Tag: meals

Quirky Cruets

Late this cooler but drier morning Jackie drove me to another pleasurable and progressive Chiropractic session with Eloise,

after which we brunched at The Quench in Station Road, New Milton.

Both sides of the internal picture have been cropped to respect privacy. Every customer was well behaved.

Here are normal daily menus and the very reasonably priced Festive Lunch one.

Various delicious looking cakes are displayed for purchase.

One shelf contains sandwiches ready to be turned to toasties.

Walls are decorated with such as framed railway posters from an earlier age; the establishment’s Covid Pandemic Business Hero Award; and an array of clocks set to display times from various locations throughout the world.

Ingredients for meals are sourced locally: the eggs are Fluffets, from a nearby couple who also supply Hockey’s Farm Shop – as can be seen the chef knows just how to fry them; the sausages, and quite likely the bacon, are from Danestream Farm Shop. Needless to say it was Jackie who enjoyed the fried eggs on granary, and I who tucked into the Naked Breakfast.

You may have noticed the two camel cruets at the corners of the laminated menu card. When Jackie asked if we could buy them the very friendly and informative owner said that they were not for sale, but could be exchanged for any equally quirky that customers would like to offer. These are a few examples of similar sets.

Because Jackie’s little camera makes a much better job of these interior close-ups than does mine she has produced all today’s pictures. Some might suggest that it is the photographer, not her tools.

This evening we all dined on Jackie’s pasta arrabbiata sprinkled with Parmesan cheese with which she drank Peroni, and I finished the Sicilian red wine.

A Tradition Maintained

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE IN A GROUP TO ACCESS AN ENLARGED GALLERY

This afternoon we were visited by Helen, Bill, Shelly, Ron, David, Jenny, Rachel, Gareth, Anthony, Jane, Neil and Donna, for the annual Boxing Day party.

Everyone gathered by about 3 p.m. and swapped all their latest news with the usual amount of fun and laughter. Guests could help themselves to cold meats, salads, and cheeses from the kitchen table.

Ian distributed drinks,

then turned to his role as quiz master.

There was keen competition between the two teams into which we were divided. Ian had spent considerable time on compiling a quiz of the year divided into months. A final round included 22 excerpts from Christmas songs which we were required to identify. The team I was included in was most fortunate in having Donna as a member. Almost single-handedly she clinched victory with her encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music. Each team had a scribe who would write down the answers. The debates to determine the answers became quite animated.

There were still some Christmas presents to be distributed.

Some tender moments were experienced.

Finally, Jackie’s delicious cooked meals became available for people to help themselves. The sitting room was cleared in seconds, until guests returned with laden plates. There was plentiful lamb jalfrezi, rice, onion bahjis, and samosas; and beef in red wine with mashed potatoes.