It is the time of the year when the berries are available in
the market-the most notable being strawberries.
The following are some delicious recipes using berries. Do try them out in your spare time.
Devil’s love bite cocktail
Ingredients
½ cup strawberry puree;
½ peg white rum,
Sugar syrup to taste;
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Preparation:
Blend fresh strawberries and strain the juice.
Shake along with the remaining ingredients in Boston shaker.
Garnish with fresh cut strawberries and salt on the glass rim.
Baked berry cheesecake
Ingredients:
75 gms butter melted plus extra for greasing;
175 gms digestive biscuits;
175 gms seasonal berries plus extra for decorating;
450 gms cream cheese;
150 gms caster sugar;
1 tsp. vanilla extract;
4 eggs lightly beaten;
Icing sugar to dust
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Butter the sides and base of a 24cm cake tin. Place the biscuits into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.
Alternatively, place them into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and press down into the base of the tin.
Spread the berries over the base and allow for chilling in the fridge for an hour.
Beat the cream, cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and the eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Pour over the top of the berries and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until pale golden and only wobbles slightly when you gently shake the tin.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes.
Then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin.
Sprinkle over a few blueberries/strawberries, then dust with icing sugar Best eaten at room temperature.
Raspberry Macaroons
Ingredients
100 gms almond powder
180 gms icing sugar,
100 gms egg whites,
¼ tsp cream of tartar,
35 gms castor sugar,
A few drops of pink gel paste food color.
Preparation:
Baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Place the almond powder and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground (about 1 to 2 minutes).
Sift the mixture to remove any lumps. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar gradually add the superfine sugar, and continue to beat, on high speed, until the meringue holds in glossy and stiff peaks.
Once the almond structure is completely folded into the meringue, fill a pastry bag with the batter.
Pipe rounds of batter onto the parchment paper. Let the macaroons sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 150 degrees c. Bake macaroons for about 16-20 minutes. Remove from oven and place the baking sheet on a wire rack. Let the macaroons cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Place the macaroons on a wire rack to cool completely.
Raspberry filling–
In a bowl beat or whisk, the cream cheese with the mascarpone cheese until nice
and smooth with no lumps. Stir in 3-4 tbsp. of raspberry jam until well
combined. Place in a small piping bag.
To assemble macaroons–
Start with two cookies of about the same size. Pipe a round of raspberry
filling onto the flat bottom side of one cookie. Take the second cookie and
place it (top side up) on top of the filling to sandwich together.
Preparation– Stack black grapes at the bottom of the tall glass. Add ice cubes over the grapes. Stack the entire remaining fruits one above the other. Pour white wine and garnish with strawberry.
What are the best & most affordable vacation cities in Europe that have a ton of stuff to see & do?
What European cities are affordable?
Well, here is our list of the 9 (actually 10) best European cities to visit on a budget.
Our list factors in the sights and activities tourists can see, prices for hotels, sights, and restaurants, available cheap transportation to that city and if you would actually want to have a fun time in that town.
Where should I go in Europe if I am broke or not broke? Well here is our list.
If you are planning a trip to Budapest or are currently in Europe, don’t miss these best places to visit in Budapest
Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, Budapest
IC: Pixabay
The Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fishermans bastion are very popular attractions on the Buda hill. You can walk across the towards the end of the chain bridge and there is a funicular which takes you directly to the castle hill. Be sure to see all these places and there are a number of important museums out there like Hungarian History Museum, National gallery etc..
Szechnyi , Gllert or Rudas Baths
Baths are must-see and unique to Budapest. You have to spend about 3000 forints to enter baths.
The Hungarian Parliament
Hungarian Parliament building IC: Godot13 Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia /CC BY-SA 4.0
The Hungarian Parliament is a majestic aesthetically crafted building and the front of the parliament is really beautiful. You can’t miss the guided tour inside the parliament and it is a must-see.
Heroes Square (Hosok Ter)
Hősök tere (meaning “Heroes’ Square” in Hungarian) is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary, rich with historic and political connotations. It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue (with which it comprises part of an extensive World Heritage site), next to City Park.
Heroes Square is the place where Andrassy street ends and it is not far from Deak Ferenc square. There are important museums on either side of the square and visiting them takes at least 2-3 hrs. If you walk behind the heroes square, you can visit szechnyi thermal baths, the castle and a beautiful park. This is a very important monument and well worth spending your time visiting.
St. Stephens Basilica (Panoramic view)
IC: Pixabay
The St.Stephens Basilica is one of the important tourist attraction and the third highest church in Hungary. The sheer size of the basilica, its facade and bell towers is worth admiring. You can go on top of the tower through life and see the best panoramic views of Budapest and you can’t certainly miss that.
The Margarit Island
Budapest cosmos Margaret island Mexican autumn rose IC: Pixabay
The Margarit island, not far from Parliament is a long island completely a park. You can relax if you are a nature admirer of green vegetation. The park is very well maintained and is very big and certainly renting a cycle is very recommended to see the island. There is a bus which runs through the island and there are also hotels at the end of the island.
Gellert Hill is also a very important tourist attraction in Budapest. If you wish you can climb the hill starting from Gellert bath near Szabadsag and climb up. It might be tiring to reach Gellert but climbing up and down is a really fun part of exploring the hill.
The Chain Bridge (Szechenyi Hid)
Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, connecting Buda with Pest, by Silar 2010
Walk on the chain bridge at night (amazing)
Deak Ferenc Ter (Main city centre)
Károly Boulevard, ‘Deak Ferenc ter’ temporarily tram stop and bus – waiting area for tram replacement buses. The ‘real’ Deak Square is two blocks away. IC: Kleszczu
Main city centre in Budapest. Start from here and all the tourist buses start from here
Vaci Street (shopping street)
Váci utca | by nedrichards
Vaci street is one of the main shopping and restaurant street in Budapest. It starts with Deak Ferenc and is a very long street buzzing with tourists.
The Terror Museum on Andrassy avenue contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist dictatorial regimes in 20th century Hungary and is also a memorial. Tickets are not free but I think you can get discounts with Budapest card. It is at a walkable distance from opera.
The Hungarian State Opera
View of the Hungarian State Opera House at night. Budapest, Hungary, Eastern Europe, 22 October 2012. IC: Mstyslav Chernov
The State Opera is one of the buildings and must be visited at least for a photo. Guided tours are available inside the opera and are worth visiting. For timings please thewww.opera.huwebsite.
The Central Market Hall
Budapest great market hall Hungary building IC:Pixabay
The Central market hall is one of the biggest market halls in central Europe. It attracts many tourists for its sheer size and there are hundreds of shops inside for shopping souvenirs, food items, Hungarian delicacies at very reasonable prices. It is at Szabadsag bridge and it can be reached by taking a tram from Deak Ferencter.
Castle of Vajdahunyad
Vajdahunyad Castle | by Kurayba
The Vajdahunyad Castle and entrance is not very far Heroes square and in fact if you walk it is just behind it. This castle cannot be missed and especially a beautiful church inside it and you would love to take pictures of the castle and gardens. The castle is now Agriculture museum.
Museum of Applied Arts
Lake Balaton: 1 -day full tour
Lake Balaton is the largest fresh-water lake in Central Europe and is about 1 hr from Budapest and there are full-day bus tour trips conducted by tourist companies which include Herend porcelain visit, lunch and spending half a day at Balaton. During summer, over a million tourists visit Lake Balaton and is one of the main attractions in Hungary. Enquire about this at the tourist information office in Budapest and they will book you with one of the companies. You can also take a train which runs from Deli Payaudvar station (Red line metro) to Lake Balaton if you prefer. Very certainly, you will get to enjoy unique Lake Balaton and there are plenty of souvenir shops out there to shop. Be sure to add 1 more day to your trip itinerary, if you want to visit Lake Balaton.
Danube Night River Cruise with dinner and live music
The cruise ride during Night is the best way to see Budapest with all bridges and parliament and castle lit up at night and it is so beautiful. You can get to catch a glimpse of both Buda and Pest on both sides when sailing. The cruise trip starts at night 20:00 and is about 2.5 hr trip including dinner. You have to get tickets at Budapest port or near Erzsebet bridge (White bridge) on the riverside, and there is a ticket counter to buy tickets.
River Ride Bus
The River ride bus is very unique and is the main attraction in Budapest. The bus runs both on land and water and this way you get to see Budapest both on land and water.
You will find nice restaurants in these areas. walk around liszt ferencz
square near oktogon, then raday utca. There are tonnes but Gundel is the most
famous and expensive restaurant.
Coffee Shops
Grab a coffee in Central cafe, New York coffee, Alexandria cafe (worth seeing)
Most people think of Dubai when they think of UAE or the United Arab Emirates. While Dubai is an important part of the city, it is not the only one. On the other hand, this Arab country is an amalgamation of seven Emirate cities which are Abu Dhabi (the capital), Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al-Quwain. Dubai and Abu Dhabi do not need any introductions as most people know about it and millions of people choose these cities for their annual holiday destination.
However, UAE is not just about Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The other Emirates, maybe not as developed as Dubai or Abu Dhabi, do offer some exciting places to see and things to do. Let us check out some of the best places that you should not miss while holidaying in the UAE.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, UAE
Known to be the largest mosque in the UAE, the Grand Mosque beautifully combines both the ancient and modern styles of Islamic architecture. Made in white marble and adorned with mosaic tiles, gold embellishments, glass work and crystal chandeliers, the mosque is a sight to see, both during the day and at night. One of the highlights of this place is that it is home to the largest handmade carpet in the world. Do not forget to spend time by the pool to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the place, especially in the evenings.
Burj Khalifa, UAE
The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower at a height of 828 metres (2,717 feet), stands in Dubai on March 5, 2012. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Tags: SOCIETY CITYSPACE) – RTR2YV3I
The Burj Khalifa is a part of the world records as it is the tallest building as well as freestanding structure in the world. While you can see this building from anywhere in the city (as it stands out from all other skyscrapers in the city, it is also possible to visit the Burj Khalifa. Consisting of 162 floors, the observation decks on the 124th, 125th and 148th floors are open for the public. From the observation deck, you would get to have an incredible view of the entire city. Moreover, during your visit, you would be able to have a ride on the fastest and longest elevator in the world.
If you want to know more about the history and development of Islam, there is no better place than Sharjah Museum of Islamic civilization for the same. It is a one-of-a-kind museum that traces the history of Islam not just in a particular region but across regions. You would be able to learn about Islam, different Islamic empires, rare manuscripts and religious documents at this museum which is located along Sharjah’s Corniche Street.
Hajar Mountains
Hajar Mountains, UAE
While the UAE is known for its luxury, it is important to know that the country is not devoid of natural beauty. If you want to spend time outdoors amidst nature as well as indulge in some outdoor activities, the Hajar Mountains is a great place to visit. Endowed with picturesque wadis, roller coaster roads, Hatta rock pools and dry river beds, the Hajar Mountains is a unique place to explore. You would also be able to visit traditional villages here. It is a great place to enjoy hiking, trekking and even bird watching.
Ferrari World
Ferrari World
The UAE is home to several amazing themes and adventure parks but the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi surely takes the cake. One of the main reasons is that it is based on Formula One race and has some cool rides. One of the star attractions of the Ferrari World is the Formula Rossa, which is the fastest roller coaster in the world, as it runs at a speed of 240 km/hour. Apart from this, there are Ferrari car expositions and a racing simulator. You also get to learn about how to assemble a Ferrari during a ride. There is also a store that sells Ferrari themed gifts and souvenirs.
The Bastakiya Quarter
The Bastakiya Quarter, UAE
Contrary to popular belief, Dubai is not all about its tall buildings and glamorous vibes. On the other hand, the Bur Dubai area of the city still preserves a memory of the times gone by with the Bastakiya Quarter. Complete with narrow lanes, sandstone buildings, wind towers and beautiful interiors, the Bastakiya is a fine example of Arabian architecture and style. Apart from walking around the lanes of the Bastakiya Quarter, you can check out the interiors of a few of the buildings and homes that house the Dubai Museum, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Ostra (art gallery). Arabian Tea House, Majlis Gallery, XVA (art house and gallery). Walking in the Bastakiya Quarter would take you away from the chaos of the modern city and is something you must experience.
The popular mosques of the UAE are huge and extravagant. However, if you want to experience a simpler version of the mosque in the country, you must visit the Al-Bidyah Mosque in Fujairah. It is the oldest mosque in the UAE and is modest in both size and design. However, it is beautiful in its own and also a significant historical monument of the city. This mosque has been preserved well and you would be able to see the original shaft patterns on the walls. Moreover, you would also be able to see an archaeological site where many metal artefacts and pottery have been excavated in the past.
Warner Bros. World
Warner Bros. World, Abu Dhabi, UAE
The Warner Bros World Abu Dhabiis an indoor amusement park dedicated to Warner Bros. characters and shows. This amusement park has six zones or lands including Metropolis, Gotham City, Cartoon Junction, Dynamite Gulch, Bedrock and Warner Bros. Plaza. Each land is true to its name and offers rides and attractions based on its theme. You would be able to enjoy 29 thrilling rides, interactive attractions and live entertainment during your visit to the park. The Warner Bros. World is a park that would be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike.
Souks
Souks, Dubai, UAE
Every Emirate city has huge malls and shopping centres where you can buy products from all over the world. However, if you want to enjoy a traditional shopping experience, you must visit the souks which are present in all the Emirates. Dubai has some of the best souks which include the Gold Souk (where you can bargain while buying gold jewellery), the Textile Souk, the Perfume Souk and the Spice Souk. There are also some modern versions of the souks (Souk Madinat is one of them) in the city. The Central or Blue Souk is known for its affordable shopping experience as well as its unique architecture and design. Abu Dhabi is home to the Carpet Souk where you would find more than 100 shops selling beautiful carpets from Afghan and Persian. You should also visit the Camel Souk in Al Ain to experience its traditional vibe. The best part about shopping in the souks is that you get to buy a variety of local products and handicrafts at reasonable rates.
This list of places to visit in UAE does not do justice to this Arab country. In fact, it has many more natural and manmade wonders that one must see during your UAE holiday. The Al Ain Zoo, the Ras Al Khaimah National Museum, Jebel Hafeet, Ski Dubai, Dubai Marina and Creek, Sir Bani Yas, etc. are a few more places to see in the country. Moreover, the dhow cruise, desert safari, water and adventure sports are some of the things to do during your UAE tours. With so much to see and do in UAE, make sure to make a visit to this Arab country at least once in your lifetime.
Priya is an avid travel writer who specializes in adventurous travel writing. Her blogs and articles give deep insight about various tourist places and act as a perfect travel guide for someone who is traveling to a place for the first time. Priya has exemplary research, writing, and editing skills which make her easily match the reader’s intellect and interest. She has blogged extensively about her travel experience while traveling to several places like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Europe, Dubai, USA, Canada, etc.
