Tasty Tuesday I Asparagus Salad with Radish

Makes - 4 servings

Prep time - 15 minutes

Ingredients 

 One bunch of asparagus

2 tablespoons vinegar ( I prefer balsamic, but you can use white too)

1 tablespoon soy sauce ( if you prefer to reduce salt in your diet skip this)

2 tablespoon oil ( I like grape seed oil, but you can use coconut, olive, avocado )

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon grated garlic

1 big bunch of radishes

1 cup of sliced onion

Preparation 

Fill a medium sauce pan with a ice cold water and second pan fill with 3 cm water and bring to a boil.

Slice asparagus in pieces you prefer ( I like smaller pieces, because it is easier to cover them with sauce and seasonings.

Boil asparagus for about 2 minutes or until tender crisp and transfer them into ice water.

When asparagus is cooled down drain them well.

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, oil ginger and garlic in a large bowl. 

Add the asparagus, thinly sliced radish and onion in bowl and toss to combine.

Serve well refrigerated.

Have a nice appetite:)

About ingredients: 

Asparagus scientific name Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable. It was one classified in the lily family like onions and garlic, but now there is separate asparagus family. 

Only young asparagus shoots are commonly eaten - once the buds start to open, the shoots quickly turn woody.

Water makes up to 93% of asparagus, it is low in calories and very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B6 ( 9.05.2015. ), calcium ( 16.05.2015. ), Magnesium ( 11.04.2015. ), and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein and lots of vitamins.

Tasty Tuesday I Spinach Salad

 

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients

300 grams / 8 ounces fresh baby spinach

100 grams / 1/2 cup feta, brinza or soft goat cheese

1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly ( you can skip this if you don't like )

1/2 dried cranberries

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Dressing

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 

1 orange - squeeze juice and use peal to gel orange zest

1 garlic clove

a bit of salt and pepper

Instructions

Wash and clean spinach, if you don't have baby spinach tear into bite size pieces and place in a large serving bowl.

Crumble cheese and add half of it together with onions, toss to combine.

Combine dressing ingredients in a smaller mixing bowl.

Pour over salad and toss.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese, almonds and berries.

About Ingredients:

Spinach -  Value per 100 grams ( 3,5 oz)

Energy - 97 kJ / 23 kcal

Carbohydrates - 3,6 grams

Sugars - 0,4 grams

Dietary fiber - 2,2 grams

Fat - 0,4 grams

Protein 2,9 grams

In a 100 g serving portion only 23 calories, spinach has a high nutritional value, especially when fresh, frozen, steamed or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C ( 4.04.2015. ), Vitamin K, magnesium ( 11.04.2015. ), manganese ( 18.04.2015. ), folate ( 25.04.2015. ) and iron ( 2.05.2015. ).

Travel Sunday I My travel Tips

I've traveled a lot since I remember myself, of course there is at least million people around the globe who have traveled a lot more than I am, but these are my best tips, I've discovered.

1. Rize and shine

Rise earlier than you ever done it at home, you will have all city to yourself - without any crowds. You will have most amazing photos to share with friends, due the magical lightning and the best - you will have longer day to see more amazing places!

2. Cash!!!

This is extra important - cash is king in all city around the world. To cover your head up in some unexpected situations, always make sure to stash cash in a few different places - I recommend to have some 3-5 places each worth few days of living in the destination. Why? There are millions of reasons - you can lose your wallet, break your credit card, there is no ATMs, there is no pos terminal,...

Some of my favourite stock places are 

• under shoe inserts
• under phone case ( yeap you will need that ugly big case to do that :) )
• in a make up bag

3. Take huuuuuge amount of photos.

Yo never know what can happen tomorrow - maybe it is the only time you are visiting this place, so remember this place, people you met and emotions you had forever with plenty of photos. I believe that great photos are the best ever souvenir - they are cheap ( actually they don't cost anything if you already have camera), they are easy to share with friends even if it is not possible to met all them, and they don't take a space in your tiny luggage.

4. Don't forget you still have a family and friends.

Stay in touch - call your family and friends, but even best way, if you are away from home for a longer time is the old fashioned way - write them letter or send postcard from place you are.

5. Be patient

even life is too short to sweat the stuff you can not change, traveling time is even shorter - you miss the plane, train, bus??? I promise you - there will be another. Airport lost your luggage? Great - go out of your comfort zone and try to buy as less as possible to live for few days. Just breath deep and smile :)

Please, feel free to Share you tips with me in comment section :)

Healthy Saturday I Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a group of unsaturated nutritional organic compounds, that includes retinol and several carotenoids, among which beta - carotene is the most important.

Vitamin A has multiple functions:

• It is important for growth and development, for the maintenance of the immune system and good vision.
• Vitamin A is also needed by the retina of the eye in the form of retinal.
• Vitamin a also functions in a very different role as retinoic, which is important hormone like growth factor for epithelial and other cells.

Vitamin A comes from animal sources, such as eggs, meat, milk, cheese, cream, liver, kidney, cod and fish oil. All of these sources that has been fortified with vitamin A are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

If you don't get enough vitamin A, you are more likely to get infectious diseases and vision problems.

If you get too much vitamin A, you also can become sick. 

Fashion Friday I How to Dress Your Body Type?

It is not a secret that the clothes which flatter you best will depend on your body shape. Nowadays the fashion choice is so varied that there is something for everyone. Today it is no matter what scale, height, proportion ar body shape you are.

How?

Because when it comes to looking good, it is not your size or mood that matters, it is the fit of your clothes. but wearing the clothes that fits you is not about following the latest fashion trends, it is about choosing what suits you.

The Inverted Triangle. To determine if you are this type of body, look at yourself in mirror in your most expensive, most beautiful underwear. Why most beautiful and expensive underwear? For no reason - just for fun and for feeling yourself beautiful! Stand with your legs together and arms a bit away from sides. Do you see the Inverted Triangle?

If You think You see the triangle you can check yourself!

Do You:

• Have wider shoulders than hips?
• Wear a larger size on your top half than bottom?

If you answered "Yes" on both of questions - congratulations - You are the Inverted Triangle! So you should:

• Keep bold details, fluffiness, ornaments, and anything that makes you broader to your lower half and keep your top half clean, classy and unornamented. 
• Wider belt are your best friend - create the illusion of a waist!
• Avoid necklines , big straps, halterneck tops or big shawls that make you broader on top.
• Delete "shoulder pads" from your vocabulary! You will never use it!
• Avoid any boyfriend jeans, clumsy sweaters, oversized anything - you need your silhouette, show your waist, be beautiful and womanly....
• I'm sorry, but clutch bags are not made for you :(

You can catch some inspiration from these gorgeous ladies:

You're not Inverted triangle? Wait a bit and check which body type you are:

• The Rectangle Body Shape - 3.04.2015.
• Apple Body Shape - 10.04.2015.
• Pear Body Shape - 17.04.2015.
• Neat Hourglass body Shape - 24.04.2015.
• Full Hourglass Body Shape - 1.05.2015.

Arneis

Arneis is a white Italian wine grape variety originating from Piedmont, Italy. It is most commonly found in the hills of the Roero, northwest of Alba, where it is part of the white DOCG wines of Roero. 

Wine historians disagree on how long Arneis has been in the Piedmont region and under what name. a potential root of the name Arneis in the Piedmontese dialect, renesi, makes an appearance in the description of several different grape varieties in the 15th century.

Some historians believe that Arneis maybe the Ranaysii grape that has documented in 1432 growing in province of Tourino.

Arneis historical role has been as a softening for Nebbiolo, though today the grape is more commonly seen as a varietal wine.

In the United States, Arneis is mostly found in California Wine region of Sonoma Country and the Oregon.

Most of plantings of Arneis are found in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont Where the grape is used in the wines of the Roero and Langhe DOCs.

The Arneis can be a difficult grape to cultivate, with naturally low acidity and tendency to get over ripe it is harvested in September.

In the past couple of decades, Arneis has become synonymous with the wines of Roero. There it produces floral scented white wines whose delicate aromas, typically of pear and apricot rounded out with a creamy hint of hazelnut.

Nail Care tips

Who doesn't know that well manicured nails are an integral part of a neat, pulled together appearance. Unfortunately, style experts says both, men and women fall prey to myths about how to care for nails.

To help set the record straight and get myself on the road to beautiful nails I have found these tips:

• Don't cut cuticles

Leave Your cuticles alone, this is the natural barrier to fungus and bacteria - once You breach that, protection is lost. Cutting cuticles will not only make your hands look worse - red, swollen and ragged, but also land you a nasty infection that harms the nail bed and leads to permanent nail damage.

If you're hoping to make your nails appear longer, you can push your cuticles back gently with a wooden orange stick.

• Moisturize nail bed and cuticle

Moisturizing nail bed will help nails grow, it also can make cuticles look better and help protect nails from breaking due to a lack of moisture.

• Avoid acetone based polish removers

It has been documented time and again that it stris the nails, causing them to become brittle.

• Remember - toenails count too

Basically everything that applies to your fingernails applies to your toenails.

Any other steps are so individual and mostly are only nail design steps. 

Keep Your hands beautiful and have a nice day :)