CBYJ

Hello Everyone ! 

Lately I have stepping out of my comfort zone a lot and trying some more variety again which  Idon't want to just keep for myself! So here we go, enjoy!

This is all of what I had for the day plus the smoothie I show how you can make that too. I am very hungry since I am going back to school because thinking, learning and paying attention takes much more energy than we/ realize. 

Breakfast

I have finally made my first banana oat pancakes with some of my favorite fruits like nectarines, frozen raspberry and a pear. It was so good and I seriously forgot how tasty pancakes are. A plus is that they literally take 5 minutes to make.

Lunch

For lunch I had some leftover sushi from the day before. I have such a bad craving for sushi lately so I eat that quite a lot and it is simply just good for you! Still it was a only a little portion so I cooked some cauliflower, carrots, broccoli and the first brussel sprouts I was able to find and had then with the rest of my soy sauce. 

Dinner

For dinner I was craving some fresh greens again so I had a huge plate with a cut zucchini, a very juice and sweet tomato and some broccoli again. It was amazing, really filling and made me happy

My Pre- breakfast Green Smoothie

So since I am back in school I need something before I go into class to get my brain start working and concentration on top. Yet, I don't like to feel full early in the morning so I decided some very nutritious smoothies before class would be the best idea and I was not disappointed.

I only put in good, fresh and organic fruit and veg and I feel so energetic and good when I have it, it is amazing. So below you will find the recipe for the smoothie and the banana- oat pancakes. Have fun reading and trying them out! 

The ingredients:

As always I did not measure any of the things I used but in the photo below is what I used and I put in as much as fit in the smoothie maker bottle 

note: I did use 15 dates though! 

So this works out to 

- one banana

- half an apple

- half an avocado

- some spinach

- a bit of soy milk

- and 15 dates

So I pressed everything very nicely in the bottle, mixed it up and after about 10 seconds this thick, creamy smoothie was the result. It tasted amazing and fresh. Just healthy and good. I loved it so much and I am so hooked on them. If you haven't ever tried them out, you definitely should! Even if your not vegan or anything like that, it's so worth it and you won't regret it! 

Banana- Oat- Pancakes

The Ingredients

- One Banana

- 1/3 cup of oats

(- if you want vegan 1 vegan egg)

You simply cut your banana and put all the ingredients in a blender at once at mix it until its nice and smooth. This will take just a couple of seconds.

I left them on for a bit too long but I decided to scratch the black bits off and they still tasted great after that. 

However, after the pancakes were finished I cut some of my favorite fruits like a nectarine and a pear and unfroze some raspberries and and just put everything together on a plate and enjoyed my meal.

This is how the pancakes looked from the inside. Just lovely.

All done! Seriously it was a heaven- like breakfast. I will definitely improve my pancake skills from now on and make the next saturdays pancake- saturdays. :)

I hope you liked the post, I had so much fun cooking and experimenting again. Also I hope you will try the recipes, tell me how you liked them with a photo in the comments or a link to your blog.

Hello Everyone! 

Here is the second part of my little beauty haul and I actually was really amazed by how much you guys loved the first part so I hope you will like this post just as much! 

This time my products are all vegan and cruelty free which makes me feel a bit better about myself because none had to die for me. I don't know, I like that I can also contribute into making a change in the world even if it's just a little one but with every person thinking like this an actual movement develops and as a final result there will hopefully happen something wonderful.

I am a perfectionist so as soon as I need a new product, I need the whole line so it will look need and all same coloured. And this is what happened. But I needed quite a few products such a s hair spray, lotion etc. 

I was at a german drugstore called DM and the line I bought it from is the natural cosmetic line "Alverde". It's really affordable and they have a lot of different options in smells of course, very simple packaging that makes me personally trust them a lot more. There is not so much drama, it seems down to earth. Most importantly though it's that it's cruelty free like I said in the intro. But if you are interested in any of the products you can inform your self here and have a look on the actual website here.

But here we go! 

So there I all the products again and I bought a whole hair line. Shampoo, conditioner and a hair mask. Then I had some body lotion and hair mousse. 

Hair products 

I have been using the products for two weeks now and I have to say I am not disappointed. They are not life changing nor are they very special. The thing that I like about them is that they are filled with a lot of good and healthy, natural ingredients such as avocado and chia butter that is supposed to strengthened your hair and because of glycerin from plants it also very hydrating. The whole range is for dry and brittle, thin hair. Now another important factor about hair or body products is the scent for me and these product smell very natural, not chemical and smooth but fresh as well. There is no artificial hint whatsoever that I could find which just makes me think positive. Also it is without any silicones. 

I found myself noticing my hair getting a lot better over the last months which is probably a result of using natural cosmetic to look after myself. It really makes a difference I promise you this.

I really need to use more body lotion because my skin has gotten so dry and it's seriously not nice. On the good side though of hitting rock bottom is rising, seeing life coming back and see things regenerating. So as a first step to do myself something good again I chose the cocoa butter- hibiscus body lotion which smells like summer and winter in one. It starts with a fruity smell and logically finishes with the soft smell of the ever so lovely cocoa butter. It's a whole heart warming scent we have here. 

The lotion itself is of course for dry skin. She lotion gives the skin hydration with its organic plant glycerin and protects it with the help of organic sunflower oil. 

As for what i have noticed is that my skin really has gotten smoother and the after shave effect on my legs are like night and day. I love it and actually starting to like using a lotion again.

Mousse and hairspray

I need a mousse because I let my hair dry without a blowdryer and to avoid the fluff and puff and light curls and waves I use a pump of mousse so I won't have to fight against that unwanted stuff with too much heat after washing and drying it. So I have bought the mousse with lotus flower extracts and purple rice. It gives my hair a lot of volume which surprised me a lot. My hair is really long and thin so it was quite a change to have some centrifugal force in them. My hair stayed in place even during the night and I just needed so use heat to sort it out more for only 4 minutes instead of the usual 12-15 minutes which is all I could ask for.

I am not the one that uses hairspray everyday but still I need it for the really rare moments in my life where I have a need top knot or some up- does. As I want to wear those more often during my longer school days I wanted a product that makes things staying in place but vegan. Alright I only used it once so far so this review is not much accountable but hey. 

The bottle promised a normal hold which I found rather positive because my hair still felt softer and silkier or not so sticky as known of strong holding products. The hair seemed to have a little natural glow and looked more lively, still healthy. 

All over I have had a positive experience with it thought it does not hold the whole day. I'd give it a good six hours before the hair seems to get the better of the situation. Last but not least, there is no artificial smell! Yet, it is worth buying it surely.

 My overall experience ..

.. with the line Alverde and the products I bought is very positive. They are vegan, they are of natural ingredients, keep their promises, smell wonderfully and do not harm your body or hair in any ways as far as I have noticed.

I hope you found this post helpful or I could turn you into trying a natural cosmetic line as Alverde might not be available everywhere. Yet, there are many natural cosmetic lines out there which I am going to introduce to you as well very soon. However, you can maybe buy them as nature is nature and will probably have the same effects. What I can say for sure though is that I am much happier with the organic cosmetics I have bought than the chemical brands I used before.

I made a vegan face mask. I found the recipe on this site and thought as a vegan I'd have to try!

And all I can say, it's been an amazing experience. Super easy, quick and with a lovely smell (it's also eatable) with a glowing result.

We only have a few, very quick and simple steps but before that, 

the ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon Honey/ marple sirup

(now, the honey is from our friend and her bees. Which makes it fine for me because I know the bees, I know how they are looked after and it's not cruel in any reason!! I am fine with using this particular honey, I do not buy honey out of the grocery store.)

- 1 banana

- 1-2 tablespoons oatmeal

- 1 teaspoon lemon juice

This is the honey from our family friend. As I said they are her bees and she looks after them really lovely and wonderfully. She does it with passion. And with the amount of honey they produce there is more than enough for her, a couple of friends and of course the bees as well! I've seen it with my own eyes to be sure and this is why I have no problem using only this honey.

This are all my ingredients.

Step 1 

Simple mix in the banana into your honey or marble sirup as well as add that teaspoon of lemon.

Step 2

Right after you put in your oatmeal and mix it up again until you have something looking like this with a lovely smooth texture.

Step 3 

Now you just message the butter on your face and sit up or lie down for 15-20 minutes before washing it off.

My result:

In the end I can say, even though it's been a little bit sticky, my results are amazing! My skin now has a very natural glow and it honestly so smooth like a babies bump. I was expecting something like this but not to that extend. I am positively surprised and am all for it. 

Also from what I made I have so, so much left that I can just restore it in the fridge and use it everyday. 

I really recommend trying it even if you are not a vegan. It's not just what we put into us, it's also what we put on us that makes us healthy. And what is better than all organic, fresh and good nutrients than a chemical peeling that pollutes us and the environment?! 

I hope you try it and I hope you liked the post.

Have a lovely day!

Now all you need: 

- a couple of cauliflower heads

- some of your favorite vegetables (I used zucchini, red bell pepper, lettuce, carrot)

- nori leaves (usually now in your local supermarket, I paid 3 € or so)

- this wooden roll thing, I don't know what it is called sorry..

- and nothing else, really.

Step 1

Chop and cut your cauliflower and put it either in a food processor or cut it in teeny tiny pieces so it resembles rise.

You can if you want to microwave your cauliflower rice as well to make it softer. Approximately 7 to 8 minutes and maximum heat. 

Step two

now line up the nori leave on the wooden thing and water the ends a little so it will stick together after rolling it up.

Step three

Whilst microwaving my cauliflower for just a little bit I cut a beautiful and very colourful plate of my vegetables. Of course I needed zucchini and red bell pepper. I also used a little bit of lettuce and a carrot.

Step four

now you layer your vegetables, starting with the cauliflower rice and then put your favorite vegetables in it as well. When your are finished with this it get's to 

Step five

which is the hardest, to be honest. Rolling it up. The rolling isn't hard, it's the end result that doesn't look as good the first times. I needed three tries until I got a nice result that I was relatively happy with. It's definitely a matter of trying and working on it. 

My advice is to just practice each time and it'll get better I promise.

This is my end result. A beautiful veggie plate with a couple of raw vegan sushi. I liked the taste, it had definitely a taste of sushi coming from the nori leaves and it was really crunchy and I am nicely stuffed now and my cravings for this Japanese wonder is over for now.

I am happy to have tried it, it was a wonderful experience that I will be doing and improving my skills on for sure in the nearer future. 

I recommend it to everyone out there. Cook with your friends, have a fun evening of trying something new and enjoy life to the fullest in a healthy way. 

I hope you had fun reading, I happy for advice and pictures of your sushi! 

XXX C 

Hello Everyone!

So yesterday I had a kind of rude thing happening to me in the grocery store. I was going to buy an iced tea for my friend who was at work and I was going to visit her after the going to the shops. However, as I was looking for that specific iced tea it was nowhere to be found. I love to drink iced tea by myself and I just though this is quit rude! You can even pick up your favorite day time drink on a 35 degrees day. This just cannot be! 

So today I didn't even bother looking and just invented my own ice tea from scratch that I know I will enjoy much more, is always available, first off is vegan, cheaper and I can get a post out of it as well. I would actually thank the grocery shop for being rude at this point.

The recipe is actually very simple and it's done in under 10 minutes. Also I loved the fact that it was from scratch, this just made my day. It looks so nicely pink/red and pretty. So fruity that I want to have a bath in it!

Ingredients:

- half a lemon

two filters of your favorite summer tea

a cup of frozen fruit/ berries

Step 1 

Pretty much all you need to do is to boil water, then fill it in a big container to make tea but only fill 1/3 of the container. Then cut three slices off of the lemon and squeeze the rest of the lemon in the container. Lastly put in the lemon slices and the cup of berries and fill the rest of the container with cold water. 

Let it rest for a couple of minutes to cool down 

Step 2 

Now go outside with a nice book and your iced tea and enjoy your life! 

 I hope you liked the post and maybe you will try it as well. If so, make your to post a pic! 

Hello Everyone! 

Another What I ate Wednesday as a vegan post as I real like them and I always get to try new things, things that I can cook, experiment and eventually get my personal cookbook done. 

Breakfast was a lovely big bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and sugar, strawberries, a nectarine and half a pear and a wonderful huge cup of coffee.

Lunch: This is my broccoli salad bowl with broccoli of course and cucumber and tomatoes. I feel like onion when I talk about a broccoli salad but I just detest onions I don't know. However, I seasoned them with salt and pepper and a bit of pepper powder.

My dinner: was my first ever vegan omelette. I used my vegan egg replacement (3 eggs) and just added the left over broccoli and some cauliflower with it. In the omelette is vegan mozzarella which my mother bought me. I loved it and it is from now on my favorite meal at the moment.

I hope you liked the post and excuse my absence of the last past week. I wish you all some wonderful meals! 

XXX C