Oh no, someone might think I have a thing for pancakes

This time last year my friend Ioana and I were cooking for a TV show called CSID, broadcasted on ProTV. While I was cooking spicy tofu cakes, she made the fluffiest and the most delicious pancakes in the world, topping them with a mixture of cream cheese, chocolate and bananas. While still waiting for a remake of those incredibly delicious pancakes, I made these ones yesterday and one of them happened to have that balloon shape like we see in cartoons or in comics. So this is how you make a pancake say "Hi!".

I always like to add different ingredients and I'm thinking that next time I make some, it would be interesting to add green tea and some dark chocolate drops. I just love the green tea flavour although it took me a while to get used to it and I remember very well how I would always make a wry face whenever one of my friends would mention he's drinking unsweetened green tea.

I am proud to say that for the last couple of years not only I had drunk a respectable amount of green tea, but today I make the same wry face when someone's thinking about adding sugar to their tea. I learned how many times healthy foods might not taste better in the beginning since we are used to artificial flavours. Nowadays I'm tasting raw vegetables I would not even consider trying a couple of years ago.

Wish you all a great day and I'm wondering what you had for breakfast this weekend. Care to share? :)

Short long story about granola, electric stove and morning coffee

 One of my friends (who happens to know plenty of things about electricity) told me to buy an electric oven. I almost immediately refused the idea. In my mind, a traditional oven was the best choice. However, after hearing how passionate bakers were talking about how electric stove was their best investment, I'm having second thoughts about this. After all, the cakes, the cookies, the home made bread, they all have to be close to perfection. What's your opinion on this one? Traditional stove or electric oven?

You cannot see it in these photos, but I painted my kitchen in a very nice dark blue. It's not finished yet since finally moving into your home takes more than you'd initially hope and daydream. Friends are pleased with it (despite of the old furniture still being there) but I want them crazy in love with something which will end up looking like a coffee house or a small cozy bakery store. More on that soon. Photos with every step is mandatory. I have been terribly busy lately. With the winter and every day work (and without a functional oven), preparing great foods was a real challenge. I was left with barely any spare time on my hands and I turned into eating cereals on a daily basis. I am not, however, a big fan of processed food. What's even worse is that I bought all the wrong things for eating lunch at work. For me, lunch should be brunch with a twist, just something extra which makes it close to a lunch. If you have waffles in the morning, add some avocado at lunch and some boiled egg and turn it into a personalized waflle serving. Or prepare yourself a simple eggplant tortilla which you can make in 10 minutes and add a yogurt dressing with fresh mint and lime. This is something you can also have in the morning and it's delicious.

Before you start thinking I put the wrong title for this article, I will say (once again) how my favourite breakfast is home made granola. I would never ever trade this for the cereals you find in stores. You already know the recipe I made several times so I want to share with you this granola recipe which I found on the great Orangette blog:

She described it as being an amazing mixture so I will have to try it. There are few things which taste better in the morning than home made granola. And you know I could go on and on about that but I just can't resist mentioning the heart I accidentally captured in my cup of coffee one morning this week. There is, indeed, something beautiful in every day. And it starts with the morning.

Mission completed: simple breakfast and a lemon tree

Yes, my dears, I planted lemon seeds yesterday and rosemary! I don't care about the snow outside and as some of you may notice, there is barely any snow left. For those in Bucharest, I have a question: does anyone know where I could find some really great vintage furniture? I found some online stores, but with very big prices (it's understandable because most of the pieces were about 100 years old). I would like to find some sort of place with decent prices. I'd love to find some high chairs for my buffet, a living room small table and some interesting chairs for the living room as well. Thanks in advance.

Good morning to you all. New plans for this spring!

First thing I noticed this morning when I looked outside the window: it was snowing! And yesterday I was just talking about that spring which should be here soon. Oh well, no surprise, for the last few years, snow did arrive this late.

I'm going outside now to buy some chocolate and some fruits. Plans for today: paint something for the new frame and plant a lemon tree.

And I also wanted to let you know that I made a new plan: 1.000 likes by the end of May. If I didn't mention it before, the Facebook page is this one here. Sharing is more than appreciated.

In other news, the moment new oven comes in, I'm thinking biscotti. We will have to wait a little more, probably a month, but I know the kitchen will turn into a real bakery once it's done.

Wish you all an amazing day! And it'll be so because every day has something wonderful in it. :)

Before the weekend starts. Try yogurt, flax seeds and honey.

As long as I remember,my grandmother would always advice me to eat a spoon of honey every morning. Then I remember how mum used to give me the same advice. Growing up, I dismissed most of these pieces of advice.

It took me almost 23 years to understand how what I was eating was far from being healthy. Giving up any processed food is still not a completed resolution and I realized you need time and a very well organized schedule in order to make sure you have something to eat when you're hungry and you can avoid buying processed food because you don't have an option.


Plans for spring: making a small garden in my new balcony. I am sure it would a great project and truly relaxing to spend time surrounded by so many plants. What's your plan for this spring?

Better times are yet to come. Until then, have a chocolate muffin

I am, of course, kidding when it comes about postponing good mood and eating chocolate muffins instead. As we all know, happiness is a journey and not a destination so there is no better moment for enjoying everything but present time.

Once again, I have to appologise for not that great light, but I posted down below how morning light looks like when I'm having breakfast. However, today I had a lazy morning so I promise great photos tomorrow. Catching up, lovelies! I wish you all an extraordinary day and take care of your health by not skipping breakfast.

7 am. But it's okay, spring will be here in no time (ok, in one month and a bit, but that, my friends, is extraordinarily good news).

Talk about perfect cups and bowls. Wishlist.

My birthday is in May, if anyone interested into surprising me with one of these lovelies down below. One thing I miss about travelling abroad is the possibility of buying this sort of beauties at more than reasonable prices. I found these on Anthropologie, a place where they usually have the most stunning dinnerware.

I am quite excited about a new series of breakfast recipes and to that adds the feeling that spring will soon be here. I have new plans for planting spices on the balcony and some cherry tomatoes and green salad as well. If you can use any space in your home as a small garden, do it. It's just incredible to be surrounded by a green splendour. It completely changes your mood and positively influences your life.

The book Healthy Breakfast Recipes is also on my wishlist but since they don't ship to Romania (yes, we are privileged), I will have to wait a while. It's quite inspiring (partially disappointing) to see that this sort of cooking projects can turn into books. I've been writing several publishing houses about this possibility, but so far I got no asnwer. I'm thinking in 5 years time the editorial market will be more resourceful and bloggers in different fields will benefit from the chance of publishing their own books.

Kitchen Ideas from Pottery Barn

I find Pottery Barn to be extremely inspiring. Their cozy style suits me the most and what I like most is how elegant looks everything yet not pretentious at all. It's just pure style which anyone can achieve. Here are some of my picks for an ideal kitchen:

Tasty tested: the best brownie in the world

For those interested in the recipe, leave a comment and I will reply writing the recipe. I already made this chocolate wonder (no cocoa added, just dark chocolate, pistachio and white chocolate) twice and I had the greatest feedback (even a marriage proposal which, of course, I could not accept but I guess it's true what they say, the way through a man's heart is through his stomach).

It's very easy to make and although my German knowledge is as tiny this brownie portion, I managed to translate the recipe and get it right. When the new oven is in the house, new cakes will flavor the kitchen and make my neighbors envious (but my friends happy). I showed you here the greatest book for cakes in the whole while world. Again, if you are interested in this book, I will write you the title (it's in German, but they show you every step so it's all very easy with simple ingredients and amazing results).

Wish you all a good Tuesday (while all I have in mind is Friday)!

At her place, my grandmother has the most beautiful plates in the world

Before getting into all this breakfast photographing/plates and cups hunting I was more interested in kitchen appliances (who wouldn't be when you can buy something like this?). But during one visit, I found some of the greatest plates and I completely turned into a maniac and asked for my grandma's permission to search through all the almost 200 plates. One of my lucky findings is this blue darling right here. Others you will see in future shots.

My not so updated post is caused by my not that perfect health from the last weeks. I've been prescribed a treatment and between work and going to bed at 10.30 I will have to find some ideas for a breakfast which also respects  my strict diet because I cannot eat a lot of foods anymore, hopefully just during this treatment.

I will now take advantage of the still sunny day to go out at the pharmacy and buy some more pills. I wish you all good health and still keep on having breakfast in the morning. :)

In bed with the enemy. OK... or with the breakfast

Everyone, relax. I'm just referring to a book called Confessions of an economic hit man by John Perkins. The title says it all, I don't want to steal from you the joy of research. But what I actually read today is called Cerşetorul de cafea by Emil Brumaru. And this writer, of course, is brilliant!

This is what happens when you take photos at 7 am, winter time

 Yes, you end up over editing your photos. And oh, huuuuge, huge suprise! I posted another bowl of cereals! Somebody cook me breakfast, please! Oh, wait, I'm supposed to do that. And what's that kettle doing there? Ah, that's where the tea happens every morning. And probably very late tomorrow. You know how things go around here, if it's Saturday or Sunday, it's not breakfast, it's brunch.

Oh, sweet laziness, come oh come to me. Wish you all long terribly lazy mornings this weekend!

How not to make a tomato soup

No suprise, I'm having the regular cereals. It's the laziness of the new year beginning but I promise I will eat avocado tomorrow morning. Rather than posting yet another bowl of cereals, I wanted to tell you how last night I went out with some friends to have some hot soup. Yes, in order to heal our ...tooth aches. And almost half an hour later, there it was, the marvelous what we thought and hoped to be a great soup: boiled ketchup, my friends. Lesson learned: don't go to a pizza restaurant and ask for tomato soup. They will just put the pizza topping in a bowl and serve it to you. But it's okay, they put parsley on top.