Recipe: Chia Pudding

Chia Seeds are filled with omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber and minerals. You can add them in your smoothies, muesli, salad, dessert and bread!

Here is a simple dessert recipe using my Chia Seeds and my favourite almond milk from Carew Kitchen.

Ingredients:
1/8 cup of Chia Seeds
1/2 cup of Carew Raw Almond Milk
2 drops of Vanilla Essence

Soak the chia seeds in almond milk with vanilla essence overnight. Give it a little stir before you serve. My recipe has less chia seeds to milk proportion, as I like it more fluid than jelly-like. You can adjust the proportion according to your preference. Enjoy!

Carew Almond Milk

There are so many raw almond milk recipes out there, but if you are lazy like me and can’t be bothered with all the soaking and filtering, and still want to get the best quality almond milk, look no further.

Carew almond milk is the best almond milk I’ve ever tasted!  It’s raw, gluten free, vegan with no refined sugar and preservatives.

The ingredients in this Carew almond milk includes filtered water, raw unpasteurizd almonds, dates, cinnamon and Himalayan pink salt.

I absolutely love the light hint of dates and cinnamon taste in this almond milk. It makes my muesli, cereal or porriage taste amazing and it is a lovely drink on it’s own! I will soon post some recipes using this almond milk.

Here are some of the benefits of almond milk:

• Naturally rich in mineral such as iron, magnesium, copper, calcium, manganese, zinc, potassium and selenium.
• Lactose free/gluten free
• Low calories
• No hormones/antibiotic
• Helps lower blood sugar levels
• Promotes heart health and normal blood pressure
• Contributes to eye/skin and bone health
• Good source of omega fatty acid

Storage and shelf life:
Keep it in the fridge. Due to this goodness has no preservatives, it needs to be consumed within 4-5 days.

Price and where to buy:
$8 per glass (it’s a huge glass by the way) and if you return the glass bottle, the next order will be $7.50 each. It’s not widely available yet, and the seller only doing private orders in Central Auckland (minimum 2 bottles per order). I will update more details on where to buy here once known.

If you are interested, please contact Sophie via email carewkitchen@gmail.com.
You can also follow them on Instagram @carew_kitchen.

Recipe: Sweet Vegie Juice

For those of you who is new to vegetable juice might find it hard to get use to the grassy taste of of it. Here is a juice recipe which you might like as it combined with the sweetness of apples.

Ingredients (2-3 glasses):
1 x Beetroot
4 x Carrots
4 x Apples
4 x Tomatoes
1 x Lemon

Put all ingredients in the juicer and enjoy!

Makeup for a 1950s Themed Party

Last Sunday, I went to one of my colleague’s birthday part (Happy Birthday again Christo!). It was held at Al’s Deli (a great cafe for handmade bagels and authentic Canadian Poutine) and the theme was 1950s.

After doing some research on the fashion, makeup and hairstyle for that era. I came up with this look:

I’ve got this scarf from a second hand shop on K’Road for NZ$4! I love it!

To create this look, here is what I’ve used for makeup:

Products used:
Primer:                  MAC Strobe Cream
Foundation:        Lancome Colour Ideal Hydra Compact (010)
Blush:                     Lancome Magie Blush (06 Rose d’aurore)
Highlighter:         Body Shop Radiant Highlighter
Brow: Bobbi Brown Brow Kit
Eye Primer:         MAC Painterly Paint Pot
Eye Shadow:       MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow (Word-of-Mouth)
Eye liner:             Dolly Wink Eye Liner and KATE Gel Eye Liner
Mascara:              Majolica Majorca Last Expander Frame Plus
Lipstick:               Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick (#22)

Hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. It was such a fun night!

OOTD: 24/05/14 Brunch at Ponsonby

Dress: Chicnova
Belt: Miss Crabb – Old
Boot: Pump Noir (Hannahs) – Don’t need to break the bank for a pair of nice boots!
Bag: H&M – Amsterdam – Old

Beauty News: Weleda Hand Creams

The weather during New Zealand winter makes my hands feel dry and rough all the time. If you are like me who love any excuse to go shopping, here is somethimg that you might want to put on your shopping list this winter!

Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream – RRP NZ$23.90 (50ml)
This decadent hand cream provides antioxidant-rich protection to care for hands that are regularly exposed to skin-damaging environmental influences. Its easily absorbed formulation combines skin regenerating and antioxidant-rich Pomegranate Seed Oil with extracts from Golden Millet, rich in silicic acid, to noticeably improve the skin’s appearance and texture. Pure Sesame Oil and natural Shea Butter are also included to protect the skin from moisture loss and leave hands soft and smooth.

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream – RRP NZ$20.90 (50ml)
An energetic hand cream that rapidly absorbs to reliably protect hard working hands from moisture loss and restore rough and stressed skin to become smooth and supple again.

The hero ingredient, Sea Buckthorn Oil, is extracted from the pulp and the kernel of sea buckthorn berries.  The sun-blessed golden-red berries contain a unique combination of antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and essential fatty acids, (omega 3, 6, 7) which are easily absorbed and provide intensive care and replenishment to the skin.  These nutrients help regenerate and protect the skin from UV radiation and free-radical damage.

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream is refreshingly fragranced with natural zesty ingredients including mandarin and orange essential oils.

Weleda Citrus Hand and Nail Cream – RRP NZ$19.90 (50ml) 
Perfect for hands on the go and bursting with a refreshing and invigorating citrus scent, Weleda Citrus Hand and Nail Cream treats hardworking hands with ultra-rich ingredients to instantly nourish and rejuvenate the skin. 

This intensely hydrating and skin-rewarding hand cream combines precious calendula and viola extracts to deeply nourish and support the skin’s collagen and elastin foundation, helping to keep skin firm and soft. For extra care, carnauba and wool wax are included to protect fragile or damaged nails while fine almond oil nourishes and protects cuticles to assist with the growth of healthy, strong nails beds.

I have yet to try these hand creams on my my hands, but from the description above, I think I am drawn to the Sea Buckthorn one because of the mandarin and orange scent! mmmmm……

Weleda products are available from all good health food stores and pharmacies nationwide. To locate your nearest stockist or for further information visit www.weleda.co.nz

Have you tried these hand creams? which one is your favourite?

Recipe: Winter Remedy – Ginger Honey Concentrate

Winter is here in New Zealand, and for me, nothing beats a hot ginger honey drink in cold winter night.

It’s soothes my throat when it is irritated or sore from the cold air. The spicy taste of the ginger warms my tummy too (great for hangover).

This Ginger and Honey concentrate is so easy to make. Here’s how.

Ingredients
Ginger
Honey

To serve (optional)
Wedge of lemon
Cinnamon powder

All you need to do is grate the ginger into minced ginger (you can use a food processor as well). Mix in the honey, the proportion is 1:1. Done!

To serve, put one teaspoon of the ginger and honey mix in a mug (depending on how spicy you like the drink to taste), I usually sqeeze the juice of a lemon wedge in the drink along with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder. It’s so good, I absolutely addicted to this drink now!

You can store it in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

Hope you like it too! Keep warm!