A Cheeky Stop At Winnie’s Bakery, Burnham On Sea.

On our way to Minehead we decided to have a cheeky stop off in order to avail ourselves of one or two things from Winnie’s Bakery in Burnham on Sea, as memories have lingered, ever since Nigel bought us back one of their mature Cheddar and Marmite loaves on his last visit just before Christmas last year.  Well, it would have been rude not too.

Winnie’s did not disappoint …….

…… and several, (well quite a few, really), considered purchases were made……

…… because we just couldn’t make up our minds, deciding one of each was a better proposition  …….

…… than the thought of leaving anything behind, unsampled.

Let’s also say that a considerable amount of tearing and sharing went on, not only during an impromptu, alfresco picnic on Burnham’s sea front …….

…… but also in the back of Lu’s car (thankfully, she’s not precious about crumbs on said back seat)  and then the beach at Minehead when we got there.

Never have wedges of bread pudding, lardy cakes and assorted exotic loaves been devoured with such pure, unadulterated gusto, it was just pure heaven in a Winnie’s brown paper bag.

We all got rather excited when we discovered that Winnie’s have an online shop, but were then sadly crushed when we found that delivery was only within the local region.  So it looks as if we might be visiting Burnham On Sea on a more regular basis from now on especially as Lu reckons we could do it quite easily in a day  ……… what are we like?

https://www.winnies-bakery.ltd.uk/store

SORRY, SORRY, SORRY

 SORRY, SORRY, SORRY ......... 

...... in all our festive excitement on Friday, we forget to tell you that we were going to take a few days off from blogging over Easter, but would be back on Thursday 21st, our humblest of apologies, we can't believe how remiss and cavalier in attitude we've been!

Belated Easter greetings and (hopefully) see you on Thursday xxxxxx  

Leaving On A Jet Plane ………

Well, perhaps not quite, but indulge us this once, as our bags are packed, buckets, spades, picnic rug, water-wings, 2p coins to name but a few. Darrell was up at the crack of dawn to prepare our sandwiches and a flask for the journey, and now at 6 o’clock in the morning we are on the cusp of departure, heading for the pleasures of Butlins, Minehead. One last check to make sure we haven’t left anything behind and then we’ll be off ……..  before we all burst with rampant and thronging excitement.

So, to totally misquote John Denver completely:- and if the mood takes you, hum along, we promise it’ll get stuck in your heads……….

Well, our bags are packed

We’re ready to go

We’re standing here outside our door

We’d hate to wake you up to say goodbye 

(although we know Mr D will be half way through his day already)   

But the dawn is breaking

It's early morn

Lu is waiting

She’s blowing her horn

Already we’re so excited

We might cry …….

Cause we’re leaving on a (metaphorical) jet plane

Don't worry, we’ll be back again

But ohhhhhhhh, we can’t wait to go! 

We’re Butlins bound, we’ve not been let down

After all the times we’ve been stuck at home

We’ll tell you now, Covid don't mean a thing

Every place we go, we’ll think of you

Every song  we sing, we’ll sing for you

We’ll be back, when we’ve had our Easter fling.

Cause we’re leaving on a (metaphorical) jet plane

Don't worry, we’ll be back again

But ohhhhhhhh  we can’t wait to go!

What are we like???????????

No Pester Power Pressure For Once.

Since we’ll be away embracing the pleasures of Butlins Minehead this Easter means that, for once, Nigel’s continual pondering and musing over his Easter egg of choice isn’t really dominating our seasonal conversation this year, much to Darrell’s and my relief.

It seems that the thought of a day on the beach with Young Master Bertie and his new (toy) metal detector, rolling up his trousers and paddling in the sea with Iris   ……….

…….. a plastic Lucky Strike pot filled with 2ps in the amusement arcade, not to mention the prospect of seeing/meeting Dick and Dom and Peppa Pig in the ballroom are all currently filling Nigel’s head and thus, such thoughts, take precedence, it appears, over egg shaped, chocolatey comestibles.…….

…….. leaving Darrell to mooch in peace and at leisure ………

…….. for just a small, “something” for the Easter bunny to leave at the bottom of Nigel’s hotel bed on the BIG morning!  What is he like?

Spring Has Truly Sprung

There is a new, buoyant spring to Nigel’s step now that he is can return from the rigours of the school run in proper, real life, day light …..

…… because he can also appreciate and take in the splendours of  a blossoming spring ……..

…….. in particular a row of trees that are pretty unremarkable for the rest of the year, but come into their own around this time.

He says it just makes the last leg of his journey home  soooooooo impossibly romantic of an almost Japanese cherry blossom trail type nature……

What is he like, if not impossibly romantic himself?

Cadbury’s Come Up Trumps

We’ve been a very remiss, because following our disappointing Cadbury Minis Mix review and subsequent complaint as to their  condition …….

……. Darrell has, as promised, received a letter and voucher for £3 from the fragrant Cathy G at Cadbury’s Customer Support by way of an apology……

……. all is now forgiven and forgotten.

Darrell has now entrusted the redeeming of said voucher to Nigel to “spend al fresco” on whatever he fancies that comes under the Cadbury’s umbrella of Oreo, Bassetts, Philadelphia, Ritz, Belvita, Green & Blacks.  Darrell also told the little fella that he can add another £2 to the value of the voucher as it’s soooooo near Easter, we might as well have a good splurge.

Needless to say Nigel is taking this responsibility extremely seriously, a considered purchase will be made in Home Bargains, but only after a great deal of  weighing up is made!  Goodness only knows what he’ll come back with, bless his little cotton socks.

It’s Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Easter.

Although we ourselves will be embracing the pleasures of Butlins, Minehead over Easter, which we sadly had to reschedule from last year due to Covid, all rather disappointing, as we’d been going to celebrate Young Master Bertie’s 5th birthday, which actually fell on Easter Sunday, not to mention it being his most favourite place in the whole wide world!

But I digress ….. though not at home, it would look a little remiss, if not rude, not to spread a little Easter cheer back home ……….

……. so this morning we gathered a whole plethora of festive chocolatey bits and pieces together and formed a mini production line at the lounge table to fill the appropriately shaped carrot boxes Darrell found while out mooching with Lu the other week, to give our family and friends.

I was in charge of chocolate rabbits and chicks, Darrell the small white and milk chocolate eggs and Nigel the chocolate butterflies ……..

…….. we are quite the well oiled, dream team machine!

And the best bit, when everything was put away?  There were still a few rabbits left over for us to share.  It’s indeed beginning to feel (and taste) a lot like Easter!  What are we like?

Darrell Does A Chin and Choo …….

Darrell has a new culinary bible, as recommended by Hugh, his beloved best friend and mentor of all things of a authentic Chinese Takeaway type nature ……..

…… and with a new oriental food shop in Evesham, he’s one very happy bunny!

I know his ultimate comestible dream is to serve Nigel and I up with a chilli crispy beef or sweet and sour chicken balls that we’d swear had come from the takeaway ……….

…….. but, not wishing to run before he could talk walk, yesterday he decided to try something a little more simple, to wit Chin and Choo’s chicken chow mein (no offence Gok Wan).

He was sooooooooo excited, as indeed Nigel and I were to try it. All the sizzling sounds and smells coming from Darrell on the wok was almost too much for us as we waited.

Did he pass? OMG, for Nigel and I, he passed with flying colours, however, Darrell being Darrell, he was a little critical of himself.  He admitted to skipping the part where it said that all recipes were based on a serving for one. He’d thrown in a few  extra noodles, bean sprouts and chicken when he thought it didn’t look much, but had then followed the measurements for the soy sauce, salt etc. to the letter, so, according to him, it was slightly under flavoured, not that Nigel and I noticed.

Next time, he says he needs to multiply everything by three, or maybe even four to give us seconds!

I don’t think he’ll be hearing any complaints from either Nigel or me …… he can just keep bringing it on! Nom, nom, nom!

Easter Comestible Review–Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs)

For todays seasonal, confectionary comestible review we bring you Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs, picked up by Nigel from Iceland (the shop, not the country) for  just £1 per bag.……

……. except they’re not Terry’s their ours!  Sorry, a very, very, old joke, but you find us in a frivolous frame of mind!

The most obvious thing  we noticed on opening the bag was the powerful but pleasant, unmistakable signature whiff of chocolate orange emanating from said eggs!

We then all very much approved of the outer shell covering the eggs (which was not unlike that on a Smartie), because, we’ll admit to liking a bit of a suck, helping to prolong our confectionary delight,  before biting into the egg, as it helps the chocolate inside melt just a little bit first, and well, who doesn’t like melted chocolate?

There were 23 eggs in our bag, no the easiest number to share between three, so we had seven each………..

……… and then, since Nigel had been the one to make the considered purchase, he had the last indivisible two.

And the score on our world Famous Richter Scale of Noms?  A pretty impressive and zesty 22/23 out of 100. Why the dropped 1/23 of the 100?  Well, we  felt justified in dropping the point based on the total number of eggs in the bag, had there been an equally divisible 24 (by 3), they would have undoubtedly scored a full home run of 23/23 out of 100!  What are we like?

Nigel Gets Promotion …….

Nigel came back from his afternoon of volunteering at school wearing a smile so mahooooosive it must have been painful, nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to be allowed to rain on that little fella’s parade, until at least the end of this school year.

It seems that when he got to school he was asked if he would mind not listening to his beloved readers, but instead take them out in small groups and help them make a clay leaf each for a special display they were doing.

Let’s just say, that even though he didn’t let it show at the time, not wishing to appear unprofessional, it was …….. emotional.  

And….. despite being a total stranger to the art of clay, it seems that he carried out his task with such aplomb that no one suspected for a nano second that he was not a gifted and accomplished thrower potter! 

He was also diligent in making sure that every child was ticked off on his list and when finished, sent back to class, carefully holding their precious leaf on a paper towel with their name on, carried on the flat of their hand to wait it’s drying out.  So impressive were the results that when another class teacher saw them, he was immediately nabbed  by her, begging him to do the same with her class.  How he held it together he said, he just didn’t know.

There was then mention of some “decoupage” coming up in the next couple of weeks, and although he may have gone a bit blank behind the eyes, he said he was well up for the job, which is why, once he’d told Darrell and I all about it and had his tea, he zoom called Hugh, Darrell’s best friend and mentor of all things of an artistic type nature for advice.  We are sooooooooooooooo proud, a promotion!

Meet Salt And Peppa!

Nigel could hardly contain himself when he arrived back at The Towers after a mooch round town, clutching something very precious wrapped in tissue paper, that he’d bought for Darrell for this years pared down seasonal décor for Easter.

I thought the little fella might spontaneously combust, before he could even get anything unwrapped, bless him!

However, once he’d had a good swallow and composed himself, he was finally able to reveal his treasure, to wit, a cruet set in the guise of two tiny chicks, which were quickly christened Salt and Peppa.

What is he like?

A considered purchase for the princely sum of 50p and the most perfect addition to our seasonal table in the coming festive weeks.

Let’s just say it was emotional, very emotional ………

……… with Salt and Peppa quickly washed, dried and filled with the appropriate condiments to grace and serve our table forthwith ……. happy days!