Chai Lattes In A Toilet

 Normally if someone asked me if I wanted to go drink a chai latte in a toilet, the answer would be no, but when that toilet is actually The Attendant, the answer is most definitely yes.

Hidden a few blocks behind Oxford Circus, The Attendant is a converted Victorian toilet block that now houses a coffee shop. Yes it's weird, and yes it's unconventional, but do you know what? It's also bloody brilliant. 

I headed to The Attendant with Ghenet, for brunch and a good old chat, and we were totally those girls, snapping away with our cameras from the second we stepped in the door. Luckily, the team were super lovely, and obviously used to lots of photos since the location is pretty unique!

We settled into a little corner table with the best view of the place. With all the original urinals and cisterns intact, it's definitely a weird venue, but it's also cute and cosy.

We opted for brunch, Ghenet went for the Avocado Toast with poached eggs, while I couldn't resist the french toast, piled high with berries and vanilla cream. Both dishes were every bit as delicious as they sound, and I can tell you with absolute certainty I'll be heading back there!

So if you're after delicious food, reasonably priced coffee, and somewhere a little different for your Instagram feed, hit up The Attendant!

Take On The Tiger

 Last week I headed down to Tiger Tiger with some awesome blogger friends for a burger based challenge . Now in my head, Tiger Tiger was something I associated with irritating freshers fueled by cheap cocktails, but after a recent restaurant remodel, it's become a foodie hotspot.

Anyway. BURGERS.

We were greeted on arrival with giant cocktails to get us in the mood for some serious eating. I've never had a Pornstar Martini before but MY GOD what a thing of deliciousness. Never before has a cocktail been so easy to drink, it was gone embarrassingly quickly and it was bloody lovely.

 Now I've never felt intimidated by a burger before (or any meal for that matter) but when the waiters approached with these burgers, I was a little bit scared. Because this burger is HUGE. A giant beef burger, a chicken breast, bacon and onion rings, all sandwiched into a brioche bun. I had to take the onion rings out, squish the burger down and chop it in half just to fit it in my face. And it was fantastic, Katy and I agreed it tasted a little like a fancy version of a Big Mac, which is a VERY good thing, but it defeated me, and I only managed a little over half.

It's served with chips (delicious), coleslaw (yummy), a shot of Jack Daniels AND a beer. I'm ashamed to admit that when I finally stood up I felt a little squiffy. My alcohol tolerance is shocking.

We were all pretty stuffed but the lure of pancakes was strong, so Katy and I decided to share a plate, 'cuz restraint. The chocolate sauce and mango coulis was a bit of a strange combo, but it satisfied my craving for a little something sweet.

The let down for me here really was the price point, for a restaurant in Piccadilly £25 is not extortionate for a giant burger, sides and two drinks, but it would put me off going back, which is a shame because it was delicious (and Connor would love this burger!).

(Big thanks to Katy for letting me use her photos from the night, I forgot my camera and my phone photos came out really crap! Thanks girl, you da best. Also big thanks to Tiger Tiger for providing us this meal in return for a review - as always, all thoughts expressed are my own.)

Dirty Dogs at The Bohemia

 I'm totally guilty of going to the same restaurants over and over in point (case in point, my Franco Manca addiction). I'm something of a creature of habit, you could say, and never wanting to pay good money for a bad meal, I tend to go back to my favourite spots again and again.

Last week I helped my girl Daphne move house, and since we didn't know anywhere in the area for food, we dropped into the first pub we saw, planning on grabbing a quick drink before picking up a Tesco meal deal and getting back to work.

We picked the Bohemia, a pub that looks rather ordinary from the outside, but inside is quite extraordinary. We took a seat (Daphne on a sofa MUCH fancier than her, and me on one that was so well worn it hugged me back), and one glance at the menu left us both craving the Beer Street Dog, so that was that and we were staying put.

Our food arrived quickly leaving us with only a few moments to admire the interior. Think hipster bar meets, industrial air craft hanger, meets micro brewery. There were even beer cans with succulents in on the table, does it get any cuter? I think not.

No matter how cute the decor, once the food arrived there was no concentrating on anything else. A brioche bun and frankfurter, with fresh chunky salsa, crispy onions and mustard, on a bed of curly fries. Yes it was every bit as good as it sounds! The food was hot and fresh, and oh so tasty, and exactly what we needed after a long day lugging boxes around!

I'm already planning my next trip back to the Bohemia (for a Sunday roast, or hot wings, or maybe even another hot dog), and if you're ever in the North Finchley area, I'd highly recommend checking it out!

Let's Talk Snacks - New In From Graze

When it comes to dieting, or even healthy eating, I have one almighty downfall. I'm a snacker. 

I'm not one of those people who can eat three big meals a day and nothing else. I like to snack, graze and generally just pick at food throughout the day. I can't help it! And this is where I slip up, because I find eating good, healthy, whole foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner easy, but snacking is hard.

There's only so many cherry tomatoes and apples a girl can eat before she starts to get a little bored. 

Enter stage left Graze Boxes. I've had a fair few standard Graze boxes in the past, my boyfriend used to have a subscription and I'd bag all the flapjacks, as well as a few free box codes that came in handy. But I stopped ordering them a while back since, in all honesty, the standard boxes are quite expensive long term. Great for every now and then, if you're having a busy week, travelling or just out and about a lot, but as a weekly thing? It wasn't really necessary for me, especially since I work from home.

However, a couple of new(ish) releases from Graze caught my eye, so voucher in hand I placed an order for a couple of bits!

First up, a sharing box. This is the answer, I think, for people like me. A one off box like this contains five resealable snack packs, each containing around 20 normal Graze servings. It's a pretty easy process, Graze have 20 different snacks available in this format, you pick out which ones you like the sound of and they'll send you a random five. These little pouches are a great size, I've got one in my desk drawer, and I think they'll be great for taking away with me when I travel too. 

So, in my box!

Spiced Apple and Ginger Granola Topper: Equally good for sprinkling on top of granola for extra flavour, or just snacking on straight from the bag! Inside is spiced granola, dried apple pieces, ginger fudge and orange raisins. That description alone has me dribbling. If you're a fan of cinnamon and ginger, you'll love this. I may be almost out already because it's that damn good.

Texan Corn Salsa: If you're a nacho lover like me, you'll love this. Corn chips, salsa almonds, roasted corn and jumbo chilli corn, a handful of this is almost like a healthy version of tortilla chips and salsa. Not too spicy, just a hint of chilli flavour, super tasty!

Herby Bread Basket: This is my answer to avoiding eating a giant garlic bread on my own at three in the afternoon. Inside are mini basil breadsticks, garlic crostini and oregano rice crackers. It's a carb fix without leaving you feeling bloated and disgusting, and the herby flavours are delicious. 

Cherries & Berries: One of my Graze favourites, I'm so glad you can get a big pack of these now! Inside are dried cherries, lingonberries, cranberries and raisins, I'm not normally a dried fruit kinda gal, but I just adore these. I've had the Tesco and Lidl knockoffs before, but I much prefer these, they're juicier! 

Sour Cream and Garlic Crostini: For when you're craving pringles! Inside are sour cream and onion cashews, and garlic crostini. I should point out that as a rule I don't like nuts, but I generally always like them in Graze boxes, since they're flavoured and tasty!

This box is normally £15 but you can get your first box for £10, which I think is really good, considering how much you get. Again, it's not something I'd buy weekly (I don't think you'd need to anyway, this stuff will last ages), but for travelling, or as an occasional one off it's perfect! 

I also ordered two of the standard graze boxes, a flapjack box and a chocolate box. Because treats. I love that these are the perfect size to slip into your letterbox, and each individual snack is individually wrapped, and a good size for your handbag!

I've never had a Graze Flapjack I didn't like so the idea of an entire box devoted to flapjacks was a no brainer. Inside was (I definitely ate this one straight away) an Apple and Cinnamon flapjack (my absolute favourite), a Lemon Curd flapjack (a close second), a Cocoa and Vanilla Protein flapjack (I hadn't tried this before but I ate this in a midafternoon slump and it gave me a real energy boost), and a Fruit and Seed flapjack (a solid contender). Not one complaint at all, except that the box doesn't come with a little man to stop you eating them all in one go. 

The chocolate box was a bit of a risk for me since I'm not a giant chocolate fan (I know, I know). I was pleasantly surprised though, these little packs are the perfect afternoon-pick-me-up when you're craving a six pack of Mars bars. Inside I had Caramel & Peanut Track and Field (Salted Caramel milk chocolate buttons oh my oh my, peanuts, fudge, and raisins), Dip Your Own Chocolate Pretzels ( poppyseed pretzels and a chocolate dip, yum yum), Graze's Chocolate Orange (orange chocolate raisins, milk chocolate buttons, jumbo raisins & orange raisins, this tasted like jaffa cakes) & After Dinner Mint (peppermint raisins that were surprisingly delicious, dark belgian chocolate and almonds). Basically, it was all delicious! 

So the verdict? I still wouldn't get a box every week, but as a treat every now and then (or before a big trip) these are just perfect! 

Also, if you want a free box, you can use the code JAYER2WLE to get one! This isn't a sponsored thing with Graze, just a code every customer gets to share with their friends! And I like you guys ;)

Aaaaaand writing this post has made me hungry.

Monday Meals: Easy Tabbouleh Salad

I know quinoa is all the range right now, but I've gotten really into Tabbouleh salads, I slightly prefer them over quinoa I think! 

I like to make up a tabbouleh salad at the beginning of the week, and keep it in the fridge to bulk out salads for lunch. It's super filling and it lasts well throughout the week, and it's super tasty. I don't get bored of it either which makes a nice change!

It's also SUPER easy to make, you know I'm no chef, and technically there's no cooking involved!

It's really simple, you just take a handful of Bulgar Wheat in a bowl, and cover it with boiling water. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to stand for thirty minutes. After that time, use a sieve to drain the bulgar wheat, and place it back in the bowl. Add a handful of chopped parsley, and a handful of chopped mint, some cherry tomatoes chopped up super small. Add a crushed clove of garlic, three teaspoons of olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and some chopped cucumber if you're a fan of that too! Give it a good mix, and you're done! 

Super easy to make, and it's really filling!

Monday Meals: One Pot Turkey Chilli Cheese Mac

So, shall we talk about food?

I like cooking, but I don't have time to cook. I try to eat healthy, but I love junk food. I love fancy food, but I'm really freaking lazy.

You can see the issue here, right?

So I've kind of come up with a ton of meals that are easy to cook, tasty, not too bad for you, and that I make in bulk and freeze, or have for lunch later in the week too. 

Enter stage left, the One Pot Turkey Chilli Cheese Mac. Not the catchiest name I know, but it sums it up quite perfectly. It combines three of my favourite loves, Chilli, pasta and cheese. Good stuff.

The real appeal of this is that it can all be cooked in one pot (as the name would suggests) which means less washing up. Bonus.

There's no specific recipe for this, it's kind of a fly by the seat of your pants sorta dish (NEVER understood that phrase), which is a good thing, cause it means you can kind of add whatever you like/fancy/have in the house!

Essentially you need a GIANT pan, and start by frying off onions and mince, I like to use turkey for this recipe since it's lower in fat and somewhat healthier, but you can use beef or lamb too. Once all the meat is cooked, you want to add a BUNCH of liquid, because you're gonna cook the pasta in it. I generally like to use one tin of chopped tomatoes, one box of passata, a good old glug of red wine, and about 300ml of beef stock. Add in herbs & spices as you like, I normally use basil, oregano, cumin, coriander and hot chilli powder. At this point I like to add a random assortment of sauces too, usually barbecue, chipotle hot sauce and some worcester sauce too. Then add your fresh chilli peppers to taste, I like mine spicy so I add two or three whole chillis!

At this point you should have a TON of liquid! Then you want to add in your beans of choice (I love butter beans in this but kidney beans work well too) and pasta. I've tried this with normal pasta, wholewheat pasta and gluten free pasta, and it all works really well. I do generally make it with gluten free cause I find it less bloating, but it's totally personal preference!

Then all you do is give it a good stir, and leave it to simmer on a medium heat for around thirty minutes if you like it slightly al dente, or 40 if you prefer soft pasta! 

At this point all that is left to do is add a BUTTLOAD of cheese to cover it, and I like to add some fresh Coriander too! And serve!

This keeps really well in the fridge and freezes well, it's incredibly filling and it's tasty too!

Sunday Night Steaks

 Last week a voucher for the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse on Kings Road dropped into my mailbox from Zomato, and, not being one to turn down a free meal I promptly booked a table for two for Sunday night. I even managed to prise the boyfriend away from his computer for part of the evening to join me (a small miracle in itself).

The boy and I don't often go out for fancy dinners, we both work best in the evenings so we tend to do lunches over dinners anyway, and with so many fantastic, more budget friendly dining options available in London, we never really feel the need to splash out, so this was an extra special treat for us.

We booked a 6.30 table since Kings Road is a bit of a trek from our flat, and we wanted to be able to get home at a reasonable time and work (yawn, I know, but we were working double time to make up for taking the weekend off for Paris)! The restaurant itself is in a fairly awkward location, the closest tube station is a good twenty minute walk away, but it was a mild night and we were happy to burn off a few calories! From the outside, this place looks pretty inconspicuous, like your run of  the mill London brasserie, but inside when you're greeted by the fancy french Maître D, there's a definite different vibe.

When we arrived the restaurant was fairly busy, but there were a couple of spare tables by the door, and we were swiftly slotted into one. First impressions were that it's pretty cramped, you can tell they're trying to fit as many covers in as possible, and our table was all of about an inch and a half from the table next to us, our friendly American neighbors could hear all of our conversations and us theirs. It's cosy, that's for sure.

The boy ordered a Peroni and I went wild on still water (I know, I know, I'm crrrrazy), whilst we perused the menu. The Peroni was £4.50, pretty standard for London prices, and a large bottle of still water (enough for four glasses) was £4, so all in all pretty standard. The wine list was pretty pricey, you were looking at around the £10 mark for one glass of house wine.

 Our starters arrived pretty swiftly, and I'll be honest, we were pretty underwhelmed. I ordered the Carpaccio of Beef, and it looked and felt like it had been prepared earlier in the week and bunged in the fridge. It was tasty, but the plate was freezing like it had come straight out of the fridge, and it was definitely lacking on the presentation front. The boy ordered the Chicken Liver Parfait with Brioche Toast, and whilst he liked it, he said it was fairly strong. It was served with a perfumey pink sauce that neither of us could figure out what it actually was, and again the presentation was really lacking. We may have been being picky, but when you're paying £12.50 and £9.50 for a starter, you kind of expect it to look nice!

 Up until this point, the service was really good, but then it started to get a little slower and disorganised, nobody would check on us for twenty minutes, and then two people would ask us the same question within thirty seconds of each other. It was almost like once it got a little busier, none of the staff really knew what each other was doing. 

Our mains came out around twenty minutes after our starters, I just ordered the 8oz House Cut Steak (£18.50) which I believe changes, this time it was rump, while the boy ordered the 10oz Tail on Ribeye (£24.75). All their steaks are matured for 21-28 days, and you could tell, they were incredibly tasty and well seasoned. I got the peppercorn sauce while The Boy tried the Bernaise, and no complaints there, except we could have done with more!

We split three sides, the seasonal veg (green beans), triple cooked chips and buttered new potatoes (all £4 each). They were all delicious, I was concerned that the chips looked a little anemic, but they tasted great, crunchy on the outside, soft in the center.

I had had my eye on the Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert, but we were both stuffed so we got the bill and started to walk it off! As with all restaurants like this, they stuck on a 12.5% service charge, making our total £96.47, not by any means a cheap date. 

As we walked back, The Boy and I did a full debriefing and we pretty much agreed that we had totally mixed feelings. Whilst we enjoyed the food, we both agreed that with the price tag, we would expect better presentation, service and not to be rubbing elbows with our fellow diners. The decor is a little confused, and there were some black marks on the table cloth too. For a £100 meal, we just agreed we would expect it to be a little more polished, it was a little rough around the edges.

That being said, if you're looking to treat yourself to a good steak, and you're not fussed about the details, then this is a great little find!

Any recommendations for good steakhouses in London would be welcome!

 I was kindly given an £80 voucher to use at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse by Zomato, which covered the bulk cost of our meal. As always, this doesn't affect my review!

The Easy Peasy, Ugly, Healthy-ish, Food Diary

So the truth of the matter is, not all your meals are instagrammable. It's just life, not all food is pretty. 

I thought I'd share a few different meals with you guys, my sorta go-to healthy-ish meals that are easy to cook, but the truth of the matter is that they just don't look good. Well, I know you guys aren't here for the photography, so I figured I'd share them anyway.

GRANOLA FOR ALLERGIES // I'm allergic to dairy, and too much gluten doesn't agree with me either, so wherever possible I try to replace with alternatives. My local Tesco has finally started stocking my favourite granola (the Udi's Oats & Honey Gluten Free Granola), so I've been munching on this for most mornings since picking that up. I pair it with Alpro Vanilla Yogurt and lots and lots of strawberries.

EGGS AND SPINACH // So simple, but so filling. This is what I go for when I'm having a late lunch, or breakfast, it's so quick and easy to make, and chock full of protien goodness. Because I can't have dairy, I don't add milk to my scrambled eggs, just free range eggs, a little dairy free butter, and some pepper. I don't normally cook the spinach, I quite like it raw! I love topping this with the Heinz Smokey Chipotle Sauce for a bit of a kick. 

THE EVERYTHING SALAD // A few months ago I had the realisation that I don't actually like lettuce, so I decided to stop putting it in my salad. Revolutionary. Recently I've been expanding on this basic salad I love, adding spinach or rocket, wholewheat pasta or mixed beans, a handful of mozerella and and 'continental meats' I have, so chorizo or salami or proscuitto. Delish.

WINTER WARMING CURRY // This one is from the wonderful Deliciously Ella, but I add extra chilli and a ton of cinnamon. Served on it's own or with wholegrain rice, it's seriously tasty and filling and easy to make too.

THE ALMOST CARB FREE ROAST // I've gotten into the habit of cooking joints of meat in the slow cooker, until it just falls apart, sooooo good. Last week I did a garlic and herb beef joint which was melt in the mouth good, and paired it with brocolli, honey roasted carrots and green beans smothered in garlic butter. I did some roast potatoes for the boy and one or two may have made it on my plate too. The beauty of doing a roast like this is it takes almost minimal effort. Except for the gravy. I'm a bit of a gravy snob, that bit takes time!

PIZZA QUESIDILLA // This is what gets made when I'm hungry, craving pizza and want to eat fast. It's the simplest thing in the world. Chuck one tortilla wrap in a frying pan, top with pasata (I add a spoonful of herbs that I picked up in Italy, but oregano and basil work well), grated cheese and basically whatever you have in your fridge. We normally do ours with ham and chorizo, but peppers, chicken and leftover chilli work too! You then chuck another tortilla on the top, and press down, flip it after a minute or two, cook for another minute on that side, and voila. Good stuff.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

 I so needed a weekend in Bournemouth, fresh air, peace and a view other than dirty side streets. London is amazing, but it's also pretty smothering, and after two weeks there I long for the countryside. We headed home late on Thursday for family time, puppy cuddles and some R&R, and it was definitely much needed, I feel so much better now! 

On Sunday we decided to grab some lunch at The Kitchen Club, the restaurant attached to the local Golf Club, before heading back to London. The views from the restaurant are amazing, stretching out over the golf course, with more trees, lakes and open grass than you would find anywhere in London. The Kitchen Club is my favourite Sunday morning hang out back in Bournemouth, it's got a really chilled, laid back vibe, there's usually live acoustic music on Sundays, the drinks are reasonably priced, the food is delicious and I just love the decor. 

I normally opt for a 16 Hole English Breakfast, but I couldn't resist a pizza this week. They've got a giant pizza oven which really gives them the most delicious flavour. The pizza bases are really thin too so they don't feel too heavy. The boy and I spent a lazy hour and a half eating pizza, listening to music, knocking back a couple of pints of lime and soda water, and planning out our next few weeks. It was pretty blissful, the perfect way to spend the last few hours before heading back to the smoke!

This was probably the last lazy morning I'll get to have for a few weeks, so I definitely want to savour the moment!

The Best Pizza Joint in London

This is more of a PSA than a blogpost, but you guys need to know about Franco Manca. I discovered this place last summer and it's become my favourite place to eat in London, and that's saying something.

Essentially this place is handcrafted sourdough goodness, there's only five pizzas on the menu, they're all under £7 and delicious. It's simple and wonderful. Everything tastes fresh and wonderful, all the ingredients are fresh and the menu lists where they are sourced from, which I like. And Oh. My. God. The Garlic Oil.

You may now go back to your day.

Easy Peasy Mexican Night In

The Boy and I are MASSIVE fans of Mexican food. Unfortunately, in London, Mexican food is pretty expensive, so it's not always practical for our bank balances. Last week, I had a mexican craving, but since it was deadline week I didn't have the time to be heading into central for a burrito, so I decided to rustle up my own version with what I had in the cupboards.

I usually go for a steak burrito, but all I had in was mince, so I literally just cooked this up, and then simmered it for fifteen minutes in a hosh posh sauce made literally from a mix of barbecue sauce and Smokey Chipotle sauce. It was freaking delicious, smokey and spicy, but super tasty!

We had wraps, so that was easy, and also some salted tortilla chips, so those went on the table. I cooked up some white rice (I was all out of wholegrain) and just added a little pepper, and we also had Pinto beans. I really fancied wedges, so I baked some white flesh sweet potatoes, and covered them in sweet chilli sauce, not mexican but damn delicious. I normally make my own salsa, but I just didn't have the time, so I sent The Boy to Tesco Express in our building for salsa and sour cream. I grated a load of cheese, made a salad, and shredded some lettuce too for in the burritos.

This basically took me like twenty minutes to rustle up, and it was awesome, super tasty, super filling and not too unhealthy either!

Perfect American Pancakes

 Now, I don't mean to toot my own horn so to speak, but I am pretty damn good at making pancakes. I posted a picture on Instagram of these pancakes I made on Saturday, and a few people tweeted asking for the recipe, so here you have it! 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of caster sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of soft butter

1 1/4 cups of milk

Basically there's no skill to making these, it's all in the ingredients. Just mix them all together in a gigantic bowl, I like to do it by hand. Then when it's all blended and lump free, transfer it to a jug. Then you're gonna want to heat a tiny bit of butter in a pan on a medium heat (I put mine on about 6/9). Once the butter has melted and coated the pan, pour in the batter. I just use a little because they do expand, around 3 tablespoons worth of batter, but I just guestimate! Allow to cook until the pancake has air bubbles round the edges, and then flip. Cook for thirty seconds and then it's done!

I like to serve these with yoghurt and then any fresh fruit we have in the house!

Let me know if you try this recipe!