The last time I left, I came back to the US, to the state of Texas. Talk about one extreme and then the other!
I went from quaint streets filled with beret-wearing Parisians nibbling on fresh baguettes to florescent-lit strip malls filled with cowboy hat-wearing Texans chewing on straw.
In the past, I have left Paris and returned to my normal life in the States. Back to the grind, the 9 to 5, the routine. But not this time around!
It is much less traumatizing to return to London, with it's cobblestone streets filled with top hat-wearing dandies munching on mince pies. It eases the blow to leave one amazing city, and find yourself in another, where you've still got loads of exploring to do.
I've yet to try a mince pie. I was convinced meat was involved until recently, and so I was avoiding them. Turns out it is in fact a combination of apples, vine fruits, nutmeg, and cinnamon. So naturally, now I am dying to try one! I was hoping they would have some at our Christmas Party last night, but there were only mini sausage rolls and yorkshire puddings. I could just whip one up myself I suppose, since I am quite partial to my own pie crust anyway and I found mince filling in Waitrose today.
As I was in the grocery store stocking up on treats, I noticed how delightfully strange the baking aisle here is! I am going to have to find some new English recipes to try, because one can buy things here that are not easy to come by in US.
Like, lavender sugar, rose extract, and blackcurrant conserve. Ohhh the things I can create!
I also found sprinkles, except they are called "Sugar Strands."
I don't know what a "lashing" is. I assume it refers to some term of measurement, but it sounds dangerous to me. I think I'd prefer the "scatter" of marshmallows instead. Less threatening.
I've noticed that a lot of food products here seem to have a funny description of food itself rather a brand name, like in the U.S.
For example, the trail mix I was looking at buying - rather than having "Quaker Trial Mix," written on the bag, it just said, "I'm Fruity and Nutty!" across the top. Nutty indeed.
There are so many things in the Waitrose that I am needing to try. Like this...
Christmas Pud unfortunately had no description. I was hoping for something along the lines of... "I'm delicious and taste of Christmas!" But no, so I was left wondering what it was.
I did a little google search, and it turns out it's a fany plum and spice cake topped with a custard sauce and a sprig of holly! Bring on the Christmas pud!
I think I'd like to make this for my family and friends back home to give them a little taste of England. I found a recipe for it from this woman called Deliah, who is apparently the Paula Deen of England.
Being quite a Paula fan, I was a little skeptical at first - but a quick browse through her recipes won me over. Victoria Sponge, Pavlova, Banofee Cheesecake with Toffee Pecan Sauce. It's a whole new world of desserts for me to learn how to make! I must ensure the flat I eventually move into has a proper kitchen. I also must learn the metric system so I can understand the recipes!
Why America has chosen to create it's own insane systems of pounds, ounces, and cups - when the rest of world uses the same, simple metric system, I do not know. It puts us at a serious disadvantage while abroad though. It is also a lot more fun to weigh one's self with the metric system - as the number that appears is nearly half what it is in America! Which is particulary nice when you haven't been to the gym for 3 weeks now.
I'm going to get on that this week - before I start resembling a Christmas Pud.
I've scheduled a few tours at the various gyms, and will be making the rounds to various Zumba classes until I find one that meets my standards.
I actually had a vision today as I was in the South Dome of the Design Centre grabbing a coffee. There is a huge, round, open space that would make the perfect dance floor. I could begin a post-work daily Zumba class for everyone who works in the Centre! I think it would really catch on, and would be an excellent way for me to make friends and make a some extra quid for TopShop shopping! It's a pretty brilliant plan - up there with my idea of living in Paris and commuting into London, which I am looking into.
What can I say? I have a gift for thinking outside the box, and prefer to live my life in a way that most people would consider outside the realm of sanity.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
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