║today my way║: breakfast

I am on a smoothie or a fruit kick right now if you're wondering when have I inherited an orchard. Smoothie is one of the few easy recipes I'm always ready for. The more sour the yummier, as of now. With morning school run and every task taking more time than usual, throwing a handful of frozen pieces into a blender, adding a glass of orange juice and two nicely shaped kiwis to the mix makes me a hero first thing in the morning. With still unbrushed teeth, most probably. So this is it - magic in a glass without really doing much. And with germs attacking us in this transitional period of experiencing spring while still partially bundled up in winter gear, this is a great immunity booster, just as it is a delicious treat. You may want to experiment with different juices - like cranberry for extra tongue tingle and add fresh berries instead, you totally have my blessing. And with summer on our tails, fresh produce might be just the best decision you'll make on an empty stomach. Happy Easter, friends!

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What a fantastic time to be pregnant! Or just alive. And hungry. But mostly pregnant with no need for explanations to any of ingredients used in any recipe. So this thing happened. Sometime between 9 and 11 am yesterday morning I felt I could do with a non-obligatory, semi-reasonable snack that my little boy will love me for till his late night dancing hour. Yet I had nothing of that sort stacked in my pantry and even searching through Nadia's bookshelf for any fruit leftovers was a pointless idea. No fruit has been left over since the day I noticed my varicose veins expanding! No vitamin is subtly wasted here ever since. So I changed into my maternity jeans to venture green aisles of my local superstore and came home with so many ideas of snacks I'd enjoy I almost gave up the idea altogether due to overwhelming excitement. I didn't so now I'm going to share with you an easy, healthy and quick smoothie for when you have a meantime to spare as making it doesn't distract from most things third trimester is gentle on me with. You'll need:

Cup of dense yogurt

a handful of washed kale

half a cup of blueberries (or as many as you're able to toss in a blender)

1 tablespoon of honey

half a teaspoon of cinnamon

quarter of a cup of water, depending how thick you like your smoothies

1 tablespoon of peanut butter (optional)

Toss it all in your blender, mix thoroughly and enjoy! (or hand it to me).

Have a happy, yummy weekend, friends!

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I'm not a morning person but I am a breakfast person, one that has to be reasonably full before heading out the door. But it is that time of year again that jumping out of bed ecstatically means no fun unless someone is cooking for you and the whole space smells of heaven (sunflowers optional). I figured out simplicity mixed with deliciousness is everything I want from my breakfast this season. Something prepared earlier needing only a little to satisfy is the recipe for success. In this combo muffins were the hardest therefore baked in advance ingredient topped with a five minute blueberry compote sacrifice. It literally takes minutes to cook while the air absorbs the smell and no one will stay in bed for long. For the compote you only need a small amount of berries, two tablespoons of orange juice (or any juice available), half teaspoon of vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon cooked for 10 minutes on high, stirring frequently. As for the muffins...

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Recipe was found in It's All Good cookbook by Gwyneth Partlow and loved ever since. Not too messy and laborious those muffins became an easy snack around here especially that they can be paired with anything my taste buds fancy that morning: a dab of nutella, jam or marmalade, apple or apricot compote, it's an evolving process. So onto the recipe! You'll need:

1 large sweet potato

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

3/4 cup good-quality maple syrup plus 2 extra tablespoons for brushing the muffins

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups gluten free flour (if it doesn't include xantham gum, add 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 and 1/2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prick the sweet potato a few times with a paring knife or fork. Bake until soft (when a paring knife can cut through with zero resistance), about 1 hour. Set the sweet potato aside until it's completely cool.

Peel the sweet potato, discard the skin and mash the flesh in a mixing bowl with a fork. Whisk the olive oil, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla into the sweet potato. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, five-spice powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners and evenly distribute the muffin batter among the cups. Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, brushing the tops with extra maple syrup during the last 5 minutes of baking. let the muffins cool before serving.

Peel the sweet potato, discard the skin and mash the flesh in a mixing bowl with a fork. Whisk the olive oil, almond milk, maple syrup or xylitol, and vanilla into the sweet potato. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, five-spice powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and evenly distribute the muffin batter among the cups.

Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, brushing the tops with extra maple syrup during the last 5 minutes of baking. Let the muffins cool before serving.

- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12748_Gwyneth_Paltrow_s_Sweet_Potato_amp_5_Spice_Muffins/#sthash.fvVZdX2Q.dpuf

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and evenly distribute the muffin batter among the cups.

Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, brushing the tops with extra maple syrup during the last 5 minutes of baking. Let the muffins cool before serving.

- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12748_Gwyneth_Paltrow_s_Sweet_Potato_amp_5_Spice_Muffins/#sthash.fvVZdX2Q.dpuf

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blueberry-compote-start-the-day-happy-muffins-todaymyway

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WHEN YOU'RE A MUM those fascinating features of your child like chubby legs and extra squishy cheeks are requested to stay in this form forever with no exception for variety of never outgrown clothes that get lots of snuggles on more than regular basis. You just want to hit that pause button, freeze those natural wonders and stack them up on shelves for when they as fresh as the day you brought tiny wriggling blanket home to start immeasurable adventure of love. On the other hand you think of all the grown-up journeys that await for you, authentic emotions, conversations that start silly and end up in hugs (or the other way round), coffee mornings and girlie chit chats about the latest must haves and those smokey eyes...

So even if it's still years before choosing flirty dresses, we started our girlie tradition yesterday - after days of collecting flyers, peeking inside cafes through the windows like mysterious spy's from outside world we've found our sandwich bar and cafe in one to accommodate our weekly coffee dates. Le Munch was clean and cozy, airy and sunny with baking smell floating around leading us embarrassingly towards the counter. Selection of hot meals and snacks was overwhelmingly exciting as the range of daily specials prepared to order outnumbered our hunger! This only means we'll hardly get out of ideas what to have for brunch next time. Eventually we settled on hot baked on-site baguette with mozzarella, tomato and olive filling together with moccaccino drink for me and a nice touch of cream foam in a little cup for Nadia to complement our grown-up meeting. After delicious meal we strolled down the main street visiting thrift and vintage shops, antique stalls too many to count minding those porcelain piles clattering at our every step.

And so the inner rip continues to fade - I could see us sharing girlie secrets, shoes and handbags, commenting on boys and laughing 'just because' that past stages of yummy chubbiness get sent to this part of myself nobody will ever be able to take away. Where they're all mine, lived up to the last giggle.

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