Tapas

I have been lusting over the amazing meal that Becka and I enjoyed at the Cosy Club so much that I decided to recreate some dishes myself. Chorizo cooked in rosé wine and garlic sautéed mushrooms with ciabatta and sundried tomatoes.
To say that I used to despise tapas... it is now one of our favourite meals!

Hen Do

Last weekend was my hen do. A secret that took months to plan, all behind my back. Becka, my dear bridesmaid baked canapés consisting of mushroom vol-au-vants, goats cheese tarts and mini honeycomb muffins served with pink lemonade.

Afternoon tea served at Stapleford Park, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
Rose tea, finger sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and strawberry compote and a range of petit four. Pistachio macaron, carrot cake, chocolate torte and raspberry custard tart.

The Old Bull's Head, Woodhouse

We spent our May Day at one of our favourite country pubs, The Old Bull's Head situated in the gorgeous little village of Woodhouse in the National Forest. Decorated with beautiful sketches of cows and bulls throughout, this pub has a classy but cosy pub which serves local ales and food that is simply divine.

Chili and Lime homemade crisps greeted us as we sat down. A perfect little opener for our meal. Just right.

As usual, we went for the sharing bread platter. Three delicious breads (one seeded, one cheesey and one malted) served alongside olive oil, olives and a herby, seedy dip which was a fantastic addition to the bread board.

Dan and I chose burgers for our lunch. A burger is not something that I would usually choose but it sounded so lovely. 

"HOME-MADE WEST COUNTRY BEEF BURGER, gherkin, mustard mayo, Emmental cheese, relish & frites"

The burger had a delightful char, the mustard mayo was a perfect accompaniment to the beef. Crispy frites were served with a red pepper chutney that was absolutely to die for. It was possibly the best burger I have ever had.

And then for the little bee. I always commend a restaurant who caters for the little guys. And I'm not talking run of the mill chicken nuggets etc. Our little bee chose the Fish Fingers with the same crispy chips that we had with our burgers. Fresh cod fillets in light and fluffy batter which screamed 'I was made five minutes ago'. Because of my aversion to children's menus, I usually just let Louie share our meals, but when the standard is this high, he can have whatever he desires, I mean, that is more for me right!

With fantastic friendly service, beautiful surroundings and food this good, I can not wait for the next time we visit The Old Bull's Head.

Picnic Treats

There is nothing better than chocolate fridge cake on a picnic. Crunchy biscuits, chewy marshmallows and fruit smothered in smooth creamy chocolate. Seriously one of the highlights of my picnic anyway!
This weeks creation included a handful of ginger biscuits, a handful of marshmallows, glacier cherries, raisins and a few rice crispies coated with about 300g of milk and dark chocolate topped with 50g of white chocolate, just in case you fancy making your own.

Today we had a dual family picnic, somewhat a tradition between two families. Homemade sausage rolls, potato salad, quiche and savory muffins. A feast for 7, it was absolutely fantastic.

With Belton House as our venue, we sat overlooking the ornamental lake and even had geese try to get in on the fun. What a perfect spring picnic with fantastic company.