The Breakfast Club

I love breakfast. I honestly think a bit less of people if they tell me they never eat it, seriously how? I would have it for every meal if I could, and wherever I can use the typical breakfast foods for a meal, I do. 

So when in Shoreditch The Breakfast Club really was the only option when considering where to go for lunch! 

You know a place is good when it's a 12pm on a Friday and you have to queue out the door, but it was definitely worth the wait. 

When you walk in absolutely nothing matches. Not a chair, table or wall decoration and I loved it! When you go to a Nando's or a Pizza Express you could be in any location and the decoration is the exact same, it's boring! 

The menu is the absolute winner for this place. I'm sorry I was boring and just had a green tea (the drinks selection looked incredible), but after a morning of walking round London I was too thirsty! When I return (which I will) I'll be trying one of the smoothies, as they looked delicious. 

A few years ago I would always be the one to choose the sweet choice on the menu, but lately I've really grown to love a savoury brekkie. That being said I seem to have gotten into a trend of always opting for savoury, and on our quest to try new things I thought I'd go for a bit of both. Sweet pancakes, with maple syrup topped with crispy bacon. The other pancake option was mixed berries with maple syrup and cream. 

They were both absolutely delicious, the pancakes were exactly how they should be, thick and doughy and the portion sizes were overly generous! When I first saw the menu I thought that it was pretty pricey for what is was. Bills Restaurant was just next door, and seemed to offer similar food for much less. But when the pancakes were placed in front of us, and I watched the portion sizes the kitchen were dishing out, there was definitely a lot of value for money. 

In fact most of the people around us were unable to clear their plates (even I struggled and that never happens). If you love breakfast food, or even sandwiches, and you can handle a giant portion then this is definitely the place for you! But be warned, there are so many options that you'll want, you will be going back to try again. 

Emma x

Frieda's Tearoom - A Bournemouth Gem

Our whole first year of Uni we lived about ten steps away from one of the best tearooms we have been to, and had absolutely no idea. While this will haunt us forever, we have more than made up for it with countless visits in our second year. 

There is nothing we love more than lunch, making the student lifestyle of frozen bread and lack of cold meats is absolutely unbearable, so we need a little treat every now and then. 

One of the main pros of this place is that it is such a cosy escape, in an otherwise average surrounding. With students living all round the area, it's difficult to find places that don't appeal to the typical student (you know the type - kebabs, Whetherspoons and Subways on every corner). 

If there's one thing we could complain about it's the choice! Seriously, we are the most indecisive people you will ever meet, so when faced with a menu like this we really do struggle (obviously the only way to overcome this is through several visits to try everything, sorry budget!). 

The afternoon tea is absolutely delicious, and perfect for two people to share if you aren't really hungry, or just enough if you are quite peckish. It's traditional, everything that afternoon tea should be, and the cakes are a big mouthful and enough to give you a variety of sweet tastiness. The sandwiches take you right back to your childhood and offer a reasonable range of fillings. The scones have that homemade taste, and are a decent size to provide you with good value for money. 

The attention to detail throughout is lovely, and there's just so much to look at. As you would expect from a tearoom absolutely nothing matches, creating a unique vintage feel.  

There really is something for everyone, and it's the perfect balance of a treat with it's great taste and food that is homemade and locally sourced. 

The bread is homemade and you can taste it. The sandwiches are extremely generous, cut thickly and stuffed with filling well. They also come served with potato and vegetable crisps, and a beautifully dressed side salad. We can both never pick a sandwich filling so we ordered Chicken BLT and Ham, Cheese and Coleslaw and had half each (sounds weird, but we do this absolutely everywhere we go). 

And you know the hot chocolate is good when we love it, as we seem to have had one everywhere in Bournemouth. Seriously malteaser in hot chocolate is such a good touch (we did regret drinking it before our sandwiches came though, maybe order one after). 

This is an absolute must if you are in the local area. It's not just the good food and drink that makes this place such an enjoyable place to visit, the staff are friendly and it has a lovely welcoming atmosphere. 

Amazingly - no moans! 

Red Nose Day - Malteaser Tray Bake

With Red Nose Day coming up and Malteasers giving a donation when you buy a pack, I wanted my baking this week to be with this in mind. When you Google what to make with Malteasers the famous tray bake is what always seems to come up, and I realised that I have never actually made it. 

Now this recipe is what I like to call Kirsti proof. Let me explain... Kirst can't bake. She's one of those people that chucks everything in and hopes for the best, and don't even get me started on her artistic skills. In other words when it comes to baking (and most other crafty things) she resembles a 5 year old, so this ones perfect for the kids (that includes you Kirst). 

It really couldn't be simpler, and the chances are you won't even have to leave the house to make it (who doesn't have Malteasers constantly on hand!?). All you will need is butter, syrup, chocolate, digestives (I only ever seem to have Fox's as they are my fave so mine was slightly different) and of course Malteasers. 

In terms of actually how much of all that the ingredients are: 

• 100 grams butter
• 200 grams milk chocolate
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 225 grams digestive biscuits (finely crushed)
• 225 grams maltesers

So that's the ingredients checked off as being easy, and luckily how to make it is even easier than that (not even Kirst could mess it up). You simply melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a bowl. 

Then get a whole pack of Malteasers and crush up some digestives. You are supposed to really crush them but I wanted big biscuity chunks (it doesn't look as good, but the taste is woooow). 

Then once everything is melted, chuck everything together (no really, I mean it when I say this recipe can't be neat). This to me looks like Kirsti baking in a bowl - absolutely no structure and looks like it's going to taste awful! 

I know I know, for someone with baking OCD it really doesn't look impressive at all. Pop the messy goo into a dish on top of grease-proof paper, and place it in the fridge. In terms of how long to wait, it's basically how long you can bare. I mean I had a nibble before it even went in, and then mum saw it in the fridge and couldn't resist it so stole some (it was a wonder it even made it to being chopped up). Just try and leave it for about an hour, or at least until it's hard. 

I honestly can't believe I've made something that looks to awful. My baking creations normally take me hours and i've even been known to use a ruler to make sure they can literally be described as perfection. I've basically been Kirst for a day, and as much as I hate to admit it, baking like this is actually pretty fun. 

They really are so delicious, and lasted approx 5 seconds in my house. It also feels good to know that while you are stuffing your face with sugary goodness, you are doing your bit for charity. If baking really isn't for you, there is no excuse not to make this, it couldn't be easier and despite me usually taking forever in the kitchen slaving away, my family have actually said this is one of the best things i've made (not sure if that's a compliment or not?). 

Emma x 

Kitch - Delicious & Fresh - A Canterbury Favourite

This week we are back in our home towns for reading week, however this didn't stop Em from visiting just for one day! As previously discussed, we've banned ourselves from our typical, mainstream restaurants and are only allowed to try new (mostly independent) places to eat!

Kirst lives in Canterbury, Kent which is full of mainstream restaurants, from your ASK to Nandos - you'll find it here. But it is also crammed with independent coffee shops and cafe's, you just have to search for them. Recently, we read a post on BuzzFeed called 21 Delicious Things To Eat In Canterbury and at #2 was Kitch! So on Tuesday, Em drove to Canterbury and we finally took our Kitch virginity.

It's situated towards the bottom of Canterbury High Street (#2 St Peters Street if you would like to be exact) and is intriguing from the outset. With a cute grey theme and big windows it's certainly inviting. We were welcomed by two lovely ladies and invited to sit down and take a look at the menu's. Firstly, the menu isn't exactly large. BUT this doesn't mean there isn't much to choose from. Although the food menu isn't 7 pages long, the wide range of variety from each dish to another is just right. We would safely say there is something for everyone!

Now, what really interested us about Kitch is that it is one of the only places around that source all of their food locally, make it right there as you order & use natural, wholegrain ingredients free from refined sugars, flours and artificial flavours. Delicious and good for you!

We ordered drinks (Chai Latte and a Green Tea - predictable from us). Despite typically ordering our usual, we are quite fussy with them. Whenever Kirst orders a Chai Latte she usually ask how it is made, as she's not so keen when it is made with powder and especially when it's not mixed properly. However, Kitch's was lovely!

Next up was the food. We arrived at Kitch at 11.30am so just in time for breakfast! We both went for the Full English (originally at £8.00) however being the fussy eaters that we are, Kirst switched bacon for another sausage and Em switched sausage for avocado. Typically when we ask to change items (especially on breakfasts) we are met with a grumpy look and a reluctant "ok". This was not the case at Kitch - the waitress was happy to change whatever and showed no signs of grumpyness- yay!

The food was amazing! When ordering the breakfast you have a choice of fried, poached or scrambled egg, it's so refreshing to be offered such an option. The baked beans are made fresh by Kitch and the sour-dough bread was indescribable - simply delicious. Something so simple but so enjoyable was the actual butter! It was so nice to not receive margarine. The sausages were gorgeous and the mushrooms were insanely good. We even asked what it was that they had done to them because they were that good! 

We absolutely love a good fry up, and have had many in our time, but one thing we cannot stand is the feeling that you get after. You know when your mouth literally tastes of oil all day, and you feel sick and uncomfortably full? Well not with this one. Of course we were full, but we were full of energy (not the usual sluggishness you normally feel), and felt completely refreshed and ready for the day. 

The cake selection was far too impressive for our liking, how could we possibly choose!? It felt so nice to be able to look at cakes and know that the ingredients are wholesome, with nothing artificial (who knew cakes could come without the guilt!?), but not compromised at all on taste. 

We absolutely loved our trip and will definitely be coming back to try the whole of the menu. Not only did it taste incredible, but it was lovely to know that the food we were eating was real, and that everything was either homemade or locally sourced. Not to mention the lovely atmosphere, and friendly owner who made us feel so welcome throughout the whole time we were there. 

February Favourites

After the stress of January we were hoping for a nice quiet February (occasionally we are optimistic), but within the first week we knew this wasn't going to happen. We were set into an instant panic with assignment briefings and placement interviews, and as control freaks our minds instantly went into overdrive.

Although we could easily come up with plenty of moans regarding the month, we thought it might be slightly more enjoyable for you to read our favourites instead.

So...

Favourite Discovery:

Vimto is the best mixer! With all the stress we've needed a drink (or five) and after becoming completely bored of all other mixers we've discovered one that makes our drinks half bearable. 

Favourite Food: 

Even looking at this picture again we are dribbling. 7 Bone (in Bournemouth & Southampton) officially sells the best burgers on the South Coast. One beef, one chicken, chips, mac & cheese bites (seriously, deep fried cheese and pasta, does it get much better?) plus a side of mac & cheese (we may be petite, but boy can we eat). We didn't want the last mouthful to end, and have no doubts that this will be our go to place when the burger cravings strike. 

Favourite Quote: 

Our reasoning behind this is in our post It's OK To Never Feel At Home. Living in a house this year (halls doesn't count, it's basically a year long holiday) has made us think about what having a 'home' actually means, and why we don't feel like we have one. 

Favourite Film: 

Not only is this a February favourite, but one of the best films we've seen in a long time. We went to the cinema to see this and at the end of the film, every single person in the cinema was silent. A must watch!

Favourite Book: 

Dave Trott's 'Predatory Thinking' is great for getting your brain waves working and for a bit of inspiration, whether that be at uni, work or just home life. The book is described as 'a masterclass in out-thinking the competition' and inspires different ways of thinking. You can get it for just £2.35 on Amazon (plus postage) and is definitely worth a read!

Favourite Bake:

Caramac Cookies! Em has been obsessed with Caramacs since she was little (seriously she keeps them everywhere, her desk/cupboard/car/bag), so these are pretty much perfection. They are so easy to make, and probably the most sickly things you will ever eat (in a good way). You can find the recipe here.

Favourite Polish: 

Ok this isn't actually new to February so it's a favourite re-discovery. With Spring just around the corner it's ta-ta to the dark shades and hello to the fresh, bright neutrals. Essie Fiji is has a slight pink tone, creating a clean fresh look (perfect for the brighter weather). 

So there you go - Our 7 February favourites. Do you share any of these? Or have some of your own? Let us know!

Flirt Cafe Bar

One thing that really bugs us about the Blogger World is how generic it can be. There's only so many pictures of Starbucks and Costa you can see before it becomes a tad boring. 

We've lived in Bournemouth for a year and half now and although we have found some places that we absolutely love, we have a habit of revisiting these places instead of exploring new ones. So, we've set ourself the challenge of trying to find all of Bournemouth's best independent food places (any excuse to eat out eh?). 

Today the choice of location was Flirt, located in Bournemouth Square, acting as a cafe/bar. 

The outside really does catch your eye with it's disco effect wall, and just the name alone makes it look enticing. 

The choice of food then lives up to the high expectations that the outside sets, with everything you would want (and more) on offer at a reasonable price. We went in for lunch so were looking at the lighter bites, but both breakfast and dinner are served alongside an impressive selection of sweet treats, and goodies baked on site that day. 

We absolutely cannot resist a good Hot Choc and the ones that Flirt offer are far more than we have ever experienced. Ice Cream in a hot chocolate!? How can you say no? 

We went for Cadbury Caramel and Kinder Bueno and they definitely did not dissapoint! The perfect amount of the treats was added so that there was enough flavour, bit it wasn't too sickly. This picture does not do them justice, the 'Large cup £3.95' really is huge, and while it does seem a little pricey it was definitely worth it! We've also set the challenge that we are not allowed to have the same again so we get to try all the flavours (soon we will have to be rolled out, oops). 

We weren't too hungry so went for one of the lighter options on the menu (well we thought it was going to be light). The portions are very generous and with a panini comes salad, coleslaw and nachos. We chose the Chicken, Chorizo, Cheese and Tomato Salsa (£5.95), which was reasonably priced compared to the price of the packaged goods that you get in the mainstream coffee shops. It was delicious, and super filling and was served on patterned plastic plates making it feel like a picnic. 

While the food and treats were great what won us over was the wacky decor, and lively atmosphere. Absolutely nothing matched and some of the decorations were so odd that we barely spoke whilst eating (seriously, there's so much to look at). 

This was such a fab find and we will definitely be returning! 

Any recommendations for cafe's in Bournemouth? We would love to know, comment below x