REturn & REflection

Lately, I found out a popular trend among beauty/fashion bloggers called "my favourite products of the month" which led me to a careful reflection regarding how much our daily life depends from market and advertising. This kind of trends, apparently harmless, are actually rich soil for the growth of destructive behaviours, first of all the production of massive pollution. We have created an unsustainable society based on consumerism, the biggest trap of modern times and poison for our souls, while we keep on poisoning our bodies with lots of chemicals we don't even know.

Instead of contibuting to all this, why don't we start to make by hand our own new favourite products of the month ever? If you pay attention to the list of ingredients in most of the commercial products you buy, you will start to look at them with different eyes.

Let's take a step back and join the wonderful world of diy! Once you try the fulfilling experience to see how a bunch of ingredients can turn into a beautiful creation, you will feel like a baby moving his/her first steps :)

Here you are two of my latest favourites which I'm really proud of, homemade by me following youtube tutorials:

WHIPPED BODY BUTTER by Lauren Singer - Trash is for Tossers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgORGHaPa9U)

      

POWDER FOUNDATION by Ela Gale (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2yP2-lZ4zM)

Just a yellow lemon tree

Yesterday I went grocery shopping and what a surprise when I found on the shelf one of the best italian pasta brand! Usually I buy whole wheat pasta, preferably organic, but the list of shapes is very limited...therefore, this time I let myself be tempted by a package of delicious linguine and I eventually purchased one. Today, thanks to an unusual sunny morning and two lemons dropped off in the refrigerator since too long, I decided to make one of my favourite summer dish: pasta with lemon dressing.  Yes, I know it might sound weird, but give it a try and let me know.

Smoked medallions

Are you looking for a time-saving dinner? Here you are a quick and super easy recipe for delicious high-protein burgers. If you like smoked aftertaste like I do, you will love them!

Apple and cinnamon's heart

There are those who hide broken hearts in a cursed treasure chest (Davy Jones docet)...and there is me, filling pastry crust with apple compote ahah

Heating soup

According to Yin and Yang principle applied to nutrition, buckwheat is the most heating among all grains (it's not a a grain actually, but we call it like that for convenience). Whether you believe in this theory or not, I can guarantee that - due to boiling water and chili pepper in addition - this soup is very hot anyway ahah

Chocolate passion

Who knows what's the must-have recipe in any food blog worthy of its name? I'm talking about chocolate cookies, of course! Fluffy inside and crispy outside...one leds to another! The good news is that this version is lighter than the original one and cholesterol free.

Mommy's pasta with guest of honor

"Home sweet home" was my first thought as soon as I tried this plate...well, the truth is that I learnt to cook this pasta sauce from my mommy ♥ it's easy and quick to prepare, with a fresh and savoury taste that will delight you. But today I decided to add a special ingredient created by my freaky mind...keep on reading to know how to make it!

"Iron Man" quinoa salad

After Spring quinoa salad, here you are the Iron man dedicated one:

• quinoa is a pseudocereal rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and iron (4.6 mg per 100 gr);
• cannellini beans, like other legumes, contain a good quantity of iron (4.5 mg per 100 gr);
• dried tomatoes are a considerable source of iron (9.1 per 100 gr);
• and, last but not least, vitamin C contained in bell peppers (166 mg per 100 gr) is really helpful to absorb all non-heme iron above mentioned.

Should I add something to explain the reason why I chose that name for this salad?

Stuffed halfmoons & homesick

These stuffed halfmoons reminds me of a typical street food of my native land, called crescione (same family as piadina, maybe you know that). Unfortunately, the traditional recipe is made with lard, even if more and more kiosks have started to offer also the version with olive oil. In the same way, the filling can be another problem in the pursuit of a vegan crescione, unless you go to an alternative place where you can find also tofu, seitan or simply mixed vegetables (e.g. this and this).
Today I show you my vegan version of one of the most famous and requested filling, that is: zucca, patate e salsiccia (meaning pumpkin, potatoes and sausage). Now guess, what have I replaced the sausage with?

When apple meets coconut

When apple meets coconut...the marriage is guaranteed!

Rainbow salad boats

Healthy, appetizing, nourishing: one of the best dinner I've ever had.

Creamy beetroot

If you like bright colours and delicate flavours, that's the right sauce for you. Use it to dress up your pasta, spread on a slice of bread or serve with seitan burgers and similar (muscolo di grano for instance).

Or, as an alternative, use it to paint your children's bedroom walls ahah

"Whatever" soup

Oh my gosh, how could I have lived without miso for so long?

I will not go into the contents about this wonderful food and how to make the tradional Japanese soup (it would be like to discuss with an Italian about carbonara sauce) but I do really like this kind of lets-have-a-look-whats-in-the-fridge-and-try-to-make-something-edible soups. Anyway, may I call it miso soup? After all, there is miso inside...

Fast fruit

As someone said: "Fruit is the original fast food"...and this is one of my favourite afternoon snack in this period: persimmon and banana!

Welcome Autumn

I know Autumn is coming when I crave for hot soups and velvet sauces! My favourite foods during this season are pumpking and mushrooms (any kind) and then chestnuts, persimmon, baked apples with cinnamon, hot chocolate...along with some evergreen that never run out in my kitchen: leek and potatoes.

Millet & Beans

No, I'm not talking about a brand new group on the musical scene, even if the name might deceive you ahah

Millet balls are a recent discovery, very easy to prepare and super healthy, and the sauce is irresistible thanks to a secret ingredient...

Spring quinoa salad

Yeah, I know, it's November and I'm talking about SPRING...I wish it was! In the meantime, I can imagine to enjoy this simple and tasty quinoa salad laying on a blooming lawn under a lukewarm sun :) you should try as well!

Vegetable curry 2.0

It's official: I'm curry addicted!! I love the summertime version with eggplants and zucchini, but the winter one is very tasty as well. Enjoy the sun in your plate even when it's cold and grey outside :)

Mediterranean pasta

What's your first thought if I say: broccoli, dried tomatoes and olives? For me it's only one: Mediterranean pasta!

Tomatoes are hidden inside but there are some, I swear ^_^

Muscolo di grano

Muscolo di grano is a product created by an italian man named Enzo Marascio in 1992, similar to seitan but more nourishing because it contains also legumes flour and - in my opinion - it's even tastier. I don't like to think about these kind of products as "meat alternatives" because this term keep on supporting the idea that meat is necessary to live...and we know this is not true. You can simply call them: "high-protein food to eat every now and then" ^_^