Restaurant Review - The Old Vine, Wadhurst

Restaurant name: The Old Vine Inn Location: Wadhurst, East SussexDescription: Pretty country pub established in 1515 with a nice restaurant and garden and rooms if you want to stay overnight.Reason for visit: My boyfriend took me llama trekking as a treat - we went to Bluecaps Llama and spent an hour walking through the woods with two very friendly llamas in tow. We went here for lunch afterwards as it was nearby and had been recommended by the...

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Meal Planning 2013 - Week 39

I've been on holiday for eight days so was really pleased to weigh in at Slimming World when I came back and find I'd lost a pound! It must be all the walking.... I also didn't have particularly big meals while I was in Cambodia, and I was so busy sightseeing in Singapore - and so hot, that I drank lots but never really felt hungry, that one day I skipped both breakfast and dinner, and only had lunch! But it was a good lunch, in the famous Raffles...

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Pink Princess Doll Cake

I love this cake - it's so girly! Yes, this is indeed a cake - or rather, the bottom half of the doll is cake. Her dress is made of fondant and her skirt is a chocolate cake - a delicious vegan recipe. In this post I'll also explain how to use a Garrett frill cutter, a piece of equipment I bought when I took a cake decorating class last year, and also review a brilliant new product I found at Ikea.So how did this cake come about? Well, my friend...

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Restaurant Review - Bill's, Wimbledon

Restaurant name Bill'sLocation WimbledonDescription Restaurant that seems to be a jack of all trades - it does breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea, the menu ranges from burgers to fish pie to mezze. Really popular with locals.Reason for visit The hen night of my boyfriend's cousinI ate Piri piri chicken followed by lemon meringue pie cheesecakeMy companions ate The burger was a popular choice and so was the halloumi burger with the vegetarians...

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Meal Planning 2013- week 38

Monday & Tuesday - in Singapore/ travelling home Wednesday Breakfast yogurtLunch Will probably have to buy something at workDinner Salmon, veg and hollandaise sauce. My boyfriend is still pet sitting for his mum but hopefully he will come over for dinner, and I'll do him sausage and mash Thursday Breakfast yogurtLunch sandwichDinner TFI Friday's style Mexican chicken Friday Breakfast yogurtLunch sandwichDinner chicken fajitas or enchiladas...

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Restaurant Review - Byron

Restaurant name: Byron Location: Old Brompton Road, LondonDescription: Gourmet burger chainReason for visit: Dinner before going to the nearby Science Museum Lates one evening after workI ate: One of their specials - I can't remember the name but it consisted of two 3oz burgers with double cheese, onions, burger sauce and in a potato bun, with fries. I also had a coke float - coke with a scoop of ice cream, which really takes me back to my childhood.My...

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Kare Kare Recipe

Kare KareEstimated cooking time: 2 hoursKare Kare Ingredients:1 kilo of beef (round or sirloin cut) cut into cubes, beef tripe or oxtail (cut 2 inch long) or a combination of all three (beef, tripe and oxtail)3 cups of peanut butter1/4 cup grounded toasted rice1/2 cup cooked bagoong alamang (anchovies)2 pieces onions, diced2 heads of garlic, minced4 tablespoons atsuete oil4 pieces eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick1 bundle Pechay (Bok choy) cut into 2...

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Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Sweet and Sour PorkEstimated cooking time: 45 minutesSweet & Sour Pork Ingredients:1/2 kilo pork loin, sliced into pieces1 small can pineapple chunks1 large onion, quartered1 red & 1 green bell peppers, sliced into strips2 tablespoons of soy sauce3 tablespoons of peanut oil4 tablespoons of cornstarch3 tablespoons of ketchup1 tablespoon of sugar1 teaspoon of salt3 cloves of minced garlicSweet and Sour Pork Cooking Instructions:In a pot, boil...

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Cat and Mouse Birthday Card

I'm not sure I like this card all that much but I thought I would share it anyway - maybe someone has a suggestion for how it could be improved. I used a little wooden cat and mouse, which are three-dimensional but flat on one side so you can stick them onto the card, and some cardboard button stickers. I also have a small cat hole punch which I used to punch cat shapes along the bottom of the card. I mounted the cat and mouse on a piece of spotty...

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Sinigang na Hipon (Shrimps Sinigang) Recipe

Sinigang na HiponSinigang is a Philippine dish famous for the variety of ingredients. Sinigang often incorporates fish, pork, chicken, shrimp, or beef. This time we'll use Shrimp for our recipe. Sinigang's characteristic taste is attributed to the ingredient that gives its sour taste and most commonly use ingredient is Tamarind or Sampalok for its sour taste.Ingredients: - 1 Kilo Shrimp - 1/4 kilo of Tamarind/Sampalok - 1 Onion, diced - 3 Tomatoes,...

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Pakbet or Pinakbet Recipe

Estimated cooking time: 35 minutesPakbet Ingredients:1/4 kilo pork with fat, cut into small pieces2 Amapalya (bitter melons) sliced to bite size pieces2 eggplants, sliced to bite size pieces5 pieces of okra, cut in two1 head garlic, minced2 onions, diced5 tomatoes, sliced1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed and sliced4 tablespoons bagoong isda or bagoong alamang3 tablespoons of oil1 1/2 cup waterSalt and pepper to tastePakbet Cooking Instructions:In a...

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Meal Planning 2013- Week 37

I wanted to post something today so I don't skip a week in numerical terms - this is week 37 and I will just get confused if I leave it out! But there is no meal plan this week as I'm on holiday in Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia. See you next we...

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Sizzling Pork Chop

Sizzling Pork Chop Bacolod StyleOne day when I was in one of the mall here in Bacolod, I have the chance to drop by in its food court thinking on what to eat. I’m not sure why that thought came into my mind then I realized that I’m craving for Sizzling Pork Chop.Sizzling Pork Chop tastes good and is easy to prepare. The sizzling effect makes this dish more appealing. Aside from the pork chop, mixed vegetables, yellow rice, and gravy are necessary...

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Chicken Potato Salad with Garlic

What gives this dish a wonderful twist is the addition of garlic. For extra flavor, the peeled potatoes are cooked in chicken broth. This salad is best eaten after it has stayed at least overnight in the refrigerator.8 cups potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes and cooked in salted chicken broth 2 chicken breasts, boiled in salted water and cubed 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped 2 cups mayonnaise 2 tablespoons white onions, finely chopped 1 tablespoon garlic,...

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Restaurant Review - The Landor, Clapham

Restaurant name: The LandorLocation: Clapham, LondonDescription: Gastropub with its own theatre upstairs. It has a nice outdoor area partly under cover with leather sofas and wooden tables.Reason for visit: Watching a play based on a novel by Sophie Kinsella at the Landor theatre and meeting Sophie at a book signing- so the obvious choice was to eat here as well.I ate: Lamb burger topped with halloumi, £9.95My companion ate: "Pasta of the day"...

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Crispy Pata Negrense Style Recipe

Crispy PataPreparation & drying: 4 hours to 1 dayEstimated cooking time: 20 minutesCrispy Pata Ingredients:1 Pata (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles)1 bottle of soda (7Up or sprite)1 tablespoon of salt2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)1/2 tablespoon baking soda1 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)4 tablespoons of flourEnough oil for deep fryingEnough water for boilingCrispy Pata Cooking Instructions:Clean the pork pata by removing...

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