The Alchemist Nottingham - Review

A few weeks back, we were invited along to The Alchemist in Nottingham to sample their food and explore their kids menu.

When The Alchemist first opened here, I have to admit, I thought it was just a place for adults; an extravagant cocktail venue, not particularly suitable for the mini folk.

But it appears my first impressions were off and the team invited us along to find out just what they have to offer for the little people as well as us grown ups.

Located in the old Prudential Assurance building, one of Nottingham's finest example of Victorian architecture, the sympathetic interior stylings of The Alchemist made much better use of the space than previous inhabitants had done.

The internal design made great use of an alchemy theme, the walls covered in scientific diagrams and the shelves lined with glass flasks and tubing. Even with the presence of a few hen parties, it still felt pretty chilled out. We were seated in a booth and it felt like we were in a little private bubble of our own.

The children's menus come in a little packet with some crayons, it isn't a huge menu but then kids menus never are; however with a choice of wraps or a bento box, it really didn't need to be as these will satisfy even the fussiest eaters in my opinion.

The kids picked what they wanted and set about colouring in, drawing and playing noughts and crosses. I loved that were were several things for the kids to do in their activity books and it pretty much kept them occupied until our food arrived at the table.

The adult menu is extensive and I loved the choice and flavour pairings.  I went for the duck with tender stem broccoli, harissa yoghurt and sweet potato fondant. The combination of sweet potato and spicy harissa worked really well and it was cooked and presented to a high standard.

The children's lunches came in Japanese style Bento Boxes, we use a Yumbox Bento box for school packed lunches and they have always worked really well. The portion sizes were above average and they came with all of the food groups covered.

I obviously had to try a cocktail, our waiter went through the menu in detail explaining the different types and what we could expect from the more theatrical options. I opted for the Tickle Me Pink, a mix of Portobello Road Gin, St Germain, Lime and Nettles. It came with a syringe full of a stingy liquid which you swished in your mouth and it tingled like nettles. It was a fun way to enjoy a cocktail, looking round the room there were lots of different cocktails being delivered to tables and they all looked just as exciting.

I loved the mix of industrial, modern and original features that made up the room, the staff were all really friendly and the service was great. I loved that I was able to enjoy a really tasteful meal out with my children, there were meals to suit all budgets and tastes and although it can get expensive with the addition of cocktails it was a nice treat and is definitely somewhere i'd take the kids back to if I fancied a nice meal with them in tow.

The addition of the children's menu come colouring book is great and the theatrics of the food and drinks made it an enjoyable experience for all.

We were invited to The Alchemist to try their kids menu, all words and opinions are my own.

A Family Lunch at Ego Mediterranean Restaurant

Last weekend we were invited to Ego in West Bridgford, a new mediterranean restaurant offering great food in a light and airy environment, but most excitingly on a Sunday they offer children's entertainment, to make dining with your little ones that little bit easier.

Both of my children are pretty good when we are dining out, I take books or felt tips to keep them occupied and they usually sit still. However, like most children they do get a bit bored after a while and this is where in addition to a colouring pack on arrival, the children's entertainment comes into its own.

With colouring in, balloon animals and some fabulous scratch art bookmarks the team from Party Crew keep the children entertained whilst you get some time to yourself, whether for a chat or to mull over the menu in peace. It is a great idea and one that I think makes the dining experience for everyone that little bit more relaxed.

On to the food itself, we ordered the Greek Meze to start, a mixture of hummus, chicken, stuffed vine leaves, pittas, cous cous and halloumi. A tasty starter with something on it that both the adults and children could enjoy.

Being a Sunday it meant that they had a Sunday roast on offer, or you could choose from the A La Carte menu, I love a roast but equally the food on the menu really caught my eye. I chose the Andalucian Pork Fillet, tender pork wrapped in prosciutto, pan roasted & served with apricot & sherry cream sauce served with dauphinoise potatoes, it was really tasty and the portion size was generous.

My partner chose Lemon Chicken Milanese, flattened breaded lemon chicken, rocket, sun blush tomato & Grana Padano with lemon caper dressing & skin-on fries, I am told this was rather delicious and the plate was empty so I am guessing so.

For the children they have the standard range of children's option, chicken goujons, pizza, pasta, roast chicken, however since a smaller roast was on offer the children chose to have this instead. And I am glad they did, as what came out was amazing and I was kind of jealous.

The Elfe potatoes, giant Yorkshire pudding and beautifully tender vegetables made for a fabulous Sunday lunch and I think i'll chose this next time we go, because there will be a next time.

Puddings were equally as tasty, with a large range of sweet treats we were spoilt for choice, I chose my one of my all time favourites, Tiramisu, the children both had brownie and my partner had Sicilian Lemon Tart, all very tasty and all eaten rather quickly.

Just outside of Nottingham it is easy to get to and for us is on the way back from Rushcliffe Country Park, one of our favourite places to go for a walk. I think it is safe to say this is one place I will find myself visiting regularly for a Sunday lunch, I have already recommended it to many people.

The staff were all super friendly and attentive, the service was quick and we felt un-rushed, it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon following a walk.

With the giant roast dinner costing just £10.95 I think this is a great option to get out of doing the dishes on a Sunday. The mains are a little more expensive but the portion sizes are plentiful and the food really tasty as well as being something a bit different. The children's menu is very reasonable costing just £4.95 for two courses.

We all left full and very happy after a wonderful few hours at Ego, the children had a wonderful time and for me if all four of us are happy then that is always a bonus.

We were invited to try lunch for free, however all words, opinions and pictures are my own.

Saving Money with Klean Kanteen

How much do you spend on lunches, coffees on the go and food and drink on days out with the family?

We have been challenged by the people at Klean Kanteen to see how much we can save over the course of a month using their drinks bottles and food canisters for our lunches both for work, school and days out, as well as thinking about the environment and how much packaging we can cut down on.

My husband often has hot drinks on the go during his trips to London, I often buy lunches instead of taking something to work and although we always try to take some on our days out, drinks can get expensive whether hot or cold.

The bright drinks bottles are perfect for both kids and adults alike, and with double-wall vacuum insulation it keeps your drink warm for 12 hours or cold for 24 hours, leak proof caps and stainless steel meaning no flavours are absorbed. The food canisters keep stuff warm for 4 hours and cold for 12 hours, they are BPA free and food grade stainless steel.

So how much will we save, probably spend between £3-£8 per week some weeks on food for work, my husband probably spends between £10-15 a week if he is in London for a few days, then if we go out at the weekend we might by a drink or two each, we usually take a picnic and this will make it much easier to take food in to keep cool, especially now it's summer.

So overall, over the month I anticipate we will save at least £100, so over the year we could potentially save between £670-£1170.

So keep an eye on our progress, over on Instagram and Twitter and our follow up post in a months time.

Klean Kanteen are available from selected retailers across the UK and are distributed by Whitby & Co, all products are available through them as well as a selection of other great products perfect for life's adventures.

This is a collaborative post, all words and photos are my own.

Marlenka Honey Cakes Review

Imagine a cake that you can buy and keep in your cupboard for a few months, that emergency pudding or cake for friends or family who pop over unannounced, well with Marlenka cakes you can do just that.

These cakes can keep for up to 90 days, I say can because as my son said to me 'we should have these more often' so I don't think they'd be in our cupboard long.

We were sent some of the honey cocoa nuggets, honey lemon nuggets, honey cake, honey cocoa cake and a couple of the snack bars, which are all great in their own way.

The nuggets were the perfect treat to have with a cup of tea, they were also ideal for me to pop into my Yumbox for work, in fact it was like they were made for the little pot I popped one in. I offered them to all my family that visited and they all thoroughly enjoyed them.

The nuggets themselves look a little like scotch eggs both on the outside and on the inside, they were the ideal bite sized treat and being made of all natural ingredients you are sure to be eating something that isn't too sweet.

The mini cakes are great for one hungry mouth or two not so hungry mouths, we split them into four pieces so we could each try a piece, they are really light though and so easy to eat and don't leave you feeling full. We enjoyed both but surprisingly, we all really liked the plain honey rather than the cocoa honey, no particular reason but considering we all like chocolate it was a bit of a shocker.

These cakes are really tasty, they contain NO Preservatives, Artificial or GM ingredients, Alcohol or Animal Fat, making them a wonderful treat for many people. You can buy them in some cafes around the country, if you fancy giving them a try in your own home then you can order them online. I have a special discount code for you, you can 10% off with code 'themummydiary'.

My only real issue with them is the cost, I think for most they will come in too expensive. If the price could come down a bit then I think these would be the perfect treat for people looking for a cake that isn't filled with preservatives, something a little bit different and more natural.

NB: I was sent these cakes to form a review, all opinions are my own.

The Fabulous Bakers Review

We were recently offered some of the new natural range from The Fabulous Bakers, I was looking forward to receiving these, as I knew they would make a fun addition to lunch boxes and a great mid morning snack.

From the fabulous mango and pineapple bars, to the more traditional golden oat flapjacks there is something in the range to suit all tastes.

My son definitely preferred the chip off the old choc flapjacks but I think that may be to do with the fact it has chocolate in, a close second were the raspberry and white chocolatey popcorn bars, although my husband did mention the popcorn tasted a little strange as it was soft.

After checking they were nut free, which they all were, expect the bars of berry good things. I popped one in my sons packed lunch. I love oats as they are a great slow release energy which means they are perfect for the afternoon.

The fruity ones, although they still got eaten were probably not as much liked, possibly they'd suit older children or adults. The bars are packed with honey rather than sugars and sweeteners which are a big no-no in this house, so these bars are something I don't mind the children having as a snack.

For my tastes, they are a little too sweet, although I did like the berry bar so maybe it is a good job the children didn't enjoy them as much.

The packs of four bars are priced at £1.50 and are currently available from Asda, they are a little more than I would normally pay for something like this, however for snacks I can just keep in the  cupboard and that the children will eat and are not full of rubbish, it's a price i'd be willing to pay. The children have been asking to find them when we've in the shop so I don't think this will be the last time we have them.

NB: We were sent these bars for review, all opinions are my own.

Crushed - Fruit Pouches Review

As a busy mum on the go, sometimes I have days where I forget about myself and eating five a day evades me. After I was diagnosed Fibromyalgia, I knew my diet should be better than it is, but comfort food is a strange thing and you just want sugar, usually in it’s worst form.

So, when I was sent some Crushed fruit pouches to try, I looked forward to having some fruit in my bag, something that I could take with me when I got those sweet cravings and that wouldn’t get battered and bruised as the day went on.

Usually you think this sort of thing is for children, but they have been invaluable for me during my recent house move, meaning I can have fruit on the go, easily and most of all quickly.

The pouches are an easy and accessible way to transport fruit, in your handbag, schoolbag, or lunchbag.

Best of all the Crushed pouches are tasty, the Strawberry & Apple have a little zing to them and the Apple & Banana are nice and smooth, my daughter has tried both and loved them equally meaning they really are a hit for both adults and children alike!

Containing one of your five a day and with a long shelf life they are the perfect store cupboard and fridge staple for when the fruit bowl is running low. 

Currently available in store from Waitrose and online from Ocado at £3.50 for 4 they work out a lot cheaper than some of the similar brands available.

NB: I was sent these to try, I was under no obligation to write a review however I feel they are a great product and wanted to write about them.

Busy Breakfasts & Mid Morning Snacks

BelVita have been a favourite in our house for quite some time now, whether it is a quick brekkie for mum or a pre school snack for the kids.

Sometimes if I am in a rush, rather than skipping breakfast I grab a packet of belVita, they are perfect for eating with a coffee and not only are they tasty, they fill you up too.

Being in separate packets they are perfect to pop into a bag for the journey to work or for a busy day doing school drop offs and visiting relatives. They are also my favourite snack to pack on a trip out for the day, allowing everyone to have something to fill them up until we get to our destination.

Slow release energy means that they release carbohydrates over several hours, although not a substitute for a balanced breakfast, these are certainly a better option than skipping breakfast.

I also pop a packet into my lunch bag for a mid morning snack. Munching in these helps me last through tip lunchtime.

These new crunchy biscuits are a bit thicker than the original so not as easy for smaller mouths to eat, but they are as tasty, and with three flavours to choose from there is something for chocolate and fruit lovers alike.

My personal favourite is the chocolate, but I have a sweet tooth so it's not surprising really! The apricot ones have lovely chewy pieces of apricot in and still offer some sweetness for those who aren't too keen on chocolate. The hazelnut are also really tasty and great with a mid morning cup of tea.

BelVita are a definite #morningwin for me and a great addition to my morning routine.

This post is an entry for #MorningWin Linky Challenge sponsored by belVita Breakfast. Learn more at http://bit.ly/belVitaUK

Summer Fun with Panda Drinks - Review

We were recently sent some Panda Drinks and summer fun goodies to test out, a great treat for the kids including a book of things to do.

We took the drinks on a picnic, my son will only drink water and even those these are clear and look like water he is no fool and wouldn't even give them a go. My daughter who is a little more adventurous loved them, I had a try and they are a nice blackcurrant flavour.

Using some of the goodies we were sent we played football in at the park, tried to skip in the garden and used the chalk to drawer round our feet and write our names on the wall outside.

The booklet had some timeless classics for us to try like tig, a favourite for my son and his school friends and then more recently, with autumn arriving, conkers. My daughter loved giving skipping a go although at three she did struggle a little.

They are the perfect size bottle for packed lunches and picnics and great size for little hands to hold on to.

My only gripe with these drinks is they contain Acesulfame K, I really don't like artificial sweeteners and prefer a bit of sugar so if this could be changed they'd be on my shopping list.

NB: We were sent the panda drinks and summer fun goodies, all opinions and words are my own.

Yumbox Panino Review

I loved the original Yumbox, so I was super excited to get my hands on the Panino. With one large compartment, two smaller compartments and a dip well, it is a perfect lunchbox for older children and adults although it also makes the perfect bento box for younger children.

I particularly love the background with the French and Italian wording, you get to learn something new with lunch too.

I love salads and this is the perfect lunch box to fill with plenty of health and not so healthy food.

With the silicone lid it offers the same spill proof storage as the original, allowing you to pack a lunch with whatever you fancy.

The proof is, as they say, in the pudding and this chocolate pudding was certainly good for testing the seals on the lid, after a few falls off the car seat on the way to work it was still within it's compartment and had not leaked.

This is another great box and the colours are beautiful too, I love the Tutti Frutti Blue as well as this one the Anguira Pink.

Again I have nothing but praise for the Yumbox, it is such an ingenious solution allowing you to produce great looking healthy lunches.

With the lighter colours I have noticed any scratches show up a bit more, this isn't a problem and hasn't stopped me buying more, it was just something I noticed (and am probably being picky over) but felt I needed to mention. Having spoken with other Yumbox owners though, they haven't noticed these and have the darker ones so. They don't show up on the pictures so aren't 'bad', i'm just here to give an honest opinion.

NB I was sent the Yumbox Panino for review, all pictures and opinions are my own.

Yumbox Review

My son has been having a packed lunch for the last few years and it is something I enjoy making for him, what I don’t enjoy as much, is washing all the containers out each evening.

So, imagine my joy when I saw a bento style box that was not only air tight but also spill proof and was coming to the UK! The Yumbox is currently available in the USA and Australia but from June/July will be here.

Silicone lid and compartments

This isn’t just a lunch box though, it is a convenient and easy way to deliver a healthy, balanced and nutritious lunch. Each compartment is labelled with a fun picture of a different food group, not only does this enable the maker of the lunch box to easily see what to include, it also helps your child understand the importance of a balanced diet.

Being compact and spill proof (with it's special silicone lined lid) it also makes a great picnic box, whether you are in the garden, at the park or the beach it is a great way to transport a packed lunch with everything contained in one place. One thing I find when taking a picnic for young children, is that getting their food to them quickly is a must, they are usually so excited about where we are, they just want to get on and play. With the Yumbox, there is no need for separate plates or passing around of food to everyone.

I'm happy to say that this box is not just for children, I have been using it to take my lunch to work in. It does what it says, it is airtight and even apple packed the night before is still fresh. I have taken hummus and strawberries in the box together and the fruit hasn’t been tainted by the strong smelling garlic.

A few people have been put off by the price but for something so versatile I think it is well worth the money and I have already placed an order for one in the first shipment in June, more for the picnic aspect of the box than anything.

Whether it is a coincidence or that she is a growing girl, my daughter has eaten everything she's been given since she has been using the box. I think the fact it is her favourite colour helps, the one time I tried to give her just the tray she was pretty upset and I had to put it in the box.

Reading some of the reviews on Amazon I did notice a few people said there wasn’t much room for food and that their older children didn’t find it filling enough, however, for my six year old I can fit exactly the same amount of food in this as I could in his normal lunch box.

This type of lunchbox is also kinder to the environment, as you are cutting down on waste, I haven’t ever sent plastic bags, clingfilm, or tin foil for his lunch anyway but definitely won't have to now :)

I am hoping the box will last a long time but as it has been myself and my daughter using it and it has not been chucked about the place by a six year old boy, I cannot comment on its durability as much as I would like. I am informed that it has been stress tested by the manufacturer and a fellow blogger has thrown hers down the stairs (not on purpose) and it survived, so hopefully it will do the trick.

One of my favourite things about these boxes are it allows you to see everything at a glance and is a fun way to store lunch, the fun element I think is important no matter how old you are, no one wants a mess of badly presented and squashed food!

I have tried to find something wrong with the Yumbox but I can't, I really love it and so does my daughter. My son is looking forward to getting his too and for now I will just use their's when they aren't looking.

If you like what you see they are now available to pre order from the Yumbox website and will be available properly from July.