Tag Archives: food

Cookery lesson with Growing Up Milk Info and Fiona Faulkner

Can you believe it? I can tick number 10 off my “100 things to do before I die” list, because I actually went on a mini cookery course yesterday and improved my cooking skills. Go me! I have neglected my list a little, although I have done or am still doing some of the things that I wanted to achieve, but when I started writing this post, I remembered that I wanted to learn some new cooking skills and thought I’d better start updating my list before you all think I just listed 100 random things for the sake of listing them. I will actually attempt ticking them all off, I promise!

Anyway, Growing Up Milk Info recently invited me along to a blogger event in Bristol’s ‘Food Square Foundation‘ (literally 10 minutes away from my front door) and yesterday was the day when I put on an apron and learned how to cook some fantastic home cooked meals for little and not so little ones. The team behind Cow & Gate’s Growing Up Milk, which we used in all of the recipes during the day, had invited kids food expert Fiona Faulkner to show us all the tips and tricks a mum needs to transform a meal into a healthy meal that is rich in Vitamin D – something a lot of our meals lack.I will post a separate blog post with lots of information over the weekend as I really find it important to know how much Vitamin D a child needs a how much it actually gets. Growing Up Milk Info have come up with some fabulous infographics and material to help parents and I can’t wait to share it with you.

At first, the big kitchen of the Square Food Foundation was a little intimidating for little old me, but our hosts and fellow blogger Penny from Being Mrs C were really lovely and helpful when I fought against the induction hob. My parents have one too and I swear these things go on strike just because they don’t like my fingerprint. Anyway, first of all, we made some absolutely delicious Baby Broccoli Muffins. They were so light and fluffy and just full of healthy and tasty things. I am absolutely in love with them! I shall post the recipe separately tomorrow as I don’t want to make this post too long, but I will definitely make them again as both Amy and Ben tried the muffins I brought home with me and asked for seconds and even thirds. The great thing about the Baby Broccoli Muffins is that they are not only a healthy and fun snack for toddlers, but also a perfect side dish for a BBQ or a nibble on an evening with friends. You can alter the recipe and add things such as sun-dried tomatoes or olives to give the recipe your very own twist. I added sun-dried tomatoes to mine!

The next dish we created was a Pancake Pizza. Yep, I also raised my eyebrows at the sound of it, because I only ever have sweet toppings on my pancakes, but this recipe is a really lovely and fun way of introducing savoury toppings to your children. We made our own tomato sauce with some hidden carrots and zucchini and then decorated our pancake pizza. Apparently, I won our little internal competition – the proof is on Twitter, so it must be right, yes? They were really light, but surprisingly filling. I took my second pancake home with me and still have some of the batter left to make them for Amy. The tomato sauce, I used in a pasta bake today and it went down a treat. I love it when you can take elements out of one recipe and use them in a different one.

The Macaroni Cheese with Salmon was really tasty too and that comes from someone who normally doesn’t even like fish – apart from tinned tuna. I have to say though that the meal wasn’t fishy fishy, if you know what I mean. The salmon gave the macaroni bake a bit of a different flavour. Fiona showed us how to rustle up a quick and easy Béchamel sauce that we added some grated cheese to. Once again, I will add the recipe separately as this post would just get ridiculously long and confusing, if I posted them all at the same time.

The Rice Pudding with Spiced Fruit was the only dish that I didn’t try and I hope you forgive me, but rice pudding is my personal idea of hell. I just cannot do it! Ben really liked it though and to be honest, I was quite surprised about it as he usually is not a fruity person at all. He can eat vegetables for England, but whenever I put fruit in front of him, he doesn’t even want to try it. The Rice Pudding with Spiced Fruit however went down a treat.

Disclosure: I was provided with a goodie bag and a lovely day, but all my words and opinions are my own. I was not asked to write about the day, but have done so, because I felt that I learned something new and left motivated to cook more. If you want to find out more about Cow & Gates Growing Up milk, you can do so here.

February Food Favourite & Mother’s Day Chocolate Gift Ideas

2 Replies

This post might look a bit random at first glance. The combination of savoury snacks and divine chocolates might not be an obvious one, but there is a reason behind my apparent madness. From now on, I want to introduce one foody item a month that was a firm favourite in our household during each month of the year. As you can see above, February’s favourite were the Deli 24 snacks. We were sent an entire box of them a while ago and let me tell you one thing: They didn’t last long!

Deli 24‘s range includes seven different flavours which come in handy single or multi packs making them the perfect snack for lunch boxes, picnics or if you fancy a little something between meals. They come in the following flavours:

I absolutely adored the Ham and Cheese flavour and Amy was a massive fan too. I wasn’t overly keen on the Piri Piri Strips and the Chicken with Sage and Onion Stuffing however, simply because I don’t like sage or stuffing, but Ben and Amy really enjoyed them to the point that we have gone and repurchased them since finishing our samples. What I really liked about Deli 24′s snacks is that they are all individually packaged, which means that they are easily to portion when you are planning your day out or pack your little one’s lunchbox. They also tasted really natural and I couldn’t find a hint of artificial flavouring in them, which always is a massive plus point for me. A real bonus is that they are a great source of calcium for little bones and teeth, so I am happy to give them to Amy as a snack when we are out and about. Unfortunately, our local supermarket doesn’t stock the whole range yet, but I hope the other flavours will soon hit the shelves as well. After all, Deli 24′s snacks are a great alternative to your ordinary cheese string or lunchbox snack and will definitely make a regular appearance on our family outings.

Now onto something completely different. Well, not completely different, but we are going from a savoury snack to something sweet and indulgent. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I would like to introduce to you two gorgeous boxes of chocolate that would make every mother’s heart melt and therefore are the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. They are Green & Black’s Taster Collection and Guylain’s Seashells. Both come in beautiful gift boxes and are great for sharing, entertaining or a cheeky little treat with a nice glass of wine.

While Green & Black’s Taster Collection allows you to trial 24 different chocolate flavours reaching from dark chocolate with crystallised ginger to milk chocolate with butter scotch, Guylain’s Seashell collection concentrates on the chocolate maker’s traditional Belgian recipe of 100% pure cocoa butter and their unique hazelnut praliné filling made with caramelised and roasted hazelnuts. Both boxes of chocolate are rather different in flavour, but both of them will win you over with their love for quality chocolate.

Although both gift sets feature white, milk and dark chocolate, I would suggest Guylain’s Seashell collection to milk chocolate lovers as it definitely has a prominent milk chocolate taste whereas Green & Blacks Taster collections features a number of quite rich and dark chocolate flavours from Belize and the Dominican Republic and is probably more enjoyed by someone with a taste for warmer and deeper flavours.

Either way, they make a wonderful present for Mother’s Day or any other occasion and I’d be happy to receive either of them on Mother’s Day. Both brands are a little more high-end, but you definitely get what you pay for with both Green & Black’s Taster and Guylain’s Seashell collection. You’ll just have to decide which one’s for you now!

Disclosure: Thanks to Deli 24, Green & Black’s and Guylain for the samples for this review.

Restaurant Review: Chiquito in Cribbs Causeway/Bristol

1 Reply

A couple of days ago, we had the chance to review Chiquito‘s new menu and as it happened, we managed to book a table for Valentine’s Day – for three, of course, as these days romantic dates don’t take place without Amy. We went to their Bristol restaurant in Cribbs Causeway and had a really enjoyable time. Having booked before arrival, we didn’t have to wait before being seated and could instantly soak up the Mexican ambiance of the restaurant, which is decorated in warm colours and offers a selection of seating options. The Latin music playing in the background gives the restaurant a laid-back feel, which is something that I really appreciate when taking Amy out for lunch or dinner.

Amy was made feel very welcome from the start and received an activity pack that helped to keep her entertained while we choose our starters and mains and enjoyed some complimentary salted popcorn. Chiquito’s menu offers a great selection of meals for meat eaters and vegetarians and features popular and less-known Mexican dishes at a very reasonable prices. We picked a mixed salad and a portion of nachos for starters and I have to say that both were really lovely. Ben’s salad was fresh and crunchy and came with a well-balanced dressing and my cheesy nachos had a nice kick to them and were enough to share with Ben and Amy.

For our mains, we picked Fajitas with BBQ Pulled Pork and Fajita vegetables and Mexican skewers with corn on the cob, Fajita vegetables and skin-on-potatoes. Amy ate a chicken/tomato burrito from the children’s menu which consisted of a main meal, a drink and a dessert. At only £4.95, it was great value for money and a more than sufficient portion size for any toddler or pre-schooler. I was very impressed. Both Ben and my meal were absolutely delicious. The meat was moist and nicely seasoned and the Fajita vegetables were still a little crunchy – just how we like it. Something that really stood out to me was the presentation of the food. Everything looked really appetising and colourful and the use of hot sizzling pans and wooden boards made the meal feel really authentic.

To round off our meal, we ordered a sharing platter of churros and brownies. which was served with fresh strawberries, a chocolate dipping sauce and vanilla ice-cream. What can I say? It was an absolute delight. The brownies were rich, gooey and everything you want a brownie to be. The fruity strawberries and crunchy churros accompanied them beautifully and created a nice contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate dip. I think it was the most beautiful dessert I have ever had.

Our waitress was very polite and helpful and although our table could have been cleared a little quicker at times, we had an excellent dining experience. Ben was actually so impressed with his meal that he can’t wait to come back and if you hear that kind of feedback from someone who worked for a neighbouring competitor a couple of years ago, you can rest assured that you will enjoy yourself just as much as we did when we went for our romantic Valentine’s meal for three!

Disclosure: We received a £50 voucher for purpose of this review. If you want to treat your mum to a delicious Mexican meal, be quick and book a table for Mother’s Day. Mums eat free. More info here!