Food Friday: Vegan Tomatoe Spinach Mushroom Quiche

Hey guys! For anyone following me on Instagram & Facebook, I've decided to postpone the Green Juice Recipe to next week and show you a wonderful dish for Mother's Day instead :) Sorry that I'm a bit late, it's 11pm in Germany right now, but there's still time to get the ingredients tomorrow and bake it Sunday Morning ;-) 

What is actually the best gift for your mum? I believe no material things but rather time, attention, a walk in nature or only you. You being there for her, being grateful and pampering her, so what about cooking for her and your family? :)

So, this Food Friday Recipe was adapted by the Vegan Food Blog Oh She Glows and I was really curious how everything turned out because I wanted to do a Vegan Quiche with Tofu for such a long time now. As usually, I transformed it a bit and did not use all the ingredients stated. I also thought that it sounded a little bit of too much an effort, but except from the cutting your vegetables into small pieces, it's actually not :)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup almonds, ground into flour

1 cup oats, ground into flour

2 teaspoons of dried herbs, 

I've used the Organic Italian Mixture from Sonnentor

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoon olive oil

1o (less or more) tablespoons water

whole-grain flour (if needed)

For the filling:

1 block tofu (400g), I usually get tofu from an Asian Food Store

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 cup of dried/fresh herbs

some dried tomatoes

1 cup of spinach

salt & pepper to taste ;-)

1. Preheat the oven at 375F (190°C). Start with the crust, ground the almonds and the oats, mix them together and stir in the other ingredients. I mixed it thoroughly with a spoon. The crust need to be sticky, so that you can easily press it on your quiche/tart pan. Place the pan into your oven and let the crust bake for about 10minutes until it's a bit brown. Let the crust cool down after baking.

2. Well, I actually wanted to show you the block tofu, but forgot to take pictures before I already pressed it :D Anyways, put the tofu in a clean towel and press the water out, put it in your food processor and mix until it has a creamy texture! 

3. Chop all your vegetables and cut them up into thin slices. Put oil into your pan and stir fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Add the herbs, the tomatoes, the spinach and season as you like :)

4. After stir-frying your vegetables, remove the pan from the heat and mix in the creamy tofu into the pan, mix and taste :) See if you like it or not, add salt & pepper here and there, and if you want to add some seeds :)

5. Spread the filling evenly onto your crust and place it in the oven at the same temperature 375F (190°C) for about 30minutes. That's it :) Let the Quiche cool down for 15minutes and enjoy with some green salad! 

Except from preparing the ingredients, this dish was super easy to make and it was super-duper-mega-delicious!!! My friends, who had this for dinner tonight, really liked it and couldn't tell that this was vegan :) I really want to try this with different vegetables now :) and I also fell in love with the nutty crust, I just love almonds and this is such a great healthy dish without any excess of eggs and cheese. Tofu, you became my next best friend because I've never used you in a non-Asian dish :) Enjoy cooking my loved ones!

Never forget, Mother's Day is actually every single day!

Happy Weekend! ♥

One Week Off in Berlin

Hey there :) I just came home from my one week off in Berlin and just wanted to say that I am still alive ;-) Right now, there's too much going on, exams are coming up, too and I don't really find that much time to blog and be online. Sometimes, I am also happy to be more outside instead of working with my computer all day long. Still, I took a few pictures last week and would like to share with you here, so stay tuned for some Fashion, Food and Green News from Berlin :)

Hope you had a good start into the new week ♥

Healthy Wednesday: Explore Nature

It's getting warmer outside and I'm spending a lot of time with activities like running, yoga, skating and just being out in nature :) Last weekend, I joined a small hiking tour to explore some herbs and had the urge to hug a tree :) I definitely need to do this more often, why? Spending some time, a few hours in nature has many benefits to your health and overall well-being:

1. You will be able to breathe in and out fresh air again :) 

Far away from exhaust gas from cars and urban areas/cities.
Japanese people practice 'forest bathing' regularly, 
which lowers cortisol, blood pressure and pulse rate. 
Read on here.

2. You will feel more content, grateful,

 grounded and at present. It is fuel for your soul
and you will feel signs of happiness :)
Especially people who live and work in big cities,
should get outside every single day.

3. Mother nature will give you new energy to revitalise again.

4. Movement like walks, hikes and so on 

will stimulate your metabolism. 
Studies found out that being out in nature 
increases your vitality and energy.

5. And there is so much more, you only need to step outside

 and go find your little forest close to your town or city.

I love and cherish these moments outside. After such hikes, I'm always in a good mood and feel positivity all over me :) In nature, there's no bad or good, no doubt, no fear, no failure, only what is there is: Beauty. What about doing something with people you like, doing something outside and exploring your local surroundings, and hey it's for free!!! And the most precious thing you'll need for is: Time. 

Never stop being curious because there might be something beautiful :) Here are also two super interesting posts on how to live healthy up to 100 years of age (also by hiking and being out in nature every single day or week) and an amazing video about Nature, Beauty and Gratitude.   

Embrace the little things in life and 

be grateful for what we have today :)

Rohvolution in Berlin: Raw x Vegan Food Fair

Another week just passed by and I've been busy with college and other projects so that I couldn't post more frequently. But today is another Friday and that means another Food-Post :) Well, if you follow my Instagram account, the last few posts pictured my Vegan Oatmeal Breakfast or delicious Bread and Greens :) Follow me there and get everyday inspiration from me and my life ;-)

This weekend I'm in Berlin and will attend the biggest Vegan and Raw Food Event in Europe called Rohvolution. Not only are there more than 100! yes you see it right: 100 exhibitors, who will present their new products, food, books and so on about a vegan and raw lifestyle (meaning no cooking or processing over 45°C), but you can take part in a variety of lectures, workshops and tastings. 

Hey, there is even more! This year's fair has four major highlights: 

There will be selected authors who introduce their books to us visitors and will answer your questions about health and nutrition. Let's prepare for a heated discussion!

For all chocolate-lovers, including me :) there will be a Melangeur, 
a machine which shows how to make raw chocolate!

Have you seen my noodle recipe yet? It wasn't raw of course, 
but at this fair, the very 1st raw noodle called Wild Pasta will has its premiere.

A new radio station in Germany called veggie-radio will broadcast live
 from the fair and talk about interesting topics and interviews.

I think, there's no way out but coming! If you're a food lover and you're into vegan, greens and everything delicious, don't miss this! I will be there, too and try tons of raw desserts :) I'm also planning on going into a workshop on how to make your own nut milk, are you in? :) This will be yummy, so prepare your belly, your wallet and bring a big bag because this is open to ANYONE and you can go SHOPPING while eating :)

Rohvolution

Sat.29th March, 10-7pm & Sun.30th March, 10-6pm

FEZ-Berlin (Wuhlheide)

9€ day-ticket, kids under 14 free

For more information ahead, 
take a look into the Fair Magazine or click here :)

 

Where is the picture above coming from? When I just arrived back home from my abroad year in the U.S., a dear friend and I had to try out this Rohköstlich (engl. Deliciously Raw) restaurant/shop in our little hometown :) We were pretty surprised that something like this was existing there because it's really small ;-) but the food was really good and different. We couldn't believe that it was 'uncooked', but hey I'm always curious about new food! You can also buy Superfoods like Chia-Seeds and Hemp-Protein Powder or Books about Raw Cooking there. Before, I also did not know that the restaurant owner and author Nelly Reinle-Carayon is actually organizing the Rohvolution Fair with her husband each year in several German cities ;-)

Stay tuned for more updates about this weekend's fair!

See you and happy eating ♥

Food Friday: Easy Vegan Spelt Pan x Greens

The other day a dear friend of mine came over for lunch and we did not know what to cook. So usually, I just come up with something eatable and always hope it will taste nice :D The result was a Vegan Spelt Dish with Greens mixed up all together in a pan. It turned out so good that I had to cook it again and use this as today's Food Friday Recipe :)

How come Spelt? Well, I am always curious and want to try out new things. When I first bought it, I added it to some of my breads, just the pure grain and some of my friends might have noticed it because it sometimes would be still hard inside the bread. Additionally, I use spelt as a side dish like Quinoa, so you can easily substitute it for rice, pasta, bread etc. But be sure to soak it in water the night before using it or let it sit in warm water for about an hour. Pure spelt also has more minerals and beneficial nutrients compared to processed wheat. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of spelt, soaked in or cooked with 4 cups of water.

1 zucchini,

1 onion,

some celery,

some cilantro,

some coconut oil for the pan,

any spread (here I've used a paprika cashew one).

More of leftover vegetables as you prefer, add anything you like. This pan serves about 2 hungry people, oh, and spelt is pretty filling ;-)

1. Let two cups of spelt sit with 4 cups of hot water, cover up the bowl with a plate. This takes about an hour OR cook the spelt as you would do it with rice OR let it sit with water overnight.

2.Cut up all your vegetables into slices, squares, just as you like ;-)

3. Put some coconut oil in the pan, heat it up and sauté the onion, add the other ingredients. Cooking a vegetable pan, I always go from the hardest to the softest one meaning e.g. after the onion, the zucchini, spelt, spread, celery, cilantro.

4. Add some salt and pepper as you like or don't season at all since you have the spread, which gives the pan its sauce. Put 2-3 table spoons of it into your pan and mix everything up while its on the stove.

5. Add the celery, mix up for another 5min. and garnish with some chopped cilantro :)

Hmmm.. this is really yummy :) healthy, vegan and super-easy to make ;-) I just love improvising with food and new ingredients. I also love cooked spelt because you have to chew it thoroughly in your mouth, you will notice ;-) And although this is filling, it won't give you that full and stuffed stomach. So do not hesitate to grab a package of Spelt on your next food-shopping trip and try out some delicious spelt pans with vegetables yourself ;-)

Happy cooking and experimenting! xx

My Beauty Essentials

Today, I want to present you what I actually put on my face every morning. Not only do I pay attention of what I eat and take in my body, but also what I put on my skin. Last summer, I've already showed you some Dr.Hauschka products, which I bought back then. Now, I want to tell you about what I have actually used over the past months. Most of my cosmetic stuff is organic and free from chemicals and toxins. Yes, it's expensive, but totally worth it!!! The products also last very long, so I'm glad that I found them.

When I get up in the a.m., I rinse my face with clear water to freshen myself up for the day and to hydrate my skin. After that, I apply some Coconut Oil on my face and let it absorb. This takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Oh and when I had a shower in the morning, I also use it as my bodylotion ;-) As a second layer, I put on the Dr.Hauschka Toning Cream, which does not only tone your face but also nourishes your skin with its needs whether your skin is dry, sensitive or normal. I really love the Toning Cream and as you can see, I use it every single day because then, you do not need any Make-Up anymore and my skin still feels good and unmasked. No worries if you're lighter than me, the cream mixes easily into your natural color. Then, I use a concealer for dark circles under my eye or small spots to cover up. Unfortunately, I do not know the brand name anymore.. that time, I bought it in the U.S., yes, I'm still using it, some things just never run out. 

For my eyes and if I feel like it, usually I do, but there are also times that you see me without anything on my face ;-) that's when I'm sick, overslept or just don't feel like putting anything on but coconut oil ;-) .. back to my eyes, I put on the Maybelline Lasting Drama-Gel Eyeliner in the blackest black, which a friend of mine recommended to me and it's pretty good, doing its work and lasting all day. I did not found any good! Organic Eyeliner so far, so let's see what will come across in the future. Additionally, I use the Benecos Natural Kajal which is really good except from the fact that it smudges under my eyes, so it's a OK, but for 3 € a good deal, compared to my other organic products. Not to forget the Dr.Hauschka Volume Mascara in black which does a very nice job, but is unfortunately not water-proof and a bit expensive with 16 €.

 

Whenever I go out for dinner or a party, I also use an eyelash curler to bring my lashes into shape, does not always work, but better than nothing, all Asians you're hearing me? :D And I'd put some Rouge from La Roche-Posay which I received from a dear friend. As you can see, there's not that much of an effort of my everyday beauty routines, the only thing I could never live without again would be Coconut Oil for its superpowers :)

Therefore, the Concealer and the Eyeliner are conventional products, but other than that I try to minimize my consumption and I think: ok, let's pay more for Organic Really Good Stuff which last very long instead of cheaper ones which run out very fast and are not high-quality. I guess, at the end, you pay the same amount of money. What do you think of Organic Products? Have you ever heard of Dr.Hauschka products before? :) Would love to hear from you,

many hugs xo

Mindful Monday: Let's go for a run!

Long time no post, huh? Well, a week I guess :) But that's not too bad because you know what? I've started working out and eating healthier again!!! This year we had barely no winter here in Germany, except from a week full of snow in Berlin, but this amazing weather and the early signs of spring just made me go out and put on my running gear again :) So, the last week was packed with my studies, but also 5 times of exercise. I have to say it has been really tough for me to get back on track since that crazy year in the U.S. in 2011-2012, why? Because then, I had sooo much time to care for myself, like really. I would workout every single day, being outside, having loads of activites and read about food, health and trying out new stuff, experiencing the super-healthy-American-way of life :) Actually experiencing the best and healthiest ME I could ever be and reaching limits, but more of my transformation in this post.

What did I do last week? I went for a run, did some weight training and yoga :) I think now it's really time to get back on track. Remember, being healthy, eating mindfully and being active is not just a trend, which comes and goes, it is a lifestyle decision. As soon as I've started running outside last week, I felt more alive, more energized and motivated to keep all this -yes life- going! Therefore this week's motto is simply:

You're only one run, stretch, skate, swim, play.. 

away from being happy. 

That's just how it is. Move your butt! For example yesterday when I didn't feel well because I was a bit stressed out with Uni and several other projects, I've turned away from my desk, put on my running shoes and went for a run. How did it feel? It's like meditating, I am by myself, fully focused, clearing my mind and the only thing I am doing is: breathing.

Inhaling 

I breathe in all positivity and light which nature gives me. 

Exhaling

 I breathe out all negativity and worthless thoughts.  

And also during the run, I was grateful for having the ability to actually walk, run, and breathe in this fresh air. Friends and other people tell me that they don't like working out because they feel tired afterwards, but what it does for me is, it actually relives me and gives me more strength for the upcoming tasks and challenges life has for me. A dear friend once said: Energy creates energy. Give it a try, I promise you will feel better afterwards when you get the hang of it! Or better yet, wanna meet up for a run? :) 

Here are tips on how to get back on track and 
here's one on how to deal with your muscle ache the day afterwards ;-) 
Enjoy reading them! 
Keep up the light guys and stay positive ♥

The Vintage Military Jacket..

..from my dad's. When we celebrated the new Lunar Year with all the other Vietnamese people around town, I noticed that some of the fathers were wearing those kind of military jackets. Big, slouchy, square-shaped and khaki. It was really funny seeing them with the same 'uniforms'. So, I spoke to my dad the other day: Hey, where did you guys have those jackets from? I want one, too! =D My mum was laughing.. and my dad was like: Well, yeah, I have another one, just bought it a few weeks ago from an old lady, who was in the military. Oh really?? You aren't kidding? 

Here it is: the oversize Vintage Military Jacket! When I first threw this on (my instagram followers already saw it ;-) ) I wasn't sure about whether or not to keep this item. I luckily didn't pay anything for it and really needed to get use to this big jacket, but hey, step out of your comfort zone and try something new, right? :) I've thought since this jacket is a bit bigger in shape I have to pair it with something slim. I chose my Vintage Object Jumper, my patterned Zara pants, the Zara boots, and the Urban Outfitters Backpack for school :) Oh, not to forget the black fleece jacket underneath from Mazine, a German streetwear brand, to keep me warm these days. Bracelets are also from my dad's and & Other Stories.

How do you like it? 

Should I keep the Military Jacket or return it to my dad? :)

Impressions Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2014 #3

On the 3rd day of Berlin Fashion Week I was able to visit the Ethical Fashion Show and the Green Showroom, which showcased eco fashion and fair-trade clothing. I was really interested in these because I am longing for more eco-friendly clothes, which are stylish and unique. So, here are some lovely brands I really liked and found most interesting. 

Khogy is a fishy brand :) Why? Their beautiful bags and shoes are made from leather, but it's a special kind. Can you guess what it is? Maybe from the color you will.. It's actually TUNA! Haha, yes, I kind of like tuna, but should eat less and think about the ocean more and more. This is what the designers behind Khogy want to do, they want to remind us of the ocean and the leather industry. Due to the demand of tuna fish, the skin is thrown away, so Khogy designers thought: why not use it and make clothing instead? So there will be less waste. Really love this idea and the design is nice, too. Very natural, very summery and if you like fish scent (not too bad), these handbags should be your new accessory for summer outfits :) And.. handmade with love ♥

Do you know the brand or bags from ABURY? Not yet? Well, I haven't heard of them until a few weeks ago when I strolled through an eco-fashion onlineshop selling Abury handbags. They are also handmade and have a more vintage, handcrafted look with a unique embellishment on the front.

Abury supports projects held in Morocco giving assistance to the Berber women to earn a living in their villages in the surroundings of Marrakesh. The scope is to create a guideline directed to social brands with an aim to ethical design in developing and underdeveloped countries.

The handbags beneath are a collaboration between the masters graduate Mayta Lara Leal and Abury. She wanted a more modern, geometrical look and designed them for the next collection coming up in April :) Love the bright colors and the fact that they tried to reduce chemicals, so the leather is vegetable-tanned. The bags are also super-practical and are made for everyday-use. The perfect Uni-backpack I guess.. ;-)

n.u.s.k. is a new brand in the eco-fashion world and comes from Spain. I was very interested in the vests because they are very minimalistic and wearable. I loved the soft fabrics and I've found out that they use recycled or up-cycled, raw ecological fibres to create these pieces. I'm curious and look forward for more. We'll see. Are you guys into eco-fashion?