diy – father’s day love letter – chalkboard cups

sunday, june 16th, father’s day … did u know abt it?
here, in the Hague, it’s a very special day… in school girls been preparing gifts already for a week. they are so exited how they gone surprise daddy in the morning. it’s a challenge to keep it as a secret…
 
we also made our present at home – a love letter on chalkboard cup (diy). i love the idea of making ur everyday special with a little note on your morning cup.




 
dad’s day chalkboard cups
material
cup
chalkboard paint
brush
coloured chalks
 

 

instructions
step 1 – colour cup (2 – 3 x) with chalkboard paint, better to do it four days before u want to write on it
step 2 – improvisation – use chalks to write ur special dad’s day message
step 3 – surprise your daddy with big morning hugs and personalized cup of coffee
 
have a sunny, funny weekend

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food matters monday – raw strawberry cake


 
we had an amazing week with our little ones, no school, just party … raw cakes, ice- creams and water experiments :)
 
this week everyone in The Food Matters Project are choosing their own recipes, i chase to share our favourite of the week – layered cake with strawberries, mint and raw chocolate.
it was so delicious that we ate it all in one day… and the next one is already in the freezer… yuppy
 

 

 

 

raw strawberry cheesecake
ingredients
crust
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup shredded coconut
3 pitted dried dates
 
3 layers filling
1/2 cup cashew (soaked in a water over night)
250g silken tofu
1/2 ripe avocado
1big ripen banana
10 dried pitted dates
1/2 lemon juice
1 lemon zest
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup mint
1 cup strawberries
6 strawberries for another layer
50 soya milk (almond milk or even water)
2/4 cup ococonut oil melted
 
chocolate glaze
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 coconut oil, melted
1/3 agave
 

 

directions
place tofu on a plate, put on top smaller plate and something heavy to drain out water. Leave it for 1 h.
cut all dates on halves and soak them for 1 h in the milk.
in a food processor place the walnuts, coconut and 3 soaked dates. mix. spread the crust in a 20 cm pan.
 
for the 3 layers filling, place in the food processor cashew and pulse well. add avocado, banana, tofu, ¼ cup melted oil and remaining dates with milk, pulse well. add lemon juice and zest and pulse it until smooth.
 
set aside 2/3 cream.
to another 1/3 cream add strawberries, remaining ¼ coconut oil and pulse until creamy. place on top of the crust and set in the freezer for 30min.
 
place 1/3 cream in the food processor with spinach; mix well and place on the top of strawberry cream. if u want u can add on the top of this layer another thin layer of fresh sliced strawberries. set cake in the freezer for another 30 min.
 
place remaining 1/3 cream in the food processor with mint, pulse and place on the top of the cake for another 20 min or until u finish chocolate glaze.
 
for the glaze, place all ingredients together and place on the top of the cake. set the your cake into the freezer to set for a few hours before removing from pan.
 
make sure to take it out a good while before eating, around 20-30 min or even more.

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food matters monday – raw chocolate ice-cream


hey there!
i`m sorry that it took me a while to get back to you, i have been really busy lately, making preparations for my upcoming project, school holidays and even trip back to Latvia to meet up with some of my best friends :) tnx guys for such a nice weekend off, love u all
 
anyway today actually i’m posting late monday post with Food Matters Project. this week’s recipe is raw chocolate tofu ice-cream by Meg of Fledgling Foodie.
 

 
it was super delicious. we made it together with my little ones and even they liked it a lot – another big step into their journey of taste
 

raw chocolate/banana ice-cream
makes
4 servings
 
ingredients
for ice cream
500 g silken tofu
2 ripe bananas
2 tsp vanila extract
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup agave or more (depends how sweet u want)
 

directions
put all ingredients in a blender and mix until it is completely smooth, freeze at least 4 h. before serve let thaw it a bit and eat as soon as soften. serves with nuts,fruits or this time we ate it with fresh strawberry/mint sauce (blend it)… yummy
 
cook with fun :)

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food matters monday – mediterranean cobb salad


day in the park with fam and super delicious lunchbox (Sara’spicked recipe from Mark Bittman book ”Food that Matters Cook book”) – mediterranean cobb salad with a lot of greens, energy and tasty Holand’s tomatoes…
 

 
challenging day – first steps in rollerskating

 

 

mediterranean cobb salad
makes
4 servings
time
30 minutes
 
ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar, or to taste
3 anchovy fillets, with a bit of their oil (or use more capers)
1 tablespoon capers, with a bit of their brine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt
pepper
4 cups mache lettuce or another lettuce u like
4 cups arugula
1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas
12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in halved
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola (or without)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
 
directions
combine the oil, vinegar, anchovies, capers, parsley, and black pepper in a blender and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. taste and add more vinegar or pepper if necessary.
put the greens on the plates and spoon the other ingredients around it in rows or mounds. just before serving, drizzle the top with the vinaigrette, toss it at the table, and serve.

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day of magic – katrina’s birthday

a day in circus… my little girl turns five :)

 
devil in details…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
water fun

 
someone got bored… lol

 

 
plastic cup activity

 

 

 
circus crafting (more about it in the next week’s post)

 
arty party

 

 

 
paper rain

 

 

 

 
party people

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
magic happens

 

 
hip hip hooray!

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lunch box: roasted red peper, walnut spread & whole wheat toast

hey, it’s getting warmer outside, so why don’t we take our lunch box outside?
 

roasted red peper, walnut spread & whole wheat toast
ingredients
slice of whole wheat bread
roasted red peper, walnut spred
cucumber, sliced
salt, pepper to taste
rucola
 
directions
toast your bread until golden. top it with generous layer of spread. add handful of rocket, couple slices of cucumber and sprinkle it with salt and chili flakes.
 

roasted red pepper & walnut spread
ingredients
2 cups cooked chick peas (+ reserve liquid)
2 garlic cloves
1 c. walnuts
4 roasted red peppers
1 c. fresh parsley, optional
salt, pepper to taste
 
directions
mix all ingredients in the food processor until smooth. if necessary add reserved liquid to make it lighter. taste and adjust seasonings.
Recipe is adappted

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diy: easter cupcakes

sweet holidays on… :)
 

 

materials
white chocolate, melted (not hot)
butter paper
plastic bag
scissors
coloured paper
coloured ribbon
hot glue gun
chocolate cupcakes (recipe below)
 

directions
chocolate decoration
fill a plastic bag with melted chocolate (try better to fill in one of the corners).
cut the corner of your bag (1mm deep).
choose the shape of bunny ears u like to make (i use improvisation but u can also draw them before on the butter paper and then fulfill with chocolate).
cool them for about h and decorate
 

bows
cut coloured paper in 4×4 cm squares.
tight them in the middle with ribbon and use as a decoration for cupcakes.
to stick them on use toothpicks or just place them on the top between bunny ears.
 

vegan chocolate cupcakes by loveandlemons

ingredients
1 1/4 cups spelt flour (or blend of all-purpose & whole wheat)
3/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup almond milk (or other milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

directions
mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients, mix together and bake for 15-18 minutes at 325 degrees.

taste the spring!

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food matters monday – indian cuisine


happy monday! this week i’m the Food Matters Project host (my first time) – responsible for the recipe of the week. and I have chosen to give a shot to indian cuisine (one of my favourites).
 

 

dal with lot of vegetables from Mark Bittman The Food Matters Cookbook
ingredients
1 tbs vegetable oil, plus more as needed
1 tbs gee
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbs minced ginger
1 tbs minced garlic
2 cups cauliflower florets and stems cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup cubed eggplant (salted, rinsed, and dried if you like)
1 cup cubed zucchini
4 cardamom pods
1 tbs mustard seeds
curry powder
garam masala
2 cloves
1 dried mild chilli optional
1 cup dried red lentils, washed and picked over
Salt
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
 
directions
put the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. add the cardamom, mustard seeds, curry powder, gara masala, stir until the spices are fragrant but not burning, just a minute.
add 1 tbsp gee and then add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
add the vegetables and lentils and cover with water by about 2 inches. cook until lentils and vegetables are tender about 25 to 35 minutes.
season with salt and pepper to taste. garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve.
 

black beans masala
ingredients
2 cups black beans (1 cup dried), soaked over night and drained
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp oil
1 cm ginger, peeled and chopped
1 – 2 cloves garlic, peeled and squeezed
½ can chopped tomatoes (3 small tomatoes or 2 large fresh)
1 tsp gr coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
chilli flakes (optional)
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
 
directions
drain and rinse black beans well. add 6 cups* of water and buy leaf into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 1 hour.
drain the beans, reserving the liquid and set aside.
heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium low heat; add ginger, garlic and mustard seeds until the seeds start to pop.
add the rest of the spices and heat thoroughly in the oil.
add chopped tomatoes, black beans and reserved liquid from the beans. add water if it’s necessary to just cover the beans. cover and cook for 10 minutes.
add the chopped cilantro and serve.
 
* beans that have been soaked will require about three cups of water for each cup of beans. still, it is always best to add more water and drain at the end. be sure to routinely check the water level during cooking, if you run out of water, the black beans will start to burn and acquire a burnt, smoky taste.
 

tofu masala
ingredients
tofu, sliced
4 tsp oil
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
pinch of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
1 cm ginger, chopped
3 garlic gloves, chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 tsb of sugar (to taste)
chilli to taste
3 cardamon pots
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
200 ml coconut milk
bunch of cilantro and mint leaves, roughly chopped
 
directions
heat 2 tsp oil in a large saucepan on medium low heat, add sliced tofu and fry them on both sides until golden brown, set aside.
heat remaining oil, add spices and fry for 30 sec.
add onions and fry about 3 min.
add garlic, ginger and fry for few more minutes.
add tomatoes, sugar, coriander and mint leaves (reserve some coriander leaves to garnish), cook about 5 min.
finally add tofu and coconut milk, cook about 10 min.
garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with rice or naan bread.
 

tomato onion salad
Ingredients
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp oil
Salt to taste
chilli powder
coriander leaves, finely chopped – as much as you like
 
directions
mix all ingredients together

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diy: in the feather rain – table/ceiling decor

a couple of months ago i made a new ceiling/table decoration for our 5th wedding anniversary. later i realized that it’s easy adjustable depending on your mood, season or your special home celebrations… #transformationstrenght
 
in the spring mood: yellow feathers + pearls…



materials
thread
double side scotch
feathers
pearls
hot glue gun
 

 
directions
cut threads in different lengths, attach on the ceiling with double side scotch. tied up pearls and glue on the feathers. done
 




 
have a great weekend, i’m off to Paris with my best…
bon voyage!

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food matters monday – roasted veggies in the oven


The recipe of The Food Matters Project this week is Provencal Vegetables and Chicken in Packages, chosen by Nancy. I made four different veggie recipes

Roasted potatoes with caraway/ rosemarie or thyme (up to your taste)
Ingredients
1000 g potatoes, sliced 5mm tick
1 tbsp caraway
oil
salt, to taste
 
Directions
Boil the water, add potatoes, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Dry them, add oil, thyme (or another flavor) and salt, mix carefully. Place potatoes on the baking dish and bake until golden brownish. Serve.

 

roasted tomatoes with thyme
ingredients
500 g cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
fresh thyme springs
1 tsp sugar
2 glove garlic, minced
salt&pepper, to taste
 
directions
heat the oven to 200 degrees. mix oil with garlic, salt, pepper and thyme leaves. place tomatoes on the baking sheet and spoon over with oil mix. sprinkle with sugar and place baking dish with tomatoes in the oven. bake about 25 – 30 minutes. serve.

 

cauliflower with brazilian nuts, by Četras sezonas
Ingredients
700 g cauliflower, roughly divided and steamed al dante
40 brazilian nuts, chopped
70 g sharp tasting cheese of your choice, shredded
oil
salt&pepper, to taste
 
directions
heat the oven, place cauliflower on the baking dish, sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper, cheese and Brazilian nuts. bake until cheese is melted and brazilian nuts are golden brownish. serve.

 

honey glazed carrots in the oven
ingredients
500 g carrots, sliced lengthways in halves
oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 gloves garlic, minced
salt&pepper, to taste
 
directions
heat the oven to 210 degrees. boil the water, add carrots, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. dry them, add oil, salt and pepper. place carrots on the baking dish. bake about 20 minutes. meanwhile mix honey, mustard and garlic. spoon mixture on the carrots, mix and bake another 10 minutes, until caramelized. Serve.

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