Letchworth Garden City & Hitchin Lavender

Happy Thursday! The sun is shining and it is absolutely b-e-a-utiful outside! Thank goodness June is finally here and the weather has decided to be lovely and warm. It's about time. I thought the rainy cold days would never go away!

One of my favorite parts of June is when all the lavender starts blooming! There are a few lavender plants around where we live, and I love walking the dog and stopping to smell it when it is in full flowering bloom.

Today's post is the first post in a new series I'm starting here on Everyday With Ali: English Day Out. I will be posting about the days trips we have been taking in and around England. Without further ado, lets get started on our day trip to Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin Lavender!

My husband and I drove to Letchworth to start off our day. We first stopped at a little café, the Cultivo Lounge. They have a nice patio out front, and in the back they have huge windows that are open and you can enjoy the view of a small community garden in the back where they grow herbs for the café. I highly recommend stopping here to eat. Try the eton mess for dessert- you won't regret it!

If you are traveling with your dog, this place is also great as they allow them inside with you as long as they are well behaved, and on a lead.

Photo credit: http://thelounges.co.uk/lounges/cultivo-lounge/

Next, we walked around the city. Some of the stopping points near the town center include Town Hall and the Broadway Gardens.

Walking away from the town center, you come across the UK's first round about built in 1909. Other stopping points in town include Howard Park and Gardens, and the town's woodland walks.

The next stop on our day out was Hitchin Lavender. My friend had told me about the lavender fields in our area, and I had been dying to go for a few weeks.

Let me just tell you- THE SMELL. It was incredible!! You can tell you are driving near the fields because you can roll down the windows and smell it for a few miles out. I was in complete heaven when we were walking up, and seeing the field of purple was so gorgeous. I still look back at these pictures and it is hard for me to describe just how beautiful, serene and relaxing it was.

For just a few pounds, you can cut as much lavender as you want to take home with you. I will say- a little goes a very, very long way. I still have enough petals from last year that I am still trying to find ways to use! Make sure to bring your own scissors as I don't believe they have many pairs at the shop.

Pro tip: If you want the fields to be almost completely empty- go when they are almost closing and you'll virtually have the whole field to yourselves!

There is a little shop on site that sells all kinds of wonderful lavender products. They also have different varieties of plants you can buy and take home with you as well. I plan to grab one next time we go!

One of my favorite ways to use the lavender petals is to make bath bombs. They make the water not only smell amazing, but it leaves you feeling super relaxed and ready to sleep. You can find the post HERE.

I hope you enjoyed this first installment of English Day Out! Stay tuned for more travel posts coming soon!

-A

Homemade Lemonade

Greetings Everyone!

The weather has finally warmed up here in the UK and I am SOOOOOO happy!! Whenever the weather is nice, I start craving an ice cold glass of lemonade. Lemonade is not the same here as it is in the U.S., so if you want the real deal, you've gotta make it yourself.

When making homemade lemonade, you have to follow this basic recipe:

1 cup lemon juice to 4 cups water.

1/2-3/4 cup superfine sugar for every 4 cups of water.

Serve chilled. Add some lemon slices to make it look fancy if you wish. You could also add raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, any kind of fruits you like! My favorite is raspberry.

Now go grab a blanket and your sunglasses and go sit out in the sun and enjoy a glass (or two!) with a friend or your significant other!

Don't forget the sunscreen though- you don't want to get burnt!

Let me know how you like to make your lemonade. Do you add anything fun into it? Leave me a comment below!

-A

A Week Of Healthy Meals

Hello Everyone! My husband and I have been on a healthy eating kick the last few weeks. Today I thought I'd share with you one of our favorite easy, quick and healthy weekly meal plans. These recipes are catered towards two people. If you have more people in your family, just double the recipe!

Cheddar apple sandwiches with minestrone soup and apple slices

Yeild: 2 sandwiches, 2 bowls of soup

For the sandwiches:

Granary bread

Olive oil

Mild British cheddar cheese

Thin apple slices

Optional: Spicy red onion marmalade or blueberry compote

Ready made minestrone soup. I used Sainsbury's premade soup.

Apple wedges of your choice

Slice a quarter of two medium sized apples into thin pieces. Slice the cheddar cheese into desired size. Drizzle olive oil onto bread, and begin assembling the sandwiches onto a panini press. If you don't have one, you can make this in a regular frying pan on the stovetop.

Warm the soup, and slice the rest of the apple into wedges, and serve! This comes together in about 10 minutes making it ideal for a quick lunch or dinner!

Dill and lemon salmon and roasted vegetables

Yeild: 2-4 servings

For the salmon:

Two to four salmon fillets

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Fresh dill or dried dill, whichever you have available

Himalayan salt and pepper to season

For the roasted vegetables:

2 Small sweet potatoes

2 Carrots

One head of broccoli

Olive Oil

Himalayan salt and pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and chop the vegetables, and toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper until coated. Place on a baking tray. Brush olive oil on the salmon, and season with salt and pepper as well. Place on baking tray. Put both trays in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the vegetables about half way through. When the salmon is done, sprinkle with dill and squeeze on the juice from the lemon. Serve and enjoy!

Greek chicken pitas with lemon and dill potatoes
Yeild: 2-3 pitas

For the Pitas:

3 Chicken breasts

2 Cloves of chopped garlic

1 1/2 Teaspoons dried oregano

1 Teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 Teaspoon dried coriander (cilantro)

Sliced Lettuce, tomatoes, and onion

Optional: Feta cheese, olives, banana peppers

Pita bread

Tzatziki sauce:

Greek yogurt

About half a large cucumber, shredded

Lemon juice

Himalayan salt and pepper

Fresh or dried dill

For the potatoes:

Small potatoes, diced into quarters or halves

Olive oil

Himalayan salt and pepper

Fresh or dried dill

Lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start making the Tzatziki sauce first, so the flavors have time to blend together while the rest of the meal is cooking. Shred the cucumber and place in a cheese cloth. Squeeze out as much juice from the cucumber as possible, and then transfer the cucumber to a bowl. Add the greek yogurt, a good squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper and a good two heaping teaspoons of dill, depending on the flavor you like. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside in fridge. 

Toss the potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

Toss the chicken in olive oil, garlic, oregano, thyme and coriander. Heat a pan on medium heat with a drizzle of oil and cook chicken on both sides until cooked through. Let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Toss the potatoes with a squeeze of lemon juice and dill. Start building the pitas by adding chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki. Add feta cheese or olives if desired. Serve with potatoes.

Copycat Nando's quinoa salad

Yeild: 4 Salads

For the Chicken:

Nando's Coat 'n Cook lemon and herb packet

4 Chicken breasts

Olive oil

For the salad base:

Lettuce, romaine or mixed greens

1 Cup uncooked quinoa

2 Cups water

1-1 1/2 Cups roasted sweet potatoes

1 or 2 Avocados

Cucumber slices

Cherry tomatoes

Pumpkin seeds

Feta cheese

Marinate the chicken in the Nando's packet for an hour or two, however long you have time for. Heat a large skillet onto medium/high. Cook the chicken until its no longer pink in the middle. Let it rest a few minutes before slicing it into pieces.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into about 1" pieces or so, and toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Boil 2 cups of water, and add in 1 cup of uncooked quinoa. Cook until all water is absorbed, about 15 minutes or so.

Chop the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado and feta.

Once everything has finished cooking, assemble the salad. Lettuce first, then quinoa, and then the rest of the toppings.

Damn Delicious Slow Cooker Carnitas
This recipe is very delicious. My husband and I made this when we had friends staying for the weekend and it was super simple to put together and serve!

I hope this gave you some weeknight meal inspiration! Let me know if you try any of these recipes.
Happy Cooking!
-A