La Tasca

I haven't gone out to eat at a nice restaurant in what seems like ages (that's one of the downsides to being an enthusiastic home cook!)... so when I was treated to a surprise lunch date on Saturday, I couldn't say no. A morning of shopping followed by tapas is now officially the way to my heart.

Steve took me La Tasca in Windsor, and it couldn't have been more perfect. If it had been a little later in the day, I would have loved to explore the sangria and wine menu... but I was perfectly content with the array of dishes we ordered. Some of the stand-out favorites were the braised pork cheeks, and the potato & octopus gratin.

The setting was really perfect for this time of year... a sort of indoor-meets-outdoor venue, set in the old train station. Strategically placed electric heaters made it warm enough to shed our coats and forget that we were technically outside. It's a must if you're in the area for the day, and screams authentic from the menu down to the imported wait staff. We can't wait to go back!

Cozy

This past weekend was just fantastic. Guess what we did!
Nothing.

House all to ourselves, Steve and I sat in front of the fireplace and binge watched Boardwalk Empire. Peace and quiet, no agenda, no ringing phones, nowhere to go. We just spent some much needed quality time with each other... which is something that's hard to come by when you share a home. It's made us even more anxious for my visa process to be complete, so that I can begin to work and we can get our own place.

Doopy had reign of the whole house for the first time, and was so excited to not be confined to the bedroom or upstairs. He basically slept in front of the fireplace in his box all of Saturday and Sunday. That's right - box. He was given a lovely brand new bed when we arrived here, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Then I brought home a big bread box from Costco two weeks ago, and now it's his favorite bed. I give up.

And I did some late day grocery shopping on Friday evening, which led to me finding these gorgeous autumn flowers in the "clearance" bin. £1 for pretty flowers? You had me at hello.

Wildlife

Miss me? Sorry about that. I've been taking some much-needed time off. Trying to get life in general sorted out, planning a trip back to America (hopefully for Thanksgiving)... it's just been a little overwhelming lately, so I needed to step back and be a little self-centered for a while. That being said, TADAAA! I'm back, fo' sho.

One of the most calming, happy-endorphin-inducing activities I can partake in when stressed or worried, is a nice long walk or hike surrounded by nature. I love this trail that runs along a canal, and how autumnal and peaceful the entire scene was when I spend a Sunday morning exploring it. Families biking together, small houseboats puffing smoke out of their chimney as they probably cooked their breakfasts, and ducks eagerly following passing children in the hopes of some bread being tossed into the water.

Sometimes it's good to detach from reality, however briefly, and re-ground oneself. It's rejeuvenating, refreshing, relaxing.  Happy hump day. Let's get back to business.