11/11/11

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

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Laura Ashley - Top of the Tea Shops

Today I'll be guest posting over at the wonderful new blog for one of my favorite shops, Laura Ashley!  Check it out for my top tips on places to grab a cuppa in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Laura Ashley - Top of the Tea Shops

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Happy Halloween

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday!  Sadly it isn't as appreciated or celebrated much in this country but every year my closest friends and I get together and do something spooky to celebrate.  Last year we were in Florida getting chased around a theme park by zombies with chainsaws, this year we decided to throw a costume party followed by some ghost hunting in the wind swept wilds of Northumberland while listening to Night Owls.  Unfortunately I didn't get around to taking any snaps of the decorated house or the spread I put on but I thought I'd share a few of my favorite party goers costumes with you.

Myself and Kris as a Day of the Dead Bride and Marty McFly

Sweeney Todd & Bambi's Mam

Miss Argentina & Steve Jobs

Kick Ass & Baby Doll

Katy Perry & Zombie Farmer Ryan

The Riddler & Undead Ghoul

 
 I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween.  Did you get into the spirit and dress as something ghoulish?  I sure hope so!

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Lunch Date @ The Town Wall

Last night Kris and I settled down in front of the TV for an episode of our favorite comedy show, How I Met Your Mother.  I'm a huge lover of Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel so I was always going to be a big fan, I may have forced it on Kris but hey, he makes me watch all sorts of rubbish so we'll call it even!  During last nights episode the gang go in search of a burger joint which Marshall claims makes the best burgers in New York City.  After thirty minutes of witnessing five people rush around New York eating dozens of burgers we were left for an intense craving for the meaty treat.  At that point we made a decision to go on a little lunch date, a search for Newcastles best burger, if you will.

We ended up in fairly new establishment, The Town Wall pub on Pink Lane.  I've frequented this place many times on the evenings, drinking myself silly with peach and strawberry beer but have never experienced their food offerings.  After hearing nothing but good things from our friends, we decided to give it a go.

The Town Wall is a cosy bar serving a healthy amount of fine ale, beers and spirits, they even have their very own brew, the Toon Waal Ale brewed specially for them by Wylam Breweries!  The food menu is nothing to be sniffed at too offering the usual pub grub but with some delightful twists such as the Proper Pub Platter with home made scotch eggs, sausage rolls and heaps of artisan bread.  Sometimes your day just isn't complete without a scotch egg!

I went for the wild mushroom risotto (my beef craving had subsided by then) while Kris stayed true and ordered the butchers burger with extra cheese.  I have to say, I wasn't expecting much from the risotto presuming the rise would come over cooked and the wild mushrooms would be replaced with chestnuts.  Well, I was wrong!  The rice was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of bite and the dish was studded with many different varieties of mushrooms.  The pesto dressing was a delightful addition, the only thing missing was huge shavings of Parmesan, but maybe that's just me.

Kris' burger was just what he was craving.  The patty was made from 100% beef so was served pink and perfectly juicy while the chips were crisp and fluffy.  What a combo!

I shall be returning to the Town Wall again soon and I insist you join me!

The Town Wall
Pink Lane
NE1 5HX

0191 232 3000

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Mini Cupcake Maker

When the lovely Joanna from Find Me a Gift asked me if I'd like to review a mini cupcake maker I jumped at the chance.  Cupcake makers are something I've always wondered about, do they work, do they produce yummy results, surely they can't be as good as making them in the oven?  Well, here was my chance to answer all of my questions...

When the cupcake maker arrived I unpacked it, stood back and did a little 'awwwh'.  It's super cute for a start, all pink and canny, which little girl wouldn't love this for Christmas?!  After the initial cute factor I read the instructions expecting there to be something rather complex to make the whole process unsuitable for a little person, I was wrong.  Everything about the cupcake maker is just so simple, a monkey could use it.  Oil the cavities, fill with batter, close the lid and wait.  That's it!

Six minutes later I popped the cupcake maker open to reveal seven adorable bite sized chocolate chip muffins.  They slid out of the cavity with such ease, it was a little satisfying if I'm honest.  Now, do they stand up to the taste test?  The answer is yes, moist and taste and ready in less than ten minutes.  What more could you want?!

I tried the cupcake maker with both mini liners and unlined and much preferred the unlined cakes.  They rose up larger and were real easy to pop out of their little moulds. Plus, you could stick em straight into your open mouth, chomp!

My verdict, the mini cupcake maker is the perfect gift for any budding baker this Christmas.  Just think, you could have a batch of warm muffins on the table in minutes perfect for those surprise visitors.  No mess, no fuss, just cupcakes!

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