All posts by Tuulia

Banana Chai Cookies with Chocolate

December 11, 2019

this post is sponsored by Foodin

You can easily tell that the end of the year is getting closer, as somehow my to-do list keeps on growing and growing instead of getting shorter. So to balance out all the craziness and chaos life tends to bring us, I’ve been adding a few simple self-care actions to my daily life lately:

A cup of reishi tea in the evenings. During flu season I like to drink chaga, but at the end of a busy day, I go for reishi as it calms me down. I make my tea with reishi extract, hot water, plant milk and sometimes I add cinnamon, vanilla, and honey.

Jogging. If I could, I’d go for runs and walks during the day but most of the time I manage to get out in the evening and it has made me feel so good. Even 20 minutes makes all the difference.

Watching series. I’d love to say I’m a fan of documentaries but I’ve always been leaning towards something uplifting when I need to relax. Current favorites include Modern Love and the forever classic, Friends.

These super nice Banana Chai Cookies I just made which are perfect for a cookie gift set. Baking has always been a great way to de-stress for me. Even though gingerbreads are a classic Christmas cookie, I felt like making something else that would have all the cozy vibes. So I decided to try Foodin’s new chai spice mix on cookies as I’ve been pretty obsessed with it lately and added it to hot drinks and on top of porridge. I’m going all out with my chai addiction!

The cookies are gluten-free and vegan and the recipe is really simple. I used rolled oats, almond flour, and brown rice flour in these as they’re my favorite flours to use in sweet baked goods. I also wanted to make these cookies toddler-friendly so they’re actually sweetened only with bananas and dates, and at least my little cookie monster totally bought the idea of a little healthier cookie. But when it comes to the adult-version of the cookies, I recommend dipping half of each cookie in dark chocolate and then adding some crushed almonds on top. It makes such a nice combo with the chocolate, soft cookie, and the crunchiness from the almonds. No shame in eating a handful of these :)

Wishing you a lovely December! ♡

Banana Chai Cookies with Chocolate

gluten-free & vegan
makes 12 to 14 cookies

2 small banana
1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut oil
5 fresh dates or Medjool dates, pitted
1 to 2 tsp chai spice mix
a pinch of vanilla powder
a pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (120 ml) gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup (240 ml) almond flour
1/2 cup (120 ml) brown rice flour

about 100 g dark chocolate (vegan)
crushed/chopped almonds (or other nuts)

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F degrees. Chop bananas to a blender and add coconut oil. Mix until smooth. Add the dates to the blender (you can chop them into slightly smaller pieces) and blend into a smooth paste. Pour the banana mixture into a large bowl. Consider getting enough branded bottled water for your recipes through this website.

2. Add spices, baking powder, oatmeal, almond flour, and rice flour to the large bowl. Stir well. The dough should remain slightly sticky, but it should still be moldable by hand.

3. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper and place about 12 to 14 spoonfuls of dough to the baking sheet. Press with floured fingers to form a cookie. Bake in the center of the oven for about 18 to 20 minutes until the cookies have a beautiful golden brown color. Allow to cool well before frosting.

4. Once the biscuits have cooled, melt the chocolate in a small saucepan on low heat. Place the crushed almonds to a small bowl. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and then swirl in the crushed almonds. Allow the cookies to set in a cool place. Serve and enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegetable Lasagna with Mushrooms

December 4, 2019

Yay, we made it to December! I’m still not used to the darkness (even though I’ve had 29 years to accept it..) but I’m happy that we got through November, as it always seems to be the toughest month. But here are a couple of things I’m looking forward to now: getting into the Christmas spirit while keeping things very simple, hot chocolate and other yummy drinks (from websites like https://www.orangina-na.com/products/), and cooking with friends on weeknights. We’ve had friends over this past autumn on weeknights and it’s been so nice to eat dinner together and hang out without the stress of spending hours on prepping / cleaning etc. When cooking for a bigger group, I’m a fan of oven-baked things and lasagna is always a classic everyone loves. My oven is one that iron-door-saloon.com recommended and I love it! My version of this absolute comfort food is a gluten-free vegetable lasagna that gets its flavor from roasted vegetables and mushrooms, and is something as good as you can find in a Restaurant or a Casino, which people visit a lot to gamble, of course they can also gamble online at sites like sbobet casino as well.

Even though making a lasagna takes a bit more time than my usual go-to weeknight meals, it’s still an easy thing to make (plus you’ll probably end up with leftovers!). Lasagna is also the perfect thing to use the vegetables hiding in the back of the fridge or the leftover cheese blocks no one’s using. So feel free to add a vegetable in the mix or use your favorite cheese for topping :) xo’s!

Gluten-free Vegetable Lasagna with Mushrooms

into a 30 x 20 cm baking tray / serves six

Roasted Vegetables:
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
400 g mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper

Tomato Sauce:
3 cans (à 400 g) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp honey (or another sweetener)
salt and black pepper
a handful of fresh baby spinach

Lasagna:
gluten-free lasagna noodles
300 g organic mozzarella

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F degrees. Rinse and dry the eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms if needed. Cut the vegetables into small pieces about the size of 1 x 2 cm. Mix the vegetables with a little olive oil, salt, and black pepper and spread on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Roast in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are slightly browned.

2. While the vegetables are cooking in the oven, prepare the tomato sauce. Place the crushed tomatoes to a large saucepan and mix in the spices. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer on low heat as long as the vegetables are in the oven.

3. Take the sauce off the stove and mix the tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, and spinach. Lower the oven temperature to 175 C / 350 F degrees.

4. Then start building the lasagna: add a little tomato sauce to the bottom of the dish, then add an even layer of lasagna noodles. Add a second and third layer of sauce and lasagna noodles and add half of the mozzarella to the third layer. You can either tear the mozzarella into “crumbs” or cut it into thin slices. On the top, add some sauce and the rest of the mozzarella.

5. Put the lasagna in the oven and cook for about 35 to 45 minutes until the lasagne noodles have softened and the cheese has melted. Let cool before serving. You can serve this for example with a simple green salad. Enjoy!

Easy Weeknight Tofu Burgers

November 17, 2019

this post is sponsored by Foodin

Hey friends! These past few months and weeks have gone so fast that I feel like I have to pinch myself to realize that we’re already past mid-November. It’s taken some adjustment to get the hang of being back to work, having my boy in the kindergarten, and just living the everyday (sometimes chaotic) life. I’m still figuring out many things, like how to keep some kind of consistent workout routine, and how to manage to prep dinner in time before the toddler meltdown or how not to give way too many snacks so that dinner still gets eaten. Thanks to Youtube workouts and super easy dinners, we’ve survived this far, but I’m always on the lookout for recipes and life hacks that are simple and make life easier and a little healthier too. As there are a couple of things that have made our life easier, I thought I’d share one of my favorite veggie burger recipes that is totally weeknight-friendly. Enter: Easy Weeknight Tofu Burgers!

It’s easy to think that marinating tofu would be hard, but I think it’s actually really easy as you can get a really nice flavor from just a few simple ingredients. This time I marinated the tofu with Foodin’s super nice new products, the organic olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. I also added a bit of maple syrup, some Provence Herbs mixture, and salt and black pepper. I’ve been using a lot of different products from Foodin for years and I’ve been super excited about their new line of organic spices, as they’re both so flavorful and packaged to the prettiest small glass jars. Besides using the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in marinades, I recommend using them in salads and on top of veggies too, as they both have a really nice soft flavor.

To make the burgers, I like to add a vegan herb dip, avocado, tomatoes, and some lettuce to these burgers. Simple, yet pretty tasty for a weeknight meal for the whole family :)

xo’s!

Easy Weeknight Tofu Burgers (GF + vegan)

notes: you can replace the bread rolls with big salad leaves or oven-baked sweet potato slices if you’re in the mood for something lighter :)

makes 4 burgers

Tofu:
1 block (270 g) firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut nectar
1/2 tsp Provence herbs
salt and black pepper

For the burgers:
4 gluten-free bread rolls
1 head of lettuce
2 avocados
1 to 2 tomatoes

Vegan Herb Dip:
2/3 cup (200 ml) vegan creme fraiche
1 to 2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup (50 ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (100 ml) finely chopped fresh herbs (for example basil, thyme & oregano)
salt and black pepper

METHOD:

1. Start by preparing the tofu. Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper and place it on a flat plate. Put another plate on top of the tofu, add some weight (like a couple of small bowls) and let sit for 15 minutes to drain excess liquid from the tofu.

2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, herbs, and salt and pepper. Cut the tofu into four large slices and swirl in the marinades. Leave to marinate for about 10 to 15 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the herb dip. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Taste, and add spices or other ingredients, if needed. Place in the fridge while preparing the other ingredients.

3. Heat a large frying pan and add the tofu slices and any leftover marinade to the pan. Fry for a few minutes on each side. Cut the avocado and tomatoes into thin slices. Assemble the burgers by spreading 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dip on top of the bread and then pile all the topping. Serve and enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cake (GF)

June 11, 2019

this post is sponsored by Foodin

Summer is here! So. Much. Love. I absolutely adore summer, as I really feel that it’s the season when I ‘bloom’. And apparently my boy is the same, as he would rather spend all day outside chasing birds and eating grass or sand. So I try to be outside as much as we can, as I know that this is a special time as we’re spending the last few weeks just the two of us before it’s time for a family holiday and the start of daycare.

Maybe it’s the really nice weather, or all the yummy ingredients in season right now, but I’m finally inspired to cook and create again! What I’m into now: fresh ingredients, effortlessness, and simple flavors. I feel like two types of meals are coming to my mind constantly: quick and easy everyday meals that go for lunch and dinner, and super delicious desserts that can be served in summer parties (my favorite kind of parties!) or just for friends coming over. So with these thoughts in mind, I’ve got two recipes to share with you!

I really am a salad lover, as they are a handy picnic food and great on hot days. I often like to add some kind of carb like rice or quinoa to my salads as they make it a bit more filling (I’m always so hungry!). Strawberry feta salad is a favorite from years ago but this time I added quinoa and some lightly toasted pumpkin seeds and pine nuts, all from Foodin. They made such a nice combo! Just enough crunch to balance all the sweetness from the strawberries and the saltiness from the feta cheese. The salad makes a light meal as it is but you can totally serve it as a side for example with some grilled fish, tofu, or veggie skewers.

Chocolate cake is my favorite dessert of all time and I think it makes a nice summer treat as well, especially when you serve it with some fresh berries and maybe a bit of ice cream. One of my most popular recipes here on the blog is this flourless chocolate cake and I’ve wanted to come up with a similar but fluffier version. And now I finally did! I added a bit of almond flour and coconut flour to the cake base (so it’s still grain-free! and also free from dairy, gluten, and refined sugar) and it gets its sweetness from coconut sugar. The filling is nice and creamy and made with avocado, coconut cream, and cashew butter (that cashew butter is so addictive though, you’ve been warned!). The cake turned out really moist and chocolatey, and it even got the approval of the toughest judges in my family (aka my dad and brother-in-law who are kind of huge sugar addicts), so it must be pretty okay :)

A few other things I’m loving this summer:

Kombucha and coconut water. My favorite non-alcohol drinks to enjoy when water feels too boring.

Aperol Spritz. For the moments when coconut water is not enough :)

My local outdoor pool. Going for a swim alone or with a friend is the best way to exercise in the summer.

Foodin’s raw chocolate bananas. A perfect treat when mama’s got a bit of alone time.

Being in the moment. No plans, no schedules, no goals. Forgetting all the to-dos in life and being content with what we’ve done so far. A work in progress for me but I hope to manifest this especially during the summer.

Wishing you all the loveliest summer days! ♡

Strawberry Quinoa Salad with Feta

notes: if you’d like to make this a bit more filling, you can add some avocado on the side. instead of cucumber, grilled zucchini would be really nice too. the trick in this recipe is to mix the vinaigrette to the quinoa so that it has more flavor and the salad will keep a bit more fresh for longer.

serves 4

3/4 cup (200 ml) quinoa
70 g baby spinach
1/2 English cucumber
1/2 l strawberries
1/4 cup (5o ml) pine nuts
1/4 cup (5o ml) pumpkin seeds
100 g feta cheese
a handful of fresh basil
a handful of fresh mint

Basil Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup (5o ml) olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
a handful of fresh basil, finely chopped
salt and black pepper

METHOD:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. Prepare the other ingredients while the quinoa is boiling.

2. Rinse the spinach if necessary. Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half and remove the seeds (aka the soft middle part). Cut the cucumber into slices. Chop the strawberries and cut them into a few parts. Toast the pine nuts and pumpkin seeds in a hot pan and then let cool for a moment. When the quinoa is ready, let it cool for a moment and then season with salt.

3. Prepare the vinaigrette. Measure all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Pour the sauce into the quinoa and stir. Add the spinach, quinoa, cucumbers, and strawberries into a large serving dish. Top with feta cheese, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, and fresh basil and mint. Serve and enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cake (gluten and dairy-free)

notes: as this cake is really moist, make sure to check it’s doneness for example with a cocktail stick. instead of berries, you can decorate the cake with crushed chocolate, fruits, or just keep it really simple with the mousse!

into a 24 cm / 9-inch springform cake tin
serves 10 to 12

Cake:
3 ripe bananas
5 eggs
1 /2 cup (120 ml) coconut oil
2/3 cup (150 ml) coconut sugar
1 cup (250 ml) almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 tbsp raw cacao powder (or dark cacao powder)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
a tiny pinch of sea salt

Chocolate mousse filling:
2 medium-size ripe avocados
1 cup (250 ml) full fat coconut cream (or coconut milk stored in the fridge)
2-3 tbsp raw cacao powder (or dark cacao powder)
½ tsp vanilla powder
4 to 5 tbsp coconut syrup (or maple syrup or honey)
1 tbsp cashew butter (or other nut butter)

fresh berries and cherries for decorating

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F degrees. Cover the bottom of the cake tin with baking paper and add a little coconut oil to the sides of the tin. Set aside for a moment.

2. Chop the bananas into a blender. Add eggs, coconut oil, and coconut sugar and blend until smooth. Measure almond and coconut flour in a large bowl and add cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Then add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

3. Pour the dough into the cake tin and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes in the middle of the oven. You can check the cake’s doneness easily with a cocktail stick: Just stick a toothpick into the center of the cake. If there is wet batter still on the toothpick, the cake needs a bit more time in the oven, but if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

4. Chop the avocados into a large bowl and add all the remaining filling ingredients. (Note: the coconut cream should be really thick so that the filling will come out really creamy.) Taste, and add more sweetener if needed.

5. When the cake has cooled down, gently remove it from the tin. Cut the cake evenly into two parts using a large knife. Place the base on a serving tray and add half of the chocolate mousse. Gently place the other part of the cake on top of the base and spread the rest of the chocolate mousse. Decorate with fresh berries and cherries. Serve and enjoy! If you end up having leftovers, store the cake in the fridge for up to 2 days.

My Survival Kit to Baby’s First Year

May 23, 2019

When my boy was a newborn, I remember everyone telling me that the first year will go by super fast but for me those words felt like such a joke. For me the first few months lasted a lifetime and even if I had already started to doubt if I’d ever be able to leave the house, we somehow got to this day and just passed that pretty special one year mark. Hooray! Honestly, I am so relieved. This past year has been hard and we’ve had to survive with way too little sleep (as probably most parents with small babies have to!), and even if our lives are not changing magically overnight, I feel so much lighter now than in those early days of motherhood when everything was so new, and a bit scary too.

I’ve come to realise that speaking about motherhood and the very honest feelings that we as mothers go through, is not an easy thing to do. It’s not all love and snuggles, as there can be so many mixed feelings about our lives changing so remarkably. It’s so easy to think that other moms are doing great and enjoying their days to the fullest while you’re just trying to get through the day somehow. But in reality we all go through a lot of the same feelings (positive and negative) but some of them are not just shared openly, even though they really should be. If there’s one thing I’ve learned during this year, it’s that openness is healing and the more we share the better we are at finding our ways to mother. Meanwhile, if you’re an expectant mother, services such as a 3D Ultrasound may be a crucial piece in your parenthood journey.

In addition to being a big mental change, motherhood and the everyday life with a baby has brought so many other new things to our life. Like a crazy amount of stuff, an incredible talent to google anything, a different body, a lot of persistence, a chaotic home, being able to lower your own standards (luckily now I have finally realised that perfection really is not the way to go), and also a certain level of new found self-confidence. It’s pretty relieving when you realise that the opinions of others are not that important anymore, as the key really is to find Your own ways and methods both in motherhood and in other aspects of life too.

Even though I haven’t figured out how to sit down and read a book, I’ve managed to spend so many hours on google and on different sites to read about the gazillion things I could either do or buy to get my baby to eat, sleep, burp, be happier, or just to keep myself somewhat sane. And a lot things have been tried and tested! So in order to share all this (hopefully) useful info, I thought I’d write down all the things that have helped us this past year in case they could be of help for someone else too. So if there are any (future) mamas out there, I hope you’ll enjoy my survival kit to baby’s first year! ♡

Helpful things

Baby Björn bouncer: The bouncer chair was my ultimate savior, as my boy could watch me while I was doing all the housework, took a shower, got dressed, ate, or worked out. So if by any chance you’ll get your baby to like the bouncer chair, use it as much as you can!

Baby carrier and slings: Babywearing is super handy as you can use both of your hands and keep your baby close when she / he is awake or sleeping. For us babywearing became rather a necessity, as for the first few months we could get our boy to nap only in a baby carrier or sling during the day, which meant that I almost exclusively carried him for a couple months. So thanks to our Tula Baby and Ergo Baby 360 carriers and also the Baby K’Tan Active sling, I managed to get something done while my baby slept.

Pomelo Best baby changing backpack: Such a great find from Amazon, and it comes with a great price too!

Sleeping

Bebiboo baby nest bed: Newborns are so tiny and it felt funny to just place him on his own bed, so a nest bed was great during those first few months, learn more tips from this pediatric sleep consultant near me. We used it in our bed, in the baby cot, and sometimes in the pram too.

Love To Dream Baby Swaddle: Swaddling has a great reputation for soothing babies but we never understood how on earth to get our baby to stay in the swaddle, so these swaddle pyjamas were the perfect solution.

Baby cot: We’ve been super happy with our moKee Mini Cot Bed that can be used from the newborn phase up until three years old. You can get a lot of different add-ons to it and the bed is painted with an eco-friendly water-based paint.

Hempea hemp sheets: These sheets are super soft and made from 100% hemp, meaning that they’re ecological and a totally safe material for your little one. We’ve loved these a lot and and I really like that they’re super lightweight so they’re easy to pack with us anywhere we go.

Breastfeeding

Doomoo nursing pillow: To help you find that comfortable position during the endless breastfeeding sessions.

Weleda breastfeeding tea: A tea that is supposed to help with your milk production, but I loved it for its absolutely divine taste.

Breastfeeding snacks: Breastfeeding can make you super hungry so make sure you have plenty of snacks around! My favorites were all kinds of smoothies, breakfast cookies, overnight oats, muffins, hearty salads, and basically anything that I could munch down with one hand.

Entertainment: During those first few months it felt like I did nothing but breastfeed, so it was good to have some distraction while staying put for hours a day. So I strongly recommend watching all the shows you’ve been wanting to see, all the (not so smart) movies, and if you manage to read at the same time, go for it! Those moments will be missed, even if I thought I’d never say that :)

SÖPÖ breastfeeding cover: When you’d like to have a little privacy while feeding your little one, this simple cover is a handy solution.

Boob nursing top: If I’d do something differently, I’d buy a lot more better nursing clothes! Boob has great basic tops, tees, and other nursing clothes and the basic tank top was the one that I used A LOT.

Baby eats

Choomee Food Pouch: These reusable pouch bags have been super handy, as you can serve porridge, yogurt, smoothie or just pureed veggies from them.

Nurture Naturals food molds: If you’re making food for your baby and want to save it for later, these freezer molds are the perfect size and they are dishwasher safe too!

Stokke Munch bib: Feeding babies is unbelievably messy but this bib has been great, as you can easily wash it after every meal of even put it to the dishwasher.

Vitamin D/ DLux Baby Spray: Absolutely the easiest way to give your baby the daily dose of vitamin d!

Baby’s skin

For bathing: I really love the Baby Oil by Sophie La Girafe as it makes my baby’s skin wonderfully soft.

For skin: Sophie La Girafe Baby SOS Cream and Weleda Calendula Body Cream are both gentle yet efficient creams to nourish a newborn’s skin (and they’re great for moms too!).

For diaper rashes: Weleda Calendula Nappy Change Cream, Weleda Baby Derma Zinc Cream and Little Butterfly Nappy Change Cream are all our favorites.

For mom

It’s so easy to just focus on your baby and get all the best things for him / her, but taking care of yourself is very important too. Coping with too little sleep, breastfeeding, and taking care of your baby is hard work and can easily make you feel exhausted (at least I’ve been exhausted), so any kind of self care and pampering is good for you. Here are a few random things that have helped me to keep my sanity and made me feel a bit better about myself this past year!

Supplements: I took a few vitamins throughout breastfeeding and in addition to taking some of my favorites I talked in this pregnancy post, I also used vitamin D (I really love this one from Wild Nutrition), Terranova’s magnesium calcium complex, iron from Wild Nutrition and especially during the flu season I took triple zinc (by Puhdistamo) and vitamin C (by Wild Nutrition)

For skin: I’ve always been pretty minimalistic when it comes to skincare and even more so now when there’s so little time for myself. So instead of long lasting routines I’ve put a little bit more effort on finding the right products for my skin (I’ve got a sensitive skin that needs a lot of moisture). I’ve totally fallen in love with this Whamisa Toner Deep Rich as it’s super effective. I also really love the oil cleanser by Whamisa and this exfoliating mask by Kora Organics is the best one I’ve ever used.

Water jogging and swimming: Once I started to exercise again after labor, I took it really easy and mainly went for walks, swims and did some water jogging too. I really love swimming and water jogging as they’re both great ways to move your body no matter what shape you’re in!

Working out at home: Sweat App was my go to in the summertime and it’s great if you have some equipment at home. I do free workouts usually from Youtube and my favorite channel has always been Popsugar Fitness. Moving my body just for 10 or 20 minutes always makes a difference in the way I feel, and it doubles as entertainment for my baby too!

To listen: Thanks to all the stroller walks, I’ve really gotten into podcasts this year. For family topics I like to listen to DocEmilia (in Finnish), but generally I love Goop and Yoga Girl.

Sending you all the love! ♡

Easy Mushroom Frittata

May 6, 2019

this post is sponsored by Puhtaasti kotimainen

I used to have these dreamy thoughts about writing my blog, reading smart books, or doing any of the things on my to do list while my baby naps, or at least feeling that life was somehow under control. But as the days and weeks go by and my boy keeps getting older, I feel like life is more intense and a mix of chaos, fun times, and tired evenings. And I find myself being happy if I manage to find clean clothes, put my make up on, and drink my matcha while it’s still warm :)

But as our days keep getting busier, I find myself needing a lot ways and habits to make our life easier. Even though we eat most of our meals at home, I really don’t want to spend all of my days in the kitchen, so I’ve come up with a couple methods that free up some time! Here are a few of my favorites:

– I prepare my breakfast the night before (overnight oats are my go-to breakfast on weekdays!).

– I make a huge smoothie in the morning so that I have a portion ready in the afternoon. I usually add some fruit, berries, granola or nuts on top of my smoothie too, so that I’ve got enough energy to survive until the evening.

– We make bigger batches of food so that we don’t have to cook dinner every night. All kinds of curries and stews are great, as you can add a lot of different toppings to make them taste a bit different each night.

– I make things that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch and / or dinner. Omelets, savory quiches, and frittatas (like this easy mushroom frittata!) are super handy and delicious too.

I’ve been making frittata for years, as it’s super easy to cook, you can easily use all the leftover vegetables from the fridge in it, and it tastes great both at 10 am and 8 pm. I like to add some cooked potato (or sweet potato) to my frittata, as it makes it a bit more filling and we tend to have some leftover potatoes in the fridge. However, the thing that makes this frittata very delicious are the mushrooms. I just quickly fry them in a pan and then add some dried thyme, which makes them a lot more flavorful and a perfect add to this frittata.

Mushrooms are definitely one of the food trends popping up right now (both in food and in the form of medicinal mushrooms) and they’re a great ingredient as they’re so versatile. Mushrooms have naturally a bit of umami flavor and a nice texture, so they go especially well to all kinds of veggie patties. Besides using them in pies or omelets, one of my favorite things to cook with mushrooms are these portobello pizzas, especially during the summer as they literally require minimum effort.

Now that it’s not technically mushroom season yet, I go for the domestic farmed mushrooms, like champignongs and portobellos. These domestic mushrooms are ready to use and they are grown without any pesticides. So if you’re looking for ways to eat more veggies or plant-based meals, remember to add mushrooms to your shopping list as they’re such an easy way to make those basic meals a bit more flavorful :) xo’s!

Easy Mushroom Frittata

notes: you can easily add other vegetables in this too, for example zucchini, spinach or bell pepper are great adds.

into a 25 cm / 10-inch pan

200 g champignons
olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
4 to 5 medium size cooked potatoes
1 bunch of basil
8 eggs
salt and black pepper
100 g feta cheese

Pesto marinated tomatoes:
2 tsp green pesto sauce
2 tbsp oilve oil
200 g cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 400 F degrees. If needed, gently wash the mushrooms and then cut them into a few parts. Heat a frying pan and add a bit of olive oil to the pan. Fry the mushrooms on medium heat for a few minutes until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Season the mushrooms with thyme and remove from heat.

2. Cut the potatoes into small pieces. Finely chop the basil and save about 1/4 cup for the tomato salad and some extra to top the frittata.

3. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom and sides of the oven pan, and then add the mushrooms and potatoes to the pan.

4. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and season with salt, black pepper, and chopped basil. Pour the egg mixture into the oven pan and crumble the feta cheese on top. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes until the eggs are cooked. Prepare the tomato salad in the meanwhile.

5. Mix the pesto and olive oil together. Cut half of the cherry tomatoes into pieces and keep the rest as whole. Add the pesto oil, chopped basil, and pine nuts to the cherry tomatoes and mix all together. Serve the frittata with the tomatoes and enjoy!

Raw Mango Cheesecake (A Baby-Friendly Version!)

April 11, 2019

this post is sponsored by Foodin

Spring is here! Even though it’s been raining and snowing this week, I am very stubbornly telling myself that pretty soon it will be summer. And we get to be outside! And eat all the berries. And tan. I’m so looking forward to feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin and getting some color, as it’s getting really easy to mistake me for a ghost. I usually find myself feeling exhausted around this time of the year and now with all the added sleep deprivation, I’ve been taking it really easy. One of my go-to tricks to make me feel good has been to enjoy a piece of cake + a cup of green tea under a comfy blanket while my baby naps. Heaven.

It’s been a while I’ve made a raw cake but I had an idea for a mango flavored cheesecake, so this is what I came up with! A really fresh, yet so creamy combination of spring flavors. This cake is also low in sugar, as my little fella wanted to have a piece as well, so this is kind of a crowdpleaser as well. Instead of honey or maple syrup, the cake gets its sweetness from juicy mangos, which have a wonderful natural sweet flavor.

Along with this cake and post I get to start my collaboration with Foodin and it’s something that I’m super excited about! After having my boy and becoming a stay at home / working mom, we’ve been shopping food, baby supplies, clothes, and other everyday essentials mostly online, as it just makes life so much easier.It’s like the best life hack I’ve learned so far. So you can bet that I’ve ordered a lot of different nuts, gluten-free flours, spices, and a variety of seed and nut butters from Foodin’s web shop this past year. They have so many great products, but I think their medjool dates filled with the super creamy cashew butter have been saving my sanity countless times. Life hack #2!

If you’re not familiar with the brand, Foodin is a Finnish family-owned company that has about 250 different food products and they’re all gluten-free (yay!), and most of them are vegan and organic too. I honestly think their products have a great quality and their reasonably priced too, which makes this mama happy (I get to splurge on those nut butters yay). I like to order a big batch of things at once, so that it’s easy to start baking, making snacks, and eat healthy during the busy days and weeks. I also think that I bake more and make healthy snacks more often when I’ve got my cupboards filled with healthy ingredients, so thanks to all the flour and flakes I’ve got, we eat a ton of pancakes and muffins :)

A couple notes about the cake! The crust is made of walnuts and dates (a classic combo!), and the filling is made with soaked cashews, juicy mango, and lemon. You can add honey or other sweetener to the filling if you feel like it, but if you’ve got super juicy mangos, their sweetness will most likely be enough. If you’re making this for kids and feel like the amount of nuts is too much, you could replace the crust with this nut-free version. Feel free to decorate the cake with fresh fruits and berries just the way you like, but it’s better to be a maximalist in it, as the kiddos love all the fancy things on top the cake :)

I’ve linked all the ingredients that you can find from Foodin on the recipe below, so you can easily order any of the things you’re missing. Yesssss for easy life. xo’s!

With the code ”TUULIA” you’ll get 20% off all the normal priced products from the Foodin webshop until the 31st of May 2019.

Check out all the products here!

Raw Mango Cheesecake

notes: the cake gets all its sweetness from the mango, so pay some extra attention on choosing your mango. if you’re using fresh mango, be sure to pick the soft and ripe ones that are really sweet. I used thawed mango chunks from the freezer and they work well too! I always use frozen mango chunks by Pirkka, as their flavor is great and they have enough natural sweetness.

8-inch / 20 cm springform cake pan

Crust:
1 1/2 cup | 375 ml walnuts (or pecans / almonds)
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
a tiny pinch of salt
4 to 6 medjool dates, pitted

Filling:
1 2/3 cup | 400 ml cashews
1/3 cup | 75 ml lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)
2 tsp organic lemon zest, grated
1 cup | 300 g mango
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (or bourbon vanilla powder)
(1 to3 tbsp honey, if needed)

fresh berries and edible flowers, for decoration

METHOD:

1. Place the cashews in a big bowl, cover with water and soak overnight, or for at least 4 hours before making the cake.

2. Start by preparing the crust. Add walnuts, cinnamon and salt into a blender or a food processor and grind until fine crumble. Cut the dates into smaller pieces and add in couple turns. Blend until you get a sticky dough. Line the bottom of a cake tin with baking paper and press the dough to the bottom of the cake tin. Place it in the freezer while making the filling.

3. Rinse the blender. Drain and rinse the cashews and add them to the blender. Add all other ingredients and blend for a few minutes, until you get a creamy and smooth texture. Taste, and add some honey, if you’d like to add some sweetness.

4. Take the cake tin from the freezer and pour the filling on top of the crust. Return to the freezer for 4 to 6 hours until the filling has set.

5. When the filling has set, take the cake from the freezer and remove the sides of the cake tin carefully. Decorate with the fresh berries and edible flowers and let thaw for 15-20 minutes before serving. The cake will remain good in the fridge for a couple of days, for longer periods, store in the freezer.

Sweet Potato Cake w/ Cashew Cream (GF)

March 13, 2019

Since seeing this recipe for a gluten-free sweet potato spice cake on Food52 in 2015, I knew I had to come up with my own version of the idea. So genius! Fast-forward to 2019 and I finally got around to making it. Sometimes things just take their time, right? Anyhow, I feel like this idea is still as relevant as it probably was four years ago and after seeing a bunch of sweet potatoes in our fridge, I just really felt like baking. It was a Saturday night, we were staying in for a change (who am I kidding, we always stay in because #babylife), I had a glass of cider (we didn’t make it to the wine store so cider had to do) and baking felt more appropriate than my usual 9 pm bedtime. Things got so wild that I even took a slice of the cake once it was baked, even though I was planning on shooting it the next day (I think I covered it well this time!). And that slice was delicious.

A few thoughts about the cake: it’s a lot like carrot cake, but you’ll just be using shredded sweet potato instead of carrots. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so they are a great add on baked goods. I’m not a fan of cream cheese frosting, so I came up with my own version of it made out of cashews. This cashew cream frosting is a favorite of mine, as it goes really well on top of cakes and muffins, and it works as a spread too. My measurements for the ingredients are not super precise here, as I was making the cake first with a baby in my arms and then after that cider, so it’s a pretty relaxed recipe. I call this a no stress cake, as it requires zero stressing while baking or decorating it :) Hope you like it too!

Sweet Potato Cake with Cashew Cream Frosting (GF)

notes: if you don’t have any brown rice flour, you could replace it with gluten-free oat flour. the frosting recipe is pretty generous, so you could slice the cake in half and add a layer of the frosting in the middle too. that would probably be pretty good :)

20 cm / 8-inch springform cake pan

2 cups | 500 ml tightly packed lightly packed peeled and shredded sweet potatoes
4 eggs
2/3 cup | 150 ml maple syrup (or liquid honey)
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 cup | 250 ml almond flour
1/3 cup | 75 ml brown rice flour
2 tbsp gluten-free rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
a tiny pinch of vanilla powder
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

Cashew Cream Frosting:
3/4 cup | 200 ml cashews, soaked
2 tbsp coconut oil
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
a tiny pinch of vanilla
1/3 cup | 75 ml almond milk

walnuts, for decoration

METHOD:

1. Heat the oven to 175 degrees. Grate the sweet potato with grated iron and leave the grater for a moment. Break eggs into a large bowl and whisk the maple syrup and coconut oil (it is best to melt the coconut oil at very low temperatures, as eggs + hot coconut oil are not a good combo.

2. Measure in another bowl almond and rice flour, oat flakes, baking powder, salt, vanilla powder and cinnamon. Mix well. Add flour to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

3. Protect the bottom of the loose base with baking paper and apply a little coconut oil to the edges. Pour the batter into the cake and bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. You can also check the cake’s maturity with a cocktail cake: the cake is ready when the dough is not left in the dough when trying it. Allow the cake to cool completely before frying.

4. Prepare the icing when the cake cools down. If possible, soak cashew nuts for a couple of hours in fair water. Rinse and drain the nuts and place them in a blender. Add coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond milk and mix into a smooth, thick cream. Pour the cream into the bowl and put in the refrigerator for a moment to cool.

5. When the cake is completely cooled, remove it from the bowl and transfer to a serving dish. Apply cashew cream and decorate with walnuts if desired. Offer and enjoy! The cake remains in the refrigerator for a few days.

Leftover Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF)

February 25, 2019

I’ve been having a lack of inspiration towards cooking for a while now, and even my favorite dishes feel totally boring and tasteless. Maybe it’s due to the seasons changing, or the lack of sleep. I’ve been having this funny dream, where I picture myself going to a dreamy hotel breakfast where someone else would just serve me all the luxurious dishes (and all the exotic fresh fruit!) that I wouldn’t make myself at home. But instead you’ll find me in my pajamas, in the kitchen, cooking porridge. If I’m not having overnight oats, I’m usually making porridge from oats or millet, and then I just add so many different toppings that I almost forget that I’m eating porridge. I usually cook a big patch of the porridge, as I still falsely think that my husband or my baby would eat it too, and they almost never do, which means that I’m trying to use the leftover porridge to some baked goods. By now I’ve been making muffins, flatbreads, and cookies, and these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are definitely my favorite of them all. And as the cookies were so good, I’ve been finding myself cooking an extra portion of porridge in the morning just so that I could bake these later. There’s always a time for a chocolate chip cookie, am I right?

These cookies are really simple to make and it all starts with the leftover oatmeal. You just simply mix in all the other ingredients and then spoon the dough onto a baking sheet. Et voilà, you’ve got cookies. You don’t even have to get messy and touch the dough, as it’s all done with a spoon. Easy does it, and these ones make me really happy.

xo’s!

Leftover Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

gluten- and nut-free

notes: to keep these entirely nut-free, top them with coconut flakes instead of almond flakes. I haven’t tried a vegan version, but you could replace the egg with a chia or flax egg and then add it to the dough separately.

makes about 9 cookies

1 large ripe banana
1 organic egg
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup / 250 ml gluten-free cooked oatmeal
1 cup / 250 ml brown rice flour
1/3 cup / 75 ml coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
½ cup / 120 ml dark chocolate chips
flaked almonds (or flaked coconut) for topping

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F degrees. Chop the banana into a blender and add the egg and coconut oil. Blend until smooth.

2. Pour the banana mixture into a large bowl and mix in the cooked oatmeal. Add rice flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Spoon the dough into about nine cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Decorate with flaked almonds, if desired. Bake for about 18 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown but still feel a little soft. Let cool for a moment before serving. Serve and enjoy!

THE BEST CBD GUMMIES FOR ANXIETY

February 22, 2019

Does the gummy contain CBD isolate, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum CBD? Isolates are ideal if you’re interested in staying away from THC. Most CBD gummies contain at least 5 mg of CBD. Go with a single 5 mg gummy if you’re trying CBD for the first time you can even cut one in half if 5 mg seems too potent. Why? The answer is simple. CBD alone may help with anxiety relief, but it doesn’t reduce anxiety by itself. You need the other ingredients to take effect.

One of the most fun ways to take cannabidiol (CBD) is by chewing on tasty CBD gummies. They’re easy to ingest, discreet, portable, and palatable, making them an excellent choice if you’re new to CBD. There’s promising evidence that CBD can be helpful for several issues, including anxiety. But unfortunately, not all gummies are created equal. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t currently regulate CBD products though they can send companies warning letters if they make unfounded health claims which is why it’s so crucial for you to do your research. While CBD alone may help with anxiety, we’ve also selected a few gummies with extra ingredients known for their calming, soothing qualities, including melatonin. Your body naturally produces melatonin when it gets dark to get you ready for bed. Melatonin can help with sleep disorders, jet lag, and anxiety. You might recognize these next ingredients if you’re a frequent tea drinker.

Research suggests that both lemon balm and chamomile have anti-anxiety effects. Cornbread Hemp uses a trademark hemp extract, the flower-only extract with cannabinoids directly from the flower of the hemp plant, and not the stem, stalk, or leaves. Calm by Wellness has a 30-day money-back guarantee and offers a discount if you decide to buy products in bulk. Does the gummy contain CBD isolate, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum CBD? Isolates are ideal if you’re interested in staying away from THC. Most CBD gummies contain at least 5 mg of CBD. Go with a single 5 mg gummy if you’re trying CBD for the first time you can even cut one in half if 5 mg seems too potent.

CBD is important for anyone who is looking to cope with anxiety, medical conditions, or just want to take the edge off anxiety. There are plenty of ways to use CBD for anxiety, so we have put together a list of some of the best in the blog to help you decide. If you don’t want to use gummies, or you don’t want to look at all the crazy names and ingredients to make your decision, we have compiled a list of 19 of the best CBD Gummies for Anxiety. These gummies all contain different amounts of CBD, the ingredient that gives you the tingling feeling and the feeling of relaxation from using a CBD tincture. Take a look at these 19 gummies and see if you can find a CBD one for your needs. The ingredients are listed below in the order of concentration. No worries if you don’t like a particular ingredient, you can always find an alternative product that tastes better and doesn’t have those dangerous ingredients.

All posts by Tuulia

Banana Chai Cookies with Chocolate

Banana Chai Cookies with Chocolate

Gluten-free Vegetable Lasagna with Mushrooms

Gluten-free Vegetable Lasagna with Mushrooms

Easy Weeknight Tofu Burgers

Easy Weeknight Tofu Burgers (GF + vegan)

Double Chocolate Cake (GF)

Strawberry Quinoa Salad with Feta

Double Chocolate Cake (gluten and dairy-free)

My Survival Kit to Baby’s First Year

Helpful things

Sleeping

Breastfeeding

Baby eats

Baby’s skin

For mom

Easy Mushroom Frittata

Easy Mushroom Frittata

Raw Mango Cheesecake (A Baby-Friendly Version!)

Raw Mango Cheesecake

Sweet Potato Cake w/ Cashew Cream (GF)

Sweet Potato Cake with Cashew Cream Frosting (GF)

Leftover Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF)

Leftover Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

THE BEST CBD GUMMIES FOR ANXIETY

Sign up for emails

tuuliatalvio