Renovation update: decisions, decisions, decisions...

Our beautiful home...

To say this weekend was a learning curve would be an understatement. I've learned to chisel out mortar, insert steel rods and then point cement back in. We've also plumbed in a new shower and ripped off doors to reveal the original oak doors from 1901. Good progress was made.

We also had our architect visit to help us with the phasing of our renovation. He's suggested building in a little entrance hall, helped us realise that we can remove the whole chimney breast to create a open plan living area, and he's also helping us design our dream kitchen extension opening out onto the garden. He will also help design the loft extension in the future. This means, by the end of it, we will have a much larger four bedroom family home.

Our next step is to decide whether we actually want to knock through the chimney or whether we knock down either side of the breast and keep a snug room at the front of the house with the dining room opening out into the kitchen. Then we need to agree on how the kitchen extension will work best, whether to do the entrance hall, and what to start first.

Lots of choices to be made. Lots of ideas to be discussed. Lots of budget to be earned.

On that point, I may have a little business adventure to make a little bit of extra money on the side. Think pearls...rose gold...and beautiful, pretty, delicate, jewels...watch this space!

ZP x

The first day of renovation - patience is a virtue

All brown for the 70s Christmas house

Happy new year! Christmas has gone and the bloated bellies are all around. Gym memberships will go through the roof and then half cancelled by March. But let's be positive and make this the year to be an unforgettable one. It certainly will be at number 35.

The first day of renovating our house began on the 30th December 2015. Our future bedroom has been stripped back to it's bare plaster bones and we're now going to fix the crack from the old walls and then start to rebuild it back together again, making it our own.

Mess? What mess?!

It's a wonderful thing to be doing, re-designing and building our own house, being our own
project managers and designing your own time-frame. There's so much to do...strip wood-chip, strip wallpaper, carpets, board up polystyrene tiles, and much much more. A perfect project for when it's rainy, cold and dark - to cosy up inside and work hard on the house becoming home.

Onto a more foodie wavelength, a 4 course extravaganza was made yesterday evening by the gang. For a special birthday, we made seafood vol-au-vents, tarka dahl and haddock, then lamb - three ways, followed by a rum and raisin creme brulee. What a feast!

Rack of lamb | braised lamb shoulder | lamb bon-bon |
pea puree | rosti | roasted shallot | jus

My New Year's Resolution is to improve my patience. I've seen a lot of interesting posts but one I've seen that's great is here. Thanks for the inspiration, Henrik.

ZP x

A new chapter forms

This new house of ours –
starting again – the patience of love
I’m learning.

Be patient with me
until I bloom into full life and burst –
spring-like and open.

Then enjoy me
while we nourish each other into fullness –
enriching each day.

You complete me.
Stay by my side and I’ll love you forever
if you want me to.

Life really is great –
if you allow yourself to be true to it –
express your inner design.

I have days of sudden gloom –
I panic like we all do and I wonder why me, here, now?
It’s creation and progression.

Creative minds wait –
for a period of uneasiness that opens a door
to newly found spirit.

This period of maturing
frees the individual to grow and allows
a new chapter to form.

ZP x

Human Design

I’m sure you’ve all had the experience of everything getting on top of you and not being able to deal with it. I bought my first house and moved back to my hometown, with a new partner, and started a new job all at the same time. I panicked. It was all too much. By speaking to a few women I know, they have had the strange experience of it being so good that you worry when it’s all going to go wrong. It was almost too much change at once. Pathetic it may seem and some people may wonder why I can’t appreciate the great when it’s great but when some women are used to being disappointed then it’s what you get used to. You get used to being hurt, let down or being a disappointment to others. You feel you aren’t good enough. I had to push my way through this emotional barrier in order to feel more stable. I still feel naïve and almost like I don’t deserve the true blessings I have in this life. But I've come to realise that those feelings are there because I'm scared. Scared of the only thing I've wanted to vanish into thin air. This time I'm holding onto it with both hands.

Then I met Susan*. And another half a dozen women that all feel what I feel too. Susan is an acupuncturist and has opened my eyes to the part of me that was hiding away. Through my life long fear of needles, the day I went to her was a day where I would have done anything to stop me worrying. The needles aren’t even needles – they’re small pins and they’re placed in certain parts of the body to heal and calm. Just seeing her twice a week to talk to was just what I needed. She listens and soothes. She is a blessing. She told me about my genetic makeup and that I openly pick up other people’s emotions very easily. That’s why my brain gets swamped because I absorb so much that I confuse myself with what I actually feel/think/want. The people around me now need to ask questions to initiate my ideas, not fill me with their thoughts on what they think is right. I can decide this now. I think it’s a turning point in understanding the adult brain and moving to a place where I’m comfortable with my decisions.

The other women that feel the same made me realise that I’m not alone. We all suffer from these periods of weakness where there may seem like there’s no way out. But there is. You have to find it. Find your way of gently calming and healing yourself. Whether that is by walking, knitting, visiting old friends, making a cake, raking the garden - making a small difference. These small differences add up and soon you’ll be back on track. Being back on track means you may not be on the same track as before. Things may change; I realized that my life was taking a turn in a new direction. Periods of panic equals periods of change. We all have to adapt and embrace the new found form we find ourselves creating.

The constant awareness we have to put on in order to stand up to correctness of today’s fast-pace living can be overwhelming. I would sometimes feel bad about taking a rest, that if I wasn’t busying myself with housework then I wasn’t doing a proper job. Underneath it all, I was petrified that if I didn’t do everything perfectly then my partner would leave me, like what happened before. However, I’ve obviously just not been with the right man and I wasn’t thinking in the right way to respect myself. Finding someone who understands who I am and knows that I’m not a perfect housewife is important. However, finding out who you are, how you act (and accepting that) is even more important. You can then respond and understand your human design. Understanding that you are you and finding out how you emotionally operate is key to giving yourself a break and accepting who you are.

ZP x

*I've removed Susan's real name for privacy reasons.

When the chef came to dinner: The Plough at Eastbury

There's a pub near Newbury that is my partner and I's go-to place for treating ourselves gastronomically. One evening, he surprised me again and off we went through some Berkshire villages to our favourite spot. I had scallop, lobster, and crab Thermidor which was a dream. I may have licked the plate but don't judge me - you would too. It was so good that I couldn't manage all of my surf and turf of Rib-eye steak and giant prawns. I rolled home, happy as pie. This pub is called The Plough at Eastbury and we love it. Graham and Louise do a great job and it's a pleasure to spread the word about it.

The most important thing we saw that evening was the board in the bar about a gourmet quiz night. It was happening in a few weeks time so I messaged round the foodie crew and the 5 of us went along on a warm Tuesday evening to see what it was like. It was a very reasonably priced 5 course tasting menu with matching wine. As each course and wine would come round, we'd have a question and answer sheet about how it was cooked, what ingredients were used, what year and what grape the wine was etc. At first, it was going well, we guessed that the amuse bouche was a green veloute but guessed that it was broad bean and not asparagus. Fatal error. Most of the answers we got wrong were discussed amongst us but we all somehow convinced each other of another answer. We regained points on the cold-smoked trout (chef was impressed that we were the only ones to get the technique of the trout down - go Budgie!).

Fish course was fried monkfish but we guessed crayfish, but we regained points again with the finer details with the ingredients in the sauce. Meat course was pulled pork and goat with a crunchy salad and sweet potato mash. We did ok here. Don't think anyone guessed the goat. The cheese course is where it all went wrong. We hadn't even heard of the cheese, Chaource, but trust us to be in competition with a french cheese specialist. Shame they knew nothing apart from cheese though (haha). We gained almost no points for that course, but then the desert came. There were small black seeds in a mouse like fool and I said there is only one fruit with seeds like this and that's a dragon fruit. We put it down in vague hopefulness and chef nearly ate his hat. He thought that that was a definite that no-one would know but then how did he know that one of the quizzers had it every morning in a smoothie from a stall in Thailand?! Our knowledge on the finer detailed ingredients put us ahead of the pack and we won by a strong margin. Beginners luck was no way a part of it, we just love our food.

With regards to the wine, I don't actually remember much about it and I didn't really know any of them - that was Katie's department. We did well and got a sauvignon blanc spot on. That reminds me, I do want to do some sort of wine tasting course so I can taste and judge wine with more of an expert nose and palate. Perhaps a vineyard visit when we go to Spain next week.
 
At the end - chef Graham announced that the winners (yes, us!) would receive a meal cooked by him at our home...our mouthed dropped open (and Katie screamed). We thought we'd get a bottle of wine. So, after a mission to get everyone's calendars together, we picked a Monday evening when his kitchen at the pub was quiet, and he came to cook two beautiful courses for us lucky people. We'd get one of our favourite chefs cook us dinner? At home? What a night.

That Monday night arrived and we were treated to scallops, hogs pudding, pork belly, blackberry, cold smoked venison and trout for starter followed by venison, pigeon, and crab in a Vietnamese nasi goreng style sauce. The roasted radishes were a delight. Until that night, I've only ever sliced a raw radish in a salad. We absolutely loved it. All of us who ate at the meal work hard every week night to put yummy dishes on our own tables but for this special evening, we were the ones who got cooked for and we dined like kings and queens.

Here's to more foodie memories and the reigning gourmet quiz champions maintaining their new title! Thanks Graham.

ZP x

P.s. Please note that the The Plough didn't ask me to write this - we genuinely just love the place.

It's all about a balanced life: tarts and sport

I've had the most relaxing weekend in a long time and it's been time to reflect, see friends and family, but also to get things done. Dot the i's and cross the t's as my Nanny used to say.

We attended the Newbury Show, had some tapas to celebrate friends leaving to Spain, washed the cars, filled in legal house forms and relaxed. You always need weekends away from the hustle and bustle, and I can safely say that I didn't think of work once! Recharging of batteries complete.

Lacrosse training began last week. I didn't realise how much I missed it. A new lacrosse season begins but I shall only be training (and not match playing) due to the house needing more of my attention once we move in. My pink stick that I got for my birthday was brilliant - not much wearing in required. Hopefully next season I can pick up the stick for matches.

My yoga teacher is back after a few weeks off and teaching class again, thank goodness. I've been practicing with her now for about 10 months and she's the one. It's taken a long time to find the right yoga teacher. It's my favourite way to restore, energise, and strengthen. It's almost magical. It has this peaceful-japenese-zen-garden quality that you can't get anywhere else.

Nutritionally speaking, I'm known for a few cakes and chocolate based treats but it all has to be balanced. You mentally feel better after eating well, not just physically. The biggest treat this week was a shortcrust pastry plum and frangipani tart I made. It was amazing. Fresh buttery pastry and an almond centre with sharp plums cutting through. To be honest, I watched 10 minutes of Bake Off and had to get up and make pastry. There a few people I know who get an urge to make pastry but when it happens, it happens fast. That pastry has got to be made and it's got be made now. A butter and eggs shopping trip followed immediately.

Apart from the odd pastry craving, we eat really healthily. A lot of fresh fish and steamed veg. We're both very keen cooks and love to keep it interesting. On Friday, I made a cute little two course dinner: prawns and salmon with charred lettuce and a fresh tomato dressing, followed by pork medallions and camembert mash served with a risky peach and rosemary sauce. Who knew pork, peaches and rosemary would go so well? I thought of the pork/sweet apple combo and as we had peaches left to use, I simmered them with some white wine and finished with a little cream. Got to love a new sauce discovery.

It's important to get that nourishment when we're both training. The kitchen in the new house will be a challenge...with an extension and a whole new kitchen being required so that will be interesting. Baked beans out of the tin anyone?!

ZP x

Autumn is here

The 13.5 tog duvet went on the other evening. Then it was swapped straight back to the summer one. My winter boots even had their first outing and now they're back in the cupboard. The weather can't seem to decide whether it's warm or cold. We're coming into autumn and you can tell by the smell in the air. I even got excited about Christmas presents this morning (sad, I know). I definitely haven't made a list on my phone about what presents to buy whom...

Anyway, enough of the seasonal talk and onto more pressing news. The dream man and I have bought a house. Not renting, not living at the 'rents - we're buying a house. I'm finally back where I belong, in my hometown, and back with my nearest and dearest people who I love the most. Nothing has ever felt so right. We've bought the house down the road from where we both went to school and down from the village we grew up in as children. A proper home. And it's all ours. To live in and that.

So following on from my skin-pinching moment, I've been thinking of ways to record our restoration/extension developments. Instagram? Pinterest? Blogging? I just couldn't decide. The house is Edwardian and the old lady who lived there before has done no interior work since the 60's. We have 'some' work to do. Let's just say that the bathroom suite is black with pink tiles and pink carpet...

We will be discovering and restoring the original features such as the doors, stripping back the flooring to it's wooden boards, and knocking through the covered up fireplaces. It's an absolute dream to think we can make it our own and create a family home.

Seeing the amount of work we need to do, and how much I like to document things, I thought of this little place I call my blog. It's been underused this year, with me not really knowing what to do with it. I now have a project and something to record. This shall be my house diary. All the ups and downs of a house renovation project will be recorded. I could even print it all at the end and make it into a little book to keep as a momento when the house is complete.

That reminds me, I have some other minor news...I have a new job! I'll be making books for a living. Couldn't get much better than that for a little English grad. One step closer to my dream magazine publishing job.

Anyway, must dash; I have colours to match, sofas to browse, and reclamation yards to explore!

Enjoy the changing seasons and don't forget to savour that wet rain smell.

ZP x

Spring is here

The glory of spring has arrived and all hope is new and fresh. I spent yesterday strolling through Malborough, popping into the Dundas Arms for a spritzer then home for roast lamb. No other Sunday better. It was the first Sunday drink in a pub garden. Heaven. On that note, I found some heavenly print capris that I still can't stop thinking about...however my new purchases of today soon bought me back to shopping equilibrium.

I bought some white sandals to match my new primose yellow bardot wedding number, along with a grey and white chevron leather clutch. I now need to find a grey fitted jacket to finish the look. I think it will all come together rather well.  If you spoke to me last week, I did not want to talk wedding guest dresses as I had disaster after disaster, but one dress can change it all. Thank goodness.

Anyway, this post seems to have diverted into a fashion comment on my current state of purchases. Of course, I'm sure everyone wants to know about my new primose, slate, and white outfit...not.

Onto more exciting things on the subject of spring. This year, I am going to chase my dreams. Properly this time, not just haphazardly, or saunteringly; I want to chase the dreams I've always wanted and I'm going to go out and get it.
Spring has reminded me that there's no better time to just go and grab life by the horns.

I can safely tick one bucket list event off: horse-riding...the next goal is horse-riding along a beach and I'm doing that in May in Alderney (the location for the aforementioned primose wedding outfit).

I'm back into lacrosse again, season officially starts in September so I'll be training hard for that. My gym mantra I will be repeating is: I must run for lacrosse, I must run for lacrosse, I must run for lacrosse. Buying new gym kit also helps getting out there. That's always a good incentive; having a new shiny pair of legging to jog in.

Next on the list: buy my own flat, tour Italy, get my dream job in magazine publishing, be a pit girl for a season, learn how to ski, and surprise myself at every corner. You truly never know what you're capable of. Here's to spring and what 2015 brings!

My Christmas 2014

Christmas. It is a time to spend eating, drinking, laughing, and spending time with all your closest loved ones. This year, my family and friends have been my rock and we all ate until we were fit to burst! I've moved back to my hometown and couldn't be happier being back where I belong. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all!

2015 new year resolutions:

1. Don't worry

2. Be happy

3. Learn to ski/horse ride/snowboard/knit

4. Explore new restaurants (and review them on here!)

5. Have fun foreign adventures

ZP x

New me, new city, new adventures.

What a few months it has been. I've moved back to my home town and during the business of moving, I was asked to travel to Boston for work. 

Here's the view from the Top of the Hub restaurant in Central Boston.

After returning from the trip, I can safely say that I loved it. It was great to spend time away with colleagues and getting to know them more but it was also great to get to know me a little better.

Abe and Louie's restaurant: the best ribeye and Pinot noir I have had in a long long time!

I haven't been away alone for a very long time and I will advise it to anybody, whether it be through work or just a random, sporadic adventure to widen your horizons. Just go do it: be somewhere new and talk to new people. You never know what you'll learn from them and you'll come back a new person because of it. Every new experience will give you new pleasures and create a more worldly view of yourself.

Here's to new adventures and developing yourself! Get on that plane and fly away!

ZP x

Jet lag lasagne

So, I thought I would start posting all my recipes from the past few months on here and I will start with my first meal back from Australia.

My time zones were all over the place when I landed back in London and I woke up at 7am craving savoury dinner. So what do you cook for breakfast when you fancy homemade comfort food? Lasagne, that's what. Everyone thought I was mad but when you fancy something, then cook it.

I simmered tins of tomatoes with beef mince, onions, and mushrooms for about an hour and let it all reduce and get all tasty. I also added some cannelloni beans to bulk out the meat and fill us up more. Lasagne is a dish that you can add loads of boosting bits to to make it taste delicious. I would start with tomato ketchup, chutneys, or any pickles you fancy. You could go extreme like we did and add a spoonful of vegemite and chicken salt (available from your local Australian stores or online) and it added a punchy hit that brings out the best in a strong tomato reduction. Once you start adding bits, you can't stop. But don't go too far though...no-one likes custard in pasta sauce!

Once reduced and tasting good, I layered the punchy beef and tomato sauce with pasta sheets, béchamel sauce, and cheese.

I baked in the oven for about 45 mins and then served with salad.


The key to lasagne is make sure you rest it and let all the juices set a bit. This will make it easier to cut and it will sit better on the plate.

If your not jet lagged then I would suggest to serve at normal dinner hours with a glass of Italian red!

ZP x

Birthday fun: food, food and more food!

So it was my birthday on Good Friday and what a beautiful day it was. I got lots of presents, a new leather-bound notebook, cookbooks, a steamer, a framed picture for my new house (moving day is soon!) and plenty more so thanks to all.

I spent the day by the river floating about in Hungerford, had a toasted sandwich for lunch with Dad, and then went to dinner at The Fishes in North Hinksey.

At The Fishes, I started with Pigeon and pomegranate followed by sea trout and aubergine mash and ended it with a rhubarb tart and amaretto. Throughout lots of prosecco was consumed. It was delicious. Try it out people, the service was great and the food fantastic:

I then returned home and found out that they had surprised me with a cake made in the covered market in Oxford. What a treat.

Thanks to all my amazing family.

I love you all.

ZP x

Instagram: sharing beautiful photos online

Hi all,

Good morning on this lovely day. Just a short post today to say that I also have an Instagram account online where I publish new photos of recipes as and when they are cooked. If you see anything you'd like the recipe of then please let me know.

Take a look at my account here:

zaprestonza

Enjoy the sun rays!

ZP x

The Book Thief: A review

After reading The Book Thief I've noticed that I, too, am haunted by words. They follow me. I edit them at work, I read them at home and I write them in secret places. Haunted may not be the word as it connotes a negative influence so I like to think of being overwhelmed by words, in awe of them even. It's as if there are too many words for one human.

Some adults are childlike when reading; we get obsessed with the reality of it. I read the last half of The Book Thief in two evenings. It's a quick read due to the chapter progression and fast pace. I actually burst into tears at one point. Books that make me swell in my stomach or give me that overriding feeling of being completely emerged are the ones I want to read over and over. It doesn't happen often but when you get that sort of book, you'll know what I mean. That's what we're doing as adult readers; we're on the hunt for that feeling of 'yeah, this is epic' or 'yep, this is the one'. I could compare it to a split second of love. That's why we're all hooked.

I was expecting Liesel to turn into a influential speaker at the end: a powerful force in Nazi-Germany's history. Even if a book is fiction, I still like to believe that the characters are built on reality. A story has to be believable and to me, this one was. Liesel has to be a character who changed the world slightly, not entirely. I was half-expecting Liesel to fight off Hitler single handedly (like Max imagines down in the basement), but she didn't. She did more than that. She saved her life by writing. Words saved her life. They literally sheltered her from harm.

With Death being the narrator, it added an edge. It showed the true horror of war, the true pain of dying, but it also changed the image I have of death. I know Death as the hooded character from many Hallowe'en costumes, and he is the object of nightmares, but he's never had a personality. He's never had a voice. By giving Death life, Zusak has created hope to the suffering. Light souls being lifted by Death is what people are scared of. He's tried to take the shock out of life by giving us hope in Death. A very clever move, Mr. Zusak.

On a more personal level, by reading Leisel's journey, it's helped me to understand my own expectations. I've grown up thinking I'll save the world somehow. But I've never known how. Liesel has reminded me that it's the little things in life are what it's all about. It's about savouring acts of kindness. It's about appreciating the water and food we have so readily available. All my other worries then seem to be not so important anymore. I constantly think what I'm doing isn't enough, that I'm always striving for ways of being better. I've learnt there's no need to strive so hard and put all this pressure on myself. I'll get there in the end. Everyone saves the world, even if it's just a tiny bit at a time.

On a separate note, spring seems to be bringing a strange mood into the Preston household. I think it's the sign of old flowers dying and new buds opening. It is the time of change and growth. It feels strange but great; like a new world is opening.

ZP x

Holiday food: Australia

The one thing I remember from the Australian restaurant menus is 'salt and pepper squid' and 'schnitzels'. We learnt that the Italians and the Greeks were the first to bring restaurant dining in Australia (correct me if I'm wrong) and you can see both cuisines everywhere. Of course, there were the usual burger joints that you get worldwide but there's no need for them when there's some great local places nearby.

I also loved the fact that there were salad bars as fast food outlets. I picked up on the fact that their lifestyle is definitely more healthier than ours. We saw hundreds of people running by the beach, there were people exercising everywhere and to be externally beautiful was top of the list in a lot of people's eyes. In comparison, in the UK there are hardly any healthy, fast food restaurants. I think this is a huge gap in the UK market. Burger chains have only just started selling salads on their 'menus' but they are a pathetic attempt and the burger still reigns as champion. We need fast, healthy food that packs a punch. We need it soon and I can feel it coming.

Going back to the food of kangaroo land, there were also big Asian influences from the surrounding Asian countries. We loved the noodle bars and there were plenty of sushi places like those cropping up in the West.


To the left is when we had some awesome (and very cheap) instant noodles on the table full of doodles from travellers at the Sydney Harbour hostel. It was the most amazing hostel I've been to...big recommendations to fellow travellers out there!

To the right, we stopped at a local noodle bar just off the beach at Bondi Beach and had laksa soup and chicken and mushroom coconut milk curry. It was beautiful. We went back to our Bondi beach hostel and collapsed in the heat. That was the night before Valentines Day.

The next morning, on Valentines, we woke and went down to the Lamrock cafe for pancakes, eggs and iced coffees. Perfect.

 I couldn't forget to mention that they love their local produce, especially in the smaller cities such as Perth. When we were there, we stayed with family relatives in Baldivis, and had local honey for breakfast and we also ate vegemite for the first time on toast. We were amazed that the honey not only said what honey it was but also what tree it came from. Amazing. All we get here is 'Oxfordshire honey'.

When the rain came, we had movie days and we had a lush day in Cronulla with snacks including Tim Tams, lollies, jaffas, popcorn,  and cheezels. Yum. The photo right is making homemade schnitzels in Wollongong.

 Of course, there was fresh fruit everywhere for most breakfasts. Loved this.

Then, of course, there were the BBQ's. Snaggers or snags (sausages to us Brits) and beef steak were mainly cooked on the barbie. Also, in Bowral on the farm, there were beef joints cooked and served with salad and baked potatoes in cheese and cream and onions (similar to my dauphinoise potatoes). They cooked as much as they could on the BBQ, it was the central family social party starter. It was the hub to the outside parties, it was the focal point of the evening (apart from the delicious beer, obviously!).

One last thing is not only did they love their food but they loved their drink. Ted (Tooheys Extra Dry) was popular as well as Corona (like it is here). Wine was obviously amazing and great value. I spotted some pale ale in bars but not the dark ale or stout that you get here (my Dad defo wouldn't be able to drink there!) as well as cider being introduced over there due to the influence of the Brits.

All I can say is that it was a yummy holiday!

ZP x

Back in my kitchen and happy to be home: Australia, you were amazing!

G'day everyone!

I'm back from Australia and here are the best pics from the month away. It was truly the best holiday I've ever been on and to be part of my cousin's special day was something I'll never forget. Thanks to all my family for the amazing hospitality. It was amazing to meet new family over in Perth - it's amazing where family adventures can take you! I'll be back soon everyone!

I'm already back in my kitchen and I'm happy to be back where all my cupboard essentials are. Home is where the condiments are! Over the past week since being back in England, I have really struggled with jet lag. I've been falling asleep at 7pm and waking very early in the morning, but finally, I seem to have got back to normal.

I've forgotten how I like cold mornings in England and how subtly beautiful the country is. We don't need crystal blue waters or 40 degree heat to be a great country. We've got history, frosty mornings and pubs. I've learnt that we, as a nation, are far too uptight and opinionated. We don't let go of negative emotions which, in the end, let our problems drain the life out of us. We are also crazy for road rage. Chill out and go on the back road. Don't let things affect you and enjoy every frosty morning.

We don't need the sun to be happy so I'll leave you with a small sign of spring to brighten your day. The changing of seasons is what we need to cherish the most:

 

I'll be posting more about the food we experienced over there very soon!

ZP x