My sister in law (also called Anna!) is staying with us at the moment. One of her many qualities is that of extremely devoted Auntie to the kids! Thus, when a trip to Tesco was offered this morning the kids jumped at the chance knowing Auntie Anna would probably buy them each a present! They were not disappointed. Whilst I had my mind of fruit, meal plans and freezer contents the kids weighed up various clothes, toys and CD options. Just as the whole lengthy process was drawing to a close Anna offered to buy me something but I was so weary by now that a quick coffee upstairs was the only treat my mind responded to with any enthusiasm!
Tesco, Aston Lane
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie and Anna Mary
Bought: A coffee, a tea, an innocent smoothie, a fruit shoot, two soft drinks, two ham sandwiches and two jam sandwiches and a prawn sandwich
Cost: £7.15 I think - staggeringly reasonable
Sat: On two of the high tables as we were eating too
And: Improved coffee I think
Showing posts with label Lunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lunch. Show all posts
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
20th July 2010 - part two of two
A spare Tuesday and, as the last one in the term, a precious Tuesday presented itself ad we struggled to fill it. None of us needed to go anywhere, no one wanted to spend money uselessly... and then it came to us....
Aston Hall
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Amanda, James and Viv
Had: A coffee, a glass of water and a chicken salad sandwich
Cost: £3.60
Cafe: In converted stable blocks, very nice with stone floor and wooden tables, also a lovely patio area where we sat today as it was warm and muggy albeit not sunny
And: The coffee was nice but only served in cups and I really would have liked a mug. The sandwich was a bit dry. The venue was wonderful with gorgeous gardens to potter about and extensive areas of the hall to explore. I've lived within a couple of miles of the place for 18 years and this is my first visit despite the fact that it is free. I shall be there again over the summer with the children.
Aston Hall
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Amanda, James and Viv
Had: A coffee, a glass of water and a chicken salad sandwich
Cost: £3.60
Cafe: In converted stable blocks, very nice with stone floor and wooden tables, also a lovely patio area where we sat today as it was warm and muggy albeit not sunny
And: The coffee was nice but only served in cups and I really would have liked a mug. The sandwich was a bit dry. The venue was wonderful with gorgeous gardens to potter about and extensive areas of the hall to explore. I've lived within a couple of miles of the place for 18 years and this is my first visit despite the fact that it is free. I shall be there again over the summer with the children.
Saturday, 5 June 2010
3rd June 2010
Each Christmas my family draw names from a hat and then each buy one nice big present for the person selected. This means you get once pretty decent thing instead of a smaller things. It also saves money when you are the purchaser. It's a scheme which serves us well. This year I drew my Mum. My Mum, when asked what she wants for her birthday (or similar) always replies, 'I don't need anything, don't spend your money on me' and, when very heavily pushed, concedes 'a small thing, bubble bath, writing paper or a new pen' would be ok. So I was faced with finding £30 bubble bath or finding an alternative. Interestingly my Mum actually had the idea (and amazingly she voiced it too!). She wanted a treat instead of a present.
This is a fine idea on so many levels. Most of the people I know have everything they need. They also have almost everything they want... especially everything they want in the £10-£30 price bracket. A treat, and some time, are a lot more fun and don't clutter your house up.
To this end I spent the day with my Mum yesterday and we went to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and while there we had (an exceedingly posh) afternoon tea!
The Cavendish Rooms, Chatsworth, Derbyshire
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Mum
Served by: Very well dressed, polite and helpful ladies and gentlemen.
Bought: Our 'afternoon tea' included four finger (crusts cut off!) sandwiches each - egg mayonnaise, cucumber and cream cheese, ham and mustard and smoked salmon. They also brought out extra sandwiches on request. Then there was a scone with jam and clotted cream, a chocolate brownie, a meringue dusted with freeze dried berries or similar and a shot glass of lemon cream. (Re: the lemon cream - I should not have eaten it with my lactose problem. I decided to have a tiny spoonful to see what it was like and it was the most delicious thing ever so I polished off the lot and felt a bit nauseous and bloated for 24 hours.) We also had a glass of rose wine and a pot of tea each - chosen from a list of about 20 tea varieties! It was proper leaf tea too - but we kept forgetting to use the strainer!
Cost: About £15 each - not an everyday treat!
Cafe: Lovely! Proper solid wood (looking at least) tables with comfy bucket seats. Tones of pink and purple mainly. A L shaped room along two sides of a stable block.
Position: The Cavendish Rooms are in the old Stable Block of Chatsworth House. The cafe has glass where the arches would have been so you look out into the courtyard. The rest of the Stable block hosts lovely gift shops and another (cheaper canteen style) restaurant. There is a fountain and some sculpture in the courtyard and lots of people milling about - great for general people watching.
Busy? It was a bit but not in any detrimental way. The clientele were pretty quiet and genteel. In fact - I was self conscious about getting my camera out to photograph the sandwich and cake stand but did it anyway!
Food: The food was great - very posh, very dainty and very tasty.
And? An all round lovely experience. The shops were great for 'mooching' and, being child free we got to have a proper explore of them. Chatsworth gardens are amazing. They go on and on and on and just as you round every corner, you see how much further they continue for. Lots of water features, beautiful trees and planting and, in the glorious sunshine of our visit, it's all absolutely stunning.
Chatsworth House is similarly stunning. Extravagent and rich beyond belief and morality! Touring it, and similar stately homes, always brings out my inner Marxist! These super rich people must have had to develop complicated inner ideology to justify their rampantly privileged lifestyles. Then I am reminded that on a global scale not much has changed - we just don't live in the same locality as the poor propping up our lifestyles in the West anymore.
This is a fine idea on so many levels. Most of the people I know have everything they need. They also have almost everything they want... especially everything they want in the £10-£30 price bracket. A treat, and some time, are a lot more fun and don't clutter your house up.
To this end I spent the day with my Mum yesterday and we went to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and while there we had (an exceedingly posh) afternoon tea!
The Cavendish Rooms, Chatsworth, Derbyshire
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Mum
Served by: Very well dressed, polite and helpful ladies and gentlemen.
Bought: Our 'afternoon tea' included four finger (crusts cut off!) sandwiches each - egg mayonnaise, cucumber and cream cheese, ham and mustard and smoked salmon. They also brought out extra sandwiches on request. Then there was a scone with jam and clotted cream, a chocolate brownie, a meringue dusted with freeze dried berries or similar and a shot glass of lemon cream. (Re: the lemon cream - I should not have eaten it with my lactose problem. I decided to have a tiny spoonful to see what it was like and it was the most delicious thing ever so I polished off the lot and felt a bit nauseous and bloated for 24 hours.) We also had a glass of rose wine and a pot of tea each - chosen from a list of about 20 tea varieties! It was proper leaf tea too - but we kept forgetting to use the strainer!
Cost: About £15 each - not an everyday treat!
Cafe: Lovely! Proper solid wood (looking at least) tables with comfy bucket seats. Tones of pink and purple mainly. A L shaped room along two sides of a stable block.
Position: The Cavendish Rooms are in the old Stable Block of Chatsworth House. The cafe has glass where the arches would have been so you look out into the courtyard. The rest of the Stable block hosts lovely gift shops and another (cheaper canteen style) restaurant. There is a fountain and some sculpture in the courtyard and lots of people milling about - great for general people watching.
Busy? It was a bit but not in any detrimental way. The clientele were pretty quiet and genteel. In fact - I was self conscious about getting my camera out to photograph the sandwich and cake stand but did it anyway!
Food: The food was great - very posh, very dainty and very tasty.
And? An all round lovely experience. The shops were great for 'mooching' and, being child free we got to have a proper explore of them. Chatsworth gardens are amazing. They go on and on and on and just as you round every corner, you see how much further they continue for. Lots of water features, beautiful trees and planting and, in the glorious sunshine of our visit, it's all absolutely stunning.
Chatsworth House is similarly stunning. Extravagent and rich beyond belief and morality! Touring it, and similar stately homes, always brings out my inner Marxist! These super rich people must have had to develop complicated inner ideology to justify their rampantly privileged lifestyles. Then I am reminded that on a global scale not much has changed - we just don't live in the same locality as the poor propping up our lifestyles in the West anymore.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
11th May 2010 - part two
Pausa Coffee, Dunelm Mill
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Viv, Danni, Amanda and James
Served by: The same man who we may have startled with out enthusiasm last week. Spotted today that his name badge read Phillip. There was also a girl there helping.
Bought: Well - today was not so much coffee as lunch! We'd spotted their meal deals and determined to sample them! I had a panini meal which consisted of a panini (funnily!) which had been warmed and served with salad, a drink (I had Pepsi - the coffee jitters from the two coffees consumed an hour before were still jittering) and a slice of cake (to the value of £1.85!). I chose black cherry and almond slice. The others had sandwiches or baked potatoes.
Cost: My meal deal was £5.49. It meant the cake cost me just 20p.
Busy?: Well it was quite, or at least the tables were not full but the queue was longish. The two staff were working hard but things were not super speedy. My panini sat by the toaster for a few minutes before being 'done' for example.
Food: Well my Tex Mex Chicken panini was lovely - spicy and tasty. The cake was perfectly pleasant. The others reported their food was good too.
Complaints: I had to ask twice for my cake even though it should have been given to me on order. However - this is a minor gripe.
And? Very nice. Good value and a nice place for a post lunch browse. Did a bit of shopping too.
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Viv, Danni, Amanda and James
Served by: The same man who we may have startled with out enthusiasm last week. Spotted today that his name badge read Phillip. There was also a girl there helping.
Bought: Well - today was not so much coffee as lunch! We'd spotted their meal deals and determined to sample them! I had a panini meal which consisted of a panini (funnily!) which had been warmed and served with salad, a drink (I had Pepsi - the coffee jitters from the two coffees consumed an hour before were still jittering) and a slice of cake (to the value of £1.85!). I chose black cherry and almond slice. The others had sandwiches or baked potatoes.
Cost: My meal deal was £5.49. It meant the cake cost me just 20p.
Busy?: Well it was quite, or at least the tables were not full but the queue was longish. The two staff were working hard but things were not super speedy. My panini sat by the toaster for a few minutes before being 'done' for example.
Food: Well my Tex Mex Chicken panini was lovely - spicy and tasty. The cake was perfectly pleasant. The others reported their food was good too.
Complaints: I had to ask twice for my cake even though it should have been given to me on order. However - this is a minor gripe.
And? Very nice. Good value and a nice place for a post lunch browse. Did a bit of shopping too.
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