Cooking with the moon Archives - Living With The Moon

Moon Cakes in Ancient Rome – A Sweet Ritual for Winter Nights

by Jutta | Nov 30, 2025 | Cooking and baking, Home-made biodynamic food

Cooking and Baking As the year draws to a close and the nights grow longer, many Ancient cultures turned their attention to the moon and the stars — our celestial guides during a cold winter night.

The Romans were no exception. In fact, Roman women often prepared moon-shaped cakes as offerings to Luna, goddess of the Moon, and to Diana, a young goddess who was the protectress of women and the hunt. The Waxing Moon was her corresponding moon phase.

These small cakes, known as liba, were made from simple, nourishing ingredients: spelt flour, soft cheese, olive oil, and honey. Their round or crescent shapes symbolised the shifting lunar cycle and the timeless connection between women and the rhythms of nature. Baking them was both a household ritual and an act of devotion — a way to honour the moon goddesses and to invite them to protect and bring fertility.

In Austria, we still bake crescent-shaped cookies and call them ‘Vanillekipferl’. Below are the ancient and modern versions of mooncakes, so you can decide which one you prefer.

Baking moon cakes is a beautiful ritual for December — a moment of stillness, creativity, and connection to the natural cycles that guide us. Let’s revive this tradition, share it with others, and have a jolly good time around the Solstice to celebrate the rebirth of the circle of light.

Healthy Roman-Inspired Moon Cakes

Ingredients (10–12 small crescent cakes)

1 cup ground almonds
½ cup oat flour (or spelt flour for ancient authenticity)
2 tbsp ricotta or Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
Zest of 1 organic lemon
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Optional: sesame seeds or crushed nuts for topping

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C / 340°F.
Combine almonds, flour, lemon zest and salt in a bowl.
Add ricotta/yoghurt, honey, olive oil, and vanilla. Mix into a soft dough.
Roll small portions into balls, then gently shape into crescent moons.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds or nuts.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until lightly golden.
Allow to cool — they firm up beautifully as they rest.

These lightly sweet, tender moon cakes are perfect for winter evenings, paired with herbal tea or shared as homemade gifts. You may even enjoy baking them under one of December’s bright moon phases for an added ritual touch.

Vanillekipferl:

Here is a more modern recipe for Vanillekipferl (Crescent-moon shaped vanilla cakes).

Ingredients (30 crescent-shaped cakes)

120 g ground almonds
150 g spelt flour (or oat flour for GF)
120 g soft butter or coconut oil
50 g coconut sugar
1 egg yolk (optional)
1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped) or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

For dusting:

3 tbsp powdered coconut sugar or icing sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar or ½ tsp vanilla powder mixed with the sugar above

Method

1. Prepare the dough

Mix almonds, flour, coconut sugar, and salt. Add butter and vanilla, rub into crumbs. Add egg yolk and whisk together to form a dough. Wrap with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30–45 minutes.

2. Shape the crescents
Preheat oven to 175°C. Form small sausage-shaped pieces of dough and bend into crescents. If you have a cookie cutter in the form of a crescent moon, you can roll out the dough and cut out moon shapes.

3. Bake
Bake for 10–12 min, until only slightly golden on the edges.

4. Finish
Coat the warm crescents gently in the vanilla–coconut sugar dust. Cool completely, leaving them on the baking sheet. Then store in a tin for a few weeks.

I hope you got inspired and happy baking.

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Recession-proof living

by Jutta | Nov 28, 2022 | Biodynamic way of life, Cooking and baking, Home-made biodynamic food, Preserving food

“Happiness is like jam – you can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself”

Since the 2nd World War, the world on the whole has been on an upward trend. Bigger, better, faster – certainly the last few decades – was the motto. But now the momentum is slowly turning to go slow, community and nature. It has been coming for a while, but the Covid epidemic accelerated this process.

There is so much fear attached to the word ‘recession’. If you are not 100% sure what the term means – it is the economy shrinking for the last 2 consecutive quarters. The economy follows like nature cycle behavior. The economic winter (recession) is therefore an inevitable season and the preparation for new shoots to come.

Instead of fretting, let’s look a the good points a recession can bring:

We are forced to stop and think about what we really need and get rid of all that is surplus anyway.
We get more efficient with natural resources – food, energy to name a few.
Material possession gets less important and intangible qualities such as love, friendship, happiness, and nature come to the front. You can enjoy it a lot – even with very little money.
Goods actually get cheaper and if you have looked after your pennies and have some savings, now is the time to make big purchases. But go for quality rather than quantity.
It forces you to invite change into your life – a change of job, scenery, change of mind, and heart.

Economically speaking we are about to enter the phase of winter. The time to save, reflect and reorganize.

The ‘Biodynamic lifestyle’ is actually very compatible with this life phase.

It pushes you to be conscious of the environment and its natural rhythms
it urges you to produce less waste and recycle whenever possible
It is a very economically efficient way of life where you rely more on what you can produce instead of what you can consume.

Now that times are getting tougher and the environment is close to breaking point, this way of life makes real sense. So why are we not all living like this?

Producing takes skill and time. Once you take the time to learn the skill again, you will get faster and better and you will just love making your own homemade products. There is nothing nicer than bringing your homemade jam or chutney to friends. It is a thoughtful and useful present. As food prices rise you want to use up any bought food. Here are a few recipes for you to try

Winter Chutney:

Ingredients: 300g carrots, 400g apples, 300g onions, 200g tomatoes, 2 red peppers, 400g red wine vinegar or apple vinegar, 2 tbsp (tablespoon) sultanas, 1 tsp (teaspoon) salt, 1 tsp pepper, ½ tsp of cinnamon powder, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 500g jam sugar.

1) Wash fruit and vegetables, chop, peel, deseed and dice them into small pieces and put all ingredients into a large, very clean pan. Bring to boil and cook gently for about 1 hour, stirring regularly. When vegetables have the desired consistency, pour the hot mixture into clean glass jars and seal immediately with cling film. Leave to cool. The chutneys last for a couple of months unopened.

Strawberry Jam:

Ingredients: 1kg strawberries, 1kg jam sugar, 1 small unwaxed lemon, a small pinch of pepper

Wash strawberries remove stalks and cut them into small pieces. Rinse lemon and grate the rind finely. Put the strawberries, grated rind, pepper, and sugar in a clean pot and boil for about 4-5 minutes. Pour straightaway into clean (wash out with boiling water) jars, cover with cling film and tightly close the lids. Makes around 8-9 jars, depending on size. The best time to do this is of course in June but you can use this recipe for similar fruit jams, for example, plum jam – but I would substitute the pepper with a pinch of cinnamon.

Home-made cleaning products:

Living in a biodynamic home and garden, you will be surrounded by more diversity than most other gardens that use pesticides. The upshot is that you will attract lots of wildlife into your garden. In our garden – in the middle of London- we have earthworms, butterflies, spiders, cats, bees, many bird species, squirrels and even foxes can be seen on a daily basis. But sometimes all these lovely creatures can become a bit much – especially when you have moths invading your clothes cupboards and eating your most loved garments. It can be a dilemma if you don’t want to use pesticides. So here is a recipe for my own super-effective and totally organic moth deterrent. And as a bonus it makes the carpet and furniture look great, too.

Here is my home-made recipe that protects your clothes from moth or other insect infestation:
Get a large empty spray bottle (the ones you would mist your flowers with) and fill it with a mixture of 2/4 washing-up liquid (I use a lavender-infused liquid soap – you can dilute it slightly with some water), 1/4 99% IPA (alcohol) and 1/4 of white vinegar. Shake it well and mist it on your furniture, carpets, and even clothes. I also use this mixture on garden plants that have infestations like aphids.

Here is an article about home-made cleaning products

Don’t throw food away before you do this:
Here is one of my favorite tips to rehydrate vegetables and salads that have gone a bit limp. Fill a bowl of cold water and add a small capful of white vinegar (in fact any vinegar will do, but go for a cheap one here as the results are the same). Chop your salad, and vegetables up and immerse them in the water. Leave them in the bowl for around 30 minutes and you will have crisp, ready-to-eat salads and vegetables on your plate.

These are just a few examples of the many ways you can save and help the environment. Initially, it does take a bit of effort and experimenting. But over time these recipes are quick to make and once you get used to the taste of homemade produce there is no going back!

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Cooking with the moon

by Jutta | Jun 29, 2020 | Cooking with herbs, Happy House, Home-made biodynamic food, Preserving food

TODAY IS A GREAT TO TO COOK IN BATCHES FOR FREEZING, MAKE BREAD AND BAKE CAKE AND COOKIES

I read that Mauro Colagreco, owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur, situated on the French Riviera, has changed his menu post-COVID lockdown. That would not be surprising for a place listed on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list. But why is it news-worthy? Because he will tailor his offerings in accordance with what the moon is doing.

I am sure many readers thought ‘Ridiculous new fad- what next?’. Well, this ‘fad’ is actually not so new, it is in fact a few thousand years old.

Here is the article

Mr. Colagreco reasons that he is already using biodynamically grown produce and so he might as well not stop there but carry this method over to the kitchen. Ah, now it makes sense.

In the Biodynamic garden, one aspect is that the gardener is plants, sows, and carries out any work in accordance with the biodynamic calendar. This has given Biodynamic farming always a ‘woohoo’ appeal, fit for a few crazy souls, but nothing for the sensible masses. But what many don’t realize is that for centuries this was actually THE normal way of farming, nothing ‘woohoo’ about this.

Generations of observations have led to practices which ‘just worked’ – olives picked on certain days had more oil and apples more juice. Spinach sown on this day was less susceptible to disease or grew quicker. The ‘why’ was less questioned, it just was called ‘tradition’ and it worked.

I assume the menu choices you will see in the near future at Mirazur, will be guided by the change of the moon phases and the elements. When you take a look at our online calendar The Month Ahead you will see that each day shows a moon phase (Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon or New Moon) and an element (Water, Air, Earth & Fire) and activity symbols that are connected.

These symbols represent the observations that led to the creation of these calendars. But their widespread appeal was (and still is) that they are such great tools to structure time and life.

So what is cooking with the moon?

If you grew up with this ‘way of eating’, then your body is sort of programmed to fancy certain foods at certain times.
I guess this is nature’s way to make sure you get a well-balanced diet. If you have never heard or experienced it, then it does need a bit of time to get used to it. Firstly, you have to ‘detach’ from your current eating habits and ‘re-teach’ your body to develop what I call ‘healthy cravings’ and food management. I am currently working on a program that will teach these steps in more details.

But here is quick intro if you are completly new to this way of cooking and eating.

Eating with the moon cycle:

The Waxing Moon: As the moon grows, so do we. People seem hungrier and gain weight easier. It is a great time for those who find it hard to put weight on (say after an operation) or anorexic.

If you struggle with too much weight, it is crucial that you watch this time. Don’t lose weight, rather stabilize your weight and aim not to gain. Prepare meals that are filling and full of nutrients (fresh, healthy, organic produce is, of course, best) and that contains very little sugar and empty calories, such as white flour.

The Full Moon: Again, it is easier to put weight on, but as it is just a short time, you may as well enjoy it and go for a slap-up meal. Traditionally diets started at Full Moon.

The Waning Moon: Losing weight tends to be easier now. We are also more active and as a result may eat less, as we are too busy with other things.

If you have no weight issues, just focus on moving more and keep eating a normal, healthy diet. If you need to lose weight, now is your perfect time. These 2 weeks go for it – there are numerous strategies depending on lifestyle habits and body types.

New Moon: Traditionally a rest and fast day.

Another area are the elements. Each day has a special quality and again you can see this on the calendar which ‘day quality’ is dominant.

Fire – dedicated to fruit – this could be picking, pruning fruit bushes and trees or making jam

Earth – anything to do with root vegetable and the earth. Digging, weeding harvesting potatoes, sowing carrots, etc.

Air: Anything to do with flowers and oils. Sunflower would be a top example. This is a great time to pick olives and press their oil, incorporate flowers into salads and dishes and eat ‘flowery’ vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.

Water: Leafy vegetables like spinach, all kind of salads and in the garden a great day for planting, fertilising and extra watering.

The reason I combined the gardening and eating is that until very recently you would grow your vegetable, harvest and eat them – usually all on the same day. There were no chest freezer or fridges available. When your trees had an abundance of fruit, you made jams, compotes, cider or stored them in a way that it lasted for a long time.

Root vegetables got pickled or fermented. Freezing is not a bad habit, but it works best if you pick and freeze, so the nutrients stay as fresh as can be. If you take only one thing away – try to eat less, but better and shop for food that is ‘alive’ – ideally grown near you, by an organic or even better biodynamic farmer or grow your own, making sure the soil is a nutritous as possible.

Make your own delicious strawberry jam

by Jutta | May 29, 2020 | Home-made biodynamic food, Preserving food

June and July are the best times to pick strawberries and make jam for the rest of the year. Here is a delicious recipe for making your own jam. It is quick, easy and home-made jams just taste so good, especially with scones or toast.

Fire Days, in particular when you see the symbol above work really well. This will make sure your jam won’t get mouldy, providing of course you sterilized your equipment correctly!

What do you need to make your own delicious strawberry jam?

A general rule for making jams: Fill your jam glasses with boiling water before use or even better sterilize them in a pressure cooker. If you like making your own jam, then I suggest you keep a pot and cooking spoon just dedicated to this task and make sure that they are both REALLY clean. Done on the right day and with the right method/equipment, you can rest assured that your jam will last and you can make a good supply for the next couple of month. Home-made jam is to do and makes great presents.

Recipe for simple Strawberry jam:

Equipment needed: 1 large cooking pot and wooden spoon (both very clean), 8-9 medium-sized jam jars (sterilized) or 4-5 large jam jars (sterilized), all jars must have tight-fitting lids. I tea towel.

Ingredients: 1kg strawberries (washed and stalks removed, 1kg jam sugar, 1 small unwaxed lemon, a small pinch of pepper

Sterilize 8 to 9 medium jam jars (or 4-5 larger ones). Put them on a tea towel, so they are ready to receive the hot jam mixture. Make sure you also sterilize the lids as this is often a spot where mould forms.
Cut the washed strawberries into small pieces. Then rinse the lemon and grate the rind finely. Finally put the strawberries, grated rind, pepper and sugar in a clean pot and boil for about 4-5 minutes.
Pour the jam mixture straightaway into the sterilized jars and cover them tightly with cling film. Then close the lid on top of the cling film. This will give it extra protection.

If there is time you can also bake your scones and enjoy both with a great cup of tea.

Recipe for scones:

Equipment needed: 2 plastic cake mixing bowls, pastry brush, whisk, baking tray, round pastry cutter

Ingredients: 225g self-raising flour (or 225g of plain flour and 1tsp of baking powder) and a bit extra for dusting, a pinch of salt, 2tbsp caster sugar, 55g butter (bit extra for greasing), 150ml buttermilk, 1 egg (beaten), 50 g of mixed sultanas, raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to about 200/220 degrees centigrade and grease a baking tray with butter.
Pour the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingers. You will get a crumbly mixture. Then add the sultanas or other dried fruit.
Beat the egg into the buttermilk and add the sugar, so it becomes a golden coloured mixture.
Make a well in the middle of your flour mixture and add the egg/buttermilk/sugar mixture. Work quickly, as speed here is important. You should now have a soft dough.
Dust your surface with some flour and shape the dough into an even thickness of about 1cm. With a round pastry cutter, cut out the round scones and place them next to each other on the greased baking sheet. Repeat until the dough is gone.
Glaze the scones with a little milk using your pastry brush and bake them for around 10-12 minutes until they have risen and are golden brown.
Leave them to cool on a plate and serve with cream, strawberry jam and a good cup of tea. This is a very English way to spend a summer afternoon.

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7 Tips for staying at home

by Jutta | Apr 26, 2020 | All about herbs, Cooking with the moon, Happy House

It is currently a strange time. Practically overnight we turned from people with busy lifestyles to sitting at home wondering how to declutter the home, start home-schooling, and wondering how to cut our own hair. I can of course only recount my own experience here. If you are a key worker or medical staff then your life will have been busier than ever.

In London, it all started in mid-March 2020. At first, my friends and I felt a bit uneasy and anxious about what this new situation will mean for all of us. How could we avoid catching this dreaded virus? A few days in, we secretly admitted that the quarantine was not too bad and we started to enjoy these ‘enforced, guiltless pyjama days’.

But there is so long you can sit around in your pjs. After a bit of rest came a rush of decluttering the loft and some obscure bathroom cupboards that had remained untouched for a while. Life felt good and productive.

Week 3 of lockdown. The enforced ‘holiday’ started to wear thin. One of my friends created a WhatsApp meditation group- very enjoyable experience. I started writing ‘Gardening With The Moon’ (An Introduction to Biodynamic Gardening – which I hope to finish soon) and of course did a fair bit in the garden. We all confessed yo-yo-ing between good and bad days, some faring better than others.

Your experience may, of course, be entirely different. You may not be affected at all or you have lost someone close, in which case accept my sincere condolences.

May was going to be a month full of life, parties and get-toghers. Well, it does not look this way now. But let’s stay positive and use this time constructively. Here are some tasks that we all can do – and they are easy and cheap.

Tip 1 – Planting herbs

Dig over a small patch in your garden and plant some herbs. For all those without an outside space, find a window sill that gets some sunshine during the day. There you can grow chives, parsley, basil, mint, or oregano in small pots.

For the garden or slightly bigger pots, grow dill, rosemary, fennel, or sage.

If you want to have immediate access to herbs I suggest you buy already established herbs in pots. These can be replanted into bigger pot by adding some good quality compost soil or replanted into your herb patch. Make sure you loosen the roots before planting and add some good quality compost (home-made is of course best).

Herbs are very thirsty and will need watering on a daily basis (except of course when it rains). Make sure you keep the compost moist but not wet – otherwise your plants will drown. It is wonderful to have an endless supply of fresh herbs for salads, cooking, and garnishing dishes. Fresh mint or sage make wonderful herbal teas.

My top tip: cut some herbs and put them into an ice-cube tray and add a bit of water. These ‘herb-cubes’ will keep up to 6 months.

Here are some related articles from the LWTM blog series ‘ Cooking with herbs’.

Cooking with Oregano

Cooking With Tarragon

Cooking With Dill

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Tip 2 – Make your own bread

It has recently become really popular to make your own artisan bread. I have had breadmakers for years and been doing my own sourdoughs. But here is a quick and easy recipe for all those who want to give it the first try. The recipe below is for a simple and tasty mixed loaf that can be done in any conventional oven. No breadmaker or sourdough needed.

You will need kitchen scales, the ingredients below, a ceramic dish with a lid (ideally round), a bowl, and a mixing spoon.
Ingredients: 560g wheat flour, 190g rye flour, 550g hot water, 16g salt, some cumin seeds (1/2 a teaspoon should be enough), 3gram of active yeast. You could add some linseeds or other seeds if you like.

1) weigh all the ingredients and put them together into a big kitchen bowl. I use a big mixing spoon to blend them together. Then add some flour to your hands and knead the dough. (please use enough plain flour on your hands, otherwise, the dough will stick to you). After a few minutes of kneading, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and leave it to rest. I suggest a minimum of 3 hours. You could also prepare the dough in the evening and let it rise overnight. Then it will be ready for baking the next day.

Tip: To see if the dough is ready for baking. Pull some upwards. If it rips easily it needs to rise a little longer. A dough that is ready for baking should glide out and not rip straight away.

2) Once the dough is ready, preheat oven to 250degree C (480F) and put the empty ovenproof dish with lid into the oven. Yes, that is right – empty to heat it up!

3) Take it out when it is very hot (be careful handling it!) and add some sprinkles of plain flour to cover the bottom of the pan. This is important as otherwise the bread will stick to the pan and it will be hard for it to come out.
Then add the dough. With the mixing spoon create a line in the top of the dough – that is where the crust can rise and sprinkle some plain flour on the top. Put the lid on and bake the bread (middle shelf) for about 35 minutes.
My Tip: Pour water into an oven dish and put it on the bottom shelf, so the bread bakes it in moist air.

For all my members, I will share with you my grandmother’s sourdough starter in the LWTM May newsletter.

3. Do some exercise every day

It is amazing how just a few minutes a day can make a big difference. I have started running and do on average 5-6 miles (8k)most mornings. If you think about starting from zero exercises to running a regular 8k then my top tip is to get a Fitbit or device that can monitor your heart rate. I honestly can say that this was my secret to success. Start very gently and check your heart rate regularly. Never go over 160, even if that means walking for a bit until your heart rate has down again to 120/130. If you keep this under control, you will eventually get better and better. Soon you will run the first few miles and enjoy the experience. Once you made it to 5k (3 miles) and you can enjoy the experience – you are on your way.

You can find a few good apps to help you along. One of them is 5k runner.

Most evenings I do some yoga exercises. There are so many great videos on YouTube or find a good yoga/pilates app/book. It does not have to be super advanced. Make sure you warm up with a gentle stretching program and always include some breathing exercises. Over just a few weeks, a stiff body can transform into a body that is more toned and flexible. Try to keep this up for (ideally) the rest of your life.

Other alternatives are brisk walks or a cycle trip. My teenage son does good oldfashioned plank and sit-ups every day. So find what works for you. But do at least 30min per day. There has never been a better time to start exercising.

4. Learn a new skill and develop a new hobby

With more time on your hands, try to clear 20 minutes each day to learn something new. This could be a language, a skill like knitting, an online course in finance or computing, etc. It does not matter, but make a date with yourself and keep to it. Then set an alarm where you stay (ideally) 20minutes undisturbed. No phone checking, etc. If you look after children, give them something to do (depending of course on the age – otherwise do it when they are in bed). Every day you will advance just a tiny bit further and once you emerge from lock-down, you will feel you have achieved something new with the time you stayed indoors.

5. Have a DIY manicure and pedicure

This month is all about exercise and well-being. A big part is pampering yourself. Show some extra kindness to your body with a home-made pedicure, manicure, face masks, body peeling, or body brushing regime. Look them up on The Month Ahead

Look after your feet

Nail strengthening manicure

6. Plan your finances

Now times are uncertain and most of us will suffer a downturn in our finances. This true for everyone – whether your work has stopped or you are lucky enough to be still fully employed working from home. The chance that your disposable income will be squeezed is very likely. Here are a few things to keep you financially safe and sound.

check your income over the last few months and work out your monthly disposable income. This is especially important if you work freelance or have more than one employer. Let’s call this figure 1.
add together all your monthly liabilities, rent, electricity, gym membership, etc. Ideally, this should be less than figure 1. If it is not, then you need to take action now. What can you cut?
check over all the financial products that you have. Life insurance, medical care, mortgage, credit cards, etc. Are you still on track, is this product still fit for purpose? It never harms to shop around for a better deal. Remember, a lot has changed over the last month, so now is a good time for assessing your current situation. If you find yourself in financial troubles, don’t hide, but get in touch with your bank as soon as possible. They may be able to help you by arranging a payment holiday.
When money does come in (and try to keep to this formula from now onwards) divide all your income into 4 pots.
50% expenses (living costs) – 20% to put aside for investments – 20% goes straight into a savings account that is easily accessible (for tax, unforeseen costs, extra necessary purchases) and 10% for charity/good causes. This is a good formula. However, you can adjust it to your own needs, but make sure that there is always an element of saving and investing there, even if it is 5%. As over time these small sums will add up.

7. Meditate and rest for a few minutes each evening/morning

As I mentioned above, about 3 weeks ago I started to participate in a meditation group. Every evening before going to bed – I took out 15minutes. This is the ultimate me-time. Banishing all thoughts, just concentrating on my breath and ‘rest’.

At first, I participated only as a goodwill gesture to my friend who took the time to create this group. But after a few days, I really started to enjoy the process and looked forward to these precious 15minutes of productive rest.

I think this is especially useful if you have anxious thoughts and find it hard to get a good night’s sleep. If that is you, I really recommend drinking a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed and then listen to very calming music or a meditation app.

If you are a morning person, you may prefer to follow a meditation program just before getting up. This will prepare you mentally for the day ahead.

If you have never tried meditation before, check out some good apps like Headspace – they usually have trial periods, so you don’t have to pay to give it a go.

You will see that anxiety levels will drop and some problems all of a sudden seem to solve themselves. Your unconscious mind is very powerful.

Back in January, I wrote this article The importance of resting. Of course, I did not have the faintest idea that ‘resting’ would take on such a new meaning. Especially for people employed in the travel and hospitality industry. However, there is a difference between ‘slouching on the sofa’ and ‘conscious resting’. If you have not read it before, please have a look.

So I hope one or the other tips will enrich your ‘lock-down life’. If you have any other good lock-down tips – please get in touch and I am happy to mention them (with or without your mention – up to you). Please stay all safe and well – and look after yourself!

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Spices of Life – nutmeg

by Jutta | Jan 29, 2019 | Spices of Life

Nutmeg is the ground pip of the nutmeg fruit growing on the evergreen nutmeg tree. When you open the fruit you will find the dark brown seed and woven around a bright red material called mace. This is also used in baking and other dishes, as it is less spicy than the actual seed, which is gourn into the wellknown nutmeg powder.

The ground nutmeg spice is predominantly used as kitchen spice and it is rich in magnesium, vitamin B6, calcium and iron.

Today nutmeg is grown in Indonesia, Malaysia, Grenada and India where it flavours a lot of their traditional dishes. Nutmeg came to Europe when the Portuguese, Dutch and Spanish started to travel the world and brought exotic spices back from far away land.
During Elizabeth’s I reign nutmeg was said to ward off the plague and the price skyrocketed.

Nutmeg should be used sparingly, as excess intake can cause allergic reactions.

Recipes:

Carluccio’s Spinach ball pasta
You will need:
500g/1lb 2oz spinach washed thoroughly, tough stalks removed
2 free-range eggs, beaten
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 garlic clove, blended to a purée with ½ tsp water
110g/4oz fresh white breadcrumbs
50g/2oz parmesan or similar vegetarian hard cheese, freshly grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp olive oil

For the courgette pasta sauce

8 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 chili finely chopped
2 courgettes, trimmed, finely grated
60g/2¼oz parmesan or similar vegetarian hard cheese, freshly grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g/14oz rigatoni or similar pasta cooked according to packet instructions, drained (reserve a few spoonfuls of the cooking water)
How to cut your vegetables

Method

For the spinach balls, blanch the spinach leaves in a pan of salted, boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then drain well and refresh in cold water.
Using your hands, squeeze out as much water from the blanched spinach leaves as possible, then finely chop the spinach.
Transfer the blanched, drained spinach to a bowl, then stir in the beaten eggs, nutmeg, garlic purée, breadcrumbs and parmesan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well until the mixture binds together, adding more breadcrumbs or more water, as necessary, to bind the mixture.
Roll the spinach mixture into walnut-sized balls and place onto a baking tray.
Cover the base of a frying pan in a thin film of olive oil. Heat gently over a low to medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the spinach balls, in batches if necessary, and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown all over. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining spinach balls.
Meanwhile, for the pasta sauce, heat the oil in a separate frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.
Add the courgettes and continue to fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the courgettes have started to soften.
Add the parmesan and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until well combined, then stir in the reserved cooking water from the pasta and the cooked, drained rigatoni.
To serve, divide the pasta and sauce equally among four serving plates. Place the fried spinach balls on top.

Home-made skincare using nutmeg

Reduces pigmentation and dark spots
Lightens skin
Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, fights spots and acne
Stimulates hair growth

and these are just a few

Recipe to lighten your skin:
Combine 1/4 tsp of nutmeg powder with 1 tsp of fresh lemon juibe and 1 tbsp of yoghurt in a bowl. Apply this mask to your skin (avoid the eye area and mouth) and rinse off with lukewarm water. Then apply a good moisturiser. If you have sensitive skin I would recommend a patch test, where you put a small amount onto your arm to see if it provokes a reaction. Do this 24 hours before applying the mask. Once you know you are fine, use this mask consistently 3-4 times per week to notice a difference.

Nutmeg Spot Treatment:
Add a pinch of cinnemon powder and a pinch of nutmeg powder into a small bowl. Add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to it and add 1/2 tsp of honey. Put this mixture onto your spots and leave on them for about 20minutes before rinsing this mixture off.

Youthful nutmeg skin mask:
Mix 1 tsp of honey, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg powder, 1 tsp of Greek yogurt to form a paste. Apply to your face and leave for about 10 min( as always avoid the face and mouth and do a patch test 24 hours before applying for the first time). Wash it off with lukewarm water and make sure it does not get into your eyes as nutmeg does sting!

Nutmeg toner:
Use 1 tbsp of coconut milk and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir well and put into a small bottle, then apply on a cotton ball on a clean face.

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