Rhabarber mag man, oder nicht. Meine Rhabarber Liebesgeschichte begann erst mitte 20. Völlig OK. Mittlerweile kann ich gefühlt an keinem Rhabarber-Sträußchen im Supermarkt vorbei gehen ohne dass meine Hand automatisch nach ihm greift und zu Hause startet dann das große Grübeln “Was mache ich nur mit dir….?”
Meine Favoriten sind ganz klar: 1. Rhabarber Käsekuchen 2. Rhabarber und Zimt Marmelade 3. Rhabarberkompott
Yummi yummi, schau mal rein! Freue mich auf dein Feedback.
Wir leben in Deutschland in der glücklichen Position, dass es das ganze Jahr über Birnen gibt. Diesen Frühling habe ich so richtig Heißhunger drauf und probiere die verschiedensten Varianten aus. Meine Top 3 für dich <3
Birnen auf einem Laugengebäck
Kartoffel – Birnen Auflauf, Überbleibsel können am nächsten Tag mit angebratenen Kichererbsen noch einmal erwärmt werden
It feels like only the fashion industry speaks about it any more. Having been recently travelling through Australia, I found myself in a country divided between very very fit people, traveller, people living the Instagram dream and some people who love to eat more calories than necessary. To be honest, food is amazing at every corner… The most shocking I have experienced here in sunny Australia: WOD’s at 5.30 and 6.30 are the most booked ones. Whaaaaat? CRAZY. Double checking at my home box in Berlin, the earliest class is at 7am. I gave it a try tho! Those early classes feel very unusual, especially when you cannot get a coffee before a workout because coffee shops open mostly at 6am. Bummer. But it actually IIISSSS the best time for training. Looking closely around me while travelling, strong definitely has to be the new skinny. Much more strong than skinny people around. Meeting lots of personalities while travelling who love to train and be 1% better every day leaves nothing less than a stunning feeling in my chest.
Everyone creates their own journey
and one thing is for sure: every single person puts in a lot of work into their personal training journey and the experiences are quite similar: it takes quite some time until you actually see results.
But, promised, once they kick in, you’ll discover more changes on a weekly or biweekly base. Nonetheless, the first steps are the hardest to make. No wonder why so many people drop out after a few weeks. Depending on your condition at the start, to see first results can take a little time. Those first weeks are crucial tho, you’ll decide if you’ll continue doing what you’re doing or – the easier way – just drop out.
With every new thing in life…
if you want to be successful, consistency is key.
Your mindset matters a lot. You may not be able to see first results soon. OR you might experience it differently, seeing first results very soon but shortly after you’ll find yourself stagnating at weights, personal bests (PB), not progressing at your mobility even tho you stretch every day or you even need to take a step back cause out of reasons. I know plenty of girls, and guys, although they don’t admit too often, who struggle or have struggled to gain mobility or PBs. Sometimes, one or two steps back are needed in order to achieve the next level. As well as for myself, I do struggle a lot. I just found a way to communicate with my mind better and by now I know what is good for me and my body. Try to find the momentum when your body is functioning the best, mentally and functional. You’ll need to really convince yourself from time to time. Maybe working out a schedule and strictly following it might support you reaching for the stars…
Typically Australia, this city also has a lot of good places to see and food to eat. Some of them are listed here. Feel free to stop by and get your own opinion.
FOOD
Go to Social Grounds. This would be your first choice. It’s a place from friends of friends and also got recommended to us. Pictures do speak for themselves….. Check my Instagram for more impressions.
Bandwagon Cafe would also be a nice option. Although it’s a little more expensive, the design of the cafe is very unique and worth getting some inspiration for your own apartment or garden back home. You know, to take the vacay feeling with you….
Want a ThickShake?? The Milkbar next to Town Beach Park
TRAINING
CrossFit HIJACKED Nathan is the owner of CF HIJACKED. Get a shirt, the design is awesome. Own your brekkie, get training done first thing in the morning.
QUALITY TIME
Coastal Walk You’ll pass stunning coastal scenery, lots of beaches and some rainforest parts along the coastal walk. Do a full day walk for a few more hours or break it up into several short walks for 1-2 hours. The whole walk is 9.1 km long, depending on the amount of pictures you take, it can take more time than initially expected! At least this happened to me, which is why we broke it in two days. It is totally worth walking every step…
This is pretty much a guide for travel and fitness loving people….
So here is our story: Rent a camper van (or just buy a car, chuck a mattress in there), take a towel, some body wash and water. You’re ready to hit the road. If you are planning to travel up or down the coast between Brisbane and Sydney, make sure to stop at Port Marcquarie. Not only does this town has an amazing Coastal Walk with beautifully changing landscape, it also has plenty of beaches you can surf at. Surf Schools will help you catching the very first wave. Visit the Koala Hospital! Nice little fluffy creatures who were fortunate to be rescued from bush fire or dog bites. If you are a local reading this, please put your dog on a leash.
Requirements for a good start in the day.
Wake up early. See the sunrise and experience the feeling of a city just waking up. This can be very magical.
Do an early workout. You know, something quick but intense. We decided to check out Crossfit HIJACKED and we did not regret any second! Such lovely people! Tho owner, Nathan, and his family were unbelievably friendly. Yes, even his mum did the same workout. This is very passionate. We had such a great time. The WOD sounded like nothing but it actually rocketed the lactate to a nice high peak.
Get food. Good food. Proteins are best to eat right after an exhausting training, check this page to understand why. Ask Nathan and his beautiful girl for recommendation! <3 Check my blog post for SOCIAL GROUNDS in Port Marcquarie. Main road, you cannot miss it.
Crossfit HIJACKED WOD on 11/04/19
Warmup
Skills for 18 min | Bench Press x6 at 65% every 2 min + your own choice of accessory work in between (I went for the jerk and some handstand hold)
WOD for 10 rounds | 10 x wall balls + 100 m run
TOTALLY WORTH IT. Check my Instagram for the Box’s location!
– cottage cheese – cherry tomatoes (washed and cut in pieces) – cucumber (washed and cut in pieces) – oil (use the right kind! For more information, click here) – a bit salt mix everything together in a bowl and you are ready to go. Add some topping for the crunch.
(2) TAKE – it’s topping time Take a hand full of nuts! Anything from pumpkin seeds to cashews. Roast them before adding. They will add a the special flavour and are so yum!
How to roast nuts: Set a pan on medium high temperature. Add nuts. Don’t use any oil! You want to roast, not fry.
DONE.
WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH
Bread, to add some carbs. Get creative with cottage cheese and try to use it with spaghetti to replace cream sauces! Add some water, if it’s too dry.
ALTERNATIVES with COTTAGE CHEESE
Toast a slice of bread, while still warm, add the cottage cheese and top it with honey OR figs. See picture to the blog post…
FACTS.
Cottage cheese has a slightly sweet taste and is very low in fat, but contains a good amount of protein. It’s the good kind of protein, which will take your body a while to get digested. Add it as a snack in between the day or directly after a workout session.
Sometimes, training can be mentally very demanding.
It may vary on a daily base from straightforward thoughts which are easy to handle, up to thoughts which are blocking you throughout the workout. Those thoughts maybe even lead in failing your goals for the session. Try not to get to the second stage. You know yourself best, stop the rollercoaster when you are right at the edge from falling. So, how to cope with those situations to prevent them in the future or to find an easier exit out of the roller coaster ride? This is a hard question. Sometimes a training buddy can help. Sometimes, you just need to tell your thought to shut the ** up. It sounds simple, but folks, it is far away from simple. To be able to manage or even influence your thoughts will take time and is hard work. Sure, whenever something negative comes up, you can easily point out the positive side. As we all know, there’s always something positive to see in every negative situation. The really hard question is though – will the positive thought last and do you believe in it? If not, put in the work.
If you’re having a hard time, don’t worry, others too.
If you need that little push, just push yourself! The workout will be over eventually. In 5 or 10 minutes, you can go back to your normal breathing. Honestly, if you thought of quitting through the workout, this will not help nor will it make much sense. You’re in it anyhow, regardless of how much you pushed yourself or got pushed, you’re going through a decent level of pain after training anyway. When it kicks in, it doesn’t matter much if you’ve gone only halfway or pushed yourself fully through the session. Let’s face it if you gave everything you could today, the feeling will be much much better. You’ll know you earned it. If you need to reward yourself, go get it. Will you get the same feeling if you’ve only gone halfway? Will you be satisfied with the result? Will you enjoy the after training coffee as much? I bet you won’t.
Think about what motivates you.
Set your personal achievements. It doesn’t matter it’s as simple as beating a previous time for one workout, finishing a WOD within the time cap or even working on your mental strength like owning your thoughts.
Put on your training gear, go to a Crossfit box or a weightlifting club in your local area. Promised, they’ll very warmly welcome you. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. We all speak the same language. It is indeed very exciting to get to know the different reasons why people are pushing themselves every day. It’ll take maybe a few workouts to see a change happening to your body. At first, it’ll hurt. I am not sugarcoating it, it’ll hurt. This is the first mental challenge to continue where others would stop. The pain will go, give it two to three days. But you can change your mindset forever and you’ll quite soon understand how to continuously work with yourself, inside and outside. Survive the first mental challenge and you’ll not go back to regular life! You’ve been warned….
(1) TAKE – onions – honey (vegan: agave syrup) – chili paste (sambal brandal)
Caramelise the onions with some oil, add some chili paste after a while
(2) TAKE – pumpkin (Muscat goes very well with the disc, but Hokkaido would also be a good choice) – potatoes (primarily waxy or waxy)
Cut in little pieces and fry with the onions on medium – high heat. Add some coconut oil, if you want so nothing sticks to the pan or gets burned.
(2) TAKE – peanut sauce (mix from dry ingredients or take the crunchy peanut butter with 1/2 -3/4 litre of hot water, you know, the one from breakfast with jam….) – chili paste (add more, if you want) – salt – sweet chestnuts (if frozen add now, if pre cooked already they just need to get heated up. Add after 15 minutes, do not overcook them.)
Cook on medium temperature for around 20 minutes in total. Check regularly and stir. If everything is soft, it’s done.
DONE.
WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH
Salad! As a side dish, sprinkle with some peanuts.
FACTS.
Peanut Butter. You either love it or hate it. Vote for love. Most of the sweet treats contain palm oil, this one doesn’t. Compared to chocolate (e.g. Nutella) Peanut Butter is lower in sugar, higher in protein and often even lower in unhealthy fats. Look for the natural Peanut Butter, with no added sugar or other oils. The less processed, the more convenientit is for a solid fitness treat.
There is also a low fat option to pep up Protein Shakes – powdered Peanut Butter. Try, you’ll love it. Remember: peanuts contain protein. You need those little molecules for regeneration!
Dried Peanut for cooking You’ll find those mostly in Asian or Indian super markets. They come in a block, don’t be shy asking someone in the store to take the right mixture as there are plenty of confusing variations out there.
Powdered Peanut Butter Best for Shakes or Smoothies. Combine with berries and your favourite milk combination. Not good with veggies tho (in case you were asking yourself).
Crunchy/Creamy Peanut Butter Best to spread it on butter and top with jam (the dark kind), really. If you still want more (who doesn’t want it?), add to any kind of pumpkin and/or potato dish as sauce. To make a sauce add hot water on 1-2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter, wait a few seconds and stir to get a creamy sauce. Add a little salt!
(1) TAKE – preparation – Cashew nuts soak over night in water, it’s enough water if all nuts are covered.
(2) TAKE – dressing – oil – salt – Dijon Mustard – lemon (just a squeeze) mix it in a bowl or take an espresso cup for measurement. Half of a filled espresso cup is enough for four breads.
Tipp: Add some honey if you are craving for some sweets this morning.
(3) TAKE – cocktail tomatoes – lambs lettuce cut in pieces and mix with the dressing
(4) TAKE – soaked cashews drain the water and blend all of them in a food processor. Add some salt or oil, if you want it to.
(2) TAKE – it’s topping time – toasted bread (sourdough) – cheese (the buttery kind :), vegan: take vegan cheese or simply go without, also awesome!) – avocado spread everything on the bread. Layers will be bread – cheese – cashew cream – avocado – lettuce – tomatoes
DONE.
WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH
– sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top OR – add some pepper, if you like pepper OR – replace the salad with some grilled veggies OR – sprinkle some chili flakes on top
FACTS.
Dijon Mustard is a french mustard type. It is primarily used for sauces or dressings and a fantastic companion in the kitchen! Try to used the version which is not fully ground, to get the extra taste.
(1) TAKE – preparation – Cashew and let them soak in water, if you can over night. But 1-2 h will also do the trick.
(2) TAKE decide between two options for the base, spinach VS basil – spinach OR basil – rocket (half of the amount of base) – onion (1-2, depending on size, cut in smaller cubes for the food processor) – garlic (1-2, depending on size, cut in smaller cubes for the food processor) – yeast flakes (a hand full) – soaked cashew nuts (1-2 hands) – salt – oil (decent amount! Choose your oil wisely, try to avoid processed oil.) mix everything in a food processor together, step by step. You can also add the salt when everything is mixed, to get a better feeling for the right amount.
(3) TAKE – options – Chili – dried tomatoes and/or oregano with the basil base – try rocket as a base and add some rosemary
DONE.
WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH
Bread + basil/rocket pesto! Even better toasted, add some fresh tomato, try it! Spaghetti + basil pesto Serve it with rocket or basil leaves and some roasted cashews, along with fresh or dried tomatoes. Try capers or filled pepper! Spaghetti + spinach pesto Try it with peas, broccoli or corn.
FACTS.
Pesto was originally prepared in Italy, Genoa. Garlic, basil and (roasted) pine nuts blended with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. That’s it.