Tag: cinnamon

  • Baked apple with cinnamon

    Baked apple with cinnamon

    Delicious, old fashioned, simple: my love came up with these when he remembered one of the favorite dishes his mother used to serve when he was little. I took the liberty to add walnuts, hope that’s ok Hanni ;).

    So here we go, sweet memories:

    Cut the heart from your apple(s), cut in thick slices of at least 1 cm and bake for about 5-7 minutes each side in a frying pan or oven (200 degrees Celsius) with butter or coconut oil.

    During the last few minutes, add crumbled walnuts.

    On the serving plate, add cinnamon and, if you have a sweet tooth, honey or agave syrup.

    Incredibly soothing, this simple yet comforting and delicious dish. Like laying your head in your mom’s lap.

    I remember my mom made stuffed apples with almonds and raisins (I think), I’ll have to ask her and will share here if she still remembers!

    What’s your favorite mama dish? Enjoy your trip down memory lane and please share below :).

  • Semi-homemade coconut yoghurt with berries and mint

    Semi-homemade coconut yoghurt with berries and mint

    Enjoy yoghurt with a coconut twist, or use a non-dairy alternative.

    This is super simple and nice. I love adding dried coconut to my (soy) yoghurt. Let it sit in the fridge for some time; the yoghurt will thicken up a bit and take on a coconut flavor.

    Next, add berries or any fruit you fancy and garnish with mint, honey and cinnamon.

    Of course this is also great with banana and blueberries, or pear and kiwifruit, or strawberries and nectarines, or apple and raisins… or make up your own combo :).

    About yoghurt/dairy: be sure to buy organic and take note of the way the animals were treated. Unfortunately, dairy means a calf has been taken away from its mother so that we humans can take her milk. The calf is then slaughtered (if male) or raised with milk substitute (if female) to be a milk cow just like her mom. I do have an ethical issue with this and for me that translates into buying non-dairy milk when I can, and choosing organic when I really want real dairy.

    For Dutchies: https://beterleven.dierenbescherming.nl

  • Blueberry banana overnight oats

    Blueberry banana overnight oats

    A new craze: overnight oats with topping. Dear friend Eva (check her out here: evennaareva.com) served it last week when we had breakfast together.

    The basics: soak oats overnight in water or some ‘milk’ (almond, rice, coconut). When using water, you may find that adding a bit of honey and salt or vanilla sugar may improve the taste. I like to add dried coconut and chia seeds as well and leave that in the fridge overnight.

    Good to know: oats contain phytic acid (fytinezuur), which inhibits the uptake of nutrients in your body. So phytic acid is not something we want. Actually, the whole idea of overnight oats is to pre-digest them, making them more beneficial for the body. Adding acids such as fresh fruits, a squeeze of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to your oats before soaking overnight will aid this pre-digestion and hence help you benefit more from the other foods you eat! Many overnight oat recipes skip this, but it is actually pretty essential to the whole thing ;).

    Next morning, add toppings to your liking. My favorites from this recipe: apple, banana, blueberries, nuts, raisins, flaxseed and pumpkin seeds. Super nice bonus: thick coconut milk. But I keep that one for extra special mornings :).

    Recipe for blueberry banana overnight oats:

    In the evening, mix together:

    • Oats
    • Chia seeds
    • Coconut
    • Water or veggie ‘milk’
    • Optional: salt/honey/vanilla/sugar/some syrup/cinnamon
    • Something acidic (I use lemon juice)

    Next morning, add:

    • Freshly cut fruits (apple, banana, blueberries)
    • Raisins
    • Seeds and nuts
    • Cinnamon
    • Cacao

    There are no measurements here as I truly don’t measure often. Just play around and you’ll be fine!

    When in doubt about the amount of fluid, here’s a hint: you can always add but it’s hard to discard (well and just a pity).

    Hmmmm ?

  • Rhubarb breakfast bowl & ‘very veggie’ smoothie

    Rhubarb breakfast bowl & ‘very veggie’ smoothie

    I like my smoothies creamy yet light and ‘very veggie’. My love Jan prefers his filling, nutty and just a hint sweeter than I do.

    We both often gladly compromise. Other days, we’ll create the very fruity/veggie base, pour half in a glass (for me) and then mix in some more nuts, seeds and dates to create his favorite.

    Thus, we both get what we need to get us going in the morning <3.

    Cut and put in the blender to create a creamy yet very veggie smoothie:

    • 1 big apple
    • 1 orange
    • 1 inch piece of rhubarb
    • 1 small raw beetroot
    • 2 spoons of fresh fennel (the vegetable, not the seeds)
    • 1 handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or both
    • 2 spoons of flax seeds
    • 1 big spoon of avocado, for creaminess (can be replaced with cashew nuts)
    • 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric, or a spoonful of turmeric powder
    • dash of black pepper (necessary to make the curcumin in turmeric bio-available!)
    • 2 dates
    • dash (or two) of cinnamon
    • water

    Or, the create a breakfast bowl: double the amounts of nuts, seeds, avocado and dates. It’s nice to keep the breakfast bowl grainy by not blending the last addition of nuts etc, all the way. Top off with some more seeds and raisins.

    If you like the concept of the breakfast bowl (a perfect bowl of mixed nuts, fruits and veggies, which I love sooo much better than yoghurt and cereal), read this post, where I feature the favorite recipe of my friend and inspirator of this lifestyle dish: Simone van Putten.

  • Firming Coffee Scrub with Coconut, Cinnamon and Cacao (DIY)

    Firming Coffee Scrub with Coconut, Cinnamon and Cacao (DIY)

    Sometimes, my kitchen efforts extend into the bathroom. Like with this heavenly chocolate, which turns out to be a great facial mask if you leave out the salt!

    And have you ever wondered what to do with used coffee grounds? Here’s a great one: use them for an authentic homemade facial and body scrub.

    The internet says the coffee has remarkable skin firming, anti-cellulite properties, and if the internet says it, it’s true. I did a tiny bit of research and now choose to believe it, too. As I wisely spend zero time checking my wrinkles and bumps in the mirror anymore, I honestly couldn’t tell you if it really works & I suggest you find out for yourself ;).

    One thing I know is this scrub does scrub and it smells great, too, especially if you like spicy coffee scents with a hint of chocolate. The base of this scrub is coconut and almond oil. Simply add freshly used coffee grounds, fine sugar, cinnamon and raw cacao powder and hop in the shower.

    The scrub will leave your skin richly nourished in coconut and almond oil. Ideal for scruffy winter times, just like the scent. Another great option is to use your favorite shower gel in stead of the oils and mix that with the coffee, sugar & spice, which would make it more of a cleansing scrub and less of a nourishing one.

    It can serve as a nice little present as well. One friend already wrote to let me know she loved it :).

    DIY recipe for Firming Coffee Scrub with Coconut, Cinnamon and Cacao

    Makes a little over 1 cup. Ready in 3 minutes.

    1/6 cup of coconut oil
    1/6 cup of almond oil
    1/3 cup of coffee grounds
    1/3 cup of fine sugar
    1 tablespoon of raw cacao
    1 tablespoon of cinnamon

    If you are in a cold climate like me right now, start by melting the coconut oil and then add in the almond oil to warm slightly. Don’t overheat, just melt.

    Meantime, mix up the coffee, sugar, cacao and cinnamon. Then, simply stir in the oils and combine thoroughly. Smell it, even taste it, and maybe play with the ingredients to adjust to your desired scent and consistency.

    That’s it, you’re good to go!