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Blog

Style, beauty and lifestyle blog

 

Filtering by Tag: Food

It's so cold.

freshairboutique

It seems that all over the world folks are suffering from the extreme cold.  I'm always looking for new recipes and I found this one.  Cold weather hotpot.  I'm going to give it a try, and I will report back when I do so... recipe-image-legacy-id--52267_11For all you non-meat eaters, you can always substitute the meat for more veg.  That's the beauty of cooking, you can always just take away and add as you wish.  Stay warm my friends!

 

Peace

magic monday - be a grower

freshairboutique

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I've had enough.  -39 windchills and knee-length North Faces have paved the way for far too long. I'm ready for +5 and denim jackets! I'd love to pull out my beloved floral Doc Martens without fear of breaking my neck on all that ice. While I can't hurry mother nature, there are a few things I can do to prepare myself, and my garden.Now is a fantastic time to get certain things started indoors, so that when that inevitable thaw arrives, you've got some seedlings ready to transplant by May.

I was browsing Pinterest the other day, and stumbled upon a BEAUTIFUL photo of ginger growing in a container. This sent me into a flurry of google searches and page flips, until I could no longer hold my excitement, and decided I must try it out for myself. 

Start off with a pot about twice the diameter of your root. Pick a fairly fresh, preferably organic 'hand' with lots of 'fingers'. Fill 'er up with a good, hearty potting mix.

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Moisten up that soil. Ginger loves warm, moist soil.

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Nestle your root on the soil, and place your pot in a warm spot. Your ginger won't  need direct sunlight at this point.

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Although ginger is a fairly hearty root and can survive dry spells, it's best to keep the soil evenly moistened for optimal growth.

By fall, your tiny litte root could have yielded up to four times the amount of ginger. It's a bit slow going, but soon you should see a bit of green sprout up.

Stay tuned for updates on how this little guy is doing, and more!

have a great week!

xxo p

magic monday - cupcake edition

freshairboutique

cupcakes.jpg

As spring draws near, it seems as though our tastes all migrate towards the light and pretty. Don't we all want to try and hurry mother earth along just a tiny bit with our lipstick, clothing, or food choices? I know that as soon as March hits, my kitchen becomes less of a soup-factory, and more often than not, cupcakes, pies and cookies line the counters. I'd love to share one of my favorite spring treats, cardamom cupcakes with rosewater frosting. Cardamom and Rosewater are a flavour match made in heaven, and cupcakes are the perfect catalyst for such a combo.

CUPCAKES

Cupcakes: 1c unsalted butter, softened 1 ¼ c sugar 3 tsp ground cardamom 4 eggs 2½ c all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease up your cupcake pans, or get your cupcake liners in place, whichever you prefer. I find cupcake liners a bit wasteful, but there's something about peeling that liner to expose a soft, fluffy cake that just can't be beat.

In a medium bowl, (or the bowl of your electric mixer if you're so inclined) At about medium speed, beat together butter, sugar, and cardamom until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat the whole thing well once more. Sift in flour and baking powder in batches, until just combined. Fold in your milk with a spatula, or mixer on low.

Once it's all combined, spoon the mixture into your cupcake pans, at about halfway full in each cupcake hole (is there a proper term for that? if there is, please let me know. cupcake hole doesn't have a great ring to it)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Test the readiness of your little treats by skewering one  (toothpicks work well here). It should come out clean when they're ready. Cool on a wire rack. (VERY IMPORTANT)

While those chill out, you can get started on....

THE ICING!!! 3 c. icing sugar 1 c. butter, softened 2 tbsp. milk 3 tsp. rosewater 1 drop red food colouring (optional)

In a bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add in icing sugar, about ½ c. at a time, until just combined. Beat in milk, rosewater, and food colouring if desired.

After the cupcakes have cooled sufficiently, **Remember, if you haven't cooled your cakes long enough, that lovely frosting will slip right off into a big melty mess** FROST AWAY!!

Now, I iced the cupcakes above with a piping bag and star tip, but feel free to just slather it on in a haphazard fashion. I promise they'll taste JUST as good.

xxo pascale

Renée's Aesthetic

freshairboutique

VALENTINE'S DAY

Did it also sneak up out of nowhere and tap you on the shoulder?  Don't worry, I've got a few last minute DIY gifts/decor to keep you covered.  So here are some last minute ideas that are easy as pie to surprise the one and only, or many loved friends in your life.

Valentine's Day should be about spending the time together.  So why not grab your paints and an old frame, and test out your artistic skills.  I would say that's time well spent.

I love this wrapping!  It would be absolutely perfect for any small gift or treat.  The simple touches like the heart and arrow make such an impact.

Oh. My. Goodness.  How excited would you be, if you came home to this with your favorite record playing?  I just died.  In the best way possible.

This is such a great idea for those close friends, coworkers or family members.  Mason jars are a dime a dozen, found at any old vintage shop.  Homemade treats always taste better anyway.

A handmade card is something I keep forever.  The time and effort put into making them is priceless.  Add a sweet little note, and you'll be sure to warm someone's heart.

As you can tell, Valentine's is more about the time spent and effort for me.  It is a great time of year to show how much you care about everyone around you, not only the person you may or may not be with.  Hopefully you've been inspired by, yes another "commercialized" holiday, but in a way to make it your own and special.

Here's to love, family, and friendships.

happy valentine's day everyone!

-

magic monday

freshairboutique

Happy Monday! Pascale here, receptionist at Freshair Boutique, and your new Monday Blogger. I have all sorts of posts lined up for you guys, so stay tuned and be sure to subscribe in order to keep up with all things FRESH.

After a solid few weeks of holiday-induced bad habits, I've started to feel pretty sluggish and lazy. So sluggish and lazy, that after a long day of work, I just can't be bothered to do anything more than eat my roommate's leftover perogies and my go-to snack of smoked oysters and sour cream on Triscuits.

Whenever I feel myself getting into this funk, I know it's time to turn to my beloved Braun MP80 Juicer.

braun mp80

I inherited this juicer when my parents made the upgrade what I believe is the Holy Grail of juice-extracting machines, THE BREVILLE.

These days, living such fast-paced lives as we do, it can be difficult to get the necessary nutrients from our foods. Nutrients that are important for whole body, as well as hair and skin health. For those of you who aren't super-fans of those dark leafy greens (rich in iron, zinc, and essential B vitamins) adding a few leaves of kale, a handful of spinach or a few florets of brocoli to a beet/apple/carrot juice is a great way to get your servings of veggies while limiting the 'yuck factor'.

I picked up a copy of this great book, Juicing For Life, courtesy once more of my brilliant mama, who is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to all things health and wellness.

JuicingForLife_Book

This book, (which I understand now has a much more chic, updated cover) has pages upon pages of information on how juicing can benefit those with disorders or ailments ranging from Varicose Veins to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Eczema.

I find that within a few days of steady juicing (and easing up on the cheese burgers) there is a noticeable improvement in my skin and hair, as well as my energy levels. Here's a few of my favorite juices, for you to try at home!

Cherry Lime Fizz

This one is less of a juice, and more of a great, sugar-free alternate to soda. I added the cherries to give it a bit of colour, but feel free to use any fruits you have lying around. Peaches, grapes, lemons, pears, and melons all taste great.

Juice the following, pour it over ice, and top off with sparkling water.

1 lime (depending on your juicer, you may want to cut off most of the peel) 1 apple 5-10 cherries, pitted

Beauty Spa Express

This is a great mid-day juice, full of B vitamins. The carrot and apple really steal the show.

one handful of spinach one handful of parsley 4-5 carrots 1/2 -1 apple, seeded.

Fresh Complexion Express

A great morning juice! Pineapples aren't exactly in season, but they are a great source of Vitamin C.

2 slices fresh pineapple (with skin) 1/2 cucumber 1/2-1 apple, seeded

Ginger Hopper

Don't be afraid to add more ginger to this one!

1/4 inch slice ginger root 4-5 carrots 1/2 apple, seeded 1 small beet

Any of these recipes can be used as a rough guideline, don't be afraid to experiment! As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 'All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.' Try adding half a lemon and an apple to a particularly heavy vegetable juice, or a beet to lend some depth to a light, fruity juice.

Leave any juice suggestions, or questions you have below, and be sure to stay tuned this week for more posts from the Freshair team!

xxo

pascale