I was going to call this post “How NOT To Lose Weight And Gain Health” due to the vast amounts of unhealthy food eaten and champagne quaffed but the over-arching theme of this wonderful weekend was friendship

Friendship is being invited round to to a friends for lunch

not once but twice in 2 weeks.  Even though I said I couldn’t come as I was working.  I was told to come when it was time to eat and stay as long as I could and to let someone else cook for me.

We had a home made lettuce and cheese flan, green salad (all from the garden), home made bread and potatoes.  The food was delicious but the best bit was the company.

Thank you Vegetable Grower for inviting us to sit beside your fire and for cooking for Sarah, Marion and me and to all of you for really brightening up an otherwise very dull day.

As soon as work was finished I raced down to Deal to Michelle’s.

It was time for my annual Christmas dinner and sleepover with my oldest friends.  Lucy, Gini, Sally and I were at school together and I worked with Michelle a long time ago.    Lucy, Gini and I even lived in the same road when were at school.  So we have known each other most of our lives.

Thank you Emily for our Christmas message 🙂

We settled in to Michelle’s cottage in Deal, put on our glad rags and headed out to an amazing little restaurant – The Dining Club.  It is in a Georgian house in Deal.  Each room is decorated differently and it is like having a private diner party.  All the food was cooked and served for us and we could take our own champagne and wine.

Being busy working women and Mothers, we all agreed one of the wonderful things about this place was not having to make a decision all evening.  It was so much more relaxing that way.  You can check the menu in advance but you do not choose when you arrive like you do normally in a restaurant.  We handed over our wine and they served it as they thought most appropriate for each course.  The food was lovely.  Quail’s egg and bacon pizza,

Gorgonzola and seared pear salad,

chicken with pesto, roasted tomatoes and spinach polenta,

some kind of cake in a syrup, sorbet, chocolate and peach.  Things were a little hazy by then so I can’t quite remember the details.

Followed by toasted marshmallows, chocolate and coffee.  It was absolutely superb so I highly recommend it.  Go on, give them a ring and get yourself booked in.

Back at Michelle’s more champagne corks popped, we sang, danced and exchanged gifts.  We snuggled up on the sofa and caught up on all we had missed out on over recent months in each others lives.  It was the most perfect evening with such very dear and special friends.

Friendship is being brought a cup of tea in bed and then making a large breakfast for everyone.  Sally and Gini were way up on that friendship pedestal after rustling up this lot to help us get over what we had done to ourselves the evening before.

The teapot was kept busy all morning until we felt sufficiently rehydrated to manage a walk.  We walked along the sea front which was totally therapeutic.

We walked about 4 – 5 miles.

It was so beautiful walking by the sea and the colours at dusk were delightful

We found ourselves in the Black Douglas for tea and cake.

I had the chocolate, rose and coconut which was good.  Gini’s Mum treated us – thank you Mutzi xx.

Supper last night was less refined than the night before but hit the spot perfectly; fish and chips in the wonderful chippie in Middle Street.

We were blessed with another bright and sunny day today.  After tea and toast and some Stollen ( yes, really), we went for another walk.  A shorter one today which took us along Deal pier.  I really like the architecture of this pier.  I like the simplicity, solidness and symmetry of it.

The view from here isn’t bad either.

The restaurant at the end is a lovely space to sit in and the views from the windows all round are wonderful.    I was craving vegetables so had a Mediterranean vegetable wrap and salad.  The wrap was filled with courgettes, peppers and aubergine and cheese.  It was really good.

Then it was time to say good-bye 😦 .  Farewell lovely Lucy friend,

thank you Sally and Gini for the bed, the breakfast and your friendship

and thank you Michelle for being the hostess with the mostest and a fab friend too.

Until next time lovely ladies – how many sleeps?