Family Reveals How They 'Travelled' to 50 Countries WITHOUT Leaving Home
- Elizabeth, 41, wanted to spice up lockdown for her family
- She sourced food from cuisines across the world for themed meals
- They ‘travelled’ to a different country each day, plaiting Swiss bread and making Italian pasta, all whilst on a budget
Going on holiday to other countries has been a no-no for over a year now, but one imaginative mum has managed to take her family around the world - without leaving the comfort of their own home.
Elizabeth Miller, 41 from Dorset and mum to Logan and Lily, 15 and 16, bought food from over 50 countries so she could prepare themed meals for her family - giving them the chance to eat exotic cuisines without the plane journey.
She told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘When lockdown was announced I knew it was going to be complete shielding for me due to my medical condition so I decided that if my children were going to have to shield with me they deserved something wonderful to focus on and it would help keep us all feeling positive.
‘Every night I went online and looked for foreign supermarkets. Almost every country has special food stores you can buy from and also Amazon has lots.
‘We ‘travelled’ to a different country each day and ate the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner for each one. We also tried the snacks and sweets of the countries.
We also did special themed events such as a murder mystery night, funfair, club night, mocktail making and a mini home spa!’
From Switzerland to Turkey, Germany to France, there were always plenty of treats to get stuck into. Croissants and yogurt gave the family a taste of French cuisine, while sushi and mochi were on the menu for their Japanese day.
‘The best food was definitely the Russian cuisine - their sweet treats were incredible. My favourite was the walnut biscuits which have nothing to do with walnuts other than the shape. They're just filled with caramel, I couldn't stop eating them!
‘The worst was Durian fruit. Not only was it so foul we couldn't eat it, it smelt horrendous and had to be physically thrown out of the house to the wheelie bin because it just smelt so bad. The turnip juice was pretty bad too!
The food has proven to be more than a fun way to spend lockdown - it’s also given Elizabeth inspiration on where she wants to travel once restrictions are over. ‘I've always wanted to go to Italy and after a day of traditional food - which included making our own pasta - I can't wait to go for real when travel is safe again.’
While some of the cuisines were easy to create, others came with challenges. ‘Some countries had very specific recipes. Switzerland had such a difficult bread recipe for breakfast I had to get up at 4.40am to make the dough so it had time for the three rises and plaiting it needed.
‘Other fun moments include the day the online Latvian supermarket phoned me to talk about substitute supplies - they could only speak Latvian and I had no clue what she was saying. We ended up with all sorts of random food being sent as a result!’
Elizabeth added plenty of special touches to make each meal special. ‘We made a travel guide for each country and we decorated the house in the flag colours. One night we turned the dining room into a restaurant with menus.
Although the virtual travel days have come to an end for now, the fun may not be over yet. ‘Once we started looking we realised there were loads more countries we could have done. I'd have liked to have had time to do the Hawaiian Islands after a friend sent me photos from their holiday there. They shared loads of information about the islands after watching my virtual travels, so perhaps we’ll go there next…’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Elizabeth’s idea is a great way to travel the world without leaving home. When you visit another country, one of the most important things is the food. So whilst the country is mourning not being able to go on holiday this year, the Miller family serves as an inspiration that we may still get a taste of the good life.
‘It’s a fab way to get the family involved making dinner, and all on a budget. Just watch out for the Durian.’
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