tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13472119990305396012024-03-05T19:11:14.953+00:00Bits and Bobs BecsThe lifestyle blog of a girl who loves words, hates coconut and hopes life is a giant plate of bits and bobs. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-81744116093379760762013-06-16T20:05:00.001+01:002013-06-16T20:38:49.167+01:00The odd things too much cake can make you do: a trip to Bettys, YorkFirst up - apologies. I have been a bad, bad blogger. You might be mistaken for thinking that I came down with some kind of fatal food poisoning since my trip to <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/handmade-burger-co-proves-that-burgers.html">Handmade Burger Co</a> in April. Rest assured, I'm very much alive and well - obviously this here blog is proof that I'm not a modern day Blogger Jesus. Instead, I've been busy wedding organising, celebrating (a lot), contemplating moving house, trying to get a bit fitter, and generally being a bit, well, busy.<br />
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But fear ye not, I'm back. And today I'll be talking about something exceptionally important and close to my heart - CAKE. And afternoon tea. Oh my. This is what dreams are made of.<br />
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Since we came back from Croatia, I've been attempting to be good on the food front. You know the drill - no naughty-ness, lots of salad, more vegetables than Mr McGregor's garden, counting Weight Watchers points until they come out of my ears and absolutely no cake. Boring boring boring. Of course, however, I made an exception for this bad boy - made by my brilliant friend Sophie in honour of our engagement and containing two of my most favourite things in the entire world -<a href="http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=7041242"> chocolate and Diet Coke</a>. How could I say no to a slice of that?<br />
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Anyway, you get the picture. Over the past two months, the lbs have gradually started to drop off but I have been dreaming of cake. So you can imagine my excitement when two of the Mr's lovely friends from Uni bought us a voucher for champagne afternoon tea at <a href="http://www.bettys.co.uk/">Bettys</a> (which mysteriously doesn't have an apostrophe - but don't let that put you off).<br />
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Bettys is somewhat of a Yorkshire institution. When I first decided to move to God's Own County for university my mother dearest could hardly contain her excitement of a) having a child-free house and b) having an excuse for regular trips to Bettys. Founded in 1919, the company now has six tea rooms across Yorkshire and a successful mail order company. Although the queues for their tea rooms often stretch round the corner and prices aren't exactly akin to buying a Tesco's bakery danish pastry, the amazing service, beautiful decoration that's reminiscent of a bygone era and the promise of exceptional cake make both the wait and the threat of a slimmed down bank balance worthwhile.<br />
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Keen to avoid the queues, I managed to book a table for afternoon tea at the Belmont Room at the <a href="http://www.bettys.co.uk/bettys_york.aspx">York branch</a>. Away from the hustle and bustle of the main room and shop, the Belmont Room is a bookings only space that's above the main restaurant area. With a separate side entrance, it feels slightly department store-ish (I think maybe something to do with the darkness of the room due to a love of thick blinds) and it isn't quite as opulent as the main tearoom. However, when being faced with waiting in the rain in among a street load of Japanese tourists eager to get their mitts on some cake, the sacrifice was well worth it.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After being seated by a very friendly <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">maître d,</span> there was some confusion about the validity of our gift voucher for the Belmont Room that I wasn't made aware of when I secured the booking - apparently prices in the Belmont Room are slightly higher than they are in the main cafe tea rooms. However, it was quickly rectified after the </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">maître d agreed that it was an error in communication on Bettys side, leaving us to enjoy our glass of champagne. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">After a peruse of Bettys substantial tea menu (containing no less than 18 different types of tea), the bubbles from the champagne made me divert from my normal (boring) choice of breakfast tea and instead opt for China Rose Petal which promised to keep my "mind, body and spirit in natural harmony." Very third age, but delicious none the less.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">And then came the afternoon tea. Three amazing tiers of completely diet-unfriendly bliss which began with a selection of the most beautiful sandwiches - chicken and tarragon mayonnaise, smoked salmon, ham and mustard and egg and cress. The bread was oh-so-moist and fresh and the flavours complemented each other in a way that only the God of Afternoon Teas could create. In fact they were so good, we asked for more (forgive me Weight Watchers for I have sinned). </span></span><br />
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Next came the scones. Ohhhh the scones. You know that thing when you cut into a scone and it's got a delicious crust on the outside and then it's beautifully soft and squidgy on the inside? Yeah? Well that in abundance. With cream and jam. Four little pieces of heaven.<br />
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And finally it was the turn of the cake. There was delicious macaroon, melt-in-the-mouth lemon meringue, coffee and ameretto sponge, victoria sponge to die for and a little slice of chocolately goodness. Oh my. I'll let the picture do the talking.<br />
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With that we finished our tea and rolled back down the stairs into the hustle and bustle of York, having spent two hours in Cake Utopia. Thanks Sarah and Jay.<br />
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The tea (along with the sugar high and added champagne) must have done something to my mind, body and spirit as promised as we then decided to go take a very romantic trip to a Go Outdoors store. More than two hours and a lot more than a few pennies later, we walked out clutching a tent, two rucksacks, two waterproof jackets, walking shoes, top of the range self-inflating sleeping mats (who even knew they existed) and a whole load of other stuff having taken the snap decision to walk from Saltburn to Filey this summer (and camp along the way). Maybe I need to lay off the cake if this sort of thing is the result. Lesson learnt.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com3Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.6512515 -1.8712905000000482 53.9513065 -1.2258435000000483tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-39922503947740345692013-04-19T13:41:00.000+01:002013-04-19T13:41:22.500+01:00Handmade Burger Co proves that burgers don't have to be boring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Sunday night we arrived back in Leeds after a whirlwind of a holiday with <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/a-very-croatian-engagement.html">a new relationship status</a>, sunburned skin and a massive rucksack full of washing. To be frank, food shopping was the last thing on my mind, so you can probably imagine my relief when I checked my emails and was reminded that <a href="http://handmadeburger.co.uk/">Handmade Burger Co</a> had invited us to review their <a href="http://trinityleeds.com/">Leeds Trinity</a> restaurant. We needed little encouragement to avoid Morrison's and our bulging washing basket, so off we popped on Tuesday night to sample some of the Leeds' newest foodie fayre and combat our post-holiday blues.<br />
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Handmade Burger Co are one of a number of chain restaurants that have sprung up in Leeds' brand spanking new shopping centre - they're joined by the likes of Carluccio's, Cafe Rouge, Giraffe, Nando's, Wagamamas and TGI Friday's. Founded in Birmingham in 2007 by a trio of brothers, there are now sixteen Handmade Burger Co restaurants scattered around the country. They make and hand press their burgers on-site in their restaurants daily. Unlike some of their neighbours in the Trinity Centre, Handmade Burger Co really seem to value extremely fresh food, variety and service - not just in their mission statement but in practice too (and I'm really not just saying that).<br />
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The Leeds Trinity restaurant is fresh and modern, with a large open kitchen running against one of the back walls. With an ordering system not dissimilar to Nando's (you're shown to a table, choose what you want and then order at the counter), it could be easy to feel like you're just a number and service levels could reflect that. However, the service that Ash and I received was exemplary - beating the "service" we've been subjected to by their competitors hands down (not that you go to Gourmet Burger Kitchen expecting Michellin starred service, of course!).<br />
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With over forty different burgers on offer - ranging from a classic cheese and bacon burger right through to Moroccan lamb, brie and cranberry chicken, and stuffed cheddar and chilli - making a decision as to what to break my post-holiday diet with was more than just a little bit difficult. After a bit of hmming and haaing, we decided that as Homemade Burger Co first got in contact when I was battling with meat-free March it was only right that we check out their vegetarian options. And my goodness - if you're a veggie you could do far worse than choosing to eat here. With a plethora of options to choose from, it really is a breath of vegetarian fresh air. Our lovely waitress explained that all the vegetarian options are cooked separately (in vegetable oil) from the hundreds of meat-based food on offer, so no worries there either!<br />
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After some debate we settled for a Sweet Potato and Bean Burger (£7.25) and an Onion Bhaji Burger (£6.85), along with a portion of cajun seasoned fresh cut chips (£3.25) and a house salad (£4.95) to share. Both of the burgers arrived in a sourdough sesame seed bun, and were fit to burst with the most delicious garnish. The mango and ginger salsa that came with the sweet potato and bean offering was delectable, and the mint and red onion garnish with the bhaji burger was pretty darn tasty too. In fact - the burgers were so big and so tasty that they warranted knife and fork action! The Sweet Potato and Bean burger was sweet, but not overly so and the bhaji burger would make the best sort of hangover fodder. The portion of chips easily fed two and were perfectly fluffy and well-seasoned. All in all, top notch grub that beats rival Gourmet Burger Kitchen hands-down.<br />
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Although the Trinity Centre has been unbelievably busy and the queues for some of the restaurants have been quite literally out of the door, I think that a meal at the Handmade Burger Co is more than worth waiting for.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.6512535 -1.8712905000000482 53.9513045 -1.2258435000000483tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-21296115957722738142013-04-16T17:45:00.000+01:002013-04-17T09:58:27.289+01:00A very Croatian engagementLast time I blogged (which seems like many moons ago), I mentioned that I was off to Croatia to eat my weight in meat and seafood.<br />
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Well, eat my weight in meat and seafood I most definitely did. And pizza. And pasta. And risotto. All washed down with the biggest glasses of red wine you ever did see. We had the most lovely holiday.</div>
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We flew to Split, where we climbed the tower of Diocletian's Palace. I ate the most gorgeous seafood risotto, and we saw the sunrise from our apartment window, which was in the attic of a little house that was up a narrow, winding street.<br />
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Then we took the ferry to Korcula. We went on long walks, got lost a lot, explored the deserted Old Town, drank glasses of wine that cost 85p by the seafront and ate pizza that was bigger than our head.<br />
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Next it was off to Hvar, the most beautiful of islands. On the first day, we paddled in the sea, watched the yachts come in and out of the harbour and spent the afternoon in the town's little cafes, drinking cold beer.<br />
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On the second day, we walked up to the castle, hired bikes, cycled to a beach and walked along a rocky coastal footpath to a deserted cove. While we were sitting on the rocks, watching the clear blue sea sparkle in the sunshine, Ash asked me to marry him. </div>
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I said a big fat yes.</div>
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Unbeknownst to me, he'd been carrying around a bag of Haribo rings all holiday, waiting for the right moment.<br />
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We celebrated by drinking Slovenian sparkling wine, getting very giddy, going to a beautiful restaurant in the harbour, eating delicious calamari, mussels and a seafood platter that was the most divine thing ever.<br />
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The next day we decided to leave our little (very budget) apartment behind and check into a hotel for our last night in honour of our newly engaged status. By some fluke of luck, the mid-range hotel we'd booked had closed - and instead we were told that there was a room for us for the same price in the most expensive, luxurious Spa hotel on the island that overlooked the harbour.<br />
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We spent the afternoon swimming in their salt water swimming pool, drinking appletinis in their roof-top bar until the sun went down, and generally grinning from ear to ear.<br />
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Words can't paint a picture of how happy I am, so maybe this photo will do the talking for me. x</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-12187127736106233232013-04-05T21:00:00.000+01:002013-04-05T21:00:01.143+01:00Meat Free March Recipe Swap : The results are in!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've celebrated the start of British Summer Time by eating a hell of a lot of meat. From</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">pork and black pudding sausages to bacon, ham and tuna steak, I've enjoyed every mouthful after a month of beans and lentils. Ham hock, chorizo, sea bass, mussels, pork belly and lardons have had a look in too. My body has become a living, breathing temple to meat and fish. So much so, the chances of fitting into any of my summer clothes in time for my holiday to Croatia are now slim to none. Especially as I go on holiday tomorrow. Whoops.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><br />However, when I return, there'll be plenty of deliciously healthy veggie and vegan recipes to tuck in to and help me on my way to losing the holiday bulge. These come courtesy of the lovely folk who participated in our Meat Free March recipe swap. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So, who cooked what?</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="line-height: 18px;">Susie made a delicious<a href="http://susiestummytales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap-vegan.html"> vegan lime and coconut cheesecake</a>, complete with tofu - thanks to a recipe from Sharon</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 18px;">Amy cooked up a storm with my <a href="http://amyliz.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap-spinach-and-feta-filo-pie/">feta and spinach filo pie</a></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 18px;">Hannah had a manic search for tahini paste which resulted in not one, but two, delicious blog posts for <a href="http://girleatsvegan.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/meat-free-march-part-2/">warm pumpkin salad with chickpeas, tahini </a>and <a href="http://girleatsvegan.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/meat-free-march-adventure-part-one/">flatbreads</a> - thanks to Ewan for the recipes!</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 18px;">Sharon went all Mexicano with Susie's <a href="http://www.virtuallyvegan.co.uk/">Mexican refried bean chilli</a>, a post which also marked her first foray into blogging!</span></li>
<li>Ewan experimented with quinoa when he made Hannah's recipe for <a href="http://tonights-menu.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-dirty-john-quinoa.html">dirty John quinoa</a></li>
<li>Putting two Rebecca's together resulted in <a href="http://www.bigspoonmylittlespoon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/mfmuk.html">Sloppy Joe's</a> and <a href="http://reallynicefood.co.uk/meatless">cornbread with black bean salsa and jalapeno sauce</a>.</li>
<li>Fay went all Boy George on us with <a href="http://www.foodfables.co.uk/meat-free-march-recipe-swap-korma-korma-korma-chameleon/">Kate's vegetable Korma</a></li>
<li>And I had a delicious alcoholic carb-fest courtesy of <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap-amys-penne.html">Amy's penne ala vodka</a></li>
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As I'm sure you'll agree, all of these blog posts make their swapees recipes look and sound tastier than an all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet at <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/hansas-jewel-in-leeds-veggie-crown.html">Hansa's</a>. Trying to pick a blog to win our wonderful prizes was harder than finding a grain of couscous in a haystack. That's why, when Fay and I held our X Factor style judging panel over Google chat last night, we decided to give not one, but two brilliant bloggers a prize (controversial - I expect there'll be Daily Mail headlines about this tomorrow!).</div>
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First up, Susie from <a href="http://susiestummytales.blogspot.co.uk/">Susie's Tummy Tales </a>will be receiving a month's supply of fresh veg boxes from the brilliant <a href="http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/">Abel and Cole</a>. Fay and I loved the humour in Susie's post and the fact that she was the only participant to give a <a href="http://susiestummytales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap-vegan.html">vegan desser</a>t a stab (thanks to Sharon's recipe). Top marks go to her especially because she served them in homous pots (we encourage recycling). Fay and I also decided that Susie is a worthy winner because she linked to Gregg Wallace's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkkEO7hzALY">buttery biscuit base</a>. I am a not-so-secret fan girl of Greg Wallace (it's something about the glasses, the love of desserts, and the way he whacks a spoon in his gob). As a greengrocer, I feel Gregg would approve of Susie winning a month's supply of vegetable goodies. </div>
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Secondly, Sharon at <a href="http://www.virtuallyvegan.co.uk/">Virtually Vegan</a> wins a (veggie friendly) meal at <a href="http://handmadeburger.co.uk/">Handmade Burger Co</a> in honour of her effort. The Meat Free March recipe post marked Sharon's first ever foray into vegan blogging, and we think she's off to a pretty bloomin' great start. We hope the winning meal will encourage her to keep at it - maybe a restaurant review could be next? </div>
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So, there we have it, meat-free Marchers. Susie and Sharon - please drop me a line with your address to bitsandbobsbecs@gmail.com and your prizes will be winging their way over to you sooner than you can shout "lots of lovely lentils please". To the rest of you - a big, big thank you for participating, for keeping Fay and I sane in our quest for the perfect veggie recipe and for giving me the opportunity to spend hours reading and looking at lots of lovely sausage-free food porn. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com2Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501342 -2.1940140000000481 54.101216 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-47391907739285629642013-03-31T22:15:00.000+01:002013-03-31T22:17:14.802+01:00Meat Free March Recipe Swap: Amy's Penne alla Vodka<div>
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We're just a few hours away from 12am on the 1st of April 2013 - when meat is officially back on the menu again. In case you hadn't noticed, there's been a distinct lack of sausage in my life this month. There's been no bacon, no breast fillets, no little prawnies peeking out from beneath a bed of delicious paella. Have I missed meat? Good God yes. But, I'll let you in on a little secret - it hasn't been all bad. To tell you the truth, I've actually quite enjoyed it. I've loved discovering a ton of recipes, eating out in all sorts of weird and wonderful places and picking dishes from a menu that I'd never normally touch with a barge pole, only to discover that they're actually quite delicious. </div>
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Best of all, I've loved meeting new people and discovering a ton of amazing blogs via the <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap.html">Meat Free March recipe swap</a> that Fay from <a href="http://www.foodfables.co.uk/">Food Fables</a> and I organised. Joined by a whole host of brilliant people, this swap has seen veggie and vegan recipes fly back and forth from different ends of the country. From <a href="http://susiestummytales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap-vegan.html">coconut and lime vegan cheesecake</a> to <a href="http://girleatsvegan.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/meat-free-march-adventure-part-one/">pumpkin and chickpea salad with tahini and flatbreads</a>, to <a href="http://tonights-menu.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-dirty-john-quinoa.html">Dirty John Quinoa </a>and <a href="http://reallynicefood.co.uk/meatless">cornbread with a blackbean and jalapeno sauce</a>, I've loved reading the Meat Free March recipe swap blogs (and there are more to come - watch this space!). They've provided me with a lovely lot of inspiration to see me through my final meat free days.<br />
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I had the pleasure of sending <a href="http://amyliz.co.uk/">Amy</a> a couple of my favourite mid-week veggie recipes - Feta and Spinach Pie (which was actually first cooked for me by Hannah over at <a href="http://girleatsvegan.wordpress.com/">Girl Eats Vegan</a> - hi Hannah!) and a flavoursome Thai Curry which is one of Ash's favourites and a firm staple in our household.<br />
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In return, I was tres excited when a package from Amy turned up which contained two of my most favourite things - vodka and mini eggs. Although I would have been quite happy to consume both of these gifts in one sitting without any accompanying foodstuffs, Amy had also popped in a recipe for Penne Alla Vodka - a go to dish in her house for when she "doesn't want to be in the kitchen for too long but wants something carbey, cheesy and delicious!"<br />
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So, here's Amy's Penne alla Vodka, a recipe she's created herself having taken inspiration from both Nigella and a Smitten Kitchen:<br />
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<b>Penne alla Vodka (serves two)</b><br />
200g penne (we didn't have any in so made some fresh tagliatelle!)<br />
salt and pepper<br />
can of chopped tomatoes<br />
squeeze of tomato paste<br />
one white onion (diced)<br />
one or two cloves of garlic (crushed/grated)<br />
100ml double cream<br />
2 big glugs of vodka<br />
a few fresh leaves of basil to taste<br />
lots of parmesan (or veggie alternative)<br />
a handful of frozen peas (optional)<br />
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Fry the chopped onions in a little oil.<br />
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Once the onion has softened, add the garlic and fry for another two minutes.<br />
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Pour in the first glug of vodka, followed by the can of tomatoes, squeeze of tomato paste and a generous helping of cracked black pepper. For a smoother sauce, you can add a pinch of sugar too.<br />
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Leave to bubble whilst you cook the penne in a pan of salted water (or, in our case, get that tagliatelle rolled and then popped in a pan for a couple of minutes!)<br />
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Just before the pasta is done, add a handful of frozen peas to the sauce.<br />
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Leave to bubble for a minute, then add the cream to the sauce, take off the heat and stir through.<br />
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Drain the pasta and return to the pan with the other glug of vodka and a big knob of butter.<br />
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When the vodka has burnt off a bit of the alcohol, stir in the sauce.<br />
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Serve with basil torn up and a heap of parmesan. Best consumed with a crispy green salad and a big glass of vino.<br />
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You might have noticed a distinct lack of mini eggs in the recipe. Apparently the Smitten Kitchen serves brownies as a dessert to this dish, which is why Amy included them, but I'm ashamed to say I'd scoffed them all before the onions had even got anywhere near a chopping board. Whooops!<br />
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Although not a recipe for someone on a diet, this was a mid-week dish that was completely delicious and felt extremely decadent. To be honest, I was a bit wary that the vodka was going to be slightly over powering and I found myself adding little tipples rather than big glugs, but, if anything, I would get back to my Essex girl roots and not hold back next time. Amy suggested that adding prawns into the mix at the same time as the peas goes down a real treat too - and it's definitely an addition I'll be trying soon!<br />
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A big thanks to Amy for her lovely recipe and to all the other Meat Free March recipe swappers for helping a sister out. Fay and I are forming a panel (I'm the Louis Walsh to her Simon Cowell) to decide which swapper will receive a prize of a month's supply of <a href="http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/">Abel and Cole</a> boxes and a meal at the wonderful (and veggie friendly) <a href="http://handmadeburger.co.uk/">Handmade Burger Co</a> - and all I can say is that if the recipes and blog posts are of a standard similar to the ones I've seen so far, it's going to be a hard choice to make!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com2Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-3593454164373480532013-03-26T22:39:00.000+00:002013-03-26T22:50:54.750+00:00How an Abel & Cole veg box saved Meat Free March <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I decided to spend March meat-free, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get my foodie kicks from a month of jacket potatoes, Linda McCartney sausages and lentils. But, whilst I love experimenting with different recipes, the veg aisle in the supermarket doesn't usually get much of a look in when meat's on the menu - I tend to stick to what I know (mainly tons of cucumber, potatoes, salad, sweet potato and the odd butternut squash). More to the point, prior to my month of vegetarianism my knowledge of when different fruit and veg is in season was pretty abysmal. I didn't know my spring greens from my autumn roots.<br />
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So I thanked the lord of lettuce and leeks when <a href="http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/">Abel & Cole</a> got in touch and offered to send me a large vegetable box to encourage me on my path of meat free March. For those of you who haven't heard of Abel & Cole, they are the door-to-door angels of organic, seasonal fruit and veg boxes (and they also offer a ton of other brilliant produce too). For as little as £10 a week, their lovely local drivers will deliver a box full of the freshest, most in-season organic veg (or fruit, or fruit and veg), along with a whole host of beautiful recipes that are published weekly and occasionally the odd freebie too. They also deliver meat and fish (obviously not to me this month!), gorgeous looking ready-meals, loaves of bread and store cupboard staples like those all-important bars of chocolate. Although some of the produce is a little on the pricey side, I personally think their fruit and veg boxes are brilliant value for money and the service is wonderfully convenient - especially if, like me, you don't have a car.<br />
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So, you can imagine my excitement last Friday when I arrived at work to be greeted by a lovely box by my desk that was full to the brim with exciting veg for me to try. One of the drawbacks of living in a flat in the city centre without a concierge service is that Abel & Cole weren't able to deliver to my home as there isn't easy access into the building or a safe place to leave the box (and the drivers deliver from 3am in the morning!). However, they were more than happy to deliver to my office and the lovely, sustainable packaging and accompanying recipe book got lots of my colleagues talking excitedly.<br />
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From avacado to beetroot, chinese leaf to watercress, green pointed cabbage to green batavia lettuce, all of the veg in my box was beautifully fresh and I was eager to get home and plan my week's meals around it. Although not everything was to my taste (celery sends me out in a cold rash), the beauty of Abel & Cole's model is that if you don't like something, you can ask for it not to be delivered again. Although you can't specifically specify what you'd like to receive, part of the joy is in the surprise.<br />
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I think that's the key to Abel & Cole - by delivering a real mixture of amazing produce, most of which is a surprise, it makes you want to use it and to try new things. Normally Ash and I start from scratch each week when it comes to shopping - we plan our meals around various recipes, not around what we have in the cupboard. Sometimes there'll be an evening when we don't have anything planned, so we end up buying a takeaway, going out or putting a cheeky pizza in the oven which can soon rack up cost-wise. But by having a stash of veg in the cupboards, there's never a reason not to make something fresh and super tasty. We did a tiny shop to compliment the veg - spending just £19 on a week's groceries.<br />
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Since the veg box arrived last week, we've already eaten a ton of fresh greens - not just boring stuff like cabbage and lettuce, but exciting stuff too. And if we're stumped for ideas, the wonderful <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Abel-Cole-Veg-Companion/dp/0957358105">Veg Box Companion </a>book that came with the box offers a whole host of delicious looking recipes and ideas for perfect seasonal veg combinations.<br />
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This week has already seen the kitchen come alive with a truly tasty broccoli, feta and walnut soup and a colcannon littered with spring greens, carrots, lemon and Parmesan. Still to come on the menu there's haloumi kebabs with lemon and thyme baste, Chinese leaf parcels and a delicious veggie chilli with homemade guacamole. I could get used to eating like this every week.<br />
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So, a massive thanks to the veg box guardian angels for helping me to keep the meat free March faith, for encouraging me to try new things and for keeping a fridge in veggie heaven. The lovely folk at Abel & Cole have also offered the winner of our <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap.html">Meat Free March recipe swap</a> a month's supply of veg boxes, so I look forward to reading what tasty, seasonal spring time (err, if you can call it that with all this snow) treats the winner concocts with their supply!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com2Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-35803753745811788822013-03-24T23:04:00.000+00:002013-03-24T23:04:17.220+00:00A how to guide to vegetarian dinner parties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'll be completely honest - whenever we've had a dinner party in the past my heart has always sunk a little bit when I've realised that we've got a vegetarian guest making their merry way to ours to quaff our wine and avoid our meat. It's not that I don't love my veggie friends - I do - it's just a bit of a faff to cater separately for an animal loving mate.<br />
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However, if meat free March has taught me anything, it's that there's a lot of <i>really </i>exciting vegetarian cookbooks and ideas out there - and catering for a veggie at a dinner party needn't be tricky. From Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall to Kaushy Patel, Yotam Ottolenghi to Nobu Matushisha, there are a lot of brilliant chefs doing great things with vegetables right now. In fact, some of the veggie food I've cooked this month has been so delicious I'd happily serve it to my sausage loving friends, and to be honest I doubt they'd even notice that the meat was missing. </div>
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Last weekend Ash's parents came to stay. To finish the weekend off in a memorable way, Ash and I decided to go all out and cook a feast set to wow. As three out of four of us eating were veggie, we went the whole meat-free hog and drew up a completely vegetarian menu. A main course of fresh raviolli stuffed with roasted butternut squash and walnuts, homemade garlic bread and salad, followed by creme brulees (hello blowtorch!) and a cheese board went down an absolute treat - and I think it's fair to say that meat wasn't missed by anyone.<br />
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So, what are my top five tips for holding a vegetarian dinner party or catering for a vegetarian guest?<br />
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<b>1. Just cause it's veggie, there's no reason to be too heavy on the carbs </b><br />
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We recently went to a tasting evening at a local restaurant where every vegetarian dish - although delicious - was accompanied with a heavy load of carbs. Potatoes, bread, chips, pasta - sometimes more than one of the above per course, all taking the place of something meaty. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a massive lover of carby accompaniments - but you need to think about your guest's stomachs. Bloatedness does not a happy dinner party go-er make.<br />
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<b>2. Think of the veggies first, and pick a recipe with a meaty alternative</b><br />
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There's lots of gorgeous veggie dishes that can easily be tweaked to make a meaty alternative if you're catering for both herbivores and omnivores. For instance, the barley, tomato and garlic risotto that I<a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/twelve-days-of-meat-free-march-veggie.html"> blogged about the other day</a> could easily welcome some last-minute fried chorizo for your sausage loving guests. If you're thinking of going down the fresh pasta route, ravioli is perfect for both meat lovers and rabbit foodies alike - simply whip up two different fillings and cook separately. It's a lot easier to think veggie first and then adapt to meet the needs of your meat eaters than it is to do it the other way round!<br />
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<b><br />3. Timings, timings, timings. </b><br />
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If you're going all out veggie, it's still important to think about your timings. OK, so you might not have a massive hunk of beef to get just right, but there's not much worse than an overcooked carrot. If I'm cooking something complicated or a meal that's spread over a number of courses, I always sit down with a piece of paper beforehand and work backwards with the recipes from the time that I'm intending to serve. If there's an element of the dish that can be made in advance, crack on and do it. It's not rocket science!<br />
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<b>4. Leaf? With everything? Be inventive!</b><br />
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If I had a tenner for the amount of veggie dishes I've had at restaurants etc this month that have been hidden under a pile of leaf, I'd be a very rich lady. Just because a vegetarian isn't a fan of meat, it doesn't mean they want to hang out in a lettuce patch all day either. If you want to serve salad as part of your menu or as a garnish that's fine, but be inventive with it! Think fresh beetroot, fruit, nuts. The world is a salady-oyster.<br />
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<b>5. The proof is in the pudding</b><br />
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As long as you're catering for a veggie and not a vegan, thinking of a pudding to perfectly compliment your main course should be a doddle. Just remember to avoid gelatin and rennet and check your guest's attitude to eggs. The same goes for a cheese board or dishes that contain that hard cheeses such as Parmesan - it may be best to scour out a vegetarian alternative.<br />
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My attitude to cooking for my veg loving friends has changed considerably over the past few weeks, and my attitude to dinner party dining will never be the same. Have you had problems being creative with the veggie food you serve at dinner parties? Do you find veggie guests a difficulty or do you relish the challenge? And if you're a veggie, have you ever been made to feel unwelcome at a foodie gathering? I'd love to know your thoughts!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-35855222220705548742013-03-24T20:38:00.003+00:002013-03-24T23:24:22.550+00:00Hansa's - a jewel in Leeds' veggie crown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First up - an apology. I've been a bit slack with the whole blogging thing over the past ten days or so - it's been a particularly busy couple of weeks! I've spent my time entertaining parents x 2, celebrating my nephew's first birthday, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.540119729365542.1073741825.234850009892517&type=1">dressing up as a Roman</a> and frolicking round London for ITV2's new show <a href="http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/plebs-brand-new-comedy-itv2-trailer">Plebs</a>, winning the Adelphi's pub quiz, cooking up a vegetarian storm in the kitchen, being busy at work and organising the lovely folk who are taking part in our <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/meat-free-march-recipe-swap.html">Meat Free March recipe swap</a>. I can't believe my month of meat abstination is almost over - and what a month it's been! Apologies for neglecting this little corner of the internet - a mega blog catch up is more than called for.<br />
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Last weekend Ash's parents Sue and Paul came to stay with us in Leeds for the first time ever. We had a lovely time showing them the sights - from Leeds city centre to Ilkley, Briggate farmers' market to Saltaire. Sometimes having visitors to stay is the best excuse ever to do a lot of exploring, a lot of drinking and a lot of eating, which is exactly what we did. What's more, showing someone else around the city that you call home is a reason to fall back in love with it all over again - it made me realise how lucky we are to live in such a thriving, diverse area.<br />
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Sue is a vegetarian so the weekend offered the opportunity to explore a bit more of Leeds' meat free foodie culture and share it with someone who <i>really </i>loves good vegetarian cooking. Ask any Loiner what restaurant they associate with some of the yummiest veggie food in the city, and <a href="http://www.hansasrestaurant.com/">Hansa's</a> will always be the answer. The Gujarati restaurant was therefore firmly on our must-eat list for Saturday night. <br />
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Established back in 1986, Hansa's is a Leeds institution that has won award after award for its sublimely tasty vegetarian food. A few years ago I was lucky enough to live a few seconds walk from North Street's lentil heaven, but to be honest it took me a good few months to pluck up the courage to eat there. Not because it has a scary shop-front, but rather because I associate Indian food with meat. Lots and lots of superbly marinated, uber tasty meat. When a craving for curry came a'calling, the thought of a vegetarian Indian just didn't cut the mustard. However, when Hansa's ran a special birthday deal for two the offer was too great to pass up - and I thank my lucky daal we didn't. Hansa's has been on our list of favourite Leeds restaurants ever since.<br />
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We visited Hansa's with Sue and Paul on a busy Saturday night. Luckily we'd booked a table because the restaurant was very busy with diners getting their kicks from meat-free munching. We were greeted by Hansa herself and shown to our table on the second floor, which was a bit of a tight squeeze for four of us and a host of delicious food.<br />
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Being completely honest, we've experienced better service from Hansa's staff in the past. We noticed that other diners had been given snacks when they were seated which we weren't. There was also a wait of almost an hour for our starters to be served after our initial order. All in all, I couldn't help but feel that the restaurant was slightly understaffed for a busy Saturday night.<br />
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That being said, when our starters (finally) arrived any qualms we had about poor service were swiftly forgotten. Between us we tucked in to a deliciously sticky and beautifully spiced chilli paneer (which more than met Sue's spice test - the hotter the better!), Kachori (spicy coarsely ground peas and channa daal deep fried balls) and Khasta Kachori (sublime bread stuffed with spicy maag-daal, chickpeas and potatoes). The only dish that seemed to miss the starter mark slightly was Paul's choice - a Hansa's Kenyan Special (yam and sweetcorn with coconut sauce, onions and crunchy peanuts) - which we all felt would have been better placed as an accompaniment to the main than a starter. That aside, presentation of all four dishes was absolutely flawless and portion sizes were good.<br />
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For our main course, Ash and I decided to share Ful Cobi (delicious cauliflower florets, carrot,<br />
potato and peas) and Hansa's Special (a four bean feast in a spiced sauce). The Hansa's Special had a real kick to it which was beautifully complimented by the sweetness of the carrots and peas in the Ful Cobi. Sue and Paul opted for Bhaji Paneer (spinach, paneer and peas) and Ringan na Raviya (kenyan aubergines, stuffed with spice masala, onions and coarsely ground peanuts) which were filling, flavourful, fragrant and perfectly accompanied by Paul's leftover Hansa's Kenyan Special.<br />
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Curry is synonymous with a plentiful array of delicious carbs, and Hansa's doesn't disappoint on this front. We went all out with both rice and bread - opting for Puri (grilled chapatti), Rotli (gorgeous deep-fried bread), cumin rice and coriander rice. The Rotli was the stand-out carby accompaniment - it wasn't overly oily, deliciously crisp and a brilliant sauce-catching tool. The rice was expensive for the portion size served - we opted for one portion between two and another one wouldn't have gone amiss.<br />
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Having said that, by the time dessert rolled around we were full to the brim so perhaps it was a good thing that our rice portions were slightly on the small side. I've had dessert at Hansa's before and despite giving it a miss this time round, I can safely say that they are as delicious and as unusual as the other courses.<br />
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Accompanied by a fine bottle of Rioja, some good chat and plenty of curry sharing, our meal at Hansa's was a delight despite the initially poor service. It was lovely to be able to share our choices - something that you can't often do as a vegetarian diner at a "normal" Indian restuarant and an element of social dining that I've really missed during meat free March. Hansa's just know what they're doing when it comes to texture, flavour and creating truly exciting food that doesn't empty your purse completely. I'll be rushing back soon - even when meat is firmly on my menu again. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-23663572484053154182013-03-12T15:28:00.000+00:002013-03-12T17:16:13.888+00:00Meat Free March - Recipe Swap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">One of the things that's kept me going in my quest to eat meat free over the past twelve days has been other people's willingness and enthusiasm to suggest great vegetarian or vegan recipes. From suggestions of risotto to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">lasagna</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, curry to burritos, my experience of veggie food has been well and truly widened, my culinary creativity stretched and my willingness to try new things has increased ten fold.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">But as we're almost half-way through Meat Free March now, a little extra inspiration wouldn't go amiss.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">That's why <a href="http://www.foodfables.co.uk/">Food Fables Fay</a> and I have been busy organising a meat free recipe swap - in the hope that it'll stop us from resorting to a basic bean burger to curb our rumbling stomachs and keep our kitchen creativity intact. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">How will the Meat Free March recipe swap work? </span></h3>
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<span style="color: #222222;">The idea is to gather together a group of people who love food, love writing about food and are either already eating meat free or are looking to expand their repertoire of veggie or vegan food. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">We'll team interested parties up with a fellow blogger by popping you over a quick survey of food don'ts and food loves. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">After that, you'll have a few weeks to scour recipe books, blogs and other foodie bibles, looking for the perfect recipe to send you veggie pal. As I <i>really </i>love brown paper packages tied up with string, we thought it'd be nice if we sent each other vegan/veggie recipes by post, so that you can include one or two <b>low-cost</b> ingredients for the recipe if you so choose. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">As per the food bloggers code, we'd encourage you to tweak recipes taken from cookbooks or to provide your swapee with a link to the cookbook writer's site if you are using the recipe with out alterations - they have to earn their bread and soya butter too!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">We'd love nothing more than to see everyone's culinary attempts at their swap pal's recipe, so we'd really <span style="font-family: inherit;">enjoy it if people wrote up their escapades in a blog post, and take lots of pictures too! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">We're also currently in talks with a few nice bods to be able to offer the best post a little something - watch this space for more info...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">In addition to writing about your recipes it would be great to share hints and tips on Twitter, which you can do using the </span><span style="color: #222222;">#</span><span style="color: #222222;">MFMuk hashtag.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Some key dates</span></h3>
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Participation confirmation to be received by this </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Friday March 15<sup>th</sup></b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recipes to be arrive with partner by </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Monday March 25<sup>th</sup></b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Blog posts to go up </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday March 31<sup>st</sup></b></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Matches sent out </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Sunday March 17<sup>th</sup></b></li>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br />How do I sign up?</span></h3>
<span style="color: #222222;">Signing up is easy - just leave me a comment below with your email address or tweet <a href="http://twitter.com/becs_edwards">@becs_edwards</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/foodfablesuk">@foodfablesuk</a> or drop us an email at <a href="mailto:foodfablesuk@gmail.com">foodfablesuk@gmail.com</a>. Simples!</span><br />
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Looking forward to meat free munching with you!</h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501342 -2.1940140000000481 54.101216 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-39328012130473640402013-03-12T12:43:00.000+00:002013-03-12T13:12:18.592+00:00Twelve days of Meat Free March: a veggie recipe round-upThis month has flown by - I can't quite believe that I'm almost half way through my thirty one days of meat abstention. Apart from missing the sweet, sweet taste of freshly fried chorizo, the beautiful versatility of prawns - my favourite fishy friends - and the indescribable wonder of a Saturday morning bacon sandwich, I've actually not missed eating meat all that much at all. Despite my colleague Nathan sending me almost daily photos of thick-cut, beautifully cooked steak, I've found the draw of the meat aisle quite easy to resist.<br />
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The thing that's kept me going is the wealth of new, healthy, delicious recipes that I've discovered - both by chance and by recommendation. I thought I'd take the opportunity to pop together a quick rundown of a few of my favourite dishes that I've tried over the past twelve days. </div>
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Ottolenghi's Barley, Tomato and Garlic Risotto</h3>
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Recommended to me by the wonderful <a href="https://twitter.com/prettiesthobo">Gemma</a> over at <a href="http://www.florencefinds.com/">Florence Finds</a>, this dish was a wonderful, filling mid-week treat - one that I know will join our list of favourites even when we go back to full-time omnivore fun. To be honest, when I was cooking it I was completely unsure quite how it was going to turn out - it features quite a concoction of ingredients and a hell of a lot of garlic. So, maybe not a first date food, but if you like healthy comfort noms and want to ward off vampires, this one's for you. You just need to put your faith in Ottolenghi's genius and trust that the recipe will work. We adapted it slightly as we were low on fresh tomatoes so we used tins, and instead of buying pearl barley we used Bello's three grain blend - which is a mixture of risotto rice, spelt and barley. If you want to try Ottolenghi's original recipe, you can find it <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/10/barley-tomato-garlic-risotto-ottolenghi">here</a>.</div>
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<b>Serves 4</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Heat <b>3 tbsps of olive oil</b> (or a few sprays of Fry-lite) over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan and sauté <b>2 whole heads of garlic, cloves separated, peeled and quarted</b>, for about two minutes, or until golden. Add <b>two tins of chopped tomatoes</b>, <b>1/2 tsp of paprika</b>, <b>1/8 tsp dried chilli flakes</b>, <b>1 tbsp thyme</b>, <b>4 strips of lemon zest</b>, <b>1 1/2 tsp caster sugar</b>, <b>1 tsp salt</b>, <b>270g of Bello's three grain blend (rinsed and drained)</b> and a <b>ladleful of water</b>; stir and bring the mix to a simmer. Cook over minimal heat for 50-60 minutes, until the barley is tender but still firm to the bite. You’ll need to stir it from time to time, so it doesn’t stick to the pan, and add water occasionally, making sure there is always just enough liquid left in the pot to cook the barley. At the end of the cooking, the mix should be runny enough easily to spoon into bowls.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once done, remove the pan from the heat, stir in <b>15g chopped coriander leaves</b> and some<b> freshly ground black pepper</b>. Add<b> 150g of feta</b>, stir gently so the cheese doesn’t break up too much and stays in largish chunks, taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with <b>50g of feta</b> and<b> 5g of coriander</b>, and drizzle over a little<b> olive oil</b>.</span></div>
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Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry</h3>
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Filling. Low calorie. Cheap. Fast.Vegan-friendly. Perhaps could do with a bit more in the way of spice, but did the trick just fine. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has slightly adapted his recipe from Angela Hartnett's, which can be found <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/03/cauliflower-chickpea-curry-recipe">here</a>, which in turn was inspired by food served at Prashad, a vegetarian restaurant in Bradford which is firmly on my list to try this month. Watch this space for a review!</div>
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Gnocchi and Tomato bake</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFakVc_-dM8IrA5kHv5mJALqMqRLYToFUaOAoaqJQG2NbsCCiOfCe7-TqJslDr1nYcuazYdL5DH2zClYfhCmtDNUg5L9W5ckPwizO0NULaebG-Dp28JBAAM5cr8fvFxXrzLiVITY3PdzEa/s1600/gnocchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFakVc_-dM8IrA5kHv5mJALqMqRLYToFUaOAoaqJQG2NbsCCiOfCe7-TqJslDr1nYcuazYdL5DH2zClYfhCmtDNUg5L9W5ckPwizO0NULaebG-Dp28JBAAM5cr8fvFxXrzLiVITY3PdzEa/s400/gnocchi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of BBC Good Food - but mine looked like this too, I promise!</td></tr>
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<div>
I can't put into words how much I adore BBC's Good Food. I own two of their hefty recipe books and they're our go-to food bibles for whenever the cupboards are bare and our imagination is lacking. Full of meals made made up of store cupboard favourites, and a large veggie section to boot, I've cooked a lot of their recipes and I've never discovered a bad one. This <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7192/gnocchi-and-tomato-bake">gnocchi and tomato bake</a> was no exception - simple, super quick and very tasty - it hit spot on a day that cheese was being craved in abundance. </div>
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<div>
So, there we go. Here's to another two and a bit weeks of vegtastic meals. Please help a sister out though - I'd love to know if there are any veggie meals that you'd particularly recommend to keep me going over the next nineteen days!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com2Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501342 -2.1940140000000481 54.101216 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-15264975929105440302013-03-07T22:30:00.002+00:002013-03-07T22:36:00.956+00:00Becs Bakes: Secret ingredient scones and maple and pecan cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPv4pGY-O5uVvi8N1v3-ysZB_nkvSwl7wqyNU2VF950hNPy_Eftu5EM-5r7sRJ71CeqAz4YYnyclwO9ZWJhWmyBwHDwMBPud6glTa0ozIGjYT5g1gJfqOpLEjI3Is67Oe34CohGFdaDQN/s1600/IMGP7246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPv4pGY-O5uVvi8N1v3-ysZB_nkvSwl7wqyNU2VF950hNPy_Eftu5EM-5r7sRJ71CeqAz4YYnyclwO9ZWJhWmyBwHDwMBPud6glTa0ozIGjYT5g1gJfqOpLEjI3Is67Oe34CohGFdaDQN/s400/IMGP7246.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Every so often, I have a massive urge to bake. The urge often comes on a Sunday afternoon when I can think of nothing I'd like to do more than get down my cake-y recipe books, leaf through the pages, find something that takes my fancy and spend a few hours getting the kitchen into a state where you can only just see the floor from all the flour that I've managed to sprinkle over it.<br />
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I find baking relaxing - a bit like cooking, concentrating hard on a recipe is a real release from thinking about other stuff. My Mum's a good baker (and also a bit of an experimenter too - her couscous cake is something that only Mrs Cropley from the Vicar of Dibley would be likely to dream up) so quite a lot of my childhood was spent making cakes and biscuits with her. My favourite bit was always sifting the flour and licking the bowl. I'm 25 now and not much has changed.<br />
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Anyway, this Sunday the baking urge hit me so I whiled away a few hours knee deep in buttercream icing and kneading dough.<br />
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First up I used ingredients that we already had in the cupboard to make scones. Quite often I find that homemade scones can be a bit disappointing - either they are too crumbly and dry, or they're flat as a pancake, or they rise well but leave a horrible baking soda aftertaste. A few years ago I discovered a recipe from BBC Good Food that has revolutionised my scone making activity. Just look at these bad-boys:<br />
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Delicious, moist, light and towering high. The secret? Use <i>warm </i>milk and a little dash of lemon juice. The lemon juice sours the milk slightly, which means it tastes a bit like buttermilk and gives a boost to the rising agents in the self-raising powder and baking powder. Sorted.<br />
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Want to know the recipe? You can find it <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4622/classic-scones-with-jam-and-clotted-cream">here</a>.<br />
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Whilst the scones were cooling I decided to try my hand at something a bit different. After visiting the <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/sunshine-bakery-supperclub.html">Sunshine Bakery</a> on Thursday all I could think about was cupcakes. We had maple syrup and pecans in the cupboard (left over from <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/mexicanna.html">Mexicanna</a>) and I wanted to combine them into something that'd beat the Sunshine Bakery's mango and banana cake for deliciousness.<br />
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After a bit of digging around, I pulled out <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Primrose-Bakery-Book-Martha-Swift/dp/022408688X">The Primrose Bakery Book</a> that Ash's mum kindly got me a few Christmases ago<i> </i>and found a recipe for maple and pecan cupcakes that looked delicious.<br />
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I adapted the recipe slightly as we were low on self-raising flour and I only had 160ml maple syrup. Instead of the maple syrup buttercream suggested, I topped with a light vanilla buttercream instead.<br />
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<h3>
The Primrose Bakery's Maple and Pecan Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream </h3>
<div>
<b><br />For the cupcakes (makes 10 regular cupcakes or 8 muffin sized ones)</b></div>
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<div>
Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4/fan oven 160c. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with 10 muffin cases. Using an electric mixer, cream <b>115g unsalted butter</b> with <b>50g of soft brown sugar</b> until pale and smooth. Add <b>160ml of maple syrup</b> and beat well. Add <b>two eggs</b>, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. </div>
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Using a spoon , fold <b>100g of self-raising flour</b> and <b>15g of plain flour</b>, along with a sprinkle of <b>baking powder</b> into the batter and beat well. Fold in<b> 60g of roughly chopped pecan nuts</b>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases, filling each case about two-thirds fill. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, until risen and golden and they pass the clean skewer test. Leave the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in their tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.</div>
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<div>
<b>For the caramelised pecans</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Whilst the cakes are cooling, gradually heat <b>60g of golden caster sugar</b> in a heavy saucepan until the sugar has melted. Spread <b>20 pecan nut halves</b> onto baking powder, then pour the melted sugar over the nuts, covering them completely. Wait for the caramel to cool and harden, then break into 20 pieces (half a pecan per piece).</div>
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Ice the cupcakes with the vanilla buttercream below and top with a caramelised pecan. </div>
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<b>For the vanilla buttercream icing</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Using an electic hand mixer, beat <b>78g of butter</b> with <b>45ml of milk</b>, <b>175g of icing sugar </b>and <b>3/4tsp of vanilla extract </b>until smooth. Gradually add another <b>175g of icing sugar</b> to produce a buttercream that's smooth and creamy.</div>
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The Primrose Bakery Book's recipes never fail to delight, and this one was no exception. In fact, I'd even go so far to say that they were the best cakes I'd made in a long while - Ash certainly seemed to think so after eating cake number three anyway. </div>
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I took the scones and the maple and pecan cupcakes into work to treat my colleagues to a spot of afternoon tea on Monday - I can't think of a better way to start a week!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com1Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-90220304243102484042013-03-06T14:00:00.000+00:002013-03-06T15:00:29.749+00:00How a trip to Sukhothai, Leeds City Centre, quelled the outbreak of World War Three <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img height="425" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/cb/28/e8/sukothai-leeds.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Picture the scene: I’m
hungry. I haven’t eaten meat for days. My sugar levels are low. My sausage
levels are low. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, this scene might not seem like much to some of you, but
when I get hungry, I get angry. Like,
really angry. If I don’t get fed extremely quickly there’s every possibility
that World War Three might break out at any second. Ash has been with me long
enough to know the routine – namely a bit of grouchiness, followed by a full-on
hissy-fit, followed by a pitiful moan of “but I’m <i>really </i>hungry.” Before the full-on hissy-fit, he usually shoves a
bit of bread in my gob to try to quell the anger. You could say that he’s the
Switzerland to my Germany. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, I digress. I was hungry, miserable and close to a
tantrum. I was having severe cravings for chorizo and bacon, two food-stuffs
that due to meat-free March are completely out of bounds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ash recognised the signs. I was getting grouchy. Something
had to be done, pronto. Rather than cooking (the hunger-anger ratio couldn’t
cope with the wait), we decided to venture out into town to grab a bite to
eat. With a load of amazing restaurants
on our doorstep, we thought that finding something veggie, quick(ish) and
filling would be easy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How wrong we were. I fancied trying <a href="http://dishdining.co.uk/">Dish</a> – the Great George
St restaurant that I’ve heard nothing
but rave reviews about. However, there was only one dish on the entire menu
that was suitable for a pescatarian. Although the food looked amazing, with
heavy hearts we had to walk away, promising ourselves a return trip once meat
free March is over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I tried to rack my brains for other restaurants in Leeds
that would sell a plethora of meat and fish free dishes to fill my belly with.
All of our usual go to places wouldn’t offer a great selection – the Adelphi,
the Reliance etc are great for good quality gastro pub grub, but their
vegetarian offerings are few and far between. I didn’t fancy a curry; otherwise
the wonderful Hansas would be our first port of call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just as my stomach let out an almighty rumble and World War
Three was about to break out, I was struck with a brainwave. Let’s go Thai!
Thai cuisine is full of lovely vegetarian dishes, oodles of Tofu, bags of
flavour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so with that we headed to my favourite Thai restaurant
in Leeds – </span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>Sukhothai</u></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> on South Parade. Decadently decorated, the restaurant never
fails to deliver, always offering a little taste of truly authentic Thai
cuisine. Although a familiar dining experience, I’d never been to </span>Sukhothai<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and
not had a meat or fish dish of some kind. To be honest I’d never even glanced
at the vegetarian section of the menu. So when I opened the menu to find almost
40 exclusively vegetarian dishes, I was both surprised by the amount of variety
and extremely happy with the amount of choice I’d have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As soon as we tucked into our starters of Pak Tod
(deep-fried mixed vegetables in a light batter, served with sweet chilli sauce)
and Khanom Jeeb Pak (steamed vegetable dumplings served with soy sauce and
crispy garlic), I knew that World War Three had been quashed and peace-time
reigned supreme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Unfortunately I don’t
have any pictures as the hunger had forced me to leave my phone at home, so you’ll
have to believe me when I say that the Pak Tod was beautifully presented in a
little metal basket. It was an absolute taste sensation. Thick slices of vegetables
had been lightly fried in batter to make them almost unrecognisable – it was
only when you bit into the veg that you could work out what vegetable it was.
It was a type of lucky dip that I can only liken to eating a packet of Revels –
but instead of “ohhh, I’ve got a toffee one” or “oooh, I’ve got a malteaser”,
our dish was met with shouts of “ooohhh, a piece of butternut squash!” or “Yum!
Aubergine!”. The sweet and sour sauce provided the perfect accompaniment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Khanom Jeeb Pak was delicious too – the dumplings were
moist, delicate and perfectly flavoured. The dipping sauce was lovely too – </span>Sukhothai<span style="font-family: inherit;"> could certainly win an award for brilliant condiment production.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For mains, I opted for Massam Tofu ( Massam curry with
chunks of deep-fried bean curd, peanuts, carrot, onion and potato) and Ash
stuck with tradition and had Gang Kiew Pak (Thai green curry with coconut milk,
bamboo shoot, bean curd, courgette and mixed vegetables). The curries at </span>Sukhothai<span style="font-family: inherit;"> never fail to disappoint – they’re never too heavy, always a
reasonable size and always leave you wanting more. This time was no different –
and I was pleasantly surprised by how flavoursome the delicious chunks of tofu
were. I hadn’t had tofu since a trip to Thailand almost five years ago, and it
reminded me of how much I love the stuff when it’s properly cooked. It’s now a
resolution to cook it at home at some point this month. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all, our meal was delicious. Service was brilliant –
our waitress was very keen to chat when we told her about our meat-free march
challenge, and the bill was wallet pleasing (I’m not sure of the exact amount
as Ash paid, but he smiled about it – I’m a lucky lady!). Next time I feel that
World War Three is about to break out because of a lack of fuss free, vegetarian
friendly and truly tasty food, </span>Sukhothai<span style="font-family: inherit;"> will be my first port of call to quell
the unrest. </span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com3Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501342 -2.1940140000000481 54.101216 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-2441070319523501412013-03-03T21:22:00.000+00:002013-03-04T14:33:57.862+00:00Meat Free March: how a kale and onion pizza can set you up for a Tom Odell gig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No meat for a month means no more cheeky meat feast pizzas - the food that's traditionally accompanied pre-gig or pre night-out drinking since 2003. <br />
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There's something about a good supermarket bought meat feast pizza. On paper, it's completely and utterly disgusting. Shed loads of nameless processed meat (three quarters of which is probably horse), a whole load of overly salty mozzarella cheese and the stodgiest pizza base in history pretty much equates to a heart attack on a plate. I'm not normally one for ready meals. However, when there's a gig to go to or a night out to be had where alcohol is involved, nothing quite beats the meat feast combo for its magical stomach lining properties and its delicious, salty goodness.<br />
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This Saturday we had tickets to see the brilliant<a href="http://tomodell.com/"> Tom Odell</a> at the Cockpit in Leeds. Slightly concerned that this gig would be meat feast pizza-less, I set about scouring around for a meat-free alternative - something that we could make at home and something that would beat Sainsbury's generic vegetarian pizza offering hands-down.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
In the run-up to meat free March I'd asked Twitter for veggie recipe book suggestions. The wonderful Liz over at <a href="http://margot-and-barbara.com/">Margot and Barbara</a> suggested I check out Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Cottage-Veg-Every-Day/dp/1408812126">River Cottage Veg Everyday</a></i>, which I decided to treat myself to as a February treat. Skimming through the pages, I noticed a recipe for kale and onion pizza which fitted the pre-gig pizza brief down to a tee. We adapted the recipe slightly, halving it to feed two of us, cutting out the oil and using extra light mature cheddar for a slim-fit version.<br />
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<h3>
Becs' take on Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Kale and Onion Pizza</h3>
<div>
<b>For the dough - makes enough for two reasonable sized pizzas</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Mix <b>125g of plain white flour</b> with <b>125g of strong white flour</b> in a bowl, together with <b>1/2 level teaspoon of easy-blend (instant) dried yeast</b> and <b>3/4 level teaspoon of fine sea salt</b>. Add <b>1/2 tablespoon of olive oil</b> and <b>160ml of warm water</b> and mix into a rough dough. Flour your hands a little, then tip the dough on to a work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Trickle a little oil into a clean bowl and pop the dough into the bowl, rolling it in the oil so it's covered in a clear film. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it somewhere warm for an hour or so until it's risen and puffy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>For the pizza</b></div>
<div>
Preheat the oven to 250c/Gas Mark 9 (220c/Gas Mark 7 if it's a fan oven). Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Finely slice <b>an onion </b>and cook it gently, stirring from time to time. Once it's been cooking for five minutes, add a finely chopped <b>garlic clove </b>and fry with the onion until it's soft and golden. Shred <b>150g of curly kale</b> into 1/2 cm wide ribbons and add to the onion and garlic, cooking gently for another five minutes, stirring often until the kale has wilted. Season with salt and pepper. </div>
<div>
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Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and deflate it with your fingers. Let it rest for a few minutes, then halve. Roll one piece as thinly as you can onto a chopping board or baking sheet. Spread 1/2 of the kale and onion mixture onto the pizza base and top with <b>25g of light mature cheddar </b>and pop on to the hot baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes and repeat with the remaining topping and another 25g of cheese.</div>
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The pizza was light and delicious - although a few slices of tomato wouldn't have gone a miss for an extra bit of moisture. Hugh suggests an exceptionally warm oven, although we found that this crisped up the kale a bit too much for our liking, so I'd suggest cooking at 220 on a middle shelf. Apart from that - our first meat-free March new recipe success!</div>
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Having enjoyed our pizza and a pre-gig G&T, we tootled off to the Cockpit to watch Tom Odell do his thing. The recent Brit Critique's Choice Award winner was in fine form - the amount of energy that oozed out of him led me to conclude that he must have had a kale and onion pizza pre-gig too. As an artist who's yet to release an album (<i>Long Way Down </i>is due to be released next month), it's hard-work to keep a crowd pleased for a full set, but the twenty two year old's charismatic presence meant that he managed it easily. Blasting out the wonderful <i>Another Love</i>,<i> Hold Me</i> and <i>Can't Pretend</i>, among a plethora of newer material, the gig was an evening to remember and Tom Odell is certainly one to watch. </div>
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Our meat free kale and onion pizza meant that we were able to dance, drink and sing to our heart's content without the risk of a coronary. Hurrah for Tom Odell, hurrah for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and hurrah for meat free March. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-41233311216980223782013-03-03T16:14:00.001+00:002013-03-04T14:45:51.913+00:00A last (meaty) supper at the Sunshine Bakery Supperclub<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Last Thursday was the final day of being able to shove as much meat in my gob as I wanted for an entire month. Having made a pact with Fay over at <a href="http://www.foodfables.co.uk/">Food Fables</a> to spend <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/can-i-ditch-meat-in-march.html">March meat-free</a>, I'd decided to celebrate my final day as a loud and proud omnivore by spending Thursday evening with Anna, a fellow foodie. Coincidentally, I'd also promised Anna that I'd take her out for a slap-up meal to celebrate her birthday. The opportunity was therefore ripe to try a new dining experience, tickle our taste-buds, say goodbye to meat and celebrate Anna's 21st birthday (for the upteenth year in a row) in style.<br />
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I can't remember exactly when or where or how I'd found out about the <a href="http://www.sunshinebakeryleeds.co.uk/">Sunshine Bakery</a> supperclub. Nestled in a little corner of trendy Chapel Allerton, the supperclub takes place in a bakery that, by day, serves the most amazing cupcakes. Run by David Bennett, former chef for Marco Pierre-White, <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: x-small;">i</span>t's a chintzy, vintage style haven where all sorts of sweet treats are served up on retro crockery whilst you're seated on mis-matched tables and chairs. It's small, sweet, and exceptionally welcoming.<br />
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The supperclub takes place outside of bakery opening hours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and relies on word-of-mouth rather than traditional marketing to keep the customers coming in through the door. Having heard good things, I was eager to try it out, especially when I heard that a two course meal would be just £15 a head. The bakery do little to advertise the supperclub online, so a phone call was needed to secure a booking.<br />
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As the Sunshine Bakery supperclub is unlicensed, bring your own booze reigns supreme. Anna and I arrived armed with a bottle of Gordon's finest gin and the swishest tonic that we could find on Sainsbury's shelves, ready to tuck in to some of Leeds' most underground and whispered-about food.<br />
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It's probably fair to say that despite the bring your own booze rule, the Sunshine Bakery supperclub is more of an alternative restuarant than a supperclub in the traditional sense of the word. Unlike other supperclubs that I've attended (the wonderful <a href="http://dinneratthemanor.wordpress.com/">Dinner at the Manor</a> being the stand-out), we were seated on separate tables rather than a communal one. However, due to the fact that the layout of the bakery is very intimate, we soon struck up conversation with the table of four next door.<br />
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Breaking from the normal supperclub norm of a single one-size-fits-all menu, we were presented with three choices for starters and main course, followed by the option of either a cupcake, a cheesecake or a brownie for dessert.<br />
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As fish will be a no-go during March, I opted for fishcakes to start. Although fresh and well seasoned, I was slightly disappointed by the fish-potato ratio - the result being more of a potato cake than a fishcake. They were also slightly underdone - and, dare I say it, erring on the cold side - which was a real shame as it had the potential to be a delicious dish.<br />
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All of the main courses sounded wonderful but as this was my final hurrah to meat for a month, I went for the pork loin wrapped in parma ham with potato dauphinoise and roasted carrots. The pork was delicious, beautifully succulent and the parma ham gave it a wonderful crispness. The dauphinoise potatos were a little taste of creamy decadence - as one of my most favourite side-dishes ever, the team behind the Sunshine Bakery supperclub certainly did it justice. I felt like the dish could have done with a touch more in the way of vegetables, but all-in-all, I was pleased with my portion.<br />
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Anna opted for the sea bass with a caesar sauce, boiled potatoes and pickled spinach. Fresh and well cooked, the fish was melt in the mouth tender. However, the dish was let down by a less than ample portion of potatoes and an exceptionally stingy two strands of pickled cabbage - an element of the plate that Anna had been most looking forward to. The caesar sauce was nice and creamy, but the anchovy and paremsan flavours that should have been present were nowhere to be found. We couldn't help but think that although the fish was nice, the most exciting elements of the description were severely lacking.<br />
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Undoing the top button of our jeans to make room for dessert (it'd be rude not to when we were sitting in a bakery), I went for the lemon cheesecake and Anna chose the mango and banana cupcake. The lemon cheesecake looked very cute indeed in a little jam jar, whilst the mango and banana cupcake was an ode to buttercream, soft sponge and subtle fruity flavours. Although the cheesecake wasn't baked (which is my favourite type of cheesecake), it was a lovely, light palette cleanser. Anna's cupcake was slightly heavy on the buttercream, but the sponge was deliciously moist.<br />
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All in all, the meal offered very good value for money and it was lovely to try somewhere a bit different. The atmosphere is spot-on and the unpretentious food focused ethos takes centre stage. However, I couldn't help that feel that the description of a 'supperclub' was slightly misleading - there was waitress service and a choice of dishes. In fact, the only thing that made the Sunshine Bakery supperclub any different to a normal restaurant was the bring your own booze element and the slightly 'underground' feel. In my opinion, the masterminds behind the bakery would be better off focusing on making the Sunshine Bakery more of a supperclub in the traditional sense of the word - perhaps starting by offering just a main and a vegetarian dish per course and getting them spot-on. When effectively competing against a number of other establishments in Leeds that offer top-quality, price-conscious grub (The Reliance and The Adelphi being two such examples), it's this that'll make the Sunshine Bakery Supperclub stand out.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-77961809017335865522013-02-27T14:12:00.000+00:002013-03-04T14:33:08.102+00:00Can I ditch the meat in March?<div style="text-align: center;">
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Nothing beats a good bit of sausage. A bacon sandwich is a gift from the gods on the mornings that are filled by an alcohol-induced haze. My pesto and mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts have fed many a friend during many a student dinner party. And when I was a wee lass, I pretty much survived on roast chicken and potatoes alone, being far too fussy to eat much else. To put it simply, meat is good, filling and tasty (especially when the horse has trotted off elsewhere).<br />
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However, the time has come to see if I can be meat free for an entire month. Together with my good friend Fay (who you can find over on <a href="http://www.foodfables.co.uk/">Food Fables</a>), I'm going to be attempting a meat-free March. Not a sausage nor a fish finger will pass my lips.</div>
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"Why?" I hear you cry. Well, there are a few reasons:</h3>
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I want to start getting a bit more creative in the kitchen - whilst my diet consists of far more than just roast chicken and potatoes these days, I often find myself falling back on a set of recipes that I could cook with my eyes shut whilst standing on my head, many of which are meat filled. Going veggie will hopefully open my eyes to a wealth of new recipes, new restaurants, new cookbooks and new techniques.</div>
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I'm also trying to shift a few lbs, to save a few pounds and to reconsider my relationship with food. Do I really need to eat as much meat as I do? Don't get me wrong, I'm not a massive meat muncher (usually only opting for the animal based stuff a few times a week), and I'm not expecting to be a fully fledged veggie by the end of the month. However, it'd be great to know that I can get by without it and to have a month of knowing exactly <i>where </i>my food has come from.</div>
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Both Fay and I will be detailing our meat-free March attempts on our blogs. There'll be vegetarian cookbook and restaurant reviews, product reviews, interviews with veggie-loving chefs and, when times get trying, odes to meat and <a href="http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/david-street-cafe-leeds">David St Cafe's </a>breakfast sandwiches. </div>
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Get involved!</h3>
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We are looking for other bloggers to join us in our challenge. It might be that you've considered going veggie but never quite find the motivation, or that you're already a veggie or a vegan and you're interested in blogging about your favourite recipes, restaurants and cookbooks. Or, like us, you might just be looking to try something new. Either way, we're happy to have you on board.</div>
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We'll be tweeting our exploits using the hashtag #MFMuk - please feel free to invite anyone else to take part to do the same. </div>
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Veggie Recipe Swap</h3>
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Fay and I are also looking to set up a recipe exchange where participants swap their favourite veggie or vegan recipe with a fellow blogger and then document their attempts at making it in the comfort of their own kitchen. This should fuel our veggie food inspiration and will be a lovely way to meet fellow bloggers. If you're interested, please leave a comment on this blog!</div>
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Contact us</h3>
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If you'd like any more information about meat free March or the recipe swap, ping an email to <a href="mailto:bitsandbobsbecs@gmail.com">bitsandbobsbecs@gmail.com</a> or drop us a tweet - you can find us at <a href="https://twitter.com/becs_edwards">@becs_edwards</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/foodfablesuk">@foodfablesuk</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com3Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501342 -2.1940140000000481 54.101216 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-25558452863933626442013-02-25T17:25:00.001+00:002013-02-25T22:58:17.804+00:00How taking my sister on a BuyaGift spa day quelled an argument that's been going on for fifteen years<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't do relaxing. The closest I get to complete chill-out time is a couple of episodes of the OC back-to-back, perhaps with a glass of wine thrown in for good measure. My idea of a holiday nightmare consists of lying aimlessly on a beach - something that my friend Sophie can very much attest to. A few years ago, we spent three weeks backpacking around Europe and by the time we got to Croatia, she was in need of some serious sunbathing time. However, I decided to wake her up every morning at 6am to go exploring, which she wasn't too keen on - especially when I almost got stuck on the Bosnian border during one such day trip with only my University library card, not my passport, for company.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, I know someone that can think of nothing they'd like to do more than spend a few hours in a complete chilled-out haze. My sister, Kate, has been deprived of sleep since my nephew, Will, arrived on the scene eleven months ago. Despite being the best and cleverest baby in the whole entire world, he doesn't quite understand the whole night and day thing yet. So, when <a href="http://www.buyagift.co.uk/">Buyagift</a> got in contact to ask me if I'd like to review a s<a href="http://m.buyagift.co.uk/Pampering/Luxury-Pamper-Day-for-Two-at-Bannatyne-s-Health-Clubs-BR-1054572.aspx">pa day</a> for two at <a href="http://www.bannatyne.co.uk/fitness/darlington.htm">Bannatyne's in Darlington</a>, I jumped at the chance for Kate and I to spend the day together away from the grasps of a tiny person. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">The booking process was exceptionally easy and faff free - a voucher arrived from Buyagift, I activated it online and then rang to confirm the treatments and a nice lady with a lovely accent explained what the day would consist of. Sorted.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">When we arrived at Bannatyne's, we were asked to hand over £3 each for a 'spa pack' which consisted of the loan of a robe and some slippers. To be honest, if I'd forked out £89 for the day (which is the RRP), I would have been pretty annoyed at paying an extra £6 for something that should be part and parcel of a spa experience. I also think Bannatyne's missed a trick here - if they're going to do spa packs, why not include a few cosmetic product testers? </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact, Bannatyne's didn't miss an opportunity to sell to us. Throughout the day, we were asked if we wanted to upgrade our spa treatments (which could have cost us over £20 each) and our </span>masseuses also went to great lengths to try to convince us to buy a £30 skincare pack. When I go somewhere to relax (or relax as best as I know how), I don't expect to be constantly herranged to pass over my hard earned pennies.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Aside from that, the day was a joy. The voucher included two spa treatments (totaling 55 minutes), unlimited use of the steam room, sauna, pool and jacuzzi, and the chance to kick-back in a deliciously decadent relaxation room, complete with water beds and hot chairs. We could have joined any one of a number of classes too, but as our gene pool has decided that we should<a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/why-would-cake-would-beat-exercise-in.html"> both prefer cake to exercise</a>, we gave that one a miss. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, as my sister is far better at relaxing than I, it's probably best to hand over to her for her review of the day. She's kindly managed to put together a few words when she's not been busy waving a hairdryer at Will. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Take it away, Kate...</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">My darling little sister decided to reminisce about our younger years today. The conversation went something like this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Becs: 'Kate, do you remember when you were a teenager and you got loads of spots?'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Me: 'Yes Becs'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Becs: 'And I teased you?'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Me: 'Yes Becs'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Becs: 'And mum told me that I'd get them one day so to stop it'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Me: 'Yes Becs'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Becs: 'Well I didn't, did I? Ha'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />In our teenage she would probably have got a smack. At the very least I would have thrown her clean clothes out of my bedroom window onto the freshly cut grass in spite (true story. She responded by cutting up my favourite top). She nearly landed one today, except that as ever her timing was impeccable: she was treating me to a swanky spa day, we were just about to have our facials, and I loved my snuggly Bannatyne's robe far too much to risk enraging a girl with form for clothing mutilation. The robe was white and fluffy and was perfectly living up to my expectations of spa-life, the only downside being that you didn't get to keep it at the end of the day. The facial, when it came, was almost as amazing. Being married to a Chemist, I have been groomed for many years now to dismiss any beauty product containing 'aqua' (for this, read 'all products ever') as 'a huge con: THEY'RE JUST WATER'. But boy, was it nice water today. I was sorely tempted to buy myself some of the products afterwards, which is saying something for me, but at £30 a kick I figured both my wallet and my marriage would be in a better state if I just grabbed a bottle of Evian instead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The voucher meant we also got to have a back, neck and shoulder massage, which would have been pretty close to heaven had it not uncovered quite a lot of tension in my right shoulder that I didn't know I was carrying around. But then every cloud has a silver lining, as the masseuse informed me that her recommendation to remedy this would be a monthly massage. Definitely physio I could get used to!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">After our treatments we hit the pool and jacuzzi, which were refreshing and relaxing in equal measure. My terribly sad confession however, is that the high point of our pool experience came for me in the changing room at the end of the day. With an inquisitive and intrepid eleven month old son at home, I generally only get to dry my hair at the moment by interspersing air to the hair with air on his face...it's a long process! What luxury, then, get to sit in front of the mirror with the hairdryer uninterrupted for a full ten minutes...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all, it was a really lovely day, and definitely needed after a week which, for lots of reasons, had been quite hard work. Thanks for taking me little sister. You're alright really, and I'll even forgive you for never getting any spots.</span><br />
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<i><b>DISCLAIMER:</b> Kate and I experienced the spa day as guests of <a href="http://www.buyagift.co.uk/">Buyagift,</a> but if I wouldn't recommend it to a friend, you wouldn't be hearing about it here. </i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com3Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501343 -2.1940140000000481 54.101215 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-90428044692852433062013-02-24T18:18:00.005+00:002013-02-25T22:59:47.357+00:00Mexicanna<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last night we joined our lovely friends Adam and Anna for an evening of tequila fueled</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">, Mexican fun to celebrate Anna's birthday. Anna is an amazing cook, and armed with Thomosina Mier's </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mexican-Food-Simple-Thomasina-Miers/dp/0340994975" target="_blank">Mexican Food Made Simple</a></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, she created a truly amazing feast. From a starter of chili nachos in a bag (seriously, don't judge until you've tried it - seriously awesome) to chicken fajitas, delectable oven baked green rice, butternut squash and chorizo enchila</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">das and a whole host of homemade guacamole and salsa, the whole evening was a complete taste sensation from start to end. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">I was tasked with making dessert - which is easier said than done when the Mexican pudding cannon seems to consist of nothing much apart from churros, flan and rice pudding. I opted for <a href="http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/25881/chilli-chocolate-cupcakes.aspx" target="_blank">chili chocolate cupcakes</a> and <a href="http://www.discoveryfoods.co.uk/recipes/all/cinnamon-tortilla-chips-with-creamy-maple-pecan-dip.aspx?l=1082#" target="_blank">cinnamon tortilla chips with creamy maple and pecan dip</a>. The chili chocolate cupcakes were very rich, chocolatey and had a real kick to them, and the tortilla chips were a beautifully sweet way to finish the meal.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">We left Anna and Adam's with full bellies and a warm feeling inside, having been whisked away to the heart of Mexico for a few hours.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Adam took some lovely photographs of the night, a selection of which are below. As a freelance photographer and a brilliant blogger, Adam's <a href="http://www.pikchures.com/" target="_blank">website</a> is certainly worth checking out if you're looking for a photo or two to be taken in the Leeds area. You can also find him on Facebook at<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Pikchures" target="_blank"> Adam Robinson Photography</a>, or you can have a chat with him on <a href="https://twitter.com/Adam_Zed" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Adam Robinson Photography <a href="http://www.twitter.com/adam_zed">(@Adam_Zed)</a></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com5Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-45187341438757814522013-02-22T22:45:00.001+00:002013-02-25T23:00:10.863+00:00A visit to a Yorkshire vineyard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yorkshire - a word that summons an image of beautiful rolling hills, rain, men in flat caps with whippets, stone-clad villages, Last of the Summer Wine, penny-pinching individuals, nice pie and a good pint of ale.<br />
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Tuscany - a word that summons an image of rolling hills, sunshine, good food, beautiful white-washed villages, podgy, old Italian ladies and lots and lots of vineyards, which of course equals lots and lots of wine.<br />
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These are two places which probably couldn't sound much more different. But, believe it or not, a Yorkshire vineyard isn't an oxymoron - it actually exists. In a little village just outside of Holmfirth (where Last of the Summer Wine was filmed), lies a little slice of Tuscany - seven acres of vine covered land that blend into the Pennines. <a href="http://www.holmfirthvineyard.com/" target="_blank">Holmfirth Vineyard</a> is home to over 7,000 vines and four different types of grape - all of which cling to its steep slopes and battle the snow, wind and rain to form one of the highest and most northerly vineyards in the world.<br />
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Thanks to a Christmas present of a Livingsocial voucher for a tour of the vineyard and afternoon tea from my lovely cousin Claire, Ash and I found ourselves battling the snow(!) and bitter cold to learn why on earth anyone would choose to produce wine in Yorkshire, and see if what's produced is actually 'quaff-able' (a word that's up there in my top five favourites ever, right next to plethora).<br />
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Getting to Holmfirth Vineyard without a car was an adventure in itself - one that required a train, a bus and a fifteen minute walk up a narrow, country 'road' (read perilous lane) that scales a pretty ginormous hill - all in the snow. By the time we'd reached the vineyard, which appears out of nowhere after a sharp turn in the road, a glass of wine or ten was definitely in order to help us recover and thaw out.<br />
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We were welcomed into the gorgeous restaurant-cum-visitors centre where we took a seat to wait until the tour of the vineyard began. The building is glass-fronted and the restaurant - which is beautifully simple - has wonderful views out over the Holme Valley - perfect for visiting just for a spot of lunch or a cup of tea if vineyards aren't your thing. We happily waited for fifteen minutes or so, watching the snow fall outside and admiring the views.</div>
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By the time the tour started, we had warmed up enough to want to brave the outdoors again. Led by Matt -who had previously been a wine merchant before he started working for the vineyard last year - the tour took us on a journey from the romantic story of how the vineyard was started by a husband and wife team who knew little to nothing about wine but wanted to escape to the country, right through to describing the vine pruning process and the difficulties that the vineyard has experienced due to the British weather. <br />
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Matt's passion for English wine shone through throughout the tour. Although it's still really young and has a way to go (about ten years or so) until the vines are anywhere close to maturing, the vineyard is clearly a real labour of love for everyone who works on it. The seven thousand vines were planted by hand in a particularly bleak winter by Ian and Bec - the owners - after their original plans to source the work to a company in Luxembourg had fallen through in 2008. The vineyard really is a completely unique place - one that's fueled by the owners' willingness to understand the intricacies of the wine making process, willingness to collaborate with other British wine makers and vineyards and a passion to take real risks to make it a success. <br />
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After half an hour in the cold, it was definitely time for some wine, so we headed into the winery for an explanation of the bottling process and an all important quaffing session. Matt was completely honest about the quality of the fruit that had been produced from last year's harvest - perhaps not the best batch ever due to the wettest summer in over a hundred years, and one that the vineyard would have to be quite creative with in order to make it commercially viable. Although the wine we tasted wasn't quite ready to be bottled yet and it was therefore quite acidic - it was very drinkable. Starting with a white grape Solaris, which was crisp, dry and elderflowery, we moved onto two Rosés that had bags of potential. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wine - if I found a bottle of Holmfirth Vineyard wine in my local Tesco, I'd buy it!</div>
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We rounded off our very enlightening trip with a spot of afternoon tea in the restaurant. Although portion sizes were a tad on the stingy side (three sandwich fingers, half a scone, half a flapjack and half a chocolate tart each) and the restaurant was under-staffed, the food was fresh and completely avoided the stale bread factor that's often synonymous with bad afternoon teas. A special shout out must go to the scones which were exceptionally soft, delicious and still warm - top marks. It's a shame that it wasn't possible to buy Holmfirth Vineyard wine at the restuaraurant, as we definitely could have gone through another few glasses! Instead we made do with a glass of sparkling wine and a cup of tea that went down very well indeed.</div>
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With that we bid the little slice of Tuscany in Yorkshire goodbye and headed back down the winding lane to catch the bus back to Huddersfield. Our visit exceeded all expectations, and the vineyard is a seven acre case study that shows that sometimes going out on a whim with a seemingly crazy idea can pay real dividends. Not sure if it's something I'd ever be brave enough to do, but massive kudos goes to owners Ian and Bec for doing their very best to make it work. I'm already planning a trip in the summer to see the vines in full fruition!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com2Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-19856636393350296612013-02-21T22:17:00.003+00:002013-02-25T23:00:40.309+00:00Why would cake beat exercise in a fight?<div>
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I'd like to make one thing quite clear. People who say exercise is fun, or that they enjoy working up a sweat, or that they work out every day, are completely and utterly stark raving mad.<br />
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I speak from experience. </div>
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I understand that I can't just sit around and eat cake and expect to be thin, so today I decided to do some exercise. I got on the exercise bike that's been used as a coat-stand in our living room since last autumn and I cycled for half an hour.</div>
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I huffed and I puffed and I got sweaty. I felt like my glasses were definitely going to fall off my face from the perspiration. My back felt like I'd poured a litre of water over it. It was not a pleasant experience.<br />
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As my arse now feels like it will never be comfortable again, I'm in a good position to be able to tell you that exercise isn't fun, it's plain painful. Sweating is disgusting. Anything that makes me hurt in places that I never knew it was possible to feel pain in is clearly the work of the devil. And that's why people who think that exercise is fun, and a valuable use of their time, clearly need some sort of brain transplant. </div>
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Which leads me nicely on to the reasons why cake would always, always beat exercise hands down in a fight:</div>
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<b>Cake doesn't hurt me</b>. As I am an expert cake eater (and I'm alright at making them too), the chance of cake hurting my bum is slim to none. You can't say the same for exercise.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cake makes me salivate, not sweat.</b> Salivating is a nice experience. It doesn't make me smell. It makes me anticipate the taste sensation that's about to explode in my mouth. Cake is never accompanied by tons of <em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">antiperspirant</em> and a shower. It just needs a nice cup of tea.</span><br />
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<b>Cake doesn't confuse me. </b>Exercise comes with a whole host of dos and don'ts, conflicting advice and how-to guides. It requires serious investment - both time wise and money wise. The hardest decision you have to make with cake is which slice to eat first.<br />
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<b>With cake, I always know which way the scales are going to go </b>- namely, up. With exercise, you can spend a whole week of sweating, lunging, lifting and running every day and end up <i>putting on</i> weight. I'm not one for uncertainty, and with cake I <i>always</i> know what to expect.<br />
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<b>Cake doesn't waste my time. </b>I reckon I could eat a slice of cake in around two minutes flat. A good workout could take up to thirty times that amount of time. Yuck.</div>
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<b>Cake isn't monotonous. </b>Think of all the flavours! From Bakewell tart to spotted dick, brownie to the humble butterfly cake, the possibilities are endless. There's a plethora of debates to be had about cake - perhaps the most famous source of conflict surrounds the impossible-to-pigeon-hole Jaffa Cake. With exercise, the outcome is always the same - it hurts. There's no debate to be had. What's more, I never have to find motivation to eat cake, or talk myself out of the things that stand in its way. It is a wonderful thing.</div>
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I have to say though, that there maybe is one good thing about doing exercise. My time on the bike today gave me time to think about why cake would kick exercise's sorry little arse every time.</div>
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So maybe there is room for both cake and exercise in my life? And maybe by doing more exercise, I'll come to appreciate cake more. Life is a funny, funny thing.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-33475644803647266552013-02-19T21:12:00.000+00:002013-02-19T21:16:55.085+00:00A story of love and art<div style="text-align: center;">
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I stumbled across an article today about two people that I can't stop thinking about.<br />
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Meet Herb and Dorothy Vogel - a postal clerk and a librarian.<br />
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Never heard of them? Me neither, until I read Mental_Floss magazine's article -<a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/48844/how-working-class-couple-amassed-priceless-art-collection" target="_blank"> How a Working-Class Couple Amassed a Priceless Art Collection. </a><br />
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Herb never earned more than $23,000 dollars a year. Dorothy didn't know anything about art before she met Herb. Herb's only knowledge of the art world was entirely self-taught.<br />
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But together, they managed to fill their one bedroom New York flat with beautiful things that they loved - and, in doing so, they also filled their apartment with a priceless art collection.<br />
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They missed out the middlemen - the art dealers - and dealt directly with the artists. They gave these artists a hand-up.<br />
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Herb and Dorothy did it entirely together. They learnt about collecting and the art world as a pair, working in unison to buy art at a price they could afford and spot up and coming trends.<br />
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And amazingly, they never did it to make any money - they just did it for a love of art, and a love of each other.<br />
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When Herb got too ill to enjoy collecting, they stopped. "I have no regrets," Dorothy said. "I've had a wonderful life. And I believe Herb and I were made to be together."<br />
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Together they amassed one of the most important art collections of the Twentieth Century, which was once squashed into their tiny home and now belongs to the public.<br />
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What an amazing story about passion, love, and appreciating beauty for beauty's sake. It's so good, and so poignant, I couldn't help but share. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-79418885974026277022013-02-19T20:11:00.000+00:002013-02-19T20:11:35.673+00:00#heartswap<img height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__CSiUvs5FGgt0_y7Yzrv1o9O6mcV8C56jb78C0_GaSux4eOPO4JlZXuJDADKBnLc6Apr_AUhe04FaFtSsaSO9ewelWHEHpUr1NgzSkSyXKgKrVhYb_6tIKbyM7z4F_bvk_uvsEXUG4w/s640/HeartSwap.png" width="640" /><br />
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One of my most favourite things in the whole world is both the giving and receiving of surprise presents. There's not much that beats buying something that you know that someone you know will love and giving it to them on a whim. And it's even better when you're the recipient of a surprise present, especially if it's wrapped up in brown paper and tied up with string.<br />
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I'm not really one for Valentine's Day, but I am one for surprise presents. And secretly, I like hearts too.<br />
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That's why, when my lovely friend Fay (of <a href="http://www.foodfables.co.uk/" target="_blank">Food Fables </a>fame) alerted me to #heartswap on Anna's gorgeous <a href="http://www.skinandblisterblog.com/search?updated-max=2013-01-20T14:40:00Z&max-results=5&start=15&by-date=false" target="_blank">Skinblisterblog</a>, I signed up straight away. The idea was simple: by answering a short questionnaire that Anna sent out, we were paired with a fellow blogger and tasked to send them a lovely parcel - one that we would be happy to receive. The parcel had to contain something heart or heart themed, and had to arrive in time for Valentine's Day.<br />
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I was paired with the lovely Sundari from <a href="http://rosebeautybox.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rose Beauty</a>. This is what I bought her:<br />
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Anna asked Natalie from <a href="http://www.miabellaluna.com/" target="_blank">Bella Luna</a> to send me a parcel of things that would make me smile. I was completely touched by her choices - especially the Everyman Cinema voucher, the Moleskine journals and the gorgeous penguin postcard.<br />
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I couldn't be happier with my parcel - and what a lovely way to meet some fellow bloggers. A big thank you to Anna for organising it!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-37895733869709451682013-02-17T20:37:00.000+00:002013-02-19T20:28:41.212+00:00#spacemel<div style="text-align: center;">
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Meet Mel. She's the only person I know who'd do the Harlem Shake on top of a London bus in a spacesuit.</div>
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Mel is the most utterly crazy person that I've ever had the pleasure to come across. I first met her at Sixth Form - we did pretty much the same A Levels and therefore spent quite a lot of time together. Whilst the rest of us spent two years learning about Stalin's Five Year plans, Mel spent two years perfecting the best way to set a dictaphone to record a "remix" of Backstreet Boys and System of a Down using two CD players. She had a penchant for Will Young, procrastinating, Sholer and bringing themed cake or biscuits to every history lesson possible (learning about Garibaldi was a lot more fun when accompanied by Garibaldi biscuits).<br />
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Anyway, fast-forward ten years and Mel's still awesome. Not knowing much about Stalin hasn't held her back - in fact, if anything it seems to have done her lots of favours. She's lived and held down all sorts of amazing jobs in South Africa and Switzerland. She ran the Berlin Marathon without much training. She's cycled the Nile, ran a race dressed as a Gorilla, met Bill Oddy and worked for UK Sport over the Olympics. There's not much Mel hasn't done.She's knowledgeable, passionate and a joy to be around (despite the bad remix obsession).</div>
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In fact, I'd quite happily be stuck in a rocket orbiting around the earth for a few days with Mel. </div>
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Which is a good job too, because she wants to go to Space. But she needs your help to do so.</h3>
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Watch the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_aFRlRnI1o&feature=youtu.be">video</a>. Share it using the hashtag #spacemel and vote for Mel in the Lynx Space Academy competition here - <a href="https://www.lynxapollo.com/en_GB/164923/mel-paramasivan/">https://www.lynxapollo.com/en_GB/164923/mel-paramasivan/</a>. Feel safe in the knowledge that you've played your part in putting a Will Young fan into orbit.</div>
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Thanks all x</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-34377416416625203592013-02-12T20:55:00.000+00:002013-02-12T20:58:17.163+00:00It's flippin' Pancake Day! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pancake Day is flippin' amazing. As far as I'm aware, it's the only day in the year that's dedicated solely to food and celebrated by many. It's a day of collective eating, of celebrating the joys of lemon and sugar and filling our bellies with Nutella. It's an excuse to <i>only </i>eat dessert for dinner. It also marks the fact that it's only a few short weeks until Easter - which, of course, is every chocoholics dream. Obviously Pancake Day comes laden with a whole load of religious connotations too, but I tend to brush past those - I find that thinking about a man being nailed to a cross and left to die whilst I'm devouring a pancake or ten does not a happy eating experience make.<br />
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There is very little in the world that beats a good pancake. When we were kids, we always used to celebrate Pancake Day with our friends - four sisters - who lived down the road. Every year the Quinn girls - as they are still collectively known - and my sister and I used to huddle round the stove at their house, always using the same small frying pan to make the most delicious pancake concoctions. With enough batter to feed six numerous times over, we used to spend what seemed like hours and hours eating sugary, pancakey treats. I'm pretty sure that Megan, the second oldest of the Quinn girls, once threw up from eating too many.<br />
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At Uni I discovered the joy of pancake parties, of experimenting with savoury pancakes, and testing how well they went with alcohol.<br />
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These days it's a slightly more sombre affair due to the fact it always falls in the middle of the working week (seriously, whoever wrote the Bible should have thought a bit more carefully about that one), but it's still something I look forward to every year without fail.<br />
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Today we followed<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/basicpancakeswithsuga_66226"> Delia Smith's pancake recipe</a>, which was extremely tasty. Fillings wise, I went for a combination of savoury and sweet, classic and experimental. Starting with a stilton and honey roast ham concoction, I swiftly moved on to nutella and banana and then lemon and sugar. Delicious.<br />
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What did you go for? Do you stick to the sweet or are you a fan of the savoury? And is there a pancake recipe that you think I should try?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-59981402322329623922013-02-11T22:34:00.000+00:002013-02-12T11:18:01.830+00:00London Calling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I miss London. Since I moved to Leeds in 2006, a couple of long distance relationships and family and friends nearby meant that I'd never been far from its grasps, usually visiting at least once a month. But times they have changed and since Ash moved to Leeds two summers ago, visits to the capital (for anything apart from work) are a lot rarer than they used to be.<br />
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My teenage years were pretty much defined by being in London - from escaping to Camden when I decided to dye my hair black when I was 14 to the anti-war marches later on, and then the hundreds of gigs, pubs and clubs when I was 18 or so and all I wanted to do was kiss Carl Barat from The Libertines. The world was my oyster and London was at its core.<br />
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So it was with a lot of excitement that I made my merry way down to the city that will always feel a bit like home on Friday to celebrate my Mama's birthday and to catch up with some of my favourite people. Armed with a bag of Percy Pigs, a train ticket and a good book, I met my parents at Kings Cross Station two and a bit hours after I'd set off from Leeds.<br />
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My Dad and I whisked my Mum off to Hampstead for a bite to eat, a wander down the lovely high street and a trip to the<a href="http://www.everymancinema.com/"> Everyman </a>cinema to see Hitchcock. For those of you who have never experienced an Everyman cinema, I can't recommend them highly enough. With just nine cinemas spread across the country (most of which are in London, although there's one coming to Leeds soon - hurrah!), they really are a joy to behold. Decked out with plush sofas and with full waiter service to your seat for a pretty reasonable price, their screens are the antithesis of all the horrible multiplexes that only care about making money and not about the films they show or the experience that they give their customers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ma and Pa at the Everyman</td></tr>
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With a bowl of frozen yoghurt, a comfy armchair and a big screen, it would have been a pleasurable experience watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0975645/">Hitchcock</a> no matter what the film was actually like. As it was, I thought the film was very watchable. Having never seen Psycho (around which the film is set) or knowing much at all about old Alfred H, I couldn't help that think that some of its meaning was lost on me, but Helen Mirren was fantastic and although I felt that Anthony Hopkins' performance was slightly forced, it was still enjoyable. My Ma and Pa seemed to enjoy it too, which was all that really mattered at the end.<br />
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On Saturday morning I caught up with Mel - one of my best friends from Sixth Form (and one of the zaniest, craziest, most warm-hearted people I know) - over two of the biggest English breakfasts that you ever did see at the <a href="http://www.lovewalkcafe.co.uk/">Love Walk Cafe</a> in Camberwell. Mel is the sort of person who just loves life and has an amazingly refreshing, creative outlook - she ran a marathon with little to no training, applied to Uni on the day of our A Level results, ran a race dressed as a gorilla and cycled down the Nile because she was bored. All of this means that there's little in life that would surprise me about Mel. So when she changed into a space suit in the middle of the Cafe and then asked us to film her drinking tea to accompany a Beyonce song for a top secret project that I can't divulge to you as yet, I wasn't in the least bit surprised. I promise to reveal all when I can.<br />
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The afternoon saw a trip to the South London Gallery with another wonderful friend, Kim. My friendship with Kim is one of the best things that came out of my time at Uni and, having lived with each other for four years, we went through a lot of the trials and tribulations that university life can bring together. She was (and still is) a constant support when times get a bit tough, and one of the funnest people I know. We can go for months without speaking, and yet when we're together everything just seems to click back into place. I was so so so pleased to see her.<br />
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After the gallery, Kim and I popped to Brixton to drink wine and eat the most delicious sourdough pizzas - that were bigger than our heads - at <a href="http://www.francomanca.co.uk/">Franco Manca</a>.<br />
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Then we made our way to Bush Hall to drink lots of vodka and see The Coral's drummer, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IanSkellyMusic">Ian Skelly</a>, do his thing as a solo artist (accompanied by most of The Coral). We danced. We drank. It felt like we were at Uni again. It was <i>so</i> much fun.<br />
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After a lazy Sunday morning on Kim's sofa, I headed to the Southbank Centre to see Winston. Winst and I became friends fifteen years ago when we were made to sit next to each other in every class at secondary school. He has always judged people by the shoes they wear, has a penchant for expensive macaroons and never fails to make me giggle like a fourteen year old. He's brilliant, and he likes art, so I dragged him to see the <a href="http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/light-show-69759">Light Show</a> at the Hayward Gallery.<br />
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Despite the pricey £11 entry ticket, the show was fantastic - one of the best exhibitions I've seen in years. It was a colourful playground of light and art that challenged visual perception and left me wanting more more more. If you're in the big smoke, you have to go. You really, really won't regret it.<br />
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And with that, I hopped on a National Express (ugh) back to Leeds. <br />
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It was a weekend that made me feel alive, that made me fall back in love with London, and that made me feel genuinely lucky to be surrounded by the most wonderful friends. What more could a girl want?<br />
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London - I miss you. I'll be back soon. x<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com0Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347211999030539601.post-3607892308342594852013-02-07T19:41:00.001+00:002013-02-07T21:54:20.084+00:00The Tenner Challenge: day seven - a week on £9.29<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Well, I've done it. I've been without chocolate, Diet Coke, meals out, socialising and other little luxuries for (almost) a whole week. Instead, I've made <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-tenner-challenge-day-three.html"><span id="goog_75508719"></span>bread<span id="goog_75508720"></span></a>, biscuits and fresh pasta at home, bought bargain birthday cards, <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-tenner-challenge-day-four-annnnd.html">pampered myself</a> economically, <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-tenner-challenge-day-6-seeing.html" target="_blank">re-started unfinished projects</a>, <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-tenner-challenge-day-two-economical.html">explored on a budget</a> and been on a <a href="http://www.bitsandbobsbecs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-tenner-challenge-day-five-date-night.html" target="_blank">date for £1.92</a>.<br />
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At lunchtime today I popped out to spend my remaining pennies on a can of Diet Coke - the thing I've missed the most - and a box of Celebrations for my colleagues.<br />
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I'm proud to be able to say, therefore, that this week I've spent a grand total of £9.29. </h3>
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I honestly can't remember the last time that I spent so little in a week. Perhaps when I was 15 and had a Saturday job at McDonalds for less than minimum wage. I'm feeling a bit smug and rather proud of myself - I honestly never thought that spending so little, and still managing to do quite a considerable amount, was possible. </div>
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<h3>
So, what have I learnt?</h3>
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<ul>
<li><b>I really love Diet Coke - </b>Having banished buying chocolate, crisps, snacks and sweets from my life this week, I now know that I can easily go without. To be honest, I really haven't missed the daily naughty smackerel of something even a tiny bit. In fact, this week has made me realise that I buy these things, and other food too, because it's there and it's something to do - rather than because I <i>actually </i>want it. Diet Coke, on the other hand, is a completely different ball game. I'm addicted to its sweet, sweet nectar, and at 11am every day I found myself getting the Diet Coke withdrawal shakes. Although it probably doesn't do anything good to my insides at all, I'd prefer this to be my vice rather than cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, and I can't wait to sup on my daily can again next week. </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b style="font-weight: bold;">Budgeting is, well, restrictive - </b>Although the past seven days haven't been as boring or as hard as I thought they would be, they have been extremely tiring. Having to think about where every penny goes is exhausting, and planning everything in advance is extremely restrictive. Obviously budgeting and restriction are pretty much synonymous, but I'd never really considered how living off such a small wad of cash could have such a huge impact on day-to-day life. Although I'm lucky enough to live in a city that hosts lots of free events, there are always hidden costs - food and transport really ramps the amount up. Just going for a walk on Saturday wiped out a third of my budget. Socialising was pretty much out of the question due to a lack of funds, which left me feeling housebound and a bit depressed by day five. I'm someone who thrives off doing stuff, and having a week of doing very little left me very down indeed. I can't imagine what it must be like for people who never have more than £10 of disposable income to spend every week due to necessity and I hope I never have to experience it. But with half of the world living off less than a dollar a day, and hundreds of thousands of people living on the breadline in the UK, it's a very real reality for a lot of people.</li>
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<li><b>I <i>can </i>live off a lot less than I normally spend - </b>Would I choose to live off £10 a week again? No way, jose. Would I recommend doing it for a week to others? I would. The truth is, this week has massively put my spending in perspective. Detoxing my spending has given me the confidence to cut down on eating out, snacks and little luxuries. Doing so will do my bank balance the world of good, and to be honest, I won't miss it. It's kick started my willingness to save more and spend less. 2013 is a year to start appreciating what I've got, get better at finishing projects and be more creative with the disposable income I do have. </li>
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So, what's next? Well, I'm off now to pack my suitcase for a weekend in London to see some of my favourite people and celebrate my wonderful Mum's birthday. Will I be spending more than £10 this weekend? Hell yeah, and I'm going to seriously enjoy it. But on Monday, I'll be back to watching what I spend. I won't be living off a tenner again or restricting the Diet Coke, but I will be turning over a new leaf that my bank manager will be proud of.</div>
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<b>The Tenner Challenge: day seven</b></div>
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Total spent - £9.29</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00032975742507343009noreply@blogger.com1Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK53.801279 -1.548567000000048253.501353 -2.1940140000000481 54.101205 -0.90312000000004822