Ten happy things – October 18

I am so late with this post but better late than never! October was a busy month and here are ten things that made me happy and that I’m grateful for.

Cooking with Parma Ham

I was invited to a Parma Ham workshop at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cooking school to cook two delicious dishes, using Parma Ham, with Chef David Duverger. Apart from burning my arm with hot oil, it was such a great night! 

A birthday stay at Sopwell House

It was my husband’s birthday so for one of his presents, I took him to Sopwell House in St Albans for the night. We stayed in one of the exclusive Mews Suites and also ate dinner at The Restaurant. It’s a gorgeous hotel and we’ll definitely be back. 

Exploring St Albans

We’ve only been to St Albans once for my friend Zoe’s birthday dinner, even though we’ve lived just 15 minutes on a train from it for 11 years! We finally got to visit it when we went to Sopwell House for the night. St Albans is a gorgeous town with lots to do. It’s very pretty too and the Cathedral is just spectacular.  

Judging the Social CEOs Awards

Last year I won Best Trustee on Social at the Social CEOs Awards, which was an absolute honour. This year I was invited to be a judge and it was a great experience and a pleasure to serve alongside my fellow judges. Congratulations to all the winners!

Autumn leaves

The best thing about the days and nights getting colder is the autumnal leaves. I’ve spotted some absolute beauties whilst out and about but this building covered in red leaves in St Albans was my favourite. 

Dreamy mac and cheese

The Mac Factory hosted a launch party at their new pop-up restaurant in Debenhams on Oxford Street and I got to go along. I love mac and cheese and this was such a gooey, delicious and naughty treat! I still think about it often which means it’s time to go back and have some more.

Coffee with Connie

The lovely Connie of Connie Consumes is back in London after an epic adventure around Asia. We met up for coffee one morning before work so that I could give her a cookbook I had that she wanted (and quite frankly, I never used). It was so lovely to see her and have a catch up! 

Exciting TV for the cold nights

One of the best things about autumn and winter is what’s on TV! I mean, it has to be good because who wants to be outside in the cold when you could be all cosy on your sofa? We binged watched the second series of Making a Murderer, we started watching House of Cards (yup, so late to the party) and Masterchef the Professionals is back on telly! Hurrah! 

Delicious meal at Masque in Mumbai

I booked dinner at Masque when we were in Mumbai. It’s a modern Indian restaurant and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Well, it was fabulous! The concept is a ten course, fine dining experience which is based on which ingredients are in season. 

It was my favourite dining experience in Mumbai and I’d highly recommend it if you ever visit. We even got a picture with all the lovely staff in the kitchen after! 

Exploring Mumbai

We were in Mumbai for 5 nights (more of that in another blog post!) and absolutely loved it. India is fascinating, both from a cultural and historical perspective and we enjoyed exploring the bustling, vibrant and colourful city that is Mumbai. 

So that was my October! How did your month go? I’d love to hear what made you happy and what you’re grateful for.