Thanksgivingah!

Dear Kim,

Happy Thanksgivingah! In case you didn't already assume, that's Hannukah and Thanksgiving put together. Did you have a nice time? I'm upset that for the first time in a while we weren't able to celebrate together, but I know you had an incredible time regardless :)

Here over in merry old England, believe it or not, they do not celebrate Thanksgiving. I know it's an American holiday, but sometimes we're so wrapped up in the bubble that is USA, we don't often think about what others do. Nevertheless, I was determined to celebrate the delicious holiday as I know the only way to celebrate it: WITH A LOT OF FOOD!!

My roommates and I all agreed that we would contribute something to the meal so we had a big enough feast to rival what we were used to at home. I said that I would make noodle pudding, but I got discouraged with Sainsburys because they didn't have the right egg noodles that I needed. So instead, I made an appetizer plate (pictured below).

Yummy! I also sliced up a large baguette and toasted it in the oven for some crusty bread (that's what they call crunchy bread here!). I had some british friends from camp come over, and they provided all of the wine for our evening festivities! We lit candles, played holiday music, ate, drank, and laughed way into the morning!! I can't wait to have nights like that with you!

Our final feast consisted of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, and broccoli casserole! Talk about a meal! We all went back for plenty of helpings and there was a lot of food for everyone. Our Thanksgivingah feast was an absolute success!

I love you to infinity gal :)
Xoxoxo,
Lara

Breakfast Sandwich Beauty

Dear Kim,

Let's be honest; we both know that the UK has better food than people will admit to. Yes, there are some places where the culinary delights are a little unique, but hey, even America has tried to pass off some questionable food in the past (I don't have to list specific things, but I think we both know that the Mcdonald's meat isn't ACTUALLY real meat).

But something that surprised me here was how delicious some of the breakfast could be. Breakfast has never really been my favorite meal of the day. If it were up to me, I'd be having lunch for every meal, but something about the options in this country have really converted me into a morning-munchies lover. And quite frankly, I think it has something to do with this restaurant called "Loaf".

Situated about a 5 minute walk from my apartment, Loaf is a tiny eating establishment that offers the most unbelievable list of pressed sandwiches, salads, and juices. Their cappuccino's are to die for as well, but I try to steer away from those ;) While I've had their chicken pesto panini's and melted tuna sandwiches, it's their breakfast sandwich that I like to pick up twice a week before class.

The breakfast sandwich contains the following: mashed avocado, salt, pepper, lemon, tomato, and smoked salmon all perfectly placed on toasted brown bread. I'm telling you, it's the absolute most incredible way to start my day. I usually remove the top piece of bread so I can enjoy what's hiding underneath and save a few calories, but it tastes all the same either way.

HOW GOOD DOES THAT LOOK?! I'm definitely gonna snag as many of these in as possible before I head out of the country! And could you blame me? 

Hope Arizona is enjoying you as much as it can before you come see me in a few weeks!

I love you, 

Lara

Green Chicken Curry

Dear Kim,

I cannot believe I haven't discussed my green chicken curry obsession with you yet. I remember first having it when we went to Vietnam, but it didn't truly hit me how much I loved it until I was here in England.

My friend Quincie and I first stumbled across an ADORABLE little pub called "Churchill Arms" when we arrived in England 2 months ago. We stopped outside of it because it was covered in flowers and essentially looked like the cutest place I've ever seen in my life (besides the bedroom we shared until age 8).

Look how flowery it is!! 

I was unprepared for what happened next.

I ordered the chicken curry not expecting it to be as life-changing as it was. The perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and delicious, this curry has now become one of my favorite parts of London. The chicken is always juicy, the vegetables are always perfectly cooked, and the soup they're both happily swimming in is so tasty I literally want to bathe in it. Here, take a peek:

Oh wow. Just seeing that picture makes me want it right now. Ever since going that first time, we have made it a tradition to go (at least) once a week. Amber has been lucky enough to join us more than once ;) Churchill Arms and its glorious green chicken curry are more than just a meal, they are a lifestyle choice and the most unbelievable experience. I wish you were here to have it with me!!!

I love you!
Lara

Detox Salad

Dear Kim,

There are a lot of things I love about London; I love the people, the atmosphere, the nightlife…but one of my absolute favorite things is how it continues to impress me with its culinary excellence. It’s an adventure every day to search around and find what I want for my next meal, and you had better believe I’m absolutely never disappointed.

Although I love trying new food (and indulging in anything chocolate-y, cheesy, and/or fried), I know that sometimes my body gets out of wack when I surprise it with something too calorie-infused. That’s why, and I am proud of admit it, I just need a salad sometimes. But it cannot be just any old salad, for goodness sakes I’m in England! A tiny plate of lettuce, cucumber, and celery simply will not cut it. Enter my new favorite dish: The Detox Salad.

After a nice, long evening of enjoying London’s finest dancing establishments, I woke up the next morning around 12. Okay, so that’s more like afternoon, but that’s still the time of day where any food applies. Since I’m more of a lunch fiend than breakfast, I decided to head straight into a salad. This salad was the salad to end all salads. It contained tomato, carrots, quinoa, cabbage, chicken, avocado, and the list goes on. In other words, it was straight perfection.

I have friends who are content with just tossing together a salad from Ernie Davis dining hall at Syracuse that has two pieces of Romaine and a handful of shredded cheese. I am telling you now, I will never be satisfied with another mediocre salad again; I am a changed woman.

I love and miss you, I'm counting the days until we're back together!

Love,

Lara 

I'm Back!

Dear Kim,

I don't know where to start. How could we let our blog--aka our lovechild--be neglected like this? I'll tell you the truth, I stopped writing before you did (a mix of laziness and enjoying the city) but I make you this promise, it's coming back to life NOW!

I've been enjoying abroad too much to even put into words; I know you came here, and it's so special that we're able to share a mutual love for this city since I know that NYC wouldn't be your first choice of travel destination. London is truly beautiful, magical, fun, exciting, and all around perfect. I love the accents, the people, my flat, and believe it or not, the food. Maybe a little TOO much sometimes ;)  I can't wait to come back here one day with you (hopefully sometime soon!!)

You sound like you're having a great time in Arizona; from a new boyfriend to a soon-to-be graduation, you're doing things that I couldn't dream about. To put it in perspective, when you sent me an adorable picture of your boyfriend with the caption '#mancrushmonday', I sent you a picture of a muffin back with the caption '#muffincrushmonday'...I do love me a good muffin.

So let's bring this puppy back, I love having something that we share together, and I always love knowing what you're up to.

Love you to infinity,
L
<3


PS- Enjoy this fine picture of strawberries from a market in Barcelona...omnomnom

London Living

Lara,

I can't believe my 6 weeks of studying abroad are up so fast, it literally feels like I got here a week ago! I honestly made some of the best friends (my "London family") and--hopefully I can say this in the least cheesy way--created the best memories. However, the fun isn't over, Mom and Dad are flying out as we "speak," and the three of us are going on a Northern-European adventure for two weeks! But I'll get to that when the time comes, in the meantime here are a couple foodie highlights from the past week:

1) Wine Monday: For the last 3 weeks of our London experience, two of my hall mates and I have been going to the local park, Regents Park, to unwind and relax. This past Monday we made an even bigger deal of it because a) it was our last Monday and b) THE ROYAL BABY WAS BORN! I provided the wine, grapes, and jam, my friend Karen brought three types of cheese (goat, brie, and cheddar), and Liz provided the 3 baguettes. We ate it all.

A "Congratulations" Poster on Oxford Street (the popular shopping street)

Laying out our elaborate arrangement

 2) Pre Book of Mormon Lunch Date: So my friend, Cassandra, and I bought tickets to see the Book of Mormon weeks ago, and the day finally came this past Wednesday! It was just as hilarious and deliciously offensive as expected, so that was definitely a plus. The other bonus to this day was the absolutely mouthwateringly untouchable salad I had with Cassandra prior to the show. This particular beauty boasted fresh lettuce, sauteed vegetables (onions/peppers), tomatoes, fajita chicken, and WARM GOAT CHEESE (disclaimer: I am now completely addicted to goat cheese. It officially ranks up there as one of my all time favorite nomz).

Drooling. I am drooling looking at this picture.

And what's a Mexican salad without a side of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa??

The theater in Leicester Square where we went to see the Book of Mormon

3) Tea Time at Harrods: This item of business is slightly more indulgent than the rest, but who was I to deny myself the right to an elegant afternoon of tea at the Harrod's department store? It would have been downright criminal. This particular event actually happened two weeks ago, but I forgot to post about it sooner, so here it is. After class, several friends and I decided we wanted to finally experience a real tea time, and no better place than Harrods--the upscale department store filled with every designer store, high-end restaurant, and even an exotic pet store. For around 15 pounds, we each got to choose our own tea and 5 small tea pastries to accompany said flavor. I, of course, chose my signature favorite flavor, Vanilla, and then a strawberry shortcake, toffee cake, 1 unidentified pastry, a fruit jelly tart, and a sugar cake.

Not only did the tea taste delicious, it smelled heavenly as well

My favorite was actually the unidentifiable one, its the one with the white top. It had a very nice texture to it, I'm a sucker for texture

Ready, set, tea time!

Hope you're as hungry reading this as I am now writing it; everyone has to suffer if I'm hungry...

Xoxo,
Kim

Parent's Weekend

Good morning my sweet Kimberly! (Actually it's mid-afternoon your time!),

As always, it looks like you're having the most unbelievable time. Literally I'm too excited to head over there and have the same experience you are! Mom and dad came to visit me last weekend and it was such a good time!

They stayed at a hotel by my work and so it was so convenient just to head up to them and tour them around from there. Can you believe I even got dad to ride the subway a few times? I KNOW! A miracle. The best part about it was that I could go over to their hotel early in the morning, workout, shower, and then head over to work with 30 seconds to spare.

Now while working out was definitely on the agenda, so was good food. So why don't you take a little peek at some of the Gould Family nibbles in NYC...I think it would convince even YOU to come to NY:

  It all started with a delectable fruit plate at brunch. I took them to one of my fave brunch places called "Coffeeshop Bar" and I think we all enjoyed that.

 Dad had simply been BEGGING to go to the Carnegie Deli...and so mom and I humored him. She and I split this pastrami sandwich (MY FIRST TIME TASTING PASTRAMI!) and it was epic to say the least.

 The sharing of meals continued--because let's be honest, we always enjoy tasting a few dishes rather than just one--and so mom and I split a sushi platter.

And no, we didn't just stop at the sushi platter. We also split an amazing, flavorful order of lettuce wraps. You know how we go a little cray cray for lettuce wraps.

 There was definitely not a lack of good restaurants with delectable food, and so we went to another incredible eatery called "The Union Square Cafe" where mom and I split this marinara, basil, and parmesan gnocchi. There was also an incredible piece of salmon involved but she sat across the table and so I didn't get a good pic of that.

And lastly, there was a lot of sight-seeing involved on this journey, especially at sweet treats. We definitely tried a few while they were here, but this a picture I took while we were in the Chelsea Market that I didn't want you to never go without seeing in your lifetime--A Red Velvet Sandwich cupcake. FEAST YOUR EYES!

Maybe when you finally decide to come visit me we can share one? ;)

LOVE YOU!!
Lara

Ultra Healthy Feta Salad

Hi Lara,

The title of this post is not meant to be ironic (everyone knows salads are healthy) it is actually the name of the salad I ordered straight from the menu last night. We had big plans to go see the musical Wicked, but before the show, a group of us decided to go out for a big "family dinner," as we call them. Of course we splurged on some happy hour drinks, but the real treat came in the form of my new favorite London salad. At first I was a little hesitant, thinking that perhaps I should have gone with something more savory like the mouthwatering chicken sandwich; however, after one bite of my salad, I knew it was fate.

It looks super healthy, but it still tasted savory enough to satisfy 

This green-leafed beauty boasted sprouts (my favorite), spinach leaves, arugula (they call it "rocket" here), avocado, tomatoes, beans, sunflower seeds, grilled chicken, wild grains, feta cheese, and--because I always get dressing on the side to avoid the awkward drowning of my lettuce leaves--I added the pesto dressing myself.

Anything newsy on your end?
xoxo,
Kim

Parisian Adventures

Lovely Lara,

Going to France was one of the most adventurous, hilarious, ridiculous, and unreal trips of my life. From missing our first train (that happened), to eating our first meal, learning how to use the metro, and finding our way around the not-so-glamorous city (<-- biggest shock of all), I had quite the weekend. Upon our finally arriving, we stopped at a cafe for lunch and I ordered a salad. Their version of a "salad" was one I was definitely not hating--filled with some orangeish egg mixture, a sunny side up egg, ham, lettuce, tomatoes, and my favorite: GOAT CHEESE.

My kind of salad!

Once we made it to our hotel, we had to do our best not to fall asleep right then (we were on very little sleep and got up really early for the train). We figured out how to use the metro, and went all over the city; from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, we did our best to see it all. For dinner, we went to a small Mexican (yes, in Paris) restaurant, and then hit up a gelato store for the most amazing hazelnut/chocolate gelato I've ever had and a caramel macaroon.

Welcome to Paris 

Mexican chicken salad with guacamole, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, carrots, and sour cream

Chocolate hazelnut gelato and the delicious caramel macaroon

The next day, we began by taking a leisurely stroll in a nearby park to work up appetites. We stopped at a restaurant next to the park called "Le Hippopotomous," where I got a smoked salmon bowl mixed with bell peppers and feta cheese. We took the metro to the other side of town, where we took pictures at the Arc de Triomphe, and then saw the inside of the Louvre (we only briefly saw the outside the previous day to save time). We ended our last day in beautiful Paris by having dinner at a cafe near the Eiffel Tower, and then grabbing some pastries and wine to watch the romantic sunset and the lights go on in the Eiffel Tower once it was actually dark <-- an amazing experience you HAVE to see when you're there.

Actually more delicious than I originally anticipated

At the Arc de Triomphe 

My dinner: baguette with cheese and raw ham (I added some mustard for extra flavor)

What's watching the sunset without excess Parisian pastries and wine?

The most beautiful view I have ever seen in my life. The Eiffel Tower glittering at night <3

How was the visit with Mom and Dad?

xoxo,
Kim

The Indulgent Life

Darling Lara,

So by now you probably fear, due to my ridiculous newfound love for UK sandwiches, that I have turned into a crispy panini--do not fear, I probably still have another couple weeks as a human. I had planned to stick to a low-carb, low-dairy, low-sugar diet in London so I wouldn't look as if I had eaten the entire British embassy, but I've discovered a new angelic loophole in the system: moderation. I eat small portions (something I'm learning how to do every day, it's not easy) by splitting with friends, so I can nibble a bit of whatever I want and not feel (too) guilty about it.

Today was no exception. After class, a handful of friends and I headed over to the high-end, and massive, Harrod's of London. It's unreal: name brand stores, restaurants, a PET STORE, and markets of food all make up this new place I call heaven. My friend Cassandra is excessively into anything resembling ice cream, so when we stumbled upon a gelato store, we all had to stop. Caitlin, Meghan, and I all split a brownie sundae with chocolate, vanilla, and caramel gelato. Honestly, I think tears came to our eyes when we took our first bites--it was probably the best dessert I've had yet.

Waiting patiently after ordering our dessert 

WHOOP THERE IT IS

After walking around Harrod's for a significant amount of time and deciding that it was entirely too overwhelming to purchase anything but more food, we decided we needed an actual lunch. We left the massive store and continued down the street until we found a cute French restaurant (we're going to Paris soon, so this was a great way to warm up our Parisian palates). I wasn't too hungry, but still managed to devour the best sandwich I've had in London yet, no exaggeration. Wish me luck on this moderation conquest--with all the wine, cheese, chocolate, and baguettes in my future, I'm going to need it!

The sandwich consisted of chicken, warm goat cheese (I am infatuated with goat cheese), tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms, sauteed zucchini, and avocado. I want to re-eat it.

Love you,
Kim

Museums On Museums

Larbear,

Those salads look AMAZING, you know I adore a good salad and you seem to have found the best ones everywhere you go. I'm also definitely missing my solid Tucson Mexican food, so I'm a little jealous you managed to find some before I did...

Today we had presentations in my Jack the Ripper class which took around an hour, and for a "treat," our teacher decided we should all take a field trip to the Museum of London. Normally I'm not big on museums, but I've actually learned to appreciate them more now that I'm able to go at my own pace and don't feel as if I'm being forced into going. I loathe structured tours. An added bonus was the unbelievable cafe right in the entryway, so after a quick glance around the museum, two friends and I headed over to grab lunch.

Very self explanatory

I got a toasted turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, a spiced mustard, and provolone

I never hesitate to treat myself to a Millionaire's Shortbread, you're going to be OBSESSED with these

After the Museum of London, Caitlin and I met up with some other friends and headed to the Tate Museum of Modern Art. I was really excited because unlike the dull and tiresome Renaissance and Victorian art I've had impaled through my skull throughout our childhood, I actually really like modern art. We even managed to find the St. Paul's Cathedral on our way over (which for whatever reason, we weren't able to get a group picture with because not one person we asked would get the cathedral in the background).

Outside St. Paul's Cathedral

On the bridge going to the Tate Modern, little St. Paul's right by my head

Unfortunately, the Tate terrified us all. With its gangly Coraline-esque structures, uncomfortable art-splatterings, and nightmare-inducing "adult nature" videos (nothing perverse, it was creepy music playing softly in a dark room while a hand creature consumed a swimmer in the ocean...that is honestly the best way I can describe it), I don't think any of us are going back anytime soon.

The Tate: seemingly normal from the outside...

Treated ourselves for surviving the Tate with some candied peanuts for the tube ride home

While my other friends left for a dinner with their travel groups, I headed back to my dorm to grab some running shoes and head to the park for a jog. An hour later I had an appetite again, so I decided to be economically-conscious and eat this surprisingly amazing soup I got from Tesco (grocery store down the street). Hopefully my pictures and vivid descriptions are getting you ready for London, I'll try to make sure I don't eat everything before you get here!

PROOF IT HAPPENED. I'm still a little disappointed my future perfect British jogger  husband hasn't discovered me yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time...

SO YUMMY and healthy. Beans, barley, tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, onions, zucchini and I'm sure I'm forgetting something

Xoxo,
Kim

Weekend Getaway

Hello darling sister!

So the weekend is winding down and I'm mentally preparing to head back into work tomorrow. If I didn't love my internship so much I think I'd actually be upset, but I'm looking forward to the 3-day week ahead of me!! We have Thursday off for the Fourth of July and then I don't work on Fridays. Mom and dad are coming this weekend along with a fun little visit from Kenny, the only two people missing are you and Scott!!

So let me update you a little on my past couple days! I got out of work on Thursday and met up with a friend for dinner by where I live. Guess what we got for dinner? If you guessed salads, YOU'D BE CORRECT!! Munch munch munch, I love me a good bowl of lettuce!

My salad had spinach and kale, chicken, chickpeas, broccoli, tomato, apple, and cucumber. OH and I had balsamic vinegar, our fave. On Friday I treated myself to a day out of the city (I know, shocking) and took a train to go visit my good friend in Long Island. The day started out really cloudy but cleared up immensely while we were actually at the beach, and you better believe I got me a nice tan! We brought our lunch to the beach, and I got a tropical salad! It was so delicious!

I picked out the cheese inside of it, but it had chicken, mesclun greens, avocado, banana, pineapple and mango. I've never had a salad with fruit in it before, but literally it was unreal. Such a perfect meal for the beach!!

For dinner things got kind of aggressive and I must admit that I splurged a bit. You know how much I love mexican food, and so it was all well worth it! We started with nachos and some drinks, the music was loud and festive and made me feel very cultured hahah. For the main course I got a taco salad, SO delicious!

When I got back into the city I felt that I needed to cleanse up my system, and so today I ate mostly fruits and then met up with a friend for salad time!! Nothing like a good salad to make me feel great ;)

Well that's gonna about do it for my weekend!! I know yours was just as much fun, keep me updated gal pal.

Love you!
Lara

Noteworthy Noms (or Naans?)

Lara,

It may be difficult to believe, for although I consider myself a "foodie", a lover of all things edible, and a food connoisseur, I have never had authentic Indian food before arriving in England. Because Indian food is so popular in London, most of my friends are shocked, if not horrified by that fact. So we changed it. Yesterday after class, Caitlin and I decided it was time to take my Indian card (so to speak), and found the sweetest little Indian restaurant right across the street--it was fate!

I had to inform our waiter that, no, I was not taking a picture of him, I just loved the restaurant

The place was tastefully decorated, with soft Middle Eastern music humming in the background, and we immediately appreciated it even more once we saw the reasonable prices. We each ordered chicken curry, then decided to be adventurous and split an appetizer called Lamb Tikka. Now, you know I'm not into spicy things, but when the substantial array of food arrived and I took a whiff, I was in love.

The food came relatively quickly, and we really liked the "family style" look of it all

Buttery rice, chicken curry, Naan bread, mint jelly, lamb tikka with a side salad, and the most amazing homemade Tzatziki sauce to cool down the spiciness of the food

I can now officially say I've tried--and adored--Indian food. So much, in fact, that I was craving it this afternoon for lunch, but I think I'll take a little break from it for now (at least for a day)...

Love,
Kim