A tale of Two Bacon Butties (Sandwiches)

Hello :)

After last week lull it's gone back to being full on. I don't think I'm cut out for the quiet life, well technically with a 20 month old running around the place bring his own all encompassing energy I don't think would be allowed even if I wanted too.

Also I think I'm just programmed to be manic with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia I tend to run on the bit of the crazy side. It a bit of a double edged sword as I suspect that being calm and tranquil would improve both conditions but I get really antsy if I not doing anything which works me up in to an anxious state so get manic again oh well at least its sunny.

So since my last post I've been a bit busy

On Saturday I went to a car boot sale, (American readers think Yard Sale or Flea Market) my husband wanted to go.

I don't mind them and used to enjoy them more as a child but I think over the years I've turned some what into a snob as I wasn't nearly as keen on the stuff as I use to be and secondly I found it slightly sad. Not in a lame way but sad for some of the people have to attend these thing due to economic trouble just to get essential like clothes and house hold appliances even toys for their children.

I must remember how lucky, not only compared to other countries around the world and their hardships but even lucky compared to people even in the same community as me.

Think that why I less excited about them as sometimes they can highlight the plight of others. Although I suspect that is a reason why I should go to ground me and stop me moaning about not being able to have another holiday this year.

Any Who, walking round the stalls and the trestle tables of brick a brac we became quite hungry. At these event there are always catering facilities and we happen on the standard fare of the BURGER VAN I love these portable greasy spoons. The limited selection of meat based product crammed into a bun of some sort.

So, as it was early, I had a staple of the British Breakfast a bacon butty (Sandwich) it was just two bits of bacon in a floured white bap with a bit of butter and added a bit of Ketchup. Yes I prefer ketchup!! For anyone who doesn't know there is a secret underground war between Brown Sauce and Ketchup on Bacon sandwiches, I think it will form the bases of the UK next civil war lol :)

it was tasty and definitely filled a hunger hole and we could carry on looking at the stalls. Although I suspect it would not form part of a healthy breakfast.

As the sun has finally showed his face in England we decided on having an afternoon BBQ, managed to get the little one in a paddling pool. This is where I start really wanting to live in the states as if I was over there this paddling pool would be a really pool; and in Florida, were I would love to live, it would be a few snatched days of summer enjoying the heat it would be every day (Sigh).

We got a lovely throw away BBQ from Asda along with some Angus beef burgers and some 97% pork Hot dogs. The food was great but didn't seem so happy about being cooked.

Added a bit of corn and salad to balance out the meat but all in all a yummy afternoon.

It was great just The little one, the hubby and myself. It so important with busy lives to get some quality time with the family. As I know it the biggest cliche going but time passes so quickly, cant believe the little one is 20 months already.

The next day after church where we booked the little ones baptism (Yes I know it a bit late but as you can see from my posts I've been Busy) Also with the In-laws (well currently father in law) in Malaysia we had to secure a date when everyone could come.

So after that we went to the West Malling Farmers Market it is such a pretty little village and the Market always falls on the 4 Sunday of every month. We always look forward to it as it's got lovely stalls with lovely things. Meaning the diet goes right out the window lol.

We stopped by the Sussex Wild Food Co - didn't get their details but when I go back next time I will definitely link them to the blog. At this fantastic stall I had a Wild Boar Bacon Sandwich it came in a lovely granary bap with a slice of cheese and some wild leaf salad.

Wild Boar Bacon Sandwich

It was so scrumptious, honestly it was amazing. A bit of a contrast to the day before.

The Two Bacon Butties 

Don't get me wrong the other one was nice but this one was on another level and for £1 more I know which one I would have every time (Sorry Burger Van).

I still wasn't done after the lovely butty and we pasted a Thomas Cookie Co it was obviously a very popular stall as it had already sold out of a lot of the cookies on offer so we got in there quick and ordered two Belgium Chocolate Chip cookies.

They were delicious, and because it was slightly on the hot side the chocolate was already a bit melty, just the way I like it. I hope him and the Sussex food guys are back next month as there lots of other stuff I want to try.

The last place we had a look into which wasn't a stall but one of the cute boutique-y shop they have in West Malling Down Swan Street it a cute little places (bit of a tight fit with a buggy) that sells lots of kitsch presents and home stuff they always have something cute inside and this time was no exception pick up a lovely MeriMeri YAY necklace in Neon Orange a perfect accessory in the summer sun.

It also my trademark phrase so now if I loose my voice I can point to the necklace to express my Joy :)

Late afternoon I decided to do a bit of cooking. I made Cheese Stuff, Bacon Wrapped Chicken.

Took some skinless Chicken Breast:


Flatten it out a bit and flashed fried it in Spray all for less than 5 minutes.

I then used a bit of Quark and some soft Cheese and spread it in the chicken.

Added a bit of chill powder for some extra kick

I then rolled the chicken and wrapped it in Bacon.

cooked in a UK 220 degree over for around 20-25 minutes before severing it with some roasted Courgette (Zucchini) Chips and Salad.

Was very moreish and smelt delicious

.

So all in all it was a weekend of Bacon fun, as bacon is super yummy.

As it summer with all the BBQ going on might not be the last time bacon takes center stage in my blog.

Chocolate Nightmares and Herbs

Actually it's been a quiet week which has been good for me, as I finally got a rest, but crap for the blog..

Don't worry I have an interesting weekend planned so I promise next week post will be much better.

Anyway this week I was exposed to what can only be described as the most awful chocolate experience ever.

"How can Chocolate ever be awful?" I hear you shout.

Well it can if the Australians ever get hold of it.

Now I love our antipodean cousin. My Fab cousin Sally was born and brought up there and from what I gather (having not had the chance/funds to visit yet) it's a beautiful place full of culture and a stunning natural landscape.

But to do what they did to chocolate is just beyond wrong.(Bad Australia , No)

One of the girl in our office was sent a Dairy Milk with "Vegimite"  from a friend or should I say Fiend from OZ

As I'm not one to ever turn down a taste experience I dived right in and had a whole square that I, throwing caution to the wind, ate in one big bit now the first initial taste wasn't that bad a I bit though the familiar velvet taste of Dairy Milk and Caramel. 

But beware there is a black heart in this chocolate beast, a dollop of Vegemite and trust me it was not pleasant. It took half a pint of water and a can of diet coke to get ride of all the taste, but the horror of it will linger for a long time.

Hey well you win some you lose some, this won't put me of trying new things; although might be slightly more wary if it has Vegemite in the title.

And at least I knew what I was doing, a poor guy in our office though it was a bog standard Dairy Milk with Caramel and it was upside down and he didn't read the label so he got a even nastier shock than me.

The other foodie news of the week been helping out with my mum's herb garden keeping it alive and watered during her being away.

I'm waiting for the Scotch Bonnet Chili to come in and then I'm going to make some fiery chicken.

Although in the mean time might do something nice with the basil and mint that is already in.

So if anyone has an good recipes that include any of these herb/peppers send them my way and I will try to make them :)

Meats, Fishes and Disney Shoes

Wow it's been a mad week...

I started off the week with all go intentions of being health and sensible.

I started by making a fab fish pie:

Ingredients:
Cod, Pollock and Salmon (as much as you want depending on the Size of the pie)
Carrots and Green Beans. (For the filling)
Quark and Low Fat Yogurt ( for the white sauce)
New Potatoes and Courgettes (Zucchini) (for the topping).

In one pan par boil for 6 minutes some New Potatoes.

Then in a shallow pan add the fish on a low heat in a pan and cook off for a few minutes.

Then add the carrots and green beans and stir in.

Then turn the hob right down and stir in the Quark and the low fat Yogurt. At this point I added some Chili powder to liven it up a bit as I am a big fan of the spice.

Transfer into a dish then cover the top with the new potatoes sliced and some sliced Courgettes. cook in a hot over around 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Then you should have a lovely healthy fish pie that server 4 people.

serve it with some salad and Voila something yummy but not calorific. Also if your on Slimming World it Syn Free.

So after that lovely healthy start to the week it went a bit awry.

It started with me, traveling between offices for a meeting deciding on Having Ice-cream for Lunch.

It was from Snowflake Gelato from their concession stand at Selfridges. I  had two scoops, one of Stracciatella and one of banana. It was so cream and so lovely just the thing on a hot day in London. I was definitely enjoying it, although probably a bit too much judging by some of the looks I got walking down Wigmore Street whilst devouring it lol :)

As the weather has finally turned sunny I  managed to get a little BBQ on the go first one of the year yay.

We had the standard eats of Burgers and Sausages with a yummy salad and olives

The highlight was an amazing new dip from Tesco's a Beetroot Tzatziki. Really fresh tasting with a little bite of sweetness from the beetroot, hands down my new favorite dip.

We also took a trip to visit some friends in the lovely town of Whitney near Oxford. It is a lovely little town and we were treated to a show of Morris Dancers. I used the Periscope app to film it all. I am loving this new App only wished I did more interesting things to film.

The App lets you broadcast live from wherever you are (well as long as you have Wifi or 4G). It is my new guilty pleasure as if I'm on it, I'm normally watching people filming from Disney World, especially the Parade as, because of the time difference, it on just after I get in from work. Although with the little man it normally just a quick fix before the bedtime story.

Back to Whitney, we were visiting to ask our friend to be godparents to our little boy, they said yes which was fantastic, we have to wait so it co-insides with the In-laws leave year as they need to be back for a weekend - probably end up a logistical nightmare but I'm sure I can sort it.

After lots of hugs and happiness at them saying yes, we went for a fabulous lunch at Chequers-Smoke-House My husband and I had their meat platter to share which was comprised of chicken, brisket, Pork Ribs, Beef Ribs, Pulled Pork, Burnt Ends, Corn Bread, Sweet corn, Coleslaw and Chips.

My friends had huge mouthwatering burgers they even did a naked "Pig" burger for the Gluten free member of the party.

the food was great, really tasty and a bit of a bargain for the 4 of us to eat and with drinks it worked out to £25 per head. Definitely be giving it another try even if it just to have a taste of their Mac N Cheese which a person on the table next to us was having as that looked yummy too.

Oh and this week I finally got my son some Disney Vans woo hoo...

Only taken me best part of 3 weeks going to different stores and tweeting the company (Which they didn't respond to, not great customer service boo).

They are so cute but as they are limited edition I'm undecided whether I should let him wear them or just squirrel them away for a later date when they could be worth a few more bob...

Although knowing me as he'll look so cute in them I'd rather just let him have the fun in them.. Which will probably be wreaking them in the first puddle we come across, oh well :)

Low Fat Shepherd's Pie

Been on a cooking frenzy this week to help with my weight loss 

So I've made a very low fat dish and if you're on a Slimming World it's Syn free..

Shepherds Pie:

Chop/dice

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

300g Mushrooms 

250g baby tomatoes 

In a pan boil up 1 potato a couple of carrots and a swede. 

While in another pan brown off 500g of Turkey mince. Adding in some red onion.

Add the chopped veg to the pan with some tinned chopped tomatoes. 

Simmer for 10 mins before adding it to a oven proof dish.. 

Mash up the potatoes, carrots and swede and spoon on top of the mince.

Bake in the over at 200 degrees for 20-25 mins 

Sever with some Salad and voilà you've got yourself a yummy health meal.

Also as you've made so much you can always reheat the leftovers the next day to say you cooking again..

Piggies, Shooting and the North Pole

Another very busy week... No wonder the doctor says I'm run down.

So last Friday it was my Nephew's birthday so we spent the day in Peppa Pig land part of Paulton Park theme park.

After 2+ hour drive from where we are it started off as a bit of a grey old day but we persevered and headed to see the Pig.

Have to say it was a great day out. So good for young children. There was lots of rides to amuse them. Had fun running on all the kiddie rides.

 Peppa's big balloon Ride.

Windy Castle Ride and a big hit  Daddy Pigs Car Ride.

Also the Soft play area which was helpfully split into section so the little one could play without the fear of being mowed down by the bigger kids.

plus loads more rides attractions and parks.

Have to say was very good value my ticket was around £25 and I bought a couple of souvenirs and some lunch and was pleasantly surprise at the cost of it all.

Would give it a big thumbs up and recommend it to young families as a relatively (remember I go to Disney a lot so that the bench mark) inexpensive brilliant day out.

Saturday we went to farm where my dad does his pheasant shooting for their clay day.

I personally am probably a hindrance with a fire arm so left that up to the Hubby.

Also having dyspraxia I do worry about handling loaded weapons as I'm not the most co-ordinated of people which was apparent as I fell walking across the field. It was compounded by the fact I was carrying the little one. I managed to fall to my knees before I eventually lost my grip on him. Luckily the ground was soft. But it was pretty scary and after I made sure he was okay a few tears but hugs soon made him better. Started to feel frustrated and stupid at the whole thing.

I know it just an accident and these things happen to everyone even people without dyspraxia, but then I have "what if it was worse" though running through my head for most of the rest of the day. Making me feel even more guilty than I did in the first place.

Having dyspraxia has effect my choices as a parent as I refused to use the baby sling/carrier when he was young as I was afraid of falling over when he was attached and he probably spent more time in the pram. As when we where going anywhere new I didn't really like carrying him if I was on my own and when we went shopping it was the Husband responsibility to transport the car seat to the trolley then back again.

The older his got and the more active and mobile hes got as made me less worried although with days like this don't think I'll go again unless I better prepared and have more help when he's running about the place.

Apart from the fall the rest of the day went without a hitch and we from a lovely range type cooker, (So jelly one day I would really love one of these)

event was rounded of with Boar Sausages.

They were super duper local as they farm we were shooting on was where the boar are raised. Super delicious and I can buy them from the local farmers market.

On Sunday in between going to the park to let the little one run off some steam in the nice weather I got some cooking done.

I made a lovely spicy chicken dish. Basically getting some skinless, boneless chicken thighs throwing them in a cooking dish, breaking an Oxo cube over them and sprinkling chilli power (a little or a lot depending on how spicy you want it) then just throwing in Red Onion, button Mushrooms and baby tomatoes before putting it into a high over (200 degrees) for around 25 minutes.

Monday Morning as the Hubby had work in the afternoon we decided to trek all the way to The North Pole, well the Wateringbury one :).

It a really lovely pub very kid friendly as they have a fab garden out the back. The also have a section off Dog Garden as well which is good if you have a boisterous pet you want to keep away from the play area.

Their food is great have eaten there on a few occasion and I've never had a bad meal. It was the first time eating for the little one. I got him a kids meal which he enjoyed some of. But he's still not eating loads so his father and I got to enjoy the rest along with our fab sandwiches. (Would have had order from their main menu but we were a little pushed for time, just another excuse to go back). Although saying that considering how big the sandwiches are and how lovely the homemade chips are accompanying felt so full after eating.

That afternoon I also made some dessert bars. I found a wonderful recipe on Google+ from the Mrs with the Dishes  blog of  Blue Berry Pie bars.

I have converted the recipe into UK measurements if anyone in the UK would like to give it a go as it was simple but effective as they look great and taste fantastic.

Crumble Mix
125g of Butter
100g Sugar
50g Brown Sugar
250g Flour

Yogurt Mix
1 egg
190g Plain Yogurt
65g Sugar
3tps Vanilla Extra
2tbsp Flour

Fruit
350g Blueberries
65g Sugar
2tps Lemon Juice
2tps Corn Flour

Mrs with the dishes has a great step by step guide to making these. But in essence Mix all the Crumble mix ingredients together in a bowl then get your hands in and rub them together till you get a nice crumble consistencies. in your foil lined tray put 3/4 of the mixture to form the base of the dish. Then mix all the yogurt ingredients together and pour on top of the base (jiggle the mix to get an even spread).

Mix the fruit with the sugar, lemon juice and corn flour together stick with it as it becomes a bit gloopy add the fruit on top of the yogurt mix.

Then with the 1/4 of the crumble mix distribute evenly on top of everything and bake in a 180 degree oven for 55 minutes.

Blueberry Pie Bars

I also put a twist on the recipe and made Chocolate Cherry Pie Bars. I used 25g less flour in the crumble mix to add 25g of coco powder. I added crumble Twirl chocolate to the yogurt mix and on top of the cherries which were used in of the Blueberries.

I took both in to work and they were both a big hit, but I think the Blueberry ones where the favorite as the were the first to go.