Deliveroo Breakfast Review

I've always assumed that one of the Top Five Things about being a Princess is having breakfast delivered to your bed every single day. Thanks to my penchant for singing for no reason, I've also suspected that, if I ever became a princess I'd be a Disney one. Both points were confirmed yesterday morning when a flock of cheery Deliveroo birds* arrived carrying breakfast!!! OMG I KNOW, RIGHT?!

It wasn't a complete surprise, given that Deliveroo's new Pretend To Be A Princess BREAKFAST DELIVERY SERVICE (I'll wait a minute to let that sink in... *counts to sixty elephants*) lets you order the night before. Which is not only genius, but also the reason I spent 45 minutes drooling over their new breakfast restaurant partners' menus on Friday night trying to choose between a smoothie or a huge stack of pancakes. I mean, who was I trying to kid?!

This resulted in a flock of early birds arriving outside my front door at 9.30am (right on time) carrying a bag of piping hot deliciousness from the lovely folks at LangeLee's:

Roy and Susie were incredibly helpful, but Lucy was too busy trying to get at the maple syrup...

My co-breakfaster and I opted for Langlee's homemade pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup, and the veggie version of their veggie/vegan "Brighton" fry-up (which includes a fried egg). We added a couple of fresh juices to make me feel better about swerving the healthy smoothie option... and then I noticed that Langlee's breakfast menu includes "Homemade Peppermint Crisp Millionaire Shortbread". Well, who am I to argue with a chef on what is considered suitable breakfast fare?! 

Gary kept trying to get at the tinfoil-wrapped toast every time my back was turned... 

The birds decided to hang around and help us unpack each of the goody-filled boxes;the best kind of unpacking. My only criticism (aside from Bob's useless unpacking skills- it's as if he doesn't have thumbs!) was that the millionaire shortbread and packet of butter had been put in the bag with the hot food, so they were a little, err, melty... The silver lining was that this made the butter easier to spread, and a few minutes in the fridge sorted the cake out in the end.

The pancakes were really light and fluffy, and there was a seriously generous portion of fruit; much more than I'd expected! The berries made me feel almost virtuous, despite consuming approximately a gallon and a half of maple syrup. 

The fry-up was full of the (veggie) classics; cooked tomatoes, wonderfully garlicky mushrooms, and a hash brown, plus some really tasty wilted baby spinach and quite possibly the best vegan sausage I've ever had. 

Obviously, if you wanted to make it look fancier, you could plate everything up properly for a seriously glamorous breakfast-in-bed scenario. Or, if you happen to hate washing up (and your Princess Experience doesn't come with a washing-up fairy) the tubs are good enough to eat out of! 

The cherry on top of the (pan)cake was remembering midway through the afternoon that I still had a slab of millionaire shortbread in the fridge. And, my oh my, was it good. Breakfast AND afternoon tea in one. Hurrah!

I'd heartily recommend using Deliveroo for a breakfast in bed delivery to anyone who likes, well, food. Who WOULDN'T want a huge stack of pancakes arriving at their bedside without even having to ring for the butler?!

Katie xxx

* Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to get this breakfast courtesy of Deliveroo, but all opinions are my own. Deliveroo would also like me to issue a disclaimer that they cannot guarantee every delivery will be brought by friendly birds. Sometimes it will be an equally lovely person on a (motor)bike.

Deliveroo - Chilli Pickle Review

Hey m'dears!

Hop you had an eggcellent Easter!

Mine's been a positive rainbow of brilliance (I mean, any weekend where you find The One has to be pretty special, right?). The orange and yellow parts of the rainbow came courtesy of Deliveroo and The Chilli Pickle, who are now two of my favourite people*.

As a long-term fan of The Chilli Pickle's fantastic range of authentic, Indian veggie fare, I was just a little bit excited to hear they've started offering a lunch box delivery service(!) Anything combining 3 of my favourite things (great food, a box of surprises, and not having to get out of my pyjamas) is always going to be a winner.

The last time I experienced the delights of an Indian lunch box was on a 24 hour train ride from Delhi to Kolkata. I spent most of the journey gazing out of the window from my own little bunk bed, or reading Anna Karenina - the only English book I could find, and definitely not a page-turner**. The views were amazing but, for stomach-obsessed me, the highlight was the magical food trays we were given for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Opening each part of the box was like a savoury version of an Advent calendar!

This meant The Chilli Pickle's lunch box had a lot to live up to, and I'm very, very pleased to say it didn't disappoint! Especially as arranging Deliveroo delivery is SO much easier (and cheaper!) than trying to get a tray shipped from Delhi... In fact, it's as easy as pie. See:

P = Place your order on Deliveroo's website
The hardest part of which is undoubtedly going to be selecting your choice of curry, all of which come with rice, riatta, chutney, 2 snacks & masala pappad. If you're struggling to choose, I can whole-heartedly recommend the vegan-friendly Assamese Aubergine Curry (a tomato-based curry with beautifully soft aubergine and marrow) and the vegetarian Paneer Karai (chunks of pepper and spongy cheese soaked in a deliciously spicy sauce). We also ordered Mango Lassis, because we're officially addicted (and not a bit sorry about it).

I = Indian food arrives, courtesy of Man on Motorbike
In our case, 10 minutes earlier than the estimated delivery time. Which was a very pleasant surprise, even if I did almost break a leg trying to get out of my bedroom door. Which wasn't Deliveroo's fault, I hasten to add; I'd stacked 5 metal trunks in front of it while attempting to construct a giant mermaid out of felt. As one does. 

E = Enjoy delicious curry 
Yummy noises optional - but if you can resist them you're a stronger person than I am! It's also optional to stop eating once you feel full. There is A LOT of food in those boxes. Alternatively, you can choose to power on through and demolish the entire thing...  

Then collapse on you bed for 45 minutes with your jeans unbuttoned. Your choice.

Katie xxx

Disclaimer: Deliveroo very kindly sent me the food and drinks to review. The expressed opinions, rambling stories about Indian train travel, and stomach-busting gluttony are all very much my own.

*Yes, I know they're not technically people. Deliveroo is a kangaroo.

** I was actually relieved to discover circa 30 pages were missing from the middle part - there's only so much potato farming a girl can take! 

#NationalBurgerDay - The most bun you can have with your clothes on

Guess what you guys?! I think I mayo've found the recipe for my own personal heaven. And it's all thanks to Asda! 

Some context would probably be helpful here, huh? Oh, and you'd best prepare yourselves for the corniest selection of food-related puns I've ever pulled together. Don't say you weren't Quorned. 

About a week ago, Skye showed me an invite she'd received to Asda's Blogger MEAT Up in honour of National Burger Day (which she'd salad-ly had to decline due to existing plans). My initial reaction was equal parts embarrassment and excitement... How on earth had I lived for twenty seven years without knowing about National Burger Day?! What kind of burger fan was I?! And, also, EEEEP!! NATIONAL BURGER DAY!!!

I'm not usually one for partaking in National Whatever Day celebrations, but when the opportunity to be patriotic came sandwiched between sesame seed buns and drizzled in BBQ sauce I almost had to be physically restrained from singing God Save The Queen through a mouthful of red pepper hummus. 

Then I read the invite and slaw how many foodie puns the inimitable Shaun had managed to BB-Queue up in his email; resulting in a second mixed reaction of admiration and a hot-dogged determination not to let him beet me. I replied immediately begging to take Skye's plaice. And, no, I'm not ashamed about begging; I'd happily sell my sole for another one of those halloumi burgers.

Yes, there were actual chefs running the grill. SWOON.

Between the puns and the thought of a chargrilled feast, I was feeling beyond excited when I rolled up to Brighton station on 27 August and (c)hopped aboard a Big Lemon bus en (c)route to what turned out to be the fanciest BBQ of my life. Seriously- have you ever been to a BBQ with a JAZZ BAND?! I probably should've brushed my hair...

Jazz band(!) admiring aside, I relished the chance to ketchup with some of my lovely blogging buddies over a stack of saucesome burgers (including loads of veggie options), salad and Pimms. Followed by two huge bowls of Eton Mess - and I was one of the more restrained dessert-eaters. Man, was that Mess good. 

I'd like to thank Asda and Talented Talkers (especially Erica and Shaun) for their fantastic hosting skills; it was so lovely meating you all! OK, OK - I promise that's shallot. 

Katie xxx

P.S. This post was technically sponsored by Asda, in the form of all the Eton Mess I demolished, but the opinions, sentiment, and puns are very much my own. As if Asda would want credit for those... 

P.P.S. Asda also kindly provided me with the photos. Which is just as well, as I've discovered that three glasses of Pimms does not enhance my photography skills. Who knew?! 

Six Things Saturday

Hello lovelies!

How've you been? 

Please excuse the under-eye bags, which I'm pretty sure are visible from space; I've had a rather full-on few weeks. Working 10+ hour days (including weekends) and waking up with the lark for no good reason has really taken its toll. In fact, I think I've actually been waking up earlier than the lark; giving him the chance to appreciate my own version of the dawn chorus: off-key, shower-based pop music mash-ups. Needless to say, I'm BEYOND excited to have a whole nine days off work stretching ahead of me like a sun-drenched summer meadow. With a several picnic blankets covered in cream tea scattered in strategic places, of course...

It's the first proper break I've had since starting my new job last September(!), so today I'm sharing six of the things I'm looking forward to doing during my time off.

1. Reading
Despite being busier than Queen Bey of late, I've still managed to find some time for reading good books. Uprooted, a recommendation from a girlfriend, is a fantastic tale of an enchanted forest (the trees eat children...), weirdly sexy wizards, and a fair bit of magic. 

I devoured it like a child-eating tree, but still not as quickly as I wolfed down The Book of a Thousand Days; a spontaneous library selection which lasted me all of 8 hours over a single afternoon. I read it in rotation between the local park, the comfy sofa in Cafe Nero (complete with a giant hot chocolate, naturally) and the sunny pub garden of my favourite (soon to be no longer) local. 

I have to admit, as I'm tending to read in public at the moment, I've been more discerning (read: snobby) about my literary choices. I'm currently reading "The Edible Woman" by Margaret Atwood (the first of her novels that I've read), and I'm planning to work my way through some of her others this week too. That said, I was sorely tempted to take out this one from the library...

I was thinking I could pair it with more chick-lit entitled something along the lines of "Cindy Lu Gets Married", the approach lone gentlemen brandishing them both and crying... What do you think? 

2. Relaxing
After finding an amazing last minute deal last week, my holiday has kicked off in the most blissful way I could imagine; I jumped straight in the car after work yesterday, picked up a girlfriend, and headed to a spa. We've swum, sauna-d, slept tangled in whiter-than-white bedding, and consumed far too much food for dinner AND breakfast - all for the bargain price of £55. We also decided to get Stress Busting Massages this afternoon; it looks like I'm going to have to pour myself into the car to get home....

How many calories does 20 minutes of sauna-ing burn off? At least this many, right? 

3. Snuggling
I don't have to dress super smart in my job (or at least, no-one's ever said anything about my Lego jewellery...) but I'm still going to make the most of being able to throw on huge, cosy jumpers and get down to the serious business of drinking tea and watching the world go by. 

Apparently, these are called "selfies", and they are all the rage with today's yoof.

4. Adventuring
I'm off on all kinds of adventures next week, including a trip to the seaside, charity shopping, brunching, a visit to the Big Smoke (and my first time at London Zoo!) and a Hen Do. Ooh - and I'm getting a (long overdue) hair cut, where I'm hoping the trainee hairdresser will be able to give me the hair AND face of Hilary Duff for the princely sum of £15.

Hell, I might see if they can give me a matching body for an extra fiver...

Haircuts can work miracles, right?

5. Recharging
Being forced to grab food on the go has resulted in some less-than-healthy meal decisions of late. I'm feeling the need for some proper home cooking, and making sure I get my 5 a day (along with plenty of rest). Although, in my defence, there's no way I could've left this little guy behind. I mean, he was marked down to 15p literally broken hearted:

Turns out broken hearts are surprisingly delicious. And taste like strawberries. 

6. Planning
Things seem to be (thankfully!) progressing well with my whole finally-having-somewhere-to-live thing, but aren't quite there yet. I'm planning to spend any free time I have left camped out in my solicitor's office, alternating between adding pretty pictures to my New House Pinterest Board and asking "Are we nearly there yet?" more often than children on their way to Disneyland. 

What have you been up to recently?

Love Katie xxx

Fish Facts and Italian Figs

Hello lovelies! 

Oops. It's been a while again, hasn't it? If it helps, I've learned a helluva lot in these past few weeks, and I'm going to share some of it with you now; so settle yo' pretty self down to learn some wisdoms... 

Discovery number 1 was that, apparently, my non-competitive approach to most boardgames (I'm one of those annoying people who genuinely thinks it's the "just taking part" that counts) does NOT apply to Jungle Speed. Essentially, Jungle Speed is a more hardcore, multi-player version of Snap. There might have been an accidental hand-gouging incident and/or a moment when I nearly wrestled a fellow Jungle Speed-er onto the pub floor whilst grappling over the Jungle Speed stick (which looks rather disconcertingly like something you'd find in Anne Summers). It was possibly not my classiest hour, but I like to think the fact that the game is French (the root of all class) gave me a marginal touch of sophistication. Ahem.

[image source]

Secondly, I discovered that (apparently!) some fish like PARSNIPS; something I heard on a recent behind-the-scenes tour of Brighton Sealife Centre, along with a myriad of other aquatic facts. Other gems included the fact that octopuseseses can squeeze their entire body through a hole the size of their beak. Yes - beak. Admittedly, I already knew the beak part, but the idea of a motorbike-sized octopod wriggling through a hole the diameter of a Smarties tube seems rather creepily surreal. 

Say whaaaat?!

I have no idea why I chose those two metaphors, by the way; clearly I have subliminal, repressed urges to join a biker gang with it's own tuck shop. Ok, they're not that repressed. 

Thirdly, thanks to this summer's genius Lego/Sealife Centre collaboration, I can confirm I (somewhat shamefully) adore Girl Lego. I want to stress very strongly here that I am NOT OK with "made for girls" Lego; the idea of girls only being able to Lego Up when it comes in a Barbie-approved colour pallet is equal parts offensive, outdated and ridiculous. But I have to admit, the pink and purple bricks did make constructing a Lego jellyfish much easier; an opinion endorsed by my male Lego playmates. Ha.

I didn't photograph my jellyfish, so here's another fun fact

Number four is a different kind of discovery, and I would be very grateful if you could please all cross, double-cross and triple-cross your fingers (like Heston's triple-cooked chips, but less crispy) for me, because I think I've finally found somewhere to live that is not my parents' futon. I am incredibly grateful to them for the on-going use of said futon, but that hasn't stopped me planning my return to mattress-based solo living (which sounds much filthier than I intended). I intend to stay in bed for AT LEAST two weeks solid. You might need to post me snacks. 

The hot chocolate I bought to celebrate finding a flat.

And the ADORABLE cream tea I had for breakfast the next day. WHAT? I was still celebrating!!

Finally, given the current state of my futon-dwelling back, my general love for all things nice-smelling, and the fact that The Body Shop's coconut perfume is my "Signature Scent", I was excited x 3,000 when I received an invite to The Body Shop's summer range launch at Brighton Marina(!) Although, come to think of it, aside from anosmics, I guess everyone loves nice-smelling things?! Please do let me know if you're the kind of person who would reject a Hot Cross Bun scented candle in favour of Eau Du Unwashed Rugby Socks. 

Baskets of chips = the perfect seaside snack

Apologies; I digress. Post RSVP'ing (accompanying by girlish shrieking), I took Skye on a mini road trip along the seafront (complete with Taylor Swift car-eoke, of course!) to meet the team and hear all about turning my bathroom into a SPATHROOM. GENIUS. The Body Shop girls gave us a whistle-stop tour of the scrummy new products and some of the classics (the Body Shop's equivalent of a little black dress and a Breton top) in their newly branded Beauty Gems range (basically the in-store equivalent of a hot tip from your best friend).

I swear to God, this moisturiser is the best thing I have ever smelled. I wanted to spread it on toast.

We were then treated to a skin consultation session, during which Skye was told that her self-selected skincare products are perfect for her skin, and I apologised profusely for my skincare "routine" of scrubbing my face in the shower and the fact that my chin was covered in flaky pastry after I'd inelegantly devouring this whilst the consultant was talking to Skye: 

After physically forcing myself to put the Kukui moisturiser down, I spritzed on a squirt of their new Indian Jasmine perfume, which was delicious. I then subsequently discovered that I preferred the even more delicious Italian Summer Fig one, and found myself suffering from Spritzer's Remorse (aka a Serious First World Problem). Thankfully, the Body Shop saved the day like a perfectly-exfoliated, animal-cruelty free superhero by putting bottles of the Fig perfume in the goody bags! 

In summary- puns, chips, bubbles and smelly things?! What is NOT to love? OOH - and tiny pots of Eton Mess (I can't believe I almost forgot those!) 

Have you discovered any fun fish facts recently? 

Wishing you all a magical weekend full of adventures; like a grown-up version of an Enid Blyton novel- sponsored by red wine and brunch.

Katie xxx

All That Glitters

Hello lovelies!

How are your weekends going?

So far, mine's been sparklier than a disco ball and twice as fabulous- and it's not even over yet! It kicked off in serious style after Bethanie invited me to her website launch party in Topshop Brighton. Bethanie and the Topshop Girls were all so sweet and welcoming, and any 4pm evening that starts with a cheeky glass of fizz is always going to be a winner, right?!

Prosecco, strawberries and cupcakes. AKA the perfect Friday afternoon

Whilst I was there, I was also treated to my first EVER manicure(!), courtesy of Powder Beauty Boutique, which means I've been finally been allowed entry to The Normal Girls' Club. Hurrah! 

I decided to use the (delicious!) teeny cupcakes as my nail colour scheme inspiration (to camouflage any rogue smears of icing left over from my enthusiastic sampling), and ended up with fingernails fit for Aspen Barbie (thanks to the snowglobesque speckled effect in the white varnish). 

At that, the glitter (nail) bar for my weekend had been set, but I actually managed to surpass it last night with this rather fetching artistic endeavour: 

I'm struggling to recall anything from recent exploits more enjoyable than painting someone's face with glitter while a bunch of drunken strangers bellowed out tunes from the Grease soundtrack. Which is just as well really, as I'm probably going to spend the next six years picking specks of glitter from my eyebrows...

What have you been up to this weekend?

Katie xxx

Recently I've been...

... Dating
Skye, after she made me her +1 at Present in the Laine's first birthday party. OK, OK, so technically it wasn't an actual date (I could never get a babe like Skye) but I was still very tempted to wear my tuxedo jumpsuit. 

Bubbles and beauty products. Best first birthday ever!

... Running. Voluntarily.
Yes, you read that right. Sorry- I should've made sure you were sitting down first. Admittedly, I've only been three times, but I'm rather freaked out to admit that I'm weirdly enjoying it. 

My "What's happening to me?!" Face of Fear.

My 80's power ballad playlist is probably helping with the enjoyment factor. I'm also hoping that, seeing as power ballads are played over all "learns to do a sport well" montages in every movie ever made, listening to them while running will make me Run Good More Faster too. 

...Eating
ALL THE THINGS. Hence the running. Recent discoveries have included:

A seriously wholesome box of vegetarian Lebanese food from Brighton's Street Food Market, which tasted all the better for being eaten outdoors, perched on a tombstone in my favourite graveyard. What do you mean, you don't have a favourite graveyard?!

Weird tinned fake meat from the Asian supermarket. I've yet to try the fake pork (or "fork") as I call it, but managed to transform the fricken into a reasonable veggie homage to shredded duck pancakes. 

It's something of an understatement to say I was rather excited about finding these chocolate button dispensers in hisbe; a new, independent supermarket in Brighton which only sells local produce. The premise is customers serve themselves by pulling the handle to fill up a paper bag. Essentially, they're arm-bandit arcade machines for sweet-toothed grown-ups; and YOU ALWAYS WIN. 

... Coveting
All the pretty things at the aforementioned PITL birthday party. 

Yes, that's a miniature lucky cat made of gold-coloured chocolate. Of course. 

... Feeling 

So proud of Emma Kate for launching her very own business selling vintage-style kitchen splashbacks; she's one seriously talented lady, and bloody lovely to boot. 

... Drinking
The most viscos milkshake I've ever attempted to suck through a straw, in the toddler-sized form of the Oreo Milkshake at Burgers and Cocktails. Yes, that's my third visit to B&C in under a month. No, I'm not sorry. 

The gorgeous Lauren snapping a shot of her salted caramel milkshake.
Blogger dinner dates rule.

... Plotting
A brand new project. It's a sort-of secret right now, but I'll be revealing all as soon as I can. Sorry- I'm being that annoying "I've got a secret I can't tell you" blogger, aren't I? *proffers packet of biscuits apologetically*

... Finding
The love of my life, thanks to Present in the Laine stocking products from the Brighton Beard Company. Fingers crossed this guy's on tinder!

... Smelling 
Like a Terry's Chocolate Orange, thanks to the Mocha Orange Figs & Rouge hand cream in my PITL birthday party goodie bag. Which was, rather serendipitously, also my favourite product in the shop! :)

... Completing
What will probably be my greatest achievement of 2015. 

My parents are so proud. I've told them to stick the empty jar on the front of the fridge.

What have you been up to recently? 

Katie xxx

P.S. I'm linking up to the fabulous Hannah's #TWTWC

Cold Cheese and Jemaine Clement

Hello lovelies!

How are you?

Sorry it's been so long (again!) - my Life Outside The Internet (can one even imagine such a thing?!) has cheekily been getting in the way of blogging. Utterly outrageous, isn't it?

I've got SO much to tell you all, I don't know where to start. I guess "the beginning" seems like a reasonable approach, but seeing as my life's motto has always been "bollocks to reasonable" (well, that and "there's no such thing as too much cake") I might start in the middle and see how that goes. So, in no particular order, recently I've been:

1. Suffering from a cold.
And, subsequently, The Return Of The Cold. This meant spending the last few weeks producing vast quantities of tissues from every pocket I could, like The World’s Grossest Magician. I've finally returned to normal levels of grossness (3 on the Grossness Scale, in case you were wondering) thanks to a three-pronged attack of Vitamin C tablets, extra blankets, and the magical food combination below:

2. Discovering I like Fake Cheese
And feeling a little bit ashamed about it. Not that it stopped me from stuffing another forkful of the stuff into my face. I made this (life-changing) discovery during a recent dinner date at MEATliquor with a bunch of beautiful Brighton-based bloggers, after being invited along to try their new veggie/vegan menu options.

This is one of two trays. And there was only five of us.

I'm not going to lie; it was a bit of a greasy carb-fest. However, seeing as I'm not usually a Fast Food kinda gal, I actually rather enjoyed the novelty of consuming a meal without any recognisable vegetables. The Fake Cheese Experience (as it will heretofore be known) was thanks to the Hippie Fries (front and centre in the photo above); which are essentially served loaded with onion marmalade and cheese goo. Sounds disgusting, tastes delicious. Trust me.

3. Watching Jemaine Clement. A lot.
Not in a from-the-bushes-outside-his-house kind of way. I've got enough on my plate keeping up with my Joe Manganiello GPS Tracker. I've been re-watching Flight of the Conchords (which is ruddy excellent, by the way) as a precursor to (hopefully) seeing his new vampire mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows. It's being screened via a sort of Kickstarter-y thing (she says, being all Down With The Kids or whatever), based on ticket sales for local venues. I've bought tickets for the Brighton screening, so if you live near Brighton please, PLEASE buy one too, because:

1. It's going to be hilarious; and 

2. Even if you hate the film, you'll basically be on a cinema date with me, which I'm pretty sure we can all agree will be a priceless treasure of an experience.

4. Dressing up

In fancy/ridiculous clothing, and taking changing-room selfies. If you look reeeeally closely, you can see the self-depreciating judgement in my eyes for being such a blogger cliché. 

I didn't buy The Glitter Ball Dress (for shame), because the back was all weird and ridiculous. The front, of course, was sensible perfection. I did, however, buy this tuxedo jumpsuit thing to wear on a Valentine's date, and felt DAMN FANCY while doing so:

5. Eating brunch

Brunch is now officially my Favourite Meal Of The Day, and I can confirm that a brunch of pancakes eaten in bed pretty much tops the lot...

Sorry, dinner; you just don't cut it any more.

What have you been up to recently?  

Katie xxx