Serialing

This post is one I cannot not post. It's about a podcast called Serial, recommended to me by my boyfriend. He had listened to a couple of episodes before he told me about it and this is when I decided to try it with an open mind. 

All I can say is after 1 episode...I was hooked!

I was constantly serial-ing before and after work or whenever I could and in less than a week I finished all the episodes. Currently there is only series 1, which has 12 episodes, but I'm hoping for series 2 because it is just so addictive.

I really don't want to give any spoilers or say too much information that's in the podcast, although that kills me since I want to blurt out all my suspicions, but its because I seriously feel like you all need to listen to this. It honestly creates so many thoughts and feelings when you hear them and you end up getting to tied up and involved. So I would love to discuss about it if any of you have listened to them!

If you want to find out more information or you want to listen to the podcast, visit http://serialpodcast.org/.

If you have an iPhone, you can also download the podcasts so you can listen to them on your way to work/school/anywhere because seriously you'll want to be serial-ing all the time once you start!

As I mentioned, I would love to hear all your viewpoints on it, so if you have listened/are listening to the podcasts please do comment down below :) 

Love Anna x

The Perch, Oxford

Winter Walk & Lunch at The Perch, Oxford

It was recently my boyfriend's birthday and for his birthday we took a stroll through Port Meadow then had lunch at The Perch in Oxford, which is a historic and rustic pub that is tucked away behind the meadow. It was my first time there and I was so impressed with the food that was served and the environment. 

When the food was served I just couldn't resist snapping up a few photographs for my blog because the food and plating was just so lovely. 

First up was starters, I shared my boyfriend's because I made a silly mistake of eating quite a lot for breakfast, so wanted to make sure I wasn't too full for my main. His was a really delicious parnsip soup served with bread on the side. 

For my main I ordered leek and parsnip cakes with cider and rosemary sauce. I was so pleasantly surprised when it arrived because the cakes had strips of parsnip on top that really decorated it well. It tasted so amazing too and the sauce complemented it perfectly. I definitely recommend this dish to anyone visiting The Perch. 

My boyfriend went for the burger and even that looked very cute on its plate. The tomato relish was such a good dipping sauce for the chips. 

Finally, dessert...and I'm a girl who definitely cannot go without having something sweet to finish off, so dessert was a must. I ordered something I had never tried before and usually this backfires for me, however when the Hedgerow Fool arrived, I knew I had picked well. It was a mixture of berries and yoghurt served in a glass with a shortbread biscuit on the side. 

All in all, it was a wonderful lunch and the perfect place to visit on a cold winters afternoon. I love going for walks and visiting new, hidden away places. The Perch is such a rustic place with some of the most appetising food I had ever tasted. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is visiting Oxford or near.

Have you recently come across any hidden gems around your town/city? I know I love finding new ones, so please do recommend any in the comments below! 

Love Anna, x

Costa's Seasonal Drinks

Costa's Christmas Drinks

I want to begin my post by firstly apologising for the lack of posts especially over the Christmas period. It has been so busy with family (as you all may know) so I hope you have all had an amazing festive period.
Something I've been meaning to blog about is my recent obsession with Costa's seasonal drinks! I first got hooked when I had a white hot chocolate last winter and when I heard their seasonal drinks were back I was excited to try all the different drinks. 

The festive range included:

White Hot Chocolate with Cherry Sauce

Brownie Hot Chocolate

Black Forest Hot Chocolate

Orange Hot Chocolate

Hot Spiced Apple

Even though I can't really drink milk, I have the soy versions and it's been the best! So glad that they can make soy versions because this means I can enjoy them without reacting badly to the milk. It's also been very fun going for Costa runs with my boyfriend who loves to drink lattes and especially because I don't usually get hot drinks out, its been extra special.

The cute cups are an additional bonus because they are so fitting for Christmas.

The Reindeer Cup

The Snowman Cup

The Santa Cup

Hot Spiced Apple

Orange Hot Chocolate

The flavours are just so delicious and because I loved them all I don't think I could pick a favourite! So if they are still around and you fancy a warm drink, make sure to try one. I promise you won't regret it! I'm definitely going to be sad when they go, however having them only at Christmas, makes them that extra special. 

Have you tried Costa's seasonal drinks? Which ones are your favourite?

Love Anna x