Brick Lane escapades

This weekend we went to Brick Lane for a day out and I decided to bring you along for a look at some of what we found. Highlights were a delicious coffee roasters, cereal killer cafe (where they serve nothing but cereal from 7am to 10pm) and the art of the brick exhibition.

We started our afternoon with a little pick me up. Brick Lane is such a bustling place with people pushing you and interesting stalls pulling you. It's definitely a place that requires energy. So we searched around and found a wonderful little roasters/cafe called Nude.

The smell of the place alone would be enough to draw anyone. They have a little cafe called Nude espresso across the road from the roasters but the roasters/cafe is so beautiful. Half the building is taken up with their roasting and storing equipment etc. which gives the place the most authentic feeling. Plus makes for that amazing smell.

The rest has little tables and coffee accessories for sale but let me move onto the coffee. It was absolutely delicious. They have a selection of drip methods, aeropress as well as a traditional machine for espresso, cappucino etc. So let's show you what we got -

A delicious latte

 strong americano

Delicious blueberry flapjack

The coffee was very clearly third wave but the blend was beautiful. The americano was full of subtle flavours and yet the flavour stood up to the milk in the latte.

After we had boosted our energy levels we explored the markets and then went to the art of the brick exhibition. This exhibition is amazing! The work of artist Nathan Sawaya, statues and pictures entirely made with lego. It is incredible what he has achieved with these tiny little blocks and well worth seeing. Some of my favourite pieces included a man who had ripped his own head off because of stress and the poster cover statue of a man ripping himself open with legos spilling out.

So after the fun of the exhibition, we headed over to Cereal Killer Cafe, to eat cereal for dinner (not really!). We have been looking forward to visiting this amazing cafe since it's opening last year. Myself and my sister have been talking about how amazing it would be to have a cereal cafe like those in the states for years. So this has been on my to-do list for A WHILE. If you have been considering it well let me review the experience for you.

The cafe is quite small and very popular, we originally tried to get our cereal before going to the art of the brick exhibition but the queue was out the door. So timing is essential if you want to visit this place. Even at our second visit, circa 5pm, the queue was short but the seating was almost full. I hope that the popularity of the place will mean that they might be able to open a second/bigger location at some point.

The size aside, the cafe is decorated so well. They have filled the walls with different boxes of cereal as well as a case full of cereal toys and other cereal paraphernalia.

Please excuse the shine in this photo

They even had boxes with their pictures printed on, if you look at the edges of the top shelf above. Their selection of cereal was fantastic. As my boyfriend very aptly pointed out, it leaned heavily on the western brands (US and UK) but their was an amazing about of choice none-the-less.

There is so much selection, in fact, that choosing was very difficult. I would advise standing back if possile and choosing with care. The selection continues when it comes to the milk and toppings.

Look at that selection.

I know that last picture is fuzzy but to clarify they have 15 types of milk including cows milk (full fat, half fat, skim), soy, rice, coconut, flavoured milks and yoghurt milk (which I had and this is awesome). They also have a huge selection of toppings which are listed over the bottom half of the board above. So variety is not an issue, unless making a choice is an issue for you. I will be honest with you, I do! So I fretted and stalled and then choose muesli. Yes, you heard me correctly muesli, granted it was an Italian kind that I hadn't seen in years but in a world of American sugar overload cereal, I made a healthy choice.....and I regretted it. So lets have a look at that and the lighting reflects my emotions

Yes this is a half eaten and poorly lit bowl of muesli- poor life choices

So an overall review, Cereal Killer Cafe is fantastic. The choice is amazing, the cereals are delicious, (even my muesli!). The portions could be better, we got large bowls of cereal and honestly I would consider them to be more like medium. The service was great, especially considering how rushed they must have been all day. I was helped by the owner at one stage and he was so friendly and helpful that I was very impressed. They could use more space, but considering they only opened last year and the popularity of the place I would imagine that they could expand or perhaps open another location, which I seriously hope that they so maybe somewhere closer to me! I would 100% recommend going and I will definitely be going back.

So that's it for this week. Have a good week and I will be back next Monday, and every (most) Monday with some deliciousness for your entertainment.

Getting into the Holiday spirit

I think I've made it abundantly clear how much I love Christmas but there are aspects to this time of year that can be difficult and I understand that too. Two years ago I even wrote about how I was struggling to get into the holiday spirit and with everyone around shopping like lunatics and going to Christmas work-dos left and right, sometimes one can feel all alone and miserable. So I decided to compile a list of ways that I like to get into the holiday spirit and maybe they will help you or someone you know to feel good.

Fifth - Seasonal Drinks

We've all seen the holiday drinks in Starbucks and Costa and the like but these are expensive and filled with extra sugars and artificial flavours that are wonderful for a treat but are not my idea of an everyday drink (if it's yours then let me not offend, you do you as they say). So let me show you some of the drinks I enjoy to get into the spirit that are inexpensive and full of delicious seasonal flavours

Spiced coffee is amazing. I always add flavour to my coffee, usually just a splash of vanilla extract but for this time of year I like to add a pinch, more or less to taste, of cinnamon and all spice to my coffee. You can top off your delicious coffee with a mixture of raw cocoa and cinnamon to give even more flavour.

Also while I'm on the subject of coffee and starbucks, you can feel like every drink is a Christmas drink if you invest in a take-away Christmas mug. This one is from about 4 years ago and it serves me well every season.

Ok in non-coffee holiday drinks. I have previously written about my love for rooibos and apple tea when it is cold. Apple tea is absolutely delicious and can be customized with any amount of spices. My personal favourites are ginger, cloves and cinnamon.

Also pictured here is star anise, delicious

Fourth - Eating seasonally

I cannot over-emphasize eating seasonally. I have friends and family that think I'm odd because I will not eat sweet potatoes in summer but for me they are an exclusively autumn and winter affair. So why eat seasonally, well if you can eat locally seasonal produce then it's extremely eco-friendly. Thing is, I would be lying if I told you that was why I do it. I eat seasonally because it helps me to feel like there's a change happening from month to month and that I can have something to look forward to.

Holiday time is one of my favourite food times so there are so many examples of holiday foods. I'll tell you about one of mine. Marzipan is one of my absolute favourite holiday treats and it has so many different manifestations to enjoy. Just a tiny little bit of marzipan is enough to bring a smile to my face and one of the best ways to enjoy it is Stollen. Stollen is an amazing German Christmas treat of a fruited sweet bread with a center of delicious marzipan. Since first tasting this in about 2004 I have been obsessed and this obsession gets more intense year on year. This year I took it to new levels by sampling the stollen from every major shop in the UK, what's the verdict? Lidls is the best, a mon avie. Lidl make tiny little stollens that are not too sweet, have just the right amount of marzipan and box loads of Christmas flavour.

 

The ONLY issue with these delicious treats is how addictive they are. A point which is highlighted by the hilarious advertisements put out by lidl, which are well worth a look.

Third - Christmas Candles

Picture this. You're sitting in your favourite chair, with a good book and a cup of apple and cinnamon tea. What could possibly make this scene more seasonally appropriate??! Cinnamon spice scents filling the room. I usually buy my first seasonal candle in October and burn them throughout November and December. It can add a little bit of holiday joy into any activity. I know this to be true since most of the time in November and December I am studying for some big assignment or another. So if I can feel seasonal doing that then you know the candles are working. Some of my favourites are yankee candle in Christmas cookie or cinnamon spice, IKEA candles, Air wick candles in essential pearls cinnamon or the vanilla and caramel candle.

Second - (Controversially) Christmas music

I know you get battered with endless rounds of cheesy holiday music in every store from about October 1st and therefore this may not be your cup of tea but if you choose the music you might find that it can help. There are plenty of different varieties of Christmas music to choose from. I love classical and orchestral versions, jazz versions and choral music. My personal favourite is Anuna and the album 'Carols by Candlelight' says Christmas to me. Alternatively if you want to listen to Christmas music and would like to also give to charity can I suggest ChristmasFM. This awesome radio station based in my country of origin plays from the end of November until christmas eve in an effort to raise money for charity partners and I am a huge fan. You can listen online from anywhere in the world and donate online. 

Property of www.christmasfm.com

First - Most Important - treat yourself well

This time of year can be tough even for the most foolhardy of Christmas lovers; between the shopping, planning, family visits or lack thereof, and memories of previous Christmases good and bad. It's no wonder then that some people dislike it. So my number one way to get into a 'holiday spirit' is to treat yourself well. Schedule time for yourself to relax and enjoy any of the above, or alternatively one of your own favourite treats. Don't forget to look after yourself while you run around looking after others. In all that planning for parties and visits maybe you can pen in some you time; get a manicure; read a new book (that's just for fun not for work); listen to your favourite music (Christmas or otherwise); have a bath; or just sit and meditate. My favourite thing to do is to sit and bask in the light of the Christmas lights in a darkened room. That's it, that's heaven for me. So my number one way to get into the spirit is to find your little slice of heaven and make sure that you get lots of it this December.

 

I hope you can find an idea here to warm up your seasonally good feelings and I'll have some delicious advent cookies up next week =)