Take Two: Naomi and Ellen take London.

Hard to believe that it was just over three months ago that I met the wonderful Naomi for the first time. As soon as we had made it back home from Birmingham we both agreed that we had to meet again and to me there seemed no better place than London. I noticed from Naomi's posts that she has travelled to London before and I will never tire of visiting. I love nothing better than jumping on a train, exploring the city from each tube station to the next and seeing the many sites the capital has to offer. 

So yesterday we both made the trip to London, admittedly I had a far easier journey than Naomi who had to travel 3hrs in comparison to my 40 minute commute. I parked at Leagrave train station and took the 8:32am train to London St Pancras, using the journey to reflect on my past experiences of my weekly commute prior to living with Richard as well as taking the opportunity to read my neglected book. 

Within no time at all I was at St Pancras International which is one of my favourite stations it must be said and one which I feel is massively overlooked, seen more as a passing point than a station of interest. As I made my way to the ticket gate I could see Naomi waiting for me and we soon discussed our exhaustion and both agreed we needed sustenance and quick! We headed over to my trusted pit stop when at St Pancras, the one and only Starbucks. Here we both picked up a tall filter coffee and had a good catch up on the past few months events. 

Feeling refreshed we made the short walk over to Kings Cross Station, which is another favourite of mine thanks to its wonderful architecture... and of course the Harry Potter attractions. The queue for the trolley strategically (if not oddly) placed at Platform 9 ¾ was incredibly long so we both agreed to move on and find somewhere for breakfast and come back later (this however failed when we saw the size of the even bigger queue in the afternoon).

In terms of finding somewhere to eat, Naomi and I had done our own research prior to visiting. I scoured Google for 'quirky' cafés that would provide great photo opportunities and reviews for our blogs. I stumbled across several 'unusual' destinations including one café that had bicycles hanging in the window and another that was a converted public toilet. One caught my eye and as soon as sent it over to Naomi we both agreed we had to go. 

We caught the tube from Kings Cross to Barbican and walked a short way to Timberyard, a small and unassuming looking café on Old Street. Along the same street was another café I had seen reviewed online called 'Look Mum, no hands' which is a café come cycling shop. It's cool design and great name was certainly worthy of a picture and just having a quick peep through the window, we could see it was another popular destination for locals and tourists alike. 

We carried on down the street and across the road we saw Timberyard. I say 'we saw' when in actual fact we nearly walked straight past it. It is so unassuming and basic from the outside it is surprising that TimeOut reviewed it at all. 

We had a quick peek through the window and were reassured to see that it had been voted London Coffee Shop of the Year. We headed on in and were immediately wowed by the intimate feel of the shop and the incredible rustic décor. 

We soon began um-ing and ah-ing over the exciting selection of food and drink on offer but in no way felt rushed or pressured by the staff. Naomi questioned one member of the Timberyard team on their selection of teas and he described each of them with care only then to produce samples for us to try which I thought was incredibly kind. I settled on freshly squeezed orange juice and a rhubarb crumble croissant before choosing a table right by the front of the shop that looked out onto the street, perfect for people watching and keeping an eye on the unpredictable British weather. I immediately headed off to the toilets which were placed down a concealed staircase which led me to even more seating. The toilets themselves were some of the nicest I had been into, each with their own individual style and great scent. Big thumbs up from someone who hates public toilets. 

By the time I made it back to the table our order had arrived and it was presented beautifully. This was clearly a café that pays close attention to detail and truly took their theme to the next level, from the wine bottle full of complimentary water and the rustic sugar pot all the way down to my stripy vintage straw.

Sure it all looks good but what about the taste?

Well there were certainly no complaints from Naomi and I who polished off our order in no time at all. I normally steer clear of croissants because I find that they are too much pastry and not enough flavour but this definitely swayed my opinion. The rhubarb was delicious and the cold custard made a great complimentary touch. The orange juice was also fantastic and had a nice sharp flavour with just the right amount of pulp. 

Rather begrudgingly we left the Timberyard and headed out into the drizzly rain and made our way back to the station for a bit of much needed retail therapy.

From Barbican Station we navigated our way to Oxford Circus which was very busy indeed and every window was full of rainbow colours. Soon enough I put two and two together and did a quick Google search to see if my suspicions were correct. They were. It was London Pride and it was due to kick off any time now. We managed to push our way through the crowds and had a look around big names such as Topshop, H&M and Forever 21 while the festivities took place outside. 

After exploring shop after shop we soon headed back to yet another tube station and made our way to Covent Garden to fill our stomachs with delicious food. In many ways Timberyard set the standards not only in terms of food but also in relation to venue too. We walked around for what felt like hours, stopping off every now and again to read various menus and critically look at their choices. We stepped into a great variety of places including one which looked like a bikers bar rather than a burger joint and we both agreed we were no where near 'grimy' enough to eat there. We finally found Shake Shack, an upmarket burger restaurant that spanned the length of what can only be described as a small warehouse and courtyard overlooking the shops and cafés below. 

It looked very busy so we spoke to one of the restaurants greeters who politely explained the set up to us and that the wait would only be 10 to 15 minutes. We were ushered in holding a menu and quickly had to decide on the spot what we wanted, with me leaving Naomi to give our order, whilst I queued for seating. 

It was a very bizarre set up in my eyes and not very British at all. You don't simply make an order, get handed a number and find a table. Oh no, you have to decide on the spot, leave your companions who queue to give your order, you then have to queue separately just for the privilege of having a table, the orderer is then given a 'buzzer' and accompanies you in the queue. Should you be lucky enough to be seated, you then have to effectively have one person guard your table while the other dashes up to a window to collect your food. When they have returned the other then has to go and squeeze their choice of sauce into a pot and hope that no one has jumped in their grave by the time they get back. Very, very odd. 

With this in mind the food had a lot of making up to do and luckily we weren't disappointed. In the very little time we had to glance at the menu and make a decision we both chose the ShackBurger and fries. When eating out the last food in my mind is a burger, which I appreciate sounds very pretentious but for me I would rather go out for a meal and choose something I ordinarily wouldn't have at home, than something I could get out of the back of a shady looking van. I bit into my burger with reservations but immediately was impressed and I have to say the ShackBurger has changed my view about eating a burger at a restaurant. The burger itself was thin and meaty and there was an excellent combination of lettuce, tomato, cheese and their ShamShack sauce. The bun too wasn't thick and stodgy which to me made it the perfect burger. The fries too were delicious and perfectly seasoned.

So would I visit again? Well I certainly would have a meal from them again but I think the venue would have to be different because it has an element of chaos about it and you are very aware that there are a queue of hungry people standing behind you just waiting to jump in your seat even before you have picked up your belongings. This is a feeling that is shared on TimeOut's review also. 

After a quick look around some of the shops in the Piazza we had another look around Oxford Street, Regent Street and Tottenham Court Road before deciding to make our way back to St Pancras for a well deserved drink and rest before moving our separate ways. We stopped off at Sourced Market where I grabbed a refreshing Orange and Passion Fruit drink by Firefly. Resigned to the fact our adventure was over we prepared to go our separate ways but not before vowing to meet up again and of course to take a picture or two...

I hope our London adventure has inspired you to explore your local city or even the capital itself. Remember, adventures out there!

For more information on the places we have visited please see the links below:

www.timberyardlondon.com

www.shakeshack.com

www.sourcedmarket.com

Self Reflection

So these past four days have been a struggle to say the least. My partner in crime, the apple of my eye if you will, Richard has been away in Budapest on a stag do getting drunk, watching football and shooting things whilst I have been holding the fort back in boring Bedfordshire. 

For me this is the first time we have truly been apart since living together for almost a year and really the only time he has been away in our entire relationship (we live a thrilling life, we really do). 

At times like this when ones brain is the only source of company in those lonely nights where sleep evades you, it is easy to begin to self reflect on your time with your significant other. We by no means take each other for granted, particularly now that we live together. Prior to this we lived miles apart, spent a fortune seeing each other (and in Richard's case cycled along dangerous roads to visit me) and at most would see each other twice a week. I feel as though this separation made our relationship that much stronger and we really valued the time we had together. To this day we have never once argued with each other nor got sick of the other person being around. In a way I am grateful we had that distance between us because otherwise we could have ended up like any other couple who see each other too often and grow tired of one another. Who knows how things could have turned out if I had simply lived down the road from him. Would we have even met? Life is a strange thing.

Richard's absence has certainly made me realise just how much we rely upon each other, even in just our normal routines such as how he sings in the shower and how he feeds Murphy while I am still getting ready and even things like the cups of tea he surprises me with. His absence is not only apparent from the empty house but also in my own personality. The first morning without him I could feel an emptiness within me and in many ways that set me up to have a bad day. It makes you realise just how significant they are in who you are as an individual. To me Richard is my rock. When I have a bad day, he listens and knows just what to do and say. He knows how to make me laugh and smile, not to mention how to calm me down when I panic about things such as money and bills. 

Today my parents celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary and I think that really does reinforce how I feel about not taking one another for granted and that sacrifices, hard graft and perseverance really do lead to great things. If we can be half the couple they are, then I will know we have done well.

I guess this post is all about reflecting on what you have and never taking it for granted because it can be taken away in an instant, even if it is just to Hungary to get drunk for a lad's getaway...

Inspiration Made Easy

I love to try new things, particularly when it comes to food. In one of my last blog posts I mentioned how I liked nothing more than to pull new ideas from supermarket magazines. 

Yesterday while doing my weekly shop I managed to find a selection from Asda and Tesco and thought I would share with you what they have to offer and why they are always worth picking up.

I start of with Asda's monthly magazine which combines food, health and fashion into one handy booklet that makes an easy read. I managed to pick this up as I was hastily trying to pack away my shopping at the till and quickly snuck this into one of my bags. I always keep a look out for these because this is where I have found some great recipes that are not only easy but also budget friendly too. 

The recipes are displayed with great pictures and easy to read instructions that also tell you handy short cuts should you not have the time to make it yourself or would like to know other ingredients you could add to make it even better. I like to tear these out and tuck them away in my handy 'Splosh' recipe box.

As well as recipes they show you some of the latest products they have in store including food, fashion and beauty. All in all it is a great read and one which I will pick up time and time again as well as passing it on to my friends and family.

I also popped into Tesco yesterday and just had to pick up their latest magazine and Home catalogue that were littered across the store.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Home catalogue that Tesco had brought out, particularly after the success of Asda's new home range. I was seriously impressed when I saw that catalogue a couple of months back and quickly made a wish list and began dreaming. That being said Tesco's range was equally as pleasing and the catalogue itself looked incredibly professional. 

I was also pleased that they had a break from the homeware and also showed how their products can be used in food preparation with these handy pull out recipe cards. They also left a paper version of the recipes in the book which means that you can easily share it with your friends without having to explain what was on the missing pages.

Finally I picked up Tesco's version of their monthly magazine that shares food, family and living all in one handy package. Seen as I rate Asda's magazine so highly I was slightly sceptical that Tesco's own wouldn't live up to it. Although the magazine had some interesting articles I only found one recipe that really caught my eye which was this yummy looking fruit pie. That being said I am sure that many other people would enjoy the articles on offer and it certainly is worth a look.

So there you have it, a quick insight into why I love free magazines and just why they provide some fresh pieces of inspiration perfect for the Summer.

A Devilishly Delightful Treat: Mocha Cake

Since starting this blog I realise I haven't really made a devilishly delightful treat, which really was what the blog was created for. It was primarily going to be based around my love of food and my destructive tendencies in the kitchen (hence the name). 

So here to kick things off is my latest baking experiment...

Mocha Cake 

with a Mocha Buttercream Filling

This was a new challenge for me and not a cake that I have made before. I make a mean Coffee and Walnut cake which goes down an absolute treat with Richard, not to mention all of his mates. Moving on from the success of this cake I have made a Cappuccino Cake complete with White Chocolate icing and cocoa dusting. Continuing with the hot drink theme I stumbled across a recipe for Mocha Cake which Richard immediately was keen to sample. 

I soon put on my apron and prepared the kitchen for the mess that would soon appear. I am never one to follow a recipe so soon enough the recipe I spotted online was adapted and the outcome was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 6oz butter
• 6oz sugar
• 5 oz plain flour
• 1 oz cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tbsp water
• 3 eggs
• A splash of milk

Firstly I beat the butter and sugar together until light and added the eggs along with the flour and cocoa powder. I combined these together and added the mixture of coffee into the cake mix, adding milk to loosen the mixture and prevent it being heavy. I then placed the mixture in tins lined with tin foil and put them in the oven at 180 degrees for twenty minutes.

Whilst allowing them to cool I made the Mocha Buttercream filling...

Ingredients:

• 2 oz butter
• 1 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tsp water
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 oz icing sugar

I placed the butter, coffee mixture and cocoa powder in a bowl and combined together carefully. I then added in the icing sugar and mixed until fully combined. Once my cakes were cool I spread the filling over both cakes and set them on one another before placing in the fridge to allow the centre to set.

The Verdict?

The cake itself is utterly delicious. Light, fluffy and full of flavour which is then offset by the slightly bitter filling. All in all a cake that is simple to make and would definitely 'wooh' your friends.

Food Glorious Food...

I love food. I love everything about it. Buying it, preparing it, experimenting with it, cooking it and most importantly eating it.

I always have and always will love it. Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by food which I believe is primarily due to my family's own influences. My Great Grandmother was a fantastic cook and could make a meal out of just about anything and I really am not kidding. My Mum is also a brilliant cook and knows how to make things work on a budget which has certainly come in handy, particularly in early life living with my Dad and of course feeding a family of five. I was always keen to help with the cooking as a child whether that was making cakes in the half term or making decorations out of leftover pastry for the top of the pie. Often I would just like to watch, just to see how our meals were made and this has now fed onto life away from home. 

There seems to be this great belief in society today that cooking on a budget is difficult and that the only way to have cheap meals is to have microwavable ones. I agree these are cheap, in fact you can get a curry from Iceland and many other supermarkets for as little as a pound. That is cheap, and I can confirm that they are tasty (if indeed you do enjoy rubbery rice) but I am a firm believer that you can have exciting meals that taste great at a reasonable price too. 

It's all about organisation. If you take an organised approach to planning your meals based on what you need rather than what you fancy then you will save a heap of money. 

Also, try not to take men with you. I have learnt that I cannot take Richard with me any more because our weekly doubles in price. All it takes is to head over to the DVD's and decide you have to have all three of the top rated, to then head over to the crisps and decide you want a munchy night and then find the beer and treat yourself to a crate only then to die at the price of the shop by the time you get to the tills. It really isn't worth it. The last time this happened I looked through the receipt and worked out we had wasted nearly £30 on items we hadn't set out to buy and although at the time they seemed like a great deal and may only have been a pound here and there, it soon adds up.

Ever since moving in with Richard almost a year ago I have written a weekly plan of what we will have each night for dinner. This means I can write a detailed shopping list and know what I need to buy for each meal and also helps me choose products with the right shelf life. I have used Knock Knock pads to write these lists and they display our plans in a fun and bold way. I find my latest pad to be particularly handy now that it is magnetic and can be displayed on the fridge as well as its extra features for writing about breakfast and lunches.

I also love to experiment with meals and magazines, particularly from supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco, provide great recipe ideas focussed on budgeting. I love nothing more than picking up these catalogues after a long food shop and settling down at home with a cup of tea and flicking through the many pages of inspiration. I like to tear out pages and put them in this great little recipe box that I got online from a company called Splosh. In here I have made dividers and stash away all my little treasures that I have found in my travels.

This is a great way of hiding away the many pieces of scrap paper you accumulate from scribbled down recipes and magazine articles. It also means that you don't have to worry about sticking a recipe into a book and then realising you don't like it- no need to ruin a nice book all you have to do is chuck the paper. Brilliant.

I also love to check my expenditure and the supermarkets many offers on this great app called MySuperList which allows you to create an online shopping list. You select your favourite supermarket, add items to your virtual shopping basket and it totals up your items giving you not only the price for your chosen supermarket but also compares the prices of other big names such as Waitrose, Ocado and Aldi. It also allows you to chose individual products to compare their prices too should you wish to split your shop between stores, i.e: I often do my main shop at Asda but buy my fruit and veg at Morrisons due to their long shelf life and great deals.

This app is a lifesaver when it comes to budgeting meals. It allows you to find the real time price of goods and often this knowledge has meant I have been able to adapt meals in order to make the most out of a deal. I always find that it is meat that adds the most to my bill so I critically look at the deals and prices and change my meals to suit our budget. You should also be wary of offers- although initially they seem like a big deal don't be afraid to challenge the price and look at other items in that category or aisle. I often found better deals on lower shelves or on unbranded products. Also question yourself too- do you really need to bulk buy?

Finally look at the list of meals you have made and reflect on your financial situation. I often buy cheaper meals towards the end of the month when money is tighter. For example just last week I had planned a whole week of meals but after switching some around in favour of ones that required less things to buy I found I saved £15. You can always save meals that require more ingredients for earlier in the month after you have been paid.

Things to remember:

• There is nothing wrong with making extra food when you can and freezing it for meals when you are on your own or for when money is tight. It's always great to know it's there and will be a lot better than a microwavable meal from a supermarket.
• It's okay to have jarred sauces. Brands such as Homepride are great and provide a tasty meal packed with flavour and vegetables that can taste just as good as homemade. These can also be some of the cheapest meals- Homepride Sausage Casserole Sauce £1, bag of sausages- £2 and rice 40p for a bag. That really is a meal on a budget and what's even better is it takes no time at all and is very filling.
• Don't be fooled into brands. Often a lot of produce is just as good with some of the unknown labels and can be far more economical too. 
• Shop around. Supermarkets can fool you into thinking they give the best deals, particularly with all this snobby advertising on telly. Don't be afraid to go that extra mile if you think you can save some money.
• Don't doubt your culinary abilities. Often all you need to make a great meal is some onions, garlic and peppers in the cupboard so get busy in the kitchen and remember if you bulk make you can freeze it for another day!

A little list of lovelies...

So as I seem to keep mentioning in my blog posts, my 21st birthday is indeed coming up fast and it is getting to that point when I will be inundated with people (i.e: my mother) asking me what I want for my birthday. I have already made a post of ideas for unusual gifts to give people on milestones such as their 21st.

This time however I decided to make a list of the things I really would like to be unwrapping in August...

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six

I love F.r.i.e.n.d.s. Always have, always will. Ever since we changed from Sky to BT TV there has been a severe lack of this show in my life and it distresses me. That being said I did start to collect them after Richard got me some as presents but the box sets don't match up and to complete my collection would cost more than just to buy this set. It also contains bonus material as well which I would love to see.

I am also a big fan of Jon Richardson's stand up. I love watching 8 out of 10 cats now because I really relate to his humour and he has me in stitches. I saw his stand up show 'Funny Magnet' some time last year and I was crying with laughter so I would love to see it again. Also I wouldn't turn down tickets to his new tour either *wink wink, nod nod*. I'd also like his book 'It's not me, it's you' which details his struggle with OCD and how it impacts his daily life, not to mention his relationships too. 

Another comedian I am enjoying watching at the minute is Josh Widdicombe who is equally as awkward as Jon Richardson. That being said I love his delivery of humour and haven't actually seen any of his stand up tour so this is a must watch.

I feel bad that I don't read enough books any more and I ended up taking one all the way to Wales with me and not touching it at all. This being said it is my aim to finish a book I was given two years ago and to read more. I read the book 'Living Dolls' for my A Level course in Communication and Culture and I found it fascinating and would really like to give it another read.

Finally a CD to put on the list of things I want. I remember when I was younger having a list full of CD's but now I tend to use Spotify to listen to new releases and decide whether or not I want to buy them. This Of Monsters and Men album was something I constantly played in the car from my phone and now that I finally have a CD player in Kenny I miss listening to it so I would love to have that in time for the summer.

One | Two | Three

The list of things for myself in terms of clothing and accessories is pretty small at the minute because I constantly trawl through the internet and make lists of things and then forget about them. So for now I have just put on one dress that I spotted months ago and still love which I think would be great for the Summer.

I also spotted this watch last year after my last one broke and have been meaning to replace. I love the simplicity of it and of course the moustache theme. It is so handy to have a watch when you work with children especially on lunch time duty when you lose track of time.

Finally my absolute favourite perfume, The One by Dolce & Gabbana is something that will be on every birthday and Christmas list. Richard chose it by himself and bought it for me a couple of years ago and I adore it. That being said I only use it on special occasions because it is expensive and is in such a small bottle. I would love to be unwrapping this on my birthday.

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six

I would really love one of these beautiful money pots for my birthday after receiving one for Christmas which is now almost full. For Richard and I having a place to save all of our pennies away is really handy, particularly when living together. Every penny counts. 

I am a lover of lists (as this blog post probably proves) and I really like anything by The Bright Side company so this is the perfection. I would definitely scribble down blog post ideas in this lovely little book.

Also this is a rather strange addition to my list but one which is definitely needed in such an accident prone household. I am first aid trained but don't really have the supplies in the house other than the odd plaster to get us by. I'd like to have something better than an ice cream tub to display all of our medical supplies and this is another piece by The Bright Side company that does just that in a fun way.

Another item I was given for Christmas was this amazing Yankee Candle in Vanilla Cupcake. It was quite the talking point with guests because of its size and amazing smell. I was gutted when I finally finished it and feel lost without having a candle lit. I definitely want to have it again and candles make great gifts so I'm hopeful I will receive another.

These little guys have been on the last few lists I have made and I absolutely adore them. I am a huge fan of the Keep Calm and Carry On franchise and have a very British theme in the front room of the house. I would love to have one of these mice to display on our feature table so fingers crossed I receive one of these this year.

And finally a new little gem I stumbled across on a social networking site which sounds like a food lover and bloggers dream. Degusta are a company that send out boxes each month containing new and popular products ranging from snacking food to marinades to cider. Each box is different every month and contains 10-15 products, many of which haven't even hit the shelves yet from major brands such as Kettle, Dr Oetker and McVities. As someone who has enjoyed receiving food from Graze I would definitely like trying out new food, drink and products in the kitchen and with the first box reduced to £6.49 it really is a great and unusual gift.

So there you have it, a list of little wonders that would be very well received this year and I am sure this list will grow...