Morning Glory Latte: Turmeric Milk and Spiced Matcha Latte

There's something magical about the stillness of the early morning – a moment of calm before the world awakens. For me, it has become a special moment where I can set intentions for the day ahead. And I've found that creating a morning routine with good habits can really help me feel more balanced and centred throughout the day.

Homemade: Spiced Ginger Gin

Always looking for a good way to spread some homemade happiness over the festive season. Being Indian I love playing around with a mix of spices and Christmas time allows me to liberally dig into my spice bag and concont something each year.

Elderflower Cordial Prosecco Spritz

It's July – already! My last post was end of May!

I had many plans through June for my blog – most importantly I wanted to celebrate my birthday with you. As a child of June, I am convinced it is the best month in the whole year. Don't think I wasn't working towards my plan though. I cooked, baked, styled and shot many delicious foods and dishes – job related yes - but also a selection for my readers here. But my plans to sit still and write a post often were interrupted by spontaneous photo shoots, travels and family fun in the sun!

Summer Herb and Fruit Smoothies

After an amazing 3 weeks in India it feels good to be back home! Catching up on many things again and getting back into the swing of things for now. Before I left however I worked on another fantastic project with the Thüringen Tourism Board at a great location. My heroes were the magnificent wild herbs and flowers that are found in many of the forests in this region and not only did I develop and shoot 3 fun and healthy summer smoothies, I also got to visit and shoot at a stunning location.

Raspberry Cordial Spritzer and Raspberry Prosecco Sorbet

 

I am a child of the Eighties, part of the disco era and the real MTV generation. I grew up in a decade where we made a statement with extravagant neon colored fashion, big hair and loud music. The years defined us, made us idealists and pushed us into the 21^st century as adults, ready to pass on the same idealism to our children – the children of the twenty first century.

Ending on a High Note: Bacon Cheese and Leek Tart and a Giveaway

  

You can’t choose family. You just get them and are stuck with them for the rest of your life. You either love them or you don’t. But blood is thicker than water and regardless of the cards you are dealt with you know you will support, protect and love them for a lifetime to come. 

Passion Fruit & Orange Kefir Shake

There's a slight nip in the air and the temperatures are hardly rising above 15 degrees C. Autumn's around the corner. Each year at around this time of year I feel rather melancholic - saying goodbye to Summer in favor for colder days is never easy for me. Being down with a flu at the moment does not brighten up the situation either.


Having said that, Autumn does have it's up sides too. I enjoy the turning of the leaves and the wonderful oranges, yellows and browns that Autumn brings with it. Even in terms of food Autumn brings along great produce like pumpkins, apples and pears. So, I am sure there will be a lot of exciting stuff going on here at WFLH this Autumn.

Being a bit under the weather my appetite is not too hot right now so I have been relying on my blender and a variety of different liquids, fruit and vegetable to keep me going. One brilliant creation I concocted this week was a drink made out of Kefir with passion fruit and orange. Refreshing and healthy, so I figured to share this for my own entry to Liquid Dreams, the theme to this month's Monthly Mingle.


Kefir
Kefir (kee-fer) also known as kewra, talai, mudu kekiya is basically a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance the "inner ecosystem" to maintain optimal health and strengthen immunity. It's origins date back many centuries ago, in the Northern Caucasus Mountains located in the former Soviet Union.

The word kefir is said to be derived from the Turkish word keif, which loosely translates to "feel good". This is for the obvious increase in a sense of well-being experienced by drinking kefir regularly.

Kefir is prepared by culturing cow, goat, or sheep's milk with kefir grains, which are not to be mistaken for cereal grains. Kefir can best be described as a sort of sparkling yogurt in liquid form, with its own distinct and deliciously mild, naturally sweet, yet tangy flavor—with a refreshing hint of natural carbonation. Its unique taste and almost supernatural reputation as a longevity drink is probably why people all over Europe are making kefir their beverage of choice. In Germany over the years Kefir has gained popularity to immense extents and many mixed drinks and shakes are available at the supermarket containing this superfood.

Health Benefits
Kefir has many reputed health benefits. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It's been used in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, and allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease.

In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir also contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. In particular it contains calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.

The abundance of enzymes brings more health benefits, especially to lactose intolerant people, many of whom can tolerate kefir without difficulty, as long as the kefir is raw and not cooked (cooking destroys the enzymes).

Kefir can be easily prepared at home, just as it has been done over many centuries. Fresh, non-pasteurised or pasteurised full-cream, low fat or non-fat milk is poured into a clean suitable container with the addition of kefir grains. Any fresh milk-type available can be used to make kefir. The contents are left to stand at room temperature for approximately 24 hours. The cultured-milk is strained in order to separate the kefir grains from the liquid-kefir. The grains are then added to more fresh milk, and the process is simply repeated. This simple procedure can be performed on an indefinite basis as kefir grains last forever.

The strained liquid-kefir may either be consumed fresh, refrigerated for later use, or ripened at room temperature over a period of days. The ripening process is useful for individuals who wish to reduce lactose in their kefir. Ripening improves overall flavor, increases specific vitamins of the B group, while carbon dioxide and alcohol content is increased also.

Helpful links:
I have been following the instructions here to make my own Kefir at home.
Kefir starter kit.
Further information on Wikipedia
Where to find Kefir (UK & USA).

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Ingredients



2 passion fruits - pulp and seeds only
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
200 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
200 ml kefir

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Method



Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz for at least a minute until smooth. If you find it too thick add some more orange juice.

Using a fine meshed strainer, strain the kefir into glasses.

Cheers!

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Verdict



You know the feeling you get after you have done something especially good for your body, like a good workout, it tingles and feels rejuvenated. That is the description I can give you after drinking this Kefir shake. Taste wise it is fruity and tangy with just a little hint of yeast not at all unpleasant.

This is also a brilliant drink for breakfasts for those who are unable to eat solid food in the morning. If you want to get rid of a few extra pounds, you will find, drinking kefir/buttermilk shakes also will help you get to your ideal weight. More about getting rids of the extra summer pounds in Helene's great article Meal frequency and calorie intake.

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Technorati Tags: passion fruit, orange, kefir, shakes, milkshakes, dairy, milk, fermenting, drinks, fruit, yogurt, healthy, photography, recipe, food, nikon d70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2007 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Mixology Monday 9: Manhattan

There are some days when things do not really work out the way you planned. Pretty much everything you do turns out to be a mess or a chaos.

Last week, when I wanted to try out a few new things I had read about photography, I experienced such a day. I decided to mix up my chosen cocktail for this session of Mixology Monday, which is being hosted over at A Dash of Bitters and give what I had just learnt a try.

What I wanted to play around with was lighting, shadows and reflections on my photos. Alas, everything I was doing turned out wrong. I moved my equipment and position at least four times trying to get the right scene and lighting, once some of the liquid splashed out of the glass ruining one of my white backdrops and I changed the style of glasses twice because I was not satisfied with the look. Frustrating to say the least.

When finally the cherry fell off the glass I was about to throw in the towel and call it a day. I decided to shoot just one more picture. I loved it! It was the one taken above. The one below was one of the ones I was not very happy with. Here, I was trying to get some cool reflections on the liquid.

After that experience I really needed that drink. LOL!

So, what did I mix up? As the theme for this MixMo was Bitters I decided to go for something classic. I had settled for the Manhattan.

The history behind this drink is varied. A popular story is that Winston Churchill's mother, Jennie Jerome requested the bartender to mix up a special cocktail at the banquet she was hosting in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden. The location of the banquet was at the Manhattan Club in New York. As it turned out to be a very successful party, the drink evolved into a very fashionable cocktail and people referred to it when ordering as "the Manhattan cocktail."

Whatever the story, one thing is for sure, this cocktail has been around for centuries, originating, in the Nineteenth century.

You'll find more stories and variations to the Manhattan here.

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Don't forget your dishes of thanks for the next Monthly Mingle - Give Thanks

Deadline: November 16, 2006
Please note: I will require a 75 x 75 picture of your dishes too or just send in a picture with your entry and I will resize it.

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Ingredients:

4 cl Whiskey - the best type to use for this is Canadian Whiskey
2 cl Vermouth Rosso
1-2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 Maraschino Cherry
4 ice cubes

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Method:

Pour all the liquids into a shaker, add the ice cubes and give it a good stir. Strain into a glass and decorate with the cherry.

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Verdict:
Well when I made the cocktail, it was mid afternoon and certainly no time to drink this. But in the evening I did pour a glass for Tom and myself as we called it an evening. It is a perfect drink to relax to. The bitters really offset the sweetness of the whiskey and vermouth well and even though there are recipes that omit this, I recommend that you do not. This is a man's cocktail - simple, suave and strong.

Cheers!

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