Loving the Simple Things

We love to go out and explore but sometimes you don't want to leave the house, after a busy week we decided that we needed a day at home, so yesterday we got out into the garden and made the most of the sun when it peeped out from behind the clouds. You don't need a massive garden to enjoy being outdoors, a blanket on the grass, a disposable bbq, some chocolate digestives, marshmallows and a few cups of hot chocolate were enough for us to enjoy being outside.

These s'mores are super easy to make, all you need are a few chocolate digestives and some marshmallows, pop them on the bbq for several minutes each side and you have yourself some gooey yumminess. Perfect with a mug of hot chocolate and maybe a few more marshmallows.

Afterwards we listened to the skylarks that fly above the field behind us and looked for bugs in the in the garden, we planted some seeds and played with the hoola hoop, it was simple and yet made up for the fact we hadn't been anywhere.

We while away many hours in the garden like this and when summer hopefully makes an appearance there will be even more hours to fill with time in the garden and outdoors, we love to take walks in the field behind us picking up some treasures on the way.

What do you do in your garden that makes you love the simple things? 

Red's True BBQ Nottingham Review

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the launch night of the new Red's True BBQ restaurant in Nottingham, both my hubby and I love BBQ food, so this was right up our street.

Walking in, the smell of BBQ hits you, it's a lovely smell which reminded me of summer! The restaurant itself is very industrial, with lots of metal, wood and some velvet to soften the atmosphere!

We were shown to our table, where we were presented with the fabulous menu, it looks like a bible and contained the holy grail of a menu. It is fair to say a menu rarely excites me as much as this one did.

First of all we were bought a selection of starters, I don't normally eat chicken wings but these were tasty and done to perfection, the meat was falling off the bones and tasted delicious. The burnt ends were super tasty too and the jalepenos were sooo hot that I couldn't manage them, but the peppered bacon was like a smoked wrapper of loveliness! And finally Mac-N-Cheese balls, oh so tasty!

Whilst sat waiting for the mains we perused the sauces, as they are lined up on each table it means no waiting for sauces once your meal arrives.

For my main, I chose the skirt steak with garlic and herb butter and a side of sweet potato fries, now a lot of people won't have heard of skirt but it is a staple in our house, prepared and cooked well it is a delicious cut of meat. There was a lot, so much so, I had to take some home for lunch the next day, it was equally as good then!

My husband chose the donut burger, now this is not for the faint hearted and is about 2000 calories! However in his words 'it was amazing'. It consists of two beef patties, with bacon, cheese and dirty sauce, sandwiched between two sweet glazed donuts and topped with a giant onion ring. He looked very happy devouring it!

The donuts, they sourced from a small supplier in Leeds and the beef is sourced from the UK, as is most of the meat they serve, with the exception of the Brisket, for which they import USDA approved black angus from Nebraska, purely down to the amount they require being unavailable in the UK. He also had some pulled pork on the side to try, which was very tasty and gave us an excuse to try some of the sauces, the leftovers pulled pork came home with us too.

With lots of craft beers, several house wines, soft drinks and shakes there is something for everyone to enjoy with their meal, each item on the menu also comes with a drinks pairing suggestion, this is useful if you are looking for something to accompany your meal but not sure what.

The kids menu was also unbelievably well thought out and great value at just £6.50 for three courses, a side and a drink. Although we didn't try this the guys there gave us a pack to take home, the pack contained not only everything you need to keep a child entertained but the menu and recipes to take home, we used the Cola BBQ Sauce recipe for some brisket of our own, it was delicious.

If you are in Nottingham or close to the other Red's true BBQ restaurants I can highly recommend a visit, we will certainly be back with the children, their brunch menu looks fantastic and the whole ethos surrounding Red's is one I am happy to support. Local food, cooked well and lovely staff!

Thanks to the Red's team for inviting us, we had a great time and next time i'm going to try the puddings!

NB: I was invited to the Red's launch party in Nottingham, I was under no obligation to write this post but had such a wonderful evening that I wanted to.

Fleet Street Kitchen Review

A couple of weeks ago my family and I were invited to a preview lunch at a gorgeous new restaurant and bar in Birmingham.

The Fleet Street Kitchen is one of the most unusual restaurants I have been too in a while, with the Barbacoa grill being the main focal point of the room.

In a relaxed environment you can enjoy fabulous fresh food cooked to your liking, as neither of us were drinking we had virgin Mojitos.

As we went on a Sunday I opted for the Sunday lunch, the meat was cooked perfectly and the vegetables were divine covered in the all important gravy which tasted great.

My husband chose a 35 day dry aged Dexter beef rib eye with coffee chipotle BBQ sauce, the sauce was tasty and had a really lovely spicy tang to it.

Although they don't have a specific children's menu you can have any of the mains half portion and half price so we chose the chicken and chips for my son and daughter.

Starters were all great sizes too so you could just have a couple of those for the kids, we chose the baby back ribs and potted duck which were both fabulous.

High chairs were available and at no point were we made to feel uneasy about children wanting to go and look at the kitchen and a general walk around.

The whole atmosphere was wonderful and it felt like a kitchen come dining room with a modern twist.

Finally pudding, personally I would go for a pudding over the starter but since we were there to try everything, I went for the whole 3 courses. I decided to have the Eton Mess, my husband had the chocolate pot and my son went for ice cream. The manager sent over some melted chocolate and raspberries for the children which was a lovely touch.

And finally the downstairs, although it wasn't in full use yet the vibe we got from it was elegant with an edgy feel from the spray paintings on the wall.

The booths were great and the range of spirits suited mine and my husbands unusual and sometimes expensive tastes.

You can't tell from the picture but this door is huge!

Spray painted ladies on the walls.

Gorgeous chandeliers offered a luxurious feel

I really loved the kitchen feel and it's the great setting place for a lunch with friends or a post work meal and drink.

The staff were friendly and helpful and overall we had a great meal.

NB. The meal was given to us free of charge in return for our thoughts on the restaurant, all words and images are my own.

Slow Cooking - It's the Future, for us anyway

I was reading an article today about how less and less people are having a roast dinner because of the cost.

But for us this is a staple of the week, a meal to look forward too. It isn't something that has to cost a fortune, you just have to be a little inventive.

We tend to use cheap cuts of meat now days and if anything the meat is better and pretty much anything slow roasted tastes good.

Yesterdays dinner was Beef Pot Roast Ribs, roasted in some red wine and water for several hours gives a beautiful tasting meat that falls off the bone and can be pulled apart with a fork, a huge rib that feeds a family of four cost £3.40.

Brisket is also a fab cut of meat, slow cooked in a BBQ sauce makes a great dinner with pittas and salad or as a spicy roast.


The same can be done with Belly Pork, another really cheap cut of meat. Just slow cook with some apples and apple juice and you will have a sweet tender meat that melts in the mouth at a fraction of the price.

Tough cuts of meat can be transformed into tasty meals by simply cooking slowly, not limited too but some of our favourite recipes include:

Beef Bourginon (using braising steak or skirt)
Lamb Tagine (Using shoulder or replace with mutton if you can find it)
Beef Stew
Beef Daube
Beef Curry with Plum Jam

And if you come across a cut you haven't heard of before don't be afraid to ask the butcher how to cook it, we have come across our best finds this way, just choose flavours that work with the meat you are cooking and you can't go wrong.

If you are willing to try new cuts, then don't be afraid to try a butchers. We go to Gonalston Farm Shop once a month and buy meat on offer and stock up. 

Beef Pot Roast Ribs from Gonalston Farm Shop

I am always trying to find new recipes so if you have a slow cooker one, meat or veggie please do leave a comment :)