Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts

Sunday, October 18, 2015


Why hello there everyone, it's me, Aya. It's not a name you read often on the blog these days because my posting speed is about as rapid as a sloth strapped onto a turtle walking towards a fan blowing in the opposite direction. But I also understand that you guys are not waiting in front of your laptops all day, waiting to hear word from me (although you guys could lie and tell me you are anyway to inflate my ego because my ego loves that).

Lately I've been obsessed with this red smoothie. I'm usually a green smoothie kind of girl but I started buying beets every week and now I can't get enough of this stuff. It's a drug, it's an addiction, it's real life. For fun and because Halloween is right around the corner (in 2 weeks time to be exact), I'm also calling it blood juice though it tastes better than blood and is cruelty free!

Healthy Appetite's Blood Juice
Serves 1

Ingredients
1 large banana, sliced (ripe, with spots)
1 medium large pear, diced (I use two here but they are very small and had many bad spots that I cut off)
80 g cooked beets, diced (about 1 small beet)
1/2 cup frozen or fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon acai pulver (optional)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend with 3/4 cup of water or coconut water. Pour in a glass and enjoy!




Blood Juice a.k.a. »my« Red Smoothie

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Recently 2 of my flat-mate's friends from Frankfurt came to visit Berlin! We stopped by an Irish pub called Killkenny (uhhh, South Park anyone?) right inside the Hackescher Markt train station. Now most people don't know that I love Irish pubs. I think I would much rather go to an Irish pub than a fancy bar. It's no frills, the bartenders are relaxed, and it's a great place to go with a group. Not to mention I have fond memories getting tipsy over pints of beer in good company. Anyway, here are some shots of that night!

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The sisters who came to visit. They were both super sweet!

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Oli and I!

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Cheese!

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Okay, so I got a cocktail. Apparently it's the house specialty cocktail. Why is maracuja juice amazing?

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And finally the decor.

There was also a live performance happening in the other room. I got really excited when she started to sing Nora Jones! Upon leaving, we also chatted with a friendly Finnish guy outside. Overall, a very comfortable evening.

Irish Pub in Berlin: Killkenny

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Hello everybody and Merry Christmas Eve to you all! I know I've been showcasing my photos from Paris lately but I thought it was only appropriate to [finally] make my Christmas Market post I promised a little while back. So here are the photos from the Christmas Market in Gendarmenmarkt!
Also read to the end for some exciting news and to figure out where Part I is!


The entrance was very pretty as was the large Christmas tree!


Christmas Market at Gendarmenmarkt Part II

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

To be honest, I have no idea what it feels like to be French in Berlin. I have met French people in Berlin. Usually they sound something like this:

"Oh, I thought I left France. Why are there French people everywhere?"
"Life is too short to learn German."
"Men here don't buy women drinks."

Oh, how I love the French.

Anyway, I recently took a trip out to a cute French bistro with my friend Pavel. Pavel and I know each other from Trader Joes (if you live in NY and do TJ's, you may have seen me stocking shelves), and clicked because I have this horrible obsession with people with smooth skin that I have to touch them. So that's where it all began and on this evening, it ended with a happy belly full of warm comforting food.


The place is called L'Origine du Monde and is located in Friedrichshain. The decor is very cozy: beige walls, wooden tables, and chalkboards. The menus are handwritten as well. The music bounced around classic rock to movie soundtracks.


If you look at the menu on their homepage, the items listed are quite different from what we saw. I think a lot of the items are changed daily or weekly depending on what they get. I like that because it shows a dedication to fresh ingredients but it's also unfortunate when you like something and it's not there.


Octopus Chorizo Soup


Pumpkin Risotto with Shrimp


Roasted Duck with Peach Sauce and Potato Gratin

The flavors were great and everything complimented each other on the plates. My only complaint might be the texture of the octopus and duck as both were slightly tough. Anyway, I really recommend it. The waiter was pleasant and friendly and the food came in timely manner. We were definitely stuffed after our meal.

L'Origine Du Monde
Gubener Straße 41 Berlin
030 53155629

Being French in Berlin

Sunday, November 10, 2013

This week's Share it Saturday is about packaged food. Packaged food gets a bad rap from time to time. The argument is that it's not fresh and can contain preservatives and other pesky ingredients. Although it does not compare to fresh food, I find there is a place for it in our lives! The key is to check nutrition labels (I usually look at sodium levels, sugar levels, where the fat is derived from, fiber, and ingredients).

Here's just some of my few favorite products:


1. Greens Plus Bars. I used to work at Trader Joes (the affordable hipster supermarket) and I was mildly obsessed with trying out all the energy bars they had. My friend really liked these so I decided to splurge one day and get one. There's no going back once you've had it. The stats are amazing and to me they taste delicious (it reminds me of some Japanese sweet I've had before).
2. GT's Kombucha. Another item available in America but not in Germany. It's a Kombucha drink. You can find them mixed with juices or chia seeds. They are also on the pricey side so I don't buy them too often, but I find them on sale from time to time at Whole Foods.
3. Fage Yogurt. Greek Yogurt is my favorite type of yogurt because it's super creamy and feels decadent. There's usually more calories in Greek Yogurt but there are Fat Free varieties and besides, there's a lot of protein in there!
4. Garden of Life Raw Meal. I bought this huge container and again, it's not cheap (2.5 lbs for $34?) It is however some kind of a miracle. The ingredient list is ridiculous and so are the nutrients that come from everything. I will say that it tastes absolutely disgusting and there is a grainy texture but I try to mask it with some sugar fruits (ex. pineapple, bananas, mangos, etc.) in a smoothie. Really good if you want to take a bunch of greens in one go (without actually having a bunch of greens lying around).
5. Trader Joe's Hummus. I love hummus from Trader Joe's. Much like my experience with trying all the bars, I've pretty much tried all the hummus. The Cilantro Jalapeño is one of my favorites. It has a nice kick to it.
6. Green Curry Paste. I have a tub in my fridge and all I can say is that it instantly transforms dishes into something spicy, aromatic, and tasty. It's only a few simple ingredients. The only downside is that salt is included in the paste so you have no control over that.
7. Okame Natto. Natto is fermented soybeans. People that know me know I love this stuff. It's definitely an acquired taste. Just know that although it may smell bad, it doesn't taste like how it smells, so maybe you'll like it if you give it a shot.

So there is a small list of some of the products I love. I hope you can try some of these things if you've seen them around but never picked them up. Ciao everyone and happy weekend!

Share it Saturdays No. 3 ft. Packaged Foods

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Hey guys, what's shakin'?

A few days ago, a question popped into my head: Are there Purikura machines in Berlin? For those of you who don't know, Purikura are sticker pictures that you can take, decorate, print, and swap with friends. I did a bit of research (this means I googled "Purikura in Berlin") and found out that J-Store in Charlottenburg had one!

Before heading down there, we sat down for a lovely meal.


I think due to the weather change, I've been making a lot more soup than normal. Also, an easy Caprese Sandwich! Remember to rub the insides with Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper. Makes it super tasty and Olive Oil is most beneficial when cold as opposed to heated.

I wanted to look cute for the photos so here is my outfit.


I got the hat at a fashion show I assisted (You can read up on that on my old fashion blog here)

Purikura in Berlin and Meal Snaps!

Friday, October 18, 2013



Let's face it: I love apples. Remember my Raw Vegan Apple Tarts? Well since then, the love has not died. I mean, what is there to dislike? Apples are great to carry around anywhere. They last for a while. You can make a variety of things out of them and add them to almost any savory dish too. Let's just say apples continue to rock my world.

I noticed my basket of apples still had a fair amount inside and I was tired of putting them in common baked goods and bowls of oatmeal. That's what led me to today's mini recipe of Dried Apples.


Dried Apple Slices
Ingredients
Apples (as many as you'd like)

Preheat your oven to 100° C/200° F.

If you like the Trader Joe's type of Dried Apple Rings, I suggest coring them and cutting horizontally. My apples were on the smaller side so I opted for cutting them into slices and then coring. Either way, make sure to keep them all the same size so they bake evenly.

Peeling is an option (I left the skin on because I like the way they look and taste like this).

Depending on how thick/thin you cut them coupled with how long you leave them in the oven, they could either end up being soft dried fruit or crispy chips.


Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and pop them in the oven for 4-5 hours. I see this is not exactly energy efficient so in the case that you have a dehydrator, you may want to opt for that.


When the apples are done, let them cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

The best part about the dehydrated apples are that they last long and you can still use them in your baked goods as well as just for snacking. Might I recommend a rice cake topped with peanut butter and some of these bad boys? Don't forget the cinnamon. ;)

To keep up with the apple theme, Oliver's father came by to pick up a huge bushel of our apples and he got them made into juice! Look at these beauties!


I had to pour myself a glass. It was tangy, a bit sour, but very freshly sweet! These are of course bottled so that we can enjoy them all winter! I'll see if I can incorporate them into something fun for you guys soon.
 
Cheers!

Dried Apples and Juice

Sunday, October 13, 2013

It's Sunday guys and Sunday is a day of relaxation in Europe. It boggles my brain every time that 80% of stores are closed over here. Growing up in NY, businesses never stopped for any day of the week. I suppose it's a nice change though (people deserve to catch up on their beauty sleep!)

Anyway, to close up the week, here's a flash of a few things I bought and ate.

I am most definitely a wine girl! If I have the choice between wine or beer, I always opt for wine. Beer is nice for a relaxing summer day in the park, but there's just something utterly chic about having a glass of wine and talking over candle light. I found a Spanish bottle from 2006 and decided to give it a go. Quite good! Oli and I are now looking for a 2003 online because according to him, it was the longest summer and produced many good wines.

I also ate the smallest cookie in the world.

Look, I told you! Smallest cookie in the world!!!

Haha, actually it can't get much bigger than that because it's actually in a box of Muesli!

I tried it just this morning. It's a new flavor I believe. When it comes to Muesli, I like it without added sugar because I either sweeten it with fruits or my own sweetener. However Oli is a sucker for Schoko-Muesli so we had to give it a go! I can't eat too much of it because I do find the sweetness kind of melts into the milk, but it's definitely a guilty breakfast treat!

Finally, a grocery haul!

I stopped by the Turkish Market for some produce on Tuesday (every Tuesday and Friday near Schönleinstraße) and then popped into Bio Company for some organic essentials! I think I planned literally only two of those purchases and everything else was just because I thought I would enjoy using it. The soup bouillon did come in handy yesterday though when I made soup for a sick Oliver!

The oil I used is Flaxseed Oil. I also varied it so I made Oli's with rice and a bit more salt and pepper. Complete with Kinder chocolate on the side (cause you know that's what actually cures the patient). ;)

I hope you enjoyed seeing my food from the week and see ya soon!

Things I Ate this Week

Monday, July 15, 2013

Hey guys, it's me Aya.

I know a lot of you (okay, a few of you) have been wondering where I've been in the blogging world. Well to tell you all the truth, I've had a crazy last few months and I'm just now starting to feel relaxed and settled again.

A few of you may know, I've been having some ups and downs in Berlin. Being foreign and living somewhere is hard (both from a legal point of view and the whole idea of starting over). I've definitely had my fair share of depressing moments, but it's time to get my head out of those rain clouds and live a little! It's SUMMER for cryin' out loud!

I decided to make up for the past few months, I'm just going to photo bomb you guys.


Long time no post! & NY Pics

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

How are you?

I am doing well. It's quite cold in Berlin right now, and I have my bag of frozen peas sitting in the front yard. Oh Spring, please come soon.

In other news, Oliver decided recently that he was going to make puff pastry from scratch. Did he succeed? Why yes, he did!


The only thing I didn't like was how much butter there was in the recipe. I knew there would be a lot of butter, but this was too much! I could barely eat a whole one.


Speaking of firsts, here are a few more:

1. My First "Swimming Pool" Cocktail



We were at an Irish Pub and I decided what the hell, let's get a cocktail (I usually go for cheaper drinks, but we still had yet to celebrate my newly acquired job). Tastes similar to a piña colada. It lasted me the whole night.

2. My First Try at Dumplings


I love dumplings, but have not had any since I came to Berlin (I have not seen them anywhere for some reason). Because I've been trying to avoid gluten products and also have a knack for transforming food into vegan delights, I made vegan and gluten free dumplings! They were YUM! I swapped ground meat for these Soy Protein flakes and added boy choy, carrots, onions, and mushrooms. The dough was just corn flour (the gluten free flour we had was corn so I just used that), corn starch, oil, and water. I really recommend going gluten free for the dumpling dough actually, because it gives it a nice texture.

3. My First Wasabi Cheese



That green roll of cheese right thar be the Wasabi cheese. I found it at Galeria Kaufhof in Alexander Platz and decided it had to come home with me. It's definitely a spicy one! I had it with some scrambled eggs (which was mixed with leftover dumpling filling) and a light salad. Quite a filling breakfast!

I don't know if anyone noticed but I also changed the banner. I'm finally pretty satisfied with it! Well, now I need to go make some apple compote, so until next time! Ciao! 

Hallo Leute! (Hello People!)

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