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top 6

My July Top 6

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With the start of this month, we are also starting into the second half of the year. These monthly favorites always make me realize how crazily quick time flies. And these monthly top 6 are for sure going to bring you through July in the best possible way. Honestly, everything you need for summer. As usual, nothing here is sponsored, everything is based on personal experience and recommendations. I hope you‘ll enjoy everything and have the best summer ever!

Restaurant of the Month – Himmelblau

It really is a surprise that this restaurant has not been on the blog before, except for the brunch guide. This café, which is located in the 18th district of Vienna, is one of my favorites, if not my favorite café in town. Right in the middle of the Kutschkermarkt you can get heavenly coffee, breakfast, and cakes. And a weekly changing lunch menu.

Why is it so special and so good? Well, first up the location. Himmelblau probably is the café with the best location in Vienna. When you‘re sitting outside, you find yourself in the middle of colorful fruit and vegetable vendors, fishers and butchers and a lot of smiling and chatting people. The atmosphere is just incredibly relaxed and happy.  

Then the food: it may not be that instragrammable, fancy brunch but that is what makes it so loveable. It is hard to oversee how much love goes into every single dish prepared. The breakfast combos are versatile, delicious, and there for sure is something for everyone. You could get an avocado or also just a Semmel with Jam. The range is from traditional Austrian to international cuisine, but always with this grounded touch and lots of love.

What is more, everyone there is super friendly and super happy. If you have 5 extra wishes that also works perfectly fine. And waiting times are minimal. The food and drinks don‘t take long until they are on your table. The only disadvantage: Himmelblau does not take reservations on the weekend, so you probably have to wait for a table (which is no big deal to be honest, since you can have your first coffee while waiting )

Food of the Month – Tomatoes

In summer there is no other way but to choose tomatoes as the food of the month. Plus, tomatoes are my favorite fruit of them all (yes, I like them even more than avocados). When I was a kid I would ALWAYS snack on tomatoes. Yes, I would choose tomatoes over chocolate or gummy bears – that is how big my love for them is. Nowadays I still snack on tomatoes all the time, which definitely contributes to the fact that summer is my favorite season of them all.

Anyway, besides their incredibly delicious flavor and my addiction, why are tomatoes the food of the month. Tomatoes, being part of the nightshade family, have a super high water content. They are made up of 95% water. This on the one hand is very beneficial for us, because they are very hydrating, yet it is harmful for the environment because they need a lot of water to grow.

In terms of nutritional value, tomatoes are a super star. They contain a decent amount of fiber and are very low in carbohydrates. One regular sized tomato provides more than 25% of the recommend amount of vitamin C for a day. This makes it a great fruit for your immune system. Besides, it also contains potassium, Vitamin K1 and Folate. In addition, tomatoes have also been linked to several healthy benefits.

What is more, tomatoes are super easy to prepare and super tasty in any way. They are very delicious in any way of preparation. As a warm or cold soup, dried or pickled or as tomato sauce. Also in dishes like the Honey Roasted Tomato Caprese or the Eggplant Tomato Stew, or the Tomato White Wine Pasta.

Tomatoes are just unbeatable. Their flavor, their versatility and their nutritional value all together make it a well-deserved food of the month!

Recipe of the month – Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Asparagus & Pesto

Potatoes always are a good choice. But crispy potatoes are not just a good choice, they are an excellent choice. Crispy, salty and golden brown on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. Paired with tangy pesto and fresh asparagus and the combination is perfect. And it really is not difficult to make.

This recipe is one I personally really love. Making it is actually easy. All you need to do is boil the potatoes, dry them, smash, and bake them. In the meantime, you can prepare the herb dip if you want to. What also is great about this recipe is that you can easily prepare it beforehand and the just bake it whenever you want. This also makes it very suitable for when you have guests over!

Plus, the recipe is pretty nutrient dense. Both, potatoes, and herbs are very nutritious, making this a very balanced meal. You could just enjoy them as they are or have them as a side or with a salad and some avocado. Regardless of the way you‘ll eat them, I am sure you will love them.

Product of the month – Charity Special Feel Good Bowl

This product of the month is, contrary to the ones before, one, which I have a personal connection too. If you have read my previous Monthly Top 6 you know Elena‘s Buddha Bowls. It is a restaurant/ Buddha Bowl Bar in Vienna that focuses on creating high quality, delicious and healthy buddha bowls. Most ingredients are organic and everything is prepared in a healthy way, either steamed or pan-fried.

Together with Elena form Elena‘s Buddha Bowls, I have created this Feel Good Buddha Bowl. Why feel good? It is designed to make you feel good and make you do good. Feel good because all ingredients are very nutritious and amazing for your body, and feel good because it simply tastes reallyyyy good! And do good because this bowl also has a charity impact. 5% of every single sold bold is donated to the NGO Oxfam Germany to help fight world hunger.

The Feel Good Bowl is available for 1 Month, from June 28th until July 28th and costs 10€. It is prepared like a typical buddha bowl, so made up of a base, a dressing, a protein, add-ons, a sauce, and toppings. As a base we‘re using half spinach and half spelt rice. I know that spelt rice sounds very interesting and very healthy, but trust me – it is really, good. I promise you; it tastes good. I was really surprised myself. The add-ons are cherry tomatoes and broccolini as specials (those usually are not available), hummus, avocado, and edamame. All those taste really delicious!! Then as a sauce we have a tomato-peanut sauce and on top of this are some pomegranate seeds and crunchy onions. All together it tastes like summer in a bowl – just delicious.

This project really is one that means SO much to me, because it shows that we can make an impact together.

Workout of the month – ShapedbyIB Scorch

You need to know that I am currently writing this in my chair and I haven‘t quite walked for a few hours because my legs are so sore. Sore from yesterday‘s Shaped by IB Scorch. Maybe you know the Shaped by IB online workouts from previous monthly Top 6 and already felt like dying doing those. But scorch in real life is another level of intensity.

What is Shaped by IB and what is Scorch? Shaped by IB is a fitness studio in the heart of Vienna at the Danube canal and soon in Taborstraße. It was founded by three friends and claims to be the hardest workout in town. All workouts are a mix of cardio and strength parts and you will definitely sweat in every single class. You train in a dark room with super loud music and colorful disco lights. May sound a bit odd at first but the atmosphere is so energizing and motivating.

Scorch is one of their three trainings. It is a mix of boxing, strength training and cardio. After a warm-up, you start with 6 minutes of one of those aspects. During the last 30 seconds of each 6 minute interval, the read light is turned on. That means you now must go all in and give everything that is left.

So, let‘s say you start with the treadmill. For 6 minutes you will now do intervals on the treadmill and switch between sprinting and rather relaxing phases. Then you move on to the strength part, which is made up of several different exercises which you repeat as often as possible within those 6 minutes. After, you go to the boxing station and will box different combinations for 6 minutes straight. The last 30 seconds are freestyle boxing, which honestly is the best way to release any tension or stress that has been carried around for a while within you. When you are done, and everything already feels like gummy, then you repeat everything one more time.

I am not exaggerating when I say you‘ll be drenching in sweat afterwards but I also am not exaggerating when I say that you will feel incredible afterwards. All this pushing towards your limits and beyond makes you become a so much stronger person inside and out. If you want to leave your comfort zone and push yourself, you really NEED to go to a Scorch session.

One trial session costs 15€, then depending on which rate you chose it varies from 20-25€. Not cheap, but very well invested money for sure.

Inspiration of the month – Nate O’Brien

This month the inspiration is not a book, not a movie, and not a documentary. It is a youtuber. No, not one doing vlogs and pranks but one who really can inspire. I have found Nate O‘Brien a few months ago, when a friend recommended him to me. She said that he is a pretty cool youtuber. So I checked him out. And I really started to like his videos.

They are focused on how to improve your life (mostly from habits) and on economics. The main topics he is covering, are minimalism, stocks, habits from successful people, productivity, books and investments. What is so great about his videos, is that you can really learn and take away so much from every single one and implement it yourself.

The videos are around 10 minutes long and are uploaded pretty much weekly (although he took a little break last month). I personally enjoy his habit videos (e.g. millionaire habits or minimalist habits) because especially the learnings from those videos are some, which you can implement immediately. And therefore you can also see a difference in your daily life immediately.

I can only highly recommend checking out his youtube channel and watching one video. This only takes 10 minutes and may actually make a big change. Give it a shot and afterwards you can still decide whether you like it or not.

I genuinely hope that these Top 6 will help you make the most of July and enjoy it to its fullest. I would love to hear and/ or see what you think of those and how you like those Top 6. So, feel free to just comment here or on Instagram @uneptcuisiniere or send me a DM! Have an incredible summer!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisnière

My June Top 6

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Although it really does not feel like it, we are heading into (or are already in) the 6th month of the year. And the previous 5 months have been very very crazy. Nevertheless, and besides all the ups and downs, we have made it through anyway and are now more than ready for Summer! For long evenings, picnics in the park and drinks at a friends house. And obviously, we cannot start into the month without sone seriously good Top 5! 

As always, nothing of this is sponsored, all of these following are my personal recommendation, based on my experiences and my own opinion.

Restaurant of the month: NENI am Prater

This really is what I have been looking forward to for months. Ever since they first announced it (and I think that was November). And, oh my goodness, worth the wait – it did not disappoint. The new NENI am Prater is a must visit! 

Why? For several reasons. First of all, the view. Just like holy damn wow. You have a view above all of Vienna during the sunset. The intense yellow and orange sky just covers every single building and the entire Prater. Just insane. And you have this view from the interior and exterior, since there is glass all around.

Then the atmosphere; chill music, chatting all around, friendly waiters who are in a very good mood, the noises and smells from the open kitchen, the open bar, where you can watch the barkeepers making drinks. It feels like you‘re sitting in some restaurant in the middle of Tel Aviv. 

Well, and we cannot forget about the most important part: the food. This. Was. Delicious. The menu is similar to the NENI am Naschmarkt but still pretty different. At Prater it has more of the Balgan style cuisine, more of the sharing, the smaller meals, meals from the stone oven, and ALL sourdough bakery. There are plenty of dishes, no matter whether you want to go vegan, vegetarian, have some fish or enjoy some decent meat. It all was incredibly delicious. Plus, you can there now order the NENI organic Rosé there (which also tastes pretty amazing); from their own production. So worth a try!

If you go there (which you definitely should!) you simply NEED to try the popcorn falafel, the sourdough focaccia and the knafeh. There is no way you‘ll be going home without having tried this. 

All in all, what I can say is: amazing. The view, the atmosphere, the service. It all has such a friendly and home-like feeling. Definitely will be going there more often. And once you have visited it, you‘ll be doing so too!

Food of the month: Strawberries

Everyone‘s favourite (at least in ice cream) fruit is finally here. Finally we can find those delicious, juicy, sweet goodies from our local farmers either on the farmer‘s market or in the supermarket shelves. But why are strawberries actually this healthy?

First we‘ll have a teeny tiny history lesson; strawberries are fruits that originally had grown in woods. Even today you can find some very small ones there during June/ July. Strawberries have first been planted in gardens in the 14th Century in France by Charles V.. The ones we eat today have first been cultivated in the 18th century and are called „Garden Strawberries“.

Now, moving on to the health side of it; strawberries are incredibly nutritious foodsl They are loaded with Vitamin C, which is very beneficial for immune and skin health, Manganese, Vitamin B, which is important for tissue growth and cell function and potassium, which, for example, helps regulate blood pressure. But there also are many other nutrients such as iron, copper, magnesium, Vitamin K, E and B6. Plus, strawberries are also loaded with water and with fibre, both good for your digestive system.

All of these nutrients have shown to contribute to many health benefits, such as blood pressure lowering, inflammation decrease and improve overall heart health. Strawberries definitely are very delicious and nutritious fruits!

If you want to try some strawberry recipes, you can try the Strawberry and Chickpea Caprese, the Pesto Couscous with Feta and Strawberries, the Strawberry Chia Jam, or the Asparagus and Strawberry Salad.

Recipe of the month: Pesto

Pesto never disappoints. And this one, let me tell you, definitely does not disappoint!! Really, if you only try one recipe from the blog, try this one. With pasta that is al dente, and creamy burrata – holy cow, the best thing ever.

So why is this the recipe of the month? First of all, I feel like pesto is a real summer recipe. It reminds me of Italy (since it comes from Liguria) and Italy basically equals summer. And since it‘s June, the month in which summer officially starts, it kind of is like a perfect match.

And well, obviously, it is so damn delicious. I made that on a Sunday night when the whole family was here, and believe me. Not a single pasta and not a single drop of pesto was left. If this is not a confirmation that this pesto is tasty, then I don’t know what is. 

So all in all we can say; it is healthy, sooo tasty, summery, and damn easy to make. 

Product of the month: girlfriend collective

This activewear brand is not just any activewear brand but one with a mission. A mission to make the world a better place. The planet and nature is their number 1 priority, but that does not make their designs any worse or not as pretty as conventional activewear. Actually, the opposite is the case.

So what’s the crux with girlfriend collective? What makes them special? They produce activewear made from recycled materials. To be specific; from recycled plastic bottles and fishernets combined with other materials. They turn plastic bottles into a yard through washing, breaking apart and polymerization. And the result is incredible. When touching or wearing the leggings, you would never guessed that this before has been a water bottle or a fisher net.

I personally just believe that this makes this brand incredibly unique and incredibly cool. Plus, their activewear is super super comfortable. Soso soft, yet sweat absorbing, very well fitting and looking really good. The designs are rather simple, which I love because it makes them even more sustainable because they are not out of fashion after a year.

I have been working out (especially running) in girlfriend collective for almost a year now and and still super super happy. The cloths have not lost any quality, still look the same as on day one and are as comfy. If you live in Europe, you may need to check some european sports websites (I order on thesportsedit), so you do not need to pay taxes and customs when ordering.

Next time you want to get some new activewear, make sure to check this brand out before, you won‘t regret it!

Workout of the month: supercycle

There were a bunch of things I missed in the pst months of lockdown. Going out to restaurants, leaving Vienna, seeing a bunch of people, and so on… but there has been very little that I missed as much as supercycle.

For all those of you who do not know Supercycle yet, it is a fitness studio in Vienna with cycling classes. The cost is at 14€ for students (per class) and at 16€ regularly. Normally, you‘d sit in a dark room, only with disco lights, loud music, and the best instructors ever shouting at you. And the feeling is unreal. If you haven’t experienced it yourself, it is hard to describe. Such pure happiness combined with pure sweat. Definitely a lot of both.

Happily, they were able to open again, so I literally ran to get there. And just saying; So so so worth it. I went to the outdoor studio (which very very sadly) closes soon, and the view was amazing, the feeling out of the world, and the instructor (steph), well she just made every drop of sweat so worth it. 

Yes, you‘ll be feeling dead by the end of your class, you‘ll be sore for the next day and your legs will be shaking. Still, you will want to come back. So, give it a shot.

Inspiration of the month – the daily stoic:

Actually, this is not an inspiration of a month or for a month but an inspiration for a year. The daily stoic is a book with 366 pages with little stoic life lessons and meditation prompts, one for each day.

Usually, you‘d buy the book in December and start reading it on January first, since the pages are numbered after the days in the month (e.g Jan 1st, October 15th, …). But really, it is not necessary to buy it in December, you can get it and start at any time of the year. I myself got it in April and started it then. 

The book itself is divided into 3 categories, each spanning over a period of 4 months; the discipline of perception, the discipline of action and the discipline of will. And those again are split into 4 subcategories, 1 for each month. 
The cool thing about this is that you are focusing on one topic for a whole month, and then the next month a different one, but one that builds on the topic from last month. 

I myself kind of included it into my morning routine because I really enjoy having a little something to think about during the day or to live my day by.

The book itself can be ordered at most book shops, or there even is a download of an e-book version in the internet that is for free. 

I really, really hope that you‘ll be enjoying all of these things and that your June will be amazing!! Wishing you all the best,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière 

My May Top 6

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Welcome to May. Probs the best month of the year so far! The weather is getting warmer (hopefully) and – halleluja – restaurants are supposed to open again, at last outdoors (let’s keep our fingers crossed). So, finally no dishes at least once a week, after 6 months. Really, there is nothing bad to say about May, it is just bringing us a bit closer to summer and I can tell you – the Month of May will be delicious! Very, very delicious! Not only do we have a NENI x UPC Picnic Series starting, we also have got many more tasty recipes and surprises! All in all, get ready for an amazing month.

Restaurant of the month – Elena’s Buddha Bowls

Food (and especially restaurant-) wise, I believe May will definitely be the best month of the year so far. In Austria, it is planned that (at least outdoor) restaurants will open again in the mid of May. The day we have been waiting for 6,5 months. And really, there barely is anything I am looking forward to as much as sitting at a table and ordering food after more than half a year. But until the 19th (which you hopefully have marked in your calender), there still are 19 days. So nope, we are not having a seated restaurant in the top 6, but one where you can get a takeaway like nowhere else.

When I first heard about Elena’s Buddha Bowls, I thought it would just be another buddha bowl bar – nothing special right? Well, it definitely is not. Unlike many other bowl bars in town, Elena does not make poké bowls and they definitely are not mainstream. What makes this place so special is the quality and love that goes into every single bowl. The core of the restaurant is just good. Good in every aspect.

Eat good – not less, is the motto. The ingredients also are super good. They are more or less are produced organically and high quality, the packaging is good for the environment and they taste more than good. Plus, the entire team is just always in a good mood, which is really contagious. Plus, Elena’s puts in a lot of effort to make all their bowls healthy. It is just a restaurant, which you can only love. Plus, the price is more than fair – not more expensive than non-organic, regular bowl bars. There is nothing not good to say about it!

It is located in the 2nd district, right next to the Danube Canal – so it is incredibly easy to reach with trams nd underground. And, there are a lot of cute spots you can go to for enjoying the bowls! If you haven’t been there yet, I can only recommend it from the bottom of my heart. Definitely worth a try.

Food of the month – Avocados

Avocados are, inarguably, one of the best fruits (close after tomatoes) there are. They definitely are one of the foods that really, truly deserve their hype. But what actually makes them so special?

Well, first of all they are really nutritious. Avocados are a great source of healthy fats and vitamins. An average avocado comes with around 22-30 grams of healthy, unsaturated fat, which is an essential nutrient for your brain and also really important for other functions in your body. Moreover it contains 10-15 grams of fibre, which is an incredibly high amount for a single fruit. This fibre is essential for your digestion and helps you with digestive problems.

It is rather low in carbohydrates and protein, so it mainly is a source of fat, fibre and vitamins, such as Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin B. Moreover, avocados actually contain more potassium than bananas, which is needed by cells.

Besides all of the nutritional value, avocados just are so super delicious and versatile. They can be eaten as they are, they can be mashed onto toast, used as a dip for nachos, blended into sauces, added onto salads, even mixed into sweets. They are just such an amazingly delicious AND nutritious fruit!

Recipe of the month – Easy Peasy Rainbow Quinoa Salad w/ the Best Peanut Sauce

Honestly, this month this was the hardest category. There are just SO many delicious recipes that have been added in April, so it was incredibly hard to choose. If I could add some more, I would definitely add the citrus porridge and the Lentil Salad Pita, because the both of them too are a MUST TRY. However, this is the recipe I make the most often (basically like once a week) because it is just soso easy to make and soso delicous and nutritious. Plus, it is one of my dad’s favourite recipe from the blog – so it is someting we make ALL the time.

When making it, and especially when eating it, you feel like having an explosion of flavour of summer in your mouth. All the fresh veggies and fruits, plus the fluffy quinoa, plus the (addictively good) peanut sauce to top it all off are just working in such harmony, you just cannot get enough of it. Plus, it simply is so incredibly easy to make. It really only comes down to chopping the veggies, steaming some of them, boiling the quinoa and making the sauce.

What is more, it works great for meal prep! Since it is a salad, it can be perfectly enjoyed cold, and actually the peanut flavour will intensify when leaving it in the fridge overnight. So that is really great! If you want to see how to make it, you can check out the quick reel at @coconutbowls or watch the IGTV at @uneptcuisiniere ! It just is an essential dish for summer – something you’ll really want to have every, single day.

Workout of the month – Otmane Skillbeast

„Let’s do a chill Saturday Workout – not much sweating, just some strengthening“. Yep, that’s what I though. And no, this definitely was not what this session was like. Oti killed me in this session, my legs were shaking and my booty was sore for 3 days. Well, not quite a relaxing Saturday workout – yet it was SO good and SO worth it. Otmane, called Oti is a qualified personal trainer and has been practicing this job for over 10 years.

He is located in Vienna, but due to Covid-19, he also had to move his business online. And that was a great idea! He now not only offers Instagram live trainings, pretty much weekly, he also offers Oti2go, which is a online membership, where you get access to many, many workouts, recipes, nutrition knowledge, and also mind exercises to not only work on your body but also your mindset. I personally have not tried the Oti2go yet, but really do want to try it out. Plus, he also offers a 15-days transformation and a 21-day bootcamp. There definitely is something for everyone.

And the workouts really are much fun. The ones on Instagram are not too sweaty, but you really feel your muscles burning and your body working. On Instagram they also are for free, so a great option to try them out, and if you do like them, you can then try a membership of a bootcamp. Definitely worth a try though!

Product of the month – Crowd Farming

This really is one of the best products/ brands or rather a website, I have ever used. Actually, a friend of mine recommended it to me because she was so fascinated by it and really loved the idea. It took me some time but then I really starting looking into it and trying it out and it really is a cool initiative.

So what is Crowd Farming? It is a website featuring many different (mostly organic) farmers from all over the world. These farmers offer different fruits and vegetables that so you can directly buy from them online. Either, you adopt a tree before it is in season, to help the farmers fund the production, or you buy the food when it is in season.

What is the benefit? First of all, you really know where your food is coming from, because you know who the farmer is, you know where the product is grown and you know the quality. For example, you can buy organic avocados from Spain. You know the farmer, you even get a letter from them, you know they are planted rather close to you, and not thousands of miles away, and you know the product is organic or demeter.

Besides, you also support the farmer. Since you directly buy from the farmer, more of your spent money is left for the farmer. This enables them to invest more into their planting, to ensure fairly paid workers and makes organic farming possible and sustainable.

And, obviously super important, the fruits (at least the avocados) are really, really delicious. Yes, you can actually taste a difference, really. You get a 5kg box of them and they are supposed to last in your fridge for up to a month. The price er avocado is at about 2.4€, which is not cheap, but pretty fair, taken into consideration what the impact of this is.

Inspiration of the month – Seaspiracy

Actually, I chose something different to be the inspiration of the month, also a documentary. But then I watched seaspiracy last night, and I knew there was no way I could not include that into the top 6.

This was recommended by SO many people. They all said they had watched it and were shocked and wanted to drastically reduce their fish consumption from now on. I mean, how shocking can one documentary be? it cannot be that bad! that’s what I thought. The way seaspiracy was made and edited is incredibly good. Yet, obviously not enough to influence someone into such a big lifestyle change. What is it then?

Sadly to say, the facts speak for themselves. What is revealed there is shocking and sad. And contrary to many other documentaries, it is urgent, it is incredibly urgent. The documentary really hits hard and lets you rethink your behaviour and habit. And really, it is a MUST watch.

I really do not want to tell much more about it, in order not to spoiler you – all I can say is that it really is incredibly interesting and eye-opening. Highly, highly recommended.

I hope these tips will also take your May next level and make it the best month of this year so far! I am all wishing you a beautiful and sunny May!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

My April Top 6

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It’s April (already!!)! The month of easter, crazy weather (although this year there has been no month without it) and finally some fresh veggies & fruits! Rhubarb is coming into season and asparagus also has its start – which means lots and lots lf new good food! And obviously, there are 6 favourite things for April because we can not start a month without them! 

Restaurant of the month – Mae Aurel

Attention to all brunch lovers – this is a must know for you!! Mae Aurel (pronounced M-a-y not M-a-e) aka Brunch heaven is definitely one of the best restaurants in Vienna to enjoy your Sunday breakfast or brunch at (or to get your take away brunch from – they now offfer really good looking brunch boxes for delivery!)! It definitely is not your basic go-to restaurant, it is way more special, has many creative & super good dishes and everyone there is soo friendly!

It actually is a quite new restaurant in town and located in the first district, between the Danube Canal and the Hoher Markt. This means, it is very easily accessible with public transport! (Without lockdown) it actually also is really cute to sit there, both, inside and outside. Outside you sit in a cute street in the middle of Vienna and inside you are surrounded by modern and comfortable interior.

But now let’s get to the exciting part; the food! It is heaven, really! What I actually love most about it is that it is not like in most brunch places but it also has special items on the menu such as pancakes with banana & bacon. You can also enjoy a great variety of (really tasty) breads with all kind of toppings or just some good old yoghurt or pancakes.

It is not only great for brunch though, but also for lunch! Mae Aurel offers a lunch menu during the week with a changing dish every day. Obviously there also are other dishes to choose from, such as (delicious!!) salads, curries, pastas & burgers! My personal favs? I would definitely go for something you don’t get anywhere else – so either the halloumi bread (a safe choice!), the banana & bacon pancakes (I myself haven’t tried them yet, but a friend did and she really liked them!) or the Red Mae Salad!

Mae really is a restaurant you need to try if you live in Vienna! You won’t be disappointed! Delicious, many, many options, very fair prices and super friendly people! Enjoy!

Food of the month – asparagus 

Asparagus actually is a very ancient food – it has already been eaten and used as a medicine by the Egyptians over 5000 years ago. It hasn’t become popular until the 16th century though. Today anyhow, it is a very popular and widely used vegetable all over the world.

It is made up of 93% water and a great source of Vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, zinc and fibre. It has also shown to have a possible impact on blood pressure and improved digestion. Furthermore, it is rich in antioxidants, which help to protect the cells and act anti-inflammatory.

The way it is eaten depends on where you are in the world. In the asian cuisine it is often added to stir-fries or curries, in the US it is often eaten with some sort of chicken of beef. In Europe it is often found in risotto or pasta or as a side. In Austria, it is very typically eaten with boiled potatoes, ham and either butter and parmesan cheese or sauce hollandaise. Asparagus definitely is a staple in Austrian Cuisine every spring.

If you want some asparagus recipe inspiration you can check out the potato and asparagus salad recipe, the strawberry and asparagus salad or add it to a summer poke bowl! 

Recipe of the month – healthyish double chocolate salted caramel brownies

These are even better than they sound, trust me. You bite into that crunchy, cool chocolate, which is so flavorful due to the sprinkled sea salt, and then the soft & sticky caramel layer and the fudgy brownies and you are just thanking yourself for having made those. 

A thick and fudgy layer of chocolaty brownies builds the base in the recipe. And yep, these totally would taste perfect by themselves, nevertheless we are taking them next level, literally. Because the next level is a creamy (and heavenly) salted date caramel layer, which tastes outrageous!! And as if this was not enough yet, we are topping everything off with a crispy layer of dark chocolate sprinkled with some sea salt. This honestly is the dot on the I and just upgrades it a whole lot.

If you are not convinced yet, let me tell you that they also are healthy. No refined sugar, no butter, no bs. Just good. We are using coconut sugar, whole-wheat flour, oil, dark chocolate and natural sweetness of the dates. 

PLUS, making them is so wonderfully meditative. Really, this is the best activity for whenever you feel like procrastinating or, obviously, the best Sunday baking activity. We both know that your mouth is watering now, so head to the kitchen and get started!

Workout of the month – 30 min Heart Opening Yoga Flow

Before you stop reading because you are thinking „Yoga – really?“, just let me tell you that you definitely won’t come out of this flow without some sweating. Before I had tried this video, I actually wanted to chose a different video before, but unfortunately it had been taken off youtube and I could not find it anymore. Then I got a friends recommendation to try out this one – and it definitely did not disappoint! It is at least as good as the other one, if not better!

If you are still sceptical about doing Yoga, I can really understand you! I also was. I thought, if I already work-out then I want to really work out, I want to feel it and I want to sweat, and with Yoga this obviously is possible. (I was proven very wrong regarding sweating) Nevertheless, I tried it. Little by little. I started with 10 minute videos and then worked my way up. And eventually I started to like it. It has become a really important part of my routine, and no week passes without me doing some yoga. When you really open yourself up to it, it feels really good, it stretches your body and it really gives you a feeling for it. And you definitely sweat! So if you have been sceptical – just give it a try. A try without prejudices, where you are open to it and after you can still decide whether you like it or not.

This Yoga flow is part of a seven days gratitude series from Alo Yoga on their Youtube Chanel. As the name already suggests, in this flow you really open up your front side. This is done with a lot of bending and strengthening of the shoulders and back and also with stretching it with lots of backbends. What also is great is that Briohny Smyth (the instructor) keeps reminding you to really practice gratitude all throughout the flow. When you have ended it, you genuinely feel more grounded, relaxed and grateful. I personally love doing this flow on the weekends in the morning or on an evening after a tiring and exhausting day.

Product of the month – (the best ever) almond butter from Rapunzel

We need to put a little disclaimer here because this almond butter is dangerously addicting. Very dangerously. And it definitely is not comparable with any other almond butter there is or any you have tried before. In here we have the combination of organic roasted almonds and coconut along with the sweetness of dates, all blended up into a HEAVENLY creme.

Say goodbye to peanut butter and hello to this. The first time I tried it I was at a friends house and I think we pretty much emptied the jar right away, because there is no way you cannot. Rapunzel is a german company with the mission to produce high quality organic products. And it is not just a slogan for advertisement but what the company actually stands for.

They really care a lot about the working conditions of every single person involved into the production. From farmer to consumer. Because, as they say, only when everyone gets paid a fair price and does not have to worry about surviving each day, they can produce healthy food with great care and affection. In order to achieve this, they pay fair loans, visit their farmers and produce organically.

There really is no reason not to try this almond butter! It is incredibly delicious and produced by a company with a mission! So what does this best go along with? It is perfect on porridge, yoghurt, ice cream, overnight oats or anything else that’s sweet and that you can have as a a dessert or breakfast, such as the Overnight Vanilla Quinoa! It also is great in combination with some fresh fruit such as apple or mandarines or even on dried fruit such as dates. But really, it also is heavenly by itself, when you eat it straight out of the jar!

Inspiration of the month – the 7 habits of highly effective people

One of the best books ever. This book is full of life lessons, learnings and SO much information and inspiration on how to improve your life, your habits, your work, your personality. It is FULL of mind blowing insights and tools that make you want to change your life for the better and the healthier.

To be honest, this is one of the books that at first make you a bit uncomfortable (at least it did this to me). When reading it you realize that there still is SO much every single one of us can improve, there is so much to grow. And also that all of this is neither easy nor comfortable because we have to face new challenges, new surroundings and we have to look at things differently. We have to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. So when we start reading we have the choice: either we stay in our comfort zones and do not face the challenges and difficulties of changing and growing, or we leave our comfort zones and a new world full of possibilities and opportunities will unfold but the way there is no walk in the park.

So when we decide to leave our comfort zone and improve, this book is one of the best resources and tools you have to do so. Stephen Covey is guiding you through 7 habits that will make a tremendous impact on your life if you adapt these. And we are not talking about habits as, drink more water or go to bed early. These „habits“ are more life-style and mindset changes. Habits like „Begin with the End in Mind“ or „Seek first to understand, then to be understood“.

This might not sound life changing yet but the author really explains them in great detail, with evidence, examples and reasoning. He really goes in depth with every single habit so you genuinely understand what it is about. And yes, this book already is 32 years old, nevertheless it still is SO true nowadays because it addresses human behaviour and how we think in general. So don’t be fooled by its age – it still is one of the best books I have ever read!

These are my 6 favorite things for April – and actually I think this is my favourite or the favourites series. Every single thing in here is something I love and hopefully something you’ll love too! I am wishing you a wonderful April and a beautiful spring!

Love,
Katie