Blueberries, Cherries or Applesauce...?

It has been a while. I'm sorry!

These last few weeks have been very busy as well as being unproductive simultaneously (if that makes sense).

I am currently trying to push myself and work very hard on getting on with my studies. My course with the european Uni will still continue until May, but I am trying not to have to work double between March (when my Uni in New Zealand starts) and May. Thus the only choice left is for me to finish all my work before Uni starts. Yey. I am managing rather well considering that it is a lovely summer with warm weather, inviting you to spend the entire day outside at the beach, swimming or just relaxing in that little strapless bikini that is just perfect for tanning. Yet the temptation has not overwhelmed my strong will to finish the workload of four weeks within one. That is pretty good is it not?

To be completely honest though, I of course am a master in procrastination, which has lead to quite a lot of series watching (I am nearly done with the second season of Prisonbreak! And even though it is giving me nightmares it is so good that it is simply impossible to stop.) and baking. My main aim was to find some really delicious recipes for breakfast muffins. Don't we all have those days where the snooze button has been pushed too often and there is barely any time to get dressed to be on time for work, uni or an important meeting. This inevitably leads to skipping breakfast, which is a no-no as breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. It boosts your metabolism and gives you the energy to have a really good start into your day.
Now I am a very big fan of planning and preparing for busy days where I know that I will just not have the time to prepare something nice to eat. And since I just love muffins I thought I might as well look for some healthy and delicious recipes so that I can make batch beforehand and get me those extra minutes of time on busy days.

Of course everyone has their own preferences but I thought I might share my two favorite breakfast muffin recipes with you :)

1. Blueberry-Maple Muffins

INGREDIENTS

            1/3 cup whole quick oats

            1 cup whole-wheat flour

            3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

(I just use normal flour instead of two different kinds)

            1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

            1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

            1/2 teaspoon baking soda

            1/4 teaspoon salt

            2 large eggs

            1/2 cup pure maple syrup

            1 cup nonfat buttermilk 

(if you don't have buttermilk just add 1tbsp of vinegar to 1 cup of milk to get a sort of "sour milk")

            2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

            1 tablespoon lemon juice

            1 teaspoon vanilla extract

            1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

            1 tablespoon sugar

           

           

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray or simply put muffin cups into the tray.

2. Put quick oats in a large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; whisk to blend. Whisk eggs and maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Add buttermilk (or "sour milk"), lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla; whisk until blended.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

2.  Applesauce Cinnamon Oat Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2    cup    quick oats

1 1/4    cup    wheat flour, white, all-purpose

1/2    cup    brown sugar

1    teaspoon    baking powder

3/4    teaspoon    baking soda

3/4    teaspoon    ground cinnamon

1/2    teaspoon    salt

1    cup    applesauce ( unsweetened )

1/2    cup    skim milk

3    tablespoons    canola oil

1/2    teaspoon    vanilla extract

1    egg whites

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a muffin tin or line with liners and set aside. 

2. 
In a large bowl combine the first seven ingredients (dry ingredients).

3. 
In another bowl combine the wet ingredients together. 

4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix slowly until just combined.
 Fill muffins tins or liners 3/4 full with batter.


5. Bake for 15-18 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

As you can see I ate my muffin with some vanilla ice-cream for dessert but it works just as well as a delicious breakfast on the go! 

(the two recipes from above are not mine - I found them whilst looking for ideas - but I forgot to jot down where exactly I got them from)

There is one last recipe I would like to share with you. It is from my mother's Weight Watchers magazine and I absolutely love it! It is really easy and quickly prepared and tastes delicious. 

They call it a Makeover Blueberry Pie but I like to use all sorts of fruits for it. Cherries, plums, strawberries, blueberries or a mixture of two different fruits all work really well! 

INGREDIENTS

375-400g fresh blueberries (or other fruit)

1 tbs cornflour

1 tbs caster sugar

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1-2 sheets frozen reduced-fat shortcrust pastry, just thawed

2 tsp raw sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Toss the fruit, cornflour, caster sugar and lemon rind in a bowl to combine.

2. Line the base and side of a tart tin/form with 1 sheet of pastry. Trim the edge of the pastry and spread the fruit mixture over the pastry.

3. Cut the other sheet of pastry into around 2,5cm wide strips. Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern across the top of the pie (you might have to cut some strips to fit). Press the edges together to seal and trim any excess pastry.

4. Place in the fridge for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

5. Place the tin on a baking tray. Brush the pastry with water and sprinkle with the raw sugar. Bake for 35/40 minutes of until golden.

6. Set aside for a bit to cool off a bit before serving. You can add some vanilla ice-cream of simply enjoy it as it is.



Despite my efforts to stay inside and study, summer managed to find and draw me out of the house, which I saw as an opportunity to wear some bold lipstick. Being in a city where nobody knows you helps letting go of all the images you have about yourself and how people ought to see you. It is a chance to show some completely new sides of oneself and try new and bold make-up, clothes, shoes or hair. It felt pretty good to wear the bold lipstick as it made me really feel the mood of summer and embrace the lipstick-lover I secretly am!

 What do you think of the color? Like it? Hate it? Share your opinion in a comment!

'Till next time
xoxo
Em

Narnia, snorkeling and tan-lines

Ok so here's the deal. 

I am of the opinion that I am up for new challenges. And up to the point where it gets serious I am. (Really!)  But just a second before that leap into the cold salty water, that moment where all the doubts, the fears and thoughts come rushing in like a crowd of seagulls trying to get that tiny crumb of cake left in the grass - that is the second where I nearly chicken out. 

Yet, miracoulusly I find myself screeching as the icy water hugs my body, enveloping my skin with it's way too salty waves after I jump. Now this is the moment where I actually think I am about to jump back into the boat as I am clearly going to drown because of the numbness I can feel creeping towards my chest. And then it all stops. My brain stops feeling the cold, the salt and fear of sharks hovering around the corner also simply evaporates. By now you might have guessed that I am in a Marine reserve not far from Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel. Or not. It really depends whether or not you have psychic powers ;) 

Fun fact in-between about my whereabouts: Cathedral Cove was part of the set for the second Narnia movie! Exciting isn't it? I, as a fan of the Narnia books, found it to be really fun to be going through the same "cave" as Susan, Peter, Edmond and Lucy. If you cannot remember or have not seen the movie yet - go watch it this instant! It really is worth it!

Now, while looking at the rough nevertheless still kind of inviting rocks and the smooth green water, imagine me in my bikini and snorkeling gear. This was my first time snorkeling and it was amazing. 

Slowly maneuvering around it felt like I was a bird flying in liquid air, looking down on an ever-moving forest being pushed back and forth by the gentle yet determined breeze. In the midst of this new world beneath me I saw shimmering fish curiously eyeing me. Not certain whether or not I was to be feared. Luckily they decided it was save to be around me. I would not try to catch and eat them. So I just swam and observed and was astound. It was a beautiful experience and I could have gone on snorkeling forever. But as Nelly Furtado put it fittingly "all good things come to an end". 

I spent a week on the Coromandel reading, studying and tanning. It is safe to say that this probably was one of the best holiday-weeks I have ever had. Having the perfect mixture of action (going for my morning runs, biscuiting, snorkeling, kaiaking and swimming), studying (I am still doing a course with my european Uni, which I have to get done) and relaxation (reading an amazing and very touching book - seriously, it made me cry - by Jojo Moyes called "Me Before You" and tanning) it was just rejuvenating. It sounds pretty perfect right? Well, it was, except for the fact that my back now officially is a piece of art. How? Imagine dark tanned "wings" where a sports bra would leave your un-sunscreened skin to burn. Then add a rim of white around these wings because of the fact that, lets face it, it is pretty hard to sunscreen only the tanned wings without eventually going beyond that line between your tanned and not-yet-tanned skin, which results in some kind of picture-frame. And then add the white stripe left as a mark by the Bikini. Come to think of it though, now my back is pretty unique. And let's face it - I actually really like it. 

All in all I have had a really good time up until now! 

I am happy that I chose to take the risk and come to New Zealand. 

It was daring, it is an adventure and it most certainly will not be easy all the time. But it is worth all the risks, all the past and future Skype-calls, all the heart-ache it will cost me and all of the harsh comments I have gotten for "leaving everyone behind". I did this for me. Not to please everyone in my life. Because essentially that is simply impossible. We all come to crossings along the path that is our life. And on these crossings we have to make decisions that will always come with strings attached. There always is a price to pay as no matter what you do, someone will feel offended, hurt or may think they know what would be better for you. Even if it is of no big comfort and it will not eliminate any of the doubts and thoughts you have when making these decisions, I think the most important thing is to think about yourself and what will make you happy. Stop worrying about what others might say, think or do. Just take a leap of faith and dare to do something for yourself (by this I do NOT support any kind of drug-abuse, harming other people etc.!!!). 

In the end it comes down to this: if you are happy those who love you will accept and hopefully support your decisions. 

Do you agree with me or do you maybe have a different opinion? I appreciate comments :) 

See you soon, 

xoxo 

Em

New Year's Resolutions

Kia ora and happy new year!
I hope everyone had an amazing time celebrating the last few minutes of 2013 and started well into 2014! I certainly did.

While my parents went off to a party with work-colleagues, me and my brother drove up to Auckland to spend the last hours of the year with my best friend and a group of friends close to the beach. And let me tell you - it was great!

Not only did I get to see my friends again (seen above in the photo. I am the one with the long dress) after two years of only sporadic Skype-calls but I was back in the city I lived in during my year abroad, which was pretty incredible as well since I was driving in my own car. Yes I am rather bursting with glee because of that. You see in New Zealand the whole driving-system is different.

Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road (honestly? why on the left? I know, in the middle ages the knights wanted their sword hand to be free to protect themselves and their companions thus they walked/rode on the left side. But since Napoleon everyone (except for the UK and it's now former colonial countries) changed to the right side, which apparently is due to him being a left-handed at least that's what I read recently) but also getting your driver's license is just so much more complicated. First you apply for a "learner license" which, after you pass a theoretical test, you then have for half a year. During that time you are only allowed to drive with a supervisor, which in most cases means your parents. After that you have a practical test and only if you pass that you get your "restricted license" which you will have for 18 months before you can apply for your "full license". So all in all it takes you roughly 2 years to get your driver's license if you have the money and the time to do it this fast that is. And there I was complaining that it took me ages to get my license because there were no free lessons with the driving instructor available - I had my license within 2 months...
So yes I am really happy to have done mine in Austria and pity my little brother for having to go through the whole 2-year-procedure of getting his. At least it is way cheaper here. That is the most positive thing about getting your license in Aotearoa (which is maori for "the land of the long white cloud").

I am drifting off now. Sorry about that. Where was I? Oh yes! New year's eve.
So we spent a lovely evening at a friend's house eating good food (sausages, meat, salads and loads of sweet stuff mhhh), drinking cider (at least I was) and having good conversations.

(excuse the bad phone-photo quality)

And then at midnight, after the countdown I did something I don't think anyone expected. To be honest I had not planned this. Just in the moment of complete absence of realization that it actually was a new year (which means I am going to be 19 soon-ish and starting another year of Uni even sooner. Ok who am I kidding. My birthday is still ages away. But you get my point. Put simply the earth is still relentlessly revolving day after day, leaving us older and supposedly more mature every day) I put on something very very Viennese. I played the classic waltz I have danced to my entire life. Every single new year has begun with dancing the waltz thus there was no way I would not do this.
And everyone loved it! At least that is what I thought I saw when they were dancing and smiling - could have been the simple joy of having begun a new year but that is not important now is it.

For everyone who does not know what I am talking about here is the classic midnight waltz, which is played on the radio every new year at 00:00 and on the following day at the "Neujahrskonzert":



Since this is a new year and as usual I have my list of new year's resolutions I thought I might share them with you. You know, for motivational reasons...

1. keep on doing more sports and eating healthier (I want to get down to 57kg this year)
2. go hard out at Uni and get good grades
3. keep calm and stay relaxed more often than going all bonkers and aggressive if something does not work out straight away
4. try savor life and all the beautiful moments ahead of me a little bit more

What are your resolutions for this year? :)

To close this, again, rather long post I am going to share some of my philosophical thinking I did when talking to a friend today. We were talking about new years and how the time difference between Austria and New Zealand meant that I was living in the future and he in the past, which is hard to grasp and understand to some extent. Or at least it is for me. Thus I started thinking and the result was this:
I think that for the time being we are living beyond any measures of time and space. We are breathing at the same time, talking to each other at the same time and doing all sorts of activities simultaneously. Yet the clock tells us we are not living at the same time. In the end it still feels as if we are living at the same time, which conclusively has to mean that we live in the past, present and future all at once.

Do you agree with me or do you have a different approach of looking at it?
I am looking forward to some comments!

Until then,
Haere rā, goodbye and see you soon! 
xoxo
Em