A walk in Montmartre

Paris in the Summer is so much better than any other season here. Clara and I took a long and lazy stroll in Montmartre and read about the history of the area as we walked.

Paris en été est tellement plus agréable que n’importe quelle autre saison ici. Clara et moi avons fais une promenade à Montmartre en lisant l’histoire de Montmartre en marchant.

Weekend Bliss

Spring arrived this weekend- at long long last. I pulled out my lace tops and sunnies to celebrate and got some flowers to decorate the apartment.

While Spring is here, it’s still important to keep looking after our immune systems as our bodies are adjusting to the change. This is why I had lots of spicy chai tea and an immunity smoothie. For this smoothie you’ll need:

Frozen berries, organic
a cup of fresh green tea
super greens
matcha
a chunk of fresh ginger
turmeric
a spoon of raw honey
a few spoons of yoghurt

Turmeric needs either honey or some kind of “fat”, like yoghurt, for it’s properties to be activated. It’s a fantastic blood cleanser and is an anti-inflammatory. It’s good for everything really!

I’m Australian- vegemite on toast goes without saying.

Afternoon Rooibos and Cacti

I love having a cup of fresh hot tea in the afternoon to get me going again. If you’re looking for something caffeine free choose a rooibos or honeybush. Mine are from T2 tea.

A Happy Weekend

It was a fun afternoon with Meg and Sasha. How adorable is Sasha’s garden?

happy weekend

What are your plans this Sunday? Here in Paris it’s finally sunny. Spring took a while to come this year.

Small things.

There is nothing better than cutting open an avocado and seeing that it’s the most perfect avocado on earth.

Lazy Musings

My idea of a perfect day: a delicious super foods salad, latté, green smoothie, dream catcher and flowers.

Very true.

Happy Monday!

Sunny Saturday Carrot Cake and Latte

I think it’s important to do things that are good for our spirits, even if it’s simply to make ourselves feel good. My beau was away on the weekend and I was at home staying warm and doing homework, so I decided to make myself one of my all time favourite cakes: Carrot cake. It’s sweet smell filled up my apartment and I felt good baking and then indulging. However, I am careful not to over-sweeten my cakes and I use alternative flours a lot of the time so that it’s not as heavy and it stays relatively healthy.

For me, carrot cake should not be refined. I go with the idea that it’s more of a loaf, something I can eat for breakfast and not feel ill.

Here is how I do it:

1 cup almond meal
1 cup self-raising plain flour
1/2 cup quinoa
4 teaspoon mixed spice (I use cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, pepper, vanilla)
1 cup brown sugar (or any unrefined sugar- makes the cake so much richer and gives a taste of caramel)
2 1/2 cups of grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts (half of these to put on the icing)
2/3 cup of either coconut oil or ghee
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150g of natural yoghurt

For the icing:
250 g cream cheese
1 rind of lemon or lime
honey

What next?
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 19cm cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.

Sift flour, almond meal, quinoa and spice into a bowl. Add sugar, carrot, chopped walnuts, coconut oil/ghee, natural yoghurt and eggs. Stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if over-browning). Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the icing mix the cream cheese, grated rind and honey to taste. Spread over cake. Decorate with walnuts. ENJOY

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake and morning latté

Carrot Cake

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A Spicy Sunday Afternoon Coffee

When I make coffee in my Italian stovetop, I like to add some spices to give it a small kick!
I added in a spice mix I got in Bremen, Germany. It contains cinnamon, cardamon, dried orange peel, star anise, nutmeg.
Here is what I indulged in yesterday as my afternoon coffee. What do you think?

Afternoon coffee

Afternoon coffee

Afternoon coffee

Afternoon coffee

Carrot cake

Afternoon Coffee

Afternoon Coffee

Afternoon Coffee

Lovely Sundays

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A sleepy Saturday under the snow

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” ~ Roald Dahl ♥

I woke up early on Saturday and ventured out alone into the snow to marvel at the beauty. The small things like this in life are what count.

Snow in Paris

métro brochant under snow

Indian cartoons

wattle and eucalyptus

flowers on a cold day

Cactus

snow in Paris

Batignolles under a blanket of snow

Parc des Batignolles

Pont Cardinet

Batignolles

Street blanketed in snow

Parc des Batignolles

I felt like a child in the snow, it makes me so excited.

–>

Everything was so much more peaceful in Paris this weekend under a blanket of snow. The sound of Paris is different, it feels numbed by the snowflakes and it’s as though the whole city is asleep. There are not many things more beautiful in the world than waking up, opening your blinds and seeing your whole street covered in white fairy dust.

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