Mexican Food in London – Dinner at the Mexican Supper Club by Discovery Foods

Whilst Indian food might be the second national cuisine of England, the same could be said for Mexican food in America. Mexican, or even Tex-Mex  (an Americanized version of Mexican food incl Fajitas) can be found on most menus of “American” style restaurants. Salsa and guacamole are regular table condiments – and the heat from chiles are a customary addition to many a dish.

When I lived in London 10 years ago – there was absolutely no Mexican food available. I couldn’t find restaurants and stores were empty of salsa, taco mix or even tortillas. This time around – 10 years later, I’ve been delighted to find a little Mexican section in the International aisle of most large retailers. Because it’s so new here, it seems to be put together in packages so it serves as a complete set to introduce the market to.

A couple weeks back I was delighted to be invited to a dinner hosted by Discovery Foods, the chefs of Benito’s Hat and The London Foodie. The dinner was to introduce Discovery Foods line of Mexican Foods, prepared by the chefs of Benito’s Hat, a lovely Mexican restaurant in London in the supper club of Louis, The London Foodie. The event was delightful – and included both food bloggers and parenting bloggers as guests – along with hosts.

I think that by featuring the Discovery Foods ingredients in this setting was a brilliant idea . The food prepared by Benito’s Hat was amazing – and  it was a great idea to take you from the standard that you might have done at home – of tacos or fajitas and used the ingredients to take your meal to the next level. For the starter we had Taquitos Dorados de Papa con dos Quesos (a cheese and potato filled corn taco with avocado salsa) and 

the main was Tacos deCamaron (Garlic & Paprika Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Mayonnaise)

So one of the things I’ve found having travelled a bit is that each in each country the “foreign” food gets adjusted to the local tastes. For example, in Belgium when they order Chinese food, their eggrolls are served with curry sauce! (I don’t think they even have curry in China!) The same goes for Mexican food. As a very broad generalization, I’ve found that the Mexican food I’ve had in England, have less heat or spice than their American counterparts.

When chatting with the hosts from Discovery Foods I learned that Discovery Foods sells their products throughout Europe, that while they offer the same products, Fajita kits, taco seasoning etc. the same products are spicier in the Nordics than here in England – and this is because they have a more evolved taste and palate for Mexican cuisine, having enjoyed it far longer than it’s been available or popular here in England. I found that fascinating! Who’d have thought? Well I guess the Vikings have been exploring exotic and different tastes for centuries so maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised.

At home I cook Mexican Food or incorporate the flavors into my meals at least once a week. So I was delighted to be given a selection of Discovery Foods items to try out at home. To my delight – I’ve found that their “Medium” heat Fajita stir in sauce had a deeper flavor profile and a little more heat than others I’ve tried so far here in England.

Fajita’s are one of my favorite mid-week meals to make for the family. They are quick and delicious – even quicker using the stir-in sauce from Discovery Foods. To prep you slice the chicken, onions and peppers. You can then toss them into the same fry pan and cook it until the chicken is cooked through, adding in the Discovery Foods Fajita Sauce. You can then serve it with cheese, sour cream and salsa as condiments within it’s tortilla shell. Total time from prep to table is less than 15 minutes.

I’m delighted to have been invited to this event – it’s inspired me to go visit Benito’s Hat restaurant, visit the London Foodie for one of his Supper Clubs (Japanese tasting menu here I come!) and try out more of Discovery Foods line of Mexican food products – especially since I’ve found their “Medium” to have more heat than the similarly labelled “Medium” of competitors.

Do check out the blogs posts about this event from some of the other lovely guests:

Cherapeno has captured some amazing photos of each of the courses, and even better has shared the recipe for the delicious cinnamon flavored desert, Buñuelos (Cinnamon Fritters)!

Tags: Discovery Foods, London Foodie, Mexican, Supper Club

The Hospital Packing list – so now you tell me!!

This being my third baby I pretty much thought I had the drill down by now. But having this 3rd baby in a different country than the previous 2 has really thrown me some curveballs. I’ve previously mentioned my surprise about the differences in maternity wards in the US and UK. I thought I’d figured out all of differences and either planned around them and or made peace with them. That is until yesterday…. 

Ok UK Mums, please humor my naivety for a moment – it’s not based on a feeling of entitlement, rather, in my experience of having babies to date – this is how it’s been done (in the US).

When you pack your hospital bag in the US – it’s pretty much just for you. It’s stuff for the labor and after delivery, change of clothes etc. For the baby, pretty much the only stuff you need to bring is outfit for leaving/and or photo and a car seat or carrier (even then if you can’t afford one generally one will be provided). Everything else – and I mean everything is provided for baby. In fact – so much has been provided, you’re even supposed to pack up all of the extra diapers they give you to take home.

So they provide the little onesie, hat and blankie they put the baby in just after delivery. The nurses make sure you pack up the diapers, the wipes, the pacifiers, and nasal aspirator and comb etc. You seriously need to bring an empty bag to hospital with you for the baby stuff.

When perusing UK baby site yesterday I came across a few discussions about packing the hospital bag and couldn’t believe what I was reading. “You need to bring what? No they must be joking!” So I asked around in my office, and then to some Mum friends on Facebook and they confirmed it for me. You need to bring EVERYTHING for the baby – from the cap and outfit for just after birth, diapers/nappies, and shockingly, maternity pads! (My first thought – isn’t that a medical supply, can people even buy those??)

Seriously, not having discovered this now – I would have rolled up to the hospital with my stuff – nothing for baby and had a naked dirty baby! (Probably closely followed by a visit from family services for my clear ineptitude as a parent).

I suppose it makes sense from the perspective of NHS provided services, this would be a cost saving measure. In the US you (or your insurance) are automatically charged for these items – so if you don’t take them with you you’re leaving something you’ve already paid for. But I just find it so different, and I had no idea about this difference. My friends in Germany and Belgium, also expecting say there it’s just like the US and they too find this surprising about the UK.

Here’s a list a good friend of mine shared with me after I got over my initial surprise yesterday. I’m not sure where she got it from, so if it’s been copied from somewhere and you recognise it, please let me know so I can credit it.

What to pack for labour

• Your birth plan and maternity notes.
• Dressing gown. Hospitals can be very warm, so a lightweight one may be better
• Slippers / flip flops
• Socks. Believe it or not, your feet can get cold during labour
• An old nightdress or a T shirt to wear in labour. It will probably get a bit messy, so don’t buy anything specially to wear in hospital
• Massage oil or lotion if you would like to be massaged during your labour
• Lip balm
• Snacks and drinks for you while you are in labour
• Things to help you relax or pass the time, such as books, magazines, games etc
• A hairband. If you have long hair, you might want it tied up
• Pillows. The hospital might not have enough to make you really comfortable
• TENS pain relief machine if you are planning to use one
• Toiletries
• Music to listen to. Take a battery-operated machine, as most hospitals won’t let you plug things in. Some hospitals provide their own CD players or radios – again, check first

For the birth partner

• Water spray, or a hand-held fan to keep cool down the mum-to-be while she’s in labour
• Comfortable shoes. You may be pacing the corridors!
• A change of clothes
• Watch with a second hand, to time contractions
• Swimwear, if you want to join the mum-to-be in a birth pool
• Camera or camcorder. If you want to bring a camcorder, check with the hospital beforehand, because not all of them allow them in delivery rooms
• Address book or a list of phone numbers. You and your partner will be able to use a mobile phone in parts of the hospital, but bring lots of change just in case
• Snacks and drinks. If you take some with you, they can stay with you rather than leaving the room to search for food!

For after the birth

• A going-home outfit. You’ll need loose comfortable clothes to wear while you’re in hospital and for the journey home. You’ll still be wearing maternity
• Nursing bras. Take two or three
• Breast pads
• Maternity pads. Bring a couple of packs
• Nightshirt or T-shirt. Front-opening shirts are useful in the early days of breastfeeding
• Toiletries
• Towels, hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste
• Old or cheap knickers, or disposable knickers.
• Ear plugs, in case you end up on a noisy ward!

For your baby

• An infant car seat. Some hospitals won’t let you leave by car without one
• One outfit for the trip home (all-in-one stretchy outfits are easiest)
• Two or three sleepsuits and vests for baby to wear while you are in hospital
• Baby blanket. Take a warm one if the weather is cold
• Nappies and cotton wool
• One pair of socks or booties
• Hat
• Jacket or snowsuit for winter babies
• Muslin squares

Tags: baby, cotton wool, hospital, muslin, packing list, receiving blankets, swaddling, the essential one

I’m Pregnant across the pond – and yep it’s different than in the US

So we’re officially expecting baby #3. I’m due in February and while we don’t know whether we’re expecting a girl or boy yet – my sons are pretty convinced it’s going to be a girl. In fact, that’s what they tell EVERYONE.  We’ll see in a few weeks.  (It’s soooo unfair that the gender scan is 16-18 wks in the US but 20 weeks here in the UK, it’s not like they grow faster in the US!!)

So, there are many differences I’ve found in being pregnant in the UK as compared to the US. Some good, some not so good.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I made an appointment with the GP. I went in and saw the GP and she signed me up with the midwives at the local hospital. Now in that visit she just talked to me, and took my word for it that I was pregnant. No urine test, no blood test, she didn’t even take my pulse or weight. I found it all rather odd. What if I was wrong – or what if I was just crazy? I thought it rather interesting that she took my word for it.

Being a working expat – I have a few more options, since I have health insurance from my employer that covers pregnancy and birth. So I could choose to go NHS or private. Given that this is my 3rd child, and my 2 previous pregnancies were high risk with extremely difficult c-sections (let’s just say the anesthetic didn’t work) I was interested in making sure that baby and I got the Dr’s who’d have the most experience with high risk pregnancies, and difficult deliveries. My friends here recommended a great high risk OBGYN who delivers at the hospital near my home and conveniently has a private Consultation office near my work.

He originally advised that I go NHS with the High Risk Unit at Chelsea & Westminster so I’d have him or his team and he thought this would give me good coverage of care if he wasn’t available. And I was OK with that – until that is , I learned more about what an NHS delivery would entail at that hospital – and how different that was from my expectations and experience.

I think the NHS is great – I love that so many people are helped, and the US system does fail a lot of people, but in this instance, for me, it’s not my first choice.

1. Room full of of Mums & Babies

When speaking with other Mums and with Chelsea & Westminster (and reading MumsNet) I found out that there would be no private rooms, I’d need to share a room with up to 6-8 other Mums and babies.  Ok not great, a little privacy would be appreciated and I’m not super keen on the babies waking eachother (and us) up but not a deal-breaker.

2. No baby nursery

When my first son was born after 3 days of labor, 4hrs of pushing and an emergency c-section with no anesthesia it’s fair to say I was in pretty rough shape. When the nurses offered to take him to the baby nursery so I could rest for an hour or two I felt like I’d be a bad Mother for sending him away and said “No.” By the time baby #2 came along I was ready for the opportunity to take a nap and recover from surgery. They brought him back when he was awake and we bonded and he nursed. Now if you’re reading this and in the UK – the baby nursery is exactly like you’ve seen it on TV. Americans reading this – from the previous sentence you’ll realize that baby nurseries don’t exist here in UK hospitals. Again, this is not a deal-breaker, but not ideal either.

3. No overnight guests 

And so we come to my total deal-breaker. Seeing as how you’re n a room full of other Mums and babies, that means no overnight “guests.” Seeing as how it’s my hub’s fault I’m in the hospital having the baby in the first place he better darn well be there to help me through it.  With my first 2, after having the c-section for the first day or two I couldn’t physically lift my babies out of their hospital bassinet. I couldn’t walk to the bathroom or take a shower unaided. The thought of my husband scampering off after dinner while I’m somehow left unable to care for myself or baby all night is terrifying to me. I know UK Mums magically do this everyday here, and I really think they are amazing superwomen. Given my previous experience I just don’t think I have it in me. This for me was the final straw and total deal-breaker.

So, I spoke to my OBGYN and have booked at the same hospital but in the private wing. This means, I’ll have my own room, they have a play-room where they can take the baby for a couple hrs to hold them (still not a baby nursery but better than nothing) and they have a cot for my husband to stay in my room.

After booking, I found out one of my oldest friends here is also expecting the same week and has booked the same place so it would be fun if we’re there at the same time :0)

I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to make this choice. I know it’s not available to everyone as it can be quite a cost prohibitive option (especially if you don’t have private insurance to cover it). But funnily enough this expensive private option is still cheaper than having a baby in the US if you don’t have health insurance. For many friends in the US who are self employed they have to pay for this themselves. Our friends have shared that it costs between $30,000-$50,000 US and while some even had health insurance, because their husband transferred jobs while they were expecting – the delivery was not covered because the pregnancy was a “pre-existing condition”. They’ve advised me that it’s worth shopping around the hospitals in your area as they offer quite different rates and some offer discounts for pre-payment etc.

Are you fluent in International Boy-Speak?

Esperanto may be the “International Language” and “Klingon” is spoken by Trek Geeks everywhere – but what is the International Boy Language? I believe it originated on the Isle of Sodor – and if you have a boy, you know immediately the language to which I refer: Thomas & Friends.

Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son 67 years ago and has since been translated into 30 languages and is found across the globe. In Chicago, our boys would play with their Thomas train track, and Sir Topham Hatt – and speak to their friends at school in a shared language of “chug chugs, toot toot, clank and whir…”

When we moved from Chicago to London, the Thomas and Friends toys and movies were some of the few items that made it through the ruthless pre-packing purge.  Upon our arrival in London they were delighted to find that Thomas & Friends was on TV and other items more frequently than in the U.S. and here too at school was the language shared between boys on the schoolyard and at playdates.

The boys were delighted to watch to the Thomas & Friends DVD, Rescue on the Rails. This DVD seemed more action packed in the episodes than some we’ve watched previously – the engines brave the rails to rescue their friends and discover that being heroic is more than having speed and strength, it’s about teamwork and big heart.

As a Mom, I liked that there were multiple formats in which to watch the DVD. It had a long play which included all of the episodes – tied together with a live action actor who is preparing the station house for a performance by a magician – and then each of the Thomas & Friends animated episodes between. The first time one of the animated episodes ended, credits ran – the boys started shouting that it was over, but after having them settle and wait a moment, it continued the live action storyline, then resumed with animated episodes and so on – the total run time was 54 minutes. If we had less time – we could have played just the animated episodes individually.

The boys loved receiving the DVD and watching it. And of course told all of their friends at school about it (remember – it’s the International Language of Boys) and upon returning home from work, wasn’t allowed to fully enter the door or take off my coat before having to read a letter held in front of my face by my 6 year old.  It was in fact the very first written note I’ve ever received from my son – it demanded that his best friend come over and watch the new Thomas movie right away. They had in fact crafted the letter together at school after hatching their plan and his best friend had even told his parents that they had wrote this note and he was planning on coming over to watch the Thomas & Friends: Rescue on the Rails.

"Evan wants to see the new Thomas movie at our house Jackie."

If you and your children enjoy Thomas and Friends – the new DVD, Thomas & Friends: Rescue on the Rails is available from Monday 21st of May, for 12.99.

We were given a copy to review before the official launch – which my sons very much appreciated and were not compensated in any other way. The review and opinions expressed in this post are those of my own and my sons. Link to Disclosure Policy.

Tags: language, playtime, thomas and friends, videos

We moved to England and found Baby Jesus and the Easter Bunny!

Holidays are a strange bag. Whatever country you’re in – there are always going to be people who do/don’t celebrate the national holidays or even the holidays that you do.  While there are some holidays that are just plain different in the US vs UK (think Halloween and Boxing Day), surprisingly I’ve found it’s the ones that should be the same that are so different for me.

Having grown up in the U.S. I’m used to Christmas being more about Santa than baby Jesus. In fact – the older I got – the further secularized this holiday was. In the work world, any party that happens in December is called a Holiday Party, so as not to offend or alienate anyone. ( Although you can call it Merry Christmakwanzakah if you want to! ) Not so here in the U.K.  I was actually on the “Christmas Party Planning Committee,” and kept getting blank stares when I’d inadvertently say “Holiday Party.” I’ve been so well conditioned not to say it that it almost feels like nails on a chalkboard when I do so.

But this Christian Christmas Spirit was limited to the office – oh no. My 6yr old (then 5) for weeks kept mumbling about “Baby Jesus.” He’d repeat over and over “2,000 yrs ago Baby Jesus.” over and over and over for weeks. We asked him about it since it wasn’t something he’d picked up at home and he told us he learned it at school and he loved singing about Baby Jesus. {que surprised eye exchange between hubby and myself as we send our child to a non-denominational, private, International School} A few weeks later we attended his Nativity Pageant. Honestly, I have never seen or heard of one of those outside of an old book, or Catholic School in the U.S. In any case it was a simple but jazzy stage-show with Wise-Men wearing sunglasses and of course my little Angel, singing not just about Baby Jesus – but stars and other things while representing the nativity. (Now Baby Jesus is now referred to as Baby Cheeses in our house by the kids – thanks to Modern Family) The kids all enjoyed themselves tremendously – but it wasn’t about faith or religion, for them it was the dramatic experience that resonated with them.

Having been in the UK just over a year – we’ve gotten to experience Easter twice already. The first time I was wholly unprepared. A few days before school was out for Easter term break – buried in a school newsletter was a mention of the kids wearing Easter Bonnets to school. Easter Bonnets??? OMG What is that? I’ve never seen or heard of one in my life. My first thought was some type of Little House on the Prairie deal with lots of ribbons. What to do but look it up using Google image search and then check my findings with a few English Mums.

My son was delighted with his hat – and this year I was better prepared. It was a masterpiece of glue-gunnery! (cowboy hat + John Lewis Easter decorations = awesome!) He was so proud of his hat that he designed (and I glued, because it’s hot you know) that he insisted upon not just wearing it to school – but on the trip to the Grandparents house in Belgium for Easter holidays.

And when I say wear it – I mean it. We took the Eurostar and our train to Belgium was leaving about 3 minutes after a train headed to Paris – which was full of Japanese tour-group. 200 of whom, now have photos of my son posing or dancing in his Easter Bonnet as a little souvenir from their trip to London. 

I like these traditions. And to me that’s more of what they seem than an observance of faith.

I hope they don’t go away like they have done so in the U.S.  But, in a way I wouldn’t want this to be suddenly picked up on in the U.S. and forced on people to adopt – because frankly I think we’d do it wrong. I feel like we’d make it so much more complex than the simple thing it is currently – making it bigger and more “meaningful” and bringing more faith into it – or just the opposite – making it so politically correct so as not to offend anyone and it’s just not the same anymore.

Growing up in a very secular home (my Mom’s family is very Catholic my Dad’s Protestant – neither have been churchgoers since childhood, and I studied world religions and attending every type of service you can think of at one time or another but never found something that spoke to me.) and my husband having grown up Catholic and attending Catholic school his entire life – overloading on it so much so that he now doesn’t believe in any type of religion whatsoever- I like that my child is being exposed to different levels of faith of and belief. But although it’s touched his life, here in the U.K. I don’t feel it’s been done with the same pressure as we’ve experienced in the U.S. While overtly Politically Correct – it can be overwhelmingly “Faith-full” as well. Upon moving to new towns/jobs – we’ve often been asked as a first question and repeatedly if we’ve found our Church yet, which can be extremely off-putting even though it was meant well.

I look forward to seeing how religion, faith and spirituality are addressed, adopted or rejected as my children grow both from a U.S. and U.K. perspective – and the choices they make and the beliefs they’ll hold.

Tags: Baby Jesus, Christmas Pageant, Christmas Play, cultural differences, Easter Bonnet, Nativity, UK, US

Bedtime stories, here there and everywhere… a U.S vs U.K perspective

While most nursery rhymes are the same on both sides of the pond, think Humpty Dumpty, Little Miss Muffet… popular bedtime stories and authors are different.

The bedtime classic

U.S.

In Chicago, the bedtime classic is any Dr Seuss book. Take your pick – starting with The Cat in the Hat all the way through Fox in Socks, each of these books has become a go-to for parents in Chicago and throughout the U.S. Like the rhythm of the Iambic Pentameter of Shakespear’s sonnets – anyone who’s read one of Dr. Seuss’s books is familiar with the rhythm or beat that flows through the words as you read. Those of you who’ve read his books as a child or to your children wouldn’t be surprised to learn that when writing his books he said he was trying to copy the sound of a boat’s clanging engine. In fact, the idea for the book had come to him while he was traveling from Europe to America by boat and heard the ship’s noisy engine.

If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Seuss or his books and career, definitely check out Seussville – it’s a fun website and treasure trove of Dr. Seuss info, videos, games, activities and more.

U.K.

In the UK, the Mr Men series is a popular collection with kids and adults alike. Like the Dr. Seuss books once you see one bok you easily recognize the others and begin to enjoy the adventures of each new Mr Man you meet. As opposed to the Dr Seuss books, while the kids enjoy the silly pictures and stories, the words in the stories aren’t for early readers. Also, some of the words are maybe not those we’d expect to share with our kids at a young age (hello introduction of the word “nincompoop” to my kids vernacular)

The Mr Men series was written by Roger Hargreaves and includes 49 Mr Men books and later 42 Little Miss books with female characters – each book focused on one character and their personality traits. Mr. Tickle and Mr. Silly are favorites in our household.

The silly storytellers

U.S.

For funny turns of phrase, tongue twisters and tinglers Shel Silverstein has been an American kid’s classic of poems, short stories and silly songs. Shel was a Renaissance man – not just an author and poet, he was also a singer-songwriter, Musician, composer, cartoonist, and screenwriter. Whether it’s a snail in your nose that will bite off your finger if you pick your nose, or what happens if you refuse to take the garbage out, Shel Silverstein has been nudging children into the path of good behavior for generations. Besides being a children’s author and poet, he was also a cartoonist for magazines including Playboy Magazine, and songwriter, creating hits like “A Boy Named Sue,” famously sung by Johnny Cash.

U.K.

In the UK the storyteller who uses imagination and funny situations to turn kids onto the path of good behaviour is Roald Dahl. Sure, he’s known in the U.S. for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach – but there’s so much more to his oeuvre. was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, fighter pilot and screenwriter. If you appreciate dark humor and or Neil Gaimmon stories – you’ll love Roald Dahl’s children (and adult) stories. One of the traits of his books that makes it resonate so well with kids is that the stories are for the most part told from the children’s point of view. I think my personal favorite children’s story of his is Mathilda, it’s so satisfying when Mathilda discovers her powers and really lets the mean adults have their comeuppance! {For those of you in London – there’s currently a fantastic stage version of Mathilda being put on – you should go see it! }

It’s interesting to note that both Dr. Seuss ( aka Theodor Seuss Geisel ) and Shel Silverstein (Sheldon Allan “Shel” Silverstein) were from Illinois, Springfield and Chicago respectively.  In honor of the 108th birthday of Dr Seuss – Chicago blogger Tailor Made Momma, will be giving away $50 worth of Dr. Seuss books. You can enter to win between March 2-9th. 2012. (details to follow shortly)

How about you? Who’d win in a contest at your house? Dr. Seuss vs. Mr Men? Shel Silverstein vs. Roald Dahl?

What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book and how much of it can you recite from memory?

Tags: childrens books, childrens poems, dr seuss, little miss, mr men, roald dahl, shel, Silverstein

Goodies & Baddies

It was kind of surprising to hear about “Goodies and Baddies” at first. In the US the boys had played good-guy and bad-guy scenarios with their friends but they had always been someone specific – generally a branded character. For example they would come home and tell me that they were red Spiderman while their friend so-and-so was black Spiderman (aka Venom) and would tell me about their fights and adventures etc. However, within a week of the kids starting school in the UK it was all about “Goodies and Baddies.” It was no longer about Spiderman, Batman etc. When watching a movie now they will ask if the person is a goody? It’s not a huge change in the sense they are playing the same games – but it’s big in the sense that their imagination isn’t tied into the constraints of a specific character and they are free to invent their own goodies and baddies scenario. Now instead of being Spiderman when he grows up – my guy wants to be a goody who is a superhero scientist. (Hello Peter Parker!)

Tags: goodies & baddies, play, role play, spiderman, superhero