I’m sure you may have noticed that I like India… (Oh you haven’t? Click here). So what did I do? I went and found an epic Indian supermarket here in Paris, got mighty nostalgic, bought lots of ginger and ocra to make myself feel good then went home and fried it all up. I think we can conclude that I should just move to India, would make things a lot easier.
Photos by Meg from De Quelle Planète Es-Tu?
Afghani necklace from Cleopatra’s Bling.
I must say, this idea, which came out of nowhere, was genius. The apartment smelt of sweet fresh basil and it was just what I needed for a weekday dinner. The good news is, it’s easy!
Soak a cup of chickpeas overnight before boiling them as it makes them quicker to cook. Boil until they are very soft and add 4 tablespoons of tahini, as much olive oil as you need until it’s soft, a bunch of basil, sesame seeds, a clove of garlic, a spoon of yoghurt, sea salt, pepper and mix it, baby!
Served on some sourdough bread- nothing better!
A home is so very important. I am such a home-unit, and love to nest. Here is a little peek inside where I spend lots of my days. In Winter, I love sitting on the couch with a pot of chai and reading and in Summer with all the windows open I burn incense and have bright bunches of flowers.
I also shot the look book for my creations, Cleopatra’s Bling in the apartment.
Vintage Indian print- from antique store in Pondicherry, India.
Print from the Sarah and Bendrix Etsy store.
Cacti, crystals and Ganesh statue from India.
Ganesh from India, print from the Sarah and Bendrix Etsy store.
Frame wall (a work in progress). Textiles from all over the place- India, Paris, Australia, Ikea.
Native American dream-catcher.
Cosy couch.
Leather and embroidery slippers from India.
Nothing better than a big bed to rest up in after a long day.
Coffee table reading.
A large collection of teas.
My little kitchen.
Positive vibes for the bedroom.
Posted in France, Mervelous Homes, Paris, Uncategorized
Tagged Cleopatra's Bling, fashion, home is where the heart is, Indian textiles, interior bohemian paris, native american dream, native american dream catcher, oh la la livia australia, oh la la livia paris, positive vibes, sarah and bendrix etsy, style
May in France is full of public holidays. We were lucky enough to have two lined up on Wednesday and Thursday meaning most companies were closed on Friday. Lucky me, I had a 5 day weekend. I got so much relaxing done… something I had been needing for a long time.
Long, lazy breakfasts.
Reading.
Thinking about my next adventure destination. And starting a fund.
Coffee at La Caféothèque with friends.
Cocktails at Le Kremlin at Pigalle.
With a dear friend.
And Summer garden parties.
Into the night….. By the fire….
Chai is one of my favourite things in this world. Its warming mix is just what I need on a cold day but also on Spring days like today, when the weather can’t make it’s mind up and goes from hot to cold. This is very bad for my vata, when the weather changes a lot, and chai helps me keep in balanced and feeling grounded.
The chai I’m talking about is an ancient Indian spiced tea, traditionally known as Masala Chai and is said to have dated back some 5,000 years ago. Its unique flavour comes from a blend of Ayurvedic herbs and spices. Ayurveda is the traditional Vedic Indian medicine which means “knowledge for life” and is said to be the sister science to yoga. Yoga has so much theory intertwined, it is considered a “science” or body of knowledge.
Chai helps fight off colds, keep you warm and provide immunity.
You can re-create other recipes that are based on the concept of chai, like chai cakes and these chai energy balls. They are like my amazeballs, but an ayurvedic version of.
You will need:
300g of dates
as many cardamom pods as you want (I put in a bunch as you can see in the photo, it’s one of my favourite spices and it’s not overpowering in this mixture)
a big chunk of fresh ginger, skinned
a couple of teaspoons of cocoa
a pinch of nutmeg
two tablespoons of coconut oil
almond meal and desiccated coconut
soak the dates and cardamom pods overnight. Take out the pips of the dates and put them in a mixing bowl. Squeeze out the seeds of the cardamom pods and throw away the pods. Put in all of the other ingredients, apart from the almond meal and desiccated coconut and blend until completely smooth. I sometimes put in a shot of good quality coffee to make the flavour richer. Add in the almond meal and desiccated coconut until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls.
Makes 12 energy balls.
Posted in Health, Recipes, Uncategorized
Tagged Australian living in Paris, ayurvedic chai, ayurvedic herbs, cardamom, cardamom pods, chai energy balls, chai for health, chai for immunity, coconut oil, energy balls, ginger, herbs and spices, indian spiced tea, Oh la la livia, raw cocoa balls, vata ayurveda chai, yoga yoga
A home-made hot chocolate is gooooood, but an Aztec hot chocolate is much better! One of my all time favorite drinks for the colder season is hot chocolate. We love classic hot chocolate but here’s a fun way to spice it up!
For one cup of joy, here is what you need:
- 1 cup of fresh organic milk
- 1/2 a cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of an Indian masala spice mix
- as much cocoa as pleases you
- a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
- rock sugar or unrefined sugar
Put everything in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and let simmer for a minute or two then serve. This one will surely warm the cockles of your heart.
A while ago Meg and I escaped to the countryside to cook, read and sleep for a weekend.
This is a bit of what we got up to…
Video by Meg Gagnard
Recipe and cake by Olivia Cummings
Click here for the recipe.
