T_T's (hopefully!) dimishing returns!

[zeke]

Wow - busy weekend ahead then!

We're out on Friday night too to celebrate my husband's birthday slightly early. Menu at Polpo looks nice. Got me thinking - we were going to go out in the small town we live in (walking distance to a lovely Italian) but, if I don't drink then there are so many lovely village restaurants too...Must be great living in a city with so much choice on your doorstep! Only time I've lived in a city was uni, and then couldn't afford it!

We went to the Harbour festival and there was a ton of food at that...can barely imagine what a festival dedicated to food would be like!

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

Thanks Poppet - Polpo looks SO good - totally not on plan, and it's pretty pricey... but we'll see. We're spoiled for choice here - so many lovely options x

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

Sorry Zeke - we cross posted!

It's much smaller than the Harbour festival - but will include street food and markets. www.lovefoodfestival.com

Yea, we are so spoiled for choice with restaurants. And such a huge variety.

 

[Poppet12]

I love food festivals but they are a nightmare for temptation!
I'm going to the Cake and Bake show in Manchester in Nov- will be saving my syns up in the days before that!

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

Cake and Bake Show!?!! That sounds like my idea of heaven. I am going to have what I want on Sunday - including some mulled cider.

 

[Poppet12]

Oh yes mulled cider is wonderful. Much prefer it to mulled wine- I'm not too keen on red.
Yes! I went last year and it was ace. They often have celebrity chefs (Rosemary Shrager and James Martin(?) last time I think) and usually someone from bake off- I'll have to look up who's there this time- doing cookery demonstrations. Then of course lots of stalls selling baking supplies and amazing produce! Exciting times. I got free tickets too through Money Saving Expert which is an added bonus!

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

Ah nice one! I love stuff like that - I'm really exciting about seeing a lady called Liz, who is from a fine food foraging company. She's going to show us three way with sloes.

So annoyed - today was going well. Got into uni - went to sit down at a desk, knocked my coffee over! Luckily managed to salvage most of it. There's a group working in here, who are only using one computer, but are taking over two spaces - don't really want to sit right next to them either! I sound like my mother, but it smells like a tarts boudoir in here: far too much perfume being worn!

So I've ended up on the PC next to the windows: which is fine, apart from the fact that it's also next to the radiator, which some moron has turned right up. Gr. Rant over! I shall attempt to get on with some work.

Oh, I got the coconut, chili and lime prawns, so they're half a syn for the pack.

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

Damn... forgot my headphones. Going to have to get some more from the SU shop - cannot cope with listening to these girls preparing a PowerPoint all afternoon!

 

[zeke]

LOL! Just imagining the scene at the uni library (?) now!
Excessive perfume wearing is so ...antisocial...why on earth do people do it?! Horrid.
What are you doing a masters in?

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

I opened all the windows... I don't care if they're cold. No - I tend to shun the library, apart from getting books out. It's SO stuffy in there. I'm working in the post-grad room, which is not actually much better today. I'm doing my Masters in events management. I've finished the course, just my dissertation to write (and a paper about my work placement)

 

[Trefoil]

Your birthday weekend sounds amazing! How fab!!! You have made me laugh regarding the library haha, hope it wasn't too bad in the end
Good luck for weigh in too- I'm sure you will do well!

Ruth
X

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

I actually managed to get loads done today- very positive!

Maintained at WI, which is fine, as I expected a gain (and probably deserved it). So that was good news.

 

[zeke]

Events management -that sounds really interesting and I presume will lead to a career change/enhancement when you have finished your dissertation too.

Good news about the STS and having such a productive day!

 

[Poppet12]

Well done on the productive day and maintain! I hope to follow your success in both respects!
X

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

Thanks both - I'm up at uni this morning. I've been here for a couple of hours, just sorting through papers and now going to get down to some more writing. I'm not on plan today, but never mind! It won't be awful until later anyway, just not angelic. Plan is to get some more done today, then head into town early afternoon before going home and getting ready for dinner tonight. Feels like ages since we've been out for a meal, so looking forward to it (I know it hasn't been - because there have been pub meals!)

@zeke - I hope so! It is looking like I may set up on my own and go freelance ultimately. Doing the Masters has been great, because it's opened a lot of doors and helped me make a lot of contacts. The work I'm doing on the food festival this weekend, is because of a placement that I had to do for one of my modules. We only had to do 30 hours, but I worked on a series of three events, wrote the evaluation for them and got to do loads of different things. Really landed on my feet there!

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

Dinner at Polpo was INCREDIBLE - not on plan at all, but absolutely fabulous food. And wine. And pudding. Then we went and met some friends for drinks in town. I am so hungover this morning...

 

[Poppet12]

Lol glad you had a good time! It sounds like a perfect evening. What did you eat?! X

 

[Torn_Tranquility]

It's small plates -so we got dishes to share. We had:
potato and parmesan crochette
marinated baby octopus (SO good - with artichokes and fennel seeds - I would have drunk the marinade sauce they were in if I thought it was socially acceptable!),
courgette, basil and parmesan salad
chili and garlic prawns
beetroot smoked salmon with horseradish (possibly the best I've ever had. Simply divine!)
And shared a nice bottle of white wine

Then for pudding, OH had "chocolate salami" - which was super rich ganache, with salted caramel and biscuits crushed through it. I tried a bit and it was lush. I had sweet ricotta doughnuts - which I think should have been called little bites of heaven! So light and crispy.

It is pricey in there - but lovely for a treat! I didn't realise that they have 8 restaurants now.

 

[Poppet12]

Food sounds wonderful! I love eating out, especially 'sharing' stuff. We went to a fab tapas restaurant a few months ago and though it's v expensive, I'm looking forward to an excuse to go back!
Hope you had a nice chilled day yesterday & felt better! X

 

[zeke]

Food sounds amazing! What a treat!