Happy Friday, friends! Who else is breaking up for Christmas today? We’re having a Christmas fuddle at work (I’ve made chocolate chunk cookies and some goats cheese, rosemary, potato and red onion bread).
Last Friday we went for our work Christmas meal, at Saltwater in Nottingham. It was an odd time for a three course meal – 3.30pm – and the restaurant had so many christmas groups booked in that they started hassling us to leave at 5.10! I know that Christmas is a really busy time for restaurants, but in my opinion they seriously need to consider quality over quantity so that customers don’t steer clear of them the other 11 months of the year. On the basis of the food and service I had at Saltwater I certainly won’t return.
Food wise, I had goat’s cheese and onion on brioche – this was tasty (goat’s cheese is!) but soggy, having clearly been made way in advance. For a main I had nut roast, which was quite nice and stuffing-y, and for dessert I had tiramisu with chocolate sauce (a bit odd!) which was inedibly bad.
On the plus side I won an award for providing the best home baked treats for the office! How nice! Then we drank lots of cocktails, then more cocktails, before I got the bus home at 11 for tea and toast and NO HANGOVER THE NEXT DAY! Amazing!
On Saturday we headed out for a Christmassy day in Nottingham. We visited Nottingham Castle, which was having a free entry day (it’s normally a few pounds to get in), met up with Lee’s mum and brother and enjoyed some lunch at the Hungry Pumpkin, and went to the Christmas Carol service at Green’s Windmill.
I also made a BUMPER batch of my perfect chocolate chunk cookie dough ready for this week’s fuddles. I let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours before portioning it up and rolling into balls and freezing them. Cookies tend to be thick and even when they cook from frozen, plus doing it at the weekend freed up my time on Thursday night. BUT there was so much cookie dough that my favourite spatula broke!
Some of these cookies are also becoming Christmas gifts – wrapped up in a pretty snowflake gift bag from Lakeland.
In the evenings this week there’s been quite a bit of present wrapping, card writing and planning for Christmas! How are you getting on with your preparations?
- Currently reading: Ah, nothing really. I need to rectify that – any suggestions?
- Currently listening to: Only Christmas songs, but particularly this one, this one, and this delightfully self-pitying number
This was also the week that Milo and Bella started cuddling for the first time! Bella is a hyper kitten and Milo is a naps and snuggles adult cat, so I think she tends to get on her nerves generally, but it looks like they’re starting to warm to each other!
What are you up to this weekend? I’m baking Christmas treats, attending Christmas parties, and having a Christmas dinner with Lee since we won’t be together on actual Christmas…… I may be in danger of getting Christmassed out HAHA JUST KIDDING.
x Kerry
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How rude of that restaurant! I do hate it when they try and put you in a slot, I want the option to stay! Sounds like lots of Christmasy things going on which is so exciting. I’m off to Manchester tomorrow to my grandmas, and it always feels so Christmasy when I am there so really looking forward to some time to chill out! x
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I FINALLY did some Christmas baking last night. Nothing too exciting – just oatmeal cookies. My friend and I get together every year and bake together while ‘Elf’ plays in the background 🙂
I’m also baking with my mom and sister on Sunday afternoon! I really want to make some Rosemary Shortbread cookies and Gingerbread biscotti. I might make another batch of Oatmeal Scotchies too…if there is enough time!
Ooh how fun! Rosemary shortbread sounds absolutely gorgeous 🙂 What a wonderful time baking with your friend and mum and sister!
Well I never, I’m from the Midlands and I never knew Nottingham had a castle! Gorgeous cats :- )
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Thanks Sarah!
Haha, it’s a long story! We had a norman castle and the civil war started in nottingham but the people of nottingham weren’t too into it and supported the parliamentarians. After the civil war the castle was destroyed to stop it causing any more trouble. A bit later they built a ducal palace on the spot which the duke of newcastle lived in, but the people of Nottingham burned that down in 1831 because the duke voted against the reform act which would have given more working people in Nottingham the right to vote. Later it was restored and became a museum and art gallery! But people does get confused about why it’s called a castle but it’s not technically a castle!
Great pics. Cookies look pretty. Ive made Christmas chocolates, chocolate fudge with sprinkles.
Today I am making stained glass window cookies, and Dr Who cookies.
I’ll let you help me (-,-) with the massive chocolate cake I am making for Christmas, covered in snow (cream cheese frosting, then coconut, with a Grufalo and trees on the top! :)))))
You can lick the bowl x
Looking forward to lots of lovely time together from Monday xxxxxx