November/December

So I have been a very poor poster recently but it has been incredibly busy between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I almost ran out of time to breathe. So here is a few of the highlights. And a New Year’s Resolution to do better.

This was slightly before Thanksgiving but…

Emma and I went for high tea at Sugar Junction since I had a voucher and Emma has not had high tea before. I had a beef and horseradish sandwich and an egg mayo sandwich. The fillings were yummy but it was served in a bun which is not a good amendment to the high tea formula. The scones were very good but the choices of sweets were strange with something pink and some kind of crumbly fudge. I did enjoy my Victoria Sponge and Bakewell slice though. The tea itself was, as always, delicious and I do love a china tea cup. Overall mixed reviews for Sugar Junction as always, another good for the price but not worth full price I think! Still, I hope Emma enjoyed it. One day she will have to come to mine and I will make her a traditional high tea.

Then it was Thanksgiving. I forgot to take photos this year but it was much the same, foodwise, as last year so please look HERE.

This year we had Chris’ parents over for Thanksgiving so that they could see the wedding venues. There was a Christmas fair in the church so Mom, Annie and I did a little shopping. While we were at it Mom and I practiced walking down the aisle.

Mom and Annie at the church standing in the aisle.

While we were home Chris and I also had a few wedding things to attend to. We had a meeting at the church to do the formal booking and form-filling-out after which Chris treated me to breakfast.

And we also had a meeting with our Minister and another one with our photographer. After which Chris and I got venison burgers for lunch… see a pattern? There used to be a man who had a stall next to our house which sold venison, boar etc… until he closed down, so when we saw it at the Grimsby markets we could not resist.

We also went for lunch at the reception venue, Laceby Manor Golf Club. Just as before the food was of a very high quality and in generous portions, this bodes well for my reception food!

I had a chicken, leak and mushroom pie and Mom had chicken and mushroom stroganov.

So you can see even just the Thanksgiving period was busy before we even got into Christmas stuff!

Shortly after Thanksgiving my parents came over to Manchester to do a bit of Christmas shopping. We spent the day hitting the Manchester Christmas Markets. I got a few ideas of presents for Mom but sadly by the time I went back to get them for her one place had sold out and the second had disappeared entirely! Odd.

After shopping the four of us went to Grinch for dinner. The food here was ok but not great. Mom had to send hers back to be reheated and they only had Pepsi, not coke. I also found the décor weird: some really awful modern art and a painting of a naked woman being the worst. So overall not a bad meal but not somewhere I would go again or recommend. A pity since I love the name.

We did get some great cupcakes from the markets which we had for dessert. One was ‘cherry bakewell’ and the other was cinnamon.

 

Chris and I both had staff dos. His was at Bluu Bar, a place which annoys me no end by being RED! With some diligent searching I found 2 things that were blue. We also had canapes that were not canapés but I have to say were very tasty. Meeting Chris’s staff was interesting… most of them seemed very nice… one or two of them seemed very drunk :p.

Then there was the weekend of the 2 Christmas dinners. I have had 4 Christmas dinners altogether (not as many as Chloe who even packed 2 into one day!).

We had our work do at Bella Italia in the Arndale which is a place Kim and I often go to when we want something quick and close. I love Italian food. I had mushrooms for starters, Cannelloni for my main and a cheesecake for dessert. They were all delicious and I had a really good time out with my team.

The next Christmas dinner was at Kim’s house. As you can see from the various Come Dine With Me posts (which we are starting again in the New Year… watch out for Chris’ curry coming up next!) we try and have sit down dinners with our partners when we can. As you may also notice we are terrible at arranging them!

Kim went American style for her starter and main with buffalo wings for a starter (which I could eat a whole bowl full of), with homemade blue cheese sauce and pulled pork with jacket potatoes and red cabbage for the main. She did the pork as maple flavour which I personally prefer to the smoked type. For dessert we had a chocolate fondant with a salted caramel centre. Fondants are hard to get right but Kim’s came out perfectly, all hot and melty in the middle. Delicious! Please check out the recipes for these treats on her blog Full As An Egg.

The next weekend was another weekend at my parents doing last minute Christmas organisation and baking (the second baking period this season). I stayed until Christmas Eve so that on the Sunday I could go to the Christmas Carol service at church where Mom and I did some excellent harmonising. On Christmas Eve morning we got up very early and went to the butchers which is a tradition for Dad and I.

I returned to Manchester on Christmas Eve and went straight to Chris’ parents where I spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day. I had a great time hanging out with my soon to be in-laws who were all very welcoming. They also gave me some very cool gifts. We got up early on Christmas, opened presents and had bacon butties followed by Chris and I rushing out for Church. The church we went to was the same one that his parents got married in which was very cool and the sermon was interesting which was a bonus! Unfortunately we had to sing ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’, the only Christmas carol I really can’t stand. The only Christmas carol sung at every Christmas thing I have been to this year. After church we visited the Grandparents then went home for Christmas dinner. Steve, Chris’ Dad, cooked a great Christmas turkey with all the trimmings! Yum yum.

I will put up some pictures of presents later 🙂

Since Christmas things have not quieted down!

This weekend my parents came over to give us our presents and we went out for a 4th Christmas dinner!

Chris and I had passed a new restaurant near the Town Hall recently so we decided to go there. Avalanche I would recommend. The service was exemplary, the food hot and tasty and the setting was very classy. While drinks were quite expensive the food itself was reasonably priced so Chris and I will definitely be going there again.

Lasagna

Salmon and anchovy

These ‘icicles’ looked amazing and really reflected the light well.

While Mom and Dad were over we also took Chloe bridesmaid dress shopping… but that’s another post…

Did I mention I also did a lot of overtime in December? *falls asleep* zzzzzzzzzzzzz