Posts Tagged ‘food’

UK Vacation Day 10 recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Alright, finally wrapping up the UK vacation from this fall. Our last day there was just to pack and get ready to go. I managed to wake up before the alarm, shower, and get breakfast. We finished packing and then went off to Pizza Express so I could get a pizza to bring home. I was too freakin’ yummy to pass up. We showed up a little before they opened and I got to watch them bring up some dough they were going to make the pizzas with. On our walk back to the hotel, I decided I had to try the Malteser McFlurry and the Sweet Chilli Wrap, which are unique to the region. I didn’t know they had onion rings too! Why don’t they offer those in the US? Then it was off to the airport via the tube. We got a chance to hang out at the Star Alliance lounge for a bit before boarding our plane and heading back stateside.

[See all the rest: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8 and Day 9 recaps.]

doubletree by hilton victoria hotel bed

From staying at hotels, I’ve learned that I definitely want a king-sized bed.

uk outlet with switch

US outlets should have switches too.

round bowl sink sitting atop bathroom counter with water running

Love these kinds of sinks on the counter.

large showerhead extending from ceiling raining down water

I need one of these showerheads at home!

giant white hotel towel

Wow, they may not have much space but they sure have giant towels.

doubletree by hilton victoria hotel toilet

Cool flushing buttons for the toilet.

two red british telephone booths on streets of london

Of course, those eye-catching phone booths.

front of pizza express restaurant in london

Deeelicious.

guy walking up stairs holding trays of dough for pizza express pizzas

Bringing up the dough!

girl happily holding pizza express takeout box

Yes, I brought it on the plane. No it did not smell up the place (was cold by then).

beautiful brick cathedral in victoria region of london

Lovely brickwork.

maltesers mcflurry ad on cash register at london mcdonald's

Ooo, malty goodness.

fruit stand on streets of london

Such a pretty fruit stand!

reflection in window of london tube underground

Pigging out even as I prepare to leave the country.

british mcdonald's choices with wrap and onion rings

McOnion Rings!

london tube underground oyster cards

Returning our Oyster cards for a refund on the balance.

guy carrying two suitcases one in each hand up out of order escalator

When the escalators become stairs, he becomes super strong.

interior of london heathrow airport

Oops, went to the wrong floor.

electronic collection station for bottles, sharp objects, and other banned goods at london heathrow airport

It’s so fancy I got distracted/confused and did it wrong. :-/

automatic airport security gates at london heathrow

Wow, who needs TSA when you can just use these cool machines to check IDs and boarding passes?

london heathrow airport seating area

The waiting game.

walking in airport hallway lined with stores towards departure gates

Wandering around looking for where to request a VAT refund.

sending off mail in large red royal mail box

Mailing off our VAT refund form! Never got it repaid, oh well.

entrance to star alliance lounge at london heathrow airport

One of the few times we get to use the lounge, might as well take advantage!

free candy jar with british flag shape

British candy.

barstools and tables in star alliance lounge

Entering the more casual part of the lounge.

bowls of chicken wings and pork ribs under heat lamps

Loading up on hot food.

trays of chilled food on ice

Had some chilled options too.

large heated pot of soup

Ooo, soup!

fridge with glass doors showing sodas and beers inside

I’m sure if we drank alcohol we’d be happy.

star alliance lounge area with single person couches and tables

A really nice seating area where we snagged a table.

schweppes bitter lemon drink can

Hmm… not sure if I like bitter lemon.

pile of pizza box, bags of chips, and mcdonald's bag

Stocking up on snacks for the road.

goodbye signs in london heathrow airport

Many farewell messages along the long walk to the gate.

gate b33 in london heathrow airport

Here we go!

two pairs of feet propped up on wall in airport

Propping our feet up for the ride.

sheet of white clouds viewed over plane wing

So bright and beautiful up here.

airplane meal with coca-cola soda, salad, chicken and vegetables, potato side, bread, and water

Meal time!

airplane meal with salad, beef and vegetables, bread, and orange juice

Panda of course gets beef.

airplane snack box with chips, candy, and sandwich

A snack to tide us over.

map of flight route on tv screen of airplane

Hey, we’re almost over my old town of Brewster, not far from Danbury!

bright glare of sun from window of airplane

The sun shining furiously.

reflection of front of united plane on engine off wing

Staring out, I noticed the reflection of the front of the plane in the engine.

sunset from airplane at washington dulles iad airport

Hello, Dulles.

rows of airplane seats from back

Not quite time to disembark.

bright blue virginia police lights viewed from back of taxi

On our taxi ride home.

365great Day 318: hot chocolate

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , ,
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When I want a hot drink that’s sweet, I almost always go for hot chocolate. 365great day 318: hot chocolateI love that rich goodness and it comes in so many varieties that it’s fun to experiment. Hot chocolate is always best with milk for a super creamy texture and better taste. I like to try ones like this s’mores one and others that have chai flavoring or other include marshmallows and whipped cream. I can almost never have more than a small cup though because it’s so strong. Still, it’s an awesome drink to have on a cold day – so soothing and wonderful. They make for a great treat in the winter!

Blue Apron January 7th Delivery review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , ,
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Ok, this time I managed to get this review up about two weeks after cooking the meals. I’m getting better! I enjoyed each of these dishes and would definitely recreate parts of each at some point. The Thai soup was awesome and I’d make more with a ton more rice next time. The turkey meatloaf was tasty and better than expected. I loved the roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach – sides that I could eat again and again. Finally, the steak fajitas were fabulous! The whole wheat tortillas were perfectly soft and I devoured the taco-fajita hybrid we had going on.

Blue Apron is just under $60 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s $10 per meal serving! Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). After ordering a few times, they will offer free meals you can send to friends (but no referral program).

collage of blue apron thai coconut shrimp soup with lemongrass and red curry recipe card

The first one we tried was this yummy soup.

collage of blue apron thai coconut shrimp soup with lemongrass and red curry ingredients and meal being cooked

I never knew lemongrass is kind of purplish inside!

blue apron thai coconut shrimp soup with lemongrass and red curry finished product

It was just enough spicy and not too creamy.

collage of blue apron turkey meatloaf with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach recipe card

I’ve never had turkey meatloaf before, so this was intriguing.

collage of blue apron turkey meatloaf with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach ingredients and meal being cooked

Yum, the meatloaf and potatoes and spinach made for a well-rounded meal.

blue apron turkey meatloaf with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach finished product

All good, but the sides were the best.

collage of blue apron top round steak fajitas with guacamole and whole wheat tortillas recipe card

Then it was fajita time!

collage of blue apron top round steak fajitas with guacamole and whole wheat tortillas ingredients and meal being cooked

Loved the use of whole wheat tortillas.

blue apron top round steak fajitas with guacamole and whole wheat tortillas finished product

All kinds of wonderful tastes blending.

365great Day 314: Popcorners

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , ,
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365great day 314: popcornersThis is seriously the only way I eat popcorn. I’ve never liked the squeaky texture of popped popcorn, so I rarely ever eat it. Popcorners offers the perfect solution – a nice crisp, condensed texture with the same tastiness! They have a most satisfying crunch that I love, much like a potato chip but with none of that grease. They’re a fun triangular shape and one of my favorite corn products. What a lovely way to enjoy corn in a brand new fashion. My favorite is their white cheddar flavor, which is light yet flavorful all in one. I’m a fan of a snack that is fun to eat and tastes great.

Escape Monthly January: Colorado Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
7

Today the first Escape Monthly box of the year arrived in the midst of snowstorm Janus!

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

escape monthly january colorado box products showing escape monthly january colorado box info card against blue and white chevron background escape monthly january colorado box info card opened with details of products included(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

Since Panda recently went to Colorado, I had him review this with me. He nodded approval at the locally-sourced products and noted that a lot seem to be centered around Boulder. I hadn’t paid attention to that, but yes three of the items come from companies there. We liked the sampling of products that captured many aspects of the area.

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Colorado – I’m getting quite the collection of these guides. This one will come in particularly handy when I either visit Colorado again or move there someday! It’s one of the few states I haven’t lived that I definitely would like to relocate to for a few years. I love the thought of fresh, crisp air and all that lovely outdoorsiness. They seem to have a whole lot of healthy choice brands that are gentler on the environment and our bodies.

Not the Same Rocky Mountain Mud Bath in Stress Relief Blend – My next bath is sooo going to be muddy! I’ve never had a mud bath before, so this is exciting and I can’t wait to try it. It’s a heavy pack of powder and the clay in it is supposed to draw out toxins. I’m sure I’ll enjoy this relieving, detoxing blend. Once I see how messy it may or may not be, I’ll decide if I’d get more. I certainly love the idea and look forward to trying it.

Jackson’s Honest Potato Chips in Sea Salt – I haven’t tried a chip made with coconut oil before, so that’s new. These chips feel more solid and have a strong crunch without hurting the roof of my mouth when I bite down. I like the taste, but because of the… heaviness of each chip, I don’t think I’d eat much at a time. That seems to be a good thing since I feel more satisfied with less product.

bluecorn naturals beeswax aromatherapy candle in Tranquility – This lovely little candle is a wonderful blend of lemongrass, cinnamon, and rosemary. It’s so unique to see lemongrass and cinnamon together and I love it! I couldn’t stop sniffing this candle and I look forward to burning it. It certainly is relaxing and nice to clear the mind with just based off the scent. I’ll break this in when we get into the new condo.

White Girl Salsa Medium Tomatillo – The most unexpected of the bunch, I’ve got to say. I don’t think I’d ever associate salsa with Colorado, but I am amused by this product and hey, it’s made in Colorado! I think the tomatillo flavor is perfect for so many things and I’ve got to get some chips to eat this with. I’d also love to put it on some fried eggs or even cook some meat with it as suggested on the label. I’ll browse the recipes on their website and figure something out!

Chocolove Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate bar – Mmm, rich dark chocolate with crunchy bits of orange peel make this bar delectable. Their branding fits the theme of mail/a postcard very well and I’d be absolutely thrilled to receive this in lieu of a letter! It is so delicious and smooth and crisp. The chocolate is very firm and takes a bit of strength to break. It’s fantastic and I’d definitely get one if I saw it in a store.

Bobo’s Oat Bars in Peach – Oh I just love the peach smell of this. Lightly fragrant and sweet in a subtle way. I’ve never been huge into oats, so it was quite dense for me and I could only eat a little corner. That bar would last me a good six rounds! It’s very tasty and just the sort of thing I’d bring on a road trip, hike, or other activity where I want something to sustain me. I don’t see myself eating this as a normal snack.

Colorado Aromatics Lavender Mountain Mist Hand & Body Lotion – How perfect that there was a lotion just as the cold hits us again and I started to run low on my supply at work. If you like lavender at all, you will love this. What a wonderful scent that is so soothing and relaxing. It definitely has aromatherapy qualities and I can see it being the perfect lotion to use for a massage. Treat yourself by rubbing it in and savoring that scent, letting it calm you.

Pike’s Peak geode – The bonus item this month is adorable!! I’m afraid to break my rock so I’m going to keep it whole for a little while. I’m so curious what it’ll look like inside though! I hope it developed well on the inside. I wonder if I can find a rock outside to practice on or if I just need to go for it with this one. I want a nice break into two pieces, but I can see myself shattering it. Well, we happen to have screwdrivers at the new office due to all that furniture-building, so maybe I’ll bring it in to work next week!

The theme of this box could very well have been finding peace because so many of these items promote relaxation and simple enjoyment. I feel very well pampered and I’m pleased with that. What do you think of this Colorado Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): COLORADOESCAPE or YOURESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

For February the city we get to explore is New York, which should offer a ton of options.

escape monthly january colorado box info card back with preview of next month's box theme of new york

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

UK Vacation Day 9 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
1

I took my time with this post since it was one of the most touristy and there are a ton of pictures. This was our true tour day of London – we started off by Buckingham, went through St. James’s Park, checked out some house guards and stopped by their museum, went through Trafalgar Square, tried a Thai place, found an M&Ms World, explored parts of the British Museum, found some gifts in small shops and waited around for free wifi, crossed the River Thames, walked through the Southbridge Centre and Jubilee Park, fed pigeons, and got tons of pictures of the London Eye, British Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Bridge and Abbey. For dinner we tried to find a Bella Italia but were unsuccessful so we had tapas at La Tasca instead. All in all a busy day filled with walking that allowed us to see a ton before we headed out.

[Catch up with Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, and Day 8 recaps.]

pretty red flowers against green grass in front of buckingham palace

A beautiful day to explore London!

panoramic of buckingham palace and gates of green park

The fancy gates of Green Park.

guards on horseback riding towards buckingham palace

Queen’s Mounted Guards trotting off in formation.

queen's guard standing by gate

One of the Queen’s Guards standing watch by a gate.

pigeon mid-motion flying in to park and landing

A pigeon flies in to get fed.

holding out piece of food for goose to eat

It’s a battle of wills and I win if they’re hungry enough.

swan family swimming in single file line with four gray swans and one mature white swan

A swan family all lined up.

young gray swans with ducks and other birds

That little swan has a funky leg!

view across st. james's park lake with london eye in distance

From St. James’s Park, we catch a glimpse of the London Eye.

girl mid-talking in front of st. james's park lake with view of london eye in background

Caught me in the middle of saying something!

girl posing in front of st. james's park lake with view of london eye in background

A normal pose for posterity.

girl using iphone to take picture of lake

I grab a shot of the lake from the side.

view of st. james's park lake from bank

And here’s the picture I took.

churchill war rooms entrance

No time for the Churchill War Rooms, but maybe on the next visit.

mounted guard sitting on horse guarding gate

Quite a job, sitting still on a horse all day.

girl standing next to horse with guard sitting on it

I didn’t want to get too close in case the horse flipped out.

closeup of girl searching for wifi on iphone

Gettin’ up close and personal as I find some free wifi to use.

trafalgar square with nelson's column and the national gallery in background

We find our way to Trafalgar Square.

lazy pigeon sitting in middle of plaza not moving

The world’s laziest pigeon resides here.

national gallery across trafalgar square

Tons of activity in the square.

bright blue rooster at trafalgar square

What’s up with the bright blue rooster?

chalk drawings of international flags on plaza at trafalgar square

Carefully laid out grid of flags drawn in chalk in the plaza.

sidewalk chalk artist sketching face of diana princess of wales

This guy was working on a chalk portrait of Princess Diana.

t-shirt with sperm in place of nike logo and "just did it" messaging

We stop by a local store and find random t-shirts like this.

t-shirt with image of guy with heart at crotch and girl with heart near heart and "the simple truth" messaging

And another cheeky shirt here.

basaba eathai sign on street

Trying out a Thai place for lunch.

yellow flowers and floating candles on water

What a cute decoration idea!

spring rolls and noodle soup at busaba eathai restaurant

Food was pretty good and the place was very modern.

m&ms world london and sign with tons of crests

After lunch, we stumble across an M&Ms world.

shop fronts at london's chinatown

Our walk randomly brings us to a strip of Chinese establishments.

girl standing by starbucks holding out phone

Yet again standing outside taking advantage of free wifi…

entrance to british museum

Then it’s time to visit the British Museum!

shadows of seagulls seen standing atop dome from inside of british museum

Inside the museum, we look up to find seagulls.

seagull standing atop dome seen through from inside british museum

They sure seem to be enjoying the view.

storefront of amway in london

I had no clue Amway made it over here (and was still in business).

black british taxi on london streets

The taxis here look so funny.

view of london eye, british parliament, and big ben from waterloo bridge

Onto the Waterloo Bridge and we gaze over the River Thames for a lovely view.

view of eastern london buildings from waterloo bridge

On the other side of the bridge are all sorts of funky buildings.

sign on waterloo bridge detailing london skyline

Here you can pick out the attractions using the guide.

large statues and mural by waterloo bridge in london

We head into Southbridge Centre and find quite an artsy scene.

storefronts at the festival of neighbourhood area by river thames

A stroll along the waterfront includes plenty of restaurants.

festival of neighbourhood sign in london

What is this Festival of Neighbourhood??

street performers by the river thames

Street performers doing their thing.

brightly-colored merry-go-round in london

What a bright merry-go-round!

swing ride at jubliee park in london

A swing ride at Jubilee Park offers thrills.

feeding a pigeon a piece of bread

I sit down to feed some pigeons.

crowd of pigeons fighting over food

Gettin’ kind of crazy in here!

closeup of little brown bird with white specks

Some brave birds got super close.

view of people standing in pod of london eye as it slowly goes up

We watch as people pile into their pod on the London Eye.

set of condensed tank top and shorts that expand with water

I was so tempted to get one of these.

silhouette view of british parliament building across river thames

Against the glare of the sun.

girl posing with view of london eye and aquarium

Nice view from the bridge!

choppy waters of river thames

Rushing waters of the Thames.

closeup of big ben clock tower

There are so many points to the clock tower.

panoramic view of westminster from side

Westminster Abbey was closing for the day so we just looked.

boat-shaped tour bus of london

What a fun tour bus look.

pedestrians walking on streets of london

Blending in with the pedestrians.

metal map of london attractions

Another map of attractions.

tapas dishes at la tasca restaurant in london

A dinner of tapas.

churros with chocolate sauce, strawberries, marshmallows, and powdered sugar at la tasca restaurant in london

Ending the day with churros!

365great Day 310: Pinkberry

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , ,
2

365great day 310: pinkberryPinkberry was the very first frozen yogurt place I ever had and it still remains my favorite. I like their ever-changing seasonal menus and their always reliable original flavor. They don’t overwhelm me with topping choices, yogurt flavors, or permutations thereof like the buffet-style places that charge by weight. I’m also a fan of their app, making it easy for me to pay and rack up points. They even send me a free offer for my birthday every year! I will forever mourn the day they decided to discontinue their shaved ice offering, which was my all-time favorite item to order. Imagine a MASSIVE bowl of shaved ice, Pinkberry original frozen yogurt, a variety of fruits, and condensed milk drizzle. It was fabulous and oh so satisfying, but I guess ultimately not popular enough. What a pity. Nonetheless, Pinkberry still offers plenty of tasty treats that are great and I’m totally going to try their new hot chocolate sometime.

365great Day 309: Wurstküche

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , ,
0

365great day 309: wurstkücheIt’s good to have foodie friends. One of them introduced me to Wurstküche and I seriously got addicted for awhile. They make a mean sausage, no matter which way you go. There’s the standard bratwurst and then there’s wacky ones made with ingredients like alligator. Their selection offers something for everyone, whether you want vegetarian, meat-lovers, or something in between. My personal favorite is the Filipino, which is a little bit sweet and a nice contrast to a plain salty one. Load it up with sauerkraut like nobody’s business and I’m in my own personal taste bud heaven. It’s awesome. The restaurants themselves are also a fun place to go, with an industrial look and giant picnic benches so you might end up making some friends. It’s a casual cafeteria vibe that is oh so hipster and at certain times you’ll find a DJ playing music via a Mac. But really I just go for the food, because it tastes so great.

Treatsie January 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Did you decide to upgrade to the new premium version of Treatsie? I’m super curious what they looked like compared to what I got. Based on the Treatsie site, it looks like I didn’t get the Avenue Sweets caramels, which I’m ok with since I already had them from another month. I wonder if the larger box included all three flavors of the Popbars though. Let me know if you upgraded and share what you got!!

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 3 brands). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.

treatsie january 2014 box contents with peanut brittle, hot chocolate bars, and caramels in chocolate

treatsie notices of flat rate shipping offer and subscription change details

popbar milk and dark sipping chocolate bars from treatsie january 2014 boxPopbar Milk Sipping Chocolate and Dark Sipping Chocolate bars: I’m really happy we got these to try! I’d seen them on a blog once and was curious about them, but never got around to finding them. I immediately texted Panda that I wanted to get milk once I saw these, lol. We don’t normally drink any, but for this I’m totally willing to get a jug. Chocolate milk is about the only form of milk I can enjoy without feeling nauseous, so I’m super excited! I hope it dissolves well, as I can easily see this globbing at the bottom and requiring much mixing to distribute evenly.

brittle brothers gourmet peanut brittle from treatsie january 2014 boxBrittle Brothers Gourmet Peanut Brittle: I fumbled around with this in the dark before finding out how easy it is to open. It’s a simple little thing, but being able to pry the plastic apart without scissors or teeth is pretty satisfying. And I didn’t even have to worry about pieces flying everywhere from ripping too hard (I’m sure we’ve all had that happen with a bag of chips). I wouldn’t so much call this peanut brittle as I would candied peanut clusters – it’s definitely got much more on the peanut side than most brittles! That’s nice in the sense that you’re getting the wonderful crunch and flavor without as much sugar overload. Of course, preferences will vary and maybe you want more sugar than nuts. It’s a draw for me.

lillie belle farms lavender sea salt caramels from treatsie january 2014 boxLillie Belle Farms Lavender Sea Salt Caramels: First of all, I love the packaging on this. I like seeing the product and the delicate sense I get from it. I felt bad having to open it, but hey these treats are meant for eatin’! I enjoyed the flavor tremendously – a light lavender scent with just enough salt to give it great contrast. It’s a rich treat that is very satisfying with just one piece. I’m a fan of dark chocolate and I think pairing that with the lavender makes for a delicious combo. I do wish the caramels themselves were a little firmer and the caramel to chocolate ratio was more evenly split.

I was perfectly happy with the contents of this box and don’t feel like I missed out by not getting the premium box. We’ll have to see what next month brings, but for now I’m keeping my original subscription! What would you like to see to upgrade to the new box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

365great Day 308: subs

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , ,
0

365great challenge day 308: subsSandwiches are so much tastier in sub form. I find the bread to be an important component of the experience and I love how many ingredients get stuffed in. You can have hot subs or cold subs and get endless combinations of flavors. It makes for a versatile meal, whether you’re enjoying lunch, dinner, or a snack. Wrap them up in wax paper and you can generally eat them without too much of a mess while keeping your hands clean. There are so many delicious sandwich shops serving subs now and each has their unique offering. I get Firehouse Subs when I want something sweeter, Jersey Mike’s when I want something more tart and refreshing, Quizno’s when I want something rich in flavor, Santini’s when I want something spicy… the list goes on! I’m a huge fan of the range of choices within this one meal type. There are all kinds of great options!

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