Pulled Coca Cola Gammon

So last Monday was a bit of a Bank Holiday wash out, but personally I saw this as a good thing, a day for pyjamas, lounging, cooking and baking!

I've been wanting to try this gammon recipe for a while and I've seen lots of versions of it but never actually tried the finished product.......I can tell you it was not a disappointment!

We bought a small-ish joint for the two of us, knowing there would be left overs, but we were surprised at how much left over there actually was! There has been enough to also make a puff pastry quiche and a gammon and leek pie! I'll share these recipes soon because they're so simple they need sharing.

The finished product!

With pulled pork and brioche buns becoming so popular on all the menus at the minute it was only a matter of time before they started stocking them on the supermarket shelves. I've found it's taken a while to get hold of the brioche buns though, they mainly have choc chips in, but managed to find these bad boys in Aldi, they tasted amazing and at just over 60p for four a bargain too!

Aldi special - brioche buns

All you need is:

* a joint of gammon (we had unsmoked)

* 2 litre bottle of coca-cola (enough to cover the meat and the cheap stuff is fine!)

* brioche buns (or the bun of your choice)

So there are two ways of doing this - the way I had planned on cooking it and the way it ended up being cooked - try both and see what works for you!

First 'Planned' Way - put joint in your slow cooker and cover with coca-cola, leave to cook on medium/high for 6 hours. Run a fork over the meat and it will be 'stringy' when it is cooked (also check the middle!)

Second Way - put a big stew pot on the hob at a high heat, fill with bottle of coca-cola and place meat in pot. Bring to the boil and turn down to simmer at a medium heat for about 3 hours, or until meat is cooked

Place joint in a dish and use two forks to pull meat apart, serve as you wish!

We had ours with BBQ sauce, a little bit of mustard and some cheese, yum...

Some healthy veggies for balance!

Something From the Weekend......

A bit late than normal, I'll blame it on the Bank Holiday.....happy hump day!

New favourite - avocado & tomato on toast - thanks Rosie - The Londoner

Cupcakes from the local market - four different flavours, which one to eat first...

Fresh baked bread from the local market

Market & craft fair on the river front - supporting local crafters

Sunday river walk - 8 miles off the beaten track

Plum crumble - feeling homely

Pulled gammon with mustard & BBQ sauce in a brioche bun - perfect!

Gin Prosecco Cocktail

I am so looking forward to this Bank Holiday weekend.....three days off.....pure bliss! So here's a cocktail to kick it all off, perfect for this time of year, when you're not ready to let go of refreshing Summer flavours but not quite feeling an ice cold blast.

This drink is so simple, strangely warming as well as refreshing and quite strong! I found this a bit of a treat rather than an all night drinking buddy!

25ml lemon juice

25ml Gin

a glass of Prosecco

Fill a flute glass with your lemon juice (25ml is about half a lemon - adjust to personal taste) and Gin then top with Prosecco. Use a peeler to garnish with a curl of lemon peel. Done. Enjoy!

Hotel Du Vin Birmingham: Afternoon Tea

An amazing place to meet up for afternoon tea, hidden a little off the main streets so you can escape the crowds and relax. 

The first time we went they sat us in the Bubble Lounge on big comfy sofas, but with cocktails, fizz and food that is a dangerous mix that only encourages a nap! So we were happy to be sat in the Bistro this time.

The Bistro

The calm before the storm in a teacup!

The spoils - the selection of cakes and sandwiches to get us through an afternoon of gossip

The macaroons were blueberry, chocolate & mint chocolate....

It just would not be the same without some bubbles!

Something From the Weekend......

Afternoon Tea at Hotel Du Vin

Freshly poured bubbles...

Cheering on the guys - charity bike ride Lands End to John O'Groats - le2jog.co.uk

Freak weather - rain clouds & rainbows

Cocktails - because it wouldn't be the weekend without them!

Have a good week everyone!

Travel: Gdansk

I try and post a couple of times a week, but last week was just one of those.......everyday was busy, I had to spend a couple of days in Gdansk, Poland, for work and so this weekend was spent mainly in pyjamas and catching up on all the tv series I've fallen behind on.

To be honest if it wasn't for the fact we have meetings here visiting Gdansk would never have even crossed my mind, but it's such a beautiful place with lovely little streets and hidden shops, not far from the seaside with a square, a sandy beach and pier, and it has some lovely restaurants with amazing food. We've visited a number times and try to eat at a different place each visit and I can honestly say the food has been great every time.

Gdansk Old Town Square

Square with local market

Small side street off from the square

Walkway along Motlawa River

Amazing food at Goldwasser on the river..... 

Prawn starter

Pierogi main - simple but tasty - a local dish

If you're after a cheap city break I would say give it a try, with Poland out of the Euro, hotels and restaurants are pretty reasonable. In the Winter the weather can reach some extremes - two winters ago it hit -20 degrees Celsius / -4 Fahrenheit! - but they do have nice mild to warm Summers, so check the weather before you go but it's not too different from the UK.

Hotel Recommendations: Qubus Hotel / Mercure Hotel

Restaurant Recommendations: Goldwasser / Tekstylia

Things to do: Local markets all year (indoor & outdoor) / trip to the beach  in Sopot / explore all the side streets / shopping in Galeria Handlowa Madison

Bon Voyage!

Something From the Weekend.....

A busy weekend of catching up with family, shopping, wedding planning for a friend, getting creative and recovering from a vodka night.....happy Monday!

Starting a new project on my Great-Grandma's wardrobe

Pimms, surely this is one of my 5-a-day??

Pulled pork burger and chips with the skins left on at Arco Lounge

Photo op at Warwick Castle - swan pedalos included

Sunday stroll in the sunshine

Aloe Vera: The Amazing Plant

I will be the first to admit I am a plant killer, no matter how hard I try they always end up dying, either by over or under watering, too much or too little sunlight and for some reason Basil plants hate my kitchen! So when a friend gave me a potted Aloe cutting I accepted it graciously, wondering if it knew it's days were numbered.

This little trooper had about four leaves when I got it......look how happy it is!

But this little plant is a toughy! I read up on basic care and it worked - it even had babies - or pups as they are also known - it was a litter! These little guys can be re-potted really easily and given as gifts or party favours and everyone will love them because they are so easy to look after (gift wrapping post to follow).

Re-homing the litter

Also don't forget all the great stuff it can do, check out this link for 40 uses for your Aloe Vera plant - 40 Amazing Uses For Aloe Vera

Just to name a few:

*Banish bruises
*Soothe sunburn
*Buffing bodyscrubs
*Take the itch out of rashes and insect bites
*Blister relief
*General moisturiser
*Antidote to skin allergies
*Treat spots and acne
*Prevent scarring & stretchmarks
*Reduces wrinkles and signs of aging

Does anyone have anything else to add to the list? Let me know!