Brief Encounter

On a cold, wet, miserable afternoon, I can think of no better way to spend my time than to sit and have a pot of tea and some home made cake in the refreshment room at Carnforth Station, Lancashire.  The refreshment room was used in the film Brief Encounter and continues to have a 1940s theme, it's a very atmospheric place to sit and watch the trains go by.  Oh, and the cakes are scrummy too =D

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

It's not often I'm up early enough to witness a beautiful sunrise, so glad I was an early bird this morning.

Cutest Biscuits Ever!

There's only one thing nicer than a lovely cup of tea and that's a lovely cup of tea with a biscuit!  How cute are these little choc chip shortbreads!  Almost too cute to eat...I did say almost!

Try Something New

It's funny how we decide whether or not we will try something new.  What made me think about this was something as mundane as trying out a drink I'd never tasted before.  I'd seen Chai Latte on the menu board in Costa quite some time ago; I'd never heard of it and didn't have a clue what it was.  But instead of asking one of the baristas about it I just tried to work out for myself what it might be.  Ok, so...thought one: it's called latte, therefore it must be a milk based drink.  Thought two: chai, that's tea isn't it?  Conclusion: it must be a really milky cup of tea...yuck, I hate milky tea, so there's no way I'm trying that.  That was, until today.  Today I threw caution to the wind, "I'll try it" I thought, "how bad can it be?"  I'm so glad I did, it wasn't anything like how I had imagined it would be and I ended up kicking myself for not trying it out sooner.  It made me think though, if I won't even try out a drink due to my (incorrect) assumptions about it, what other greater pleasures in life am I denying myself by falsely assuming I won't like it without even trying it first? It's not quite "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway," but I could definitely benefit by being more open minded about new experiences.

Childhood Memories

I posted this picture on my Facebook page earlier today, the response was amazing.  Obviously I'm not the only one with fond memories of this snack from the 1970s.  I'd never forgotten the taste and often wished that they were still being made.  I think Burton's have responded to everyone else who had been crying out for their return as they've decided to start producing them again.  I found them in Asda, there are multipacks of the small bags that I remember, but also a family sized pack.  I'm pleased to say they taste exactly how I remember them and it took me right back to my childhood - happy days =D

Brown Paper Packages

Okay, so strictly speaking, it wasn't a brown paper package, or tied up with string, but it was definitely a few of my favourite things!  A surprise parcel in the post today from my lovely partner Sean revealed this gorgeous limited edition Emma Bridgewater mug with a York Minster design.  This will definitely cheer up my breakfast cuppa on a cold January morning :-)

A Little Book of Inspiration

Speaking of achievable New Year resolutions, look what I found in my local Booths supermarket.  A fab little book full of inspiration: new foods and products to try, loads of scrummy recipes and a few pointers for taking care of yourself in the coming year.  What's more, it was totally free! =D