a night in CHODOVAR!

A night out in Chodovar!

One of Dustin's teammates + girlfriend took us for a night out in his home town Chodova Plana!  A small town with a population of only 1800 but infamous beer + an infamous beer spa!

 YES....the one from Food Network's TV show "The World's Weirdest Restaurants"

.... CHODOVAR!! 

This is the place where you can bathe in a beer tub while drinking beer"a real wine & dine..  although we did not bathe in tubs while drinking and eating tonight- we did get to go into an underground cave to see a huge granite cellar brewery and eat Czech food! It was only a 30 minute drive from Karlovy and yummmmy..... heres a link for some more info if you are interested!  

[I have already decided for Christmas I want to go back and do a beer bath spa day! ]

Beer Spa

After eating we went to walk around MARIANSKE LAZNE- a mini Karlovy Vary with more of a "park-ish" feeling.  Its tough to explain but the town is very beautiful and also know for spa treatments and COLD thermal waters!  This little town is deceiving because it looks quite big for its 15000 population because of all the glamorous hotels!  Lots of golfing and even a mini ski hill!

After we were serenaded by Zpivjici fontana- the Singing Fountain- we drove back to Karlovy but took a shortcut.  The short cut pretty much looked like.....if our car were to break down we would be stuck in the middle of no where just like if we were in a slasher movie- thank goodness it didnt!  It was actually a pretty cool drive home and we learnt a short cut to get us back to the beer spa!

It was a perfect evening + we even got to go home with some extra apple strudel treats from grandma ;)

TX you two!

xo.peace

k

Vegan Granola!YUMM!

I am NOT one to be chatting recipes or cooking etc.  I admit it- I am not a great chef but I can make a mean pancake, oatmeal.....and VEGAN GRANOLA from scratch!!  

Here is the low down- I LOVE BREAKFAST! It is my favorite meal!  Lately I have been playing around with recipes and trying to create the perfect granola for myself + I created it last night!

 I have to share because it literally melts in your mouth + BONUS- its HEALTHY!!!  

I have made the recipe VEGAN- but will give you other options incase your not on the vegan-wagon! 

ENJOY CHEFS!

In one bowl mix:

• 1 1/2 C.  Oats
• 1 C. Flour
• 1/2 C. Sunflower seeds
• 1/2 C. Pumpkin seeds
• 1 C. Coconut flakes (You can do less or more of coco.  I LOVE coconut so for myself the more the better!)
• 1/2 C. Ground flax seeds
• 1/4 C. Cane sugar
• 1 tbs.  Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt (This is essential+your body needs electrolytes so dont shortchange the salt like I used to!)
• 1 C. raisins (or any dried fruit of your choice)
• 1/2 C. Almonds 
• 1/4 C. Cashews (or any other nut of your choice... walnuts? pecans? the world is your oyster!)

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp. Agave (or Honey)
• 2 tbsp. Almond butter ( or Peanut Butter/Cashew Butter/Hazelnut Butter/ Nutella)
• 1 tbsp. Canola Oil (to make the granola stick)
• 2 tbsp. Almond Milk (or Soy Milk/ Milk)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix up the two ingredients in a VERY big bowl (makes quite a big batch!)  You dont want your granola to be runny - rather dryish looking.  If it is runny or sticky looking add more oats + a splash more flour + sugar!  Then lay out on a cookie tray evenly.  Drizzle more agave over the top and set into oven.  Here is where you have to use your own judgement.  Im in Czech and cant figure out the conversion for our oven- so I put it on a very low temperature and let it bake for about 40 minutes... just make sure you keep your eye on it + check on it!  Once your granola is crispy-ish take it out and let it SIT.  Don't break it up or move it so you get those delicious granola clumps!

ENJOY IT + maybe you can make it last longer than what I can...

[annie likes it too....not as much as her shirt though]

XO.PEACE.

k

Traditional Czech Lunch

The past weekend Dustin was away for pre-season in RUSSIA so I had the place to myself!  

PARTAYYYY!!! 

Bahhhh just kidding- instead I became best-ies with my 82 year old Landlords that live on the bottom level on our apartment building- legit.

Let me break it down for you.  LENKA + VIKTOR are our landlords for our sweet, humble apartment here in Karlovy.  And humble it is!  Me + Dust don't need alot of space so it works for us::even the 8 flights of stairs to get to our door... and the short 10 minute vertical incline up the hill from downtown... we will stay trim AND we cant complain when we wake up to a amazing sunrise and a WICKED sunset...

[sunset from our kitchen window]

Lenka + Viktor were born in 1929 + have lived here in Karlovy for all their years...with many travels of their own, atleast so we were told at our TRADITIONAL CZECH LUNCH they hosted for me & Chels Saturday.  Iam a vegetarian (borderline vegan) and was tempted to say something to them- but instead thought that was rude so I rolled the dice!  

Our Czech lunch they started with::

BECHEROVKA- a liquor made with the water only in Karlovy Vary and is said to improve your digestion!  The Czechs think it is good to drink two shots a day for your health! Who knew..maybe thats why a 10-pack of beer is $4..  

To follow the Becherovka we had a BROTH soup with a red Czech WINE.  I am not a fan of red wine but this was SO smooth and yummy, it was perfect to wash down the Becherovka.  The main course was PORK, a BREAD DUMPLING, SAUERKRAUT and sliced POTATOES.  

[bread dumplings]

I felt a little rude + embarrassed but I just couldn't manage to eat the pork :( Chelsea was a trooper and  polished her plate for the both of us ;) 

 Dessert was a PLUM CAKE that was incredibly delicious and coffee.  

[me+Lenka after yoga...yes she did yoga with me!]

Lenka + Viktor are both so kind and just wanted us to feel at home!  They were so helpful and Iam so grateful for them!  It reminds me the impact that a single person can have on one person's life....

"treat others the way you would like to be treated"... 

still stands strong!

xo.peace

k