Christmas🎄Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann | Rooftop - Café Coutume & Glass-Walk ✨

Palais Garnier is an renowned opera house situated in Paris, France. It's just a short 4-minute walk from Galeries Lafayette Haussmann at 40 Boulevard Haussmann. This area is vibrant, especially in December, which is both Josephine's birthday month and the festive season.

Josephine and Paul visited earlier this year at the end of March and the beginning of April, and they are excited to be back now.

This lovely ladies shows their support for Paul by giving him a thumbs up. They've noticed how he has been holding Josephine's handbag and filming her from the start of their time on the rooftop. His actions reflect the traits of a great husband.

They took the elevator and a few flights of stairs to reach the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette, where they enjoyed breathtaking panoramic views of Paris—definitely a must-visit with free entry!

They checked out the views from the rooftop and then headed over to Café de Coutume. While chilling there, you could soak in the stunning Lafayette Christmas tree and the amazing 360-degree views of the shopping center. It was just gorgeous. They grabbed a cortado and a small cappuccino for a total of 10 euros. Totally worth it!

The coffee was amazing, and the art on top really brightened their day. Even though the pound cake was super tempting, they had already eaten breakfast and dessert before getting there, so they were just in the mood for a drink to chill out and enjoy the festive vibe.

This spot has a great seating area with amazing views. Josephine and Paul wrapped up their coffee and asked someone to shoot a quick video while she took a seat for the exchange. We all ended up having a great time. She mentioned that her mom would be super happy to sit here; it really felt like a lucky day, especially on such a busy one!

After grabbing their coffee, they planned to check out the glass walkway, but the line was pretty long. Even so, the stunning views made the wait totally worth it.

The team was super friendly and really helpful, which made it easy to meet some amazing people nearby. It’s definitely true that when you spread kindness and smiles, good vibes come your way.

Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann features a stunning glass walkway that you simply can't miss. It can host five families at once and will notify you when it's time to leave.

At the last moment, everyone was told to leave, Paul reached out to the team for assistance with the video. It was a really appreciated gesture, especially for that unforgettable experience of walking on glass with those stunning views.

They requested an Uber for convenience, and the total fare to return to the hotel was16.45 euro. Josephine and Paul absolutely adore Paris and are so thrilled to be here.

We sincerely hope that everyone watching this video has a great time. Thank you for spending your time with us!

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Pak Choi ‘Grow, Cook, Eat’: 100% made with love

Pak choi is one of my all-time favourite vegetables! Growing it in a greenhouse helps protect the leaves from pesky insects. It's crunchy and absolutely delicious.

I used to buy it from the grocery store, but sometimes it had a bleach-like taste and was tough instead of crunchy, so I decided to grow my own.

When you purchase the seeds, there are clear instructions to follow step by step. I use a water spray made from soaked garlic and chili or only a dish soap mixed with water to keep the insects away—no chemical sprays for me!

Growing my own vegetable is so much healthier. Plus, you can let one plant flower and collect the seeds when they’re fully dried to plant it again next year. It truly brings me joy to grow my favourite vegetables and cook with them!

I absolutely love the harvest season! All the vegetables you see were gathered in just five rounds. It might seem like a lot, but we truly enjoy putting them all together in one dish with some fluffy rice; that’s plenty for us, and it fills us with happiness.

I get so excited when harvest time comes around! After picking the pak choi, I rinse it under running water, sprinkle some sea salt, let it soak for a few minutes, and then drain it.

Let me share two difference ways to prepare pak choi. First, heat a pan, add some oil and minced garlic, and stir until it’s fragrant. Then, a pinch of sea salt, pak choi, and some scallops. Cover with a lid, add water, oyster sauce, sugar, and dark soy sauce, and stir until everything is cooked through but not overdone. Sprinkle some fried shallots and serve it with fluffy rice.

For the second method, heat oil in a small saucepan, add minced garlic (saving some for later use), then mix in oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and water. Stir it well and sit it aside to pour over the pak choi later.

New easy quick trick for cooking chestnuts in a rice cooker 🌰

During Autumn, We headed to Tesco and purchased these huge chestnut. Creating delicious and nutritious snacks at home using a rice cooker is incredibly easy! It has turned into one of my go-to chestnut treats at home. 

Start by placing a 400g a bag of chestnuts in a rice bowl pan, which I got for £2.50 with my club card price. Rinse them thoroughly under running water and soak them for about 30 minutes. This will help soften the shells, making them easier to cut. I recommend using chestnut clip for this task instead of a knife.

Just set the chestnut on its flat side, give it a little press, and voilà! Your chestnut is perfectly scored and all set for roasting. No need for knives or any risky finger movements.

Start by rinsing the uneven shells well, then fill a pot with water so that it completely covers the chestnuts. Put the pot in the rice cooker and set it to steam for 30 minutes. After that, press the button again for another 30 minutes. Once done, pour out the water, rinse the chestnuts again, and let them drain thoroughly. 

(Helpful tips: The rice cooker should steam for a minimum of 45 minutes, while the dry toast with honey needs at least 15 minutes).

Mix in 2 tablespoons of honey or sugar, and then toast them for about 15 minutes to 30 minutes before finishing, stir them occasionally to achieve a caramel flavour and a nice toasted look.

Good job! It's all done!  

PARIS EIFFEL TOWER Hotel | Balcony Eiffel Tower View 2024

 

Hello, everyone! Are you reading this? If yes, I'd appreciate a like, reactions on this post! This video showcases our two-night stayed in the junior suite at Timhotel Tour Eiffel, along with some convenience local spots like cafes, a bakery, a florist, and a fruit shop. The views of the Eiffel Tower from the balcony are stunning, and the overall atmosphere is pleasant and budget-friendly. I had the pleasure of staying at the Timhotel Tour Eiffel, where I reserved the junior suite, only the 1 junior suite room available at the hotel, which made securing a booking quite difficult. I monitored the website weekly in the lead-up to our vacation, and I distinctly remember that on January 1st, following Christmas and New Year, I was able to select the junior suite. However, it was always fully booked there. The cost for 2 nights €438 which is a great value given the price, the prime location, and the breath-taking views of the Eiffel Tower from the balcony. When I have tasks to complete, I’m really not a fan of going on vacation. Is there anyone else who feels the same way? However, once everything is in order, it becomes time to unwind. Since, I don't like going on holiday. Anyone else? I enjoy stayed at home more than going on vacations, and that’s definitely the case! My main goal was to put in a ton of effort into experimented and created a new recipes nonstop, along with cooking and baking a bunch. I also focused on renovating my house to make it my dream home. I rid of the old storage, set up a beautiful garden, designed a new kitchen, and built a glasshouse in the backyard. It took a lot of time, energy, and investment. Then. now. everything's settled. I've got what I needed. I've made the choice to wrap up my emotional and challenging journey so I can prioritize loving myself first. Once I reach the age limit for IVF and start looking into adoption, I'll put together a video to share my story with everyone! :) My husband has been to Paris nine times, which is three times more than I've been. I've visited Paris six times, and my latest trip was by far the best! I organized everything myself, from the daily itinerary to selecting our hotels, cafes, restaurants, and attractions. I really enjoy taking the lead on our vacations, and my husband is always on board with my ideas. Every moment of this trip was a gem. I'm super excited for my next adventure in Paris, and it’s coming up soon!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out—I'm here to help!

♥

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3 Nights Stayed in 4 Stars Luxury Paris Hotel Eiffel Tower views on a budgets

We had an awesome 4-day, 3-night stay at the Novotel Paris Centre Tour Eiffel. It’s just a short 3-minute stroll to a large grocery store and shopping mall, plus you can find tons of bakeries and restaurants in under 10 minutes. The location is super convenient! If you're looking for affordable 4-star hotels in Paris with views of the Eiffel Tower, this place is definitely a top pick.

Many of our subscribers have been curious about the costs of flights and hotels from our 7 -day Paris trip, so I figured it would be helpful to show the flight and hotels confirmation receipt on the video. We're not located in London, flights from the North East UK can get pretty expensive. Our trip from Humberside to Paris cost us £623.60 and we also had to pay a total of £120 in modification fees. We kicked off our trip with 3 nights at the Novotel Paris Centre Tour Eiffel €523.23 then moved to a Junior Suite at Timhotel Tour Eiffel for 2 nights €438 and wrapped things up with a night at the Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel €550.05. = Total €1511.26, 4 Stars Hotels with Eiffel Tower views) where we had a balcony with an amazing view. The hotels we picked were perfect for catching views of the Eiffel Tower and were super close to a grocery store, bakery, and restaurant. We really enjoyed using Uber to get to our favourite places to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus to check out the must-see spots in Paris. I'll break down how much we spent on transportation like taxis and Ubers in total £360, as well as on foods and drinks at all the popular cafes and restaurants in total £1200. Check out my next video for 7-day itinerary to see the total costs involved. Stay tuned for the next video! We had an amazing week in Paris, but it honestly felt like it went by in a flash! I'm planning to go back this year from December 25th to January to celebrate Christmas and welcome in the New Year of 2025.

Goodnight everyone! Sweet dreams!

♥

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Shark Fin Melon Harvesting - From Seed to Harvest 鱼翅瓜

 

Plant what you enjoy eating 💛💛💛🧑‍🌾👩‍🌾🏡

There’s nothing quite as fulfilling as growing your own vegetables in the garden 👍👍👍When you harvest your homegrown goodies, you’ll see what I mean 😱 It’s an entirely unique experience 😍😘🥰🥰❤️💕

The Best Dim Sum in Manchester - Home Chinese Manchester

The video clips were shot using an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, so the lighting varies from yellow to white.

It took us a total of four and a half hours to drive, and now we've arrived in Manchester! 

I am thrilled that we discovered Home Chinese Manchester.

The waitress who attended to us was fantastic! The dim sum menu looks new. Home Chinese Manchester that opened in March of last year, according to a quick Google search.

She spoke both Cantonese and Mandarin fluently, had a lovely smile, and was more than happy to take a lot of photos to get us in the mood and to help us stick to the feelings we want to capture. She is definitely a keeper, (keeper is something that is worth keeping) the customer service is important for the restaurant to make it's a warm and spacious atmosphere, filled with customers who appreciate Chinese culture—definitely a good sign!

A gentleman serves us with the steaming hot dim sum and provide the names of all the dishes, making the experience feel so polished and professional.

As a homemaker, a cook, a recipe developer and picky eaters.  I must say this is the best dim sum I've ever had in Manchester. 

I usually feel quite apprehensive about eating deep-fried food from outside due to the greasy flavour, but this place uses really fresh oil, and there’s no greasy or rancid taste whatsoever. It’s a genuinely chef. 

You’ll notice that each serving is quite large, not tiny at all. Usually, we don’t eat a lot, but when we go out, especially for dim sum, we love to try as many as we can. 

Only ''Siu Mai'' and ''Savory Meat Croquette'' is not my types.
I expected crab inside since it was called crab meat siu mai, but it had some of pork fat which I'm not a fan of. Savory Meat Croquette I prefer dried shrimp and radish sliced included in the fillings, it will make it more flavourful. However, it's still not bad! For the entire dining experience. I rated it an 8 out of 10.

This Deep Fried Cuttlefish Cake is exceptional! It has a delightful soft and chewy texture, with a perfectly balanced flavor that is neither too salty nor too sweet. It truly tastes as if it were freshly prepared at home, evoking a sense of happiness.

The dim sum is outstanding and generous in portion sizes. Everything is freshly prepared to order, and the prices are incredibly reasonable! 

Everything has been devoured except for the deep fried king prawn ''skin off'', because eating too many deep-fried foods can leave us feeling stuffed, so let's pass on that; it'll be just right. The Jasmine tea is wonderfully fragrant, and we really enjoy it as well. I'm really looking forward to coming back. highly recommend it!

We have explored various Chinese restaurants in and around China town, but none have left a lasting impression on us. Many seemed like tourist traps, prioritizing speed and quantity over quality. After that, we took a brief stroll to Chinatown to capture some footage featuring its iconic symbols.

Strangers come to me and say I look pretty even and they really love my outfit and my favourite brand bag, indeed, they go together perfectly. Plus, red is a traditional colour for good luck in Chinese culture!

The couple requested that we take their photographs and then they treat us the same way.  This has been our signature pose, and it never ceases to be enjoyable, spanning from 2004 to the present day. If time permits, I plan to gather all the photos and videos and compile them. As we age, I hope we can continue this pose for another 20 years.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend. Please take care of yourselves :)

Here’s the list of dim sum dishes we ordered.

Deep Fried Cuttlefish Cake £7.00
Deep Fried King Prawn Roll £7.20
Savory Meat Croquette £5.50
Chinese Style Beef ball £5.50
Tripe with Ginger & Spring Onion £5.50
Siu Mai £5.50
Fried Dough Stick Cheung Fun £5.00
Jasmine Tea £2.00
Service charges £4.30

Total: £47.50

Enjoy!

♥

Copyright © Josephine's Recipes. All rights reserved.
No part of this video (including thumbnail images or written recipe)  may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright holder.