Montauk

Hello!

 This week I've been out at my family's summer house in Montauk! It's so beautiful here, so peaceful like a little piece of heaven! I feel so lucky to have this house to come to. Maya and i stayed while my dad, grandpa, uncle and brother went back to the city a few days ago..I am so glad i decided to stay longer with Maya, i seriously can't think of a good enough reason to leave! :) We are having such a lovely time together and soaking up the summer weather, shopping in the hamptons, walking barefoot on the beaches, eating fresh seafood, relaxing on the deck, playing scrabble and watching movies! So excited that i will probably be spending most of my summer days here, considering my parents are selling our house soon and i am moving to Rhode Island for school in September!! Ah i can't wait! 

Anyway, these macarons, or should i say 'Smacarons' :) turned out absolutely delicious, although they looked more like sandwich cookies rather than French Macarons...I think i made them too round or flat or something? Oh well ^_^ ha I don't quite know? I followed a classic French macaron recipe and filled them with raspberry jam and some Italian chocolate hazelnut spread that my dad had.

I am way more confident when it comes to cooking rather than baking, but I plan on attempting this recipe again soon and perfection is my goal! ;) Nevertheless it was very fun to make these and my family and i devoured them in a day! 

Anyone have any experience making macarons, any tips? 

xo

Bircher Muesli

A few years ago i discovered Bircher Muesli and ever since then it's become a favorite summer breakfast! I actually haven't made it in a while but then a few weeks ago i remembered and since then I've been having this almost every morning for breakfast. I love waking up knowing i have a delicious breakfast waiting for me that involves barely any work!  This is such a versatile recipe and perfect for the warmer months, you can add any fruits and nuts you like. I love dried fruits and grated apple in mine with a variety of raw nuts and seeds...I never thought of grating apple before making this recipe, but it's so good and once the apple is mixed into the creamy oats the crunchiness, juiciness and tartness of the apple is just so good and refreshing. 

I find it's just the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, sugar and protein for breakfast...keeps me full for hours and gives me a good amount of energy to get my day going . Bircher Muesli was actually invented by a doctor in Switzerland named Maximilian Bircher-benner. He found that soaking oats was highly beneficial to your health,. By soaking oats the grain becomes more digestible and soft which aids the absorption of vitamins and minerals...what a smart man!

Bircher Muesli

1/2 cup old fashioned oats 

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

sweetener of choice, i used truvia 

1 tbsp lemon juice 

pinch of sea salt

choice of dried fruits (I used raisins and a dried apricot)

1/2 an apple grated

handful of chopped nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut etc) 

Simply combine the oats, yogurt, milk, cinnamon, lemon and raisins, mix well and let in sit in fridge overnight. In the morning grate the apple in a food processor and mix into the oats. Top with nuts and seeds!
Enjoy ! :) 

I discovered this recipe for yogurt maple balls and decided to get a cheese cloth to make them. I made some changed to the recipe, but they turned out incredibly delicious. I was surprised with how the yogurt transformed after 3 days and became super thick, if you can even imagine a thicker Greek yogurt than usual...The yogurt tasted kinda like cream cheese or cream-on-top yogurt! Stained yogurt which is called Labneh is used in Mediterranean cooking, Labneh can served sweet with honey, fruit and nuts or savory with pita bread, za'atar or dukkah and olive oil, like this recipe. Anyway i enjoyed making them, and definitely will be experimenting more.

Sweet Labneh balls 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (i used 0% Fage)

1 tbsp honey 

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

granola, cereal, nuts, chocolate, coconut to coat

Combine the yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon and the honey. Place onto the cheese cloth and gather together tightly with string. allow to suspend over a bowl to excrete the water for a few days. After a few days (2-4) the yogurt will be sort of dry and thick! Form into 4 balls with wet hands and coat in nuts and granola!

xo