Something From the Weekend.....

Remembering the weekend to brighten up Monday blues........

Breakfast on the balcony

Exploring Sutton Park (Birmingham)

Lakeside Miller & Carter's in Sutton Park

Lakeside lunch

Enjoying some shade!

Who would have thought miles & miles of this existed near the centre of Birmingham?

Sunday in the beer garden...perfect!

Hurry up Friday!

Rum & Ginger Cocktail Jars

Just what you need on a hot day like today, I made these the other day when we had family round and they went down just nicely!

You don't have to use jam jars but they do give it that little something extra and I just recycled some old food jars so they were super cheap - just make sure you wash them thoroughly! I like to scrub them, leave them to soak in boiling water and then pop them upside down on a wire rack and put them in the oven on the lowest heat for 5-10 minutes. I know his is how you sterilise jars for jam but at least you will know they are the cleanest of clean, you don't want old pasta sauce in your cocktail!

All you need is:

25ml Dark Rum

100ml Ginger Ale

Basil

Teaspoon of Sugar

Slice of Lime

Fill the jar with ice - add rum - squeeze in a bit of the juice from the lime slice - top up with ginger ale - stir in sugar and basil leaves (I like to tear up some bigger basil leaves in half to release a little flavour) - garnish with your squeezed slice of lime. Enjoy!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Bargain Find: Cocktail Trolley

Look at this little gem! Sorry about the photo, it does not do it justice....

I've been looking for a cocktail trolley for aaaaaages and having scoured every charity shop, antique shop and carboot I had given up hope and was looking at buying an Ikea version - spraying the metal legs gold and trying to make it look a little more authentic and retro.

Then the other weekend while we were walking through a little town in Wales, we passed an antiques shop and outside in the rain, covered in other bits of furniture and looking very unloved there was this little trolley waiting to be bought..................it was meant to be and at £10 it was a total steal!

It's perfect for putting all my drinks and fancy glasses out on display - check out Lauren's blog for some cocktail inspiration, it's one of those blogs you will want to start from the very beginning and read every post! - now I just need to buy some accessories! Update to follow...

Cheese?? Yes please!

Last weekend we had a little birthday break in Wales - see here and here  - and while we were reluctantly driving home we stumbled across Monkland cheese & dairy farm. When I say stumble it was more like we were drawn in out of pure curiosity, and it wasn't due to hunger thanks to Muiread & Ciaran's mega breakfast! We were hit by a smell that I can only describe as burying your nose in a box of Camembert with a slight Stilton top, it's not to everyone's taste, but as two huge cheese lovers we at least had to stop and see (and buy half the shop!).

It was just off the main road, a very small driveway and car park with a little shop and a few tables and benches outside - for the size of the place it was busy! They were constantly serving, but there was never a queue and there were loads of samples to try or you could try before you buy on any of the cheeses at the counter. They also did tea, sandwiches / lite bites and homemade cakes, which all looked delicious!

We ended up trying about five different cheeses and walking away with three (even though we could have bought the whole counter!) - a smoked Hereford, Isle of Avalon and a Blue Monk - I think I have the names right? Either way they all tasted amazing, especially with some of my Aunty's home made plum, apple, date & apricot chutney we already had in the cupboard.

We also bought some crackers and a home made mustard - they also sell jams, chutneys, home made ciders and wines, and biscuits.

Definitely a great place for a pit-stop when driving through - check out the website they do cheese experience days!

http://www.monklandcheesedairy.co.uk

Exploring the Valleys

We recently spent the night in Wales at the most amazing guest house (here) and decided we wanted to make the most of the two days and explore the local area as much as possible. We ended up finding so much to see and do we will be going back to stay again!

We found a group of reservoirs in the Elan Valley not far from the B&B and decided to head that way, going with the flow rather than making a plan. We started at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre where we were given a map and off we went on our adventure.......

As you climb higher be prepared to disappear into the clouds! There was a bit of mist and drizzle in places so it was frizzy hair aplenty. The views are breathtaking and standing on top of the dams you can see for miles.

TOP TIP: Take a picnic! The only cafe we saw was at the beginning and there are so many picnic spots with great views you will miss out on.

I took waaay too many photos as usual.....

After all that adventuring we were ready for some good food and a comfy bed, so until next time.....

A Millionaires Birthday Cake

The other day was the BF's birthday and I decided that an ordinary birthday cake just wouldn't cut it, but a Millionaires slice would!

I followed a really easy recipe from the Carnation website, I changed a few things to suit me and what was available, mainly the chocolate topping - I used equal parts of dark and milk chocolate instead of just milk as I find it gives it more of a rich, chocolate flavour - I then marbled the top with white chocolate using a spoon handle.

It was really simple and easy to make and there is no major baking involved, but I think it looks really effective and special.

Recipe below, enjoy!

With freshly marbled chocolate topping, yum!

Little candle arrangement with recycled food jars - simple but effective!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

250g Digestive biscuits, crushed

55g melted butter

150g butter

150g soft brown sugar

397g can of condensed milk (I used Carnation)

100g dark chocolate

100g milk chocolate

55g white chocolate

Extras:

square brownie tin

greaseproof paper

Method:

1. Line your brownie tin with the greaseproof paper making sure the paper overlaps the edges of the tin

2. Combine the crushed biscuits and the melted butter, press firmly into the tin and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes

3. Heat the sugar and remaining butter in a non-stick pan, gently stirring, until melted. Add the condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil, stirring continuously. Cook until the filling has thickened. Pour the caramel over the biscuit base. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge until set

4. Melt the dark and milk chocolate in one bowl and the white chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the dark / milk chocolate mixture over the caramel, then add spoonfuls of the white chocolate dotted over the top. Using the end of the spoon (preferably a metal tablespoon - I used a chopstick!) slowly run it through the chocolate in a zig-zag shape. Turn the tray 90 degrees and again run a zig-zag through the chocolate. You can perfect this to look how you want it - try doing big wide zig-zags or really small ones

5. Chill until set. Remove from the tin and cut into sqaures - dip your knife in hot water (dry water off before using) to make it easier to cut through the chocolate. ( I did not manage to make perfect squares, the chocolate kept cracking, I think it had been in the fridge too long. If this happens leave out for a minute or two before cutting)

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks

Rhedyn Guest House: The Best Kept Secret in Wales..........

At the weekend I planned a birthday weekend away for the BF, it was just for one night so I wanted somewhere nearby-ish so we wouldn't have to spend the whole two days just driving to get there. I also wanted somewhere a little bit secluded, surrounded by fields and views, a small, quiet B&B type place that had a comfy bed, some quirky features, nice touches and not far from a nice restaurant for a celebratory meal and a few drinks.........then I stumbled across a place that had all those boxes ticked plus more!! Cue link........

http://www.rhedynguesthouse.co.uk/

This place was so fabulous I'm a little reluctant to share this review with the world, but I also want to let everyone know it exists!

You can read the info on the website or the comments and reviews on TripAdvisor but the best way I say is to just book a night and see for yourself!

P.S. Don't forget to book in for dinner, have a stroll around the garden and relax!

Here are a few photos from our visit:

            

Blogger Beware!

Found this article posted online and thought I'd share as I had no idea (or a little naive)......

http://www.blogher.com/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-using-photos-your-blog-my-story

I am a very new blogger (less than a week in this vast internet world!) and I knew about disclaimers and linking photos back to people / sites etc, but it turns out this may not cover your back as well as I thought.

I'm making a conscious effort to only use my own photos or ask permission where possible, but if anyone has any tips or advice for me as a total newbie it would be much appreciated as something like this sets the scary feelings off! 

Birthday Burgers

Last night was a night of good food and good company! It was a friend's birthday and she fancied a low key night at the Handmade Burger Co.

"...a restaurant that would make everything by hand, using only the freshest & finest ingredients in the land" (from the website) 

You can see everything being made in the open plan kitchen and I can recommend the Cajun spiced chips!

 http://handmadeburger.co.uk/our-food/menu/ - Check out the menu.

At the end of the meal it was the present swap. I do like to give my own handmade gifts when I can, it always feels a bit more personal and special, plus I feel like I have achieved something! Whether I'm learning a new skill or getting better at an old one.

This is the hand stamped spoon I gave as one of the birthday gifts - this is only my second attempt, it is definitely a working progress, so be kind! - a simple 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' and I also stamped her name on the handle but blurred it out for my friend's privacy.

My previous stamping attempt involved a fork but it was even worse than the spoon so I won't make it worse with pictures.....I am aspiring to get all the letters at least straight and even! But it is a working progress. I did find some great hints and tips though while I was researching so I will follow up with a tutorial soon.

In The Beginning......

Welcome to my first post! This is the nerve wracking bit, so 'Hi', thanks for reading this and I hope you check back soon when (hopefully!) more posts have been added.......

Jx