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Happy New Year, everyone!!
I hope that all my readers will have a fantastic year in 2009 and that it will be happy, healthy and full of amazing food!
I’ve been reminiscing about the best bits of 2008 and above is a (slightly messy) collage of my favourite recipes from A Spoonful of Sugar. But while I’ve had a lot of fun in my own kitchen this year, I’ve had some great experiences at restaurants and visiting local producers.
In January Dave took me to The Fat Duck for my birthday, a restaurant I’ve wanted to eat at for years and it was every bit as gloriously wacky as I’d hoped it would be. He followed that up with lunch at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for our wedding anniversary in July. I’ve been thoroughly spoilt this year!! In February I spent a weekend in deepest, darkest Devon cooking Italian at Ashburton Cookery School. I hope to be able to squeeze in another weekend there in 2009 as it was fantastic!
Closer to home, I’ve discovered lots of great farm shops, spent a happy weekend eating my way round the Bristol Organic Food Festival, picked apples at an organic orchard, and butchered half a pig. I had great fun baking cupcakes with a friend and baking a Bertie the Bus birthday cake for Lucas’s second birthday!
I managed to fulfil one of my New Year’s Resolutions and had my very first harvest of butternut squash which were sadly, not as tasty as they looked. I shall keep trying though, and hopefully we’ll have a much better summer in 2009. I am planning to grow lots of borlotti beans after falling in love with the creamy richness of the fresh bean last summer. I also had fun cooking my way round Italy, but did get thoroughly bogged down in the north of the country, so I shall continue my Italian armchair odyssey this year!
Yup, 2008 was a good year. I hope that 2009 will be at least as good, but hopefully even better! Thank-you for continuing to visit and comment. Happy New Year!!
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What a great food filled 2008 you had! May 2009 brings lots of love, luck and food your way. Thanks for being such a great blogging buddy
Sounds like a wonderful year. Best wishes for the next!
A good restaurant is worth every penny – my highlights were Marcus Wareing at the Berkelely Hotel and, my favourite haunt, Smiths of Smithfield.
Here’s to a new year full of eating out!
Hi Lorraine! Right back atcha! Thanks for being a great friend
Hope 2009 is very good to you!
Hi Erin! Thank-you! Best wishes to you, too.
Hi Caped Crusader! Apparently, eating in is the new eating out, or so all the food magazines say this month. I do hope not, as there’s nothing like getting dressed up and going to a lovely new restaurant. Hope you have some memorable meals this year!
Sounds like a superb year – and lucky you, the Fat Duck and Gordon Ramsay in one year! I’m still planning a trip to GR’s in Royal Hospital Road…