My ultimate travel bucket-list

21-06-2015 Local Black BookAustralia, Berlin, Bucket list, Greece, Italy, list, Lyon, Peru, Pinterest, Scandinavia, travel, wish list12 Comments

{Day 9074 – US-bound and forever wanderlusting}

As you read this, I’m on a plane on my way to the US.

If anything, this (sort of) last-minute US trip has proven to me that dreaming a bit too big can sometimes be a good thing and has opened a world of possibilities for the future. So I thought it was only fitting to look forward to it and share my travel bucket list with you today! (all pictures’ sources can be found on my Travel Pinterest board!)

1. Australia

I know it’s one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but OH MY GOD it’s so pretty and I want to see koalas and kangaroos and eat all the street food (I blame Masterchef on this one)!

2. Greece

There are ruins, white walls, salt water and every single shade of blue, so it’s pretty much my idea of paradise!

3. Italy

I had this crazy dream where V & I were touring Italy on a Vespa the other night and it’s simply too good not to become true. Plus pizza and pasta and mozzarella! #3TimesYes

4. Scandinavia

I went to Sweden (Stockholm + the Dalecarlia region) for my 18th birthday and left just as obsessed as I was before. The landscapes are amazing so I’d love to see more of them!

5. Peru

Machu Pichu & Titicaca were amongst my favourite words as a kid and seing all those bright colours are definitely not changing my mind. Also, pet Llama anyone?

6. Berlin

I am weirdly fascinated by the mix of history and modernity in Berlin. Instead of getting rid of its ruins, Berlin built upon them and it ultimately made it the European capital of coolness and I can’t wait to visit!

7. Lyon

France is the culinary capital of the world, and Lyon is the culinary capital of France, so I really don’t see how this one could disappoint me (or anyone else really).

What countries/cities are on your travel bucket-list? Any I should definitely add to mine?

Where to next? | My Top 7 Travel bucket-list

21-06-201508-06-2015 Local Black BookAustralia, Berlin, Bucket list, Greece, Italy, list, Lyon, Peru, Pinterest, Scandinavia, travel, wish list12 Comments

When you’ll be reading this, I’ll be on a plane on my way to the US (follow me on Instagram to see what I’m up to & keep your eyes peeled for loads of travel blog posts! 👀).

This last-minute US trip has proven to me that dreaming a bit too big can sometimes be a good thing and has opened a world of possibilities for the the future. So I thought it was only fitting to look forward to it and share my top 7 travel dreams with you today! (all pictures’ sources can be found on my Travel Pinterest board!)

1. AustraliaI know it’s one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but OH MY GOD it’s so pretty and I want to see koalas and kangaroos and eat all the street food (I blame Masterchef on this one) and click a billion pictures! 🐨 🐨

2. Greece

There are ruins, white walls, salt water and every single shade of blue, so it’s pretty much my idea of paradise!

3. Italy I had this crazy idea of touring Italy on a Vespa the other day and it’s simply too good not to become true. Plus pizza and pasta and mozzarella! #3TimesYes

4. ScandinaviaI went to Sweden (Stockholm + the Dalecarlia region) for my 18th birthday and left just as obsessed as I was before. The landscapes are amazing so I’d love to see more of them!

5. Peru Machu Pichu & Titicaca were amongst my favourite words as a kid and seing all those bright colours are definitely not changing my mind. Also, pet Llama anyone?

6. Berlin I am weirdly fascinated by the mix of history and modernity in Berlin. Instead of getting rid of its ruins, Berlin built upon them and it ultimately made it the European capital of coolness and I can’t wait to visit!

7. Lyon France is the culinary capital of the world, and Lyon is the culinary capital of France, so I really don’t see how this one could disappoint me (or anyone else really).

What countries/cities are on your travel bucket-list? Any I should definitely add to mine?

My top packing tips (+ what I packed for 2 weeks in the US!)

18-06-201507-07-2015 Local Black Bookfashion, packing, packing light, packing tips, travel, travel tips8 Comments

I used to be that girl who carried suitcases bigger than me. Not that it’s a difficult thing to do since I’m so tiny, but still. I would carry 3 pairs of shoes everywhere (yes, even to school!), and about a billion other things along with it.

But it didn’t take me long to realise that carrying such big bags wasn’t really good for my back. And for what? Most of the time, I didn’t even used half of what I packed.

I’ve tried ever since to change my approach and turn into a minimalistic packer. Here are the top tips I’ve gathered along the way:

1. Pack just one or two pairs of trousers: I know it sounds crazy, but you hardly need more. I’m not a dress-and-skirt sort of girl, so I usually bring two pairs along (one in my suitcase and the other one, I wear on the plane).

2. Favour basic cuts and colours so you can mix-and-match easily: This one’s actually quite easy for me to implement since I hardly ever wear anything but black, navy, grey, white and nude pink. We all have a few colours we especially enjoy wearing: focus on those when packing, it’ll make your life easier!

3. Plan your outfits in advance: I try to plan about 2 outfits for every 3 days I’m going away and this really helps me not to overpack.This is more or less what I’ve packed for 2 weeks: one pair of black skinny jeans (which go with everything!🙌), one pair of denim shorts, 6 tops (basically all my favourites: a navy silk cami, a nude silk cami, the perfect black V neck T-shirt, this adorable striped/colourblock top I just bought, a scalloped black top (mine’s from Primark) and the cutest printed blouse), one thin grey cardigan, one Breton stripped shirt and a blazer.
It doesn’t look like much, but add to that underwear, pyjamas, a (very full) toiletry bag, tones of camera equipment and other knick-knacks and you’ll already have a fairly full bag (and I’d rather keep some room inthere to bring back all the peanut-buttery things I’ll be able to put my hands on!

4. Layer up for the flight!
Not only does it make you save up space in your suitcase, but it’ll also help you survive your flight without getting a cold! I personally find jeans very comfortable (plus they’re amongst the bulkiest items!) so I’ll almost always wear those when I travel. I like to pick shoes that are easy to take off (it makes passing security checks that little bit easier!) but I will be packing a pair of warm socks in my hand luggage for the flight (because COLD!). A big scarf is an absolute must-have to win the battle against freezingly cold AC and if I’m going to wear a quite thin waterfall cardigan to travel, I’ll also carry a big hoodie.

5. Pack things that crease inbetween layers of dry-cleaning bags’ plastic: this helps to reduce friction, and ultimately, creases.

6. Pack your underwear in a washing bag: Two reasons: 1. it makes it much easier to find in your suitcase 2. if for some reason your bag was controlled by airport security, they would only touch the bag and not your underwear.

7. Don’t pack too many shoes: I know it’s tempting but from my experience, you never actually wear them all. I’m only bringing my beloved Repetto ballerinas this time, hopefully it will work out (otherwise, I suppose I’ll just have to go shopping 😜)!

What are your top tips to avoid overpacking? I’m still a minimalist packer newbie so would love to hear them!

Little indulgences | Yvonne & Guite’s canelés

17-06-201515-06-2015 Local Black Bookcanelé, dessert, French, gift guide, gift idea, London, pastry, review, Yvonne & Guite8 Comments

You might not know this about me just yet but I love slow mail. Hand-written letters, postcards, surprise parcels, you name it, I send it.

But more often than not, my own mailbox seems to only bring me bills and useless ads for places I’ll never visit.

But last week was anything but that, because instead of all those things I immediately put in the (recycling) bin, I received a pretty little white patisserie box promising “Little Indulgences“…
Once I lifted the lid, familiar aromas of vanilla and rum perfumes the room. The accompagnying cards are delightfully retro but I can only focus on that sweet smell that brings back childhood memories. With trembling hands, I open the tissue paper standing between me and those “little indulgences”.And here they are. Rows after rows of perfect canelés (both in the Regular and mini sizes).
I first discovered those delightful Bordeaux specialities when I was just a kid travelling with my grandmother. I can’t even remember where it was or when, but this first bite into the caracteristic caramelized crust, followed by the chewiness of the soft interior is something I have never forgotten. The apparent simplicity of the canelé, and yet the complexity of flavour and texture fascinates me. It is around that time that I fall in love with desserts and start baking frantically. The first bite brings me back to this first taste I ever had of canelé. Yvonne & Guite prides itself on making canelés “as they should be” and I don’t think there’s a better way to put it.

Which is not really surprising. Caroline, Yvonne & Guite‘s founder, started her company in September last year but just like I did, she fell over in the caldron of canelés in her childhood. She experienced in the family kitchen with her sister, began baking them on a regular basis after being gifted moulds by her mum, start developping her own recipes as she couldn’t find anything she was entirely happy with in books or on the Internet…
After failing to find the perfect canelés for a house party, Caroline makes it her mission to introduce London’s foodie to this traditional French wonder. The canelé revolution is on its way.Made with all-natural ingredients, freshness truly is key when it comes to canelés. Since no artificial colouring or preservatives are used, they’re best if eaten within two-three days of their baking date. Challenge accepted!Yvonne & Guite’s canelés have the most perfect of textures: slightly crisp crust and soft, very moist interiors. Just how they should be.
Can we all please take a second to admire how cute the mini-canelés are? I must admit I liked the regular-sized one better (mostly because they fitted my childhood memory better though!), but those would make the best of gifts, wouldn’t they? #DefinitelyOnMyChristmasList

If you feel like you need a box of canelés in your life (trust me, you do!), you can order them by contacting Yvonne & Guite by phone at 0795 794 6984 or email at hello@yvonneguite.com.

Regular and mini-canelés are also distributed by Bonativo, who is taking London’s farmers and producers online in a bid to make food shopping more local and sustainable (click: Bakery | Cakes & Brownies).

*I was gifted this sample box by Yvonne & Guite but all over-excitement, opinions and pictures are definitely mine!

5 (more) quick, easy, healthy lunch ideas

15-06-201512-06-2015 Local Black Bookanti diet, cooking, easy, gluten-free, grain-free, healthy, healthy habits, healthy living, lunch, recipe, salads, vegan, vegetarian7 Comments

Packing a healthy lunchbox can’t be a bit of a headache sometimes. Especially if you’re anything like me and 1. you don’t like sandwiches and 2. you get bored really quickly if you eat the same thing too many times in a row. Sounds familiar? That’s why I launched my Healthy Meal Ideas series (see #1), where I’ve been trying to come up with a bunch of ideas of healthy meals that’d be good enough to create serious food envy. In this second edition, I share a few of my current favourites!

Broccoli, avocado & radishes tahini salad (V)This has to be my favourite salad of all time. It’s perfectly balanced both in terms of taste and texture, and it takes minutes to make. Oh, and it’s vegan too! #WinWin Toss a few handfuls of broccoli with some olive oil and sea salt and roast at 180°C until nice and golden. Chop 1/2 avocado and a small handful of radishes. Add your roasted broccoli. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of good tahini (I use this one), the juice of half a lemon, salt, black pepper and chives.

Smoked salmon & Jerusalem couscous salad I discovered Jerusalem couscous only recently and I’ve been obsessed since then. I love its springy, slightly cheewy texture and find it so much nicer than regular couscous in salads. Here’s my favourite to date. Follow the instructions on the pack to cook your couscous. In your favourite lunchbox, layer up some salad (I used iceberg lettuce, but I reckon watercress would be lovely as well). Tear up two small slices of smoked salmon and add it on top. Add about 3 tablespoons of couscous and one chopped up spring onion. Season with salt, black pepper and 2 teaspoons of tahini.

BLT Chicken saladYou gotta love a good BLT, right? Well, this is basically a salad version of it (no plastic-ey sandwich bread, yay! 🙌), but with added chicken. #WinWin Tear up some salad at the bottom of a bowl. Top with a handful of cherry tomatoes and a small handful of quartered radishes. Pan-fry a small diced chicken breast (and a few slices of streaky bacon when you’re at it) with some olive oil and your favourite spices (I used smoked paprika, thyme, lime juice and Tabasco). Add on top of your salad. Dress with some good qulity olive oil, Maldon sea salt and black pepper.

Mexican Chicken saladCook your black beans according to package instructions, rince and set aside. Dice up a ripe tomato. Top up with black beans, a handful of sliced salad onions and a tablespoon of chopped parsley. In a hot pan, melt a bit of butter and cook a small diced chicken breast. When almost done, add in 1/4 of a can of corn. Season with salt, black pepper, lime juice, Tabasco and a dash of smoked paprika and fry until golden. Add on top of your salad and season with a tablespoon of good quality olive oil, more Tabasco, sea salt and lime juice.

Morrocan couscous stew with smoked almonds

Cut 1 courgette, 2 small turnips, 3 carrots, a small stick of celery and 1 onion. In a big pot, cook the onion in a bit of olive oil. Add in the rest of the vegetable and roast for a few minutes. Add 1/2 can of tomato sauce and 1/2 can of chickpeas, then some lemon juice, harissa, salt, pepper, cumin and smoked paprika. Cook until tender. Cook your couscous according to package instructions. Add in chopped smoked almonds and parsley and stir thoughroughly.

What’s your favourite lunch recipe? Send me your links!

#letsgetfoodie3 – Flambé-ed banana muffins

14-06-201514-06-2015 Local Black Bookbanana, breakfast, cake, cooking, dessert, letsgetfoodiechallenge, muffins, recipeLeave a comment

Earlier this week, Amanda announced that the #letsgetfoodiechallenge was coming to an end. Since I hadn’t had time to put in my entry for the very last challenge beforehands, I thought I would say farewell with a bang (and flames) by creating flambé-ed banana muffins!50g butter (+ 1 tablespoon)

250 plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 pinch of salt

100g caster sugar (+2 tablespoon brown sugar)

2 teaspoons honey

4 large bananas (ripe)

3 eggs

50 mL rum
Melt the 50 g butter and leave to cool.

In a frying pan, melt the extra tablespoon of butter. Slice your bananas and add to the hot pan. Cook until it reaches the texture of slightly liquid jam. Add in the brown sugar and the honey and cook for a few extra minutes.

Pour in the rum and flambé until the flame disappears (make sure your kitchen vent is off as it might set it on fire otherwise!). Pour the mix in a bowl and leave to cool.In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, the baking powder, the bicarbonate, the pinch of salt and the caster sugar.Add in the eggs and the butter and mix thoughroughly.Add in your flambé-ed banana mix and mix thoughroughly. Pour your batter into muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 °C.

I’d recommend you let the muffins cool down a bit before eating them, but I won’t blame you if you can’t! (I couldn’t and might have burnt my fingers a little bit taking them off the tin…)But look at how pretty they are! Can you really blame me?

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers’ Award

13-06-201510-06-2015 Local Black Bookabout me, awards, blogging, SisterHood of the World Bloggers Award4 Comments

Guys… As crazy as it seems, I’ve been nominated for another blog award (apparently my cocktails-and-cake strategy to take over the world is working! 😜)! Thank you to Michelle of Sugardust & Starlight (the great mind behing #ltbloggers) for nominating me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers’ Award!

The rules are pretty simple:

Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and link them in your post.
Answer the ten questions you have been sent.
Come up with 10 questions of your own.
Spread the love and nominate up to 10 bloggers!

Ok, so here it goes!

1. What is your favourite book and why? My all-time favourite is Antigone by Jean Anouilh (a modern re-write of Sophocles’ classic and a true masterpiece, but it hasn’t been translated into English unfortunately). I recently read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and if you haven’t read it already, you really should; it’s the best thriller I’ve come accross in a long long time.
2. What did you do today? Not much sofar. I went to the doctor, which was a massive waste of my time, spent too much time on Instagram and packed about 25 suitcases in my head. Such a productive morning!
3. If you could have any pet, what would it be? A cat. I’m such a cat-lady-to-be.
4. What’s your current favourite song and why? Hmm, this is embarassing. I don’t really listen to music (#weirdo). I used to when I had to drive a car every day, but that’s not quite the case anymore…
5. If you could give just one piece of advice for life, what would it be? Love yourself.
6. Do you have a favourite quote and what is it? “I started with an idea an then it becomes something else” – Pablo Picasso (so representative of how I actually function!)
7. What do you enjoy reading most in other people’s blogs? The “lightbulbs” moments I get and I’m all like “How did I not think about this before?”
8. What’s your worst habit? Forgetting to take off my make-up before I go to bed far too often.
9. What’s your favourite film and why? I have several; Love me if you dare (a slightly fucked up love story between Marion Cottilard and Guillaume Canet), The Lion King (obv.) and my latest crush, The Theory of Everything (I still can’t get over Eddie Redmayne’s incredible performance!).
10. How would you spend the perfect day? A nice lie-in, followed by breakfast in bed, then a nice walk on the beach, and dinner at my favourite restaurant with the people I love most.

As far as sharing the blog love is concerned, I am nominating some of my latest discoveries and some all-times favourites!

Hannah Gale
100 things I love
Persephone H
Rent or Chanel (best blog name ever or what?😂)
Elle Bloggs
Things Sarah Loves
Oui Stephanie
Full of Living
Amanda Bootes
Cross my Heart & Hope to Die

I can’t wait to see their answers to my (rather nosy) questions!

1. Your favourite season? (Summer! Summer! Please say Summer!)
2. Your Pokemon soulmate? (I wish I was an elegant Persian, but I’m afraid Snorlax‘s mine…)
3. What’s ALWAYS in your bag? (Most of the time, I don’t carry a bag and only have keys, Oyster Card, credit card & smartphone. When I do carry a bag though, my whole life’s likely to be in it)
4. Your guilty pleasure? (Butter. Good sea salt butter on EVERYTHING!)
5. Your #1 summer goal? (I say naps in the park and walks. And alcoholic ice lollies.)
6. Something you didn’t like as a kid but love now? (Walks. see #5)
7. Things you ALWAYS buy at IKEA? (I can’t resist mugs. There. The secret is out.)
8. Which Hogward House will you probably be in? (I think I’d make a great Ravenclaw.)
9. The one thing you always forget even though you really shouldn’t! (To charge my phone. Which is basically the modern day equivalent to “actually taking the shopping list along when you go shopping”, mainly because my shopping list happens to be on my phone!)
10. Where would you much rather be right now? (“In bed. Or taking a nap on a sunny beach somewhere.” says my inner Snorlax (see #2))

Hummus Bowl? | Hummus Bros

11-06-201510-06-2015 Local Black Bookfalafel, healthy, hummus, Hummus Bros, London, lunch, Middle Eastern, Restaurant, review, salad, Soho, vegetarian, wrap4 Comments

Obsessions can sometimes be a good thing. Sure, people might look at you and point fingers if all you do all afternoon if saying how much you’re craving falafels. But then, you might end up (FINALLY) visiting this great little place that’s been on your list FOREVER and it might end up being just as good as you imagined it would be.
Clean, simple design, a lot of natural light and a touch of colour. I was pretty much already convinced I’d love this place.Hummus Bros does very much what it says on paper: hummus. And then a few extra stuff to eat it with. Once you’ve picked which way you want your serve of the smooth Lebanese chickpea dip to be serve, there’s a lot to keep you entertained while you wait for your food. Like people passing by (people-watching is one of my favourite things to do!) and a touch a humour too! 😜The wraps are a good option if you’re very hungry as they are HUGE! We tried the chicken one, which included shredded chicken, hummus, salsa and pickles. The balance of flavour was on point and for such a big amount of food, it wasn’t too stuffy and managed to stay fresh. I absolutely loved the Falafel Salad (white cabbage, toamtoes, cucumber, tzaziki and falafels). The crunchy texture of the cabbage worked perfectly against the rather moist falafel and the tzaziki brought just the right amount of punchy garlic to keep things interesting. But the star of the show? The hummus bowls! Basically hummus with whatever toppings you want pilled high on it and served with warm, fluffy pitta bread. The simplest of ideas, but a very tasty one indeed! #LightbulbMoment Come on, dig in, you know you want to!
And the best part of it (besides the delicous falafels?). There’s food aplenty but the bill is teeny tiny. 🙌🙌
What: Hummus. And stuff in/on/around it.

How much: around £10 per person

Where: I visited the flagship branch in Soho (88 Wardour Street, London, Soho W1F 0TH) but they have a few more restaurants around London (and they do take-away too! 🙌#WinningLunch)

Postcard from London | Sunny days and lovely doors

10-06-201508-06-2015 Local Black Bookdoors, London, photography, summer, walk10 Comments

I spent most of last weekend walking around London (partly because I was desperate for ice cream, partly because I had nothing better to do). It was so nice and sunny, I couldn’t resist clicking a thousand pictures. Most of which were of doors. #WeirdObsessions

These Repetto ballerinas are the best investment I have EVER made!Dream house window shopping.
I love the superposition effect here. You?Oh, hello there!Bricks are also an obsession of mine btw.More lions.Covent Garden looking mighty fine in the sun!Up, up and away?

Summer’s coming | Virgin Watermelon Fizz

09-06-2015 Local Black Bookcocktail, drinks, easy, juice, mocktail, recipe, summer, watermelon4 Comments

It’s a well-known fact that the weather in London is not always the nicest and it has kind of been playing with my nerves lately. One day, it’s perfectly nice and sunny and the next, it’s windy and cold and November-ey.

But I found the perfect way to trick my brain into thinking that Summer is on its way no matter what the colour of the sky. And that trick my friends, is my new favourite mocktail: the Virgin Watermelon Fizz!
For 2 glasses, you’ll need: 1/4 of a small watermelon, diced and de-seeded; juice of 1/2 lime (+ a few slices to serve), mint leaves, ice cubes, sparkling water.

Put some mint leaves at the botom of your glasses and muddle lightly. Juice your watermelon (I have a juicer but you can also do it with a hand blender as watermelon is pretty much just water anyway!). Share the juice between the glasses (they should be about half-full). Top with lime juice, ice cubes and sparkling water. Dress your glass with lime slices and serve immediately.

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

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Month: June 2015