My Favourite Way to Travel

I've always loved going on a train. Just the motion of a train feels relaxing. Watching the scenary speed past is mesmorising. I love watching the hustle of people travelling, running for the train and manhandling cases onto the platform as they leave.

I recently decided that I'd like to train travel more often so I picked a popular route, Settle to Carlisle, and hopped on a train to experience it. As much as I love trains. it's not quite as relaxing if you're travelling with kids, or for work, or if you're in a hurry. I was travelling alone for leisure so I felt sure it'd be great.

It was certainly a picturesque route travelling 73 miles over the Yorkshire Moors and North Pennines. You can see the three peaks from the train and it was nice to see Pen-y-ghent again under less tiring circumstances!

I love the Yorkshire countryside so I was kept busy looking out of the window. On my way up to Carlisle there was a volunteer in the carriage pointing out points of interest along the way. Geoff said he'd been volunteering for 10 years but he still enjoyed the views just as much.

I treated myself to a hot chocolate and a kit kat from the trolley when it went past. Such luxury!

I took a few pictures (as you can see) but I tried to enjoy the trip in the moment rather than try to get great pictures (difficult on a speeding train anyway!). On the journey back it rained all the way but I still enjoyed it. The rain added to the bleakness of the expansive countryside making it more impressive if anything.

I even had time to tackle the Metro crossword. Not the cryptic one though, I've never been able to finish a cryptic crossword without my Dad's help.

It was just the relaxing kind of trip that I'd been wanting. Time to myself to read and take in the scenary. I'd taken along a detective novel set in Yorkshire (in Giggleswick near Settle actually) which was perfect.

Carlisle was a nice place to visit when I finally got there. But for me it was all about the journey. I'd chatted to a few people along the way but it was nice to travel mostly alone. I didn't have to think about anyone else or worry they were bored. Just me, my book and the endless Yorkshire Dales stretching out all around me.

I enjoyed it so much I'll likely do it again. maybe Wales next time or up the East Coast through Northumberland. Let me know if you know of any scenic train journeys I should go on!

Frugal Family Fun - Prize Bingo

Once a week we have a family night where we get together to have some fun. It can be anything from a board game or film to a cinema trip or meal out. My favourite times have been where we're just at home doing something silly that I've devised.

For instance;

Beetle Drive

Minecraft Event

World Record Attempts

These activities are always much cheaper than going out to have fun and we all seem to enjoy them more. I try to keep to a budget of around £10.

Leigh and Erin's favourite thing about us playing Bingo at home is the prizes. I go to Poundworld or Asda and pick up some cheap treats. Usually a mix of snacks, stationery or home stuff. I wrap them up to keep the prizes a mystery.

I use a free Bingo Caller app on my phone so I can join in too!

The Bingo tickets and dabbers came from the Post Office years ago for a few pounds. There's 600 tickets a book so it lasts for ages.

There's a prize for a line and then another prize for full house. We usually do 5 rounds of Bingo using a new sheet each time. It takes about 30-40 minutes and then there's some swapping and negotiating of prizes.

Leigh and Erin are always pleased when we do this even though it's a little slow at times. Mystery prizes are a good motivator apparently!

Playing Silly Burgers 31: Mac N Cheese Burger

This burger is brilliant comfort food, two of my favourite foods in one.

Ingredients:

2 burgers
2 bread buns
2 1/2 cups milk
8oz macaroni
1 cup cheese

This is a simplified recipe for macaroni cheese but it works really well.

Boil the milk in a pan and then add the macaroni. Stir it for 10 minutes while the milk thickens and the macaroni cooks. Add the cheese and stir it well. Add salt & pepper and perhaps some mustard depending on personal preference.

Heap some macaroni cheese on top of a grilled burger.

I like a mac n cheese burger but it's a bit too much to eat. The cheesy sauce goes great on a burger keeping it moist and giving that cheeseburger flavour we all love. It's messy to eat too which as I get older gets increasingly annoying for some reason. Still, it's a great combo if you've got the appetite for it!

Ratings: JD -3, Emma - 3

Harrogate Cheap Eats: Santar Deli

Santar Deli is on King's Road just along the street from our house. When it opened up I was delighted to find out it was a Portuguese deli selling all kinds of deliciousness from Portugal, Spain, Italy and other European countries. I've been in many times to buy their pastéis de nata and chocolate cannoli among many other things. We've never been in for lunch though so decided it was time to give their sandwiches a try!

After looking at their sandwich menu I decided to try the Bifana sandwich and JD picked the Prego sandwich. Mine was £5 and JD's was £6.80. So I added a Lemon San Pellegrino and custard tart too. Still under the £15 budget!

My sandwich was delicious. The pork was tender and spiced. I'm not exactly sure what with but I got a lemony flavour somewhere. I enjoyed it anyway. The custard tart was delicious as always. A very nice lunch. One of my favourite things about the lunch was the plates. I really like the style of them. JD's sandwich was steak which he also enjoyed. There were plenty of other appealing sounding sandwiches on offer too as well as quiches, pastries and intriguing looking brioche sandwiches with mozzarella tomato fillings. I'll be going back to try one of those next.

So, if you want a tasty sandwich or a delicious Portuguese pastry Santar Deli is the place to go!

Previously on Harrogate Cheap Eats:
 

Cafe M

Harrogate Grill & Pizza

Nutrition Joe's

Tak Yan

Drakes Fish & Chips

I Am Doner

Cafe Rita

Palm Court Cafe

Oculus Quest Review

Last year I got JD a VR experience for Christmas and he loved it. So much so that he'd been highly anticipating the release of the Oculus Quest in May of this year. About a month ago he bought one and VR gaming has taken over the Jackson household!

This is what our dining room generally looks like now. Darkened to protect the delicate lenses of the Quest and all the furniture piled to one side to maximise play area. Also, this is a rare moment of quiet because there's usually someone in there flailing around on a VR game. I'm describing it as if I'm not one of the flailers, but I am :D

Pictured above I'm playing Beat Saber. You have a light saber in each hand and boxes fly towards you in time to music. You have to slice through the boxes in the right direction also in time to the music. I'm doing my favourite song Mr Blue Sky.

Beat Saber

It gives you a good arm workout which leaves you with aching shoulders. It gets so vigorous that we've had to put a fan in the dining room. Beat Saber is probably my favourite game so far but there are lots of good games. List time!

Epic Roller Coaster

Epic Roller Coaster - As you'd expect you're on a roller coaster in this game. You can choose the level of comfort from Comfortable to Fully Immersive. I've always enjoyed a fake roller coaster experience because I'm such a roller coaster wuss. Safe on my dining room chair I quite enjoy the feeling of my stomach turning as you lurch over the drop heading downward fast. There's lots of roller coasters to choose from with Dinosaur, Halloween or Zombie themes.

Superhot

Superhot is a game we'd previously played on our Xbox. But it's way better on the Quest. The bad guys are red and everything black is something you can pick up and use as a weapon. Time only passes when you move so it's an interesting game. I'd tried it on the Xbox but wasn't very good at aiming with the controller. On the Quest I can easily play the game with no aiming problems because I'm using my own arms to aim. I shot two guys at once with a gun in each hand!!

Shadow Point is a puzzle game narrated by Patrick Stewart. You have to hold up objects (sometimes several objects at once) to cast an increasingly complicated shadow. Quest games are usually a solitary affair but through the app you can cast the Quest to a phone screen. JD and I are playing this game together taking it in turns to play/watch. We're enjoying it so far.

Raccoon Lagoon

Raccoon Lagoon is the game I've probably played the most. It's a lot like Animal Crossing. You chop trees, mine and plant seeds to get resources to upgrade stuff. There's a host of cute animal characters you have to help with their various problems. They always want something building or rescuing. It's a nice looking game and it gets addictive.

Before you start playing the Quest you have to set up a guardian. It's a virtual wall stopping you from banging into walls or furniture. It works quite well usually but when JD was playing a game called RacketNX (basically futuristic Squash) against someone online he got so competitive he knocked everything off the top of our bookcase! Haha.

Another story which is less funny because it happened to me - I was playing a game called Ninja Legends where you have to defend yourself against waves of Ninjas attacking you. I got a bit carried away and punched the wall trying to attack a sudden onslaught. Ouch!

As well as the potential to damage your possessions when you first play the Quest it can make you feel nauseous from moving around quickly in a virtual world. It passes as you play more, we all experienced it to some degree. 

Leigh and Erin love playing on the Quest. They both enjoy a game called Work Simulator where you have to perform basic work related tasks. It's pretty fun despite the name. One of the best things about VR is getting someone new to try out the VR tutorial. Watching them figure out how to do basic things like pick up a block or pull a lever. My sister Sally came over for a go and now she has her own Quest.

One of JD's favourite things to do on the Quest is to draw. He's got a program called Tilt Brush. You can draw in 3D and he's made some very creative but weird drawings in it. I'll leave you with this chicken he drew.

Harrogate Cheap Eats: Cafe M

Cafe M is located on the ground floor of the Victoria Shopping Centre. It seems a popular choice in Harrogate as it's often quite busy looking as you walk past but we've never been in before. JD and I went on a Friday lunchtime.

After looking at the menu we decided on Ciabatta Melts. I had the Spanish one with chorizo, chilli and brie. JD chose the English one with cheddar, ham and tomato. Both £6.95. We were a bit disappointed with the size of the melts but both agreed after tasting them that they were delicious. We also both had water to drink as usual.

Cafe M do a Hearty Breakfast which looks nice, at £7.50. Along with all the usual breakfast sandwiches, jacket potatoes, soup and other sandwiches all within our £7.50 budget.

The most noticeable thing about Cafe M is the amount of staff present. They line the bar area 4 in a row watching for any tables needing assistance or clearing. It makes for quick service but also gives the feeling of wanting you to leave quickly too.

The food was good, the service was speedy and Cafe M won't break the bank.


Previously on Harrogate Cheap Eats:

Harrogate Grill & Pizza

Nutrition Joe's

Tak Yan

Drakes Fish & Chips

I Am Doner

Cafe Rita

Palm Court Cafe

Harrogate Food & Drink Festival 2019

JD and I decided to give the Harrogate Food & Drink Festival a try and bought tickets for £6.98 per person. This includes entry into Ripley Castle Gardens (which usually costs £5 per person) and there is free parking. There are about 20 Street Food stalls, an Artisan Market, Bar Area, Live Music, Entertainment and a small Funfair.

The first food to catch my eye was a stall selling doughnuts filled with char sui pork and asian slaw. It was a really interesting flavour. Sweet doughnut with a sour sauce on the pork and a nice crunchy coleslaw to add to the mix. I really enjoyed it.

JD's first pick was this huge burrito stuffed full with marinated lamb, onion and salad. I had a bite and it was delicious! I was lucky to get that bite because JD quickly polished it off.

When we'd got our first food choices we looked around for somewhere to sit and eat. There were tons of deckchairs or tables and chairs but none of them were in the shade and it was a scorching hot day. We pinched some seating and managed to find the only bit of shade in the place! Heaven ^_^

Last year at Streat Food we had some chimney cakes filled with ice cream, fruit and whipped cream. They were amazing! Today there was a stall selling savoury chimney cakes. A cheesy chimney cake with Romanian skinless sausages, salad and a cucumber mint sauce. JD and I shared one and it was just as amazing but totally different. So versatile a creation!

Next we were tempted by a poutine like creation. Fries covered in cheese curds and halloumi then topped with gravy and fried onions. Another success! We were starting to get full then so we decided to have a short walk into Ripley to visit the Castle and have some of Ripley's Famous Ice Cream.

Ripley Castle

All in all a nice experience! Top tip for next year, get some sun shades for the seating please :D