Infused Lavender Water is a sugar-less and cooling summer drink. This lavender-infused water beverage is for you if you enjoy infused waters and if you want to get fit and live a healthier life. 📕 What is lavender? Lavender is a purple-blue plant with multiple small flowers which commonly grow in bunches together. There are countless smaller lavender … [Read more...]
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Caribbean Sorrel Drink
Caribbean Sorrel Drink is my Christmas drink obsession! Made from scratch, I additionally spike it with rum, turning this amazing Trinidad sorrel drink into a holiday highlight. Sunita, originally from Trinidad, introduced me to this wonderful beverage prepared with flower buds. Her brother was so kind to send us some pictures from the flower fields growing … [Read more...]
Star Fruit Juice (Carambola)
A special homemade star fruit juice can be so very refreshing! Star Fruit is also known as Carambola and below I show you how to make a juice from scratch. Most, probably, you know the star fruit as a cocktail decorator. It's a beautiful fruit, but the tropical exotic fruit can do more than just food deco. I have a thing for tropical fruits. If you feel the … [Read more...]
Kir Royale Cocktail
The Kir royale is a classic french special occasion party cocktail. The purple shades and fruity berry taste make this sparkling wine apéritif a hit every time! 📕 What is a Kir Royale? A Kir royal is a French apéritif cocktail made with crème de cassis liqueur and a French sparkling wine. This elegant cocktail is also known as Kir pétillant in French. The Kir … [Read more...]
Halloween Dessert Pudding: Worms and Maggots
Worms and Maggots is the name of this realistic looking Halloween dessert. Vermicelli and rice are turned into a sweet pudding-like sweet treat. The recipe is great for kids but also very much adult-friendly. 📕 What is this Maggots and Worms dessert? We love creepy edible Halloween food and drink ideas that are realistic and also mind-boggling. So, after I … [Read more...]
7 Halloween Mocktails for Adults
7 fun and spooky Halloween Mocktails made truly for adults. Go all alcohol-free this Halloween with a selection of healthier fruit-based and club soda mocktails. We do love a good spiked cocktail such as a large punch bowl and other alcoholic drink ideas, but every so often it's nice to have an option to pick a non-alcoholic Halloween drink at a party. Besides, … [Read more...]
+30 Authentic Oktoberfest Food Ideas to Turbocharge your Party
Visiting Oktoberfest or are you looking for some delicious original Oktoberfest food ideas for your party? I compiled a collection of the best Oktoberfest recipes, savory and sweet. Grab some ideas for your Oktoberfest food party further below, or learn about the food offering before your Oktoberfest visit! This is an updated version, inspired by our recent trip to … [Read more...]
Home Canned Pears in Syrup Recipe
Make home canned pears in syrup from scratch. This is as per French canning customs and it's our family recipe. I take you through the process so that you successfully prepare a batch of home canned pears. 📕 What are canned pears? Canned pears are fresh whole, halved or quartered peeled pears, that are covered in a medium to light syrup in a canning … [Read more...]
Mint Infused Water Recipe
My instructions will help you to make homemade mint infused water from scratch within minutes. 📕 What is this Mint Water? Mint water is basically water flavored with fresh mint leaves. The leaves are left in the water to infused them slowly. The result is a subtly flavored minty water, which isn't overpowering. These flavored waters are also known as infused … [Read more...]
How to cut Jackfruit
This guide on how to cut jackfruit will help you in the process of cutting a jackfruit. Learn our simple technique, and you will succeed cutting up your first jackfruit all alone, the right way, of course. I filmed the cutting of our jackfruit with my jackfruit expert, Gauri. She hails from the forests in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, in India. She was so kind to … [Read more...]
Tibetan Tsampa Porridge Recipe
Tibetan Tsampa Porridge is a nutritious, budget-friendly and simple to prepare breakfast meal prepared with roasted barley. I show you how it's made in this recipe, which includes a video. 📕 What is Tsampa? Tsampa is whole barley cereal grains roasted over fire and then stone ground into a coarse flour. It is not raw barley flour that has been roasted. There … [Read more...]
Blueberry Coconut Smoothie Recipe
A better guilt and dairy-free blueberry coconut smoothie to help you start your day the right way! Turns out coconut milk and fresh blueberries are meant to be. I show you how to make it and share tips and variation ideas in this recipe. 🥥 Ingredients Theoretically you will just need two ingredients to make this smoothie. Especially if you like your smoothie … [Read more...]
Prickly Pear Juice (Cactus Fruit)
Prickly pear juice is made from cactus fruits. It's refreshing and so easily made, you don't need a blender or juicer! 📕 What is a Prickly Pear? Prickly pears are the colorful fruits of the nopales "paddle" cactus. They are native to the American continent where they grow in an arid dry desert climate. The fruits are also known as tuna fruit or simply cactus … [Read more...]
Chicory Root Tea
Chicory Root Tea is a nifty way to ditch your bad health habits. In this post, we explore how to use it and the differences between raw and roasted chicory root. 📕 What is Chicory Root? Chicory is a hardy bushy plant that grows beautiful blue flowers. It's a wild plant in Europe and you can see it there on the roadside. The plant has been known for its … [Read more...]
How to prepare Absinthe
Preparing absinthe the right way is part of the ritual and it makes for a great way to entertain your party guests. 📕 What is Absinthe? Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It's also known as The Green Fairy or La Fee Verte. It can be described as anise-flavored, licorice-flavored, or minty. This is because true absinthe is prepared by … [Read more...]
Skull Mushroom Pizza Bites (Halloween Special)
Skull mushroom pizza bites are a great Halloween party food for children and adults alike! These were inspired by a post from Castellon's Kitchen, a true Halloween-themed food blog. (Their main page is ghoulatheart.com now) Somebody had posted the skull mushrooms in a mushroom foraging group on facebook and I thought they would be cute and delicious on a simple pizza … [Read more...]
Hampi South India
A non-biased guide to visit Hampi and its ancient monuments in South India. 📕 Where and what is Hampi? Hampi is a place in South India, Karnataka, known for its ancient Indian monuments. It was the capital of the notorious Vijayanagara Empire. The capital of the empire was also known as Vijayanagara and was the second-largest city in the world in 1500 CE, some 500 … [Read more...]
Ground Horseradish Recipe
Ground horseradish is a must-have strongly-flavored condiment, which is for all those who love German and East European food. 📕 What is Ground Horseradish? Ground horseradish is prepared out of fresh raw horseradish, a sharp-tasting root that is related to the Japanese wasabi root. The root is creamy white and it's dense and hard. The flavor can be described … [Read more...]
Things to do in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a fun city, the place has so much more to offer! I share all the points of interest with you in this quick guide. 📍 Where is Amsterdam located? Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, a country located in North-West Europe. The region is also called holland, which by the way is sometimes confused with the country name. The city is known for … [Read more...]
Home Canned Plums
Canned plums are a great way to preserve your fruits for the coming months. Turns out, it's easy to do this at home! 📕 What are canned plums? Canned plums are made to last and are preserved in light sugar syrup. Commercially canned fruits are the norm these days but preparing home-canned plums is still the norm in some places. During harvest season you … [Read more...]
Watermelon Infused Water
Watermelon infused water is a summer hit in my home! It's refreshing and replenished my tired body in the heat. You will feel better with every sip! 📕 What is it? Watermelon water is regular tap water infused with fresh watermelon chunks. If you are looking for a blender watermelon beverage, that's a watermelon juice. The watermelon flavors mix into the … [Read more...]
Falooda Ice Cream Recipe
A falooda is a great summer treat! It's an ice cream pepped up with syrup and basil seeds. 📕 What is Falooda? Having probable roots in Persia and available in Middle Eastern and East Asian countries, Falooda is an Indian drinkable ice cream dessert that will certainly be the most refreshing way to enjoy your summer. There are many ways to enjoy falooda - it … [Read more...]
Fresh Watermelon Juice
Refreshing watermelon juice prepared in a jiffy with real watermelon chunks. I don't know about you, but I need some cool clear juice this hot summer! So, you have been enjoying store-bought watermelon juice or other melon juice? Then this homemade healthier juice is all yours! You will need a food processor to make this, no juicer required! As a watermelon fan, … [Read more...]
Visiting Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial, Austria
Mauthausen is a former nazi concentration camp located in upper Austria (Oberösterreich). We visited Mauthausen in July 2020. What happened at Mauthausen? Mauthausen was a nazi concentration camp (KZ) from 1938 to May 3-6 1945. Political prisoners and persecuted minorities were forced to do hard labor and were killed in concentration camps during the nazi rule in … [Read more...]
Mango Dragon Fruit Smoothie
Your mango dragon fruit smoothie is a tropical drink in a glass. It's health boosting and absolutely vegan, dairy-free! This smoothie is for you if you love our pure fruit smoothies with mangoes, such as the tropical smoothie or the mango pineapple banana smoothie. 🥭 Ingredients This smoothie requires 2 main ingredients, but it can be enhanced … [Read more...]
Things to see in Slovenia (Europe)
This post is there to inspire you to add Slovenia, a small European country, to your travel bucket list for the future. 💭 FAQs in a nutshell Slovenia is located in Europe. It's bordering Austria to the north, Hungary to the east, Croatia to the South, and Italy to the West. It's part of the European Union so, Schengen visa applies here and they have the Euro. … [Read more...]
20 min Healing Broth Soup
A delicious clear broth soup with healing spices and herbs to boost your well being. This recipe is quick and easy, ready within 20 minutes, effortless to prepare as it's also oil free (no sautéing). 📕 What is this healing broth soup? This clear broth is the result of me getting sick on my travels and trying to get better in a jiffy AND the input from Paul, … [Read more...]
Austrian Food Guide
This is a guide about Austrian food and drink specialties. It covers everything you need to know if you are a gourmand traveling Austria or if you want to simply learn more about our food culture. The food guide is from the perspective of a West Austrian, so I may have mentioned more specialties from there because, well that's my expertise. But I have also … [Read more...]
Homemade Oregano Tea
Fresh and soothing oregano tea can be easily prepared from scratch at home. I share options to make it with fresh and dried oregano and different ways so that you can make it while you are reading this. I talked about oregano as a herb and seasoning last year. Oregano can be turned into a delicious herbal tea too. You can use the same fresh or dried … [Read more...]
Homemade Chamomile Tea
Here you will learn everything you need to know to make chamomile tea. 📕 What is Chamomile? Chamomile is a daisy-like flower, with white petals and a yellow procuring core. The proper chamomile is called German chamomile or also the real chamomile. This is because some other varieties are frequently confused with the real chamomile and the "fake" ones are … [Read more...]
Christmas Punch Recipe
A fruity Christmas punch to serve up in a bowl at your party or in individual glasses. I share everything you need to know to make this drink from scratch. This Christmas punch recipe is based on my husband's, Paul, recipe. It also resembles our sangria recipe. I recommend also offering a version without alcohol to your guests, such as this Non-Alchoholic … [Read more...]
Mexican Champurrado Hot Chocolate Recipe
Champurrado is a hot and thick, spiced Mexican chocolate. I made Mely Martinez's Champurrado from her new book The Mexican home kitchen. 🍫 Ingredients You have the option to add milk too or a vegan milk to make the drink creamy. I added some milk to mine. Mely also shares in her book the option of adding orange peel. I skipped that but I bet it tastes … [Read more...]
Austrian Linzer Cookies Recipe
Homemade melt in your mouth Linzer cookies prepared from scratch. I show you how to make these classic Austrian cookies in ease. My Oma's recipe! 📕 What are Linzer Cookies? The Linzer cookie is a tender, nutty double-decker confection with a peek-a-boo jam eye. The traditional Linzer cookies are scalloped and have three jam eyes. But often, you can find … [Read more...]
Guide to Rouen France
Your complete guide to Rouen in France. I share info on how to get there, the main must-see attractions, and why you ought to add this inspiring french city to your itinerary. Where is Rouen situated? Rouen is situated in North France, some 2 hours distance from Paris. The city is the capital of the Normandy region, a region famous for food and its … [Read more...]
Guide to Styria Austria
Styria is known for its vineyard landscapes, hot water wellness spas, and its food and wine culture. Plan your trip to this beautiful region with our tips! Where is Styria? Styria is a region located in South Austria, bordering Slovenia. The region has the alps in the west and hills with the vineyard in the more temperate east. You will take about 1-2 hours … [Read more...]
How to can Peaches
Your to-the-point guide on how to can peaches at home. This guide is suitable for beginners and comes with tips and tricks on how to get it right every time. We have been canning fruits at home since ever! I have always seen my family do that, my mother, my aunties in France, and even my grandmother back in the day. We prepare not only canned peaches but also … [Read more...]
Guide to Salzburg City (Austria)
Your complete Salzburg guide to enjoying the best that the city has to offer. Written by a local. Video Walk in 4K Where is Salzburg located? Salzburg city is the capital of the Salzburg region in Austria. It's one of 9 regions in Austria. The Austrian city is bordering Germany and the small German corner (Kleine Deutsche Eck), which is a major connection to … [Read more...]
Guide to Italian Food in Italy
So, you are planning a trip to Italy and Italian food is your passion? This guide covers dishes and drinks that you will come across in Italy and that you will need to try if you love food! You will also learn everything you need to know to get around with your taste buds. No matter where you are in Italy, the food is always awesome! Yet, sometimes it can get … [Read more...]
Home Canned Cherries
Preparing canned cherries at home is easier than ever! That way you can preserve your beautiful fresh cherries for the months to come. 📕 What are canned cherries? Canned Cherries are cherries made to last, preserved in a water sugar syrup. Freshly washed cherries are left unpitted or are pitted and placed into canning jars. A syrup is poured over the … [Read more...]
Guide to Florence Italy
A transparent travel guide to Florence in Italy. Plan your vacation to the great Tuscan city after social distancing times. This guide has a focus on getting there by car at the bottom of the article. What is Florence Italy famous for? Florence (called Firenze by the locals) is located in Tuscany, a region in central Italy, Europe. The city is known for being … [Read more...]