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Layering Up This Winter

November 26, 2013 by Erica Hughes 4 Comments

Working from home in a period property can be a bit chilly at times. I’m loathe to put the heating on just for me, so I tend to just wrap up and try to make it through to mid afternoon. I tend to manage it on all, but the coldest of days.

The way I manage to avoid resorting to the heating is to layer up. Layering can just make you look like a yeti, unless you choose your pieces carefully. The last thing you want to do is dash down to answer the door looking a complete sight. Cosy and warm doesn’t have to mean dowdy or unattractive. I’ve been on the look out for some nice layering options to keep me toasty warm this winter.

Keeping those extremities nice and warm is key, so some cosy socks are key. I like these Fat Face at John Lewis ones as they look good as well as being very soft. It’s worth thinking about a scarf too to keep your neck warm and it can lift your outfit too if you choose a complimentary one.

I like simple scoop neck tops for layering as they tend to go with almost any neckline and they are flattering too. This Fortuna Top has some lovely detailing, so you could wear this piece on its own on warmer days. With its dark grape colour, it’s a good shade for me to wear and it goes well with a number of other tops and cardigans in my existing wardrobe.

For my top layer I often opt for a nice chunky cardigan, but it’s nice to have one that’s fairly closely fitted to get the maximum warmth potential. I like this Kelsey Cardigan, also from Fat Face, with its attractive cable pattern and button up the front fastening. It’s a cotton/acrylic mix which is perfect for me as I’m not good with scratchy wools. As it’s cream it will go nicely with just about any top, so it’s really versatile too.

This is a sponsored post.

A Dress For Christmas From Bon Marche

November 23, 2013 by Erica Hughes 4 Comments

I love to have a new dress for Christmas. It helps build the excitement for the festive season and helps me feel good. Bon Marche offered me to try out one of their dresses as my Christmas frock this year. I picked this Red Velour Side Drape Dress and Necklace which is priced at £35.

It’s a very flattering cut indeed with a drapey bit at the front to hide any tummy issues. I love the fact that it comes with a matching necklace so you don’t have to go out and shop for accessories. All you need for your Christmas party is a pair of heels and a clutch bag.

I’m thinking I might wear it on Christmas day too. It’s a very comfortable dress to wear with its soft velour fabric and it’s very forgiving if you put away a big lunch. It’s also a perfect Christmas colour as it’s a dark, rich, ruby-red. It has elbow length sleeves, which provide some welcome extra warmth in winter.

Very practical too – you can pop it in the washing machine, so there are no expensive dry cleaning bills to pay.

Tesco Finest Christmas Bakery

November 21, 2013 by Erica Hughes 8 Comments

Over the last few weeks we have been trying out a lot of the products from the recently relaunched Tesco Finest range. This time we are reviewing some of the delicious products from the Christmas bakery selection.

I love Christmas foods especially the sweet ones, so I was in my element here. We decided to try out the mince pies, a Christmas cake and a panettone, but there were plenty more delicious looking offerings too.

We tried out a pack of 6 Deep Filled All Butter Pastry Mince Pies from the Tesco Finest range. These are certainly a cut above the average, shop produced mince pies. As you bite in, you can taste the quality with the deepness and the quality of the filling with the perfectly crumbly, butter pastry enveloping it. We took ours along to a party and they were soon scoffed up.

Panettone has become a recent Christmas tradition in our house. It’s a lovely breakfast treat for a special day, I think and it does help your day seem a bit special from early on that way. I like the fact that it’s not too filling if you have a big lunch planned. The Tesco Finest version is a high quality panettone with a brown berry, soft crust with a rich, but light, inside. It’s a real treat.

I’m a big fan of Christmas cake: I love the dark richness of the cake with the contrast with the lighter white icing and marzipan. The Tesco Finest one looks pretty as a picture with its beautiful holly leaves and berries decoration. It’s packed full of juicy fruit including glacé cherries. They’ve all then soaked in oak-aged Cognac and French brandy which helps keep the cake moist and gives it that essential bit of a kick.

I’ve really enjoyed trying out the Tesco Finest Christmas Bakery range. It’s nice to know there are such good quality products available if you don’t have the time, skill or inclination to make your own this year. I’ve certainly loved getting an early taste of Christmas.

Chobani Yoghurt Review

November 20, 2013 by Erica Hughes 8 Comments

A few weeks ago I was introduced to the Chobani yoghurt when they invited me to dinner at a local fine dining restaurant. I was amazed by the versatility of the yoghurt, but I was intrigued to know whether the Chobani was flattered by the highly skilled chefs at the restaurant. or whether it was a stand out ingredient in its own right. I got my chance to find out when Chobani very kindly sent me a hamper of their products to try out at home.

Chobani started in 2005 in the US and they now sell their products there, in Australia and in the UK. Chobani is a world apart from those insipid, runny and frankly uninspiring low fat yoghurts that seem to be so ubitious these days. Chobani make yoghurt in a traditional way using just milk and cultures and then they strain it which makes it thick and creamy. Only natural ingredients are used and there are no preservatives and no artificial flavours. The straining process means that it contains twice as much protein per serving as regular yoghurt.

I’ve been trying out the 0% fat fruity yoghurts as part of my daily food regime. I’m trying to lose some weight and a low-fat yoghurt is my post school run snack in the morning. Eating Chobani yoghurt made a really big difference to me, as I felt much fuller and the yoghurt kept me going till lunchtime without clockwatching from 11am onwards. I’ve recommended the Chobani fruit yoghurts to my mum. She loves creamy yoghurts, but they can be difficult to find at the supermarket. She’s also diabetic so she needs to be careful about eating too much fat, so Chobani seems perfect for her.

I was also keen to try out Chobani yoghurt in my cooking. Normally I make this ultra quick, salmon pasta recipe with creme fraiche, but this time I decided to try it with Chobani instead. I substituted Chobani’s No Fat Greek Style Yoghurt for the creme fraiche in my usual recipe. It worked very well. The taste was a little different. It seemed creamier and richer, but in truth it contained less fat. Here’s the recipe if you fancy giving it a try.

Salmon Pasta

350g dried pasta e.g. fusilli
2x120g Smoked Salmon Trimmings (I use the ones from the Sainsburys Basics range)
454g Chobani No Fat Greek Style Yoghurt
Handful of fresh dill (chopped)

This serves 3 or 4 depending on appetite. Cook the pasta and in the meantime mix together the other ingredients in a bowl. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, mix in the contents of your bowl. Job done! A quick way to get in a portion of oily fish.

Gadds Town House Restaurant Review

November 15, 2013 by Erica Hughes 5 Comments

Recently I wrote about our stay at Gadds Town House in Durham. One evening we went for a two course dinner in the hotel restaurant.

I started my meal with the Salmon Threesome which consisted of scottish smoked salmon, cured gravalax and kiln roast salmon served with spiced, buttered brown bread soldiers. If like me you love salmon, this is a lovely dish. You get three different, but complementary treatments of top quality salmon. Buttered brown bread soldiers are the perfect accompaniment too.

My husband was tempted by the Scotch ‘Fish’ Cake. This was a soft boiled, free range hens egg which was bound in seafood which had been rolled in a spiked crumb mix. It was served with a caper and gurk mayo. The egg was soft boiled inside its seafood Scotch egg casing. Melting perfectly into the seafood, the yolk added to and combined with the flavours of the seafood. So we had a very successful first course.

As my husband isn’t a big beef fan, I often end up choosing a beef option when I eat out. This time I couldn’t resist the draw of some Northumbrian cattle which were well aged having been hung for at least 21 days. There are a choice of four cuts of steak, so you can pick your favourite. All the steaks come with hand-cut, triple cooked chips which were very tasty (the husband kept trying to steal them) and sweet red onion rings. I thought the use of red onion in the onion rings was a good choice and it added a different flavour to using normal, brown onions.

My husband opted for the Roast Duck. It was served sliced and pink with a butternut puree, sticky red cabbage, goose fat potatoes and hedgerow sauce. The duck was nicely cooked and the red cabbage made an ideal pairing.

We enjoyed eating at Gadds Town House Restaurant so much that we did try to eat there a second night. Sadly though we’d left it a bit late to ask for a table and we couldn’t be fitted in when we wanted. So it’s worth booking your table in advance.

Shloer Celebration

November 14, 2013 by Erica Hughes 1 Comment

The other day I had a friend over for lunch and it seemed like the perfect time to try out a bottle of Shloer Celebration that I’d been sent. I had it chillled and ready to go. To open you need to slip out the champagne style cork/stopper arrangement.

Shloer Celebration is a new range that comes in two flavours, both made from sparkling grape juice. Shloer Celebration White Bubbly is made from white grape juices and is blended to have a crisp, full bodied flavour.

We tried out the Shloer Celebration Pink Fizz which looks like pink champagne and has a similar taste, but perhaps a bit fresher with a fruity edge. It’s made from a combination of red and white grape juices.

I think Shloer Celebration is a good drink to have to hand over the festive season. It’s perfect if you have to drive or can’t drink for another reason, but want to have something a little bit special. It certainly gives you some of the feel of opening a bottle of champagne or other bubbly without the alcohol.

We both enjoyed drinking the Shloer Celebration. My friend thought that she might well buy some for parties that she has planned over the festive season. I’d certainly consider serving it up if we had guests who had driven or taking it to a party where I was driving. It helps you feel that you’re not missing out on all the fun.

Durham: Perfect For A Short Break

November 13, 2013 by Erica Hughes 3 Comments

At the end of last month we went to Durham mid-week for a short break. We’d previously visited the city for an hour or two as a stopping off point for lunch and a leg stretch on our way up to Alnmouth last year.

Durham is an attractive city with an old centre that’s the perfect place for strolling around. The central area is sited on a hill that nestles within a meander of the River Wear. On this high ground are the atmospheric winding streets, the Norman cathedral and the castle.

The cathedral is justifiably famous and well worth a visit. It was founded in 1093 and the building was mostly erected over the next hundred years or so. It’s an excellent example of the Norman style of architecture. The cathedral seems to be a bit sniffy about photography. I didn’t see the signs and found myself being told off for taking a simple snap (no flash and no service going on at the time). Entry is free, but a donation is recommended.

The close around the cathedral is a good place for a stroll and you can see the castle buildings from here too. The cathedral and the castle make up a world heritage site. There is a charge to visit the castle. We didn’t get around to visiting on our short break, so we’ve saved it up for a return visit.

Durham isn’t a large city so don’t expect to see large department stores. That said most of the major chains have branches in the city and we didn’t feel that anything was missing. There are loads of smaller, independently owned places especially cafes and eateries. In terms of small shops to visit I liked the Oxfam Boutique on Elvet Bridge. We spent part of our afternoons in the pub (because we were child free and can’t normally do that) enjoying a pint with a newspaper and a book. We stumbled upon the Bishop Langley which offered free wi-fi (ask for the code), big comfy sofas and real ale. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s a good location and nice surroundings.

We spent most of one day strolling over to the university campus and visiting some of the attractions over on that side. First up we visited Durham University Botanic Garden. It’s not enormous at 18 acres, but it’s easy to forget you’re in a city there. Pedestrians would be best advised to walk up through the grounds from the entrance near the Park and Ride, as its much pleasanter than walking up the way that’s signed for vehicle access. We enjoyed our visit to the glass houses and there’s a nice little shop and cafe at the main entrance. Entry prices seemed reasonable at £4 for adults and £1.50 for children (and students).

The gardens are the perfect place to escape the city. I can easily see students going there to get a break from their dissertations or exam revision.

The hidden gem on the university campus though was the Oriental Museum. It only costs £1.50 for entry and there’s lots to see. There are galleries devoted to China, Ancient Egypt, Korea, Japan, India and Tibet, the Islamic World and South East Asia. Recently opened are the Korean galleries and the exhibits here certainly opened my eyes to Korean culture. There are lots of little areas dotted around the museum for children and whilst we didn’t try these out (as our child was with his grandparents), I’d imagine they’d provide good entertainment.

During our stay we stayed at Gadds Town House and in the evenings we ate at Gadds Town House Restaurant and at Zen.

Gadds Town House, Durham Review

November 12, 2013 by Erica Hughes 7 Comments

Gadds Town House is a boutique hotel in the building of an eighteenth century Georgian townhouse. We stayed there last month and travelled by train. It is possible to walk from the train station to the hotel if you don’t have heavy bags. It took us about 15 minutes. Alternatively, it’s easy to get a taxi from the station.

Gadds Town House is located on Old Elvet which is a street with plenty of character and mostly Georgian buildings within easy walking distance of the main shops, the castle and the cathedral. We also walked from the hotel to the university campus during our stay and it’s conveniently placed for that too.

Opulently decorated throughout in a period style, Gadds Town House is very atmospheric. We were greeted by friendly staff and taken to our room on the second floor. We were staying in La Rouge which is towards the cheaper end of the tariff. Our room was sumptuously decorated and felt very luxurious. It was a fairly compact room though, so not one to pick if you intend to spend a lot of time in your room or you like a lot of space. Built into the dividing wall between the en-suite and the bedroom is a generous rainfall shower. When we arrived the curtains were drawn back, but we soon closed them as we aren’t the exhibitionist type.

There’s under floor heating, plus a stove in the fireplace, if you need an additional blast or simply want the cosy look. Provided with the room are complimentary bottled water, Molton Brown products in the bathroom and a good selection of teas (herbal, fruit, speciality and English Breakfast) plus coffee sachets and hot chocolate. Milk is provided in UHT sachets or you can ask for fresh milk if you prefer. We had a king-size bed which had a good view of the flat screen TV. Generally, we were very happy with our room, but in the interests of honesty, we did find some hair grips on the floor, which suggested that the vacuuming hadn’t been completely thorough (although otherwise the room was clean). I also found the sink tap a bit difficult to turn off properly and it was a bit tricky to stop it dripping. My husband was impressed by the rainfall shower which provided plentiful hot water at a constant temperature (something he often moans about it if isn’t right).

Breakfast was served in the restaurant until 10am. There’s a good range of choice from cereal and fruit to a mixed Durham grill or Eggs Benedict. You get fruit juice, toast and hot drinks too. Order from the menu and it’s served to you at your table by the waitress. I enjoyed my Durham grill each morning (pictured), while my husband experimented a little with menu. It’s a good-sized breakfast, filling but not enormous.

During our stay we also sampled cocktails at the bar and had dinner one evening in the Gadds Town House restaurant. We did try to eat there on our second night too, but it was pretty much booked up, so it would be wise to book in early.

I found it impossible to get the free wi-fi to work outside of the bar and the reception area (on my iPhone), even the restaurant area on the ground floor seemed out of range. That said, my husband did manage to get wi-fi on our tablet in the room. I couldn’t get much in the way of a mobile signal either with Vodaphone.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Gadds Town House. It’s a small hotel with good, friendly service and I’d certainly consider it if I was visiting the city in the future.

New ‘Fashionably British’ Restaurant Launches In Selfridges, Birmingham

November 10, 2013 by Erica Hughes 1 Comment

At A Little Luxury For Me we are always keen to hear about new restaurants opening in the Birmingham and West Midlands area. It’s great to see the range of food available and choice of dining experiences enlarge over time.

On 23rd November Selfridges Birmingham is set to welcome an exciting addition to its dining scene with the opening of a new bar and brasserie in Selfridges. Located on the fourth floor of Selfridges, The Balcony promises to be ‘fashionably British’, serving food and drinks with a playful twist in a stylish and contemporary environment. I was interested to see that The Balcony will be run by Searcys, the well-known restaurant and bar operator who recently opened the Centenary Brasserie at the Birmingham Rep.

The new restaurant will be open every day (from 10am through to 10pm), visitors can expect traditional favourites such as fish and chips, as well as more unusual dishes including chorizo hash browns and chicken & waffles. The brasserie will also offer an extensive Champagne list, skinny cocktails, afternoon tea and quirky seasonal treats including plant pot cakes, edible flower cocktails, and Brussel sprout tapas.

Tesco Finest Review

November 9, 2013 by Erica Hughes 1 Comment

The other week Tesco sent us a hamper of goodies so that we could try out some of the new treats from their Finest range, which has recently been relaunched. We’ve been trying out a number of the products over the last week or two and I’ve picked out some of our favourites to talk about here.

We had the Finest Spanish White Grape & English Elderflower Spritz the other day when we had friends staying. It was perfect for an early evening meal with the children, but would do very well as a non-alcoholic alternative to wine. It’s made from spring water, English elderflower and airen grapes from Spain. It’s light and refreshing with a summery taste.

Now I don’t drink a lot of coffee, but with two coffee drinkers in the house last weekend, it seemed the perfect time to try the Finest Hawaii Ka’u Fancy Coffee. This is described as having tropical fruit notes, a bold chocolate flavour and a delicious velvety finish. It certainly went down very well and got a resounding thumbs up, although we did find the resealable pack a bit tricky to open.

I love eating pasta and it’s definately one of our staple foods. This time we tried Tesco Finest Fusilli Lunghi Col Buco Pasta with Tesco Finest Tomato and Mascapone Sauce. They went together perfectly. I fried up some onions, red peppers and pancetta together and tossed theses through the cooked pasta, together with the pasta sauce. There’s a real difference between ordinary dried pasta and the best dried pasta like this one from Tesco Finest. It is made using a traditional shaping technique and has a high protein content. This gives the pasta a rougher texture, so making it easier for the sauce to cling to each fusilli twist. The Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce is made using mascarpone from Lombardy and locally harvested Puglian sun-ripened tomatoes. It’s a sauce packed full of flavour and makes a great rustic, hearty meal.