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Month 2 of 12. Already ?! Time flies. We are still at home though and need some things that make our month of February a bit easier and a bit better. So, that is why there are the Feb Top 5, already the 6th blog post of the series, which makes me so soso happy, because you really seem to love them! We have got some really really cool things in here so make sure to check and try them all out!

Food of the Month – Chickpeas

Chickpeas – Kichererbsen – Pois chiches. These little, incredibly versatile beans are the food of the month February! Why? They are super nutritious, delicious and soso incredibly easy to cook with. Plus you can make so many, so good things out of it – so it already was high time to include them!

Chickpeas are one of the oldest consumed legumes ever – they have already been eaten over 7500 years ago in what today is Turkey – so pretty old! Even more amazing that they still are consumed so greatly. In the 18th and 20th century they even have been used as a cheaper substitute for coffee in some parts of Europe.

Today they are found in various cuisines around the world! In Middle Eastern cuisine for hummus and falafel (little fun fact: hummus actually is the Arabic word for chickpeas), in Indian cuisine in curries, in Italy it often is eaten with pasta, especially in the south and in the US it has experienced recent trends in form of pasta, which solely is made out of these peas.

Chickpeas actually are super nutritious! Cooked chickpeas (the ones you can find in a can) are really high in protein, with more than 8g/ 100g serving. They have almost equal amounts in fibre, which makes them great for digestion. Plus they are really high in Vitamin B9 and Iron.

Chickpeas are a staple in plant based and vegetarian nutrition because they are very high in protein, easy to prepare and super delicious! I personally love them in all different asian sauces or stews! If you need some inspiration on what to make with chickpeas you can try out the saucy hoisin chickpea bowl, the falafel pita sandwich or the chickpea and pineapple summer curry !

Recipe of the month – breakfast overnight quinoa

This recipe is not only something I love but also one you love! So many remakes in such a short time! This just made me so happy so it just had to become the recipe of the month!

Actually I had this for the first time when I was on holidays! I loved it so much that I decided to recreate it, which only took me four years to realise and it is so worth it! You have the fluffy and soft quinoa soaked up in a creamy vanilla yoghurt-milk sauce kind of thing. On top some freshly warmed frozen berries and all served up together. perfectly sweet, perfectly creamy!

And that is not even the best part! It is just so incredibly easy to make and prepare that you’ll have it ready to go within a few minutes in the morning! just make the quinoa the night before, chill in the fridge overnight and serve with the berries in the morning!

Plus, it also works great for meal prep, plus it is really healthy! Quinoa actually has been the food of the month in January, so you can read more about its health benefits here! So what are you even waiting for? You won’t regret making it!

Workout of the month – Elly magpie

Fitness for everybody. Elisabeth aka Elly Magpie stands for having fun while moving. For a healthy body feeling and love. Fitness is something for everyone. There is no too thick, too thin, too short, too tall.

if you love your body, you take care of it. And sport if the perfect tool for that, that’s what Elly says. And I think she is more than right with her statement. Working out is something you do because you want to do something good for yourself and not because you want to punish yourself.

Her workouts are meant to be done by anyone. Easier and more difficult variations, depending on what you prefer – but believe me, you will be sore after! If you want to try them out you can for example try their live training with @dariadarie on Instagram and if you like it you can book their classes via ever sport. They take place almost daily.

Believe me – you’ll feel sore the next day and inspired by the trainer’s positivity immediately after!

Product of the month – share bar

Share bar – a bar with a mission. What is „share“? it is a company with an incredible mission behind it, which is „share for a better world“. How does it work? You buy one of their products and donate for each purchased one!

For example; you buy one bar and donate one meal to a person in need. With the purchase of one sparkling water you provide drinking water for one person in need. With the purchase of one of their journals you enable one school lesson for a kid.

Not only that the mission is simply incredible and such a great idea but also their bar tastes amazing! I have so far only found the chocolate and sea salt one (at Bipa) but they also have several other flavours like honey almond or cacao – hazelnut. Besides nut bars, there also are pasta, chocolate or other bars that you can purchase and which you can make an impact with.

The bar is vegan, organic, only has ingredients you can read (!) and no refined sugar. And obviously it tastes amazing! You can find them at Bipa, dm & rewe (their online shop is inactive right now)! Definitely worth a try!

Inspiration of the month – Alivia D’Andrea

Who is Olivia D’Andrea and why is she the inspiration of the month? Alivia is an American YouTube, who has started making YouTube videos 6 years ago. I have only recently discovered her through a friend’s recommendation and started watching her videos (and finished within 3 days – which I usually never do, I usually only watch while editing pictures, that says a lot about her).

Her videos are really inspirational and informative, as she gives tips and advice for self care, productivity, recipes, self love, healthy recipes and much more! And she is super honest and real in her videos, which I really like! Also, she does include facts, so her information is not just something made up but really backed up.

On her channel Alivia has also started a series of „Glow up diaries“, in which she shows her year-long journey of (wanting to) glowing up. Before you watch this, a little trigger warning, and please be aware that this content may not be the best for you if you are sensitive to disordered eating or an unhealthy relationship with food!! Please be careful with this! What inspired me so much about her is not the glow-up on the outside (which is impressive) but the glow up on the inside. The mental strength, the positive mindset and willpower to change for better is what is so incredible inspirational. Honestly, it encourages you to change your life, let go of bad habits and become something better and greater.

She is a bit similar to Linda Sun (who has been the inspiration of the month of October) but still very different. What they have in common is their struggle for body image and that they have a long journey with disordered eating behind them.

I hope that you’ll also enjoy this month’s Top 5 and that they will make your lockdown and just your whole month in general a bit better and a bit easier! I would love to hear what you think about them and stay tuned for some exciting things coming your way in February !!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite CuisiniÈre

New year, new me! Not quite to be honest – more like new year, same me. In general I am not a huge fan of New Years resolutions because why do we need to wait for a certain day or date to change something (that in most cases we change to better our lives)? If you genuinely want to change something – do it now. Why wait and only waste time? Anyway, while the month of January gets so much attention for changes that we want to make, some things stay the same – just as my January top 5, which were highly requested and now are here.

To be honest, I did not actually plan on making January Top 5 – that also is the reason they are coming so late – but you really really wanted them so that’s why I had to make them 🙂 ! A food of the month, a recipe you NEED to try, a workout that will make you feel good, a product that you do not want to miss out on and an inspiration that may be something for you!

Food of the month: quinoa

Quinoa is a superstar. I can remember the first time it came up and everyone was celebrating it as a health trend but surprisingly, unlike many other health trends, it really tastes good. Quinoa actually is an ancient grain, which its origin in South America, which has already been eaten about 3000-4000 years ago.

The part you can eat from the plant actually are just the seeds, which are cooked in water, just like rice, which makes it very easy to cook swell. But why is it celebrating as being that healthy? Quinoa has a great nutritional value, different from many other grains. Per 100g it has about 65g of carbohydrates. pretty much the same as wholegrain pasta and a bit less than white rice, 7g of fibre, which is great for your digestion, compared to 5g in whole-wheat spaghetti and 1.3 in white rice. And probably the best: it has 14g (!) of protein compared to about 7 in rice or (whole-wheat) pasta. This is pretty much twice the amount!

Since Veganuary is a big thing again this year, I know it can be challenging to get enough plant based protein if the usual source of protein is meat, dairy or eggs. But getting enough plant based protein actually is not that challenging. Already 100g of quinoa provide 14g of protein, which is a decent amount. Furthermore, quinoa is naturally gluten free and loaded with minerals & vitamins such as Iron, Magnesium and Zinc.

Besides all the nutritional and health benefits, quinoa is SO versatile and can be SO delicious! You can use it as a side dish, as a base in buddha bowls, throw it into salads or wraps for more carbs and fibre, make burgers out of it, breakfasts, and so on. The options are pretty much endless because Quinoa has a pretty neutral taste.

On the blog you can find several recipes including quinoa! My favourites are the Black Quinoa and Teriyaki Burger and the quinoa breakfast bowl with herbed Tahini and there are more to come this month!

Recipe of the month – Cinnamon Roll French Toast Sticks

This recipe is unreal. I can only tell you so much. Think about the cinnamony taste of a fresh cinnamon roll and then the crispy on the outside and soft on the inside kind of bite when you are having a French toast. This recipe is both of them combined.

It really is easy to make, easy to eat, and easy to crave 🙂 You basically just make a regular French toast and the roll it in cinnamon – coconut sugar to finish it up, which really is a game changer. When you serve it with yoghurt and frozen, stewed berries, you can dip it into the berries and it just is heaven.

Perfect for a Sunday breakfast or brunch in bed, when friends are over, a quick lunch or breakfast-for-dinner situation, a delicious dessert or just a great meal to make when you have leftover bread, that you do not want to go bad.

Workout of the month – trainandtone

Train and Tone, which originally was Pop Pilates is a fitness studio, which has been founded by Mariana and David, two siblings, who share the same passion for fitness and good music. In their (mostly body weight) workouts they combine these two aspects to create a unique workout experience.

The first time I tried them out I went to their studio in the fourth district about a year ago. It was super small and so nice. From the entrance into the studio, throughout the whole class until the end, when you leave you just feel happy and are surrounded by good vibes, good music and happy instructors. That is what makes Train and Tone so special, the love and passion behind every single detail in their workout and in their studios.

Then came lockdown but Mariana and David only got more inventive and actually were one of the first ones who started doing virtuell, real time, live workout classes. And have kept going ever since then. And they have improved. You now can choose from 7 trainers and 7 classes. The classes all focus on something different and are suitable for any fitness level since the trainer gives different variations for each exercise.

The classes are 9€ each or 8€ if bought in a block of ten and happen during zoom! Really great workout fun, mostly strength focused rather than HIT and I promise you – you’ll feel the burn afterwards!

Product of the month – Very Nice Studio Collection

Very Nice Studio is a graphic design studio by two very nice ladies. Julia & Vanessa’s goal is to turn brands into friends with unique and eye catching branding. They do not only create stunning designs for brands but also their Instagram page ( @verynice.studio ) where they share inspirational and amazingly designs quotes, thoughts and tools on a daily basis.

In December they launched their first collection in the very nice shop, which is made up of shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, and some accessories. And they are amazing. I basically live in them, not kidding. Made from organic and recycled materials. Soso super soft!

On the outside they have got quotes, graphics or just words printed, which make them look really cool and unique. You can get them with three themes: 24/7 happy hour, good days ahead or enjoy/ panic. I have got the hoodie in 24/7 happy hour and the shirt in happy hour. And these themes are not just themes but they have a thought behind them. If you go check out the shop, you’ll find a little description for every single one plus some tips on how to implement them.

These cloths really are not just something to throw on, like a regular piece of clothing but they were designed and created with a thought, a mission, love and passion. Plus, they are incredibly comfortable to wear!

Inspiration of the month – the things you can only see when you slow down

The things you can only see when you slow down: how to be calm in a busy world.
Actually my dad gifted me this book for Christmas because he knew I needed it. I am a perfectionist, I always want to get everything done and I always want to be on top of things. But always doing something can be stressful, especially mentally. So this book came in perfect timing.

And no, this is not a self-care guide, not in the least. This book was written by the Korean Monk Heamin Sunim, who became popular through Facebook. There he gave his followers advice on life challenges and problems they faced. After years of giving advice he decided to sum it all up and write a book. And this book really is valuable. It does not tell you that you are doing everything right or that everything is beautiful but through quotes like „is the world that busy or is it your mind“ and mini essays it makes you think and reflect.

In his book he covers 8 different topics and has already inspired more than 3 million people worldwide with the wisdom about the importance of slowing down. Also included in the Times Top 10 bestsellers. Definitely worth a read if you feel overwhelmed, stressed, not at peace with yourself or the world or if you just want to reflect a bit.

I hope that these inspirations, ideas and things are a help for you to guide you through the month of January. I hope you are having an amazing start into the new year and may it be filled with happiness, gorgeous moments and lots of time with your favourite people.

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière