.SOMETIMES RAW.

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

It is so easy to go to a store and buy things. Like honey or Chocolate Mousse (Nutella) and whatnot. But, isn’t it so much better to make it yourself? To know 100% what is in the product you are eating and which tastes so much better and is on top healthier. The other day my mom and son went to a park to collect 365 dandelion flowers to make the sirup. Say whaaaat?  One for every day of the year you might have thought and you were right! It is my mom’s traditional recipe I will share here so collect those 365 flower heads, will you? 🙂

My sister told me about this Homemade Chocolate Mousse. She loves to cook and try new recipes that work really well for her and her family. Beside that, she is a pro in cooking. Raw, Vegan, even meat – my little sis has it down! Mouthwatering! This chocolate mousse is seriously the best. It is very easy to make and you can eat it for breakfast with banana slices or berries. Even whipped cream works well with it as a traditional dessert. Or on a slice of bread. 

Homemade Nutella

[mpprecipe-recipe:62]

[photo credit: Diana Hartkopf]

Dandelion Sirup/Honey

This syrup can be used instead of regular honey and it tastes so good. I love to put it on waffles or pancakes. Be aware: Making the syrup takes some time! The syrup needs to simmer for three hours! With this amount written below you will get 7 glasses of Dandelion Syrup. While collecting the flower heads we made sure that they have not been exposed to pesticides, herbicides or any other chemicals. “Can I collect Dandelions that grow on the side of the road?” Well,  I would not! Unless you are sure that your flowers are chemical free, just don’t use them for a syrup. Or anything else. 

How to

Collect 365 dandelion flower heads! It sounds crazier than it is. It is done rather quickly. I did not use the stems but everything else. [the little green-furry stuff underneath the flower head is fine to use. You don’t need more work removing all this] 

Put all those flower heads in a large pot. Add two sliced-up lemons. Add 2 liters of water. (about 8 cups) Cover kettle. 

Now bring to a boil, and then let simmer for about 45 minutes. 

Now strain the dandelion mixture and add 2250 g (4.5 lbs) of sugar to the remaining liquid.

Now, this mixture needs to simmer for three hours until it boils down to a syrupy consistency. It does looks a bit like Agave Syrup or Maple Syrup. 

Once you have a somewhat thick consistency fill syrup while still hot in jar and close. I leave one jar in the kitchen to use right away and the other ones I store in the basement. 

Enjoy! 

Funny SideNote because all this made me think about the Honey/Bee comment my dad made:

My dad told me a story today that made me laugh so hard. He told me that when he retires he would like to have some bee hives. Today he read in the local newspaper that there is a bee keeper who rents bee hives to people who would like to test if bee keeping is there thing. Sweet idea I think. I have to add here that my dad loves Honey wine/Mead so I told him that this is actually an excellent idea. He loves to drink this stuff so much and it would be better to save some money and produce it himself. Plus, he could make it exactly the way he wants it – which is sweet and sticky rather than dry.  Personally, I enjoy a glass or four, hot, at the Christmas Market in winter. My father loves to drink this stuff all year around.

We then pictured the scene as he goes to his little bee hive(s) in the morning, opens it, look inside and says: “Good morning guys, Daddy is thirsty!” Just picturing this scene how these little tiny bees work like crazy and are all annoyed working like crazy and overtime  for my dad’s honey wine production made me laugh so hard that people actually looked at us. Even more when he said that at some point he might open his hives and there are no bees left. They just wrote a little note saying “We are tired of this shit! See ya!” Do you know the Twitter Feed Shit My Dad Says? Justin Halpern is a comedian and came out with several books. This one I liked the most. My dad is funny. He makes me laugh out loud and cry. Hands down. He comes up with so much good stuff that I started including it in my book. Stay tuned. 

Let me know if you tried any of the recipes and how you liked it. I would love to hear from you. 

Hello and Happy Sunday!

“The old man came to check on me that evening. He was delighted to find me lost in my book. Seeing how happy he was made me feel a little happier. No matter what the situation may be, I still take pleasure in witnessing the joy of others.” 

Knowledge is good but it might be dangerous sometimes. I fell in love with Murakami after I read his novel After Dark a long time ago. I remember the day when I purchased this book so clearly. I liked the cover and needed a book to kill some time at a café. Well, three hours and five lattes later, I still sat there reading this book. I also really enjoyed this, this and that one. I have always been eager to read more from Japan’s famous author. When I found The Strange Library at a Vintage Bookstore in the East Village in New York I was as happy as a kid in the candy store. Well, bookstores are my candy stores anyway but you get the picture.

This gem of a book is wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated and shrink wrapped when I purchased it. I love the old-fashioned library card wallet attached to the cover that reminds when I used to take out books at my local library as a child. How unique and special. Besides this I have to tell you that the entire book is slightly strange and different from any other book you might have read. It is filled with amazing photographs, graphics and art work that all adds to the weirdness of the story. Most of these illustrations come from old books that have been found in The London Library and included and mixed  in an unusual  way with the story. 

“All I did was go to the library to borrow some books. “If you don’t know something, go to the library to look it up.”

This story of this novella takes place at The Strange Library. The narrator (a young boy) is on his way home from school and finds himself wondering about the Ottoman Empire’s tax system and how taxes were collected. [Have you ever thought about this? Well, I have not!] He walks into the local library to ask if there are any book available on this subject. The librarian, an old man, helps him and finds three huge books. He also tells the narrator that he has to read those books in a special “reading room” and cannot take them home. The boy agrees, even though his mother waits for him at home and the library closes soon. He follows the old man who leads him to a maze underneath the library that is in complete darkness and guide him to this strange reading room. Here, the narrator soon finds himself imprisoned with a little person who is a sheep man. Sheep man makes the most delicious doughnuts, soups and other dishes.  Weird enough at this point? Let me continue. Now a girl walks into the “prison room” where the narrator is attached to a chain just long enough to go to the table to read the books. This girl only talks with her hands. Now, sheep man and girl tell the boy that the old man seems to have a huge appetite for smart brains – especially smart boy brains and has no intentions of letting him out any time soon. Even worse, as soon as the boy read the books (which should take him approximately one month) the old man will kill him – and eat his brain. 

Will the narrator be able to escape? What else will happen? 

Actually, I would describe this book as nightmarish, thought-provoking and interesting. Murakami surely has a wild imagination but I loved all the symbolism that just kept my attention throughout the book. I always dreamt to be at a library over night and locked in at some point but not anymore, hah! However, after re-reading the book I felt that  there is so much more to discover. 

Read this book if you are a fan of beautiful illustrated books and a lover of novellas.  Also of course if you like Murakami and his amazing surreal imagination. I would not suggest getting this book on e-readers, simply because of all the art work in it. This is a book to touch, hold and smell. And also, please continue going to your local library. Unless you find this wooden door that leads to total darkness and down a serial staircase  to a suspicious reading room. 

Order this book here. Enjoy! 

Hello and Happy Thursday!

I have received some requests recently to write a post about my make-up routine. Well, let me tell you something: I am not a make-up person at all. I used to be when I was younger and thought that layers and layers of foundations, concealer and whatnot makes me pretty. The only thing it really did was make me look older, tired, caked and wrinkles started to appear. Also, I never figured out what color foundation I needed because my skin tone is very fair. I had this feeling I am wearing a mask so I stopped applying any makeup/foundation all together. Maybe some mascara if I felt like it. I also did not have the time. I literally preferred sleeping longer than standing in the bathroom to put on my foundations, lotions and potions. Also, I tend to touch my face constantly so nothing would stay in place anyway. And going to any drug store and seeing all this makeup variety makes me just walk out backwards again. 

One in a while I saw a really nicely done make-up on Instagram and read below what the person used and purchased some make-up again. Actually, if I want to look fresh and healthy I need to sleep at least, at least eight hours, drink plenty of water and that is it. Then I don’t need to put on concealer. This is how it works for me. But sometimes I feel like putting on makeup because it makes me feel special. I like minimalism and live minimalistic as much as possible. This goes for my makeup as well. I believe that less is more. I rather look for my inner beauty and try to find out who I am. I try  to enhance my healthy glow a bit and have a more radiant skin. I most certainly don’t want a heavy look and like to see my skin through any concealer. If I would like to cover up everything I would put a bag over my head. 

This is what’s in my minimalist makeup bag.

My natural makeup look

When I wake up in the morning I usually take a shower and wash my face with water. Nothing else. I have been trying Dudu Osun Black Soap and I like it. I then apply my homemade face cream but usually only if my skin feels dry and I need some moisturizer. Otherwise I use nothing. When my son was up all night, or I read all night long, I do need a little concealer in the morning. I love Dr. Hauschka products simply because the ingredients of their products are pretty good and mostly natural. Click on their website to find out more about the products and the concealer and mascara I am using if you would like. Also, my husband buys me my favorite perfume, Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel whenever mine is empty or he stops at a Duty Free Shop at the Airport. Yay! 

I apply the Rose Nurturing Body Oil by Dr. Hauschka after I took a shower. It makes my skin soft and smells so awesome! 

Next are my eye products and I keep this very simple as well. I like this grey eye brow pencil since a  sales woman at Sephora told me that my brown eye brows look best when I apply a tiny bit of grey. And she is right. I like to fill in my brows a bit. I plug my eyebrows myself and give them a nice shape. Done! When I applied any brown tone I looked a bit like this: 

You can watch the tutorial here. It is hilarious-crying-out-loud-laughing-funny. Again, I keep it very simple and don’t ever wear eyeliner or eyeshadow. I don’t use any curlers for my lashes. Just this simple mascara by Dr. Hauschka. Long time ago I tried to apply eyeliner to see how that looks and again, the picture above might capture it best. I figured out (as I got older) that my eyes are okay the way they are, expressive and unique and that I it is okay to not use anything at all!  

Before I discovered Dr. Hauschka, most mascara products made my eyes itchy and red. 

And lips! I usually use a bit of coconut oil when my lips are too dry or before I apply lipstick. Applying coconut oil makes them nice and soft and it reminds me of vacation. I keep my makeup so simple and minimalistic but still want to highlight something in my face. Then I use this lipstick which is my favorite of all times. This is the perfect read for me and I love to wear it so much. It makes me feel great and so much more. Sometimes I do apply it just to get some bread at the bakery. 

When my husband takes me out to a movie, theater or any date and I want to go all crazy I even apply a tiny bit of blush. I found that this one works best to give my fair complexion and cheeks a bit of color. 

This is it! Simple, makes me feel good, makes me feel womanly and comfortable. 

I would love to hear from you. What products do you use?