Blog - Munchies and Munchkins

And She’s Back In The Game…

August 18, 2021 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Well it’s been a while hey?

Since having covid, followed by long covid my mind has been such a fuzzy mess that putting coherent thoughts down on the blog has been pretty impossible. But..finally I feel like I am at a point where life is slowly returning to normal. I still have rough days, some more so than others but I am getting there I think. It has been ten months since I got my positive test result and I am nowhere near full health or fitness but I will get there. I know in many ways I got off lightly, many people who have long covid can barely get out of bed, then there are the thousands of people that were lost to covid and its frightening to know that it can happen to people of my age who have previously been fit and healthy.

Life in general is slowly getting back to normal for all of us. I doubt that any of us will really get over what happened to the world this last 18 months but it has taught me and I am guessing so many of you such valuable lessons. It has taught me to want to make the most of my life, because it is just the one we get. It has made me more empathetic, yet also stronger. I am no longer the soft and often naive person I once was. I am firmer with people, I say no more often and I will not allow people to walk all over me. I have learned a lot about what I want in my life and more importantly who I want in my life, it showed me who are real friends and who were simply lurkers in my life.

I am determined more than ever to do more of what I want and what makes me happy at the same time as creating the best possible home and life for my children. And I believe I can do it. Life won’t be easy, it rarely is but if you make your days as happy and positive as you can then it changes your mindset and you find the harder days are a little easier to handle. I started forcing positive vibes into my day back at the earlier part of this year, I know that sounds pretty cheesy but I did. At first it was far from natural, we all know how easy it is to mope and let yourself wallow but the more I did it the easier and more natural it became and I realised I was starting to catch myself on those low days and I had found ways to manage it now.

Here are a few things I do to start my day positively:

Blast some feel good music, me and the girls love a kitchen disco in the mornings and we often play music on the walk to school and have a bit of a sing. Don’t underestimate the power of music and how it can transform your mood.

Eat a little better, now I don’t mean go on a diet and I definitely don’t mean cutting out favourite foods. Just think more about what you are eating, maybe on the weekend you know you will be going out for a sumptuous BBQ feast or all the snacks at the cinema so perhaps for a couple of days during the week you eat a little less red meat or sugar. What we put in our bodies affects how we feel. None of it for me is about losing weight, purely about helping my mind.

Get fresh air every day. Before I became unwell I was walking between 15-20k steps a day as well as attending a gym. I was the fittest I’d been in years and then suddenly I was struggling to breather and for about 4 months the furthest I walked was to the end of my street. By late Spring I was managing the school run and actually started to enjoy it again and I will never take being able to go for a long walk for granted again. I am still not back to being as fit as I’d like but I don’t put pressure on myself and as long as I’ve done something that day, even if it’s a ten minute walk then I feel better for it. I don’t need a perfectly toned body but I know how important exercise is for me personally and is a big factor in me having good mental health.

Avoid too much time with mood hoovers. I imagine not everyone knows what I mean by this but in your life you will definitely have mood hoovers or drains. People who only ever see the bad side of life and sometimes even seem to enjoy wallowing or being negative. You cannot avoid them altogether, perhaps they are members of your family or lifelong friends who need your support. But if your mental health is fragile and let’s be honest after the last two years it is for a lot of us then you do sometimes need to put yourself first and that is not selfish. Read that again. Putting yourself first is not selfish. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary. Remember the stronger and happier you are then the more likely you’ll be able to positively impact those around you. Be the change. I know it is very cheesy and almost Tony Robbins esque but it is true.

Find something that truly makes you happy and do it often. For me this is cooking and creating. Maybe for you it will be a certain game, going to a special place or even your work.

Find five positives in every day. You may think this is an impossible thing to do especially when you are going through a rough patch but don’t think these five positives have to be monumental things. Here are a couple of examples of positives I have found in the last few months:

Really good coffee

A walk by the river

The bubble of laughter from my girls when I do something daft

Being able to walk and see my parents

My favourite songs

Mastering a new recipe

Reading a quote that resonates

Fresh bedding

The fairy lights in my garden

The comforting feeling of a tight hug from someone who loves you

A beautiful butterfly landing on my lavender

None of these things are huge things, to some they will seem almost mundane. But keep counting those little things and just breathe it in. List them in a book, on your bad days look back at them and see how many of them were in that day without you even noticing. Life is brief and we ignore so much of it. Soak it up. Love, live and laugh a lot.

I have a few new recipes planned for this month so keep your eyes peeled and I really hope you are all doing well. feel free to comment with any recipes you’d like me to post or any ideas you have for me. Take care.

Living With A Chronic Health Condition

January 17, 2023 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

At the age of 39 I didn’t expect to be living with a chronic health condition, much less one that resulted from a virus that 3 years ago I’d never heard of. I’m one of the many people worldwide who are suffering ongoing issues as a result of Long Covid.

The symptoms vary from person to person but most people have fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath or chest pain and brain fog amongst other things. The same brain fog that has meant every post I write on here now is triple checked because my brain quite simply does not work in the same way anymore. Posts that may have taken me hours before now take days, weeks, I have some in my drafts that I simply cannot complete as I just can’t do it. I am not putting pressure on myself in this regard just recognising that my brain needs to be exercised in order to keep it from deteriorating. For me the biggest issues by far have been the joint pain and fatigue, I never really understand what chronic pain meant but unfortunately I do now. My legs hurt every day, every minute of the day. Some times I can almost ignore it as I am so used to it but every day at some point it will be overwhelming. Most of you won’t see this as I do mask it pretty well and also it can become frustrating to constantly feel like you are complaining about an issue that has no end date in sight.

I am in a number of Long Covid support groups and it’s frightening how many people have had to completely change their lives as a result of Long Covid. Many are in a far worse position that me having to use wheelchairs and make adaptions to their home to be able to manage their new lives. Companies like Age Co Mobility are able to help with making changes to your home, such as bathroom improvements and even stair lifts.

I use various things at home to help manage my symptoms, I have a heated massage pad, a vibro plate and electric heated blankets on my bed and sofa as my legs are far worse when they are cold. I am thankfully at a point where I don’t feel I need to make any changes to my home but like many my symptoms have deteriorated quickly this last year and I know there is always a possibility I may need to make some bigger changes to my life.

It is one of the only illnesses where it has already been recognised that pushing yourself day by day to exercise is detrimental to your healing. Long Covid sufferers have to learn the art of pacing, knowing that even on your good days you cannot do too much or you will indeed suffer for days sometimes weeks afterwards. Rest is key, it is the only way your body will heal and as a busy mother of two this has been the hardest thing to accept. You can no longer do all of the things and expect to get better.

It can also affect your mental health, sufferers are more likely to be depressed and anxious and it’s easy to understand why. It is so important to recognise the need to look after your mental health as much as your physical health. Reach out for help, talk about it and above all do not feel guilty for the things you cannot do.

Have you been affected by Long Covid? How has it changed the way you live your life?

*Collaborative post with Age Co Mobility.

Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

January 11, 2023 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

When I was younger I wouldn’t have considered travelling alone. I only ever travelled with my family or with a partner, I didn’t even do the traditional girls holidays. I liked knowing I had people I knew with me and also found the whole process of flying and getting around airports quite baffling.

I didn’t have my first trip abroad until I was 21 but it didn’t take me long to ignite the flame of seeing new places. By the time I was 27 I’d been to various places in Spain, Portugal, France, Mexico and Africa, all with other people at my side should anything go wrong. I then had my children and the travelling ceased for a bit other than a few group holidays with my then toddler.

It wasn’t until I got to about 32 that I got on a plane or train completely alone and this was as a result of starting to do press trips or reviews for my blog. I found that although scary at first I quickly got over any fears and I learned to enjoy it.

For me travelling alone has some big plus points, you get to choose where and when. You don’t have to worry about other peoples needs and wants and I can see this is probably a big draw for booking a singles holiday. Companies like Friendship Travel help to take the little stresses out of booking by helping to plan the minutiae of your holiday along with a host who makes it easy to get to know your fellow travellers should you wish to. So travelling alone doesn’t have to mean spending your holiday alone. Lone travel is surging particularly for women and it is far less daunting when booking with an established company whose sole aim is to make your holiday the best it can be.

Here is what they have to say about what a singles holiday entails:

It’s easier to say what it is not. It is not about matching people up. It is not about doing everything together. It is not a coach tour for 40 people. It is not an 18-30-something club holiday.

A Friendship Travel holiday is whatever you want it to be. You can snooze by the pool all afternoon or sightsee till your feet bleed; enjoy intelligent conversation in the bar or bop till you drop in a night club. Between you, your fellow guests and your Friendship host, you decide what sort of holiday you want to enjoy.

My upcoming holidays I intend to plan with my family and partner alongside but if a time ever came to travel solo again I wouldn’t have any of the worries about it that I previously did. Personally I’d recommend places like Copenhagen and Belfast (check out the Titanic museum if you go)for short city breaks if you want to dip your foot in the water before going long haul or to any far flung places.

Do your research, be safe and most of all enjoy travel. We live in this huge world, go see it.

*This is a collaborative post with Friendship Travel.

Air Fryer Honey Butter Carrots

December 22, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Well it’s been a while since I posted anything close to a recipe. These Air Fryer Honey Butter carrots were so easy and tasty I had to share. I’ve been very unwell the last two years more so in the last six months and one of the most difficult things I’ve had to deal with is the brain fog and accompanying problems that causes. I cannot write the long flowing blog posts that I used to find so easy and the words I want to use just often aren’t there. Blogging was always a form of therapy for me and I’ve decided that as part of my effort to get better and improve not just my physical but mental health I will try writing again. Each post may take a while to write but hopefully at some point it will become natural again.

This is less of a recipe and more of a how to but at this time of year when time saving and energy saving is something we all need to consider that it’s worth sharing with you.

Air Fryers have surged in popularity lately, mainly due to the fact that they are a lot cheaper to run for most dishes than a traditional oven. I’ve had an air fryer for maybe 6 years and I’ve raved about it plenty in that time. The one I use is a Tefal Actifry and it’s had some heavy usage and so far it’s still going strong. I have been intrigued by some of the newer models but I’m sticking to this until it gives in! It doesn’t have dual drawers or fancy controls but it does the job. I use it for anything and everything, yes it’s good for chips but but that’s just scratching the surface of what it can do.

These honey butter carrots I make most years during the winter season but normally I roast them in the oven. This year I have made them several times in the air fryer for convenience and budget reasons. They are delicious, less crisp than when roasted but deliciously sticky and full of flavour.

Honey Butter Carrots

I’m not going to give you exact measurements here, as I said it’s a how to not an exact recipe.

Ingredients:

Carrots

Runny honey

Salted butter

Garlic granules

Salt and pepper

Method:

Peel and chop carrots in strips/wedges like this:

Pop butter, honey, garlic granules, salt and pepper into your air fryer and turn on to melt and combine for 2 minutes.

Add your carrots and cook for a further 25 minutes until they look like this. Depending on your air fryer they may need more or less time. Just check every 3-4 minutes towards the end.

And voila they are done. Easy peasy..and absolutely lush.

A Visit To The Gower Inn With OpenTable UK

December 16, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

*This post is sponsored by OpenTable UK*

Recently I was invited to try out the incredibly easy booking service with OpenTable UK to book and enjoy a meal in my local area. If like me you have never used OpenTable before let me tell you a bit about it.

OpenTable is a table reservation site which is completely free to use and is an absolute breeze. I’m sure we have all been in that situation of trying to book a special meal and ringing or emailing a number of restaurants to check availability for a specific time. OpenTable takes all that hassle away. You simply go to their website booking page which you can find here and type in the postcode/location of the area you are looking at, along with the date and number of diners and click search. It then shows you all of the available restaurants / pubs in your area that are available at your chosen time and you can book directly via the site ( completely free ). It literally took me about two minutes and you then get a confirmation text or email or both with your booking confirmation. You get a reminder text on the day which you can use to confirm or cancel your booking, this must be so handy for restaurants in the current climate to be aware of cancellations because let’s be honest sometimes people just forget to cancel for one reason or another.

In my area there are only a handful of places using OpenTable at present but hopefully that will increase soon enough, if we had ventured slightly further afield to say Cardiff or Bristol there are many more options and if you live in a big city like London there is an abundance of choices! You can also set your budget, cuisine choice and amenities such as wheelchair access again saving you a lot of time and stress. Here you can see the Swansea restaurants available.

I chose The Gower Inn in Parkmill, it is a beautiful pub that I have been to once previously in the Summer months and is set in stunning surroundings. When we visited Jack Frost had been to visit and everything had a thin layer of ice covering it which actually made it pretty spectacular to look at.

The pub itself is warm and inviting, a lot bigger than I’d realised from my previous visit and is well set up for winter dog walkers with a special dog station at the entrance.

It serves typical pub grub so nothing especially fancy and is budget friendly with the majority of meals between £10-£15. I opted for the beef and mushroom pie with mash and seasonal veg and a little jug of gravy which cost just £11.49, my sister went for the festive burger ( there are quite a few burger options) which cost £12.49 and was served with fries and a pot of cranberry sauce with a few pigs and blankets on top. The food was simple but tasty. I’ll be completely honest with you as always and say it’s not something I would rave and rave about but it’s perfectly good satisfying pub grub and for the money I’d say great value. The service was friendly but not in your face which is a plus point and you have the option of adding a soft drink for £1 or an alcoholic drink for a little bit more. I chose Appletiser and my sister had a Coca Cola – no midday drinking for us but again good value.

For desserts I really didn’t fancy much as my meal was quite filling so I opted for the cheese board which was £5.40 which I had a little nibble at and then had them wrap for me to take away and have later that night, my sister opted for the Millionaires Puddle Pudding which was £4.79. About average prices for dessert. Cheese selection was lovely served with water crackers and a delicious pot of chutney, only negative was that the grapes had seen better days but it didn’t really spoil my enjoyment of the dish. My sisters dessert was gooey and rich and she seemed to really enjoy it.

All in all a really nice meal and I would visit again. I know I’ll definitely be using OpenTable again as I can’t remember the last time I found booking a meal so easy. Just hoping more local pubs and restaurants join up so that there are more options for us but it’ll also be great for when we have weekends away and need to book meals in bigger cities.

Have you tried OpenTable?

Christmas Gift Guide 2022

November 16, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Once again I cannot believe how quickly this Christmas has approached. I am nowhere near as prepared as I normally am and I have to admit it’s stressing me out a little. Hopefully if you are in the same boat this gift guide will inspire you a little bit.

Just to be clear with you as always items in this guide have been gifted for inclusion.

Starting off with an essential for every kitchen, a coffee machine. I would be lost without mine and good coffee is pretty much the only luxury I allow myself right now. This Melitta Aromafresh Grind and Brew machine has an integrated coffee grinder for maximum freshness.

Next up for the stylish football fan in your life I chose this jacket from Toffs. Toffs have a wide selection of clothing for pretty much every football team you can think of. My dad loved this jacket:

La Gent have a great selection of designer gifts and I spotted a few whilst browsing that I love including vintage style glassware which would be perfect in any home bar!

Perhaps you want a gift that’s useful for the hoarder or DIYer in your home. BiGDUG have a Christmas mega deal including a corner unit, matching workbench, 15 storage boxes and 24 plastic bins all in a very festive red. It’s now only £186.70 which is a bargain for what you get.

If you are think the person you are buying for doesn’t need more things then why not get them an experience instead? Buyagift have a selection of vouchers from meal experiences, hotel stays and even beauty box subscriptions!

We are all looking for ways to keep cosy without popping the heating on and I absolutely love these cosy new hoodies from Snoody. 100% organic cotton material, generously sized with a built in snood. I have worn mine so much since it arrived, they also have matching beanies and if you know me I have a beanie on my head from October to March!

If like me you love candles, diffusers and anything which just makes your home smell delicious then Arran Sense of Scotland have beautiful gift sets for your home and also various toiletries which are just a little different to the usual lynx sets!

Perhaps you need gift ideas for kids? For the littlest ones we love this Alphablocks Phonics Fun. Makes learning to read lots of fun!

For the older kids I find something that keeps their mind and hands busy and away from a screen is always a plus. This Science Mad! Crystal growing lab is perfect for my girls.

Lottie Shaws have some really cute items which are perfect as stocking fillers or to make up hampers. We loved their luxury hot chocolate and the Christmas gingerbread kit.

Whilst on a sweet treat theme, why not get a Christmas chocolate bundle? Cadburys have a lovely Christmas Eve box set and Green & Blacks have a box full of their best selling chocolate bars.

If you do decide to make up some foodie hampers then Opies have really stylish jars of fruits soaked in alcohol. Think black cherries in kirsch and forest fruits in cassis. Delicious and they look pretty fancy too!

Sous Chef are another great option for foodie gifts, they stock items perfect for hampers but also great kitchen ware that’s a little bit different to what you can get in the high street. They also stock my favourite liquorice from Lakrids and quirky alcohol items like this delicious Limoncello.

Fancy a little adventure without leaving your home? Epic Escapes offer just that with an Escape room in a box!

If you have gamers at home then Outright Games have a great selection of PlayStation and Xbox games to suit all ages. Perhaps Paw Patrol Grand Prix for the littlest ones, DC Pets The Adventures of Krypto and Ace for the slightly older and Star Trek Prodigy Supernova for fans of all ages.

A good bottle of wine is always a nice present and Independent Wines have a great selection. From the Corte Pavone, Brunello do Montalcino DOCG to the Mirizzi “Ergo” Verdicchio die Castelli di Jess Classico Superiore DOC 2018. Lots of wines to suit all budgets.

Silver Circle Distillery have released some amazing premixed cocktails for the festive season. I like the sound of the Lan Y Mor ( an ode to the Welsh coastline). It combines kelp, samphire, elderflower and dill with their award winning Aquavit to create an enticing long drink.

Still on the boozy theme, XMuse vodka have the first Scottish blended Barley Vodka inspired by the spirit making traditions of Scotland.

Trendhim is a lovely website for accessories and special gifts for the man in your life. I love this Lava Rock and turquoise skull bracelet.

And finally PenHeaven have some gorgeous gifts for any stationery lovers in your life. I almost drool when I look through the site. I am a sucker for a good pen and a luxury journal or diary. They also offer an embossing or engraving service which is great for making your gift a little more personal for Christmas. I chose this beautiful leather diary for myself as a little treat:

*All items have been gifted for the purpose of this guide.

Ways To Cut Down On Your Food Spends – Part 1

October 10, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

It seems like everywhere you look at the moment is a scary newspaper headline or social media forums discussing the ever increasing cost of living. We cannot get away from it it seems. I have joined quite a lot of money saving groups online and I have picked up some great ideas as well as lots of information on the best/cheapest supermarkets and some brilliant flash deals. There are loads of great Instagram and Facebook influencers also who are really savvy and I’m planning to write a post up about this soon so keep your eyes peeled. I used to write a lot about money saving particularly when I was on maternity leave so I thought now is the perfect time to get back into it and I am starting off with some of my favourite ways to cut down on food spending!

Do a pantry/cupboard and fridge/freezer stock take. Work out exactly what you have and write it down in a list. Get a small notebook just for this and list every item you have, 2 bags of pasta, 3 tins of beans and so on. Take this notebook shopping with you or to organise your online shops. It will stop you overspending and just buy what you actually need.
Meal plan – using your existing stock lists work out what you need to add and plan out a week or even a month ahead of meals. You don’t have to have a rigid meal plan, if you are anything like me you will get bored with knowing on Thursday you are supposed to have lasagne when you really fancy curry. Keep it more of a loose plan of the meals you are going to have that week and then each night just choose one.
Use own brands where it makes barely any difference to taste – for example keep your Heinz ketchup but buy own brand chopped tomatoes, pasta and rice. The savings are impressive. I’ve been trying out the essential ranges at various supermarkets – more on that to come soon!
Use your leftovers to create new meals, you can easily turn bolognese into chilli or you can just use it as a jacket potato topper or my personal fave NACHOS. Some more ideas can be found in one of my older posts here.

Make your own stocks by simmering leftover bones/carcasses and vegetables. These can be frozen to use at a later date for sauces, stews and gravies.
Bulk out curries and stews with cheaper vegetables and less meat, many people also add lentils or even porridge oats! Not only are you saving pennies as meat is generally the most expensive part of your meal but you are normally adding more goodness and vitamins too.
Keep an eye on use by dates on meats. Veggies can be used as long as they look smell/okay but meat needs to be frozen before it expires. Being more careful with dates etc on food will save you a lot in the long run plus if you are like me you probably hate wasting/throwing away meat.
Shop around. If you do most of your food shopping online then try each supermarket once to benefit from introductory offers and choose which one works best for you and your families needs. You can also alternate which shop you use and you will inevitably receive vouchers via email to tempt you back to the one you haven’t used recently.
Try to always have staples like pasta, tuna and tinned vegetables in your cupboards to avoid the temptation to order takeaways. Always have something there to create a basic quick meal.
If you see veggies such as carrots, leeks or peppers ( amongst many others ) in the reduced section buy them and dice them up and pop in the freezer.
Be a savvy shopper. For example chicken breasts are far pricier than chicken thighs and in my opinion thighs are far tastier. Or buy frozen / tinned fruit instead of fresh, not only are they cheaper but you are less likely to forget about them until a collection of fruit flies remind you.
Buy items like rice in the world food section of the supermarket. They are sold in larger packs but work out far more cost effective.

What are your top tips for cutting down on food shopping? Share some if you have any I’ve not mentioned and I’ll add them into part two.

Coming up soon I have some ideas for bulk cooking which is great for saving on energy costs as well as a huge timesaver and I’ll be telling you what I think of the essential ranges on offer in my local supermarkets. I am also planning to share with you how I keep my home cosy throughout the autumn/winter months to avoid spending so much on gas and electric so again if you have any ideas please feel free to share in the comments or on social media. I hope you are all keeping well, I’ve been far less active on here this past year or two as I have been pretty unwell, each post is taking several weeks to complete rather than my usual few hours as my brain fog and fatigue can be a little overwhelming but I am trying my best to get my brain back into the swing of things so fingers crossed you’ll hear more from me soon!

Keep It Safe And Secure

October 9, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

When I think about storage units I think of TV shows like storage wars and to be honest a bit of me is intrigued as to what exactly people use them for! When I step out of my TV brain I can see there are a variety of reasons you may want or need one. At current times people may be downsizing due to the cost of living, perhaps unfortunately you may even lose your home due to financial issues but still you have all of your goods/furniture which not everyone wants to give away or sell. In this instance alone a storage unit makes perfect sense. Other circumstances could be because you have inherited a property with antiques or belongings that you aren’t quite sure what to do with yet or because you have split with a partner and need somewhere short term to store your stuff.

A UK family owned company who offer both personal and business storage units is Currie Easy Self Storage based in the London area. They offer a range of sizes from a 16ft locker to 500 sqft units, all clean, dry and most importantly secure. You have the only key to your padlocked unit and they also offer 24 hour CCTV for peace of mind as well as being known for excellent customer service.

They also have a shop online to order boxes and packaging materials making the whole process a little simpler.

Is it crazy even considering if you can justify getting one just to store the millions of soft toys kids have accumulated and refuse to throw away? … asking for a friend.

*This post is in collaboration with Curries Easy Storage*

Date Night With One Fine Dine

October 6, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

*Gifted*

Last month I was invited to try out the September Date Night package with One Fine Dine. One Fine Dine is an award winning fine dining experience that you can experience in your own home. All meals are delivered fresh and chilled with easy-to-follow heating and plating instructions on video or printed cards making the whole experience fun and interactive.

Having tried one or two similar experiences in the past with other companies I was excited to see what One Fine Dine brought to the table so to speak. Let’s start with the ordering process. The website is well structured and easy to use with each course having several options to choose from. You can choose your delivery date from any date Tuesday – Saturday and as well as food there are drink options such as wine and cocktails that you can add to your order. The package we chose from included an amuse bouche, starter, main, dessert, petit fours and a bottle of wine which we asked to switch to cocktails as neither of us are big wine drinkers. the whole package including delivery costs £195.00.

What did we choose?

For starters I chose the Goats Cheese and roasted pepper roulade for me and he opted for the trout.

For mains we both opted for the Free range Pork loin and belly which came with a selection of vegetables. I really enjoyed the ease of reheating and the explanations for plating were simple to follow and for someone who loves cooking it was really good fun to play about with the styling of the food on the plate.

For dessert I had the Black Forest Gateaux and he chose the Tropical Eton Mess. Everything is provided in perfect portions including the sauces and herbs.

Nothing goes to waste. I loved my gateaux but the tropical eton mess which of course I had to try was full of juicy flavour and so fresh. A special shout out for the yuzu gel and the macerated pineapple which I could eat by the bowlful.

To finish we had a selection of handmade petit fours which were just delicious.

We both agreed the best part of the meal was the main ( which in my opinion is how it should be ) the pork was just incredible and melt in the mouth. You would never have guessed this was a meal that we had reheated. It felt like it had been served fresh to our table and all in all it was a special dining experience and the fact we could eat it cwtched up in my living room just added to that.

You can check out the Autumn date Night package here or the Christmas option here which looks incredible.

*This package was gifted for the purpose of this review*

An Update

June 16, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

In April Munchies and Munchkins turned 10. I’ve been deliberating for a while as to what to do with the blog. I’ve poured so much of myself into it over the years but recently I’ve felt like I’ve lost my voice a little and I did come close to just stopping it all. After all websites aren’t free to run and maintain and when you aren’t monetising your blog as much it can seem wasteful. But after some thought I realised that the blog means a lot to me, it has saved me at various times over the years from going to a dark place and I have had some quite frankly incredible experiences from it.

A lot has gone on in my life over the past few years, lots of changes, some good, some bad but one thing I realised is that I really miss writing. I still have fairly awful brain fog and concentration since having Covid in 2020 so my writing is not quite the same these days, at least not in my opinion but that isn’t going to change unless I focus on it. And I miss it, so here I am fingers on the keyboard ready to ramble at you about everything and nothing.

I do aim to be sharing recipes again soon because I am slowly slowly getting back in the kitchen more and the usual stories about life and issues I feel are important but right now this is really just me saying hello again.

My life right now is happy in so many ways, I am not in the best of health but I have sort of come to an acceptance that this may be life for a while and I have so very much to be grateful for. Like most of you probably the last two years have taught me a lot, a lot about being alone and coping alone with big issues and in a way I’m glad it happened. I am stronger person mentally than I was before. And even though I now no longer have to ‘do life’ alone, having someone in my life who I know is my rock and that I can depend on completely, I can draw strength from that time and I’m proud of myself.

Those of who are long time readers of the blog will know I have two wonderful daughters, now 8 and 10 which seems crazy when I remember writing their birth stories on here. They probably won’t feature so heavily in the future, they’ll pop in here and there but they are getting older and not likely to want their mam discussing them online too much which is absolutely fine with me. But they are children who I am constantly extremely proud to call mine. Empathetic, funny, loving and kind which are to me the most important traits we can have. As with all children they require lots of my time and strength ( and at times patience) but they are no trouble..yet. I’m also really happy and secure in my relationship, my partner is fully supportive of both me and the girls and I couldn’t really ask for more, simply put he makes me feel loved and happy every single day.

Anyway enough of my cheesy waffle, hopefully you’ll be seeing more of my posts pop up on your feed and your email inboxes and I really look forward to interacting with you all again. Finally.. a big thank you to every one of you has reached out when I’ve had hard times these last few years, I appreciate it more than I could tell you.

Father’s Day Gift Guide 2022

June 8, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

*Items have been gifted for inclusion in this post*

In just a few weeks we’ll be celebrating our fathers and partners on Father’s Day. It’s always hard to find the perfect gift which is something other than beer and socks, although in my experience they are always well received. I’ve rounded up a few gift ideas which might just make shopping that little bit easier this year.

Firstly we have some great whiskies and rums from Bring Me Drink. If you’ve not visited their website before you can find all of the usual staples such as Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan’s along with some slightly more unusual bottles like Bumbu rum ( a firm fave in our home bar ) and Timorous Beastie Scotch Whisky.

Pairing up nicely with our alcoholic offerings comes the best soft drinks from Fentimans, we are big fans of the Curiousity Cola and the Ginger Beer. The Rose lemonade works well with Gin too.

Perhaps you have a cigar smoker in your life? Havana House have a massive selection to choose from, they sent us ADventura the explorer robusto grande cigar, it’s a medium strength cigar which has an Ecuadorean Habano wrapper draped over an Ecuadorean Sumatra binder, filled with tobacco aged for 5-7 years. I’m not a cigar smoker myself but my partner likes to smoke one on Fathers Day and special occasions in honour of his father who was a big cigar lover and passed away 15 years ago.

Not into a tipple or a cigar? Why not opt for some new clothes from Mainline Menswear? They have an impressive selection of designer brands and we particularly love this Fred Perry shirt which is perfect for summer events.

Perhaps your budget is a little smaller but you still want something they’ll enjoy and use? Why not opt for this shaving brush from Clear Confidence it’s plastic free, vegan and has a 1 year warranty.

Maybe some accessories are what he needs? Trendhim have sunglasses, belts and watches galore amongst many other things. We like these sunglasses, prices are reasonable too.