Spam in Allium

This is all that remained of the post-christening refreshments.

We had them in the chapel vestry so when drawing up the menu, attention had to be paid to the logistics involved. The refreshments had to be equally tasty eaten cold, not too fussy, not too fragile, and easily transportable as they would have to be schlepped on public transport, together with five bottles of fizzy, non-alcoholic equivalent, ice, champagne goblets and a baby in a buggy.

As the last oven tray was sitting cooling ready to be packed, Mummy realized that there was also an irresistible opportunity to make a gastronomic pun on one of my middle names. So the chorizo, chive and spring onion tartlets became 'Spam in Allium' and the decadent Nutella brownies 'O Nutella (de)Lux(e)'. Sadly blood oranges were not in season for some 'O Agrum Convivium'.

Here's what else was on the menu:

- Buffalo mozzarella, vine tomato and basil sticks
- Feta and artichoke tarts
- Puff pastry pinwheels with assorted fillings, including prosciutto, ajvar (Balkan red pepper tapenade) and salami, black olive paste, Maltese sundried tomato tapenade
- Spicy crab dip with onion crackers
- Whisky sticky toffee cake

While the rest of the menu was devoid of execreable puns, there was an additional reference to my creation myth. The Maltese sundried tomato tapenade came from Margot's, the Valletta pizzeria where some members of the choir celebrated their successful tour, exactly nine months before my official due date.

First month on solids

I turned six months old on the 4th of June 2012. That night, Mummy finished the last pump of the day at 3.30am, a little later than usual. Perhaps because she was tired, she ended up spilling 50ml of breast milk all over her laptop. There was warm, sticky breast milk oozing out of every crevice of the laptop!  She wiped off as much of it as she could. The next morning however, the laptop refused to start up.

Mummy took this as a divine sign that I should start eating solid food. The first week was traumatic for both of us. I didn't like the feel of the spoon in my mouth and yearned for the comfort of my best friend Tommy Tippee. I think it would have helped if she had used a proper weaning spoon, instead of improvising with the white plastic spoon that came with the bottle of Calpol...

Things got better once a proper weaning spoon was procured for me (a lovely yellow and green one from Boots; no stereotypical girly pink for me, thanks). Here are the foods I have eaten so far :

- carrot, sweet potato, swede, white asparagus
- apple, banana, pear, nectarine, peach, mango, avocado
- bread, breadstick, chicken, roast beef
- 2 spoonfuls of freshly squeezed orange juice

Not bad for the first month on solids, if I do say so myself!

O Clap Your Hands All Ye People

         
       
        
       



A big day over the weekend. There was representation from the above at this special occasion.

I have included the Texas flag as a tribute to the Texan composer whose special work (dedicated to me!!!) was premiered. Also Swabia because it seems to be full of aunties, at least one and a half of whom were there that day.

The list doesn't include defunct entities (the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia), and it also omits to mention that I am actually half Russian and half Maltese. Apparently I should have been named Gozo or Dingli if I'd been a boy. Luckily Mummy's love of dreadful bilingual puns prevailed! (More on that in a future post.)