The Botanist - Reading, Berkshire {restaurant review}

If you live in Reading and haven't heard of The Botanist opening up soon you are probably away on holiday or something. They are every where on social media at the moment. I was invited to check it out before it opens.

It's been 7 odd years since I have been in the old Barclay's building. A time when on every Thursday morning if you were to walk in the floor was covered in boxes and boxes of books. Free books, needless to say I was a frequent visitor. So, I can say with all authority that they have transformed the building and it is beautiful inside! 

Before we were seated we went to the bar and had a look through extensive list of cocktails; some of them classics with a Botanist twist and some original concoctions. We decided to try their signature cocktail: The Botanist - Ketel One Vodka, rum, and elderflower liqueur. It was refreshing, perfect for the warm summer night, and a great way to start the evening! If you aren't a cocktail drinker do not fear for they had a lovely list of wines and an Anthology of Ales to choose from! 

Throughout the night we also tried their homemade lemonade, perfect combination of sweet and tart, the strawberry and elderflower bellini and the raspberry Amaretto sour all perfectly mixed and delicious! 

The atmosphere was relaxed with the hum of conversation and live music. We were seated and were given time to peruse the menu with a lot of amazing choices! We didn't know where to start, but finally decided to start with the basket of piri piri chicken wings and the homemade scotch egg which was amazing! For our mains we both went with their famous hanging kebabs, it was a lot of fun drizzling the sauce down them from the top and we finished the night with desserts toffee pudding and the baked chocolate chip cookie dough! 

Overall the atmosphere and decor were great, the cocktails were great, and the food was amazing. My friend and I had a great night catching up and had a great experience! The doors will be opening soon and I definitely will be visiting again! 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a three course meal for two at The Botanist in Reading here! T&C's apply!! 

Opening this June! 

THE BOTANIST

1-5 KING STREET

READING

RG1 2HD

*I was invited by the PR for The Botanist to visit and check it out, I was not compensated in a monetary way for my review, all opinions are my own, please see my contact/policy page above for more information. 

Cake. Crumb Cake {an international cake of mystery}

The question everyone is asking is what is a crumb cake? Well, it's a cake with crumbs on top. Mystery solved. Well, I suppose not 100% solved as the next question is - is it any good? and the answer is yes. Yes, it is an amazing cake!

I was craving cinnamon the other day. Yup, not really sure where it came from, but I thought I wonder what that means if I'm craving cinnamon and according to the internet it means that I am going to die.

I know an over done joke, but it did say that craving cinnamon might be a sign that my body needs help regulating insulin and then further said it might be a sign of bigger health problems like diabetes and/or liver or kidney failure. Nothing to really joke about, but kind of feel this was a one off thing. I suppose if I start craving cinnamon on a regular basis I will pay a bit of attention.

It's not one of those things you can just eat. Cinnamon is best in baked in cake or cookies. It's a fact. Not that it's good if my body is trying to regulate insulin..... anyway!

Now, this crumb cake isn't the most cinnamon-y baked good out there, but it served it's purpose and fulfilled my craving of cinnamon. Now I have practically a whole cake left... I am sure I can find people to help me eat it!

As you aren't close by to have a slice here is how you can make it at home! Thanks to the boys at Outsider Tart... I've made very little changes to their recipe, but I did things the way I know how to do them.

Crumb Cake

crumb
225g unsalted butter, melted
380g plain flour
225g dark brown sugar
115g light brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a free standing mixer and using the paddle attachment beat until they form crumbs of all sizes. Don't over beat; it makes the crumbs tough. Set aside.

cake
525g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
225g unsalted butter, softened
340g caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
340g natural yogurt

Heat the oven to 180C and line a tray bake tin (30x23cm) with grease proof or baking paper. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda, and salt. Leave to the side while you beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. I tend to beat the eggs in with a whisk as it gives it a less chance of separating the batter. Fold in the vanilla. Pour in a third of the flour and beat until just combined, follow with half the yogurt again beat until just combined. Follow with flour, yogurt, and last the rest of the flour. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread flat and fill in the corners before sprinkling half the crumb topping on top and gently press down into the batter before sprinkling the rest on top.
Bake for 45-60 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Towards the last few minutes place foil over the top to stop the crumbs from getting too dark and over cooked.
Use a skewer to test if the cake is done.
Cool in the tin before eating.

last notes: As mentioned this recipe was adapted from Baked in America by the David's at Outsider Tart! But in no way sponsored by them please see my contact/policy tab above! I got to meet them once I wrote about it here and if you ever want to know what it's like at their baker then check out this post! My friend made this cake too and shared it here!

Nostalgic Delights by William Curley {a book review}

I am an American, as it says in my blog tag line, so one could argue that some of these treats aren't necessarily nostalgic to me, but that's not so. I believe that I have lived here long enough now to have a history with some of the sweet treats in this book.

There was this time, in the early days of me living here, that I was craving chocolate. Just a solid bar. I didn't want any nuts or nougat or cereal or raisins or anything just one solid bar of chocolate. I was recommended a Yorkie, as they are the solidest solid bar of chocolate out there. I went to the till to pay and the guy says to me "Yorkies aren't for birds." I stared at him and asked why anyone would feed chocolate to a bird?

Yeah in this country birds are women. Oh and it was a marketing thing and it said right on the wrapper that they weren't for birds. Anyway, Mr Curley knows his stuff. I have his Patisserie book and it's amazing and this book is amazing.

It's broken down into 7 sections starting with Chocolate Confectionery followed by Bakery Favourites, Patisserie Modern Classics, Ice Cream & Gateau, Afternoon Treats, Frivolities, and basic recipes that you will need for the recipes in the rest of the chapters.

The instructions for each recipe is very precise and clear. It's like the most interesting text book I have ever read in my life. It's also beautifully photographed. There are some recipes that show you in pictures what each step should look like and with a book like this it is great to have that information.

There are so many recipes I'd like to try out! There isn't one for a Yorkie specifically, but there are recipes for other great chocolate bars! Here is a condensed list of recipes I'd like to try!!

Okay before I list the recipes I want to try there is a recipe for Hazelnut Rochers. It's not included in my list because I don't like them, but I know a lot of people do and if you ever wanted to make your own there is a recipe in this book! Just so you know! Now back to the list.

Alpine Chocolates (inspired by Toblerone)
Cartwheel (Wagonwheel)
Walnut Whip
Matcha & Yuzu Teacakes
Cinder Toffee
Caramel Bar
Chocolate Mint Bar
Fudge Bar
Peanut Nougat Bar (Snickers/Marathon)
Curly Wurly
Chocolate Cherry Bakewells
Jam Tarts
Custard Tart
Eccles Cakes
Eclairs
Bee Sting
Fudge Doughnuts
Tropical Snowball (based off of a patisserie marshmallow confection in Scotland)
Black Forest Gateau
Moka (gateau)
Jaffa Cake Tarts
Bounty Ice Cream Bar
Pecan & Banana Cake
Empire Biscuits
Viennese Whirls
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Hob Nobs
Nougat
Marshmallows
Pate De Fruits (Fruit Pastilles)
Whiskey Tablet

That was a lot longer then anticipated! Not sure when I will find the time to make all those things, will need to shorten the list.....

There is so much in here for keen bakers and those who like to experiment in the kitchen! If you have either of those people in your life this book would make an amazing gift!!

last notes: I was given a copy of Nostalgic Delights: Classic Confections & Timeless Treats by William Curly to review by the publisher, jacqui small. Retails at £25.99 and available now from your local book retailers or online! All opinions are my own, I was not given any other compensation nor was I asked to give a positive review, please see my contact/policy page for more information.

Want a closer look inside? Here is a short video I made as I looked through the book....

 

Baking Lately - the adventures and happenings at United Cakedom

I wouldn't say I loved my job at Sainsbury's, as an online shopper, but I didn't hate it either. I loved being a witness to the sun rising and to scenes like the one above. I loved having my whole day ahead of me, but most of all I loved my co-workers. It was a comfortable environment and we were a great team of people. The only thing that made me want to change my job is that I was tired of dragging myself out of bed at 3:30am for a 4pm start. Picture below was taken on my last day and you can see how tired I am. 

I have found another part time job that suits my lifestyle better. It's just another change in a year of changes. I am looking forward to a new challenge, but sad about leaving behind two years of essentially some really great friendships. There are a handful of people I will be keeping in touch with, and the rest well let's just say thank goodness for Facebook!

One of things I did before I left is bake this Coffee and Walnut Cake for a charity bake sale going to BIBS, the local charity that our branch is currently supporting. Recipe can be found in Nigella's Kitchen on online here! 

I was told it was big hit and I got pictures of people eating it and the empty plate! The bake sale it's self was a big hit and it raised money for a great cause! BIBS (Babies in Buscot Support) is a registered charity that supports babies and their families in the special care baby unit (Buscot Ward) at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. 

This cake is one of many things I have baked lately, but haven't shared with you all! A lot of what I have been baking is stuff I not only have baked before, but also blogged. Here are a few of the things I've been Baking Lately: 

Strawberry & Cream Muffins 

Banana Bread 

(I haven't actually blogged this, but the recipe comes from the hummingbird bakery cookbook.) 

Muesli Flapjacks

So, that's a quick update on what I've been up to lately! I am still baking, but not as frequently nor as experimental as I used to be. I have also been a terrible baking supporter and have missed most of the Great British Bake Off this year. Think I will spend the rest of my Sunday trying to catch up with it as it is the semi-finals this week! 

It is my hope that once I've settled into my new job and I get a new routine set I will have more time to not only bake, but blog and get back into the blogging world! I have missed it as I have been dealing with real life stuff. 

I was all ready to get my Jamberry business off the ground and running and I've literally done nothing in regards to running it as a business, but I am still buying and using them! My latest manicure is called Ribbon Dance and I'm very pleased with it! 

United Jamdom

A link to my sight if you want to check them out! 

There are a lot of new styles for Autumn/Winter! 

Thanks for reading! Do you have a favorite cake or cookie or pastry or bread and so on recipe that you bake over and over again? Leave a comment below I would love to know! 

notes: This post has not been sponsored in any shape or form by any of above mentioned people/places/things! Please see my contact/policy page above for more information! 

Cafe London: Brunch, Lunch, Coffee, and Afternoon Tea (book review)

Ask and you shall receive. In my book review of Eat Like a Londoner last October I said it would have been better if there were more bakeries and similar places mentioned. Well, this book covers those bakeries and similar places; those places where you can get a good cup of coffee or enjoy a great afternoon tea and even some really off the wall places that you could only find in London!

In 2015 London had a population of 8.674 million people and there are hundreds if not thousands of cafe's in and around London to cater to the caffeine boost everyone needs on a daily basis. Cafe London gives us 100 of the best places to find not only coffee but, a great place to get brunch or lunch! It also tells us the best places to book in for an infamous afternoon tea or where you should go to satisfy a sweet tooth with some of the best bakeries in the city!

Not only are we told about the food, but we are also told of the ambience and decor of the places and if the gorgeous pictures are anything to go by these places are absolutely stunning each in their own way.

The addresses of each cafe is provided along with websites and any other information that might be important. At the end of each chapter we are given "seven more" places to check out! The index is broken down into London districts and it includes maps with the cafe's pinpointed! Our editor thought of everything!

If one lives in London or they are planning a day trip I would consult this book for the best places to grab a quick bite or treat!

Chapter Breakdown: 

Brunch - It's a very American thing to have brunch, a sort of meal that is eaten early morning. A meal that isn't quite breakfast but, isn't lunch either. The Counter Cafe, a converted warehouse, is said not only to serve a great brunch, but roasts it's on coffee on site! You can take a bag home with you after enjoying a great cuppa! Sounds like my kind of place!

Lunch - Sometimes lunch can be over looked, by that I mean it's the meal that gets rushed because of time. Instead of grabbing an awful pre-packaged sandwich or salad any of the places listed in this chapter would be a great alternative! The cafe I'd like to visit is the J+A Cafe mainly because the location, tucked away down an alley way run by two sisters who insist on sourcing great ingredients!

Coffee - What can I say I'd visit every place listed here as I love a good cup of coffee! I also like trying new and different types of coffee! Coffee isn't for everyone, but don't rule these places out as the majority of them sell more then coffee! They provide food too!

Cakes & Bakes - I have heard and visited several of these places listed and there are so many more I have never heard of and need to remedy the fact that I haven't visited!! I can recommend Konditor & Cook for their Curly Wurly cake that I tried a few months back for the fist time. I have wanted to visit Violet Cakes and Lily Vanilli for ages now, thinking I am due a trip to London to do just that!

Afternoon Tea - When you think of London and of England you think of afternoon tea and this chapter gives you the best places to visit for a great afternoon tea! Of course the majority of the places need to be pre-booked so make sure you plan a visit to these places! I think I need to book myself into Sketch mainly because it's described as making "you feel like you're dining in a giant fondant fancy."

Culture, Shop, Tea Break - the best cafes found in museums, galleries, and shops! As much as I love a good baked good I also love a good book so my first stop would be the London Review Cake Shop it's connected to the London Review Book Shop.

Unusual & Alfresco - This chapter is split into two, first listing all the unusual places to go like the Cereal Killer Cafe that serves all varieties of cereal and Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium where cats wonder around freely. You're not allowed to cuddle the cats, but you can pet one if and only if it comes up to you. Then there is a short list of places that have outside seating! The Lido Cafe even has a pool and is described as South Beach in south London!

Overall this is a great little book for those who love food, coffee, cake, and most of all London! 

notes: Cafe London by Nicky Evans, Pippa Bailey, Andy Hill, and Nicola Tup Edited by Zena Alkayat and Photographs by Km Lightbody (SRP-UK £9.99 US $14.99 Canada $17.99) was given to me to review by the publishers Frances Lincoln - Quatro, no other compensation was given - all opinions are my own, for more information please see my contact/policy page above.

My New Adventure with Jamberry Nail Wraps UK

I'm about to embark on a new adventure. I have slowly been adding more lifestyle things to my blog like days out and beauty tips/products and stuff. This will probably be a one off post about this as it's a separate thing, but as is this is my longest running space in the world wide web I wanted to share it!

For the last couple of years I have been seeing my friends back home post pictures of their fun manicures. Manicures of nail wraps that go by the name of Jamberry. My sister even bought some for my nieces and they are super cute and I totally wanted some! Unless my friends sent some to me I didn't have anyone to buy them off of here.

That all changed when I started to see things on Instagram and Facebook about Jamberry launching in the UK! I started reading up on it and how I could get involved. I then sent out for my free sample and joined some great Facebook groups before deciding on becoming a prospective consultant myself!

In the past I have always been skeptical of these sorts of selling schemes, because they seem to be too good to be true. But with minimal commitment it's for me to make what I want out of it! There is a minimal yearly target not a monthly one, which allows me the freedom to space it out as I choose fitting it around my life more easily.

Before I got involved I needed to know and understand how it all worked and was relived to know it did not function as a pyramid scheme. Instead it uses a multi-level marketing business model. Which in a nut shell means it focuses on selling the product aka nail wraps, not on recruiting more sales people. However, that doesn't mean you can't recruit people to sell under you. In this type of business model if you want to progress or get promoted so to speak you need to recruit new people.

Saying that if this post has inspired you to become a consultant please don't hesitate to contact me!

You can contact me by 

or by email lisa.smoothjam@gmail.com

on Facebook,
Instagram,

or on Twitter

On to the product! The nail wraps are really easy to use and are applied with tools you probably already have in your house. All you need is alcohol wipes/liquid, nail scissors, cuticle pusher/orange stick, nail file, and hair dryer/mini heater. They last up to two weeks, are vegan friendly, and come in 300 different colors, patterns, and styles! At £15 a sheet and the 4 for the price of 3 offer you can't go wrong! Each sheet will give you 2 manicures and 2 pedicure - that's a pretty good deal!

I made a wish list that is way too long to share in full on here, but here are my top 12 I can't wait to get my hands on! Make your own wish list on the website linked below and see what sort of patterns and styles there are!!

Don't worry my blog isn't going to turn into a Jamberry sales point! It's a one off post telling you about my new adventure! Although I might have an occasional update, but if you'd like to know more follow any of the links above where there is a wealth of more information! If you'd like to make an order be sure to follow the link to my page here!

notes: All opinions are my own - I wrote it to promote myself and is in no way associated directly with Jamberry. This article is very useful when it comes to telling the difference between Multi-level Marketing and Pyramid schemes. Visit the official Jamberry website for more information. All the images are mine or branded images I'm allowed to use for promotional purposes.

20 Top Tips and Things to Do & See When in London

After spending a day in London as a tourist there was a lot of little things I wanted to add into that post, but it was starting to get a bit long. Since I have moved to the UK I have visited London several times for various reasons and there are things I have learned and experienced that I feel like I can write an informed post of tips, tricks, and other things to see/do there.

There isn't any order to these just things I started to type up as I thought of them during the writing of my London tourist post. If you have anything to add please leave a comment below! I'm always looking for little things that make exploring and experiencing a city easier and more efficient!

Enough rambling here is ....

1. Book tickets a head of time for shows and things you want to see. 
2. Spend one day getting lost. (If you have more then one day.)
3. See the city from above as well as below (Sky Garden (free) or London Eye (not free) or The Gherkin (not sure))
4. Bring a waterproof jacket/coat with a hood. No one really wants to be messing around with an umbrella, the wind usually breaks them anyway. Waterproof bags are also useful. One that folds up in your bag is useful now that all plastic bags cost 5p. Summers can be warm, bring sun screen! 
5. Walk - a lot of the famous touristy things to see are within walking distance of each other. 
6. A comfy pair of shoes and 
7. Comfy socks, with an extra pair in your bag in case you step in a puddle. 
8. Keep a water bottle with you. 
9. General tip for eating out - ask for tap water it's free. 
10. There are some great restaurants in London, but if you happen to grab a McDonald's because of time and convenience don't beat yourself up over it. 
11. Bag - roomy without being too big, preferably one that goes across your body for safety and saves you from losing it. Or a backpack that can be secured in front. 
12. Museums are free - donate odd change if you have any to keep them free! 
13. Some (not all) toilets cost 20p so keep some change on you in case of an emergency. 
14. Research - before you leave have a look at what’s going on. Different seasons have different events. e.g. Natural History Museum has an ice skating rink in the winter. 
15. See a show in the West End. 
16. Ride the tube - let it take you where you want to go or where you hadn’t expected!
17. Check out Big Ben - he’s a bell inside a clock, but he’s cool. 
18. Oyster Card, it’s the cheapest and easiest way to get around London. Don’t be scared of the underground, it’s super easy once you get the hang of it! Like I said let it take you where you need to go! 
19. Tips on Souvenirs - books and guide books will add weight, take down the isbn number and order the book once you get home - from experience you will never look at the guidebook again and no one back home wants to see it. Might sound harsh, but true. Find something small and inexpensive like magnets/postcards/mugs/possible t-shirt or something useful like a rain coat!
20. If traveling in a group if possible take a day to yourself to do what you want to do!

Boswell & Co. - Oxford's Department Store Visit {Tea Room} closed in 2020

Boswell’s is one of the oldest department stores in England having been established in 1738. It outdates Harrods, the most famous of department stores! They have recently re-opened there tea room and had invited me to their re-opening event. However, I was unable to attend due to conflicting schedules. Of course I was upset I wasn’t going to be able to make it and luckily they allowed me to arrange a date that was suitable for me!

Having spent some time in Oxford in my college days I know the place pretty well, but honestly had never been in Boswell’s. It’s right in the middle of the high street, but if you didn’t know it was there you wouldn’t know it was there. It’s very deceiving from the outside.

Because it is huge inside! With four floors of pretty much anything and everything you can imagine! There is a pharmacy, toys, bath and beauty, kitchen and of course a tea room! Which is why I was there! It’s newly refurbished and looks great!

All the staff were lovely and helpful when we asked questions in the different departments. However, the Tea Room staff were really sweet and lovely to have a chat with. We had a debate on if I should go with a slice of cake or the cinnamon roll. If the pictures below didn't give it away I decided against a cake and went for a huge cinnamon roll. It was way better then chain coffee shop cinnamon rolls.

My friend who came with me had a slice of the Coffee and Walnut Cake which I did have a bite of, of course! The frosting was so good! It was a light fluffy espresso buttercream and it suited the soft walnut sponge perfectly.

On my next visit I will be trying the Blueberry and Elderflower cake for sure! It looked so good! The coffees were good too, I went for a mocha that was exactly what I would expect a mocha to be.

After we finished our tea and cake we had a wonder around the store and of course ended up in the kitchen and dining floor. We were there for about an hour just looking around! We both bought new paring knifes and a few other essential bits and pieces.

Boswell’s is one of those places you could get lost in with so much to look at. If you find yourself in Oxford it is worth a stop!

Boswell & Co
1-4 Broad St
Oxford
OX1 3AG

notes: I was invited by Boswell’s to visit the Tea Room with a complimentary tea/coffee and cake. No other compensation was given - all opinions are my own, for more information please see my contact/policy page in the tabs above.