ERASMUS LIFE: New series of posts!

Hello, wonderful people!

I feel really terrible due to neglecting and not taking enough care of my website and social media (well, the exception is my private Facebook profile). I don't like excuses at all but I need to write a little bit of a background. I live for more than a month now in a different country, the beautiful Germany. I moved from my Slovenian hometown to Mainz for two semesters (= one year) due to study reasons and to finally experience the Erasmus kind of life (obviously, duh). So I had to accomodate and start living again a.k.a. get my life back to "normal" state. I kind of managed to accomplish this until now, kind of. :) Which brings me to the next point.

You know, I have a wonderful roomate (Slovenians are amazing, just by the way). She is always saying I should start again posting more regularly on my blogsite and publish all the yummy food we are eating over here, in our little appartment. Eating nutritious and healthy food IS possible! However, she once had an idea I could blog about our living here in Mainz. Which sounded as a magnificent idea because I have not seen a lot of posts which cover this topic. Plus I had some kind of inspirational moments those last few hours and finally decided I should post again - about the Erasmus Way of Life (Mainz Edition)!

How will this look? My concept is to write and post photos about... everything? From daily life, what we do here, food (obligatory thing as a foodblogger!), sports/trainings, international friends, events, trips, parties, etc. Not just that, also about all the bad things which can happen/happened. And not to forget the proces and all the work before arriving to the destination.

I really hope those kind of posts will help future Erasmus exchange students. If it helps at least one person, then I have completed my goal. And if someone out there has any suggestions/questions, you are always welcome to write me (crayonsandbeads@gmail.com).

So, next time I will write about our first weeks, how we survived, our impressions, etc. Now it is time for sleep, it is almost 2 am.

Schöne Grüße aus Mainz!

Vanja

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Strawberry-choco cake

Hello everyone,

happy holidays! I hope you had a peaceful and merry Christmas. I spent the Christmas Eve at home with my parents and on Xmas day I fell into a deep food-coma at the boyfriend's house. Maybe this will sound funny to you but I cannot wait for January to come - the detox month!

New Year's Eve is just around the corner and I think it is time to think about what to cook for this special night. If you are still wondering and searching for a great dessert recipe - I can help you out. Here is a recipe for a gloriously delicious strawberry-choco cake, super moist, creamy, fruity, heavenly light... And the best part? You can make it healthy or super unhealthy. It is up to your preferences.

I made this cake for the boyfriend's mum's (mum-not-already-in-law) birthday and we devoured it immediately, everyone loved it! I mean... Who does not love strawberries and chocolate?

Searching for more food ideas? Visit my Instagram profile (@crayonsandbeads)!

(Recept je tudi v slovenščini!)

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Recipe (for a 26 cm cake tin):

Batter ingredients:

2 eggs

6 tbsp sugar (brown or coconut palm)

1 packet vanilla sugar

6 tbsp oil

6 tbsp milk (plantbased or regular)

6 tbsp flour (wholegrain, spelt or regular)

1/2 packet baking powder

50 g grounded walnuts

1 tbsp raw cacao powder

Other ingredients:

200 ml milk (plantbased or regular)

2 tbsp rum

Filling:

2 packets vanilla pudding

1 cup strawberry compote

4-5 tbsp sugar (brown or coconut palm)

1 packet vanilla sugar

Topping:

500 ml whipped cream (can substitute for coconut cream)

decoration (grated chocolate, fruit, nuts, etc.)

Preparation:

1. Batter: In one bowl, beat the eggwhites with 3 tbsp sugar into an eggwhite snow. In another bowl, mix the eggyolks with 3 tbsp sugar until fluffy. Add the other ingredients in the order as listed above. Mix really well. Finally, slowly add and stir the snow into the batter. Transfer it into a greased cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.

2. Then, soak the cake with a mixture of milk and rum to make it moist.

3. Filling: Blend the strawberries, add them 500 ml liquid (from the compote and more water, if needed) and bring to boil. Mix in the vanilla pudding, sugar, vanilla sugar and stir for a few minutes. Pour the filling over the cake and let it completely cool in the fridge.

4. Topping: Spread the whipped cream over the filling and decorate with whatever you wish.

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Recept (za 26 cm tortni pekač):

Sestavine za biskvit:
2 jajci
6 žlic sladkorja (rjavi ali kokosov)
1 zavitek vanili sladkorja
6 žlic olja
6 žlic mleka (rastlinsko ali kravje)
6 žlic moke (polnozrnata, pirina ali namenska)
1/2 zavitka pecilnega praška
50 g zmletih orehov
1 žlica presnega kakava v prahu

Ostalo:
200 ml mleka (rastlinsko ali kravje)
2 žlici ruma

Polnilo:
2 zavitka vanilijevega pudinga
1 skodelica jagodnega kompota
4-5 žlic sladkorja (rjavi ali kokosov)
1 paket vanili sladkorja

Nadev:
500 ml stepene sladke smetane (lahko nadomestimo s kokosovo kremo)
dekoracija (naribana čokolada, mrvice, sadje, oreščki, itd.)

Priprava:
1. Biskvit: V eni posodi stepemo beljake s 3 žlicami sladkorja v trd sneg. V drugi posodi stepemo rumenjake s 3 žlicami sladkorja, dokler penasto ne naraste. Dodamo še ostale sestavine v vrstnem redu, kot je napisano zgoraj. Zelo dobro premešamo. Na koncu dodamo masi še sneg, ki ga nežno vmešamo. Maso vlijemo v namaščen tortni pekač in pečemo na 180°C za 15-20 minut.
2. Nato pečen biskvit nasočimo z mešanico mleka in ruma.
3. Polnilo: Zblendamo jagode, jim dodamo 500 ml tekočine (iz kompota in po potrebi še vodo) in zavremo. V zavretek zakuhamo vanilijev puding, sladkor in vanili sladkor ter mešamo nekaj minut. Jagodno mešanico prelijemo čez biskvit in damo v hladilnik, da se popolnoma ohladi.
4. Nadev: Ko je torta hladna, odstranimo obod tortnega pekača in jo premažemo s stepeno smetano ter poljubno okrasimo.
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Have a lovely and glamorous start into 2015!

Vanja

Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Cook with me: Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Protein Pancakes

Hello everyone,

when was the last time you had eaten a stack of delicious pancakes? A long time ago? I bet you are craving them, am I right? You know you want them. Because you love pancakes. And strawberries, too? Even better! Then, you have to make these healthy, protein-loaded, sugarfree and dairyfree strawberry shortcake pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast. Here comes the recipe...
(Recept je tudi v slovenščini!)

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Recipe (for 4-6 pancakes):

Ingredients:

1/3 cup wholegrain flour

2 tbsp oats

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 scoop whey protein (optional)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/3 cup dairyfree milk

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, chopped *

* frozen strawberries can be used too (in this case, mix them into the batter right away)

Preparation:

1. Mix together all dry ingredients, then add the wet ones.

2. In a blender, mix all ingredients (except the strawberries) into a batter.

3. Add strawberries to the batter.

4. Cook the pancakes in a non-stick pan on medium heat, about 2 minutes each side.

5. Add desired toppings; I used: peanut butter, greek yogurt, a banana, a sprinkle of chia seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup.

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Recept (za 4-6 palačink):

Sestavine:

1/3 skodelice polnozrnate moke

2 žlici ovsenih kosmičev

1 žlička pecilnega praška

ščepec soli

1 merica sirotke (po želji)

1/2 žličke vanilijevega ekstrakta

1 žlica javorjevega sirupa

1/3 skodelice mleka (riževo, mandljevo, kokosovo)

1 žlica kokosovega olja, stopljeno

1/3 skodelice svežih jagod, narezane *

* lahko se uporabijo tudi zamrznjene jagode (v tem primeru jih takoj vmešamo v testo)

Priprava:

1. Najprej zmešamo vse suhe sestavine, nato jim dodamo mokre.

2. V blenderju zmiksamo vse sestavine (razen jagod) v testo.

3. Dodamo jagode.

4. Palačinke pečemo v teflonski posodi na srednjem ognju, vsako stran približno 2 minuti.

5. Čas za dodatke - npr. arašidovo maslo, grški jogurt, banana, chia semena in javorjev sirup.

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Have a nice Sunday,

Vanja

Cook with me: Ovenbaked Chocolate Banana Oatmeal

Hello everyone,

I'm presenting you another dish that I tried yesterday for the first time - ovenbaked chocolate banana oatmeal! Healthy, sugarfree. dairyfree, nutfree and loaded with fiber, carbs and protein. Well, chocolate is not used at all; in this case, it wouldn't be healthy obviously. It is cacao powder that makes it look and taste chocolately. And if you are not a fan of bananas, you can totally skip them.
(Recept je tudi v slovenščini!)

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Recipe (for 2 servings):

Ingredients:

150 g oats

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cacao powder

150 mL dairyfree milk

2-3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 banana, chopped (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients (except the banana) together and transfer the mixture into a small baking pan lined with some baking paper.

2. Add the banana chunks on top. (optional)

3. Bake it in the oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes.

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Recept (za 2 porciji):

Sestavine:

150 g ovsenih kosmičev

2 žlički pecilnega praška

1 jajce

1/4 žličke soli

2 žlički kakava

150 mL mleka (riževo, mandljevo, kokosovo)

2-3 žlice javorjevega sirupa

1 žlička cimeta

1 banana, narezana (po želji)

Priprava:

1. Zmešamo vse sestavine (razen banane). Mešanico damo v manjši pekač, obložen s peki papirjem.

2. Na vrh položimo koščke banane. (po želji)

3. Pečemo v pečici na 180°C za 20-25 minut.

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Bon appetit!

Vanja

Cook with me: Healthy Peanut Butter Nicecream

Hello everyone,

how do you like the new appearance of the blog page? It was under construction one week ago. 
Anyway, I prepared a new, very easy recipe for you. My parents bought a new robot food processor last week (it's so cool!) so I could finally make homemade icecream made of bananas and peanut butter - peanut butter nicecream! Not necessary to emphasize it's super healthy, right? Also, it's vegan and sugarfree. I made this wonderful dish this morning for breakfast and I instantly decided to share it over here.
(Recept je tudi v slovenščini!)

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Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 bananas, frozen

3 tbsp dairyfree milk

1 tbsp peanut butter

(click here to see the recipe for homemade peanut butter)

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, blend the bananas into a thick cream.

2. Add the milk and peanut butter. Blend again. Serve.

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Recept:

Sestavine:

3 banane, zamrznjene

3 žlice mleka (riževo, mandljevo, kokosovo)

1 žlica arašidovega masla

(recept za domače arašidovo maslo)

Priprava:

1. V multipraktiku zmiksamo banane v kremo.

2. Dodamo mleko in arašidovo maslo in ponovno zmiksamo. Serviramo.

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The nicecream can be topped with whatever you like - fruit, nuts, cereals... I used homemade cinnamon-strawberry granola and cacao powder. Now I'm off to cook lunch and bake some yummy muffins!

Have a nice day,

Vanja

Cook with me: Chocolate Apple Cake (raw, vegan, dairy-free)

Hello everyone,

my food-loving-cooking-baking-creating side is at its best form these days. I started to write down all the recipes that caught my eye, some of them were already recreated and many more are still waiting in the line! Blame the holidays or too much free time, but I like this mood. And anyone who tried my food creations (especially desserts) likes it even more.

I've totally fallen for raw food where no cooking or baking is required, just combining ingredients and mixing them together. About a week ago, I made my second raw cake - a healthy Chocolate apple cake - vegan and dairy-free! It is pretty similar to the Banana strawberry chocolate cake. And as always, it is so easy to make!

Recipe:

Base (1st layer):

100 g mixed nuts (I used walnuts and hazelnuts)

100 g oats

50 g coconut flour

50 g coconut palm sugar

200 g medjool dates, pitted

2 tablespoons coconut oil (not melted)

Filling (2nd layer):

2-3 apples (medium size), grated
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp coconut flour

Chocolate cream (3rd layer):

170 g medjool dates, pitted

1 cup water

50 g raw cocoa powder

2 tablespoons coconut oil (not melted)

Preparation:

1. For the base, mix all ingredients in a food processor into a dough and press it firmly into a cake tin.

2. Mix together the grated apples, cinnamon and coconut flour. Add the mixture on top of the dough. 

3. For the chocolate cream, mix the dates in a food processor until you don't get a lump. Next, add water to get a thick, creamy consistency. The last step is to add cocoa powder and coconut oil to the mixture. Then, put the cream over the apple layer.

4. Let the cake cool down in the fridge for about 2-3 hours before serving.

Believe me, raw cakes taste as good as ordinary baked cakes if not even better (oh yes, they do)! Still in doubts? Well, then you seriously need to make one or two!

By the way, there is still some time left to enter my GIVEAWAY (previous post) which ends today at 8 PM! The winner will be announced on Facebook no later than tomorrow.

Have a sunny week,

Vanja

DIY: Homemade Peanut Butter and healthy Nutella + GIVEAWAY

Hello everyone,

another DIY post is here for you to try out, this time a food-related one. I'm presenting you two DIY recipes - homemade peanut butter and healthy Nutella! And at the end of the post, you can find all the details about the little giveaway I prepared in honour of the 1st Blogoversary.

I'm sure many of us love peanut butter and Nutella. Nutella was my go-to breakfast during my childhood and peanut butter is a more recent discovery. But as you may know, they are not the healthiest things to eat since they contain loads of unnecessary sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and other artificial ingredients. Overload of calories. However, it is possible to make them healthy, delicious and nutritious if you prepare them in your own kitchen.

PEANUT BUTTER recipe:

Ingredients:

250g peanuts (shelled, skinned, roasted, unsalted)

3 tbsp coconut/peanut oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp liquid sweetener (honey/maple syrup)

Preparation:

1. Place the peanuts into a food processor. 

2. Blend for 1 minute, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

3. Blend again and scrape down the sides. Then, add the oil, salt and sweetener. 

4. Blend and scrape down the sides until you get a smooth cream which shouldn't be too thick - in this case, add more oil.

5. Transfer the peanut butter into a glass jar. Store in the fridge.

Healthy NUTELLA recipe:

Ingredients:

100g hazelnuts

5 tbsp raw cacao powder

3 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp liquid sweetener (honey/maple syrup)

Preparation:

1. Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend into flour.

2. Add cacao, oil, salt and sweetener. Blend again and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

3. Continue blending until you get a creamy consistency.

4. Transfer the choco-hazelnutty cream into a glass jar. Store in the fridge.

Now, where to use them? Spread them on toasted bread, add them into oatmeal, put them on fruit... You decide. Just use your imagination. I really hope you will try at least one recipe, it won't take you too long to master it.

And now the little GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner will receive a unique handmade silver bracelet and a Soraya deodorant! The bracelet is made by me. All the beads/pearls are handmade - the little silver stones are glued onto the balls. And Soraya is a very popular brand here in Slovenia; I tried this deodorant which I really like, so I decided to order another one for this gevaway.

To participate, fill out the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is international. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


See you next Sunday,

Vanja

1st Blog Anniversary

Hello everyone,

as you may know I usually post at Sundays but - today is a special day for me and this blog. Exactly one year ago, it was Sunday July 7, the first blog post was uploaded. So today I'm celebrating the 1st anniversary!

The year flew by really quickly. I managed to write 21 posts (without this one) - it may not sound a lot but in my opinion, quality is above quantity. I also got so many views, lovely comments and amazing followers from all over the world. It is hard to describe how excited and happy I get when someone writes a comment, gives me a feedback, likes my Facebook page or simply just reads the things I wrote. The feeling is priceless.

In honor of this day, a little giveaway will be going on. More details about the prize and how to participate will be posted this Sunday when I'll also share a new DIY recipe with you (hint - the glass jar on the picture above), get excited!
And I cannot end writing this post without...

A BIG thank you for reading and following Crayons and Beads!

I wish you a great start of the week,

Vanja

Cook with me: Banana Strawberry Chocolate Cake (raw, vegan, dairy-free)

Hello everyone,

I'm finally back with a new post. For this special occasion, I'd like to share with you a recipe that I came across within the past days. Get excited for the Banana Strawberry Chocolate Cake! It is raw, vegan, dairy-free and it tastes deliciously! 

This was my first time making a raw cake and it definitely won't be the last one. I never imagined a raw cake being so tasty. The ingredients couldn't be more healthy - it is a perfect dessert for everyone who eats clean (including myself).

Recipe (adapted from Malinca.si):

Base (1st layer):

100 g mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts)

100 g oats

50 g coconut flour

50 g coconut palm sugar

200 g medjool dates, pitted

2 tablespoons coconut oil (not melted)

Filling (2nd layer):

250 g strawberries, chopped

3 bananas, chopped

Chocolate cream (3rd layer):

150 g medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup water

50 g raw cocoa powder

2 tablespoons coconut oil (not melted)

Preparation:

1. For the base, mix all ingredients in a food processor into a dough and press it firmly into a cake tin.

2. Add the chopped bananas and strawberries on top of the dough. 

3. For the chocolate cream, mix the dates in a food processor until you don't get a lump. Next, add water to get a thick, creamy consistency. The last step is to add cocoa powder and coconut oil to the mixture. Then, put the cream over the fruit layer.

4. Let the cake cool down in the fridge for about 2-3 hours before serving.

I bet everyone can master this recipe (cooking-dummies included!). It takes less than an hour to make. Will you give it a try?

I have a lot more healthy recipes on my menu to share with you since I've been into clean eating for almost a year now. Healthy food has become an important part of my lifestyle besides regular exercise. So, for the future posts expect even more healthy and easy food recipes! For more food inspiration, you are invited to follow my Instagram account (@crayonsandbeads). Now I'm off to studying Internal medicine and Surgery, finals are coming too quickly!

Until then,

Vanja

Cook with me: Bruschetta

“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.” - Julia Child

Hello everyone,

have you ever been in a situation when you were home alone and hungry? When you didn't want to eat junk food or any kind of food out of the tin, but actually prepare yourself something delicious and healthy? That happened to me a few days ago. The fact is I like to eat clean (as much as possible) because this makes me feel better and look better (besides regular exercise). That's why I like to cook by myself - I know exactly which ingredient was used.
Now onto the dish I decided to share with you. It is called bruschetta, an Italian dish. But this is not the original recipe, it is modified a little bit. It is easy to make and no skills are required except you should know how to use an oven!

Ingredients (which I used):

cherry tomatoes

paprika/peppers

parsley

grilled chicken

olive oil

salt and pepper

slices of bread

cheese

(There are no numbers because the amount is not fixed.)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C. 

2) Chop veggies and grilled chicken into small pieces, put them into a bowl, add a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix everything together.

3) Bake the slices of bread in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then take them out of the oven and cover them with the mixture and cheese. Put them back into the oven and bake for 5 minutes or more.

The other time, I added prosciutto instead of grilled chicken (picture here). Yum!

Keep in mind that you can add whatever ingredients you prefer! This versatile dish is perfect for experimenting with unknown flavors.

Good luck,

Vanja

Cook with me: Healthy banana pancakes

"I want pancakes! God, do you people understand every language except English? Yo quiero pancakes! Donnez-moi pancakes! Click click bloody click pancakes!" - Stewie Griffin

Hello everyone,

I don't know about you, but I love eating pancakes. Especially if they are healthy. I found the following recipe two months ago but didn't have time to try it out. The best thing about it is that there are only two ingredients required to make these healthy pancakes! And they taste very good. So why not share it?

Ingredients:

- 1 banana

- 1 egg

Method:

1) Mash the banana in a bowl, then add the egg and mix until you get a homogeneous consistency.

2) With a ladle, put a small amount of the mixture on a preheated pan (I didn't add any oil, butter or cooking spray) and bake on each side until it turns golden or even dark brown.

And why are these pancakes so healthy? Bananas contain fiber, minerals (potassium, manganese, magnesium), vitamins (B6 and C), and are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Eggs are a great source of protein, minerals, vitamin B12 and healthy fats. Just the best for you.

Bon appétit!

Vanja

August Favorites

"Every year, August lashes out in volcanic fury, rising with the din of morning traffic, its great metallic wings smashing against the ground, heating the air with ever-increasing intensity." - Henry Rollins

Hello everyone,

another month has come to its end. Sadly, the month is called August which means summer will be also almost gone by. But... I'm going to wear shorts until September will be over, and I don't care about freezing my legs off in the morning time. It is still summer! If I didn't shock you with my previous sentences, please keep on reading and maybe you will learn something new about me.

1) What is the funniest thing that happened to you?
I had a lot of funny moments but I laughed so hard when I got an attack of laughter. It happens often, sometimes for no reason. And I cannot stop laughing for about 5 or even 10 minutes! Great exercise for the muscles, right?

2) Did you read any books?
I consider myself being a book worm so my answer is yes! I read Fifty shades of Grey (in Slovenian) and Fifty shades darker (in English). These books are pure addiction, trust me! I almost ate them because they were sooooo good! I needed only 7 days to finish both of them. I cannot wait to get my hands on the last part. You HAVE to read them, okay?

3) Did you watch any movies?
Actually, I remember only the one from last night, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Overall, I didn't have time to watch any movies due to studying.

(Source)

4) Something that made you proud of yourself?
This is a tough one... Maybe being able (especially mentally) to study during the hot summer time?

5) Did you play any games?
No.

6) Did you travel anywhere?
I was in our capital city Ljubljana for a few days, climbed on Šmarna gora (669 m), watched the swans at Zbiljsko jezero, visited my friend from Koroška and was on the top of Uršlja gora (1699 m)!

7) Which foods did you try and loved?

I tried the Rolled grilled cheese sandwiches. I had some troubles with rolling them because they would not obey me. I prepared them with my bf and we almost set the kitchen on fire thanks to the overheated pan. Anyway, they taste really good!

8) Which songs did you like?

Capital Cities - Safe and sound. Constantly on replay. When I hear it, I think about summer, holidays, driving to the seaside... Music to my ears.

9) Which products did you like?
Forever 21 earrings
Essie nourish me base coat
Fa Cream&Oil shower cream

10) What did you learn?
I learned about some "new" issues that I have with myself. And I was studying for my exam. That's learning too, isn't it?

I hope you enjoyed reading this post!

Have a nice week,

Vanja