Halloweeeeeeen!

Hey everyone!  So can you believe it's Halloweeeeeeee?  My best friend and I were just discussing: why does June, July & August dragggg on...and yet September & October (and I'm SURE November & December) just flyyyyy by???  Crazy how fast time flies when you're havin funJ

So speaking of time flying...we got a bit of a 'fast forwards' on the seasons this weekend.  As I'm sure you've heard (OR WITNESSED if you're from the northeast!) we had a surprise snowstorm on Saturday!  I never thought I'd see the day where we had a "White HALLOWEEN"J hehehehehehehe....

I thought it was WAY too soon for "snow on my neighbors roof Sunday"J

So a warm & cozy breakfast was certainly in orderJ  And as much as I'd like to say that I went with my original plan and made Amee's awesome-looking pumpkin bread recipe from scratch...alas, this is the Trader Joe's boxed variety.  I must say...it's none too shabby, esp. when it only takes 3 minutes to throw together and into the oven.... 

OK, OK...so I didn't even throw it together...Scott didJ  But it was QUITE a lovely scent to wake up too!

And our warm & cozy theme extended allll the way to dinner.  Also involved in dinner??  MORE PUMPKIN in this "Autumn Golden Vegetable" Lasagna...

And what made this dinner go from 'a headache' to 'a hurry'??  Swapping out the noodles for these:

Now if you're going out of your way to make a "classic lasagna"...please, do not go this route (my Grandmother would want me to tell you this!), but as a skeptic, I must say that this swap was NOT bad at all!  You really couldn't tell THAT much of a difference, PLUS it cooks in about 1/2 the time.  Not a bad advantage??

First you start out by cooking up 2 cups of butternut squash in 1 cup of water until they are soft (about 13 minutes)...

While the squash is cooking, you can work on the white sauce...

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and add 4 diced shallots.  Cook until the shallots are translucent.  Next, whisk in 1/4 cup of flour and cook for 2 minutes before whisking in 2 cups of milk.  Bring to a boil and continuing whisking constantly until the sauce thickens (about 2-5 minutes).  Remove from heat and stir in about 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper to taste.

And finally, combine your last layer:  1 (15 oz. can) pumpkin puree with 1 egg....

After your butternut squash is cooked, line up all of your layers and get to work!

Spray an 8 inch square pan (or 2 loaf pans if you don't have an 8 inch pan like us!J) with nonstick cooking spray, a layer of white sauce and enough eggroll wrappers to coat the bottom of the pan (after dipping the wrappers in water to rinse off the starch).  Next, layer up the lasagna with a layer of pumpkin and then a layer of shredded cheese (we used Gouda and it was sooo good!)

Next up...another layer of wrappers, a cup of white sauce and a layer of butternut squash...

...and then repeat all of the layers, ending with a layer of noodles and white sauce. Cover & bake for 30 minutes at 400. Lastly, remove the foil, top with remaining gouda cheese & bake until bubbly (about 10 minutes.)  Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing (this lets all the layers 'firm up'.)

And wallah....Easy & SUPER SEASONAL veggie lasagna!  It was amazing how much flavor was in this dish when combining the pumpkin, squash, gouda cheese & Parmesan tinged white sauce.  Delectable & simple.  We'll definitely have this again!

Oh!  And since it's Monday, I thought I'd share my workout schedule from last weekJ  I'm pretty proud since it had been a BIT slow going since our return from our trip, but nearly everyday last week I jumped out of bed excited to get a workout inJ  (We'll see what THIS week bringsJ)

Sunday:   45 minutes park walk

Monday:  30 minutes dance & weights + 45 minute walk

Tuesday:  45 minute "Power Squad yoga"  (my arms felt like they were going to break off for DAYS!)

Wednesday:  2 mile "Walk away the pounds" + 45 minute walk

Thursday:  30 minute "Prenatal" yoga (wayyyy harder than I expected!) + weights

Friday:  45 minute walk

So hope you guys have a fun HALLOWEEN night!  We'll be enjoying ours with our "traditional dinner" (more about that tomorrow!) and probably handing out candy to the 6 kids that show up at our doorJ hahahhahahahaa...have a good night!

BOO!

Jetsetting on a Shoe String:)

Hey everyone!  So I've been writing this blog post in my head since we've been in Italy in an attempt to share the ways we manage to skimp and save on ALL of our trips.  Traveling can be a HUGE expense, but it's WORTH it to seek out the ways to slash those budgets (bonus: you get to travel moreJ)  So here are a few notoriously costly categories that we try to slash so that YOU can "jet set on a shoe string!"J

Airfare: 

1. If you don't have a specific destination in mind (and sometimes that's 1/2 the fun!), I HIGHLY recommend signing up for sites like Travelzoo, Sherman Travel & Kayak so you can get an idea of what locations are "trending lower" and when.  (it's how we ended up in Paris & San FranciscoJ)  They also give you a good idea of how much you should be spending on a certain locations.  (Vegas??  You can pull MAJOR bargains.  South Africa??  Not so muchJ)
2. If you have a specific location in mind (and it runs on the higher side, much like Italy) all I can say is RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!!!  It took me over a month of searching to find a price I was comfortable with spending (and about $700 cheaper than the FIRST price I saw!).  You have a HUGE advantage if flexibility is on your side.  You will find your best deals by searching various months, days of the week & times of day.  I can't even TELL you how many times I've seen locations go from "WHO CAN AFFORD THAT??" to "OH!  That's do-able!" just by changing a fly out day from a Fri/Sat to a Mon/Tues. 
3. Check if there are several accessible airports in your location or where you are headed.  We are lucky to have 4 major airport hubs in our area and for our trip to Italy, we were able to save about $500 by taking a flight out of JFK instead of closer Newark.  Yeah....it's a haul, but keep that savings in the back of your mind and you'll be jussst fineJ hahahhahahahha  (plus BONUS: by taking public transportation to the airport, you save big on a weeks worth of parking!  A HUGE savings!)

   

Hotels:

1. Again, research is KEY here.  Not only in seeing the standard costs of where you are staying, but reading reviews on sites like TripAdvisor & Booking.com will make sure your savings are worth it!  Make sure your hotel has what you want/need and THEN look at the price!  For me, the key words that I look for are: CLEAN, quiet neighborhood (cause if I'm only using the room to sleep, I want to be able to do just thatJ) and easy access to where we want to go and THEN I try to find all of those at the best price.  Knock on wood...it hasn't failed me yet and the savings can be as great as 60%!
2. Location and public transportation can help play a huge role.  For whatever reason, I wanted to be more central when we visited Rome, but you can find huge savings by NOT needing that room with the view of the Eiffel Tower or across the street from the Trevi Fountain.  If you spend a LOT of time in your hotel, maybe this tip doesn't apply to you...but if you're like us and are in that room to sleep & shower with the entire city to spread out in, then here's another place you can save big.  If you do not have a rental car (which I don't recommend in a huge city ANYWAY...there's NEVER parking and if there is, that's more $$) and you are in a city with a great public transportation system:  get acquainted!  Our VERY CHEAP hotel in Paris was just outside of the city...BUT had a metro line across the street from our hotel that could get you ANYWHERE in the city within 15 minutes.  Cheaper hotel on a hill outside of Sorrento?  Not a problem when the hotel provides a free shuttle.  The difference between $150 a night vs. $46 a night in San Fran?  A mere 15 minute walk.  Make sure where your staying is ACCESSIBLE and you can save big!
3. Think outside the box! Rome was almost a BUST as the cheapest hotel I could find was going to be over $800 for 4 nights. I just COULD NOT do it. So by randomly searching "B&B's in Rome," I came across an awesome site called AirBnB.com where people rent out their apartments (while their either out of town OR -like ours- have a spare COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT room) for a mere FRACTION of the cost of the prices I had previous seen! We had found a nice, spacious, quiet apartment about a 20 minute WALK from the Coliseum for $63 a night. It made notoriously expensive Rome go from "Ummm...I don't think so!" to "hey! I think we can do this"J Would I be careful on sites like this? Yes. Make sure it's reputable (again-researchJ), the rooms have good reviews AND they are within your criteria (private room, independent, entire home/apt) Here's a little preview of our 'cheap location':

Not too shabby, if I do say so myselfJ

Food:
One of our true joys of traveling and something I DON'T mind allowing a bit of breathing room in our budget.  That said, I don't think we've EVER spent a crazy amount of money on food and still managed to eat EXTREMELY WELL!  (too well, for that matterJ)  Here are a few random tips:

1. Breakfast:  Wherever you are, go EuropeanJ  Their breakfasts are usually small, just a pastry & a coffee, which equals CHEAP!  You can't even imagine the SPECTACULAR goodies we got to try in Paris for about 5 euros a day for the two of us.  It's a good, cheap way to go...ESPECIALLY if you're on the go and ready to start your day.  (although, I won't lie:  A nice sit-down breakfast is sometimes quite a joyJ)
2. Lunch/Dinner:  One thing we've done A LOT, be it from Philadelphia to Paris, is to have one big meal a day and to make dessert our 'other' meal.  (To die for) Ice cream for lunch in Paris?  Big BBQ lunch and ice cream for dinner in St. Louis?  It's a great way to save $$, as well as maybe a few calories (hell...your gonna eat that dessert after dinner ANYWAYSJ)
3. Never underestimate the power of the local/'on the go' goodiesJ  Sure, a leisurely sit down lunch would have been lovely in Rome (and we certainly had our share LATER!)...but since we had things to do/places to see, we couldn't have had a better lunch by snacking on those 'paninis on the go'  (not to be confused with the gross/'across the street from the Colisuem' ones!).  Food trucks are all the rage these days and you can find some really unique, delicious and cheap eats if you make them one of your meals a day.
4. With that said:  All of these tips go OUT THE WINDOW when eating and relaxing are your main focus (as was our time spent in SorrentoJ)  hahahahhahahahaha....but most of the time, they certainly can applyJ

    

Italy/Spain Specific Tips:

1. When I decided we were going to spend a few extra days and had already spent a bit more on airfare since Italy is just plain more expensive to reach, the one area where I cut our budget was in any transportation 'excess.'  Rome & Spain were easily accessible via train and metro from the airports, as well as there being enough trains & buses to get you around the countries.  Was it a pain?  Yeah...it got tiring after awhile.  But it was hard to justify a 50+ Euro taxi or  $90 airport transfer when there were 3 lines of subway that got us both to center city Madrid for under 10 Euro TOTAL.  Another example...the difference between spending 20 euros to get from Rome to Naples vs. 90?  An extra hour & 20 minutes on the train.  Again...not awesome, but there are savings if your willing to give up that little extra time. 
2. When in Rome:  Get the ROMA PASS!  It gives you 3 days of unlimited metro & bus transportation, as well as free entry to two participating locations...one of them being the Coliseum (grouped with the Roman Forum).  It costs 25 euros each, but considering the Coliseum ALONE is 11 euros each, it pays for itself rather quickly (especially if you use the metro system frequently, like we did)  And while we didn't mind spending HOURS on trains & subways in the name of savings, the one thing the Roma pass was spectacular for was saving time!  As long as you use the pass to get into the Coliseum as one of your 2 free attractions, you get to bypass the (CRAZYYYYYYY!) line.  I think that saved us AT LEAST 2 hours and LOTS of aggravation.
1. Another time saver:  preorder your tickets when you can, ESPECIALLY for notoriously crowded sites like the Vatican!  I can't even tell you the relief of not having to worry how long the line was going to be (often as long as 2 1/2 hours!!!) when we had our tickets securely in hand. 
2. Another thing I will say about Italy:  it was A LOTTTTTT more crowded than I anticipated! (and I doubt October is the hieght of the tourist season)  I went into this trip ANTI "organized tours" (another way to save money), but if you have your heart set on something (like we did with Pompeii), here's where I WOULD suggest booking a tour.  Some places were just too overwhelmingly crowded to attempt on our own.  But if you have the luxury of time: visiting some of the sites later in the day can also be helpful. (the line to get into St. Peter's basilica and up to the dome at 3pm was a fraction of what we had seen first thing in the morning) 
3. Again...the pastry breakfast & panini lunch had us almost scratching our heads by day 3 of how little we managed to spend on food during our time there.  Plus if you STAY OUT of the touristy areas and REALLY seek out the "home cooking" places, you can eat SPECTACULAR meals without feeling like your being ripped off.

* Finally, the most random best piece of travel advice I've EVER received was HOW TO AVOID JET LAG:  When you arrive at your destination, jump right into the local time ASAP.  Sure, you only slept an hour on that red eye overnight...but if you get to your hotel and nap, chances are you will find yourself up all night with your days & nights mixed up.  Do what we do and get to where you're going and get movin!  Shower, walk...do anything to wake yourself up and be on your way.  And if you can make that day stretch till 8 or 9 o'clock at night (local time) and get a good night sleep, chances are you'll avoid ANY of that "internal clock" business and suffer ZERO jet lag.  Trust me, this WORKS!     

Alright!  I think you've heard enough from meJ  Just thought I'd pass on these tips that (fingers crossed) haven't failed us yetJ  Traveling is one thing I love TOO MUCH and would rather spend my money on than any 'stuff' in this world.  But doing it for "cheap"???  Hell, that's even betterJ  Use these tips to get started booking your own adventures TODAY!  You never know where the winds may take youJ



23 hours in Madrid...

So after our utterly relaxing & peaceful final day in Italy, we awoke bright and early to move our journey onward.  First a bus to the Sorrento train station (again: no seats), a looonnnngggg (but CHEAP: 10 Euro!) bus from Sorrento directly to the Naples airport...catching one last glimpse of the Italian coastline along the way...

...then a 2 hour flight and 3 subways later and we had made it to our last destination: MADRID!

We checked into our hotel for the evening:  Hostal Marlasca, which was about 2 blocks from the popular Puerto Sol square...

Would I spend a week in this hotel?  No.  But was it sufficient for a quick nights sleep on a tight budget?  Sure!  The room was very spacious and even came with a typical wrought iron Spanish balcony that looked out over the street...

However, for the record, that street was BOOMING until....God knows when!  Let's just say wayyyyyy past 2am!  If you were staying here in the summer and NEEDED to have the window open, I'm not sure how much sleep you could actually get.  Unless loud, partying crowds are a lullaby to youJ

Anyways....for our one last night out on the town, I had booked Scott & I an evening with the Adventurous Appetites Tapas Tour....

If you have one day, one month or one year in Madrid...do yourself a favor and TAKE THIS TOUR!  We had an absolute BLAST from start to finish!  From their website, they promise to "get off the tourist track and experience the authentic 'Madrilone' ambiance."  They did just that and did a spectacular job!  I can't say enough wonderful things about this tour or our tour guide, Paul....

He was knowledgeable, super friendly and knew JUST what spectacular goodies to order for us from each location.  We knew we were in good hands.  Paul also informed us that the bars that we visited do NOT like to be splashed all over the internet in an attempt to keep their bars 'local' rather than 'tourist hot spots.'  Refreshing, right??  So out of respect for these bars & the tour...I won't name the places we visited, but will show you the FABULOUS array of treats we got to sample that night.

Our first stop was a rowdy and friendly place tucked in a side street...

We each took turns pouring hard apple cider the way 'Madrilone's' do...aka. it was a bit of a mess (GREAT CALL on wearing a nearly WHITE dress to the tourJ)  And considering this stuff was too strong that I could barely SMELL it...Scott got the evening off to a good start with BOTH of our glasses of 'finely poured' ciderJ

And then it was time for our first tastes of Madrid...and oh man, were they good!  Boiled potatoes with paprika, egg omelet (which my egg-hating self passed on), but the BEST was a spread of some REALLY 'potent' cheese (the bowl in the back) smothered on the toasted bread and topped with the sausage....oh man, WAS THAT GOOD!  It was flavor overload between the stinky cheese & spiced sausage...primo comboJ

After the first bar, Paul gave us a great tour and brief history lesson of Madrid (extra PERFECT when you only have 23 hours in your locationJ) ...

Like Rome, Madrid was a beautiful city made only better when illuminated at night...

After our walk, it was time to get back to businessJ  Our next location was SUPPPPPPERRRR bustling and Scott could NOT get over the packaged meats that decorated its ENTIRE perimeter!

We got to sample chirizo sausage & marinated Spanish olives (potent little buggers...but highly addicting!)...

(hahahahhaa...as you can tell: these went over wellJ)

And also a fabulous bite of Manchego cheese with Serrano ham....SOOOOO flavorful!

After this PACKED place, Paul (THANKFULLY! I will always be grateful!) called ahead to our next 2 locations and secured us peaceful & quiet seats in both locations.  (thanks for lookin out for the pregnant chick, Paul!!)

And these were some of our BEST bites (even though the ones we already HAD were spectacular:).  First up were cheese & mushroom croquettes.  Neither Scott or I are even a mushroom FANS and we liked theseJ  (I guess anything battered & deep friend and filled with cheese will be jusssst fineJ)

And here was my favorite bite of the tour, as well as my most 'adventerous':  My favorite was the super tender pulled pork, caramelized onion & brie flatbread.  We also sampled another flatbread with smooth goat cheese (and I honestly forget what elseJ)...but they were both delicious...

And my most adventurous???  Yes...I did the damn thing, and when in Madrid:  I actually sampled the blood sausageJ  Talk about mind over matterJ  And it tastes NOTHING like the NAME suggestsJ  Almost like ALL SPICE flavored RICE would be the best way to describe it.  They served it over sauteed apples on toast.  I only had a bite...but I must say that it was NOT THAT BAD AT ALL!

And at our last relaxed location, we sampled octopus over boiled potatoes (yummy)...while my 'brave' self could eat blood sausage, but was afraid to sample the 'russian roulette' of hot peppersJ  Paul said you never knew when you were going to get a scorcherJ

We also sampled some outstanding battered eggplant with honey.  Not ONE ounce of the usual "spongy/eggplant" taste.  It was lightly crisp, savory & sweet with the honey drizzle.  Superb!

And last but not least, some pork chops & 'crisps' to round out the night.  We all left with full stomachs and smiles on our facesJ

I also need to mention how much we enjoyed the group we toured with!  We met a nice couple from Switzerland, a mother visiting her daughter who was studying in Barcelona and a mother/daughter from England (not to mention Paul was from Ireland!)...so it was a cool way to meet nice people from all over and share a great & unique evening!

And the night didn't even end thereJ  The entire night Paul had been giving everyone suggestions of great bars & restaurants to try and had ZERO problem with taking us on our choice of one last 'unplanned stop' of the places he had shared.  So while most of the group headed to a sherry bar...Scott & I, as well as the mother/daughter from Barcelona, decided we wanted to wind our night down here:

Can you blame us???

Chocolateria San Gines is where EVERYONE goes to cure their hangovers when the end of their evenings roll around (which usually is around 7AM!), but since it was still prime partying hours when we got there (at 1AM!), we actually got to sample our goodies in relative peaceJ

And what's the best cure for a hangover in Madrid??

Oh yes...HOT CHURROS!  Thin, super crispy sticks of fried dough DIPPED in that glorious European hot pudding chocolate.  Yes...it's as good as it soundsJ

And after bidding a 'hasta luego' to Paul and our 'churro' friends...we headed back to our hotel for some shut eye.  Although we were pretty much the only ones doing so, as the streets were still HUSTLING AND BUSTLING at 2AM!

So imagine our joy when we woke up at 9am the next morning and got to explore around the city in near total PEACE!

Everyone must have eaten their 7am churros and passed outJ hahahahahhahaa

The one thing I was completely FASCINATED by the next morning was just how spectacular all of the bars & restaurants were!

They looked beautiful lit up at night, but it was once we got to wander around in broad daylight where you could REALLY tell how unique each one was....

And while most were still closed for business, we did get a few peeks at their gorgeous interiors...

...particularly the place we stumbled on for breakfast:

I could not stop gaping at the dark wood/stained glass interior... 

...beautiful stone archways... 

...framed tapestries.  (Remember: This. is. a. bar.) 

Even the menu was a work of art! 

And as our one last European splurge, we sampled some Spanish cappuccinos....(no bitter taste at all)

While Scott ordered up a Spanish omelet...

...and yes, a chocolate stuffed croissantJ

...while I just could not resist one last indulgence of good ole' Spanish churros & chocolateJ 

Hey!  If they want to call this breakfast...who am I to argue?? J

So after we thoroughly indulged ourselves in the last of our Madridan delicacies, we strolled around some more before heading off to the airport.

And by this point: I can't say that it was 'sadly' by any meansJ  We were READY to come home and I'm STILL quite thankful to have that 8+ hour flight home behind usJ  hahahahahaha...Wonderful trip and glad to be home.  I'd call that an all around successJ hahaahaha

So I believe I will have one more 'travel' blog for you to give you a peek at all of our budget saving tips that we used.  I'll try to post that tomorrow so I can share our Halloweeeeeeee goodies with you next week!  I CAN NOT BELIEVE that it is next week already!  How crazy time flies!

Have a great weekend, everyone!