A Quick Pint at Beer Shack, Hucknall

It's amazing to think since it's opened up to now we hadn't visited Beer Shack over in Hucknall but a choice training run for Jemma and I took us past on Saturday morning. It was part of a 12.5 mile run so I felt it only right to ask Jemma if she fancied a beer that evening in lieu of her efforts.

So that evening we drove out to Hucknall (Although I only had a half as driver) to sample the delights that Beer Shack had in store for us. It's nothing more than a shack on the outside but when you're out in search of real ale it's easy to look past such insignificances.

The exterior of Beer Shack Hucknall

A Belated Mothers Day at the Lambley Village Kitchen

Sadly this year I wasn't around for Mothers day after a trip up to the Mighty Deerstalker event in the Scottish Borders. Over the years I've often had events on Mothering Sunday over the years and always try to make up for being away. Mum's favourite treat for Mothers Day is not having to slave away in the kitchen so we regularly take her out for a nice meal.

Butternut Squash Risotto at the Lambley Village Kitchen

Mum's usual choice has often been The Hutt up at Ravenshead but a rather weak meal last year put a number of us going back and with the relatively recent re-opening of the Lambley down the road from our parents house it made logical sense to book in at the Lambley Village Kitchen.

The Lambley Village Kitchen was originally a village pub which then became the Lambley and turned into a bit of a gastropub which despite initial success didn't succeed in the long term. It's now back in business with a refurbishment and under the management of Ridge and Furrow Inn's who also own the Wilford Green at Wilford on the opposite side of Nottingham.

On previous trips to the Lambley it always felt a little lifeless and unfinished but it's makeover has added a real homely element that adds to your comfort and ease. The main bar area is open to drinkers as well as diners to catch the local trade whilst the surrounding dining area feels like somewhere you could easily relax with friends and family.

Mothers Day on a Budget- Inexpensive Food Treats for Mum

Treating Mum on a Budget

Mothers Day is a fantastic way to say thank you for all the hard work, all those trips to the medicine cabinet, all those lifts to school, the moments when you need a tissue and generally she's always got your back when you need it.

As with any celebration it can get get expensive as the supermarkets and restaurants try to cash in on our motherly love. That's why we've come up with a few suggestions to help you celebrate Mothers Day on a budget and keep the costs down. Whether you're a six year old looking for inspiration or flown the nest there should be an inexpensive way to treat your mum.

1. Treat Her To Breakfast in Bed

There's nothing quite like breakfast in bed on mothers day

One of the easiest and cheapest options you could try for Mothers Day is preparing and taking up breakfast in bed. It's amazing what you could do with a few slices of bread, a ramekin filled with jam, another with butter, a knife and a plate which keeps things pretty simple and you're more than likely to have the everything in a cupboard and the fridge at home.

If you wanted to complicate things further (and if safe to do so) consider a full English breakfast complete with poached eggs. Or one of our favourites is a soft boiled egg complete with soldiers and they're so easy to do.

Soft-boiled egg and soldiers. An inexpensive treat for your mum.,

Breakfast in bed is all about the effort you've gone to. So make sure your breakfast in bed with supplied with a freshly brewed tea, coffee or glass of orange juice and for extra kudos head out into the garden, grab a few snowdrops or daffodils and tie them together on the tray.

2. Bake Your Mum a Cake

Pretty much every mum loves cake and baking isn't exclusive to Mr Kipling or Mrs Crimbles only. If you struggle in the kitchen you could easily rope in Dad (or maybe not!) or a sibling for assistance and you can even cheat by buying a pre-made cake mix from the likes of Betty Crocker at the supermarket that often need you to add the right amount of water and potentially eggs.

Victoria Sponge- Relatively easy to make and a real classic cake to please mum.

3. Take Your Mum For A Picnic

If your mum loves the great outdoors and the weather allows, a picnic is a lovely way to celebrate mothers day. Consider heading out to one of her favourite spots, whether it's where she used to take you as children or somewhere that holds fond memories to her and spoil her.

Take your mum to one of her favourite spots for a picnic. 

A picnic just wouldn't be right without some nice sandwiches. We're currently loving Roberts Bakery soft and fluffy loaves which make awesome sandwiches (and toast as we used it for the image at the top of the page). Fill your sandwiches with a selection of nice fillings, add a few extras like pork pies, crisps and maybe even some cakes and you have a nice selection.

If it's a cool day prepare a nice hot flask of tea and coffee or make up a nice bottle of cordial and your good to go.

If you pack paper cups and plates you'll also not have to worry about the washing up either.  

4. Create A Mothers Day Treat Basket

If you can't be with your mum to spoil her and maybe have to send her gift in the post you might want to consider creating a small food treats basket for your mum. There are plenty of pound shops that you can pick up a small basket to fill up. Small and compact will keep the cost down. 

Fill your basket with a array of nice foodie things your mum loves. A nice jar of preserve, speciality chutneys and small bars of chocolate will all put a smile on her face and show that you've put some consideration into her gift which means so much more than spending money.

We hope we've given you some inspiration for mothers day or simply treating your mum whilst on a budget. We'd also love to hear your suggestions in the comments below.  

Photos
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Except Picnic site photo courtesy of Thank you for visiting my... CC BY 2.0 Flickr

Sunday Night Curry Buffet at Sitar Arnold

One of the worst things about going out for an Indian is that generally people will choose the particular curry take takes their fancy and that's the height of their adventure for the evening which seems pretty limiting. Curries in general aren't a cheap meal either so it gets very expensive to order two main dishes to simple individually.

Fortunately there are a number of Indian restaurants across Nottinghamshire that take the option of having an Indian buffet evening. We've previously enjoyed Moda Mitha in Mansfield for their Sunday curry buffet but it's a long way to travel when there are other options on our doorstep so last weekend we ventured into Arnold to sample Sitar restaurant's Sunday night Indian buffet which at just £8.95 per person sounds like it could be exceptionally good value for money.  

Grab your poppadoms and sauce at Sitar, Arnold

Birthday Night- Bombay Brasserie Mapperley Review

With my brother and I's birthdays close together at the start of March we always go out for a meal as family. Each year we each get to choose where we'd like to head although on the recovery from my broken leg and with dad struggling with his knees we thought staying local would be a good idea.

The parents moved up towards Mapperley last summer and whilst it's been a regular haunt of ours for drinking with the Bread and Bitter, Wetherspoons' Woodthorpe Top and Tree Tops amongst our favourites previously but we'd never really done much food-wise except for the ocassional trip into Wetherspoons so it now offers us a chance to explore a different area and review somewhere different for the Nottingham Food Lovers blog. 

Chicken Jai Puri at Bombay Brasserie Mapperley

A Valentines Day Treat- Strawberry and Cream Sandwiches

Valentines day can get pretty expensive if you're heading out for a meal and having my leg in a plaster cast at present means it's a little difficult getting around so for us this year it's Valentines dinner at home. We're hoping to get out and about in the next few weeks for a few more Nottingham food reviews once the cast comes off but for Valentines we would often rather stay at home for better value.

As a little treat this year we decided to make up some Strawberries and Cream Valentines Sandwiches thanks to a recipe we saw featuring a collaboration between Roberts Bakery and the nutritionist Dr Carina Norris as featured at the bottom of the page. Although adding our own little twists on the recipe by using our favourite low fat cream option- Quark to make a nice and fruity sandwich.

A

Building our Strawberries and Cream Valentines Sandwiches

Whale and Chips at the Nags Head Woodborough

Living on the edge of Nottingham means it's easy to head out into the surrounding villages for a drink or bite to eat at a nice Nottinghamshire Country Pub. We have a great selection to choose from across the county and one of our regulars is the Nags Head in Woodborough. It's one of those places we go where as a family we want to get together without going formal or too far from home.

The Nags Head Woodborough Menu

My parents have been going there for years and tell stories of regularly visiting the Nags Head on the way home from fishing the Trent down at Gunthorpe or Shelford. Fortunately it's also just a 10 minute drive from my parents which means it's an easy evening out with a bite to eat. There's usually a few ales on the tap too which keeps my inner CAMRA drinker happy but I'm more than happy to drive and indulge in a full-fat Coke.

The Nags Head is the home of what my dad calls "Whale and Chips" and he comes from a family for whom a big meal is a good meal. He likes flavors too but for him it's all about that initial appearance of size. It's the same at Christmas where he would rather open a big huge present than a little one.

Whale and Chips. Fish and Chips at the Nags Head Woodborough

I'm not usually one for fish and chips but today I felt the urge to see just what the fuss over dads "Whale and Chips" is all about as he raves about the place and what they serve. What you see above is my plate as I asked for no mushy peas. Two good sized pieces of battered fish and a nice big portion of chips and I can see where he's been coming from all these years. Dad opted for the same (with mushy peas) although mum opted for something a little meatier- Beef Bourguignon.

Mum's Beef Bourguignon

We were all perfectly happy with our meals. For a change I really enjoyed the Fish and Chips. I'm normally of the impression that a good piece of fish shouldn't be ruined with a thick layer of breadcrumbs or in a greasy batter. Work colleagues argue that this is the best of British dishes (Which just so happens to be of Israeli origin if my general knowledge serves me right) but for me a good piece of fish needs little additional sauce or seasoning with the exception of a fish curry.

Take Your Pick- All the Usual Pub Favourites at the Nags Head