Recipe of the Month

Homemade Granola

by aimeeduffy91Leave a Comment on Homemade Granola

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I have been making homemade granola for years now, and I am forever changing my recipe to make it the healthiest I can! This recipe is super quick and easy to make and can be altered to your own taste/preferences – not to mention it is super delicious! I now struggle to buy store bought equivalents, as I can taste the high levels of sugar in them. It also lasts at least a week (if not 10 days)!

Ingredients

The Base

4 tablespoons coconut oil
150 ml honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
700g/800g oats

The Additional Ingredients

(this is what I like to add, feel free to add your favourite nuts and dried fruits to cater to your own preferences)

300-400g in total:

seasame seeds
pumpkin seeds
flaked almonds
sunflower seeds
poppy seeds

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
2. Melt the coconut oil and honey/maple syrup in a saucepan, over a low heat.
3. Once fully melted, add in the oats and stir till all the oats are tossed through the mixture.
4. Finally, add in the remaining ingredients (seeds, nuts and dried fruits)
5. Place the mixture across 1-2 baking trays and place in the oven for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown. Toss the mixture with a spoon every 10 minutes to make sure it is cooked fully through and does not stick together.
6. Leave to cool for about an hour and store in a tupperware or glass container.

Recipe of the Month

Nigella’s American Breakfast Pancakes

by aimeeduffy91Leave a Comment on Nigella’s American Breakfast Pancakes

 

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These thick, American- style pancakes are super quick and easy to make! I added raspberries to the recipe for additional flavour (blueberries or chocolate chips could also work.) I recommend frying in a small/mini frying pan to keep the classic shape.

Link for recipe

Serve with any of your favourite toppings and a dust of icing sugar. My recommendations include maple syrup, honey, Nutella or ice cream.

Travel

Paris

by aimeeduffy91Leave a Comment on Paris

Beautiful, magical Paris! I just adore this city. When I was 19 I spent a summer working here working as an intern, and as of 2018 I felt it was time to go back. This wonderful city has so much to offer, from sight – seeing to great food and wine. Here are all my tips…

 

Eurostar:

We took the Eurostar to Paris from London. The trip is so effortless and easy and makes for a very pleasant journey. Kings Cross/St. Pancreas is accessible by tube, and the train arrives into Gare du Nord in Paris. This station also has Le Metro meaning you can hop straight onto public transport when you arrive. We booked our Eurostar tickets about 2-3 months in advance so they were only about £80 return. The journey takes about 2 hours. I would recommend arriving for your journey an hour in advance.

 

Where we stayed:

Because there were 5 of us, we decided to take an Airbnb for our stay in Paris. We chose the most stunning apartment located near the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower, no destination was more than 30 minutes away. Andrew (the owner) was not only super friendly but also very helpful and accommodating when it came to restaurant bookings and places to go. The apartment was in the most beautiful building that lead into a stunning courtyard. The flat itself was very modern and comfortable to sleep in.

Link to apartment

 

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Getting around:

CityMapper is a fantastic app for getting around. It has been my lifesaver since I moved to London, and was so handy in Paris too. The app tells you the quickest way of getting somewhere in extensive detail and all the travel options that are available. The app has a wide range of  cities available, so you can pick and chose where you are going. For taxis, I would recommend using Uber. Le Metro is very easy to navigate. I recommend buying single tickets in bulk, so x15 at a time, for example. These tickets let you go anywhere and on any line.

 

FOOD
Angelina:

This is the ultimate Parisian cafe. In various locations around Paris, I visited the X branch close to the Lourve museum and Tuilleries Gardens. I simply adore this place! If anyone is ever asking me for go-to places in Paris, this is my number 1. Their hot chocolate is to die for, it is literally melted chocolate. I would recommend doing tea and cake here. Their normal food is okay but their cakes and hot chocolate are definitely what you go for.

Link for website

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La Belle Epoque:

This is a hidden gem, that we got a recommendation for from the man who owned our Airbnb. This place is super trendy, and a go-to spot for those in the fashion industry. The food and wine was incredible and we were able to book in advance which was a huge plus!

Link to Website  

 

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St. REGIS on Île Saint Louis:

When I lived in Paris, I was incredibly lucky to live on one of the two islands in the city, Ile Saint Louis. This tiny island is home to the most famous ice cream in Paris, Berthillon, and is right next to the Notre-dame. This small little French bistro is the perfect spot for lunch, located right on the corner of the main street, and over the bridge onto the island. The food was delicious, high quality and the staff were very friendly and accommodating.

Link to website
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Berthillon Ice cream:

 

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Alcazar:

I can’t recommend this place enough. If you are going to Paris in a group then Alcazar is the perfect spot for a Saturday night! Located in Saint Germain the atmosphere is incredible, the venue is stunning and they allow you to pre-book. We had dinner in the restaurant downstairs. The food is delicious and  pretty reasonably priced for a good French restaurant. Upstairs is a fabulous balcony bar, with a stunning sit down area and great music for dancing! For those who want to take the night even further, there is an underground club right next door.

Link to website

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Other restaurants I would recommend but didn’t get time to go to:

Le Relais de L’Entrecote

Big Mama Restaurants

L’avenue

Balagan

Monsieur Bleu

Things to do/ Places to see:
  • Notre-dame & Île Saint Louis
  • Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre
  • Eiffel Tower
  • Versailles (day trip outside of Paris)
  • The Louvre (free for 25 & under with a European driving licence) & The Tuileries Garden

 

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Food, Recipe of the Month

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

by aimeeduffy91Leave a Comment on Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

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Recipe:

Ingredients:
150 g dark chocolate (70%)
150 g ground almonds
175 g caster sugar
100 g butter, cubed
4 eggs, beaten
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Line the base of a 20cm-diameter springform tin with greaseproof paper and butter the sides

Melt the chocolate in a bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water.
Separately, beat the butter and sugar together until a bit fluffy. Then add the eggs and stir thoroughly. Finally add the ground almonds, followed by the melted chocolate.
Pour into the prepared tin and pop straight in the oven. Cook for 35-45 minutes until the cake is puffed and slightly cracked around the edges. (test with a skewer after 35 minutes, it should come out clean)
Remove and leave to sit for 15 minutes before transferring to a plate. Dust a layer of icing sugar over the top, and serve with a scoop of your favourite ice cream.