The first thing I would like to tell you about Orange essential oil is that just when you smell it instantly lifts the spirit. This oil has a strong calming influence, it brings peace and happiness to the mind. Orange essential oil detoxifies and balances the whole body.
There are so many ways you can benefit from using this oil, but here I will mention some tips related to food and cooking.
- The simplest – add few a drop to your lemonade, orangeade or any other juice, best if you have freshly squeezed
- Add to your smoothie , no matter if you making it only with fruits and veggies only, or adding some almond milk – 1 drop of orange oil will lift up the whole taste
- Put 2-3 drops in Greek yogurt, add some vanilla for extra taste
- When you make homemade ice cream, especially lolly ice creams for kids
- Hot chocolate – let it cool for a few minutes and add a drop , you will get a marvellous Choco-orange taste
- Make fabulous pumpkin spice by mixing 3 drops of each of following oils: orange, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Add it to cranberry sauce, never mind you make it or you bought it.
- Finally, whatever you bake and want to add to it an orange flavour , feel free to put few drops and you will be astonished with the taste
You can use this wonderful oil with consuming or diffusing both, but I would highly recommend adding some to your cosmetic products, bath foam or body milk and you will fell as the Queen of Sheba.
Recipe for salmon trout burgers was inspired by one of Jamie Oliver’s. I have changed a few things to adjust it to the likings of my family.
I used salmon trout which can be a good and more cost-effective replacement for salmon. Also if you aren’t able to buy wild salmon, it’s much better to buy some local fresh fish.
Chop the fish into small chunks (pea-sized) and season well with salt and pepper. Add grated ginger, a finely cut red onion, spring onions and plenty of lemon zest. Make sure you have kept the lemon in cold water for some time before using it. Mix well and make 2cm thick patties. Fry them on medium-high heat for 2 minutes each side, or until nicely golden.
They match fantastically with chilly jam. You can serve it separately, or add to the pan just when you’re almost done with frying. As a side dish, I made boiled potatoes, gilded a little bit on butter, and boiled chard (boil it for only 3 minutes in salted water and drain well).
Kids love those salmon trout burgers. Ginger and lemon zest give that refreshing note if you use the kind of fatty fish. You can make them in 5 minutes. You can boil the potatoes a few hours before and then just give them a butter glaze for a few minutes.
If you like chard try to make my chard and quinoa moussaka as well 🙂
In our house there are always some small pieces of bread left that nobody wants to eat. As I’m really against food waist, I have my own way of reusing it.
Simply cut it into on small cubes and freeze in a bag. I keep filling the same bag with different kinds of bred.
So, whenever I need croutons, I just grab some frozen bread cubes, put them on some butter or olive oil, add seasoning (rosemary & sea salt are my favourite) and fry until golden. And in 5 minutes I have lovely, fresh and crunchy croutons to be added in the soup or on top of a salad.
Remember that the salt of life is selfless service, the bread of life is universal love; the water of life is purity.
Hence serve, love and be pure.
– Swami Sivananda-
Have you tried using scissors in the kitchen?
I find them to be a very useful tool.
And it saves time – definitely 🙂
Many people use scissors just to open food packages.
But I think that scissors can be of much greater help.
I use them very often to cut a lot of things. You don’t need a chopping board, it’s easier than with a knife. You can cut meat, vegies, spices, greens, pasta, sausages and cheese… anything you want.
So if you don’t use chopping boards, you don’t need to wash them after.
There are special kind of scissors for herbs but the ordinary one will do fine.
Also if you don’t want your escallops to wrap when frying, cut them with scissors in several places (1cm towards the centre).
Well, choose your favourite colour of scissors and enjoy easy cooking.
Do you know the expression “rotten apple”?
This metaphor is used in many countries.
Basically, a rotten apple is a bad individual among many good ones, especially the one that spoils the group.
You can also use “rotten apple” to talk about a person who is dishonest and therefore causes a lot of problems for the group they belong to.
One rotten apple in the basket will make the others start to root as well. So just make sure that to avoid “rotten apples” and most importantly be careful that you never take on that role.
And for the end, a little note about dreams, if you believe in that. To dream of a rotten apple denotes your lack of sympathy for people, especially the ones who’re not being honest with you. Your dream also represents a revelation of fake friends, breakups, or similar pain. It also signifies worries too.
Here we are with one of the most popular essential oil – lavender.
I have to be honest with you – I could not bear the smell of lavender before.
But as all aroma therapists say – the oil you don’t like is the one that you need the most. In the beginning I refused to believe in this, but after years and years of my friendship with essential oils I can tell you in all honesty that it’s the truth.
Now I love lavender, it even became one of the oils I use on a daily basis.
Many years ago my yoga teacher made us a refreshment drink that everybody loved. When we asked her what it was – she simply answered water with a drop of lavender oil. Just be careful, one drop of oil is enough for 2 litters of water.
Or you can make lavender lemonade – just add a drop of oil in it. You can also add it to orange juice and lime juice for an equally good taste.
Honey is lavender’s best friend. I discovered that a long time ago when I first tasted honey and lavender bread. These days I love using this combination in muffins and other cakes. Just mind you, use only pure essential oils, and one drop will be enough to flavour the whole cake.
Except calming your mind, body and spirit, lavender essential oil can help you in the following situations:
- with burns – apply 2-3 drops directly to the affected area
- sun burns – add few drops of lavender oil into the 1 tbsp. of coconut oil and apply liberally on sunburn as often as needed to relieve discomfort
- cuts – apply a drop or more few times a day
- for better sleep – diffuse or inhale, or simply rub a drop of oil on the pillow before going to bed
- ear pain – place one drop of lavender oil on a cotton ball and carefully place inside the outer ear
I have listed only a few situations where I used this lovely oil successfully. But this oil can be used in many other ways, which you will surly find out for yourself.
What I especially love about this oil is that lavender reduces the feeling of anger and helps us adapt to new life situations. Try to rub the oil on the kids’ feet, when they start going to a kindergarten or to a new school.
Do you know what millet is? It looks like something you would feed your parrot with, but in fact it’s very healthy and naturally gluten-free. It’s being used in diets of about a third of the world’s population.
Millet has a mild corn flavor taste and once you start using it, you will discover more and more ways to involve those great seeds in your cooking. For starters, it’s rich in iron, B vitamins and calcium.
There are plenty of benefits in adding millets when cooking for yourself and your family. I will just list a few as:
- Helps in weight loss
- Reduces diabetes
- Reduces high blood pressure
- Helps in relieving menstrual cramps
- Treats Coronary artery disease
- Aids breast milk production
- Reduces the risk of colon cancer
- Gives good sleep
Cooking millet is very simple. My mom thought me to rinse it before cooking, although it isn’t necessary. Just put one cup of millet and two cups of water, little bit of salt and cook for 12-15 minutes.
You can eat it as breakfast porridge, in that case you can cook it with your favorite milk. Adding coconut oil, nuts, and fresh or dried fruits will make a delicious morning start.
Add a handful of millet in your favorite soup, it goes particularly nice with tomato soup.
You can add ground millet to bread, muffins, and sponge cake recipes.
And of course it’s always a nice alternative to rice or potatoes, as a side dish.
I encourage you to find your own original way of using this wonderful “bird food”. Go ahead, try it and refine it 🙂 ♥
I guess most of you have already seen the “Ratatouille” cartoon. For those who still haven’t, I hope this post will inspire you to, as it’s an amazing and heart-warming story.
This is a story about a Remy, a rat that’s very skilled in the kitchen, who dreams of becoming a famous chef. His taste is so refined that he refuses to eat general garbage, as most of his friends and relatives do (they use him as poison detector). He meets Linguini, a garbage boy working for a famous Parisian restaurant. They become friends and Remy helps Linguini climb his way to a respected chef by hiding under his cap and guiding him by pulling his hair. Linguini especially hopes to impress Colette, one of his co-workers he has a crush on. And that’s where the trouble begins.
Throughout the movie, Remy finds himself torn between his passion and his other fellow rat associates who do not support his dream. He learns an important lesson about friendship and life, all while staying true to himself and who he really is.
Chilled beetroot soup – made with love ♥
Here is another lovely creamy soup for you that can be eaten cold or warm. As beetroot’s available all the year-round, the making process is the same. When the cooking is done, just choose to put it straight on the table, or in the fridge to chill.
As for the majority of cream soups, start by frying roughly chopped onion (red ones if available) on some olive oil. My granny taught me always to salt the onions and believe me, you can taste the difference. When the onion is nice and glassy, add roughly chopped beetroot (washed and peeled). Stir for a few minutes, pour in soup stock to cover the veggies. Bring to the boil slowly, and let it simmer for 30 minutes, or until the beetroot is soft. Add seasoning, pepper, garlic powder and extra salt if needed. Leave it to cool until lukewarm.
Blend the soup with a stick blender or in the food processor. Put in the fridge to cool completely overnight. My family loves the combination of beetroot and Greek yogurt, but that’s just our preferred way of eating it.
Love is … when your family says that no one makes it better than you. Make this beautiful chilled beetroot soup with care for your loved ones.