An update and The three stags – Bebington!

Hello my lovelies!

We have arrived back safely from Dubai.

However,  it seems that I have been carrying a chest infection for a while without actually realising it.

It has knocked me for six and I spent last week doing my best to stay upright. Anyway, a course of antibiotics has been prescribed and I am sure I am in the recovery phase.

But hey, given my recent history, what do I know?!?!

Over the weekend, himself decided that a jaunt away from The Glade was in order.

The youngest was safely deposited at a sleepover and we went to The Three Stags, in Bebington for dinner.

The pub was really busy but they managed to find us a table.

We chose the baked Camembert for starters.

It was served with chutney, rocket and toast.

Now this is quite a favourite in our house, so there was quite a lot to live up to.

It was nice, but I felt it was a bit unadventurous.

A nice nutty or rye bread would have been a welcome change, nevertheless we made short work of it and the chutney was very nice.

For his main course, himself chose The Ultimately Mixed Grill.

Good grief, for a veggie like me, it looked as though half a butcher’s shop was loaded onto his plate.

There was a  beef steak, a gammon steak, a chicken breast, two sausages, two fried eggs, a pile of onion rings, mushrooms, peas and chips.

The verdict: ‘It was lovely’ said himself, high praise indeed!

A pasta dish with mushrooms and goat’s cheese was the offering that I chose.

I found the sauce was a bit watery and cold which was disappointing.

However, the meat dishes are obviously the show stopper.

Given that I hadn’t eaten much of the pasta dish, I obviously had room for a dessert.

It was an easy choice for me when I saw that Creme Brûlée was on the menu.

I have to say this gorgeous pud did not disappoint.

It was a huge portion too, therefore I didn’t mind sharing a nibble or two with the carnivore.

We enjoyed our trip to The Three Stags and I would definitely give it a whirl if you are in the area, they even allow children in now (side eye to the previous bosses).

However, I would say that it is definitely geared more towards meat eaters, there is a limited choice on the menu for vegetarians and it was very standard with disappointing execution.

The atmosphere was great though and dessert was amazing

Have a lovely day!

 

Five On Friday……..The desperately clinging to Summer Edition!

I refuse to accept that Summer is over just like that!

The weather forecast for the weekend isn’t too bad for this part of the world, oh please, lets  not give up hope!

This week I have loved clinging on to summer………………….

One

I have continued to walk Jack on his summer route (despite localised flooding), and when the rain had the cheek to show up……….

it gave me the perfect excuse to get my new wellies out.

They were a real bargain in the summer sales and are so comfortable.

Perfect for dealing with summer showers.

Two

These lilies are three weeks old, three weeks!!!

They are still going strong and are definitely more beautiful in the flesh.

Ah I love summer flowers !

Three

I have enjoyed looking through our pictures of the summer so far…..!

Four

The photographs inspired a visit to a Turkish Restaurant in Liverpool, where we enjoyed a delicious meze.

Five

This week I have loved continuing with family adventures, regardless of the elements!.

We have been to Bounce Below and done some Geo Caching , it’s been great making the most of family time before the mayhem that is the school routine, begins again!

This week I’ve loved being slightly delusional but winter lasts such a long time!!!

Thank you Amy for hosting!

Thank you Ali and Steph for hosting!

Have a lovely day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week I have Loved……. oh I have a list!

I know everyone is saying it,  but I can not believe that it is the end of August already!

The summer has flown, the leaves are already falling from the trees in The Glade.

We have a lovely long bank holiday weekend stretching ahead of us before the mayhem of the school routine begins again.

I have a list of things that I have loved this week, so I will just get on with it.

This Week I have loved and my Favorite Five –

One

Picnics

We have been enjoying many picnics lately.

It is so much easier when we have Jack, our black Labrador with us.

It isn’t always easy to find somewhere that let dogs in.

However, when we have a picnic, he just sits at the end of table hoping that something falls into his path.

Two

Orchids

This beautiful Orchid has taken up residence on our landing window sill.

I bought it this week to brighten up that window and every time I walk past it, it makes me smile.

I am having a bit of a love affair with Orchids at the moment and was delighted to find one on my desk at work last week.

However, as much I love them, they don’t love me, I would be grateful for any tips that anyone has about how to keep them alive.

Three

 Coffee

Not really coffee in general, but Costa Coffee for making at home in a cafetiere.

Bizarrely, I love coffee but since I was pregnant with my second daughter, I have not been able to drink it very strong.

Therefore, this arrangement is ideal because I get to put a smaller measure in but still have the delicious Costa taste.

Four

The Beach

I love the beach at anytime of year.

On Saturday evening we took Jack for a walk in New Brighton.

We were rewarded with a glorious sunset, followed by a dramatic thunder storm.

Thankfully, we were in the car by the time the rain hit.

Five

Our Garden

Now I know the weather has been awful and we all feel cheated out of a summer.

However, the flip side is that our garden is still looking lovely and colorful, there are still buds on The Passion Flower and, the Hydrangea still isn’t in full flower.

It is the little things!!

Thank you Ali and Steph for hosting x

Thank you Maria for hosting x

Than k you Aby and Hannah for hosting x

Have a lovely bank holiday weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Elche – A 1950’s Diner!

Some days it was so hot in Spain, that we simply had to seek refuge and find somewhere that we hoped had air conditioning!

On one such day we headed to a shopping centre in nearby Elche.

We ran into the L’Alijub centre and breathed  sigh of relief.

However, being used to air conditioning Floridian style, the strength found in Spain was disappointing.

Nevertheless, when I drew breathe, I realises that the youngest was quite nattily dressed for the occasion.

Mad men eat your heart out – you get the picture!

Given her choice of attire, when we spotted an American Diner that served veggie burgers, we were in there like a shot.

Tommy & Mel’s was such a quirky little place,the food was lovely and great quality.

Although the menus were all in English, apparently the staff did not speak any at all, and himself’s request for vinegar resulted in a bottle of larger*.

The littlest fitted in anyway!

Have a lovely day!

*We do have a go at the lingo when on holiday, we used google translate a lot, I think his issue is his accent ha!

Street Food in Liverpool – Mowgli style!

I recently enjoyed a wonderful evening at Mowgli in Liverpool.

As soon as we entered the restaurant, we felt the hipster vibe!

The decor was so cool!

We were greeted as soon as we walked through the door and promised a table within a few minutes.

Mowgli has a no booking policy, so you do have to take a chance and be prepared to wait!

We struck lucky and was shown to a table within 10 minutes of our arrival.

The waitress explained the menu to us and took our drinks order.

We each ordered a Tiffin Box for one.

I chose the Indian School Tiffin which promised four tiers of meat free and carb offerings, which claimed to be chosen by Mother- because she is always right ha!

My friend chose the Office Worker’s Tiffin which was the meat version which would be chosen by the chef.

 The food came in these uber trendy pots.

There were three sorts of curries and one sort of rice.

My vegetarian selection included Tea Seeped Chickpeas, Temple Dahl and Picnic Potato Curry.

The food was absolutely beautiful. The flavours of each dish were so distinctive.

The tea in which the Chickpeas had been seeped was detectable but not overpowering.

The Temple Dahl was light and had a really subtle lemon and coriander flavour, that was just right.

The spice that you would expect ,was found in the Picnic Potato Curry. It was warming and spicy with a strong taste but, it was not enough to make your eyes water.

The curries were complimented by fluffy basmati rice that was cooked to perfection.

As if that wasn’t enough – it was , neither of us finished despite having arrived ravenous, we also ordered two Puri soft flat breads.

They were like little pillows of perfection that melted in your mouth.

I cannot recommend a visit to Mowgli enough. The food was absolutely delicious, it is the best place that I have been to for a while.

My friend and I both agreed that the food was really great value, especially given the quality of the dishes, my main course was £10 and the meat version was £12 -fabulous!

Give it a try if you are ever in Liverpool, or make a special trip, it’s that good!

I bet you will be delighted too!

Have a lovely day!

Casa Italia – Liverpool!

Recently, the little Miss caught the bus from school and met me for dinner in Liverpool. Given that Italian food is her favourite, we decided to introduce her to Casa Italia.

My first ‘proper’ job was in Liverpool City Centre and Casa Italia was always a favourite haunt of myself and my friends. However, we hadn’t been there for years and so were  interested to see whether it had changed because the ‘Casa’ was always an experience……

The restaurant is nestled in Stanley Street just off Matthew Street where The Cavern Club was once situated. It was always very busy!

We had not booked and so were lucky to be shown to an empty table. It was still very busy! Ah! how reassuring it was to recognise the familiar decor and table cloths. Equally, the atmosphere was the same, we could hear the same excited buzz of conversation intermingled with peals of laughter and felt, the happy vibes of an early Friday evening,  always a hallmark of the ‘Casa’.

Nevertheless, this is not the experience that I mentioned earlier, no the experience for years at the ‘Casa’ was the style of service literally dished out.

The waiters offered a surly, dump your plate on the table, style of service in a very functional way. They made no secret of their objective to seat you, serve you, get rid of you. It hasn’t changed. I think I even recognised some of the waiters.

If you know this and can appreciate it, it can be very amusing watching them in action.

Clearly then it is not the service that brings the customers through the doors in their droves, so it must be the food!  The food was always good, freshly cooked, no-nonsense Italian fayre and, I am delighted to report that it hasn’t changed in the slightest.

We started with Garlic Bread and cheese , now of course called Foccacia. However, that is the only difference, it was as gorgeous and cheesy as always and, dumped on the table in front of us ha!

 

It doesn’t matter what you order, it is always served pipping hot, fresh from the oven and tasting delicious!

I enjoyed Penne Genovese, himself the Tortellini Italiana and the little Miss, Penne Arribata. It was all lovely and the portions plentiful, myself and the littlest didn’t finish. Therefore, I am unable to report on the Tiramisu, but it did look good. Of course we were quickly bundled out as soon as we had finished ha!

To conclude, I am delighted to report that the service at the ‘Casa Italia’ remains as robust as ever. Customer care is still not a priority for the management but good, nutritious food is.

Therefore, if you can take the service with a pinch of salt, the food at the ‘Casa’ is still fabulous and definitely worth a visit!

 

Have a lovely day!

 

 

 

 

Hanover Street Social

I wrote on Saturday about having restaurant reservations with friends at somewhere I had been wanting to try for a while, it was here at Hanover Street Social.

It is based in the centre of Liverpool City Centre. From the outside it looks very unassuming. Those three sets of windows constitute the outside view.

When we arrived late on Saturday afternoon the restaurant was full and had a great atmosphere. We had to wait at the bar for our table and it took a while to get a picture without catching too many people in it.

There were Gins and Bellini’s of every flavour on offer. The bartenders looked to be experts and they were all beautifully prepared. My friend order a Gin and Tonic which was served with cloves floating on the top, she really enjoyed it.

 

We were there in time to order from the LunchTime Menu. It offers two courses for £10.95. This is the Chicken dish with a seed mustard sauce that himself ordered. He enjoyed it but it seems to have been served with sweet potatoes as opposed to the daphanoise potatoes that it was advertised with.

Our friend A chose the steak which was served with a dressed rocket salad. We didn’t see the French fries as advertised and, they were not mentioned by the waitress.

He said he enjoyed it too,  both him and himself didn’t indulge in too much conversation until they had finished ha!

Disappointingly, there was only one vegetarian choice on offer so, the remaining three of us ordered the Gnocchi with  roasted pepper and tomato sauce, with herbed creme fraiche. When it arrived, it was only warm but I think that might have been the creme fraiche cooling it down.

It was delicious and the sauce was very tangy but not sour, as can sometimes be the case with tomatoes. It tasted like fresh ingredients had been used and I could certainly taste the peppers.

However,  the portions were small and we were very hungry. I forgot to get pictures of the cheesecake that I ordered for desert or the ice cream chosen by the youngest. Nevertheless, my cheesecake was delicious and had a very strong lemon flavour but not zingy which is how I like lemon deserts. Again, it was a very small serving.

I enjoyed the meal, but was left feeling a bit disappointed. The atmosphere was great. The service was pleasant but my  friend was deprived of her second gin because the menu was never brought to her as she had requested. This too was disappointing.

The people watching from our table, we were in a window seat, was very entertaining, these chaps caused particular amusement.

However, as soon as we got home, himself popped out and brought us a takeaway back. We were starving! There are so many fabulous places to eat in Liverpool City Centre, we probably won’t rush to return.

 Have a lovely day!

 

The Spice Garden

Happy Easter Monday!

On April Fool’s day, himself had been in his job for 30 years! It’s quite unbelievable! He has been in the same job since he left school.

 

 

I suggested that it was a landmark that deserved to be marked and asked him what he would like to do. He opted for a curry which was great  because it just so happens that we have an award winning curry restaurant a hop, skip and jump away, The Spice Garden.

 

 

We arrived almost as they opened and were shown to a table in the conservatory. On Thursday evenings and Sundays they have an all you care to eat buffet, heaven as far as Himself is concerned.

 

 

Actually, the buffet option even had plenty of choice for vegetarians. There was the usual popadom and chutneys for starters with onion bhajis etc. The breads are all homemade and delicious.

There were plenty of helpful staff who seemed proud to explain what was in each of the dishes. When we explained that we were vegetarians, they really went out of their way to ensure that all three of us found something we liked.

 

 

The Chicken Rogan Josh went down very well with himself although he had already sampled such delights as Chicken Korma and Spicy Lamb. We enjoyed a Lentil and Chick Pea combo, all served with lovely fluffy rice!

At the end we were offered coffee or a Baileys on the house, but we were too full to even squeeze in a  dessert.

We will definitely be heading back soon, it was all so delicious.

 

Have a lovely day!

 

 

The Egg!

Apparently it is National Vegetarian week, so to celebrate I thought I would show you one of my favourite vegetarian places .

The Egg cafe is in Liverpool City Centre, just off Bold Street. It is in the loft space of an old Victorian warehouse. Therefore, the journey up the stairs is not for the faint hearted!

When you finally reach the skinny purple door, an airy space is revealed. The decor is bohemian in style, which is fitting because the cafe also acts as an art gallery.

In the daytime there are great views of the city and in the evening, it twinkles by candlelight.

Students, artists, families, young old professionals, well just about anyone, can be found sitting at the tables, eating or wiling away the hours. I love this place because it is so relaxed, the staff usually have an air of mañana about them!

There are a selection of hot and soft drinks available but they do not have a licence for alcoholic beverages.  Don’t panic though because you can take your own!!

That was embarrassing, clinking through the few shops we visited beforehand.

The counter is well stocked with seasonal dishes. On Saturday evening, there were a number of freshly prepared specials available and they were all served with a mixture of  salads or rice.

This is Miss G’s  spicy bean burger, I had the Leek and Mushroom bake and himself enjoyed The Red Dragon Pie, but neither of ours were as photogenic in the candlelight.

Whilst it’s my favourite place to go, I do have one issue in that my choice is sometimes cold in the middle. However, I usually asked for it to be heated again and it is returned to me piping hot with a sincere apology. On Saturday, I  was too hungry and just ate the cold parts, it did give me a bit of a heavy tummy.

However, this does seem to be unique to me because himself and the youngest polished theirs off in super quick time and both were fine. Perhaps I’m sensitive!

We were all too full for desserts but as always there was a huge array of homemade cakes available.

It is a great place and worth the climb up the stairs, even if you just go for coffee and cake, the people watching opportunities are abundant! Give it a try if you are ever in Liverpool and let me know what you think.

Have a lovely day x