5 BVF Malibu Favs

Malibu has a special place in my heart- countless summer days during my childhood years were spent at Paradise Cove Beach. Looking back, I realize now how much I cherish those carefree days where life was beyond extraordinary and wonder and imagination were endless.  I sometimes ponder how most adults lose that sense of happiness and awe, I wish everyone would have the opportunity to travel and reignite those feelings.

My family use to spend many Saturdays driving to Paradise Cove Beach in Malibu. We went back last summer and it was as though everything was the same. Instantly my childhood came back to me. 

The beach was even more beautiful than I remembered, but those darn seagulls were still clever scavengers scoping out any food they could sneak away with!

Thinking about our plans to return this summer inspired me to share 5 BVF Fav things to do in Malibu. 

1. Paradise Cove Beach and Bob Morris' Beach Cafe

This gorgeous beach (1st, 2nd, and 7th photos in this entry were taken at Paradise Cove) and fabulous restaurant offer the perfect combination for a relaxing day. Visit www.paradisecovemalibu.com for info on the history of the family behind the beach, cafe, hours, etc. you won't be disappointed visiting!! 

2. Drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, roll down your windows and sing along to Bye Bye Ms. American Pie. Enjoy the ocean view and check out Gladstone's-great menu! 

3. Geoffrey's in Malibu

For another tranquil view and a delectable meal, visit Geoffrey's for a high end dining experience. 

4. Walk along the beach at Paradise Cove. 

If you want to experience a beautiful walk along a clean beach, not overcrowded, and with a variety of amenities look no further. You can even rent a cabana that holds up to 30 people. Chairs, cabanas, and lounge chairs are on a first come first serve basis, get there early! 

5. Visit the Malibu Colony Plaza

While enjoying the beauty of Malibu, why not take advantage of the quaint shops and unique finds at the Colony. 

Bon Voyage! 

Savoury Saturday Review

We had a girly night out to celebrate a couple of the antenatal group of Mum's birthdays. Milford-on-sea is a tiny seaside town, but it's packed with delicious boutique restaurants. The one I chose was Pebble Beach because of the view and the menu had something to suit all pallets. www.pebblebeach-uk.com/ 

We started the evening with drinks on the patio over looking the Solent and Isle of Wight. It was too chilly to eat outdoors because our spring evening temperature drops dramatically. 

The service was great for drinks and ordering and then when we got to our table we were left waiting over 10 minutes for our wine to be poured and bread to be delivered. The restaurant wasn't that busy and when we asked an apology wasn't given. 

Our starters arrived quickly and were delicious- we had ordered seafood bisque, crispy duck salad, haddock soufflé and cheese soufflé. Everyone enjoyed their mains, but we had to ask for more bread and a top of of drinks. 

Our mains were very generously proportioned and were just as tasty. We had a variety of mains- whole Lymington caught fresh crab (amazing!), dressed crab, monkfish, chicken filet, beef blade, and the vegetarian pancake with asparagus. 

Monkfish wrapped in Parma ham. 

The crab was so big, she needed a doggy bag and the chefs wrapped it up nicely while we chatted over coffee and tea. They had fresh mint tea, which was delicious, but not served with a mini drive to prevent the leaves from going in the cup. 

Overall the food was delicious, service was mediocre and if they improved their customer service the restaurant would be fantastic. I chose it for the quality of food and the view and that was all we were impressed with, so we give this restaurant 💎💎 (2/3) 

Curious George Cupcakes

120g flour 

140g sugar

1 tbsp baking powder 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp ginger 

Pinch salt 

80g soft butter 

120ml milk 

2 eggs, beaten 

120g bananas, mashed 

Chocolate frosting & Runts bananas to decorate. 

Preheat oven 170C 

1. Mix all dry ingredients together

2. Add butter and beat until mixture is a sandy texture. 

3. Mix milk and eggs together and pour into dry mixture. 

4. Beat for 2 minutes or until all blended together, then stir in banana. 

5. Pour mixture into measuring jug and fill each cupcake case 2/3 full. 

6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

7. Once cupcakes are cooled, ice and decorate with bananas. 

Makes 14 cupcakes 

Motivation Monday: Why Sir Richard Branson is an Inspiration

Several years ago, I had the incredible opportunity of working as a hostess for Virgin Atlantic Airways. During my four years with VA, I was given a once in a lifetime experience of traveling the world for work, while being a member of a innovative company that Sir Richard Branson founded. The memories I have during my time with VA are priceless, I not only was able to explore the world-it was a time in my life where I experienced a journey of self discovery. I was inspired to create a business and utilized the skills I learned to take a leap and become an entrepreneur.  Virgin Atlantic is a dynamic company to work for and the pride I gained for VA continues today, the fundamentals I learned were instrumental in building the foundation for my holistic beauty therapy business. Sir Richard Branson exemplifies being a risk taker, innovator, leader, and visionary. He demonstrates that no matter how small or big your dreams are, that with determination and diligence anything is possible. Cheers to Sir Branson for being an inspiration to me, Bon Voyage Friends and countless people around the world. 

Savoury Saturday: Walnut Mushroom Pâté (Vegeterian)

A perfect party pleaser! Accompany with an assortment of crackers and toasted baguette.  Makes 14 servings.

Ingredients

1 and 1/4 cup walnuts
1 stick butter
1/3 cup chopped Italian parslet
1/4 cup minced onions
1/4 cup minced shallots
8 oz portabello mushrooms chopped
8 oz crimini mushrooms chopped
4 oz white mushrooms chopped
3 tablespoons EVVO 
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 chopped garlic cloves sauteed in 1 tablespoon EVVO
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Toast walnuts in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden
Sauté the minced onions and minced shallots in butter over medium heat, cook until the onions and shallots become translucent.
Add mushrooms, sautéed garlic, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and diced thyme. Stir often and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. 
Remove from stove and cool
Put the walnuts in a food processor with 3 tablespoons of EVVO, process until a grainy/thick paste forms. Gradually add in the cooled mushroom mixture and process until a thick consistency similar to a tapenade forms.
Oil a ramekin or bowl with butter, transfer the pâté and pack tightly. Cover with wax paper and plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 
To cut, take a knife around the edges of the bowl and turn over onto a plate, or cut into large triangular pieces. 

 

Bon Appétite!!

Treat Thursday: Easter Cooking

We luv celebrating holidays at BVF. With Easter right around the corner, we wanted to share this great collection of Easter Recipes from the Huffington Post. 

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5152395 

Gather with family and friends, get creative with ingredients, and enjoy some bubbly. From our homes to yours, Happy Easter. 

Prague Photo Slide Show

Get a glimpse of the fun we had in Prague during our 2010 Annual Adventures.

Click here to see the video!

Fudge Coffee Ice Cream Bars

This recipe was handed down by my Mom. I used to ask for this to be my birthday cake! I've loved it since I was a kid, probably why coffee ice cream is still one of my favourite flavours. I hope you enjoy this treat as much as I do! 

Travel Tuesday- The Stonhouse

Last night was my Dad's final night with us before heading back to Canada, so we had a meal out in London. 

If you're visiting London and staying in the Clapham Common area there are lots of restaurants at your fingertips. We chose The Stonhouse because it had good reviews on Urban Spoon (80% positive rating) It serves British food and is located just off the main high street down a quaint English road. It had a pub style interior so it is a bit noisy, but has a relaxed atmosphere. 

www.urbanspoon.com 

Delicious starters! Beetroot and goats cheese salad topped with pine nuts- say no more, yum! The mezze platter had a unique blend of the traditional Mediterranean ingredients- humous, olives, feta, and grilled vegetables, but they added piquillo peppers and a lentil croquette- delish! 

The main courses we chose (from top left clockwise) were scallops, seafood pesto tagliatelle, fish pie, and parma ham wrapped guinea fowl breast. (Visit their website for full menu information. www.thestonhouse.co.uk/menus/dinner/)

The scallops were aweful- not cooked well and the beetroot velouté was more like a soup- note to self only order scallops when they're locally sourced! The seafood pasta was delicious, stonhouse do smoked fish well! The fish pie was tasty and full of chunky bits of fish, but someone overdosed on the tarragon! Guinea fowl was the dish that got the highest marks- fantastic flavour combination and well executed!  

When we were asked how we enjoyed the mains I politely commented that the scallops weren't enjoyable....the customer service from the waitress was fantastic! She came back and said the scallops would be removed from our bill and that we could have two puddings complimentary- totally unexpected, but appreciated!! 

None of us had room for a pudding, but as we were being treated we thought we'd try the banoffee pie and the hazelnut and caramel cheesecake. The cheesecake was overly sweet and tasted packaged and not freshly made, but the banoffee pie was as the name says banana-tastic and tasted as it looks! 

With the mixed review on food, but great customer service I would rate this restaurant 💎💎(2/3) 

Savoury Saturday: Veggie Quiche

This veggie quiche with an oatbran crust is simple to create. Serve with a salad for a complete meal.  Bon Apétite!

Savoury Saturday: Veggie Quiche

Serves 6

Crust

2 cups oatbran

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp each, salt and pepper

1 tbsp French thyme

1 cup warm water

2 tbsp EVVO

Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Combine ingredients and press firmly into a 9 inch glass pie dish, be sure to spread around the bottom and sides of the pie dish. Cook for 35 minutes or until golden brown. 

Filling

2 and 1/2 cups sautéed mixed vegetables.  Get creative!  (I used purple potatoes for some added color, along with: zucchini, red garnet yams, broccoli, and red onions).

8 oz shredded low fat cheddar cheese or Lisanetti brand cheddar rice cheese. Divided

6 egg whites

1 cup skim milk

Combine and mix all of the filling ingredients with the exception of 4 oz of shredded cheese. After the crust has cooled, pour the mixture on top of the crust and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the top of the quiche mixture with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 375° F for 40 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.

 

Remove from oven, cut and serve. Variation: If desired, add a tablespoon of sour cream on top of each slice of quiche.

The Adventures of Prague Part 1: A BVF Personal Story

2010 marked the first year we traveled to Eastern Europe, we selected Prague for its Christmas Markets and were so excited to experience a new culture!!  We also explored a different option for our accommodations and booked a ‘secret hotel’ through lastminuet.com The description was a national chain located in the city center, we ended up spending less than £80 and once the purchase was confirmed we learned we were staying at an Ibis hotel that had all the amenities we needed and was centrally located.

After a wonderful few days in Lymington enjoying everything from having a booth at a craft fair, hosting a baby shower for our friend Janine and celebrating an American Thanksgiving in Lymington with Di and Phil’s close friends James and Gemma, we were ready to jet off to Prague!  

 

Lymington craft show we participated in. 

 

The table is set for the American Thanksgiving dinner in Lymington, thankful for friendships! 

The drive to London should have been an indicator of what was ahead, weather wise...The snow began to fall and visibility of seeing out of the windshield became less as the drive continued. We made it safely to the Holiday Inn Gatwick and parked in long-term parking, I left my large suitcase in the trunk of Di’s car, it was out of sight and an ideal place to store my luggage since upon returning to Gatwick, I was meeting my friend Swati and staying at the same hotel before we ventured off to Rome to meet more friends.  So I took my small magical red suitcase, the size of a small carry on (American standards) and the lightness made it extra convenient. Perfect!

Our flight to Prague was so early, before 7:00am which would allow us to maximize on a full first day! Everything went smoothly. Di and I both had aisle seats and there was a nice couple sitting next to me. A conversation started as we were deplaning and the wife turned to me and asked if I was on the Las Vegas to Gatwick flight and I said yes…thinking how did she know that. The couple said they were on the same flight.  Then she said wait, is your name Monica?  She remembered seeing the sign the Lymington cab company had with my name on it. Hello twilight zone, but it was kind of funny at the same time. It's a small world after all. 

Upon arriving to the city center, we were lured in by the delicious smell of cinnamon! We soon discovered stalls offering the sweet goodness of Tredlnik-a delicious traditional Czech Christmas treat. These sweet delicious treats are cooked on long rotating skewers over hot coals and immediately after baking they are rolled in cinnamon sugar and almonds.

Traditional Tredlnik, yum! .  

After we had a taste of the local treats, we took a bus tour of the city. The architecture was just stunning, but traveling caught up with me and I had a quick snooze on the bus and got a second wind of energy! We wandered around and explored before heading back to our hotel, the city was nicely decorated for the Christmas season.

Christmas decorations in Prague 

When we arrived back at our hotel we decided to see what was showing that evening at the Opera House. We were in luck! There was a ballet performance and we didn't have much time to get to the Opera House to get our tickets. We bought tickets for under £20 and had about 25 minutes til showtime. We went to the first place we could find to eat a quick meal at, Subway...yes, seriously and our evening of fun began. 

Sitting inside of the same Opera House that Mozart once performed in was just surreal.

View of the stage inside of the Prague Opera House

The ballet was just beautiful and so inexpensive. We soon confirmed what we had read about prices in Prague, its such a reasonably priced city!

During intermission we had some bubbly, traditions must continue- of course! 

Cheers!

Stunning chandelier and the detailed ceiling at the Prague Opera House 

Our first day in Prague was wonderful and the adventures ahead were filled with exploration, laughter, and valuable travel lessons.  We look forward to sharing more with you!!