From London to Miami with Virgin Atlantic

Zee here...

On Saturday the 26th July I travelled to the USA for the first time and it was also my first time flying with Virgin Atlantic. I would definitely recommend this airline to everyone as the service was incredible! I am a very nervous flyer so for me booking a holiday and getting onto a plane is a big deal but using Virgin again would help reassure me that I am in safe hands even if I don't like flying. 

The Virgin Atlantic section in Terminal 3 at London Heathrow looked classy with simple sophisticated branding dotted around. But for me the thing which helped show that area was for Virgin Atlantic flyers was the staff in their red uniforms. I instantly recognised that these people worked for Virgin, especially when the air hostesses came through. You can see how powerful Virgin Atlantic is as a brand and how successful their advertising is as I could tell all of this as a complete newbie to the airline!

I had a slight hiccup when I got to the boarding gate as I was picked for a spot security check and ended up finding  out that I had left my camera battery in my case which meant they had to confiscate my camera as I couldn't prove the device turned on. At the time this was extremely upsetting for me as photography is my passion and it was my lovely huge Nikon camera, it also didn't help that I was already upset about getting on the plane. However I know this was my fault and the staff were lovely as they already knew I was panicking about the flight before this.

When boarding  the plane we made them aware of my fear and they couldn't have been nicer, reassuring me and offering to answer any questions I have about noises etc. I was lucky enough to be on a Boeing 747, the biggest plane I've ever been on, and even better it was called Mustang Sally! I loved that Virgin used fun names for their planes it just adds to the great brand! The take off was smooth and once in the air I relaxed to enjoy the ride!

Once in the air the air hostesses bought round little packs of sour cream & chive pretzels which are my favourite so that went down well with me. I'm quite fussy with meat and when going away I'm always conscious about getting food poisoning while travelling (I get that from my mother ha!) so I opted for the vegetarian option. When I saw the menu with Beef Chilli with Rice and Nachos or Chicken in Mustard Sauce with Potatoes I felt a pang of jealousy as my boyfriend hadn't opted for vegetarian but when my dinner came I wasn't jealous anymore. I had a chickpea curry with spinach and rice - I could have eaten another one it was sooooooooooo yummy!! I've never had plane food like this before, it was as good as restaurant food! For pudding we also got a small passion fruit flavoured Gu pot which was delicious! A few hours later the air stewardesses also bought round mini Fab ice lollies for everyone which was a lovely treat that went down well with everyone on the plane! When we said we were surprised to get ice lollies they replied we like to think of different things that will be a nice surprise for you - which is so nice!!

Another thing that impressed me was the huge selection of movies, tv shows, music and games they had on the plane. I settled down to watch Frozen (one of my favourite films) as soon as we were up and throughout the journey I could see loads and loads of screens with this on! I  also watched The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Anchorman 2 but I did struggle with all the great selection on offer!

All in all this was a great flight which was many enjoyable and comfortable by Virgin Atlanti, even with my fear of flying I'm still looking forward to our return flight on Saturday 9th August!

X

Giraffe in Oxford

Zee here...

Today I ate at Giraffe for the first time in Oxford City Centre. The service was great with all the servers being very friendly and helpful. I was impressed by the range of choice on their menu with full English breakfasts, burgers, Mexican dishes, grills! 

We had some lovely mint lemonade for £2.55 which came out in these cute jam jars! I love the presentation of these drinks, it's such a simple idea but works so well! This was a lovely and refreshing drink with makes a nice drink from the standard coke, sprite, fanta soft drinks usually on offer at restaurants.

For my main I had BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Cheese Quesadillas with a salsa and salad on the side for £9.25. This dish was so good!! The filling also had some sweetcorn and black beans which emhanced the Mexican theme and added more flavour. These were also presented so nicely on a wooden board. It was also really filling which was surprising for me as I thought it didn't look tht big initially.

I had a great time at Giraffe and will definitely be going back to try out more of their dishes!!

X

Nando's Chicken Chilli Wrap

Zee here...

I used to go to Nando's regularly when I was in sixth form (all those years ago!) but have rarely been since then. Last Friday my work decided to eat at Nando's before catching the Brazil vs Columbia football match and I now realise I've been missing out! 

I chose the Chicken Chilli Wrap, cooked at the lemon and herb spice level as I'm not very brave spice. I was struggling to decide between chips or rice as my side - the age old 'do I treat myself to chips or be healthy and have rice' issue. As you can see in the picture I ended up treating myself to chips adding the peri peri salt for an extra 10p!

The wrap had some delicious chilli jam in which worked well with the lemon and herb spice of the chicken. I also like how easy the wrap is to eat as I used to always get the chicken burger and then struggle with all the filling falling out. It seems a bit strange having to pay 10p for peri peri salt on your chips but it was so worth it - someone's even told me you can buy a pot of Nando's peri peri salt from supermarkets to have at home so I'm now on the look out for it!

Another great thing about Nando's is that it does 'Bottomless' soft drinks! As we went straight after a long day at work I was thirsty but then I also added some Garlic Peri Peri sauce to my plate which had a bit of a kick so the bottomless drinks were heaven. I must of gone up for refills 5 or 6 times so I definitely got my money's worth! And we all know its good for your skin to keep hydrated so you'd be silly not take advantage of the refills.

All in all this was a bargain meal out at £10.85 including the bottomless drink! And one of the best things about Nando's is you can all easily pay separately so when you've finished your meal there isn't the hassle or awkward moment when you all have to divide up the bill. I picked up a bonus card when I ordered as I plan on going back lots more now!

x

The King's Head Pub in Staplehurst, Kent

Last Sunday I went to visit my lovely granddad in the village where he lives, Staplehurst. To my delight he insisted that we went to The King's Head which does the best pub food and the portions are always huge!

One of the great things about The King's Head in Staplehurst is that the majority of it's main meals are on a 2 for £12 offer. In my mind it's superb value that a proper English pub does such a good value meal deal. As you can see from the photo below the pub has a lovely homey feel to it and the hops wrapped around the timber helps to enhance the local British feel! There were a load of England flags up but this was only for the World Cup. 

I've been to this pub quite a few times now and I always seem to manage to try something new. I was considering they're chicken fajitas but I ended up choosing the Chicken Carbonara which had a creamy white wine and garlic sauce with garlic bread on the side. This was a bargain for only £6 in their deal or £6.75 by itself! I really struggled to clear my plate because the portion was just so big but it tasted so good I couldn't stand wasting any. 

I wasn't going to have a dessert as I was way too full but as per usual my grandad went ahead and ordered me one anyway. He chose the Toffee Pavlova Sundae for us both as in his eyes ice cream is a light desert so would be easy to eat when you're already full. It was massive!!! But it was incredible - I ate it all so fast! It had bits of toffee crisp mixed in with ice cream, meringue, cream and toffee sauce! 

I love it at The King's Head and it's become a tradition to go there each time I visit my grandad! The people are lovely and friendly when serving you and the food is out of the world! 

x

Triple Chocolate Brownie Layer Cake from Marks and Spencer's

Zee here...

Everyone who knows me will tell you I have a very sweet tooth which means this is my perfect desert! My grandad bought me a Triple Chocolate Brownie Layer Cake from the Marks and Spencer's 'Great British Summer' range. It looked amazing and it tasted like heaven! The balance of cake/brownie and vanilla buttercream was perfect for me however it was very sickly in large amounts however I see that as a good thing as it stops me over indulging! 

 

M&S do some great deserts and something like this is unique and unlike what I've seen anywhere else but is so popular with chocoholics like me! This cake also makes a great gift as it is a decent size and it's nice to have something different! It had good reactions from nearly everyone who had a piece. 

Wildwood Italian Restaurant in Maidstone

Zee here...

Wildwood seems to have become my new regular eating place! It seems whenever a group outing is organised we always end up here as the food is just so good! Wildwoord is a delicious Italian restaurant offering a wide range of dishes such as steak, pizza, pasta, seafood etc. There is something for everyone on their diverse menu!

Below is a picture from my most recent dining experience at Wildwood. They have a good selection of cocktails and seeing as I love anything raspberry flavoured I choose the Raspberry Bellini which is prosecco with raspberry puree. This was so yummy and easy to drink however it was quite small - it did start to go to my head though so I probably didn't need it to be any bigger. For my main I had the Sausage Calzone which has become my regular dish because its so so so good! The calzone is great value for money as its massive and stuffed with so many fillings. The caramelised onions in this dish are what really make the flavour - if I could have these on every pizza I ever eat I would! Even though I was full I still couldn't resist a desert, I went for Eton Mess...which is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth! It was so tasty with sweet refreshing strawberries and light meringue it was delicious!

A Tasty Healthy Salad For Summer

Zee here...

It's that time of year where everyone is trying to lose weight but struggles to find a tasty way to do so. I have managed to make a salad which is healthy but most importantly it tastes good and is filling!! 

My salad consists of iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, 1/3 of a tin of mixed beans and reduced fat houmus. Another bonus is that it's reasonably cheap to make as a 49p lettuce from tescos and a 65p tin of mixed beans will last 3 lunches and I only use about 10 cherry tomatoes! The reduced fat houmus comes in a large pot for £1 or 2 for £1.80 and this will last about 9 or more lunches as you only need a large tablespoon of it on the side of your salad to act as a dressing. As the mixed beans come in juice I tend to drain these off and rinse them with water to remove any additional salt or sugars. 

The salad is really light which means there's no bloating, leaving you feeling healthy and happy! Adding mixed beans and houmus to the salad provides you with protein and something subtainial to keep you full up for longer! The beans alone help to flavour the salad nicely but I like to add the houmus too! 

I have now started having this salad everyday for lunch for the past 2/3 weeks and I'm still not bored of it! When I eat it at 1:30 I can last until dinner at 6:30 usually without any snacks. If I do end up snacking I tend to have an apple around 4 but this is for an energy boost as it's healthier and more effective than a cup of tea or coffee! 

Homemade Chicken & Chorizo Paella

Zee here...



Today I made a yummy chicken and chorizo paella from scratch! I absolutely love Spanish food however I'm not a fan of fish so cooking a paella with chicken and chorizo was perfect for me! I think this may be my favourite dish I've cooked so far and is perfect for impressing any dinner guests.

This dish was really simple and easy to make, the prep was took up the most effort! I loosely followed the recipe on the BBC Good Food website which has a great range of easy dishes.







What you need (serves 3):
110g of sliced, peeled chorizo
1 brown onion chopped up
10 cherry tomatoes chopped into quarters 
100g sweetcorn - you can add any veg you like (peas, peppers, mushrooms etc)
600ml chicken stock
1 tsp of ground turmeric
250g of chopped chicken breasts
225g of long grain white rice
A sprinkle of mixed herbs

How to cook it:

• First brown the chicken all over, then add in the onion, garlic and turmeric - cook like this for around 2 minutes. 
• Next add the chorizo, rice and chicken stock. Bring this to the boil and season with salt and pepper then cover and cook on a medium heat for around 15-20 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and sweetcorn then cook for another 10 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the stock. Then you are ready to serve!

Check out the recipe on BBC Good Food 

Soufflé Restaurant in Bearsted

Zee here...

After lots of hard work and long hours my boss decided to take my team out for lunch to Soufflé in Bearsted, Kent. I had heard that this was a really nice restaurant with incredible food which explains the high prices. 

For my starter I had 'Caesar Salad with Anchovies and Parmesan Straws' as this is my favourite salad. This was by far the best caesar salad I have ever had, the flavours were incredible and the parmesan cheese grated on top added to that taste. Personally I'm not a fan of anchovies so I only had a small amount of the straws but what I tasted was really well seasoned. This dish was fairly small which of course is normal for a starter but it was surprisingly filling!






For my main I had Breast of Chicken with a Wholegrain Mustard Sauce with a side of Hand Cut Chips. As you can see the presentation of the dish was pleasing however it looked like a fairly small portion of food - it turns out it was the perfect amount! The chicken was beautifully moist and the mustard sauce was so yummy! The dish was served with asparagus and carrots along with a couple of roasted potatoes. It turned out I didn't necessarily need the extra chips but these were delicious - you could tell that they were handmade!

For desert I had Vanilla Panna Cotta with a Raspberry Compote which has become my new favourite desert! I honestly could eat this all day everyday the flavour was so good!
I'm known for my sweet tooth but I would recommend this desert to everyone!







This is a fine dining restaurant but I truly believe the food was worth the price. I originally was going off the three course set menu which was a bargain for £19.95 but I did go off the set menu for my desert which was £7.50 alone. 

We had a fantastic time at Souffle, the food was beautiful and the service was perfect! I will definitely be going back again!

Find out more about Souffle here: Souffle Restaurant in Bearsted, Kent

Soprano Tapas & Wine Bar in Tunbridge Wells

B here...

A couple of weeks ago, my other half and I went to Soprano Tapas & Wine Bar in Tunbridge Wells for dinner. We had been once before and it was so delicious that we thought let's go again and it definitely won't be the last. It's a lovely small restaurant situated on the High Street.

We ordered the Albondigas con Salsa de Tomato, which are Soprano's famous meatballs. They are so so yummy and £5.85 a portion. 

My other half loves chicken wings, so he ordered Alitas de Pollo con Salsa Barbacoa at £4.95 and you can't not order the Patatas Bravas (fried potato with spicy tomato sauce) at £5.55.

The photo below is the Pinchos de Cordero Marinado at £5.95, which are lambs kebabs marinated in all sorts of deliciousness. 

Here are the Serrano Croquetas served with a red pepper sauce at £5.45. I took this photo after I already polished one away! I couldn't wait. You could say that it is one of my favourite tapas dish.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Soprano's, the food arrived quickly and was delicious and the service is great. They also have live music on a Thursday evening from 8pm. 

To book a table or to have a look at their lunchtime or evening menu, click here.

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Bill's Restaurant - Tunbridge Wells

B here...

Bill's restaurant has recently opened in Tunbridge Wells! I had heard of them before and seen them dotted around London but never ate there. Shortly after in opened in Twells, I was there to try it out with my other half. Then last night, I was there again with a friend. Love the decor inside, great atmosphere and lovely staff. 

For drinks, I had the pink lemonade. So refreshing and it comes with strawberries in the glass which is a great touch. 

For main, I had the marinated chicken skewers with cous cous, whole meal pitta bread and tzatziki. It was delicious, felt like I was in Greece! The only downside to this dish was that it went a bit over the top with parsley, but otherwise it was great. 

For dessert, we both had the cinnamon doughnuts with strawberries and chocolate dip! Amazing!! No other words really except absolutely delicious! 

We had great service and the food arrived quickly. The bill total with 3 pink lemonades, 2 mains, 2 desserts plus tip was £43, which I think is great value for money. 

Overall, I'm so happy that Bill's opened in a Tunbridge Wells and I will definitely be going there a lot.