Christmas At La Sala Chigwell*

Now we're well into October I feel it's acceptable to start talking more and more about Christmas, because it is fast approaching! I genuinely can't believe how fast the past 10 months have gone and already I'm worrying I'm not prepared enough for Christmas, the weeks are just going so quickly at the moment and I feel like I still have so much to do and so much to buy! Because this year is flying by, it's important to get any plans for Christmas Day sorted soon. If you're someone who likes to go out for Christmas Dinner and doesn't like the hassle of all the washing up afterwards (the worst bit) then maybe heading out and having it all made for you is a good option. There are so many places that offer Christmas dinner but the one I really wanted to mention today is La Sala.

The La Sala restaurant is based in Chigwell and they offer a wide range of food and dining options throughout the week. The restaurant, open 5 days a week, is renowned for it's vivacious ambiance, beautiful food and value for money. First opening in 2014 in the UK, after success in Spain, the restaurant has gone from strength to strength and it now attracts various celebrities, past clientele includes Prince Albert of Monaco, Jamie Oliver, Little Mix, Eva Longoria and many more. The La Sala concept offers the 'ultimate social and dining experience', available day and night for all customers. You can choose from a varied menu which has a range of international and spanish dishes, all made from the highest quality ingredients, all while listening to live music each evening, sipping on champagne. This year, whether you want a memorable Christmas dinner with family, an unforgettable New Year or you want a place for your work Christmas party, La Sala have you covered. Everything you need can be found at their beautiful venues, carefully selected menus including food everyone will love, live entertainment and incredible service from the staff. Some of the food on offer for all three things I've mentioned below, so you can get a little taste of what is available.

Christmas Day Menu - £75pp

Starters - 

Choose from Cauliflower Soup, Game Terrine, Caramelised Shallot & Chestnut Tart & More

Main Course -
Roast Turkey Breast, Bacon rolled Sausage and Sage Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Festive Trimmings, Parsnip Puree, Parsnip Crisps

Nut Roast, Roast Potatoes,Cranberry Sauce, Festive Trimmings, Parsnip Puree, Parsnip Crisps

Halibut Fillet, Black Truffle Dauphinoise and Wild Mushroom Sauce

Beef Fillet, Beef Cheek Croquette, Caramelised Baby Onions

Desserts - 
Choose from Christmas Pudding, Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Tart, Cheeseboard & More

New Years Eve Menu - £90pp (Champagne and canapes available for the table)

Starters -

Choose from Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, Smoked Duck Breast, Gin Cured Salmon & More

Main Course - 

Chateaubriand for Two, served with Hand Cut Chips, Onion Rings, Grilled Tomato & Portobello Mushroom

Pan fried Halibut, Poached Lobster

Cauliflower Steak, Curried Cauliflower Cheese Croquets

Pork Belly and Loin

Desserts - 

Choose from White Chocolate and Pistachio Parfait, Cherry and Almond Tart, Selection of Ice Cream & Sorbets, & More

Christmas Party Menu - £35pp Tuesday to Thursday, £45pp Friday to Sunday

Starters -

Choose from Roasted Celeriac Soup, Duck Liver Parfait, Smoked Salmon & More

Main Courses - 

Roast Turkey Breast, Bacon rolled Sausage and Sage Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Festive Trimmings, Parsnip Puree, Parsnip Crisps

Beef Short Rib, Creamed Potatoes, Braised Carrots, Red Wine Jus

Sea Bream, Lobster Bisque, Crushed New Potatoes

Curried Sweet Potato Dahl

Desserts - 

Choose from Christmas Pudding, Baileys Cheesecake, Mulled Wine Poached Pear & More

La Sala is without a doubt the place to be this Christmas. Whatever the occassion you can find a perfect meal for everyone, in a beautiful setting, for an extra special day or night. If you want to get booked in soon (which I really recommend you do) then check out their website here where you can find out more about what they have to offer this Christmas.

If you've already got plans for Christmas then why not visit mid week for a date night where you can try something from their Lobster & Burger menu, or you could go for brunch on a Saturday? Bottomless Brunch is served 12pm to 6pm and would make a perfect day with one of your best friends or sister, you could even treat someone for their birthday if you're a bit stuck on gifts! They even do Private Dining Areas if you want to splash out for an event or birthday. Whatever it is, La Sala have you covered. For any booking enquiries, contact them via 03330063008 or find them online here!

Have you ever visited La Sala before? What have you got planned for Christmas?

*Sponsored post. I only work with brands I feel are relevant to my blog

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Taking Blogging Seriously & Improving My Blog

Just a little warning, this blog post is going to be quite long! I have a lot I want to say about this so you might want to grab a cup of tea before sitting down for a read. Basically this year I really decided to take a step up with my blog and see how well I could do with it. After leaving my job last year, I was just so bored and thought as I love blogging so much, why not try and see where it takes me if I really push myself? I've put so much effort into it since the beginning of the year, I've had a new theme and blog header made, both I love, and I've been posting loads more than ever before. I'm so aware I'm still such a small blogger and probably always will be, but I never expected to do as well as I have done so I wanted to just write about some of the things I've done this year with my blog to improve it, why and how it's helped.

Posting 5 Days A Week & Being Consistent 

This is the main thing I wanted to do this year. After trying to post 3 times a week last year, I decided this year as I wasn't working, to try and up that and keep with it all year. So far I've done that! It's definitely hard to keep coming up with new blog posts sometimes and I go through phases where I love it, and others where I don't as much but I'm so proud I've managed to keep up with it. I thought if I really want to make something of my blog then I needed to be more consistent with it, post regularly and just try and keep things new. I love knowing when I can expect a post from other bloggers so I thought instead of posting randomly (not that there is anything wrong with that), I'd have a proper Monday-Friday schedule. 

Using Social Media More 

Aswell as posting on my blog more, I wanted to do the same for my social media. I've generally just tried to be active on all of the ones I use. So I've posted everyday on Instagram most of the year and I've been trying to tweet more general and personal things rather than just scheduled blog promotion. I've also started promoting all of my blog posts on my blog Facebook page aswell and also Pinterest. I've now got a whole board dedicated to my blog posts so any new ones get pinned there straight away as I know a lot of people have success with traffic that way. I think as a blogger it's important to be active on social media and to show your personality where you can. I've also joined some Twitter and Instagram groups/pods to help with liking and commenting just so we can all support each other which I really like.

Contacting PRs & Brands 

For a while now I've been okay with contacting brands I'm interested in working with. Not in a pushy or arrogant way for them to just send me some products, but there are some brands I've always been interested in working with so I see no harm in sending details across and if they choose to email back, then brilliant. This year though I really stepped it up. I've emailed lots of brands that I would love to work with in the future and I've also contacted a few PR companies about being added to their press list. There are so many that never got back to me, which I expected, and some have and now I've got some great relationships with those people. As much as it's nice to receive emails occasionally from people wanting to work me, I think it's just as nice for them to receive those sorts of emails and if I was the PR person for a brand, I think I'd be flattered to see emails from bloggers wanting to work together. I just think if there is something you're passionate about or a brand you use and love anyway, what's the harm in getting in touch? I've been lucky enough this year especially to work with some incredible brands and I really don't take any of the opportunities for granted, I know I'm still a small blogger!

LinkedIn 

When it comes to working with PR people and brands, after completing/publishing any posts I've been working on for them, I like to add them on LinkedIn. I'm still relatively new to the app but it's brilliant for so many things and I've managed to add quite a lot of people that I've had communication with over email for product reviews/sponsored posts and I personally think it's a good way to build up a little portfolio of people you've worked with. You can list your skills on there and if they want to, they can endorse them and generally it keeps you on their radar. It might mean they come back to you in future for more campaigns and it really can't hurt to have these people you've worked with as a connection. It could even help with getting work in future. I put a little status on there most days with my latest blog post, especially if I've done a review or collaborative post with a brand, you never know who might see it, be impressed and get in touch!

Upping My Photography Game

My photography definitely isn't brilliant, it's something I've worked hard on though this year and I'm really starting to see an improvement. I know I still have a long way to go with it and I'm always comparing my photos to other thinking mine aren't good enough but compared to over 3 years ago when I started this, there has been a dramatic improvement! Now I know what sorts of photos I like to create, what props I like to include and I just love experimenting all the time when I have something new to photograph. I'm really proud of myself for trying some different things this year and hopefully that will continue in the future as I think photography is definitely a big part of blogging.

Saying No 

As I've said I'm still such a small blogger so I don't get loads of emails, in fact I can go ages without anyone wanting to be featured on my blog or work with me, and that's fine but there have been times this year where I've been contacted about things and I've had to say no. As exciting as it can be getting these opportunities for product reviews and even sponsored posts, it has to be relevant for my blog, and this year I've been much more picky with what I feature. I've also started saying no to people who just refuse to pay what I'm actually worth. I take each thing as it comes and if they can't offer any money but it seems like a great opportunity, sometimes I will take it as working for free can lead to other things but other times it's quite obvious when someone is just trying to be cheeky and if it doesn't feel right in my gut, I won't accept. It's all about what you personally feel comfortable with and the majority of the time now I'm much more clear of what I expect. I like to think eventually it'll be respected that bloggers actually stand their ground and don't budge when offered a small amount for a post, and that we will all be treated a bit more fairly!

I think overall all of these things have really helped with growing my blog and even though it really is still SO small compared to some, I've already smashed my blogging goals for this year and I don't think I would have if I'd not taken it all a bit more seriously. Posting throughout the week all year so far has really helped with my blog views, and being more active on social media without a doubt has grown my following that way and I'm so happy with how I've done with my Twitter and Instagram already. There are definitely still things I need to work on and I'll always want to improve but I think I'm doing okay so far, so I just wanted to share that really in case anyone needs any tips. If you've got any tips with growing and improving your blog, let me know in the comments!

Relevant posts - My Opinion On Approaching Brands // My 5 Must Have Apps

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Fat Freezing/CoolSculpting With Pulse Light Clinic*

Today I have a little extra bonus post and it's all about Pulse Light Clinic. I've mentioned them before on my blog, they are based in London and the people who work there are trained in many areas including laser treatments and IPL. Last time I blogged about them, I was talking about their cellulite treatments, but today I'm going to be talking about their Fat Freezing/CoolSculpting treatment. 

Most of us have stubborn fat cells on our body, even those of us who eat healthy and exercise reguarly, it can sometimes seem that there are parts of us which just won't change no matter what. This is where Pulse Light Clinic come in and their new method of losing fat, called Fat Freezing. It's pretty self explanatory, the fat literally gets frozen away and it's done in a safe, effective and FDA approved way. CoolSculpting uses the fat freezing technology of Cryolipolysis and the way it's done, is by placing the CoolSculpting pack over the areas of fat you want treated and leaving for one hour. This leaves you to maybe have a small nap during your busy week, reply to emails or just simply rest. While you're relaxing, the fat is being frozen which causes fat cells to die. The body's natural processes then flush out these dead cells, removing them from the area and eventually the entire body. It's such an effective way of eliminating any stubborn fat cells and doesn't require any sort of needles or surgery, it's also causes no harm to any surrounding tissue or skin. 

CoolSculpting can be done for a number of things - excess fat on belly or back, double chins, thighs, love handles and even your bum. Once it's one, it's gone for good, and it's such a simple and quick process, no downtime is required and you can get on with your day. 

If you're struggling with fat around certain areas that won't budge, then this is definitely worth looking into. Free consultations and walk ins are welcomed at Pulse Light Clinic and they have two clinics to choose from located at Bank/Liverpool Street and Oxford Street/Tottenham Court Road. Both open til 8pm weekdays and til 5pm on weekends. If you are interested you can contact them via their website or via phone on either 02075235158 or 02072054085.

*Sponsored post in collaboration with Pulse Light Clinic

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Halloween Cupcakes & Covered Pretzels Recipe With Cake Angels*

Despite doing loads of baking over the last few weeks, I ended up doing more yesterday! I'd spent the majority of the morning blogging and cleaning, so just felt like I needed a few hours in the kitchen, baking. It was a bit of a mixed afternoon in the end as I ended up spilling half a bag of caster sugar all over the kitchen side aswell on as the kettle and toaster, and then when I cleared that up I somehow knocked over a bag of brown sugar 🙊 I've never really been that superstitious when it comes to Friday 13th but yesterday something was out to get me. Anyway, I still got a few things made and I couldn't wait to share them with you. As I had a few things left to use from Cake Angels I thought I'd make some simple halloween cupcakes! They sent me a selection of sprinkles to use recently so I thought cupcakes would be perfect!

Ingredients:

125g butter

125g caster sugar

125g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

Icing sugar & sprinkles

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees and line a baking tray with bun cases

2. In a bowl, add in the butter, sugar, self raising flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp of milk and mix with an electric whisk. It should go very soft and pale. If you don't have an electric whisk, just add in a few ingredients at a time and mix with a wooden spoon

3. Fill each bun case about half way with the mixture and then bake in the oven for around 15 minutes

4. Leaves to cool on a wire rack and then you can decorate! I didn't measure the icing sugar, I never do, but once I'd made that I put 1 tsp on each bun and then topped with sprinkles. For the halloween cupcakes I just used a sugar decoration and I also had some other halloween decorations leftover from last year which I just pushed into the cakes. For the other cupcakes I topped them with rainbow sprinkles and rhubarb and custard sprinkles.

Aswell as making cupcakes I also attempted some chocolate covered pretzels. These were much more difficult than I anticipated them to be but I'm still glad I gave them a go. All I did was get some pretzels from B&M, they only had salted caramel ones at the time and some plain chocolate. I used 100g of Asda dark chocolate and just melted it over a pan of boiling water. When the chocolate was melted, I dipped each pretzel in then covered them in sprinkles. I had a few different ones to use but I think the small chocolate sprinkles came out best! I don't think they look too bad!

I just love baking and I hope you've enjoyed all the recipes I've posted this week! I know my blog has been very food heavy this week but as it's been National Chocolate Week, I thought it would fun to just post only recipes and foodie posts, I had so many I wanted to share. As it's still a few weeks until halloween, you've got plenty of time to give these cupcakes a go, they are honestly so simple to make and just taste so nice, really spongy cakes with sweet icing sugar on top. All the sprinkles from Cake Angels have been brilliant to use so a massive thank you to them for sending me some to feature!

Make sure you give my other recipes from this week a read if you're into cooking and baking -

Chocolate Covered Brownies // Chocolate Sprinkle Cake // Slimming World Nacho Feast

*Sprinkles sent for the purpose of this post. I only work with brands relevant to me and my blog

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