Going away for Christmas

Source: aglobetrotterslife.blogspot.com

This year for Christmas I'll be returning home for the first time in a few years. I'm really excited to see my friends and family after so long. One of the annoying things about travelling home for Christmas is trying to fit all your presents into a suitcase. Because Fly Thomas Cook are running a competition to win an Antler Purelite Large Suitcase. I've decided to give my tips for packing for holiday travel:

1. If you're going to visit friends and family leave things they're likely to already have such hairdryers, straighteners, and bottles of shampoo/conditioner.
2. If possible, buy presents online and have them shipped to a trusted friend or family members house so you don't even need to pack them.
3. Put your clothes in vacuum sealed bags to reduce the amount of space they take up.

If I can think of any more I'll post them here. Please feel free to leave your tips in the comments or enter the competition yourself!

The best roast potatoes

Literally everyone can cook roast potatoes, even those of us who are entirely useless in the kitchen. And I'm sure everyone thinks their roast potatoes are the bomb diggity/bullocks/shiznit/whatever, but seriously, these are the best roast potatoes EVER.

In lieu of my own image this one was
borrowed from here, but they should
look something like this anyway.

Rosemary and Thyme Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

• Your choice of roasting potatoes
• Oil
• Butter
• Garlic Salt
• Dried rosemary
• Dried thyme

(Loose) Directions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
• Peel, cut into quarters, and par boil the potatoes
• Meanwhile, heat up some oil and butter in a pan
• Mix cooked potatoes with oil/butter mixture in a roasting pan
• Season to taste with garlic salt, dried rosemary, and dried thyme
• Cook for 35-40 minutes or until brown and crispy
• Eat and enjoy!

So there you have it, the best roast potatoes ever! If you agree please vote for me in LoveTheGarden.com's vegetable garden competition!

Thanks!

Will I ever own another car?

I have two driver's licenses. One from the US and one from the UK. I got my US license when I was 16, and back home I've always either had a car or had access to one. Last year I took and passed the driving test for my UK license. Originally, my motivation for doing this was to become a bus driver, for which you need a UK license... weird I know, but for some strange reason I thought it'd be a fun job to have. I didn't end up becoming a bus driver, but now I have this license that is pretty much useless to me because I neither need nor can afford a car.

Saying that though, I do think if I could afford it I'd get a car. I occasionally find myself thinking about what kind of car I'd buy if I was going to get one. Fiat and Gucci have just collaborated on a new automobile they're calling the Fiat 500 by Gucci. It's an Italian car in every sense of the word, and given my new found appreciation for my Italian roots this car would be the perfect way to pay homage to my ancestry.

Personally, I find the stripes on the outside a bit too showy for me. I like to be low-key with these kinds of things. The little interior design touches is what I think works best with this Gucci/Fiat collaboration.

The interior is beautiful and if a fashion brand is going to work with a car manufacturer this is where they're really going to have the chance to make a significant contribution.

In terms of luxury, I think these kinds of collabrations are the way forward. It'll be interesting to see what other companies follow suit.

Sponsored Post

Viral video by ebuzzing

More and more people are growing their own food in the UK...

And here's the proof... (Click the image to see full infographic)


Grow your own infographic from LoveTheGarden.com

What's the correlation between sunshine and happiness?

Infographic brought to you by flythomascook.com

Music for your "soul"

Every once in a while I come across a song that feels like it was written in tune with the foundations of my being. I don't know what it is, but the music reaches somewhere deep inside my subconscious and rides along in perfect harmony with my brain waves. I know there must be a great deal of research and theory on this kind of thing, but saving that discussion of another time, I'm just going to post a couple of songs that have struck a special chord with me.

So one of my favourite websites, Love the Garden, are running a competition to promote growing your own fruit and vegetables. The competition entails submitting a recipe featuring their chosen vegetable, cabbage, and the winner is chosen by popular vote. Luckily, a good friend of mine gave me this Spanish recipe recently that's absolutely amazing and just so happens to have cabbage in it :) So without further adieu, here is the recipe for Caldo Gallego Soup:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of stelline pasta
• 4 oz prosciutto thickly sliced
• 4 oz fully cooked/cured Spanish chorizo sausage, thickly sliced
• 9 oz can of white beans, drained and washed with water in a colander
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium boiling potatoes quartered
• 1/2 lb green cabbage thickly chopped
• Salt to taste 

Method 

• Cut the prosciutto, chorizo, potatoes and other vegetables as directed.
• Cook pasta separately to al dente.
• In a deep steel pot, add the potatoes and a dash of salt. Cover with cold water.
• On a high heat, bring the water to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat. Skim off any foam that forms. Allow to cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil at high heat and then reduce to medium-low heat again.
• Cook for approximately 10 minutes testing that the potatoes are tender but firm and the rest of the vegetables are tender. Continue to skim off any foam that forms.
• Let simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes at low heat for a more intense flavor.
• Add pasta to soup at the end.
• Serve and eat!

So there you have it! That's the recipe. Now if you like it go and vote here: Vegetable Garden Competition

Thanks!