Spa-Day at Home

Telephone is off. You have poured your favorite tea. Feel as you have all the time in the world to yourself or with a friend. Put loads of nice towels in the bathroom,fragrance and luxury for hair and skin. Take care of body and mind –but don’t forget the taste buds. Enjoy a spa-day at home.

Give your self a day. A quiet peaceful day with all senses involved. A spa-day have room for a lot,like listening to music,or to give your self time to finally get into that book that you’ve been thinking of for so long,maybe write some things,or just sit up late all quiet.

Of course the body have its own. A nice foot bath with sea salt,followed by a light scrub and rub are things you can fix without a grand bathroom. If you are two you can give each other a nice body massage.

The environment is vital. Tidy the room and clean out everything unnecessary in advance. Put clean towels and lay out your favorite dressing gown or favorite clothes. Think about the lighting,a lot of candles creates a soft atmosphere. The scent is also important. Light a fragrant candle or use fragrant oils. Lavender and vanilla has a relaxant effect.

“The purpose of a spa is relaxation and a feeling of well-being. Most of the things you’ll need are in your own cupboard”,says herb specialist Lisen Sundgren,author of “Lisen’s Herbal Spa”(Swedish. Original title “Lisens Örtspa”). For a whole spa-day Lisen recommends that you prepare a facial mask,a body scrub and an oil to rub down the entire body afterwards (for facial mask and body scrub,see recipes here in this blog in earlier posts). If you want to care about your hair,a pack made of honey is the miracle cure. The taste buds should also be treated with tlc,with a lot of berries,fruits and greens.

We start our spa-day at home with blueberry yogurt and home-made granola,a nice tea and a fresh sandwich of home made buck wheat bread. In the morning it’s perfect to charge your batteries with nutritious fruit balls. For lunch a colorful salad with herb gremolata and tapenade. Between meals a super smoothie or a fruit salad. In the evening it will be delicious with a glass of vine and a pesto marinated chicken and a luke warm lentil salad. For dessert we will spoil our selves with a sort of ice-cream of banana and chocolate. See following recipes and recipes in earlier posts.

Spa at home 2009 is all about enjoyment all the way,for all senses.

Recipes

Buck wheat bread with apricots and seeds

1 Bread

4 dl or 13,5 oz. dinkle-/wheat flour
1 dl or 3.3 oz. buckwheat flour
2 dl or 6.7 oz. oatmeal
1 dl or 3.3 oz. sunflower seeds (natural)
1 dl or 3.3 oz. pumpkin seeds (natural)
2 tsp bicarbonate
2 tsp salt
1 apple
1 dl or 3.3 oz. dried apricots
1/2 dl or 1.7 oz. honey
4 1/2 dl or 15.2 oz. natural yogurt (eco if you can find it)

Do this:

1. Put oven on 175 degrees Celsius or  347 degrees F.
2. Blend all dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Take away the seeds and cut the apple in pieces,cut apricots in small pieces.
4. Stir honey,yogurt,apple and apricots in the mixture.
5. Pour batter in a greased and floured mold,around 30 x 10 cm. Top with seeds,oats and powder with flour (a little).
6. Bake in the lowest part of the oven for 60 minutes.
7. Take out the bread and let it cool off (on a grid),preferably under a clean kitchen towel.

Josefine’s Supersalad 

If you want a richer salad,add boiled eggs or thin slices of cold cuts. Serve with herb gremolata and/or tapenade.

4 servings

1 yellow pepper
2 avocado
1 carrot
70 gr or 2,5 oz.  of Swedish turnips
1 bag of Rucola (70 gr or 2,5 oz.)
1 bag of spinach (70 gr or 2,5 oz.)
1 packet of sprouts (for example alfalfa,130 gr or 4.6 oz.)
4 tbs pumpkin seeds
(possibly 3 tbs goji berries)

Do this:

1. Divide,unseed and shred pepper. Divide and cut a stoned avocado in small cubes. Cut and grate turnip finely.
2. Mix all ingredients,except pumpkin seeds and goji berries,in a large bowl.
3. Turn down the herb gremolata (recipe below) and mix carefully.
4. Top with pumpkin seeds and possibly goji berries.
Serve with remaining herb gremolata.

 Herb Gremolata

1 pot basil
1 pot parsley
1 garlic clove
1/2 lemon (freshly squeezed + peel)
1/2 dl or 1.7 oz. olive oil
salt,pepper

Do this:

1. Peel and finely grate the garlic clove. Chop the herbs (finely) and mix with garlic,lemon juice,-peel and oil.
2. Put salt after taste and white pepper.
Keep the gremolata in fridge and use as salad dressing.

Tapenade with Walnuts

Mix stoned kalamata olives (290 gr or oz.), 1 clove of garlic and 2 tbs olive oil in a food processor. Add 1 1/2 dl or oz. walnuts and mix until nuts are still a bit chunky. Add salt and pepper after taste. Serve mixture with buck wheat bread (see above recipe).

Fruit Salad with Mango Sauce

4 servings

700 gr or 1.5 lb melon (cantaloupe or galia)
1 orange
1 grapefruit (red)
1 sharon fruit
1 kiwi
125 gr or 0,28 lbs fresh or frozen raspberries
1 dl or 3.3 oz. grapes
1/2 pomegranate (the seeds)
1 dl or 3.3 oz. chopped almonds
1 dl or 3.3 oz. shredded coconut
1 tbs blue poppy seeds

Do this:

1. Peel and cut the fruits. Put on a plate
2. Sprinkle raspberries,grapes,pomegranate,almonds,coconut,and poppy seeds.
3. Pour mango sauce over (see below recipe)

Mango Sauce 

Mix 250 gr or 0.6 lb frozen and thawed mango,cut into cubes,with 1 tbs honeyto a smooth sauce with a mixer or food processor. Thin down the sauce with water if necessary.

Pesto Chicken with Lentil Salad

A nice dinner with a glass of wine round off the day in our spa-day at home.

4 servings 

500 gr or 1.1 lb chicken fillet
1 jar of green pesto (185 gr or oz.)

Lentil Salad

1 1/2 dl or 5 oz. green lentils
1 small red onion
1 clove of garlic
1/3 leek
2 cm or 0,8 inches ginger
1 tsp sambal oelek
1/2 lemon (juice + peel)
1 tsp  grinded coriander
1 tsp grinded cumin
1/2 tbs honey
1 pot parsley
1/3 sliced cucumber (about 150 gr or oz.)
1 piece of white- or red cabbage (around 250 gr or oz.)
1 avocado
olive oil,salt,pepper

Do this:

1. Cook lentils according to directions on package.
2. Cut chicken fillets in pinkie sized strips or slices and mix with pesto. Put it in fridge for at least one hour.
3. Fry chicken in 1 tbs olive oil for 5-6 minutes.
4. Peel ,halve and cut onion,garlic and leek in slices. Peel and halve ginger.
5. Let onion,leek,garlic,ginger and sambal oelek sizzle in 1 tbs oil on medium heat until onion is soft,3-4 minutes.
6. Add lemon juice and -peel,coriander,cumin and honey. Let it sizzle for 3 more minutes.
7. Mix with lentils,salt and pepper in.
8. Chop parsley and sprinkle on top. Let lentil salad cool off a bit.
9. Divide,unseed and cut avocado in cubes. Mix cucumber,cabbage,avocado  and rucula into the lentil mixture. Serve pesto chicken with ginger yogurt (see recipe below) and top with cashew sprinkle (see below)

Ginger Yogurt:

Mix 2 dl or 6.7 oz. yogurt (Mediterranean style or Greek, 10% fat) with 2 cm or 0,8 inches fresh finely shredded ginger and 1 tsp honey. Put salt in (after taste). Serve with pesto chicken and lentil salad.

Cashew sprinkle with basil:

Mix 2 dl or 6.7 oz. natural cashews,6-7 basil leaves and 2 tbs olive oil to a fine sprinkle in a food processor. Put salt in after taste. Serve as topping with pesto chicken and lentil salad.

Banana Chocolate

Dessert with a fruit base that gives an exiting ice-creamy touch

4 servings

3 frozen sliced bananas
1 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs honey
1-2 tbs water
1 tbs chopped dark chocolate or 2 tbs crushed raw pieces of cacao.
mint leaves for garnish

Do this:

1. Let the bananas thaw for 10 minutes.
2. Mix banana,cocoa and honey to a smooth ice-cream in a food processor. Add water for perfect consistency.
3. Put in bowls and top with chocolate/cacao pieces and mint leaves.

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