Dutch Dining

Hosting for a friend

One of my friends lives in London & when she's down it's usually for a function. It's so much easier to catch up with good friends around a dinner table & at home because you don't get the distractions from a restaurant. On this visit we've decided to do it a little differently, it Chinese New Year so were ordering a Chinese Takeaway DIY style. 

Here's our 5 tips on Easy Entertaining or hosting for someone else: 

1. Let them know the maximum number you can host around the table & ask them for a guest list with a reserve incase anyone rsvp's no. 

2. I'm all about themes as it makes catering & hosting easier because you've got the theme to fall back on. So pick a theme, in this instance we chose Chinese New Year. 

3. Order out so you don't have to spend time cooking and washing up all of those pots & pans. 

4. Ask all attendees to BYOB bring their own beverage, so you're not spending lots if money on alcohol. 

5. Pre-Oder the menu so on the evening you can relax & enjoy! You can even ask people to pay in advance, so they just have to show up, eat, drink & be merry! 

 

5 Top Skincare Tips

Skin can take a beating when you're travelling because of the climate change, dryness on board a plane, and time differences. Follow my top 5 travel skincare tips to keep your skin glowing! 

1. Pack a sample cleanser and moisturiser in your hand luggage to freshen up before landing. 

2. Use a hydrating spray mid flight to keep skin hydrated- Dermalogica Ultra Calming Mist is my favourite. 

3. Apply a heavy moisturiser before you travel and put a barrier protector over your skin inflight- Dermalogica climate control is my favourite. 

4. Use a booster with  hyaluronic acid as a main ingredient to keep your skin hydrated  

5. When you get to your destination exfoliate and mask as part of your evening skincare regime. 

BVF’s 5 Travel SIP Tips

With global concerns mounting over security and safety during the upcoming Olympics, its essential to always have safety on your mind when traveling.  Regardless of your destination, we want you to be safe!! Take a SIP, Safety Is Priority:

1.     Inform your family and friends. Leave a copy of your passport and itinerary with your family and friends. Also be sure to include your flight and train arrival/departure times, cities you will be visiting, hotel names, local phone numbers, etc.

2.     Register your travels. Government agencies such as the @TravelGov STEP program https://step.state.gov/ or @FCOtravel provide online systems for you to register your planned travels. We cannot reiterate the importance of taking the time to do this. For instance, the STEP program allows you to enter all of your information from passport details to contact info. If your passport is lost or stolen, the embassy nearest to the city you are visiting will automatically have your passport details uploaded to their system.

3.     Be aware of your surroundings. Its easy to let your guard down, don’t do it. Especially if you are a solo traveler, avoid venturing out at night to unfamiliar places. If you get lost, go into a public place such as a restaurant and ask for help. You may be in a change of environment but the priority of staying safe shouldn’t change.   

4.     Inspect your room. Use your luggage as a doorstop and check the bathroom, closet, and under the bed to make sure there aren’t any unwanted guests.

5.     Check before you leave. Prior to leaving for your travels, be sure to check for any alerts and warnings from government bureaus. These resources are set up for a reason, to help you take the necessary measures for your safety.

Peanut butter M&M flapjacks

I was invited to a friends for lunch & didn't want to show up empty handed so I quickly whipped up this moreish recipe! 

Peanut butter M&M flapjacks 

Makes 16 squares 

225g butter 

225g brown sugar 

2 tbsp golden syrup 

350g porridge oats 

200g crushed peanut butter m&ms

1. Preheat oven 150C and grease cake tin with butter 

2. In a large saucepan add butter, sugar & golden syrup. Stirring constantly until well blended 

3. Add oats and m&ms mix well to ensure all oats are fully coated in butter mixture. 

4. Spoon mixture into 8" square cake tin 

5. Bake 35 minutes or until slightly golden but still gooey. 

6. Cool for 10 minutes, score into 16 squares. 

7. When completely cooled store in a cake tin & they'll last about a week unless you eat them all first! 

 

Adventures: New Year's Resolutions for New Travelers

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The beginning of the New Year brings countless possibilities of travel adventures for the year.  All new travelers...it's time to seek new places and enjoy the priceless experiences of traveling. Here are 5 BVF New Year's Resolutions for new travelers. Bon voyage! 

1. Just go. If you've been thinking about traveling, do it! There's no better time than the present to venture out and explore a new city or country. 

2. Mix with the locals. Get a bit of the local currency before arriving as it takes the pressure off finding an ATM the moment you land, and gives you the freedom to sort out transportation and food. Go to a restaurant off the beaten path and strike up conversations with the locals. As with all travels- always be aware of your surroundings, especially if you are a solo traveler.  

3. Discover tastes. Be bold and sample different cuisines around you,yes...trying foods you wouldn't normally eat is part of the adventure. Embrace unique flavors available to you. Bon appétite! 

4.  Just a SEC.  Search, Experience, Culture.  This is a BVF fav! Do some research before your travels to prepare for your destination. After you settle in and it's time to venture out-Search and enjoy the environment surrounding you. Experience as much as you can in the city you're visiting. Culture, embrace it and do something that is specific to the city. 

5. Record memories.  Wether you take pen to paper or keep notes in your mobile phone. Make it a goal to capture your special travel memories as a nice keepsake for the future. 

Inspiration- Birthday Breakfast Burrito

Today it's my husband's birthday & I forgot to get stuff in for a special birthday breakfast, so I threw this recipe together using bits found in the fridge & cupboard. 'The Birthday Breakfast Burrito' serve with a nice cup of coffee (flavored lattes are a house favourite!)

Birthday breakfast burritos 

Makes 4- 2 each! Yummy!! 

4 rashes streaky bacon 

1 onion 

4 eggs, beaten 

100g grated cheddar 

2 tomatoes, diced 

50g Parmesan 

Gulp of rapeseed oil (about 1 tbsp) 

Season to taste (about 1 tsp pepper & tsp of peri peri sauce) 

Preheat oven 220C 

1. Put bacon on foil in oven to crisp up (I use Reynolds wrap foil as it's nice & thick so saves washing up) 

2. Sautéed onion in oil over medium heat 

3. Beat eggs & add seasoning, 

4. Add tomatoes & egg mixture into frying pan and scramble 

5. When egg is still slightly softly scrambled add Parmesan, cheddar & crispy bacon

6. Cook all together until cheese melted & eggs scrambled. 

7. Nuke tortilla for 10seconds  in microwave to soften

Fill tortillas & enjoy. 

Note: I spread cream cheese on the tortilla & add in some fresh spinach for extra taste before rolling up burritos. 

Top 5 San Francisco Favs

I was inspired by our Adpi sorority sister Sharon Jacobs' weekend getaway to San Francisco. I got to visit this beautiful city every couple of months, during my hostey days with Virgin Atlantic. 

My top 5 favourites were: 

1. Cycle ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. We used to have lunch over looking the bay and then catch the ferry back. www.sausalito.org 

2. Catch a cable car tour, it's the worlds last manually operated system. 

www.sfcablecar.com 

3. Check out the sea lions on Pier 39, who have been in residence there since 1989. 

Www.pier39.com 

4. Cruise over to Alcatraz Island and take a tour of the legendary prison. 

www.alcatrazcruises.com

5. Chill out in Union square enjoying people watching, shopping & restaurants. 

www.visitunionsquaresf.com

 

Inspiration: Spinach and Strawberry Salad

A BVF favourite inspired by our 2007 Annual Adventure in Sedona, Arizona. We loved this salad so much we went to the same restaurant everyday because we were craving it!! Soo yummy!! 

Spinach and Strawberry Salad 

4 cups of fresh spinach leaves 
6 strawberries 
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 lime, sliced to garnish 
Drizzle balsamic vinegar over to dress the salad

Makes 4 starters or 2 mains. Mix all together & enjoy! 

Bon Appétit!!

Adventures- New Year's Resolutions for a seasoned traveller.

With the start of 2014, it's the beginning of new adventures and exciting memories to be made! BVF's have created a list of five goals for the seasoned traveller. 

1. Always have a trip planned to look forward to, pick a destination you haven't traveled to before. 

2. Invite a friend that's been thinking of traveling, but never ventured out before. You never know, you might inspire someone to begin a journey of a lifetime of travels. 

3. Plan ahead even if it's a last minute booking, then you have all of your travel logistics in place- visas, vaccinations, etc. 

4. Do a bit of research on the place you're visiting, so you've got a few things in mind to see and do whilst there and get recommendations from people who have visited before. Be familiar with cities in close proximity, perhaps you can do a day trip to a local city nearby. 

5. Get an up to date book on the city or country you're visiting to use as a reference. The maps are always useful to navigate your way round. Try planning out an entire day, you're still likely to stumble upon expected adventures along the way. 

Bon Voyage!!! 

BVF's 2013 Annual Adventures Top 5 Fav Moments

2013 was an exciting year!! Di became a first time mummy to Alfie and Mon was given the honour of being named his Godmom.  The BVF annual adventures continued and the wonders of travel were filled with great memories and some unexpected moments. The morning we were scheduled to travel to London to attend Di’s uni graduation- Mother Nature had different plans. High winds hit 100 MPH and torrential downpour caused devastation and disruptions throughout the region, Lymington was not exempt from the havoc. The pictures below give you an idea of the impact the storm had, fortunately no one at the home of Di’s in-laws were harmed when the eucalyptus tree in their front yard was uprooted and landed on the car.

 

Eventually, we were able to take the train to London in the evening and in time to travel onward to Lille, France the following morning.  Although we didn’t get to attend Di’s graduation, her family and friends are immensely proud of her accomplishments!!

 

 

We wanted to share some of our favourite memories from our 2013 annual holiday in Lille, France and our bonus adventure in London, a month later. 

1. Alfie's Christening and celebrations in Lymington, England. This was a special time to be with family and friends.  A pre-gathering at Fuller’s Fisherman was a grand time!!  We put our party planning skills to use for the post Christening gathering.

2. Visiting Lille, France and having Alfie along for the adventures! The baby factor! We experienced new lessons in travel and what to do when an infant is sick abroad. (More on that in a future posting, including tips)!! Lille is a quaint city and ideal for a laid back holiday.

We had a delicious meal at Le Broc, given the proximity to Belgium- flemmish influence can be found in the local cuisine.  There are lots of tasty bites to try throughout the city such as Jeff De Bruges chocolates and a Belgium waffle stand.  An added bonus, loads of shops to visit as well! 

3. Bon Voyage Friends. While enjoying dinner and bubbly at the flat we rented in Lille, the idea of Bon Voyage Friends came to life. Best friends, living in two different countries, meeting up for an annual adventure each year…equates to endless memories, life lessons, and countless stories to share. 

4. London Calling! We had a bonus adventure in London and after meeting up at Waterloo Station, we picked up right where we left off the month before and ventured out for some fun! We were on a mission for sushi and the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed! Covent Garden was the perfect spot for exploring an array of restaurants and we stumbled upon Itsu, a tasty, healthy and simple dining concept created by one of the Pret-A-Manger founder’s.  We had a fab time checking out the boutique shops before heading to the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and then meeting up with Mon’s brother and friends for dinner at Mews in Mayfair.

5. Bon Voyage Friends goes live. BVF was officially launched during our December visit in London!! We are so excited to share the stories of our annual adventures, travel tips, recipes, creative happenings, and much more!! Please also check us out at:

 

www.bonvoyagefriends.com

Twitter @bonvoyagefriend

http://www.pinterest.com/Bonvoyagefriend/

Facebook http://t.co/co00U6UamZ

We are excited for our 2014 annual adventures and look forward to sharing more stories with you.  Bon Voyage!

Versatile Vanilla Cake

Try this fluffy vanilla cake recipe for a special gathering, afternoon tea, brunch, or any occasion! 

Can be served plain,  topped with frosting, or add a twist such as: 

• Fresh berries and double whipped cream
• Caramel sauce
• Chocolate ganache
• Once the cake batter is made, fold in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, then bake
• Slice and serve with a scoop of your favorite ice cream

Bon Appétit!!

Leftover Christmas chocolate brownies

Are you sorting out cupboards and using up tid bits of food from last year as a New Years resolution or do you have lots of chocolate left over from the holidays? 

I made these on the weekend to use up some of our holiday chocolate and they are so moist & chewy-yummy! 

220g leftover dark & milk chocolate 

160g unsalted butter 

325g brown sugar 

130g flour 

3 eggs, beaten 

 

Makes 16 brownies 

Preheat oven 170C 

1. Melt chocolate & butter in heatproof bowl over simmering water. 

2. Turn heat off and add sugar until fully blended, then add flour in slowly and mix until fully blended. 

3.Lastly, add beaten eggs and blend until mixture is thick & smooth. 

4. Pour mixture into an 8" square tin lined with grease proof paper. 

5. Bake 25 minutes until mixture is still slightly soft and leave to cool slightly before scoring into 16 squares. 

6. Once cooled cut into squares & enjoy! 

Inspiration- Festive Menu Idea

Another successful dinner party completed! Delayed Christmas due to the Great Aunt D sailing the Arc race from the Canaries to St. Lucia. 

Festive Menu idea: 

Welcome drink- blackberry gin fizz (half shot blackberry gin topped up with pink fizz) 

Nibbles- homemade ranch dressing, carrot sticks, crisps, & pistachio nuts. 

Starter- spinach artichoke dip (served in individual ramekins) with toasted pita sticks 

Main- turkey en croute with green salad

Pudding- choice of four chocolate fondues with variety of dippers (marshmallows, wafers, Brazil nuts, chocolate chip biscuits, etc) 

Tea or coffee with Christmas petit fours 

Inspiration- Moreish Homemade Wedges

If you're on a New Year health and fitness kick this recipe is a new and low fat way to enjoy an old favourite! 

Moreish homemade wedges! Super quick, healthy & easy to make. 

Makes 4 small or 2 adult portions 

4 medium potatoes (I like Maris Piper) 

1/2tsp rapeseed oil 

1 tsp smoked paprika

Pinch flaked sea Salt 

Freshly ground pepper 

Peel potatoes and chop into thin wedges (thick if you prefer) add oil and seasoning mix to ensure each is fully coated and bake in oven for 20 minutes at 180 C. Enjoy!