Too Cluckin' Delicious Not to Share

Thanksgiving is always a feast that lasts for at least a week in my house thanks to all the leftovers. This year, I whipped up a new Thanksgiving soup that is too cluckin' delicious not to share. 

Keep in mind, the whole turkey was about 4 servings. I also used food in my house that I needed to use/rid of. Feel free to add other veggies, legumes, etc. 

First, make the turkey broth:

Place the turkey carcass in a large pot & pour in 16 cups (128 oz) of water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, & cook the turkey carcass for 1 hour until the remaining meat falls off the bone. Remove the turkey carcass & pick off/chop any remaining turkey & set the meat aside. 

Use a fine colander to strain the broth into a clean soup pot. You will have A LOT of broth. For 4 servings of soup, you'll only need 32 oz of broth. Put the remaining broth in a ziplock bag & store it in the freezer until you're ready to use the rest.

To make the soup:

Add the chopped turkey to the strained broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in 1 cup of spinach, 1 can of chickpeas, 1 large carrot, 1 onion (I prefer red), 1 can of tomatoes, 1 tbsp. parsley, 1 tbsp. basil, 1 tbsp. black pepper, ½ tsp. paprika, & 1 tbsp. thyme. I added a tsp. of garam masala as well, but this isn't necessary. Simmer for 1 more hour.

Lastly, add 1.5 cups of oat or almond milk ( I used oat) & stir it in on a low flame. Add cayenne pepper to taste (I used ¾ tbsp., but I like my food spicy.) 

Let me know if you make it & how it comes out. Enjoy & Happy Holidays to all! 

How to get your Tax Back from Ireland if you're a Non-EU Citizen

 If you're looking to get some money back after having a great time in Ireland, you've come to the right blog post. 

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• VAT is already added to the price of goods you see in stores in Ireland; it is not added afterward at the register, unlike sales taxes in the USA.
• VAT is only refunded for the purchase of goods, not services, so you cannot claim back any VAT you paid for accommodation, entrance charges, meals, guides, car hire, etc.
• Some goods in Ireland are sold free of VAT, for example, children’s clothing and footwear, books, and food (excluding things like chocolates or other confectionery).
  Since you pay no VAT when purchasing these, you obviously cannot claim any money back.
• There are only refund desks in Dublin, Cork, and Shannon Airports, so if you leave at another airport or by sea, it is more difficult to claim a refund.
• There is no minimum or maximum amount you can claim.

People have a hard time finding the VAT/Fexco office in Dublin. Go toward Gates 336-426. Check out the photos below for reference: 

I hope this helps! 😃

How could I forget about Amsterdam?

I was going through my Facebook photos of all the places I've been & stumbled upon my Amsterdam album. I then went to my blog to see what I had to say about Amsterdam & was astounded to find that I hadn't written a blog post - Shame on me! So here we go...

I flew into Amsterdam & met my mom for her 60th birthday & it was time to explore.

We found our houseboat on Prinsengracht (meaning the Prince of Orange), which has the same house number as the actual home next to it indicating that they're owned together. It was clean & spacious & had a little deck literally on the water so we could watch the boats pass & wave at people.

If you're a foodie like me, I highly recommend doing a food tour anywhere you go. My mom & I took the Hungry Birds food tour & it was awesome! On food tours, everyone is happy & open to new experiences. It's a great way to make new friends while traveling.

Some places I couldn't tell you if it was on the tour or if my mom & I found on our own, but here is a list of tasty places to check out:

Van Stapele Bakery
Croquettes at Van Dobben
Kaashuis TROMP Cheeseshop 
The Pancake Bakery (right across from our houseboat on Prinsengracht.)
The Happy Pig Bakery
Koepelcafé - you'd think this was touristy food & it would be meh, but this was by far the best food we ate in Amsterdam. Get the Stamppot; you won't be disappointed.

Grand Cafe de Kroonprins - this was where we ate for lunch on the tour.
Cafe Hoppe - good for food & drinks.
Cafe Bouwman - according to reviews, the service here is terrible, but we were on the food tour & didn't experience this.
Amsterdam Cheese Museum

Kartika - authentic Indonesian restaurant. We went here with a woman we met on the food tour. The food was awesome!

We did wander through the different districts & saw some interesting people, but the food was definitely our main focus - no weed or prostitutes for Mom's 60th birthday.

Amsterdam is beautiful and friendly & I would definitely go back. If you ever go, let me know if you try any of the places I went to. Also, watch out for the bikers! They do not abide by traffic laws & there are hundreds of them!

Until next time... ciao 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Let's Stay Healthy!

Hi Ariel Viewers!

I hope you all are safe during these COVID-19 times. I'm thankful to have some money coming in with Jason's job & teaching a 5-year-old neighbor from my NYC 1-bedroom apartment.

This time has given me some time to reflect on literally everything. So far, I've been working out about 3 times a week & wearing ankle weights pretty much every day since lockdown. So far I've lost 7 lbs & I'm feeling good! I've also been practicing Spanish with a tutor through italki once a week. If you want to learn a new language, I highly recommend italki.

After realizing how productive & content I am at home, I've come to the conclusion that I only want to work remotely. That is why my Instagram has boomed with new content & I've hired a resume writer to target remote recruiters.

I'm on a mission to gain a bigger following, post engaging content & promote amazing products. In addition, I'd love to get a remote admin/executive assistant position so I can make a living, do what I love, & do what I'm good at.

In the past 5 years, I've really cut back on traveling & have been stagnant in New York. I want to change that!

Where should Jason & I travel to next? Where should we live? New York is no longer New & its time for a change.

2020 is certainly a year for change throughout the entire world - good & bad. My goal is to get a new & freer path so I can explore while still staying safe.

What are your goals & what have you done since the start of the Coronavirus?

Until next time, Ariel Viewers 💜

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