Raw&vegan pineapple coconut cake

Hey, there! Are you one of those people who love love love everything sweet? But you’re also passionate about eating as healthy as possible? Well then, this is a post for you!! Yup, it’a a cake! And it’s healthy! Raw and vegan too! Ah-mazing!

But, seriously you need to try this :) it’s one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever made and it tastes divine!

So, I went to a friends house last night, just a simple girls night with a couple of cups of mulled wine (yaay it’s that time of year! :)) and of course we had to make a cake.

My friend Tina is also a health nut, like me, and also loves to cook. She’s made this cake a couple of time before and loved it. So i had to try it, right? I mean, it’s not like I had a choice… ;)

Anyyyywaaaay….this is her recipe. So I take no credit, but this cake is so easy to make, so healthy and sooo delicious, that I had to share it with you!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 pineapple or 1 can, if you’re using canned
• coconut oil 
• 1.5 cup coconut flour
• 1.5 cup ground almonds
• 2 cups dates
• 1 tsp cinnamon

And here’s how:

1. Put the dates in a blender with 1 cup water and 1tsp cinnamon and blend
2. Cover the bottom of the baking tin with baking paper, to make sure you can later remove the cake from the tin nicely
3. Arrange the pineapple slices on top of the paper, making sure you cover as much as possible
4. Pour in about 3/4 of the date mixture and put the pan in the fridge
5. In a bowl, mix together the coconut flour and ground almonds and add the remaining 1/4 of the date mixture. Mix thoroughly. If you feel like the mixture isn’t moist enough, add a tsp of coconut oil.
6. Spread the mixture on top of the dates in the pan and it down as hard you can, to make sure everything comes together nicely
7. Put the tin in the fridge for at lest an hour- more is better
8. Turn it over on a serving plate, so the pineapples are on top and you’re ready to serve

Yuuuuum

Vegetable flowers

Okay, so this is probably the most proud I've ever been about something I made in the kitchen. Firstly because they were delicious, secondly because they looked sooo cute-like little flowers and thirdly because I didn't use a recipe- I came up with this on my own :D yaaay 

Here's what you'll need for about 24 flowers:

- filo pastry - I used 1 pack of bought filo pastry, this   may be different for different brands 

- 2 eggs

- 1tbs chia seeds

- 2tbs sour cream

- 1 onion

- 1 zucchini

- 1 red pepper

- 1 tomato

- 1 can of cooked corn

- 2 medium carrots

- mozarella

- spices to taste -  I used salt, pepper, turmeric, cayenne pepper and a little ginger

HOW TO:

- cut your filo pastry into squares with the sides about 5cm long. No need to worry about making them the same size of making the squares perfect. Now brush one square with A LITTLE olive oil and put another square over it - make it so the second square is rotated a little. Now put this into your cupcake pan and press down lightly.

- Heat olive oil and add onions - cook untill slightly yellow and soft. Cut other vegetables into small pieces and add them to the onions. Stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium and let it cook untill all of the vegetables are soft. Once they are cooked, let them cool down a little.

- Once the vegetables have cooled down add the sour cream and stir. Now add the eggs and chia seeds and make sure everything is combined nicely. 

- Add spices to taste

- Now scoop the filling into the cups you've made with filo pastry and top each flower with a small piece of mozarella. Brush the sides of the pastry with some egg wash and pop it in the oven at 180°C until the pastry is a nice golden brown and the filling has set- the eggs have cooked.

Take out of the oven, top with fresh herbs, and enjoy. These are delicious hot or cold. 

I had mine with a bowl of homemade spicy pumpkin soup and it was deliciousssss 

Chocolate chia pudding

I posted a photo of my little chia creation a few days ago and now I finally got around to writing down the (very simple) recipe :)

This is one delicious dessert/snack!

Mix about 2 tbs chia seeds with about 3/4 cup chocolate soy milk. (you can use any other chocolate milk as well- rice, almond,..it's all good!) Put it in a nice glass or cup - the one you're going to serve it in :) Now- fridge time! put is in the fridge for at least a few hours or even better- over night. Before you serve it, just top it with anything you like. I chose mixed berries and it worked like magic :)

YUM!

Coconut and buckwheat bread

So, I’ve been having lots of problems with digestion, low energy leves, and skin-acne lately. And I decided to get tested for candida overgrowth and food intolarances, and surprise surprise…All of my problems were eplained by candida and lacose and gluten intolerance. Happy about it? Nope. But it’s nice to finally know whats wrong and start making a change. 

And I have been seeing slight changes since I started watchig my diet, which is amazing :D No more bloating, no more stomach pains - well, almost, but I am still figuring this out…and my skin is already looking a bit better yaaay :D

So, now the problem is: is there ANYTHING I CAN EAT?? I admit it, I was a bit depressed for the first few days, especially because all of this happened during the holidays, and we all know there is no worse time to be told you can’t it something…and I felt like I was told I can’t eat anything…sucks, right? 

But after the initial shock was over and I started doing some research I found out there is actually loads of delicious thing I CAN eat :D and this is the first, of hopefully many recipes, to come your way. 

It’s a gluten free, dairy free and candida friendly bread loaf that looks amazing and can be made savoury or sweet, WHAAAT? Yup, it’s true :D

Here’s what you’ll need:

- 1/2 cup coconut flour

- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

- 1/2 cup coconut milk - only use the creamy part

- 5 eggs

- 2 tbs coconut oil

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tsp baking powder

* If you want to make this a sweet loaf, which is also delicious and perfect as a snack or to go with your afternoon tea, just add STEVIA to taste 

HOW TO:

Mix together the eggs, coconut oil and salt (and stevia if you’re making a sweet loaf). Now add coconut flour, coconut milk, buckwheat flour and baking powder. I recommend you add the dry ingredients one at a time, mixing inbetween. Once everything is mixed together take a loaf pan and lightly gease it with some coconut oil. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan. I sprinkled mine with some pumpkin and sunflower seeds and coconut flour, to give it a nicer look and crunch, but this is completely optional :D Bake for 30min on 175C or until golden brown 

Bon apetit :*

COCONUT FLOUR

This is a great way to sub your wheat flours, it doesn’t contain gluten and it’s delicious. It’s consistency makes bread or any other product you make with it more airy and light.

The bread made with cocout flour is a low carb one and it’s high in fiber, which helps your digestion, also making is perfect for candida.

Why crunches and situps aren't giving you flat abs

So, you've been doing situps and crunches religiously for years, and you just can't get the abs you want? No, there's nothing wrong with you and you're not the only one. The problem lies in your approach. 

Flat abs are a result of a regular cardio, resistance training, core strength traingin and of course - diet. A saying that hasbeen going around quite a lot is- abs are made in the kitchen. Which is true. Partially.

Most people don’t realize that without a strong core, it’s unlikely you will achieve flat, sixpack abs. And,for a strong core you need to strengthen much more than just your abdominals. It includes your hips, lower bach, glutes and of course the inner core muscles - areas that crunches alone are missing. 

Try out this Kayla Itsines' ab workout and visit her web page for for her complete bikini body guide. Seriously this girl is amazing.

Now, lets talk about diet. No amount of training will help if you don't do the work in the kitchen as well. You may have a strong core and abs, but to get them to show, you need to lose fat. And that cannot be done in just one part of the body. If you want to show off your abs you need to get your body fat % down. Total body fat, not just abdominal fat. To lose fat you need to create a calorie deficit - now this is a whole new topic for a whole different post. But in short- please do not starve your body- you will not get abs this way as he body starts to eat its own muscles when it doesn't get enough nutrients. So eat. But eat clean. Avoid things that will cause cravings - like processed foods, simple carohyrates, sugar... And include more fruits, veggies, complex carbohydrates- wholewheat, rice, oats,...and lean protein- beans, fish, soy, chickpeas, eggs, cottage cheese...

A post on clean eating will be up soon, but if you have any questions at all just ASK :D

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Winter time is coming and with it all the joys of the season. I love love loveee the time of year before Christmas <3 I know, I know, it’s only November, but I just can’t help myself. I just love it and I’m not ashamed to admit it. When November begins that’s my que to start planning Christmas presents for family and friends and watching Christmas movies, of course! Watching Love Actually during the first weekend of November has become sort of a tradition of mine and it marks the begining of Christmas season for me :P just to be totally honest, I might watch Love Actually at least every two weeks untill Christmas…Actually, I probably will. Okay, okay…I know I will, cause I do every year :D

But this isn’t a post about Christmas or Love Actually. It is however a post about something delicious and hot and something that smells great and something that makes me feel wintery and christmasy and lovely…I’m babbling…

This is a post about CHESTNUTS :D Chestnuts roasting on an opeeen fireee…

Okay, so..Chestnuts. Love them. But how much do you really know about them? 

- They are relatively low in calories - compared to other nuts - around 200 Kcal per 100g

- They are starchy in contrast to other seeds and nuts, their nutrition composition is similar to other staple starch foods such as sweet potato, sweet corn, potatoes, 

- They are a good source of dietary fiber; provide 8.1 g (about 21% of RDI) per 100 g. Fiber diet helps lower blood cholesterol levels by limiting excess cholesterol absorption in the intestines.

- They are exceptionally rich in vitamin-C. 100 g nuts provide 43 mg of vitamin C (72 % of DRI). 

- They are rich in folates, which is quite a rare but unique feature for nuts and seeds. 100 g nuts provide 62 µg of folates (or 15.5% DRI). Folic acid is required for the formation of red blood cells, DNA synthesis. Adequate consumption of food rich in folates is especially important before and during the first trimester of pregnancy as it helps prevent neural tube defects.

- Chestnuts contain high levels of essential fatty acids, including linoleic acid, which are beneficial to cardiovascular health and proper neurological development in infants,

- The nuts are an excellent source of minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc, besides providing a very good amount of potassium

- Further, they are also rich in many important B-complex groups of vitamins. 100 g of nuts provide 11% of niacin, 29% of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), 100% of thiamin, and 12% of riboflavin.

Plus, they are delicious and smell nice and when they start selling roasted chestnuts you know it’s the time of year to be jolly :D

Vegan quinoa sushi

Okay, so have you been reading the posts about sushi not being healthy, because it’s made of white rice and it contains sugar? Or are you a vegetarian who’s always wanted to try it? Or maybe you just turned vegetarian and sushi is the one thing you can’t live without?

Not to worry, I’m here to help ;)

Here’s what I did, when I wanted to make my sushi healthier and fish free: I took out the fish :D haha surpriseeee 

But I also took out the sugar and the rice. Now, you’re probably wondering, what’s left?? Or maybe not, because the post title gave it all away anyway…

I added quinoa! And filled it with sweet potato, avocado, cucumber and carrots. And I would add spinach leaves if I had any! Yeah yeah, like you care about my babbling and trying to make this post a little longer…I’ll just get to the point :P

Here’s what you’ll need for two rolls:

• 1/2cup quinoa cooked in cup water - makes about 1 and 1/2 cup
• 1 small sweet potato, sliced into strips
• 1/2 small avocado- thinly sliced
• 1 and 1/2 tbs rice vinegar
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 carrot
• 2 nori wrappers
• wasabi and soy sauce for dipping
• a very very sharp knife

Keep in mind that you can add ANY vegetable you like or even seeds- sesame seeds would go great with sushi :D

How you do it:

• prepare your veggies and quinoa ahead of time, so they have time to cool down before you start assembling the rolls. About 30min is plenty of time to let them cool down.
• Steam the vegetables for 5-10min
• Once the quinoa is cooked - a half a cup od quinoa and a cup of water- spread it over a flat surface and drizzle it with rice vinegar. Fold it over a couple of times- I find it best to use a spatula. Keep adding the vinegar untill you add 1tbs and a half and keep folding 
• Lay a nori sheet shiny side down on a rolling sheet - if you don’t have one, you can use a clean kitchen towel or something similar.
• Now spread the quinoa on the nori sheet, but leave about 2cm so you can close the roll later. Once you’ve done this you can start adding the veggies. Add the strips close to the end of the sheet- about 2cm from the edge, on the side that is covered with quinoa. Be careful not to overfill it or you won’t be able to roll andclose it 
• Now, here’s where a rolling sheet comes in handy. Turn the sushi-to-be so the end with the veggies is nearest to you and start rolling. Make sure you apply constant pressure to make sure the roll comes out nice and firm. When you get to the end, moisten the nori wrap - this is why you need to leave a little space when spreading the quinoa. The moisture will glue the roll together.
• Using the very very sharp knife, slice the roll into bite size pieces.
• Arrange them on a plate and serve with soy sauce and wasabi for dipping

Coffee Scrub

We all know a good scrub does your skin good. It gets rid of the dead skin cells and improves circulation. But we also know body scrubs can be a bit expensive.

So here’s an idea- make your own scrub! When you make your own- it’s SOOOO much cheaper. Almost free actually :) And you know what you’re putting on your skin, which is always a plus. No chemicals! And even if it seems like it doesn’t really matter…I mean, you’re going to wash it away anyway, so why even think about the chemicals you put on your skin? It’s not like you’re eating it. But the wey I see it- IF YOU WOULDN’T BE WILING TO EAT IT- DON’T PUT IT ON YOUR SKIN, Because it actually does matter- Your skin absorbs way more than you think. So treat it well :)

Okay, so I’ve ben making my own sugar scrubs for a while- I use sugar and olive oil or coconut oil. Just mix it together and scrub scrub :) Sometimes I even add some lavender essential oil or mint. Makes it smell goooood :)

But I’ve recently started adding coffee to my scrubs. Why? 

I scrub my skin once or twice a week, just to get rid of the dead skin cells. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! I use it everytime I shave my legs to prevent irritation and reddnes, it also helps you get smooooooth lovely legs :) 

But why the coffee? Because of the caffeine. The caffeine can temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite and give your skin a firmer appearance. Caffeine draws water from cells — making them smaller — and constricts blood vessels slightly to create a smooth, more even tone. Not bad right?

For a more gentle scrub just mix the coffee with olive oil or coconut oil. I use this on my face or if I feel my skin is irritated. Id I want a really good scrub, I add sugar to the coffee and oil mixture. 

Last night I wanted to exfoliate my skin really really well, but didn’t feel it could take the roughness of sugar- so I added some uncooked amaranth to my coconut oil and coffee mixture. Did the job well :)  So basically just experiment with the things from the pantry, They work magic!

Vegan Raw Chocolate Raspberry Cake

I made this a while back, but have been dreaming about it for the last few weeks…I need to make it again SOON. And being the kind soul that I am, I’m sharing the deliciousness with you, so you can enjoy it too :P

Ingredients fot the base:

- 1 cup hazelnuts

- 1 cup almonds

- 1 1/2 cup dates 

- 1/2 cup raw cocoa

- 2 tbs coconut oil

- 2 tbs water

- seeds of 1 vanilla pod

Filling:

- 250g raspberries

Chocolate mousse:

- 2 cups dates

- 1 1/2 cup water

- 1/2 cup raw cocoa

- 1/2 cup coconut oil

Base:

Mix together hazelnuts and almonds in a blender until they are finely ground. Add the dates. Once they are all mixed together add the other ingredients and mix until they are all incorporated.

Filling:

Defrost your raspberries and roughly mash them with a fork. Add the appropriate amount of raw gelatine. Spread the raspberries on the base and put it in the fridge until it sets. 

Chocolate mousse:

Grind the dates untill they form a ball ot they are very finely chopped. Add the water and blend untill you get to a fine paste-like consistency. Add in the raw cocoa and coconut oil and continue to blend untill it is all finely incorporated.

Now spread the chocolate mousse on top of the cake and put it in the fridge to set - aproximately 30min

Decorate with coconut and fruit and viola

Bon Apetit

Red pepper hummus

I have been talking about making hummus for weeks, but just couldn't find the time. Yes, I know how lame this sounds, since hummus literally takes about 5 minutes to make. But now that I made it...I can't wait to make it again, since this one is already gone...It lasted less than 24 hours. And honestly, I'm not surprised.

I love hummus, any kind of it. But I think this is now my new favourite. The red pepper makes it taste soo light and fresh, put it on freshly baked bread- yuuumm.

It is so easy to make, so healthy and so delicious that I don't know why it took me so long to make it.

Ingredients.

• 1 can of chickpeas - drained, but hold on to the liquid from the can
• 3-5 tbs of lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbs olive oil- if needed to get the right consistency
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder

How to.

1. Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from the can. Combine the remaining ingredients and add about 1/4 cup of the drained liquid. Put in a food processor and blend on low until smooth and thoroughly mixed. 
2. Add the olive oil if you feel the consistency is too thick.

This is very mild, for some people not spicy at all. If you want a spicier version add more chili powder.

The hummus can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

What is hummus and why it's good for you?

Hummus is a popular dish that originated in the Middle East. It is a spread, usually served with pita bread of flat bread. 

• It is loaded with nutrients such as: 

- Omega-3-fatty acids are necessary for out body  function properly. Studies show that they boost heart health and lower triglycerides. They help prevent cardiovascular disease, depression, bipolar disorders, Alzheimer's and dementia...Read more about the 61 health benefits 

- Iron

- Vitamin B6 - is a vitamin needed for proper function of about 60 enzymes in out body. It contributes in the manufacturing of serotonin, which is a naturally occurring chemical in out brain that makes us feel happy and promotes feelings of well-being. Vitamin B6 also plays a major part in the production of hemoglobin and cells within our immune system.

- Copper

- Folic acid - also helps prevent cardiovascular disease, neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and some forms of cancer. 

- Amino acids - tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine are among the AA that can promote good quality sleep and uplift your mood.

• Chickpeas are the main ingredient in hummus. They are a favourite among vegetarians and sportsmen, because they are rich in protein. Another amazing thing about chickpeas is, that they don't contain any cholesterol of saturated fats- they can prevent build up of cholesterol in blood vessels and also help maintain blood sugar levels.

Exercise plateau and how to stop it + the benefits of rollerblading

I went roller blading yesterday with my fitness buddy Sasha. We decided to sub our 6km run for a roller blade session and shake up our cardio routine. It was amazing. SO MUCH FUN.

I decided to write a short post about the benefits of rollerblading, since I feel like people don’t really give it enough credit. It is an amazing cardio workout, perfect to break your routine, and mix things up. Like I mentioned in a previous post about jumping rope- boredom is one of the main causes of people not following through with their exercise routines. You need to shake things up every once in a while, to keep them interesting. But changing things up isn’t only good to fight boredom. Its also key to continious progress. If you keep doing the same thing, your body will get used to it. Your muscles will get used to it, and you will reach a plateau. This doesn’t mean that the exercise you are doing isn’t doing your body good. Any type of activty that raises your heart rate is good for your heart and lungs. But once you get in shape, you need to challenge your muscles, you need to make them work harder, faster, stronger if you want to see continuous progress in your strength, speed, endurance.  

Ok, so what to do? This goes for all workouts- weight training, flexibility training or cardio. You need to keep yourself on your toes, you need to keep things interesting and challenging.

This week, we decided to mix things up with one of our cardio sessions- by rollerblading. Fun, fun, fun :D And also very, very, very good for you.

Here are some reasons why you should try to include it in your excercise routine:

1. Muscular endurance - Sources report that rollerblading is one is the most advantageous workouts for muscle development, even more so than running or bicycling. It builds up the upper leg muscles, hips and lower back muscles. You also engage all of the muscles needed to stabilaze the upper body, which include your back and abdominal muscles.

2. Maintain weight - rollerblading is an excellent cardio workout. It burns more calories than running

3. Low impact cardio - If you are looking for a low-impact cardio workout, rollerblading is generally one of the best alternatives. The foot-to-ground impact is kept to a minimum, which means there is less stress placed on your joints and muscles. Exchanging a couple of aerobic workouts every week with rollerblading could improve your knee health and prevent injuries

Infused water

Drink water! Don’t drink juices containing loads of added sugars. A great alternative to plain water is infused water! I made some mint and lemon infused water and it was AWESOMEEEE :) seriously- good hydration is key to feeling AND looking your best! So drink up, my darlings!