I have seen a glimpse of summer. Not in the sky - oh no, nothing but grey with occasional rain or swirling snow up there. Not in the ground - although a few brave shoots are peeking out we are a long way from anything blooming.
But in central London this week after peeling off layers of coat, cardigan, scarf, gloves etc I had a preview of what lies ahead for those long balmy summer days, eating in the garden or taking picnics on days out or just up to the park.
Yes, even though it is only February, shops have to plan ahead and Morrisons was no exception showing off a tasty range of fabulous food to make you want to fast forward to June!
You won't find curling, dried out sarnies in my picnic basket or plain old bangers on our barbie. No, in my household we like good food and I much prefer to make moveable feasts for the family (maybe using the odd cheat on the way!)
Cheating is easy thanks to Morrisons with offerings like their Tex Mex Ultimate Beef Rib in BBQ sauce.
Melt in the mouth delicious, after trying it I couldn't believe it when the M Kitchen chef I met said the sticky sauce comes ready-made to coat the ribs.
It is tangy and tastes rich and most definitely not like a ready-made sauce! I plan to test it on my Texan friend Ron. He makes awesome barbecue sauce which coats to-die-for pulled porkbut I still think the Morrisons offering will meet with his approval.
M signature hot dog sausages were another shock - I was expecting the limp pink excuses which you normally stuff in a long roll and was pleasantly surprised when I was presented with a substantial meaty tasty sausage, not unlike a bratwurst, with a real bite. Perfect with mustard of course. Mmm my mouth's watering just remembering it.
I am not a burger fan usually but my children love them. Not wafer thin meatless patties - my children, especially the older boys, are real connoisseurs when it comes to their burgers and I know they are going to love the M Signature Beef Burgers (made with British beef) with barbecue pulled pork. Even I wolfed it down and accepted seconds with a slightly barbecue-sauce smeared smile.
Planning a summer party? Well you'll need puds then - I was very taken with the Morrisons lemon and white chocolate roulade. Light and not too lemon-y and not too chocolate-y if you know what I mean.
Fruit lovers will like the M Signature summer pudding which would easily pass as home-made and for those watching their weight check out the NUME vanilla ice-cream which is not sinful at less than 80 calls a scoop. I added a few more calories decorating my cone with a flake, sprinkles, glitter and sugar balls. Yum!
You might fancy a tipple to go with your summer feast - Morrisons have a great system of labelling their wines with taste numbers so if you like one from their range that's, let's say, a number 6, you are likely to like most if not all in the range.
My husband is a red wine fan and was very taken with the M Signature Barossa Shiraz (labelled number 10) and felt the need to test it very thoroughly. He said it compared extremely well with wines costing much more than the modest £6.99 this is on sale for.
There's lots more in store soon for Valentine's day, Mother's day and Easter including beautiful bouquets, eggstra-special Easter eggs(sorry - couldn't resist) and novelty treats for the love of your life but I'll reveal those in another blog post.
In the meantime sort out your shorts and flip-flops - It'll soon be summer! I can't wait!
Disclaimer: I was invited to an event to sample the Morrisons SS15 range. I was not paid to write this post.
But in central London this week after peeling off layers of coat, cardigan, scarf, gloves etc I had a preview of what lies ahead for those long balmy summer days, eating in the garden or taking picnics on days out or just up to the park.
Yes, even though it is only February, shops have to plan ahead and Morrisons was no exception showing off a tasty range of fabulous food to make you want to fast forward to June!You won't find curling, dried out sarnies in my picnic basket or plain old bangers on our barbie. No, in my household we like good food and I much prefer to make moveable feasts for the family (maybe using the odd cheat on the way!)
Cheating is easy thanks to Morrisons with offerings like their Tex Mex Ultimate Beef Rib in BBQ sauce.
Melt in the mouth delicious, after trying it I couldn't believe it when the M Kitchen chef I met said the sticky sauce comes ready-made to coat the ribs.
It is tangy and tastes rich and most definitely not like a ready-made sauce! I plan to test it on my Texan friend Ron. He makes awesome barbecue sauce which coats to-die-for pulled porkbut I still think the Morrisons offering will meet with his approval.
M signature hot dog sausages were another shock - I was expecting the limp pink excuses which you normally stuff in a long roll and was pleasantly surprised when I was presented with a substantial meaty tasty sausage, not unlike a bratwurst, with a real bite. Perfect with mustard of course. Mmm my mouth's watering just remembering it.
I am not a burger fan usually but my children love them. Not wafer thin meatless patties - my children, especially the older boys, are real connoisseurs when it comes to their burgers and I know they are going to love the M Signature Beef Burgers (made with British beef) with barbecue pulled pork. Even I wolfed it down and accepted seconds with a slightly barbecue-sauce smeared smile.
Planning a summer party? Well you'll need puds then - I was very taken with the Morrisons lemon and white chocolate roulade. Light and not too lemon-y and not too chocolate-y if you know what I mean.
You might fancy a tipple to go with your summer feast - Morrisons have a great system of labelling their wines with taste numbers so if you like one from their range that's, let's say, a number 6, you are likely to like most if not all in the range.
My husband is a red wine fan and was very taken with the M Signature Barossa Shiraz (labelled number 10) and felt the need to test it very thoroughly. He said it compared extremely well with wines costing much more than the modest £6.99 this is on sale for.
I was happy to stick to the Prosecco which I love whatever the weather! I was astounded over the Christmas period to pick up a Magnum of very nice Prosecco for just £9.99. I had to check the price with someone working in the wine aisle as I just couldn't believe it!
There's lots more in store soon for Valentine's day, Mother's day and Easter including beautiful bouquets, eggstra-special Easter eggs(sorry - couldn't resist) and novelty treats for the love of your life but I'll reveal those in another blog post.In the meantime sort out your shorts and flip-flops - It'll soon be summer! I can't wait!
Disclaimer: I was invited to an event to sample the Morrisons SS15 range. I was not paid to write this post.