Food

Meal Inspiration Monday- Chicken and Chorizo Rice

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How is it Monday already this weekend for sure this weekend zoomed by. I have managed to meal plan for another week which is amazing because I have found that if I am meal planning I am eating better. Of course, by meal planning it does mean that I am able to save money because I am not wasting food. Today I am going to share with you a meal which I consumed a few weeks ago. This is a Hello Fresh meal which I was sent and for sure Chicken and Chorizo rice  is not something which I would normally be making. To me this sounds like it could be a bland meal however, when I made the Chicken and Chorizo rice it was very far from this.

Ingredient- Serves 2

1 Chicken Stock

280G Diced Chicken

175G Rice

30G Red Wine Vinegar

1 Pepper

1 Shallot

30G Paprika

150G Green Beans

400ml Water

150G Chroizo

Oil

Utensils-

Frying Pan, Lid, Jug,  Kettle and Bowl.

Method
  1. Put 400ml of boiling water into a jug then add the chicken stock this then makes the chicken stock.
  2. Half the shallot, then peel and thinly slice
  3. Add a small amount of oil into the frying pan on a medium to high heat. Add the chicken and chorizo to the pan, stir and cook until the chicken is browned. This usually takes around 5 minutes.
  4. When the chicken is browned add the shallot and cook for a further 3 minutes.
  5.  Add the red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and the rice. Make sure that the rice is coated because this is going give the rice the flavour which it needs.
  6. Once the red wine vinegar has evaporated add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Once this has occurred reduce the heat to medium and cook for a further 8 minutes with the lid on the pan.
  7. While this is cooking trim the green beans and chop into thirds. Halve the pepper and slice into thin slices.
  8. Once 7 minutes add the pepper and green beans to the pan on top of the rice BUT DON’T STIR. Add the lid again and cook for for a further 10-12 minutes.
  9. You know the rice is cooked when the stock is all absorbed and when the chicken is no longer pink
  10. Season with salt and pepper as you require.

For sure the chicken and chorizo rice is going to be a meal which I am going to make again. It is something which could be made with more ingredence so more people can enjoy. I know that everything which you use is something which Jess would eat. Which is a bonus because it does mean that I am not having to prepare two meals.

Have you ever made something so simple but as tasty and chicken and chorizo rice.

Charlotte xx

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Meal Inspiration Monday- Spicy Sausage Chilli

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Something which I love to consume in the winter is a chilli. For me it is one of those hearty warm meals which warms me up after a cold hard day. This is something which I have consumed so many times when I have been growing up and has become a staple. I have even managed to cook it when I was living away at university on a budget. When we moved house and I actually purchased the Hello Fresh cook book. I found a variation which used Sausage this is something which I have made several times since and I love. I think it may be one of my favourite meals I have had the book.  Today I am going to share with you the recipe.

Ingredient – Serves 2

1 Leak

1 Red Pepper

4 Sausages

1 Clove Garlic

1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1/2 Bunch Chives

1 Tin Kidney Beans

1.5 tsp Paprika

1.5 tbsp Ground Cumin

1 Beef Stock Pot

Utensils

Knife, Frying Pan , Sieve,Bowl

Method
  1. Remove the dark green top and the bottom root from the leek. Cut in half length ways, then slice into thin half moon shapes. Peel and grate the garlic. Remove the core from the red pepper and chop into small 1cm chunks. Chop the chives into ½cm pieces.

2. Put a large frying pan on medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. Add your leek and pepper and cook for 5 mins till softened.

3. Remove the sausage from the skins, you can get rid of the skin. Drain the kidney beans.

4. After the 5 minutes of the Leeks cooking add the sausage meat to the pan. Cook this for a further 5 mins making sure you break down the sausage meat so it cooks evenly. During this time it should go brown when this is up add a pinch of salt and black pepper.

5. Once you have done this add in the  garlic, smoked paprika and ground cumin. Mix together and cook for a further 1 minute.

6. Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan, rinse the tin out and then add a 1/4 of a tin of water and mix it together.

7. Add the beef stock pot and stir until dissolved, then add your kidney beans. Stir together and cook for a futher 10-12 mins, until your chilli is thick. The consistency you would expect chilli to be.

8. You may want to season with some salt and pepper.

I serve mine sometimes on it’s own as I find the chilli to be very filling. I have also served it with rice and also tortillas which have been toasted or even the cheap slightly salted Doritos. You could serve it with whatever you would like.

Have you tried using sausage in chilli?

 

Charlotte xx

 

Meal Inspiration Monday- King Prawn and Courgette Curry

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Its Monday again which means it’s time to share with you another meal which I have been cooking recently. I actually have made this one a couple of times due to the fact that I have found myself with courgettes left over from other meals I have made. I do not like waste and I would rather turn left overs into a meal than throw them away. One of the meals which I have made is the courgette and king prawn curry. When I made this one it actually made the whole house smell amazing and like an Indian.  Just for the scent alone I would make this meal again.

Ingredients- Serves 2

2 tbsp Olive Oil

500g Courgette thickly sliced

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp ginger

6 crushed garlic cloves

1 red chilli, deseeded and finally chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground turmeric

500g chopped tomatoes

150ml hot vegetable stock

225g peeled frozen king prawns

½ small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

Items you need-  frying pan, wooden spoon and sharp knife and a chopping board.

Method
  1. Heat the oil in a large wok and stir-fry the courgettes for 5-6 mins until softened. Lift from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil behind.
  2. Add the cumin seeds to the pan and toast for a few seconds.
  3. Put the ginger, garlic, chilli and spices stirring for 1-2 mins.
  4. Add the tomatoes into the pan and cook for a few minutes more.
  5. Pour in the stock and simmer to make a thicker sauce, then add the courgettes and prawns.
  6. Cook gently until the prawns change from grey to pink and the courgettes are tender, but not too soft.
  7. Stir in most of the coriander, saving some to sprinkle over the top.

You can serve this with rice which is something which I did. Yes I have frozen rice and I know this is something which you are not meant to do at all. I think when I take this out of the freezer I may add some nan bread to go with this.

Have you every tried making a curry using courgette or king prawns?

 

Charlotte xx

Instagramable Cafe In Wakefield- The Hepworth Cafe

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A couple of weeks ago I was kindly invited to The Hepworth Cafe in Wakefield. In order to, test out their new menu which has been changed to tie in with the change of the exhibition. At the next door Hepworth Art Gallery. You may be shocked to find such a instagrammable cafe in Wakefield. From the drinks menu which looks like a cinema listing board , to the views out of the windows which let so much light in. Who could also forget about all the plants and decor which The Hepworth Cafe is home to.

There drinks menu is a wide selection of hot drinks which are available. With over 95 different selections and blends of tea available this is heaven if you are a tea drinker. If like me and coffee is more you thing there is a wide range of different types of coffee available. They even are home to some amazing coffee art which impressed me so much. Then The Hepworth Cafe is somewhere which you really need to visit. They also have a wide selection of cake to go with your coffee.

Of course, the Hepworth Cafe does a wide selection of food including vegan, vegetarian and also gluten free options. No matter your needs you will be able to find something delicious to fill your stomach. From lighter meals ranging from salads to Pulled Pork burgers for sure they is going to be something which wets your appetite.

Salads

If you do not fancy a whole lot to eat at lunch time the salads could be the perfect option. I found that they were full of flavour. For sure some of the salads may not have been something which I would have chosen if I had been visiting. The Hepworth Cafe have orange, beetroot and goats cheese and roast cauliflower and lentil salads. I found both actually very pleasant to consume at £7 the portion size does justify the price combined with the taste.

 

Beetroot Fritters and Avocado Stack

Truthfully, this was one of my least favourite meals.  I think this was due to the texture of the beetroot it was something which I was not used to. I would order something else of the menu instead of this if I was to visit again. It was packed with flavour which you may not expect from a meal which has beetroot as the main ingredient.  I am sure that there will be a lot of people who will enjoy this meal but its just not for me.

 Yorkshire Rarebit

Cheese on toast if you know me is one of my favourite meals full stop. So when we got to try Yorkshire Rarebit which was made with Wensleydale cheese I was over the moon. This was packed with flavour which can be hard to get when you are making a posh cheese on toast. The bread was fresh which was a huge plus as you know some of the cafes food is not always the freshest. At The Hepworth Cafe everything is made to order so you know it is going to be super fresh and of the best quality it can be. This was one of the tastiest Rarebit I have tried for sure I could just demolish some right now.  I might have to make a another trip back just to make sure that I can have this again.

Spanish Tortillia

The Spanish tortilla for sure was one of those meals which shocked me. I actually did not have high expectations for this meal for some reason however, it was beautiful. It is such a simple dish but I found it to be so light. In my head I thought it was going to be more stodgy. This is is one which I would order again it is so simple but a dish which works. If you are not overly hungry this is one which I can imagine you wanting to order. This would make a great lunch and of course it does not break the bank which is always a bonus. Next time I may add chorizo to the meal because if you know me it is one of my favourite things.

Sweet Potato and Three Bean Chilli.

Chili is something which I adore at the moment for me it is a go to comfort food. I have had it in so many different ways however, I never have had a vegetarian chilli. This is until now where at the Hepworth cafe they do a sweet potato and three bean chilli which is to die for. It has all of the spices which you expect in a chilli it comes with the tortillas. This is one which I could have consumed the whole portion of due to it been so tasty. This has made me want to try more veggie meals as they can be packed with flavour and still be filling. I would say that this is one which you need to try if you are feeling hungry as the portion size is pretty large. This does mean that is it very good value for money though at £8.

BBQ Pulled Salt Brisket Burger

I would order normally because pulled pork is something which I find so tasty. However, I have had it before where it has been too dry and lost its flavour. This is not the case with this offering I found it was packed with flavour and sauce. This is what I prefer in a burger to be honest.  Sweet potato fries are standard with this burger which makes a change as usually they are extra. If you are not too hungry you could share this meal by cutting the burger in half. For sure if I took Jess I could do this. I know Joe would not actually share because he could consume the whole burger himself. At £9 this is so reasonably price for a burger of the quality. I think this is going to be one which I have to take Joe to try because I know how much he likes a burger.

Smoked Haddock Tart

Again this is a meal which had I been visiting myself is one which I would not have chosen. It was one which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is so full of flavour of the ingredient which is has within this tart you may not expect. As it only has leek and smoked haddock in it. Leeks are not one of those vegetables which gives a lot of flavour but combined with the haddock was beautiful. This was not too heavy at all which is great because I find this is something that I do not want at a lunch time. The potato salad which this comes with is not too big either and I find this a great accompaniment.  This is one meal I would recommend should you take a visit to the Hepworth.

Apple, Cinnamon Pancakes with Salted Caramel and Ginger Ice Cream

I will be the first to admit I do not have a hugely sweet tooth so this may affect my views. The topping of apple and cinnamon really work. To me this makes me think of Christmas on top of a pancake which is never a bad thing in my eyes. The pancakes are so light and fluffy which is what I think a pancake should be however, the stack is large. I would recommend sharing or actually ordering the children’s portion. The ice cream works so well and is one which I could eat scoops of it I was allowed and I am not a huge fan at all of salted caramel which says a lot. For a sweet treat for you to share or eat alone if you have a sweet tooth and are hungry these are amazing.

Black Forest Cherry Compote, Dark Chocolate and Cream Pancakes

Again the portion size of these pancakes are huge.  For sure, I know Joe and I could actually share these because they are so larger. I think of the two stacks of pancakes I tried these were my favourite because I am addicted to all things black forest. These for me are a winner the whole flavours work I and could happily share these with a friend over coffee while watching the world go by. These are not too sweet which is what I expected them to be instead I found them to actually be very tasty. For £6 these are amazing value and if you do not have a huge sweet tooth or you are visiting alone I would recommend the mini portion.

Thank you so much to the team at the Hepworth cafe for inviting me to taste the new menu. To find out more about the cafe, go to: thehepworthcafe.co.uk and more about the executive chef at popupnorth.co.uk . This opportunity was through BlogUpNorth.co.uk – a leading influencer network in the north of England.

 

Will you be visiting the Hepworth Cafe?

 

Charlotte xx

I was gifted this experience in order to share my views with you.

Meal Inspiration Monday’s- Tomato Soup

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I know what your thinking making your own tomato soup seems very pointless. You can purchase it in the supermarkets very cheap in tins. I used to be like this as well however, I found myself with a lot of tomato’s which would have otherwise had to be thrown away. Instead of doing that I created a tasty tomato soup I could not believe the amount of flavour. I think this is because I expected to have to add a lot of seasoning to get flavour. Today I am going to share with you the recipe.

Ingredients- Serves 4

1KG Ripe Tomatoes

Medium Onion

1 Small Carrot

1 Celery Stick

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Squirts Tomato Puree

Pinch Sugar

1.2L Hot Vegetable Stock/ 2 vegetable Stock cubes

Things you will need:

Deep Pan with a lid, Knife, Chopping board and also blender

Method
  1. Cut the tomatoes in quarters removing any hard cores as these do not soften when you cook. Peel 1 medium onion and 1 small carrot and chop them into small pieces. Chop 1 celery stick roughly the same size.

2. Heat in a low heat pan 2 tsbp of olive oil until you can feel the heat rising from the pan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and mix them together with a wooden spoon. Cook the vegetables until they’re soft and faintly coloured. For 10 minutes and you should stir them two or three times so they cook evenly and don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

3. Squirt in two squeezes of tomato puree this will turn the vegetables red. Add the tomatoes into the pan with a sprinkle of sugar and a little amount of black pepper. Stir to mix everything together, put the lid on the pan and let the tomatoes stew over a low heat for 10 minutes until they shrink down in the pan. Do shake the pan gently over the time this makes sure that everything keeps mixing instead of sticking to the pan.

4. Pour the boiling hot vegetable stock into the pan. Make this with boiling water and two vegetable stocks. While you do this stir to mix with the vegetables. Turn the heat up high and wait for everything to bubble. Then turn down the heat to low and add the lid on the pan. Cook gently for 25 minutes stirring a couple of times. At the end of this the tomatoes will be very slushy looking.

5. Remove the soup from the heat. Ladle the soup after a couple of moments into the blender. Blitz it until it is smooth for me I did it for a couple of moments and that was long enough. Pour it back into the pan if you are eating straight away. If you are planning on freezing it add it to containers and let it cool down before you add it to the freezer.

I served the portion of Tomato Soup I had with crusty bread however, you could have it alone. The amount of ingredients I used made 4  portion and I have frozen some of it. I will take it out to defrost and this can be a tasty lunch or a starter even at Christmas. For sure this would be a tasty starter on Christmas day without breaking the bank.

Have you ever made your own Tomato Soup?

 

Charlotte xxxx

 

 

Meal Inspiration Monday- Pork, Feta and Courgette Burger

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Today I am going to share with you a new series which is called meal inspiration Monday’s. I sometimes struggle with ideas of what food I am going to create for meals for me and my family. I have been searching online for some new recipes because we all get bored of the same meals. Each Monday I am going to share with you a meal which I have created recently for my family and how I did it, and one day you may want to create similar meals. When you do not know what to create.Today I am going to share with you a meal which I created which is a Pork, Feta and Courgette Burgers. I like burgers but I get bored of normal beef burgers and sometimes I want something different. Instead, I have taken a twist on burgers and a similar recipe which I found on the Good Food website.

Here are the ingredient which you need in order to create the pork, feta and courgette burgers. The following will allow you to make 4 burgers.

Ingredient:
  • 500g Pork Mince
  • 100g Feta Crumbled
  • 1 Large Courgette
  • 2 Garlic Cloves Crushed
  • 1/2 Chilli Flakes
  • Zest of Lemon
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Black Pepper
  • Salt
Things you need
  • Knife
  • Fork
  • Mixing Bowl
  • A Plate
  • Grill
Method
  1. Crush the garlic, zest the lemon and also chop the courgette into small chunks.
  2. Beat the egg.
  3. Mix the pork mince, feta, courgette, crushed garlic, chilli flakes and zest of lemon and beaten egg into a mixing bowl everything but the olive oil.
  4. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper into the mix
  5. Round the mix into the a burger shape making sure you have 4 if you have used the same ingredient as above
  6. Put the pork, feta and courgette burgers into the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will allow the burgers to firm up as at the moment they are not the consistency of raw burgers
  7. If like me you are going to some freeze your pork, feta and courgette burgers now is the time.
  8. Preheat your grill to the highest it can go, I actually use my George Foreman Health Grill instead.
  9. Coat both sides of the burger with Olive Oil this will prevent it from sticking.
  10. Cook for between 8-10 Minutes till golden brown.

I served my pork, feta and courgette burger naked which means it did not have the bread. The reasons why mine is not golden burn and more burnt looking is due to using the George Foreman. I decided that I was going to have some oven chips and salad with mine however, you could have anything to accompany your burgers. This is a healthier alternative to a takeaway burger and also for a fraction of the price if like me you are trying to save some pennies.

Please let me know if you try the Pork, Feta and Courgette Burgers.

 

Charlotte x

Review- Appy Kids Co Drinks

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Jess recently has become obsessed with the gruffolo which really hard because of the fact that you struggle to find much with this on it when it is not Christmas time. However, recently we were contacted by the lovely people at Appy Drinks Co asking use if we would like to try some of their drinks. One of them included the Gruffolo, Matilda and a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

If you have not heard of Appy Drinks Co they are a company who are on a mission to create healthy drinks which are affordable for children. To make children want to do to drink this they have used well-known characters to encourage children to do drink these instead of wanting fizzy or unhealthy drinks. Jess when she is at home usually has a small amount of no-added sugar cordial into her water which she loves but when we are not at home she ends up having to drink fruit shoots when she is travelling or on a day out.

They come in a range of flavours we were kindly sent the orange and carrot, mixed berries and also an orange. I was actually worried that Jess was not going to enjoy the gruffolo ones due to the fact that they were the orange and carrot. However, I can report that she really did end up loving them because they were the ones which she ran out of first. This reminds me I need to order her some. I have actually tried some of the juice and can admit that it is very nice to be honest I thought that they would be weak and not full of flavour. I for sure can see why Jess really enjoys them.

They come in cartoons which means that they are very easy to be able to put in the bag when you are going on days out or if you are like us we do have some in the boot of the car. However, we need to make sure that we open the for Jess because she can’t actually open them by herself because it is a little bit tricky to pierce the pouches with the straw even for me.

The Appy Kids Co drinks are available to buy from Tesco, B&M,  Wholesale Foods Market, Spar and Poundland. If you are like me and like to shop online you can actually purchase them from Amazon as well there even on Prime which means that you do not have to wait.  For 24 of the 200ml cartoons they are between £15 and £24 depending n the flavour and the pouches which they also do are around £18 for 40 on amazon.

Overall Thoughts

I’m really pleased with these drinks! They taste nice and Jess seems to enjoy them a lot too. Appy Kids Co have a huge range of juice drinks available and you can find where to buy them here, and they’re all healthy. These drinks are perfect for the whole family and I would definitely buy them myself in the future.

 

Have you tried these drink?, If so what were your thoughts

Charlotte xxx

Disclaimer: We received products for the purposed of this post. All opinions are our own. 

 

Vintage Inns – The Three Cups – Stamford Bridge Food Review

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A few months ago now after a day at the beach, we were heading back towards York in need of food. When we drove through a village called Stamford Bridge which is close to York. I think we had a couple of moments to have a look at the menu before they stopped serving food as it was around 9 pm. The food which we choose was of a very high standard that we decided that we would return in the future.

A couple of weeks ago now we actually made the returning visit. As we were child free for the night and looking for somewhere to have some high-quality food and we knew this is something which would find at the three cups in Stamford Bridge. As you can see from the menu they do have a vast array of food which you can choose from. All which is cooked fresh when you order as you would expect. One thing which I would state is the food is not that expensive I think for a two-course meal for two it came to around £40 this included drinks.

I choose to have the pate as a starter which is something that I am highly fond of anyway. It came with a small amount of toasted bread which of course was delicious I managed to spread it over the bread. However as with pate when you have eaten it you walkways wish there was more this something which I really enjoy. This for sure is something which I would have again if I returned I think it might have been what I had on my initial visit as well.

My partner, on the other hand, a prawn cocktail which is something that I am not a huge fan of anyway. However, this did make me jealous because I think for sure I could have had this. It looked like it had the right amount of sauce this is something which I find rare when you order a prawn cocktail as usually, you get either a large number of prawns and a lack of sauce or the other way around. This is for sure one which he would recommend as it is the second time he has had this meal when we have dined at this pub. I think if we returned it may be something which I order because of how nice it does look which say a lot because I really do like the pate.

Burgers are something which a lot of restaurants/pubs serve, however, it can be hard to find one which is of high quality with succulent meat. This is for sure something which you can find at the three cups as you see the size of the burgers are large enough that they should fill you up. For example my partner who can eat so much found this filling even if I did steal his onion ring which was amazing as it was made with proper onion which means that it was so fresh. I think I could just have consumed a bowl of them on there own and not even been sorry. I think that this is something which most people would enjoy no matter if they are a picky eater or not.

Me on the other hand fancied something different this is why I choose the salmon as it is a dish which I do not have often. This came with potatoes and vegetables and a lovely source which for the life of me I can not remember what it was at all. This is something which I would recommend because of you are someone like me who does not always want something so filling like a burger, of course this is a little bit more of a healthy option. I think this for sure is something which I which I would have again in the future should I be returning to this restaurant. We can not comment on the drinks because of the fact that the fact that we both had a pint of coke.

Conclusion

This for sure is a place which we would visit again due to the fact that we have had great service both times we have been. The food had been of amazing quality which made up really want to go back I think there is still so much which I still want to try on the menu.  This means that I am going to have to go back there I think this meal actually only cost us around the £40 mark and this was for drinks and a two course meal. I know that the vintage inn is a chain so I might have to visit some of the other branches.

Have you been to a Vintage Inn for food?

Charlotte xx

Do Our Eating Habits Depend On Our Location?

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How do our eating habits differ by region?

Something which we enjoy as a family is good food whether it be a takeaway, cooking it ourself or going out for a nice meal. It’s seems that we are not alone.

Britain is a nation of foodies, with 66% of UK adults describing themselves as passionate about food and drink. It comes as no surprise then that 50% say they are passionate about home cooking and 53% of millennials eat out at least once a week.

Brits spend a small fortune on food – whether it is takeaways and restaurants or luxury food from the supermarkets. On restaurant bills alone, the average Brit spends around £44 per week. But what does our money get spent on? Designers of modern kitchens , Harvey Jones, takes a look at the UK’s eating habits by region.

Takeaway lovers

According to a survey by Payment Sense, the average Brit spends around £9.75 on eating out or takeaways for themselves at least once a month. Annually, this works out at £117 per person!

Whilst Bristol is named the Takeaway Capital of the UK with a reported 279 takeaway restaurants, Leeds appears to be the greatest lover of the takeaways. 77% of Leeds folk admit to having at least one takeaway a month.

This love of ordering in isn’t reflected across the whole Yorkshire region, however less than 25 miles away, people in York don’t dine as regularly on takeaways, with only 25% of them ordering a monthly take out.

Chinese appears to be the favourite cuisine too – a favourite across the whole country. Only 3 out of the 30 cities questions didn’t crown Chinese as their favourite takeaway – and of all respondents asked, 35% voted Chinese as their favourite. This trend is mirrored between male and female respondents too.

Indian takeaways follow closely in second place with 24% of the votes – and it stole the crown as the number one favourite in Aberystwyth, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

Eating out

According to The Sun, the average Brit can spend around £288,000 in their lifetime eating out at restaurants, which many people claim is because they are simply too lazy to cook at home.

Whilst Millennials are expected to eat out more than any other demographic, the average Brit now eats out twice a week with pub grub steeling the title as their favourite option. 18-29 year olds spend double the amount of other demographics on eating out – with an average spend of £88 per week!

London is the city of eating out according to The Chronicle, with the capital consuming the most Indian, Chinese, Thai, fish and chips and pizza meals at restaurants than any other city. The South East and Northern Ireland aren’t far behind the big city though, whilst Scotland appears to be the region that eats out the least.

Birmingham is also known as the Curry Capital with 43% of Brummies claiming curry restaurants are their favourite, and 34% of Londoners seem to agree. Glasgow prefers authentic Spanish tapas (14%), while 14% of Edinburgh folk loving Sushi.

Pub grub is one of the most popular choices in the UK – and Liverpudlians couldn’t agree more; 49% would choose traditional pub grub.

Home cooking

With busy work schedules and family life, dinner time at home has become far less formal and structured than previous decades. In 2017, just over 20% of British families said they sat down to dinner together once or twice a week, and one in five have their ‘family meals’ whilst sat in front of the television. However, some people prefer to cook their own meals at home, as they can control their own ingredients (49%).

According to Statista, 64% of people enjoy cooking, whilst 55% describe cooking as something they have to do but don’t. There has also been a 10% increase in the number of people preparing meals from scratch at least once a week from 2005. But which regions are most likely to cook homecooked meals?

Judging by how much London, the South West and Northern Ireland eat out, we can assume that they are the regions that are least likely to stay home and cook meals. However, Scotland, Wales, the North West and North East were the regions that appeared to eat out the least, leading us to the assumption that they are more likely to stay home and prepare home-cooked meals more often.

The kitchen, for many, has become the heart of the home meaning we now tend to spend more time there. Now that open-plan living is on the rise, cooking a meal doesn’t have to be a lonely task; you can prepare a family meal in your kitchen whilst catching up with the family.

What is your favourite meal?

Charlotte

This post is a collaboration

Little Dish- Cupboard Essentials Review

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As busy parents sometimes we don’t have time to cook nutritionally healthy meals from scratch every single day. We try and make a couple of meals a week this kind. There is times when need to grab something from the cupboard and use that instead. We all know about the sugar and salt levels which are reported in some of these items for adults. I dread to think how bad they would be for a child like Jess. That’s where Little Dish come in they have a range of products which can be put in the cupboard. They are suitable for children without half of the nasties in them.

We have seen them in a range of the big supermarkets which is great. As this means that you can just pop them in your trolley in your normal weekly shop. I for one like to try and get as many things from the same shop as possible. So these been available like this is a time saver for me. The three from this range that we have tried are baked beans, korma curry sauce, and tomato pasta sauce. They are all normal and basic which you can use for a meal quickly.

The first one Jess tried was the curry sauce as family we like our curries. Usually they can be too hot for her. We sometimes want to eat to late for her. So these are amazing all you need to do is cook the chicken and stir in the sauce for 1 minute.  We add rice as well because this is something Jess loves. The sauce was big enough for a medium/large chicken portion and it was saucy enough for Jess.

I did try a little bit off and found that it was tasty without the spices.  This is something which I am glad of because I did not want Jess to be eating a bland meal. This in total took us about the 15 minutes including cooking the rice which of course is great. Jess sometimes is not the most patient person.

The beans come in a pouch which is big enough size for Jess without there been any waste. If I put them in the fridge I don’t always know when she would finish them. These are can easy go on toast and she can have a small potion of beans on toast. Or they can be added as a veg element of her tea when she has something like fish fingers. They take next to no time at all if I remember correctly around 1-2 mins. Great when you have a grumpy toddler nagging for food.

The final one which Jess has tried is the tomato pasta sauce this is something which is her favourite food anyway. So having a good quality pasta sauce means so much to us.  This again is one which you have to stir in your pasta when it is cooked. This does mean that it takes about 15 minutes cooking the pasta and getting the sauce warm. My brother actually tried some of this when Jess had it. He said again it was a little bit bland it was more like tomato puree. It does mean that it does have the flavour for your toddler however, it will not have as much sugar and salt as an adult version. This is great for if we are not having pasta but Jess wants it she sometimes even adds cheese to the top as a treat.

Conclusion

The sauces are £1 and baked beans are around £1.25 these can be purchased from the major supermarkets as well as  Boots. This is great because you can purchase them easily which is great because you never want to have to think about having to go to additional shops.  You can even click and collect them from boots which I have done because I have not seen them in a lot of the shops. I am going to purchase these again in the future because of the fact that they are super easy and when we move into our own house these will be handy because Daddy will still be working away. I would love to try more of these essentials. Jess already loves the ready meals which are usually on offer in Morrisons so they are a brand that we would recommend for sure.

Have you tried any of these little dish items?

Charlotte x