This was one of the best desserts I made according to my boyfriend. I rarely do muffins, when I do them I do banana and nuts or carrot cake muffins. I am absolutely desperate with frosting and cupcakes so I rarely try to make those but lemon and poppy seeds muffins are a perfect blend of the two.
They were super easy to make and they make a fabulous fresh, every day dessert with coffee or to take to a party. I had some blueberries left over so I added them when already pouring the mixture into the cups. If you make more then your family can eat in three days time, you can definitely freeze them once they are cool and just pull them out of the freezer few hours before you have guests or defrost them in a microwave.
Give it a try yourself, you won't regret it!
INGREDIENTS
Muffin mixture:
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/3 cup unsalted butter (melted/room temp.)
2/3 cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Optional:
1 cup of blueberries or 3 tbsp of coconut
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 220 C (425F).2. Lightly grease a muffin pan with oil or nonstick spray or alternatively line with paper liners (I made 10 muffins out of this mixture). I am always using those Ikea silicone muffin cups and I make as many as I can fill with mixture. They also come out easy even when not greased.
3. Make dry mixture by steering together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.
4. Beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). I used manual beater and a butter which I left on room temperature for 20 min as I didn't have electric one handy and muffins came out great. Add sugar and cream together onto butter mixture, add eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and greek yogurt to it, mix just to combine. Add lemon juice and mix to combine nicely.
5. Add dry flour mixture to this wet mixture and mix until batter is well combined.
6. Spoon batter into prepared cups, but fill them only about 3/4 full because they will grow a bit.
7. Bake for 5 minutes at 220C/425F. Lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean.
8. While you are waiting for muffins to be done you can make the glaze. Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the baked muffins.
Let me know how yours came out if you decide to try them! :)
Just like with unique shoes I go crazy for unique, stand out handbags. They don't need to be a name brand as then more people have them and that makes them less special, I like to find those unique gems which are not only well made, usually out of leather and fun embroidery, but also come with a fun background story.
My most recent purchase was this hat shaped backpack by Croatian designer Madval made out of eco leather and real leather.
The Novelty Handbag
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| Source: http://bagatyou.com |
This is the kind of bag you buy because you are absolutely drawn to it, it's not a bag you look to wear every day with any outfit. It's a stand out handbag, original piece everyone will admire. A piece you will cherish and save to hand down to your child. This handbag is not a status piece like the brand name bags which scream "I am rich", this bag's statement is "I have a unique style".
My favorite examples of such handbags are Diamond Ring handbag by Homanz, Cuckoo Bird Backpack by Clox and Women handbag by Joanna Kruczek which is actually protected with patent for innovation.
Shop novelty handbags:
The Micro Bag
Probably the cutest bag trend in 2017 are mini bags. You know, the exactly the same as your favorite lusting-over signature designer handbags in miniature version (baby size which can't fit your wallet) at more palatable price. With the rise of the Konmari method, if you go for micro-bag trend you will seriously need to rethink what are your every day essentials as with these bags you can only carry probably a credit card and a lip gloss on you.
Shop micro handbags:
The Cross-body Bag
The cross body handbag is the most traditional mid size handbag which if you refresh it with ultra popular guitare strap can definitely be the chicest item in your outfit! If you are not looking to purchase a whole new cross body bag to meet the trend you can easily just purchase a strap and attach it to the favorite everyday cross-body bag from your closet. I love these styles by Rebecca Minkoff.
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| Valentino |
Shop cross body bags:
The Top Handle Bag
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| Source:http://leftbankgirl.blogspot.com.es/ |
The classic top handle bag is back for a number of seasons now and not going anywhere! It's the only really acceptable tote to.“A true woman’s work bag,” is how one designer described it. Even though due to it size it can be unpractical when full and when it doesn't come with over the shoulder strap this handbag truly has the most ladylike form a bag can have!
“A handheld bag has something special about it – it evokes memories of a kinder, less harried, gentler, more ladylike time.”
Shop top handle bag here:
What is the handbag style you are drawn to the most?
Before I went to spend Summer in Croatia I purchased a bunch of iron-on patches to apply to denim shorts. In my research before purchase and looking around on the streets I noticed more and more people started again customizing their denim jackets and loose fitting denim shirts, leather jackets, bomber jackets, military button up shirts and jackets as well as plaid shirts.
WHERE TO BUY STATEMENT JACKETS
When researching I found two fabulous shops which sell really great variety of statement jackets with patches or writing on the back. One of them is High Heels Suicide with their popular 'Girl Gang' denim jacket which is available for pre-order now.
On JNLlovet shop you can shop pre-made military, leather, denim or bomber jackets or make your own right there in the shop! This is where I ordered my light denim jacket.
DIY - YOUR OWN STATEMENT JACKET/SHIRT
If you already have an old denim or leather jacket you can certainly shop for iron-on patches on Etsy, in one of fast fashion stores or in sawing supplies store in your town and custom make your own piece. If you don't have a denim or leather jacket to use you could also do the same work on a loose fitting denim or plaid shirt or a dress. You could also use white fabric paint on dark leather jacket for more dramatic results.
If you are looking for more adult version of this trend you could just apply a bunch of vintage pins and maybe a fur pom pom on the front of the leather jacket as pictured bellow.
Are you going to go with DIY or shop for already made designs?
Shop here from $29:
My daughter Anabela was breastfed until about 4 months and then due to serious mastitis I had and lost most of the milk we transitioned to formula (Almiron Advanced Digest). Anabela was and still is a great eater but often quite gassy which disturbs her sleep. She slept wonderful (up to 7-8 hrs/night) once her colics stopped from about 4 months to 5.5 months but then she started waking up to eat two to three times a night. She usually doesn't even finished the bottle but falls a sleep after drinking half of it.
STARTING WITH BABY FOOD
I started introducing solids with cereals (without gluten) and continued with zucchini (1/3 of medium zucchini) once a day around noon for lunch along with a bottle of formula milk (180 ml) and I went on for 3 days with zucchini to see if there will be any allergic reactions. I continued the same way with other foods: apple, pear, red potato, avocado, banana etc.
I intentionally went with veggies first before fruits as I was afraid she might refuse to eat veggies if I start her with fruit which is usually sweeter and easier to eat then unseasoned vegetables. Now Anabela is 6 months and I started combining foods we already tried to make these meals more nutritious, tasty and fun for her. Thankfully, so far she loved all she tried.
If you are wondering what are the signs to look for to check if your baby is ready to start with solids read more here.
In different parts of the world different foods are recommended by pediatricians to start with, I discussed this topic in great length with baby nutritionist here in Barcelona, Spain and I also referred to food charts I found in Croatia (download here) and one I got from nutritionist which is widely used in Western Europe (download here).
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| Source: Wholesome Baby Foods |
Personally, I think it's best to get as much knowledge you can about the topic from your pediatrician, nutritionist based on your baby's situation and then just bring informed decision yourself on when to start.
BABY COOK
After discussing it with our pediatrician we started slowly adding solids to Anabela's diet once per day in small amounts starting with 4.5 months. I purchased Beaba baby steam cooker which my friend Iva recommended which makes it super easy to steam cook and mix into pure baby's food in minutes. You can even make two meals (fruits and veggies) at the time as it has two pitchers.
ANNABEL KARMEL (Website)
Annabel Karmel is a fellow “mumpreneur” from United Kingdom juggling life as a busy working mother of three with a hugely successful career. Since launching with the book Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner more than 20 years ago, Annabel has written 40 books, which have sold over four million copies worldwide, covering every stage of a child’s development.
With more than 20 years’ experience under her apron, Annabel has become the UK's number one parenting author, best-selling international author and expert on devising delicious, nutritious meals for babies and children. Her website also features wonderful recipes for your moody pregnancy appetite.
The website is incredibly easy to use and contains recipes per baby's age. There is a drop down menu on the right side of her website where you enter the age of your baby and then you get beautifully pictured recipes for your baby. You can also see Annabel's recipes for pregnancy, family or the baby on her mobile app or if you prefer a book she also sells cookbooks on her webshop.
Shop Annabel Kamel cookbooks:
CHIARAS LITTLE PLATE (Instagram)
Chiara's mom, originally from my home town of Zagreb in Croatia is also a chef and she features fabulous baby food images and recipes on her Facebook page in Croatian and Instagram in English. My friend Petra recommended this page which definitely serves as inspiration for me both for meals I cook for my boyfriend and I and for Anabela. She also plans to do cooking classes for mom's in Zagreb soon. Her pages are definitely worth following so check them out!
KIDS FOOD UNIVERSE
Kids Food Universe is really a wonderful source of fun and healthy recipes (hell I would eat most of these any day!) for your baby, toddler and a child. They also often feature fun giveaways on their site and give useful tips on how to pick well ripped produce in your local store.
This page is managed by mum from Denmark and she has a large following on Instagram as well. I love her video recipes on Instagram and simple diagrams with seasonal produce which can be really helpful when wondering what to cook next.
What are the great cooking inspiration sources you use when preparing food for your baby?
I would love to learn more! Type yours in comment!
I got this recipe earlier this year from my friends mom. She prepared it for the dinner we went to and I had to have it, it was delicious! I usually love the taste of mustard in meat recipes but this is also quick to make and perfect as a dinner for two, with usually enough leftovers for next days lunch if you serve it with salad like we do at home.
It will probably take you about 10 minutes to prepare it and about 40 minuted to bake it.
INGREDIENTS
500g (1 Ibs) thin sliced turkey or chicken breasts
1 pack of puff pastry
300g (0.6 Ibs) mushrooms
100g (0.2 Ibs) thin sliced carrots (optional)
100g (0.2 Ibs) thin sliced zucchini (optional)
1 medium size onion finely sliced
1 tbs mustard
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 (200g / 0.4 Ibs) sour cream
2 eggs (1 for coating)
100 g of shaved Gouda cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp sweet paprika powder (optional)
Croatian spice mix Vegeta (optional)
sesame seeds or linen seeds for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Cut turkey (or chicken) into small bite size stripes, season it with salt, pepper and sweet paprika spice. Cook until meat is well cooked, set meat aside on a warm plate.
Heat the oven to 185C (365 F).
2. Use the same pan, add some more olive oil if needed and brown onion and garlic over medium heat, add mushrooms and vegetables. When vegetable is roasted add meat and mix well.
3. Beat 1 egg, sour cream and mustard in a bowl.
4. Spread puff pastry over the baking paper, spread vegetables and meat mixture over it, poor sour cream mixture over the meat & veggie mixture and spread shaved cheese over it. Roll the pastry with tucking the ends inwards.
5. Coat the role with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds or linen seeds. Bake for 40 minutes on 185 C on baking paper.
Bon appetite! Delicious!
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| Source: http://collegecandy.com |
No matter if your personal style is minimalistic and timeless with not a lot of print and color or if you are the most colorful bird in your flock you can incorporate this fabulous and quite flattering piece into your Fall wardrobe.
MY CHOICE
These days I am looking for light fabrics that are easier to maintain and comfortable on body but I am not ready to compromise on style front.
My favorite's this season (which you can wear all through August but also in Fall) are white cotton bell sleeve blouses with slight v-cut front which look fabulous worn with cropped jeans or culottes or shorts.
When it comes to color and print, I also like the 70's burgundy print tops with floral print and lace up front. My 'hero' brand when it comes to bell sleeve and generally hippy 70's style is most certainly Free People.
With return of the 70's style we could have seen more and more designers have fun with the sleeve, on the runway we have seen one sleeve tops and dresses, cut sleeve, bell sleeve tied up sleeve and extra long sleeves all over from Dior to Christian Siriano to fast fashion brands.
Shop more bell sleeve here:
Photographed by Mario Testino, Vogue, September 2016
This season I decided to summarize all of the Autumn/Winter 16' season trends in one post as there are truly a lot of fun ways to wear and style these runway trends in real life.
Of course, with this post I do not suggest that you go out and buy a bunch of fast fashion pieces to cover all trends of the season. Nobody has this kind of money and just piling up trends does not necessarily mean you will be dressed fabulously.
This is just a list of current trends and you certainly have some of these pieces in your closet or your mom and grandma might. The beauty of stylish dressing is in combining vintage pieces with those pieces you have in your closet from previous years and with one or two great quality new statement pieces you might want to purchase.
PRINTS & COLORS
Galaxy Print - looks like the fashion world is equally excited about the potential of space travels like the rest of us wondering if there is a better world for us somewhere out there! I love how & Other Stories brand did galaxy print.
Valentino PreFall 2015 (now in retail)
Gold Metallic - metallics (and not just gold) have started to make an appearance in Spring already but they really shined through on Fall runways. I love how designers showed metallic gold pieces in styled as part of daily looks. My favorite gold metallic piece of the season is definitely midi pleated skirt.
Fall Florals - no matter what time of the year it is, I am very much into print and florals! Fall florals are much more grunge. I like to pair my maxi floral slip dresses with white t-shirt and sandals or sneakers in this transitional period while I wear it with leather jacket and chunky heel boots in Winter.
Shades of Tan - from muted khaki to soft camel this Fall you will see much more then 50 shades of tan in stores. I personally have moods where I like to wear a classic tan trench with vintage brown belt and tan suede boots over dark jeans.
Reconstructed Denim - many designers played with denim patching this season be it a patchwork denim dress, denim skirt with sleeves or a flare added or a boyfriend jeans with patched up wide cuff.
Pink + Yellow - one of the New York Fashion Week most often runway featured and not so Fall typical color combos was dusty pink and yellow.
FABRICATIONS
Easy Pleats - as I mentioned earlier writing about gold metallics, I am in search for a fabulous midi gold metallic pleated skirt as one of a few investment pieces this Fall. I do have a thin navy blue sequin embellished skirt but it definitely isn't suited for colder weather.
Gucci
Velvet Everything - I already posted about velvet as THE fabric this season. I love how its so soft and cozy but at the same time luxurious and makes a well put together outfit look expensive. My favorite wear to wear is on my feet (velvet sandals - yes sometimes with socks) or
Statement Faux Fur - both faux and real fur made a big appearance on AW 16 runway shows. I am not a huge fur person myself, definitely not a real fur person. I was very impressed with this fabulous
Pinstripe Pantsuits - the new pantsuit is slim and colorful and equally appropriate for a dance floor and a boardroom. I love them in silk and velvet!
Tinsel - another shinny material which can look like feathers but is not as fragile. It ads shine to outfits but is less shiny then sequins. This season we saw it on a runway in a form of cocktail dresses, jackets and coats.
Tinsel dresses at Dolce & Gabanna
Patent Leather Trench Coats - these babies also double up as rain coats due to fabrics water resistant quality. If well cut these can be incredibly sexy, chic and functional part of your Fall wardrobe.
Gray Plaid - this Fall plaid on runways was everything but basic and boring. We could see designers like Victoria Beckham and Calvin Klein featuring plaid in a more subtler, cleaner and modern way on all from coats to light evening dresses.
Big Ruffles - often times everything we see on runway is over exaggerated and not always wearable. This season big ruffles are not only wearable but also quite figure flattering.
ACCESSORY PIECES OF THE SEASON
The Statement Choker - whatever you tie around your neck this Fall be it a thin leather string tied in a bow, a statement embellished chocker or a thin silk scarf you will add a trendy upgrade to every outfit.
Embellished Gloves - I am all into old glamour accessory, after hats I love maxi elbow length gloves. This season we could see beautiful silk and leather gloves embellished with ruffles, silk flowers and ornaments. I will definitely be on a lookout for a fabulous pair to wear with my 3/4 sleeve coat!
Del Pozo AW 2016
Corsets & Harnesses - could be a bit sado-mazo looking in real life but on runway they look extra fabulous! I do like to see fashionistas styling a corset skillfully into a daywear look.
Balmain
Fur Stoles Worn Cross Body - fur stoles have always been one of the favorite ways for designers to add luxury touch to an outfit. This season the fur stoles are styled asymmetrically across the body, tucked under the belt and draped over the evening gowns.
Creative Ways to Wear Your Bag - for the past few seasons designer bags are getting smaller and smaller and this season we could see a lot of creative ways to wear the purses on top of regular over the shoulder. Designers have styled the handbags around the waist, around the neck, wrist etc. Play with how you wear your handbag this season, just make sure it's light! :)
Prada AW 2016.
Silver Metal Details - add some edge to your tone down Fall/Winter look with metallic ring embellishment, a statement broach or a large silver belt loop ring.
Turtleneck under a dress - this is a mega trend which has been covered by designers across the board. The beauty of this trend is that you can now layer long sleeved shirts with those sleekly evening dresses you might not get to wear that often as part of a daily look. This trend fits all body shapes also!
TRENDY PIECES OF THE SEASON
Statement Sleeves - statement sleeves have taken over the runway! Forget your average boring straight sleeve and say hello to a bell sleeve, sleeves decorated with bows, shoulder cut off sleeves etc.
Off The Shoulder Tops and Dresses - Hello 80s! Off the shoulder trend we are seeing for three seasons now is staying with us all through the Fall and it's also getting an upgrade with one sleeve tops and dresses often featured with large ruffles on runway.
Outerwear trends - on top off the statement furs, most prominent outerwear pieces from the runway were navy overcoats, green trench coats and shearling bombers and puff jackets worn not only over day looks but also over evening gowns.
Pinafore Jumpers - some designers took 'back to school' season very literary so we could see plaid on runway of various designers from DKNY to Calvin Klein. Find jumpers and dresses you can wear on their own now or later with a turtleneck or layered with sweater.
Hoodies - looks like hoodies also made it to runway! Paired with anything from maxi skirts, track suite or tight high boots. I think I'll keep mine for in the house and to the gym wear only!
Capelets (aka mini capes that cover only your shoulders) - I used to own a cape jacket but I was never a huge fan of capes. This season we are seeing capelets added to dresses and tops.
Which of these trends can you see yourself wearing this season?
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