WE have a long tradition in our family of gathering together at The Mother’s for dinner on a Sunday evening.

We like to think it’s because it gives us the chance to catch up on the happenings of the past seven days in the family and expand on the quick texts and phone calls which keep us together during the the working week…but in truth there is the strong suspicion that my sister and I are just too bone idle to rustle up a roast which is a patch on The Mother’s.

The housemate is always happy to throw her hat into the ring to produce a roast, but I do my best to discourage her, always fearing I’ll be roped in to tidying up duties when everyone has left.

While the roast itself may occasionally venture away from our favourite chicken one thing remains a firm item on the menu - The Mother’s rice pudding.

While it’s the Sunday staple for my sister and me, it’s less popular with the housemate who,in her less than subtle fashion, is barely able to disguise her disgust.

Over the years The Mother has made countless efforts to cater for this, repeatedly serving up non-rice based desserts much to our dismay.

“I thought we’d have sticky toffee pudding tonight for a change,” she occasionally announces, adding, “you all like sticky toffee pudding,” as she sees the falling faces of her offspring .

“We do all like sticky toffee pudding, just not on a Sunday,” explains my sister patiently as the housemate weighs up whether to have cream, ice cream or both on her for once enjoyable pud.

Fed up with the effort of trying to keep everyone happy The Mother finally hit on the perfect compromise and the housemate now merrily chomps on a luxury ice cream on a stick as we delve into the creamy delight of a milk pudding.

Following our recent holiday in France Sundays suddenly took yet another step up when The Mother was finally able to source a supply of the only product which could take rice pudding off the table on a Sunday.

As we sat down for our first post holiday roast The Mother braced herself for the onslaught and bravely announced that she had not made a rice pudding for dessert. Before we could kick off with the predictable outrage she opened the oven and produced from its depths a bubbling dish of tapioca.

“I found it in the supermarket in France and sneaked it home without you knowing,” she announced proudly. “I know how much you love it and I can hardly ever find it over here.”

“There’s only one thing worse than rice and that’s frog spawn pudding,”said the housemate supressing a gag as she gazed into the dish.

“It’s alright I’ve got an ice cream for you,” said The Mother heading to the freezer. “Goodness help her when I really go rogue and make a macaroni pudding