Unterwegs

Best of Canada – Part 2

IMG_6135 IMG_6138Part two of our Canada Roadtrip starts with our way to Ucluelet. After leaving Seattle, our next stop was Victoria/ Vancouver Island and from there we were off to Ucluelet, a small town at the pacific coast. The distance between those two towns is not that far but with the speed limit, lunch and several stops to admire the scenery it took us a couple of hours to get there. Vancouver Island is exactly how everyone pictures Canada – very green, very beautiful and with amazing views. I am still convinced that I saw a bear on our way. At least there was something dark and very large standing down by the river, I am sure it was a bear eating his lunch. We were too fast though too double check.

Continue reading “Best of Canada – Part 2” →

by Ineke
Unterwegs

Best of Canada – Part 1

IMG_5614Oh Canada, you were just wonderful to us. Last Sunday, when the plane landed back in Germany we were all extremly tired but also really happy and overwhelmed by all the amazing impressions. Ten days power-traveling through Canada was hard at times but it was absolutely worth it. I didn´t want to present all the 5000 pictures I took in one huge post so I decided to spilt them up in two posts. So here we go…

IMG_5607The first stop was Penticton, a lovely little town about 4 hours from Vancouver, where my little brother spent his year as an exchange student. I think there are far worse places you can end up for a year, the town is located between two huge lakes in the middle of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It´s absolutely beautiful there. The climate has its upsides too, we were told that it is extremely mild for Canada. The region is also known for its wine and its orchards. Fresh fruit everywhere! We had one day to get an impression of the town and the scenery and get to know the host family before it was time to say goodbye. Heartbreaking! Continue reading “Best of Canada – Part 1” →

by Ineke
Cake, Sweet

Raspberry vanilla cheesecake

IMG_5552As a blogger, I often find myself facing a difficult situation: who is going to eat all of the cake I am making? If it was up to me, I would be baking every day. But my understanding of a balanced diet tells me that this might not exactly be supporting a healthy lifestyle. That´s why I am often stuck between doing the thing I want and doing the thing I should. Life is tough I guess.
Anyway, by now I have developed some technics to get rid of all the tasty stuff I am making without gaining 5 pounds per blog entry. A very important part is played by the freezer. It´s awesome, I´ll just freeze those muffins and get one whenever I need. Another important factor is my family (whenever I am spending time at my parents), my friendly neighbours, my boyfriend and his roommates and my sister who is always there for me when it comes to eating cake and sweets. But by far my favorite way to make use of what I am baking is inviting friends to come over for coffee and cake.

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by Ineke
Healthy, Savory

Asparagus tart with parmesan cheese

IMG_5515With all the rhubarb and strawberry recipes I´ve been making lately I almost forgot about my favorite vegetable that is in season right now: asparagus. In Germany, people go crazy during the asparagus season. It is those three months, between the end of march or the beginning of april until the 24th of June were you can find asparagus everywhere. The white asparagus is typically prepared with potatoes, ham and sauce hollandaise. My family eats it with thin pancakes (kind of like crepes), béchamel sauce and boiled ham, which is the southern way to eat it. Green asparagus is perfect for salad, pasta, quiche or tarts. However you prepare it, I absolutely love asparagus season.

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by Ineke
Ice cream, Sweet, Vegan

Very berry strawberry popsicles

IMG_5410I told you, we are going to need the strawberry syrup again. It is the not-so-secret-ingredient for these strawberry popsicles! Just two ingredients, strawberries and syrup, is all you need for this quick and easy recipe!

The summer fruit season is beginning and that means that strawberries are getting cheaper and more delicious each day. I love it! Of course I couldn’t say no, when I saw these babies at the farmers market. They looked so tiny and cute and tempting. So I bought a whole batch, went home and made some popsicles. And now my freezer is full of them. Good thing we are getting up to 30°C this weekend, I don´t think they will last very long to be honest.

IMG_5348The great thing about this recipe is that you can adapt it according to your taste and the season. Just switch strawberries for raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or a mix of different fruits. Add some syrup and you are good to go. Continue reading “Very berry strawberry popsicles” →

Sweet, Vegan

Rhubarb and strawberry syrup

IMG_5336My internship is over and that means that I am back home, enjoying the lazy life of a college student. It also means that I have a lot of free time at my hands and this time needs to be filled with cake and ice cream. Since the rhubarb season is almost over I knew that I had to get a hold of the last ones at the farmers market. There are probably a billion delicious rhubarb recipes out there but I wanted to make some syrup. That way I can enjoy rhubarb even when the season is over. I´ll just make myself a summer drink. With some syrup, soda or sparkling wine. And fresh mint and strawberries. Also essential: the balcony or the garden and sunshine! Did I mention that I absolutely love summer??

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