Bonny, Bonny Scotland

Great timing as this is going up on Burns night, Haggis for everyone :) 

But last week I was up in Scotland for my  father in law's (FIL) 60th birthday.

Had my first flight with the little one alone. British Airways were so helpful and lovely (Big Thanks to all the Staff you were brilliant) but I still need a drink after the whole ordeal lol..

We managed to surprise him, might not be the best thing to do, jumping out on a man just about to turn 60, don't worry he got a bit of a jump but he was okay.

As they had traveled back all the way from Malaysia and still on Malaysian time the first day was a bit quiet.

The second day we made up for it and I made Margaritas - 2 parts tequila to 1 part Cointreau and 1 part lime juice. Mix in a shaker full of ice and serve in a salted rimmed glass. 

Yes I know these a Champagne glasses but it's all we had and needs must.

They where so tasty, albeit a bit strong, they went down very well with the Mother in Law (MIL) - even though we were starting the celebration for the FIL birthday due to him still being Jet lagged he was asleep and missed out on the Margarita fun lol

On the third day we  it was officially FIL 60th birthday 

We had a yummy breakfast along with Bucks Fizz (Mimosas) and Cake the cake was in the shape of a Jammy Dodger on of the FIL favorite biscuits.

He got lots of lovely cards and presents we bought him a fit bit, which will help to burn off the cake calories lol.

It started to snow, proper snow not like the rubbish we get down south,  so we got the little one out to experience it. 

And obvs I had to go out and have some fun in it too. I know I'm a fully grown woman but don't care, I love snow and turn into a 5 year old whenever I get to experience it.  :)

I enjoyed it much more than the little one I think he preferred looking, he's more of a sun bunny which bodes well if we trying to plan a trip to Disney World as I doubt they ever get snow there.

We spent most of the day relaxing as the FIL wanted to watch the Cricket which England won. Yay go team..

Early evening we went o a lovely restaurant "The Boathouse" which is in the grounds of my favourite hotel Cameron House (it was the venue for our Wedding Reception) so hold a special place in my heart.

It was very snowy still so I had to modifiy my foot wear for going out, don't worry I took high heels in my bag as even though the Wellies were handy they didn't really go with my dress lol. 

Stared off the dinner with a lovely Wine a Da Luca Pinot. It was super yummy, dry and crisp just the way I like my wines. 

The food was equally exquisite as the wine.

My Hubby ordered steak and it came with Jenga chips - very fun and they were nice and Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, as I insisted on trying one (For research purposes only of course).

The FIL ordered the Duck, he said it was nice but I think I would have liked mine a bit pinker.

My Hubby Steak was cooked to perfection too.

I had an utterly amazing Crab and Avocado pizza, stoned baked in a proper pizza oven. You could tell it was freshly made and the crab was so nice. I would say it a must if you visit this restaurant.

As it was a celebration we finished off the meal with a Moet - well a bit of Fizz is always needed when marking a big milestone.

Honestly I can say enough nice things about this place, it also right on the loch, to dark to take any good pics but it is an amazing location for a bit of amazing food. 

The next day it was still really snowy, but we found an ingenious way of getting the little one around the town. 

As we couldn't stay out in the cold for too long we took a visit to the Loch Lomond Shores Sea life center.

I think I made a new friend.

And I definitely found Nemo and all his buddies. 

We even on the break got to spend some time in the loch in the little town of Luss.

Which is a chocolate box picture of a town, but I would avoid the cats.

Another must when visiting that part of the world also very special as we got married in Luss Church - ah memories.

The MIL offered to baby sit so we got to have a night out. We went to the Great Scotts Bar in Cameron House, a very comfortable lounge bar with a very nice Scottish Theme, full of muted tartans and squashy wing back chairs and sofas. 

They also carried the same wine list as the Boat House so I got some more of that delicious Sicilian Da luca Pinot. Will have to see if I can get that in the Supermarket.


So on the last day we just milled about,  although I did find King Kong at Loch Lomond Shores Jenners enjoying a fun day out.

Oh and I found this fab farm shop - Auchentullich Farm Shop - yeah I have no idea how you pronounce it either lol :) 

I picked up some very spice but if you like that thought of thing, flavourful, Silver and Green Piri Piri Stuffed Olives

Which went fab with this fresh wholemeal bread food heaven.

So all in all a very fun and full week.

The only other Major highlight is I was name 10 in Foodblogs.co.uk  10 Food Blogs Taking 2016 by Storm.

Can't thank them enough, and is making me so excited for what I am going to do this year.

Honestly I really appreciate it, being dyslexic and dyspraxic it is very very scary writing stuff and exposing your quirks for people to see and for someone to write something so lovely and get what I'm trying to do means so much.

I do hope to take 2016 completely by storm not only in my blog but everything I do, so guys watch this space.

And I would also like to hear from some of you so please post a comment even if its just to say hi.

Christmas and the Low Fat Pizza

Hi Guys

so after the inactive (by ways of cooking) active (by ways of everything thing else) last week I managed to get back in the Kitchen yay.

Well not after going out to look for some decoration and coming across this rather creep snowman.

The little one was less than impressed lol.

I had time to make a lovely low fat "Cauliflower and Sprout Based Pizza" okay not as doughy as a normal pizza which I do adore - mmmm Dominos 

But if you trying (mostly in vain, like me) to loose weight especially before the festive season. As I know we'll all say no, I'll be good and won't go mad and then by new year you've realized you have eaten enough to feed a village for a year and drunk enough to fill in the local swimming pool you won't fall to far into your pit of regret. This is a healthy alternative.

A really simple and fun thing to do - good for gluten free and with a few tweaks to topping can even be a vegan meal (Although as my version contains topping of Egg, Cheese and ham definitely would need them removed lol)

So to make the base it very easy just get a Cauliflower and some sprouts:

Prepare them for cooking, Don't know why but my mother always says when you cook sprouts you need to put a cross in them and as the old adage goes "Mother Knows Best" so I do it too.

Cook in water now normally if you were having these as a side you would cook them for 15-20 minutes depending on how soft or firm you wanted them but for the pizza base I would say 25 minutes to get them nice and soft for mashing.

Once cooked drain the veg thoroughly then mash together. (some people add an egg to this mix to get them to bind better, but I find it works well without it.)

Prepare a baking tray line it with baking parchment and add some spray oil

Then add the mixture to the paper spreading it then and even and trying to shape it into a circle. I know mines a bit cack-handed but I am dyslexic and dyspraxia I find fiddle stuff sometimes difficult.

doesn't matter too much as when you put the topping on it will look awesome.

So you need to place that in a 200 degree oven for around 18-20 minutes - till the sizes start crisping up.

Once that's done take out of the oven and leave to cool. Then you can choose and add your topping - anything you want it's up to you.

I added:

cheese, Peppers, Tomatoes, chilies, Prosciutto and an egg.

I fried of the peppers a little first as I find they cook better.

Then for the Pizza I add a Tomato Puree and spread it evenly across the base.

Then you can arrange the topping in anyway you see fit.

then back in the oven at 180 for around 12 minutes.

What you are left with is a yummy low fat and healthy Faux Pizza.

Honestly it is so filling I had this over 3 meals as it was so big.

even something fun to do with the kids as, as soon as you have the base you can let them go mad throwing the topping on. I use to make french bread pizza with my mum when I was young and it was always one of our favorite meals.

So glad I got time to do some cooking this week as we still in pre moving hell. I hate all this stuff as there are so many forms to fill in and people to contact and anyone reading this who is dyslexic knows that form are a big pain in the pants. coupled that with the added stress as there are legal documents and you want to make sure they are filled in exactly right.

But the more stressed you get the worse your dyslexia gets. I really hate the process hopefully in years to come they might make it easier for us lot. but until then I'll go back to pulling my hair out and quadruple checking then getting my mum to check everything I do.

Couple this with the little ones new hobby of putting his toys down the loo ~(UK Slang for toilet) would show you a picture but I didn't think it was seemly putting a pic of the Bog (Another UK slang for Toilet) on a blog about food - somehow I don't think they go. This also cause further distress and he was not happy that I wouldn't let him have the toys back straight after I removed them from the toilet. Evil Mummy wanting to wash them so they were clean lol...

Thank goodness I am off to the Netherlands for a break this weekend, it can't come soon enough.. That does mean however that next week's blog will be full of fun, food and fantastical stories of our antics lol.

Giggles and Guzzles at the Kent County Fair

So this weekend we had a fab time at the Kent County Fair.

for those of you guys who don't know what this is, it's really a show and a celebration of all things Kent.

And considering Kent is the Garden of England there's a lot of Farmers, Fresh Produce and Outdoor type things.

We tried to get down there early but due to the traffic! Thank You Operation Stack - where they close the motorway because the crossing to France is scuppered. It to do with Strike action and some poor illegal immigrants getting them self killed trying to make it over to the UK all very sad and all very stressful. And definitely one I think the politician need to sort out!!

Any who we got there and in an unlikely English even the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

We proceeded straight to the "Food Tent" which was one of the areas selling food in the show.

Full of all kinds of tasty noms.

My first stop was to Ballymaloe Country Relish and their offers of a free taste sample. I got a bit of brown bread, cheese and the relish on top. It was nom-arama I am not the biggest fan of relish but this was Tasty with a capital T so I got myself a pot. I thinking open sandwiches with a mature cheddar and a bit of the relish on top a perfect summer snack.

we then popped by Grasmere Farm  to stop make a stop for our breakfast.

I had a bacon buttie (Sandwich) as you can see from my 1st July post, I do love my Bacon. Think I might have to start rating all the bacon butties I try and give them a score out of ten. This would defiantly have a high score for the bacon although the roll was a bit plain. My husband opted for a pork burger which he said was fab. We both had lovely fried onions to top them off. We where two satisfied customers.

Also we weren't ignoring the little one he had breakfast at home so he was nice and full enjoying his sippy cup of water while we ate. Offered him some of it but he seem content just to have a drink. (But he is a bit of a fusspot when it comes to food and as we can see doesn't get that off his mummy) To be fair to him he has improved and will have a few more things to eat we are getting there slowly but surely. Toddlers eh lol :)

We then past a lovely tractor display on our way to see Titan the Robot a mechanical man who provides laugh and fun for the children.

When we came last year the little man was only 10 months and he didn't like him at all this year he seemed more curious and definitely wanted to see what was going on. Also helped Paul had him lifted up high so he was at eye level which helps . (good tip if you taking the little ones to theme parks to meet characters as it makes them less afraid of them if they are not being towered over)

We then made it to the highlight of the day for my little one the John Deer exhibition. my son loves, no scrap that, is obsessed by wheel so when he saw the huge ones on the JD Tractors he was in Heaven.

Think he would have spent all day there and made one of the wheels his home if we let him.

But we moved on to have a look round some more of the stalls and took in some of the Animal exhibitions and shows that were going on.

By this time we met up with the folk and we went in search of a coffee for them. I don't like coffee and I being slightly strange for an English person can't stand Tea either, shock horror I know.

as we where looking for a lovely place to sit and rest our feet we came across a 4 piece band playing some 1920/1930 music, all very "Downton Abby" and they drew quiet a big crowd.

After a drink and a chat we split off again to look at things around the fair. The little one had fallen asleep so we headed for the Produced in Kent Area. I got a little distracted by the Pub on Wheels a great idea where a van that pulls out into a bar can come to your events.

I stopped for a Vodka and coke before heading on.

We found the produced in Kent area just at the start of the Spitfire fly over.

We had to stop and watch that. currently we live on what used to be an old WW2 airfield and was home to many spitfires.

They are such amazing machines and they noise they make is astonishing beautiful.

As it was the 75 year to the day since the battle of Britain which help to stop use being invaded it brought home that just a relatively small number of brave men climbed into these machines and lots of them didn't make it back to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. I got a bit teary at this point :)


when it had finally flew off into the big blue. I headed back to the food there was so much on offer. I got a bit giddy trying all the favours and sight and was  bit of a bad blogger got so caught up chatting and tasting my camera phone was an after though. I would say it because I'm new to this but 43 post in (bad me).  I did get a few shot of some of the stalls.

And I picked up some Amazing  Ashmore Chilli cheese which I did snap while waiting for them to cut my slice.

With the baby still asleep we quickly darted into the antique market section, as him running about in there would have been akin to a bull in a china shop lol. so we had a quick look round and came across a great light stall Beauty From Decay

It was fabulous what he could do with old machine part and Army paraphernalia. We had a chat and found out he makes it all himself in his workshop. I loved them and will be saving up my pennies for one as when we move I getting a workshop shed and ones of these could take pride of place. I love talking to artist especially ones as passionate as he was you can see the love, sweat and tears that go into making it.

We dragged ourselves away as we were meeting the folk again for a late Lunch. Hubby as he was Hungry needed something STAT so we got a cookie for him.

He also tried a Cricket from the bug selection stall, he said they tasted okay. Each to their own.

I decided against bugs and found a lovely local Wine seller Hush Heath Estate  Balfour

We had a fantastic lunch thanks to Gypsy Joe's Pizza  which consisted of a Rustic and a Game Feast Pizzas. Which were cooked on site by a proper Pizza oven on a back of a van. Apologies the pic of the stall is a bit rubbish the red arrows were flying over when we ordered and then the Pizza arrived and I got bogged down in eating.

I preferred the Game Feast over the Rustic but as my dad a bit of a pizza bore only really like cheese and tomato we had to have one of those.

Although if it was just me eating on my own I like the look of their  "Spicy Bad Boy" offering. Hopefully I will catch them at another event in the local area.

So as I was saying when we where waiting on our food we saw a wonderful display by the Red Arrows.

And not to take away anything from the Red Arrow as it was one of the main reason we went on the Friday as we knew they would be performing and they performed so well. I think I had a more emotional connection to the Spitfire, I suppose it was just thinking about what those brave guys did in just such a small plane.

Cant believe how good they are its like a mad Roller coaster in the Sky. Especially went the blue and the red trails were looping I could have been standing next to Dragon Challenge in Universal Studios.

It brilliant that these planes are 40 years old and they can still perform such dazzling feats of aerial acrobatics. Don't think I could fly with them though might make me feel a bit queasy lol.

As a post flyby treat I got myself some Churros form the Don Churros, Churros & Chocolate Stand.

Deep fried and very tasty, although I think the ones I had Stateside last October had the slight edge over these one. But very good so if you ever see the stand and you enjoy a Churro I would give it a go.

As we took our last bites after 2+ hours of being asleep the little one woke up so we took him  (after a quick snack for him) to see the horse which he wasn't too impressed about think he might be like his mum. I like Horses as an animal and wish them no harm but not too keen on getting on one. Especially as when I was little I got on one and it bolted nightmare and totally scared for life.

So as he wasn't impressed with the real thing we took him too to the fair ground an let him go on the carved merry go round horse which he did enjoy. It was an beautiful only carousel with a pipe organ belting out old tunes as the horse spun faster and faster.

The restored ones are works of art which are great to interact with.

We let the little one have a couple of goes on the other rides including some scaled down swings which he enjoyed and some cars and because they had a steering wheel think that might have been his favourite.

As it was gone 4pm having got there at 10am and both feeling very weary and slightly sun-burnt. We religiously topped up he little ones sun cream and kept him covered if we only thought of that for ourselves doh.

So verdict a great show, just wish we had more time there, it was over 3 days but we only got to go to one. Next year will definitely be going for two days. One day with the little one for lots of fun and second day a proper adult look around which will include a lot of food and maybe a cheeky drink or two..