I have been wanting to do a theme night for a while now, so I made it part of my September bucket list. As I wanted it to be a romantic evening, I decided it had to have an Italian theme.

I decorated the table with a red checked cloth to make it look authentic. I added candles and a rosemary plant. You can not have an Italian meal without Prosecco, it is a perfect accompaniment.
With olive bread and olives too, this is a winner.

Starter  - Bruschetta with tomato and basil.

1. Toast ciabatta slices on a hot griddle pan for about 3 minutes each side. Leave to cool a little.
2. Quarter the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Tear in the basil then add the oil, salt and pepper. Mix together, cover and leave for a few minutes.
3. Lightly rub the garlic on both sides of each slice.
4. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture on each slice of bread and place on serving board or plate.
5. Drizzle with the remaining juices, then enjoy.

Main - Tagliatelle with prawns and creamy Marsala sauce.

1. Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan over a low heat then fry the shallots and walnuts for 2 minutes.
2. Over a medium heat add the prawns and tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the Marsala wine and cook for another minute.
4. Pour in the cream and the balsamic vinegar, and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
5. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until 'al dente'. Drain and then tip back into the same pan.
6. Pour in the cream sauce with the parsley. Toss everything together for about 30 seconds and serve. 

1. Put the drinking chocolate and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool when dissolved.
3. Whip the cream in a bowl until you can make soft peaks.
4. Add the mascarpone, sugar and vanilla extract and whisk for 10 seconds.
5. Dip 4 biscuits into the chocolate milk for a couple of seconds on each side and put one on the base of each desert dish. 
6. Share out half of the mascarpone cream between the dishes, to cover the biscuits.
7. Add layers of biscuits and cream, depending on the dishes, finishing with a layer of the cream.
8. Chill for one hour.
9. Serve with chocolate flakes on each dessert.

For lunch we decided to have roast chicken with pearl barley, instead of lamb, for a change. I used a recipe from the River Cottage Everyday cookbook. It was delicious and I will definitely make it again as it went down a treat with the family. Empty plates all round!

For dessert we had a chocolate nest cake and chocolate mini egg buns. I did cheat here as I went to Marks and Spencers and saw this heavenly cake and thought to myself that it would so much better (and easier) to buy this.

I decorated the sideboard with chocolate eggs and daffodils, it is really versatile as I can dress it up for any occasion. My girls think I am obsessed with bunting but I love it and it always makes the room look inviting and pretty.

What have you done for Easter this year?

This was my table setting for a romantic meal for two that S and myself had on Valentines Day. I love the French shabby chic look so I tried to recreate it for the evening. Prosecco adds the finishing touch! Can you tell how much I love the colour pink?

Smoked salmon with prawns, horseradish cream and lime vinaigrette.
What a delicious and stunning starter! An easy twenty minutes of preparation and voila! The flavours all work so well together; a real taste of heaven! A real dinner party pleaser! The beauty of this recipe is you can make it in advance. I will definitely be making this for a meal with friends.

Stuffed chicken breast wrapped in pancetta


Another dinner party special! Simple and easy to prepare, this dish had a real wow factor! I didn't expect this to be as good as it was with it being so simple to make, but I was sooooo wrong! Melt in the mouth food!

Raspberry and rose trifles