Basil Almond Pesto
I absolutely love pesto and this is the recipe I use to make it! 

What you’ll need:

Basil - 100g Bunch

Olive Oil – 100ml

Toasted Almonds Flakes – 50g

Garlic – 5 cloves or adjust to your taste

Lemon Juice – 1 wedge 

Salt & Pepper – to taste
 

Method:

Firstly you'll have to wash the basil and get rid of the stalks (because they are bitter & tough). Then using a paper 

towel dry the basil leaves. 

 Lightly toast the almond flakes in a pan until they become a light golden brown. It's best to always keep stirring the almond flakes as they can burn easily.

In a food processor add the basil leaves, toasted flaked almonds, garlic, lemon juice and salt & pepper according to your taste. I love garlic so I add around 5 cloves however you can add as much as you prefer. Grind the ingredients together until you get a coarse mixture. Then its time to add the olive oil and grind again. It's always best to add a little at a time until you reach the consistency you like. I usually use around 100ml of olive oil.  

Pesto is so easy to make and so delicious. I like to add it to penne pasta with some mozzarella, its perfection. I hope you guys enjoy the recipe and try it out!
-Bhavesh. 

Lush Toothy Tabs
Dirty, Sparkle, Atomic

 

I saw these toothy tabs in lush and decided to try them out, have a change from the regular toothpaste. 

To use toothy tabs you just crush a tab with your teeth and brush your teeth as you would do 

normally. Out of the different flavours I decided to try out three, Dirty, Sparkle and Atomic. At first the toothy tabs did feel strange to use but after a few uses you get used to it.

Dirty – Spearmint - £2.00

The dirty toothy tabs tasted just like regular minty toothpaste and I felt my teeth looked 

cleaner and brighter. These tabs also foamed up a lot which was good.

Sparkle – Lemon, Grapefruit and Black pepper –£2.50

I liked this toothy tab initially as you could taste the grapefruit and pepper but after a few uses the pepper just felt overpowering. This does claim to make your teeth dazzle but I felt the other two toothy tabs did a better job at making your teeth look brighter.

Atomic – Coffee, Clove and Ginger - £2.50

This toothy tab is spicy as you can really taste the clove which I really liked and like the dirty tooth tab I felt it made my teeth look brighter. You do have a lingering aftertaste of clove but it does disappear eventually. 

These toothy tabs were great to use however I did feel the need to use regular toothpaste now and then. From the toothy tabs I preferred “Dirty” and the least favourite was “Sparkle”. I would recommend to use toothy tabs but to play it safe it may be wise to start with the Dirty toothy tab. 
There are four more flavours of toothy tabs I must try out.

-Bhavesh

The Time Keeper

 Mitch Albom 

 ‘The inventor of the world's first clock is punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years. Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time. He returns to our world - now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began - and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both. And stop the world to do so.’ 


The plot was brilliant. I didn’t realise that this book was based on three different stories that tied into one and I thought it was very clever of Mitch Albom to do that. I found it hard to connect with all three characters ‘Dor’ aka ‘Father Time’, ‘Sara Lemon’ and ‘Victor Delamonte’. I loved and hated each one for different reasons and I also empathised with them at certain points in the book. I really got caught up in this book as I was kept on my toes as to what was happening next. I thought it was also very clever that the characters were so caught up in past and future that they forgot about their present lives and how God used ‘Dor’ to show ‘Sara Lemon’ and ‘ Victor Delamonte’ to appreciate what they have in their present and try and make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. 
When Dor’s wife Alli passes, it is heart breaking and when Dor runs to the pyramid that the king was building to try and run up to find God it makes you think about how far would you go for the people you love but when he gets a second chance at the life he wanted back, he doesn’t waste time on measuring time, he spends it loving his life, wife and kids.
Mitch Albom tends to centre his work on his faith and God. However, I don’t think that you need to have faith or Christian faith to read and enjoy this book as this is a heart-warming and thought provoking book. It will make you want to make adjustments to your life and think about whether you’re fully living your life to its fullest potentials in your present.
This book made me reflect on the everyday mistakes that I make. It reminded me to not wish to live in the past or future but to simply live in the present and enjoy the time that I have with my loved ones as nobody is sure about what tomorrow will bring. 

If you enjoyed this book then I’d recommend you read ‘The First Phone Call From Heaven’ and ‘The Five People You Meet In Heaven’ both by Mitch Albom. 

- Bita xo

(Bhavesh’s_Birthday_Meal)

Me (bhavesh) and my friend have our birthdays a week apart, so we decided to have a joint birthday meal 
at las Iguanas in leeds. The restuaurant looked great with its modern sleek style with the latin touch. 
Both the atmosphere and staff were great.

For drinks I ordered the Mango Collins cocktail, It was a light refreshing drink with a hint of mango and you 

couldn’t taste the alcohol! The drink would have been better if the mango flavour was stronger. 

Bita ordered the Paloma Diabla were u could taste each individual ingredient and it was delicious. 

You could taste the alcohol in this drink!

For the main meal I ordered the chicken burger with sweet potato fries – divine.

Bita ordered the smoked chipotle chicken burrito with sweet potato fries. We both sure do like our 

sweet potato fries! The burrito was tasty and came with plain rice and salad which was a surprise. 

Overall the burrito was yummy and very different to other burritos eaten. Our friends also enjoyed the
meals they ordered. 

 For dessert we shared Churros which came with chocolate ganache and dulce de leche dip. This was PURE HEAVEAN!!! The soft crunchy fried churros covered in cinnamon sugar smothered in dip were just orgasmic… I want some right now.

Our friend ordered alphonso mango sorbet and was “the best mango sorbet I’ve ever had”. 

Afterwards we went to Hotel Chocolat Roast + Conch for drinks. We ordered white hot chocolate which 
was a pleasant way to end the night. 

-Bhavesh and Bita 

SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE

BY

MORGAN MATSON

Before Sloane, Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, and she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend — someone who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just … disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There's just a random to-do list with thirteen bizarre tasks that Emily would never try. But what if they can lead her to Sloane?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Um…

Go Skinny Dipping? Wait, what?

I’ve wanted to read this book for so long but I had been putting it off, waiting for the right time to read it. When I started reading this book I did not expect to love it so much and honestly I was surprised that I didn’t even want to put it down.

I have to say, the main character Emily, she is one of my favourites. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age. In the beginning she seems a little awkward. She can’t even keep conversations with people but as the story continues you can really sense how much confidence she’s gaining and how brave she’s becoming.

Emily’s family are also one of my favourites. The main characters family aren’t usually mentioned in most books which are a little unfortunate. But, in this case I really got to know Emily’s family and how much fun they are. Her little brother, Beckett seems so much fun and crazy.

Emily’s new found friendships are so heart-warming and so interesting. Morgan Matson really keeps you on your toes to the very end to make all you’re hoping for come to life. You end up really rooting for Emily and Frank’s relationship and wanting more. Even though I only read about Sloan in Emily’s flashbacks, I have mixed feelings about her. I don’t love her and I don’t hate her. There are times where I thought how could you do this or that and there are times where I empathise for her.

Everything about this book is beautiful. It also made me want to try and do some of the things on Sloan’s list for Emily. I also want to mention the fact that Morgan Matson included playlists that Emily and Frank listened to during their runs and oh my how happy I was to see so many of my favourite bands and songs on those playlists. Well done Morgan!

This book made me want there to be a sequel just so I know if Emily and Sloan stay friends forever and what happens to Emily and her other friends such as Dawn and Collins. I’d also love there to be a book in Sloan’s point of view because she seems to have a very interesting life also.

Overall, I loved this book and I’m definitely going to re-read this probably soon if I’m honest. I loved the style of writing Morgan Matson used and how every chapter made me more and more excited. 

I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

- Bita xo

[OuréFriend’s BirthdayéMeal]

We celebrated our friend’s birthday by going to LIVIN’italy at Granary wharf in Leeds.

The restaurant had a friendly atmosphere and the staff were welcoming and lovely. 
The interior of the restaurant was very wooden and with the candlelight it gave a cosy romantic feeling. 
From the menu we ordered a pitcher of "Smashed Berries" which was divine!

 To eat we ordered the Golosa and the Penne Pasta Al Pomodoro. The Golosa pizza was amazing! The combination
of the Parma ham, rocket and Parmesan was heavenly. However the Penne dish did lack a lot of flavour
and the addition of salt and pepper did not really make a difference. 

Overall the experience was really good and we shall definitely return, staying clear of the pasta this time! 

After our meal we decided to go to Frankie and Benny's at The Light in Leeds for some dessert. Had to order
a drink first as I was really thirsty and decided on the Amalfi Sunrise. One of the best drinks I have ever had!
The mixture of passion fruit, orange, lemon and grenadine creates a nice sweet sour drink. 

For dessert we all got Sorbet! Mango, Raspberry and Lemon. Best decision ever. They were all so refreshing, mango
being the best in my opinion. I will be going back just for the sorbet. 

-Bhavesh and Bita.

Myvitamins – Energise Effervescent 

I bought these effervescent tablets (orange flavour) a few weeks back from myvitamins.com and decided to share it on this blog. These tablets contain different types of vitamins and you take them by adding one tablet to a glass of water. 

What’s in them? Each tablet contains the following: 

Vitamin C: 476mg, Niacin: 45.3mg, Pantothenic Acid: 22.7mg, Thiamin (Vitamin B1): 10.4mg, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 13.6mg, Vitamin B6: 7.1mg, Folic Acid: 366µg, Biotin: 130µg, Vitamin B12: 8.6µg, Calcium: 120mg, Magnesium: 95mg, Zinc: 9mg

How to use them?

You add one tablet to 250ml of cold water and let it dissolve. It doesn’t take too long.

Taste?

The first time I tried them it did taste weird but I think that was because of the (vitamin c) smell of the tablet.

But after the first time you get used to it and it’s a normal orange drink. Just tastes diluted down compared to your usual orange squash drink. 

Price?

£4.49 for 20 tablets.  

I thought this was a good way of taking supplements rather than popping numerous pills every day! You can buy them from myvitamins.com and they have different types of tablets and flavours too. Plus free standard delivery in the UK! 

-Bhavesh.