reading time: 7 min
INSPIRATION [noun] The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
As I am currently holding my second seminar on Creative Writing at my former university, I've spent some time thinking about the phenomenon of inspiration and creativity. While inspiration refers to an unconscious burst of ideas due to mental stimulation, creativity is usually conceived as the direct result of inspiration – the flame that is kindled by the spark, so to speak.
This belief often makes us think of creativity and inspiration of something passive, something that either "comes to us" or that doesn't, like a divine influence, a.k.a. the "kiss of the muse".
I find this passive concept very dangerous and also very false. The idea of inspiration as an external force that feeds our internal well of creativity is simply a myth. Yes, you can feel inspired by external impulses such as images you see and words you hear, and yes, writer's block does exist (just like burnout exists), but you are not dependent on the "kiss of the muse" by any means, and there are effective techniques to get inspired and creative instantly.
So here are my 8 tangible tips on how to spark your own creative fire!
reading time: 3 min
Another Sunday, another savoury recipe!
The traditional Full English Breakfast usually consists of baked beans, fried, poached or scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, grilled tomato, fried mushrooms, and toast.
For our vegan, healthy and delicious version of the popular hearty breakfast we use homemade baked beans, scrambled tofu, grilled tomatoes, fried garlic mushrooms, vegan sausages and toasted bread with vegan butter.
This recipe will take you a little longer and is very filling – perfect for a lazy Sunday morning!
reading time: 2 min
This might be a little too much information but I first made this smoothie while I was on my period and felt like my hormones needed a bit of calming support.
Menstrual problems aside, this smoothie is great as an everyday snack, a post-workout drink or even as breakfast – or at least a pre-breakfast. Rich in proteins and healthy fats from the nuts and stamina-increasing due to the maca powder, this smoothie is a great start into the day!
This smoothie is essentially made with just five ingredients — banana, plant milk, nut butter, maca powder, and ground cinnamon — which result in a creamy, nutty, almost malty flavour.
It contains about
11 g protein
20 g healthy fats
22 mg of vitamin C
5.6 mg of vitamin E
3 mg of iron
141 mg of magnesium
870 mg potassium
and 126 mg of calcium.
reading time: 4 min
Episode 5.
Now, you probably brush your hair and also (hopefully) your teeth – but do you brush your skin as well?
Did you know that the skin is the largest organ in the human body, and it is also one of the most important – and neglected – way of eliminating toxins? It won't surprise you then that dry body brushing is a potent method of exfoliating dead skin, detoxifying the body, reducing cellulite and tightening your skin while also making it smooth as silk. But the list of health benefits doesn't end there!
Dry brushing is an ancient Ayurvedic practice known as Garshana, and one of Ayurveda's daily self-care routines. It is especially recommended during springtime aka kapha season, which lasts from February to June, along with other methods of detoxification and cleansing such as tongue scraping or nasal rinsing.
This technique only takes 5 minutes of your time, and less than four minutes to read about ;)
DISCLAIMER:I
am not a physician, and the information provided on this blog is for
informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a
substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care
provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition
or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never
disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of
something you have read on this website.
reading time: 2 min
Vegan butter cake – sounds like a contradiction in terms? In fact, it's not only quite possible, but also quite delicious and very easy to make!
Butterkuchen ("butter cake") is a popular coffee cake here in Germany, and is made of yeast dough with a layer of sugar and pieces of butter. Hence the name. Often roasted almond slices or chopped nuts are sprinkled on the cake. It's actually quite similar to the vegan bee sting cake recipe I shared a few weeks back, but without the custard filling and with less butter (crazy, right?).
I used to love "traditional" butter cake, and therefore I had to veganize my butter cake recipe. What I use instead of butter? Vegan butter of course! (no, it's not the same as margarine – it's way better) Instead of cream? Vegan oat cream! And to replace the eggs? Applesauce!
Sounds weird? Just keep reading :)
VEGAN BUTTER CAKE
Preparation time: 1 h 30 min
Main ingredients: spelt flour, vegan butter, almond slices, yeast
difficulty level: easy
makes: 1 baking tray
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free, soy-free
Ingredients
Dough:
1/8 cup packed (25g) fresh yeast
1 tbsp lukewarm water
1 tsp organic brown sugar
2 cups (250g) spelt flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp applesauce
2 heaped tbsp (30g) vegan butter (I use the German brand Alsan bio)
pinch of salt
1/8 cup + 1 tsp (30g) organic brown sugar
1/2 cup (120ml) plant-based milk (I use almond milk)
Covering:
1 1/3 cup (125g) almond slices
1/3 cup (80g) vegan butter (I use the German brand Alsan bio)
4 tbsp organic brown sugar
6 tbsp vegan oat cream
powdered sugar to garnish
Instructions
For the dough:
Dissolve yeast in 1 tablespoon lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Allow to prove for about 20 minutes. Gently heat up vegan butter and plant-based milk in a pot until both are lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, pinch of salt and the remaining sugar. Add dissolved yeast mixture, warmed up butter milk mixture, and applesauce. Knead vigorously using an electric whisk.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes. Then knead once again briefly. Place the dough on a greased baking tray, cover with your kitchen towel and leave to rise for another 30 minutes.
For the covering:
Preheat oven to 180 °C / 350 °F.
In your mixing bowl, roughly whisk together your almond flakes and brown sugar. Spread evenly over the dough. Then spread butter flakes over
the dough as well.
Bake in the preheated oven at 180 °C for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the baking tray from the oven and immediately spread the oat
cream over the hot cake! Allow to cool.
Garnish with powdered sugar to serve. Lastly, enjoy with a cup of coffee or black tea :-)
reading time: 2 min
It's been a while since the last time I posted something on here. But now that NaNoWriMo is over (and I successfully participated, yeah!) I do have a little more spare time again, and I plan on posting a little more "regularly" again.
Today I want to share a recipe for the – hands down – best bread on the planet with you!
My uncle taught me how to do this last summer, and it has become my faaavoorite bread of all time since then. It does take a solid 24 hours to prepare, but (!) it is absolutely worth it. Not only is this made with three different types of flour (two of them wholegrain), but it is also vegan and doesn't contain any sugar or oil. It comes with 2 secret ingredients: walnuts (which we actually handpicked this summer and spent way too much time on cracking, lol) and potato.
If you want to learn how to make a rustic German bread with walnuts, then just keep reading :)
reading time: 2 min
Last fall I shared my mom's healthy apple cake, this year I'm sharing another one of mom's made up recipes: a healthy pear cake with almonds and white wine (don't worry, the alcohol will evaporate during baking).
The sweetness of the pears, paired (pear-ed, gettit 😜) with the nuttiness of the almonds, the slight zing of the lemon and the fruity tartness of the white wine are just.... mmmh!
My parents have a gnarly old pear tree in their garden that yields heaps of fruit every other year, and this year we didn't only get pears from my parents, but also from a colleague of mine.
So a pear cake was in order. Obviously.
