Home made meals are the best, especially this time of the year. Its dark and cold when you sit down for dinner, so obviously you need something that will warm you up and give you comfort. December is all about comfort food - and making every effort to lose any attempt at the summer body.

This week I was set the task of making a chicken and ham pie for our dinner, something that I've never done before. It's always been my mum's speciality, but is something I've always wanted to try. Making something just like my mum has to be the ultimate goal. Student living and cooking just isn't the same as a proper home cooked meal, that is filled with veg and goodness.



This chicken pie was surprisingly easy to make - it becomes a check list of all the stages you need to tick off, then put all together. And what's great is that you can throw in as much veg as you want, making it perfect to fill you with lots of vitamins since we hardly see the sun this time of the year.

Ingredients
Chicken
Ham
Broccoli
Leek
Carrots
Puff Pastry
Cheddar Cheese
Flour
Milk
Butter

How to make

For the pie

1. Shred pre-cooked chicken and pre cooked ham and place in a dish.
2. Cut up your chosen vegetables. Here I've used a leek, some carrots and broccoli, but you could also add peas, sweet corn, mushrooms etc. Before adding veg to the dish pre-cook them (Eg boil the carrots and broccoli or pan fry the mushrooms) then add to the dish.
3. Add the cheese sauce over the the filling, making sure the whole dish is covered in a thin layer of sauce.
4. Roll out puff pastry and either cut out shapes to layer over the filling or lay over the dish in one big layer. (I chose to make mine Christmas tree shaped so that it was a festive chicken pie.)
5. Cook for 30 minutes in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
6. Serve! You can add sides of whatever you like, such as potatoes, green beans, or even some tiger loaf, or just eat it on its own and enjoy all the veg that fills it!

For a cheesy sauce

1. Melt a nob of butter in a pan on a low heat.
2. Mix in a tablespoon of flour till it becomes a paste.
3. Take the pan off the heat, and slowly add in small amounts of milk, mixing quickly until all the lumps have gone.
4. Add grated cheese into the sauce until it melts.



Super easy and super tasty. It's one of the best meals to have this time of the year, to fill you up and provide that winter comfort that's needed throughout a stressful December.

Why not have some home made mince pies as the desert? Here's how I make my mince pies!

Love,
Emily
xxx

~ Latest Post - My Favourite Christmas Traditions ~

ENTER my Christmas GIVE AWAY, filled with goodies to help you survive the stresses that December can throw at you.

A couple of weeks ago - before the onslaught of revision and stress really hit me hard and I was still able to go out for treats - I was invited along to taste Revolution's new menu. Being a massive food enthusiast, and by that I mean I love having it prepared and set down in front of me for my enjoyment, this was an offer I could not say no to. I was invited along, with a guest, to try out a main course of my choosing.

Revolution forever will be remembered by me as Vodka Revs, the place of the flavoured shot sticks, which make a night out all that more fun, I'd never actually been along to try their food before, I'd always just associated it with a boozy afternoon / night out. From now though, Revolution will be the first in my mind for a tastey lunch or dinner. Revolution feels like such up market place, they ooze class through their decoration and smartly dressed staff, but manage to produce great quality food for relatively low prices - making it all that more appealing.



I went for one of the biggest things on the menu - a full rack of ribs, covered in bbq sauce with a side of chips. I'm a massive rib lover, its certainly not the most graceful thing to eat, and I could see a few people looking as I picked up the ribs to eat every last bit of meat, but it was too good to waste. The chips were also delicious, and were great to dip into the 'house ketchup' which was their own recipe with a hidden special fruit. We were left guessing what this added extra ingredient was, but it made the ketchup so moreish! The dish also came along with a side of cauliflower coleslaw, which I've never had before, but found it really good to compliment the ribs.




Eleanor (who was unsurprisingly my plus one) had the duck frites. We halved our dishes so that we could each try two dishes. The duck was incredible. Its not often I have duck - its a sworn enemy of my mum's, and not something that is on menus that often - so it was a real treat. The duck was perfectly crispy, and came with an orange glaze that complimented it perfectly, as well as some fries.



Living up to my reputation as 'the eating machine' (yes my dad genuinely did name me that) I of course added on a desert. Again Eleanor and I ordered one each then halved them to get double the options. I order the Nutella Fluffwich - what even is that I hear you ask. Well its marshmallow fluff and nutella spread on sourdough with a blueberry sauce. Crazy I know, but impossible to resist. It was the best thing I've ever tasted, and made me feel like a kid making the most unhealthiest snack ever when allowed to have reign over the cupboards. It was perfect for a gal like me who has a sweet tooth, and gave me a sufficient buzz to carry on with revision after. Eleanor ordered the chocolate brownie. It had to be one of the most chocolatey deserts I've ever tasted, making me thankful we halved it. Nonetheless, I was able to devour it in a few bites and loved the combination of it with the vanilla ice-cream.



My mouth is literally drooling right now. Good job I have some snacks in my flat to satisfy me and save me from running out to order it all again. I was insanely full after I finished, and didn't need to eat for hours afterwards - a sign of a very good meal with good sized portions.

Revolution also have some great offers on too - with a 15 minute lunch guarantee if you're in a rush and stuck to a tight lunch break, as well as two courses for £10.95. And if you're wanting to extend your time there longer, they also have some great drink deals and some awesome flavours of cocktails and shots. Check out all they're menus and deals on their website here!

Let me know if you've tried out any of the dishes, or which dishes you will try once you've looked at the menu!

Love,
Emily
xxx

Revolution offered me a main meal and drink in return for my feedback. It was my choice to compose this blog post, and all opinions are my own. 

I was very very lucky indeed to be asked along to try the new menu that Steak launched on the 19th of March.



Steak isn't something that I order very much at restaurants - I never quite knew how I liked it cooked, and I always worry I won't like it. BUT Steak on Stones is the new concept where you can cook your own steak! How cool is that?



I took along my big sister, after Saturday being full of girly cocktails, it was the perfect way to see the weekend to an end on the Sunday night. Immediately when we walked in, we were both amazed with how fancy the place looks and feels. Our coats were taken and we got shown to the bar. Deciding that having cocktails again was maybe too ambitious for school / uni the next day, we opted for glasses of wine - although the cocktails all sounded amazing, and they recommend different ones depending which donut you had for pudding.

One thing I loved about the Steak on Stones part of the restaurant was how cosy and quiet it felt. I had my back to the room, and it was only when I turned around at the end that I realised that the room was full! The staff were all very attentive, and recommended dishes and were all so happy.

Now to the meal.

We decided not to opt for the starter of bread, deciding we wanted to save room for the steak. We each order 200g of raw steak, which came on a plate ready for sizzling. For our sides, we ordered sweet potato mash, creamed leaks peas and bacon, and chips. All of which were amazing, especially the creamed leaked peas and bacon, I just could not get enough of it! As for sauces, we gave the wasabi mayonnaise and the pepper corn a try, and again loved the pepper corn sauce!




Each dish arrived on separate plates, perfect for sharing. Then came the main event. A large, very very hot slab of lava stone was placed at the centre of the table and we got grilling! Salting up the slab to your preference, you then start lying bits of the raw meat onto it.



I've decided I'm a bit more of a carnivore then I realised, and I actually quite liked the steak quite rare. We browned the sides, but the flavour and juices of the meat were so delicious, that it was too tempting to leave any longer cooking. We certainly took our time cooking and eating, and found by the time we were full to burst, the slab had started to cool.

Saying that, when the waitress came along offering desert, we just had to try the donuts - after all, my desert stomach was empty! For the puddings, they offer four different flavours of donuts with filling. I went for custard, while Holly chose the fudge - but we halved them so we could give them both a try. They, again, were delightful. They are fried after having the filling pipped in, and taste just perfect.



Overall, I think this has been one of the best meals I've ever had. The atmosphere at the restaurant led to a really enjoyable and relaxing evening, and getting to try cooking our own steak was a novel and exciting experience.


So if you're ever up in Edinburgh- what are you waiting for? Remember to have a look at the website here. I will definitely be heading back there very soon! Also, be sure to follow me over on Zomato where you can see all the places I check in at, and more photos!

Love,
Emily
xxx

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(sorry about picture quality - I was using my iphone and they didn't focus very well!)

*Steak very kindly gave me the opportunity to try their new menu, they did not ask for a blog post in return and this was my own decision and all opinions are my own and based upon my experience. *