Blogmas #7: Christmas Recipes - the perfect hot chocolate!

Hello Lovelies, and welcome to Blogmas #7!

Today's post is for the hot beverage/DIY lovers out there!

I'm going to teach out how to make the perfect hot chocolate gift for someone you love this Christmas!

What you're going to need:

For the jar
A small jar (I got mine from HobbyCraft but you used a clean jam jar)
Decoration - ribbons, sequins, glitter, stickers, whatever you fancy!
Scissors
Glue
Festive coloured card (for the tag)
Organza bag

For the drink
Hot chocolate powder
Sugar
Powdered milk (optional)
Peppermint/Orange flavouring (optional)
Biscuits/Christmas chocolate/flake
Marshamallows

Method: 

1.) Decorating the jar.

For this I'm giving you completely free reign to decorate. I covered mine in glittery stars and a tartan ribbon to give it a festive feeling. You can dip the lid in glitter, cover the outside in fake snow - anything!

To make the tag:

Cut out a small tag shape out of the coloured card, again this can be any colour, and then cut out a smaller tag shape so you can write on it. This can be where you write your Christmas message to the recipient and you can decorate this as well.

You can also attach a little bag of treats - there are Santa chocolates on sale in Home Bargains!

2.) Making the hot chocolate mix.

For this I'm using Cadburys drinking chocolate powder and a bottle of peppermint flavouring by Dr.Oetker. If you're not using flavouring, I suggest putting some foil wrapped chocolate where I am placing the bottle.


Fill the jar halfway with drinking powder this should roughly make about 2-3 mugs of hot chocolate from your gift. Add a layer on granulated sugar on top of this, about 3-4 level teaspoons, you don't want to make it too sweet!



On top of the sugar layer, add a thin layer of marshamallows/chocolate chips/crushed flake/whole biscuit to finish!

LEAF on Bold Street: Liverpool Life

Hello Lovelies!

Today's post is going to be a bit of review of a place that I love, and that hopefully loves me...

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a recent experience I had at a cafe not too far from my flat, and hopefully you'll visit there too!

If you read my post at the start of this week, you will know that I have not been well at all, to the point where on Monday I was lay in bed all day, feeling sorry for myself and snotting into a handful of tissues (aren't I a delight?)

But yes, on Tuesday I was feeling a little better, so I decided to meet with a PR friend, Beth and take her around Liverpool for a little catch up treat, as she has only ever seen Concert Square, which is, while impressive, not suitable for 1pm on a Tuesday.

So instead we opted for LEAF a cute, funky cafe/bar which is situated on the bustling Bold Street.

Known for their copious variety of amazing loose leaf teas, LEAF aren't just a cafe, they also sell their teas online and in store *cough* Christmas presents *cough*

Being half English, and being a normal person, I am obsessed with tea. Like I love tea.

When I moved into my flat, I didn't have an iron but I had 5 different kinds of herbal tea - I feel that says a lot about me.

So of course I took my sheltered friend to this place and as soon as we walked in she just said;

"Wow."

And wow is right! LEAF has it's own unique style with long wooden tables downstairs and some beautiful light installations hanging from the ceiling. Its decor is very impressive.

We sat upstairs and ordered with a friendly waitress, who recommended that I try their Ginger root tea with honey and lemon, to help with my nose and throat. Beth ordered peppermint tea and then we both ordered tomato and red pepper soup.

Now my favourite thing about LEAF is definitely the loose leaf tea. Not only does it taste better than a tea bag, but it looks beautiful!

The ginger tea was amazing and helped my throat so much and Beth was impressed with her tea too! 

The honey and lemon were a nice touch and the drink was so refreshing that even looking at it, I'm craving it. 

How cute is this?!

They do lots of different kinds of tea including things like Prickly Pear which is made from cactus blossoms, to Strawberry and Kiwi, for a refreshing summery drink. 

The food was delicious as well, as vegan and gluten-free which is a great way to cater to people who have other dietary requirements! I personally love vegan food and the place is great if that's what you like too! 

I can't wait to go back and try even more of their menu!

Thanks for reading!

Jx

The Hot Chocolate Diaries;

Hello Lovelies!

Since we're almost halfway through the Autumn season and it's going to be winter soon, Elliot and I have decided to start a segment on my blog entitled the Hot Chocolate Diaries, where we will be trying hot chocolates from both chain and independent coffee house that we visit during this season! 

Being huge fans of the liquid chocolate industry, we decided this would be a great way to get us into the festive season and keep us warm and happy as we try to get through to December. 

Hope you all enjoy our adventure to find the best hot chocolates which you can follow on my Instagram (@joannaxiourouppa) and you can give me any ideas of where to try and of any weird concoctions we should try, like peppermint or creme brûlée! 

Thanks for reading, 

Jx 

Week of Women: Students vs Food

Hello Lovelies!

Today's post is written by fellow blogger Lore, who writes a food blog which I will link below. She's hear to tell you how to make food your friend when you head off to university. Take it away, Lore!
Hi Guys,

A quick thank you to Joanna for asking me to write for her #weekofwomen , I've been reading all week and everyone is so talented!

My post is about the ongoing battle of students versus food. No job, no overdraft, rent, nights out, no culinary skills, Iceland meals - sound familiar? Yes, it's the average student's life, but does it have to be this way? Not at all!

Here are a few tips on how to eat well as a student:

1.) Maybe don't go out as much? And if that's not an option, prink (that's pre-drink.) You'd be surprised how much money you'll save by drinking at home.

2.) Shop at Aldi or Lidl! You're a student now! Tesco is no longer your friend! It's time to burn that bridge.

3.) Onions and garlic are your best friends. Half an onion or a clove of garlic can spice up any small meal. The amount of flavour you can get from the combination is astounding! Chop up a few of those bad boys, add them to some meat or veg and 'bon appetite'!

4.) LEARN TO COOK!! It's really not that hard. My friend has just started university and can't cook so in order to help her survive over the next 3 years, I've decided to start a blog, making simple recipes that any student can make! (Link below)

Thanks for reading guys,

Lore Adenegan

Edge Hill University Year 2

A night in Bistro Franc:

Hello Lovelies!

For those of you doing the long distance relationship dance, you know that spending time with your significant other is fleeting and so you have to do some really fun and interesting things together in order to make sure your time together is well spent. For some this is a time to lie in bed and watch Netflix, to play games on the Xbox, or go out and get blind drunk, stumbling home together at 4am.

My favourite thing to do with Elliot is eat. We like to eat everything and anything and try new things together. Now I adore French food, the bread, the wine, the calories that I don't care about...everything I eat while dining au Francais is delicious and for me, guilt-free. Elliot had never really tried French food so I looked for a restaurant in my area (Liverpool) and made sure they served steak, in case he didn't like it and booked a table at Bistro Franc.

Part of the Bistro Qui? restaurant chain, Bistro Franc is settled beautifully on the corner of Hanover Street, just around the corner from Liverpool One, and down the road from both Lime Street and Central stations so if you're visiting for the day there's not a huge trek for good food.

When you walk through the doors you are at first amazed at how large it is compared to its front, with a beautiful stair case to upper level tables and a gorgeous brasserie-style bar as a welcoming reception. There tables are small and close together, a wonderful feature they have taken from authentic bustling Paris and brought to Merseyside.

We were seated by a wonderfully friendly hostess, who I joked with about my surname on the reservation (it looks made up, I know), as she took us to our window seat. The atmosphere was incredible for a Saturday night, although everyone was talking you could still have a conversation without having to shout, a feature we both really enjoyed as it gave us time to catch up.

The decoration is fabulous with old Parisienne posters on the walls including a favourite of mine, Le Chat Noir and there is an columns covered in old style newspapers print, giving the whole place a shabby-chic feel. The lights are almost dim, which give the place a romantic feel, another trait we adored.

Now, let's get to the reason you go to a restaurant - the food.

We ordered a bottle of Chenin Blanc, a beautiful South African wine and nibbled on complimentary bread as we waited for our meal. The waitresses were very attentive and our food has brought out in good time, especially for a busy Saturday night!

From Horseradish baked Salmon to Pan fried frog's legs, everything come out tasting delicious and looking divine, which each meal being accompanied by a skillet of mixed vegetables and creamy potato dauphinoise. Elliot went for the Lamb and was impressed the taste and the overall cooking of the meal and I was in heaven with my salmon, which was served with a side of cabbage laced with chillis and apricot (amazing!)

We also ordered two sides dishes; mackerel pate and pan fried frog's legs. Both were delicious and yes, frog's legs taste just like chicken!

Unfortunately we were so full from the amazing main that we couldn't have dessert, although I'm sure it would be just as great as the rest!

We cannot wait to visit and sample even more of their ever changing menu!


Thanks for reading,



Jx


Visit their website at:

www.bistrofranc.com

Student meals: Veggie Curry

Hello Lovelies!


Since being at university, I've been trying to think about how I eat and easy things that I cook while I'm away. Being an ex student, Elliot is an experienced student cooker and has been giving me some of his recipes, starting with his veggie byriani.

Ingredients

2 leek, chunky cut

1 bell pepper

Patak's tikka masala sauce (which can be found at Sainsbury's)

Salt

Pepper

Rice (any kind)

Cheese (optional)

Method: 

1.) Heat up some olive oil in a saucepan. Cut up the leeks and pepper and put them in the saucepan until they brown off. (If you want, you can put in any veggies you like! These were just the ones Elliot and I had in the cupboard.) 

2.) Add the sauce and stir through gently, making sure you cover all the vegetables evenly. 

3.) Add salt and black pepper to taste and let the mixture simmer for about 5-10 minutes. You can use this time to put your rice packets in the microwave. We chose pilau (mine) and mushroom rice (Elliot's). 

4.) After the rice and sauce are both ready, mix them together in bowls. Add cheese, stir through and enjoy! 

(Here's a cute picture of my darling chef Elliot) 

Thanks for reading, 

Jx