Date Night With Chiquito's

I have to be completely honest, I haven't been to a Chiquito restaurant in a very VERY long time. In fact, I think it was well over 10 years ago. Almost as long as I've been with Matt. It's his fault! Matt doesn't 'do' Mexican food.

So when the people at Chiquito offered me the chance to try out their tasty new menu I hesitated a little. Matt and I have promised ourselves to do regular date nights and this would have been ideal but I didn't even ask him because I knew what the answer would be. Then I asked myself "Why should I miss out because of Matt?"

I also had a superb idea!

Use it as an overdue GIRLY DATE.

I get to treat a friend and get out for a bit for some adult conversation. Win-win!

My best friend and I don't see each other as often as we'd like. I've blogged before about how different our lives are now and lately she's been jet setting everywhere. We've had one proper night out for dinner/drinks since TC was born, I think. The thing is though, we've been friends for 32 years now and I think we always will be friends - we have too much info on each other for a start!

So, the other week my friend and I headed out for an early dinner date to Chiquito's at Cheshire Oaks. We decided to go early as we were both tired (probably due to the fact we are both 40 next year!) and dealing with lots of personal stuff.

We were shown straight to the table and given a menu.

Wow!

I couldn't believe how much choice there was on the menu. It was like a book!

It took a while to decide on what we were going to order and we both changed our minds throughout the process.

It was a really extensive menu with a lot of food even Matt "I don't do 'fancy' food" Lucas would have loved. Ha! His loss.

We did have to wait quite a while to be offered drinks. In fact, by the time we were offered these we were ready to place our order. It would have been nice to have had the drinks whilst we looked over the menu.

I was driving (I'm such a good friend!) so my date ordered a White Russian which she was disappointed with as it came in a really small glass. She said it also just tasted like Bailey's (other brands of coffee liqueur are available, obviously!). She said it wasn't worth the £5.79.

But then came the food! Hurrah!

For starters we ordered Peri Peri chicken wings which came with a sour cream dip. They were amazing (really needed a finger bowl though). My friend ordered potato skins which she really enjoyed too.

There was definitely more than enough for a starter and my groaning hungry stomach was very satisfied.

Then came the mains. We'd both taken so long to decide what we were having and my friend changed her mind at the last minute and ordered the same as me. She was glad she did.

We both ordered the South-Western Meatballs and they were amazing.

What's not to like about this?

"Seasoned pork and beek meatballs in our signature tomato sauce served over sliced peppers, onions and Mexican spiced rice. Topped with sour cream, salsa and guacamole".

In a word. Yum!

And, because we were filling our boots we ordered a side of garlic bread with cheese.

Yup, that's how we roll!

So, I bet you're reading this and your mouth is watering? I bet you're also thinking that we couldn't possibly have room for dessert.

Well, you'd be wrong. Of course we ordered dessert...we're not mad!

My friend ordered the Banana Taquito (a whole banana fried in a cinnamon tortilla served with ice-cream). She said it was really nice but a little dry and could have done with some sauce.

I went for the Golden Nugget Cheesecake. Just look at it? Amazing or what? I sent that photo to Matt by text and I found him crying when I got home*

Our bill came to exactly £55. For a 3 course meal, drinks and a side for 2 people I think this is really good and I can't complain about the food or the atmosphere. I'll definitely be considering Chiquito's in the future. I did have a look at their Kid's Menu and it looks really good. I think MC would like it.

If, like me, you've not tried Chiquito's for a while then it's worth checking out their extensive new menu.

Also, it's a lovely reminder for me to make sure I get out more with my friends.

Thanks Chiquito's!


* Not really, obviously.

This is not a sponsored post.  

I did receive a £50 voucher to spend at a Chiquito Restaurant 

but all photographs, words (apart from quoting from the menu), 
views and opinions are my own.

A New Job For Matt And New Menus For Frankie & Benny's!

As my regular readers will know, Matt has been dreadfully unhappy in his work recently and I haven't exposed this on the blog before but the threat of redundancy has hung over us for a while now. He's now been told he's safe but, like any job, for how long? His recent trip to America for a job interview wasn't something we were entirely happy about but we went with it for his sanity. He's had a few job interviews recently and had a couple of loose offers on the table but these have all required him working a certain amount of time each week down South. Something neither of us want.

Anyway, we had some great news last week. He has been given a superb job offer from someone - and he didn't even have to interview for it. Yes, he was headhunted!

This job will mean a lot more money and he won't have to spend a great deal of time away from home.

MC enjoying a milkshake and a jigsaw

To say we are both happy is an understatement.

So, what did we do as a mini celebration?

We went out for our first proper family meal together as a foursome and we were treated to it thanks to Frankie & Benny's to test out their 4 brand new menus.

I had to laugh when I was contacted with the offer to review the new menus. The morning I received the email we had already decided to pop there for lunch. We practically live in Frankie & Benny's. In fact, I'm the mayor of our local one on FourSquare! True fact.

You can't beat Frankie & Benny's for a relaxed atmosphere, speedy service and good value food. Mini Cheddar loves it there - she ALWAYS has the tomato penne pasta on the kids menu and laps it up. Plus, the kid's activity packs and balloons always help.

Frankie & Benny's have 4 exciting new menus they have just launched - breakfast, lunch, specials and desserts.

Starters - mmmm Amazing Skins!

Hard at work

I have to say, what I love about Frankie & Benny's is the choice. Their menus are very extensive so everyone is sure to find something they love. I obviously opted straight for the Amazing Skins with crispy bacon and melted cheddar. Delicious!

I always sit in awe at the chefs at our local restaurant on how they cook such great meals so quickly in full view of hungry diners.


Their new menus are fabulous and such superb value for money. Look what's on offer:

Breakfasts are just £5 each and you can have unlimited refills of tea or coffee for an additional £1.50

Lunch (Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm) you can enjoy 1 course (£5.95), 2 courses (£8.25) or 3 courses (£9.25) with unlimited soft drink choices when you buy a regular drink

Specials can be enjoyed all day Sun-Fri for £10.95 for 2 courses or 3 courses for an additional £2.25

Mains - yummy!

Desserts - even yummier!

As for the desserts...wow! I had the sticky toffee pudding and it was amazing. In fact, Matt actually tricked me by saying "Look at that photo!" over my shoulder. I turned around to see nothing, turned back to see Matt digging into the toffee sauce. He did share his marshmallows from his amazing sundae with MC though.

Yes, it has to be said that we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Frankie & Benny's but, then again, we ALWAYS do. I think it's a great family restaurant and we will continue to eat there - after all, I have my Foursquare mayorship to keep up now don't I?

Frankie & Benny's gets the thumbs up!

We received a £50 voucher to spend at Frankie & Benny's 

but all photographs, words, views and opinions are my own.

Why?

Photo credit: renjith krishnan

I was bathing my daughter the other night, as I have done alone for the past 5 weeks whilst my football playing numpty of a husband rests his broken ankle...have I mentioned that before by the way? Fnar fnar!

Anyway, every time I put the conditioner onto my daughters hair she says "Ooooh tawburry cold Mummy".  Which, in her language means "Ooooh that rather lovely strawberry conditioner is extremely cold Mummy".   It got me thinking....dangerous I know.  The thing is, whenever I condition my hair I always notice the conditioner is slightly colder than the shampoo.

Why?

Now, you're probably wondering where the hell I'm going with this post.  To be honest, I'm starting to wonder the same myself.  But, when I think about it, (my) life is full of simple unanswered questions...

• Why do carrots taste better julienne than cut in circles?
• Why does Coca Cola taste better out of a glass bottle than a can?
• Why do I always need to watch a film that I already own on DVD when it comes on the TV?
• Why does cheese taste better grated than cut in slices?
• Why do Smarties all taste the same apart from the orange ones?
• Why do men (ok, my husband) never replace the toilet roll on the holder?
• Why do I get in the shortest queue at the supermarket but it goes slower than the other queues?
• Why when I buy hotdogs does the tin always hold 8 or 10 and I can only buy a pack of 6 or 12 finger rolls?
• Why do 99.9% of older people (or really young people) think it's okay to just pick a lane on the motorway and stay in it? 
• Why do flies always bumble their way in and hang about on the small closed window, even though the large one is open?
• Why when I've packed away the Mega Bloks (for the 50 thousandth time a day) do I always find one that I didn't spot?

I know most of these I can put down to good old Sods Law but some really confuse me...which is easily done - I wonder if I can still say I have 'baby brain' even though my daughter turns 2 tomorrow? Now there's another question!

Anyone else got any good ones that bug them?

Listography - 5 Pet Hates

I haven't joined in Kate's Listography for a couple of weeks as time hasn't allowed. However, I love nothing better than a good rant sometimes so this weeks is perfecting for letting off some steam!

So, I give you my 'Pet Hates'...

image source: BBC news

1.  People who can't drive on motorways
Is it not a simple rule to understand?  Stay in the left-hand lane UNLESS you are over-taking FFS!  Having spent a good couple of years driving 600 miles a week commuting to work and back, I got to see a lot of idiotic drivers who really don't know the rules of the motorway.  I'm ashamed to say that most of these drivers tend to be women who just seem to pick a lane and stick in it (usually the middle one) or they are older folk or really young drivers.  I honestly think that motorway driving should be part of learning to drive.

2. Bad manners
No, not the 80's ska band!  People that forget to say their 'please and thank yous', it really bugs me.   My daughters not even 2 yet and she can say them so why can't you? If I'm feeling in an especially ratty mood (usually around a certain time of the month) I will actually say it for them to try and embarrass them.  I've actually held doors open for people before and 4 people walked through in quick succession without one glance at me, let alone a thank you.  What am I?  The fooking doorman?  THANK YOU!

3. Spitting
It repulses me.  Surely no-one can produce that much saliva in their mouths that they need to deposit it on the pavement every 30 seconds?  It's bad enough that we have to play dodge the dog shite on the pavements (I'm a responsible dog owner), nevermind having to play dodge the globules of phlegm.  Oh and don't get me started on the people who hold one nostril and blow the other one, emptying the contents of their nasal passages out...this is usually footballers.  I feel sick just thinking about it.

4. People leaving dirty plates and cups on the work surface
Okay, so this is directed at my husband mainly.  Now, I'm no Kim Woodburn so my house is far from immaculate but I can never understand the need to place dirty crockery on the work surface above the dishwasher.  For an extra 5 seconds, surely it doesn't do much harm to open the damn dishwasher and place them in?  No, wait!  Yes the dishwasher fairy does that for you doesn't she?  She works the same way as the toilet roll replacer fairy.

5. Noisy eaters
I'm all for someone enjoying their food.  I love food - a little too much if I'm honest - but I can't stand it when people make me feel like I'm inside their mouth about to be digested with the food.  It makes me feel ill listening to a noisy eater.  You know the ones?  The ones that slurp, smack and gulp to extremes.  The people that take a drink and hold it in their mouth for ages then perform a loud gulp as it goes down.  The people that chomp so loudly and you hear every little thing going on inside their oral cavity.  This is even more of a pet hate in the cinema.  It's also especially annoying if they also feel the need to show me what they're eating.  Keep your cake hole shut will you?

Oooh, that felt good.  Head over to Kate's place to check out the other entries...

Silent Sunday #6

Stop! Baguette Thief!

The fabulous Paula over at Qwerty Mum has come up with a lovely linky to share the things that our kids do - both naughty and nice it would seem (just have a look at Bloggomys entry in particular ewww).  Also re-posting for the lovely Jen at The King And Eye for Blog Gems.

Only 2 days ago I had slow-cooked a rather delicious stew - even though I do say so myself - and I had 2 baguettes to warm in the oven so we could eat it with some nice crusty bread.  The stew was finishing off nicely and I was sat at the dining table sorting some paperwork.  The baguettes were, so I thought, on the worktop ready to go in the oven 5 minutes before we were due to eat.  My daughter had been playing with her HappyLand toys, or so I thought,  in the lounge.

Next thing I hear her running full pelt across the laminate floor of the hall and into the kitchen whizzing past me at record speed saying "Hello Mummy" and then as I turn around she's running towards me to go back out of the kitchen shouting "Bye Bye Mummy" whilst laughing.  At this point I realise she has something in her hand.  A baguette!  I grab her before she darts away and I manage to remove the food item from her tiny clutches.  She giggles and says "Bye Bye Mummy" again and she runs off back to the lounge.

I walk back into the kitchen to put the baguette back on the work top with its partner and as I do I suddenly realise that I'm down a baguette.  I look around the kitchen work surfaces wondering if I've put it somewhere else, I even check the fridge (I seem to have developed a weird habit of putting random objects in our fridge) but nothing.

Then it dawns on me.  I dash into the lounge and this is what greets me...

Butter wouldn't melt