Christmas | Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire

When we think of Chirstmas, everyone has certain things that spring to mind. Mine are presents, decorations and most importantly, food. Ever since I can remember me and my family have visited Doddington Hall during the run up to Christmas.

With a cosy cafe and restaurant, a farm shop full of everything you could ever need, a country clothes and interiors shop and my favourite part, The Bauble Barn, Doddington Hall can't be beaten.

The Bauble Barn sells everything from lights to wreaths, from baubles to trees. It is jam packed with festive decorations in every colour you can imagine.

Doddington Hall offers a seriously satisfying collection of country clothing brands, including Barbour, Aigle, Gant, Musto and so many more!

 Adjoining to the clothes shop is India Jane interiors. If you're into interiors this place is heaven. There's something for everyone. They stock some really unique pieces that would make your house feel like home.

The farm shop at Doddington Hall is really something, award winning in fact. Every time you go back you'll find something different. You'll find local brands and products made on the farm, the bakery, deli and grocery. Everything you could ever need for every occasion.

Also in the farm shop is a selection of gifts that you'll probably just want to buy for yourself, because who doesn't deserve a treat after a hard day of looking round the farm shop and buying presents?

Not just for Christmas, Doddington Hall farm shop is a treat all year round. What can beat local produce and quality food?

Eat With Me | BBQ Chicken Flatbread and Veg

So as students go, we like things which are quick, easy and most importantly, cheap.

I think this possibly the cheapest meal I've made that has actually filled me up (filling me is a pretty hard job though..)

I found wholemeal flat breads in Sainsbury's for less than £1 for a pack of about 8. I bought some BBQ chicken pieces in my weekly shop and had some salad and veg left over.

First chop up your cucumber (if you want it) and put it to one side.

Fill a saucepan big enough for your veg with boiling water, put it on the hob and when the water is boiling put your veg in. I just used broccoli and green beans
because it's what I had in but you can use whatever you fancy.

Grill your flat bread until it looks how it should do to you, some people will want it more grilled than others, so its a personal preference. Once you've got it perfect for you, put it on your plate and drizzle some BBQ sauce over it. If you don't like BBQ sauce, just use another, this isn't a BBQ exclusive dish..

Put your salad onto the flat bread and then arrange your chicken over the top of that.

Once your veg is done, arrange that as you please and then you're literally done. If you're reaally hungry then you could make 2 or add some rice or chips.

Eating in London | Le Pain Quotidien, Covent Garden

After a rushed morning exploring London, me and my sister were SO ready for some quality food. After searching for somewhere that looked like our kind of place we stumbled across Le Pain Quotidien in Covent Garden. They pride themselves on their bread being made only of 4 key ingredients and their food being ethically sourced with traditional simplicity inside. Le Pain Quotidien literally translates to 'the daily bread' - and the bread of this day was amaaaazing.

Expecting a considerable wait, we were pleasantly surprised when we were seated almost immediately. Absolutely parched I ordered an iced coffee (of course) and baked egg with chorizo and soda bread.

I'm a sucker for a perfect egg, I was not disappointed. The chorizo was gorgeous too and of course I dipped my bread into the yolk...

I am also a sucker for good presentation, and HOW CUTE ARE THESE TINY LITTLE PANS.

As iced coffee's go, this was perfect.. Although that could have something to do with the trek around London that morning. This little place is a perfect way to sit and observe the hustle of Covent Garden and eat something tasty to fuel your day.

I would highly recommend Le Pain Quotidien and would love to try some of their other dishes. You'll find these adorable little places dotted around London and Kildare and you'd be missing out if you didn't give it a try!

Eat With Me | Turkey, Sweet Potato Mash and Green Beans

It will become increasingly obvious to you as time goes on that I am a massive lover of food. Cooking it, eating it, ordering it, thinking about it.... 

As a result of this fact, I've decided to write a series of posts containing meals I've cooked at home, on my student budget that are healthy... ish... usually.

So to start us off... 

Turkey, Sweet Potato Mash and Green Beans

This one is literally so easy. You can swap the turkey for your preferred meat and the beans for whatever veg you fancy.

First, peel your sweet potato and chop it up into chunks. 

Once you've done that, get 2 saucepans, one slightly bigger than the other for the potato, fill them with water and put them on the hob and wait for the water to bubble. Pop in your sweet potato to the larger one.

I use a grill pan for my turkey, but you could also fry or grill it on the grill. After you've chopped up your turkey (or not) to your preferred size, start it cooking. 

Keep testing your potatoes (shove a knife into one piece) and when they're nearly done (they'll be almost soft) put your green beans into the pan. 

Once your potatoes are done, drain them and then pop them back into the pan & mash them. Be sure to make sure your turkey isn't over cooking. If it is, just pop it on a lower heat or if it's done, turn the heat off and keep it in the pan until you're ready to plate up. 

By this time, your veg should be done. Drain that too and arrange the mash and veg on your plate. Take your turkey and pop it on your plate too.

If you felt like some sauce with this, obviously whack that on too. Sweet potatoes are my favourite 'good carb' and so cheap!! The green beans were on offer so that's why I chose them, so I'd probably say just buy whatever veg you fancy or what's on offer. Turkey is a cheaper meat than chicken and contains less fat.. If you're fussed about that.

Let me know what you thought about this post, or what kind of meals you'd like to see on this series of posts!

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