Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts

Friday, 12 July 2013

THE GALLERY...

Constantly looking for new and exciting places to eat, this week we stumbled across a new place recently re-opened in Barry; The Gallery. Jumping onto that bandwagon, we piled in; friends and family in tow and me, camera at the ready. 

Greeted by a charmingly chic bar area and shown to our seats in the main restaurant, we were hooked on first impressions and the waiters were perfectly attentive too, not a dry glass in the house!





White Blazer: South (similar here)
Monochrome Trousers: ASOS (here)
Court Shoes: ASOS (here)



Priding themselves on locally sourced food, we couldn't wait to feast our eyes on the menu and sink our teeth into a selection of gorgeously mouthwatering dishes. All opting for the 3 course menu, I myself went for the Honey Roast Lamb Salad for starter, Steak and Home cut Chips in a Green Peppercorn Sauce for main and Wimbledon Special Strawberries and Cream for dessert. 

Breads, Dipping Oil and Tzatziki

Honey Roast Lamb Salad 
Steak and Home cut Chips in a Green Peppercorn Sauce

Home cut Chips

Wimbledon Special Strawberries and Cream

Other dishes on offer...

Langoustine and Rabbit with Dauphinoise Potatoes


Sticky Toffee Pudding
After copious amounts of food, wine and chatter later it was time for us to leave. I strongly recommend giving this place a visit if you're ever in the Barry area and don't forget to ask the waiters a thing or two about their foragers, they have many a funny story to tell...  

Sunday, 7 July 2013

'GLAM-NIC'...

Waking up to such gorgeous weather, Vin and I decided to get out and make the most of the sun by putting our own spin on the old fashioned picnic. We present to you...'The Glamnic!'

After preparing and cooking our picnic food; homemade salsa, garlic mayo, home cooked tortilla chips, chicken skewers and chicken and chorizo wraps, we loaded the car and took the drive up to Castell Coch to set up our Glamnic in the picturesque shade of the Castle grounds. 




Who knew that a couple of picnic chairs and a car boot could look so magical!?


  
Chicken and Chorizo Wrap with home cooked tortilla chips

  
Homemade Salsa


  
Peek-a-Boo!


After fooling around and filling our tummies it was time to walk it all off. I used to come here as a child with my parents, so whenever I return it feels a little bit like home. How special that just 20 minutes outside central Cardiff lays this beautiful forest; silent but for the blowing of leaves and the trickle of a near-by stream. 



Speak soon my little daisies! 

Thursday, 4 July 2013

COOK-O-PHOBE

Anyone who knows me would know that I am by no means a fantastic cook, but luckily I have a wonderful boyfriend who is, and he's here to hold my hand throughout the whole ordeal.

I suppose I would consider myself a slight cook-o-phobe. The thought of dicing, slicing and chopping all gets me a little bit flustered, give me a makeup brush over a cleaver any day.

So, with all that said, on tonight's menu is Chicken on a bed of Refried Beans with Sweet Potato Fries. An American themed dish for all you followers across the pond, Happy 4th July!
Wish me luck!

BBQ Sauce, What you'll need: 
•  450ml water
•  100g tomato puree
•  1/2 cup cider vinegar
•  1/4 tbsp butter
•  1.1/2 small onions, sliced
•  3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•  3 tbsp spicy mustard
•  2 tbsp honey
•  1 tsp ground garlic
•  1 beef stock cube
•  1 tsp paprika
•  2 tsp chili powder
•  salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat pan on a medium heat, add butter to melt, sliced onions and ground garlic. Sauté and leave to brown. Once brown, add beef stock and water. Stir until dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Once ready, smother your grilled or pre-cooked chicken breast. 



Refried Beans, What you'll need:
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
•  450g tinned kidney beans
• grated cheddar cheese to taste
• pinch of sugar

Sauté onions in olive oil till brown. Drain kidney beans and bring to the boil in 1.2ltr of water. Once boiled drain 95% of water and add remaining beans and water to onions. Mash until desired consistency, add cheese and sugar to taste. Cook time approx. 15 minutes. 


Sweet Potato Fries, What you'll need:
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
•  2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• salt to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees with baking tray. Slice potatoes to desired thickness, measure out olive oil and soy sauce into tupperware and add sweet potato. Seal and shake. Add ingredients to baking tray and leave to cook for 30-40 minutes, till crispy. 



It looked nice but it tasted even better! Dinner was a success and I may even cook more often.


Tuesday, 2 July 2013

WRECK IT...


Amongst the goodies I received for my birthday was this little gem...


Wreck This Journal (available here) 

"Whats it all about?" I hear you ask. Well it's 192 pages of quirky, fun, extremely interactive and slightly destructive acts, and I LOVE IT! 

Examples include...







It appeals to my inner child and today I have completed my first 'Journal Entry'....









I'm clearly enjoying this too much! Tune in for my next destructive 'Journal Entry'