Scarlata Chocolate Photoshoot

Recently I had the honor of photographing my friend and owner of  Scarlata Chocolate. She is amazing and beautiful and her chocolates are out of this world. Definitely check out her site and buy some chocolates!

Vegan Curried Barley, Chickpeas and Mushrooms

Makes 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients:

• 1 C uncooked barley
• 1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
•  4-5 small crimini mushrooms (use more if you like mushrooms)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1/4 C water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1/8 tsp. chilli powder (anything you like to add spice)
• 1-2 tbsp fresh coriander for garnish (cilantro)

Instructions:
1) Cook barley in water according to package instructions.
2) Combine rest of ingredients in a deep pan; saute together on medium high for about 5 minutes.
3) Pour chickpea and mushroom mixture over cooked barley, stir and serve.

*This is my version of Curried Barley Chickpea Salad from Fannetastic Food

Travel to London with out breaking the bank

I've been to London 7 times now..I love it!!! I can't get enough of it. This quote from Museum of London is all so true ...

Each time I’ve been able to find new ways to save on my travel more than before, which makes me wonder why I didn’t think of that certain way before.  Below are my top 5 tips on saving money on your next London trip.
1. Earn miles for cheap air-fair.
First thing I want to mention is that I am NOT pro-credit cards. Do NOT get them and spend more than you can afford. I have lived several years and still do with out any debt (beside my mortgage). The only reason we got the card was to earn miles/points. Here is how we do it: we budget each month, then set that amount aside in our bank accounts. However we use our credit card to pay for everything we BUDGETed for, then when the bill comes we pay in full. No interest, just pay it all. That’s how we earned our miles. We got a British Airways card, which is awesome: great customer service,the card has a chip and magnetic strip, thus can be used in Europe and US (note some places in Europe do not except magnetic striped cards) and best of all doesn’t charge you for currency conversion.
2. Do NOT stay in Hotels
We are a family of 5 (2 adults and 3 young kids), hotels are not convenient for us. You are stuck in one room and are forced to eat out everyday. Kids make noise, they get jet lagged and wake up at 1am…so our solution is Airbnb.com. We can rent a room or a house/flat. Some come with kid supplies, MAJOR BONUS, you have a washer, kitchen and room to spread out and best of all is cheaper than a hotel. Plus you get a true experience of living in the city not just a tourist.
3. Cook your own food
Now I love trying new food and new places to eat, but with 5 people in London it can get expensive. Our solution is cook your own food. Since we rent homes/flats they have full kitchens and sometimes even basic food/spices. This also is a big help when your kids wake up at 1am and want to eat, just go to the kitchen a make something OR you can go out at 1am and try to find something that’s open. My vote is to just go to the kitchen.
4. Plan, Plan, Plan and SAVE
I’m a major planner, I live on plans and schedules and organization. When traveling this comes in handy! We create an itinerary(click here for sample from my previous trip) before leaving (places we want to see and things to do) then create a document. I also included prices for attractions and even directions, this saves time and gives you peace of mind knowing where you are going). Also, London is great in the sense that there is a lot to do for FREE (museums, parks, stores, etc). For things to see that have a cost there is still a way to save. If you plan and create an itinerary you can budget, have time to run some numbers to figure our which of these routes are cheaper option and save!

• you can get a London Pass, this allows you Free entry to over 60+ top London attractions and tours including Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the London Bridge Experience, a Thames River Cruise and many more.
• Book online before leaving home. Most (if not all) paid attractions have an option to buy online and they offer you at least  10% discount for doing so (London Eye, London Zoo, etc)
• Get a annual membership! Now this one sound a bit weird but when you have a family of 4+ you maybe be able to save a lot. We were able to get a membership to Historic Royal Palaces and save over $80, because we would be visiting all the places covered my membership on one trip. The cost of annual membership was less than 1 time visit.
• Look up family rates! If you are a family of 4 most attractions have a family price.

5. Walk.
Now I love walking and London is laid out well for walking (as long as you have comfortable walking shoes). You can walk for FREE. If you can’t walk then look into getting a Travelcard, you can travel as often as you like on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services within the London travel zones with a Travelcard.
I hope these tips are helpful to you! if you have any questions on how to save money in London OR have your own ways of saving feel free to contact me and share your ideas.

My favourite independent coffee shops in London

 1. Attendant- Café inside an old Victorian Toilet

 *Latte and Carrot Cake with Mascarpone cream from Attendant

2. Latte from Cafe Below Bow Bells

 3. The Wren- Independent Coffee shop in St Nicks Cole Abbey

*Latte from The Wren

Hyde Park

My favorite park in London is Hyde Park. Hyde Park covers 350 acres and is home to a number of famous landmarks including the Serpentine Lake, Speakers'€™ Corner and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. There is much to see in the park and walking the park with out stopping can take 2-3 hours. Here are a few of my favorite spots:

 *Sunset at Serpentine Lake

 *Flower Garden

 *Serpentine Lake

 *The Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall

 *The Albert Memorial

 *Italian Gardens

 *Kensington Palace

*Peter Pan Statue

Saturday fun in the car....

My husband was finally able to catch the kids in the moment singing...the sound isn't great, but their energy and expressions are priceless.
Song: "Sugar" by Maroon5

Harrods Food Hall

Bread Street Kitchen

 While visiting London I had breakfast at Bread Street Kitchen 3 times...yes it was that good. The service staff was friendly (especially the Hosts).
Bread Street Kitchen is owned by Chef Gordon Ramsey and is located within One  New Change, just across from St. Pauls Cathedral.

 *Eggs Benedict £8

* Ricotta Hot Cakes, banana, honeycomb butter £7