email me :)

Hello Everybody!!!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have created an email address so we can communicate outside of the comments!

longtriphomelifeontheroad@gmail.com

This is a place to send me your ideas, comments, concerns and opinions!

I am really excited to start hearing from you guys and make this more of an interactive space!

So hop to it! Send me an email! Comment on a previous post! Tell me if you tried any recipes! Let me know what YOU want me to write about!

Talk to you soon!

xo Kristen 

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Well its official, that time of year is 100% here. Soups,stews, braised and warm dishes. Food wise this is hands down my favourite time of the year!

So lets start out with something delish and simple :)

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 butternut squash
• 1 yellow onion sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 2-3 L of stock
• salt
• pepper
• 1 bay leaf 
• ground cinnamon
• ground ginger
• 4 tbsp browned butter
• 1/2 c heavy cream

1. First you want to roast your squash in the oven. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, brush it with oil (I use coconut oil), salt and pepper and put it face down on a lined baking sheet. I used 2 squashes (4 halves) and roasted my squash at 350 degrees for about an hour. After about an hour take your squash out of the oven and let it cool down enough so you can handle it.

2. While your squash is cooling throw your sliced yellow onion into your soup pot with 4 tbsp of butter on a medium heat. As your onions cook down your butter will slowly brown. Cook until your onions are translucent and the butter is a nice nutty colour. Turn off the heat and throw in your minced garlic and let it simmer in the onion and butter as it cools down.

3. Scoop out the meat of the squash and add it to the pot with the onions. Add your 2-3 L of stock and one bay leaf. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and let your soup simmer on a medium heat for about an hour. (I came back to the soup every 5-7 minutes to give it a good stir)

4. After about an hour I added a pinch of ground cinnamon and ginger, tasted for seasoning then let it cool for about 30 minutes.

5. Last and final step, remove your bay leaf and puree your soup with an immersion blender (or what ever you have), add your 1/2 cup of heavy cream stir in completely.

Now heat up if you need to and enjoy!

Don't forget to let me know in the comments bellow your favourite soup recipes.

Follow us on Instagram @seekristenlove

home sweet home

Photo Taken At the Credit River in Missisagua On.

by Jordan Sanderson

Good afternoon all! I hope your day is going splendid. :).

For all who don't know I am currently not on the road. I am living in a quaint little apartment with the love of my life in a city just outside of Toronto, Canada. Most of my family lives around the corner and some of my life long friends are a quick train ride away.

As much as I love travel, I also love home. Something I am searching for is being able to find a balance of the both! Home and Travel. Something I long for is to be able to wake up and work from where ever I am in the world. But for now I am here in Ontario and I will be posting my day to day life and adventures.

Some things I love to do when I am living in one space for an extended period of time are, Cook (you can almost always find me in my kitchen so get ready for some new and exciting recipes A La Kristen), go on weekend adventures, take pictures, read books, go to new restaurants, trying new hobbies (and hopefully finding one that I will like enough to stick) and writing, writing about my fun and adventures, and of course future travel plans! 

For now that is what  I will be posting about on a almost daily basis. but for now I must go tend to my house guest Saphira....a beauty siberian Husky! My day is already awesome!

 How do you keep yourself motivated? What are your tricks for staying on track? Let me know in the comments bellow!

Until next time fellow food loving travelers Have a fantastic day!

Kristen

first set of cheap travel tips

Hey everyone! its been a while since I posted so I thought I would post a first in a series of "cheap travel tips".

Here is my first installation. These are some ideas I found that worked for me while I was back packing in Europe and Turkey. I hope that you will find some useful aswell!


1. pack light
2. bring a lock
3. use public transit when ever you can
4. research your hostels
5. stay with friends if you can
6. www.couchsurfer.com
8. pack food for long rides
9. eat where the locals eat
10.buy food at local markets its ofter cheaper than supermarkets
11.compare your airfare/be flexible
12use the incognito tab when looking up flights (some websites track your visits and the price will automatically go up the next time you look)
13. use the free days when visiting museums and other wonderful exhibits.
14. spend more time in each country and travel slowly
15. fly at unpopular times early morning/redeye flights
16. fly mid week
17.stay more then one night at a hostel,some twill have a 3 night get the 4th free deal
18. if you know you will be somewhere for a month or more, try renting an apartment so you can cook your own food.
19. try www.woofing.com
20. try housesitting for people
21. take night busses/trains so you can sleep while you travel
22. walk as much as you can :)
23. rent a bike
24. eat our for breakfast/lunch not for dinner 
25. try and find a hostel/hotel with breakfast included (and try and make some lunch/snacks from your breakfast food)

day to day

My day to day

I have Just started a new phase of my life and I thought, what a better way to dive in to this new chapter then to get right back into something I love....writing.

I have loved writing since I was little and have been doing so constantly until about a year ago.

I was backpacking through Europe, and documenting all the exciting things I was doing and seeing and when I came home I vowed to keep it up and keep myself adventurous and engaged with my blog.

That was until I actually got home...(Canada) and was diagnosed with MS. I wouldnt say I went into a full out depression or downward spiral (I had my days), but I did have other things on the fore front of my mind.

A year later and I feel like I am back in my old shoes. Full of passion, andventure, wanderlust and love and absolutely ready to dive right back into the blogging world that I have missed so much!

Here I will share with you the places I go and the things/people I see, delicious food I make/eat, events I am lucky enough to attend and pretty much anything and everything that comes to mind.

I hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave ideas and comments.

K

Top 10 things To Do On Your Day Off

ON MY DAY OFF!

1) SLEEP IN- normal days I am up at 5:00am...so sleeping till 7:00 or 8:00am is glorious
2) Go to a cafe to enjoy good coffee to do some reading and/or writing
3) going to a good trail and doing some hiking or biking
4) laying on the couch and watching a movie
5) doing a hot yoga class
6) Grabbing brunch with a friend
7) bake or cook something new
8) wake up early and making breakfast in bed for my girlfriend
9) spend all day in bed reading a wonderful book
10) Spending time with my Niece and Nephew

and lastly,

11) Travel some where new :)

I didn't include this in my top 10 because....well...its a given :)

The Little Things

 I am sitting at Lit Espresso Bar right now and there is the most adorable Bernese Mountain Dog
 patiently waiting outside for his owner. It is amazing me to watch all the people leave the coffee shop content with their caffeine and pastries and then instantly light up as soon as they see the perky pooch, smiling and wagging his tail. I don't think one person has been able to walk past with out a smile. He sure is making my morning brighter!