Comfort Food!

Goodbye's are always hard, if they are for longer than a few days.

Or maybe i'm just a sensitive person!

My boyfriend has just gone back to uni after an amazing weekend here. We are pretty used to spending time apart, but goodbye's never get any easier! I always shed a little tear or two....

But thank you lord for food! I've already come home and made myself a chocolate fudge cake, it's massive and i'm the only one who is eating it!

I also have ingredients for pancakes! :) So going to have nice thick, fluffy pancakes and maple syrup and blueberries for pudding tonight! And my main meal.....carbohydrates....so cold tuna pasta! :) Lovely

Still wish someone was here to share it with me

TGI Friday! Boo its Sunday!

Had a new experience this weekend!


My boyfriend and I visited TGI Friday in Westfield shopping center Stratford.
I have never been to one before, however it soon became apparent that he had.


It looked very like our sort of place. We both love typical American food, BBQ etc.

I have to admit, once I knew we were going there, I was glazing over the menu pretty much every day leading up to our visit. 


We decided to share a starter of buffalo wings. They were amazing! Slightly spicy and with an amazing blue cheese dip and celery. Such a simple dish, yet it tasted SO GOOD!
For mains we both opted for the half rack BBQ ribs (a full rack looked far too big!) with the shrimp combo. Again, AMAZING. The ribs were so tender, they literally fell off the bone. The chips were amazing too. They served the ribs with a pot of BBQ glaze. Have to say my fingers were rather sticky by the end of it!


I would highly recommend TGI Friday for food, but the other side of it is the bar.  We sat in the bar for a bit while waiting for a table. The bartenders bizzyly creating endless concoctions from a multitude of spirits and liquers.

I've heard that in the menu, there are over 500 different types of cocktails to choose from......
I did a quick calculation:
If you averaged at 4 visits per year, having 2 cocktails on each visit....
It would take you 62 years to work your way through the entire menu!


I'd be 83 by the time i'm finished!


So what did we have? 
We both went for large, served in a MASSIVE glass, resembling a goldfish bowl. I started with "Purple Rain", a deliciously naughty blend of rum, vodka, blue curaco, chambord and grenadine. While my boy had Barbados iced tea, a tropical take of the traditional Iced tea with vodka, triple sec, barcadi, malibu and pineapple juice.


We finished those ones too quickly though. So, what a shame, had to order another with the meal! :)
This time my boyfriend had the Purple Rain, and I had a Beverly Hills Iced tea, created entirely from alcohol! Rum, Vodka, Triple Sec, Gin and Champagne!


So looking forward to going back again! I hope it is soon!
I've signed my boyfriend up to the birthday club! (it's his 20th in July!) with a voucher for free cocktails!!! :) He doesn't know this yet.........well.....he does now!

Good Olde Pub Grub!

I can lie in bed now with my digestive biscuits and a honey, lemon and Whisky.
Oh woe is me! LOL


I'm actually quite hungry. (I always am hungry)
So let's talk about and drool over traditional English pub grub!


Everything from traditional beer battered fish and chips, to a steak and kidney pie. I love pub grub!
Pub grub is traditionally quite greasy and massive portions. Maybe this is linked to the location and the owners feel they can get away with cheap/ greasy food as most of the people eating there will maybe be slightly intoxicated.


Nowadays, many pubs are moving in a more gourmet/ gastropub direction. 
The usual very limited menus are now being replaced with a wide variety of continental dishes. One can walk into most pubs and order pizza, pasta, tapas, calamari and curry.

What do I like eating at the pub? 
I would much rather eat a starter and a main, than a dessert. 
Calamari, brie, bread and olives and starter platters are amongmy favourite starters.
For mains (this list could be long):
scampi, pie, burgers, bbq chicken, pork belly (damn im actually drooling right now!) I would avoid a pub on a Sunday though. I have yet to find a PERFECT pub sunday lunch!


I'm also a massive sauce fan! I'm a bit saucy! I like to have sauce on everything.
Mayonaise, Ketchup, Tartare, Salad Cream, Vinegar, Salt....I pile on the sauce!


Okay, craving chips and gravy right now!

Maxibon

Please tell me someone else remembers these ice creams?!!!??

                                    Maxibon

They were basically like an ice-cream sandwich. One side was vanilla ice-cream covered in milk chocolate with crushed biscuits and hazelnuts. The other side was vanilla ice-cream with cookie pieces, sandwiched between 2 cookies. 

The sandwiched cookie side was THE BEST! I would eat the other side first, and then savor every mouthful of the cookie! Cookies and cream ice-cream is one of the best, and this was no exception. 

My older brother first introduced me to these in the early 2000's. Yet I have not seen any of them recently. A couple of years ago I had one, but the ice-cream was yellow?! I think they were trying a new flavour

(looking on wikipedia, it was apparently honeycomb)

But this new ice-cream ruined it!

Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Sandwich, I live off these when i'm in America

Somebody somewhere in the U.K just needs to create a new ice cream. Just plain simple vanilla ice cream sandwiched between 2 cookies/biscuits/ brownie. 

I would buy it! They have them elsewhere in the world, why not here???

Jalepenos

It's another random one people! :-)


And another love declaration, this time, for Jalepenos.

Only last year, I would remove any traces of these small, chilli peppers from my food, mainly nachos and fajittas. 


Yet, about 2 weeks ago, I was ordering pizza from Dominos, and I decided to change from my usual "Vegetarian Supreme" to "Veggie Volcano" pretty much the same toppings but with Jalepenos added. 

And I loved them! I'm pretty hooked on them now. Before, I'd always thought they had a different taste.....a bit like Tabasco sauce, (WHICH IS GROSS!!!!) So i'd avoided and always handed them to someone who would actually eat them. 


Just another food to add to my list now. I'm rather looking forward to my potential next plate of nachos, covered with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and JALEPENOS!

Cheese Balls

I just wanted to show my appreciation for this rather fantastic product!!!

I love them
My mum got me onto them about 5 months ago. And i'm happy right now knowing that I have at least 5 BIG packets downstairs.


Like Pringles they are VERY moreish. 


That is all :)
I'm now tired from a busy day, and have a busy day tomorrow.
Night everyone!
Peace out!
x

Cheese Board

I love cheeseboards.
We had a family get together yesterday and mum decided to offer a cheeseboard. On one of our gorgeous green platters she neatly displayed: Brie, Cheddar, Shropshire Blue, Bavarian Smoked, Port Salut and a bunch of grapes.


That is my idea of heaven, and give me a good caramalised onion chutney and some crackers and i'm gone.


That selection above is perfect for me. I love all of those.


In 2010 i visited the Wensleydale cheese factory, something that I really wanted to do. I loved it. I was fascinated by the history of how cheese was made (don't call me sad, you would be too) and watching the cheese being made with modern technology. I'm hoping that one day I will be able to make cheese completely from scratch. From milking the cow/ goat - serving it at the table, I want to be part of the whole process.


Then the tasting. WOW! They have a cold room to the side of the shop where all the cheeses were displayed, all cut into neat little cubes just waiting for me. I could have spent all day there! I was standing there for rather a long time, people had come and gone in that time! They had everything from cheddar to Wensleydale with every kind of extra ingredient you can imagine:
Chive, Onion, Cranberry, Apricot, Ginger, Smoked - just to name a few!

I can't remember which ones I bought, but definitely bought at least 2 packets! If I wasn't camping I would have bought so many more! I even sent a packet of Wallace & Gromit cheese in the post to my family. They have an online shop: http://www.wensleydale.co.uk/shop/ go and check it out!


I am determined to return to the factory soon. If I am ever that way again, I may just accidentally pop in! 

Chocolate for happiness

So how does it make us happy? 
Chocolate contains small amounts of Tryptophan, which is used by the brain to make Serotonin, that makes us feel happy.
Chocolate also contains traces of Phenylethylalanine which fights depression and gives us a feeling of euphoria, similar to falling in love.


When a girl is in a grumpy mood, wrong time of month and all that....the best thing you boys can do is give her chocolate.
Dark chocolate is better for us as due to its high cocoa content we need less to satisfy us.

Im going through a bad stage at the moment, and despite living off Monster energy drink, I have just scoffed 2 Yorkie Bars. Not so good for the diet. But gives me the calming kick that I need right now. 

P.I.E

So, people who know me well, will know that I am a bit of a foodie!

Pie is one of my favorites.I will happily have it served with almost anything! 
Chips, Mash, Beans, Greens, Gravy just to name a few savory sides.


Pies first appeared around 9000BC. They became popular among those having to make long travels with very few stops for food such as sailors, due to their easy to store and long shelf life nature. 

My favorite savory pie fillings include:

Steak and Ale, Beef and Onion, Chicken, Sausage, Pork, Quiche. (I have even had a Brussels sprout pie!)

Favorite sweet pies would include apple, pumpkin, blackberry, mince, pecan and custard. ALL savory pies (expect mince) should be served with custard in my opinion!

ANY fool will know that the quickest way to MY heart is PASTRY!


Of course I will have to give you all my most favorite pie recipe. This recipe is so simple everyone can do it, from students to OAP's.


SAUSAGE MEAT PIE
Sausagemeat 1lb
1 Onion finely diced
Few leaves of fresh sage (or dried sage will do)
1 Egg
1 Packets of shortcrust pastry


1. Cook the onion until brown
2. Mix in a bowl the sausagemeat,, sage and add the onion
3. Roll the pastry out and cut a circle out to fit both the base of your pie and the top.
4. Place the base in the dish and spoon in the meat mixture.
5.. Put the pastry lid on the pie, use the egg whites to seal the edges and the yolk to give the pie a golden crust.
6. Cook for 40 minutes at 180-200 celcius.


ET VOILA!

ZUMBA AND DOMINO'S

I DID BOTH!


1 hour of zumba and then a medium veg pizza

Nandos...How spicy do YOU go?

I must just take this time to show my appreciation for this rather delightful company!


Founded in 1987 in South Africa this once small company has now spread across 30 countries like a bout of bird flu! I mean that in a good way!


Specializing in chicken, with very little else on the menu, they like to cook it in one of their unique marinades. Customers can choose from:
Plain, Lemon and Herb, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot and XX Hot! (Occasionally Mango and Lime or Mediterranean are also on the menu)


So my usual is to go for a plain marinade, and then I can add my own SPICE at their "Sauce Station". Large bottles of sauces stand proud on the shelves among bottles of ketchup, salad dressing and vinaigrette. I like to add Garlic sauce, Ketchup and salad dressing to my butterfly chicken and double chips!


On one occasion I sat opposite someone who decided to pour a rather large amount of XX HOT sauce onto his plate, consequently spending the rest of his meal sniffing and wiping tears from his eyes.
Again I must point out that this so called "Hot Sauce Hero" was in-fact my boyfriend, and as it was our first time to Nando's together (and my first time ever) I still hold the fact that he was trying to prove a point! - No matter what his excuse is otherwise!

So, in a perfect situation my ideal meal at a Nando's resaurant would be:
Starter of houmous and olives followed by butterfly chicken breast and double chips
Washed down with a bottomless drink


The bottomless drink is a novel way of filling up their customers so they are too full to finish any food!


I wasn't always a butterfly chicken girl! I used to quite like the half chicken, however having once been served said dish with a visible deep fried leg and foot! I was rather put off the idea!


So, if you have not tried it before, now is your chance! I can guarantee you will be converted! I certainly was, and now in order for any town to be considered good (in my eyes) it MUST have a Nando's!