Healthy Chorizo & Mushroom Risotto

Healthy 

Chorizo & Mushroom Risotto!!

I love all types of Pasta and Risottos however when you try to eat healthy and not eat too many Carbs you try avoid these sorts of meals . 

So I decided to make it a healthier option without the guilt. 

This meal was so quick and easy.

Start off with boiling 1 cup of Brown Rice with 6 cups of water. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low and gently cook for 30minutes, occasionally string. 

Then slice 2 chorizos, finely dice 1 brown onion and 2 garlic cloves and either 220g fresh mushrooms slices or a tin of mushrooms put into a saucepan with a good amount of extra virgin olive oil and sauté till onion is translucent. 

Once this is done turn the stove off and grate 225g Goats cheese stir till the cheese melts and then add 1 cup of chicken stock. 

I seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley and the chorizo will also add a lot of flavour to the meal. 

Once the rice is cooked strain and add to the Chorizo and Mushroom mixture and stir till the stock has been absorbed by the rice!

This meal will serve 4-5 people

This dish is super delicious and full of flavour!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe and let me know if you try it out 

Eleni xx

European Honeymoon!!

PARIS - CHAMONIX - LONDON - DUBLIN

Sacre Coeur

View from the top of Sacre Coeur

Last year in August I married my best friend and soul mate and this year in February we jetted off to Europe for our winter Honeymoon. 

It wasn't quiet long enough as we could both only take 2 weeks off from work, but it was the best two weeks to spend together on this perfect honeymoon!

Our first stop was Paris and out accommodation was AMAZING. We stayed at the Pullman Hotel Eiffel Tower. We would literally go to bed with the twinkling lights of the Eiffel tower and wake up to grey skies and the Eiffel tower in our sight. When you think of Paris, well when I think of Paris I think of romance and beauty and we were off to a great start. 

We did so much walking, we walked everywhere but we felt like a local. It was perfect! 

We did the typical tourist thing. Obviously Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees. One morning we got our selves ready for a 1 hour and 20minute walk to the Sacre Coeur which was beautiful. To be able to look over Paris and the Church inside is stunning and peaceful!! We saw Jardin du Luxembourg. On our last night we went and saw the Moulin Rouge show. To be honest I was not sure what to expect but I am defiantly glad we went and saw the show. The women are gorgeous and the way they move and the choreography and the fact they do this over and over again. The costumes were out of this world. So much work goes into these shows! 

After Paris we headed off to Chamonix. Which can I say is not very easy to get to. First we needed to fly into Geneva then get on the bus and drive roughly 3 hours to get into town. We had not booked a bus before flying off to Geneva so we were VERY lucky that as we landed we heading STRAIGHT to the transfers areas and got the last two seating available on the last bus schedule *sigh of relief*.

The hotel we stayed at was amazing! If you are ever in Chamonix visit Hotel Hotel Le Labrador  you will not be disappointed. The view of the mountains was gorgeous and the restaurant has delicious food. 

Our whole purpose coming to Chamonix was the snowboarding. Now we have never ever snowboarder before, but there is always a first for everything. Thank goodness we didn't break any bones. However were we sore the next day after spending all day on the snow. Now as usually my husband just has the gift or trying something and picking things up in an hour whilst me on the other hand not so gifted. I will not lie I wanted to give up half an hour in but had to prove the Husband wrong that I would not give up haha. I was lucky enough that were was an instructor near where I was trying to master this awesome activity that I actually by the end of the day had it!! Yes is still was falling on my arse BUT I was able to keep myself on the board and actually go down the beginners slops whilst Anthony had upgraded to the more advanced section! I will most defiantly be going snowboarding more often. If you have never tried it GIVE IT A GO. It is hard but once you get it, it is so satisfying and so much fun!!!! 

Our next stop London! The major reason for coming to London was because I am a massive Harry Potter fan. So I could not be in Europe and not go to the Making of Harry Potter !!!!
The journey there and back took pretty much a whole day so we didn't get to see as much as London as we would have wanted too but hey ho it gives us an excuse to go back. We stayed in Paddington and the hotel we stayed at  Park Grand was it great location as it was only a 5 to 10 minute walk to the Paddington Station and a short walk to Hyde Park and then Oxford Street for all major shopping. If shopping is what you like. 

We had the best Indian just down the road from the Hotel. We both love India if never in the area and fancy Indian head to Flavours of India, you will not be disappointed. The workers were friendly , the service was quick and the food was tasty. 

The next day we headed down to Hyde Park which  I loved. I am a huge scenery person and I love a g nice stroll and mother nature and that is what Hyde Park was like.

On our other free day we headed off to the Making of Harry Potter. I must say even though I have and always be a high fan I have a whole need respect for what went into making these movies. So much hard work went into all the sets and the costumes and the props everything. It was incredible to go and see what went into these great films. Even if your not a Harry Potter fan I feel like you will enjoy it because you get to witness how what we see on the bigs screens is actually out together.

Our very last stop before heading back home to Australia was Dublin. Honestly I really feel in love with Dublin. The people were super nice. The food was really good. The buildings, pubs, Churches everything. I just loved Dublin and I cannot wait till we go back there! We didn't do a hell of a lot besides try relax so we wouldn't feel too exhausted when getting home. But we stayed on Temple street so we didn't really sleep much and we walked every where. We did the Guinness Store house which was actually really good. Of course we ended that day with some Guinness and the view from the top bar was really nice. We saw loads of churches and saw a castle or two. We went to Phoenix Park. We came across come a field of deers. The little kids were loving it. They weren't fenced off or anything, you could get up and close to them!

Our over all Dublin experience was simply amazing. We finished off our trip by making sure we had an Irish breakfast and Irish stew and spend the night walking the streets with loads of Hens nights and Bux's nights happening. People playing guitar and singing and everyone dancing around together!!

Honeymoon was a success and can not wait till our next European adventure!

I hope you enjoyed this blog :)

Eleni xx

NYC Reminiscing!!

Hi Guys!!!

So myself and my husband have been to American twice now. Its funny, I have always been a  Europe girl. America is defiantly a place I knew I would eventually visit but wasn't on the top of my list. But in saying that I really did love it. 

NYC was just something amazing. Just like you see in movies. Other places we visited are on the top of my favourite list. But how could you go to New York and not fall in love with it. The people, the streets, the cafes and cake stores, Central park, Brooklyn Bridge, Roof top bars, Broadway shows.

 I have been in both Winter and in Summer and for me personally I feel in love with it during winter. It just has this whole different vibe about it. With the snow covering Central Park. Walking the streets dressed in a million layers. Making a stop by Chelsea's Market for a coffee and cookies by Eleni's which if anyone ever gone, go try the cookies there. They are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! Also Chelsea's Market is really cool. They have great little boutiques to food shops to a Barber. Pretty much you can find what you want there. 

I honestly feel like I could sit here all night and list all the amazing things I really loved about New York but I won't. Instead I'll leave some photos for you all the look through!

Hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any great recommendations for the next time I am ever in New York please let me know 

Eleni xo 

  

LUNCH TIME!!

I LOVE lunch time!!!

Day to day and depending on how much time I have depends on how large my meal may be. 

Today I had a very simple and easy yet delicious tuna salad. 

All you need is 

A tin of tuna (my favourite tuna is Serena chilli oil). 

1 grated carrot

1 TBSP Greek style yoghurt 

Sweet corn - as much as you like

today I felt like having it slightly bit sweeter so I also added 

1 TSP sweet chilli sauce. 

I then had a handful of strawberries 

As well as a glass of Berocca!

I hope you enjoy this lunch idea :)

Eleni xo

Ever feel like you need to escape??

It really is easy to find yourself in a negative space isn't it? 

I have always been a super positive person and someone who is always trying to please others but I have always felt very much as though I don't belong here. 

It is so hard to explain to people. Because unless you have felt like this then you really don't understand how it can feel. It is so weird because every time I go away overseas I am 100% myself and I feel a sense of belonging then I come home and I feel myself holding back because people just seem to judge me for being me. Hence why I go away every year. I love being able to meet new people and be accepted and feel free and accepted. 

This year has been a real up and down year for me. Don't get me wrong my life is great, lets be honest I sit here and something pity myself but I know that there are people out there who have worse problems then me. 

I just hate that I give 110% of myself to friends and family but don't get that back. I value and respect them but got get that same in return. The biggest one of all is I always have my closest friends use the excuse 'Oh I am just so busy'. Come on , we live in a world where we are glued to our cell phones yet it is that hard to send your friend or family member a text message to simply just see how they are doing. 

This has really gotten to me the past while now and just have got to the paint were I really feel like I want to get away from here and escape to a whole new country and start fresh! 

Has anyone else felt like this? How have you managed to deal with it? 

Eleni xo 

Best Breakfast smoothie !!

For all you chocolate lovers 

this is an amazing breakfast smoothie which I love making when I am in a rush and don't have enough time to sit and eat breakfast. 

So I am not sure about you but I know that I always buy too many bananas which then go brown and are not enjoyable to eat on there own. Don't throw them out FREEZE THEM. 

Frozen bananas are perfect for smoothies and that why you are not throwing food away. 

For this smoothie all you need is :

- 1 frozen banana 

- almond milk
- cocao or cocoa poder (1tsp)

- chia seeds (1-2tsp)

- honey (1tsp)

-natural peanut butter (1tsp)

- ice cubes ( 4-5) 

Now all you do it put everything in your blender and blitz it away for 60 seconds and there you go you got yourself a delicious healthy smoothie :)

Let me know how you all like it 

Eleni x 

Girl Online- WOW

WOW is all that comes straight away to my mind. I find it really hard to pick up a novel and to finish it. 

I didn't know what to expect when I purchased this novel. But from the minute I read the first page I could NOT put it DOWN. I found myself reading a chapter and saying to myself one more and one more and before I knew it , it was past midnight and I had got totally carried away. This for sure would have to be on my favourite list. Not only because it was a novel I couldn't resist but to keep reading (which only took me less then a week.. even my husband was surprised) I found myself really relating to a lot of what was going on. Both in regards to feeling like I don't know where my life is going and drifting friendships. 

I don't know about yourselves but I defiantly growing up felt like I was constantly being judged and feeling like I had to be a certain why because of the people I hang around. I was simply afraid to be me and it wasn't till I was 21 I actually had a life changing moment very similar to Penny. Where I went to Europe and meet a whole bunch of different people who didn't judge me ect. and I found myself coming home a whole different person. 

Friendships really a a very hard thing to come by nowadays. I feel it is hard to actually find people who genuinely care about you and value and respect their friendships. But at the end of the day, you don't need to put up with people who are totally different too you. Even if that means that over time you grow apart from each other. People change and we all have different personalities and we either grow stronger together or not. 

This novel by Zoe Sugg is a perfect example of what a lot of people go through growing up and I think that anyone that picks this up and reads it will read the last page and feel like that learnt something from it just like I did. This novel had me sad, excited angry all different emotions it had me every hooked and as if I was living it every single step of the way. 

An amazing and for-filling novel for sure  and I recommend those of you who hadn't read Girl Online. GO and BUY IT you will not regret it!!!!

Thank you Zoella for such an amazing novel. I truly wish when I was growing up I had a novel like this to read. I actually think it would have made me feel less stressed about life and growing up and being a teenager :) 

Eleni xx