29/06/13 - Summertime Catch-Up

It's been a while since I did a chatty lifestyle-y post on here, so I thought it was time we had a little catch-up.  I've officially been home from university for three weeks now and much to my surprise, I've found myself pretty busy.  While I wait for my six-week stint at my old job to start in the middle of July, I've been doing some work experience at a  local theatre which is a great opportunity for me to see if it's something I think I'd like to pursue in the future, as well as giving me something to do.  Unfortunately, voluntary work takes up time but does not provide me with any form of income so I am currently a hermit with no social life unless it's free.  Graduate life can be a little depressing in that sense.

This Tuesday, I had a day off on the most beautifully hot and sunny day we've had for a very long time.  Despite my lack of funds, I treated myself to a catch-up with two of my lovely chummies, Chloe and Rachel, as a last hurrah before I go into hibernation for a week in order to save some money.  We headed to La Tasca where we sat outside and got a little bit pink in the hot midday soon, ate some delicious food (which I didn't photograph) and had a long overdue catch-up.  I love seeing friends that I haven't for a while; there's always so much gossip to discuss!  In order to work off our meal, we hired an odd bike-contraption (I think the official name is 'quadracycle') and took it for a spin up and down the promenade.  By the end our legs ached, our knees were bruised from repeatedly banging against the metal of the frame, and our stomachs ached from laughing so much.  Quadracycle is the only way to travel on a sunny day!

Wednesday was results day and therefore, despite the physical exertions of Tuesday - cycling doesn't usually feature largely in my daily activity - I didn't sleep too well and woke up really early to find that....drum roll...I will be graduating on 9th July with 2:1 degree in English!  I'm so relieved and really happy for all my friends who are as pleased as I am.  Now that that worry is out of the way, I'm getting quite excited for graduation and seeing some of my favourite people again.  I can imagine it'll be quite emotional, especially being back at uni and not being able to go to my old house.

As I've been in work all week, I didn't get to celebrate properly until Friday night.  While my brother was living the high life at someone's party - ahh, teenage house parties, the glamour - my parents and I went out for a meal at this really lovely little restaurant called Scog's.  I'd never been before as it's a little further from home than I usually venture, but if you're ever around the West Kirby area, I would definitely recommend it.

We had fresh bread and dipping oil to start.  The rolls were warm and I like being given a bottle of oil rather than a little dish which I will inevitably wipe clean while there is still bread left.

The menu has a nice range of dishes, including the Holy Grail of eating out with vegetarians; veggie options that aren't entirely dependent on goat's cheese.  While I am a big fan of it (and cheese of any kind, really), my family are not and it's incredibly common for meat to be replaced by goat's cheese.  Having said that, I actually got a goat's cheese option but that isn't the point.

Goat's cheese Wellington, roasted cherry tomatoes, sweet red pepper
coulis with saute potatoes and French beans.

Seared tuna steak on wilted baby spinach with cherry tomatoes, French
beans and olives topped with flakes of parmesan and aged balsamic vinegar

Tagliatelle arabiata, chili, garlic, roasted tomato sauce, peas and courgette
ribbons

As is the way in our family, we all ordered different things and there was a fair amount of tasting going on.  The potatoes with my meal were beautiful - lovely and crispy, and particularly good dipped in the sweet pepper sauce which I was very taken with - and the tuna, which is hidden away under all the trappings, was perfectly cooked and seasoned.  The pasta was delicious; a really fresh sauce rather than tasting overly of tomato and not too spicy.  Overall, very impressed with the quality of the food and I think the portions were just the right size to leave a little space for dessert!

Lemon and lime tart with lemon meringue ice cream

Warm chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream

Caramel sticky toffee pudding with toffee fudge ice cream

I was really impressed with the lemon and lime filling as it had a lovely tartness you don't always get from creamy citrussy desserts, but it wasn't overly sweetened which I appreciated.  The pastry was a little tough but I still really enjoyed it.  The sticky toffee pudding was delicious as well, with a sort of 'burned toffee' flavour which I am a big fan of over a more artificially sweetened sauce...you may see a trend developing here.  Largely I am a savoury or sour girl and I have to be really in the mood for something really sugary.  

And today is Saturday, and all I've done is read in the garden and tidy my room up as it was getting a little out-of-hand messy.  I doubt I'll be doing much of interest tomorrow as we're in the process of preparing our hall, stairs and landing area for the plasterer coming at the start of next week before the decorator comes the week after.  It's all change here!

Sorry that this post is so rambly and probably not fascinating, but I feel like I've been doing a lot of reviews on here recently and less stuff about my actual life.  I hope all of you are doing well and I'm hoping to have lots of exciting things to blog about this summer.

Let me know your summer plans in the comments!