Mothers Day Madness

In my household we celebrated Mothers Day early this year, as my Mother has a hectic social life and couldn't fit us in on Sunday 30th March 2014. We visited The Stockwell Arms in Colchester, Essex.

With so much food (that much that we took a goody bag home!) and unlimited tea, The Stockwell Arms really impressed.

Let's talk food! Finger sandwiches were offered on a choice of white and rye bread. You could choose from a selection of beef with horseradish, salmon, egg with onion and ham with whole grain mustard. The medley of cakes included a passionfruit cheesecake, an orange cake, an apple and cream horn and a choice of chocolate cake, Victoria sponge and a coffee and walnut cake. The Afternoon Tea was finished off with a choice of a plain or a fruit scone offered with an assortment of jams and clotted cream.

The choice of tea was incredible. They had everything from a traditional English tea to Chinese flowering teas! I tried the Jasmine fairies tea, which was delicious and the peppermint tea. If tea isn't for you there is also the choice of speciality coffees.

Its alright, I can discuss the price as my Mum is nosey and looked at the receipt. We spent a little over £60.00. It worked out as £14.00 each for the Afternoon Tea itself and just over £5.00 for a glass of Prosecco each. Great value for money in my opinion.

Why not look at The Stockwell Arm's website for menus, events and prices http://www.thestockwellcolchester.com/

It's safe to say it looked like my Mum enjoyed her afternoon with her girls!

You could also treat your Mum to Afternoon Tea, if The Stockwell Arms doesn't float your boat, why not look at:

- Down Hall, Bishops Stortford.

   http://www.downhall.co.uk

   Priced at £21.50 for a traditional Afternoon Tea or £28.50 for a Champagne Afternoon Tea

- Clarice House, Colchester or Bury St Edmunds.

   http://www.claricehouse.co.uk

   Priced at £13.00 for a standard cream tea or £17.00 for a deluxe cream tea (includes a glass of sparkling wine)

- The Ritz, London.

   http://www.theritzlondon.com

   Priced at £45.00 (£47.00 from 1st April 2014) for a traditional Afternoon Tea or £57.00 (£59.00 from 1st April 2014) for a Champagne Afternoon Tea

- Claridges, London.

   http://www.claridges.co.uk

   Priced at £50.00 for a traditional Afternoon Tea or £61.00 for a Champagne Afternoon Tea

- The Cannaught, London.

   http://www.the-connaught.co.uk

   Priced at £41.00 for a traditional Afternoon Tea or £50.00 for a Champagne Afternoon Tea

(All prices above are per person)

I am also heading to Down Hall in Bishops Stortford soon so will update you with photos for inspiration! Let me know if you decide, like me, to spoil your Mum with an Afternoon Tea and we can compare photographs!

Hudson and Hudson, so good they named it twice!

My Sunday evening involved me feeling extremely full and satisfied after a late afternoon lunch at Hudson and Husdon in Colchester, Essex. Hudson and Hudson is a hidden gem situated just off the main road. It's a beautiful artisan kitchen and larder, which is suitable for any occasion.

Let's run Hudson and Hudson past my three trusty questions:

1. How much is it going to set me back?

They are currently running an amazing value set menu of two courses for around £16.00 or three for just £19.00. Obviously myself and my lesser half decided, being the fatties we are, on the three courses. The overall cost? Two three course meal's, a side dish, a soft drink and a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc for £50.75. Incredibly reasonable for the amount of food we consumed!!

2. Is the alcohol affordable?

Yes! Approximately £6.00 for a large glass of wine and the possibility to purchase your favourite bottle to take home from the on site larder. Can it get any better! From their twitter account I noticed they are offering a delicious variety of cocktails. Hudson and Hudson also have a vast variety of beers and wines.

3. What's on the menu?

Being the set Sunday lunch menu there was a choice of approximately three dishes for each course. My choices were, for starter, a delicious duck liver parfait accompanied with warm bread. For mains, I decided on the beef. It was accompanied by a huge Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, a giant carrot, a scrumptious ham and shredded cabbage dish and me being the piggy I am, ordered a side dish of cauliflower cheese. The cauliflower cheese was one of the best I have ever tasted, and what made it even better was my lesser half dislikes cheese so I had the whole dish to myself! The beef itself was well cooked and melted in the mouth, unfortunately mine was a little fatty, but nothing to affect my overall opinion of the meal. For desert I indulged in a chocolate fondant accompanied with Chantilly cream and cherries, a incredibly naughty dish but oh so delicious.

I would recommend Hudson and Hudson for a Sunday Roast, a tasty treat from their larder or a evening out over the weekend. Their website is still under construction but I advise you to keep checking and subscribe to their mailing list, http://www.hudson-hudson.co.uk you can also keep up to date by liking them on Facebook or following them on twitter, @HudsonandHud 

Candied Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's Monday and I'm baking as per usual! Today I'm baking two batches of cookies.

Firstly, I'm using up some super ripe bananas to make my "Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies", but due to me using all my chocolate chips in my next recipe, I've decided to make these cookies without chocolate and therefore suitable for vegans (unlike my next cookies). You can find my recipe for these here:
http://fallingjess.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/banana-peanut-butter-and-chocolate-chip.html

Secondly, I fancied being a little different and decided to try "Candied Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cookies". Not a cookie you see every day over here in the UK but something that appears to be very big in the States. You should get around 15-30 cookies from this recipe dependent on the size!

Ingredients for Cookies

290g - Plain Flour

260g - Chocolate Chips

100g - Butter (Melted slightly and cooled)

  65g - Brown Sugar

  65g - Caster Sugar

1.0 tsp - Vanilla Essence

0.5 tsp - Baking Powder

1 - Egg

Ingredients for Candied Bacon

130g - Brown Sugar

5 - Bacon Rashers

Method for Candied Bacon

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

2. Line a tray with foil and place bacon onto tray

3. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bacon and bake for 18-25 minutes or until crispy

4. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the bacon is cooled chop finely.

Method for Cookies

1. Reduce the oven to 170 degrees

2. Mix the butter and sugars together

3. Add vanilla essence and egg into the mixture and beat until light and creamy

4. Add the flour and mix well

5. Mix in the diced candied bacon and chocolate chips until combined

6. Place into balls and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.

And the finished product, drum roll please..

Easter Egg Eggtravaganza...

Sunday 20th March 2014 is Easter Sunday. Which left me thinking what can a foodie blog about... Simple really, CHOCOLATE EASTER EGGS!! Everyone has a favourite whether it be Mars Bar, Milky Bar, Cadburys Chocolate Buttons or any of the regular eggs found in your local supermarket.

My mission: Find eggs you won't find on down the Easter egg aisle. Whether its for a loved one, a friend or just for yourself; I aim to help you find the best!

Lets begin my Easter egg hunt with...

Hotel Chocolat

With an eggcellent range of eggs and gifts Hotel Chocolat have thought of everything. With eggs and gifts to fit every price range. I struggled to pick my favourite amongst Hotel Chocolat's Easter selection. After tough deliberation my recommendations are:

1. "The Half & Half Ostrich Egg"

For £75.00 why not indulge in this beauty. This enormous egg is half milk and half dark chocolate. It comes with a collection of 29 milk and dark chocolates and also has 6 foil wrapped egglets hidden in the box. If this is not a chocolate lovers heaven I will eat my Easter bonnet.

2. "Egg on Toast Lick"

This quirky Easter lolly is perfect as a little gift or a treat. It's milk chocolate decorated with a white chocolate egg and looks delightful. Get this beauty for just £2.00

3. "Easter Pick Me Up"

A fantastic selection of Hotel Chocolat's seasonal specialties. Containing 6 of their Praline Bow Tie Bunnies, 6 Salted Caramel Egglets and 4 Raspberry Zinger Egglets. All these fabulous mini treats for £13.00

4. "The Splat - Dark Chocolate Easter Egg"

It's not your typical looking Easter egg but this beauty is a mixture of dark chocolate and a colourful white chocolate splat. Buy this egg for just £12.50

Find many more fabulous Easter treats on their website,

http://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/easter-eggs

Not On The High Street

It's no yolk that this amazing and unique website sells more than just edible Easter gifts! It is a brilliant website with a vast selection of individual and personalised gifts. My favourite edible gifts are:

1. "Personalised Chocolate Easter Eggs by Cocoapod Chocolates"

Why not make Easter special with this gorgeous egg with 12 solid chocolate blocks that can be personalised to whatever your heart desires. You can even pick the colour of the foil and ribbon. This egg comes in at £19.90 plus delivery.

2. "Fudge Kitchen Easter Hamper"

This alternative Easter gift will set you back £40.00 but it just simply outstanding. This hamper will suit the tastes of any food connoisseur. Containing peanut butter chocolate, vintage fudge chocolate, chocolate indulgence gourmet miniatures, chocolate caramel fudge sauce and cookietastic Easter cookie jar.

100s of chocolate Easter gifts plus many other Easter presents and kits can be found on
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com

Bettys

Have a look at this eggtraordinary Easter egg from Bettys, established in 1919. Bettys is a family run business which began with a young orphan who traveled from Switzerland to England to make his name.

1. "Dark Chocolate Yorkshire White Rose Easter Egg"

This stunning handmade Swiss Grand Cru Easter egg is beautifully decorated and would make a perfect present. This egg is priced at £26.50

2. "Easter Egg Hunt Bag"

What a beautiful gift for for any expectant Easter egg hunter. The bag is full of a selection of praline and milk chocolate eggs made in Belgium and a Swiss milk chocolate egg. Priced at £11.50 I think this Easter egg hunt bag is great value for money. 

More edible Easter ideas can be found on Bettys website which is
http://www.bettys.co.uk/Easter,122.aspx

Truly Chocolates
Truly Chocolates is a Business Awards Winner, established in October 2011. It fills the void in the market for quality and novelty chocolate gifts. Offering anything from chocolate shoes to chocolate tea cups. They have a eggtraordinary Easter collection perfect for any chocolate lover.

1. Solid Easter Egg




















This impressive 400g solid Easter egg is available in milk, dark and white chocolate. Or if you are feeling extra naughty you can have a mixture of two! This impressive solid egg is yours for just £10.00. Once ordered it will be with you in 3-5 days.

2. 3D Giant Bunny

This masterpiece weighs in at 300g and is made to order in Truly Chocolates finest milk chocolate. This yummy bunny will set you back £4.75, an extremely reasonable price for such a beautifully crafted piece.

Why not have a look at their website for more unique and novelty chocolates:
http://trulychocolates.co.uk/
Or follow them on twitter for more information on their products @trulychocolates

Sweet Trees and Gifts By Curly
Vicky creates these unique and beautiful sweet trees, with prices starting from just £8.00. With the company based in Wales, they will post to customers but at their own risk. This luxury and bespoke sweet tree maker has had famous customers such as Katie Price, who ordered sweet trees from her new perfume launch, kissable. These Easter sweet trees will make you super popular with all your friends and family, and will be the talk of any Easter party.

Sweet Trees and Gifts by Curly are currently constructing their website. However, you can order through their Facebook which is:

https://www.facebook.com/SweetTreesAndGiftsByCurly

Or for more information follow them on twitter @sweetsbycurly 

To any of my loved ones reading this I am pretty sure I deserve all of the above! Pretty please!! I really hope this blog has helped your Easter egg selection. I hope I achieved my mission and opened your eyes from the repetitive and generic egg selections available in most supermarkets. Let me know if you treat yourself or a loved one to any of the eggs above, but please remember it is polite to share!!

For more Easter inspiration why not have a look at my blog on the Cadburys Creme Egg Brownie,
http://fallingjess.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/creme-egg-brownies-do-they-live-up-to.html 

Pancakes

With Valentine's Day out the way, what's next to look forward to? For anyone who loves food the answer is simple, Pancake Day.

Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is on Tuesday 4th March this year. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent (time to give up all the naughty sins again, bye bye fizzy sweets). It's date is determined by Easter and therefore changes yearly.

To make your Pancake Day the best yet, I thought it would be my mission to scowl the internet for unusual pancake recipes. For all the recipes shown below there are many variations on the internet, so don't be scared to mix things up a little.


Oat Pancakes
- 4 egg whites

- 1/2 cup of dry rolled gluten-free oatmeal (ground into flour)

- 1/2 cup of almond milk

- 2 tbsp coconut flour

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1/4 tsp baking powder

This recipe is suitable for those who are looking to be a healthy, serve with fruit to make it even healthier!

Peanut Butter Pancakes
- 1295ml Whole milk

- 250g All purpose flour

- 113g unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled

- 100g Granulated sugar

- 63g Peanut butter

- 1 tbsp Baking powder

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon

- 1 tsp Vanilla extract

- 2 Large eggs

If you are feeling devilish why not add chocolate chips into this recipe!



Two Ingredient Pancakes
- Two eggs

- 1/2 a cup of mashed bananas

This is by far the lowest calorie recipe that is until you add the chocolate sauce! They are surprisingly good, but do not expect this to taste like a regular pancake...

They look (minus the banana lumps) and smell similar to normal pancakes whilst cooking.

I chose three toppings for my pancakes:

- Banana and honey

- Nutella

- Peanut Butter

Chocolate Pancakes
- 250ml Milk

- 100g Plain flour

- 15g Coco powder

- 1 egg

- 1 egg yolk

- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil (plus a little extra for frying)


Toppings
And as for pancake toppings, everyone has their favourite. Mine is lemon and sugar. There is so many options, whether it be sweet or savoury. 

On my search of the internet I found what I believe to be an American website listing 102 pancake toppings for National Pancake Day. I've picked 5 of the most unusual ones below, I wonder if any of my readers will be brave enough to try them:

- Goats cheese and strawberry jam

- Blue cheese

- Roasted nuts with soy sauce

- Sausage gravy

- Caviar

If like me you are not brave enough, why not take a look at their website to find the more normal pancake toppings http://foodiesunite.com/2011/02/102-pancake-toppings-for-national-pancake-day/

If you already know that you'll get frustrated, be too tired or too lazy to cook; why not book yourself in to a restaurant and get someone to do all the hard work for you. Such as My Old Dutch, with 3 restaurants spread out over London situated in Holburn, Chelsea and Kensington. Visit their website to see the menu, http://www.myolddutch.com/

Why not share your recipe ideas and photos, add them into the comments. Have a happy Pancake Day!

Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

This afternoon I fancied baking more cookies! I think I am starting to develop a baking addiction...

This is a great recipe that makes beautifully soft cookies, that are so simple to make and are that delicious you will keep going back for more and more and more... This recipe is also suitable for vegans, that's if you remove the chocolate chips. I made 20 cookies out of the mixture, but depending on the size you make your cookies, you could get around 30.

From start to finish you should allow around 1 hour and 30 minutes to make the cookies. I know it seems long but the mixture needs to chill for around 1 hour in the fridge, I guess if you are really busy or impatient there is no harm in using the freezer! Preparation time is approximately 15 minutes and the same again for baking. 

Ingredients

165g - Plain flour
130g - Peanut butter (smooth/crunchy - your choice)
125g - Mashed banana (preferably ripe)

100g - Caster sugar

70g   - Brown sugar

40g   - Chocolate chips

1.5 tsp - Vanilla extract
1.0 tsp - Baking powder

Method

1. Place the banana and peanut butter into a bowl and mix well. Add in the brown sugar, caster sugar and vanilla extract until smooth (obviously if you use crunchy peanut butter the mixture will not be smooth). Combine the flour and baking powder and mix well. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips, cover and chill for around 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Line baking trays with baking parchment. Roll the mixture into balls and place around 5cm apart.

3. Bake for around 11 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray before moving to wire rack to cool completely.

The cookie mixture rolled into balls prior to baking 

The finished product

My top 5 chain restaurants...

As much as I love small, quirky and independent restaurants, sometimes they don't please everyone. When I say everyone, I mean the fussy eaters. Everyone knows a picky eater. I therefore feel that a chain restaurant just screams ease and guaranteed satisfaction from all members of your dining party. Sometimes its better to play it safe than sorry.

I decided to rank my favourite chain restaurants in order with number 1 being my most loved chain. 

In 5th place... Las Iguanas

I love the freshly prepared Latin food. Their menu boasts everything from Tapas to Mexican food, even food from Brazil and beyond. With such a vast choice of starters, mains and deserts there is something for everyone.

I'm a lover of all things Mexican, so highly recommend their holy guacamole (nachos) and fajitas, I personally prefer the chicken version but they also offer marinated strip-steak, shelled prawns and a vegetarian option of three mushroom. A new addition to the desert menu is churros, I NEED to try these, they sound pretty amazing. 

For me living in Colchester (Essex) my closest Las Iguanas is Lakeside or one of the many restaurants in London. Well worth a trip in my opinion.

The menu is so reasonably priced, with mains starting from £7.50, you really can't go wrong. What makes Las Iguanas even better is that Sunday - Wednesday between the hours of 12-7 there is happy hour on a choice of 12 alcoholic cocktails (such as Cuba Libra, Dark N' Stormy and a Mango Collins) and 3 non-alcoholic cocktails.

Why not have a look at their menu online and see what Las Iguanas have to offer, www.iguanas.co.uk

In 4th place... Wagamama

Wagamama is famed for its Japanese inspired cuisine. Wagamama's praise themselves on fresh, fast and fun food. My favourite fact about this restaurant is that Wagamama stands for naughty child or one who is wilful and determined in Japanese. I do understand that its not a restaurant for everyone with the shared benches and the dishes arriving at different intervals. I guess it's a little like marmite, you either love it or hate it!

The fast and delicious food is enough to make most customers, like me, come back time and time again. All the dishes are adequately priced. My favourite main dish on the menu has to be chilli men served with soba noodles. If I'm feeling particularly naughty I like a side dish or two like spicy squid or edamame.

Wagamama's even offer a great selection of super healthy juices such as super green juice and root juice.

If you think its something you'll love why not take a look at the menu, www.wagamama.com

In 3rd place... Zizzi

You can't really go wrong with Italian food and I personally think Zizzi's is best of all the Italian chains. They offer a great selection of pizza's, pasta's, salads and calzone.

The menu is full of lower fat, healthier alternatives to the usual greasy pizza's, such as the skinny pizza bufala. My favourite however has to be the pasta, I love a carbohydrate overload! In particular the penne della casa, a naughty dish filled with cream and oven baked with cheese.

Zizzi's also has a great selection of wines and soft drinks, my preferred soft drink has to be San Pellegrino limonata.

In Zizzi's you are guaranteed to get great value for your money, with them offering great deals and vouchers on many online sites such as voucher cloud. 

If like me your suddenly in the mood for an Italian why not take a look at their menu, www.zizzi.co.uk

In 2nd place... Nando's

Anywhere I can use a loyalty card I'm hooked and dam this has now become one good loyalty card. What could you possibly not like about Nando's; there is chicken, refillable drinks, loads of sides and the biggest variety of sauces imaginable.

Everyone knows what they'll have at Nando's before they walk through the door. Mines a medium chicken pitta, chips and salad. Occasionally I treat myself to olives too! It's safe to say Nando's has upped in price but who could possibly complain, you still eat for around £15.00 - that's unless you have a bottomless pit as a belly. If that is the case I strongly advise you to eat the frozen yogurt!

For the 0.01% of you who hasn't been to Nando's before take a look at their menu online, www.nandos.co.uk

And the winner is... TGI Friday's

TGI's wins the title of my ultimate chain restaurant, I mean have you tried their Cajun battered shrimp? Its mouthwatering. With walls covered head to toe in memorabilia and service with a smile (occasionally even a balloon hat or a song if its your birthday). TGI's originally started in the States as a singles bar in 1965 but now is a great place to go with your friends, family and loved ones.

The menu is literally any meat eaters heaven. It has everything including steak, chicken and ribs. My weakness is their American grills, just wow. Pretty much every dish comes with a Jack Daniels option which makes great food brilliant! You can't forget about the TGI burgers, they are amazing. TGI's even has the choice of Mexican and Italian dishes. They now also do Tapas (not the Spanish kind!) - 3 for £12.99 or 5 for £15.99.

Main meals start from £8.99 for the vegetarian dishes with the most expensive being £21.49. It does seem a little costly but like you'd expect of an American style restaurant the portion sizes are huge!

Not only do TGI's serve up great food, they have cocktails to die for! With a vast range of skinny cocktails, rum medleys, stylish martinis, fizzy cocktails and many many more! My advice when you go, ensure you aren't the designated driver!

Have a look at their website and see where your closest TGI's is, trust me its well worth a visit www.tgifridays.co.uk

What's your top 5 favourite chain restaurants? Comment below and see if we reach the same verdict!