When you can’t travel the world and explore cuisine, bring it to the comforts of your own home! Tonight we are having fried rice and orange chicken.
If you are the kind of person who doesn’t like to measure things, this is for you! I just “guess” every single time I make this and it’s absolutely delicious. I think this recipe is hard to mess up!
I have only made this once and it was delicious. I actually couldn’t believe how much it tasted like the orange chicken you order from your favorite Chinese spot!
Tip: The trick is to truly brown the chicken. If you don’t, the “breading” comes off when you simmer the chicken in the thickened sauce right before you serve it.
Inspired by a blog post I saw earlier this week, primarily emphasizing family movies, here is yet another vehicle to feel as if you are able to pursue your passion for travel during this global pandemic.
The post I saw was genius, mentioning Rio, Coco and Moana, some of my favorites!
It’s been a pleasure racking my brain for ten other movies not mentioned in the post I saw. Rather than family movies, I honed in on my favorite category: rom coms.
Made of Honor has been one of my very favorite movies for years. I think the first time I saw this movie I was in middle school and I have been in love ever since! With scenes in Scotland, this is the perfect quarantine love story.
Under the Tuscan Sun became one of my favorites after having traveled to Italy a couple summers ago. I always felt that Tuscany seemed unreal in this movie yet after having spent ten days in Tuscany, I couldn’t believe how well it actually represented the beautiful landscape.
Leap Year takes place in the stunning green hills of Ireland. There is even a scene that takes place in the infamous Temple Bar. If you have ever been to Ireland, this will be a nostalgic one for you!
Just Married stars one of my all time favorites: Ashton Kutcher. He has made me howl ever since his role in Cheaper by the Dozen. Who doesn’t need a little laugh and a little Europe during quarantine?
The Wedding Date takes place in the UK. With a sexy storyline, I had a crush on Dermot Mulroney from the moment I watched this chick flick! To top it off, it takes place in one of my most favorite places in the world.
The Holiday is my absolute favorite movie. Literally #1 in my heart, as in, I go through phases where I watch it every three days for a month straight. This movie is G-O-A-L-S, as I like to say. You are lying if you tell me you don’t want to go on holiday and fall in love with the most amazing English man with the sexiest accent EVER! Full disclosure, I was deemed the hopeless romantic of my senior class. *wink*
Wimbledon too is filmed in the UK. After having spent several weeks in Brighton, England this last summer I have a new love for this movie and its beachfront scenes filmed in Brighton.
P.S. I Love You is filmed in Ireland. I love this movie, but it certainly tugs at the heart strings so know that going into it, especially during this time of loss and tragedy we are facing every single day as a result of COVID-19.
Love Actually takes place in the UK. This too is one of my all time favorites, it brings my heart joy. It’s all things Christmas, love and British accents. Name something better, I will wait. *wink*
Julie & Julia takes place in France. This movie is all things cooking, another one of my passions in life. This movie is actually what inspired me to first want to write a blog. Cooking my way through a cook book is on my list! Watch this for some creative inspiration during this time at home.
Comment your favorite movie that takes place abroad!
This post was inspired by The Blonde Abroad and her Recipes Around the World series since the beginning of quarantine.
Since the beginning of quarantine I have found myself spending loads of time in the kitchen doing one of the things I love most in this life: cooking and baking for those I love.
Although I have titled this post “A Taste of Italy” please understand it’s really just all things pasta! *wink wink*
Here are two of my favorite recipes: Stuffed Shells with “my sauce” inspired by Giada De Laurentiis with a little twist and Homemade Macaroni and Cheese a la moi.
Stuffed Shells with “my sauce”
Ingredients
Stuffed Shells
12 oz box Barilla jumbo pasta shells
3 T EVOO
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 t salt + 1/2 t
1/4 t black pepper + 1/4 t
8-10 oz pkg frozen artichokes, thawed and roughly chopped
15 oz container of ricotta
3/4 c parmesan, grated
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 T fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
5 oz fresh mozzarella, grated
“my sauce”
1/4 c EVOO + 2 T
large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced + 2 cloves, minced
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
3 dried bay leaves
1/2 – 1 c white sugar
1-2 T Italian leaves
6 oz pancetta, sliced and roughly chopped
2 t crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
Stuffed Shells
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the jumbo shells; partially cook until tender, but firm; stirring occasionally, about 4-5 minutes. Drain.
In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium-high. Add onions and garlic, cooking for about 3 minutes until onions are soft and beginning to brown. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t black pepper continuing to cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly golden and cooked through. Add artichoke hearts, stir to combine, remove from heat and cool.
In a large bowl, combine cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley and the remaining salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
To stuff the shells, once you have made “my sauce,” spread 1 c of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Hold a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of the turkey mixture. Place stuffed shells one by one into the prepared baking dish. Continue stuffing the shells until there is no more stuffing. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the shells and top with grated mozzarella.
Bake 20 minutes on 400 degrees F.
“my sauce”
In a large pot, heat 1/4 c EVOO over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and 3 garlic cloves, sautéing until translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add celery, carrots, salt and black pepper. Sauté another 10 minutes or so until vegetables are soft.
Add tomatoes, bay leaves, sugar and Italian leaves, simmering uncovered over low heat for an hour or two.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
In a small sauce pan, heat remaining 2 T EVOO over medium heat.
Add the pancetta and sauté about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add pancetta mixture to the large pot of sauce along with the red pepper flakes.
Let simmer for 30 minutes and remove from heat.
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
16 oz box Barilla or De Cecco Ditali
6 T unsalted butter + 4 T
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
6 oz pancetta, sliced and roughly chopped
1/3 c all purpose flour
2 c heavy cream
2 c whole milk
1 1/2 c Swiss cheese, shredded
2 c Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c Panko
1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the Ditali, cook one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and drizzle with EVOO.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 6 T of unsalted butter.
Add the onion and garlic, sautéing until the onion is translucent.
Add the red pepper flakes and pancetta, sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add the flour, whisk to combine, cooking for 1 minute.
Add the heavy cream and the milk, whisking to combine.
Add 2 c of cheese at a time, allowing each cup to melt, saving and setting aside 1/4 c of each: Swiss, Gruyere and Monterey Jack.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, stirring until coated evenly.
Pour 1/2 of the mac and cheese mixture into a buttered 9×13 or other baking dish of your choice. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 c of cheese. Add remaining mac and cheese.
In a small bowl mix together 4 T of melted butter, Panko, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Top macaroni with panko mixture.
Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Comment below if you try either of these recipes! X
As I sit out on the back patio on the seventh Friday of quarantine I have come to realize another way to feel connected to travel during this time. I have written about House Hunters International and planning a trip post quarantine. But, as I wrote this week, recalling all of the amazing food I have eaten around the world, I felt transported to a different place.
Writing is an escape. Creativity is an escape. Memories are an escape.
If you don’t have a blog, now is the time to create one. It will provide you with a welcomed escape.
When I blog I can smell the tropical air in Turks and Caicos, I can feel the humidity as I walk off the plane and touch down in Grand Cayman and I can see the Italian man, the taxi driver, that lugged my bags from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport to Vatican City.
I can remember landing in Alicante, Spain after my first flight to Europe.
I remember landing at the Dublin Airport late at night, taking some sort of bus to a stop near our Airbnb.
I can taste the Prosecco I have sipped in nearly every city I have ever visited.
I can taste the gelato the Italian couple drug through the sand in an ice chest with wheels in Grace Bay on Turks and Caicos.
I can feel the crisp London air.
I can taste the cheese from the cheese shop in Amsterdam.
I can taste the delicious Starbucks Gingerbread Latte I had in London after not having Starbucks for two and a half months.
I can taste the Spanish coffee that I drank every single day for an entire semester at Universiat d’Alacant.
I can recall landing in Sydney, Australia after sixteen hours on a plane.
The point is, if you miss traveling, you too will find yourself with a flood of memories if you sit down to write for a travel blog. Just do it.
In learning how to create a well-developed personal brand from “scratch,” after about thirteen weeks of blogging, tweeting and creating, the biggest lesson I have learned is your personal brand is going to evolve as both you AND the world evolve.
Over the last three months I have changed; I’m not the exact same person I was in January, when I began this journey.
I have never really analyzed the way I change over as short a period of time as a couple of months. Of course, when you look back to a trip you took two years ago you can easily recognize ways in which you have changed and evolved as a human. However, I never really reflected upon just a few short weeks, as I am now, thanks to COVID-19.
Just a few weeks into this journey the world began to face a global crisis that we, as a group of humans, have never faced previously. I strongly believe when we get to the other side of this thing, so to speak, the world will never be the same. Human beings will never be the same; I will never be the same. That said, just like I have changed and evolved, my brand has changed and evolved.
Previous to the global pandemic my value was surface level. Today, nine weeks into quarantine, I am finding the core of my brand to be joy. Travel just so happens to be my vehicle to joy.
When a travel ban was put in place several weeks ago, I suddenly found myself searching for joy. I immediately began to see the transformation in my brand. Travel isn’t about the places you go, the people you meet or the food you eat, it’s about the joy you feel as you land in a foreign country, meet a family that becomes your own or taste a foreign delicacy.
As a result of this evolution in my brand, I sought out the things I loved about traveling and discovered different ways to recreate them at home. Thinking of the joy I feel when I land on foreign turf for the very first time, I discovered watching House Hunters International could mimic this feeling. Of course, these things are hardly comparable, however, I found myself smiling as I explored Bali for the first time “virtually.”
Likewise, thinking of the joy I feel devouring delicious food abroad, I found another one of my passions, cooking and baking, to be a major source of joy during this time. Last week we had an Italian and Chinese Night. It’s fun to search for a little travel adventure for the taste buds of myself and my family.
I now have a new understanding and appreciation for “blogging.” I know that whatever idealized image I have of my travel blog will cease to exist in a week, a month, a year, five years or even ten years. Accepting this and evolving with my brand seems like one of the most valuable lessons one could learn.
I encourage you to use this time as a period of reflection too.
As you begin to travel more and more you start to accumulate a mental (or physical) list of all the best eats. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order.
*Please note this list is incomplete as I am actively searching for the name of some locations I visited almost four years ago.*
House Made Coconut Shrimp with Mango Chutney
Paella outside of Alicante, Spain near Fuentes Del Algar. The name of the restaurant is Restaurante Les Fonts. After studying abroad in Spain for four months, the paella I had at this restaurant stood out in comparison to all other tastings I had while in Spain.
Fish and Chips in Dublin, Ireland at ___. My dad and I are both huge fish and chips fans so I could not wait to have fish and chips when I landed in Ireland. After a tour of the Cliffs of Moher we asked the tour guide for his local recommendation. All I have to say is it did not disappoint and I don’t think I will EVER have as delicious fish and chips anywhere else in the world, let alone in Dublin.
Tacos in Barcelona, Spain at El Pachuco. All we wanted was some “Mexican” after spending two months in Spain. We found exactly that, and even a marg to go with it, at this hole in the wall!
Restaurant in Zanndam, North Holland.
Baci Restaurant in Turtle Cove on Turks and Caicos Islands. The Pesce del Giorno, Fresh Fish of the day, was to die for. I believe I also had Ravioli di Funghi Portobello on our second or third trip to this delicious spot just steps away from where we were staying at the Yacht Club.
Turks Kebab in Grace Bay on Turks and Caicos Islands. This place was a pleasant surprise as it seems a bit dodgy upon first glance. This was a locals recommendation and it was absolutely delicious. I believe I had the Chicken Shish Kebab and my best friend had Lamb.
Pizza at Dar Poeta in Rome, Italy. This is by far the best pizza I have ever had; I would go back to Rome just for another bite of this pizza. That is all.
Seafood Pasta at Bar Ruccio in Sorrento, Italy. The most stunning view, the best service and the very best seafood pasta I have ever had. Everything about this ristorante is to die for. Staying in Sorrento for a week I spent almost every evening at this place whether for a cocktail or a meal. It’s an all time favorite!
I would go back to Sicily, Italy just to spend another day in Sant’Ambrogio at the beach, having another amazing meal at Osteria Bacchus. Quite honestly the most amazing fresh vegetables and beef I have ever had. To top it off, the view is one you will never forget.
Brandolino in Florence, Italy. I can’t possibly say enough good things about this family owned restaurant. My best friend and I certainly felt like we were family by the end of our week in Florence. From having a special dinner in the back room to clubbing with the owners, this will forever be the heart of Florence in my eyes. I will ALWAYS visit the cousins who own this classic spot each and every time I travel to Florence.
Signorvino, the wine bar on the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy. This is a beautiful patio to sip ice cold wine on after a long day of wandering my favorite city. I can’t remember the name of it, but we had a delicious beef appetizer here one evening. This is definitely my happy hour go-to in Florence.
Truffle pasta at ___ in Florence, Italy. This was my first experience with truffle butter and it was fantastic. Knowing I would be visiting a truffle farm later in my trip I was happy to know I loved the truffle flavor as much as I did.
___ in Florence, Italy. We were lead down to the basement, seated with a plastic table cloth, expecting the worst. The pasta was the best. The ten related looking Italian men serving us were second best. The pesto was unforgettable.
___ in Florence, Italy. Order the gnocchi, you won’t regret it.
B&B and Italian Cookery School in La Felce, Tuscany, Italy. First of all, this is a gorgeous, quaint place to stay just outside Florence with the most incredibly vibrant host. Second, cooking class with a TV chef is a once in a lifetime experience in her magical kitchen. Third, the food we made under her instruction was absolutely to die for! She works with you to create a custom menu to suit your needs. Together we created the most delicious three course meal to celebrate over wine. This is an absolute MUST when traveling to Italy.
After a long day of snorkeling and lounging on the beach in West Bay, Grand Cayman it’s time for a gorgeous meal and sunset on a patio. House Made Coconut Shrimp with Mango Chutney from Alfresco, a local hole in the wall, is to die for!
Yoshi Sushi to top off a stunning day in Grand Cayman is something I would give anything for as we head into week eight of quarantine! This sushi is absolutely to die for and the Marilynne Monroe vibes inside the restaurant create the perfect dining experience.
A fantastic Italian meal that rivals that of Italy itself! Ristorante Pappagallo is an absolute must while visiting Grand Cayman. Limoncello Tagliatelle and Maltagliati were two of our favorites.
If you can’t tell, I kind of like Italian, and the best of the best is in Florence.
As someone who has never travelled are you wondering what to get someone whose passion project is travel?
Here are 10 ideas for you and your loved one!
Blanket scarf. This is the most perfect travel accessory for cozy long flights, an unexpected cold day or an extra frigid hotel room. A blanket scarf will come in handy when a travel lover least expects it.
Air pods. There is nothing more freeing than being able to do what you need to do while on a plane without having to worry about the headphone cord getting in your way every seven seconds, believe me!
Tablet or iPad. It’s such an amazing thing when you sit down for a 10+ hour flight and you are not at the mercy of the movie selection attached to the seat in front of you, rather you have your favorite movies and shows right in your carry on.
Luggage. To travel is to have luggage that works for you and your needs, it is a true gift. I would highly recommend asking some questions to guide your search for the perfect set for your loved one. This is only a gift I would recommend if that special person in your life does not already have the set of their dreams.
Portable Charger. I would dare to say that it is impossible to travel without a portable charger. I rely on my devices when I am going to be in airports and on airplanes for 24+ hours and I know I will need several charges in that period of time. You certainly will not find me sitting on the dirty floor next to an outlet.
Travel Pillow. This is a magical u-shaped pillow that supports your head and neck during a long (or short) flight. I am ALWAYS the ridiculous human with their pillow Velcroed around their neck from the minute they leave for the airport until the time they arrive at their destination. This gift is 100% a life saver!!
Luggage Tags. This is something small, fun and personal to give the travel lover in your life.
Passport Holder. This is another small and personal gift to give someone before they embark on their first international trip. So exciting!
Book(s). Reading a book, fiction or nonfiction, is such a fun thing to do before, during or after travel. It could be a guide to their next destination, a fun Nicholas Sparks book for the beach once they arrive or even a holiday themed book taking place in their favorite destination to encourage them to reminisce on an amazing trip they had.
Plane Ticket Voucher. Nothing will make a travel fanatic happier than receiving the gift that keeps on giving and the joy of planning their next trip with their newly received funds!
Have you ever wondered when exactly you should hop on the plane to visit your dream destination?
I have and to be honest, I typically just bite the bullet as far as when I go where because for years now I have been a student which means I have very limited windows to travel.
However, if you have the freedom to go any month of the year, here are my suggestions, based on my own experiences.
Alicante, Spain: Fall, September and October specifically, are the magical months to beach in this stunning Spanish escape.
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Winter months. The holiday decor is precious. That said, my next trip here will be during tulip season.
Barcelona, Spain: October. Specifically, Halloween, is a fun time in Barca! Its soccer season and the weather is perfect.
Brighton, England: Most definitely mid summer is the time to visit this homey beach town.
Escuinapa, Mexico: March. If you go in summer you will have a heat stroke, guaranteed!
Florence, Italy: Summer, specifically the last week of July is when I will always go to Florence. There’s not a thing I would change about my first trip that took place late July.
Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos: January! 100% book a flight here when there is snow on the ground of your home town, you will NOT regret it.
Granada, Spain: Fall. This is a place that feels so much like Reno, and fall in Reno isn’t something you would ever want to miss.
Krakow, Poland: All I have to say is do not go in early July, it’s cold and windy and not the summer weather you expected.
London, England: Winter, NOT summer! Summer is hot, stuffy and impossible, winter is a magical dream filled with princesses and queens, literally.
London
La Felce, Italy: Early August. It’s summer, it’s perfect pool weather, it’s the perfect time to go wine tasting and take a cooking class.
North Vancouver, British Columbia: Summer, fall, anytime of the year. This place holds a special place in my heart and there isn’t a single month of the year when I wouldn’t visit.
Rome, Italy: July. As crazy as this sounds, it’s hot, yes, but it’s just the time to be in Rome.
Sorrento, Italy: Mid July. There is no better beach weather. It’s the perfect time for bikinis, seafood feasts with a view and all the Italian sunshine in the world!
Sydney, Australia: Spring is nice. It’s cold in the states and it is a nice escape to “warmer” weather. Our summer is their winter.
Tangier, Morocco: Fall. It’s the perfect weather to ride a camel on the beach.
Toronto, Canada: June is nice. It’s a bit unpredictable, but its not a bazillion degrees in the middle of summer.
Valencia, Spain: Same recommendation as Alicante, Spain.
Alicante, Spain
Warsaw, Poland: All I can say is do not go in early July, it’s cold and windy and not the summer weather you expected.
This morning I had a realization. Every single time I watch House Hunters International it is as if I take a mini trip. If you are travel obsessed and miss boarding a plane and landing on new soil now, more than ever before, this show could be a saving grace for you too!
This morning I started my day in Wales, a country in the United Kingdom. The vast green land was refreshing. I have spent a lot of time in the UK, but none in Wales. This was uncharted territory.
The medieval vibe transported me to a different time, a difference place, pre COVID-19.
Last weekend it was an episode taking place in France.
Just because I watched that episode I now have a new place added to my list of places to visit: Salies-De-Béarn.
It’s a quaint village in the south of France.
Immediately after the episode ended and the couple settled into their new home, I spent an hour or so planning my trip to France looking at Airbnb locations in this very spot, saving each as I fell head over heals.
Not all of the episodes are new to me.
It’s fun to watch an episode that takes place somewhere I know like the back of my hand.
An episode in Turks and Caicos where one of the properties the young couple looks at is in the Yacht Club a few doors down from the condo I stayed in while on vacation in Turtle Cove. It takes me back to a happier time and I am flooded with all of the special moments and memories that made that trip one of my most favorite yet.
I challenge you to tune into an episode, pick your dream vacation spot, sit back, relax and enjoy!
When I look back on each of the trips I have taken I realize there is always one thing that stands out about a place: the people (and the food, of course!). I remember a place by those I met while there.
As I find myself in quarantine, as we all find ourselves in quarantine, we are craving human connection. This same human connection is one of the things that makes travel so special.
In facing the hard truth that we won’t be traveling domestically, let alone internationally, for a very long time I have been searching for this human connection that I have been missing and will continue to miss for many months to come.
I have found social media to provide just what I am looking for.
I began being super intentional about my time on Instagram, solely opening the app to search for human connection and engaging conversation.
I have found myself using the Search feature to stumble upon a profile that peeks my interest. Specifically, I am searching some of my favorite places and/ or places I have yet to go and then I am sifting through profiles until I come across someone I would like to meet.
Next I follow them, engage with their posts, react to their stories and strike up a conversation.
It’s exciting to be making friends and growing your network in this difficult time.
It’s comforting to come to find out that someone who lives a million miles away from you, a 19 hour flight away from you, is feeling and experiencing all the same things you are during this time.
Some days are great, some days just suck.
Some days this is the “new normal,” some days this is hell.
Some days you find out someone you love is sick, some days you don’t.
But no matter the day and no matter what you feel, your new friend, Hannah, in Scotland feels the same.
Hannah Rene Brown 