#ritz bits churros

[royal-food]

Ritz Bits Churros

[judeonthemove]

One Hundred And Nine Beds

We loved Ecuador so much we stayed an extra day. Although that's not strictly true, it sounds much better than: despite having a bulletproof plan for getting to the airport, arriving there four hours ahead of our flight, and sitting for two hours at what was initially promoted as the correct gate, we somehow conspired to miss our flight. We still have no idea when they changed the gate, why we didn't notice, or what on earth happened to their customer service announcements. Tiredness, relaxation and misplaced trust lulled us into false sense of security and we were rewarded with a monumental fuck up and no hint of an apology. There are few things you want to experience less at a foreign airport than the icicle stab in your guts of realising you are stuck in a territorial no-man's land, on the wrong side of a continent, facing a temporal and financial haemorrhage that you have to resolve in another language. There are the immediate practical problems to deal with of course, but also the wave of humiliation and self-recrimination. How on earth did we manage to make their mess into our problem? Staff members trooped us off around the airport getting our exit stamps annulled, and down to the basement where our rucksacks lay unceremoniously dumped by a door next to the tarmac. Just to underline our misdemeanours the narcotics police then proceeded to dismantle our bags. It was surreal and strangely violating to see your sorry pile of belongings through a stranger's eyes; that the backbone of your life for ten months is nothing but crap. Given that we weren't drug smugglers, we were allowed to proceed with our walk of shame back through security and baggage reclaim before facing the inevitable at the airline ticket desk. Mercifully the woman on duty had fluent English and quickly reassured us that for the bargain price of a lost day and $198 we could still get to Rio de Janeiro. Painful, but nothing like as wounding as I'd feared. There was nothing but a web address to consult about our complaints, and we were sent off into the night.

Reluctant to bankrupt ourselves further and urgently feeling in need of some control we found a nearby town on the map, jumped on a local bus, and hustled down a dark, desolate road in search of accommodation. Our hunch that anywhere that close to an airport would feature hostals was correct and we holed up for the night, spending our last few dollars on pizza and beer, and hurriedly trying to make contact with our hotel in Rio. It was a prime case of sod's law that having decided to blow the accommodation budget on our final lodgings (a whole £30 a night, woooooooh!), we wantonly discarded a night of our booking. So here we are, back at Quito airport, paranoidly sat below the departures board at our supposed gate. Three hours should do it today.

...

Shortly after dawn we were hurtling through the streets of Rio on a transfer bus, astonished at seeing a huge high rise city again. Rio was covered in simple black graffiti tags at street level and at impossible heights all over tower blocks, bridges, and industrial buildings. The city had the appearance of having been infected with a rash of kanji. Delivered just a block from our hotel, we weaved around encampments of rough sleepers. At six in the morning it was already hot, and the bracing smell of human waste and desperation competed with the tropical plants of the park. While we might have been late, at least we had a bed to sleep in and a home to go back to. The kindly night receptionist was waiting for us and pointed out that the breakfast buffet had just opened. A quality breakfast was one of our pre-requisites when deciding where to stay so there was quite a weight of expectation upon it. Still wired from the events of the previous thirty-six hours, and suffering from no sleep and another two hour forward time jump, we were a bit over-excitable. There was a lift, carpeted hallways, key-cards, and a great room with a massive bed and powerful, hot shower. It could have been the Ritz and not felt like a better treat. We fell on the breakfast buffet like vultures then passed out until the late afternoon.

Other than for references to the quality night life, ‘sketchy' was the main adjective we’d seen used in relation our new neighbourhood of Lapa. We divested ourselves of valuables and ventured out on a quest for orientation, dinner and some good old Brazilian beer. Finding ourselves in a sports bar we utilised our best pointing and smiling technique in the acquisition of some tea. Portuguese might look like Spanish, but it sounds like Hungarian and we were utterly clueless once more. After fuelling up, some more beer was in order and it just so happens that Rio is full of actual bars, not cafes that might serve beer, but beer emporia that might serve snacks. Yes the area was a bit moody in places, but not to the extent that you'd hide in your hotel, and there was more than a hint of promise for the weekend. We soaked it up for a while then headed back, detouring by the hotel roof to survey the scene. We were surprised to find the view dominated by a terrifying Mayan temple-style ziggurat in brutalist concrete. Behind the local aqueduct-cum-tourist tramline it lurked, gigantic and awful. A swift search revealed it was a cathedral, possibly the most dystopian fantasy cathedral ever.

Rio being a big city, we had to be modest with our expectations of what was achievable in a few days. We stayed local on the first morning, visiting the bohemian hillside neighbourhood of Santa Theresa via the tram. At the top was a theatre in a ruined colonial villa and an art gallery with marmosets in the garden. The views towards Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer helped shape our itinerary for the remainder of the week. We picked around the twisty cobbled streets and managed not to punch the army of selfie-takers on the Selarón Stairs. The artist burned himself to death at the foot of his meticulously tiled staircase but this grisly fact seemed to be lost on the crowd as they posed and obstructed on the same spot. Once in possession of the right kind of ticket, we zipped off on the metro to check out Ipanema beach. James is very much a mogwai when it comes to beaches and should never be made wet or sandy, but once installed on a rented chair even he admitted it was an excellent place and suggested we should do some more beachiness. In my imagination, the beaches of Rio are full of impossibly beautiful people so it was encouraging to find all sorts present and enjoying themselves. Beach life is serious business, involving lots of team sports, sexy casual style, and alcohol. Enterprising stalls set up each day supplying chairs, parasols and drinks, and disappear again at sunset spirited away in VW campervans. Despite the breaking waves I managed a bit of a swim in the Atlantic and we chilled out as the sun went down. It was time to get formally acquainted with the caipirinha, Brazil's national drink. I suspect that caipirinha is viewed as some sort of human right in Brazil. It is ubiquitous, and invariably both the cheapest drink available and blindingly strong. It's also delicious of course, which set the tone for the remainder of the week.

Thursday saw us on the cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain, for a spectacular view of the city and the incoming weather. On the way there we'd walked past the very swanky yacht club and therefore had a second chance to be envious, admiring the miniature yachts from above as they flew across the bay. The irony is there is no ‘January River' as Rio de Janeiro translates, the first Europeans to discover the place were mistaken. Guanabara Bay certainly looked like a mighty fine sailing ground though. We followed the short nature walk at the top and soon became enveloped in increasingly thick cloud. With the wind picking up and Rio now largely invisible, we descended once more. We pursued our plan to visit Copacabana but remained beach adjacent, supping caipirinhas and attempting to understand the rules of the foot/volley-ball hybrid game everyone plays. The sea did not look too safe for swimming, and as the sun went down it started to rain with a vengeance. Lightning pounded the sky above the mountains and ocean. Eventually we had to acknowledge it wasn't going to stop and had to make a run for it. Drenched, but still warm and cheerful we grabbed some food and called it a night. Across the road from our hotel, a mysterious festival was being set up.

We have breakfasted incrementally later as the week has progressed, which may or may not relate to the exponential increase in our alcohol consumption. Getting mobilised eventually on Friday morning, we went to investigate the intimidating cathedral. Like a reverse tardis it somehow seemed smaller on the inside. Smaller but still a vast open space with stained glass streaming down the walls from a glass cross in the roof. It was calm, cool and bold. Arriving at the modern art gallery by a rather leisurely midday was not a problem, as it emerged they only opened at midday, thus giving our tardiness the appearance of planning. Fully arted up we went for a wander round the waterfront and ran into what might have been some sort of naval graduation ceremony. Military bands in full uniform greeted dignitaries while bodyguards watched over the proceedings. We admired the architecture of one of Rio's newest museums but chose Coke and churros outside over going in. Our diabetes-baiting was rewarded with more rain so we trotted back to base for a disco nap as Rio geared up for Friday night.

When we re-emerged, Lapa had transformed itself into party central with innumerable samba bars featuring live bands. Off-licences doubled as bars, with crowds ranged across the pavements or sitting on the city's shared bicycles. Bar stalls crowded in the central reservation, and people with modified bikes and hand carts sold booze on the move. This was not the place for sobriety. While our ruined clothes made us look a bit down at heel inside the hotel, we fitted right in on the street. Urine, drains and cigarette smoke competed with frying snack food and the ever present zing of lime wedges. Groups of friends sang and danced in and around the bars, dodging traffic as the crowds swelled into the road. The mystery festival turned out to be a Christian music weekender. One couldn't help but feel they were fighting a losing battle. We lined our stomachs and got into the spirit of things at a restaurant before going on to a bar. The early hours found us under the aqueduct arches, clutching mind-bendingly strong, half-litre, 90p caipirinhas, and swaying to Christian rock in the rain.

Saturday was a slow start, followed by a restorative breakfast and post-breakfast sleep. We eventually hauled ourselves back up to Santa Theresa for a longer look around and a nice walk in the sunshine. After my ordering error in Baños I finally got stroganoff for my tea, and hoped this wouldn't be an ill-advised choice ahead of another night on the beers. We'd noticed protesters gathering earlier in the day, and many of them were partying in Lapa. Clearly it was something to do with next week's general election. The reported front-runner, representing the hard right, is currently recovering from being stabbed. These cheerful revellers were altogether more peaceful in their opposition to him, choosing stickers, glitter and dancing in the street as their weapons of choice. We steered clear of the cocktails but still made a poor attempt at getting a slightly earlier night. We looked up the hashtag of the campaign stickers and chanting, and discovered that #elenão meant #nothim, a cry of protest against misogyny, homophobia and racism.

Sunday, appropriately enough, involved a visit to Giant Jesus, or Christ the Redeemer as the statue is known to all but me. The figure watches over the city from high above and, while prominent, had seemed smaller than expected from the vantage points we'd had up to then. A Swiss-style train took us from the base of the mountain, up the steep, forested slopes to the undeniably enormous statue. All around the main platform, people lay prostrate at the feet of Christ. They weren't praying, or indeed even looking at the statue, but rather were all busily taking photos of each other; lying on the ground to get the same crucial shot from below. Arms outstretched, their backs to the statue, superimposing themselves over one of the modern wonders of the world. While the sights on the viewing decks were plain annoying, the views from them were superb, taking in the bay, mountains, city and beaches in 360°. We could have happily stayed up there for hours, but we'd promised ourselves a second crack at Copacabana and daylight hours were running short. Arriving on the bus, it was immediately apparent that some huge party was in full swing. The dual carriageway next to the beach was closed to traffic and full of floats and thousands of people. It was a powerful cross between a Pride parade and political rally. The tide was up and the sea so rough that lifeguards were patrolling on jet-skis and preventing people from swimming. My swim kit stayed in my bag and rather than sit on the beach as planned, we grabbed a drink and joined in. While it might not have been our election, it was a great opportunity to show solidarity. We picked a sound system we liked and danced alongside the slow moving lorry down the full length of Copacabana. We arrived several hours later hammered, starving and covered in glitter. Ending as we began in Santiago, our final dinner in this continent involved meat on chips, a South American staple. Clearly we couldn't just leave it there, as Sunday night samba was in full swing back in Lapa. Street-stall caipirinhas in hand we stood on the pavement admiring other people's dance moves and looking back on our trip. Our livers are quietly glad we are not staying longer.

We believe we have slept in one hundred and nine beds over the past ten months. This includes a bamboo stretcher in the forests of Laos, a tent in Thailand, wild campsites in an Australian van, and a boat down the Amazon. It does not account for all the overnight planes, trains and buses that we have variously enjoyed and endured. Thinking of it like this it seems incredible, yet here we are; it's the first of October and we're about to go home. Many of my clothes are about to go in the bin, together with the owl-patterned bag that has been slung across my body almost every day and is a veteran of our Japan our India trips before that. It's like discarding faithful friends. I have no idea what's coming next and am merrily avoiding thinking about it until we're home and the dust settles. As I lie here in Rio thinking of what a wonder, challenge and privilege it has been to do this, our tiny, huge earth rotates beneath me. We will soon be racing back across the Atlantic to the lovely Peels who will await us at Heathrow. For those of you who have managed to read this far, you’ve got through eighteen of these missives and who knows how many tens of thousands of words. Thank you for your interest, it's been lovely to have someone else to talk to.

[gracelikerainblog]

Air Fryer Ritz Bits Churros

Air Fryer Ritz Bits Churros are a quick and easy snack that is perfect for game night or an after-school pick-me-up. We're coating these Peanut Butter Ritz Bits with cinnamon and sugar to give them a Spanish flair.

Air Fryer Ritz Bits Churros are a quick and easy snack that is perfect for game night or an after-school pick-me-up. We’re coating these Peanut Butter Ritz Bits with cinnamon and sugar to give them a Spanish flair. You’re going to love this churro-inspired snack made with Peanut Butter Ritz Bits. These Peanut Butter Ritz Bits are getting covered in a layer of cinnamon and sugar just like you…

[muhtarfezame]

Ritz Bits Churros ~ Weekend Potluck #371

[jonasmaurer]

What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson

Sharing some tips from a Tucson native on what to do, the best restaurants, and where to stay in this amazing lil city.

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a lovely morning. We’re having an amazing Beautycounter promo right now: order any regimen or collection and get a free full-sized product! Details are here. You know how much I love Countertime! If you didn’t get this week’s safe skincare newsletter and place an order, email me and I’ll let you know about something special I’m doing for clients right now.

To join the safe skincare newsletter, click here!

For today’s post, I’m sharing some of my favorite things about Tucson! While I totally understand that Tucson isn’t the must-see destination of the US, it is a really unique spot with incredible local restaurants and exquisite scenery. There aren’t many places like it, and while I’m biased since I was born here, I’ve grown more fond of Tucson as I’ve gotten older. (For example, in high school I was like, “GET ME OUTTA HERE” and then when I finally moved far away, I couldn’t wait to eventually come back.)

Lately, I’ve been inundated with requests on where to eat and where to stay here in town. We’re at the end of winter and hitting some of our most gorgeous weather, so it makes sense that so many people plan on early springtime trips.

Here are some of my top suggestions for what to do in T-town!

What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson

What to do in Tucson for a day

1) Wake up and grab a coffee at Ren coffee in St. Phillip’s plaza. They have incredible drink and snack options – I love their housemade vegan protein bars. If you’re lucky, it will be over the weekend and you can explore the farmer’s market and get a crepe from Planet of the Crepes for breakfast.

2) Head up to La Encantada for some outdoor shopping (they have an anthropologie, lululemon, kate spade, Athleta, and Pottery Barn) and a craft at Creative Kind. They have drop-in crafts that you have do, including indigo tie dye, wall macrame hangings, watercolors, and wreaths. This is the perfect spot to hang out with a friend and make a little souvenir with a Tucson twist.

3) Drive down Campbell and enjoy brunch at the best spot: Prep & Pastry. Everything on the menu is good and you can choose if you’d like something a little lighter, like their avocado toast or sweet breakfast bowl, or something more indulgent, like the biscuits and gravy or French toast (changes daily). No matter what you do: order one or two of their fresh pastries to share.

4) Head back to the hotel for some downtime at the pool, or down to University, 4th Ave, or the MSA Annex to explore the shops.

5) Late afternoon, enjoy a stroll at Sabino Canyon, which is one of the most picturesque hikes in Tucson. You can also ride on the eco-friendly tram that makes stops along the main trail. (The entire distance up and back is 7.4 miles.)

6) Dinner at Cafe Poca Cosa, followed by drinks and music on the patio at Hotel Congress or on the rooftop bar at Playground. Cafe Poca Cosa is still my favorite dinner spot for out-of-town guests. The menu changes twice daily, based on what’s fresh at the market and servers carry around an enormous chalkboard with the menu options. I recommend the Plato Poca Cosa, which is chef’s choice, and if everyone at the table orders the plato, they’ll all be different!

Favorite taco spots in Tucson

– Boca Tacos. These are our favorite tacos in Tucson! They have so many incredible flavor options, a guacamole flight (!), great margaritas, and chips that arrive hot out of the bag. Just do it.

– Calle Tepa. This is an awesome spot that we go to almost weekly for casual street Mexican food. The service is insanely fast and the good is always good. This is a great spot to take the kids!

– Blanco Tacos. Blanco is located in La Encantada (our most high-end shopping center), surrounded by shops, other restaurants (we also love North and Ra) and gorgeous city views. They have the BEST rice.. it’s creamy, buttery perfection.

Healthy restaurants in Tucson

Tucson has so many incredibly local restaurants with healthy options. You can go pretty much anywhere and find something that will sound good to you. (For example, you can go to Prep & Pastry and get the best pancakes of your life, or a sweet potato hash with eggs. You do you!) For this section, I’m focusing on the best restaurants that focus on health-centered food. What I mean by this: they’re plant-based, source local and organic incredibles, offer vegan and gluten-free options, and will make you leave completely full, but still feeling energized.

Goodness:

Goodness is one of my favorite lunch spots in Tucson. They have smoothies, bowls, fresh juices, kombucha, it’s awesome.

Charro Vida:

Charro Vida is one of the newer spots that I love. They have a ton of vegan and gluten-free menu options, including gluten-free chocolate churros!

Renee’s Organic Oven:

I’ve loved Renee’s Organic Oven for a long time. They use a lot of organic and local ingredients, have amazing pasta and pizza dishes, great wine, and fab desserts.

August Rhodes:

This is the best sandwich spot in Tucson, hand’s down. The sandwiches aren’t gluten-free, but they have salad and soup options. All of the bread is made in house and it is amaaaazing.

*Tumerico:

I actually haven’t been here yet but everyone RAVES about it! It’s Mexican food with lots of healthy options. Maybe we’ll finally head down there this weekend.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls:

This is an entirely vegan restaurant with lots of gluten-free selections. One of my friends from high school is their pastry chef and makes all of the ridiculous creations in the dessert case each day, including different brownies, cakes, pastries, and pop tarts (AHHHHH). My fave is the falafel, greek salad, and gf pita bread.

Saffron Indian restaurant:

Saffron is our favorite Indian restaurant in town – they catered my bday party! – and they have a lunch buffet, too.

Guilin Chinese Restaurant:

This is a healthy Chinese restaurant that Kyle goes to often. (if Kyle likes it, you know it’s good!)

Where to stay in Tucson

– Loew’s Ventana Canyon: This is the hotel I recommend the most often because it’s nice, they have a great pool, it’s perfect for families (they have a playground and a koi pond where you can feed the fish, plus a small trail that leads to a man-made waterfall), and their Sunday brunch is LEGENDARY. It’s also in a great location. It’s safe and quiet while being about 20-25 minutes away from most popular areas and destinations.

– Hacienda del Sol. Hacienda is a quieter hotel, nestled in the Catalina Foothills. They have a courtyard with twinkling lights, a fabulous restaurant on site, and is also in a desirable location.

– Miraval. Miraval is a world-renowned health resort, featuring on fresh and healthy cuisine, spa services, fitness classes, activities and treatments focused on well-being. It’s all-inclusive (so meals and many activities are included, plus you receive spa credit) so it’s definitely worth a trip if you plan to stay on property, Zen out, and life your best spa life. Check out my review of Miraval here!

– Arizona Inn. This is a historic boutique hotel in central Tucson. It’s closer to the university and downtown dining and shopping options.

– Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. This is another great choice if you bring the kiddos! The rooms are a little bit older, but they have awesome Southwestern casitas (see our review here!) and their Sunday cowboy cookout is amazing. We’ll often go for dinner when the weather is warm to enjoy the food, prickly pear margaritas, and live music. They also have a great pool, horseback riding lessons and camp for the kids, fishing, and activities.

Honorable mention: The Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain. It’s a Ritz, it’s in a gorgeous location, but a pretty far hop on the freeway from most fun things in Tucson. I’d stay there if you don’t mind driving back and forth or if you just plan on living the hotel life while you’re here.

Honorable mention: Hotel McCoy. We haven’t visited this one yet, but I’ve heard so many positive reviews! It’s an art boutique hotel.

What to do in downtown Tucson

Some bars to check out:

– Sky Bar- solar-powered cafe, astronomy bar at night

– Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails- love the vibe here!

– Scott & Co – a small speakeasy for a low-key vibe (though it’s packed on the weekends)

– Highwire Lounge- this is a great people-watching spot on the patio

– Cobra Arcade Bar- they have game-themed cocktail and old-school arcade games

Date night options in Tucson

– Commoner & Co. – I’ve been raving about Commoner for years and it’s still our go-to date night spot. Just go and try it – make sure to get reservations first

– The Flying V – Their tableside guacamole is our favorite. Their food was just meh last time we went, but I’d definitely go for guacamole, chips, drinks and dessert

– Tito and Pep – their cocktails are incredible and they have add a Mexican flair to bistro cuisine

* The Coronet – haven’t checked this out yet but Kyle said it’s excellent

– Charro del Rey – the table side Caesar salad is SO good and they also have oysters (a rare find in Tucson)

– The Grill at Hacienda del Sol – a great date night spot and they often have live music on the weekends

– Gaslight Theatre – our local melodrama theatre, where you can “boo” at the bad guys, cheer for the heroes, and enjoy diner food while watching a live show. Definitely bring the kids along for this one

– Laff’s Comedy Club – this is our local comedy club where you can see local and national acts. They also have a bar + appetizers

– Top Golf – we’ve recently become huge Top Golf fans, which is funny since we’re not real golfers. The food is great and it’s fun to have a friendly competition (and quote Happy Gilmore the entire time).

I think that’s it!

Are you planning any little trips or vacations soon? What’s the #1 thing you recommend to people when they visit your hometown?

I’ll share a post soon with kid-friendly dining ideas and family activities!

xoxo

G

The post What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson appeared first on The Fitnessista.

What to do, see, eat, and where to stay in Tucson published first on https://olimpsportnutritionde.tumblr.com/

[hopicecream]

Full list of flavors for Ice Cream Taco & Flight Night, tonight 3-9pm at The @HopIceCreamery (167 Haywood Rd): . Dairy #IceCream: Salted Caramel Our flagship flavor; dulce de leche based ice cream mixed with pieces of Carlito’s Sweet and Savory housemade salted caramel bits. . Chocolate Toasted Sunflower Seed Toasted, lightly salted sunflower seeds stirred into our rich chocolate ice cream. Yum! . Hibiscus Mango Steeping hibiscus flowers in our cream makes a custardy, tart base tinted a lovely pink color. We couldn’t resist adding a swirl of mango puree. . Ritz & Cajeta (contains Gluten) Buttery Ritz cracker bits and a swirl of cajeta (a caramel-like sauce made with goat milk) stirred into our sweet cream base. . Churro (GF) Who doesn’t love a churro? Gluten-free bits of cinnamon-sugar goodness in a vanilla-cinnamon base. . #VeganIceCream: Horchata Rice Milk A fan favorite:our frozen version of the popular agua fresca made with cinnamon, vanilla, and Organic brown rice. . Chocolate Avocado Creme Rich and creamy! Chocolate and avocado! . Pineapple Lime Sorbet Ripe pineapple and lime juice pair nicely in this tangy tropical sorbet. . . #asheville #avleat #avleats #eastwestavl #westasheville #wavl #icecreamtacos #tacos #churros (at The Hop Ice Creamery)

[daysoutwithbex]

12 months of 2017

12 live shows seen 11 months of living in my little flat 10 kg of Nutella eaten 9 new albums bought 8 months of being in a fabulous choir 7 books read 6 holidays 5 kg of chocolates brought back from Zurich 4 afternoon teas 3 new countries visited 2 outdoor cinema trips 1 hell of a year.

It’s my annual round up of the year. Why? Because it seems I like to dwell on the past a lot; but I’m slowly learning that that is not always a bad thing, it’s how you look at and learn from the past that’s important. However, this year has been remarkably better than 2016, despite my brain telling me on most days that it’s a terrible day, week or month. Looking back, it hasn’t been half bad. I have rocks for friends.

As with every January, I celebrated my birthday with friends and lots of food. There was snow on my birthday - and everyone knows how I feel about snow. I’m quite vocal about it! However, trying to drive back from a meal in Mold was not as fun as one would anticipate in snow. But we had had a lovely meal and an amazing waffle, so not much could go wrong after that.

February was a month of celebrations too. A trip to Iceland where we saw the Northern Lights, albeit very briefly, LOTS of snow, a day in the Blue Lagoon, round trip to Gullfoss waterfall and a flat completion date set. My first concert of 2017 was in Iceland too, in the beautiful Harpa music hall. First of far too many (some might say!). All in the first four days of the month. Surely a good omen. My search for the best waffle, or at least one that beats Leeds markets ones, came to an end with a little van outside the  Hallgrímskirkja church. The bar has risen! The last day of the holiday was World Nutella Day, so it was only appropriate to have a Nutella hot chocolate and take pictures of Nutella with some Nutella!

I’ve always had a ‘thing’ about the 10th of the month, as quite a bit seems to have happened on the 10th of a few months over the last few years. 2017 was no exception, when after six months of waiting, I FINALLY got the keys for my new flat that I could call my own. No more sleepovers and begging for a sofa/bed! And the dog could live there too, where she well and truly rules the roost! I got to decorate (my decorating goes as far as pinning pictures up on the wall) exactly how I wanted to and don’t have to worry about blu tack marks or having to fill in holes from nails or screws (which I always do very professionally, I might add)! Also, I finally had space for a music room which was essential.

We won’t get in to the Six Nations!

My first theatre show of the year was Grease in March. It was also an excuse for a catch up, more food and the most amazing cakes and cheesecake I have ever eaten. I started making marmalade, purely because I could, and had jars of the stuff for months. Luckily that fad didn’t last long and space in my fridge was once more. I started looking after plants and they are still alive; bar one. They are cacti and require minimal attention, but they are hanging on in there and growing well!

I started reading the most inspiring of the books I read this year; “Mad Girl” by Bryony Gordon. It’s an insightful and honest account of living with mental illness. It’s reassuring, honest and witty and makes anyone realise that there is no such thing as normal. It’s far too easy to compare life to everyone else’s and think that you are not “normal”. I’m not normal anyway, and by everyone else’s (I shouldn’t tar everyone with the same brush - a lot of people’s) standards, I would get sod all done if I was!

In April, I bought Nutella a fluorescent raincoat, and she was not a happy bunny! I think she instinctively knew that she looked a bit silly, but there was no way the flat was smelling of wet dog, so silly she may look! Brad Paisley released his best album to date and I have a prized autographed edition to add to my collection. Another theatre show in Manchester at the Palace Theatre to watch Wonderland. An obligatory afternoon tea date in the Townhouse Hotel too made a lovely day.

My favourite new creation was a volcano pizza, which I encouraged and made Dad make beginning of May. I also took advantage of my youthful appearance when the election came around and canvassers needed to speak to the homeowner. Seeing as “my parents are at work” and they assumed I was “at school”, I couldn’t help them, so I had a lovely quiet evening! After a lot of planning, I finally got to show up as a belated birthday present for Emerlee in Gran Canaria (whether she liked it or not; sorry!), but I think Adam and I did well to keep it quite for so long. I also got a little bit of sun and a lot of sunburn including a permanent hand print shaped burn on my leg to prove that I had been there - still visible! To finish off the month, another theatre show; Sister Act, but this time, in Llandudno.

June was the eventful Ikea-trip day, when I bought ready assembled shelves because they were so much cheaper, but didn’t factor in that my flat is significantly smaller than a bloomin’ showroom! Luckily, with four heads thinking, there is always a solution and they live happily ever after in the music room and will never ever leave! I bought the dog some stylish Converse - again, she hates them, but I have some beautiful pictures! I also had a meltdown and a right rant at the Guardian, which was entertaining to say the least. Nothing resolved, but I won’t regret not speaking up, at least?!

As with most months gone by, July brought a new show; Annie in Piccadilly Theatre, London with Miranda Hart starring. Literally nothing that could go wrong there! Also managed to squeeze a couple of visits to Criccieth, and shamefully haven’t been back since. I got to celebrate a special birthday and celebrated World Chocolate Day - of course. I also met Prince Charles at work. As you do.

Then August was here, and it was great! It started with Friends Fest. What’s not to love there? And the following day I set of to Zurich, where I had the most amazing holiday and also got to have a quick trip over to Vaduz, Liechtenstein. Ate far too much cheese and chocolate and came home with no less than 5kg of chocolates.

There was a couple of visits to the outdoor cinema, first to see Moana with my “adoptive family”! - I have never ever laughed so much in a film that isn’t a comedy, but everyone was wearing earmuffs, so it was fine! Then we went to see Fantastic Beasts and I made the major error of taking the dog. A nuisance to say the least. She tried to pull to eat people’s pizzas, wouldn’t stop whining and ate the people next to us’s packet of turkey slices. One woman looked Nutella in the eye and ‘shushed’, which didn’t make a blind bit of difference BECAUSE SHE’S A DOG. She’s staying home next year. The dog, not the woman.

I took another trip to Manchester to see Maddie & Tae in the Ritz, and they were fantastic. Though the countdown to their next album is killing me! I finished off the month in Hickory’s and a stomach full.

Mam and Dad went on holiday in September so I had two dogs under my supervision, and I got to go ten pin bowling with John. We celebrated his 22nd birthday and had a lot of food, again! We managed to escape the escape rooms in Chester with barely seconds to spare (I’m sure TMO would say we did not succeed!) I also went to a jungle birthday party, ate a lot of cake and had a lot of fun. We even had a karaoke session in the car, though I think the whole of North Wales would have heard the speakers and Little Mix booming - I was not in charge of the music, I hasten to add!

The boring part of the month was buying a new fridge freezer and in October it was delivered. Being an adult is great. Back to what I live for - I saw Little Big Town in Bristol on the 3rd and Lady Antebellum, with Kelsea Ballerini opening in Manchester on the 4th of October. I caught a guitar pick at LBT which is now sitting pretty with my Lady Antebllum and Band Perry picks, and I managed to high five Charles Kelley of Lady A when he was walking through the crowds. October was off to a fantastic start.

The next trip, a couple of weeks later was with choir down to London. I obviously took advantage of the situation and made a weekend of it. I saw Les Mis, Wicked and Lion King in succession. Also this month, one of my neighbours tried to give a fish away.

My final concert of the year was in November when I went back down to Bristol to see Maren Morris. A quick look in the Bristol markets to get some churros was mandatory too. The next concert we go to and don’t get to the front to lean on the security bar will be a massive disappointment, as I genuinely cannot remember the last concert I was not with perfect view with not a head in front of me! I finished off the month the same way I started December - with choir. Two very different, but very fun gatherings. Both involving food, so that is always a winner for me.

There was a lot of snow for a short period of time, but I am proud to say that Nutella is just as excited as me about it, although I did not care for her whining and longing stares out the window at the flurrying outside. We had a fabulous time at Robert’s 50th surprise, which was pulled off spectacularly. But we won’t speak of what happened after!

Pentatonix did another Christmas special, and it is the only thing that makes me feel Christmassy ever! Which leads on nicely to my spur of the moment holiday arrangement. I am far too excited to be going to see Kirstie Maldonado, of Pentatonix, on Broadway in March. I will cry.

I managed to nail next year’s Christmas card picture, so you can all wait with baited breath for next year’s masterpiece!

The final few weeks of the year, I caught up with my favourite family, ate a lot, laughed a lot and will be watching closing out the year watching The Greatest Showman tomorrow.

Looking back, especially at the good times, is always nice. As part of a management programme, a recommendation I’ve been given is to take a photo a day of anything that makes me smile, so I’m going to try and see how it goes and if it makes a difference. Keeping a diary didn’t last very long this year, but a heck of a lot of pictures has built this essay and a half!

Now I’m off to plan my Copenhagen and New York trips as they’ll soon be here.

If you’ve read this far, bravo! And a forewarning, a photo a day in 2018 means you’re all in trouble!

Life in lyrics: “It doesn't matter if your days are long, It doesn't matter if your night's gone wrong, Just grab your hands and stomp your feet and sing it” (Sing, Pentatonix)

[muhtarfezame]

Ritz Bits Churros ~ Weekend Potluck #371