Frugal Living - How I'm Trying To Save Money (Part 1)

Credit: Eduardo Soares

The cost of living crisis has meant frugal living and one of the ways I'm trying to save money is by reducing my grocery bill. 

The three main ways I'm doing this are:

1. Doing most of my shopping at a cheaper supermarket
2. Ordering more basic foods
3. Doing less regular shops

I've always enjoyed regular supermarket shops. There's nothing like a full fridge. Lately I've managed to stretch it out to 10 days. I think this might result in saving about £20 each month. 

For the first time, I'm trying a 2 week gap between grocery shops. It means less fresh food towards the end of that period. I am running low on some staples, like apples, bananas, milk and eggs, but I think I can manage. It's six days until my next shop.  

I'm thinking outside the box more. Some ideas I have are:

1. Baking bread 
2. Making my own pizza from scratch with homemade pita 
3. Hummus is easy to do too
4. Doing a batch of energy balls for snacking
5. Aside from pasta which will likely feature, meal ideas include fried rice and a bean soup.

I feel nervous trying about holding off on my grocery shop like this. It does mean being more flexible with my diet, but I think I can still be pretty healthy. 

We'll see if I end up picking up a few things on the weekend. 

I'm eating my last grapefruit now and making a smoothie with my second last carrot this afternoon. 

The secret to saving money is to make it a priority. It means sacrifices are necessary and enjoying what you do have as much as possible. A frugal life can still be a happy one and saving money just means doing things differently which can be bring about new discoveries. 

National Pizza Day - Seafood vegetable pasta spelt pizza with lemon zest

Two slices of yummy healthy pizza

Inspired by National Pizza Day, I made spelt pizza with leftover vegetable & seafood pasta today and it blew my mind.  Third time was the charm as is often the case when I cook.

London's Borough Market - Happy Foodie Heaven

Borough market is where all foodies take other foodies. The aroma, excitement, anticipation and mouthwatering sights of all sorts of treats make this one of the premiere places for indulgence and pleasure.

Pancake day - easy pancakes 3 ways for breakfast, lunch and dessert

Today is Pancake day! I celebrated it a few days ago for several days and it was most enjoyable.

The Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery London

I've finally tasted the world famous Cronut, the creation of Chef Dominique Ansel who was also named the World’s Best Pastry Chef of 2017. The croissant-donut hybrid was launched in May 2013, went viral and was deemed one of the best inventions of the year by TIME Magazine.

Each month, there is one flavour of the Cronut. For January, the flavor is Date & Butterscotch, so the pastry is filled with a homemade date ganache and creamy butterscotch ganache. Check out the DAB website for the flavour of the month and other menu items. 

The Dominique Ansel Bakery London opened in September 2016. The closest tube station is Victoria. So it's convenient if you're taking a coach trip from Victoria Coach station, seeing Hamilton, going to Gatwick from Victoria station or visiting Buckingham Palace.

I'd read there were massive queues and the cronut sells out. On a cold wintery Sunday at 4pm, they still had cronuts and we waited less than 10 minutes. 

What's my verdict on the cronut? It would probably be more mind blowing in the morning just after coming out of the oven. The butterscotch ganache oozed out each time I cut into it. The ganache was lovely and light. The pastry itself didn't really wow me though. 

Would I go back to the bakery again? Sure! I'd love to try the watermelon self serve in the summer. Keep in mind however, it is a pretty pricey outing going to DAB. You pay more to eat-in so get it takeaway if you want to save a bit. 

DAB began in NYC. There are bakeries in London, LA and Tokyo.  When Ansel is in London, he's 'exploring the breadth of restaurants the city has to offer,' he says in an interview with Business Insider. You know ansel's cronut is worthy of trying because there's copycats and variations, but whether they surpass the original remains to be seen. 

St John Bread and Wine - the best bacon sandwich in London

Omg you have to try the best bacon sandwich in London. If you are all about health and fitness, do not read on. You do not want to be tempted. You do not want to know about this.

I must confess, I never eat bacon sandwiches and I rarely eat bacon. If I'm going to brunch, it would not be in my top three choices, in fact , it might be on my list of bottom three.

Apparently, bacon sandwiches are a thing. And this particular one, from St John Bread and Wine in Spitalfields sells out. They are talked and written about. They probably are all over Instagram and Facebook.

Why is it so special? Well the bread is really great. What do you expect when it is baked fresh? The bacon rocks as it's not fatty or oily and is rather tasty. The sauce is a homemade ketchup. It's so simple and proves you don't need fancy, unusual and pretty. A simple sandwich can be absolutely delicious.

The other thing you should know is that the donuts at St John are amazing. These sell out too.

This is their website: 

• https://stjohnrestaurant.com

Who knew that waking up early and going out for breakfast could be so much fun?! If you've not tried the best bacon  sandwich in London, make plans to go now and if you've had it, you probably deserve a treat and should go get another one - bon appetit!

Gourmet lunch at home - sweet and savoury bruscetta

Meet my gourmet lunch, sweet and savoury bruscetta, a healthy light meal that reminds me of Italy and my teens before carbs became what they are today.

Somehow we now live in a world where certain foods are akin to sin and others are our gateway to heaven.

Sugar, carbs, processed food, fast food, gluten, desserts, anything you might desire or love are now no longer guilt free.  We are doomed when we indulge. Those who are strong and exercise abstinence deserve might praise.

This era of self deprivation is the norm.

I wholeheartedly rejected this mindset today when I had this lovely bruscetta for lunch. It was made with:
1. Fig and hazelnut bread from M&S;
2. Vine ripened tomatoes;
3. Fresh Basil;
4. Crushed organic garlic;
5. Extra virgin olive oil;
6. Parsley (from a bottle); and
7. Camargue fleur de sel salt.

I also added some shredded mozarella to some of them to settle my mini pizza craving.

Sometimes we need carbs. Sometimes we need oil. And we all know about how good herbs and protein are.

Find some fancy bread, slap on some tomatoes, garlic and oil. Treat yourself to some herbs. Spoil it with some cheese. Smash it down.

Enjoy this healthy beautiful gourmet lunch! 

My secret to eating more vegetables

Cheesey corn omelette with sweet potato and kale

There are times you want to eat more vegetables and it's like there is a secret or trick that you just need to discover.

Your reasons for eating more vegetables could be any number of different reasons, including:

• improving your health,
• losing weight, 
• detoxing, or
• saving money.  

Vegetables can be the least exciting of all the food groups. It can feel challenging to eat more vegetables. Sometimes I think I'm just a big kid and I have to coax myself to do the right thing.

Here are my top seven ways to eat more vegetables:

1. Vegetable juices - boost your spinach and celery intake with a green juice or carrot juice. It's yummy and refreshing. Apples or pears provide a great base and a teaspoon of honey makes it more palatable. Grapes and ginger are other great additions. Add lemon juice or spirulina for a bigger health kick. 
2. Go vegetarian - if you don't have any meat or fish in the kitchen but lots of vegetables, you make the choice to eat more vegetables much easier.
3. Soups and omelettes - love my cheese corn omelette. It's my staple ready meal! Chuck a bunch of vegetables in some water with herbs and spices to make a tasty soup. Roast them first if you want even more flavour. 
4. Indulge - I rarely eat carbs so sometimes if I go vegetarian I can justify some rice or pasta to go with it. Do a mushroom medley if it's one veg you like. Make it the hero of your meal and add truffles too if you really want to spoil yourself.
5. Variety - doing a mix of vegetables with different colours and textures makes eating your vegetarian meal more fun. You might roast some kale and zucchini, pan fry or boil corn and mushrooms, raw tomatoes and cucumbers then add some rocket on top. 
6. Herbs make a great addition to make it that bit tastier. 
7. Add your favourite dressing or try some different condiments - there are some posh lovely dressings that make it seem like you are going gourmet. 

It's also important to have the right mindset. You have to focus on the positives and see it as a treat for your body. Feel good about yourself that you are eating more vegetables and then it becomes easier to do it. 

On a good day, I might have seven servings of vegetables. Beat your own personal best and brag about it. A bit of competition can be encouraging. 

Set one day or meal a week if your goal is to eat more vegetables. Dive in and try for three days or a week. If I'm going out for dinner, I might try to do a veg based meal that day to balance the day out.

Feel proud of yourself that you are taking steps towards eating more vegetables. 

Why I don't crave pizza, burgers and sweets any more

I use to be seriously addicted to pizza, burgers and sweets. Pasta was another favourite. Ten years later and these bad boys aren't foods that I crave any more.

The secret is understanding the physical and psychological needs that we have. Physically your body needs vitamins, minerals and sugar.

Burger = Iron
I realised that when I crave lasagne or a burger or a Bolognese, really I just wanted some iron. A lean piece of steak or lamb does the trick.

Pizza = calcium
When it came to pizza, that was my body not getting enough calcium. I would buy a pizza express from tesco and load it with extra cheese once upon a time. I would drool (and kind of still remember fondly) fugazzetta pizza in Argentina which is a heavenly concoction you must try if you ever go. These days I have full fat cheese and milk throughout the day.

Sweets = energy and / or rest
Sweets and sugar were my energy fix. A good meal was not complete without some pudding. When we visited NYC last year, we did some major donut and cheesecake investigating. You'll also see that I've blogges about macarons, M&M world and afternoon tea. They were one of my great loves. These days, I eat a lot of fruit because it is full of nutrients and fibre. They tend to be my breakfast feast and my afternoon sweet snack. That way I can burn the sugar throughout the day. Exercise makes me want to eat more healthily. It also gives me that lovely endorphin rush that sugar used to provide. Sleep, drinking enough water and being mindful of just needing to rest also help manage energy levels. I tend to want sweets if I haven't slept enough or properly. So just making a point to get rest of sleep makes such a difference. Sugar is addictive so watching what additives are in foods and checking product labels makes a difference.

Psychologically the pizza, burgers and sweets made me feel good. They were habitual. These days I focus on a variety of fruit and vegetables, fish, whole grains like spelt and proteins such as nuts, beans and lean meat.

If I am out to dinner, I will enjoy pizza, a burger or dessert. These occasions are the exception rather than the norm.

I feel so much happier and healthier. It's amazing how being in control of your cravings can help you be more positive and empowered. I've won the battle against pizza, burgers and sweet cravings, if only I didn't have so many other bad habits to kick!

Simple Slow Cooked Osso Bucco in a Rich Red Wine Sauce

My slow cooked osso bucco today tasted so lovely that I had to share my recipe. Cooking can be simple, fun and taste even better than going to a Michelin star restaurant. There's no flour, no added salt and it's fairly low in fat and carbs too. It serves two people and was ready in less than 2.5 hours.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 Onion
1 bay leaf
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
340g of osso bucco
1 small beetroot chopped into strips
1 cup of shitake mushrooms
1 cube of chicken stock
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of worstershire sauce
1 cup of red wine
200 ml passatta
1/2 cup of green split peas
1/2 cup of quinoa
1 cup of green string beans
1/3 of a small red cabbage chopped
1 cup of broccoli

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Brown the onion, bay leaf, garlic, beetroot, shitake mushrooms and osso bucco in the olive oil.  Season with the worstershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika and chicken stock. Add the red wine, passatta and green split peas. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cook on medium heat and when it is boiling, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Top up the water when it gets low. I did this after maybe an hour. Stir occasionally. The quinoa and green string beans went in after 1.5 hours of slow cooking. The red cabbage and broccoli went in at the 1 hour and 55 minute mark. After 2 hours of slow cooking, it's ready to eat.

It's a recipe packed with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This was so healthy and it was such a pleasure to eat. The sauce was a beautiful rich red colour and I didn't need to add any salt, pepper or other seasonings. You could sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top or add a dollop of ricotta if you want a richer texture and taste. A sprig of parsley or some basil or oregano will pretty it up if you want to garnish the dish. You could also serve this with bread, couscous, potatoes or any other carb hits you desire.

Like all stews, this will taste even better if you have leftovers for the next day because the flavours will fuse together.

I used passatta from a carton as I avoid canned items. The chicken stock was organic. The red wine was an Argentinian merlot. The split peas were not soaked beforehand. They were rinsed and washed. Remember to also wash your quinoa before adding it.

What if you don't have some of these ingredients? Simple substitutes include pork, lamb or beef for the osso bucco, frozen peas for the green split lentils, rice or potatoes for the quinoa, chili for cayenne pepper, carrots for the beetroot, vinegar or lemon for the worstershire sauce and any mushrooms for the shitake mushrooms. Any variations may affect the taste and texture, but you'll still have a good simple healthy stew.

Treat yourself tonight! I know you will enjoy this simple slow cooked osso bucco in a rich red wine sauce.

Eating Holidays - Turin and Genoa in Italy

Does it get any more perfect than an eating holiday in Italy? In Turin and Genoa, the sun is shining, the wine is flowing and you have the charm of a small city while you eat and eat and eat. 

Genoa
Trofie pesto is  the specialty in this region. I tried it at Trattoria di Santiago which is down the street  from Piazza de Ferrari. I was actually attempting to go to Trattoria Maria which I had heard from a local has very typical Genovese food, both reasonably priced and very good. Sadly it was closed and only open at certain times.

One of the highlights of my holiday so far has been Trattoria Rosmarino's prawn canelloni with cinnamon. I was so blown away that I am determined  to recreate it when I go home. Bookings are essential and they turned away numerous people whilst I was there. They have English menus on tablets and the staff are multilingual. It is just off Piazza de Ferrari. It has a great atmosphere with great attention to detail, as well as being very affordable.

It's not just about pizza and pasta in Genoa. Focaccia is the food of the day. You must try the focaccia with cheese from Recco, which is a 'gastronomic experience'. Focaccia shops are like the McDonalds of Genoa, but infinitesimally better tasting. Focacceria Genovese in Piazza Fossatello in the historical part of the city sells it by weight and is highly rated on Tripadvisor.

The most famous restaurant in Genoa is Zefferino's. Popes, Sinatra and Celine Dion are just a few of their famous customers. Unlike most restaurants in Italy, it is open from 12pm to 12am so it might make life a bit easier if you've not adopted the late dinner schedule (8pm in Turin and 7.30 in Genoa). It's expensive but then you might want to try it.

Fresh fish is very popular too. I tried a local white fish which was tasty but full of bones. Such is the delight with fish!

Turin
Around Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Pizzeria da Michele and Porto di Savona are both very good and have lovely views of the Piazza.

I enjoyed the €30 tasting menu at Porto di Savona - vitello tonnato (veal in tuna mayonnaise), agnolotti (meat ravioli which is a specialty in Turin), braised beef and bonet (a traditional dessert which is like a chocolate creme caramel).

Rabbit and beef cheeks are also very popular in Turin. Hams and meat are more prevalent in Turin.

I had amazing pizza. Italian tomatoes are so full of flavour and it goes so well with the cheese and thin crust base.

You can save a little by not having the bread which is charged at €2 and brought to your table at the beginning of the meal. Wine by the glass is around €3. Overall eating in Italy is very decently priced.

Dessert
Of course there is gelato. Did you know that you can now get it in violet?! Creamy and divine. The sun shines and the gelato beckons.

Chocolate, biscuits and cakes galore. Bars and cafes sell them in abundance and they are sweet treats.

Italy is a foodlover's paradise. Enjoy it. Both Genoa and Turin are exemplary culinary experiences that will make your holiday that much more memorable.

Prawn Canelloni with Cinnamon

Wild boar pasta

Duck pasta

Peruvian inspired Corn Pancake with Guacamole and Chili Chocolate

A Peruvian inspired Corn Pancake with Guacamole and Chili Chocolate - it's oh so yummy, so healthy and a lovely quick treat to spoil yourself with or to impress your friends when you have them over.

A Gourmet Christmas

 

Create your own Gourmet Christmas with fine fruit, flowers and chocolate. Mini trees, Christmas tree branches for vases with small baubles bring that atmosphere of Christmas spirit. Tinsel adds charm. Make your own hampers for friends and family with a few of your favourite things - all you need is cellophane, ribbon for curling, tape and a basket or piece of cardboard.

And we can't forget a cocktail to brighten things up - I made a simple one from oranges, passion fruit, cranberries and lemon. A dash of champagne, vodka or whatever you fancy if you want a little zip.

There's lots on offer, with plenty of 3 for 3 deals or savings from smart online shopping. Make this a special Christmas with just a few small touches. Wishing you a very Gourmet Christmas and New Year!

My favourite Heston things

I am a big fan of Hesto Blumenthal because he is a genius. When you feel like a kid again, excited like when you could have ice-cream - well that is truly special.

Dinner by Heston opened up in the Mandarin Oriental in London. I booked it for a special occasion and  it would be one of my top ten experiences for 2012. As soon as you step into the restaurant, the aromas jump start your evening and you can't wait to tuck in. Not all the dishes will blow your mind, but I have to say most of the ones we tried did. And even just reading the menu got me bouncing in my seat. After the starter I was thinking about when I could make my next reservation here. A special mention goes to the fruit meat, steak and tipsy cake, which were all divine.

But sadly Dinner is not a place I can frequent so I settle for buying the products he puts his name to in Waitrose, and these are all real treats - duck and sour cherry sausage, salted caramel popcorn and the popping candy chocolate tart especially. I even ate the famous Christmas pudding that sells for ridiculous amounts on ebay - in some cases hundreds of pounds and I don't even like fruit cake!

But Heston doesn't always shine. The Hinds Head Bray pub was overpriced and disappointing. And his tv shows lack pizazz. The man is not a God but he is still a superhero in my book. Who would have thought a lanky bald guy could be so great? May they write songs about him and be entered int the history books. Long live the Blum!

You may also want to read:

• Pierre Herme macarons - St Germain's master magician 
• Cakes shaped like bags and shoes with afternoon tea at the Berkeley.
• Paris - The Designer Fashion Capital of the World.
• The Paris Belleville AAB Art Festival
• London Royal Wedding 
• How to be frugal in London 
• Chocaholics Heaven - M&M world London 

Embrace Your Chocolate Addiction with these chocolate experiences

 

Chocaholics - they number in the millions. That little gem of cocoa and milk is your best friend and your worst enemy. Here are some of my favourite chocolate experiences: