Flan-Tastic!

So the other day we were out for lunch and this happened...




Flan (aka Malabi in Israel) has got to be one of the most play-with-your-food inducing desserts!

Green and Jasmine tea blend

We recently discovered Jasmine tea, so we decided to create our own blend together with fresh green tea.

Besides being a tasty refreshing beverage, there's some great health benefits too:

- Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.

- Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.

- Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.

- Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions

- Jasmine helps to improve digestion, eliminate toxins and weight loss

Still - we drink it because it's tasty.

Only on weekends

All week we watch what we eat but on the weekends...

Image by Super Silo

Sunlight and coffee

When we were out for lunch the other week, our desert was nearly too pretty to eat! The sunlight filtered through the trees so artistically, it was just as sweet as the desert.

Life can be so beautiful sometimes.

Slow food, slow fashion; Your guide to the "Slow Life"

You know what fast-food is, so you can probably guess what it means when you hear people talk about  fast-fashion. You're not the only one who's exhausted from living in the fast-lane.

Now take those concepts and replace the "fast" with "slow". There's a growing trend that is taking us back to the days when we invested a little more into everything we did; we got a little less done, but when we did something, it didn't need redoing.

The movement towards the slow-life is a response to the temporary, inconsistent and poor quality fast-lane lifestyle that western culture has us chasing. Every day we're bombarded by commercials, articles and viral videos all telling us how the latest energy drink is going to turn us into super-humans.

I say it's time to turn off the TVs, computers & smart-phones for a few minutes and remember what being plain a old regular human is all about.

This is what the slow-movement is about. Urban gardens, buying local, DIY, vintage, grow-ops, organic food, home cooking, and "unplugged" time are just a few of the ways that many of us are getting back in touch with the "real world".


So what can you do to join in? The beauty of this movement is that it doesn't take a huge commitment, and the rewards are the kind that give you a warm, fuzzy glow inside. Here are a few suggestions to help kick-start your own Slow-lifestyle:

1. Unplug hour: Turn your phone off, stop staring at the computer/tv/tablet and get yourself up and away from the desk! The world can live without you for an hour, I promise. This is the perfect time to sit down and spend some real, quality time with your family and friends. Pull out the board games, build a fort, play in the garden, make some art - there is so much more to life than the computer!

2. Stay in & cook: Make a homemade meal from scratch. Surprise yourself and your loved ones with newly found recipes online or take an old recipe you have and give it a new twist with different ingredients. It's a great opportunity to try out some new organic ingredients too!

3. Do it yourself: Instead of just chucking the old and buying the new, stop and consider - could you fix it? Could you make something like this yourself? In many cases you can make things yourself with basic tools and materials lying around the house.

4. Take a walk: Nothing is more energizing and refreshing than a quick walk by the beach or in a park. Even if you live in the Urban jungle, walk slowly and breath in the fresh air and notice the surroundings you usually ignore. The sunshine and change of scenery will do wonders to clear your head.

5. Invest in vintage: Buy used. Things used to be manufactured with more care and out of higher quality materials. So why not help the planet while helping yourself? Besides, everything looks better when it is a bit worn in rather than stiff freshly pressed synthetic fabric. Just make sure the item you're investing in is of good quality (take a look at our post on buying quality clothing for a few tips on what to look for!)


These are just a few suggestions to get you started, but most likely, once you've started, you'll discover how slow is the new fast! ;)

Epic Cupcakes!!!

Whee!!! I've got a huge weakness for baked goods - especially cupcakes. And especially chocolate.

The other day we got all inspired and made a whole batch of Devil's food cupcakes... and we videoed it!

Oh - if you're wondering, the music is "Stark Raver" by Twisted System.

Let us know if you want the recipe, maybe I'll post it ;)

<3

Andrea