Trip to Belfast 2015

Day 1

Victoria Square and Walking Around

Day 2

Brunch, Queens, Botanic Gardens, Museum

Day 3

Big Fish, Aunt Sandra's Candy Factory, Belfast Giants Game

Day 4

Shopping

I am currently in a new relationship (we've been together nearly 3 months now), and after showing him the excitement that is Blunham (a tiny little village with nothing in it, and miles from anything at all), he wanted to show my his home town; Belfast.

Highlights include:

Harlem Food and Wine - if you find yourself in Belfast city centre, this cafe/restaurant is amazing! A little pricey, and it was pretty hectic when we went. But, the food is amazing! The chips are literally to die for, and my chicken Caesar wrap was super nommy!

Belfast Botanic Gardens - I love Botanic Gardens, not living far from Cambridge, I've visited their one on numerous occasions. Although Belfast's is significantly smaller, it's free, and there are still some great photos to be taken!

Aunt Sandra's Candy Factory - Ok, after we got there we discovered the average age of attendees were 7... but it was still good fun! There's a man with the strongest Belfast accent telling you he's Willy Wonka's Cousin, telling you his story. Before demonstrating how to make bubblegum sweets and candy floss (which you get to eat!)!

Belfast Giants - Although I had no idea what the rules were, and for the large majority of the match couldn't work out why people were being fouled.. it was great! The atmosphere is amazing! They give out free food, and have silly competitions during the intervals, you get your selfies up on the big screen, and you sit with all the local Belfast supporters to watch one of the most popular Ice Hockey teams play! 

Shopping! - I guess you can theoretically go shopping anywhere... and although that may be the case, shopping in Belfast is really nice! Victoria Square is the main shopping centre, with nearly every shop you could need, in a nice, modern, clean space. And if you go to the top floor (which we did on the first day), you get a great view of the city centre!

Top Ten Tuesdays: Favourite Foods

1. Ice Cream - need I say more...?! 

2. Macaroni Cheese - this is just comfort food at its best. I love pasta and I love cheese..sooo

3. Pizza - thick crust, triple cheese, nom!

4. Roast Chicken - roast dinners at my house are a weekly thing on a Sunday evening, and although I love roast dinners as a whole, roast chicken it my favourite, because not only do I love chicken, I also love chicken gravy!

5. Chocolate - I don't think diamonds are a girls best friend, I think it's chocolate, I mean it cheers me up when I'm down.

7. Cucumber - starting to get healthier now. I've grown up next to a nursery that grows cucumbers, and when we used to go round there as kids they would give us the ones that didn't fix in the boxes and I would sit there and just eat the whole thing.

8. Red Grapes - I can't buy a punnet and not eat the whole thing. Seriously, I think it's a problem, a real problem...

9. Toast - with butter and marmalade, my boyfriend eats like 7 slices of toast each morning, so I think he's more obsessed than I am, but still.

10. Tomato and Cheese Pasta Bake - I ate this all the time in my first year of university, buying the ASDA own brand jar and literally adding it to cooked pasta. Nom. It was filling, and tasty, and hot and... god I miss it now I'm home.

Chocolate Brownie Fudge Recipe

I've recently discovered this recipe, as I made it for my dad for Father's Day (as he is completely obsessed with fudge and stodgy, chocolatey, sweet puddings). It's absolutely delicious and really easy to make, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Ingredients:

4oz Chocolate (chopped)

10oz Unsalted Butter (cut into pieces)

8oz Granulated Sugar

6oz Brown Sugar

3 Large Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

8oz Plain Flour

2oz Cocoa Powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350DegF or 180DegC and grease a 12-square brownie pan or 8-inch square pan.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat, keep stirring until it's melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the granulated and brown sugar into the mixture. Then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla essence. Stir in the flour and cocoa powder until evenly combined.
3. Put mixture into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top of the brownie loses its shine. 
4. Cool the brownies for about an hour before removing from the tin (allowing the brownie to set), then slice and serve.

My brownies kept for 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge, and I found leaving them in the fridge for a day actually improved them. But I thought they were delicious, and a perfect cheeky treat.