.SOMETIMES RAW.

Hello and Happy Saturday! 

I know that “crazily busily” are not actual words but I read them in an email that had been sent to me and thought it is kinda cool and fits for today’s post. Hah! Today was packed with things to do. We piled 10 meters of wood which was inane, bought a bicycle, went to the city to buy two theater tickets (yay, I love theater and plays!), cleaned the house and went out at night to meet my parents friends who invited us to dinner. This woman knows how to cook! It was such a delicious meal and we were glad to enjoy it. Food tastes different if someone cooks it because they love and enjoy to do it. We were in a hurry to get to their place however because of all the other things we wanted to finish.  Throughout all this mess and rush to get there I forgot to take diapers for Petit Joel and he had the worst rash when I took him to bed at night. I felt so sorry for this little guy. We have been running around all day long and his little legs are moving so fast and strong but he was in a bad mood all day long today, no clue why. Crying, not eating, the whole thing. But I have been reminded again that Haste makes waste! So the next time I won’t forget the diapers, take my time and plan accordingly. Sometimes it is important to take a step back and reflect. 

When I took him to bed he was so cute however. He told me, “Mommy, I love you. Kiss” and everything was good again. There is so much I can learn from this little guy. Learn to be more patient, learn to listen, learn to take my time, learn that it is fine not to eat or barely eat for one day just because I don’t feel like it. Who says there needs to be a set time to have breakfast or breakfast at all. The same goes for lunch and dinner. He is not hungry, he does not eat. Period! I know that one day I will remember this beautiful chaos very well – especially days like today. When I saw Petit Joel today after he fell off the swing, holding on to his daddy who wiped away his tears I thought that I could not have imagined all that a couple of years ago. When I thought how my life would be, picturing myself studying and then studying some more, living a single life in New York City and out of a sudden there is this little guy next to me, asking to hold my hand and he smiles and laughs and wants to have his nose wiped. It is just this realness of moments like this that almost makes me cry sometimes. This perfection. Me, the mother of this little guy. My dreams have become real and this is just very emotional and powerful. We are healthy, we are a family and we enjoy life to the fullest. What else could I ask for? What else is important? Maybe slowing down a bit here and there but I am getting better at this. Home is where the heart is. Today was a good day. I appreciate the little things. It’s home. 

Enjoy the little things. And if you really want to laugh, read this article and watch this clip. This woman is right on! 

Hello and Happy Wednesday! 

I am a woman and love beauty products. Hello, Daniela! However, I want to know exactly what is in them and what I put on my body. Enough with all the chemicals!  I purchased Anita Bechloch’s great book The Glow a couple of months ago and have tried new natural cosmetic recipes here and there. So far, I loved the Herbal Toner. Yesterday, I made this amazing Grapefruit Sugar Scrub from the book and it turned out really well. It is very easy to make and you might even have most of the ingredients at home. The best is, you can pronounce everything that is in this scrub and could actually eat it, too. I love to go to the sauna in Germany [Yay, mixed saunas because there is nothing wrong about this!] and sometimes they offer salt scrubs. I tend to have sensitive skin and always a burning sensation with salty scrubs. I still want to get this nice “peeling-feeling” and soft smooth skin. If salt burns on your skin, an alternative is sugar which is used in this recipe. I just took a shower to try this scrub and my skin feels amazing. I don’t need any body lotion after taking a shower. The skin is so soft and smells awesome because of the essential oils and the cacao butter. I used to buy scrubs at the LUSH Store but won’t need to anymore. So, let’s dive right into the how-to. Enjoy!

Grapefruit Sugar Scrub

What you will need for 150 g:

100 g sugar (I used regular white sugar)

30 ml oil (Linseedoil, Almond oil, an oil high in quality!)

10 g (1 Tbs) Cacaobutter

1 Tbs Honey or natural glycerin 

Essential oils:

20 drops Grapefruit 

5 drops Peppermint (or whatever other essential oils you like!)

Optional:

Beetroot Powder for color

How to make it:

Mix sugar, oil, honey, essential oils and beetroot powder in a small bowl. Melt the cacao butter on medium heat on stove but do not cook it. A couple of minutes on the stove is enough! Pour melted cacao butter to the rest of the mix. Stir and mix everything really well and fill into glass container. 

How to use it: 

The scrub is best used in the shower. Rub Grapefruit scrub all over your body. Actually, I did use the entire 150 g for the first time. Do not rub into eyes! Also be aware that shower may be slippery after use of the scrub. Only natural ingredients have been used so the scrub will approximately expire after six months. 

Body-Peeling? Why? 

A body peeling is used to get rid of additional sebum that is on the skin as well as dead skin cells. [The same goes for brushing your hair with a boar bristle brush] This results in skin that feels fresh, smooth and clean.  Do consult a skin professional however, if you suffer from acne or skin blemishes! The massage effect of a scrub leads to a better, stronger circulation of the skin. The skin tissues may be tighter after using body peelings on a regular basis –use peeling once a week and massage and into skin softly. 

via #anitabechlochTheGlow

Hello and Happy Sunday!

Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I read Andie Mitchell’s memoir It Was Me All Along and loved it. This fact, as well as the cover and title drew my attention to her latest book. This does not affect my opinion of the content or the book in my review.

“At first, I tried to lighten the desserts I loved. I traded the real ingredients for sugar substitutes, butter substitutes, and the worst-tasting ingredients of all: fat-free cream cheese. My mom would try them, her smile as fake as the taste of aspartame. I learned the hard way that most of my efforts at lightening tended to, ironically enough, result in a leaden dessert. And worse, I realized that I wasn’t satisfied after eating them.” 

Andie Mitchell struggled with weight loss and obesity since her childhood. She never found a way to eat in balance. In her memoir she described her journey in detail and now her cookbook has been published.  With these dishes she was able to reach her weight goal and maintain it, she claimed. In this cookbook she shares approximately 80 recipes and explains what ingredients are important to her and how she eats. 

I have a bunch of cookbooks and also reviewed a lot on my blog. However, there are cookbooks I fell instantly in love with. They are just beautiful to look at, with nice pictures, great stories and of course recipes that I instantly want to try. Cookbooks just do have something special, even though most recipes can be found online. In a way, Andie Mitchell’s style of cooking and some recipes she shares are similar to what I cook and like so I did not find it too inspiring. I found myself not in the target audience range. She shares recipes for a fresh breakfast, lunch, vegetables & sides, dinner or party dishes and of course sweet desserts – because life is sweet. However; honestly, nothing that I have not heard of. 

“Eating in the Middle is structured the way I eat and live my life. So, the vast majority of the recipes in this book are healthy, wholesome, and made from read food ingredient, with a focus on big, boisterous flavors. You’d swear most of them are richer than they are, like Lemon-Herb with Crispy Oven Fries or Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts & Pancetta Cream.” 

After Andie Mitchell lost 135 lbs she felt transformed but also stopped herself from eating certain things. No more chocolate, cakes and she wondered if life is a constant diet. She missed all the foods she always loved – all those comfort dishes that are rich, creamy and cheesy. She had no idea how to incorporate those dishes in her new lifestyle and diet plan. In Eating In The Middle she explains how she dealt with this problem, as well as emotional eating, overeating and cravings. 

The dishes are easy to prepare but again, nothing inspiring or new to me simply because I consider myself an advanced cook. Also, there are many recipes that include meat and I am not a big fan of that. She also shares 3 fish recipes. If you are interested in the book I would advice you to flip through it at the bookstore before purchasing it.

What initially drew my attention to the book was that she kept her weight down for such a long time while eating this mix of indulging, yet healthy recipes. This book is beautifully done, with tons of great food photography and a gorgeous layout. Sometimes I thought I would love to sit at this table right now, in front of all the food even though I would not try everything. 

Would I like this book? 

I do recommend this book if you are a fan of Andie Mitchell’s writing. She has a very lovely, likable personality. You might also like this book if you want to know about nutritional information which Mitchell includes at the end of every recipe. Also, there are many weight loss/maintenance tips throughout the book. You may like the book if you have never heard of Kale Chips before and would like to make some. Also if you have never heard of Chia Pudding, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots or sesame green beans. 

Personally, a cookbook has to give me a bit more to remain in my cookbook shelf in the kitchen. It has to be a cookbook I love to go back to because the recipes are special, new, mouth-watering and don’t seem like they are taken right out of a Cheesecake Factory menu. Recipes that are not new to me but that I liked are:  the Bagel & Lox Salad (page 64), the Creamy Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Omelet (page 38) and the All The Greens Frittata (page 33)