Power mad.

Why, oh why do Tesco think it's OK to tell people which till to use?

Seriously, in the past week, I've heard from quite a few people that they can't be bothered shopping there anymore because of the hassle they get. For example, my Mam and Grandma were both shopping there this week and told me that they were queuing for a normal till when a Tesco person came over and asked my mam to use the self-service tills. This is not the first time this has happened. Now, the thing you should know about my mam is that she likes to receive service in shops (especially when shopping at the most expensive supermarket around and therefore paying for the pleasure) so she found this totally ludicrous. Especially as they make you scan your own clubcard and take your own receipt. Her other major hatred of this concept is that it renders the till staff useless and we don't really want to be making more people redundant in the current climate, do we?

Needless to say, she told the woman she would be doing no such thing and I think that more people should do the same! There are loads of ways we can complain whther that be through their little receipt questionnaire or to the people in store. It's just important that we do actually say something rather than just mutter under our breath or whinge to friends and family as that's no way to get things resolved. Join my mam and let Tesco know that enough is enough, their greed needs to stop here. The customers should not be doing peoples jobs for them!

New job!

I have a new job. Start on Monday actually. The long and the short of it is I'm self employed. In the current climate, that's not a very lucrative position to be in for most people so I've been forced to take on other work. That's not a bad thing really, as I'll have more money (which can only be a good thing when saving for a house and a wedding) and I'll also have COLLEAGUES.

The only negative side to my line of work is how lonely it is. Therefore after 2 and a half years, it will be nice to have people to joke about with during working hours and even a Christmas do!

Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes x

Warm Martinis - My new addiction!

Last week my friend and I went to London (there's a post on the way about our antics) and part of our 48 hours of girly genius. In a nutshell, I made the greatest discovery of all time...WARM MARTINIS!!! This was at The Ice Bar in London. Well the below zero bit anyways. It's all run by Absolut vodka (yummy) and the whole experience was ace.

I had Apple and Blackberry Pie flavour and it was hands down the nicest thing I've ever had to drink! Fabulous. Every mouth should have one...at least one anyways! I'm currently working on a bar manager friend to try something similar :)

Fancy a Dinner Date?

I have a new guilty pleasure...Dinner Date (ITV 1, 12:30pm).  The beauty of working from home means I can indulge in such fabulous and trashy programmes whilst enjoying my lunch  - HURRAY!

Never seen it before? Basically it's Come Dine With Me meets Blind Date. The guy or gal  is presented with 5 menus at the start of the show and has to pick based only on the food choices in front of him. He/She picks 3 blind dates and goes to each person's house to enjoy a dinner date! There's awkward flirting, disparaging asides and plenty of culinary disasters. It's just total car crash television and I LOVE it! My favourite bit is when you see the person at the beginning and to decide whether I like them or not. Based on whether I give them thumbs up or thumbs down, depends on how much I'm desperate for them to get a nice or horrible date. Mwahahahaha.

Definitely one to watch if you haven't seen it already and love a bit of trash - don't we all?

INCEPTION

The other day my fiance and I went to see Inception. I didn't know what it was about or anything but I fancied a trip to the cinema! Before I went, a friend who had already seen the film gave me two pieces of advice:

1. Don't need the toilet or you will miss something important, everything  in that film is important.
2. CONCENTRATE!

So I went along, wondering all the time if I was in a sensible enough mood to deal with the brain power this film would require of me. Here's a summary by Warner Bros:

"Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming."

 
Without ruining it, I will tell you that Inception is a fabulous film with a fabulous cast. I would describe it as The Matrix meets What Dreams May Come. A very clever concept indeed, and you need to wonder how such a weird and wonderful idea would begin in director, Christopher Nolan's mind. Leonardo DiCaprio is, as always, incredible. I'm just pleased that the wider public are seeing him for the talent he is, rather than just being a pretty face. Inception also stars Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page and Britain's very own Tom Hardy to name just a few of the well known cast members.

Take a few hours to yourself to see it before it leaves the cinema, it's definitely one to make time for!

New Voices in Food!

The first thing that struck me about Alice's Cook Book was the gorgeous cover work on the book. This alone was enough to make me want to see what this book had to offer and having read about Alice, it's very representative of her personality and great loves - cooking and camping! The book has images that will make you salivate and rushing to get cooking them up.

I was excited by the culinary adventure this book was offering for a multitude of different reasons. One because I noticed it was part of the 'New Voices In Food' series and to be quite honest, I've been waiting for something a little different. I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE cookery books, but nothing will spark my interest more than new talent and Alice Hart did not disappoint.

The book is set out into sections so that when you're looking for something for breakfast or picnic food ideas, you know exactly where to look. The layout is easy to read, the recipes are easy to understand and the tone of the book is warm and friendly...exactly how I'd expect Alice to be!

I recently attempted the brownie recipe (page 182) and they went down a storm. They can be made in the time people might take to go and choose a Sara Lee out of the freezer in the supermarket and taste one hundred percent more tasty! Alice even suggests the use of other chocolate types if you're not a dark chocolate kind of group which for people who aren't very confident in trying to change an element of a recipe is a godsend. As someone who went through Home Economics in the '90's when restaurant design was deemed more important than survival skills, this book was great and not complicated to use at all. Good honest, easy-to-follow recipes for people like me in their 20's/30's who weren't given the option to learn a life skill at school. Having said that, her recipes would be great for anyone of any age as they are fuss free and delicious!

This book is definitely one everyone should have in their kitchen cupboard for impressive but easy ideas!

The Waiting Room

In any other circumstances, the words 'The Waiting Room' would make me shudder and think of bad and uncomfortable things. But in the sense of this fabulous restaurant, quite the opposite is true. In fact, it's one of my most favourite places to be in the world, and definitely my most favourite eating place!

I've been eating at The Waiting Room since I was 15 (so roughly 11 years) and we went for my vegetarian friend's 16th so she would have more than one option to choose from on a menu. From that night in June 1999, I was HOOKED. The dishes are amazing, the portions are generous and the service is friendly and prompt. If you're a meat eater like me, don't let the fact that it's a vegetarian restaurant put you off. You won't even notice.

The front part as you can see, is welcoming and homely and the decor is very eclectic. There is also a back area which is a conservatory which you can dine in and where events are set. Sundays usually are the setting for 'Waiting For Sunday' which features lots of different arts and music acts.

I could wax lyrical for hours about the merits of this place but I won't as the website can tell you much more. There are recipes and pictures and lots of lovely things there to further your interest. But take my word for it, you will not regret it if you do take the time to visit.

P.S. The Ice Cream and Butterscotch is to die for!