Birdsong

Have you been watching 'Birdsong' on PBS?
I am a newly minted fan, since on the same day the book, which I had ordered a few days earlier, had arrived. Now I read parallel and a little ahead, since the second (and last) part will be shown Sunday, 04/29!

Watch Birdsong Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

In the ruinous trenches of northern France, Lieutenant Stephen Wraysford (Eddie Redmayne, My Week with Marilyn, Richard II) barely seems to register the death and destruction all around him. His eyes are fixed instead on his drawings and his deck of cards, and his mind is focused on the memory of his one love, Isabelle Azaire (Clémence Poesy, 127 Hours,Harry Potter). For Stephen, events unfolding on the Allied front in 1916 are eclipsed by his memories of the summer of 1910, when he met Isabelle in Amiens. When Isabelle leaves her oppressive husband René (Laurent Lafitte), the two lovers share a blissful existence that seems to make up for a lifetime of loneliness and isolation for Stephen. But their idyll is cut short when Isabelle leaves without explanation. Stephen battles the Germans on the front six years later, as he also battles his own internal grief and confusion over his loss. Adapted by Abi Morgan (Iron Lady, The Hour) from the Sebastian Faulks novel,Birdsong tells the story of Stephen's awakening to love and his determination to reclaim it.










Trailer via PBS website

Sunday smoothie

Today we all slept in a little and then prepared the most delicious Sunday smoothies!


We created different kinds: The children had their own ideas as what should go in there!


 Smoothie for two (kids):


  2 ripe organic bananas
10 organic strawberries
  4 pitted and halved dates
  1 tsp hulled hemp seeds
  1 cup ice cubes


Put in blender and mix until smooth!


Mine was a little different, I love berries, so I added a few different ingredients:

For one:


 1 ripe organic banana
    small hand full of red grapes
    half a cup of mixed frozen berries
1  pitted date
1  tsp hemp seeds
5  almonds (previously soaked)
1  small tsp raw honey
3  ice cubes


Blend it all until smooth!

Bon appetit!










Image by V.Zlotkowski

Raw soup

Today I tried a first raw soup for lunch in this new blender of mine....

I was a little reluctant at first, but then it got me thinking that I would eat all these vegetables raw anyway, so why not mix them up?

So I did! 

First I gathered my ingredients: 

2 celery stalks 

1/2 green zucchini
4 small tomatoes

4 baby carrots 

1/2 red bell pepper 

1 small avocado 

juice of 1/2 lemon 

1/2 tsp Bragg's Liquid Amino

Sprinkle of Himalayan kosher salt

I washed all vegetables and cut them in smaller pieces.

Then dropped the vegetables apart from the avocado into the blender and blended all together. Then I added the avocado, 1/2 at the time and the lemon juice and Bragg's.

Voila!

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I slice of fresh bell pepper as garnish and some sprinkles of raw kale chips cool ranch.

Tasted really good and feels (still, after a few hours) very nourishing!

Enough for two.

Image of soup by V.Zlotkowski

Super Blender!

Yesterday I finally took the next step in order to create healthy and often raw food!
I bought a high performance blender! I got the Vitamix Pro Series, just amazing what that baby can do in seconds...

You can make smoothies, soups and dressings, batters, ice cream, frozen drinks, fondues...
The blender came with a CD and recipe book, most informative and I am sure I will make good use of it!
We tried it out last night and this morning and although my kids are not exactly adventurous eaters, they both devoured this morning's fresh pineapple/banana/apple smoothie, fortified with hemp seeds and flax meal with dried blueberries. A few spoons of oatmeal and they were ready to tackle the world!
Everything was whipped together within under two minutes and so thoroughly blended, there were no traces of the flax or hemp or anything but smooth drinking of natural goodness!
No sugar was added and the kids both liked that there was some tartness to it!
I added some of the leftover smoothie and walnuts to my overnight thickened oatmeal and it was the most satisfying breakfast for all!
Next thing I ordered online was a small sprouter to sprout
grains and beans for example. 

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Also I see a dehydrator as an addition to the equipment family on the counter top in the near future...For additional options for a more raw diet.

LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE!

Images my own and via website, as indicated.

New food ways

After many diets and different attempts to find a way to live with lactose intolerance and sugar cravings and fighting the typical middle age weight gain, I discovered a while ago raw food diet. It is a way of eating, without actually calling it a diet, because I do not want to change it ever!  A new way of life...
I do enjoy it and it is not a militant regiment. I am not planing on being 100% raw, believing it is not entirely necessary nor perhaps healthy for me.
But I feel great, finding slowly my right weight and believe it or not, my food cravings are a thing of the past!
I found so many helpful sites online and in books.


What I eat and drink:

All vegetables locally and seasonable available, mostly organic (Mostly raw, some steamed, some dehydrated)

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Fish (some raw) and mostly white meat ( I do love a steak once in a while)

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Soups and stews without refined sugars, dairy and flour.
Cooked and raw.

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Brown rice


Seeds, nuts and legumes

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Sea weed

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Lactose free cream cheese, cheddar, Swiss cheese, kefir and Lactose free yogurts

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Home made  slow cooked oat meal

My own creation....

Eggs

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Quinoa, chia, amaranth, oats, spelt bread 

Rice, soy and almond milk 

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Super fruits: Acai and Goji 

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Love this breakfast Chia Goodness

Sugar free or low sugar jams and preserves


All things pickled.

Snacks:

Almonds, fruis like pears or an apple, raw snacks like 

cacao goji superfood Navitas) or Chocolate Super cookies (go raw), I eat lentil and flax crackers, raw dips and sauces.

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I have exchanged soy sauce with Bragg's Liquid Amino's

and use salt rather sparingly. But I do not skimp on spices.

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Water, water, water

One cup of coffee a day and teas (back, green, herbal)
Seldom a glass of wine. No other alcohol.


What I not eat and drink - anymore:


Anything store bought pre-cooked or semi prepared, baked goods, like cake, rolls, regular bread, sweets. Canned goods or pre cooked meats and sausages. Only very very rarely do I make an exception.


Dairy, apart above mentioned items


Pasta (I eat brown rice based pasta on occasion)


Candies


Anything where I need a dictionary to understand the ingredients...


I try to keep my sugar intake low, apart from natural occurring sugars like in fruits, the amount of sugar in most yogurts for example is appalling.
Same for condiments, I avoid them or make them myself.
A use Dijon mustard once in a while and olive and flax oil.


Sodas and store bought juice 


Very rarely dark chocolate. 


It is amazing what one can eat and find once you put your mind to it!

Life is an adventure!

PS: Almost all links provided under the images are filled with wonderful information on living a healthy life! 

April 8th in pictures

Happy Birthday, darling! Our girl turns 15!

And happy Easter to all!

Happy Birthday, Lotte!

Easter/birthday surprises

The bunnies have arrived

My lovely girl and I...

SPRING

Our dog - happy

Into the wild

Busy birds

So much energy

Happy Easter, sweetheart!

What a happy Easter/Birthday Sunday we all had! Sunshine in- and outdoors!

Breakfast at night

I have been preparing breakfast at night....actually for the next morning, using a slow cooker. I tried a new recipe, which I found at the bookstore browsing the cook book section. It was easy enough to memorize (OK, I didn't buy the book...) And I tried it out last night. It's a winner. Maybe not for my kids, that requires refined taste in oatmeal, which they have not developed as of yet....

 Vanilla Irish Oatmeal


The use of soy milk makes for not getting the milk curdled through the slow cooking process. I did not have vanilla flavored one, but just plain, it works as well and I added a few drops of vanilla essence.

4 cups of vanilla flavored soy milk
4 cups of water
1 3/4 cups of steel cut Irish oatmeal
2/3 cup of maple syrup (divided)
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice (allspice is rather brittle, it is easily smashed with the back of a knife if you do not have any ground allspice, but the berries...)
1/2 cup blueberries (thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts (either)


Grease your slow cooker all the way to the sides up, to prevent sticking and baking on to the sides. I used a little butter.

No Stevia was used, it just happen to stand around....

Add 8 hours.... ready at 7:15AM!

Combine all ingredients, reserve half of the maple syrup, blueberries and pecans (nuts)
Prep time: 10 minutes, the last thing I did that night before hopping to bed!
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.


Wake up to the delicious scent of cooked oatmeal.....


Turn off slow cooker, stir in remaining maple syrup. Add more soy milk or water if needed. Mix it up carefully, it's hot!
Make good cups of coffee....
Serve in your nicest cereal bowls, garnish with blueberries, nuts, strawberries, add a sprinkle of Chia seeds and you are good to go for hours!

Bon Appetit!


It made enough for a crowd. I remember it was for 6 portions, but mine turned out about 9 servings. 
(see photos for size)

Cooling on the deck, ready to go into the freezer for use in the next week or so for an even easier breakfast!
Have fun trying.....










All images via V.Zlotkowski

Weeknight dinner

I am getting one of these...image via

Weeknights see much action in our kitchen! Hungry mouths are to be fed and our growing teenagers have a renewed sense for cooking and a greater appreciation for lovingly prepared meals. We have had made plans to eat healthier and with more attention to variety. This night was a good example of what's on our table lately. Salads and different grains and seeds, less meat and more vegetables.

Organic oranges

I love fresh crunchy jicamas

Roasting hazelnuts

Delicious Chia

We started with the preparation of our salad: 

Cutting of English cucumbers, jicamas, fennel and oranges. Mixing them together with some chia seeds, roasted hazelnuts and a dressing of fresh squeezed lemon juice, Dijon mustard and olive oil. Pepper and salt to taste.

Almost done

Meanwhile we cooked a quinoa and brown rice mix, warmed up yesterday's leftover Moroccan style slow cooked chicken (Tagine style). I had gotten a ready made simmering sauce and it took about 35 minutes yesterday for the chicken to be delightfully aromatic. 

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Had some green beens with it...Hmmm. Good.

There was nothing better.

Takes very little time

Do you cook on weeknights? What are your meals like? Share some if you like!

 Images by V.Zlotkowski and as indicated.