IKEA Stash..

Rocket & Roses Play List:

Halestorm ~ As The Eagle Flies
Tom Jones ~ Sexbomb
Gun N' Roses ~ November Rain
Xtina ~ I'm OK
Robbie Williams ~ It Was A Very Good Year
Them Crooked Vultures ~ Dead End Friends
Sugarbabes ~ Push The Button
JET ~ Holiday
Kid Rock ~ Yo' Keep On
Crowded House ~ World Where You Live
The Black Keys ~ Gold On The Ceiling
Anna Nalick ~ Paper Bag
Skid Row ~ My Enemy
The Gossip ~ Listen Up!

During our recent road trip to Wales we stopped off at the Warrington IKEA store. I hadn't been inside one for three years...and believe me when I say...it was a long three years. lol. The reason for this is simple..the nearest store to where we live is a good hour or so drive away and with petrol prices increasing....it wasn't working out to be cost effective anymore. But as we were driving right by one...ahem...it seemed to be rude not to visit. lol.

Now we enjoyed walking through the layout of the Warrington store even if it was spread out over different floors and I can only say thank goodness for the escalators...lol. And we did get royally lost, despite asking for directions twice...trying to find the Marketplace. But I did get there finally...



My stash...for hardly any cash...lol And when did that
sneaky Red Dragon mug get in the shot?!

So from the Top left...a groovy laptop riser...perfect in design for what I need..no more collapsing springy ones. Underneath a stainless steel trivet that will hold two pans at least. Red Dragon mug (not IKEA) White bowl..great for photos. Olive green napkins stash. Front left: Patterned green glass bowl & mug. A two sided photo frame...and lastly one packet of vegan moose shaped pasta.

I just loved these as soon as I saw them..and they will
be guest starring on future blogs. lol.

I admit I do have a habit of buying cheap/bargain/budget/2nd hand crockery that will look good in photos for the blog. These were bought exactly for that. I picture herbals teas and breakfasts served in these very soon.

Moose Pasta...I love them. And completely
vegan.

This pasta is wholegrain and dense...a little really does go a long way..and it's delicious...with any sauce.

The scene stealing Dragon up close..lol
Memories of Wales...

Well that was my little IKEA indulgence and now can start looking forward to the next one in three years time..lol.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week has started well and you are smiling?

~R~

Treehouse Cafe & Shop, Aberystwyth

Rocket & Roses Play List:

The Dodge Brothers ~ Louisa & The Devil Album

When I first visited Wales (and fell in love with the place) I particularly loved Aberystwyth. For two reasons, firstly because of the sea front...we sat down there a lot and I felt at peace and could've just stayed there...forever..lol. And secondly for the Treehouse Cafe & Shop. ML had done a search for veggie cafes before we had left home and the Treehouse came up and was closest to where we were staying.

And although they weren't a purely veggie cafe...they did do a very good selection of veggie and vegan meals. I respected their slogan they had on their flyers and advertisements...

"Treehouse...Croeso/Welcome...herbivores, omnivores, carnivores and free thinkers all welcome..."

Downstairs is the shop and its earthy and organic and is a treasure trove of groceries (most of which were items I had been trying to get in England and failed) and fresh products. Upstairs is the cafe and is relaxing and rustic...everything a good wholefood and organic cafe should be..lol. OK maybe I'm pandering to stereotypes a little here...but it was just great..so I make no apologies.

So it only seemed fair that we call in whilst in Wales this time and we were close to it. We didn't eat in this time but I did enjoy a slow perusal of the shop and came away with a little bag of goods....



My stash!...lol

So from the left....the most exciting purchase was some Parmesan Style Cheeze...now we can buy the dried kind here but never before have I found a block of the stuff. I was almost giddy..lol.

Look! I was ridiculously happy with
this find..lol

Next up is the Savoury Pate which is a staple in our cupboard as it's great for a quick sandwich filling and is exactly what it says on the tube...a heady hit of savoury yeasty pate.

They have a very excellent selection of baked goods and I found a pasty that was Butternut & Pea filled.

Sorry for the blurry photo...lol. Most of their baked
goods are made in their kitchens...as was this one!

I enjoyed mine hot and surrounded by a rocket, cherry tomato and cucumber salad.

Salad with a little pasty...lol And by the way..
the plate is a tea plate!!! lol

The pastry was at first crisp and then melted in your mouth and so tasty. The filling was spicy and the butternut and pea combination worked really well together. So good.

Gratuitous filling shot...lol

Well it would've been rude not to include one, eh? lol I love the occasional pasty with a great salad. Sadly this will be my last wheat based one...but it was a great one to be remembered fondly. And I'll be trying this filling in my GF pastry recipe very soon.

Next up was another 'giddy' find...lol. I am a keen noodle enthusiast. Love them anyway they come and it's one of the sad things about going completely GF but I have been reassured by Trustworthy that I will live and find new noodles to try..lol. I also love miso..and edamame beans so when I found this package filled with all three things...I actually wehoo'd..the shame..lol. Oh well. Anyway....

GF, vegan and just simply awesome..lol

I will make my own version of this very soon. I'm so pleased that buckwheat is still OK...as I already have a stash of them in my noodle cupboard. lol.

The other items were a bag of TVP mince granules as I had big plans to stuff a pumpkin whilst there but never got the energy to do it but it will most definitely get used up. And last but by no means least a Vegan Nougat Hazelnut & Dark Chocolate Bar...well..just because! lol

So that was my Treehouse stash...I hope if you ever find yourself in Aberystwyth that you pay a visit to the Treehouse...if not to eat in..then to maybe do some shopping and some take out soup they serve behind the counter.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope your Saturday is a fantastic one filled with laughter?

~R~