After such a strange year a little bit of normality returned on Sunday evening when we had the pleasure of going out to dinner, albeit socially distanced and in a our own small "work bubble" of 4! But what a joy it was to see again the twinkle of Christmas lights around the beautiful Spa town of Cheltenham and be back in a restaurant again to enjoy their festive decorations.
We were treated to a few personal surprises too! A friend had secretly arrived early and popped gorgeous gift bags of handmade chocolates on each place setting! This has given me the idea of making up a little take home bag filled with locally sourced treats for my own Christmas guests!
We were served, even before ordering, savoury choux buns of cheese and truffles to get our taste buds flowing to compliment the champagne! I will definitely steal this idea and attempt to make these at home served with a glass of bubbly of course, in my favourite flutes!
Each of us had the fun of choosing cocktails a Gingerbread Manhattan and a Tokyo Snow to name a few! A great excuse to get out my cocktail shaker and martini glasses and start experimenting with some fantastic Christmassy flavours at home!
One of my favourite things at Christmas is setting the table, with the contrast of colours and the sparkle it makes, it creates a magical and special feel for your guests. This year I will be focusing on the contrast a lot more with Navy placements and pure white English Bone China Dinner and Starter plates, accompanied with Pearl Handle Cutlery, Taupe Napkins and Silver Napkin Rings to finish it off.
I shall also be filling my home with all types of candles, giving that magical feel as the family walk in!
& to end the day we'll raise a toast with a glass of the iconic Cotswolds Cream liqueur!
All of this has got me thinking that even in these strange times we can still make our own Christmas that little bit extra special with a few personal finishing touches!