Cross Pens say 'Kung Hei Fat Choy'

I was very pleased to become an Ambassador and tester for Cross Pens and even more pleased to receive the latest in their Special Edition Chinese Zodiac Collection.

This year is the Chinese Year of The Horse and is the special year for those born in 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 and 2014. I am very happy to say that this is my year and I was born in a Year of the Horse.  In Chinese culture, the horse was an ancient symbol for loyalty, industry and energy.  This should be a great year for me.

I love stationery and pens and get great pleasure in my handwriting and having a special pen always makes my penmanship better.

In today's techno world writing seems to be a dying art, children learn to use a tablet and a mobile phone, texting their mates rather than write with a pen and a piece of paper.

The latest addition the the Cross Special Edition Chinese Zodiac Collection is a beautiful horse design deeply etched into several layers of hand-polished lacquer with 23KT gold-plated overlays

It’s exquisitely hand-crafted, featuring either a burning red finish reflecting passion, ambition and good fortune, or a beautiful shimmering white finish reflecting the confidence and strength that defines those born under this auspicious sign.

There is a choice of nib for example Ballpoint and this pen has a RRP of £200, Fountain nib (18k gold nib) RRP £300 and a Rollerball with a RRP of £250.

If you want to see the complete Cross Pen range visit their website.

Many thanks to Cross for sending me this pen to review.  I did not receive any payment to write this post and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

 

 

Kung Hei Fat Choy - Year of the Horse

Kung Hei Fat Choi - something you will hear at this time of the year if you venture into Chinatown in Central London.  I always thought it was a traditional greeting meaning 'Happy New Year' as it heralds the start of the Chinese New Year but in fact means in Cantonese 'May You Become Prosperous'.  The sentiment however is similar to when we wish each other 'Happy New Year'

The Chinese New Year is given an animal mascot including Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Goat (2015), Snake, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Friday 31st January 2014 heralds the start of the Chinese Year of The Horse (31.01.14 - 17.02.15) and anyone born in the relevant year celebrates the Year of The Horse.  2002, 2014 and 2026 are all Year of The Horse and 1954 is one of those years which makes me a 'Horse' so this is my year and I have great expectations for it.

Dumplings made of a glutinous rice flour are traditionally eaten and the drinks would probably a cold beer or Chinese tea.

If you are drinking wine with this food traditionally you would traditionally order a Gewurtztraminer or French Puilly Fousse or Sauvignon Blanc for the shellfish dishes and appetisers and a red (especially for duck) would be a lighter red.

I have been set a challenge to try some wines from the Cote du Rhone region in France with a meal from my local Chinese takeaway and to do this I was sent two offerings, one red and one white.

Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc, Domaine de la Janasse, 2011 (Retailer : The Wine Society, RPP : £11.50)

Côtes-du-Rhône, Mas du Libian 2011 (Retailer : The Wine Society, RPP : RRP : £11.50)
 

 

Bearing in mind how wine pairs with Chinese food we ordered a selection and including

Mushroom Chow Mein, Beef with Mushrooms

Sweet & Sour Chicken, , Sweet & Sour Pork,

Chicken with Black Bean Sauce and Egg Fried Rice.

The Domaine de la Janasse (white) was a bit too quiet for the Chinese food, drinking it on its own it was lovely and smooth white wine with a fresh taste but I felt it sort of disappeared with a mouthful or following a mouthful of the food. The Chinese spices were too much for it to stand out.

The Mas du Libian (red) however stood up really well to the Chinese food. It was really smooth and full of vibrant flavours of blackcurrant and other berries.

Is it precious to have a glass of red and a glass of white on the go at the same time??

Cotes du Rhone wines have a 2000 year history, covering 13 main wine trails with all the opportunities for a great wine holiday with all the information you need to plan on their website.

If you would like more information on Cotes du Rhone wines have a look at their website.

Innovative Product of the Year 2014 - Knorr Gravy Pots - What's in your Gravy Boat?

Knorr has recently been awarded Innovative Product of the Year for their gravy pots. These little pots come in Beef, Chicken and Onion gravy and are really so easy to use and save you time and effort.  They were launched in 2012 and are the perfect way to make a gravy for your 'anytime' roast dinner.

I was sent everything that you need to make a fantastic Roast Beef Sunday lunch and of course some gravy pots.

I added the meat juices from the pan to the gravy and for water used the water from cooking the vegetables but this is not essential.

With our roast dinner today we were given a rare treat. Mr R was watching a cooking program on TV and announced that it was National Yorkshire Pudding Day today and offered to make the yorkshires to accompany our roast beef! Well I couldn't really turn him down!

We enjoyed our roast dinner, a beautiful roast beef, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding with a bottle of Claret from Aldi which I had been sent last week.

 

You can't beat the traditional roast Sunday lunch and Knorr make sure you make the most of the important part - the gravy!



Thanks to Knorr for the gravy pots and the rest of the lunch.  I did not receive any payment to make the lunch or write a post about it. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

 

 

They're cherries Jim but not as we know them!! - French Glace Cherries

When I think of Provence in France or the wine producing region of The Languedoc I do not immediately think of glace cherries!  Until today that is!

I was invited to a French Glace Cherry MasterClass and really couldn't think of that many things to use them for - how could you have a masterclass on adding glace cherries to fruit cake, mincemeat or topping cupcakes?  I usually have a pot in my baking box and that is really all I use them for.

We had a great morning, being introduced to the history, region, production of French Glace Cherries and learned how we owe it all to Sir Winston Churchill's love for these little preserved cherries and his insistence on importing them into Britain.   In fact the majority of French Glace Cherries produced in Provence, are imported into Britain for us avid bakers.

We tasted some recipes already made for us - Can you imagine French Glace Cherry Chutney?! I am most definitely making that, and it was served on top of blue cheese and oat cakes.

Or how about French Glace Cherries smoothies?

Then the fun started, divided into teams of two but somehow we made a team of three and got on with making our two recipes!

First was a Jaffa Cake inspired Cherry Jelly Cake which was a revelation for me.  I don't like Jaffa Cakes because I don't like the orange jelly but had never thought of using a different fruit middle.

First we made the jelly so it could set, then the cake bottom followed by the assembly and topping with melted chocolate and in honour of the forthcoming Valentine's day we decorated them with hearts.

Our second recipe of the morning was a quick and easy cake called 'Financiers' which was so simple to make and armed with the items in our goodie pack I will certainly be making these on a regular basis.

The production of French Glacé Cherries consists of replacing the fruit’s natural water content with sugar.  There are no artificial colours or preservatives in these cherries. The bright colour comes from natural fruit colours.  It takes about 10 days for a tray of fresh cherries to become glacé cherries.

Finally, at home with a lovely cup of coffee and sharing them with Mr R and FIL.

Thanks to French Glace Cherries for inviting me to take part in the masterclass.  I did not receive any payment for attending or for writing up the account of the session.

Baxters soup

Baxters soups are probably in every home in the country at some time or other. I was sent some of their new range to try so I took one to work and it was full of chunky chorizo pieces and loads of beans.

and Mr R took the other. 

We both agreed they were tasty and filling and just right for this kind of weather.

 

Check out their full range in store and keep warm and dry this winter!

Thanks to Baxters for the samples, I did not receive any payment to write this.

 

Sunbites from Walkers - Brighten up your day!

I have been sent some samples of a new crispy snack from Walkers - Sunbites. They are multigrain and contain whole corn, whole wheat and whole oat flour.

They are lovely and crisp and the tastes are not artificial or overpowering. There are five flavour to tempt you: Sun-Ripened Sweet Chilli, Sour Cream and Cracked Black Pepper (my favourite), Oven Roasted Onion & Rosemary, Cheddar and Carmelised Onion (father-in-law's favourite) and Lightly Sea Salted (loved by Mr R).

 

There are no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours and there is no trace of the expected 'cardboard' taste.  they would make a great snack to scoop up chunky dips such as Tzatziki or Guacamole.

You can buy them individually at a suggested RRP of £0.50 or in six-pack multipack suggested RRP £1.79.  Look out for them in your larger supermarkets and watch out for special offers!

I received these samples to try and did not receive any payment to review them.  The opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

 

Stocking up the wine rack with Aldi

This year (2014) I want to add to my wine rack at a regular basis and hopefully faster than I drink them!  I love walking into the living room and glancing at a full wine rack - a satisfying sort of warm feeling even before drinking any.

I was asked by Aldi to review a selection of their wines which I was of course happy to receive.

I don't often think of popping into my local Aldi when I want to buy some wine but really must start thinking of them in terms of serious wine merchants.

The first two are white:-

Freeman's Bay (Marlborough) Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (New Zealand)

A very easy to drink white wine which makes a superb aperitif but goes incredibly well with cheese and creamy dishes.  I will be drinking this with the scalloped potato dish I make with a layer of French cheese in between the potato and onion.

Australian Limestone Coast Chardonnay from The Exquisite Collection.  I have stayed away from Australian white, often too oaky for me but this one is unoaked, dry, 2013 Vintage and has mentions of honeysuckle, white peach and fresh pineapple.  A fresh and balanced white wine which will go so well with shellfish or party nibbles.

We now come to the reds, and one of my favourite wine regions is Bordeaux and I am particularly fond of Claret, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is a full bodied wine which hits the senses with notes of blackcurrant, rich velvet plums and tangy cedar so characteristic of wine from this region.

The final of the selection I received is another offering from the Bordeaux region. This is a Bordeaux Superieur 2011, the classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon - it's fruity aromas of raspberry and blackberry, spice and full tannin make it a sure hit as a partner to your Sunday roast beef!

You can find out more about these wines and the rest of the extensive range Aldi have in-store by clicking here.

I received the above mentioned wines to taste and enjoy and to review.  I did not receive any payment to write this post and all opinions are my own. Thanks Aldi.