munchiesandmunchkins, Author at Munchies and Munchkins

16 Awesome Foodie Things About Wales

January 10, 2016 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 9 Comments

Did you know that I’m Welsh? I’ve mentioned it a few times on here but if you are a new reader ( hello ) then you may have missed that. I am proud of the country that I was born and have always lived in and I doubt I will ever leave it – other than for holidays of course as I do need some sun. I though that today in this miserable rainy and cold January that it would cheer me up and hopefully you guys too to read my 16 Awesome Foodie Things About Wales – there are many, many more but to discover them you have to come visit. Seriously I should be on the Welsh Tourist Board…

Lets start.

1.Cheese on toast is an art form. Seriously. Grilled Cheese? Pah. Welsh Rarebit is where its at. Look out for my recipe coming up.

2.Bara Brith. Fruit cake which slathered in butter with a perfectly made cup of tea = Bliss. The best ones are mad bey Baked By Mel.

3. Welsh Cakes – from the traditional fruit cakes to the not so traditional choc chip or even the awesome cheese ones I tasted at a food festival last month. I am hoping to share my dads recipe for his on here – they are seriously good. One tip – eat them when just cooked, when it goes cold or even slightly stale its just not the same.

4.Street Food – South Wales was later than most in cottoning onto this trend but is now home to some of the best street food vendors I’ve had the pleasure of sampling ( I have tried a lot because .. you know..research ) from Dusty Knuckles incredible handmade wood fired pizza to the best indian food ever from Babitas Spice Deli and delicious hot dogs from The Drunken Sailor. We aren’t slacking on the dessert front either – A Lot Of Waffle sell incredible waffles with awesome toppings, Gwynnes make indulgent artisan ice cream, the best cracking’ cookies and homemade sauces..oh and the mango sorbet isn’t bad either!

Crackin’Cookies:

5.Food Festivals – some of the top food festivals in the UK are held in Wales. From the humongous Abergavenny Food Fest which hosts celeb chefs each year to the smaller yet excellent festivals such as Narberth.

6. Merlyn Welsh Liqueur is a Welsh version of Irish Cream and is such a high quality drink which needs to be savoured. It leaves the smoothest aftertaste in your mouth.

7.Cawl is a Welsh stew and if your mam didn’t make this at least once a month they obviously didn’t have Welsh blood running through their veins. My mum would make huge pans of this with dumplings. I still love hers more than any other.

8.Welsh Lamb is THE best lamb in the world especially salt marsh lamb which luckily for us is produced just down the road at our friends farm. Try it.

9. The Cheese. Perl Las Blue Goats Cheese or Black Bomber are favourites of mine along with a strong cheddar flavoured with wine and leeks!

10.The Leek. A national emblem and the veg which sneaks itself into more dishes than you can imagine from the cawl to our sausages.

11.Laverbread and Cockles – whilst I am not the biggest fan of these two famous Welsh staples (I don’t like a lot of seafood) they are incredibly popular and a must try if you are in Wales just for the experience of trying. Deep fried cockles even sway the non believers like me.

Deep fried cockles:

12.Our restaurants. Wales has some absolutely incredible restaurants. From the well known such as Terry M’s at The Celtic Manor and Y Polyn to Sosban ( just a short drive from us ) and the fantastic Fairy Hill in Gower. These restaurants are famed for their top quality dishes and local ingredients. For a more casual yet outstanding meal you could try Got Beef in Cardiff or Hangfire Smokehouse opening soon in Barry.

Dessert at The Fairyhill – a restaurant with rooms:

13.Halen Mon. The famous salt producers have a wide range of flavoured salts as well as their traditional and truly pure and good plain sea salt. The smoked is so full of flavour and good on pretty much everything whilst the vanilla is great sprinkled over chocolate ice cream or to top rich chocolate desserts. It even has a protected status. They also sell these really cute teeny tins which say pinch me on the front and are ideal to take on self catering holidays/camping etc.

14. Faggots – if you have never tried these they look like a giant meatball and contain off cuts and offal yet are suprisingly tasty and super popular. Normally served with mash, mushy peas and gravy.

15. Welsh Black Beef – as with the Lamb you can’t beat Welsh Beef, I had the most intensely perfect fillet of Welsh beef at Fairyhill, Gower last year and I can still taste it now.

16. Food Bloggers – Wales has a lot to offer in terms of the blogging world. Aside from mine of course, other Welsh (although not all based in Wales ) foodie blogs I recommend include Lovely Appetite, The Plate Licked Clean, What Kate Baked, Allotment2Kitchen, Let Her Eat Clean,Natural Kitchen Adventures , Amuse Your Bouche and Love To Dine along with loads more!

To find out lots more about Wales you could check out some of my hotel and restaurant reviews in my Wonders Of Wales series and keep an eye out for THREE Welsh recipes from myself coming up soon along with some of my favourites from fellow bloggers.

* I was not asked or compensated in any way to include any of the above brands mentioned.

10 Easy Healthy Swaps For A New Year

January 8, 2016 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 4 Comments

Going on a diet sounds tough right? Salad all day long..no booze..no chocolate. Pah.

Those kind of diets aren’t for me anymore although I will admit I have done them in the past. Right now I am following a popular health plan which I started in October which when you look at it is quite simply less sugar and fat. I started to make small changes in what I eat and am starting to see physical changes as a result – bonus. I also know I am helping my insides out too. I am sharing with you today 10 easy swaps you can make to cut fat/sugar or give your health a boost and if you lose weight in the process thats nice but really its just about improving what you consume. Yes I still eat chocolate and crisps.. and an amaretto and diet coke of course but just not every day.

Easy Healthy Swaps

1. Swap semi skimmed milk for skimmed:

This is a really easy change or at least it was for me, within a day or two the change is barely noticeable and now it feels strange to have anything different. You could go one step further and change to almond milk – not for me but some people love it.

2. Less meat, more veggies:

Everyone knows that too much meat is not only more calorific but too much red meat especially can have an impact on your health too. Eat leaner meats such as turkey and chicken or include more fish. You could have a meat free day each week, recipes like mushroom risotto and sweet potato curry will ensure you don’t feel like you have missed out or just have less meat in your stews/casseroles and bulk it out with veg or a healthy grain.

3. Drink less carbonated drinks and more water:

I am a sucker for a diet coke and I won’t cut that out but I now drink more water too. It fills me up without leaving me feeling bloated like fizzy drinks do. Add fresh fruit for a change to your normal water and get a water filter – it makes the world of difference to the taste.

4. Move more. Lots more:

We are a pretty lazy generation because of the times we live in. Public transport is reasonably cheap and readily available. Everybody drives even on the local school run and how often do you walk to pick up groceries? Take baby steps. First of all just move more at home, put items away upstairs as you find them instead of waiting for a large pile to accumulate – your legs will thank you for it when they are getting toned from the extra steps. Chase your kids about at the park, dance with them or swing them about – safely of course.

5. Swap your white pasta/bread/rice for wholemeal options:

If this doesn’t appeal why not go 50/50 at first to see if you like it. You may be surprised.

6. Cut calories by using veggie noodles/rice:

Most supermarkets now stock prefaced courgette, cauliflower rice etc but they are so easy to make at home. Cauliflower rice can be whizzed up in a food processor in seconds and courgetti can be recreated using a spiralizer or a good peeler. Add a good, homemade sauce and its like having a pasta dish – really, try it. I was pessimistic but I am a convert. The cauli rice is great for a faux egg fried rice. Yes its not the same as a big bowl of tagliatelle but its good I promise.

7.Put your olive oil in a spray bottle:

You will be amazed at how much you used before doing this. Ideal for coating pans, homemade wedges etc. Saves you so much in terms of fat consumption and calories plus money as a bottle will last you agessss. Make your own or buy a 100% olive oil spray from the larger supermarkets don’t buy the 1cal butter type sprays with all sorts added – not good.

8. Eat breakfast:

Yes that statement that your mum said over and over again is true. I never want breakfast on waking as it makes me feel sick but I try to plan healthy breakfasts to take to work to stop me grabbing a mid morning biscuit or chocolate bar to keep me awake. I like poached eggs on sandwich thins when I am at home sometimes with avocado – high in fat but GOOD fat. At work its mostly fruit with greek yoghurt or porridge. I also like a good smoothie bowl.

9. Don’t cut out foods:

If you completely cut out carbs you will find yourself waking up halfway through the night after an especially vivid dream about tiger bread or mashed potato. Cut out chocolate and by the end of the week you will demolish an entire sharing bar of Dairy Milk – not that I have ever done that. Allow yourself a glass or two of wine too if thats your thing.. just don’t have it every night with dinner perhaps?

10. Meal plan:

This doesn’t have to be a rigid day by day plan but if you have an idea of what meals you are cooking that week along with the ingredients ready to make them you will not only stop yourself from ordering that mid week takeaway ( which is never as good as you hoped ) but it also saves you money on wasted ingredients.

There are lots more ways to change your eating/lifestyle habits I am sure but these are the small changes which are making big differences in my life right now.

Food Blogger Of The Fortnight – Tin And Thyme

January 7, 2016 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 6 Comments

Today I am introducing my seventh food blogger of the fortnight – Choclette from Tin and Thyme

I love reading other food blogs, both for recipes and just to drool over the appetising photos. This feature is my way of introducing you to some of my favourites ( in no particular order ) and I hope you will find blogs that you like and will enjoy reading. Its always worth following these bloggers on Instagram as the majority of them share some really great food pics and meal inspiration.

Today we hear a little from Choclette who I spent some time with in Devon recently during a really enjoyable visit to River Cottage, we were side by side making soda bread and homemade butter and it was really nice to get to know her as person after enjoying her blog for so long. She cooks mostly from scratch and is a vegetarian with a passion for baking and cooking. Her recipes can be both healthy using ingredients I wouldn’t always think to use yet indulgent at the same time. Lots of the recipes have a chocolate theme which is always a bonus! Anyway less from me and more about Tin and Thyme:

Tin and Thyme

I started my food blog Chocolate Log Blog back in early 2009 as a way of recording the recipes I made with chocolate and to encourage me to be a bit more adventurous. At that point I had no idea there were other food blogs out there, so I was quite surprised to discover a whole load of them soon afterwards. I loved the community of food bloggers I found and a year later another chocoholic and myself set up the chocolate blogging challenge, We Should Cocoa. This opened up another new world and a load more blogs. However, chocolate can only keep you going so long, so after six years I decided to diversify further and blog about the other food we eat. Tin and Thyme is a vegetarian blog that focuses on vegetarian cooked from scratch recipes with a slant towards healthy and local ingredients. My love of chocolate continues however as does my love of baking and my home county of Cornwall.

Since blogging at Tin and Thyme, my most popular recipe are by far and away these Raspberry and White Chocolate Flapjacks – I’ve no idea why.

I get excited about most of the recipes I create, so it’s hard to choose a favourite. At the moment I’m feeling rather proud of my Pumpkin Pasties. Pastry has always been my nemesis, possibly because I insist on using wholemeal flour. But a year or so ago I came across a brilliant recipe using yoghurt. I’ve adapted this to use half spelt or wholemeal flour and it comes out brilliantly every single time. Having attempted pasties once many years ago, I swore I’d never make them again. But this pastry enabled me to do so and I was really pleased with the result.

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Choclette8
FB – https://www.facebook.com/ChocolateLogBlog
Instagram – https://instagram.com/choclette8/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/choclette/

17 Veggie Recipes For A New Year

January 4, 2016 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 10 Comments

I don’t know about you but I overdid it a little on the turkey, beef and ham over Christmas and I could do with a little break from meat. I’m not doing Veganuary or promising a veggie month but I am going to try and eat more vegetable based meals this year. Here is a round up of some veggie recipes from my favourite food bloggers. I’m aiming to try at least half of them this month, why don’t you give them a whirl too?

1. Cheesy Spinach, Mushroom & Potato Crust Pie

2.Roasted Aubergine Cabbage Rolls

3.Banitsa – Bulgarian Cheese Pie

4.Kale & Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad

5.Veggie Squash and Bean Burgers

6.Peanut Buttery Butternut Squash Soup

7.Cheesy Baked Plantains With Chilli

8.Gnocchi Tomato Bake

9.Gemista – Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

10.Thyme Polenta With Garlicky Wild Mushrooms

11.Galayet Bandora

12.Quinoa Bowl With Roasted Squash & Broccoli

13.Aubergine Chickpea Bake

14.Wild Mushroom Baked Risotto

15.Creamy Courgette Puff Pastry Tart

16.Mushroom, Spinach & Chickpea Curry

17.Tomato & Basil Pasta

Don’t Go Changing….At Least Not Just For January

January 3, 2016 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

It’s that time of the year..Christmas is over and we all feel like we have overindulged. Waistbands are tight and buttons a popping.
Its not surprising that January seems the highest peak in gym memberships, diet club attendances and detox purchases made. But do we really need to change?? I guess the answer is yes. But not just for January. Ive tried to change the way I look at what I eat over the past few months and luckily it kind of fed through into the festive period unintentionally. Yes I ate all of my favourite treats, embraced a glass of baileys and the cheeseboard was definitely my friend but I knew when to stop – I didn’t feel like I had to clear my plate when I was already full. I’m almost certain (although I haven’t weighed) that I’ve gained a few pounds yet unlike previous years I’m not worried about it as I feel like things have shifted for me. January won’t contain two roast dinners a week with goose fat potatoes or open boxes of Lindt truffles on my desk just because… I definitely will not be buying a humongous ham that lasts us a week next month. You will see posts from me about diet changes, healthier dishes and products I think make a lifestyle adaptation easier – note that I don’t say change here because you will still see chocolate cakes and creamy pasta dishes but I can’t eat that way every day of the week. I wish I could but even if externally I could get away with it ( I can’t ) I know that its not doing my insides any good. Heck I may even start an exercise routine again…but lets not get ahead of ourselves here.

So while this year sees no real resolutions from me. I am determined to do everything I can to be a healthy and happy woman…who still enjoys cheese.

Just a little less of this..

and a little more of this…

Balance.

Look out for my next post which will have a selection of low fat recipes which are also pretty tasty!

We Should Cocoa December 2015 Roundup

December 31, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 4 Comments

Wow..where did the last month go to?? I cannot quite believe that Christmas is all done and dusted and today is New Years EVE!!

Over the past few weeks I have indulged in my fair share of chocolate inspired treats. My favourite this month has been this After Eight cocktail I shared recently.

I have really enjoyed hosting this months We Should Cocoa link and luckily lots of my fellow bloggers have been busy this month creating some fabulously festive chocolately treats. So here I am to share them with you.. I warn you that you will feel extremely hungry by the time you get to the end!

Lets go..

These Brown Butter Choc Chip Cookies have the addition of rosemary which I love in sweet recipes.

How pretty are these Christmas Pudding Macarons from Emily? Almost too pretty to eat…almost.

I bet these Peppermint Toffee would make a lovely homemade gift.

I do enjoy rocky road and this festive twist sounds great. Candy Cane Rocky Road

Lucy has some amazing slow cooker recipes on her blog, amongst them is this delicious Slow Cooker Candy Cane Fudge

I have never tried making a cascade cake but I love the effect of this. A Real Showstopper Cake

Oh I am sure my many Nutella inspired recipes would taste even better with this homemade version.Vegan Nutella

Chocolate Carrot Cake??? This looks awesome. I will definitely be trying this one.Christmas Chocolate Carrot Cake

These are so cute. I love anything which contains clementines. Raw Chocolate & Clementine Cheesecakes

Anyone else have a cupboard full of half drunk flavoured irish creams? It can’t just be me surely. I think some of it needs to go into one of these Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake Trifles

I wish I had seen this recipe before Christmas. Although I am sure I could find an excuse to mix up a batch anytime! Christmas Butter Biscuits

It’s not a properly festive dinner table without a Christmas Yule Log

These Chocolate Covered Marzipan Stars look delicious!

Oh I do love a chocolate and pretzel combo! Candy Cane & Pretzel Fudge

I normally consume an unhealthy amount of Chocolate Orange so this is calling to me…..Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

And thats that for the Christmas roundup of We Should Cocoa. Thanks to the lovely Choclette from Tin and Thyme, to find out who is hosting next month and what the theme is check out the We Should Cocoa page here.

Glorious Soup Adventures December

December 22, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

In December amongst all the heavy, indulgent dishes we also enjoyed some lighter lunches in the form of Glorious soups. We have both discovered that they are perfect for work lunches and stop us snacking mid afternoon. They taste so much more indulgent and packed full of flavour than any other pre packaged soups that we have tried and I love soups in the Winter – it always makes me feel warmed through and cosy, plus it’s so easy to just heat one of these through when I don’t feel like cooking.

Our favourites this month:

Tuscan Chicken With Orzo:

It’s full to the brim with veggies including carrots, courgettes and spinach with orzo thrown in to help fill you up. It’s also dairy free, low calorie and a source of protein too – bonus.

Definitely one we recommend.

We also love this Moroccan Spiced Chicken:

This soup has the perfect spicy kick with a trace of fruity sweetness from the apricot. It also contains chicken, chickpeas and cous cous. I love Moroccan flavours and it felt like it whisked us away on a holiday adventure too. One of your 5 a day and again a source of protein. We had this as an evening meal with crusty bread.

Next month I’m looking forward to trying the range of Skinnylicious soups including the limited edition Vietnamese Supergreen – ingredients include kaffir lime leaves, ginger and lemongrass which are all aromatic flavours which I love. Plus it’s green..guaranteed to make you feel as though you are making the healthy choice in the traditionally detox and diet crazy month of January. It’s also Vegan so great for anyone partaking in Veganuary.

*As part of the Glorious Ambassador programme I am sent soups/vouchers to try each month and I am compensated for my time in reviewing.

2 Ingredient Mulled Wine Jelly – Christmas Desserts

December 15, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 4 Comments

I’ve made various alcoholic jellies over the years. I started with vodka jellies back in my early twenties followed by champagne bubbly jellies as my tastes matured ( ha I still love a vodka jelly!). Today I’m sharing a recipe for a super simple Mulled Wine Jelly which would make a great light festive dessert or a treat which could be served in mini shot glasses at a party. It’s easy because I used ready made jelly cubes from a packet but you could use gelatine sheets if you prefer. I liked the orangey flavour of the jelly cubes which complements the mulled wine so perfectly.

You will need:

1 packet – Orange Jelly Cubes
Mulled wine
water

Add boiling water ( amount on packet instructions )to your broken up jelly cubes, then instead of adding cold water use mulled wine to make up the remaining liquid. Pour into serving dishes ( cocktail glasses look effective) and pop in some clementine pieces and refrigerate until set. Approximately 4-6 servings.

For a maximum of 5 minutes effort you have a simple yet delicious dessert which is perfect for Christmas.

10 Festive Recipes To Try This Christmas

December 15, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

I imagine as well as the avid bakers and regular family cooks there are those among us who only ever cook on special occasions. Christmas is one of ( if not ) the most special times of the year and lots of us will be spending hours mixing and kneading and glazing all sorts of dishes.

I’ve asked a few of my favourite bloggers for their favourite festive recipes and these are all tried and tested by food bloggers so you know you can depend on them. You may also spot one or two of mine thrown in too!

What is Christmas without a mince pie.. or 5? These Frangipane mince pies from Franglais Kitchen look absolutely delicious:

Perhaps you could enjoy a rich Peppermint Hot Chocolate alongside it? Oh and it’s vegan too. This looks so indulgent from Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen:

Love them or hate them Sprouts normally feature on the traditional Christmas dinner. I am a fan. Here are two ways to make your sprouts a little but special. First up here are my sensational sprouts which are pan fried with bacon, chorizo, chilli flakes and double cream to make a sumptuous side:

Next a dish which is so pretty I almost wouldn’t want to dive in but I would! Ha. These Roasted Brussell Sprouts with Cranberries and Pecan from Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen look so festive and I bet they taste great too.

Every Christmas table needs some impressive desserts, check out this Christmas Pudding Ice Cream Bombe from Fuss Free Flavours:

Do you plan on doing a little baking with your children? These snowman cupcakes from Little Sunny Kitchen look adorable:

Or perhaps some crispy clementine cookies from Fab Food 4 All? These are right up my street!

We always have a turkey but if you want a change why not try out this a Alternative Christmas Tandoori Lamb from Kavey Eats.

Try making your own shortbread too with my easy recipe.

Finish it all up with a Christmassy cocktail. This After Eight cocktail I shared on the weekend is delicious:

What are your favourite Christmas recipes?

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