27 February, 2018
16 February, 2018
Craft Gin Club - February
So some months ago, I joined Bubble Club, which was a subscription box for sparkling wine. I ended up receiving two boxes before I cancelled; Matt doesn't drink bubbles, and I just can't down an entire bottle on my own on a regular basis.
One of my Bubble Club boxes came with a tiny sampler of Haymans Old Tom gin. It sat on the shelf for a while, because I always thought that gin tastes like Christmas trees. Matt finally broke down and tried it one night, and I guess I hadn't tried good gin before, because we both really liked it. Since then, we've had fun trying different kinds, although Haymans is still very high on our list.
When I found out that the company that does Bubble Club has a gin subscription box, I knew we'd want to try it. We joined just in time for the February box (& luckily during a special offer), and here's a peek at what we received.
That is a whole bottle of gin (70 cl), a sample of tonic water, three snacks, and a magazine (not pictured). Of course, we popped open the gin and tried everything right away.
The gin
The tasting notes in the magazine, Ginned!, say the following about Salcombe Gin Start Point.
Citrusy and floral on the nose, on the palate the earthy, resinous notes of juniper combine with warming, spiced citrus. A fruity, peppery heat from cubeb pepper mingles with the warmth of cinnamon, descending into a finish lengthened by green cardamom.
Matt and I both really enjoyed this gin. It's very smooth, with a light citrus flavor. Neither of us like a heavy juniper flavor, and we were pleased at the clean flavor of Salcombe. Not quite as sophisticated as the notes above, but we're still new to the game.
The snacks
Tyrrell's Sweet and Salty Poshcorn
Honestly, I didn't think I'd like this at all. I like popcorn, but not kettle corn, which is what I expected this to taste like. In reality, they had combined regular salty popcorn with sort of a sweet glazed variety, in equal measure. And I think I'll give English sweet and salty popcorn another chance, because it was a very nice flavor.
Bahlsen Choco Moments (mint flavor)
This is a light butter biscuit with a thick layer of dark chocolate infused with mint. The mint flavor is very strong, a bit much for me on its own to be honest. But it pairs well with the gin, which mellows the flavor of the biscuit nicely.
The Devon Fudge Company Salcombe Gin Fudge with Pink Grapefruit
Yes, this fudge is actually made with the gin we received. The flavor is lovely, very creamy, and the sweetness of the fudge takes away any bitterness from the grapefruit flavor. I wouldn't mind trying more from this company.
The tonic
Luscombe Grapefruit Tonic Water
Matt likes his gin with tonic, and he's not picky about brand or anything. Tonic can be quite bitter to me, and I usually pair my gin with lemonade (here lemonade is a white soda, like Sprite). The Luscombe tonic was a bit more smooth than others I've tried, but the grapefruit flavor is not for me. I'll stick with lemonade for now.
Overall, Matt and I were both very pleased with our first gin of the month box. Of course, the thing we looked forward to most was the actual spirit, and we weren't disappointed. I can't wait to see what comes in March...
One of my Bubble Club boxes came with a tiny sampler of Haymans Old Tom gin. It sat on the shelf for a while, because I always thought that gin tastes like Christmas trees. Matt finally broke down and tried it one night, and I guess I hadn't tried good gin before, because we both really liked it. Since then, we've had fun trying different kinds, although Haymans is still very high on our list.
When I found out that the company that does Bubble Club has a gin subscription box, I knew we'd want to try it. We joined just in time for the February box (& luckily during a special offer), and here's a peek at what we received.
That is a whole bottle of gin (70 cl), a sample of tonic water, three snacks, and a magazine (not pictured). Of course, we popped open the gin and tried everything right away.
The gin
The tasting notes in the magazine, Ginned!, say the following about Salcombe Gin Start Point.
Citrusy and floral on the nose, on the palate the earthy, resinous notes of juniper combine with warming, spiced citrus. A fruity, peppery heat from cubeb pepper mingles with the warmth of cinnamon, descending into a finish lengthened by green cardamom.
Matt and I both really enjoyed this gin. It's very smooth, with a light citrus flavor. Neither of us like a heavy juniper flavor, and we were pleased at the clean flavor of Salcombe. Not quite as sophisticated as the notes above, but we're still new to the game.
The snacks
Tyrrell's Sweet and Salty Poshcorn
Honestly, I didn't think I'd like this at all. I like popcorn, but not kettle corn, which is what I expected this to taste like. In reality, they had combined regular salty popcorn with sort of a sweet glazed variety, in equal measure. And I think I'll give English sweet and salty popcorn another chance, because it was a very nice flavor.
Bahlsen Choco Moments (mint flavor)
This is a light butter biscuit with a thick layer of dark chocolate infused with mint. The mint flavor is very strong, a bit much for me on its own to be honest. But it pairs well with the gin, which mellows the flavor of the biscuit nicely.
The Devon Fudge Company Salcombe Gin Fudge with Pink Grapefruit
Yes, this fudge is actually made with the gin we received. The flavor is lovely, very creamy, and the sweetness of the fudge takes away any bitterness from the grapefruit flavor. I wouldn't mind trying more from this company.
The tonic
Luscombe Grapefruit Tonic Water
Matt likes his gin with tonic, and he's not picky about brand or anything. Tonic can be quite bitter to me, and I usually pair my gin with lemonade (here lemonade is a white soda, like Sprite). The Luscombe tonic was a bit more smooth than others I've tried, but the grapefruit flavor is not for me. I'll stick with lemonade for now.
Overall, Matt and I were both very pleased with our first gin of the month box. Of course, the thing we looked forward to most was the actual spirit, and we weren't disappointed. I can't wait to see what comes in March...
07 February, 2018
Holiday Wrap Up
Just a few bits and pieces to finish up our Christmas and New Year season.
Harlow Carr had a special Holiday Glow throughout December. We took the kids one evening during their school break, and luckily it was the day before we got a decent amount of snow. (I'm sure the lights looked beautiful in the snow, but it was cold enough without it!)
The kids were really excited to be in the gardens after dark, and they loved the lights.
It didn't take long for the cold to set in, though. And the cries of, "I'm hungry!" We gave them the few snacks we had brought, and those were gone in a flash.
So we quickly walked through the rest, and hurried back to the car so we could get home and get everyone fed. In all it was a good time, but we may wait to go back until the kids can handle it a bit better.
The next day, the kids were thrilled to wake up to a few inches of snow!
Of course we had to go out to play. We dressed the kids warmly, and said we were going to the park across the street. So much excitement caused us to linger outside the front door for a while.
Finally, we made it to the park. We let the kids set the pace, and slowly wandered, throwing snowballs along the way. Matt decided to see how big of a snowball he could make.
By now, we had spent about an hour playing outside, and my feet were freezing in my wellies. (I sold my snow boots before we left Colorado; I didn't think I'd get much use out of them!) So I took Miles and Clara home, while Matt and Lily walked into town to get Five Guys. We spent the rest of the day inside, and by the next day, much of the snow had melted.
Our New Years Eve was very low key. We stayed home, and had a festive dinner of appetizers (spring rolls, cheese sticks, Indian selection, and cheese toasties to name a few). The kids watched all of the countdowns that Netflix had to offer (in the morning), and were in bed at their normal time. I even went to bed just before midnight, so that's how exciting we are.
The remainder of the school break, we hung out and played with new toys and games. It was a nice break, but I was ready for the kids to go back to school by the end. And they were ready to see their friends and get back to their routines.
And with that, I think I'm caught up with real life again!
Harlow Carr had a special Holiday Glow throughout December. We took the kids one evening during their school break, and luckily it was the day before we got a decent amount of snow. (I'm sure the lights looked beautiful in the snow, but it was cold enough without it!)
The kids were really excited to be in the gardens after dark, and they loved the lights.
It didn't take long for the cold to set in, though. And the cries of, "I'm hungry!" We gave them the few snacks we had brought, and those were gone in a flash.
So we quickly walked through the rest, and hurried back to the car so we could get home and get everyone fed. In all it was a good time, but we may wait to go back until the kids can handle it a bit better.
The next day, the kids were thrilled to wake up to a few inches of snow!
Of course we had to go out to play. We dressed the kids warmly, and said we were going to the park across the street. So much excitement caused us to linger outside the front door for a while.
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| Tasting the snow |
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| Do you want to build a snowman? |
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| Rolling a ball down our hill |
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| He let the kids help until it wasn't very safe |
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| Taking a break |
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| Finished! A couple of teenagers rolled it just a bit further after we walked off. |
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| Snow angels! |
By now, we had spent about an hour playing outside, and my feet were freezing in my wellies. (I sold my snow boots before we left Colorado; I didn't think I'd get much use out of them!) So I took Miles and Clara home, while Matt and Lily walked into town to get Five Guys. We spent the rest of the day inside, and by the next day, much of the snow had melted.
Our New Years Eve was very low key. We stayed home, and had a festive dinner of appetizers (spring rolls, cheese sticks, Indian selection, and cheese toasties to name a few). The kids watched all of the countdowns that Netflix had to offer (in the morning), and were in bed at their normal time. I even went to bed just before midnight, so that's how exciting we are.
The remainder of the school break, we hung out and played with new toys and games. It was a nice break, but I was ready for the kids to go back to school by the end. And they were ready to see their friends and get back to their routines.
And with that, I think I'm caught up with real life again!
24 January, 2018
Thoughts on Snowy Weather
We've had a lot of snow lately. Well, compared to the typical amount of snow this area sees.
Last week we had three straight days of crap weather. On the first two days, Matt had a hard time just getting out of his parking space to drive to work. (He had parked facing uphill, and each time he tried to get into the street, he would start sliding backwards. He ended up just turning around to go downhill, and taking an alternate route to work.) I don't like driving in bad weather anyway, and after adding in my UK driving anxiety, I decided to walk the kids to school.
On Wednesday, the walk was no problem. The kids were excited because of snow, and it wasn't extremely cold. After that, everything went downhill.
Yes, we did move from a state in the US that gets much more snow than our current location. Here are some differences:
The temperature got high enough that day to start melting even what was on the sidewalk, and of course once the sun went down, it all froze. On Friday, the roads had maintained enough heat to be decently clear, but the sidewalks were solid ice. Matt drove the kids to school that morning, and I made the mistake of walking to pick Clara up at midday. We made it safely, but it was cold and took forever. Did I mention that I sold my snow boots before we left the States? I didn't think I'd need them!
I realize that this entire post sounds negative. But I'm keeping it real, and it was a very grumpy three days.
By the end of the weekend, the snow and ice was gone and things were back to normal. Now I'm back to my positive self and crossing my fingers that we can get back to the rain!
Last week we had three straight days of crap weather. On the first two days, Matt had a hard time just getting out of his parking space to drive to work. (He had parked facing uphill, and each time he tried to get into the street, he would start sliding backwards. He ended up just turning around to go downhill, and taking an alternate route to work.) I don't like driving in bad weather anyway, and after adding in my UK driving anxiety, I decided to walk the kids to school.
On Wednesday, the walk was no problem. The kids were excited because of snow, and it wasn't extremely cold. After that, everything went downhill.
Yes, we did move from a state in the US that gets much more snow than our current location. Here are some differences:
- Colorado is prepared for snow. So when bad weather hits, you know that most of the streets (and even bike trails) will be cleared. Here, they'll put down grit, but there aren't plows going around making the streets safe to drive on.
- Sidewalks are even worse. No one shovels their sidewalks here, so you just have to walk through it until everything melts. On Thursday, there was a decent amount of snow and slush on the ground during our walks, and I got quite a workout pushing the stroller through it.
- Since neither the streets nor the sidewalks are very safe for travel, and this is unusual weather for the area, you might think that school would be cancelled for safety reasons. Wrong. I'm actually curious to know what it would take to cancel school here (but I don't want to find out).
The temperature got high enough that day to start melting even what was on the sidewalk, and of course once the sun went down, it all froze. On Friday, the roads had maintained enough heat to be decently clear, but the sidewalks were solid ice. Matt drove the kids to school that morning, and I made the mistake of walking to pick Clara up at midday. We made it safely, but it was cold and took forever. Did I mention that I sold my snow boots before we left the States? I didn't think I'd need them!
I realize that this entire post sounds negative. But I'm keeping it real, and it was a very grumpy three days.
By the end of the weekend, the snow and ice was gone and things were back to normal. Now I'm back to my positive self and crossing my fingers that we can get back to the rain!
16 January, 2018
Harewood House
During the kids' term break, we took one afternoon to visit Harewood House.
Harewood House is a country house near Leeds, and has been in the Lascelles family since it was built in the mid 1700s. In 1929, Mary, Princess Royal (eldest daughter of King George V) moved into the house with her husband Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood.
When we went, the house was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We were able to explore part of the inside of the house, as well as a portion of the grounds.
We wandered around the ground floor first, and the detail in every room was amazing. And the best part was that we were allowed to take photos (without flash).
It doesn't look like it, but we breezed through the house, upstairs and down. I would have loved to study more in detail, but such is life with three young kids.
Next we went downstairs, where the servants worked and lived. Compared to upstairs, this level was stark, but still fascinating.
Once we finished (ahem, once the kids were finished) indoors, we headed out the back to see the gardens and the animals. The estate is enormous, and we definitely didn't see all of it.
First the back garden. I loved the symmetry, and the kids loved running around.
We walked to the courtyard, where they have a cafe, gift shop, and entrance to the farm and bird area.
We tried to move quickly through this part, because the kids really only cared about seeing the penguins (Miles knew about these from a previous trip). Unfortunately for the kids, we didn't know the most direct path to the penguin area, so Matt and I got to see a lot.
Since things were starting to close outside, and it was getting colder, we headed toward the car. But first I had to get a festive picture.
On the way to the car, we saw a little hut selling marshmallows and hot drinks. I got each of the big kids a stick, and they tried toasting the marshmallows. They ended up having Matt finish for them, and we ate quickly to get out of the cold. But it was fun!
Overall it was a fun day. I liked that we got to see everything decorated for the holidays, but I wouldn't mind going back in warmer weather.
Harewood House is a country house near Leeds, and has been in the Lascelles family since it was built in the mid 1700s. In 1929, Mary, Princess Royal (eldest daughter of King George V) moved into the house with her husband Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood.
When we went, the house was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We were able to explore part of the inside of the house, as well as a portion of the grounds.
We wandered around the ground floor first, and the detail in every room was amazing. And the best part was that we were allowed to take photos (without flash).
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| Entryway |
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| Library |
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| Ceiling detail from the library |
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| This was a box containing small dolls, and the card on top appears to have a dead robin on it |
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| This gold room was elegantly decorated |
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| Ceiling in the gold room |
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| It had games set up, and a toy pig on the sofa |
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| The next room had dolls and doll houses set up |
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| Creepy dolls |
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| Ceiling from the doll room |
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| This was a long hall with many paintings |
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| Can you tell that I loved the ceilings? |
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| Window covering |
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| Dining Room |
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| Some kind of sitting room |
It doesn't look like it, but we breezed through the house, upstairs and down. I would have loved to study more in detail, but such is life with three young kids.
Next we went downstairs, where the servants worked and lived. Compared to upstairs, this level was stark, but still fascinating.
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| This looked like a common room for servants, with chairs lined up facing the fireplace |
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| Close up of the bells you can see at the top of the previous picture |
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| Another bell system, using electricity |
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| Kitchen |
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| Old fashioned knife cleaner |
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| Pastry room |
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| Vegetable scullery |
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| Grinding spices |
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| There were huge amounts of storage |
First the back garden. I loved the symmetry, and the kids loved running around.
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| Back view of the house |
We walked to the courtyard, where they have a cafe, gift shop, and entrance to the farm and bird area.
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| Aren't they cute? |
We tried to move quickly through this part, because the kids really only cared about seeing the penguins (Miles knew about these from a previous trip). Unfortunately for the kids, we didn't know the most direct path to the penguin area, so Matt and I got to see a lot.
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| Donkey |
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| Cranes |
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| This was about 3pm |
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| We finally got to the penguins about 10 minutes before the outside areas closed. But the kids didn't seem disappointed with the brief encounter. |
Since things were starting to close outside, and it was getting colder, we headed toward the car. But first I had to get a festive picture.
On the way to the car, we saw a little hut selling marshmallows and hot drinks. I got each of the big kids a stick, and they tried toasting the marshmallows. They ended up having Matt finish for them, and we ate quickly to get out of the cold. But it was fun!
Overall it was a fun day. I liked that we got to see everything decorated for the holidays, but I wouldn't mind going back in warmer weather.
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