All the Delicious Food from Edinburgh

Remember when I posted about how a majority of travelers go out of their way to not eat local food? Well, I was so upset about that, that when I went on vacation, I made the deal with myself to eat all the food I couldn't get at home and not worry if it was going to be gross or not. The worst thing that would happen is I'd not like it and order something else. Believe it or not, I did this, and it went so well that I'm just sad that I am at home eating regular boring food.

Everything I tried was so good, which was crazy. Everything in Edinburgh is locally-sourced when possible and all the places you go have maps to tell you where everything came from. They take their local food very seriously in Scotland, but you can taste it in every dish. In fact, you can go see how all the animals on the farms just roam free and have a great life (you know, until they get eaten). 

This was the haggis cannonballs and tomato salad from Cannonball Restaurant on the Royal Mile

What haggis cannonballs look like inside

Everyone will hear the word haggis and make a cringe-y face. Not me! I would have eaten it at every meal if I could. Eric's cousin's boyfriend and I had a great conversation about how people aren't appreciating all the amazing food we were surrounded by, especially when it came to haggis.

Full Scottish breakfast from Scran Bistro

I also ordered a full Scottish Breakfast on my first full day there. I've never had black pudding before, but I. AM. In. Love. I'm still looking into making it myself at home, though the main ingredients are pig's blood and lard. There's also oats in there. You'd think it was really iron-y tasting, but it isn't. In fact, I didn't even realize it had blood as an ingredient until I was almost at the end of my trip and I looked it up to see if I could make it at home. Apparently, it's very fatty though, so I guess me eating it every day for a week was probably more than enough.

Avocado toast with salmon - The wild-caught salmon in Scotland is to die for

I had been following some restaurants in Edinburgh on Instagram for a wish list of what and where I wanted to eat on my trip. Scran Bistro had such lovely photos that I knew it was on the top of my list for breakfast and they did not disappoint. This is where I discovered that British sausage is so much different than sausage at home, where I don't eat it. I was surprised, but pleasantly, and I ate everything on that plate up there, and also half of my brother-in-law's black pudding. 

lamb sweetbreads

veggie haggis

So, the lamb from Scotland is incomparable. You will see them running wild through giant open farmland, literally, only a few miles from the city. I ate as much as possible, because I love lamb. I had scoped out a place called Under the Stairs near Victoria Street that I 90% picked based on the name, and then decided the menu sounded so good that it was worth the short walk. All 5 of us (me, Eric, Eric's sister, her husband, and Eric's brother) ordered something different. I ordered from the specials menu: lamb sweetbreads (made with lamb pancreas) and veggie haggis (which I was told not to order when I talked to someone elsewhere, but I loved it). 

I, generally, don't order dessert out for lunch, but we had been walking a ton, much of it uphill, so I wasn't overly concerned about a bunch of extra calories. I also saw the special dessert for the day was a salted oat chocolate cake. I've never seen such a thing and had to order it. The 5 of us split it, but I almost wished I had my own slice. This was probably one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had out. 

This is what it looks like when 7 people who love food go out together and have already eaten half of the meal :)

Do you like Indian food? I do! We had a family night out where a bunch of the cousins met up for dinner (we were in town for a wedding) and we went to Dishoom. This is a British small chain and the first location outside of London. There are three levels and they feature upscale Indian cuisine. We pretty much tried everything on the menu and it was all wonderful. My standout was the lamp chop though, and also the chai latte is awesome if you want something warm and you like spicy. I wouldn't say this was cheap, as we ordered all the food and much it was tapas style, but you could probably do two large dishes and share and make it more affordable.

A perfect breakfast sandwich

On Saturday morning, Eric and I woke up and headed for the Edinburgh farmers' market. Though it's small, it had a lot to offer, plus it was situated at the bottom of the hill of Edinburgh Castle, so the backdrop was amazing. The morning was nice and I had the chance to talk to some lovely locals, including a woman who made me a breakfast sandwich with pigeon (we would call is squab, if we can even find it anywhere), bacon, black pudding, and caramelized onions.

I wanted to eat ALL of this meat.

I then hit up a stand where a lady who owned a nearby farm was selling all manner of meats I'd never tried before. It all looked amazing, but I decided on smoked goose breast strips that looked like bacon. She said I could eat it straight out of the package. I took it back to our Airbnb and ate it later that evening and aside from being super greasy (goose is really fatty), it had a unique and lovely flavor that I loved. I'd eat it all the time if I found a place near home to sell it to me. This was a universally loved flavor in our travel party, since I made everyone try it. 

Before leaving home, I had a small list of foods I wanted to try if I found them. I never found blood sausage or jellied eel, but I did find fish pie at a few places and ordered at a place called Scran and Scallie. This was a highly recommended restaurant and I wasn't disappointed. I was surprised though, because I assumed it would be a cod pie, but when I began eating it, I found several different kinds of fish. The wait staff informed me it contained cod, haddock, shrimp, and salmon. Unless you're starving, this can easily be split between two people.

The other pies and entrees are just as large. I also tried their haggis appetizer, and I loved that as well. This is a splurge restaurant if you plan to visit and not split dishes, but you can also get two meals out of it, so don't be afraid to take leftovers with you if you can.

The House Grazing Board with garlic maple chicken wings, venison chipolatas, fried brie,
black pudding haggis (so yum) and house pickles

I had a list of places to dine even before I left home, which I chose based on what I wanted to do, Google Maps, and reviews. When I look for places to eat at home, I plug in where I'm going into Google Maps and then search for restaurants nearby. Once I find ones that look promising, based on Google reviews, then look at the restaurant website for menus, and finally I look up more reviews on TripAdvisor. If that all checks out, I add a pin to my Google map for later. This is how I found Devil's Advocate in a close off the Royal Mile. It had a ton of steps to get to it, but it was worth the exercise. (See photo #9

We chose to order a starter and a main (then also had a dessert for good measure). The main was one of their grazing boards that featured chipolatas (a small sausage) and black pudding haggis, which was the best of both worlds to me, as well as some really yummy chicken wings. We ordered the small, and it was still huge.

For our main, we chose the lamb neck. We both love lamb and neither of us had ever had neck before. It was super tender and done really well, and also on this big pile of veggies that were amazing, so everything about this meal was a win. We finished off the meal with a butterscotch panna cota that I somehow don't have a picture of, but it was light and a perfect end to a pretty perfect meal.

So, if you're headed to the UK, some of my favorites that I suggest you eat are haggis and black pudding if you're an adventurous eater, any salmon, Scotch beef or lamb dish if you only want to branch out a little bit. Stuff your face with mountains of fresh veggies, too. You won't be sad. 

Cheese scone and tea at the Tea Room on the Royal Yacht Brittania

If you like tea, you are going to be really happy. And if you like coffee, skip Costas, Starbucks, and Cafe Nero to go to better local places for amazing brews. I enjoy both, which meant it was often a struggle to choose, though I was always pleased with what I ordered. I, honestly, can't wait to get back to the UK, and Scotland in particular, so I can try all the other wonderful food I didn't get to on this trip.

What are some of your favorite foods from your travels?

How To Travel On A Budget To The USA

Going to the USA is exciting because it’s one of those places that you can keep coming back to. There’s simply so much to see and do that it can’t all be done in one go. It just shows how big the country is when you have to get a plane and spend hours on there to get from one part of the country to the other. Here are some tips when traveling on a budget to the USA.

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Choose The Destination Wisely

When going to the US, it’s so big, and there are so many locations to visit. So you first need to pick what area of the country you want to go to because all of them are likely to be different. The cost of each place will vary, too, so that’s something you need to have in mind. For example, places like Vegas and New York are going to be expensive because they rely on the tourism of food, drink, and in Vegas - gambling. That means you’re going to have to spend a lot of money in these places to have a really good time. So if you’re on a budget, you may want to think of other places you can go where you can a great experience and feel of the US but without having to spend a lot of money.

Opt For Trains And Buses

Trains and buses are very handy when it comes to traveling from place to place. If you’re planning on doing multiple destinations, then it’s certainly worth investing in trains and buses for your trips from city to city. There are a lot of places in America where you can make the journey in a few hours by train, and that might be much more affordable than having to fly. You also need to remember that jetlag might be something that you experience while you’re out there, and therefore, you want to be wary of how much you’re doing and not exhausting yourself out so that you can’t enjoy your trip as much.

Look For The Freebies

There will be lots to see and lots to do when you’re in the US, but just like anywhere, there are likely to be a few freebies that you can get your hands on. Like this legendary nightclub as an example, if you and your party are up for seeing the sights at night and experiencing the party lifestyle of Americans. There will probably be plenty of free museums and excursions that you can go on and still enjoy everything that the US and it’s many states have to offer.

Have Plenty Of Currency For Tips

Remember that the US is known for tipping, and as tourists, it’s good to respect this unwritten rule that’s in place. It’s nice to reward the staff that serves you, so give what you can when you can.

Traveling on a budget is possible when visiting the US, so use these tips to take full advantage of what’s available.

How To Deal With Dirty Bathrooms with FannyPac

It's inevitable. When you travel, you're going to have to visit a bathroom or two, and often, those bathrooms can be less than ideal when it comes to cleanliness. As a lady, I was brought up to use the hover method, but as an adult, I want to feel like a person who doesn't think they're going to get some scrungy disease from a toilet seat. Fanny Pac knows the feeling.

Fanny Pac knows about those questionable bathrooms that you don't have a choice but to use, and the way we feel when we try to figure out if we can make it elsewhere. For the most part, we can't just nope right out of there, even though we see that there aren't any toilet seat covers and we don't want to touch anything at all. Fanny Pac has you covered (literally) with a tiny pack of emergency disposable seat covers. 

Though they come in a little pack that slips easily into your purse or pocket for just when you need them, each seat cover unfolds to a large size to cover any seat you need to use. I also love that instead of ovular, like a lot are, these are rectangular, so you have more coverage and much less chance of them slipping into the bowl before you get to sit down (you know what I mean, because it has happened to us all). The four corners flap over the outside of the seat, meaning more stability. 

Yikes!

When you travel, or go to a lot of festivals, or both, you see a lot of public bathrooms. I have quite a few requirements in what I think constitutes a good restroom, and even though sufficient lighting and convenience is near the top, cleanliness is always top priority. You aren't going to get this when faced with long lines of portable restrooms, places that have way more customers/guests than stalls, a lot of bars, parks, buses, and sometimes even airplanes. In fact, I was at a national chain store the other day and, though the bathroom was sparkling clean, there weren't any seat covers in the stalls. Whaaaaaat?

If you're someone who likes to be prepared for all sorts of situations or is even slightly germophobic, you're going to want to order a pack (or 10) of Fanny Pacs for your day bag, travel bag, purse, car, and coat. You don't want to be caught in the situation where you end up having to line the toilet seat with toilet paper, which does not keep germs out, especially when it's one of those places that you just have to pull out a hundred tiny squares to even have enough coverage for your business. 

Fanny Pac are eco-friendly, flushable, biodegradable, and unscented, so even those who have sensitivie skin and allergies can use them, plus they're not harmful to the environment, so your solution to yucky bathroom nightmares don't turn into any other sort of nightmare. Each pack comes with 10 seat covers, giving you (hopefully) enough for a regular vacation, but you can also buy a 5-package of packs. 

Not only are these great for travel and just normal home situations, but they are can be a lifesaver for those with mobility issues and other people who can't squat/hover, like little kids who are too short to even sit on the toilet without help. Get a bunch for your whole crew. Stuff them in their stockings this Christmas. 

Now, if someone can just think of a solution to finding no toilet paper in the bathroom, we'd be set. (tip: I also carry tissues and napkins at all times.)

More details

Where to buy them: On the Fanny Pac website

Cost: $5.99CAD/10pk

Learn more about Fanny Pac by following them on social media: Facebook | Instagram 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a Fanny Pac for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% mine.