Drinks

TURKISH MULBERRY LAVENDER SYRUP

04/19/2017 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 3 Comments

I’m slightly proud of myself. First of all, this is my first recipe for a drink. Secondly, it’s the first time I cooked with lavender. But most importantly (read impressively (at least to me)), I foraged the lavender in the woods on our recent trip to a small Turkish island in the Mediterranean Sea. It was also on that said island that I did my very first outdoor food shot for my Vegan Hot Cross Buns. Back home I put my bouquet of fresh lavender in a vintage vase I inherited from my grandma and simply enjoyed the smell. A day later I researched the internet to find recipes that call for fresh lavender buds. Most recipes list dried lavender as an ingredient. And since I had just finished my coconut syrup the other week, I thought it might be worth a try to make syrup with my lavender….

WINTER DETOX GREEN SMOOTHIE

01/25/2017 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 9 Comments

Anyone else who can’t stand these dark winter vibes anymore? I’ve had enough of cold, grey days. I want sunshine in my life again, colorful fruit bowls and fresh salads. And I want my high energy level back again. Every year it’s the same procedure. Every winter I’m taken by surprise. Like why is my body and mind suddenly so tired? At times, I don’t even recognize myself anymore. Then I wonder how other people deal with the winter blues. But I quickly realize that I need to find a solution for myself instead of looking at others. And that’s the moments when I get moving.

I go on daily walks outside (running to the supermarket or close by coffee shop does not count), I visit the gym more often, I do yoga and I make myself a green smoothie with my JTC Omni V Blender in the morning. In the past few years, every single winter I went through this exact process. And every single winter I make the same smoothie because my body seems to crave its green, fresh, slightly sour, slightly sweet taste. It’s literally the easiest thing to make….

ROASTED PEACH APRICOT SMOOTHIE

06/16/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 2 Comments

Oh the joys of summer, they come in all forms. Sunshine, warmer temperatures, trips to the beach, ice cream and summer fruits. I’m not sure when my love for apricots and peaches started but it hasn’t been that passionate earlier in my life. As a German I grew up loving apples and strawberries. Noting wrong with that but it’s such a great feeling to extend your love to other fruits. So yes, my love for peaches and apricot is a recent one. I think it was that summer in France when I studied in Bordeaux for a semester. There was a traditional French bakery on my short walk between home and university. Every single day I’d pass by in the morning when the scent of freshly baked treats would fill up the streets of our neighborhood….

HOW TO MAKE GOLDEN MILK WITH TURMERIC PASTE

05/11/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 5 Comments

You know what’s been my all time favorite comfort drink until recently? Coffee! And you know which drink won my heart and warms my soul since lately? Golden Milk! Drinking a warm cup of golden milk at sunrise or enjoying it before going to bed gives me an absolute feeling of comfort. And that color! It reminds me of summer days and sunflower fields. And the taste makes me think of cold winter evenings snuggled under a blanket with my cats. It brings back childhood memories when my mum would wake me up every morning with a cup of warm honey milk, a daily routine that she would uphold until I was 6 years old.I secretly still wish she would have continued serving it until I left the house at age 19.
We didn’t have many food traditions at home but the hot milk with honey was one that I really enjoyed. So when I made golden milk for the first time, it kind of brought me back to my childhood mornings. Since then I appreciate a cup once or twice a week, especially in the evenings as it calms me down and my body appreciates the relaxing ‘fuel’ just before bedtime.

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PUMPKIN SPICED MATCHA LATTE

10/23/2015 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 1 Comment

Honestly, I miss autumn. And the reason is I haven’t really experienced autumn for three years now. That is one of the downsides of living in countries with a tropical or warm climate. You don’t get to pick fresh apples in September, stop by street vendors that sell hot maroons or have a huge selection of pumpkin varieties.
But I don’t want to complain because autumn can be ugly, too. The days when you have to go outside despite the fact that it’s freezing cold and raining at the same time. Or when you haven’t seen sunlight in what feels like forever. So maybe I don’t miss it too much. And if I still do I make some autumn inspired foods or drinks. Like this pumpkin spiced matcha latte.

The taste of pumpkin spice reminds me of the cold but cozy season. The moment when you come inside, still shivering from the weather outside and you make yourself a hot cup of tea. Well, since it’s still quite warm in Cairo, I have my pumpkin spiced latte with ice but you can also prepare and drink it hot….

Make Your Own Oat Milk In 3 Easy Steps

05/11/2015 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 3 Comments

oat milk

I recently re-discovered the beauty of oat milk.
It’s been years that I turned my back on cow’s milk. It all started in High School when my mum decided to cut out diary products. I couldn’t bother to buy my own food so I just ate whatever she put in the fridge. And at that time this was soy milk.
Honestly, I have never looked back to ‘normal’ milk and when I tried to drink an original cappuccino in Rome a couple of years ago (because that’s what you have to do when in Italy) I disliked its taste.

So soy milk and I were friends for a long time until I realised that I just consumed to0 many soy products. Soy yoghurt, tofu, soy cream, soy-based protein powder. There are plenty of articles that say that the intake of too much soy is bad for your body. I just think that eating too much of one thing is never a good idea because it’s all about keeping a good balance.
Nowadays it’s super easy to find alternatives like almond, hemp or rice milk in a supermarket. Even here in Cairo. This all depends on where you live but I personally made the experience that either these alternatives are too expensive or have too much sugar content.

Lucky me, I recently got a powerful blender and a slow juicer, two amazing kitchen machines that make making your own vegan milk so much easier. If you are looking for a low-cost and nut-free as well as gluten-free milk, oat milk is really easy and quick to make….