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Eating Al Fresco – May 2016

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Al Fresco means ‘in the open air’ and it just so happens to be that time of year when a lot of us tend to eat outside. This is the first post in a new feature and linky I will be running each month over the Summer. I will be sharing recipes, writing about our camping trips and BBQ nights and hoping you will come join me and share your posts on that topic too. You can add up to three links each month as long as they either include your outdoor dining experiences, feature a recipe for the BBQ/picnic or similar or show images of your food being eaten outdoors. You just need to add your link to the linky at the bottom of the page each month and link back to this post – simple yes? Now for the good part – each month one entrant will be randomly chosen via a number generator to win £30 in Homesense vouchers just for taking part. All entrants will be included in the round up post at the end of each month.

I am a bit of a Homesense obsessive. It’s one of my happy places and I could stroll around for hours. I lust over the crockery, and all of the quirky furniture and right now I am crazy for the outdoor pieces they have. I want one of their fire pits and I am hoping to have purchased one by the time I write my next post to show you. At the moment they have some gorgeous outdoor dining ideas, from perfect picnic sets and melamine dishes which you can spot here, we ate this outside too!

homesense melamine

We get a lot of our condiments from there – I love trying new oils, salts and BBQ sauces, they have an amazing range of brands you won’t find in the supermarket and some amazing pretty cushions and blankets/throws too. I have a long list of things I want to buy but you have to be quick as the stock changes quickly and they don’t stock too many of the same product – this I love as it means you are unlikely to have the exact same furniture or crockery as your friends and family. The shop also feeds my candle obsession too with a load of scented indoor and outdoor candles – I have a huge coconut and lime candle which I light in our conservatory or at the garden table. I would urge you to pop in as the summer stock and Christmas are by far my favourite times to visit.

We have been spending a lot of time eating al fresco during the balmy evenings we have had recently. We have an outdoor oven, built by Andrew and its such a nice way to unwind, sat outside with the smell of the oven around us and enjoying crispy pizzas or flatbreads with a glass of wine or a mojito or two.

outdoor oven flatbread

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The house next door has a bit of an unkempt jungle at the back of their garden but it makes for a kind of pretty picture as the sun goes down:

jungle next door

We have also had lots of garden picnics with the girls, they think its so much fun and it brings back so many fun memories of similar days for me as a child.

garden picnics

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Yes Chloe is trying out some lemon! I had a jug full of fruity water and she wanted to eat every piece of fruit in it.. lets just say she didn’t get further than that first bite!

I hope you join me in sharing your posts.

* This post is in collaboration with Homesense and I have been compensated for this.

7 Slow Cooker Desserts

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From reading my blog over the past year or so you will notice I use my slow cooker a lot more these days, I love spending the day in the kitchen but with small children and work it’s not always possible. Slow Cooking is my way of still making my own dishes from scratch without having to commit to stirring and checking various pots and pans all day. I probably use it once a week at least. It wasn’t until quite recently that I started making slow cooker desserts. I first made a cake in the slow cooker about 18 months ago and I was surprised how good it was – yes it didn’t look as attractive as an oven baked cake but for us to eat at home it was perfectly tasty. I now use it quite a lot to make dishes like bread pudding and suet puddings – it works really well for this type of dessert.

Now Summer seems to have arrived for us in the UK I thought it would be the perfect time to share these slow cooker dessert ideas – mainly as just because its too hot to bake some days this does not stop us wanting freshly cooked sweet treats! Check out the following recipes from myself and some of my favourite food bloggers:

Firstly here is a Giant Nutella Scone from BakingQueen74:

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Next up is my super popular Golden Syrup Pudding:

slow cooked syrup pudding

Another gorgeous idea from BakingQueen74 is this White Chocolate & Lemon Cake:

slow cooker lemon cake

The Crafty Larder has this fabulous Bakewell Macaroni Pudding:

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A traditional Scottish dessert here, A Clootie Dumpling from Farmers Girl Kitchen:

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How good does this Double Chocolate & Speculoos Puddle Pudding look from Fab Food 4 All?

slow cooker desserts

Finally here is my Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding, in place of hot cross buns you could use fruit loaf, pannetonne or choc chip brioche!

hot cross bun pudding

10 Stands To Visit At BBC Good Food Show Summer 2016 & Ticket Giveaway

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It’s very nearly time for the BBC Good Food Summer Show in the NEC Birmingham. The Good Food Show is one of my favourite foodie events of the year..there are what seems like THOUSANDS of brands selling their wares and thrusting samples in front of your face – it would be rude to say no. There is even a plethora of celeb chefs each year giving demonstrations in the Supertheatre and I love to get up close with my favourite chefs – it feels entirely different to watching them on telly.

There are also book signing opportunities so check out the website to see if your favourite chef is there and take your books to be signed!

michel roux good food show

Today I am sharing with you 10 stalls I think you should visit at this years show and at the end of the post I am giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner!

1. Crafty Devil Brewery Stand F310– its their first year at the show and if you like your ale or have a loved one who does then you need to go and check them out. They are based in Cardiff and started selling their products on the market and food festival scene before opening their own bottle shop which now conveniently hosts the fabulous Dusty Knuckle Pizza in its backyard! We have tried a few of their beers ( or ales – I am a bit clueless and never know what to call it! ) and I like their Devils Knuckle the best.

devils knuckle ale

2. Debbie & Andrews Sausages Stand F685

A brand we use a lot at home so if they are new to you I definitely recommend popping along to try out some of their sausages. Gluten free too!

3. Urban Herbs Stand F505

Urban Herbs have such a massive selection of herbs from chocolate mint to lime basil and more besides. I had a well spent 15 minutes stroking and smelling all of the herbs last year!

4.Farrington Oils F175

I love the Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil, it makes the most gorgeous mayo and also really good for roast potatoes.

5. Fudge Kitchen Stand F179

The fudge kitchen stall really needs no more of a temptation to visit other than their sea salt fudge! Go try some then see if you can resist buying some!

6. Mrs Crimble’s Stand F90

We love Mrs Crimble’s products but we can’t always find the full range in our local supermarkets and they offer so much more than just macaroons. We really like their new Madeleines which are also dairy, gluten and soya free.

7.QCumber Stand F466

This incredibly refreshing cucumber flavoured drink is perfect for Gin based cocktails but equally good alone.

8. Sytch Farm Studios Stand F177

I spent quite a long time standing and lusting over the absolutely beautiful pieces on offer at the Sytch Farm stand last year. They make really special dishes and crockery that is ALMOST too pretty to use.

9. The Brownie Bar Stand F610

I know some people feel brownies are so commonplace these days that they are hardly something worth going on about but The Brownie Bar have perfected their bakes. They are utterly delectable.

10. The Garlic Farm Stand F896

The Garlic Farm products are some of my favourite kitchen condiments. The chutneys and black garlic are delicious and I also love their smoked garlic bulbs and their garlic mayonnaise. If you are a fellow garlic obsessive go and buy everything in sight..then send me some.

garlic farm

I am really sad to say that I don’t think I can make it to the show this year due to family obligations but I do have a fabulous competition below for you to win a pair of tickets and please tell me ALL about it if you do go. If you don’t win you can use discount code BL20 to get 20% off your tickets.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* I am a BBC Good Food Show Official Blogger and as such when I attend the shows my tickets are complimentary.

Father’s Day Gift Guide 2016

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Wow the last year seems to have come around a little too speedily for my liking! It seems like only a few months since I wrote my gift guide for 2015 yet here we are again a full 12 months later.

I do think that as as time goes on we do seem to find cause for commercialism and unnecessary present giving at many times throughout the year but I have always enjoyed both Mothering Sunday and Father’s Day. When I was a child I loved creating a special gift or saving my pennies up for my mam or dads favourite sweets. Now I am a mother these days are even more important to me. I see how incredibly hard the job of a parent is and I know how lucky I am to have parents who take that job seriously, I get to see my Dad playing with my own children, making them laugh and giving them treats – its a special time. I also see what a great Dad my children have playing with them, loving them and being the strong, caring parent they need him to be.

Anyway we all know the gift isn’t the most important part of the day, making your parent or partner a cup of tea or coffee in bed, letting them have that extra 30 mins snooze. Helping your child create cards to give or choosing special words to write in cards to your own parents. I think we need to continuously remind ourselves to show our thanks all year around but having one day just to focus on them and their role as parents is a great idea and one we embrace as a family.

If you are stuck for ideas on what to get for the men in your life, read on…

Foodie Gifts:

OXO have lots of cool products for kitchen gadgets or BBQ tools including these Meat Shredding Claws that are perfect for making brisket or pulled pork:

meat shredding claws

These OXO tongs are great for both kitchen and BBQ’s, we used ours on a recent camping trip:

tongs oxo

Homesense UK have so many cool food and drink products, I have made small hampers for both my other half and father in law from some of the cool sauces and oils in there, they both love to cook ( and eat ) so I can sometimes combine that with a cool kitchen tool or dish to accompany it. They also sell some really lovely coffees, so pick up a cafetiere, a cool mug and a special blend and its the perfect gift! They have a really wide range of other products too from garden to homeware so if you only want to hit one shop to buy for a few different people its the perfect place to go.

homesense fathers day

Other Gift Ideas:

You will know I am a fan of the Lumie Bodyclocks, I use my Lumie Clock Elite every day and I recommend them to everyone I know! The Lumie Bodyclock ACTIVE 250 is a great present for Dads who need help with their sleep patterns, for sports training and much more.

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Braun have also got some great grooming gifts and this year I recommend the Braun Multi Groomer its an all in one shaver, styler and trimmer so ideal for all the hipster Dads.

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Eco Vessel have a really cool double insulated mug which keeps coffee hot or beer cold – your choice!!?

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I love this Beer and sock set from Shock Top Beer too:

shock top beer

Tesco have teamed up with The Neales to launch a touching charity single, ‘I’ll be there’ is a brand new song by the father and sons group, available in a specially designed sleeve, so people can show their dad the love and appreciation he deserves and support a great cause too. All proceeds will go to The British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK, charities that are focused on diseases that affect many dads across Britain, so every purchase of the single helps ensure dads can enjoy Father’s Day for years to come. It can be purchased instore or via iTunes.

reales charity single tesco

If all else fails and you forget to buy a gift.. give the gift of home baking! Why not try my Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake?

Chocolate and salted caramel cake

* Some items were gifted for the purpose of this feature.

Lemon Cake With A Dark Chocolate Baileys Ganache

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Last weekend I made the most incredible cake, it was a zesty lemon sponge cake filled with lemon buttercream and finished with a dark chocolate Baileys ganache, I decorated it with some chocolate shavings and some chocolate dipped strawberries with a few bare ones for a burst of colour. It was delicious and went down well at a family birthday party. It was also remarkably easy to make. I love making cakes but I have never really got to grips with fondant and royal icings, I prefer the ease of spreading soft buttercream or silky ganache over the top – its hard to go wrong with it.

Can I tell you a secret? I really dislike most cupcakes that are store-bought or even from fancy bakeries. The reason is the overwhelming sweetness of the buttercream – it tastes so sugary that I find it hard to eat them and you can hardly taste the buttercream. Obviously there are some exceptions but more than often I am disappointed. I much prefer homemade buttery buttercream and my secret ingredient is salted butter. The combo of the salted real butter with finely sifted icing sugar is perfection and I could eat a bowl of it!

There are no photos of the interior of the cake as it disappeared pretty quickly!

baileys lemon chocolate cake

Lemon Cake With Dark Chocolate Baileys Ganache

You will need:

For the cake:

300g of Self Raising Flour

300g of Butter (softened)

300g of Golden Caster Sugar

6 medium eggs

2 tsp of lemon extract

Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

For the buttercream:

200g Icing Sugar

100g Salted Butter ( softened )

1.5 tsp of lemon extract

25ml Warm Milk

For the Ganache:

200g dark chocolate

300g Double Cream

75ml Baileys Irish Cream

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease/line 3 cake tins – you could do this in 2 or one large one and separate with a cake slicer but I do like the effect of the three layers.

Cream your butter and sugar together until pale and smooth. Add your flour in 100g increments along with 2 eggs each time and beat. Now add your vanilla, zest and lemon extract. When lump free and combined, divide between your tins and bake for 20 -25 minutes or until golden and bounces back when lightly pressed – you may need to adjust your timings if you are using less than 3 tins. Remove from oven, carefully remove from tins and leave on a wire rack to cool.

Whilst they are cooling make your buttercream and ganache. For the buttercream cream beat your butter until soft and creamy, add the milk and slowly sift in your icing sugar and mix well. When smooth add your lemon extract. Set aside.

For the ganache, break your chocolate into small pieces in a glass bowl now bring your cream to a simmer but do not let it boil. Pour your cream over the chocolate and immediately beat with a wooden spoon until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth. Now add your Baileys and stir in until combined completely. Leave to cool then cover with clingfilm and pop in the fridge to allow it to thicken slightly.

Once the cakes have cooled spread half of your buttercream across the top of the bottom layer, add you second layer and do the same before adding your final cake. If you have a lump in the middle of the top cake trim with a knife until flat.

When your ganache is slightly thickened ( do not allow too harden ) spread across the sides and top of your cake in one thick layer. Any remaining ganache can be left to harden and then rolled in cocoa powder to make the most delicious truffles.

Now decorate your cake as you wish, I chose to dip strawberries in white and dark chocolate and placed along side along with some chocolate shavings on top but you could use anything – perhaps some truffles or candied lemon as a hint to whats inside.

This cake is rich and tall so you could easily serve 10 people.

chocolate and lemon baileys cake

Enjoy! Do let me know if you try this.

 

Spa & Stay At Park Plaza Cardiff

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A few weeks ago we were invited to review the Park Plaza Hotel in Cardiff and wow we had such a relaxing and indulgent stay. Park Plaza Cardiff is a plush, modern hotel in the city centre, it has a gorgeous health spa along with a bustling, trendy bar and restaurant. As always on arriving at a hotel a lobby has to impress immediately and it really does. High ceilings, doors built for people far taller than I and large glistening mirrors everywhere. Check in was swift with warm and friendly staff who made sure we had everything we needed, a nice touch on arrival in our room was a phone call from reception to ensure everything was to our liking.

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The room itself was gorgeous, a humongous mirror made the room feel light and airy and made me feel small which was a fun! The bathroom was modern and luxurious and I enjoyed not one but two long relaxing soaks – again the bathroom has a huge mirror which added to the indulgent decor – another plus was the fantastic toiletries.

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After settling in and having a long bubble bath it was time for our spa visit, included in the Sunday Spa package was a 55 minute full body massage and it was AWESOME. It was by far the best massage I have had although the masseuse did tell me my neck was a bit crunchy and that she could have spent the full hour just working on one side of my neck – she managed to work through most of the knots and tension. I was a little sore the next day but it was a definite sign it had worked. Now to make time for regular massages! During our spa visit we spent time chilling out completely with fresh juice in the relaxation room and also enjoyed the swimming pool and steam room. The pool itself is pretty impressive to look at, it’s all stainless steel even the sides and bottom of the pool and it gives a stylish look and a really smooth feeling underneath – I really liked it.

Back to the room and an hour of reading..bliss..before getting dressed up and heading down for our three course dinner in the Laguna restaurant. I’ve eaten in the Laguna restaurant previously – once on the terrace with my mum enjoying the bar menu and also for an Easter afternoon tea with Andrew and Izzy, on both occasions I have been really pleased with both the food and the customer service. Its a pretty cool bar and restaurant and I can imagine it being a lively, fun place to spend a Friday or Saturday night with friends and a cocktail or two – need to try that out next!

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I love spending ages looking at the menu when we eat out and I always take forever to choose what I want to eat but I knew almost immediately what I wanted this time. I started with the deep fried mozzarella – so naughty..so nice. It was the perfect choice and the salad with it was pretty good too. I have to give a mention here to the fresh, warm bread we were generously given with delicious oils and balsamic vinegar.. I could have eaten that alone all night and been happy with it.

deep fried mozzarella

Andrew started with the Selection of antipasto:

antipasto

I then moved onto the Roast Loin of Usk Valley Pork with goose fat potatoes and Welsh cider sauce whilst Andrew had the Roast Sirloin of Beef with Yorkshire puddings, Horseradish sauce and goose fat potatoes. My dish was fabulous – special mention to the potatoes and cider sauce which really enhanced the meal. Andrew had an incredibly tender piece of beef along with the deliciously crispy potatoes. The accompanying vegetables were delicious too.

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For dessert I had the Chocolate Praline torte whilst Andrew had the Italian Tiramisu, apologies because I have no decent photos of dessert as the light was so dim ( romantic and relaxing but not helpful for photos! ) but I assure you they were perfectly instagrammable dishes and incredibly tasty! In fact a few of the photos in this review don’t do the meal justice at all – you will spot the difference with the hotel images!

We headed up to bed with full bellies and had such a good nights sleep, considering we were so close to the busy roads of the city centre it was surprisingly quiet and the bed itself was super comfortable.

Breakfast the next month was a feast! A gorgeous array of fruits, a pancake machine dishing out fresh, warm American style pancakes with delicious syrups and a full English breakfast as well as continental meats, cheeses and pastries.

park plaza breakfast

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Another leisurely bath and then it was time for us to check out far too soon – actual checkout wasn’t until midday ( I love a late checkout ) but we had work and children to get back to!

I would recommend a stay at Park Plaza to anyone looking to enjoy a break in the Capital, would be perfect for when you are checking out a show or a concert in one of the surrounding stadiums/arenas. The Sunday Spa package is an absolute bargain for £99 per person – when you consider this includes a 3 course meal, a 55 minute full body massage or signature facial as well as breakfast in a plush city centre hotel.

* Our stay was complimentary for the purpose of this review.

Nutella Brownie S’mores

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S’more more more.. I love S’mores. Banana S’mores, regular s’mores..ice cream sundae s’mores and today my Nutella Brownie S’mores. I could go on. Years ago this was very much an American snack, I would read about it as a teen in my Sweet Valley High books and watch them being made around campfires in American TV programmes and alway wonder just what they were like. Now they are everywhere, I know lots of people who make them whenever they have a BBQ or bonfire and I embrace the S’more love.

The original s’more is made with a Graham Cracker ( thats Gram not Greyyham UK readers) a large marshmallow and chocolate and is grilled or cooked on a BBQ or in/over a campfire. My take is with Digestive biscuit base ( the closest we get over here to a Graham cracker ), a Nutella brownie centre and a toasted marshmallow topping and it is divine. Yes it was made in an oven rather than a BBQ but if it makes a difference I ate it outside in the late evening sunshine.

brownie s'mores

 

The brownie recipe I use in this isn’t my favourite brownie recipe ( you can find that here ) but I have made it before ( read here ) its simple and this recipe is all about the simplicity – six ingredients in total which considering it has three layers is pretty good!

Nutella Brownie S’mores

You will need:

Biscuit Base:

10 Digestive Biscuits

100g Salted Butter

Nutella Brownie:

200g Nutella

1 large egg

35g Self Raising flour

Topping:

1 cup of mini marshmallows

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a square baking dish.  Crush your biscuits ( I place mine in a sandwich bag and bash it with a rolling pin ), melt your butter and mix them together well. Press the mixture into your dish and flatten with the palm of your hand. Mix your nutella, egg and flour together until smooth and pour onto your biscuit base – don’t try and smooth it over too much or it will break up your base. Bake for 20 minutes until your brownie is set but still gooey. Remove from oven and top with marshmallow and pop under a grill for a few minutes until bronzed or use a blowtorch if you have one. Leave to cool for a few mins and then dive in while the topping is still soft and sticky.

The top is gooey and burnished, the middle slightly fudgy and the base a little salty and crumbly which I loved!

nutella brownie s'mores

 

Try out these S’mores recipes with a twist from my fellow food bloggers:

Scottish S’mores 

S’mores Smoothie 

S’mores Granola Clusters

S’mores Cupcakes 

Banana S’mores

 

Foodies Festival Bristol 2016

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This weekend sees the return of the Foodies Festival to Bristol. We have attended for the last two years and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a perfect combination of great restaurants and traders serving their best foodie offerings along with products to take home and great bars as well as some fantastic chef demos.

Foodies festival bristol

It’s such a chilled out festival, last year I came home with bagfuls of food, full to the brim with great dishes and eve so slightly tipsy on prosecco

This year’s festival sees a 5 star line-up in the Aga Rangemaster Chefs Theatre, where top chefs showcase their culinary skills, share insight into 2016’s food trends and answer questions from the audience. Chefs taking part include (more TBC):

– Rosemary Schrager – Celebrity Chef and Star of BBC’s The Real Marigold Hotel
– Josh Eggleton – The Pony and Trap (Michelin starred)
– Simon Hulstone – The Elephant (Michelin starred)
– Ping Coombes – MasterChef Winner 2014
– Tony Rodd – MasterChef Finalist 2015
– Louise McCrimmon – Harvey Nichols
– Nigel Brown – Celebrity Chef
– Romy Gill – Romy’s Kitchen
– Xanthe Clay – Food Writer
– Kalpna Woolfe – Food Writer
– Jackie Kearney – The Hungry Gecko and MasterChef finalist 2011

I think you should definitely go check it out – I will be there, perhaps I’ll see you too!

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Foodies festival discount code

Gluten Free Products We Love – Coeliac Awareness Week

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In the last year since having to introduce gluten, dairy and soya free food to Chloe we have had to learn a lot about the various free from brands on offer. As hard as it has been to adapt to this way of cooking and shopping for her we are actually lucky that she was diagnosed at a time when there is so much awareness of Coeliac disease and also gluten intolerance. In fact there has never been a better time to be looking for free from foods. Here are some of our favourite gluten free brands and products.

First up is Feel Free, this is a fairly new brand to us. They are currently stocked in Sainsburys, Budgens and Holland And Barrett and are priced reasonably. We have tried the suet, pasta, battered fish products and fish nuggets. I must say we have been impressed with everything we have tried, in particular the fish which we all enjoyed as a family meal.

feel free fish products

Next is Orgran, a brand which is great for anyone with allergies, all of their products are gluten, dairy, nut and egg free with the vast majority also being soya free. Chloe loves their animal biscuits and cereals. Unfortunately we don’t seem to have any local stockists so we often buy online, they are often on sites such as Approved Foods so you can get a bit of a bargain!

orgran cookies

Sainsburys have the best free from range we have found out of all of the supermarkets. The bread is the only one Chloe enjoys and she also enjoys the brownies the have which are gluten, dairy and soya free. I believe all of the supermarkets are increasing their ranges so we look forward to getting more of a variety for her.

The Cool Chile Co have the most incredible corn tortillas, we have fajita nights here quite often and Chloe loves being a part of it. These wraps are perfect for all of us. They also have so many other goodies on their site including the flour you can buy to make your own tortillas too.

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Glorious Soups have a great selection of gluten free soups, full of flavour and filling too. We love them in our house!

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The Coconut Collaborative yoghurts and desserts are a great dairy free alternative but some of their products are also gluten free, I love their chocolate pots ( which do contain soya ) and Chloe loves the rice puddings!

little-choc-pots

A New Home For Dusty Knuckle Pizza

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My very favourite street food vendors Dusty Knuckle have found a home in Cardiff and I could not be happier for them! On an unassuming street in Canton nestled in the courtyard of the fabulous Crafty Devil Brewery Bottle Shop and Bar you will find THE best pizza in Wales..and probably further afield too. Phil and Deb Noyes started their business just 19 months ago and it has become stupidly popular. If you go to an event where they are trading and you don’t buy one of their pizzas I question your sanity.

Their fans in Wales (myself included) are rejoicing that they no longer have to wait for food festivals and farmers markets to go and indulge because the DK courtyard will be open every Thur- Sun!!

Last week we were invited to their launch and ahh it was one of the most enjoyable foodie nights I have had in some time. The courtyard is relaxing, inviting and the kind of place you will want to return to again and again. I was expecting to feel the chill a little especially as winter seems to have returned to Wales this week but the heat from the pizza oven and the chimenea lit at the back provided heat and ambience. If you do get a little cooler then you can grab one of the blankets they have ready for you or a cushion for some extra comfort…or just an extra beer?

We started the night by trying the beer collaboration from Crafty Devil and Dusty Knuckle “The Devils Knuckle” its lovely, light and fresh and thats from someone who does not normally enjoy craft beer/pale ale.

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Dusty knuckle canton

 

The mood set it was time to eat and the food started to fill up the tables in front of us, an array of the freshest local ingredients combined to make some truly delicious starters.

dusty knuckle cardiff

We were able to try every single aspect of the starters and it was all tremendous but a special shout out to the Goats Curd and the Apple & Mint Slaw which were a little bit special.

cheeseboard dusty knuckle

Onto the mains Pizza ..Pizza..and more Pizza!! I tried every Pizza on the menu ( purely for research of course ) and my top two are, the Goat and Garlic followed closely by the Pepperoni ( with the signature sausage meat from Charcutier ltd ). I didn’t really develop a love for goats cheese until quite recently but DK use THE best cheeses around and the Goat & Garlic pizza is EPIC…so much so its the only one I have no photos of.

dusty knuckle pizza

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In some restaurants I find you can have amazing starters, delicious mains and then the dessert options are well a bit blah. Desserts are not an after thought at Dusty Knuckle, the choice is small yet well considered and with as much emphasis on quality as every other aspect of the menu. Chocolate Mousse topped with rosemary and crumbled honeycomb was seriously heaven on a spoon, rich, indulgent and moreish. The Panna Cotta with bergamot was light and fresh and perfectly made. The final offering is Vanilla Bean ice cream from Gwynne’s Ice Cream (not pictured) and yes I am a little biased but its a bit good, topped with Dusty Knuckle honeycomb its a simple yet fabulous dessert.

dusty knuckle dessert

I think we can safely rate Dusty Knuckle a ten out of ten for food, they know what they do and they do it well. The layout of the restaurant and the friendly staff add to the general feel good, lets enjoy life and eat all  the food vibe. Lets not forget Crafty Devil Brewery, a brand we have come to know and love. Crafty Devil have a bottle shop and bar which lead onto the courtyard, they have a humongous range of beers to suit all beer lovers and wine and sparkly bits too. They host comedy nights in the bar as well as being open to purchase bottles to take home and now its a one stop shop with the best pizza around literally in their back garden. If you still aren’t persuaded to take a trip to Canton to check it out then I don’t know what else I can tell you.. Just go. See for yourself.

  • I was invited to the launch event of this restaurant, all thoughts and opinions are my own.