now we have FOUR eggs in the mix.

Okay, let's take a different tack shall we. "Lexi, could you please get mummy an egg from the fridge". Up she leaps with enormous enthusiasm, running over to the fridge (which I help her to open) and she gently gets an egg out. I close the door behind her, then up on to the seat she climbs. She looks at me, smiles, I start getting everything ready to put the mix onto the pastry so we can get these puppies into the oven.

Well, I must say, there is no look quite like that which adorns the face of a child who holds an egg just that little bit too tightly. And my goodness did this egg fly, in every direction. If Lexi hadn't have been so upset by the early demise of the egg it would have made a sensational photo for her 21st. Ah well, it appears that my motherly instinct outweighs my "funniest photo" instinct just a touch. So, yet another egg bites the dust.

Long story short, well, long story long actually, the next egg I grab only after I have put the mix in the pastry and cut the sausage rolls up to put on the tray, and I charge Lexi with the brushing on of the egg to make the sausage rolls brown, which she does terrifically I must say. And into the oven they go.

For future reference, sausage rolls really don't need 4 eggs in the mix. But they weren't destroyed, there was just a bit more "seepage" on the oven tray than one would expect from sausage rolls.

So that was our morning. Tabitha and Angus had great sleeps while our adventure was taking place, and Tabitha awoke just in time to have them for lunch, and Angus awoke around the same time raring to go ready for a bottle. And Lexi had egg on her face. Literally. The kitchen was very messy. Very messy indeed. But the sausage rolls were nice, and Lexi had a ball, and really that's all that matters isn't it?