Let’s Chia Bowl

                                                (picture credit @Maddy Ritchie)

Chia seeds, oats and fruits to jumpstart the day

All about those small black-brownish seeds. Chia is the new Superfood in our breakfast bowls.

Instagram feeds, blogs and nowadays even the Austrian supermarket shelves are filled up with those hyped seeds. They say Chia reduces food cravings, help you stay hydrated, lower blood pressure, are rich in Omega-3 and are packed with nutrition.

I have to admit that I had some doubts about the “Superfood”, especially because there tends to be lot of fuss and a big price tag for something that looks super weird and basically is equal to flaxseeds.

Well, I was a bit hesitant to jump on the chia seed band wagon effect. But my curiosity taught me better and now they are daily ingredients in my fruit bowl. They still don’t look very sexy and even don’t taste much but love how those small seeds leave me full until lunchtime.

Some people might roll their eyes or shake their heads when they read that:

What I love most about Chia? The slimy, oozy crazy texture!

Since I am a lazy kitchen person, I am addicted to breakfast bowls because it is a no-cook meal. Plus it is prepared very easy and tastes very yummy.  

Even though I make that almost every day I still get amazed by how much water Chia seeds can absorb. It is A LOT. 

After starting with a base of Chia seeds I add some oats and lots of boiled water mixed with unsweetened almond milk. When I am in a rush I prepare the Chia-oats basis in the evening. When the mixture is soaked in water I top it off with a mix of my favorite fruits and nuts or whatever I have at home. There are a million different options when it comes to toppings.

Every morning we wake up to mouth watering shots of Instagrammers breakfast bowls so immaculately arranged that it almost looks too good to eat.

Let’s be honest, no chia, acai or whatever-you-call it bowl look that amazing everyday. Most of the time I wouldn’t take a picture of my breakfast because nobody would believe me that this tastes good. I throw everything in a bowl add some water, yoghurt and cinnamon and mix it until it is a brownish dark oat mixture that looks like old baby porridge. It took me a while to figure out how to arrange my food to make it worth photographing.

Say it with stripes

Layers, stripes and other fashion staples

Every time I go shopping, I try to buy something colorful or patterned, but I just can’t! It looks silly on me and it’s just not me! But I found a compromise – a monochrome striped blouse.   

Print, colors or stripes – let’s be honest stripes are basically the most neutrals at this point. That’s why I included the trend in my winter staples. Whether they are going up, down, horizontal or diagonal – they are one of those basic trends that go with everything.

The weather seems to be undecided like me. One day I feel like I want winter and the other I dream of warm sunny spring weather. So I have to admit that like the temperature and weather differences. Today it’s getting very mild again.

But what to wear on a sunny winter day with spring temperatures, when you sweat in a coat but freeze in your cardigan?

Mild weather is all about layers! It took me a while to realize that, because I was afraid to layer my clothes for fear of looking bigger. Not true! Good thing I had overcome my insecurity and prejudice.

My idea: Same but different! Same color but different shades and materials.

My outfit of the day: Leather pants from Selected Femme, a monochrome blouse from H&M, a light black sweater from Free People and a Zara leather jacket.

Suited for the rock chic I added some 70’s influenced accessories. Urban Outfitters retro glasses, a fringe bag from Steve Madden and a black hat from H&M complete the minimalized winter look.

White noise

More fabulous, less functional

Yeah, finally it’s snowing. And what fits better into a white scenery than a white coat?!

Karl Lagerfeld once mentioned, he loves classic beauty: „It’s an idea of beauty with no standard.”

The same thing can be said about white coats. It’s a classic that survives all fashion coming and going.

And the best thing about a white coat: it looks refined and sophisticated but doesn’t have to be very expensive.

One of my best friends asked me how much I paid for that white coat because she thought it must have cost me a fortune.  Well it didn’t. I bought the coat while shopping for my grandma at C&A. It showed me that once you overcome your prejudice, you could find cool fashion pieces in stores you would never have thought about stepping in.

As exciting and modern it looks, as ever impractical it is – it might be a chic way to keep warm but not very effective. But … whatever I love it! The white coat stakes its claim to hero status in my closet this season. 

Almwellness paradise

Holiday getaway at Tuffbad

Just relax and chill – doesn’t that sound great? That’s exactly what my boyfriend and I did last week.

Far away from all hustle and bustle in the middle of the Tyrolean and Carinthian Alpine nature there is a family-run spa resort called 1. Almwellness-Resort Tuffbad. Only surrounded by small chalets and beautiful scenery, perched on a mountaintop overlooking the magnificent Dolomites. It is the perfect place to escape the daily routine. We couldn’t think of a better place to spend the last 4 days of our winter holiday.

As soon as we arrived we felt like home. The hoteliers Eva-Maria und Egon Oberluggauer welcomed us very warmly. After we tried the very delicious “Tuffbad” aperitif with regional mountain cranberries in the lounge area, we checked into our room.

Shall we Chalet? Yes, please!

Rustic, traditional designs and luxury combined in one. Every room, suit and chalet impress with its own unique character. What I loved most about our room was the alpine style designed furniture and the Swiss pine canopy bed. I slept so well and was just happy when I woke up. Well maybe it was the amazing breakfast buffet too that made my mornings so easy.

Vitamin boost

At the breakfast buffet you find everything your appetite desires. From freshly cooked scrambled eggs, omelets to a great variety of seasonal and regional veggies, fruits, cheese, bread, yoghurt, cereal, homemade jam, honey and freshly squeezed juice etc.

“A smoothie a day keeps the doctor away!”

Another breakfast highlight is the yummy smoothie in the morning. We liked the vitamin shot so much that we asked for another glass and got an even bigger second one.

Culinary delicacies

Every morning we received a morning newspaper and the four-course menu for the evening. My boyfriend laughed at me and asked: “I guess you postpone your New Year’s resolution for a few days?”

Yes for sure! The dinner course choices were too delicious to skip. Enjoying regional organic whole foods prepared with lots of love and know how is better than sticking to “a not eating dinner” diet. At our last day the hotelier surprised us with a special romantic candle light dinner in the unique dining chalet.

“Everything is possible – nothing is mandatory”

The hotel stay was all-around wonderful. There were a lot of highlights but it was a very special one that set the Tuffbad apart from all the other wellness hotels: The warm-hearted hospitality!

The kindness and the politeness of both the hoteliers and the staff were amazing. All the people we have met there had their own great personality. Everyone who served us was very warm-hearted and friendly. Have you ever played cards with the barkeepers? Well, we did!

Cocktail hours

Gin tonic, good chats and lots of laughs made our evenings at the hotel bar memorable. Writing those lines, I remember our first afternoon at the spa. We were talking to one of the other guests in the pool and he told us that he and his wife are coming here twice a year because they are so happy about the hospitality.

We have been to many different Spa resorts and usually the staff is nice but the authentic and down-to-earth treatment at Tuffbad is outstanding.

Dreaming of a relaxing and feel-good getaway in the heart of the mountains? Then this is the place to go. Visit and enjoy yourself! At Tuffbad you can expect to get pampered throughout the whole day.

We will definitely come back to explore the summer in the Alps. Thanks family Oberluggauer and the whole team for those wonderful relaxing days. See you soon.

Die Ursteinmassage

Neujahrsvorsätze der anderen Art

Weniger Kohlenhydrate, gesünder essen und mehr Sport! Das nehme ich mir zu jedem Jahreswechsel vor. Aber 2016 mache ich mir noch einen ganz besonderen Vorsatz, den ich im Gegensatz zu den anderen sogar schon eingehalten habe:

“Entspannen und einfach mal glücklich sein.“

Obwohl in meinem Leben nahezu alles (perfekt) läuft und ich hier und jetzt zufrieden sein sollte, träume ich von Momenten aus der Vergangenheit oder sehne ich mich nach den Zielen und Erwartungen der Zukunft. Das Streben nach mehr, der Neid und der Vergleich mit anderen beeinflussen meine Einstellung zu leben.

Glücklich sein durch das Bewusstsein des Augenblicks. Ein Vorsatz der mich das ganze Jahr begleiten soll und dank einer bestimmten Behandlung ins Rollen gebracht wurde: der Ursteinmassage.

Während meines Wellnessaufenthaltes im 1. Almwellness Resort Tuffbad in Lesachtal durfte ich eine besondere Silberquarzmassage ausprobieren.

Die Ursteinmassage gibt Kraft im Hier und Jetzt. Diese aus Südtirol stammende Behandlung berücksichtigt das energetische Zusammenspiel der Kräfte und ermöglicht ein tiefes Loslassen und Entspannen des vegetativen Nervensystems. Das Erdungsritual mit Silberquarzit Granulat fördert die Aufmerksamkeit für die Gegenwart und Energie für die Zukunft.

Zugegeben, ich bin nicht der Typ, der an Rituale und Kraft aus Steinen glaubt, aber ich bin offen für Neues. Zu Beginn der Massage war ich etwas skeptisch und es fiel mir schwer so richtig zu entspannen. Irgendwann bemerkte ich wie meine Hand zuckte, meine Gedanken irgendwo zwischen Träumen und Wachen schwirrten und ich tatsächlich loslassen konnte.

Nach der 75 Minuten Ganzkörpermassage fühlte ich mich tiefenentspannt. Frei von Erwartungen und stressigen Gedanken verbrachte ich den restlichen Tag im Hotel Spa. Begleitet von Saunagängen, einer Abkühlung im Whirlpool bis hin zu ruhigen Stunden im Wasserbett.

Zeit für sich selbst zu nehmen ist nicht egoistisch sondern lebenswichtig. Eine Wellness-Auszeit ist dafür genau das Richtige.

Ich habe schon einige Hotel Spas gesehen, aber der Wellness Bereich im Tuffbad ist einzigartig. Vom Design, dem hauseigenen Mineralwasser bis hin zu den außergewöhnlichen Saunen wie den „Kraxenofen“, das „Brotbad“, das „Brechelbad“ oder die „Almgrotte“ bietet das 1. Almwellness Resort besondere Verwöhnung auf höchstem Niveau.