Tag Archives: Lifestyle Post

Eats from the Streets Food Festival

June 13, 2017 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 50 Comments

Who doesn’t love good food? I know I do. A delicious meal with a glass of wine is a perfect way to end a busy day!

 

Food Festival Image copy

 

Being a mother has made me embrace food more. Before motherhood, I could go a whole morning without breakfast or an afternoon without lunch. I could be too busy being busy, that I would forget to stop to feed the belly. But motherhood has completely changed all that. I am now fully responsible for feeding 2 fussy toddlers 24/7, which is no easy feat. The good news is that I know what they like and how they like it, which makes the meal times a lot more fun.

I have been busy testing my hands on a new recipe – Spaghetti Bolognese with Greek Yoghurt. I am collaborating with Broughton Shopping Centre Cheshire on their Eats from the Streets Festival to bring to you this yummy dish. Broughton Shopping Centre Cheshire will bring street food flavours from all over the world to Flintshire, Cheshire, this weekend (17th & 18th June) with its Eats from the Streets pop-up foodie festival.

Sweet tasting food vendors from all over the world would serve up a whole host of cuisines from Thai delicacies to cupcakes and cake-topped milkshakes. The Street food stalls will be serving up near Broughton between 11am and 6pm on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June, and it promises to be a delicious experience, so aim to be there!

In my preparation for this pop-up foodie festival, I made this Spaghetti Bolognese with Greek Yoghurt dish. I decided to go for this dish as it is one of my regulars, the kiddies love it so much. It is one of their favourites, so I make it quite regularly.

 

Spaghetti Bolognese Image copy

 

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion
Frozen mixed vegetables
Salt
A pack of Spaghetti
Tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon tomato paste
400g of mince beef
Eats from the Streets Festival Image copy

 

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
2. Brown 400g of mince meat until both sides are brown.
Mince Meat Image copy
3. Add tomato sauce and leave to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring in between.
4. Add in the sliced onion and salt, and leave for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the greek yoghurt, leave for 3 minutes, stirring well to mix.
Yeo Valley Greet Natural Yoghurt Image copy
6. Add the cooked spaghetti.
7. Add the mixed vegetables and leave for 3 minuets to simmer.
8. Enjoy with a glass of wine.
Dolmio Bolognese Sauce image copy
Cooking Pot Image copy
Spaghetti Bolognese with Greek Yoghurt Image copy
This recipe was so yummy (if I may say so myself). It is my first time adding some Greek Yoghurt to Spaghetti Bolognese, and I love the creamy flavour it added to the dish. I can see myself making my Spaghetti Bolognese like this going forward.
I am really forward to seeing what the food vendors cook up at the Eats from the Streets Food Festival this weekend at Broughton Shopping Centre in Cheshire. I can’t wait to taste some more good food.
You can find out more about the event on Broughton Shopping Centre’s Facebook page and the Twitter account.
Are you a fan of Spaghetti Bolognese? Please share thoughts in the comments section below.
*Collaborative post.

My Dream Kitchen

October 27, 2015 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , , 19 Comments

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I spend quite a lot of time in my kitchen, so you can imagine I would want this space to look ace, if money was no object. I would go all out, break down walls, have a bigger kitchen furnished with the latest appliances to cook yummy meals and entertain guests. I think the kitchen is the busiest and the most important room in a house, and in order to make a house a home, the kitchen has to be all you want it to be as far as your pocket can allow. If you read my previous home improvement posts (if you missed them, click here and here), you will know all about how we are still trying to get some work done scheduled to be completed next summer. Well, while that is a work-in-progress, I am here, day dreaming about the kitchen above, this beauty is my ideal kitchen,if only money was no object…

My Dream Kitchen

I also love this one above as well. I love the abundance of space, the granite work tops, the lightning, the appliances and the American look they both have, and I am not alone. A recent study commissioned by Mayfair Granite has shown that the most desirable features UK residents would like to see in their kitchens if money was no object. The research conducted polled 1,000 UK home owners and was split into five sections; worktops, flooring, appliances, lighting and style of kitchen, with participants asked to choose their favourite feature from each. Well here are the results:

Worktops

Granite surfaces were voted the top worktop by participants with 39% of the vote, while quartz was also popular with 32%. However, restaurant and catering venue favourite stainless steel didn’t make the grade with only 5% of the vote.

Flooring

The majority of participants (32%) chose traditional tile flooring for their dream kitchen, while Vinyl (25%) and Laminate (22%) were also popular. Hardwood flooring was less popular, with sealed cork getting the thumbs down with just 8% of the vote.

Appliances

The appliance that topped the dream kitchen list was the range oven with 29%; smart fridge freezers proved popular too with 22%, as did a Kitchen Aid and boiling water tap both with 18%. Participants also seem to like their coffee, with 13% of them choosing to have a coffee machine in their dream kitchen.

Lighting

Recessed lighting has been popular for many years due to its versatility and has proved again that it’s the top choice with 33% of the vote. Coming in second was pendant lights (26%) which have seen a resurgence in the last few years, but fluorescent lights seem to be stuck with the stigma of schools and office buildings, coming bottom with just 8% of the vote.

Style of kitchen

A smooth and sleek kitchen design was what the majority of participants wanted for their dream kitchen, with traditional and country styles closely following in second and third. The American trend of shaker kitchens doesn’t seem to have crossed the pond though, with just 15% of the vote.

Mayfair Granite Dream Kitchen

I am not surprised at the results at all, I would have voted for them myself. Granite surfaces are my preferred worktops, I like a traditional tile flooring, I would love to have a coffee machine in my kitchen (that is one kitchen appliance I am lacking), recessed lighting are my preferred choice and I love the modern, sleek kitchen design.

You can read more of the survey here.

How would you want your dream kitchen to look like? Drop me a comment, let’s chat.

Thanks for reading.

International Peace Day

September 21, 2015 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 15 Comments

International peace day

picture source: scout.org

Today is International Peace Day, also known as World Peace Day. Every year, on this day, 21 September, peace is observed worldwide. It is a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, and the theme of this year’s commemoration is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All”. Now, anyone who knows me in real life knows how much I worry, I don’t think anyone looks forward to hearing more about the global issues we are all currently facing worldwide, it is just too depressing at the moment.

When I think of World Peace, I think of how I can raise awareness by being an instrument of peace. We all cannot deal with the political unrests everywhere in the world but If we all maintain peace with ourselves, family and friends, we will make a difference. Brain Tracy once said “Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”, this is my motto going forward.

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Here are some ways I will be finding finding inner peace and peace with others:

  • I will replace every negative thought with a positive one and avoid negative people like a plaque. Negativity is non productive and so unnecessary.
  • I will remember to let things go, and maintain detachments when faced with anger, criticism, people’s judgements and frustrations, and other negative behaviours.
  • I will try not to react to every bad situation. I don’t have to show up to every argument.
  • I will communicate my expectations to my family and friends or have no expectations. Hidden expectations usually lead to disappointments which then lead to frustrations and anger.
  • I will to try relax every now and again, take some time off and just look after myself, as selfish as it sounds, we have to look after ourselves first before we can look after others.
  • I will make time for my second love (music) and listen to some of my favourite songs every day to unwind.
  • I am a very spiritual person, so I will find the time everyday to meditate, clear my mind, have some spiritual quiet time, and simply de-stress.
  • I will make an extra effort to be polite and nice to everyone I come in contact with,
  • I will be more appreciative when people do nice things for me. The magic words – Thank You, will always be at the tip of my lips.
  • I will be extending an olive branch to a couple of people I have fallen out with.

These are the ways I will be maintaining the peace, I will make sure I do every one of them today.

How will you be raising awareness for World Peace Day? Will you be extending an olive branch to anyone today? Drop me a comment, let’s chat.

Thanks for reading and have a peaceful week.

*This is a collaborative post.

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