Could - have - been love story

A great short video, it's really sweet and the end is quite inspiring and something we should all practice more often ;) :

Self expression, 

Try it, 

Tell someone how you feel today, 

You won't regret it!

Tiramisu Pancakes

I just finished a week of detox, see my previous blog, and am now still only eating lean food (like fish and chicken) and fruits en veggies and I am torturing myself ;) with this recipe. But it sounds and looks so good that I couldn't withhold it from you.

Tiramisu Pancakes, recipe from Ivory Hut
(Serves about 5 reasonably hungry people)

For the pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, slightly rounded, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a generous pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cups sour cream
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons instant coffee

For the glaze (optional):
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur

For the cream:
4 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Start by preparing the cream and the glaze. For the cream, beat all ingredients together and whip until you have soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator. (Tip: this cream tastes amazing, and is what really makes these pancakes. If you like generous amounts of cream on your pancakes, you might want to make a double portion.) The glaze is optional, but very, very (and I mean very) good. Simply combine the ingredients well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure the cocoa powder is well sifted, so that it will dissolve evenly.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk and sour cream until smooth (it helps to slowly dilute the sour cream with the milk while whisking, which reduces the chances of clumps). Add the instant coffee powder and mix well until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until you have a slightly lumpy batter but without any large clumps of flour. If batter is a little runny, add a tablespoon or two of flour.I like to transfer my batter to a measuring cup or something else with a spout, for easier cooking.

Let the batter sit while you preheat your griddle. When griddle is hot, drop batter in portions desired (1/4 cup for regular-sized pancakes) onto the greased griddle. When bubbles come up and edges look cooked, gently flip to cook the other side. Once pancakes are cooked, transfer to a plate.

Spread a small amount of the maple glaze over the top of the pancake so it soaks in while still hot. Continue with the remaining batter until done.

To serve, dollop a generous amount of the cream in between layers of pancakes. Top with more cream, and then top with shaved chocolate, or a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder.

Serve with extra cream and/or glaze on the side for dipping. A bonus: these pancakes taste amazing even when cold.

Zoe Karssen @ L' Eclaireur Paris

You probably know her from the t-shirts with the Chanel mark. Zoe started designing shirts just for her friends and family... but this was such a success that she went on ... and now you can find her collection @ L' Eclaireur Paris! She also writes a great blog, which you might want to check out.

This winters collection takes it's inspiration from various icons in the music and fashion industries like Alison Mosshart, Kate moss, Erin wasson, Jessica Hart, Blondie, and Marilyn Monroe to name but a few. And it was further accompanied by a collaboration between Jolijn Snijders (I Love Fake magazine) and Zoe Karssen. Working with ethereal natural light and casting models with imperfect beauty, Jolijn Snijder’s photographs exude sensuality but also have a feeling of risk, the perfect match for the Zoe Karssen brand.

I was real happy to score these two items:

Would you also like to own a Zoe Karssen original? Just visit L'Eclaireur, or when you live in Holland just shop at Welikefashion.com or visit Zoe's own webshop.

Sail the Mediterranean James Bond style

The Spirit was the first sailing vessel in 350 years to be in the Grand Canal in Venice, mast up, sails on and ready to go. No one would dare attempt such an implausible task, but when Hollywood came calling for a sailing yacht to be featured in the James Bond movie Casino Royale, the assignment was hard to resist.

Thus, in the James Bond movie Casino Royale, a brand new elegant Spirit 54 would be seen sailing into the canal of Venice. 

So doesn't it sound good to cruise the Mediterranean in a £1 million yacht featured in a James Bond film – well, almost; it was

actually the slightly smaller Spirit 54 that starred in Casino Royale, but who’s counting. The 56ft Spirit of Strangford is a beautiful boat that turnes heads wherever you go along the coast of Turkey. 

Interested, the Spirit 56 yacht is available for charter in Turkey at Euro 7200 per week. For more info go to www.sailinturkey.com

What to wear today?

Just add a little bit of red to brighten things up!

Everything is available @ net-a-porter

- PAUL & JOE, Jacoue mid-rise straight-leg jeans, €209.44
- CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, Pigalle 120 studded denim pumps, €695
- BURBERRY, Studded leather wrap bracelet, €143.62
- A.P.C., Denim shirt, €145
- JOSEPH, Stretch cotton-twill peacoat, €625

Men's Fashion @ Pitti Uomo, Florence

In my opinion you can best spot the trends for men's fashion on the streets of Florence, during the Pitti Uomo. Ofcourse this is captured by all the streetstyle photographers, but as you know, I am a big fan of Tommy Ton. He is in Florence right now and for Style.com and GQ magazine he shot some great looking guys, these are my favorites.

Elbow pads, picture: GQ magazine

Elbow pads, picture:  Style.com

Colourful shoes and socks, picture: Style.com

Colourful shoes and socks, picture:GQ magazine

Colourful shoes and socks, picture: GQ magazine

Layers, picture: GQ magazine

Layers, picture: GQ magazine

Layers, picture: Style.com

Suit or Jacket combined with denim, picture: GQ magazine

Suit or Jacket combined with denim, picture: GQ magazine

Big bag, picture: GQ magazine

Big bag, picture: Style.com

DETAILS

picture: GQ magazine

Great scarf (check out elbow pad as well), picture: GQ magazine

Love the glasses, picture: GQ magazine

Everything from coat, scarf, tie, hat ... , picture: Style.com

Girls on heels

Picture by: Tommy Ton for Sergio Rossi

I grew up surrounded  by soccer, my uncle was a well known trainer here in the Netherlands and every Sunday night we all watched the entire competition, on Studio Sport, that had played that day.  So it could have gone either way… hating or loving. With me, I don’t play (rather practice hockey or softball) but I can appreciate a good game of soccer. And then ofcourse I love high heels, the higher the better ... I can walk quite the distance (even on the small "keien" in the Jordaan, Amsterdam), dance all night, work all day on them. But check out these gilrs, what they can do … on 12 cm. stilletto’s.... amazing and they are accompanied by one of the best female singers there is Macy Gray. 

A WOMAN IS OFTEN MEASURED

They're good ... Nike ... everytime again they pull it off and come up with a great add campaign. One of my favourites is this one from a couple of years ago:

A WOMAN IS OFTEN MEASURED by the things she cannot control. She is measured by the way her body curves or doesn’t curve, by where she is flat or straight or round. She is measured by 36-24-26 and inches and ages and numbers, by all the outside things that don’t ever add up to who she is on the inside. And so if a woman is to be measured, let her be measured by the things she can control, by who she is and who she is trying to become. Because every woman knows, measurements are only statistics and STATISTICS LIE.

But I also like these ones from last October, they immediately give me the energy and motivation to excercise!

Surf & Yoga Holiday in Morocco

Last summer I started learning how to surf and I love it. When the waves where up, after office hours, you could often find me at the Scheveningen Beach (near the head of the harbour) improving my surfskills. During that time I thought I was tough enough to practice it in wintertime here in Holland... but it seems I am a bit of a wuss and the water and wind are a bit to cold for my likings.

So, today I am busy looking for a nice surfing holiday, I don't want to travel to far (so no Bali for now) but do need good - read: warm - weather conditions :). And I think I found the perfect spot Surfing and Yoga in Morocco. There are a couple of organisations that offer this type of holiday, but SurfMaroc sounds pretty good. What do you think, if you've been there please tell me about your experience?

A day at Surf Maroc from Surf Maroc on Vimeo.

SurfMaroc

General info

Our coaches provide safe, fun, rewarding surf lessons for all abilities.  Morocco’s year round good climate and huge variety of waves mean that it’s the perfect place to learn and progress.  From small, easy waves for learning on to rolling point breaks, this region has it all.  And with our local knowledge, top quality coaches and equipment, there is no better place to learn and improve your surfing.

Our experience of teaching yoga to surfers has enabled us to develop a technique which keeps the surfing muscles strong and supple. For beginners and experienced surfers yoga is an essential practice in developing the mental and physical strength required to surf and keep surfing.  It’s a sublime combination.

Stay

Villa Mandala is the best accommodation Surf Maroc offers, it’s a real treat. Each of the 8 rooms is unique and has a real feel of quality; sprinkled with trinkets and designed to a theme. There are 4 ocean facing rooms, 2 of which are en suite and 4 with spectacular mountain views. There are 4 large bathrooms for the remaining 6 bedrooms.

Food

After each revitalising morning yoga class, quench your thirst with cleansing smoothies, freshly squeezed orange juice, special herbal teas & freshly brewed Moroccan coffee. Enjoy hot bread fresh from the village bakery, local honey, jams, yoghurts, eggs, crepes, dried fruits, nuts and a rainbow platter of seasonal fruits.  Sit back, relax & take time over a sun-filled breakfast banquet beside the glistening waters of the ocean front swimming pool. The perfect way to ease into each day!

Lunch is a picnic on the beach comprising of crispy baguettes with homemade veggie patés, salads and cheeses, energy boosting treats and fresh fruit.

At sunset, our fantastic local chefs, create an irresistible array of traditional and contemporary Moroccan & international dishes.  From a delectable display of tapas by the pool, to aromatic tagines, subtly spiced cous cous, vegetarian delights and divine desserts. A star lit mouthwatering feast is guaranteed to delight every palette.

A typical day

7.30–9.30  Dynamic, invigorating morning yoga class.

10.00–11.00 Big nourishing breakfast.

11.30–3.30 Surfing, beach time & other activities*

5.00–6.30 Sunset, restorative, relaxing & meditative yoga

7.30–9.00 Delicious vegetarian dinner. Evening relaxation

   

*Extra Activities (optional extras): hammam, (traditional Moroccan steam bath), massage, day trips to Essaouira, Agadir and the local souqs, horse riding, quad biking and camel riding.  All activities are easily arranged during your stay upon request, please see FAQs for more info.

Also check out this blog by Dale Adams. He is a Freelance Photographer working alongside Surf Maroc in the righthand riddled pointbreak area of Taghazout, Morocco.

Coconut Water facts & figures

Stars are going loco for the coco – coconut water, that is.

The Celebs
From Madonna to Penn Badgley, celebs have been spotted sipping the low-cal beverage as they beat the summer heat. And despite its A-list following, the drink is pretty low-key: coconut water is the liquid found in green coconuts.

Demi Moore, Matthew McConaughey and Madonna have all invested in Vita Coco, which was founded in 2004. And Vita sales jumped from about $4 million in 2007 to $20 million in 2009.

The Material Girl invested in Vita Coco because it's an independent company. "The fact that they are saying 'no' to everyone who wants them is pretty cool," her manager tells the New York Post. "You want to go to the party that no one else is invited to."

Coconut water is a million dollar market, thanks to other brands like Zico and O.N.E., which is a favorite of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Anne Hathaway, Nicole Scherzinger, Nick Cannon and Brooke Shields, to name a few. The beverage banks in the range of $40 to $60 million annually – although the category has yet to compete with billion-dollar drink brands like Red Bull, says Jeffrey Klineman, editor of Bevnet.com, an online publication that reviews nonalcoholic beverages.

Other celeb sippers include Molly Sims, Heidi Klum, Jessica Simpson and Ellen Pompeo, who have all been spotted recently with the drink.

So what is it? 
Coconut water is the juice of young tender coconuts and is a natural energy drink. It is delicious, refreshing and very nutritious and has tremendous health benefits.

Coconut water is incredibly healthy and one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. Besides helping to remove toxins from the body and aiding digestion, coconuts have amazing anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties that help to cure the disease.

The water of tender young coconut, technically is the liquid endosperm. It is one of the purest, most nutritious wholesome waters and beverages with which nature has provided us. The people in tropical regions and countries have been enjoying this drink for centuries. They have used the all-natural coconut water to refresh, refuel, re-hydrate, feed and maintain the proper nourishment and fluid levels in their bodies. The natural water has a caloric value of 17.4 per 100 gm. The benefits of coconut water are endless and should be an essential part of any healthy diet.

Coconut water is naturally sweet, ingratiating, promoting proper digestion, and naturally helps clearing our urinary paths, and lubricating our body systems. India is one of the leading producers of coconuts in the world producing 13 billion nuts per annum.

India has 3000 years' tradition in coconut cultivation. A large number of coconut products are manufactured in India which have both domestic and export market. Vinegar and soft drink are manufactured in the country from coconut water. Tender coconut water concentrate is another product which is manufactured and marketed successfully.

What does it do? Why should or shouldn't you drink it?
Drinking coconut water has many benefits. Coconut Water is naturally
• Low in Carbs
• 99% Fat Free
• Low in sugars

Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help:

1. Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
2. Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
3. Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
4. Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
5. Raise your metabolism.
6. Promote weight loss.
7. Boost your immune system.
8. Detoxify and fight viruses.
9. Cleanse your digestive tract.
10. Control diabetes.
11. Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
12. Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
13. Treat kidney and urethral stones.
14. Boost poor circulation.
15. Helps keep skin soft and smooth
16. Provides quick energy
17. Found as a blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, does not produce heat, and does not destroy red blood cells and is readily accepted by the body.

As you can see, Coconut water has amazing health benefits. It should be an integral part of any healthy diet. Coconut water is a natural energy drink. No need for drinks like Gatorade or Powerade. Replace them with the healthy alternative that is coconut water.

Some more facts
As said befor it's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak. In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water siphoned directly from the nut to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.

Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas - once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.

• Coconut Water is more nutritious than whole milk - Less fat and no cholesterol.
• Coconut Water is more healthy than orange juice - Much lower calories.
• Coconut Water is better than processed baby milk - It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk.
• Coconut water is naturally sterile. Water permeates though the filtering husk.
• Coconut water is a universal donor. It is identical to human blood plasma.
• Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage - The same level that we have in our blood.
• Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries thru Coconut IV.
• "Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically Pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural", according to Mortin Satin, Chief of the United Nation's Food & Agriculture Organization.
• Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.
• Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg.
• Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.
• Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg.

Data is based on a 100ml drink.

So where to buy?

Just click on the following links of the three most sold Coconut Water drinks.
When you live in the Netherlands, you can best order it online though Amazon (they sell all the brands mentioned - and some more).

Vita Coco

Zico

O.N.E.