31-Aug-2014

Luscious Almond And Orange Brownie

Have you ever eaten anything that it's so good that it takes your breath away. So good that the sensation actually takes over all of your taste buds and senses? Well, this is exactly what this brownie does.

This is ingeniously easy recipe and it calls for NONE grams of expensive chocolate. Only good, bitter cocoa powder. So much easier than your usual brownie recipe, so much better. This is not your usual gooey crumbly brownie, this is dense, sophisticated, intense, chewy brownie, a gift send from the seven heavens. It testes expensive and exclusive, it tastes like an award after a long long day at work.

The almond and orange are two rather strong tastes but they complement each other rather well. A bit of bitterness from the almonds to balance the dense sugary brownie taste and a bit of fresh orange zest-ness to balance the heavy chocolate feeling. Perfection! So much better than your store bought 3 days old brownie, so much more aromas and testes. Homemade exquisiteness!

Ingredients:

• 145 grams unsalted butter
• 280 grams of sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 2 eggs, cold
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 70 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 large orange's zest
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp orange extract

How-To:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C and line a baking tray.
2. Place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a heatproof bowl.
3. Place the bowl over pan of simmering water. Stir until the butter is melted.
4. Keep the bowl on the stove up until the mixture is hot enough for you to put your finger in it but you'd like to take it out right away. Stir occasionally and bear in mind that at this point the chocolate mixture won't be shiny and smooth.
5. Take of the heat and let it cool down. It should be warm but not hot.
6. When it's sufficiently cooled add the eggs, one at a time and stir rigorously. Now the batter should become smooth and liquidy.
7. Add the flour and stir in (with a wooden spoon) until there no limps and uneven parts.
8. Add the almond and orange extracts, the zest and 3/4 of the almonds. Stir everything in.
9. Pour the batter in the baking tray and even it out.
10. Sprinkle the other 1/4 of almonds on top of the unbaked brownie and gently press them into it.
11. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick plunged in the brownie emerges almost completely clean.
12. Let cool down completely, between 1 hour and overnight and then cut to squares.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

30-Aug-2014

Practical Magic

No, not the extra cheese movie. It's about baking. I honestly think that baking is practical magic. But not exactly.

Let me start from the beginning. In the past couple of days I've been talking with my friends and even with Mr.Boyfriend about the essence of cook and, more specifically, of baking. One many people fail to understand about baking is that this is more or less edible chemistry. And just like in chemistry, you can substitute one ingredient for a completely random other one, without making sure that their chemical qualities are the same. Or at least a very close match. Yes, you can usually substitute one berry for another, but I will most definitely advise you against trying the same recipe with apples or pears. And oils, dear god, oils. Butter, coconut oil, nut butters, olive oil - they all have different uses and add (or take) different things to the given recipe. You could never be able to make a decent sponge cake with anything but butter, classical, fat, creamy butter. In the same time, no Spanish cake could be done with anything other than olive oil. The taste won't be the same, it's that simple. It will taste plain, blank and it won't have the delightful lightness and moisture that Spanish cakes usually have.

So yes, this is my pet peeve as from today. When you're baking, follow the darn recipe, because this is chemistry. You don't substitute one acid for another one completely randomly, do you? Well then, don't do it when you are cooking either. Just follow the recipe ant it will be all fine, I promise. Because baking is a practical magic!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

29-Aug-2014

The Girl, The Boy And The Wardrobe

Mr.Boyfriend is coming back home tomorrow evening and I'm thrilled with happiness. I hate it when he's not around, I can't sleep when he's not home. And I'm worried sick most of the time, because am this paranoid about the people I love. But he'll be back with me tomorrow, so this is all that maters.

Today is going to be dedicated to organising my wardrobe, finding place for all of my dear clothes and most of all, marking down the ones that are soon to look for a new home. For the last few months I've been trying to sell most of the things I don't use anymore. Or the ones that I have never used. You get the idea. I'm getting rid of plenty of staff. And while this feels very nice and refreshing, plus the bonus of having a tad more space in my closet, therefore I'm actually being able to see what's on my hangers, I get to earn a penny here and there. I would say that this is not that bad of a hobby at all!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

28-Aug-2014

Yesterday Story

So yesterday, while I was making my soup for (rather late) lunch, I got a call that I need to cover on shift in the restaurant and that I need to go as soon as I could. No worries, I said, I'm coming and I left, leaving my soup uncooked and my stomach - empty. The shift went smoothly, this time I was on the floor, not behind the bar as usually, so I was a bit nervious but other than it was all good. However, when I finished work, it was raining outside and I had just missed the train back home, so I decided that it would be faster if I cycle back home in the rain rather than wait for the next train, 30 minutes from then.

Cycling home was nice and refreshing, however slowly but steadily I got so hungry that my whole body hurt. I figured out that I needed some sort of distraction to take me away from the devastating pain in my stomach and decided to use the magic of the new technologies (aka my phone's hands-free earphones) and to call Mr.Boyfriend while I was cycling back home. It was fine and I was mere 300 meters away from home, that 1 minute of cycling at most, when a darling black cat jumped out the shadows right in front of my bike. I usually love animals, especially cats, but this one - I would chase down the street if I could. Why? Well because I got scared by the cat and since I was already tired and in pain, plus the slippery ground from the rain, my reactions with the bike brakes were all that good. My bike slipped, I panicked, tried not to fall on the ground, so I fell even worse than I anticipated, the bike on top of me. Thanks, Ms Street Cat.

I'm not seriously injured, I'm a bit bruised, my ankle and knee are a bit swollen and bad looking, but other that the scare, I'm fine. I've been lying low today the whole day, trying not to put too much pressure on my ankle, and watching Bones the whole afternoon. All because of a cat.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

27-Aug-2014

My Favourite Thing

I have a new favourite breakfast and I'm totally obsessed by it. This beats by far my previous obsession - avocado and tomato toast. Yes, it's not as vegan friendly as my toast obsession, but it's so delicious and fulfilling and amazing, that I've been eating this e-v-e-r-y  breakfast for now over a week. I mean, without exception. What is this super magical breakfast of mine? It's ENERGY BOOSTING OATS!

OK, I know some of you might be disappointed but bear with me. It's better than it sounds. And it's quick,  simple, easy, tasty and good for you. So, there we go.

The base is simple and healthy. Yogurt and oats. The starting proportions is the following:  for every 3 tbsp  plain yogurt add 2 tbsp oats. Next up are the good stuff, the toppings. Each of my favouite toppings brings something special to the breakfast. 1 tbsp chia seeds for energy boost. 2 tbsp raw cashews for proteins. 2 tbsp raw almonds for good fats. 2 tbsp berries (in my case usually blueberries or blackberries) for antioxidants and vitamin C. 1/2 banana, chopped, for natural unrefined sweetness.

And this is it. All these goodies in combination make a super powerful, yet delicious breakfast that keeps me satisfied well into the day. I also love that I can always switch up to any other fruit in order to make it more interesting. Apples, peaches, strawberries, pineapples, mangoes, coconut. You name it. It can easily supplement the banana and make it a whole lot different. Isn't that just great?!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

26-Aug-2014

Bones

Plot

Say Hello! to Dr. Temperence Brenan, a genius forensic anthropologist that likes the bones she works with more than the living people. She's quirky and strange, extremely rational and practical and in the same time completely out of sync with popular culture and, sometimes, the present. However, she is absolutely brilliant in what she does and that leads her to start working with FBI agent Seeley Booth. He's ex-Army Ranger, practicing Catholic, superstitious, peoples person and very much a charmer. Starting as a one-off-case partnership their relationship flourishes to a successful team and a good friendship. And the dead bodies just keep on coming!

Why I Like It:

It's cunning show, filled with dark humor and plenty of cultural references. Most of the cast is rather cute and looks the part. It's not completely original idea, one partner is from the law-reinforcement, the other is  from seemingly not connected area of expertise. However this show offers more of an insight to the actually work with the dead and it's not only about how smart the agent/police detective is, it's about how good the team behind them is. Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz look adorable together and they are more than just perfect for their roles.

Also, did I mention the hilarious dark humor? It's hilarious!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

25-Aug-2014

Me Gusta Viajar, Quiero Viajar, Tengo Que Viajar

Mr. Boyfriend and I have been in talks about going to Barcelona (or anywhere in Spain for that matter) for a very very very long time. Basically since we came back from Paris, which was January 2013. A long long time ago. Recently I've become even more eager than before in my wish to go somewhere new, somewhere that excites me and makes me happy. So in order to inflame the same fire in Mr.Boyfriend's soul, I treated him to some amazing traveling videos from around the world. I think I'm almost there on my quest of convincing him that we need a long beautiful weekend somewhere worm and beautiful, where people love to eat good and to spend time together. Somewhere just like Spain. Wait on updates from my progress and in the meantime, take a look, how gorgeous Barcelona is.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

24-Aug-2014

Suomi Diner Extravaganza

Today is going to be a busy day. Well, not busier than a shift in McDonald's and then a shift in the restaurant, but still busy. Our friends, the Royal couple, the one whose cats we were taking care of in the city flat, came back from their summer holiday with his family in Finland and this could mean just one thing. We are going to feast on some amazing Finish delicatessens. Hooray! Think about chocolate with liquorish in it, korvapuusti (amazing homemade cinnamon rolls), amazing crispy rye bread, deer and moose meats and, of course, good quality vodka. So, today, after I finish at work, today I'm working at the restaurant, I'm heading down-town to theirs, where I'm going to meet with Mr.Boyfriend and the rest of our small inner friends circle. Once again, HOORAY!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

23-Aug-2014

Delicious Cheese, Roasted Tomatoes and Bacon Tart

I've been promising Mr.Boyfriend that I'll make him a tart in a while now. More like two months, to be honest. However, my working schedule wasn't allowing me this until yesterday when I finally had the time to do the tart properly.

The recipe is very easy and it basically makes itself. Well, it doesn't, but it involves a very little active tasks, how great is this? It takes around 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes from the first second you open your dough to the moment you take it out of the oven, ready to serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack shortcrust dough
• 5 medium tomatoes, cut in 4 thick slices
• 1 long red pepper, cut in thick slices
• 5 slices of bacon, cut in large chunks
• 1/2 cup Red Leicester cheese, grated or sliced
• 1/2 cup Edam cheese, grated or sliced
• 1/2 cup White Greek cheese, crumbled
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• balsamic vinegar
• salt
• fresh basil

How-To:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
2. Roll the dough so if covers a round pie/tart dish with diameter around 35cm.
3. Blind bake the dough, the tart's base, for 20 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden.
4. While the base is baking, place the cut tomatoes, red pepper and bacon on a flat baking tray.
5. Sprinkle the tomatoes and peppers with some salt and balsamic vinegar.
6. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bacon looks cooked and the veggies nice and tender.
7. When the base is baked, take out the baking beans/stones and let it cool down until is hot but not piping.
8. By this time the veggies and bacon should be already cooked so take them out of the oven.
9. Arrange the tomatoes and the peppers as the bottom layer of the tart.
10. Put the bacon on top of the veggies and cover with the cheese.
11. Put back in the oven for another 5-ish minutes, until the cheese has melted.
12. While the tart is in the oven, whisk the eggs and the milk together.
13. Once the cheese is melted, pour over the egg mixture over and sprinkle with fresh basil.
14. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the eggs are set and cooked.
15. Serve warm.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

22-Aug-2014

Travel Diaries: Thorpe Park

Yesterday we spent a day in Thorpe Park. It was much anticipated and we were at the park (after 90minutes of driving) just as they started admissions. We expected less people to be there so early and therefore not to have to queue for the rides. Well, we were very much mistaken.

After a short discussion we decided we'll try our chances with the rides we want to try the most - the thrill rollercoasters. After all, we didn't go all the way there to ride with the kids, right?

First stop (and a 2h queue) was SAW- The Ride. It's inspired by the movie with the same name and it's "thing" is the absolute 100 degrees drop. Other than that the ride is pretty basic and it ends so fast that you might regret waiting for 2 hours for mere 25 seconds.

Saw - The Ride

Next up was The Swarm. Here the idea is for a post-apocalyptic world, where everything is destroyed. The queue line around  burned down cars, the ruins of houses and other niceties. On top of that, screens are showing a mock news report about some very strange and very scary even that happened, imagine that, in Thorpe Park. The ride itself it's nothing memorable, to be honest. Few loops and this is it. However, there is an option to ride backwards and this seemed like the better way to take the ride. Maybe next time, if there is next time.

The Swarm

The third ride on our list was Nemesis Inferno. Dedicated to an erupted volcano scenario, the whole experience was decided in dark red and black. Very pleasing to the eye, however the ride wasn't all that exciting at all. The only thing that I can call slightly thrilling on this rollercoaster was the part where one's riding head down.This was good. The rest was ... meh.

Nemesis Inferno

After a short lunch break - there is an abundance of fast-food places to choose from, we went forward with our plan of trying all of the so-called thrilling rides. Next on our list was Colossus - a classic rollercoaster, the first in the world with 10 loops. No specific theme here, just plenty of green around it, and the glory of being the first 10 loop rollercoaster. Nothing surprising, nothing thrilling, just some mild headache as a result of so much looping around.

Colossus

And last but not least from our list of thrilling rides was Stealth, Thorpe's star. They like to say that people come to the park just to ride on it, and this might actually be true. The scenario around this ride is 1950's car race and it's all very nicely mock-vintage, almost as you are on the set of Grease special edition. It's promoted as having the combined power of two F1 cars and that it accelerates to 130 km/h in less than 3 seconds. Sounds pretty impressive on paper but in reality is very fast start and then very boring other 20 seconds until the end of the ride. However the fast start is actually pretty decent, you feel like you are getting thrown forward by some supreme force and that gives you the chills. This is actually the only ride that managed to excite us all so much that we were willing to go for a second run.

Stealth

We also tried few of the other rides, among which a water one, Loggers Leap, that got us all profoundly wet, and Vortex and Zodiac, both of which combine two types of spinning in order to make their mess up with the riders heads. Not specifically impressive but I guess it will make children feel quite funny. And by the time we were done with thees three extra rides, it was time for us to leave since the park was closing in 15 minutes.

Overall, I was disappointed with the park. Taking in account we paid 26 GBP each for the day there, I expected a lot more. I expected more interesting rides and less children-orientated fun rides. Oh, and if children running everywhere without any idea what boundaries is, is not your idea of fun, that do not go, you'll only get frustrated. Also, if queuing for 2 hours for a 20 seconds ride doesn't sound like something you can do, again, do not go, you'll have a terrible day. But hey, if this feels like your idea of fun, then why not?

I just know that I'm not going back soon. Or ever,

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

21-Aug-2014

Excitement Overload!

We are going to THORPE PARK today! Mr.Boyfriend, Papa Bear and the girlfriend, and I are going to spend the whole day today riding roller-coasters! I'm really really excited, it's been a while since I went to an adventure/action park! To be more precise, it's been 6 years since I went to Port Aventura in Cataluna, so I'm rightfully excited! Ooops, I need to go!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

20-Aug-2014

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Today Papa Bear's girlfriend and I are going for a girls day out. I have few chores to run around town, including to return my uniform to McDonald's but why not have some fun while we're at it? So, shops, cafeterias, markets, streets, you are not safe. Rai and I are coming for you!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

19-Aug-2014

Dark Fiest

Marilyn Manson is the KING of freak shows. He is, by all means, a strange bird and it's not everyone's cup of tea but those who like him really love him. He's acquired taste and is definitely a character of his own, making the whole shenanigans work pretty damn well.

And while his music is nothing overly original and trendsetting, it's still pretty good, earning him plenty of fans. Or maybe they just like his looks?

Oh, and may I say, for a man who looks so ... differently ... he has something that attracts pretty women. Exhibit A , Exhibit B, Exhibit C .

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

18-Aug-2014

Light Luncheon For Five

Mr.Wolfe, Brighton

Yesterday, after my last shift for McDonald's, Mr.Boyfriend and I went out for a light lunch with our friends. The Royal Couple, Sara and her husband (Mr.Boyfriend's and mine best friends) have been talking about this "ah-mazing" place just around the corner of theirs. They tend to be rather snobbish when it comes to food serving establishments and when they recommend a place, most times it will turn out to be a really good place indeed.

Mr.Wolfe serves a fairly large range of organic food, from sandwiches and cakes to tarts and soups. They also serve excellent coffee and nice tea.

The whole shop has this vintage, hipster, eco-friendly, very European look to it. It reminds me of my favourite getaway spot back in my hometown - a very hipster place where you cannot find two chairs to match. But back to Mr.Wolfe. They prepare all the food then and there, so if you have a rather big order, be prepared to wait a fair bit. But it's so worthy. Mr.Boyfriend and I both had the Home-made BLC with rocket and mayo, Mr.Royal had Goat Cheese & roasted peppers with caramelised onions, rocket and mayo while Mrs.Royal and our dear room-mate Papa Bear had Roasted squash & emmental with black olives, rocket and mayo. You can see the tendency here, right? Rocket and mayo? I must say, they were a good match to each and every of the sandwiches. While the BLC failed to surprise me because of it's over-popular nature, the Roasted squash and emmental was a mind-blowingly good combination, so good that I want to recreate it at home. Goat cheese and roasted peppers wasn't bad either, very sweet and tender taste, definitely a hit.

Of course, all of us ordered cakes as well, because there is only one Sunday in a week, so Carpe Diem! I had Lemon and Coconut slice, which had very bright and specific taste. The sourness of the lemon was just harsh enough to make the overly-sweet coconut worth the effort. Very light and taste texture and amazing lemon butter-cream frosting. Mr.Boyfiend went for the riches cake on the menu, as per se, the Chocolate and Hazelnut meringue cake. It's basically a rich, dense chocolate cake and a hazelnut meringue on top of it, the whole thing connected through a layer of chocolate ganache. I could never eat even half a slice of this cake, so sweet, so rich, but Mr.Boyfriend absolutely loved every bite of it. Next up, The Royal Couple shared a Macadamia Brownie and Smillie Face Big Cookie. The Brownie was good, gooey and moist, with a very nice, nutty but subtle Macadamia taste. The Smillie Face cookie was cute looking but didn't surprise with it' taste, not even a bit. Standard cookie, just with a face on it. And last, but not least, Papa Bear had Chocolate, Beetroot and Raspberry Cake, a rather nice surprise. I'm usually very suspicious towards cakes with vegetables in them, I always worry that the savoury watery taste will make the cake taste bad. Well, not this time. Not sure if that was thanks to the very refreshing and sense-surprising raspberry, or just the vegetable-involving cakes are not so bad after all, but the cake was good.

However, there are two problematic things that I need to address in order to be completely fair.

• ONE - Their food arriving schedule is completely messed up. They brought the cakes first, then after some time the sandwiches arrived and finally, after more than half an hour sitting there, our drinks arrived. None of us ordered a fancy cocktail or even a cappuccino. Two lattes, a black coffee, a tea and a glass of apple juice. That's it, nothing complicated, nothing that takes plenty of time to be prepared or whatever. However this venture took the staff (that is otherwise perfectly nice and friendly) well around half an hour. And this is unacceptable.
• TWO - On their wall-menu they offer organic, farm-made, real apple juice. It sounded like a dream come true, there is nothing better than organic farm-made apple juice. However, just before I received my glass, I saw them pouring it from a bottle of Innocent juice. Not nice. If I wanted factory-made bottled juice, I would've gone to ASDA.

Food: 9/10

Service: 610

Interior: 10/10

Location: 9/10

Pricing: 7/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Will I go back? Sure, the cakes were great, the coffee was great, the sandwiches were great. I won't order apple juice again with them and will make sure to let them know that I prefer my cake last and my drink first, but other than that - my new favourite spot for coffee and quite ME-time in town!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

17-Aug-2014

Gone At Midday

Today, at exactly 12:08pm I clocked out from my last shift at McDonald's. I am now a free, free, free person. I celebrating getting away from the job I didn't quite like (most of the time) by eating delicious cakes and sandwiches at a very hipster-y place (more about it tomorrow). It would be a big fat lie if I say that I won't miss some things about McDonald's, like some of the really nice people I worked with. I'm not sure how life is going to arrange itself, but I really really really hope that I'll be able to stay in contact with some of them. 

Just to make my day even better, Mr.Boyfriend and I finally returned to our house this afternoon. You cannot imagine how much we like the place where we live - it's light, spacious and amazing! The only problem it's the location - far end of suburbs. Well, nothing is perfect, you know, but this house is as close to perfect as it gets.

Ah, now is time for a nap and nothing-doing. I think I have earned myself a rightful break!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

16-Aug-2014

Going To The Movies: Chef

Plot:

Carl Casper is a genius chef that truly loves the food he prepares. Well, at least when he can cook the things he wants to. It's all good until his very strict and very close-minded boss forces him to cook the regular (and according to Casper boring) menu for a very renewed and important food critique and blogger. The critique is far from impressed and that is about to cost Casper his career. Then social media makes the things just about from bad to worse and the chef looses his job, temper and reputation all in once. Few awkward decisions later, our hero finds himself across the country with his very hot ex-wife, their son and a food truck. Yep, that's right, a food truck. Once being his own boss he let's go his imagination and the rest is a history.

Why Is Actually Good:

If you go pass the very cliche end, the movie is a feast for the eyes. Don't you ever try to see it on empty stomach, this is food porn! Jon Favreau is super believable as the chef who lost it all over a night and then rose from the ashes of his career. Sofia Vergara is slightly pleasing on the eye, but that's all. The movie doesn't bear any marks of a great, epic, writing-history movie but it's funny, cute, sweet and the food looks so delicious that I bet that you'll be hungry after seeing it. 

Grade: 7/10

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

15-Aug-2014

Early Start, Early Finish

Today I was lucky enough to be let go from work an hour early. I don't remember if I have mention this before, but in McDonald's most people usually finish an hour late form work, not an hour early. So I felt very happy and took off as soon as I was told that I can go!

This Sunday will be my last day on shift there, at least for now. I should've work my notice period until Thursday next week but Rainy, who does the schedule, was kind enough to acknowledge my wish to take few days off so I can rest a bit.

I'm not sure if I want to ever go back to customers servicing but at least McDonald's was a safe and secure environment that provided me with a decent Summer job. Expect more final thoughts come Sunday.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

14-Aug-2014

Morning Discovery

This song has been following me around whole Summer long. I grew to love it very much although I didn't know which was it until this morning. For few months everywhere I go I will hear it, sometimes on the radio, sometimes as a part of commercial for a music festival, sometimes it will be "leaking" through someone's headphones. It was never neither appropriate nor possible to actually ask someone which song is this. Until this morning when my colleague finally demolished my ignorance letting me know the name of the song. Finally! Now I can blast it on my own all day long!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

13-Aug-2014

Timetabling

My timetable for the next school year is now up. And I must say, it's good, oh boy, it's really good. I have only one late evening class, from 5:00pm, and my earliest class is from 10:00am. Also, I have 4 lectures but only 3 seminars, which makes my life a lot easier. Yes! Now I got all excited about next year, which starts in about a month. Good, good, good!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

12-Aug-2014

Busy, Busy

Fu, it's a busy day today. I had an early bird shift in McDonald's today and later tonight I'm babysitting. Mr.Boyfriend likes to mock me that this makes me the money-maker in our household, haha. It would've been good if it was true, I would love to be the cheif income earner, but I'm nowhere near that at the moment, who knows if I will ever be. Meh, not a big deal, if you ask me.

On top of my loaded schedule for today, I was again sick last night. After I came back from my wine tasting and matching training (yeah, I go to such things and yes, it's awesome), I felt really heavy-headed and dizzy, but I decided that it's because of all 7 glasses of wine I had without proper lunch. However, when it didn't go away after I had food and rested for awhile but instead it got worst and I started shivering with cold and my eyes started to hurt, it was obvious that once again I had fever. Nevermind, now I'm feeling way better and I'm going to have a nap now, before I head to work, and the world will be a better place.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

11-Aug-2014

Dinner for Two

Donatello, Brighton

One thing I will miss most once Mr.Boyfriend and I return back in our suburban house will be the opportunity to just go out and simply walk into a random place and have dinner. Because, you know, if we decide we want to have dinner we can't simply take a short walk and be somewhere, we need to either drive or cycle there. Yes, the great pleasures of living in the city outskirts, there is nothing to do but sit in the garden and stare in the sky (which is definitely something I dearly miss in the city flat). 

Last night we decided that we don't feel like cooking dinner and decided to use our last Sunday in town by treating ourselves with dinner. Yes, we love food and we are not afraid to say it! We decided to take a walk around the South Lanes and to choose a place as we go. After maybe 5 minutes of roaming around the small streets we came across Brighton's own Donatello. The Italian restaurant is quite famous around town and you can see it's advertising almost anywhere. Oh, they are also the sponsors of University of Sussex Squash Team, that both Mr.Boyfriend and I support.

The place was crowded even on Sunday evening, almost all tables were full with giggling, munching companies. A good sign, if you ask me! Looking at the menu we decided to go for the 3 Course Menu For 9.95 deal, which sounded as a good value for the money.
For starters Mr.Boyfriend and I chose to have Prawn Cocktail and Funghi Trifolati - mushrooms cooked in butter, garlic and parsley. To be honest I was expecting a bit more from the starters, both in terms of quality and quantity. Not that they were bad, no, not at all, I just expected a tad more than that. The food wasn't just looking quite presentable. I felt like I'm eating in a small forgotten by the gods place in some tiny village, not in one of the most popular places in Brighton. Nevermind.
For main course we decided to eat pizza, since both of us have been talking about eating pizza but never came around making it ourselves. Mr.Boyfriend chose Donatello while I decided to go for my favourite one - Funghi e Proscuitto. Both pizzas were thin and crispy, exactly to Mr.Boyfriend's liking but not to mine. I like a nice, thick pizza where I can actually taste the taste of the dough. However it was a pleasant surprise to see that they were stone-baked. I always prefer the nutty smoky taste of stone-baked pizza over the mainstream one of oven-baked. The pizzas were huge in terms of size, but unfortunately they were rather scarce on the topping of the pizza. If it wasn't for the stone-baking this pizzas would've been a complete disgrace.
Choosing desserts was very easy. Mr.Boyfriend knew since we sat in an Italian restaurant that he wants a Tiramisu, and I usually go for the chocolate cake - Torta al Tartufo. The tiramisu was soggy and the cream tasted a bit strangely, the dessert chef definitely added a tad too much brandy in this batch. My cake was fresh and light and this is all I can say about it. Nothing memorable, maybe only the really light chocolate cream in which consisted half of the cake.
Because we were celebrating the everyday life, we decided to order a bottle of red wine. Since I'm the one that's more into wine, Mr.Boyfriend left me to choose. I chose a Sicilian Merlot from Cusumano vineyard, it's price-tag saying 13.95. It was semi-full bodied wine with spicy tobacco and oatly taste.Strong in taste, especially on the tannin side, it was not bad of a choice.
The worst part about Donatello is the feeling you get from there - like you are on a conveyor line or in a high-budget canteen. There is nothing personal about the place, nothing that makes it stand out. Everything is so generic that it gets annoying.
Oh, and I must mention, we had the rudest of waitresses. She always looked bored and out-of-touch, like we were just wasting air in the rooms. She wasn't interested in giving recommendation, accommodating us,  being polite or even saying "Hello" and "Goodbye". As someone who's currently working in the same business as her, I know that I would've get fired the second someone catches a glimpse of me acting like this. Attitude problems at their finest!

Food: 5/10

Service: 310

Interior: 4/10

Location: 6/10

Pricing: 4/10

Overall Grade: 4/10

Will I go back? I don't think so. Brighton is a town where there is a place to eat for everyone's budget and taste. Donatello is just not worth for what it offers.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

10-Aug-2014

The Taste Testing: Oat Milk

So, as it turns out, there was one last type of non-dairy milk sold in England that I haven't yet tried- oat milk. At this point I'm almost tired of trying all kinds of milks and the only one that I can say that I'll keep in buying on regular basis is coconut milk. Because is so darn delicious!

However, oat milk is the best alternative if you like eating oatmeal and porridge. Because it's made from oats it goes perfectly with oats, completing the taste to the absolute maximum. It's a rather light milk and it doesn't have the nutty taste of hazelnut and almond milks but neither has the creaminess and lightness of the coconut and rice ones.

I must admit that also tried a chocolate version that tasted amazingly indulgent and I think that if I keep on drinking oat milk it will be the chocolate one.

I tried: Alpro Oat Drink, 1 gbp per 1l

I tried: Chocolate Oat Drink, 1,35 gbp per 1l

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

9-Aug-2014

Free Birdie

Yesterday I resigned from my position in McDonald's. After two weeks I'll be a free girl. No more crazy shifts for me for this year. Finishing my notice period and I'm walking away. In many senses it was the worst, but it was great fun as well. Some of the people I met there were actually pretty cool and some days, I almost loved my job. Almost.

And do you know what it means that I resigned yesterday? I means that I will actually have 2 weeks of Summer vacation, 2 weeks of doing nothing and everything I want. 2 weeks to go to London, to go on cycling days with Mr.Boyfriend or to go on this picnic of ours, one that we've been talking about since March. I'll actually get to have fun for two weeks. And I can hardly wait!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

8-Aug-2014

Life, Lately

Or should I say early? Because this whole week and the next one as well, I've been working early bird mornings. My shifts are starting at 5:00am, an ungodly early hour if you ask me. On the bright side, I'm done with my working day by lunch so I have the rest of the day for myself. Not that I'm able to do anything productive after I got up at 4:00am but it's nice to know that I have the opportunity to do so. To be honest, I think I prefer working early mornings than late evenings. At least I see the sun to rise, not to set, and in my textbooks, that's better!

And as it will always happen, now that Mr.Boyfriend and I live 5 minutes away from the sea, the weather is everything but good for swimming. It's not nearly as hot as the two weeks before we moved in the city flat, and not nearly as sunny and bright and nice as it used to be. Of course this will be the case, just my luck, you know - when I had to cycle to work and back every day and had to sleep in our attic bedroom, it was too hot to breath, think, move or anything. Now, that we are staying in this basement apartment, and we have all the time in the world to enjoy the beach, the weather will not allow us to.

Oh, well. Maybe some other time...

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

7-Aug-2014

Summer's Best Gazpacho

Remember how a few days ago I was going bananas over Mexican food? Well, today I'm going to do the same with Spanish food, so brace yourself!

Now, where should I start from? Maybe by saying that my love affair with Spanish food began in Spain itself? The first time I was in Spain was actually the first time to go abroad without my parents and therefore I was eating every possible thing I could lay my hands on. No fancy restaurants, no actual lunches or dinners, just street food, crazy cravings and wild appetite to try anything and everything. Spanish food tasted like anything I have tried before and it felt so good, so right! It was Mediterranean with a spicy, passionate twist. It was fresh, aromatic, rich, light and filling in the same time.

Ever since then I have a soft spot for Spanish food. Whenever I can I will either cook Spanish food or will eat in Spanish restaurant and I will think about the lovely days roaming in Alcala de Henares, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Toledo, Madrid, Barcelona, Jirona and eating, eating, eating the best food in the world!

Gazpacho is an easy cold vegetable soup, perfect for those summer days when you feel so lazy that you can't even bother to munch your food. It's really refreshing and nourishing, vegan, gluten free, raw, amazing! I love sipping it from a tall glass on a hot summer day. Mmm, perfect!

Ingredients (4 bowls):

• 5 ripe tomatoes, cut in quarters
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed, chopped
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, peeled and cut in quarters
• olive oil, vinegar
• salt and pepper

How-To:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor/blender's bowl
2. Blend together until the whole mixture becomes really creamy.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours or just add ice cubes to the gazpacho.
4. Serve cold.

Summer Perfection!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

6-Aug-2014

Coffee And Cake For One

!Revival Coffee Company

I had my McDonald's day off this Monday so I decided that I need to take myself for a coffee and cake somewhere I haven't been before. So, I putted my favourite dress on, my new pretty shoes and just walked without direction. I ended up all the way over in the middle of Hove, no idea whatsoever where I am nor how I got there. I found something that seemed like a main street, but tiny, full of coffee shops, vintage shops and benches. A perfect place, really.

So, browsing around I decided to stop at !Revival, because I liked the wooden interior inside and they had a huge sign saying that they have great milkshakes and home-made cakes. Milk and cake, I was sold.

The place offers a very non-english atmosphere, very laid back, nature orientated and even kind of rustic. They have a fair range of cakes and numerous cold drinks, perfect for the summer. I chose the Walnut and Coffee cake to try there and Classic Fruit cake to take away, because I know that I will never bother to make either at home. The cakes were delicious and rich. The coffee cream was very light and intense tasting and the walnut cake layers were so fluffy, I could bet they are made out of clouds. And the fruit cake had such great abundance of fruits that felt refreshingly delightful! I also ordered a Chocolate and Cherry milkshake, because why not? I can have it all on my day off! However, I found the milkshake a bit too rich for my taste, too much cocoa and cherry syrup, too little milk.

Nevertheless, I find this place probably the best for cakes in Brighton, at least so far. The cakes were actually quite cheap at 2.50 per piece to eat in. And the pieces are rather generous!

Food: 8/10

Service: 710

Interior: 8/10

Location: 6/10

Pricing: 8/10

Overall Grade: 8/10

Will I go back? Of course I will. Superb cakes!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

5-Aug-2014

Mouthwatering Quesadillas

Mexican food is the best, let's just agree on this. It is everything my food haven is made from - lot's of cheese, lot's of tomatoes, lot's of avocados, lot's of chicken meat. Oh, and of course lot's of spiciness. The BOMB, as Mr.Boyfriend just said. And the quesadillas are no exception to this, a great and easy recipe with plenty of room for experimentation and making the meal your own.

The recipe it's pretty simple itself, basic to be honest. For the standard quesadillas all you need is cheese and two tortillas, that's all. After that is all up to you to spice up the things, as much as you want. Mr.Boyfriend and I tried few different combinations, because why not? You can put almost anything in them! Anything! Oh, and quesadillas and guacamole is a match made in heaven!

Basic Ingredients:

• 2 tortillas (per quesadilla)
• 1/2 cup grated cheese, one that melts

Possible Fillings:

• tomatoes, cut to circles
• jalapenoes, cut to circles
• ham, proscuito, chorizo, chicken, beef - any tender meet of your choosing
• beans or sweet corn
• olives
• any herbs of your choosing

How-To:

1. Preheat a non-stick pan and melt a tiny knob of butter in it.
2. Place the first tortilla and arrange half of the cheese of the whole surface.
3. When the cheese starts melting put the filling you chose and the rest of the cheese.
4. When the first layer of cheese is melted and the second one starts to melt as well, put the second tortilla on top.
5. Press the tortilla into the filling and gently flip
6. Take of the stove after 1-2 min when the now bottom layer of the cheese will be melted.
7. Cut in quarters and serve with guacamole and sour cream!

Yumm! Bring on the Margaritas!

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

4-Aug-2014

Good Morning, Brighton!

I woke up today feeling fresh and happy. Not that some days I wake up feeling desperate and sad but today I just felt naturally happy and good about everything in my life. So, right after Mr.Boyfriend and I got up and had breakfast, he went to work and I went to the beach. I sat there, watching the ocean and enjoying the fresh air for half an hour or more before I came back home. I plan to do the same in the afternoon, when Mr.Boyfriend comes back from work.

I think I have found my happy place in Brighton - it's the beach. The big ocean and the fresh air are my kind of meditation.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

3-Aug-2014

Lunch For Two

Foodilic, North Road, Brighton

Two days ago I had a day off, the first time in a while. Living in the city center and having a free day meant only one thing - window shopping and eating out. However, I was lucky enough Mr.Boyfriend to decide to take the afternoon off work and to join me for a late lunch.

There are few places in town where we consciously go numerous times. Like The Cow on Sunday, for burgers. Or Boho Gelato, whenever we are in the neighborhood, for icecream. Or Foodilic, whenever we are hungry for fresh, juicy food.

In Brighton there are two branches of the Serbian restaurant for fresh, delicious food. The one on North Road is food eat-all-you-can buffer and the one on Western Road is a restaurant-based. Although the restaurant is not bad at all, our hearts belong to the buffer, simply because we love the abundance of salads and vegetarian based dishes.

I always first try the salads, their bright colours and crispy fresh taste are so tempting to me. So, I started with Beans Salad with Chick Peas, Kidney Beans and Butter Beans with Tomato and Red Onion; Summer Salad with Mixed Leaves with Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry Physalis, Red Chard, Rocket and Mint, and Mediterranean Salad with Tomato, Red Onion, Peppers, Olivers and Feta Cheese. Mr.Boyfriend, who is more carnivorous orientated than me started with Chicken Salad with  Chicken Breast, Homemade Mayonnaise and Apple, Coq au Vin, and Arabic Salad with Cous Cous with Spring Onions, Tomato, Fresh Mint, with Golden Syrup and Lemon Dressing. Everything was so fresh and delicious, I loved the Summer Salad and went for more, and Mr.Boyfriend couldn't stop munching the Coq au Vin, his absolute favourite stew in town. I think he likes it even more than the stew I make at home. Next we decided to share some New Roasted Potatoes with Chili Flakes and Salt and Pepper and Roasted Butternut Squash with Red Onion and Pumpkin Seeds. Although the roasted potatoes were quite good, the roasted squash was the true star. Sweet and slightly spicy, very interesting taste and a great combination of flavours. I might actually make this at home! 

Oh, and did I mention that the price for 1 person to eat as much as they can  there is 6.75? It's a sweeet deal!

Food: 9/10

Service: 7/10

Interior: 8/10

Location: 9/10

Pricing: 9/10

Overall Grade: 9/10

Will we go back? Of course we will. We always do. It's one of the best places to eat in town.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

2-Aug-2014

Going To The Movies: Celeste And Jesse Forever

Plot

Celeste and Jesse are best friends and high-school sweet-hearts that got married young. She is a very goal orientated work woman and he is unemployed artist that is not in a hurry to find a job. The movie begins 6 months into them being separated and getting a divorce but still hanging together every day and still being best friends. Celeste is the moving force behind their separation and the one feeling that Jesse is pulling her back on her steadily improving life. Being friends after the break-up works up fine up until the point where Jesse finds out that he's having a baby with his one-night-stand and Celeste looses her chill over the news. As it turns out, it's not so easy to still be friends with your ex when they decide to move ahead with their lives.

Why I Liked It:

It's a good, different movie. It's a romantic comedy but it doesn't evolve the usual way and the happily-ever-after comes with a twist. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg are great for their roles, they look adorable, and quirky, and lovable, and annoying, just like their characters. The film has life in it, the story is good and all the performances are a top-notch one's. The movies is slightly on the indi side of the spectrum, so that makes it even better. Plus, it's available on Netflix, so stream on!

Grade: 8/10

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...

1-Aug-2014

Good Influence

Mr.Boyfriend's taste in music have always been impeccable. Like, amazing. He's very open to listening every style, he'll try almost anything. He doesn't have a favorite artist, or song, or style. He just loves music.

I am greatly influenced in my music taste by him and the things he plays at home, while we are cooking, eating, reading, writing, or simply hanging around. The best quality music in my music library I have tried because of him or thanks to him. And this is the case with this song. It was playing at home last night when I came back from work, and I haven't stop humming it to myself ever since.

You can't get lost if you don't know where you're going...