Wandering Curiosities • A Yorkshire Based Lifestyle Blog

August 10, 2017

USA Road Trip Tips – Volume Three

This has been sat in my drafts for shall we say a little bit too long. But here is Volume three of my USA Road Tips Series. You can read part one here and two here.

Welcome back to the Wandering part of Wandering Curiosities. Lets kick off part three with more driving in America tips …

1. Toll Roads
In the UK there are a few toll roads around but over all most roads you don’t have to pay to drive on. When we’re in the USA we normally try to stick to the back roads and avoid the interstates. But sometimes we’ve come across toll roads on the instate more so in Florida then anywhere else. Now tolls seem to have 2 main lanes to choose from an electronic system that you pre pay for like E-Z Pass and Sun Pass depending on the state and cash booths for those without the pass. Car hire companies often try to sell you the electronic pass and it’s totally up to you if you take it. (We did for Florida because driving on the interstate a lot, not only between the Disney parks but also along the coast we got our moneys worth.) If you decide not to take the electronic pass the tolls are not terrifying. You either throw some change into a bucket and barriers lower then you drive off. Keep your quarters in a pot as most seem to be around the 50c to $1.25 and don’t give change. If not a chuck and go bucket, there is a person that lives in booth. You roll up pay the lady get your change and off you go. Not scary at all. There are always prices as you approach and arrows pointing you towards the correct lane. If you drive though the pass lanes and you don’t have a pass, you can expect a bill in the post from the hire company at a later date.

2. Police
There is a chance you may get pulled by the police. We’ve driven over 5000miles across the states and been pulled once. And that was when Kevin was speeding a little in Texas. We were lucky and got a way with a stern warning but it was an experience I didn’t want to repeat. So what to do if you get pulled over. Same as at home really; be polite, honest and stay calm. We pulled over to the hard shoulder, the officer came over to the passenger side and spoke to Kevin. He wanted to see a copy of the rental agreement and Kevin’s license (we also handed over his international driving permits), asked us where we were going and what we were doing in the states. Told us to watch our speed and that if he wanted to he could take us in front of a judge and fine us mega bucks. Then Mr Nice Officer let us on our way.

3. Roadside Attractions
Honestly these are my favourite thing about driving across America. From giant papier-mache dinosaurs eating a miniature person, to concrete wigwams and the worlds 2nd largest rocking chair. These places are in my opinion totally worth pulling over for. I’ve met not only wonderful people at these roadside attractions, I’ve purchased some awesome gift shop products and 99% of the time they are independently run. The people that run these are often just as quirky as the attractions them selves. Ask them where to go for dinner you never know where you will end up.

4. Just enjoy the drive!

This is the last in the mini series of American road trip tips written by a British Gal who loves adventure! If you have any questions please feel free to ask away.

August 8, 2017

XO Supper Club Leeds – A Pop Restaurant With a Difference

I never win anything. Now this is a little bit of a lie because I once won a fancy dress competition dressed as a giant tub of pop corn when I was 6. So, it would seem all my winnings are food related because I won tickets to the latest XO Supper Club pop up at Mr Nobody’s in Leeds.

“xo – a modern Asian supperclub doing sick food for the people of Leeds”

Mr Nobody’s was where XO Supper Club decided to hold this pop up restaurant. And I couldn’t think of a better place. We were treated to a cocktail menu that hinted to the menu that was to come. Our first drink of the evening was the XO Spritz, it was light and refreshing with the perfect hint of fizz.

Before we get to the food can we talk about the table settings?! Little lego men and origami swans were sat on the table waiting for us. The cellar restaurant of Mr Nobody’s allowed for an atmosphere that I don’t think I’ve experience in a restaurant. There was a buzz about the air.

xo supper club a cheese burger spring roll

Cheese burger spring rolls are what everyone was talking about at the end of the evening and rightly so. They were bloody fantastic, I am a massive cheese burger fan so this is what I was most excited about. I was not disappointed. I don’t know how they did it but damn it tasted like a Big Mac. Yummmm!

Next was a rather fancy cheese toasty. It was a little posher then I’ve ever made with perfectly spiced Thai chicken, with mozzarella and kaffir lime. These were certainly a modern asian spin on classics and they did not disappoint.

The next 2 course struck fear into Kevin’s heart. Octopus and S**T Ramen. He was once a very fussy eater but over the last 8 years I have slowly made him into the man he is today. He will try almost anything now including octopus and actually enjoy it.

The Octopus was lovely and not as fishy as I was expecting, tasty and no scary suckers to stick to your teeth. (I actually have no idea why this is a fear of mine). The S**T Ramen wasn’t shit at all. It was delicious. Not too spicy and no over powering coriander taste like I normally find with some ramens it was seasoned perfectly.

xo supper club bo-ssam pork wraps
Bo-ssam, slow cooked belly pork. Belly pork is one of my favourite cuts of meats and this did not disappoint. I loved the tiny tea cups filled with toppings. The crispy lettuce were the perfect compliment and making little wraps was a great way to end the savoury section of our meal.

xo supper club hangover cone ice cream with bacon and crisps
The infamous hangover cone. This is not something you want to avoid like a dreaded week day hangover. You welcome it with open arms. An excellent balance of salty and sweetness, is something that you wouldn’t initially think of pairing but works so well.

If you keep an eye on XO Supper Clubs Instagram and Twitter you may find them doing a takeover of venues around Leeds so you can try the Hangover Cone and Cheese Burger Spring Roll for your self!

I had a great evening and Kevin did too. Winning a competition to eat such amazing food was definitely a highlight of my month!

August 1, 2017

Yorkshire Day 2017

By eck. Be reyt. Stop ye mitherin’. Did I ‘eckers like? Aye Love. Happy Yorkshire Day 2017.

Now then, did thee need a translator? I do bloody love the Yorkshire Dialect.

I’ve lived in Yorkshire all my life but sometimes I even get stuck with a little bit of the twang. Especially when its 2 old blokes down t’pub and they have a real strong rural accent. But the majority of the time these phrases slip into everyday conversation without a second though. Don’t pronounce your H’s and lose ‘The’ and you’re pretty much there. (Hull become ‘ull and see if you can spot the missing ‘the’)

Without further a do here is a list of things I love about Yorkshire on this here Yorkshire Day.

1. Fish, chips and mushy peas*. Maybe a bread cake thrown in too.
2. How friendly people are. At the bus stop, strike up a convo about the bus been early or even better say ‘I bet 3 come at once’ or have a chat about the weather.
3. Yorkshire puddings (also rather controversially a yorkshire pudding with jam).
4. That you can find a pint for less than £3.
5. Scarborough. Well the East Coast in general.
6. Festivals that confuse anyone not from round these parts. That’ll be the Rhubarb Festival and the Liquorice Festival.
7. A teacake is different from a currant teacake – I will fight you if you say otherwise.
8. Bettys Afternoon Tea.
9. It’s not really grim up North.
10. Pork Pie, mushy peas* and mint sauce.

So there you have it. 10 things I love about Yorkshire.

*It would appear that mushy peas feature twice in this list at both number 1 and 10 this is not a mistake.

What do you love about Yorkshire? Or any strange loves for your local area that I should know about?

July 20, 2017

Recovering From Surgery – A Catch Up

I’m back to work this week. Who’d of funked it? Almost 9 weeks off and physically my health is almost back to where it was. I say almost because there is still a little pain and I still get easily exhausted after simple activities but things, things are better. And they’re improving day by day. So lets catch up.

We are a little more then half way through the year and so far its been pretty challenging. There have been highs, lows and endless hours of Netflix. My mental health took a battering after surgery. Even maybe before hand to some degree.

Recovering from major surgery isn’t easy. It actually really fucking difficult.

It is not just the physical healing, thats difficult. Your body just kind of does that on its own.

Slowly wounds heal and the pain no longer takes your breath away or makes you cry. It just fixes its self slowly and steadily.

Your mental health, now that’s different. There were a few days that I thought I would never feel better.

Pre Op there were days that I thought I was losing it. It felt like no Doctor believed that I had a problem or was experiencing the level of pain I was (many didn’t, that was until I saw the liver team, but thats for another time). There were days that I didn’t eat properly for fear of returning pain and nights that I was awake for hours on end. That all took a toll. It was bound to.

Post Op was a different game completely. 5 days in hospital was difficult. Been a patient sucks, it really sucks. Coming home after surgery helps. But this is difficult in a different sense, you’re no longer in the safety zone of a hospital. At home your physical wounds start to heal but it leaves you drained and exhausted.

Me, I’m not a person that can sit at home for days on end. If I take annual leave from work, it’s not to watch tv and have a life admin day. It’s for going out exploring, visiting new places and generally doing something new and exciting. Under no circumstances is it to sit an watch endless hours of tv or films.

This is where sick leave caught up with me. After 5 days in hospital, 2 weeks on the sofa where the most exciting part of my week was going to the supermarket. I found that I was getting increasingly frustrated.

I wasn’t able to drive, leave the house alone or do everyday tasks. Cabin Fever? (Not having an official name for how I was feeling). I didn’t even see anyone about it. I just knew it would pass, but all I knew was that I felt different. Not myself. Week 2 post op, was spent napping and I didn’t feel like really leaving the house as the pain level was fairly high.

Now week 3 and 4, this is where I started to feel well enough that I wanted to do more but my body wouldn’t let me. The pain killer brain fog was subsiding and even though I started to feel mentally ready, physically I wasn’t able to do things I could just a matter of weeks before surgery.

Lets jump forward a few weeks. 6 weeks post op I was happily driving short distances which meant a coffee shop stops. The freedom of been able to leave the house and suddenly I felt like my old self again. No longer stuck with only Netflix for company.

Here I am, 9 weeks after a Liver Resection, on a phased return to work. Something I never thought I would be having to do. It’s funny how the unexpected can catch you off guard. Everything keeps moving even though you seem to stop. Eventually though you start to slowly catch up with movement of the world around you. I may not be at full speed yet but I am picking up speed both physically and mentally.

Peace out lovelies!

July 10, 2017

Champagne School | Epernay Leeds

Remember when I went to Coffee School? Champagne school is also an actual thing!

Hello there lovely come and fill my glass up! Epernay Champagne Bar in Leeds are now offering you the chance to learn a thing or two about our favourite French tipple.

It is no secret that I am a fan of something cold and bubbly. So when given the opportunity to try champagne school*; how could I say no?

Champagne to me is always a luxurious treat; drank in celebration. Think birthdays, passing exams, New Years Eve that kind of thing. This means it’s not something that I drink frequently. Making Champagne School feel very exclusive.

Champagne School teaches you everything you need to know about this bubbly drink. The difference between Champagne and Prosecco, what grape varieties are used to make Champagne, what makes a vintage Champagne and so much more information that you can show off to your friends and colleagues with. I won’t be giving you any of the answers though because, well that is cheating after all!

So now armed with my new knowledge when I buy my next bottle of Champagne it will be a much more informed choice.

You can book tickets to Champagne School here

Location:
Épernay Champagne Bar,
Great George St,
Leeds LS1 3DW

For those that don’t know Epernay’s is in the Electric Press a Grade II listed building. They have an indoor court yard that is beautiful to sit in summer or winter watching the world pass by. One of the most impressive features though is the walk-in Champagne cellar that is chilled to the optimum temperature. I now want one of these at home and of course a bar tender to pour me a glass or 3. Any volunteers?

Would you like to go to Champagne School? If so you can find tickets here.

*I was lucky enough to be invited to try Champagne School for free but all opinions are my own, honest and belong to me with a glass of something chilled and bubbly in my hand.

July 7, 2017

Dessert Heaven at Kaspa’s Leeds

Dessert for dinner? Yes please! If like me you can’t say no to dessert for a dinner then Kaspa’s in Leeds hits the sweet spot. Terrible puns are included free of charge.

Ok now I have your attention with a giant banana split let me tell you about this dessert house. I got a sneak peek at what they had to offer on launch night and let me tell you that you’ll be desperate to visit by the time I’m done.

Not only do they do amazing desserts, think waffles; pancakes; exclusive gelato flavours; cookie dough and more. Basically all the best stuff. Kaspa’s is right in the centre of Leeds sat in The Core shopping centre. The Core is only 10 minutes walk from the train station, or you can park in the connected car park.

Are you hungry yet? The menu is huge as are the portions, we were treated to a selection of desserts. Including that amazing banana split, a strawberry indulgence waffle and a white chocolate crepe. I want to eat that waffle right now and its 10am. Actually I can’t stop thinking about it. When I can go back? I am a woman possessed by thoughts of strawberry waffles.

Kaspa’s interior is also a little dreamy. They have glittery walls and neon lights (be still my beating heart)! A 1960s diner style set up with bold colours and booths, makes for some awesome Instagram friendly shots. Kaspa’s also run a selfie of the week competition where you can win a free dessert! I shall repeat a FREE DESSERT!

Would I go back?

I think if you’ve got this far into this post and haven’t realised that I’d recommend that everyone stop by here, I have done something wrong. Weekend calories don’t count right?

Location

Kaspas Desserts
The Core Shopping Centre
Leeds City Centre
LS1 6JB

You can follow Kaspa’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest offers.

July 5, 2017

Not a Self Help Book

This maybe an unpopular opinion but I kinda of hate self help books they just don’t work for me. But the blogosphere is awash with books that you should read to ‘help’ you but I just don’t feel them.

First there was The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k , then I bought Gala Darlings Radical Self-Love, and now there is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. And well I can’t get on board with that either. The internet tells me I should love these book but I don’t.

I can’t even get past the first few chapters of Big Magic. I’ve tried more than once but I’ve had this book over a month now and I just can’t. I can’t even tell you what it really is about. There is something about self-help books that kind of annoy me. Maybe they do wonderful things for some people but me they just make my inner self rage a little.

The language used doesn’t grab me and pull me in. It’s all a bit floaty and ‘capacity to transform yourself’ blah blah. Someone is also making a lot of money from these books. Be it the authors or the publishers. They are writing what you want to read. It’s generic and written to pull on all your emotions to be a ‘better’ you.

There is no real eloquent way of putting it. They’re just a bit shit.

I did however hope that the Big Magic would change my perspective on self help books. It has 4 1/2 stars out of 5 on amazon. Obviously some people enjoy it, I’m just not one of them.

So why do I end up buying these books?

Maybe it’s because I am an advertisers dream and a sucker for buying what I think I need rather than what I actually need? Maybe it’s because I somehow think that one of these books will suddenly leave me enlightened and solve all my insecurities? I don’t know. But what ever it is, I promise that I will not buy an another bloody self help book! Here it is in black and white and you can hold me to this!

It surely can’t be just me that struggles with self help books?

June 29, 2017

Denim For Hair with BBlonde

Over the years I have had my hair many colours. It is a well known fact that after a few months; normally around the 6-8 month mark, I start to want to change my hair. So when BBlonde* got in touch with me and asked if I wanted to try out their new Maximum Colour Toners I couldn’t say no.

These Toners are gentle on the hair and are meant to last around 8 washes. They also smell amazing. Your hair does need to be a fairly light blonde though to start with. Mine was heavily highlighted, I guess in an ombre style as I didn’t want to contend with 6 weekly regrowth. It also matched the colour sample on the box perfectly, I was excited to start.

Firstly I tried Rose Gold but found that it didn’t give me the pink tones I was hoping for. It gave my blonde hair a nice golden tone but there wasn’t the pink there. I think you will have to be a platinum blonde for this toner to give you the pink tones.

So next I decided that I would go straight to the Denim shade and well I love it. Other then red this blue has been my most favourite shade yet.

This product was easy to use, it took less than an hour. I followed all the instructions, even put a shower cap on my head and blasted it with a hair dyer for 5 minutes. Washed off the toner and saw the first hints of blue.

Top Tip: Grab a pair of gloves before you start other wise you will end up with blue hands.

After 2 washes I applied the other half of the bottle to top up the colour but I can see it perfectly fading out to a grey blue in the next few washes. The next Maximum Colour Toner on my hit list is Lilac.

Shirt – Newlook | Jeans – Forever21 | Trainers – Converse | Glasses – Specsavers |

Do you fancy a colour change for summer?

June 24, 2017

Don Papa Rum – Dinner of the Dons

Don Papa Rum arrived into Leeds with an event shrouded in mystery that not only introduced us to this small batch rum, but also to the secrets of Sugerlandia.

Dinner of the Dons

Arriving at the Corn Exchange after hours was a little magical, it was quiet but there was a buzz in the air. The usual brigade of shoppers had left and in their place a long table had been beautifully arranged. 15 personal dinner settings and name cards were placed with a stunningly designed menu that matched not only our invites but also the bottles of Don Papa rum.

Our first taste of Don Papa rum was in our welcome drink. A Darker Don a take on the traditional Dark n Stormy. It was delicious. I don’t think you can go wrong with a rum and ginger beer cocktail, it was light and with mint help to bring out the flavours of the drink.

The menu was artfully divided into 5 course; Volcano, Rainforest, Nature, Land and Sugar was put together exclusively for Dona Papa Rum by Chateau Marmot and it was chuffin’ amazing.

Volcano

Bulalo – A fragrant bone broth and bone marrow. So I won’t lie here, I was initially a little sceptical of the bone marrow sat on my plate looking at me. However, once tasted, it has now convinced me to try maybe it again. Spread onto bread, almost like a beefy butter it was light and tasty, not at all like I expected.

Rainforest

A fresh crab salad featuring heirloom tomatoes instead of mango (as they didn’t look up to scratch when they went to the market, this kind of detail gets a thumbs up for sure) was paired with a glass of Savoie Cuvee Gastronomie which really brought out the flavours of the dish.

Nature

This next dish included duck egg 3 ways with asparagus. In my head this was boiled, poached and fried. I was wrong. What was presented was I think my favourite course of the night. The egg was so tasty, perfectly cooked and paired with a Papa Negroni cocktail. Now I always thought paring drinks with food was a little bit of con. Alas I have been proved wrong, the Negroni almost changed the taste of the course completely. It made the egg seem so much sweeter and it perfectly complimented the asparagus. It’s fair to say I am now a convert to the food/drink matching scene.

Land

Pork Belly braised with Don Papa rum, was our fourth course of the evening. Pork belly that is well cooked and presented beautifully is somewhat of a winner in my eyes. Tasting the suitable hint of rum really pulled it all together.

Sugar

The meal was rounded up with a coconut three-way dessert, paired with a Don Fashioned and a straight up rum. It was light and perfectly ended the evening.

The spirit of Don Papa Lives on in us all

Don Papa is a small batch rum from the Philippines, it is smooth rum that doesn’t burn when drank neat but gives a lovely warming feeling. I found the flavours of vanilla and honey came through and it was very palatable. There are also 50 creatures hidden on the bottle so in-between your pouring drinks for yourself have a look on what you can find!

June 19, 2017

Welcome Back

I am currently sat in the garden with a rather hot laptop on my knee struggling to get words down on paper. So to speak. It has been almost 6 weeks since I had surgery and in that time this space on the internet has been a little neglected.

I have posted elsewhere, so if you follow me on Instagram or twitter you can see my slightly more frequent ramblings there. WAVES ENERGETICALLY.

Now then this post is a little on the random side as there is nothing really of substance for me to say.

Other than hello I am back.

You are going to see posts shortly featuring a very tasty evening I spent with Don Papa Rum, a trip to champagne school, a new hair colour, posts about surviving surgery (once I’ve got them to less than 3000 words each) and other general ramblings.

So there you go, a short and sweet post to ease myself back into the world of the internet.