Stuff What I Did - Episode Two

You may have noticed things have been a little quiet around here lately. To be totally honest I have been in a little bit of a blogging funk. I just didn't feel like I had anything new or interesting to say. This tends to be a cyclical thing for me, this blog operates in peak and troughs and I learned a long time ago to just go with it, if I try to force posts out it only makes it worse.

I read so many wonderful blogs it can sometimes be hard to think of new and interesting things to write about, although comparing yourself to others is a dangerous game and I need to stop. I blog for me, not because I take the best pictures or come up with new recipes every day. I think sometimes I just need to slap myself and remember that.

Anyway less whining, more blogging.

On a sidenote, if there is anything you'd like to see here, recipes, reviews, more personal posts etc... Do let me know, I am always open to suggestions. I sometimes toy with the idea of branching out from writing about only food, would you like to see some other topics?

Now back to the point of this post, stuff I have done recently (and by recently I mean 2-3 months ago...)

I went on a day trip to Leeds in early December. It was on a student social trip in which I was the "responsible adult"... I know, ridiculous. I had to get up crazy early to get to the rendezvous point before 8am, there is something really beautiful (and a little scary) about an empty metro station.

I asked the people of Leeds (through the medium of twitter) for food recommendations and of course they came up trumps! I went to Reds True American BBQ which is near to the Coin Exchange in Leeds City Centre. There was a queue for tables but as there was only two of us we managed to sneak a seat at a bar by the window. I ordered the Beef Brisket with sweet potato fries, and my friend ordered the pulled pork with skin-on fries and onion rings. The meat was so tender and full of flavour, I was seriously impressed.

So if you are in Leeds, get yourselves a reservation.

The bill including non-alcoholic drinks came to £23, which was more than fare for the quality.

The day after Leeds I hit the road with fellow Newcastle foodies Lauren and Kate. We were heading to Glasgow to see James Morton (from Bake-Off fame) at The Stand comedy club. The show was called Stollen Christmas, and it was basically a baking demo. He showed us how to make a Stollen and gave us tips on all things bread. The relaxed location worked really well and we had an absolute blast!

In hindsight it may have been slightly crazy driving to and from Glasgow in one day, we spent more time in the car than in Glasgow, but it was worth it. We got to pick James' brain on baking and also came away with a signed book and a bit of his sourdough starter! I have yet to make anything with it but its on my to-do-list.

After the show we had coffee at Artisan Roast on Gibson Street, hands-down one of the best coffees I have ever had, and it has a really cute interior too.

Glasgow looks like a great city from the small section of it that I saw, definitely want to go back there soon.

The following weekend I hit the road again, this time to York for the weekend. Despite York being only an hour away I have never actually been! I headed there with a friend for a weekend full of Christmas shopping.

We had so much fun, we are making it an annual event. The shops in York are so cute and there are a lot of pubs and restaurants to chose from, although we shopped till we literally dropped and ended up back at the hotel by 9pm watching Die Hard and eating Pringles. I know, Rock n Roll.

FYI, if you are looking for an affordable place to stay in York, we stayed at the Shoulder of Mutton which is a 10 minute walk from the shops and was great! Comfortable, quiet and great breakfast (I have not been paid to say this, a genuine recommendation)

It was busy two weeks of travelling but was really fun, I definitely think more UK city breaks are needed in 2014. If you have any tips or recommendations for places to go, let me know in the comments below!