Christmas Cake!

Jackson and I have spent the morning making our Christmas Cake! I've never bothered making one before but this year I really want Christmas to be back to basics - all about the twinkly lights, the tree, good home cooked food and being with the family. As such I'm starting early making sure the cupboards are stocked with all the good stuff.

Jackson adored helping stir the ingredients and licking the spoon! The house is a flour dusted mess but smells gorgeous!

I'm looking forward to feeding it (and myself) liberally with brandy from now until Christmas. Ho ho ho, there's no turning back now!

{this is how I am hoping it will look!}

If you are interested, it is the Delia Smith recipe which you can find here
xx

Coworth Park Hotel

As we have no holidays to look forward to yet this year we decided to treat ourselves during school half term and spend two nights at Coworth Park Hotel near Ascot. One word - Gorgeous!

Owned by The Dorchester Collection, it's far more laid back in style (less glitz but still glam) and the interiors by Fox Linton Associates (who also designed The Grove in Hertfordshire) are perfect - modern but just right for the setting: restful palettes of blues and biscuits mixed with thoughtful details throughout the estate from the quirky horse connotations everywhere (plaster horseshoes arranged above the copper baths, portraits of horses with their hair 'done'!) to the spectacular LOVE chandelier in the bar area.
I was driving Mr C mad with my 'oooh look at this, oooh look at that' over the tiny little details!

We thought that as we were there we may as well go for it, so we ordered the taster menu in John Campbell's restaurant in the main building... as well as matched wines for each course (red, white, bubbly, port..)
Well, it was the most amazing evening to say the least, the food was to die for - and I can't remember getting back to our room haha!

Cheeseboard!

We went horseriding the next morning (gently trotting due to slight sore head), it was joe's first proper horseride and he loved it. They also have a kids club that the boys adored for a few hours while we sat poolside at the very quiet spa.

It hit the credit card hard but all four of us had such a lovely time we felt we'd been away for a week. Oh and polo was on while we were there and apparently Prince William plays there from time to time so it was shame we couldn't have stayed longer!

Coworth Park

Chapel Down Vineyard & Restaurant

I am very lucky to live just over 10 miles away from Chapel Down Vineyard, the most successful vineyard in England, producing gorgeous wines here in Kent.

A well known and local chef, Richard Phillips opened a restaurant here a few years back but we had never got around to trying it out - until last Saturday and all I can say is wow! It was gorgeous, gorgeous setting and THE most amazing food - and wine of course!
I had a lobster terrine to start and Luke had potted salmon, both lovely but the real star of the show was the main course - rib of beef for two with dauphinoise potatoes. Oh my lord I think it was the best thing I'd ever eaten! Then we had mini house desserts on a plate to share which were divine and included my favourite - souffle. Finally, we had a local cheese board. I nearly had to waddle out. Oh and the wine was amazing, I never dreamed English wine would taste that good!

Needless to say we have wangled the father-in-law to babysit this Saturday night and I think you can guess where we're going...! What are you up to this weekend? Make sure you eat, drink and be merry too! x

Images courtesy of Chapel Down and Flickr

Weekend Greetings + Tea Room Dreams

Well we've woken up to a gloomy kind of day and I'm hoping for a break in the clouds as we have a family bbq to go to this afternoon.
We have exactly one week until we go on holiday and we move house the day after we get back! Much excitement, with a bit of stress mixed in!

Right now though, I am dreaming of running a gorgeous and dreamy tea room...

... With some definite Olde English decadence...

And a calming atmosphere...

With an amazing selection of teas...

imaginative decor...

gorgeous food...

cosy spaces

cute crockery and waist-widening cakes

Join me there! I'll order the scones, clotted cream and jam to start! x

Images courtesy of 1st Option, The Mandeville Hotel (in London, highly recommended for a girly afternoon tea and very near Selfridges!) Bombay Duck

Happy Friday!

My best friend's little boy turns 4 this week and we can't wait to celebrate on Sunday as he's having a lovely outdoor party. What a lucky boy to have his birthday in July.

Joseph (left, my eldest), Johnny (centre, the birthday boy) and his little brother Harrison (the one with two pairs of glasses on his head)

After being introduced to the wonderful blog Stella Cake by the equally talented Tracey at Procrastination Mama, I am tempted to make this cake for it, I know the boys would LOVE it!

What are you up to this weekend? Hope it's wonderful! x

A Summer's Weekend

We spent a glorious saturday with the boys, going on a long walk around the woods and parkland we are lucky enough to have up the road from us. There is such a beautiful field there with great views of the downs which is perfect for picnicking and a great children's play area to keep the young ones happy. Surprisingly enough no-one was there so it felt like the whole park was our back garden!

Grandad visited in the evening and for the price of a ham & potato salad he sat with the boys while we went over the road to our favourite restaurant, Souffle, on the other side of The Green. We even managed to bag a table on the patio and had the perfect summer's evening. I had crab spring rolls with mango chilli salsa to start, luke had asparagus tart with asparagus on the side topped with poached egg - gorgeous. Then I had lamb and luke had fillet of beef but the creme de la creme was the Passionfruit Souffle which, ironically, is the most perfect thing in the restaurant. I can't even remember what Luke had for dessert as we had drunk too much wine by then! Hope you had a good weekend too?! x