Recipe: Ultimate mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my all-time favourite comfort dishes. It's so hard to get right but when it's cook to perfectly, it tastes heavenly. Just not the most photogenic of food dishes! So when I was kindly sent some Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese I decided to attempt it for the first time. I used a Jamie Oliver recipe as a base. Jarlsberg is a great cheese to use because it still keeps it's intense nutty flavour when it's melted.

Feeds 4

Ingredients:
20g butter
1.5 heaped tbsp plain flour
4 tsp of lazy garlic
3 bay leaves
1 pint of semi-skimmed milk
300g macaroni pasta
1 pack of cherry tomatoes
4 rashers of bacon
Splash of Worcester sauce
150g grated Jarlsberg cheese*
100g grated parmesan cheese
1 big handful of breadcrumbs
Olive oil

Method:

1. Grill the bacon under the grill until it is nice and crispy. Once cooked, put aside to cool down.

2. While the bacon is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat, add the flour then turn the heat up to medium. Keep staring until you get a paste like mixture.

3. Add the garlic and keep stirring until the garlic is nice and golden. Add the bay leaves.

4. Slowly add the milk and keep stirring until the sauce is lovely and smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave it to simmer. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Preheat the oven to around 200 degrees.

5. Boil some water and add the pasta. Cook to the packet instructions.

6. Meanwhile roughly chop the tomatoes and bacon. Season them with salt and pepper to your taste.

7. Once the pasts is cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce. Then add the grated cheeses, tomatoes, bacon and Worcester sauce.

8. Make sure the sauce isn't too thick as it will thicken in the oven. Add some water if you need too.

9. Transfer the mixture into a oven-proof casserole pan before popping in the oven for around 30 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and golden brown.

10. Whilst it cooked, heat some olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat before popping in the breadcrumbs. Stir and toss the breadcrumbs around until they're crispy but not too burnt!

11. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the finished mac and cheese for a lovely cranky topping before tucking in. Enjoy!

As always, please do let me me know if you give this a whirl and drop me a tweet!

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Hotel review: Qbic Hotel London City, Aldgate East, East London

I love a staycation in London so when my boyfriend and I booked ourselves gig tickets on our anniversary night I decided to throw caution to the wind and look for a hotel for the night. I came across Qbic Hotel London City. Based in Aldgate East, it was the perfect location from home. Only about 45 minutes on the tube and ridiculously close to Duck and Waffle for our brunch the next day. Brick Lane is one of my favourite areas in London so it was a good excuse to have a wander around the markets the next day.

For just over £100 a night per room, we opted for the second cheapest. Gotta have some luxury on an anniversary night right! I wanted something that looked a little quirky, stylish and had character. Chain hotels can feel sterile and boring. I think Qbic ticked all the boxes. I loved all the fun little touches hidden around the hotel such as the teddy do not disturb sign, the hosepipe lamp at the end of the bed, postcards of the local area and the slightly awkward lady above the bed - her eyes felt like they followed me around the room.

The bed was enormous and the room was spacious and light - something that some city hotels fail to get right. They can feel cramped and gloomy. I had a great nights sleep and it was a struggle to get up in the morning.

I couldn't fault the staff and they were even kind enough to let us leave our suitcases there the next while we explored the city - without charge! Checking in and out was a breeze and the free coffee machine on each floor was a lovely touch. I'd definitely recommend booking a room if you're ever visiting London - it's nice to have somewhere a little bit cool to head home after a day in the city.

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OOTD: The everyday brown ankle boots

Outfit:
Grey multi colour roll neck: New Look (similar)
Khaki blanket coat: TK Maxx (similar)
Grey ripped knee jeans: New Look
Tan suede ankle boots: Next (similar)
Poppy red Lily: Mulberry

Gosh the temperature seems to have dropped this last few days eh? I thought Spring was suppose to be making an appearance now! The cold snap has meant layers are keys to keeping warm. Luckily a chunky roll neck jumper and oversized blanket coat have been helping. A pair of tan ankle boots are such staple in any wardrobe and these ones feel like wearing slippers. So comfy. Definitely no blisters from these. Just as well really as I walked a staggering 14km that day!

I wore this at the weekend for a day of exploring South London with Lily, Sarah and expert photographer Hannah. It was a day of eating. Lots of eating. We stumbled across these almshouses in Bermondsey during a wander down to Maltby Street market. It's amazing what you can find once you wander of the beaten track. London is full of surprises.

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