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caramel & cocoa

Caramel & Cocoa - cooking, parenting, fashion, diy, eating, living, a blog

Monday, August 20, 2012

See You in September


We are on vacation (holiday) in Ireland. See you in September with (hopefully) lots of new stories, recipes and just stuff in general. all is love

Friday, August 17, 2012

Five Things Friday


Homemade smore candy bar - learn how here.


Yes Please! DIY project for H. H click here. Thanks. 


What does your make-up drawer look like? This? 

iPhone charging shelf. Very cool. 



                 17 month calendar!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Re Restaurants! I Nothing for this week! But ...

I did manage to cut the girls finger and toe nails ... but I had to agree to paint them afterwards ...

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Pizza Making (sort of)


You know those 15 - 20 minutes before dinner time when you realize, "oh s**t. I need to make dinner!" 

Monday, August 13, 2012

C3 Chocolate Cookie


My C3 cookie has three types of chocolate: chocolate cocoa powder, milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

forgot the diaper bag ... near disaster

I can't really get my head around it all & how I pulled it off ..

The kids (ages 3 & 22 months) went to a dance camp today and afterwards I treated them to a picnic in the park. A has been potty trained since she was 22 months and C, now 22 months has had 1 day of toilet training a few weeks back and today I took a risk and let her go "commando" ...

Koya (Japanese Udon)




49 Frith Street (Soho)
London W1D 4SG
hours - Mon 12:00 - 15:00 / 17:30 - 22:30 (Sun to 22:00) 

Fantastic Japanese noodle restaurant. Need I say more! We landed here via a last minute recommendation from SJ, H's very dear and loyal pal, who tends to know all about food. I think he moonlights as a chef. The atmosphere was nice, clean and absolutely packed which is always a good sign. Even better 95% of the customers seemed to be from Japan which is always a good sign in a Japanese restaurant. The menu is pretty simple and well, noodles are its thing. It was perfect and delicious. The service was very quick but thorough and given the simplicity of the menu, we really didn't need more attention than we received. They were all very friendly. I can't wait to go back. I am planning to take the little ones next week! ;)

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Chicken, Chickpea and Cauliflower Casserole

Dinner served with string beans, olives and buttered bread
Tonight's dinner and the girls seemingly loved it - asking for thirds. Incredibly easy, very light and refreshing taste.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

It's for the Birds - Bird Feeder


I bought bird food over a year ago, came home and alas - no bird feeder. Tired of not finishing tasks I woke up today determined to make a "friggin" bird feeder with the girls. 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies


This makes a very soft moist golden cookie. The recipe is really only intended for white chocolate chips but I was being greedy and added dark chocolate chips in addition. Naughty mommy the girls would say ... 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

My life with a Sports Addict

The 100 meter Olympic sprint just ended.

H is mesmerized by the post-race coverage so I was able to pry the laptop off of him. I am not even sure he is aware that I am in the room at the moment. Most of the day H has been juggling 3 to 4 events simultaneously using all media outlets - laptop, tv, radio and blackberry.

BBC has been kind enough to make every Olympic event available. I foolishly made a comment about how we watched the Olympic100 meter race together 4 years ago, thinking he'd think it was meaningful or something of that sort. His retort "Gabriela I've watched every 100 meter final since 1988 and can remember all of them." Thanks babe!

I've now been caught and must return the laptop to him ...

Have I ever told you that during our first dance at our wedding, instead of whispering sweet things into my ear, H just kept repeating the names of football (soccer) players ... ;)


 




Saturday, August 4, 2012

Tired but fabulous day ... long long to do list

My to-do list is incredibly long and the day was packed ... but good - ahhh - I hope to chisel it down tomorrow. No time for self-assessing. I want to sleep!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Five Things Friday

La Bodega Negra


La Bodega Negra 
9 Old Compton St. London W1D 5JF
Cuisine: Mexican


This is not the place to pick up a taco or two, or to go if you are incredibly hungry. Portions are small but the prices are not. This is definitely a place to visit once just to say you've been (that is for old boring folk like me). If you are hip & cool then you'll enjoy the music, vibe, trendy drinks and being part of the fabulously dressed. It's like a "dance club" but under the auspices of a restaurant, so, let's call it a "restaurant disco." 

The food is very good, chic and not your typical Mexican cuisine. All & all, incredibly pleasurable to taste- only incredibly expensive for the teeny toddler sized portions. The atmosphere is "tres chic" and a bit naughty. There is no restaurant sign, only a sign reading "Peep Show" and from the moment you enter the large dark door you feel as if you are entering an "adult club"  - you know the type of place where you'll find dominatrix ... Naughty, isnt it? 

I was there the week the restaurant opened and the service was "awkward" and the servers knew nothing about the actual food, dishes or ingredients which was disappointing. 

Would I go back? I'd consider going back with a large group of friends, but probably not on a date night with H. 










Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Garlic and Balsamic Glazed Chicken



I was craving chicken legs and thighs. This slow roast recipe is incredibly easy and takes about 2 hours, most of the time is oven time.