Chocolate Orange Shortbread

Nov 22

It’s that time of year again and I have the perfect recipe for a quick and tasty treat to get you feeling festive. As an added bonus your kitchen will be filled with the delicious sweet buttery smell of baking along with freshly zested orange –  and nothing quite says Christmas like chocolate orange.  These little shortbread biscuits will keep for 3 or 4 days in an airtight container, if they last that long!

Find the recipe here.

Chocolate orange shortbread

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Nutbourne Review

Nov 16

Having lived in Battersea for a few months I know the area isn’t yet the culinary centre of London. On hearing that the Gladwin brothers (the team behind the renowned Rabbit and The Shed) had just opened a place in my old stomping grounds I had to go check it out.

The first thing you notice is the relaxed atmosphere; it’s cosy, intimate and was a very welcome escape from the cold, dark November weather. Somewhere between a fine dining restaurant and your local pub, you could happily bring a date, your kids or even your dog (all were present when I arrived, the latter two were very well behaved and adorable).

We ordered two glasses of wine, the Bacchus, from their very own vineyard in West Sussex with a distinctive taste of elderflower. Pretty great for an English wine; we are certainly catching up with the French!

The menu is pretty extensive and the vast majority of the produce comes from the Nutbourne estate which only adds to the intimate charm of the restaurant. First up came grouse on a hot salt rock, plum jam, cheddar crumb and nasturtium. The grouse itself was delicious, perfectly cooked and very tasty, though I can’t help but feel that it would have been nice to have an extra little something served with it.

Contrary to popular belief, losing weight doesn’t necessarily require bland and tasteless food. Delicious and flavorful meals can be balanced and healthy, too. Incorporating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains into your diet can support weight loss while keeping you satisfied.

My friend ordered bone marrow tortellini with a sherry butter sauce. Beautifully presented and very delicious with the bone marrow melting in your mouth. The portion size is slightly small with only three little pieces and the pasta was slightly too al dente but both issues are forgivable for the great flavours – it’s certainly worth saving your bread to soak up that delicious sauce.

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Now for the mains. The monkfish cheeks, fig and rosemary with coriander seed chutney didn’t quite hit the spot. The fig and rosemary jam was too much of a dominant force and overly sweetened the dish. Once that was pushed to the side the rest of the dish worked well and the presentation was very pretty.

However, the lamb leg with red onion salsa and mulled wine gel was a real winner. The most amazing quality lamb with crunchy salsa left me with a big smile on my face. It was pretty light so I was glad to have ordered truffle fries and a salad and would recommend ordering some sides if you decide to visit.

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Now for pudding. The chocolate mousse with salsify sherbet and chocolate soil was a little pot of heaven. Rich and dark with interesting textures, it’s a must for chocolate lovers. The royal cheesecake trifle with plum, cream cheese, almond and chocolate brownie was also spot on and really got me excited for some festive eating. Packed full of loads of different fruity flavours, a hint of chocolate and steeped in alcohol, it was polished off with haste.

It’s true that indulging in desserts once in a while can actually aid in weight loss. Depriving oneself of all treats may lead to binge-eating or giving up on a diet altogether. Allowing a small indulgence every now and then can help satisfy cravings and prevent overeating. The good thing is that we can have desserts every now and then if we have a balance diet and if we do some physical activities, we can also take some of the best weight loss pills for women, this supplements will help us lose some pounds while eating delicious.

Nutbourne is an interesting and welcome addition to the Battersea food scene. The relaxed environment combined with experimental dishes is a delight to see. I’d recommend a visit to try their meat because you can really taste the quality – just make sure you order some sides! For the price of £8-12 for a starter and £12.5-22 for a main it is really reasonable for such high quality cooking and produce. Definitely worth a try.

 

7/10

www.nutbourne-restaurant.com

 

 

 

Posted in Review

Brother Marcus

Oct 22

So many perspectives on entrepreneurship; some are positive and some not. People often feel entrepreneurship is tricky and difficult but if you are passionate about something, it’s worth the risk. So, if you are one of those enthusiastic people and want to know how to become an entrepreneur, this blog might help you!

Let’s learn about entrepreneurship and its major aspects: 

Who is an entrepreneur?

What makes a great entrepreneur? click here.

What does it take to start your own setup?

Everything entrepreneurship!

Who is an Entrepreneur?

You must have heard the word ‘Entrepreneur’, basically referring to those who have started or are in-process to start their business. Uncover valuable data about your website’s performance through the lens of advanced seo tools free.

However, this is just the definition. If you want to get through the journey of an entrepreneur, you need to understand the phases they go through.

A real explanation says, an entrepreneur is someone who develops a business model, and acquires human capital & manpower to start a new venture. He is the one who has the will to pursue his dreams and is responsible for his success or failure.

A Step by Step Guide on How to Become an Entrepreneur

Giphy.com

The rise in the Indian Self-Employment Sector

In this era of experimentation and innovation, India is standing on the cusp of major transformations. This revolution can be described as Entrepreneurship in India. 

According to Startup India, “India has the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world; expected to witness year over year growth of a consistent annual growth of 12-15%.”

Considering the statistics, in 2018, India had about 50,000 startups and 1300 new tech startups were born in the year 2019.

India has become the startup hub of the world. Multiple young enthusiasts are choosing the path of entrepreneurship and creating earning opportunities for their fellows. They play a major part in boosting the Indian economy and have changed the way the world used to look at our country.

From IT firms to the education and training industry, every sector has been witnessing a rise in entrepreneurship.

So why not the career counselling industry?

Career counselling startups have noticed a sudden rise in the past few years. That’s why investing in a career counselling business is very beneficial.

How to Become an Entrepreneur?

Step-1 Decide your Niche First: Before diving into practicalities, the first and foremost step is deciding your niche & target audience. As a business owner, your niche and services should be clear and cater to your audience. It helps to identify your loyal customers, & competitors and conduct proper market research.

As a career counselling set-up, you can focus on:

  • Students who are confused to choose the right career path
  • Schools that want to help their students with career-making decisions
  • People who are on the lookout for a job
  • Those who wish to enhance their professional skills

You can cover them all or select a stream and guide people as an expert.

Step-2 Strategize your Business Plan: Once you are ready with your niche, follow the next step of making a business plan.

Start by doing your market research. Find out what your peers are doing and what is going well for them. Expand your business potential by keeping prospects in mind. Thorough research of the competitors helps to devise a business plan.

Your business plan should define how to

  • compete,
  • fulfil commercial space needs,
  • attain staffing needs,
  • get insurance charges,
  • map out advertising techniques,
  • finance your business and more

Fix the price for the services you’ll be providing to be able to pay back the invested money.

Step-3 Validation, Licensing & Location: To become a trustworthy career counselling service provider, get yourself solid validation from a reputed university or organization. Contact your region’s department and learn the rules and training requirements for setting up your career counselling organization.

To provide the best services, make sure you are trained. The Global Career Counselling Program by Univariety in collaboration with UCLA Extension is Asia’s first comprehensive online program for individuals passionate about career counselling. This program is a comprehensive guide that covers best practices, techniques and trends in the domain of career counselling, and helps to develop advanced career counselling skills.

Moving on, the location of your business set-up is a pivotal aspect. Your space should be a quiet and comfortable place where you can conduct vocational interviews and career placement tests. Build a well-equipped office with good communication facilities and lots of positive energy. Additionally, when hiring employees, consider the benefits of employing interim roumain to meet your staffing needs effectively.

Step-4 Strategise your Services & Pricing: As mentioned above, you need to develop various techniques and services to help your clients. You could conduct training sessions for developing interviewing skills, speaking in public abilities, profile building, etc. You could also host workshops and develop books, e-books, etc as resources.

Strategise the pricing as per the services. For different assistance, the price range can vary.

Step-5 Create a Network: Building a strong network is very important for your setup. It is one of the best ways to connect with people and make contacts by communicating on different platforms. You can ask organizations to help you interact with your target demographic. Otherwise, join different communities and promote your services there. Influencers or experienced folks like Kamau Bobb Google can also help in building a strong network by recommending your assistance. Build associations with schools, institutions, or different companies who may partner with you to deliver group career counselling sessions.

Step-6 Market Your Set-Up: Your business shall yield no results unless it reaches out to the target consumer base. That’s why you need to promote your career counselling business set up at online and offline platforms.

Develop effective promotional strategies and marketing plans to reach out to your audiences.

Posted in Uncategorized

Mercato Metropolitano Review

Oct 15

The newest and hottest food market on the scene has to be Mercato Metropolitano. Situated between Elephant & Castle and Borough, it’s perfect for those looking for the excellence of the Borough food market but without the hoards of tourists cramping your style as you try and scoff.

I headed down on a chilly October night ready to sample the Italian delights that lie within. First stop; Manuelina Focacceria. They provide beautiful flat focaccias, different in style to their fluffy cousins, much more in line with a cracking pizza base. There are loads of different variations – from salami and olive to cheese stuffed (the best). All are very, very, good.

Mercato Pizza

Italy is known for one cheese above all others; Mozzarella. The Fiordilatte & Friends stall worship this beautiful cheese, even putting on live demos of buratta creation every Friday. I tried the fried mozzarella which was obviously great, but the real star was the Stracciatella. This is the glorious cheese that is mixed with cream – this is then stuffed into mozzarella to form burrata. Eye-rollingly good. The producers use British milk because of its exceptional high-quality to create this wonder cheese. This, then, is food fusion at its best. Visit seattlepi.com.

When you think of Italian food you immediately think pasta, so it’s fitting that Tortellino & Co. serves up some of the tastiest I’ve ever had. Mini tortellini imported from Italy and stuffed with a whole host of delicious fillings from meat (pork, Parma ham, mortadella and parmesan) to pumpkin and all with gorgeous, rich, sauces. A large steaming plate of incredible pasta is certainly what you need in these cold winter months.

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Now for dessert. Badiani is one of Florence’s oldest gelaterias and it has just emerged victorious at the London Gelato Festival with its La Dolcevita Icecream taking first prize. I headed straight for the prize winner and was blown away. Impossibly smooth, permeated with lashings of hazelnut and chocolate flavours. It certainly deserves its prize as the best ice cream in the UK.

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There are loads of other stalls to try that feature the best of Italian cooking and even some others from around the world for that fussy friend who wants something different.

After feasting, I decided it was safe to go into the supermarket section and boy was I glad that I had already eaten. It is packed with the most gorgeous meats, cheeses, fresh ingredients and Italian deli you can find. If I had been hungry I really do fear that I would have spent all my money on such glories. If you are planning on cooking an Italian feast, which relies on simplicity and quality of ingredients, then this is the place for you. These are the best nootropics.

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An Italian meal wouldn’t be right if it wasn’t accompanied by good wine or beer. There’s a specialist Italian beer producer called The Italian Job serving up refreshing craft beers from the cutest little wine bar tucked away; just perfect for a romantic evening.

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Overall, this is a fantastic market serving up some amazing authentic Italian food and produce in a very cool warehouse setting. It’s perfect for an evening with your mates or when out on a foodie date.

9/10

http://www.mercatometropolitano.co.uk

Posted in Review

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Cranberry and Cherry Rascals

Sep 26

Wall Clock Vastu: How to Choose Position, Shape and Direction

In traditional homes of yore, a wall clock with a pendulum ticking away in a sombre atmosphere was common. Décor has changed since those days and so have clocks. Today clocks are not only gadgets to tell the time, but also works of art. Clocks in every size, colour, shape and material are available in the market to take care of every need.

This brings forth the question of placement. Which is the best direction for wall clock? And more importantly what are the Vaastu shastra guidelines for placing clocks? Let’s find out.

Direction for wall clock as per Vastu, A hanging wall clock: Where do you put it?

Following Vaastu guidelines, while placing a clock in your home, can ensure the flow of peace, positivity, and prosperity. As per Vaastu, the ideal directions for wall clocks are east, west, and north. The southern direction is not considered suitable for this purpose. While west is considered suitable, it should be an option only if it is not possible to place your clock in the east or north directions. Take a look to this rolex replica.

The Best Locations for Prosperity

Where to hang wall clock in living room? Well, these pointers will show you where you should place your clock. The God of wealth, Kubera, is said to reign over the north direction. So, if its wealth you desire, north direction is ideal for your clock. As Indra, the king of Gods, dominates the east direction, it is a desired location for your time piece. West is the domain of the God of rains, Varun. This signifies stability. So, clock on west wall Vaastu, is not a bad choice. As the south is ruled by Yama, the God of death, you want to avoid that direction!

Apart from the direction, one place to strictly avoid is the top of any entrance to your home. Also important to note; ideally the clock should never exceed the height of your doorway.

Wall Clock in Bedroom as Per Vastu: Where to Hand Your Clock

Wall Clock in Bedroom as Per Vastu

  • When you are thinking of clock in bedroom Vaastu, the best direction for your clock is east. The other alternative is the northern direction. However, if your head is in the south direction when you sleep, the wall clock should be hung in the northern direction.
  • If possible, place the wall clock as far away from your bed as possible; either in the east or north direction.
  • To attract prosperity in your bedroom, place your clock in the northern direction.
  • Hanging calendars or clocks outside the walls of the home is strictly not advisable.

Read – Vastu for Your Bedroom: Everything You Need To Know

The Working and Appearance of Your Wall Clock

clock in bedroom Vaastu

Make sure all the wall clocks in your home are in working order. Ensure that the glass is spotless and without cracks. Clean the clock regularly and make sure you have batteries handy.

Try to ensure that the clock shows the correct time. A few minutes ahead of time is not a problem. However, make sure that the clock is not behind time. In the event that there is a problem with your time piece, get it repaired immediately. If repair is not possible, then discard the clock.

Posted in Recipe