Foodie Post: eating out

I have just got back from our meal feeling totally stuffed and content.
The girls are good company, and in total there were 16 of us, which include the organiser’s husband, daughter, and four year old grand daughter.
In truth, she had mentioned the child a couple of weeks ago, saying she was very well behaved and asked if I minded. I said I wasn’t too worried and asked how everyone else felt. Judging by the comments this week, they weren’t too happy, but went with the flow.

There were two large tables in the huge conservatory of the restaurant and two smaller ones which seated four, so we had plenty of space to move. I’ve been to places where they cram you in like sardines and if you want a potty break, EVERYBODY has to stand up to let you get by.
The little girl was active and wanted to pull all the crackers. She hit her knee and started to wail, her Mum obviously tired as Nanny did most of the supervising. I felt something by my feet under the table and the child was scrabbling around on the floor during our starter. She wanted the toilet next so her mother had to take her.
I had a prawn cocktail, which was very nicely presented with brown bread on the side and a pat of real butter.
Other choices were pate and toast, or carrot and coriander soup.

I chose turkey for my main course , and this was served on a huge platter with roast parsnips in a side dish. The little girl had a smaller plated meal, but for a four year old it was too much. She had three or four mouthfuls which Nanny had to feed her as she wouldn’t feed herself and Grandpa got cross with her so we had more tears.
To accompany the turkey, there were sprouts, carrots, cabbage, yorkshire pudding, stuffing, a pig in a blanket and roast potatoes, again very nicely presented.
Other choices were gammon or smoked mackerel.

For dessert, I opted for cheesecake (what, you’re surprised??) though the little girl had ice cream (two spoonfuls) then wanted to curl up on her Mummy’s lap and go to sleep whilst she was trying to eat her own meal.
There was a mix up with the desserts and her husband had her cheesecake. She’d told him that’s what she’d ordered for him, when in truth it had been Christmas pudding, so she’d had that first, then finished off the ice cream.
Other choices were Belgian Chocolate Mousse or Christmas Pudding.

I apologise for my pictures being so dark, but I still haven’t figured out how to use the flash on my phone camera yet!

I counted 9 bottles of wine, but stuck to soda water as I’m no drinker, and that was free, so tonight has cost me nothing apart from my reindeer which went down very well. I’d taken an extra one for the little girl anyway, which she unwrapped, bounced it across the table cloth, then broke off its head and ate it, leaving the body for Nanny to wrap up and take home. They left first as both were tired, and Mum had an early shift in the morning as she works for a bakers in town.
It was a good night, in good company and the food excellent value for money as the three courses were £13.95.

I left at 9.45, thanking everyone for their generosity and reminding them of our venue for this coming week. Hubby was waiting for me outside with the dog. Apparently, she had  been restless and when he tried to leave her at home, as soon as he shut the door, she started to howl, so he had to bring her with him.  She’s curled up beside me now, fast asleep.