As I’ve been reading the kaizen method, it has inspired me to do small changes every day and this is one of them. To add at least one superfood ingredient to my meal every day. I know that it can be overwhelming or difficult to do big dietary changes or maybe feeling off board with the rest of the other healthy people around the world. Especially when looking at instagram influencers promoting this and you don’t know where to start. Therefore, when the temptation to sugar or unhealthy foods strikes in, that seems rather fairly as it’s what you’re familiar to. However, I promise you that if you choose to make one small positive change of habit each day, eventually it will become a lifestyle, a way you sooner or later are drawn to and it no longer feels like a choice. At least that has been my experience and I encourage you to start off this journey and process by making this superfood breakfast bowl which also is a sustainable way of eating too! Have I convinced you enough to make that small change towards a healthier lifestyle? If yes, then first step is to add these ingredients in a smoothie blender:
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1 frozen banana
• Juice of half an orange
• 1 tsp power matcha
• 2 generous tbsp of coconut cream (Greek yoghurt also works well)
Tip: a superfood ingredient worth the investment is bee pollen from super nature. https://www.super-nature.no
It’s funny how you appreciate little things in life much more when they are rarely present for a period of time. In this case, the sun. In Norway these days, the sun has been gone for quite a while and days are short ending quick into complete darkness. Therefore, when rays of sunlight strikes your face, shimmers on surfaces and appears in its glory through natural sceneries, it’s beauty is compelling and it captures one’s attention. It’s like a warm embrace, a heartfelt hug, medicine to your soul and you instantly feel happy and complete.
So does Sunday walks to my soul. Walking in solitude and seizing the natural surroundings in silence, is a great way to recharge, renew and be inspired to keep pushing through everyday life.
I love taking pictures as it unfolds my creativity. So here are some beautiful photos I took from my Sunday walk spotting the rays of sunlight in every kind of way.
After a good walk, it’s nice to have a stop at a bakery and enjoy yourself with a warm drink. Oh, and it’s almost impossible to stay away from the pastries, so I do recommend the cardamom bun with a mocca coffee like I did at Åpent Bakeri at Holtet.
In Norway we say, no bad weather only bad clothes. Truth spoken it is really cold now but it helps with a warm jacket, a knitted head ban, scarf and gloves on. Sunsets are priceless and at this time of the year they are the prettiest
I hope you found inspiration from this and will do the same well being act yourself.
This is the smoothie bowl for healthy skin, hair and nails girls! This one got rice bran powder which exactly helps for that. And let’s not forget the mct oil nourishing your body with healthy fats. Plus, did you know raspberries helps against cramps during your period? Yeah mindblowing and funny at the same time. So make this smoothie bowl for a better well being and as a way to take care of yourself cause your mind, body and soul will thank you for that.
It’s a great recipe to make for breakfast as it’s easy and quick to make. In addition, it’s plant based, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free! It’s purity and vitality in that bowl guys.
Ingredients:
• 200g frozen rasberries
• 50 ml plant based milk, either coconut or oat milk
Let’s get into some snack bar goodness. Aaand feel the autumn vibes by the aroma and flavors it gives with credit from a beautiful superfood mix by yoursuperfoods. These are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free, only doing you good! I often recognize when the hunger hits and you want to find a healthy snack around the corner, that it’s not easy to stay strong and you give in when all you can find is a sugary bar or you decide to starve yourself until you get home. No option is recommended.. That is why I’ve got you covered with these healthy snacks on the go when feeling hungry! Make them ahead and have one ready in a box in your bag when the need for a bar is there.
Say goodbye to unhealthy and sugary snacks, and say hello to healthy homemade fall inspired bars:)
Ingredients
1,5 cup gluten free oats
1 cup almond flour (or any other kind if you don’t have it)
1 cup dairy free milk (I used oat milk)
1,5 cup pumpkin purée *
3 tbs maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 egg (if vegan make flax meal egg)
2 tbs chia seeds
1 tsp mellow yellow superfood mix
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
*How to make pumpkin purée. Peel off the skin from the pumpkin and cut it into squares. Put the oven on 220 degrees and bake them on a baking tray for about 30-40 minutes. Cool them on a board before having it in a food processor. Blend well so it’s smooth without lumps! Tip for pumpkin purée left over is to have it as soup or baked oatmeal and pumpkin pie as examples.
Add milk, pumpkin purée, maple syrup/honey, melted coconut oil and egg to a bowl and then whisk to combine.
Add the rest; oats, almond flour, chia seeds, yoursuper yellow mellow mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then stir to combine.
Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the oven for 180 degrees.
Cool them before slicing into bars and then store in the refrigerator.
The bars are gooey and tasting even better the day after, so have the patience to wait if you can! A tip is to make them the evening before and leave the bars in the fridge overnight.
To get yoursuperfoods mix to make these pumpkin mellow yellow oat bars, use my code MELANIESTOKKE for a 15% off!
Hope these healthy bars will set an end to your hunger strikes and keep you fueled throughout the day.
So lately I have had a thing for mixing my porridge with chia pudding, and the mix is the best of both worlds! Why, have either one of them when you can have both in one? Therefore I decided this is the way to rock your breakfast. It’s time saving, easy to make and tastes delicious. I don’t need to write more to convince you right?
Ingredients:
Oats
Oat milk (dairy free, I have noticed that oat milk makes the magic of creaminess!)
Coconut milk (make sure to find one without additives and preservatives)
Chia seeds
Almonds, berries and cacao nibs as toppings
Instructions:
First make your chia pudding. You will need to make this the day before, as it becomes chia pudding over night! In a glass, add 2 generous tbs of chia seeds and after pour in 200 ml of coconut milk. Then mix together with a spoon and leave it in the fridge.
Then when the morning has arrived and breakfast is up, boil together 1,5 dl oats with 2 dl oat milk in a pot on medium heat. Make sure to stir occasionally so that you achieve the creaminess! This is key for your oat milk to work its magic! Why it’s on medium heat is for the oats to be well cooked. After 5-10 minutes it should be done, and what I love is that it’s the method is quick, the porridge is not so hot that it will burn at your tongue and you need to wait patiently for it to cool down hehe.
All you need to do left is, have the porridge in a bowl, blend in the chia pudding you’ve made by overnight, and add your favorite toppings like almonds, berries, cacao nibs and honey like I did here on the picture above.
Enjoy your breakfast with the best of both worlds!
This breakfast bowl is gluten free (make sure the oats are gluten free certified), vegan (except the honey, you can have maple sirup if you are vegan), it is dairy free for those who can’t tolerate milk, it got plenty of fiber ensuring you a stable blood sugar level from the oats, got healthy fats from coconut milk and almonds, and has proteins from chia seeds. But let us not forget the wonders of the berries and cacao nibs giving you an energy boost. Now that is what I call a breakfast glory bowl!
To make time to enjoy your breakfast, means that you nourish yourself and your well being in mind, body and spirit. I therefore congratulate you for making this effort to take action on taking care of yourself. I hope this breakfast bowl inspiration makes a difference on your life.
I’m excited to share that I’m an ambassador for https://yoursuper.eu and can finally show you their products as I’ve tried them out first. I absolutely love the superfoods they are promoting for health benefits. All mixes are plant based, naturally dried superfoods without any fillers, sweeteners or artificial ingredients. It’s natural and real, values I also stand for, that’s why I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of the yoursuper family. As for you, I would love for you to join this healthy movement with us as it increases your micronutrient intake and supports your health so that you can truly thrive. Therefore, I’m sharing my discount code giving you 15% off when you purchase at their website https://yoursuper.eu / https://yoursuper.com, using my code MELANIESTOKKE.
They have many kinds of superfood mixes, but to start with I have tried “Super Green”, “Energy Bomb”, “Power Matcha” and “Mellow Yellow”. To give you an idea of how to apply them into your lifestyle and eating routines, I’ll share recipes of how to add them. Also I want to share the health benefits as I’m passionate about foods that are fuel to perform and good for your well being.
I introduce you the yoursuper mixes
First up is “Energy Bomb”. This superfood mix is made for long-lasting energy so that you can be at your best throughout the whole day! As for being an athlete, I know the importance of keeping my energy levels steady and high. Therefore, I swear to this mix as it helps me sharp and energized so that I can perform at my best. I believe everyone are looking for something to make them feel radiant and full of energy to keep up with what the day has in store for them. That’s why I’m happy to share this superfood star with you as it helps you boost your energy levels for up to 8 hours! I think it’s thereby safe to say goodbye to coffee.
Next up we have “Yellow Mellow”. This one is perfect as we live busy and stressful lives that can cause inflammation in our bodies. That’s why this powerful blend of Ayurvedic herbs and adaptogens that will help you de-stress and make you feel well rested rejuvenated. I love that this mix has added pepper as it helps us absorb better the turmeric which is anti inflammatory super ingredient!
Next in row is “Super Green”. This one is for immunity. It’s crucial for our health to have a strong immune system to function well. But it isn’t always that easy to cover all the greens and vitamins we need throughout the day as we may not find it interesting eating greens or are good at completing meals with all the nutrients we do so need. Therefore, this is an easy way to increase your intake of nutritious greens and natural micronutrients (with all essential vitamins and minerals) as one spoonful equals one handful of greens! How mind blowing is that.
Last one we have “Power Matcha”! This one’s for focus. It’s high in antioxidants and contains natural caffeine. A great replacement for coffee guys:) The superfoods makes a great energy boost as it also optimizes your focus and productivity. In addition it also counts as a portion of greens, wow is all I can say.
The superfood mixes from yoursuper taking my smoothie bowl to a whole different level!
Here is an idea of putting one teaspoon of “Super Green” & “Energy Bomb” in your smoothie bowl!
Stay tuned folks as I’ll share delicious recipes using the yoursuper mixes and help you out on how to apply them in your life.
During these two weeks I’ve baked and prepared the “bloom with food” products for the tennis event at my hometown tennis club Nordstrand. They arranged it this week and I wanted to contribute with healthy yet tasty products for the tennis players of the event. From my own experience, I know that the market is offering bars and sugary treats with conservatives and additives that is no good for you. Therefore, I wanted the oat bars, energy balls, banana muffins and raw cakes to be “pure” with only natural ingredients without any refined white sugar. I’m passionate about nutrition and my purpose behind “bloom with food” is that you will get fuel to perform.
I never expected the concept to come to life, but I believe when you are driven by purpose and passion things happen. So in this occasion, I suddenly ended up baking 150 oat bars for the tennis participants of the tennis event. They each got one in their goodie/welcoming bag for entering the tournament. This oat bar or flapjack was a perfect snack for them to eat before, during or after match, as the ingredients contain lots of fiber, healthy fats and good carbs in order to keep their blood sugar at check. As an athlete myself, I know how important it is to stay energized throughout my performance, there’s no fun if you end up hungry or moody if you haven’t fueled your body right!
On sports events in Norway, we have a culture of eating hamburgers, pizzas, baking pastries, cakes and ice creams and as a kid this is what you are growing up to get accustomed to. However, I wanted to change and influence with some new impulses by these healthier choices offered by “bloom with food” products I made. The philosophy is that you can enjoy while still perform. The banana muffins, energy balls and raw cakes are without any refined sugar, it’s without any artificial sweetener or additives. I was so lucky to be sponsored by “Sticky Fingers” with the ingredients. Those were of high quality, only the best! With medjool dates from Israel, vanilla bean from Tahiti, dark chocolate from Belgium, ecological peanut butter and the list goes on. I also wanted to make everything homemade, so I made the tahini or sesame butter from scratch and as well with the hazelnut butter. This was used for the oat bar and energy ball for extra flavor. As a whole, I care about what you put in your body, no matter if you are a kid, athlete or adult. It’s so important about taking care about your well being. When you do, you will bloom with food as the brand I have created is all about.
That’s why I made action with these “bloom with food” products to influence others into making better eating habits and choices. I’m going to be honest, it’s a challenge when it comes to what foods you are used to eat and then going for something healthier instead. Humans are habitual creatures, who doesn’t seek change. But this will totally be worth it, what I only hope is for us to be more open minded, introduce ourselves to something we are not quite used to with at first but implementing it in harmony as life is all about balance. I hope this inspires you to take some healthier food choices and that you become more aware of what you put in your body.
You might be curious about the ingredients I used, behind the scenes scenarios and how the “bloom with food” products looked like? So below I will share pictures from the baking process , the finishing products and from the tennis event:)
I introduce you the oat bar or more known as flapjack!
To make them irresistible; some dark chocolate drizzle ofc;)What makes the flavor magic; homemade date caramel & tahiniWrapped in with love
Lastly, we top it off with raw cake deliciousness!
I served 4 different raw cakes to make flavors interesting! One was with raspberry jam, vanilla cream, decorated with cacao nibs and caramelized nuts. Second one was raspberry topped with coconut flakes. Third one was chocolate and vanilla cream with fresh raspberries. And forth one was vanilla and chocolate cream with cacao nibs and caramelized nuts on top. Which one is your favorite? Comment below:)
Behind the scenes: pouring the raspberry cream on top of the cake base!The “bloom with food” products The tennis players of the event gets to try out the banana muffins, oat bar and energy ball!
I want to thank you “Sticky Fingers” and Nordstrand Tennisklubb for making it possible for me to launch the products at the event. Maybe this is the beginning of something great, who knows.
I love national day and my beautiful country Norway. Because of my professional tennis career I’ve been many times absent on this day playing a tournament somewhere else in the world. However, this year I got home due to corona and was lucky to celebrate it with my lovely friends and family, making the day a memorable one. I still recall 17th of May from childhood celebrations, full of excitement for what the day would bring. National day is like Christmas Eve, you cannot wait for the day to come. It’s a when you will eat lots of delicious food, (there’s no limit on cakes and ice cream that day) and have social gatherings, play games and walk or look at the children’s parade. It holds a strong tradition and pride. Norwegians are conserved people by culture, but on this day we wave our flags enthusiastically and raise our voices saying hurray with happiness. I believe I love this day because of the expressed joy we have for one another, for our country, for socializing and celebrating over food. You see “champagne breakfast” are one of the traditions of celebration. Here people bring and make foods like smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, berries and not to mention cakes!
A table full of delicious food at “champagne breakfast”The famous Norwegian cake called “kransekake”Wearing our national dresses
On a sunny Sunday, me and my best friend decided to seize the day by taking the car from Marbella to Ronda, taking us only 1h to reach the place. I realize it’s so important to unfold your creativity and live life to the fullest! And what better way than putting the music on high volume, dance and sing in the car and just feel the good feels! Also the scenery around us as we drove up the curvy roads up through the mountain hills, was absolutely beautiful.
The stunning viewpoint from Ronda
I believe these days where you have the opportunity to disconnect, find new inspiration and strength to keep moving forward in your craft is really necessary for you to endure the everyday life and challenges you face. It’s a great idea to escape for a day, explore and enjoy the gift we’ve been given called life! And, share it with someone you love and care about, the experience is forever memorable.
“Stay close to people who feel like sunshine”
From this viewpoint we walked around the park, noticing beautiful, blooming peonies flowers welcoming us. It was also magical as the sun stroke light through the palm trees. As you walked from the entrance gate towards the view at the end, it was almost as a dream walking on a staircase to heaven. Taking you to a beautiful place where worries, evilness and destruction didn’t exist, only a kingdom of beauty and peace.
Beautiful peonies in its glorySunlight striking through the garden at the center of the parkFountain spot where you’ll find tranquility
I highly recommend to unleash your creativity, to be around people who makes you happy and share the moment with them, which will be a memory for life, an affirmation that you are living out your gift during your time on earth. Oh, and embrace all the beauty life offers you!!!
What a beautiful afternoon it was today, felt so nice to sit outside on the balcony and enjoy my lunch and the view! Made myself gluten-free spaghetti with steamed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes on top with a cashew cream sauce! I try to stay away from dairy when I can and finding something to replace it is not easy sometimes. But this creamy cashew sauce was perfect and made me think about carbonara!
It’s super easy to make, just soak first for 2 hours the cashews in water, then add a clove of garlic, some salt and nutritional yeast if you have. Blend it together and “voila” you have yourself your dairy free sauce;)
Hope this inspired you to cook something similar if you ran out on ideas.
Bloom with food 