Author: Aditi Malhotra
Marketing & Social Media Consultant | Content Writer & Columnist | Events & Wedding Planner | Award Winning Home Chef | Home Baker | Artist | Photography Enthusiast

The Incredible Benefits of Garlic

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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Garlic is often seen as a delicious staple ingredient, something one has to have in their kitchen. But it’s also seen by many as dispensable. If you don’t happen to have any, or if you can’t be bothered to prepare it, then no big deal. But the addition of more garlic in your diet isn’t just good because of its exquisite and unique flavor; it’s also because garlic is incredibly good for your health. So here’s a productive rant about, well, garlic!

 It’s good for the heart

High blood pressure. Artery hardening. High cholesterol. Coronary heart disease. Blood coagulation. These are all things that are bad for your heart – and guess what food helps fight them all? You know it: garlic. Garlic has been shown in multiple studies to improve the health of your circulatory and respiratory system – you can check out the results of some of these studies at http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/3/736S.full. However, as with any food that’s good for your heart, you’re also going to need to give it some help by getting regular sleep, exercise, and by drinking plenty of water. Sitting around and eating garlic won’t make up for a day spent doing no physical activity.

It’s good for the skin

Garlic is filled with antioxidants. These, of course, are essential for several elements of your health, and you can read more about them at https://www.verywell.com/benefits-of-antioxidants. But they’re especially useful when it comes to promoting skin health! Antioxidants are essential weapons in the battle against the bacteria that can cause skin blemishes. Another reason garlic is so good for the skin is because it has a lot of anti-inflammatory properties! Skin conditions that are affected by inflammation, including acne and psoriasis, can be soothed with the intake of garlic. In fact, many have reported positive effects when rubbing a slice of raw garlic directly onto problem areas…

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Proper preparation

Mincing is often seen to be the easiest way to get garlic into a meal because it softens the sharp flavor really will. But something you should consider that helps protect the good elements of garlic during cooking while giving you a nice chunk of the stuff is adding slices instead of mince. Get yourself a sharp knife – you can read more at http://www.cutitfine.com/utility-knife-reviews/ – and carefully cut some nice slices of garlic. Sauté it over a gentle heat for about thirty seconds before adding the other ingredients.

Going raw?

As with many foods that are often give ‘superfood’ status, many would argue that the best way to get all the benefits of garlic is to eat it raw. Thankfully, there are several ways to do this that don’t involve simply swallowing garlic straight-up, which can be overwhelming to say the least! Again, a really sharp knife will come in handy to get the garlic into more ‘user-friendly’ portions. Putting thin slices of garlic on buttered toast, putting it into guacamole or salsa, stirring it into a cooled pasta sauce, adding them to mashed potatoes… there’s no shortage of ways to introduce raw garlic into your diet without having to deal with the overpowering taste!

Cookout Tips to Impress Your Guests

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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It’s summer, and for a lot of us, summer and barbeque cookouts go hand in hand. If you’re planning lots of outdoor dining experiences this season, why not aim to make your cookouts the best yet?

There are lots of simple cookout tips that can elevate your barbeque from ok to AH-MAZING and make the whole process of barbecuing even easier. If you use even just a few of them, you’ll soon get a reputation as the best barbeque in the neighborhood.

Put the Doritos to Good Use

There’s nothing worse than planning to cook burgers on the Barbie, only to find out that you’ve run out of kindling and you’re all going to go hungry after all. But, if you have some Doritos in the kitchen or any chips for that matter, you will be able to go ahead and flame-grill those burgers because, chips, and especially Doritos, make for excellent barbeque kindling, due to their dryness and their high-fat content.

Coat Your Hands

If you love making burgers, and you know that your homemade patties are the best, but you hate having bits of meat stuck to your hands, simply coat them with either a small amount of cold water, or even better a thin layer of vegetable oil, and you’ll bed able to make enough patties to feeds the whole neighbourhood before your hands become a sticky mess in need of a good wash.

Keep Your Meat Moist

If you want your guests to be amazed when they bite into you burgers because of your patties are so succulent and juicy that they basically melt in the mouth, then you really do need to work at keeping the meat moist. This isn’t always easy when you’re outdoors in the heat. Fortunately, the fix is a simple one – just mix a couple of tablespoons of mayo to each pound of ground meat you use will ensure a moist burger and enhance the flavor.

If you’re cooking your meat medium rare and you want it to be perfectly pink in the middle, you could also add an ice chip in butter to the center of the burger, and that will stop it from getting too hot.

Two Temperatures

One of the best tips I was ever given was to heat the barbeque to two different temperatures, one at each side you can do this by only heating up half of the grill. That way, you can move cooked foods to the cool side to finish off without the risk of them burning.

Make Use of Muffin Trays

Barbeques are nothing without condiments, but what do you do when you don’t have enough condiment dishes to meet your needs? Do you just serve your ketchup and mustards in the bottle? No, you don’t. You serve them up in muffin trays, that’s what you do!

Use two Skewers

Image source(www.personalcreations.com)

If you’re cooking kebabs (and if you aren’t, why not?) Instead of attaching your meats, seafoods and vegetables onto one kebab skewer, use two instead. It stops individual chunks from moving around and getting burnt or unevenly cooked as a result. Just remember to soak your skewers before use if they’re wooden, to avoid setting your lovely food on fire.

Flavor Your Meat with Wood

No, I’m not telling you to add wood chips to your ground beef! But, using wood will add bags of flavor to your burgers and make them stand out from the competition. What you need to do is use planks of wood on the grill instead of metal. They will keep the food safely away from the flames and add a woody, smoky flavor to the food. Different woods have different flavors, so you might want to experiment a bit before you throw a cookout for the whole block, but most people find cherry wood to be very pleasant. If you’re interested, you can buy wooden planks for barbecuing at http://www.outdoorgourmet.com/plank-grilling-cooking/wholesale-grilling-planks.These planks are reusable, so they’ll help you to perfectly flavor your barbeque food for the whole summer and perhaps for many summers beyond

Season with a Salt Block

I’m going to say three words that will change your life – well the barbecuing aspect of it anyway – forever: Himalayan salt block. If you don’t know what Himalayan salt is it’s that pink salt that you often see in whole food stores. Bought in a block, it is hands down one of the best things to cook barbeque food over. Skip, the usual seasoning and just lay your meat down on a salt block over an outdoor stove (gas or electric) and you will be rewarded with the tenders, juiciest most flavorful meat you’ve ever eaten in your life guaranteed.

Lots of Lemons

If you’re having a barbeque, then you most certainly should not forget to pick up some fresh starts at www.Citarella.com/shop/lobsters-shrimp, and when you have that wonderfully fresh seafood delivered to your door, you simply must cook it over lemons. Just slice up a few of the citrus fruits and put them on top of your fish, lobster and shrimps it cooks for an end product that manages to be sweet, smoky and slightly sour all at once. Your guests will be shunning the burgers for the shrimp if you do.

Alternatively, you can make a simple marinade by combining olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic and marinating your seafood in that for a few minutes before cooking.

Spray Some Apple Juice

Apple juice isn’t just for drinking. In fact, it is perfect for barbecuing. If you spray your grill with apple juice every so often, and you do the same to your meat too, it will be browner, more tender and all round more appetizing. It sounds a bit odd, but trust me it works really well.

Brick Your Chick

We all love to eat chicken especially when it has been chargrilled to perfection, but actually cooking chicken on the barbeque can be quite difficult because of its irregular shape. Chicken is rarely the same uniform thickness, and this means that when one part is cooked, the rest might not be or it could be. A very simple hack to solve this problem involves nothing more than a brick and a sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap the brick in foil and use it to press down the chicken until it is one completely even. Then, leave the brick on top of the chicken as you cook it. The meat will be more crispy and tender than any of yore previous efforts.

Make Pizza

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Most people don’t expect to be served up freshly cooked pizza at the cookout. Sure, they might expect to see some pre-cut slices of cold pizza, but fresh, molten hot pizza – that’s something you don’t often see at a barbeque. So, why not exceed your guests’ expectations by serving them up a freshly grilled pizza? It’s really easy to do. Just check out http://ourbestbites.com/2009/06/tutorial-bbq-grilled-pizza/ for instructions. You can thank me for the tip later!

Make Veggie Parcels

Of course, not all of your guests are going to be meat eaters, and even if they are, it’s always good to serve up some veggies to healthy things up a bit, but what to cook? Vegetable parcels, that’s what. They’re so easy that they’ll take up very little of your time and because they’re cooked in foil, there’s no risk of them being contaminated by meat and fish juices.

To create delicious veggie parcels, just chop up and combine mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, corn on the cob, garlic, and sweet potato. Suasion with herbs and salt and toss on the barbeque for between five and ten minutes.

Serve Up Smoked Salt

While you’re grilling up burgers, fish kebabs and sausages on the barbeque, why not use that time to create your own smoked salt too? It tastes amazing, and you can use it to add that smoky barbequed flavor to dishes that have never been anywhere near the grill. All you have to do is light the grill, fill a pan with your favorite salt, and any other herbs you fancy and place the pan directly on the grill. It’s a good idea to use a nice smoky wood like cherry or apple to give the salt the most flavor, but you can use anything you like to get the desired flavor and ensure that you always have a smoky condiment on hand when you have a hankering for barbeque and no time to grill.

Soak Don’t Scrub

The worst thing about hosting a cookout is the clean up that comes afterwards. Luckily, I have the answer to that problem – don’t do it. If you use paper plates and disposable cups, knives, and forks, and you soak your grill in a solution of ammonia once it’s cooled, you’ll hardly have to clean anything up at all, and you can well and truly enjoy your summer evenings!

Are you a grilling or queen? What are your top tips for hosting the best cookout and producing the best barbeque food in the the neighborhood?

 

This TREND is here to stay..!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Trend is the newest entrant at the recently reopened and established Ansal Plaza and this TREND is here to stay for sure. Brought to us by Gundeep Anand, Jaideep Anand, Himanshu and Vidit Gupta who also have brought alive brands like Tamasha and Cafe Dalal Street earlier, this one adds another feather to their cap.

Designed in a chic and classy way, it has a rustic yet modern appeal to it. Its a perfect example of cross bid between fine dining and casual dining. The cuisine is Modern Indian and focuses on the authenticity of flavours inspite of being modern. As discussed with Chef Jiten Shah, the aim of the restaurant is to provide unique foodie experience to their customers but at the same time, they don’t want to create confusions with fusions.

And now after having the food at Trend, I can vouch for it. They truly are serving different food, which you won’t find elsewhere and yet the flavours aren’t overplayed.

Now coming to what I tried and recommend, to begin with we ordered Mutton Vada Pao, Mozzarella Bread Pakoda, 3 Cheese Soufflé in Potato Cup, Chutney Chicken Seekh and Rechad Masala Rawas from the Small Plate Menu and believe you me, each and every item was delicious to the core.

The Mutton Vada Pao, was definitely one of the best I have ever eaten. The mutton inside the pao was done perfectly, it was a minced meat cutlet which was fried and yet it tasted very different, the pao was extremely soft, and for me each bite into it was a  heavenly delight.

The Mozzarella Bread Pakoda, was an amazing modern take on the traditional bread pakoda. It was stuffed with potatoes and had an amazing cheesy filling which made it taste so different and yet appealing to the taste buds. Its a great dish for vegetarians but even the non-vegetarians cannot ignore its goodness.

3 Cheese Soufflé in Potato Cup is an amazing dish and paradise for cheese lovers, just dig into the creamy cheese and balance its taste with roasted potatoes. Blissful.

Rechad Masala Rawas,  crispy fried fish fingers, with the fish marinated in the hot recheado masala, which is a goan special masala. The fish was perfectly done and I loved the presentation too. The Chutney Chicken Seekh also was very different from the regular seekh, it was made of thick mince and the flavours of the chutney really stood out well.

Next we tried Chicken Tikka Trilogy, which comprised of Mustard Based Chicken Tikka, Regular Chicken Tikka and Chicken Malai Tikka, and each one of the varieties of tikka tasted awesome. Though I am not at all fond of mustard flavour, but this mustard tikka was outstanding, the flavour was surely there but wasn’t overpowering at all.

Roti, Chatni, Achar is another very unique dish, which serves an assortment of 3 different types of rotis and an array of chutneys and achars, a great idea indeed. I ordered for the non-veg version which had pre-baked khasta naan, missi roti, masala bread along with chettinad mutton pickle, fig chutney, kingfish pickle, mint chutney and onions. It was an amazing tray of various flavours. I loved the fig chutney the most. This surely is a must try dish.

Mutton Gilawat Croquette was the another dish we ordered, and for me this was the most average , may be because my expectations by now were sky high. It wasn’t bad at all, but personally speaking I did not like much as I found it a little dry for my liking.

For the mains we settle for Dal Makhani served with Chur Chur Naan, Mysore Mutton Thali, Quail Dum Korma and Corn Fed Char Siu Chicken. The Dal and Naan were a perfect combination, with right taste and textures. A typical udupi masala roast mutton served with malabari parantha is a delectable dish and surely a must try. The Quail Dum Korma, needs a special mention as this is one dish you shouldn’t miss at all. Very rich and authentic flavours and soft and tender meat of a quail, what more can one ask for. Siu chicken is perfect to satiate your Asian hunger, its a char chicken glazed with celery root sauce with some sautéed greens and mushrooms and makes for an exciting dish.

Don’t forget to indulge in the desserts, you will love them. I strongly recommend Shahi Tukda and Holy Coconut. Both of them were simply amazing and I won’t spoil the surprises by spilling more details. You really have to try them.

As the place still awaits its liquor licence, make most of the amazing mocktails and drinks available. I recommend Indore Lassi, Tiramisu and Eden Iced Tea. They all were remarkable, but the best was the Indore Lassi, perfectly balanced taste, neither two sweet, and nor too thick, its was yummy and must be tried.

A special mention for the hospitality of the place, from Chef Jiten himself to the entire staff, everyone was extremely friendly and warm. The service was upto the mark and like I said the taste of food and presentation is of superlative quality. You should definitely pay a visit soon.

Trend Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

A Wedding Guide For The Groom

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Most weddings seem to be all about the bride, and while this is typically the case in a lot of weddings, the role of the groom should not be underestimated. First of all, you’re one of the key players in the ceremony and were probably the one who popped the question in the first place. When you are the groom in a wedding, it can be a little bit, or indeed, extremely overwhelming, with a hundred things going on

Photo source- Pexels

Get Suited and Booted

Let’s be honest, all eyes are going to be on the bride’s dress during the wedding, but you’ll also want to be looking your best. There will be photos of this day which will be seen by family and friends in years to come. Smelling good, using good skincare products, and having a well cut suit is imperative. When you’re busy planning, however, and need to do 101 other things as well as getting a suit, you’ll want to sort out your wedding outfit as quickly as possible. Make sure you don’t compromise on style or quality and take a look at tailors and suit makers that offer bespoke suits to stand out at your wedding. This is one day that you need to stand out and be stylish and smart. Your suit also needs to convey your individual style, which is why it is worth spending time looking for the suit that you feel comfortable in.

Give The Bride The Morning

It is so important for the bride to have enough time to get ready in peace and quiet, most likely with her bridesmaids and close family, before the wedding takes place. She’ll probably have been stressing out in the lead up to the wedding and will want to sit back and take everything in on the actual day itself. Tradition dictates that the groom and bride shouldn’t see each other on the morning of the wedding, which, tradition aside, is a good thing because it means that the bride can take a breather and enjoy getting ready with her friends and family.

Take the pressure off of your bride to be, and make sure you organise last minute details, for the morning of the wedding. This might mean transporting the cake to the venue, sorting out the layout of the tables and any last minute seating arrangements. But do make sure you have enough time to take a seat and get ready with your groomsmen without rushing!

Don’t Have Your Stag Do The Night Before

Whatever you do, don’t have your stag do the night before! While the night before the wedding was traditionally when people would have their stag do, people are now rejecting this tradition for good reason. Having a wild night right before your wedding can lead to all kinds of disasters, the lesser of which could involve you having a thumping headache the day of your wedding, but could also mean you missing your day entirely! Take this tip, and plan your stag do for the week before and give yourself plenty of time to recover!

 

 

 

Monsoon Mania at Chaayos

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Chaayos has been my all time favourite place, it has such a cool and amazing vibes that I love spending time with family and friends, catching up over a cup of tea and some lip smacking snacks. Also I love the fact about Chaayos that they keep experimenting with their menu, and hence every visit is full of a surprise. New items are kept added to keep the monotonous away whereas the hot selling dishes are always retained.

Over the weekend, I went on to explore the current rage, the Monsoon Special Menu and it was totally worth it. The new dishes added in the menu are apt with the theme and each one of the items taste awesome. You will have a tough time choosing which to have and which to let go, I suggest go with a bigger group of friends and get your hands on everything 🙂

Bund Samosa, a very typical old Delhi charm and a popular street food that finds it place even in homes especially during monsoons. Yes we may not typically have samosa in a bun, but samosa wrapped in bread slices is a common thing. Here at Chaayos, the same home like flavours were beautifully crafted in a soft bun stuffed with a crisp samosa and dollops of chutneys and it surely made for a delightful preparation.

Masala Kulcha with Kulhad Chicken was another amazing preparation, loved the presentation and also the taste. The kulchas seemed freshly prepared and were really soft, the chicken masala was a well cooked, loved the thick tomato gravy.

How can one not have pakodas with tea and that too on a rainy evening, or afternoon, or any time of the day for that matter, the pakodas platter at Chaayos is just amazing. Loaded with Kanda Bhajiyas, Paneer Pakodas and Mirch Pakoda, its a true monsoon delight which you can’t afford to miss.

The other two things that I totally got bowled over by were, Loaded Chicken Open Parantha and Kadhai Chicken Sandwich, both these dishes were remarkable. The open parantha was absolutely delicious and I regret not having it more. I really could have digged in for a couple of pieces more, but nevertheless, now I know what i have to go back here for. Words can’t justify this dish and hence you have to go and figure out for yourself, if you don’t eat it, you surely are missing something.

The Kadhai Chicken Sandwich was a unique preparation where in kadhai chicken was stuffed in soft bun bread and this one again is worth relishing with a cup of tea of your choice.

You must try their Shahi Chai, which is a special monsoon edition, its not like a regular tea, in fact its a thick custard like version of tea made with condensed milk, and can be enjoyed like a dessert after the savouries.

Also don’t forget to indulge in some piping hot Jalebis, crisp, tiny jalebies served in a kulhad are worth every calorie.

My love for this place can only keep increasing, so all I can say is, just got for it and experience it for yourself.

Grow Old Healthily, Not Just Gracefully

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-near-grass-lawn-during-daytime-192530/

When it comes to aging, we all want to make sure that we handle it well. Not only do we want to make sure that we feel as good as we can, but we often want to look it too. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. You’ve got to look after the skin you’re in if you want it to stand the test of time. And that means starting now. In order to age well, and that means healthily and not just gracefully, you’ve got to start doing things that are going to help you as you age – both inside and out.

Stay Active

Firstly, you’re going to want to make sure that you stay active. Even if you’re young now, be sure to keep up your exercise and stay that way until you physically can’t. When you start to get lax, your body knows. A lot of older people find that they’re unable to do things because they’ve stopped being as active. Therefore, their muscles find it hard to start again. But, if you keep your body agile, it should serve you well.

Stay Out Of The Sun

If you’re worried about the visible signs of aging, you’re going to want to avoid the sun as much as possible. Of course, you’re going to want to get a healthy dose of vitamin D, but be sure to wear sunscreen and avoid midday sun. That way, you can avoid drastic procedures, or opt for just an upper face lift if you do need it later in life, rather than having to undone too much damage. The sun is a huge cause of premature aging, so remember that prevention is better than cure.

Get Your Omegas In

You should also make sure that you’re caring for your joints. We all know that they can cause you problems later on in life, so you should do what you can to care for them now. These tips on healthy joints should help you, but also remember to get your Omegas in. Whether you eat more oily fish or choose to take supplements, it’s just one way that you can keep your joints supple and healthy for longer.

Keep Your Mind Calm

But aging is also about your mind and not just your body. Although some things can’t be avoided, you should aim to keep yourself as calm and as stress-free as possible throughout your life. It’s not always something you can start to implement yourself, so be sure to look into ways that you can calm an anxious mind. Exercises will often help you to gain better mental clarity and enjoy a happier and healthier life because of it.

Avoid Toxins

And finally, you should try to make a conscious effort to avoid toxins is you want to age healthily and gracefully. You may not realize it, but the chemicals caused by stress, found in some foods, and even in your beauty products can be bad for your health and even bring on early signs of aging. But, by doing what you can to avoid them, you’ll be helping your easy aging process.

 

 

The Latest Jewelry Trends For 2017

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Staying on top of fashion trends is the only way to make sure that you don’t fall out of style. Knowing what’s in and what’s out can help you avoid making any embarrassing fashion faux pa’s but a lot of people forget about the smaller details. Accessories are what make or break an outfit so if you get them wrong you can ruin a perfectly good outfit in seconds. One trend that people often neglect is jewelry. There are some pieces that will always be in style but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that this is true of all of it. Certain things that might have been fashionable last year are completely out by now so you have to be careful. If you aren’t up to date, have a look at these recent jewelry trends.

Rose Gold

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Rose gold has been a part of the fashion world for a while but at the moment, the color is very popular when it comes to jewelry. It’s a great way to introduce some pretty pink things into your outfit without going overboard with incredibly bright shades of pink on your clothes that might be a bit too much. It’s also a popular choice for lots of other accessories so match your new rose gold earrings with a phone case or a necklace to top off the look. It’s also becoming a popular choice for wedding rings because it’s more interesting than standard gold.

Bold Necklaces

The past few years have seen a massive focus on smaller, choker style necklaces but that’s starting to change this season. Instead, people are going for much larger, bold necklaces that really make a statement. Thick chains with a large stone on are much more fashionable than a thin, shorter necklace. Anything that is art deco inspired is especially good as this is what most of the people in the industry are choosing.

Large Earrings

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The view that bigger is better is not just confined to necklaces, it’s also directing the style of earrings that people are wearing this year. Nobody is wearing small studs at the moment, they’re going for huge earrings instead. Anything that uses interesting shapes and materials is a winner.

Single Earrings

As well as big earrings, people are also deciding to wear just the one. It’s a pretty out there move, but if you choose the right style, it can really work. If you’re going to go for the single earring look, make sure it’s something oversized that makes it clear that it’s a choice. If you wear a single small earring, people will just think one has fallen out.

Minerals

Uncut minerals used to be something that people had as an ornament on the shelf but nowadays they’re being used for jewelry as well. Bold necklaces with large sections of uncut mineral on then are really in style at the moment. Healing crystals have also made a big impact at some fashion shows recently.

Crucifixes

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The crucifix is a jewelry item that’s always coming in and out of fashion for both men and women. It hasn’t been in for a few years but now it’s back. The traditional crucifix won’t quite cut it though. Find something a bit bigger with plenty of color on it and you’re sure to impress.

 

 

 

 

Essential Guide To Camping For Camping-Haters

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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Camping is a lot like Marmite. A lot like Marmite. It’s not that you either love it or absolutely loathe it, for those that absolutely loathe it, it’s also the fact you can’t comprehend what there is to like about it. Sleeping is uncomfortable, eating is a challenge, it’s either too hot or too cold and then there is the bathroom situation which, in a nutshell, is not ideal.

Despite all this, we are firmly in the love camp. However, we do sympathise with those that aren’t. We get it. However, it is one of the best ways to get some me time. That is why we have come up with a list of tips and tricks and bits of advice to help you get an enjoyable experience out of it the next time your friends or family convince you to attend such a thing.

Think of this as the essential guide to camping for camp-haters:

Image source

Entertainment Is Essential

One of the reasons why camp-haters detest camping so much is because they miss their creature comforts, which is where entertainment can really help. Bring with you a tablet or a laptop that has a long battery life, such as those new Asus computers, and a bunch of your favourite films too. There is nothing to say you can’t do this. Yes, if you are true camper then you’re going to find this suggest abhorrent, but who cares. You don’t see the chef at a restaurant come out and tell you off putting salt on the meal they’ve just cooked to perfection, and that is because it is a matter of preference. Sam goes here.

Food You Love

It is a big turn off for most camping-haters, which is fair enough. One-pot meals just aren’t to everyone’s fancy. Luckily, it doesn’t say you have to eat stewed roadkill just because you are camping. That’s why we recommend you pack a cooler full of your favourite foods, bring a portable grill with some pans and utensils and cook the foods you like. Want bacon and eggs in the morning instead of cereal bar, then indulge that, especially if it will make your experience more enjoyable.

Image source

Doesn’t Have To Be In-Tents

Just because you are camping, it doesn’t have to mean sleeping in a tent that leaks wind and water and creepy crawlies. You can go with something that is a little more aligned with glamping. Teepees, hammocks, bell tents, campervans with an awning, even a cabin; all of these are totally acceptable, and all of these offer way more space and protection. We’ve seen people with bell tents that have got double beds and sofas in them. Now that’s the life, right there.

Best Bathroom Ever

If you can find a way to enjoy the bathroom experience a bit more then you’ll probably start enjoying the whole camping thing a bit more too. That’s just hard when you have to dig a whole fifteen metres away from your base. However, there are ways to overcome this. First off, take a portable camping toilet with you, and do exactly the same as you do at home, just with a far better view. As for the shower, just grab yourself a solar powered shower with a privacy cubicle and all, which will allow you to enjoy a long warm shower in any secluded spot you fancy.

 

Getting Involved in Cycling To Pedal The Pounds Away

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

It’s difficult to make a lifestyle change, especially one which hurts you in order for you to start getting better. Millions of people around the world say ‘this is the year is the year I start getting serious about my fitness.’ However, many fall short, and many don’t even begin their journey. The first hurdle individuals have to jump over is the fact that they will undoubtedly look like an amateur. Many also feel incredibly self-conscious of how they look. Lots of people just want to hide from sight, so they don’t feel like they’re judged. Obviously, an embarrassment of one’s own body keeps people from changing and remaining in a sedimentary and introverted lifestyle. However, there are sports which you can take part in, exercise for and do so in your own time. The key is to take is steady, because slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

Image by – Ben_Kerckx

Why cycling?

Cycling is a great sport to burn fat because you’re literally moving your entire body weight, and bike’s and you’re pushing against the forces of nature. Cycling is one of those sports that cuts directly to the bone and goes for the jugular regarding fat loss. It attacks your body mass index, and extra pounds you’re carrying. This is achieved because when you cycle, you’re in a concentrated posture that mimics that of squatting. The largest muscles in your body, the quadriceps are then forced into action, along with your calves. Research has shown that a waistline of over 35 inches for women puts them at serious risk of heart disease. So when your legs are working extremely hard, the fat on your thighs, waist, and stomach are the first to feel the burn.

Photo credit – Jeremy Jenum

Modern equipment

First thing’s first, you could start cycling at the gym, but if you wouldn’t feel comfortable with people looking at you, perhaps the au naturel route is better for you. You’ll need information on equipment because the sport requires you to be careful of what you’re getting on and what you’re wearing. A versatile road bike, with a smooth frame that absorbs bumps in the street, is the best option. Modern bikes have over 20 gears, which can behave like your marker in a way. If you’re a novice, start on a higher gear, and work your way down. To get the best out of your bike, it needs to last. Read up on how to maintain your bike, so any problems can be attended to before they start to impact your bike. Certain guides will give you information on how to grease your chain, so if you’ve been riding in rain or through mud, the mechanism doesn’t start to lock up and erode. You’ll also get proper information about tyres pressure for different surfaces, which could potentially save you from a nasty fall.

Health and safety first

Before jumping into the sport, you need to make sure you’re in no danger of getting seriously hurt. The proper, bubble spot grip gloves will allow you to grip the handlebars no matter how fast you’re going and how rough the road is. It goes without saying that a rigid bike helmet is imperative to protect your skull should you fall off or be involved in an accident. Adults don’t have to, but knee pads would also be a great way to protect vulnerable joints.

 

 

 

5 Iconic Whisky Cocktails

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

While some whisky lovers will tell you that it is a drink that has been designed to be enjoyed on its own, there is no doubt that it makes some pretty fine cocktails as well. So, here we will have a quick look through some of the finest ones that you can enjoy. The beauty is that a lot of these are very simple to make as well, so if you are not an experienced mixologist, you are in luck!

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A lot of whisky cocktails involve a simple syrup. Essentially all you need to do is put equal parts water and white sugar over a medium-heat saucepan, remove it from the heat when the sugar has dissolved and allow it to cool. Which whisky you use depends on your taste, so you may be a Jim Beam fan or you could take a look at a kikori whisky review for something different. So, let’s move onto those cocktails.

The Manhattan

Probably the most iconic of them all, Manhattans have been enjoyed for years by many iconic people and characters. The classic way to serve it is to strain it into a cocktail glass with a Maraschino cherry. Your other ingredients are vermouth, bitters, the simple syrup we talked about earlier and lemon peel.

Old Fashioned

 

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There is something especially great about going up to a bar and ordering an Old Fashioned and it is a cocktail that even many whisky purists enjoy from time to time. It is traditionally served in a short tumbler glass. You will need bitters again as well as the simple syrup, but you will also serve it with ice cubes and some orange peel to garnish. Squeeze the peel to release the oil to drop into the drink.

Hot Toddy

Though it may not be the right time of year right now to be enjoying one of these, there is nothing like a Hot Toddy during the cold winter months. Originally it was a drink that was designed to cure a whole range of illnesses, though it is not medically prescribed today! As well as your whisky of choice, you will need honey, cloves, nutmeg and lemon to garnish. Place the ingredients in a mug and pour in some hot water while stirring everything together.

Whisky Sour

The one thing that puts people off this particular cocktail is the frothy raw egg white, so you need to make sure you find the freshest eggs before serving up this particular cocktail. You will need lemon juice and your trusty simple syrup as well as your whisky and egg white. Shake everything vigorously before serving and serve in a glass of your choice.

John Collins

Though this is only a subtle variation on the Whisky Sour, the club soda that you add to the previous ingredients already listed above give it a different sort of edge. If you aren’t sure which one you prefer, it is worth giving both a go side by side!