Mum in the kitchen

[{"id":1,"type":"text","position":0,"block_data":{"block_content":"A lot of my memories of Mum are based in the various kitchens around the country. As we moved from house to house so many things changed in my life, but some things remained constant.\nMealtimes were always a bit fraught for me; I wasn’t the best eater and struggled with eating most things, but there were a few things that Mum made that are still among my favourites today. The first was cheesy scones. I can’t begin to imagine how many times I sat with a knife in my hand and the butter in front of me waiting for them to come out of the oven. The recipe that she followed from an ancient Be-Ro flour leaflet is still one I use today to make my own. The second thing was her mushroom gravy that we always had with chips. The bacon bits would be swapped for a veggie option if I were to make it today, but for someone who didn’t even like mushrooms this was a tasty treat.\nShe was also a whizz at drinks. Every summer when we were small, she would start a batch of homemade ginger beer which was so zingy and delicious. Later, I very much appreciated her forays into country wines. The pea pod one was particularly memorable as it claimed two records. The first time David got drunk (he said nothing else affected him), and the first time I had a hangover!\nBut the most enduring memory is the warmth and light awaiting me every day when I got home from school. When other friends had keys to let themselves into cold, dark, empty houses, Mum would be there to greet us in the kitchen. I don’t think I ever told her how special this felt to me, especially in the winter when I would come home after cycling in the wind and rain, my bright yellow poncho streaming with water and my glasses fogged up from the cold. She was there to help me struggle out of my wet stuff and warm me up. Such a little thing, but a memory that endures.\n"}},{"id":2,"type":"photo_from_gallery","position":1,"block_data":{"photo_id":474,"photo_url":"https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/echoleft-production/images/1d203d2b2a57d1f2e391d8a7889893eb61cb683a/original.JPG?1542550980"}}]