New Shoes, Vintage Clocks, Movies & a Life Tip | BERRYWEEKLY

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"having dreams of owning something close to Khloe Kardashians heavenly shoe collection"

They say summer passes by in a flash, and they couldn't be more right! I don't know if it's because of the idea that we have 'all the time in the world' to do whatever we want to do, or if it's because we choose to spend our days doing practically nothing but somehow, the clock is running on super speed. To cherish every moment, we tend to resort to our handy dandy camera phones to capture memories - and that's exactly what BerryWeekly is all about. So here are the memories of the week!

Khajur Pak 'ENERGY BALLS' | RECIPE

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"A vegan friendly, healthy yet delicious snack to grab whenever you feel a sweet craving"

Medjool dates are getting popular by the minute. Known for their incredible caramel-like taste and sticky texture which is great for no-bake treats. Yet little did I know the treat I'd been having since as long as I can remember would be huge in the 'Western World' too! Being Indian, my family love the good old sweet treat and the now known 'Energy Balls' were always called Khajur Pak [kha-joor pah-kh] in my book. So, as I made a batch, I thought I'd give you the low-down to these incredibly tasty, nutritious and super EASY treat!

Starbucks Soy Chai Latte | THE VERDICT

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"I am a huge fan of masala in my chai, and this drink definitely had it."

It has been a while since a Starbucks Verdict has been made on BBXO. In fact, the last was in the festive season during the Red Cup phase! Oh, the good ol' days!

The weather in England has been quite confusing, I'm talking very sunny but freezing, and Spring showers occasionally popping into the equation. What more than a Chai Latte to get us through the day?

I am Indian, so if anyone knows what a Chai Latte should taste like, it's us! Let's put it this way: Starbucks did not disappoint. The kick of ginger was incredible, and the warmth of the drink made me feel 10x better! I am a huge fan of masala in my chai, and this drink definitely had it.

So, you may ask: Why the soy milk? Well, I love watching a bit of MissGlamorazzi, a.k.a. Ingrid, on YouTube and remember her raving about the Iced Soy Chai Latte, however, the other day when I ordered, it was pouring down with rain and I couldn't bare to have an iced tea, so went with the warm version. It was incredible. The frothiness of the soy made the drink taste very yummy!

The verdict: Starbucks, you've got it down to the T (T, tea, geddit? Oh the puns!) with your Soy Chai Latte. Nicely done!

If you're a fan of ginger and spice in your tea, get a soy chai latte next time you're in Starbucks - you can thank me later ;)

Have you tried teas in Starbucks? If so, what's your favourite?

Afternoon Tea at The Colonnade Hotel, London | FOOD

Hello!

"the good thing about Afternoon Tea, it's all very relaxed, calm and you're not in a rush to go anywhere - utter bliss"

Afternoon Tea is a great way to spend an afternoon. You may have noticed it becoming a reoccurring topic on BBXO (see here and here). Yet, this time, the weather decided to treat us a little better, and the sun was shining. All the other times I've been, it's been pouring down with rain! Nonetheless, let's take a peak into the beautiful Colonnade Hotel. 

First things first, we went around in circles and passed the place about twice before found it! It was quite discrete and the only sign was a little menu (pictured in the title). I've got to admit, the area was beautiful, but more on that later. 

The atmosphere was light, and the glass roof ensured the sun was shining through and making everything look 10x prettier! You had to walk down stairs to the seating area and enter a pastel coloured room, with pastel paintings and very clean, white plates and cups, which instantly makes you feel calm. That's the good thing about Afternoon Tea, it's all very relaxed, calm and you're not in a rush to go anywhere - utter bliss. 

"What's an English Afternoon Tea without Scones?"

As for the tea, there was a range to choose from. Although the range was not that big, it was enough to get something you liked. We went for the Darjeeling, and although it was my first time trying it, I fell in love! Such a beautiful, mellow and slightly sweet tea. 

The food was lovely, and to my surprise, there were macarons! In all the places I've had tea, I've never had macarons included! Oh, and they did taste amazing! Mine was pink, but didn't have a particular flavour, it was a plain macaron sporting all of the glorious texture it's known for. 

What's an English Afternoon Tea without Scones? They gave us jam in a cute little jar that was just adorable! It tasted amazing too. 

"You can bet your bottom dollar that I instagrammed that!"

Of all the other Afternoon Tea places I've been to, this is definitely been one of the best. I loved the light, airy atmosphere, the polite staff and the lovely treats. If you're looking for a place to go to on a lovely sunny day, definitely check out The Colonnade Hotel near Little Venice. 

Speaking of the area, it is absolutely stunning. The buildings are white with huge doors and pillars. It was like a dream! You can bet your bottom dollar that I instagrammed that! But more on the area will be coming to a blog near you very soon, so keep your eyes peeled! ;)

All in all, a wonderful place to visit, I would definitely recommend you go. Plus, there's a beautiful canal a mere 5 minute walk away - a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Tell me, have you tried Darjeeling, and what's your favourite tea? 

Cameras, Pets, Bars & Baking |BERRYWEEKLY

Hello!

"it was practically waiting for us to open the door to freedom"

Another Friday has come, and it's time to reflect. These BerryWeekly posts are so lovely, as it's almost like a mini scrapbook - with pictures and small descriptions of some of the weeks highlights! Actually, seeing as scrapbooking is kind of become a thing, I wanted to get on board and made an actual scrapbook (see here)! Who say's scrapbooking is only for kids?! Not. Me. :)

The idea of scrapbooking actually came to me when I ordered this baby. It's the oh-so-beautiful Canon 700D. I was debating whether or not I should jump into the DSLR bandwagon, wandering whether it's really worth it or not. Being a blogger, it is (silently) believed that having a DSLR makes you an "official". How much I agree to that is another post entirely. For the record, even though I now am lucky enough to own one now, I still don't regard myself as an 'official'.

So far, I have been loving it! The crisp photo outcomes are lovely. What made me feel it was the right decision to pick the camera up, was your responses in this post, which was the first I properly used it.

"I used to be a rabbit owner and miss her to this day."

On another note, I paid a visit to Pets at Home the previous week and saw the cutest little animals. I've forgotten the name of the animal species on the right, but they were super cute snuggling on their little wheel! Though it did sadden me to see the rabbits in their tiny cages. The rabbit next to the one pictured was jumping about, and when we came close to the cage, it was practically waiting for us to open the door to freedom.

 I wish I could say I adopted one, but we have foxes that come to our garden, and it wouldn't be right to put the animal in danger.

If you didn't know, I used to be a rabbit owner (see here) and miss her to this day.

With birthdays come birthday parties. Was it me or did everyone seem to have their birthday in February? My good friend had her birthday and took us all out to Piccadilly Circus. We went to a bar called Jewel Bar based in Glasshouse Street. It's beautiful, and I fell in love with the decor. The seats reminded me on my headboard on my bed - so it felt a little like home! I loved that they had separated sections so you don't feel intruded on by strangers, and you even have your own little area to use as a dance floor.

Although I'm not a huge fan of clubbing, bars I can deal with. Nonetheless, they probably wouldn't be my outing of choice, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't try to get out of it. Though I was told I must attend, and I didn't have a choice, it did end up being a lovely night. Give me anything with coconut and I'm happy (hello, Piña Colada!).

"We went a little artsy and even tried some marble biscuits - completely unplanned but they looked gorgeous."

Finally, to wind off the week on a calmer note, I resorted to baking. My mother and I had some bonding time making these lovely biscuits. We went a little artsy and even tried some marble biscuits - completely unplanned but they looked gorgeous. We had a little cocoa biscuits going on, some plain and the pretty marble mix! It was a lovely time and definitely therapeutic!

What do you think of the whole blogger/DSLR debate? 

Afternoon Tea at No. 12 Bloomsbury, London

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"To our surprise, it tasted like a pizza in a sandwich!"

Afternoon tea is the perfect way to spend a day off, with people you'd like to sit with for 3 hours and talk until the cows come home! What's more, when it's raining outside, afternoon tea tastes just that much better!

Tea is known for the British, and London has a million and one places for you to enjoy it! We went with this place: Number Twelve, Bloomsbury. Based in the heart of London, with wonderful buildings giving that true admiration of British culture. Although the pillars pictured above has nothing to do the tea itself, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a snap and take a moment for architecture!

"next thing you know it's super bitter and not chocolate-y at all!"

The café itself is actually quite the opposite of traditional English. It is quite modern, contemporary should I say, and gives off a clean, fresh vibe. It's quite beautiful and there's such open-ness about it - possibly due to the beautiful high ceilings and crisp white accents.

The tables were spacious and the tea menu decent. I say decent because at first we were going to give Darjeeling a shot, as it was on the back of the menu, and then they say, "well, we only have certain teas available, shown on the inside cover of the menu". This did not include Darjeeling so we went for the good ol' English Breakfast and Ceylon. Ceylon was a nice tea, but it wouldn't be one I'd order again. Darjeeling is next on the hit list!

"We weren't left out to dry before they gave us our teas"

In terms of the cutlery, which I didn't think I'd mention today, it was beautiful! I love big cups, and this cup was big and it had a fancy contemporary design! What more could I ask for? Although my ideal cup would be the same volume but taller instead of wide - okay that was tmi! Continuing with this, the knives and forks were incredibly light! It was lovely.
I still find it incredibly weird to write about the cup and knives and forks, but it had to be thrown in there! ;)

The sandwiches were super yummy! What we did was have the ones we thought would be the not-so-nice ones first - which was the tomato one. To our surprise, it tasted like a pizza in a sandwich! Absolutely delightful!

As for the treats dish - there were scones, scones with raisins, tarts and two sets of dense bread/cake type of things with dried fruit in them. The dried fruit things were not that great. In fact, one of them looked like a chocolate brownie, so we saved it to last - next thing you know it's super bitter and not chocolate-y at all!

To top it all off, the scones were served with the most delicious blackberry jam (as well as strawberry jam and clotted cream). All of this served in the most interesting cake tray ever!

"when it's raining outside, afternoon tea tastes just that much better!"

Another great thing, which is quite important in any place you go, is the staff. They were lovely, efficient and super friendly! We weren't left out to dry before they gave us our teas and tray of goodies. They came fairly quickly and overall, pretty satisfied!

A great place to visit if in London and fancy some contemporary Afternoon Tea! Without a doubt an upgrade from last time and definitely one that upped the standards of Afternoon Tea.

What is your favourite type of tea, have you given Darjeeling a go?

The Christmas Tag: 2014

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"I have always wanted a puppy but was never allowed one, so one christmas I asked Santa for a robotic one"

With this week being jam packed with festive cheer, how could we not do the 2014 Christmas tag? Although not tagged by anyone in particular, I first read it from milkbubbletea.com and wanted to do it too! (see if you're tagged at the end). Let's get into it.. or should I say 'Let the sleigh bells ring' (okay, dead joke, I'm sorry!).

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

How could one surpass Christmas without watching the iconic 'Home Alone'. My mummy loves that movie and we watch it every year. My fav bit is seeing the beautiful New York Christmas tree being lit up (Home Alone 2, I think it's in!) - oh, and that awesome toy store!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Well, we have a tradition of opening the presents with my mum's sisters children (ie. my cousins), so it's either on Christmas Day or the 26th, depending on when we're all free. However, this year one of my cousins is going on holiday on the 25th , so we'll probably do it on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day... no set day, really - just a tradition to do it together. 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

Every year our family get together at various houses on different nights and have 'cards night'. This is where we get together at around 7pm and play cards, watch movies and just chill until 3-4am in the morning. One year (think it was 2012), we were at my aunt's house for cards night on Christmas Day, and my two cousins and I stayed up until 6am and went straight to the boxing day sales. It was manic, with queuing for 3hours in the freezing cold, getting inside the stores and shopping like crazy and finally getting home at around 11am in the morning. We all slept like babies that day and didn't get up until about 5pm, and had another cards night at another uncles house at 7pm - it was super tiring yet fun at the same time. Definitely a crazy experience, but one of my favourites.

"spending time with the family, making my bedroom super festive and, of course, the annual cards nights!"

4. Favourite festive food?

Biscuits! My mummy and I bake during the holidays and make our traditional biscuits. Everyone loves them and it's fun spending quality time with my mum!

5. Favourite Christmas gift ?

Generally, Santa never surprised me. I either got money or something I asked for. One year, when I wasn't really expecting anything for christmas, there was a present for me under the tree. It was a pair of pink and white Heely's. These are basically shoes with wheels. We went out the very next day to Asda, just so I could hold on to the trolley and wheel around. Trust me, all the kids were jealous and I had the biggest smile on my face!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Spiced Apple or Vanilla... or the smell of freshly baked biscuits!

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Not really, other than watching Home Alone with the family! 

"One year, when I wasn't really expecting anything for christmas, there was a present for me under the tree"

8. What tops your tree?

 This year it's a sparkly red star!  

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

I have always wanted a puppy but was never allowed one, so one christmas I asked Santa for a robotic one. Although I never got my puppy, Santa did buy me a robotic one which responds to your voice and walks around. There was also a sensor which means it doesn't walk into walls, and turns when it comes close to one! It was pretty awesome!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

Well, not to be typical or anything, but spending time with the family, making my bedroom super festive and, of course, the annual cards nights! 

I TAG:

- Paula (Thirteen Thoughts)

- Rebecca (Rawrrbeccabeauty)

- Leah & Rachel (Beyond The Velvet)
- Monique (Writing Monique)
-Becky (Under The Sea Beauty)
- Ana (Meet Me @ 2AM)

-& YOU!

Wishing you a very happy holiday and tell me: what's the best part about Christmas for you?

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha: The Verdict

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"Luckily I ordered a tall, as I wouldn't have been able to have more than that."

Another edition of the red-cup Starbucks series, yet this time, it's not specifically a 'festive favourite', yet everyone orders it during this time of year. Though it was my first time ordering it, it'll most likely my last, and here's why:

The coffee not being as creamy as I'd like. Thanks to the Waitress member complimentary coffee, I have found a special place in my heart for cappuccinos - the frothy, milky beverage with a kick from the coffee is my go-to choice. This, being a mocha, I'd expect to have that kick, which it did, yet lacks the frothy milky-ness I am fond of. Unlike the toffee nut latte (my fav) and the gingerbread latte, this is a different kind of drink.

Where does the peppermint come in? Well, there's a hint of the mint after every sip and it makes me flinch. Luckily I ordered a tall, as I wouldn't have been able to have more than that. If you're a fan of the peppermint aftertaste, you may have a different reaction to this, but in my books, this is not one I'm a huge fan of. 

Are you a fan of the peppermint mocha? 

Starbucks Honey & Almond Hot Chocolate: The Verdict

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"Topping it off with chocolate cream, honey and chocolate sauce, do I need to say that it was darn chocolate-y."

During this time of year there are a million different festive things going around, take Vlogmas, Blogmas and The Christmas Tag as some examples. Well, without really planning it, this year for BerryBloomXO seems to be the season of the Red Cups - that's right, it's the time of year for Starbucks! 

If you've heard or read about the flavours that Starbucks offers, you would know about the new Honey & Almond Hot Chocolate that is released in UK Starbucks stores. As one of the four festive drinks released, it was a must try - being a chocoholic and all, how could one resist? 

"If you're a fan of the whole 'salted caramel', 'bitter and sweet' kind of thing, this will be right up your street"

Topping it off with chocolate cream, honey and chocolate sauce, do I need to say that it was darn chocolate-y. If you're not a fan of dark chocolate, I'd say stay away. It has that bitter aftertaste you get from dark chocolate and is super rich. I'd say the drink has sort of 3 'notes' to it: first being the mild taste of milky, almond goodness, second being a sting of honey (believe me it's strong) and a final kick of the dark chocolate bitterness.

Overall, I'd say a surprising mix of flavours, one that I wouldn't opt for again, but worth a try, nonetheless. If you're a fan of the whole 'salted caramel', 'bitter and sweet' kind of thing, this will be right up your street, but for me, not my top Starbucks drink.

What's your favourite festive drink of the season (be it from Starbucks, Costa... wherever!)? 

Starbucks Gingerbread Latte - Christmas Blend: The Verdict

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"'Christmas Blend' version of the Gingerbread Latte, would I say it was worth it?"

It's that time of year when the red cups come to town. No, I do not mean the red cups you see used at every party in American TV shows, but the oh-so-famous festive Starbucks Coffee cups. With the new festive season comes 4 new flavours and here's where I tell you about one of them...

"I'll give you my top pick of the 4... and I'm telling you now, it's not going to be number 1"

Not really been one that needs a daily Starbucks fix, but scoring myself a new job in London meant there's a Starbucks every 10 steps (literally). Just outside work, there's a Starbucks, the first thing that caught my eye when I went out for a breath of fresh air during lunch break. How could I not, hey? Spent an extra 20p to get the 'Christmas Blend' A.K.A. medium roast version of the Gingerbread Latte, would I say it was worth it? Oh yeah. The coffee was lovely, not too strong but just strong enough to keep you fighting the cold air around you. The gingerbread taste itself? Very ginger-bready. I liked it but would rather go for the toffee nut latte again - which was another one I tried the previous day (didn't I say I don't need a daily Starbucks fix?). Although I didn't get a nice enough photo of that one, I'll write a blog post the next time I get it.

"coffee was lovely, not too strong but just strong enough to keep you fighting the cold air around you."

The gingerbread latte, full on with the whipped cream and all, did do itself justice and is not a bad drink at all. However, by the end of the festive season, I'll give you my top pick of the 4 they've released and I'm telling you now, it's not going to be number 1.

Overall, a lovely drink to have in hand if you're a huge fan of gingerbread (duh!) , but of all the festive flavours to choose from, I'd say don't get this one. However contradictory this may sound, just trust me on this!

Have you tried the festive flavours yet? What's your festive drink of choice?

Afternoon Tea in London: The Knightsbridge Garden Hotel

Hello!

"I was a little disappointed as all they really needed was to stock up on the Twinings"

Living in London my whole life and never gone out for 'Afternoon Tea' - a disgrace? Quite possibly. Well, this is no longer a valid statement as last weekend, I did go out for Afternoon Tea and I can honestly say, I'd do it again.

"a pleasant mix of sweet and savoury to mix and match, and not get too sick of the same flavour"

Take the train to Knightsbridge and a mere 5 minutes walk later, pass the beautiful buildings and a huge poster of Cara Delevingne on the wall of Burberry, you see a white shop which looks calm around the hustle and bustle of the christmas shoppers on the high street. You enter into a room of utter silence. The wooden floors give a natural vibe and the monochrome outfits of the waiters suggest an ordered environment. After being taken to the room, you choose your table and are given an option: Champagne or Juice. From the picture above you can tell, I chose the latter.

"a cake stand with food and a cup of tea - alongside chatting with good company, it was a great day"

The juice tasted something poured out of a Tesco Value carton - not exactly the best thing in the world, but that's okay. The main beverage of the day was the tea, of course. Given a tea menu and asked to make a selection - I didn't know what to choose. Going with a friend meant you could choose and share more than one type of tea, as each order meant an entire teapot of the flavour. She went with English Breakfast and I felt something a little different: How about the Pomegranate White Tea, I asked. A little while later the waitress returned and said they're out. I was a little disappointed as all they really needed was to stock up on the Twinings tea bags, as that is what they used. Earl Grey it is, then, I responded. 

"jam and butter on the side of the scones was a nice touch"

Out came the cake stand with one layer of sandwiches, one of cakes and bakes, and of course a layer of the traditional scones. It was nice to share as it meant getting a bit of everything without having to finish it all and be extremely full! There was a pleasant mix of sweet and savoury to mix and match, and not get too sick of the same flavour. My favourite of them all was the brownie - dense and full of flavour. 

"never gone out for 'Afternoon Tea' - a disgrace? Quite possibly."

A nice little table on the side, with a view of the high street, a cake stand with food and a cup of tea - alongside chatting with good company, it was a great day. Overall, it was pretty simple, with regular service to see if there was anything else we wanted, and the atmosphere being calm, relaxing and just lovely.

"I did go out for Afternoon Tea and I can honestly say, I'd do it again"

Unfortunately my earl grey tasted extremely lemony, possibly because the previous tea in the teapot must have been lemon flavoured and not washed off properly. That tea was undrinkable, but due to an entire teapot being given with each order, we shared the English Breakfast, with still some to spare.
The jam and butter on the side of the scones was a nice touch, meaning we didn't have to ask for anything more.

On the whole, a lovely experience, a relaxing atmosphere and a nice area in London. Although I wouldn't go to the same place again, simply to visit new places. Would I go out for Afternoon Tea again? Most definitely!

Tell me, is Afternoon Tea something you formally have everyday, or do you grab a quick snack if you feel a bit peckish?

Wahaca - Lunch in Covent Garden

Hello! 

"Food comes in various sizes."

As mentioned in Friday's post, last week was my week off, so obviously that means catching up with friends over lunch in London! Duh.. who really relaxes during their week off?! *looks around like she didn't sleep all day for most of the week* 

Wahaca is near Covent Garden station - it's a small, cute little Mexican restaurant inspired by Mexican Market/Street Eating.

"service was great, the atmosphere lovely"

As you walk in, you see this skeleton on a display table surrounded by macaron hearts and gingerbread men! It's so super cute and it decorated for 'The Day of the Dead'. The whole decor in Wahaca is very quirky and full of primary colours!

"small, cute little Mexican restaurant inspired by Mexican Market/Street Eating"

Food comes in various sizes. There's 'Street Food' which is recommended to order 2-3 plates per person, and there's classics with foods such as Burritos. Unfortunately for the one dish meals, there weren't many vegetarian choices. Being a vegetarian, I was a little disappointed. However, they had a few other dishes in the street food section which were vegetarian. I went with the mushroom, corn and cheese Quesadilla and it was exactly what it said on the tin. 

Overall, not a bad place to have lunch with friends, especially if you go for Frozen Yogurt at Snog down the road later, which is what we did! They did have desserts, such as churros, if you want to have your sweet treat in the same seat. The service was great, the atmosphere lovely and not too busy (bear in mind we went on Monday at around 1.30pm) and the food is good.

What's your favourite Mexican Dish?

BerryWeekly: Fireworks, London, Flowers and Piercings

Hello! 

"our family got together ...we ordered pizzas, played charades and blasted some fireworks!"

As you know, it was Diwali last week, and this week was also my week off! You know when you want a relaxing, chilled out week but it turns out to be super eventful - well this was one of them! So, here's what happened.

" There is now a hole in the top of my right ear"

I got my cartilage pierced. There is now a hole in the top of my right ear with a shiny gold and diamond stud. Did it hurt? It was bearable! But so far, I love it 

Also, I got this awesome bottle in the post and have been loving it. The image is a sneak peak of what's coming your way next week! ;)

"When in London, there's always good food!"

Going back to Diwali, our family got together at our house on Friday night, we ordered pizzas (a whopping 12 extra, extra large ones - you can imagine how big our family is!), played charades and blasted some fireworks! It was a beautiful display and my dad was sad to see one of the trees get a little burnt as the firework blasted in the wrong direction... whoops!

I also popped down to Covent Garden on Monday to see a huge crowd of people surrounding an entertainment man, but what I admired the most was the stunning Christmas decorations up in the square! 

When in London, there's always good food! A post coming to you next week on the dinner we had, but for dessert, it was Snog we went to. I ordered the Coconut Frozen Yogurt, with granola and raspberries and some chocolate sauce! It was super yummy!

 As for the flower part of this BerryWeekly, this arrangement was a put together of two bunches of flowers. I took the pleasure in snipping and trimming the stems, presenting them in a large, red vase and taking a million photos! Oh, and you can't forget tweeting about it! 

"took the pleasure in snipping and trimming the stems, presenting them ...and taking a million photos!"

Well, that's it for this weeks BerryWeekly! I hope you have a super fun Halloween, if you celebrate, and an exciting, fun week ahead of you!

What would/do you order at a Frozen Yogurt Place?

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte: The Verdict.

Hello!

"On a cold, chilly evening out last Tuesday, this was the drink of choice"

We're a little Fall Obsessed with this post as it's all about Autumn. Well, this is said to be THE drink for Autumn. This American Fall Classic was first bought to the UK Starbucks stores in 2012. Ever since, the thought of Pumpkin in my coffee did not sound appetising - but you never know unless you try, right?

"Ever since, the thought of Pumpkin in my coffee did not sound appetising"

On a cold, chilly evening out last Tuesday, this was the drink of choice to warm me up - and I am happy this was the one I went for. The PSL was advertised in big posters as soon as you walk into Starbucks and so I went with it. Topped with whipped cream and cinnamon, the initial taste is amazing - then the coffee kicks in! Overall, though, the Pumpkin Spice Latte did not disappoint, and yes, I'd order it again (hoping they spell my name right on the cup again, which, surprisingly, they did this time!).

That's The Verdict: Pumpkin in Coffee is a good idea!
Have you tried the PSL?

The Verdict: Starbucks Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino

Hello! 

"She would repurchase whereas I, on the other hand, will stick to my Skinny Caramel Macchiatos."

Obviously autumn is here, but just before summer officially dies down, it was time to try out the things that are there for the season. The iconic Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino from Starbucks is known as one of the bestsellers in the spring/summer time - think THE drink for Wimbledon season. September/October being an awkward time to try this drink, you say? Well, better late than never, I say.

Hot cocoas, pumpkin spice lattes and cappuccinos are what crosses everyones lips at the Starbucks counter, it was worth a try of the S&C frappe before it was too late, and here's the verdict.

The strawberry taste is very fake and the overall taste is not to my liking. The cream, of course, tastes pretty plain, which is fine but the infused strawberry is the definition of artificial. Personally, it was not one for me.

Don't be put off, though, my friend, whom bought it at the same time as me, loved it. She would repurchase whereas I, on the other hand, will stick to my Skinny Caramel Macchiatos.

So, if you love them, here's to next summer and asking for them again while they spell your name wrong on the cups - and if like me, you don't like them, give the Refreshas a shot!

Tell me, are you a fan of the S&C Frappuccinos? What's your go-to fall Starbucks order?

RECIPE: Healthier Blueberry Muffins

 Hello!

"get a couple of ingredients... and throw them all together - simples :)"

The same question pops up time and time again, during this point in the week: What's happening in the weekend?! Well, here's an idea that is super fun and super yummy! If you're a total sweet tooth like me, you could never resist a chance at cake, and when you're offered a slightly healthier version - well, why not?

Click HERE to Download

There ya go! Just save a copy, get a couple of ingredients (most of which you may have at home) and throw them all together - simples :)

I hope you enjoy-  and what fruit/toppings would you put in?