Getting ready for tomorrow night!

Can't wait for tomorrow's Intellectual Dinner. It's been a long month and a difficult one too so it's going to be great to be back with the girls. We're going to the Grey Ox, we have no idea where that is but it's meant to be great...and Rosemary Shrager herself recommended it to us so it must be good, not too shabby for five witches!

The theme has been a difficult one and i've been frantically trying to put everything together in time for tomorrow night. I'm not happy with my work...I sat up until 11pm with one eye on Sex and the City and the other on trying to make my theme look presentable, it doesn't...maybe I can salvage it tonight! This is our last dinner before we 'come out' in Sainsbury's magazine...we're all getting really nervous. For now though I guess I'll just keep working on my theme and try and figure out what on earth I'm going to wear tomorrow night...if only I had Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe!

Catherine

July’s Theme

And already we’re into yet another month. Is everyone else’s year going superfast?

Last weekend I went on a fantastic art trail walk around Holme Styes reservoir and was captivated by the many shades of green on brilliant display across the landscape. The Christmas trees were looking lush under the blazing summer sun. Meanwhile, at home, all the plants that I potted a short while ago are now proudly showing of their colours. It’s looking really good out there and given me a timely heads-up that I really need to appreciate how beautiful our summers are and savour every moment of every precious day.

Which leads me on nicely to the theme I have chosen for the ladies to complete over the next few weeks:-

‘Nature Studies.’ We are to embark on our own exploration of the nature that surrounds us. We are then to produce whatever we feel inspired to do. It may be an essay about the role that nature takes in our lives; a photographic study of a well loved view or of a single flower; a record of a ramble through the woods; or notes of which birds are visiting the garden. It’s all out there to be discovered.

At the end of last months meeting I gave everyone the new theme and can’t wait to see what they all produce. I wonder if I’ll manage to complete mine with time to spare or if I’ll have my usual fraught night-before panic.

Amanda xxx

June's Meeting

A summers evening, the birds were singing and a gentle breeze blew through the trees as we stood waiting for Danielle in the hilly car park at the Foxglove Pub in Kirkburton. The month had been a hectic one since our last dinner, for me so much had happened in such a short space of time...not all of it good either...I was ready for a big glass of wine, a relaxing evening and plenty of laughter with my four favourite Witches! Danielle's car sped over the top of the hill and descended at high speed into the car park. We giggled as she dumped her car at an angle in the tight space, slammed her door and wandered over to where we were stood. After dropping her Blackberry down the toilet and oversleeping during an afternoon nap, Dani had had quite an ordeal to get here on time but she was here...and in a good mood so I knew it was going to be another brilliant evening! The Foxglove Pub is a picture postcard...cosy, warm and welcoming and what an English country pub should be. We were shown into a small dining room and were seated in a corner next to a tiny dolls house type window. It was the perfect setting for our evening, the perfect little nook for Witches to hide.



James the Waiter

Our Waiter James impressed us from the start; attentive, friendly and most important of all patient...nothing was too much trouble for this guy...he was there when we needed him and left us alone when we didn't, could we take him home with us? It was the first time that we had all been together since the photo shoot and so much of our conversation was focused around that as we selected what we wanted to eat from the menu. Dani opted for a starter again so we sat and watched her delve into chicken liver pate and warm, crusty bread whilst I became slowly drunk with my big glass of wine...three mouthfuls...I'm such a lightweight! The food was impressive; Danielle and I had opted for big plates of Duck Leg Confit whilst Amanda and Phoebe chose the Summer Lamb Shank...which Caroline reminded Phoebe is actually just 'bum of lamb!' Caroline decided to try the Braised Pork Belly with chorizo, honey roasted apple and rosemary and as James whisked our food over to us we descended into an impressive silence as we savoured every mouthful of the wonderful food. Our expectations were exceeded...this was good eating! I have a separate stomach for pudding and I'm pleased to say that both Phoebe and Caroline do too so a treacle tart and two apple pies with rich vanilla custard later we were ready to start our themes...Amanda with her customary latté of course.

I was quite excited about the theme because for the first time in a while I had actually had time to put some effort in and had challenged myself by designing my own cake company...The Blue Butterfly Cake Company...taking my inspiration from Tiffany's, Chanel and of course Laduree. I knew the girls would expect cakes so I designed tiny cupcake wedding favours...each with the girls' symbol iced on the top. Why did Amanda have to choose a blue tit? Caroline impressed with her Japanese themed design and introduced us to banana skin drink cartons and barcode art...she designed a beautiful barcode decorated with pretty Japanese cherry blossom, and she says she's not creative! Phoebe had also selected cakes...focusing on her favourite cake designer Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes. She guided us through his designs ending with a beautiful design of her own a 'Fantasy Fairy Garden Cake,' the wings of the fairies would be covered in glitter and fizz whizz! Amanda chose Interior Design choosing to re-design the space at the top of her stairs...who would have thought to take inspiration from a Barn Owl to select the colour scheme and design a beautiful haven for displaying books and chilling out. It was so creative, so Amanda.  Finally Dani and her ingenious make-up collection 'The Masters of Art Collection' Banksy eyeliner; Dali lipstick; the Vettriano smoky eye-shadow kit; Picasso foundation (in the shape of a dove); Piet Mondrian make-up kit; Klimt highlighter and my personal favourite the Frida Kahlo eyebrow pencil. And you read it here first folks...these designs are all ours!

It was time to go home and say goodbye to our new friend James the Waiter. After posing for a few pictures...taken by a kind lady who offered to take a picture of the five of us together (and almost sacrificed her own life in the process thanks to a speedy taxi) we wearily climbed into our car...waved goodbye to Danielle and laughed all the way home.  See you next month!                                         

                                                                          Catherine

                                                         

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Cookery School with Rosemary Shrager

The day we had been waiting for finally arrived! Two of our Witches...Phoebe and Catherine set out early this morning for a day of culinary magic with our favourite chef Rosemary Shrager. The cookery school is set in the idyllic North Yorkshire countryside at the swanky Swinton Park Hotel. We rocked up in Phoebe's tiny Peugeot and were greeted warmly by Rosemary herself who had coffee and chocolate brownies waiting for us. A dark cloud had settled over the dramatic landscape and Rosemary's cosy, warm kitchen sprung to life as we got stuck into the recipes that we would be cooking today. The menu was as follows: Soda Bread; Tomato soup; Prawn, Olive and Fennel Salad; Twice Baked Cheese Souffle; Rice Balls and Lamb Chops with Fennel, Peas and Mint.



Our gravity-defying souffles...yummy!



This, you may think was going to be quite a lot of hard work but under the watchful eye and generous praise of Rosemary we were chopping shallots and whisking up egg whites like the pros.



  We are proud to say that we were on the winning team and our beautiful, perfect souffles received woops and cheers from Rosemary as they were pulled from the oven (how smug were we!) The day ended with a sumptious lunch with Rosemary with all of the dishes we had created, chatting about her new cookbook and top tips and techniques. It truly was a perfect day, not to be forgotten. Culinary Bliss! Thank you Rosemary. 

 

David made us laugh in his racy apron...ooooh saucy!



 









To purchase Rosemary's new book go to:  http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/rosemary+shrager/absolutely+foolproof+classic+home+cooking/8135239/

Fame!

We could get used to this...swanning into the 3 Acres in our finery for a spectacular day of free food, free drink and being treated like a star, in our very own Sainsbury's magazine photo shoot. We glided elegantly into the 3 Acres car park after our near death experience, involving a head on collision with a giant tractor, we would like to say we arrived in a swanky limousine but alas dear viewers it was nothing more than Caroline's silver Corsa, with a temperamental exhaust, which trumped all the way into the car park. Amanda, of course, had made her own way there; choosing to arrive a little more gracefully. When we arrived we found Amanda had already installed herself at the bar with a glass big enough for her to swim in. After the excitement of being shown to our suite, jumping onto a few beds and having our make-up touched up by Kara, we descended into the Krug dining room.

And so began two exciting hours under the expertise of photographer Steve and Art Director Alex. This included a lot of reminiscing about past meals and funny stories, which, as the wine flowed got ruder and ruder. With mouths full of cheese, crackers and wine who knows what the final pictures will look like, all we know is we can't wait to see them in the September issue of Sainsbury's magazine out on the 1st August 2011, we're waiting with baited cheesy breath.

Tea and Cake

A year ago I turned thirty. Thirty? How had I got here? It was time to tick another box on the application form, I was older than Beyonce...there was a big three in front of the zero! On my thirtieth birthday I woke up feeling depressed that my twenties had left me and I had been pushed rather too quickly into my thirties, I wasn't ready yet...I laid awake staring at the ceiling trying to figure out...beyond the hangover whether I felt different or not. I didn't. But here I am a year later turning thirty-one and I actually feel fine, because for the first time ever I've stopped counting. Yes, I would like to be younger and now that I'm too old for Club 18-30 I'm starting to think that actually I might like to go...ok maybe not. I am after all a grown-up now and so for my thirty-first birthday I decided it was time to celebrate in a grown up way.

 Amanda, Caroline, Danielle and Phoebe all helped me to celebrate at Gerry's at Neaverson's in Huddersfield. It's a charming little tea shop in the town centre, decorated with teacups, bunting, white tablecloths and serving up a tasty lunch and a generous slice of cake. I love it, it was the perfect location for our sophisticated lunch...that is until Danielle declared that she had Phoebe's underwear in her bag...and fired a thong across the table at Phoebe's head. Luckily Phoebe caught it in time, or it would have landed in the middle of a table of women who were sat behind us! It turned out Phoebe had saved Dani from a fashion crisis and had loaned her some underwear about a year ago and so Dani was kindly returning it in the middle of lunch in front of the entire clientele at Gerry's!

I had a fantastic day...sipping tea with the girls and greedily tucking into chocolate cake. Unwrapping my beautiful presents, including an amazing Laduree cook book and feeling very grown up. Maybe my thirties won't be so bad after all, especially if my four favourite witches are here for the journey too...I guess that age doesn't really matter anymore.

Catherine xx

Read more about Gerry's in our restaurant reviews