Restaurant Dinners

I have been to a restaurant  twice. Both times were for very special occasions, birthdays. We went to an Italian restaurant both times. It served wonderful food.

The first time was for Imogen's eighteenth. We decided to eat pizza.

We sat at our table talking and laughing while the chef made our pizzas. After a little while heaps of lovely smells came out of the kitchen and over to my nose. It was delightful.

It took quite a while for the pizzas to cook, but it was worth it. The pizzas were yummy. Callum and I ate nearly a whole prawn pizza between us. Everyone else was too busy eating the chicken pizza. I didn't like that one quite as much as the prawn one.

The next time we went to the restaurant was for Callum's twenty first. Mum said we could have either pizza or pasta. Callum, Duncan and I went for the pizza. Everyone else had pasta.

Once more wonderful smells came out of the kitchen. I could not wait.

Once more we talked while we waited for our pizzas and told stories until the waiter served us. It felt so strange but royal to be served.

The pizza was once again delicious. I could have eaten three times as much as I did, but I didn't. I saved myself for the lovely dessert that was to come.

I love going to the restaurant, but with a family as big as mine we don't get to go too often. It is all the more fun when we do go though.

The good thing about the Italian restaurant is that if you don't eat all your pizza or salad before you want to go home, you can take it home with you.

The next big birthdays are Charlotte's 18th and Imogen's 21st in 2015. Will we have to wait until then for our next restaurant dinner?

Have you been out to dinner?

Dad

I have a wonderful Dad! He is very funny and is always making us laugh.

"Dad would you like to play a board game with Gemma-Rose and me?" I ask as I enter his room.

"Sure." Dad stops what he is doing and comes with me and Gemma-Rose to play whatever board game it is we want to play. I don't know many dads who would do that.

"Will you make toad in the hole please, Dad?" I am begging for one of my favourite dinners.

"We had that last week and the week before," Dad says.

"We have sausages in the freezer," I beg. Next thing I know Dad is making toad in the hole for dinner. He is wonderful.

It comes to dinner time and we all sit down to eat. The toad in the hole is wonderful, but we soon find out that Dad has made a dessert too. It is a dessert he used to eat as a boy, spotted dick. It is the first time I have tried it, but it is wonderful.

On the weekends when Gemma-Rose and I are going to watch a movie we always invite Dad along and more often than not he joins us as we watch one of our favourite movies.

"Dad will you come for a run with us tomorrow morning as you're not working?" I beg.

Next morning Dad is out there on the tracks outdoing us. He is a lot of fun.

"Dad can you make a trifle, please?" we beg, and so Dad makes a really big trifle with the thickest custard ever. Yum!

"Can I come shopping with you please, Dad?" I ask as Dad is heading out the door to do the shopping.

"Sure, go get your shoes," I rush off and soon I am pushing the trolley around the supermarket helping Dad with the shopping.

When we go swimming Dad often hops in the pool with us and plays games. It is not quite so fair when he cheats, but none of us mind. He is too much fun!

I love my Dad! I bet he is the best dad in the world!

Herbs or Spices?

It was Sunday and the dinner was almost cooked. I I decided to make a dessert. After flipping though a cook book I found one at last. It was called Bread and Sultana Custard.

I asked Mum  if I could try and make it. Mum said yes. I love to make new desserts on my own.

I got all the ingredients out then got to work. I soon had it finished and in the oven.

When dinner time came we all had a big helping of my dessert

 Imogen asked, "What is in this dessert?"

I answered "Bread. milk, sugar  and mixed herbs."

"I dont think that you mean mixed herbs but mixed spices." said Mum. "There would be green bits in it if it was mixed herbs."

"There are green bits in it," Imogen said. "Mum I think these are mixed herbs, not mixed spices"

I said "Oh no! I put the wrong thing in it."

"Oh well it tastes nice anyway," said Charlotte. "Just don't tell Duncan and he will never know".

If you want to make this dessert here it is:

Ingredients:

15ml/1 tbsp low-fat spread

3 thin slices of bread, crusts removed

475ml/16fl oz/2 cups skimmed milk

2.5ml/1/2 tsp mixed spice

45ml/3 tbsp white sugar

2 eggs, whisked

75g/3 oz/1/2 cup sultanas

freshly grated nutmeg

a little icing sugar, for dusting

Serves 4

1 Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ and lightly grease an oven proof dish.

Spread the bread with low-fat spread and cut into small pieces.

2 Place the bread in several layers in the prepared dish.

3 Whisk together the skimmed milk, mixed spice, demerara sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl. pour the mixture over the bread, covering it all. Sprinkle over the sultanas and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

4 Grate a little nutmeg over the top bake for 30-40 minutesuntil the custard is set and golden. Serve spinkled with icing sugar.

I did not take any photos of the dessert so I can not put any in.