~* MyMy's Munchies: 2014 So Far!*~

My first post of 2014!!

First of all, I know I am pretty late, but Happy New Year! I hope 2014 has been kind to you so far!

I am aware I have been lazy when it comes to updating this blog - I have been intending to do it for ages and I have been collecting photos of my munchies over the past few weeks with the intention of blogging...I just never managed to get round to it :( I hope though, now that I have a swanky new laptop that takes less than 5 years to load, I am able to blog a lot more frequently.

For this post, I would like to share with you what delicious munchies I have come across so far in 2014. I know it's pretty early on in the year, but like I said, I have been going snap-happy with food pix so why not share them?

Here goes!

January 2014

I started 2014 with my family at my brother's house. My sister in law cooked the whole family dinner. We had spaghetti, stroganoff and an amazing fruit cake to welcome the new year - yum!

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, I continued to go to my mum's house throughout January and was served with the most amazing food - as always! This is a photo of one of my favourite dishes - grilled trout served on a bed of fresh salad, rice and a side of mashed, salted eggs. So simple, yet so healthy and super delicious!

 

 

 



 

Every so often, my flatmate Chrissy and I go out for food in order to get out of the flat and catch up. One Sunday, we visited one of our local village pubs, The Washington Arms, and ate a rather large (but tasty!) English Sunday dinner. This photo shows my chicken dinner (served with seasonal vegetables and a Yorkshire Pudding, doused in rich gravy). It's a miracle I managed to finish it!

 



 

Throughout the month of January, I also tried my hand at baking. I'd never really had the desire to bake before, however after a request from one of my nearest and dearests for a Corned Beef and Potato Pie, I thought it would be a good idea to give it a shot. Since then, I've baked Corned Beef and Potato Pie twice, and I'd like to think I am getting better with each go!

 

 

 

 
February 2014

In the first week of February, my mum cooked a delicious Chinese meal to celebrate Chinese New Year. We ate Fried Rice, Duck Pancakes, Vegetable Stir Fry and a side portion of Corn and Crab Soup - NOM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like I've been bitten by the baking bug! Earlier on in the month, I had a go at making a quiche of some sort. To be honest, I improvised the filling and hoped for the best. I made the pastry and for the filling, I used eggs, Camembert cheese, ham, peppers and onions. And this is how it turned out. 

 

 

 Back at mum's house, she cooked one of my favourite ever Filipino dishes, Sinigang. I had been craving this for ever, after seeing Judy Travis (of "itsjudyslife") eating it on her vlogs. Finally, I managed to have it and I must say, it was totally worth the wait!

 

Aaah, who doesn't love Junk Food Fridays? I certainly do! A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Handmade Burger Co, which is a restaurant chain based in the UK, specialising in a huge selection of burgers. I am not usually a fan of chain restaurants, but this place did not disappoint. From Barbeque Beef  to Avocado and Bacon Chicken burgers, there is a wide selection to suit all meat lovers. Just a pre-warning - it isn't the cheapest place to eat, so I would recommend looking for a coupon to help with the cost (I used a "Buy one burger, get another for £1" deal).

 

I ordered a Greek Lamb Burger and it was amazing! We also received a free portion of chips (courtesy of the waiter who I knew from school) and quite possibly the BEST coleslaw ever (free again, due to the waiter bringing me the wrong order).

 

In case you are interested, I visited the one situated in The Gate complex (Newcastle Upon Tyne) - great, great service!

 





 

 

 

 

There is no other way of celebrating Valentine's Day than to fully indulge in what you love. And fully indulge in what I love I did indeed. The photo below shows plate number 1 out of 3 (or maybe 4? And that's not including dessert...) from my visit to my favourite all-you-can-eat buffet (Lau's 202, Newcastle Upon Tyne). I must admit, I hovered quite a bit around the sushi section of the buffet, mainly because, quite simply, I heart sushi. A lot. Belated Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

Here are a few photos from one of our most recent family dinners (at mum's house, of course!). We prepared a Tri-Colour Salad (tomatoes, mozzarella and avocado, with a topping of coriander, olive oil and pepper), roast chicken, a couple of pizzas, chips and a fresh green salad - mmm!



 

 

 
 

 

 

 

And finally, here is a photo of our most recent family dinner - Filipino Afritada (chicken, potatoes and vegetables in a tomato based sauce), served with white rice. Delicious as usual...because mum made it :)

 



And that's it! I hope you enjoyed my munchies-update so far!!

Have a great day :)