10 months almost done, and so am I.. (plus: Green Smoothie Bowl recipe)

Whoever knows me would say I’m one of these people who are (almost) always positive, happy and believe in the good in people. Well.. not lately I must confess.

I don’t know if it’s a summer heat overdose (yes, constant heat and humidity can really get too much), island fever, the (very normal I was told by other mums) feeling of being overwhelmed or still hormones (yes, nice to still think of that reason lol) – but honestly, lately even I sometimes loose my belief in human mankind and today’s society…

Ice, ice baby!

I’m not only talking about the regularity of horrible news and terror attacks, absurde politicians who seem to take over all over the world and the constant rise of destroying the planet through greed (I can see about 26 cranes from my living room and that’s only because my eye sight gives up at some stage). No – I’m also talking about the totally mundane and daily small things around me. Super aggressive people on the roads, grumpy guys yelling at you, sometimes almost ridiculous rudeness from service providers when you simply ask them to do their job (which you btw pay them for), drivers who won’t stop for you and your baby, careless garbage bags on the pavements which make walking with a pram more difficult than a relay and just day-to-day unfriendliness which makes it really hard sometimes, even for a let’s-always-try-to-be-positive-person like me. Ok, rant over.

But seriously, all these things make me thoughtful …and sad. I wonder how a person, who wants to live a happy, healthy, balanced and hassle free life deals with these things, which surely happen to all of you in some kind or the other all over the world, right? What are your methods? Do you have some tricks which help you deal better with that stuff which life just sometimes throws at you? I don’t want to be become and will never be one of these people who just don’t care, who give a shit and just yell back. I don’t want to and even less I want all that negative energy in me! What is your secret? I’d really and genuinely like to know… Maybe I learn some new things on that topic in my course to become a Holistic Health Coach with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. If I do i’ll definitely share it with you 🙂

Until then I’ll keep on trying to focus on the good in my life, life a healthy lifestyle and practice gratitude for all my blessings, and thank you universe, there are still many! But I would lie if I said above written stuff doesn’t make me sad and concerned. Maybe a little change of scene will help, too.

First steps out into this wonderful yet scary world…

How has mum-life been with a 10-month old baby? Our little mouse has definitely developed again like crazy. She’s crawling all over the place, pulling herself up on objects, she got her first two little teeth, suffered a few days from teething like crazy, we had a few interrupted nights again since then, she became more clingy and afraid of things (hoover, smoothie maker etc.), but her smiles and hugs make my heart melt more like ever ❤ . Breastfeeding as well as introducing her to solid foods are going strong (she’s super open to all the homemade food she got so far – touching wood!) and she’s definitely growing into a little toddler girl. She’s all over the place at baby yoga, so I’m afraid today it was our last time as I will be traveling  with her the next few weeks and I’m super sad and nostalgic about it. It’s the end of an era, after going to prenatal for 7 months and postnatal for another 7. Hopefully toddler yoga will very soon pop up on our little rock – I’ll be the first to sign up! A big thank you and hint-hint to Pre- and Postnatal Yoga Malta 😉

Besides that our first Mindful Mum workshop went by very successfully! It was wonderful to see how the group of mums and partners dove deep into all the things Sarah and I learned during our pregnancies and it was a great experience to share it with them. I’m sure they’ll all be wonderful mums and dads! We’ll definitely organise another workshop in fall, so if you’re interested keep updated via our Mindful Mum Facebook page.

Green Breakfast Smoothie Bowls

Well, last but not least it’s time for a recipe I suppose! This time I want to share our super yummy Green Breakfast Smoothie Bowls with you. They were packed with healthy ingredients, are very easy and quick to make and liked by husband and baby girl just as much 🙂 Of course you can swap ingredients and experiment with different fruits, greens, nuts and nut milks. The coconut milk from the tin made it extra creamy and decadent, but it’s not a must. I’d definitely recommend to keep the banana, oats and nuts of some kind to keep the consistency nice and thick.

What you need…
(serves 4)

• 1 banana
• 1 apple
• 1 pear
• 3 hands full of chard (or other greens)
• 1 1/2 cups of oats
• 1 cup of cashew nuts (or other nuts)
• 1/2 a tin of coconut milk, fill up  the other 1/2 with water
• 2 teaspoons of acai powder for an extra antioxidant kick
• For toppings: berries (frozen works like a charm and is quite refreshing in summer!), banana, coconut or any other toppings you fancy  – there’s endless ideas 🙂

What to do..

Wash/ peel/ chop up the fruits and greens, throw them in the blender (layer the heavier stuff at the bottom of the blender, works easier), add oats, nuts, acai, coconut milk and water. Blend until nice and creamy. If it’s too thick you can add some more liquids. Usually I add a few drops of high quality oil to bring out the best vitamins of the fruit and veg but in this case the thick coconut milk is already fat enough.

Enjoy and let’s hope for a wonderful, happy and peaceful August ahead!

Love & sunshine (and chin up to all of you who feel like me at the moment <3)

N xxx

 

Winter warming Chai & Chia smoothie

Do you also love smoothies? Throughout the spring, summer and autumn a delicious smoothie with fresh local fruit or vegetables pimped up with some super foods are part of my daily life, ideally for bfast. This unfortunately changes drastically when the temperatures get colder.. Yes, also here in Malta it can get extremely uncomfortable, chilly and cold. (Don’t ask for details or I won’t stop talking about how much I miss my Austrian central and underfloor heating – ahhh!)

Anyways, as soon as it gets colder my smoothie love changes into tea addiction and somehow it was obvious that a warm smoothie with my favorite tea had to be created. The result was a Chai Chia Smoothie which gets his special kick by adding warming spices such as fresh ginger, cinnamon and cardamom but also energizing substance through Chia seeds and almond butter. So it’s warming, comforting and is a real energy boost at the same time! But try it for yourself …

What you need…
(Ingredients for 2 smoothies)

1 hot cup of your favorite chai tea ( I like Chai Vanilla or Chai Red Bush)
1 cup warm nut milk (almond, coconut or soy)
2 teaspoons of chia seeds (soaked over night in water or chia tea)
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
1 ground cardamom capsule (Attention, the shell belongs to the bin 😉 alternatively use ground cardamom
2 teaspoons almond butter
1 tablespoon molasses sugar syrup (particularly high in iron, magnesium and folic acid), if you can’t get that use honey, agave or maple syrup
4 dates

What to do…
Blend all ingredients in the blender . Voila – here’s your first warm smoothie 🙂

Love,
N xx

P.S. I want to dedicate this recipe to my friends P and R from Vienna who were brave enough to quit their jobs and set up their own company for super foods in Germany, Austria and Italy. Guys – you rock and are an inspiration! If you want to check out their Facebook page (in German only) go and check out Green Panda – Superfoods with love. I wish you all the best of luck with it!!

Soulful Smoothies

All summer long I’ve been hooked on my morning smoothies. They got like a friend to me. I have them for breakfast or as an afternoon pick me up, when I need a little energy during work or I get hungry before dinner time. Everyday a little different, depending on what I have at home. I normally try go along with the 2/3 – 1/3 rule of thumb to keep it alkaline. So, 2/3 greens or veggies and 1/3 fruit. To get an idea about the alkaline way in a nutshell read this article on one of my favorite cooking websites Honestly Healthy.

As for veggies you can choose all different kinds of things… fresh spinach, chard, herbs like basil, mint or cilantro, zucchini, cucumber.. they all work well and don’t taste too strong. As for fruit I always like a banana, or some other sweet fruit like melon, pineapple, nectarine or apple.

It’s always nice to throw in some nuts like almonds, cashews, chia seeds or sunflower seeds to add a bit of protein or you add a teaspoon of protein powder (I like hemp or pea protein). Feel free to give it a special kick with the wide variety of super foods available: maca to balance your hormones, raw cacao full of antioxidants, spirulina, wheatgrass, lucuma for sweetness, acai – you name it!

Finally top it up with liquid. You can take water, coconut water, your favourite dairy free milk (almond, coconut..) or what I like as well cold tea like green tea, mint tea, redbush tea etc. I always make a hug jug of tea everyday while I work and you can easily use those leftovers in your smoothies! Last but not least add a tiny little drop of oil (flax seed, coconut) to ensure the maximum absorption of vitamins of all ingredients. Remember when we were kids, they used to add a drop of oil to your fresh carrot juice in the pharmacies? That’s why.

Now, put your lid on your blender and get started 🙂
Get creative and make it a habit – your body will love it ❤

Enjoy your smoothies & big love,
N x

Alkalising smoothie creations on the photo above:

Top left: Melon zucchini morning bliss
1 handful of cantaloupe, 2 small zucchini, lots of mint, coconut water, maca, lucuma & spirulina

Top right: Spinach Banana Smoothie
Fresh spinach, coconut water, banana, maca, lucuma & spirulina.

Bottom left: Basil Booster
Lots of basil, mint, half a cucumber, 1 banana, some Brazil nuts & maca powder.

Bottom right: Mexican banana chocolate smoothie
This is a sweet kick off for the day which can also be used as a delicious afternoon pick me up.
1 banana, raw cacao powder, maca, almond or coconut milk, tiny pinch of cayenne pepper (careful!)

Enjoy!