Hi all and Happy June! It’s been a busy and enjoyable week so grab yourselves a coffee and take a little walk through my week with me.
First Barbecue Of The Year
It’s been a long time coming due to the inclement Great British weather but last Monday we dusted off the barbecue and got grilling. The weather was hot, it was a bank holiday so there really was no excuse.
Tim came over to join us in our festivities. We cracked open the rosé, fired up the grill and had a marvellous afternoon on the terrace eating, drinking and chatting.
The boys ate marinated chicken and beef burgers and I ate my favourite veggie sausages and grilled halloumi. We served everything in pillowy soft brioche buns with my new find drizzled on top. If you love spice and a gentle hum of Indian heat then you have to try Pico sauces and ketchups. They pep up the flavours of your barbecued meats and veggies and create that much-needed ooze factor when you have a burger. Who doesn’t love it when you bite into a burger and you get that ooze of yumminess. This Pico ketchup makes it next level. I promise.
I am and always will be a condiment girl. I adore all sauces, chutneys and dressings so these Pico sauces naturally hit the spot for me. What’s more, I have never tried a ketchup or sauce that has the same flavour profile as a Pico sauce. As a nation of curry lovers (in a recent poll curry came 4th in the British top 50 favourite dishes) I think you will like them as much as me. You can buy online and each bottle retails at £2.50.
Sunny Alfresco Lunching
The sunshine makes everything better, doesn’t it? Not only does it lift my mood there is nothing better than eating outside. Alfresco dining makes me so happy and even more so when friends are involved.
Harry’s
Steve and I were invited to Harry’s on Tuesday evening for date night. Harry’s is one, if not my favourite dining spots in Exeter. The service is impeccable and the menu always has plenty of choices but isn’t overwhelming. I hate an over complex menu. Keep each course to about six dishes and then you know you are getting the freshest ingredients.
We dined in style seated in one of Harry’s booths with the whole restaurant in front of us for people watching. I love the mix of characters you find at Harry’s. Couples on dates like us, groups of friends, colleagues having a business meeting, birthday parties.. Harry’s suits everybody which is simply marvellous. It’s a real neighbourhood restaurant. How lucky are we to have Harry’s on our doorstep?
The Pig At Combe
After almost two years I made it back to one of my all-time favourite places. The Pig At Combe is a beautiful stately home that has been transformed into a stunning hotel and restaurant. I love everything about it. The grounds and kitchen garden, the impeccable decor of the interior, the amazing 25-mile radius menu, the staff and service.
It’s safe to say that my excitement levels were off the charts with this visit and sharing it with my two best friends was really special.
Lunch was delicious as expected. Fresh flavours and gorgeous presentation. I really hope it’s not another two years before I return.
Bees
Ever since moving into our new home at the end of last summer, we knew we had a bee colony in the eaves of our roof. On the most part, they haven’t been a problem but as the weather has improved and the temperatures rise the colony has increased in size and will continue to do so until the autumn comes and with it cooler temperatures.
We have been in consultation with a local bee expert and keeper and decided that we would try and re-home the colony. It sounds easy but unfortunately, it’s not. We have had to have roof tiles removed from part of our roof to expose the nest. A roofer donned in a protective suit and gloves braved the stings to help with the process.
The bee expert carefully moved the comb and with it some of the bees. We were hoping that he may have managed to remove the Queen as that would solve the main issue as the other bees would follow her. At this point, we are unsure of the outcome but are hoping for positive news. If the bees don’t leave of their own accord there is another way the bee expert can try and remove the rest of the bee’s from our roof. A specialist “bee hoover” that carefully sucks them up to move to a new site can be used and we are looking into that as our next option.
Wow! Looking back at this week it’s been eventful and busy. Full of friends and laughter as well as many, many little buzzing bees.
Disclaimer; this post contains gifted items for PR purposes. I was not paid for this post and all views are my own as always. I only promote items and places I truly trust and believe in.