Happy New Year!!!!
So its the start of the new year and I am already so excited for whats to come in 2012, I know it's going to be a great year, lots of adventures and busy, busy, busy while I embark overseas in the next couple of months to live and work abroad modeling, still working on my label EmilyKate and starting my newest endeavor EKOLUV an online (Eco/Sustainable/Fashion and Lifestyle boutique and of course posting for this very blog that I'm so happy to share with you all. Stay tuned as I will have at least 1-2 posts a week this year, as you will be able to follow me on my journey....
My resolutions for 2012
Laugh more
Love more
- Travel more
- Eat healthier
- Learn french
- Live and work in at least 3-4 countries this year
- Learn the art of raw vegan cuisine and experiment
- Do some charitable work
- Get fitter
and many others I haven't listed here
What are your resolutions? It definitely helps to have a list of resolutions/goals or some idea of direction to start the new year in a positive and motivating way.
Suggestions for prepping yourself for what you envision to achieve in 2012....
Reflect and take time to have a quiet moment with yourself and meditate to be more in line with the deepest part of yourself, to be in touch with your inner-most desires. (This helps you to have a more clearer idea of knowing yourself and what you want in life)
Next make a list of all the experiences you envision for yourself, objects you may want to acquire, things you want to accomplish, other goals and direction you see for yourself and set realistic time frames to them. E.g. This week, This month, 3 months time, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years etc.
After make a mind-map so you can map out your list and get a clear picture of what you have listed
Now after you have made your mind-map create a vision board, creating a vision board helps you visualise yourself having already acquired, achieved and experienced these things. (Cut out bits and pieces from magazines eg pictures, words, art that relate directly to what you envision for yourself. Put up the vision board in a place where you will see it at least a few times a day especially when you wake and sleep so your bedroom would be a good place.
Say positive affirmations out loud declaring that you already are or already have these things you want in your life and be grateful for all that you have and all that you are. e.g “I am prosperous and loving” (Affirmations are very powerful- they make your thoughts into words and then into statements that are/become your reality) -key is not to hope for it for one day I will.... but rather that you already are and have these things. Remember the key to success is the thought that you are a success rather than you are a failure.
Finally action, action, action!!!! I cannot stress this enough! It's no use having all these ideas and doing all the above If you are not setting things into motion, every bit of effort counts and you'll see soon enough that you are on the right track to being closer to your goals and in line with the life that you desire for yourself.
So to prepare for the coming year mon amour et moi both cooked up a feast of some deliciously good treats to start the new year with a bang! I'd like to share these with you....
BREAKFAST
Buckwheat pancakes with berries, whipped cream and maple syrup
What a lovely day it was, we just sat and ate this delicious breakfast by the water, heaven! :)
I just bought the Buckwheat pancake mix from Coles - the brand is Orgran
Tools you will need to cook these yummy pancakes...
Non-stick frypan
Whisk
Large mixing bowl for pancake mixture
Medium size metal mixing bowl for whipped cream
Spatula
Non-stick flip
Ingredients...
500 grams of assorted berries (fresh is best but I just used frozen berries)
Orgran Buckwheat Pancake mix
250-300ml Fresh Cream
3 large Free Range Eggs
60g Butter
120 ml Almond Milk
200ml filtered water
3 teaspoons Maple Syrup for batter and the rest to pour on top (as desired)
3 teaspoons Vanilla Essence
In large mixing bowl melt 20g butter in microwave for about 15 seconds, now crack and mix in 3 large free range eggs with the butter and wisk away until smooth and no lumps. Add almond milk and filtered water and wisk, then slowly keep adding Orgran Buckwheat pancake mixture until batter is thick and smooth. Next add the maple syrup and vanilla essence for flavouring and to follow about 200g berries into the pancake mixture and whisk again until smooth.
Next get the fresh cream shake it and pour into the metal mixing bowl and whisk until fluffy and refrigerate while making pancakes.
Now heat the frypan with 10g butter and pour on the pancake mixture (I wanted thick fluffy pancakes so I put a lot of batter on the pan - batter should make 5 large fluffy pancakes), once you see a few bubbles come through then you know it's time to flip, serve once golden brown.
Repeat for each pancake and voila! You have warm fluffy berry pancakes to serve up with maple syrup, whipped cream prepared earlier and berries on top as desired! Yum! :0
LUNCH
Hummus, Babaganoush, Vegie chips, Herb Crust Bread, Falafel and Organic Haloumi
Tools you will need to prepare this feast...
Food processor
Fry pan
Oven
Spatula or other utensil to flip the haloumi
Serving plate
Ingredients
Pre made Falafels
Chickpeas (fresh is best but I used canned)
Salt
Pepper
Bread
Mixed herbs
Garlic Paste
Lemon Juice (fresh is best but I used packaged lemon squeeze)
Eggplants
Zucchini
Pumpkin
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Tahini (optional) for Hummus and best used for Babaganoush
Paprika
Cumin
Organic Haloumi
Vegie Chips
Preheat oven to 220 degrees C for about 20mins, while you wait cut up very thinly sliced pieces of vegetables ( I used, pumpkin,eggplant and zucchini) and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Then place in the oven for about 20mins or until crispy and golden brown and serve.
Hummus
In a food processor place a can of chickpeas and 40ml of lemon juice, 60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a teaspoon of paprika and also of cumin and of salt and 3 teaspoons of garlic paste and blend until smooth. Now serve with added paprika sprinkled on top and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Babaganoush
Chargrill large eggplants until black and peel the skin off, now place grilled eggplant into preheated oven and bake until soft for about 20mins. In a food processor take the eggplant, 60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil, add 40ml of lemon juice, a teaspoon of paprika and also of cumin and of salt and 3 teaspoons of garlic paste and blend until smooth. Now serve and enjoy!
Herb Bread
Firstly preheat oven to 200 degrees C for about 20mins and place the sliced bread in to bake until crispy for about 30mins or so. Then make a mixture of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and mixed herbs together to paste on top of the bread to re bake again for another 10mins to infuse into the bread. Then serve!
Falafel and Haloumi
In a frypan place a teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat the pre-packaged Falafels and the Organic Haloumi until golden brown.
SNACK
For a healthy and quick snack between meals try Hummus with Carrot Sticks (or other vegetables you desire)
Use hummus (as prepared earlier) and just chop up some carrots and voila! You have yourself a very healthy and tasty but quick to make snack!
As presented by my male model here hehe... You see this healthy snack never looked soo good!
DINNER
Vegetarian Lasagna - Shaun (above) cooked this special meal for us! C'est Magnifique!
Tools you will need to make this delicious dish...
Oven
Ceramic baking pot with Lid
Chopping Board
Good Knife
Ingredients
Pumpkin
Celery
Spinach
Eggplant
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Tomato pasta sauce
Lasagna Pasta sheets
Flour
Water
Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Mixed herbs
Oregano
Nutmeg
For Sauce
Chop up the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and celery and after a few mins add in tomato pasta sauce and stirfry until its reduced to a mulchy consistency and set aside.
Bechamel
In a small pot/saucepan heat the butter until it crackles before you add the flour and stir.. then you add water and stir until it becomes creamy in texture, keep stirring and add a little mozzarella and parmesan cheese and keep stirring while adding a bit more filtered water until it thickens to a nice creamy consistency for sauce and then it's ready to use.
Vegetables
Chop up the pumpkin, eggplant and zucchini into medium sized strips to lay flat for lasagna
Now prepare the ceramic pot and put in a layer of the sauce, on top add a thin layer of Bechamel, then add a layer of Lasagna pasta sheets, then more bechamel, then layer the chopped vegetables and then the sauce and then more bechamel and keep repeating until you fill up the ceramic baking dish. For the topping after the last layer of sauce and bechamel add spinach and then heaps of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese for the topping. Bake for 40mins with lid until golden brown, remove lid then bake for another 10mins to get a crispy cheesy golden brown topping. Serve and Enjoy!
After a weekend of non-stop eating I am stuffed literally! Now on the treadmill tomorrow to start getting back into my fitness regime. Until next time my lovelies!
LOVE AND LIGHT!
XX EM
