Green Smoothies!

I don't log on to Pinterest very often, but when I do I'm always on there for hours at a time. It's what time management gurus would call a "time trap" for me. In any event, it's a great place to find wedding ideas, DIY projects, manicure ideas, thinspiration, etc etc. I found this really great green smoothie recipe that I made for myself this week. I modified the recipe because I didn't care for so much banana flavor, so I'll post the Pinterest recipe as well as how I prepared it.

Green Smoothie Recipe (Pinterest):

2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 cup of chunk pineapple
2 bananas
1 cup of yogurt
1 cup unfiltered water

My moderation:

2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 cup of chunk pineapple
1/2 cup chunk mango
1 banana
1 cup of organic vanilla yogurt
1 cup unfiltered water

Blend well & enjoy!

You will have have way more than one glass, so I just popped the rest in the fridge to enjoy the next day. If you try the recipe, please leave a comment!

Cheese Wine and a Color Block

Gap Sweater
Oasis Jeans
Jeffrey Campbell Platform T Straps

No one who knows me well would ever believe I wore this much color in one outfit. I could hardly believe it myself. I decided to pair my new colored denim with an old pink sweater I don't get enough use out of. I liked the colors a lot. Maybe I'll start wearing more. (ha! yeah right.)

I spent the afternoon in South Bank Centre with my cousin at the Cheese and Wine Festival. We walked around the various vendors and enjoyed a demonstration on fondue preparation. Aside from the instructor licking her fingers at least 3 times (are you kidding me? so disgusting!), the demonstration was really awesome. She showed us how to make fondue in addition to some creative pairing foods. We also caught a lecture on champagne and cheese pairings.

My favorite vendors included a cheese vendor which had these cheese bombs that were OUTSTANDING. The cheese is aged in a wax ball for like 2 years. It's so powerful and full of flavor. I also fell in love at a stand that sold infused oils and vinegars. I bought a truffle infused extra virgin olive oil that was absolutely DIVINE. I can't wait to use it on one of my salads with some cracked pepper.

Melting the cheese!

Scraping the cheese off the top!

Final Product. So yummy!

Fondue Demonstration. There she goes with her finger in her mouth again. yikes!

My cousin and I filled up on free samples of food and booze most of the afternoon, but we did buy a couple things too! We had a Raclette which I had never heard of or would have thought to try. The guy puts this massive block of cheese under this little machine thing (this is such a wonderful description...) and it melts the top layer. It starts bubbling and then they scrape it off onto a plate of potatoes, pickles and salami (you can get it without salami but who would do that?). It sounds like an absolutely ridiculous and probably vile combination, but it's actually quite nice. Very pleasant surprise!

The highlight of my day was meeting a few of my cousin's friends who all keep telling me that I'm in Europe now. It's two kisses darling! (I'll learn some day)

Sunday Dinner: Butternut Squash

Cajun seasoned salmon, sautéed spinach, butternut squash, & brown rice

One of the many luxuries of being free of a 9 to 5 is being able to cook healthy meals every night. (actually when I feel like it is much more accurate) Stopping by Sainsbury's for fresh ingredients is now as much a part of my routine as hitting the gym in the morning.

Sunday, I had my cousin over for dinner. I cooked butternut squash for the first time to go along with our salmon, sautéed spinach and brown rice. I love butternut squash because it has the consistency of a sweet potato, but it's still a vegetable...or a fruit. (I tried google to confirm either way and came out even more confused.) I'm always looking for ways to incorporate more and more veggies into my diet, and butternut squash is a great way to do it without being overpowered by the greens on your plate. 

The squash was really easy to prepare. It needs very little seasoning because it's pretty sweet on its own. Below is the recipe for the butternut squash I prepared on Sunday. I should also mention that it was a huge hit!

Butternut Squash Recipe:

2 packs of butternut squash peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup of olive oil

Cinnamon

Honey

I put the squash into a ziploc bag and poured the olive oil inside. I sprinkled the squash with cinnamon, closed the bag, and shook it all up so the cinnamon coated every piece. I placed the squash on a non stick pan and baked it for 25 minutes (until the squash is soft) at 350 degrees. Once soft, I took out the squash and drizzled it with honey.

Great side to complement savory dishes!

Fancy a Nibble?

H&M top , Joe's Jeans, Manolo Blahnik leopard flats, Stella and Dot Necklace, LV Speedy

How lovely that the sun decided to come out for a visit my first real weekend in London. The weather was gorgeous, so me and my hunny decided to walk around our neighborhood and check out some gyms. I was just happy to throw on my Chanel sunnies for a few hours. I kept it casual and wore skinny jeans with flats and a purple top. I threw on my go to necklace of the moment and headed out to explore.

Stella and Dot Sierra Necklace

We stopped into a pub for a late lunch early dinner where I had fish and chips for the first time. I'm not a huge fan of fried fish, but it was surprisingly light. The tartar sauce was a little sweet which was unexpected, but it was pretty good. Fish and chips is typically served mushy peas, but there was no way in hell I was eating peas let alone mushy ones..yuck! I had a Strongbow to complete my British food experience. I'm not a huge beer drinker, but because Strongbow tastes like apple cider, I drink it like there's no alcohol in it. Oh well.

Strongbow. My apple juice.

Chicken Paté

Fish and Chips

Madrid: Tapas and a Dinner Date

If I felt guilty about the hot chocolate and churros I threw down on Monday, I certainly worked it off on Tuesday. I walked around literally all day long. I used to think my favorite leopard print Manolo flats were comfortable...no longer. I walked to the Calle Via which was filled with shops and restaurants.

I decided to try some tapas for lunch since I was in Spain after all. I ventured into a tapas restaurant and ordered 3 single plates for myself assuming this would be more than enough. My first plate was grilled shrimp which I did not realize would be looking at me when it arrived. I'm used to my shrimp being beheaded and deveined, but I guess that's not the Spanish way. Despite my initial shock, I took apart the shrimp and took a few bites. I was pleasantly surprised by the light but flavorful shrimp.

I feel like they were asking me not to eat them.

My second plate was fried baby squid. Thankfully, it didn't come walking out on its own. It was a little too greasy for taste, however, so I ended up peeling a lot of the breading off.

My last plate was veal and brie on a slice of roasted bread that was too die for. The meat was really tender and full of flavor and the brie complemented it perfectly.

After browsing a few more shops, I headed back to the hotel to rest and watch more news. My hunny got done a little early so we went to a cute little restaurant recommended by the concierge. I wore black skinny jeans and a black kimono top (yeah I know again...) with some statement jewelry. The restaurant was a French-Spanish fusion and the food did not disappoint. Lucky for me, my hunny is fluent in Spanish and translated the menu and ordered my food for me.

Me and my hunny.

Cheers! 

 Overall, Madrid was beautiful, but I was more than ready to get back to London and get settled into my new home!