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Lunch will be served at 1 pm

Cocktails, Sherry

selection of hors d'ouevres ............

Olive Tapenade
Vegetarian pate
Fig and Goat Cheese Canapes
Spinach Cheese Squares
Tomato Bruschetta
Cocktail Meat Balls in Cranberry & Pinot Noir Sauce
Leek stuffed Mushrooms

Crackers and toast tips


Soup .....................
Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Soup with Caramelized Vidalia Onions (vegetarian)
Creamy Garbanzo Soup
French Onion Soup


Salad .............
Spring salad
Golden beet salad, with goat cheese, pine nuts and herb dressing
Warm goat’s cheese salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing
Tuscan Salad (slow roasted cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, pinenuts, kalamata olives, red onions, grilled pesto rubbed croutons, baby greens) served with an herb & balsamic vinaigrette



Main ..................

Roast Venison with Red Wine and Onion Jus

Canadian Beef Pot Roast ……… beef slowly braised in its own juices, served with a vegetable medley , mashed potatoes or white and wild rice mix, and a rich home-style gravy

Duo of Berkshire Pork (crisp belly, and tenderloin), spring vegetables, massala reduction

Slow Braised Lamb Shank, with caramelized onion jus

Shepherdess Pie (vegan)

Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Lasagna (vegetarian)

Vegetarian chili

Ravioli stuffed with Spinach and Cheese

Basil Fettucine tossed with olive oil, topped with grated Parmesan (Vegan)

Mushroom Linguine with Creamy Cheese Herb Sauce


Roast potatoes,
garlic mashed potatoes,
Herbed Potato Medallions,
Potato Gratin with Caramelized Onions,
Aged Cheddar & Chive Twice Baked Potato,
Rosemary Creole Baked Sweet Potato,
Potato & Yam Gallette


lemongrass & ginger scented rice

Wild Rice


Glazed carrots,
roast parsnips,
brussels sprouts,
spinach stuffed mushrooms,
peas,
green beans,
asparagus,
Butternut Squash Gratin,
sauteed peppers,
cauliflower with cheese sauce,
fiddleheads,
pesto grilled zucchini,
Tomato & Zucchini Ragout,
Stuffed Tomatoes


Gravy


Butter Pan Buns,
Multigrain Rolls,
Sourdough Rolls,
Corn Bread,
cheddar chive rolls


Dessert ............

Chocolate Pistachio Mousse

New York Cheesecake with mixed berry compote

Apple Galette, served warm, with vanilla gelato and caramel sauce

Lemon Tart, with tarragon syrup, and berry salad

Blueberry Icecream

Pavlova a la Australia

Rhubarb Brown Betty

Crème Brulee


Custard, whipped cream


Cheese and cracker plate


Selection of wines from Western Australia, and British Columbia


Tea, Coffee, Juices





enjoy
xxx





s
xx

Good morning all :-)

Sylvia - wasn't it your OH who spent LOADS of money of a fancy shirt a few weeks ago which he wouldn't have needed at all if he had put all the luggage in the car ?? ;-)

You just remind him of that the next time he asks such a silly question :-D

Lots of wonderful food again today - I am just going to find my plate and make a start............... Thank you Sylvs <3

Dea Xxx

Bagsy the ravioli stuffed with Spinach and Cheese


..............yum :-D

The demise of the small independent shop began about 30 years ago in the UK. The speed of that demise has accelerated rapidly ever since thanks to the consumers misapprehension that bigger is better and likely to be cheaper.

My first venture into retailing was a hardware store in a small suburban retail development. Within 300yds there was a B & Q store whose prices were certainly not cheap. If they and ourselves sold the same product it was us whose price was invariably the cheapest. Whenever we saw someone carrying a B & Q bag containing something that we sold we had great sport pointing out that they had paid over the odds and suggesting that in the future they buy it from us .

Whilst we may have had some success it did not last long as our feeble efforts could not compete with the brainwashing advertising put out by the larger retailing chains. This meant that the younger generation in particular were sucked in and our market for items such as lawn mowers and power tools and the more expensive hardware items quickly disappeared. We were left only able to sell the smaller, less profitable ancillary items that the larger stores didn't sell because there was too little profit in them.

We could see back then that there was no future for the small retailer and that in time the larger chains would end up selling what they wanted to, not necessarily what their customers needed, at prices they would dictate. We preached the gospel but it fell on deaf ears.

We remained in business for almost 20 years but only by diversifying. For the last few of those years we effectively worked just to pay our landlord and the utility companies. Once they had been paid there was very little left over so eventually just as many thousands of other independent retailers have done and will continue to do, we conceded defeat and left the marketplace.

The lack of choice of product, where to purchase it and ultimately the price that will have to be paid for it is the result of the decisions consumers have made and will make.

What they sow, so will they reap.

There endeth the lesson.

Don't we know it Jonesy.

A constant struggle.

At the moment we are concerned about surviving through the Olympics.

First they said extra trains. Now they are saying they might ban ordinary commuters at certain times.

And they are threatening bus and tube strikes.

And they are making our service road controlled parking.

They say find an alternative route but we are slap bang in the middle of three sites and within walking distance of all of them.

Train bus or car will be impossible.

The traffic is already being affected.

Now we have been told our service road is going to be closed so Virgin can do some work of no benefit to us despite all the parade objecting.

Home visits will be impossible.

Patients will not be able to get to us.

Then we are told to take advantage of the business opportunities.

Who on earth would go to the Olympics to get their eyes tested and then wait for their glasses to be made?

That is without the pressures from large companies who have the budgets to shout louder.

It is a constant struggle to convince people that bigger is not necessarily better

Just spoke to OH who would have loved to frequent your store.

He reports that specialist wood turning tools are very hard to get. A friend of his has just opened a store and is doing on line trade too. He is doing very well so far..

Hi All
Just popped in to catch up. Had a nice meal out with friends last night.
Lazy day today son and D-I-L popped in with GD to see OH son who is on tour left pressie for him and son who was on stag weekend phoned to say hi is off work tomorrow and will see him then cos not fit to drive (he got dropped at his girlfriends) .

Visited in-laws and now home to enjoy our last night of "freedom" :-D

Dea shame about your chinese but better safe than sorry :-(
Yes it is nice that Fathers Day fell on the 1 year anniversary took his mind off it

Cynthia life would be boring on a "flat" road ;-) :-D

Sylvia dont you just love a bargain :-D :-D

:-D :-D :-D Linds

Dea Xxx

Just a quick pop in and out again with an update that I is still alive...Sorry...

Would you Adam and Eve it.??

Last October we had a "batch"Christening of children...Mr H ,his baby sis and his older Twin sisters age 7...The week before the "event" one of his twin sisters,who both have beautiful long blonde hair with no fringes,decided to "trim"the front part of her hair to the scalp!!!Red bum and put to bed and Mummy wailing... :-( :-( :-(

Well...Mr H is gonna be Page Boy and the 3 girls are bridesmaids next saturday to Mummy and Daddy....
I know ,they should have done it the other way round and married first ,but hey,my family will never be that "functional"and never has been so my tree says..

And guess what Mr H did yesterday????

Yep..."trimmed"his fringe to the scalp in the middle of it...Grrrrrrrrrr.

Red bum and put to bed and Nasty Nanny shouted a lot too and phoned mummy to tell her the "good"news that her children were running to form..

Who would have granchers.?? :-0 :-0 :-0

Glad I live up norf LK :-D


You should both take off on a nice holiday and rent your house out to olympic tourists.............make a fortune!

OOOOhhhh Fans - LOVELY to see you and LOVELY news about the wedding - perhaps mine will do that one day too ?? ;-) :-D

Sorry to hear that Mr. H has become a mohiican !!! :-( - One good thing though - at least he stopped at the scalp !! :-D :-D :-D

Dea Xxx

Dea..
:-D :-D :-D

Oooer.....look wot the wind blewed in :-0


You leave Mr H alone you nastynanny. He will look cute just any which way. Mind he doesn't sneak up on you with a pair of shears......yep, I said shears.


Going now....been a long day. night all....xx

hi all
xx

peaceful day today



s
xx

I cut my hair at school one day .................. 'twas just before Christmas, and we teenies were left alone while the teachers put up decorations.

We had paper, crayons ................. and scissors.



Mum didn't shout when I got home


she just cried and cried at the site of one side of my head with the hair cut back at irregular lengths.




I was almost 5, with blonde curly hair




s
xx

Daughter had to time her phone call very precisely this afternoon


OH is in final rehearsals for the next Student opera, The Merry Widow.

so the call had to be timed between his getting home from church, their getting home from the in-laws and tiddlie's bedtime,



Anyway, it all worked out well.



Now, I am alone for the evening again ........... made him up about 90 minutes ago, and off he went.


Performances begin on Thursday.



s
xx

good morning, everyone :-D



Breakfast is ready ...... and also some lunch bits and pieces
xxxx


Fresh fruit salad with a selection of yoghourt
Pink grapefruit with brown sugar


Honey Yoghurt and Berries, with granola and walnuts


Porridge with chopped up dates, bananas, and maple syrup (other fruit selections over there >>>> )


Selection of cold cereals


French (eggy) toast, maple syrup, Golden syrup
Caribbean Banana Fritters


Toast (sourdough, rye, white, whole grain, 100% brown, Hovis, gluten free),
hot cinnamon rolls,
croissants,
Danish,


bacon & cheese quiche,
cheese and onion tarts,
broccoli and cheddar quiche,


Full English

Ulster Fry-up

The Continental – choice of assorted chilled fruit juices, hot oatmeal or assorted cold cereals, toast or fresh-baked muffin

Englsih-style Pancakes, served with Golden syrup or maple syrup, and choice of bacon, ham or breakfast sausage

Egg White Frittata, with broccoli, roasted peppers, goat cheese, salsa, toast, and fresh fruit salad

Chicken and basil sausages, 2 eggs any style, chef’s potatoes, toast

Maille Croque Monsieur (French ….. basically ham, cheese and tomato sandwich on toasted bread, with Maille Mustard),

Huevas Rancheros

stirfry (chicken, or vegetarian),

Chicken Karage (Japanese deep fried chicken pieces)

cheese and tomato pie

Chicken wings (bbq, teriyaki, honey garlic)

vegetable samosa

Pulled Pork Sandwich – BBQ’d pulled pork on toasted Kaiser roll, garnished with sautéed onions

Ham, cheese and tomato on toasted bread


home-fried potatoes with garlic and bacon


Potato, dill and cheddar soup


almond crumble peach muffins,
apple pecan muffins,
lemon and nut muffins,
rhubarb and strawberry muffins,
raisin bran muffins,


Cheese scones


jams, jellies, marmalades, Nutella (hazelnut spread)


Tea, coffee, juices


(some extra bacon, turkey sausage or sausage patties, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, sliced baby golden beetroot, Maple baked beans, olive oil, in the hidey place to cook up for the very hungry ones!)




enjoy :-D






s
xx

Mornin you lovely people (and you Fanny)


Egg (can I av me yella bits too) frittata, with broccoli, roasted peppers and salsa


Thank you Mrs S :-D



Been raining all night, glad I got the landry done and the lawns cut yesterday

Morning Gins and friends.... ;-)


It looks like a beautiful morning here - let's hope it lasts.... :-D

I am being very, very, good and just having porridge this morning. I will have to put a blindfold on so that I am not tempted to see all those treats. They smell wonderful though...... :-( :-D


Your poor mother Sylvs.........mind you, I think most kids have a go with the scissors on their hair don't they? Either that or they cut someone else's :-0



Going to a funeral this morning. Lovely elderly lady from church known as Little xxxxx . She was only tiny but worked like a trojan and was loved by all of us.


Dentist later........that's when I get to see the news programmes.....on the tv set in his ceiling :-D


~~~~~

Good morning all ! :-)

Ginns - you seem to be up and about very early these days - you keep getting in to breakfast before me :-S

Huevas Rancheros for me today please.

Thank you Sylvia.<3

Dea Xxx

Cyn,

You obviously have a dentist with more than his patients teeth as his only consideration.

Many years ago I used to use a dental surgery where they had made the leap from the 18th to the late 20th century. Gone was the traditional dentist's chair and the starched white gowns. They had been replaced with comfortable reclining couches and all the staff wore "Star Trek" style outfits. The one thing missing was something to look at on the ceiling.

Mind you things can go a bit too far. My current dentist looks a bit like an atomic power station operative dressed in her biohazard suit, full face mask and surgeons gloves even when my visit is only for a six monthly check up. :-D