Camping made Easy

You'll notice from the content of this post that is it completely unfood related! I make no bones about this: I'm also a busy mum with a little one which is why the food bits don't get updated as regularly as I'd like and there are other things I'd also like to write about from time to time. Maybe a different blog format might work going forward, but for time time being, if you don't want to read about potties, look away now!

I'm a recent convert to camping and definitely have the bug! A year ago we invested in a proper tent to accommodate the British weather with lots of room indoors for those grey, wet afternoons. Since buying it, though, we have rarely made use of it, as the four or five weekends we've spent away have been perfectly warm, sometimes even hot, and sunny. Yes, it has rained in the night once or twice, and we had to dry the tent out this time after returning, but are learning tips and tricks from other campers along the way. Last time we went, I forgot the potty. Now, this doesn't seem like an important omission. But at three o'clock in the morning, when your pitch is the far end of the site away from the facilities, with a three/four year old who's overexcited, believe me, it is! And a potty takes up so much of that valuable boot space. Luckily, we just about fit most stuff into the boot, with only an odd chair and pillow in the back, but are always looking to save space when we can. So, when Oxo said I could choose something to try from their Tots range, I instantly chose the space saving  2in1 Go Potty which retails at £20. 

It's essentially a small hard plastic toilet seat, with bumps in all the right places, and two side legs like flaps that fold out and lock into place, making it incredibly sturdy. I did worry that, in sleepy mode after not a lot of sleep, my LO might wobble off, or tip it over but, no, it proved to very very stable. The legs lock into place and you need to push the buttons in to fold back down. It comes in it's own bag and with a set of three potty liners. These, again, are much more robust than the standard ones available and are cleverly designed with detachable tags which tuck into the holders under the seat.







Simply put the liner into the 'hole' and fold the edges over the seat, tucking the ends through the grippy holes. When you remove the bag, the handles tie at the top and the bits you've tucked in to secure the liner, tear off easily so there's no spill. And you can definitely fit it more than one wee!

The only problem camping with it, is where to dispose of the full bag. At our campsite, there was no nappy disposal bin, otherwise I'd have put it there, so I ended up tipping the contents down the loo and popping the bag in the bin. 

To use as a smaller toilet seat, push the buttons in while pulling the flap legs out again to the edges and place over the regular seat. Again, this is sturdy and doesn't slip as much as you might think, but ours will be kept firmly in the camping bags, ready for our next trip! As it folds fairly flat, it will even pack in the top of a flight case or small suitcase too if you're looking for something to take away on holiday to a hotel or apartment. 

Disclaimer: Although I was sent products to try for the purpose of this post, all views and opinions are entirely my own, truthful and honest.

Marmite Cashews - yuck!

YUCK!

Now, I LOVE Marmite, especially spread on hot buttery white toast, or brown for that matter! The Marmite Cheddar previously blogged about was also 'alright', though could have done with much, much more of the brown treacly stuff! These nuts however, were horrible, I'm sorry to say.

I opened the packet and was extremely optimistic as they smelt of beef Monster Munch - yum! As I brought one nearer to my mouth, however, I began to doubt my sense of smell! I took a few, and they definitely tasted of something, I'm just not sure what. They had no spice, no hint of that long, deep, nutritious marmitey flavour; simply 'a' taste, that hung in the mouth longer than the sourness from a sloe berry just picked from the tree. A very unpleasant after-taste; more bitter than thickly spread Marmite (which I Love!) and sour, that masked the taste of Cashew nuts altogether. NOT nice.

Such a shame; I had high hopes for these.

Mitchell's

Review

Mitchell's

Venue

Whilst enjoying a break in Chester over the Easter weekend, we visited a restaurant in the little village of Tattenhall. I say 'little village' but it has several restaurants, this being one of the most popular. This was my second visit but my parents, and their friends especially (you know who you are!) are regular visitors.

First thoughts
We went on the evening of Easter Saturday, and mum had thought it wouldn't be very busy, but, as usual, it was full. We even bumped into friends from our village. The menu wasn't large but had plenty to choose from with a list of fish specials, fresh in on the Friday. Between us we ordered a range of different starters and mains, unusual since we generally go for similar things.

Appearance and Taste
To begin, I chose pate, two others the seafood cocktail and dad chose something with cheese in, though I can't remember what! Comments were, on the whole positive, although the boyf. did think the cocktail was a little on the small side. My pate, however, was a huge slice, obviously home-made and deliciously rich and creamy. The onion marmalade it was served with was also very tasty and the two complemented each other well.

For main course, the boys both chose sirloin steak with a Roquefort sauce. Mum and I opted for the lighter fish, for her a sea bass fillet and me, unusually, scallops in a light cream sauce.

If you've read my previous post on scallops, Scallops on Leek Puree, you'll know I am trying to get to like the roe / coral, so I managed to have one, bit by bit, although had to pass the others over to the boyf's plate, for which he was grateful. I'll get there though! The sauce was smooth and didn't mask the juicy sweetness of the scallops themselves and the grilled pancetta was a nice contrast in terms of saltiness and crispiness.

The steak was cooked well, if a little more 'done' than rare with a delicious creamy rich sauce, and the sea bass again was tasty. Pudding came next for the boys - a creme brulee and a sticky toffee pudding, both looking scrummy.



Value for Money
I have no idea what it cost as dad very kindly paid as an Easter treat! At a guess, I'd say our main courses averaged £14, starters £5 and puddings £4. We had a bottle of house red and white, and again I'm guessing £14. Aperos beforehand £11. So, all in all, lets say £125 between 4 of us, £31.25 each. Super atmosphere and very good food. We chose expensively, but I'd still say that it was value for money. I'm sure dad will comment if I've got the price estimate hideously wrong!

Review: Mustard Bistro

Review

Mustard Bistro

Venue:

Mustard Bistro, 37 New London Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 0ND

First thoughts:

Since I have lived here, this little 'space' at the back of the shops has always been a restaurant. I first ate there about 8 years ago when it was under different management. It has then re-invented itself a few times and is now known as Mustard. It's very well presented, clean, with friendly 'homely' service. (You'll be pleased to know there was only one spelling mistake this time - 'brocolli' instead of 'broccoli'.) Over the course of lunch, a varied display of music was heard, ranging from Morrisey to Queen. I think the mp3-player may have been on 'shuffle'!

Appearance:

We opted for main courses and desserts. All were very nicely presented (photos will appear shortly!) in a modern style. Portions were a good size and the food appeared well cooked. One fish pie was browned beautifully but unfortunately, the other looked a little anaemic!

Taste:

Two of us had the Fish and Chips; cod goujons with chunky chips. Two had Fish Pie; a mixture of prawns, cod, smoked haddock and mussels. One had Cottage Pie.
While the Fish and Chips looked good, it had little taste. The fish wasn't particularly well seasoned and was fairly bland. It was, however, served with a delicious chunky homemade tartare sauce, full of freshness.

The Fish Pies looked a little different from each other but both tasted really good. There was much fish in a thick creamy sauce with smooth mash on top. The salad with which it was served also had a tasty dressing and was fresh and crispy.

My option was the Cottage Pie and this was very rich. It was a little fatty, (perhaps the meat could have been drained before being put into the bowls?) but that did add to the flavour! It was served with delicious baby carrots and cabbage which had been par-cooked, then crisped in the frying pan I think.

Pudding didn't fare so well. The syrup sponge was overcooked and very stodgy. It needed thicker custard and more syrup in order to balance the textures as there wasn't enough sauce for the amount of 'cake'. The chocolate pecan pie looked rather overcooked too, with very 'crispy' pecans on the top. Although this could have been due to the chocolate caramelsing on the top, it did taste burnt. "Instead of being a sophisticated adult dessert, it resembled (in smell and taste) a children's rice-crispy cake," was the comment from one of the girls. The gooey-ness of the middle, however, was very tasty and the pastry was crisp and golden.

To Drink:

We managed, very well, two bottles of white wine. Think it may have been a Pinot Grigio but didn't pay that much attention - sorry! It was very flowery though and on the medium side of dry.


Value for Money:

The bill came to £94 between 5 of us, so let's call it £20 per head.
Not bad for a main meal, dessert and a few glasses of wine.

Overall:

I can't comment on the dinner menu, but I'd definitely go back for a quick lunch, skipping dessert, and choosing carefully.

The Cock Inn, Stock

Review
The Cock Inn

Venue:

The Cock Inn, Stock, Essex, CM4 9BJ

First thoughts:

Well, to say we giggled for the first ten minutes of sitting down is an understatement. Firstly, the barmaid showed us to our table (since this is an Inn with a restaurant section) chewing strong-smelling minty gum with her mouth open! She appeared to have no idea of what menus were available ("I'm just the barmaid, you'll have to ask the manager,") and promptly left us to wait for the restaurant waitress. As we browsed the chalkboard 'specials' above our heads, I started to giggle. I'm not sure I fancied 'Melbra' toast with my chicken liver parfait- what cup size might it be? Or 'Parmasen' over the 'Rissoto'. The 'Panchetta', (this was lowest on the board, right next to me), served as part of the spaghetti 'Carbona', was somehow missing its 'h', leaving a guiltily obvious space. For dessert it was 'Cremé (cremay) Caramel'.

I know, I know - I'm a teacher, this is what I do: Get a little over obsessive about correct grammar and spelling, but when it's the first thing you see (apart from the gum-chewing barmaid!) it sets the precedent for the rest of the evening. I can't help it - and I apologise.

The restaurant waitress was very well informed, however, and assured us there may be a 10/15 minute wait as "All food is cooked to order" - I should bloody hope so, it is a decent restaurant.

Appearance:

Despite the giggles so far, the food exceeded expectations. Portion sizes were huge and all the food was well cooked. All dishes were nicely presented.

Taste:

The chicken Liver Parfait (with Melbra toast) didn't come in a range of cup sizes, and was in fact served with toasted baguette. The pate was obviously home made though and incredibly rich and delicious, served with a red onion compote. The crayfish and prawn 'Rissoto', despite being wrongly spelt, was very tasty. We felt both, though, needed more seasoning to draw out the flavours. As you can see, the salad version of the rissoto [sic] also looked good.

For main course, I opted for fish and chips, (I'm a Northern girl at heart), as I rarely make it myself at home. The fish was huge with a light and crispy batter. I couldn't possibly eat all the chips, but did indulge in mint sauce with the mushy peas! The steak, despite asking for it rare, came medium but was, apparently, very tasty. The Calves Liver was wolfed down in seconds and the duck with peach sauce was well received, tender and tasty. A little more 'pinkness' would have improved it further.

To Drink:

We ordered a 'cheapish' bottle of Red to drink and it rather surprised me by being really smooth and lovely with hints of smokiness and a deep rich flavour. I was impressed at the quality of this bottle considering its price.

Value for Money:

2.5 pints, 1 Martini, 1 Bottle of Red
4 Starters
4 Main courses
Total Cost: £85 - £21.25 a headGood value for money..

Overall:

If you judged this restaurant on first appearances, you wouldn't get farther than sitting down to order. If, however, like us, you were able to 'forgive' and not forget the odd amusement, putting it down as one of the place's quirks, the food would win you over. The service by our restaurant waitress was polite, efficient and professional and the food very good. I'd definitely return, perhaps to try the lunch menu, and while there, see if I could adjust any more of the specials' menu without being spotted!