Food and Eating Out

Busy and Bright The Ivy Manchester

February 16, 2019

Busy and Bright are the words I would definitely say were the first impressions I got for my first visit to The Ivy Manchester. Read my review for further thoughts. If it’s your first visit to my blog – Welcome! I use the same template for all my reviews to provide consistency. You may want to read what my criteria is.

Name of Restaurant

The Ivy Spinningfields Manchester

The Entrance The Ivy Spinningfields

Time of Visit

7pm on a Thursday evening – we were walk ins and were lucky enough to get in without a booking on this occasion. But we wouldn’t recommend doing it again.

Reason for Visit

As we are big foodies my lovely niece and her husband gave us a £50 voucher for the restaurant at Christmas. Our visit was to take up this lovely treat.

First Impression

Busy and Bright!

Busy and Bright! What a busy vibrant place! Wowee! The decor is Art Deco with a modern twist in bold bright colours with lots of gold and brass look trimmings. There were few empty tables, if any, we may have been fortunate enough to have got the only free one. The volume of conversation was loud, but that to us was a negative thing. It added to the fabulous vibe. Even though I have described it as busy and bright that is more an observation of the decor. There was secluded lighting and the tables were far enough a part to maintain privacy if you are having an intimate date.

The interior of The Ivy has a bold art deco theme

The Lifts are bold and bright art deco style

The Ladies Toilets

The reception area of The Ivy

The Manchester Bee symbol is incorporated into the decor at The Ivy Spinningfield

An art deco styled Manchester bee print adorns the wall

Time To Get Served/Attention

We were taken to our table swiftly and efficiently. The drinks and food orders were also taken swiftly but not hurriedly.

Food

Mr Fitz and I chose from the A La Carte Menu. There is an extensive choice. For starters I chose Zucchini Fritters and Mr Fitz went for the roasted scallops. My fritters were unusual – I expected 2 fritters on a plate but instead I got a dish of battered shreds of zucchini accompanied with a spicy mayonnaise dip. It was lovely but too much for one person. I would suggest this is adequate for 2-3 people to share. Mr Fitz said his Scallops were delicious – and I can agree as he gave me a taste! They were cooked to perfection in a fabulous oil.

Our main dish choices were Crab Linguine Pasta and courgette linguine with Devon crab, chilli,
smoked garlic, lemon and rocket for Mr Fitz – this is one of his favourite choices in any restaurant. He said that this one at the Ivy was probably the tastiest he has ever had! High praise indeed from him! I decided to try the Blackened cod fillet Baked in a banana leaf with a soy and sesame marinade, citrus-pickled fennel, grilled broccoli, chilli and yuzu mayonnaise . I rarely cook fish at home and like to choose a fish dish when dining out. Again this was delicious – so many flavours onna plate without being overpowering.

Our food choices complimentary bread, Zuccini Fritters, Scallops Crab Linguine and Baked Blackened cod

Service

Our server was excellent, attentive and helpful without being cloying. He was obviously watching discreetly as he leaned over and whispered in my ear that I didn’t have to eat all the Zucchini, not many people finished it! I appreciated that reassurance as I was struggling but didn’t want to leave a large amount of the dish and give the impression that I didn’t enjoy it!

Drinks service was swift and advice given about our choices.

Evaluation

Busy and bright , buzzing atmosphere. We absolutely loved it. There is a mix of ages in the clientele. There was retro background music, it was from our disco era and we found this so enjoyable, an example was Backstabbers by The O’Jays. A very varied menu with delicious choices.

The Interior of the Ivy

The decor is so different from the sparce Industrial Urban look that is popular today. I totally approve of the Ivy decor and vibe. You really felt you were somewhere special. Our final bill was around £97 – with a 12.5% service charge included. The food was probably covered by our voucher, the extra was probably for drinks, Mr Fitz had 3 small bottles of beer, I had a glass of house red and a Baileys in place of a dessert.

Would I Visit Again

Oh Yes! It will be our go to restaurant for special occasions. You may have read my review of Hawksmoor Manchester, that is fabulous too but a different type of restaurant experience.

As I write this I have in fact made a further booking for lunch with one of my oldest friends. We’re both retired nurses and think we deserve a nice treat now and again!

If you’ve enjoyed reading this please subscribe and read more. Do you have any restaurant recommendations for me. I love to try new places.

I also have a sister blog EarlyRetirementRocks about loving life after taking Retirement from the NHS at the age of 55. You may wish to pop over and have a nosey to see what a 58 year old gets up to!

London at Christmas Tea History and Theatre

December 30, 2018

London at Christmas is magical. I spent a lovely 3 days in London at the beginning of December with 3 of my girlfriends. It was a trip we had been planning since around February. I think it was me that instigated it by saying that I had never visited the shops or visited London at London or seen the Christmas lights.

Our visit was Thursday to Saturday, trying to avoid the busyness of the weekend. We all became friends through our shared hobby of entering competitions. Due to this we were able to pool some of the prizes we had won during the year, mostly experience vouchers, to cover the cost of many of our treats. The downside to this was that we had a few prizes to to claim which dictated a lot of our time and itinerary. We never did get to see the Regent Street lights at night! Read on to see what we got up to.

The idea of the trip began in around February time and we began to actually plan from around September. By booking train tickets and hotel rooms early we were able to get these at discount rates to minimise the expense of a trip to London at Christmas

As we had got a discounted rail fare by booking early we were able to travel First Class. Our day started with a bacon sandwich, tea and coffee. This was soon followed by a shared bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne!

Our hotel was the hub by Premier Inn Kings Cross. We each had a double room. The rooms are modern and compact and are perfect for 1 occupant. The bed is classed as a double but there is only access onto it from 1 side, meaning there would be a bit of a squash for 2 and if the occupant nearest the wall needed the loo at night they would have to climb over the other! The bathroom and shower was more than adequate – the rooms are well thought out to maximise space.

Double bed

Bathroom hub at Premier Inn Kings Cross

The hotel itself is in a great location with a lively bar and restaurant. Breakfast was included and described as Continental, this really did not do it justice there was a very large range of produce and choice available. The hotel was very well staffed and they were all so efficient and friendly. We would all definitely stay here again.

We travelled around the City using buses and Uber mostly. The first afternoon we headed to Regent Street and Liberty. As stated a couple of us had never visited London at Christmas before. A trip to Liberty was high on our to see list. I loved the old building with the fabulous Oak staircases and panelling. We loved browsing the very expensive silk scarves and handbags.

Liberty

Magical displays throughout Liberty

So many beautiful silk scarves

Next stop was Fortnum and Mason’s food hall, again another venue I had never visited. We all purchased a few treats for family and friends. I really liked the decor and produce available. Pricey but a lovely Christmas treat.

Fortnum and Mason window display

An expensive, indulgent Fortnum and Mason hamper

Our long day continued with Afternoon Tea in the The Galvin at The Athaneum Hotel. A lovely setting with friendly staff and great food. We are serial afternoon teaers! If there is such a thing and enjoyed the fare of offer.

Afternoon tea at The Galvin

Our final destination for the first day was over to the Apollo Theatre to watch Everybodys Talking About Jamie. I have to admit this was not my choice of show, I would have preferred a couple of others over this but I also know that I can be set in my ways regarding what I watch at the theatre and it is good to be introduced to performances I may not have chosen myself!that We had a couple of pre performance drinks in The White Horse close to the theatre. Myself and Mr Fitz love pubs and it has to be said that London have so many magnificent hostelries. That alone is a purpose for visiting the City!

The show has a very contemporary feel and subject matter, briefly the show revolves around Jamie and his school friends. Jamie is a 16 year old boy living on a council estate, he is openly gay and his career aspiration is to become a drag queen. His mother and friends are supportive, his estranged father is not. His best friend is a muslim girl in a Hijab. There are lots of risque lines and gestures but I have to say despite my reservations it was so entertaining and had you grinning from ear to ear. A real feel good show.

Third row seats! Everybodys talking about Jamie

The thrill of London Theatreland

Following this it was back to the hotel for a final night cap in the bar after a very long enjoyable day.

Our second day started early again as we had purchased tickets for Kensington Palace for 10.30 am. The Palace has 2 exhibitions covered by the ticket – Princess Diana’s dresses and Queen Victoria revisited. You can walk around the Palace in any order. We chose to look at the state rooms first where we came across a performance from 2 actors as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The theme was the Royals at Christmas and they acted out a piece about their plans for the day which culminated in an audience participation rendition of the 12 days of Christmas – well the first 5 only. This was so entertaining and we were so glad we caught it!

Actors in Kensington Palace entertained us as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

In the presence of royalty

The Queen Victoria exhibition was so fascinating, it was so interesting to see so many authentic pieces like clothing, pictures and jewellery on display.

An original painting of a young Queen Victoria

Queen Victorias Emerald and Diamond Jewellery sparkled so beautifully - talk about jewel envy!

Emerald and diamond jewellery designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria

We saved the exhibition of Princess Diana’s until last, this was the main reason for visiting the Palace. We are all fans of Diana, I personally remember her wedding and was working a night shift the night she died and watched all the events unfold in real time following the live news broadcasts.

The exhibition was smaller than we expected, in fact one of my friends commented that it was a little like the way Diana was seen by the Royals at the end, someone to be tucked away from public view. We learned that many of her dresses were auctioned off for charity and then loaned back to the Palace to be displayed. We really enjoyed looking at those available, including the tweed suit she wore on honeymoon at Balmoral – to be honest this is hideous and dowdy! There is also the dark blue velvet dress that she wore when she danced with John Travolta.

The images and photographs of Princess Diana's dresses at Kensington Palace can never replicate their full beauty

A selection of Princess Diana’s dresses

The one we all wanted to see – known as the Revenge Dress was not included in the exhibition unfortunately. For £16 a ticket we thought it great value for money.

Next stop was Harrods and again the Food Hall before enjoying a cream tea in Harrods tea room. We were sat next to the pianist and it was a very festive enjoyable hour.

Harrods cream tea

We returned to our hotel for a freshen up before dinner that we had pre booked at The Parcel Yard at Kings Cross. This venue was so busy and noisy but we had good food and service. The bar and restaurant was packed with people celebrating London at Christmas.

After a final night cap it was time for bed again after another busy packed day.

Before our return home the next morning we visited St Pancras station to see the Tiffany Christmas tree and ate a very large brunch at Bill’s in Islington – a prize of a £100 tab! We all ate really well and had enough funds left for a last bottle of champagne! After all it is Christmas.

Tiffany Christmas tree at St Pancras station

Brunch at Bills restaurant

Champagne at 12MD – don’t mind if we do

This was so enjoyable, even though Mr Fitz is my best friend and soul mate I think it is good to have time away with your girlfriends – good for the soul and gave us all the opportunity to do the things that our men don’t always want to do.

Have you been to any of these venues? Did you like them as much as us? What do you like to do in London at Christmas? Let me know or tell me of other places we may visit when we return.

Email me or comment I love to hear from you – thanks for reading today

A Michelin Star Experience – Northcote Manor

November 30, 2018

A Michelin Star dining experience has been on our wish list for a while. So we visited Northcote Manor on the night of my lovely husbands 60th birthday last month. I had booked and planned this as a surprise for the actual night itself. We are both foodies and love dining out as well as watching hours of cooking on TV. He knew I’d booked an overnight stay but not where however, as the day grew nearer I was a bit panicky about surprising him and revealed the venue and Michelin Star experience the week before.

Northcote Manor is a renowned small luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant situated on the edge of the Ribble Valley, in the heart of Lancashire. Lisa Goodwin Allen is the Executive chef after taking over from Nigel Haworth, both seen regularly on TV Cookery programmes, including the Great British Menu.

We traveled by car and the journey took less than an hour. It was easy to find and is a manor house set just off the main road in expansive gardens which include an area where they grow some of their own produce.

Our room was in the Garden Lodge set aside from the main Manor house housing the restaurant. We had booked the Tasting Break which included an overnight stay, a 6 course dinner and breakfast the following morning. We were allocated room 21, which was huge, a large double bed, sofa and doors to a private terrace fully surrounded by a hedge for privacy. The bathroom was fabulous with complimentary Temple Spa toiletries. Check in was super smooth and there was a birthday card from the hotel waiting for John in our room.

Dinner was booked for 7 and we had a pre dinner drink in the bar in the Manor House, this was so cosy and inviting. The short walk from the Garden Lodge to the Manor house is lit up and well paved, umbrellas are available in each room in the event of inclement weather. As it was October the terraces were bare but it was clear to see that there were many outdoor chairs and tables available to enjoy a drink outside in the summer admiring the surroundings and views. We were served 2 small hors d’oeuvres in the bar before being invited into the main restaurant.

The restaurant is luxurious to look at with attentive service. It is a high end experience as expected by a Michelin Star restaurant. Every course was explained to us as it was served. I chose to purchase the wine flight for myself, John stuck to beer, and the Sommelier provided a choice for a couple of courses. The service was excellent but a little too formal for our liking, after all we are only humble people who like to experience a taste of the good life and good food occasionally.

Our menu was:

AGED HAND CUT BEEF
Roasted Celeriac, Smoked Marrowbone
Maison Antech, Crémant de Limoux, Rosé Émotion, Languedoc Roussillon, France, 2015 (125ml £8.50)

WEST COAST SCALLOP
Clam ”Chowder”, Bacon, Chervil
Cottanera, Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy, 2016 (125ml £10.00)

West Coast Scallop

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
Black Truffle
Dry Sack, Amontillado, Williams & Humbert, Andalucia, Spain, NV (70ml £11.50)

Jerusalem Artichoke

CORNISH TURBOT
Orchard Apple, Watercress, Walnut
Chardonnay, Heitz Cellar, Napa Valley, USA, 2014 (125ml £15.75)

Cornish Turbot

RED LEG PARTRIDGE
Leg Bolognaise, Mushroom, Squash
Reserva, Viña Tondonia, Rioja, Spain, 2004 (125ml £15.25)

Oops! Forgot to photograph prior to eating!

FLAVOUR OF ECCLES CAKES
Muscat Grapes, Caramelised Pastry, Tea
Monastrell, Dulce, Bodegas Castaño, Murcia, Spain, 2010 (70ml £8.00)

Neither of us like pink meat, we could be classed as old fashioned as we love all meat dished ‘well done’. The Aged Hand Cut Beef was a version of steak tartare, so we asked for an alternative if possible. The request was no problem and we were given the equivalent course from their plant based menu, which was:

HAND CUT ROAST CELERIAC
Horseradish, Smoked Butter
Maison Antech, Crémant de Limoux, Rosé Émotion, Languedoc Roussillon, France, 2015, 125ml £8.50.

The courses were small but very rich with fabulous mixes of flavours and textures. The Partridge wasn’t really us, although we did eat most of us. My favourite course was the Cornish Turbot, absolutely delicious.

Following dinner we had one final nightcap in the lounge bar, with its roaring fire and dimmed lighting. Before retiring back to our lovely room. We were both full and satisfied from this luxury experience.

Following a great nights sleep we returned to the main restaurant for their version of a Full English Breakfast. Service was a little slow at breakfast but the food when it arrived was just the right portion size after the previous nights hearty dinner.

Cooked English Breakfast

Overall this was a one off experience for us for a special occasion, it was expensive, costing just under £600. There are large service charges added to each aspect of service. Our after dinner drinks of a pint of cider and a Baileys cost £24! We were really pleased to be able to experience this dining experience but would not repeat in a hurry. The one downside for me was that the temperature in the restaurant both at dinner and breakfast was too warm, I appreciate that being in the throws of the menopause this was my problem, but Mr Fitz also felt uncomfortable at times in the heat.

In summary though it was a fabulous experience for a pair of foodies like us for a one off celebration. If you were looking for a top class venue with Michelin Star food I would highly recommend it.

Dining out is our favourite pastime.

Have you had a luxury dining experience or a similar treat for a special occasion let me know what you did or where you dined at. We are always looking for places to visit to stay and dine. Leave me a comment or email me, I love to hear from you.

Thanks for popping in today

A busy October having fun in retirement

November 18, 2018

I had a very busy October and I know I’m it’s already mid November and I’m late in posting, but hey better late than never. Time is flying so fast. This third age of my life is truly the best especially spending quality time with family and friends. When I was working full time as a nurse I was either too busy or too tired to really enjoy my social life.

Where Did I Go in October

The month of October was dominated by Mr Fitz’s 60th birthday, both preparation and celebrations. I had planned a surprise night away for him on the actual night of his Birthday. We are both foodies and Mr Fitz can watch hours of cooking programmes and demonstrations from Celebrity chefs, as well as dining out. With that in mind I had booked a night away at Northcote Manor a Michelin starred hotel and restaurant not too far away. He hates surprises so closer to the date I did actually tell him where we were going. We had a lovely stay and fabulous food, very expensive but a one off experience befitting the milestone in life. I will write a full review of this experience in a separate post.

A selection of the food on offer at Northcote Manor

Michelin Star Food

We both enjoyed a weekend away in Blackpool with friends at the beginning of October, staying in their static caravan. A great time filled with lots of laughter and a trip to the Blackpool illuminations was enjoyed by us all. I reflected on the Illuminations as part of my Blogtober18 series, if you haven’t read it already you can take a look here.

Blackpool Illuminations

With the christening of Johns great niece Delilah Belle we got to spend some quality family time with Johns close and extended family. It was as few days before his birthday so they presented him with gifts and sang Happy Birthday to him. After years of missing out on many family celebrations due to the unsocial hours and shifts that are required as a nurse, in retirement I fully appreciate how precious days like this are.

Mr Fitz Receiving gifts for his 60th birthday

Family time

After football and blogging my other passion is for entering competitions. I have like minded friends and we all share our winning prizes and experiences amongst ourselves and our friends and families. My lovely friend Juliet won a trip to meet Jamie Oliver in London. It was a promotion in collaboration with Hotpoint and Jamie Oliver to reduce foo wastage and to be creative with leftovers. There were 5 winners who had been judged to submit the best ideas for the use of leftovers. The winners and guests were invited to a pop up event in East London. A truly enjoyable day and an opportunity to see Jamie demonstrating his cooking skills at close contact.

Enjoying a celebrity chef experience with Jamie Oliver

Watching Jamie Oliver live

Another of my friends won a meal at Rain Bar in Manchester for 4. This is a gastro pub where the food was really tasty with great service and attention. It also gave myself and my friends the opportunity to get together and plan an upcoming trip to London in December

Lunch at Rain Bar Manchester

What Did I Read in October

I’m ashamed to say I am still on the same book from the Village series that I was reading last month – I’ve barely picked my kindle up and I need to read more to help me unwind at the end of the day.

What I watched on TV in October

I completed watching the series on Sky Witness The Truth About the Harry Quebert Story, I mentioned this last month. It was quite a slow moving who dunnit but I enjoyed it, lots of twist and turns.

I’ve been catching up on an older TV series, A Place To Call Home and watching in snatches. I find this a really relaxing storyline and series. It’s set in Australia an tells the story of a family throughout the years.

Naturally there has been wall to wall football being watched here!

I didn’t get to watch any specific films apart from dipping into the many Christmas movies being continuously shown on Sky. By the time Christmas arrives I will have possibly seen snippets of them all. These are great movies to have on in the background while I work, particularly photographing and listing stock for my Ebay shop.

Home Improvements

If you have read earlier posts about our house purchase partially funded from my retirement funds, you may know that I so love this dream house and this is the most enjoyable part of my retirement. I love spending as much time as possible inside working from home. When we moved in it had been repainted throughout and re carpeted in neutral tones. Over the three years we have lived here we have gradually made changes and put our personal stamp on it. We had wooden flooring in our previous home and loved the look and clean feel of it. But as the carpet was newly fitted when we moved in changing it immediately seemed inappropriate. This month though we thought 3 years was a respectable length of time to change it and we had wooden flooring fitted through the lounge and dining room. Due to my menopausal brain fog I have become really indecisive and struggle to choose decor etc. Thankfully Mr Fitz is able to make good choices and where once I made the main decisions I am happy for him to take the lead. He chose a dark colour which I possibly wouldn’t have chosen myself, possibly because I make ‘safe’ choices and he is happy to be out there sometimes. I am happy with his choice and love the new look.

November goals

To continue at the gym and attend yoga classes hoping this results in weight loss.

I am going to aim to eat a low carb diet 90% of the time to reverse the state of insulin resistance that I appear to be in, caused by my lovely constant companion that is the menopause. I am watching a series of videos from a nutritionist in America Dr Becky Gillaspy, as I have a Masters Degree in Health Studies, I know that what she talks about makes sense.

Procrastination

Oh and yes my accounts have still not been submitted – I need to pull my finger out!

Finally I am planning to redecorate my 2nd bedroom, including a full declutter. I will post about this when the project is complete.

How is your November progressing? How you’re all moving forward, my favourite saying at the moment is from Emma Drew of Emma Drew info who is helping me with my blogging journey, and that is we should strive at all times for progress not perfection! So true. I am prone to getting lost in the minutiae of details to be perfect that I end up making no progress at all.

Let me know if you have any similar experiences to any of my recent ones? I love to hear from you and receive inspiration

Comment or email me

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Thanks for reading, it’s always appreciated

Mulled wine – the perfect drinking glasses

November 8, 2018

As someone who enjoys a glass of mulled wine or a hot toddy during the festive season I was kindly provided with glasses from Jeanine at Blessed Bee Group. They were the Ozeri Serafino Double Wall Thermo Glasses, a set of two 12 fl.oz. 0.35ml.

Set of 2 heat and shatter resistant borosilicate glasses that each hold 12 oz.
Stronger and more durable than common glass, each glass features a wraparound contour that provides a natural aesthetic grip.
Patent-pending double wall design that suspends drinks within an inner wall, creating an engaging optical effect.
Designed to keep your hands cool with hot drinks, and free of condensation with chilled beverages.
Completely dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe. Ships in an elegant 4 color printed box with a 1 Year Warranty. Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Good packaging

The box is eye catching – simple shiny black with a clear picture on the front of the contents.

The glasses look attractive and are nice to hold due to the wraparound contour, even for someone like me who has small hands.

I have used them for hot and cold drinks and can confirm that the temperature of the contents is not transferred to the outer wall. In fact that is the only downside, when I took my first sip of the hot chocolate drink I nearly burnt my tongue as there was no indication of how hot the drink was inside!

In my opinion these are perfect for a hot toddy and mulled wine as well as enjoying a chilled cocktail in the garden in summer, as they are shatter resistant.

Disclaimer: If you purchase via my link I will receive a small commission.

If you like these please read my review of the Ozeri Bathroom scales also kindly provided by Jeanine.

Thank you for reading, please comment or email me if you like these and think they would be perfect for you or you would like me to review a product for you.

Vindaloo or Korma? #nationalcurryweek

October 29, 2018

I love a good curry, in fact it’s probably my favourite cuisine. In National Curry week I feel I must dedicate one of my #Blogtober18 posts to this.

The title is Vindaloo or Korma? My favourite is neither of these. However if I had to choose between the two it would be Vindaloo. I like a hot spicy curry most of the time but there are occasions when I like something mild like a Korma. That’s the beauty of curries – there is one to suit every mood!

My 3 favourites are, in no particular order:

Chicken Tikka Samber: I love the taste and texture of this curry, it contains lentils and has a fabulous spicy taste.

Chicken Tikka Saag – I love the depth of flavour that the spinach adds to this dish.

Chicken Tikka Biryani – I know that this is not usually a spicy curry but I love rice and this is a rice based dish with a thin omelette on top.

I can cook a mean curry from scratch and there is nothing more satisfying than doing so, but we mostly eat currys in restaurants or from takeaways. Wherever I source my curry from no curry for me is complete without Poppadums. I absolutely love them especially accompanied with onion relish and mango chutney. I also save a bit and crumble it over the top of my curry. This is a practice my mum picked up when she lived in the Middle East before I was born. I’ve yet to meet another person who does this!

Are you a curry lover? If so which is your favourite? and do you have a favourite accompaniment too?

This post is part of the #Blogtober18 series and if you click the logo below

Pear and Ginger Loaf Cake

October 8, 2018

My choice of recipe is influenced by my neighbours glut of pears growing in her garden. This has been their best crop for years. Some of the branches of their tree overhangs into ours. They kindly invited me to harvest those that did.

Pears from my neighbours garden

With that in mind I searched for a suitable recipe I found quite a few but settled on one from the BBC Good Food Website.

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
100g caster sugar
100g soft brown sugar
2 large eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 balls stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped
2 pears , peeled, cored and roughly chopped

For the glaze

3 tbsp syrup from the ginger jar
3 tbsp granulated sugar

Method

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment, ensuring the parchment comes 2cm above the top of the tin. Beat the butter and sugars together until pale, then gradually stir in the eggs and vanilla extract. Fold the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the mix, then quickly stir through the stem ginger and pears. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, smooth the surface, then bake for 1 hr – 1 hr 10 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.
To make the glaze, mix the syrup with 1 tsp water and the sugar. Poke the surface of the loaf all over with a skewer, then pour on the syrup. Serve warm with cream, or allow to cool completely.

The end result was delicious, although I found the pear and ginger pieces did sink to the bottom of the loaf.

My finished pear and ginger loaf cake

So easy to make – I recommend you giving it a try

This post is part of the #Blogtober2018 promotion.

My link is being hosted by Mandi at Big Family Organised Chaos

Others involved are Sarah at Sarah Beth Blogs

Hazel at Tea and Cake for the Soul

Katrines Blog

Pop over to their sites and take a look

Thanks for stopping by I appreciate it

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How to avoid weight gain Cruising, Eating and Exercise

October 3, 2018

This post is about avoiding excessive weight gain whilst on holiday. You may have read that I have recently returned from my first ever cruise holiday. It was my present to my husband for his 60th Birthday. We sailed with P & O on Oceana around Greece. We loved it! In fact we have booked two further cruises with the same company.

The one thing that everyone talks about with cruise holidays is the amount and quality of food available and consumed. Mr Fitz and I are real foodies and live to eat, but we are also conscious of increasing weight gain as we age. I particularly struggle, particularly with menopausal weight gain around the middle, something I describe in an earlier post. We wanted to enjoy all the food on offer but not suffer the consequences of too much weight gain to deal with on our return.

I enjoyed all the fabulous food and cocktails on offer, in fact, if I’m brutally honest the largest proportion of my calories were from the delicious cocktails. I don’t think we over indulged, enjoying a full cooked breakfast every day, only lunching or snacking in the middle of the day on a couple of days, but enjoyed a full evening dinner. We rarely had room for a dessert and only visited the late buffet on one occasion.

Here's a sample of a delicious dish on board Oceana

Fabulous food Creamy Malaysian Prawn Curry

On our return I was so pleased to weigh myself and discover that my weight gain was only 1lb – RESULT!

How did I manage this – did I have a secret weapon?

The answer is Exercise! Mr Fitz and I took measures to remain active as damage limitation.

We packed fitness clothing – I packed 1 pair of fitness leggings, my sports bra (essential for my big boobs!), 2 tops and trainers.
We used the on board gym. It was well equipped with an area for weights and lots of cardio equipment. The exercise bikes and treadmills all faced out through tinted full length windows to sea. We didn’t necessarily attend the gym together. On a couple of occasions other activities meant we attended separately.
I’ve been promising myself that I would take up yoga, not just for fitness but to help with my chronic back problem and joint problems, again something I have talked about in a precious post. There were yoga classes available and I took the opportunity to join in whilst on the cruise. I really enjoyed it and have been to a further class at my local gym since my return.
Daily we took a brisk walk around the promenade deck. There was a sign informing passengers that 3.2 laps around this deck equaled 1 mile. Most days we managed minimum 2 miles. A really enjoyable walk and one enjoyed by many other passengers.
On port days off the ship we too the opportunity to walk as much as possible around the places we visited. We visited the ports independently rather than taking organised trips. I wore my pedometer and recorded walking distances of around 4 miles on average per port.

There was a fully equippedcfitness suite on board Oceana

On board fitness suite

In summary we were eager to enjoy the fabulous food served on our Cruise but managed to counteract any excesses by planning to exercise using the facilities available and walking as much as possible to avoid any excessive weight gain. Being active and devoting time to this did not detract from our fabulous holiday.

Has anyone got any further hints on tips how to enjoy your cruise holiday to the full whilst minimising the effects of extra calories? Let me know or email me. I love to learn new strategies.

This post is part of Well Being Wednesday linky and Blogtober2018. If you like this post you may wish to read my schedule for the rest of the month

Why not take a look at some of the other sites involved in Blogtober2018

Kristine’s Blog

Big Family Organised Chaos

Sarah Beth Blogs

Tea and Cake for the Soul

Thank you for popping by

Spaghetti Carbonara – The Rick Stein Way

September 2, 2018

Spaghetti Carbonara my favourite recipe

I do not normally post recipes and cooking features however after making this Spaghetti Carbonara this week for the first time in ages I just had to share it!

The recipe is a Rick Stein one and it makes a delicious tasty meal without adding cream. It became one of our favourite quick to prepare meals. Strangely enough though I don’t seem to have cooked it for absolutely ages. I seem to get in the habit of serving meals in rotation, but this one slipped of my menu planner I’m ashamed to say! It is now firmly back on.

This Spaghetti Carbonara can be cooked in around 20 minutes and makes a perfect pasta dish.

Modifications

In this Spaghetti Carbonara recipe Rick uses oil to fry the Pancetta, I tend to use prepacked smoked bacon lardons and fry them without oil. I find that enough fat is released during the cooking process without needing extra. I also use different hard Italian Cheeses, such as Grana Padano or Parmesan, depending on availability in my local supermarket.

Ingredients for Spaghetti Carbonara

400g/14oz dried spaghetti
175g/6¼oz piece smoked pancetta, rind removed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
handful flatleaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
3 large free-range eggs, beaten
50g/1¾oz pecorino sardo maturo (mature Sardinian pecorino), finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Spaghetti Carbonar - adding the eggs

Method

Bring 4.5 litres/8 pints water to the boil in a large saucepan with eight teaspoons salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for nine minutes, or until al dente.
Meanwhile, cut the pancetta into lardons (short little strips), about 6mm/1¼in wide.
Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and the pancetta and fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Drain the spaghetti well, tip into the frying pan with the pancetta, garlic and parsley, add the beaten eggs and half the grated pecorino cheese and toss together well.
Season to taste with a little salt and black pepper. The heat from the spaghetti will be sufficient to partly cook the egg, but still leave it moist and creamy. Take to the table and serve in warmed pasta bowls, sprinkled with the rest of the cheese.

Spaghetti Carbonara - minus parsley!

Truly delicious! Do you have a go to pasta recipe that you enjoy, let me know by email or comment I love to try new quick pasta recipes.

Gin – Notes from an experienced Gin drinker

August 24, 2018

Gin is the current drinks craze in the UK. I’m glad for this as I’ve been drinking copious amounts of the stuff for over 30 years. In the 1980’s Gin was an acquired taste then and was mainly drunk by the middle and upper classes. Hence it had an air of sophistication about it. I was introduced to it by a friend who moved in classier circles than me. I started to drink Gin as my main drink on a night out for 3 reasons 1) I liked the taste 2) I thought it did make me appear sophisticated and 3) I learned I could tolerate large amounts of the stuff without the adverse effects that wine brought on.

History of Gin

Gin was claimed by many to have been invented in the 16th century in Leiden, Holland by Dr. Sylvius de Bouve, a Doctor who specialised in the Circulation of the body and was originally prescribed as medical treatment, thought to aid circulation. It was then known as Genever. This origin is heavily disputed. It was developed through a gradual coming together of both spirit and Juniper. There appears to be no doubt that the countries of origin were Holland and Belgium. The prospering distilleries of Holland distributed it to The Dutch East India Trading Company taking it across the world. When British and Dutch soldiers fought together small bottles of it were carried by them and drank before battles, coining the term ‘Dutch Courage’. The name change from Genever to Geneva and the really shortened to what it is today, Gin. It gradually made its way to the UK and an early mention of it was in the Jacobean era in Massingers play The Duke of Milan. Due in part to its low cost, it became the drink of choice. By 1750 over 11 million gallons were being consumed by Londoners annually. Eventually, a series of laws made it less commonly found, and by the mid-19th century gin came to be considered a gentleman’s drink.

In 1857 the British Crown took over the governance of India, and more Brits began to make their way to the Indian subcontinent and other warm-weather climes. However, early immigrants struggled with the ravages of malaria in the tropical climate. It was thought that the cure to ward off this illness was the gin and tonic.

Back in the day, tonic water was infused heavily with quinine, an extract from the South American cinchona tree. Known among the indigenous population as the “fever tree” because its bark was able to stop chills, cinchona bark was first brought to Europe in the 1640s when it was shown to cure and prevent malaria. Tonic water thus became an essential part of Britain’s colonialism, although its taste in those days was bitter and harsh. Brits soon found that the addition of gin, sugar, ice, and citrus was the perfect way to temper the bitterness and make the cure palatable. The use of Tonic as a cure for Malaria has been studied scientifically in recent years and found to be untrue. To imbibe the amount of Quinine required to ward off Malaria you would need to drink 67 litres per day!

Mother’s Ruin

It had a terrible reputation at one time as it was cheap and widely available. It caused a crisis and was seen as serious at the time as the drugs problem of today. It was even given as wages to some. Much of the gin was drunk by women, consequently the children were neglected, daughters were sold into prostitution, and wet nurses gave gin to babies to quieten them. This worked provided they were given a large enough dose! This led to the drink being known as Mother’s Ruin.

Present Day

The current boom in Gin drinking, sales and distilleries was started by Sipsmiths in 2009. It has continued to grow in popularity and show’s no sign of abating. It is thought now to be the Nations number one spirit of choice overtaking Vodka. One factor in it’s rise in popularity is the cocktail revival and Gin is a key player here because of the fact that it’s usually consumed as part of a mixed drink and because it has a long and storied history in the cocktail world. Finally, gin’s inherent variety of flavors and relatively short production time make it a natural go-to for the small distilleries that have sprung up around the globe, practically overnight. When you come right down to it, gin is basically flavored or infused vodka — an un-aged grain spirit bolstered with herbs and spices. As there’s no aging period, distillers can produce gin and get it to market very quickly.

Current Personal Favourites

I will end with my current personal favourites – I say current because this rapidly changes due to the vast amount of products available!

1 – Bombay Sapphire, this used to be an expensive, luxury brand but is now often a bar’s house gin. I love this and it is probably my go to gin

2 – Whitney Neil Quince – I have only found this whilst on holiday in Northumberland and it is delicious. It has a very strong but pleasant citrussy taste. So different to all the others I have tried.

3 – Zymurgorium Sweet Violet Liqueur – This is stocked and served in Wetherspoons, I love this pub chain, and that is another post for another day! This is sweet and the taste is reminiscent of Palma Violet sweets, one of my childhood favourites. The big plus for this in my eyes is that it is a Manchester gin. Manchester is becoming a big manufacturer and distributor of gins from small, but growing, distilleries. I have to confess that as well as drinking with tonic I have been known to commit the cardinal sin of having it mixed with Lemonade! A really sweet experience.

4 – Gordons Premium Pink Distilled – No list would be complete without a mention for Gordon’s or a pink gin. Gordon’s used to be the most popular Gin around and was mine until Bombay Sapphire came along. There are many pink gin’s on the market but this is my favourite. Gin mixed with the flavours of strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants. I think it tastes mainly of Strawberries and is very enjoyable at any time of the day. Again, if you find tonic too bitter this is nice with lemonade!

5 – Ophir Oriental Spiced – This has a hint of citrus with a kick of oriental and peppery spices. Influenced by the fact that Gin spread around the world via the Spice Route. It is unusual and I once enjoyed it served with a garnish of a green chilli.

So there are my 5 current favourites but I must add I always enjoy anything from Aldi’s alcohol range and they have recently held a promotion called Gin Festival.

Tonic

No discussion about gin can be complete without a discussion about it’s partner in Crime – Tonic water. In this case I’m a traditionalist and like long standing brands such as Schweppes and Britvic. Keep it simple – let the gin do the talking.

Do you have a favourite gin or is there one you’re bursting to tell the world about, including me. I’d love to hear your recommendations. Comment or email me

Also if you what to know more about me read my post about 10 Random Facts about me

Food and Eating Out

Name of Restaurant

Time of Visit

Reason for Visit

First Impression

Busy and Bright!

Time To Get Served/Attention

Food

Service

Evaluation

Would I Visit Again

Where Did I Go in October

What Did I Read in October

What I watched on TV in October

Home Improvements

November goals

Procrastination

Ingredients

For the glaze

Method

Modifications

Ingredients for Spaghetti Carbonara

Method

History of Gin

Mother’s Ruin

Present Day

Current Personal Favourites

Tonic

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My Favorites