So most of us probably have “eat less sweets” on their New Year’s resolution list. So did I – until I tried out this recipe for cute and really tasty little cakes. They are the perfect party food and can be made in lots of different flavours. I decided on chocolate and almond, suitable for wintery weather. I found the recipes in the book “Feine Gugl” (available here, only in German). If you’re not very patient, just order them online via the Gugl online shop and let yourself be surprised by the huge variety of little cakes.
What you need (for 18 chocolate mini cakes):
20 gr. (1/4 cup) butter for the baking pan
60 gr. (1/2 cup) butter
60 gr. (1/2 cup) icing sugar
80 gr. (3/4 cup) flour
1 egg
35 gr. (1/3 cup) dark chocolate
a shot of red wine
a pinch of grounded cinnamon and cocoa
cake pan (available with the book or e.g. here)
1. Preheat oven (210 degrees celsius/410 degrees fahrenheit) and butter cake pan.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, then mix all ingredients.
3. Fill cake pan with dough, using an icing bag. Bake for approximately 11 minutes. Ready!
I love Christmas and the time spent with my family. Nevertheless, sometimes it can be exhausting. I am really blessed with my family, but we usually don’t get through the holidays without at least one fight. Thankfully it never lasts for long and we try to take it with humour (and lots of drinks). I wish you all merry Christmas, joyful days with your families and a bit of humour (maybe my favourite Christmas poem helps)!
Snowball
~Shel Silverstein
I made myself a snowball,
As perfect as could be,
I thought I’d keep it as a pet,
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas,
And a pillow for its head,
Then last night it ran away,
But first – it wet the bed!
I can’t believe it’s already Christmas! We always spend the holidays at my parent’s house with lots of food and drinks. It’s my and my sister’s tradition to stay in our cosy Christmas pyjamas for at least one day (yes, we’ve got the same red pyjama with snowflakes and little dogs). But for the festive dinners we enjoy to dress up, even if it’s just close family. My favourite outfit above. How do you usually spend the holidays? Have you got any funny traditions?
1. Earrings by Fourth Dimension
2. Ted Baker London printed dress
3. Ted Baker London fake fur jacket
4. Star bracelet by Nyota Nane
5. L’Autre Chose pumps
6. Yves Saint Laurent leather belt
You want to impress someone special? What about cooking something extraordinary tasteful? Maybe I am a bit enhanced by this recipe since it was the first thing my boyfriend has cooked for me (yes, we are still together). But the combination of scallops, vanilla and sauerkraut really is amazing (it even has a proven aphrodisiac effect). Try it out and I hope it brings you as much luck as it did bring us!
1. What you need for two:
- 6 fresh scallops
- 2 portions of sauerkraut (I use a jar of ready-made sauerkraut)
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
- lemon zest of one lemon
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1 cup of cream
- a sip of champagne
- some chives for decoration
2. To caramelise the sauerkraut, bring the sugar and most of the butter to the boil on medium heat until you have a golden caramel. Then deglaze with a sip of champagne.
3. Wash sauerkraut and put it into the caramel, stir. Add the vanilla bean, vanilla seeds, the lemon zests and the cream and let steep on low heat.
4. Meanwhile season scallops and put them with the rest of the butter in a hot pan and jiggle them until they are golden brown. Arrange the scallops around the sauerkraut on a plate and decorate with chives. Bon appétit!
Not only because of my professional background in fashion and visual merchandising I am eager to see the Christmas windows showing up every year. I enjoy strolling through shopping streets and fancy department stores to be inspired by their abundant decorations. It’s also my favourite time of the year to take a short city trip to richly decorated cities like London or Paris with their famous department stores. See my favourite Christmas windows, from traditional red and green to white Christmas and simply magical.
images via Retail Design Blog
The first snow is falling, it’s getting really cold and the sun is going down at 5pm. It’s time to brave the weather and curl up at home in a cosy armchair with a cup of warming tea. I actually like these evenings, they seem to slow down the world a bit. To make it more comfortable I love to light scented candles that fill the house with beautiful scents. Unfortunately I am a bit delicate concerning the scent. Most of the candles on offer I consider either to be too sweet and strong or simply too expensive. Nonetheless I sometimes grant myself a scented candle from Diptyque or Park’s London but also decided to try my hand on my own scented candles. It is really simple, you can create your own favourite scent and – since christmas is coming up – serves as a neat gift.
I simply used some small bowls, but you can choose also glasses, tins, vases, everything you stumble upon (I even thought about filling up an empty Diptyque candle).
The components you need: wax, wicks, essential oils of your choice, a boiler, wooden sticks. Here are the 4 simple steps:
1. Fill wax in a boiler and heat until it has melted and is clear.
2. Add essential oils of your chosen combination. I used orange and cedar for a woody and warming scent.
3. Fill bowls, tins etc.
4. Wait a few minutes before putting the wicks into the wax and fixing them with the wooden sticks. After they have dried, trim the wick with scissors.
As a child I was a devoted collector of all kinds of things. Miniature perfume bottles, sea shells (and the sand from the beach they came from), everything that sparkles and tea caddies. My affection for collecting things did not last, but almost a hundred tea caddies, gathered from around the world, did. I still like the retro touch of some of them and the stories they tell, therefore I decided to divert a few from their intended use. Now tea caddies function as a vase for flowers, a box for cotton swabs or pens and simple for tea or spices in my home.
In Munich, we call it “the fifth season”. The Oktoberfest covers the entire city in white and blue (the colours of the bavarian flag). Everything is decorated with huge pretzels, even the diamonds in the Tiffany’s window display. But most extraordinary and eye-catching are the people from all different kind of nations all dressed up in traditional bavarian costumes like dirndl and Lederhosen. I love dirndls, not only because they shape a perfect and very feminine silhouette, but also because they became a bit less traditional and more glamourous over the last few years. Not to mention the variety of accessories: hats, bags, shoes, scarves, decorated with deers, pretzel and oktoberfest-hearts. I hope you enjoy the best season of the year – and, of course, dressing up for it – as much as I do!
1. For the grand entrance: glamourously embroidered dirndl by Lola Paltinger
2. Cosy cardigan by Herzallerliebst to stay warm
3. Highly fashionable hat by Dekadenza
4. Oktoberfest-heart
5. Roeckl-scarf with little Oktoberfest-hearts
6. Silver Tiffany’s beer-mug-charm
7. Cute Sweet Deluxe pretzel-bracelet
8. Holds everything you need: decorated apron-bag by Heimatschön
9. Really comfortable green velvet ballet flats by Unützer
10. A bit difficult to dance on the table with, but absolutely gorgeous: red suede pumps by Unützer
Summer is fading and with all the bright rainbow colours. The same applies to our wardrobe and nail polish. Time to turn from bright shades to sophisticated, clean and subtle colours. From pink-based nudes to creamy milk-chocolate, for the romantic type or the biker style – there’ a shade to complete every style. I found my favourite shades at Avon, from left: “perfectly flesh”, “naked truth”, “vintage boutique”. Which shades do you prefer?
Delicious and fresh seafood platter
I can’t believe how fast time passes on holidays and we’re already back home! One week of lying at the beach, long walks in the dunes and more fresh seafood than I thought I would ever be able to eat. I got to taste a few sea animals I haven’t even known before (some snails) but were very tasteful. Which plans have you got for your next summer holidays?
A very impressive sailing ship
Dunes to take walks or make a picnick in
