Blog - Munchies and Munchkins

The Launch Of Forever Friends New Range At The Ritz

August 11, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Did I tell you I went to brunch at The Ritz last month? Well I did. It was to check out the new range of Forever Friends products launched by Golden Bears.

Let me tell you brunch at The Ritz is pretty good:

Forever Friends were pretty cool when I was younger. Everyone had one of the pencils/pencil cases/mini bears. If you had a school valentine gift it was normally FF themed.

It was great to see the new products and to learn a little more about Golden Bear as a brand. The new line of products include some fabulous additions for babies. I particularly liked the soothing sounds bear which has a soft warm glow and various white noise type sounds to lull your baby to sleep. There are also snuggly type toys with the little tags attached which babies loved to play with. I especially liked this fellow:

Although there was no way I’d have wanted to take him on the tube home.

There are also toys suitable for older children, Izzy liked this one which you can slip a photo into ( its secured so won’t pop out ) and I think that’s suitable for toddlers and young children. Both my girls love to squeeze him.

It was a really lovely morning both visiting The Ritz ( a new experience which unfortunately won’t be a regular one ) and seeing the Forever Friends range. Go check it out.

The Pemberton Beefeater Review

August 10, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Last month we visited the newly refurbished Pemberton Beefeater restaurant in Parc Pemberton, Llanelli. It had been quite a long time since I had last visited a Beefeater pub so I was interested to see what changes had been made.

The first thing that struck me was the decor, it has totally changed from looking like any other chain restaurant to being a smart yet comfortable place to enjoy a family meal. The open kitchen appealed to the foodie voyeur in me and the friendly staff made us feel right at home.

It’s here actually that The Pemberton excelled. The staff couldn’t do enough for you. Yes I’m sure they knew we were there to review but every table was treated with the same attention to detail and cheery demeanour. They knew all about the new menu and the recommended dishes and our children were both fussed over and spoiled with activity packs.

When it came to ordering I knew I wanted a burger. I could smell the grill and I would have been disappointed if I had chosen to go with something else but what to start with…

I chose potato skins with a sour cream dip whilst Andrew chose loaded nachos. Izzy had some vegetable crudités which she really enjoyed munching on while creating some artistic magic.

For our mains we both went for burgers with fries and slaw whilst Iz chose chicken pieces with fries and beans. For desserts Andrew opted for an ice cream sundae whilst Izzy enjoyed some ice cream and I opted for a retro Blackforest gateau which was a very generous slice and it defeated me but what I ate was so good!

In fact all of our meals were great, freshly cooked and seasoned to perfection.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the food we enjoyed.

Overall we left impressed with the quality of food, the ambience of the restaurant and the eager to please staff. I’m sure we will return.

*Our meal at The Pemberton was complimentary for the purpose of this review.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chinese Chicken

August 10, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 5 Comments

I’ve been sent a range of sauces from Lee Kum Kee to try out. If you haven’t yet tried products from Lee Kum Kee let me tell you a bit about them:

LKK was established in 1888 so it has a rather magnificent 125 year history. Starting with just Oyster sauce it now has a range of over 220 sauces and condiments.

So far I’ve used both the Char Sui sauce, the sesame dressing and the Chilli Oil.

I created a really easy BBQ style Chinese Chicken which is cooked in the slow cooker before finishing off on the BBQ, Grill or Oven. As our British Summer has officially sucked when it comes to weather we of course had to use the oven but we still had amazing results.

BBQ Chinese Chicken

You will need:

5 Chicken thighs – I used thighs with the skin still on and bone in for extra flavour
3/4 of a jar of Lee Kum Kee Char Sui sauce
1 tbsp of Chinese 5 Spice

*This served 2 hungry adults with leftovers.

Marinate your chicken in 1/2 of the jar of sauce,cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Place in slow cooker on high for 3.5 hours.

Before removing from slow cooker preheat your oven to 200C.

Place the chicken in a roasting tray without the oily stock from the slow cooker. Now brush with the remaining sauce and sprinkle over your 5 spice.

Roast for approximately 15-20 minutes until it looks barbecued and delicious!

We also made a quick stir fry of broccoli and baby corn with a little of the LKK sesame dressing to serve alongside.

Whenever we have a BBQ I insist on having Halloumi – it’s a fabulous accompaniment to the meats and is perfect when griddled or barbecued as it stands up to very high temperatures. I drizzled these with Lee Kum Kee Chilli Oil prior to griddling and it does create a lot of heat but as long as you can handle it then it’s absolutely incredible.

Spicy Chilli Halloumi

You will need:

1 pack of plain Halloumi
2-3 tsps of Lee Kum Kee Chilli Oil

Cut your Halloumi into thick slices. Place a griddle pan on and heat until smoking/or use a hot BBQ. Drizzle the halloumi ( not the pan ) with chilli oil and place carefully on the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side. Watch carefully as you don’t want them to burn. You want them to be softening but browned beautifully on both sides for maximum flavour.

Serve with the BBQ Chinese chicken, rice and vegetables.

*I was sent a selection of sauces from Lee Kum Kee to try out and I was compensated for the additional ingredients and my time in creating the recipe.

Cardigan Food Festival Preview & Review

August 6, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

This weekend we are heading to Cardigan Food Festival. I’m obsessed with food festivals and would visit one every week if my wallet and waistline would allow it. The samples, the cheese, the oils..the smell of great food cooking away..bliss.

This years festival is shaping up to be a great one with exhibitors such as Althea Gourmet Marshmallows, Gwynne’s Ice Cream, The Little Welsh Deli, Pembrokeshire Wood Fired Pizza, PortuGales and lots more.

Then you have all the activies and entertainment on offer such as boat rides, musical performers and demos from chefs and even a duck race.

I’m thinking my foodie day goes a bit like this.. Samples to start ( of course ) then some pizza from the Pembrokeshire Wood fired pizza washed down with a coke float from Gwynnes Ice Cream, perhaps a Portuguese custard tart from Portu Gales and to take home some pasties from The Little Welsh Deli, Gourmet Marshmallows and whatever else catches my eye.

I’ll let you know what I think after the festival.

Have you got any food festival plans this year? Tell me which ones you love.

Well I said I would update you after the festival:

It was a beautifully sunny day which made the festival so enjoyable. People were lounging around in the seated food area eating all the delightful food on offer. We bought lots of great Welsh produce such as cheese, sausages and chutneys. On the day we ate some fabulous pasties from The Little Welsh Deli,csome gorgeous brownies and salted caramel ice cream from Gwynnes Icecream – delicious. We will definitely be attending next year.

*This post is in collaboration with Visit Wales.

The kCook – Hot Chocolate Recipe

August 5, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 6 Comments

I was recently sent a kCook from Kenwood to review and create some recipes.

If you don’t know much about the kCook, it’s a really clever product. It’s a neat, compact machine which takes up very little space in your kitchen yet delivers a whole host of uses. There are options for steaming one pot cooking and normal cooking. You can use it to make sauces, main meals, desserts, drinks, dips and more. Also there is an accompanying app which has 200 recipes for you to use.

I’m just getting to grips with it and I promise to share a more exciting recipe with you soon but for now I just wanted to let you know about a recipe I created for a very rich, dark hot chocolate. I tried the standard hot choc recipe which is on the app and it’s fabulous but being me I had to make up my own. I love dark hot chocolate and this is rich and luxurious. Thick and creamy without being sickly.

You will need:

500ml of semi skimmed milk
150g of dark chocolate ( approx 50% )
100g sugar
1tsp vanilla extract

Place your chocolate in the kCook with the chopping attachment in the pot. Put the lid on and chop for about 20seconds. Remove the chopper and add the stirring attachment. Add the milk and sugar, replace lid, press the start/pause button and reduce the cooking time to 6 minutes. Remove lid and pot carefully. Pour into a large jug first before serving with mini marshmallows.

Serves 2 – large mugs or Mason jars.

This hot chocolate is thick and indulgent so I don’t think it needs added cream but if you want to take it a step further just add a dollop of whipped cream and some sprinkled chocolate bits on top.

Sisters In The Summer

August 5, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

It’s quite amazing to watch your children grow and bond in front of your eyes. To see the love and hate each other in equal measures. To imagine the friendship that will be there in years to come.

Izzy and Chloe spend many hours squabbling and fighting, snatching toys and being jealous of every minute the other gets attention from us. Lately though I’ve seen a shift. Yes the anger and niggles are still there but there is a real relationship developing. They play together, pretending to be mothers and babies. They chat to each other and laugh at one another. It’s a real joy to see. The moments may not last long but they are there and they are becoming more frequent.

I’m sure there will be many ups and downs between them over the years and I know it will be challenging but for now I’m enjoying these moments.

Camp Bestival 2015 Review

August 4, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

You may have noticed a bit of a blog silence over the weekend? We spent four fun packed days at Camp Bestival and have returned exhausted, grubby and full of fabulous memories.

Here is what we thought of this years festival and some photos from our stay to give you a little glimpse of the fabulousness of this family festival:

This year we chose to GLAMP! There are a wide variety of choices of places to stay at the festival. From standard camping ( far superior to tear festivals ) to camping plus – an area which allows you to choose a space before you arrive, it also means you can arrange for friends and family to stay close by and you can ensure nobody encroaches your space. In the glamping area you can choose from bell tents, to tipis and even gypsy wagons. We have tried all of the camping option and not been disappointed by any of them.

One of our favourite parts about CB are the bits we don’t arrange, sat playing with circus equipment in the kids field whilst watching a dinosaur stroll past, an evening walk in the tingly dell or free activities at one of the many stands/stalls run by brands and charities. There are so many options to choose form , many of which allow parents that little chance to relax. We watched a film one day in the Big Top and a puppet show while enjoying lunch on another.

Oh and never forgot the face painting!

The food options on site are incredible, its part music and family festival and part food festival in my eyes. Its so exciting to try the various traders but we also love enjoying a meal next to our tent for the real camping vibe. Also worth noting are the gluten free and vegan choices – a must if you have intolerances and it certainly made our lives easier with Chloe.

We loved the day when we were eating our supper in one of the fields and a steel band started playing Uptown Funk, we were soon up and dancing along!

Glow sticks and neon facepaints are essential festival items, buy on site or prepare in advance by purchasing from Amazon before you leave.

You will definitely come across some strange but wonderful characters!

Art town is spectacular fun if you have crafty kids, just remember to leave your worries about paint stains at home!

Daily friendships are formed and you will be sure to find buddies in neighbouring tents, its a really family vibe.

There are so many things that I could rave about but I am pretty tired.. follow me on social media and you will see that rarely a few weeks go by without some kind of Camp Bestival chatter. Buy tickets now – you will not regret it!

Don’t forget early bird tickets go on sale on Friday 7th August. Check out www.campbestival.net for more info.

An Afternoon Tea Masterclass At The Celtic Manor

July 28, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

Recently I was invited to attend an afternoon tea cookery demonstration at The Celtic Manor. I love afternoon tea, the prettiness of the tiny cakes, the delicate sandwiches and the endless cups of tea. I didn’t need to be asked twice.

Having stayed at The Celtic Manor previously and knowing how much of an emphasis they put on quality I had high hopes for this event and I was not disappointed.

On arrival myself and my sister had a cup of tea with a piece of millionaires shortbread which got us off to a good start.

We then headed into the Masterclass and what a treat that was. We were shown how to make miniature trifles, batterberg sponges, vanilla cones and many more..

It was fascinating watching the chef at work, creating such intricate cakes with ease. Plus we had a chance to sample each creation. I wondered at the end of the class if I would have any room for the actual tea ( I did of course manage ).

As a real food and cookery lover I had an inkling I would enjoy the demos but it was a surprise to see my sister who doesn’t really enjoy cooking so engaged in it too. I think this would be such a fabulous gift for someone. It’s a great girls day out although I see no reason at all why men wouldn’t love it too. After all who doesn’t love cake after cake after cake?

After the class we were taken back to the bar area for a gin cocktail beautifully served in a tea cup before being seated for our afternoon tea.

The savoury selection of canapés and wraps were served in a picnic basket which was so incredibly cute I just wanted to take it home with me. The frittata and egg mayo brioche were my favourites although it was all delicious.

I didn’t think I could eat another cake but I did, more than one actually. After the cakes and sandwiches we were served two warm scones with tubs of clotted cream and jams which somehow I didn’t photograph..they were awesome I promise.

Alongside the food there was a wide array of teas to choose from as well as refreshing raspberry lemonade which was so incredibly good. The remainder of the tea which we couldn’t finish was packed up in two boxes for us to take home and was greedily jumped on by our family on our return.

I think these masterclasses and demonstrations that are held at The Celtic Manor and The Newbridge On Usk are excellent value for money. The event we went to would have cost £45 for everything. I think for what you experience and eat it’s a bit of a bargain. It’s a luxurious and indulgent experience. There are more of these events coming up. I like the sound of the Christmas Foodie Gifts demo. You can read more about them here.

*We were invited to review the cookery demonstration and as such our tea was complimentary.

A Day In London With Ballymaloe Country Relish

July 28, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Last month I went to London for the day to attend a few different blogging events, it was an action packed, ridiculously hot and thoroughly enjoyable day. One of the events I attended was at Cactus Kitchens and was a demonstration lunch with one of my very favourite chefs Rachel Allen and Ballymaloe Country Relish.

The afternoon started well with a glass of ice old lemonade which was definitely needed after some tube travelling on the hottest day of the year. Rachel showed us how to make gorgeous soda bread rolls and loaves as well as sausage rolls, scotch eggs, burgers and cheese fondue all enhanced in some way by Ballymaloe Relish whether by a dollop added into the mix or added at the end.

As you can imagine the food was incredible, we all enjoyed sampling the goodies on offer – my favourites being the sausage rolls and the devilled eggs. We also took some of the bread and relish home with us.

I’ve since used mine in loads of ways from homemade burgers, to liven up my mayo and I love it with a good strong cheese and oatcakes.

I’d definitely suggest buying some to give it a go. There are some other great products in the Ballymaloe range including jalapeño relish and mint jelly! Yum.

Thanks to Rachel and the Ballymaloe team for a great afternoon.

Indulgent Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake

July 27, 2015 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 37 Comments

I shared a photo of this chocolate salted caramel cake on social media over the weekend and it caused a bit of excitement. It seems the combo of chocolate and salted caramel is one which appeals to a lot of people.

Originally this recipe was created just to use up some leftover salted caramel sauce. Leftover sauce you say? Surely you could just eat that from the jar. Well yes but when you make a salted caramel ice cream for a business to be served alongside the homemade sauce and there is a little leftover there is no way you could possibly eat it every week. Even if you do have a very sweet tooth.

I love chocolate cake but I’m often left disappointed by the lack of flavour. This cake has two layers of chocolate sponge with salted caramel sauce soaked in, topped and filled with an indulgent dark chocolate ganache. It’s rich and luxurious. You really do only need a small slice so it serves quite a few people and drizzled with some warm salted caramel sauce it would make a great dinner party dessert.

For this recipe, you will need:

For the cake:

150g of Self Raising flour
30g of good quality cocoa (sieved)
175g softened butter
175g Caster sugar
1 level tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
1 tbsp milk
100g of melted dark chocolate

For the salted caramel sauce:

50g soft brown sugar
50g caster sugar
50g golden syrup
75g butter
125ml double cream
1 tsp of sea salt

For the Ganache:

100g dark chocolate chips or finely chopped ( I used high quality Belgian chips)
75ml double cream

To make your cake:

Grease and line two 20cm cake tins. Preheat your oven to 180c.
In a large bowl ( or stand mixer ) combine your flour, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder and milk and beat until your mixture is smooth. Melt your chocolate and mix into the batter

before dividing between your cake tins and baking for approximately 20 mins. Keep a close eye, they are ready when the bounce back when a finger is pressed lightly on top.

Place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

Salted Caramel:

Melt your butter, sugar and syrup together slowly in a pan until combined and molten ( don’t be tempted to dip a finger in ) remove from heat and add your cream, stir and return to heat for a minute or two. Add your salt ( 1/2 a spoon at a time – everyone’s taste is different ) and stir. Leave to cool before decanting into a jug or jar.

While your cake is still warm, pour half of your salted caramel over the two halves and leave to cool. This allows the caramel to sink in, getting the flavour deep inside the cake and keeping it moist.

To make your Ganache:

Put your chocolate into a glass bowl.
Slowly heat your cream in a heavy based saucepan until simmering but not boiling then pour over your chocolate and stir quickly until the chocolate had melted and you have a gooey, silken sauce.

Leave to cool until thickened like frosting or buttercream icing.

To decorate and fill:

Use your remaining cooled salted caramel sauce to spread/pour over 1 half of the cake and use a third of the ganache to cover the other and sandwich together. Use the remaining ganache to cover the sides and top. You can’t really go wrong here. You can make it look perfect but I quite like the effect when it’s just roughly covered with a spatula or knife. It just looks more appetising to me..plus it’s easier.

It’s worth leaving the ganache to set a little more before diving in as it creates a fudgy coating which is just delicious.

This is one recipe I can see me making again and again.

Check out these other indulgent chocolatey caramel desserts:

Baileys Salted Caramel Tarts
Salted Caramel Chocolate Pots
Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tart
White Chocolate & Salted Caramel eclairs
Salted Caramel & Chocolate Brownies
Salted Caramel & Peach Sundae
Marmite Caramel Brownies

I’m linking up with Cake Club hosted by Kerry.

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