Sweet Potato Chips * RECIPE | Healthy

Hello everybody,
today I have probably one of the simplest recipes for you, the best part about it all is that it's a healthy and delicious recipe as well. I'm going to share with you my recipe for sweet potato chips. Just recently I have discovered the beauty of sweet potatoes, I think that these are just such a wonderful ingredient that has a very special flavor that I haven't seen before. For these chips I was inspired by the vegetable beet chips that I have seen while I was in England and France but couldn't find them anywhere near me so I decided to replicate them and this is how I did it.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato (use depending on how many you'll want to make I used 1 sweet potato that was 300 g)
pinch of salt
baking paper

After I preheated my oven to 180 °C (300 °F) I started to peel my sweet potato, I don't think that you have to peel it if you wash it well but I like it when it's nice and peeled so I went ahead and did that.

Then I washed it under cold water and started to cut it into thin circles. Try to make them as even as possible so that they get baked evenly and don't end up too burnt on one side, I mean they are even good burnt but :D

Then you're going to coat them in a little bit of salt I used 2 pinches of salt for 1 sweet potato just for reference. Then I laid some baking paper onto my baking sheet and started to lay my sweet potatoes chips on there. Try to fit as many as you can, don't overlay them but you can place them quite close to each other because they are going to shrink as the excess moisture comes out of them.

When you're happy with the placement go ahed and put them into the oven for 10 minutes. After ten minutes it's time to turn them over so that they get baked from the other side as well then pop them in for 5-10 minutes, keep checking them.

 After 10 minutes most of them should be done, this is very individual but if you like your chips to be chewy they should be ready after 20 minutes (if sliced thinly) but if you want them to be really crispy they will probably need 5 more minutes. I left them in for 30 minutes in total but every 5 minutes I checked them and put out those that were already done because they all take different times to get to the desired consistency.

That's it my healthy sweet potato chips that are much better for you than the traditional and are great to be eaten just as is or as a side dish to a steak, or in my case I'm going to be taking for lunch with some canned tuna and other vegetables.
I hope that you liked today's simple and quick recipe until next time :)

Kitchen Design Ideas * PINTEREST | Grey, Blush, Mint

Hi guys ;)

Who doesn't love Pinterest these days ? I would say Pinterest is one of the biggest time consuming websites that mankind has ever known :D basically every project or recipe comes from Pinterest and so this week i wanted share with you a compilation of kitchen design ideas that I have found over the past couple months that i really like and one day would like to make real in my own house as well.

I really like this simple, soft and chic white kitchen trend with some golden details I just think that it's super flattering and stylish.

Another combination that I just love is this dual tone cabinetry ! I love the contrast between grey and white, finally something a little different and creative. I also live the marble backsplash on the right picture, feels just very luxurious and well made.

These two are also very lovely I love the mint green shade that was used in the right picture, I've never seen anything like that before, but I also like that grey twist in the left picture.

So as you can see in all the pictures I gathered above it seems like two toned kitchen are really trendy at the moment. I really like the white grey combination that you can see on many pictures but the minty one isn't bad either. Also it seems like everything's gold at the moment which is gorgeous looking in my opinion, it just makes your kitchen instantly look better and more expensive so maybe consider that during your next remodel.

This post was just a little idea of mine to share some cool kitchens that I have found on Pinterest to maybe give you a little inspiration if you're building a house or doing a renovation. Thanks for reading until next time :)

Apple Poppy Seed Cake * RECIPE | Healthy, Gluten free

Happy Wednesday!
I'm bringing you another dessert recipe this week, yet for another apple cake. This time it's going to be a little different type of a cake but this cake has one thing in common with my previous one, it's healthy and gluten free ! It has absolutely no flour in it which is perfect for everyone that is gluten intolerant. This recipe can be customized quite a lot depending on the fruits you like. Let's go to the ingredients.

650 g of apples (can substitute with canned peaches, cherries etc.)
180 g of poppy seeds
60 g of shredded unsweetened coconut
50 g of coconut sugar
6 eggs
1 jar of apple jam (can substitute for a different flavor preferably one that matches the fruit)
1/2 packet of baking powder (6g)

So first you're going to start by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F). Also you're going to cook the apples, so cut them into cubes and put them into a big pot. Put a lid on and let your apples cook until they're tender. When they're not hard anymore you can turn off the heat and set them aside for a bit we're going to use them later.

Then you're going to start by separating the yolks from the egg whites carefully into two separate bowls. Add your sugar to the egg yolks and combine together until nice and smooth.

Then with the egg whites you're going to use an electronic whisker or if you don't have one just an old fashioned whisk and you're going to whisk the eggs until they obtain a foamy fluffy texture.

Then you're going to mix the egg whites with the egg yolks and add the coconut and the poppy seeds also add some baking powder to the mixture otherwise your cake wouldn't be very tall. Again mix well and make sure that all of the ingredients are combined.

Now you're going to pour the mixture into a circular pan and bake it for 25 minutes.

When you're done, you can cool your cake and then cut it in half so that you'll get two thin layers.

When you're done separating the layers you can take one of them and spread a thick layer of apple jam onto it.

Now it's time to bring back our cooked apples, you're going to layer them over the jam that you used previously.

Last step is to put the final layer of the cake on and you're done. You're cake is basically ready to be served or if you're making this cake for a special occasion you can put a thin layer of jam all over the cake and then sprinkle some shredded coconut on top !

That's it another dessert recipe that's healthy yet delicious thanks for reading until next time :)

5 days* Lookbook | OUTFITS OF THE WEEK 7

Hello everyone !
I hope that you're having a wonderful week ! As usual I'm bringing my weekly look-book full of outfits that I wore this week, let's go right into it !

Monday

I actually spent my Monday at our family's cottage which was awesome, but as you can imagine you don't walk around the fire in some special outfit or something but in the evening when we returned we decided that we want to spend some Mom-Daughter time at the cinema. So we went to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding ! Wasn't disappointing at all, we laughed a lot basically we really enjoyed our time at the cinema. Usually when I go to the movies I like to wear something nice and comfortable, so I went with my striped dress that I paired with a simple denim shirt from Esprit and my layered necklace from H&M. Keeping it pretty casual, because who's going to really see me at the cinema :D

Tuesday

On Tuesday I wanted to share with you another outfit that includes my striped dress just to show you how versatile one item can be, this time I paired it with a brown leather jacket from the brand Toxique that I got at TK Maxx. As my accesories I'm wearing a necklace that I got in Angers, that's a city in France that I visited half a year ago. This necklace actually comes from a souvenir shop but I thought it's suer cool and unique so I bought it. I finished the outfit off with my glossy oxfords from F&F.

Wednesday

I went all out on Wednesday and decided to wear my new summer hat from F&F summer is not officially here yet but more I start seeing the sun rays pop out the more I want to wear beachwear like on any occasion :D But I think that this hat is wearable with non going to the beach kind of an outfit. It is a very elegant hat in my opinion it is this blush pink combined with a natural beige color and it has this little gold detail on it, very fancy. I paired it with my light grey turtle neck that comes from F&F also then I paired that with a floral black shirt from New Look, my pair of white jeans from mango and my beige bag from Primark to finish it all.

Thursday

The temperatures here were pretty low this week and that means a lot of layers were used, no difference on Thursday, I decided to wear this simple plaid shirt with a wine red sweater and my necklace from H&M. On the bottom I'm wearing my black jeans from Forever 21 and as my shoes I went with my new white converses that I got for christmas.

Friday

Another all out outfit I would say I wore my white jeans that i combined with a turquoise, deep blue striped sweater from Tommy Hilfiger, I layered my Camaieu pastel necklace on top of it alongside with a matching blush pink blazer. For my shoes I decided to go with my striped navy blue flats at that's it.

So there you have it all of this week's outfits in a glance, thanks for reading until next time bye :)

Mother's Day 2016 * Gift Ideas | Budget friendly and Expensive

Hello guys
Mother's day is slowly approaching and I know that many of you are asking that question that haunts us every year, what should I get for my mum ? Well for those of you that are out of ideas I compiled a couple of gift ideas for every type of mum that I could think of, I also included a budget friendly option and one option that is a little bit more expensive. Let's start !

For the Mum that just love cooking

Budget Friendly

I have found these cool personalized cooking utensils that I think will make any mother happy. You can put some funny quotes on there, or some phrase that she likes to use, just make sure it's something that's going to make her happy to cook for you ! You can get these on Etsy for $12.12

Expensive version

If you'd like to not only give an object to your dear Mama you may want to consider this subscription service that's called Blue Apron. They will basically deliver recipes along with ingredients right in front of your door. This would be great gift for a Mum that likes to cook but sometimes just doesn't have enough ideas, or for a beginner that needs a little guidance or for someone that can't be bothered with buying ingredients, you know all of these spices can be very overwhelming. The best part about this gift is that they give you exactly the amount of ingredients that you need so that you won't waste anything. You can give this subscription service at the starting price of $9.99 per meal.

For the mom that is all about decorations

Budget Friendly

I love this lovely candle mother's day candle, this Etsy shop offers so many cute quotes that will make any mother blush a little ! You can these candles individually for $12 or in a set of 3 for $30.

Expensive option

What about offering this beautiful floral wreath to your mother on this very special day, you can use your family's name initial or her own initial whatever you think would fit her personality better. This is a very elegant option that will make your home very spring appropriate and also the whole neighborhood is going to be jealous (in a good way).

For that Fashionista Mama

Budget Friendly

Hey we all know that some Moms just love their jewelry so why don't get your Mom a piece of personalized jewelry that she's going to proudly wear all year round. This initial necklace comes in many finishes and many variations. Also you can find other initial jewelry in this shop as well. From my personal experience I can guaranty to you that if you have any special request to personalize the jewelry even more there's absolutely no problem, you just have to ask. The seller is such a nice lady that responds basically immediately ! You can get this gold one starting from $26 for one initial charm.

Expensive alternative

If you really want to spoil your mum this year why don't give her a designer bag. Here I'm including couple of my favorite Kate Spade bags from this year's spring collection. Handbags starting from $228 but it's really worth it believe me !

For a mum that wants some Mommy's Time

Budget Friendly

Mommy's juice glass, if you're mum is more of a wine person this could be just it. This super cute wine glass is definitely going to make your mother smile every time she gets a sip from this glass. And if you'd like to upgrade this idea a little bit, give her a bottle of her favorite wine alongside with this cute and funny wine glass. This wine glass can be yours for just $9

A little bit expensive 

If your mum just can't live without her daily dose of chocolate this gift might be just the perfect thing for her. This year instead of a boring box of chocolate give her a chocolate bouquet that can be delivered right next to her door, so even if you don't live with her anymore you can show her some love ! You can get these bouquets from $20

So that's all I can think of for right now, if you haven't found anything interesting you can never go wrong with a bouquet of flower or with just three simple words I love you, I think that that would melt heart of any mother. Make sure to really make your mother feel like the most special person on the Earth not just on this day bit all year round, she really deserves it ! 

I hope that I gave you a little bit of inspiration for this year's mother's day, until next time Bye :)

Apple Oatmeal Cake * RECIPE | Healthy, Gluten free

Hey everybody,
New dessert recipe for this week, another one that's completely gluten free. It's a very versatile and yummy recipe that is definitely one of the healthier options out there if you're craving something sweet and fruity. So here are the ingredients:

600 g of apples
250 g of oats (gluten free)
250 g of cottage cheese
100 g of honey (substitute with stevia or maple syrup)
200 ml of water
60 g of coconut oil
30 g of shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp of coconut sugar
1 packet of baking powder
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of allspice
little bit of butter to grease up the mould

Start of by preheating your oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Then you can move on and start to make the oat flour. If you already have oat flour at hand you can use that but I think that making your own is much cheaper. Put all of the oats into your blender and blend until you obtain a powdery consistency, it's normal that you see little parts of oatmeal that haven't been grounded but that's totally normal and it's not going to affect this recipe.

Then to your oat flour you're going to mix the honey, baking powder and the coconut oil and start to form a dough with your hands. While you're trying to mix up your dough mixture or crust mixture whatever you want to call it you're going to keep adding water until you're happy with the desired consistency, if you accidentally overdo it just add a little bit more of oats and you'll be okay. One tip is to use warm water because that's going to help the coconut oil to dissolve a little more easily.

Next step is to divide the mixture, you'll want to set aside 1/4 of the mixture that you're going to use later. The rest is going to be used for the crust or the foundation of your cake. Choose your mould I used a bread loaf mould but you can also use a square mould that's 20x20 cm as well. Basically use whatever you want but make sure to adjust the proportions of the recipe according to that. Now you're going to grease up your mould put a little bit of coconut on the sides and then press the dough into the mould with your fingers.

Now you're going to prepare the yummy apple filling start by grating all of the apples, I decide not to peel them but if you don't like apple peels in cakes go ahead and peel them but be aware that apple peels are very nutritious :)

Continue then by adding the cinnamon and allspice to the apples, also if your apples are a little bit tart you can put some honey in them, in the original recipe they divided the 100 g of honey between the crust mixture and the apples that's what I ended up doing as well I've put 50 g into the crust and 50 g into the apples.

When you're happy with the taste of your apples just layer them over the dough that you laid down previously.

Now it's time to use the filling that you have put aside previously, you'll want to mix the cottage cheese with the rest of the mixture and add some coconut sugar as well.

Then just crumble it on top of your cake and Voilà your cake is ready for some baking.

Last step is just to put your cake into the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until nice and golden.

That's it this yummy healthy cake is ready to be served and enjoyed by the whole family :) Great family recipe that you can make with your kids I'm sure they're going to love mixing up all of the ingredients with you in the kitchen.

5 days* Lookbook | OUTFITS OF THE WEEK 6

Happy weekend everyone !
Another edition of my weekly look-book is here. This week marks the second week of nice spring weather, I just really can't get enough of the feeling that I can go out wearing just my sweater so refreshing after winter where I had to wear several layers of clothing, so annoying. That's probably why I hate winter so much :D But enough of that complaining let's get to this week's outfits.

Monday

So, let's face it Monday is probably the least favorite day of the week, but you can always make it a little better by wearing clothes that you love and makes you feel beautiful and comfortable at the same time. To bring a little happiness to this day I decided to wear this plain red shirt that isn't fitted at all, it's super comfortable and I could literally spend whole day in it. Then I brought in my retro high waisted jeans from H&M, I tucked my t-shirt in which made me look totally like I just came out of an old movie :D I love it. I used a nude/beige leather belt that matches my beige handbag and my beige flats. To finish my outfit I wore my floral, granny looking scarf from H&M that is also very comfortable and very soft. On top I just layered my black blazer that has some leather details on it.

Tuesday

It's thrift store day ! After a very long time I managed to find something very cute at my local thrift store, it's this cropped floral tank top that look like new. I don't thing that anybody would be able to tell it already belonged to someone. This top inspired the whole outfit, because there are some wine red flowers on it a paired it with a wine red sweater and a leather bag in the same color. I also wore my white jeans from Mango and my nautical, navy blue striped flats that go nicely with the blue on my top.

Wednesday

Looking back at this day it was a very stressful day, we had a big 4 hour test from French and let me tell you it wasn't something easy but you know I survived :D But back to what I was wearing, Finally my package from H&M came and so I decided to wear my new shorts that arrived as well. These were on sale at the moment so I got them for like $5 or something, very pretty happy about this purchase. As you can see in the picture they are this very interesting color, kinda looks like marsala to me which is one of my favorite colors. I paired them with a dark grey turtle neck top on top of which I wore a black asymmetric cardigan with a long ivory overside sweater, sorry for all these layers but it was really cold outside after a long week of hot weather so I had to change my plans :D I also wore my chevron tights from F&F and my new necklace that comes from H&M as well. It's this layered silver necklace, it's actually on of the few pieces of silver jewelry that I know, I just prefer gold at the moment.

Thursday

Originally I didn't plan on wearing this outfit but as I said it was so cold that my plans were all ruined, maybe next week ! So my back up plan was to wear my patterned capri trousers from Promod that I got on our little trip to Angers that I mentioned in this France Diary where I go to detail about this gorgeous city. Back to what I was wearing, i combined these trousers with a plain navy blue sweater from H&M and a necklace that I got out of Ebay. I also wear my new flats from F&F and a nude bag from Primark.

Friday

Finally the last day of the week, sadly another 2 hour exam at school, Ugh :/ but again I managed to survive and after this not so pleasant experience a very lovely day was in front of me. I got spend my dinner with my parents and I had just the best Carbonara that I've ever eaten it was delish ! So I wore dark grey jeans from Forever 21, with a short sleeved oversized shirt with embellished collar and a lavender sweater. I also wore my big dark blue sweater that I got fro Christmas this year. To make an accent in this outfit I wore my floral flats from H&M.

So that's it another week that I look back on through my outfits. Thanks for reading until next time :)