Day to Day happenings in my life

Vegan boy

This is a story of a beautiful, kind and different boy. His name doesn’t matter, he is my grandson and very loved.
Even before he came into the world he was silent and still in his mother’s womb. It was as if he was preparing himself to enter a world into which he knew he wouldn’t fit. The fact he was different made him more special as the family learned to love his quirky nature.
His Grandfather made an observation one day, ‘That boy’s on the spectrum.’
‘We’re all on the spectrum somewhere, John. In fact, he’s very much like you.’ I left my husband to ponder on that.
At school this boy proved to be smart, especially when doing something he was particularly interested in. His mother was a little concerned when he would arrive home unannounced, just because he felt like it, leaving school before time.
She decided to have him assessed, purely to convince herself and others there was nothing ‘wrong’ with him.
The report said he was of above average intelligence but didn’t respond to praise. In other words, he couldn’t be persuaded to do anything he didn’t want to just for an accolade or reward.

He’s a man now. 25 years old and the kindest, cleverest and modest person I’ve ever known. He keeps in touch with us, his grandparents, regularly. He still never brags about any successes even though he has a university degree in pharmacy and buying a home with his girlfriend.
He cannot bear to see any cruelty to animals and has attempted to convince his grandfather and I to turn to veganism. He talks about ethical and environmental concerns which worry him and the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle. That’s why he’s chosen to be a vegan for the last six years.
The world would be a better place if we were all so loving and caring as this person who puzzled us all when he was a child. As much as I love visits from my beautiful grandson and enjoy our chats about ‘the meaning of life’ and other topics just as deep, I struggle with feeding him and never seem to have anything in the house he can eat.
I have recently taken an interest in veganism, and am beginning to attempt a few easy recipes. I hope some of you try this recipe, one of my few successes. I made this for Vegan Boy’s Christmas.

Dark chocolate bark with sea salt, rosemary, pistachios and candied citrus

Ingredients
200g dark chocolate
1 tsp flaky sea salt
2 rosemary sprigs
Handful shelled pistachios
2 tbsp mixed peel or candied lemon, chopped
Method
Bring a small pan of water to a simmer and put a heatproof bowl on top (ensuring the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Finely chop the chocolate and add it to the bowl, then wait 5-10 minutes until it’s completely melted.
Meanwhile, line a small baking dish or container (which will dictate the shape and size of your bark) with baking paper. Put the salt in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, then finely chop the leaves from 1 of the rosemary sprigs. Grind the chopped leaves with the salt.
Pour the melted chocolate into the lined dish or container, tilting it so the chocolate runs into each corner equally. Put the remaining rosemary sprig on top, then scatter the pistachios, rosemary salt and mixed peel all over the top.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then cover and put in the fridge for 2 hours to set completely. Break into shards and keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
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