food

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Easy recipes and meal ideas for the whole family. Paul & Paula loves food and embraces a healthy lifestyle.

Find some great party food for the next birthday party, yummy treats you can make with your kids and more…

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26 sizzling things for your August!

paul paula blog

I have been a bad blogger over the last months but I guess you all know why. To make it up a tiny bit I managed to gather a Friday List so we can all start August in style.

And wherever you are, whatever you do… I really hope that you are OK and that things are more calm and manageable.

We are staying in this cute little cottage in Kent at the moment. And I can tell you, it is sooooo nice to be out of the city and see something else for a bit. I will share more about our stay and cottage very soon!

Here are your 26 sizzling things for a sunny month of August:

 

macrame weaving loom diy kit
Great range of DIY Knitting, Crochet, Weaving and Macrame kits*.

If you are looking for something special for your home.

 

sozo diy kits
More DIY: From funky cushion cases to embroidered wall art, let your creativity take hold with these kits from Sozo DIY*.

Great interview with Simone Biles in Vogue. To add you should also watch the Netflix Documentary about the US Gymnastics Team system.

 

natural body soap
French inspired natural skincare. Which looks very glam and chic too. Just like the French… (And they make great gifts!)

Also DIY, but outdoors: Eco-friendly container gardening kits*!

 

yellow maxi dress cotton
For me please! Fantastic yellow maxi dress* that will always put a smile on your face whilst wearing it. (you should check this shop out in general by the way…)

On my recipe list: Raw Nutella Bars.

 

hand embroidery pattern
I am on a roll today, more DIY kits: These hand embroidery hoop patterns* are so gorgeous!

This print just screams summer.

 

A+Colorful+Bohemian+home
What a house!

One of my favourite decor brands.

 

white peach summer drink
Adult drink with white peaches. I actually got a blender to crush ice (Ours broke just before our last move) recently and collect yummy summer drink recipes…

Remember:  Colouring Pages to print out during rainy days!

 

child bonnet
Handmade baby and child bonnets*.

I made a very simple and yet delicious focaccia a few weeks back. Nothing compared to the very arty ones going through the net…

 

le-toy-van-pull-along-wagon-cart
An old-fashioned favourite for little ones to easily transport their toy collections from room to room with this pull-along wagon cart*.

Hmmmmm…. roasted berry sorbet!

 

Toy Beauty_makeup-bag-pretend-play
My youngest is really into makeup and hair. She basically begs me to put on lipstick (my already very minimalist approach to make up is literally nonexistent since Corona started) and to do my hair. It is her birthday in September and I think that I will get this Toy Make Up Bag*. No need to worry about make up on furniture or skin problems…

Another adult drink, with grapefruit. Something I re-discovered over the last weeks as well.

 

mini me clothing design
Very cool and minimal clothes for the whole family – dada, mama & mini!

Something pretty for us mums!

 

woven throw blanket etsy
Time to get yourself a great gift that will make the extra time we spend in our homes even more worthwhile. In love with these throw blankets*….

More for the home: These rugs* are amazing, affordable and super fun!

 

stay close to people who make you feel like sunshine
Just wanted to give this to you!

Last one: If you are looking for a very special dress* for your child. Look no further!

 

Have a great month of August everyone. Stay Safe! Stay Healthy!

 

 

* affiliate links

Back to School 2019 – lunchboxes, water bottles & snack bags!

Back to School 2019 - lunchboxes

 

Lunchboxes, water bottles, snack bags and boxes. You probably have a cupboard or drawer full of those in your house as well!

Whether you need to send a packed lunch, a snack or just a bottle filled with water – what you want is something safe, practical and fun. And because your child will appreciate a colourful and fun take on the lunchbox game (and I bet you do too) I picked out a few options that fit perfectly.

Of course, all the boxes and bottles come in handy for picnics, playground visits or a treat on the go as well. That is why I want to emphasize to please say no to no to single use plastic bottles – re-usable is the best way to stay cool. And for the snacks, the planet-friendly Stasher pouches and re-usable bee’s wax wraps make excellent alternatives to single-use bags or cling film.

So after yesterday’s selection of backpacks for every age, today I am showing you my favourite Back to School lunchboxes and co:

 

1. Natural bamboo lunchbox* with a separator and available in lots of fun colours.

2. When you want to send something warm like pasta, soup or a stew, this insulated box* is your friend. And it looks really great too!

3. Smaller size – 300ml* – which is perfect for smaller children!

4. Multi Bento box* with 3 compartments!

5. Racoon lunch bag with a heat sealing technology that keeps food fresh and crumb free!

6. Beeswax wraps are the best alternative to cling film. On top they are re-usable and come in really cute patterns!

7. Bear shaped snack box.

8. This is one roar-some lunch bag! Including mesh drinks pocket and insulated lining to keep the lunch cool.

9. Cute set of small boxes that are perfect for little snacks such as berries, crackers or cheese cubes.

10. Ditch plastic and go stainless steel when it comes to water bottles. This one come sin many cool colours and holds 600ml, perfect for older children!

11. Stylish bottle* that comes with two different bottle tops.

12. Stashers! Re-usable food bags that are perfect for little snacks.

 

 

Affiliate links marked with *.

How to live more sustainable as a family – top tips!

Paul&Paula: How to live more sustainable as a family - tips
The word ‘sustainable’ seems to be everywhere at the moment. Everything, everyone and everywhere is sustainable. And as I absolutely agree that we should think about our impact on the environment and our future, I wonder if we all know what it actually means?

What does being sustainable mean?  Sustainable family living? And how much do we or should we do to provoke change? Because sustainable, in an environmental field, actually means ‘using methods that do not harm the environment so that natural resources are still available in the future’.

The whole going vegan thing actually became a topic out of this. Because livestock and dairy production are the second highest contributors to atmosphere – altering gases. Livestock/ dairy products cause huge air and water pollution. And just as an example: It takes more than 9500 liters of water to produce just 500 gr of meat. You can save more water by not eating that meat than you can by not showering for six months!
And since vegetarians still consume a lot of animal products (eggs, cheese, butter, milk…) we did decide to go for vegan directly.

Joseph Poore said:
‘A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use.’

But today I do not want to talk about diets (again), I want to talk about things we as a family do, to live more sustainable. Because there are a lot of little things that altogether can make a difference. And if we all contribute something, we can achieve something too. (And also because some people asked me about…)

We have four children in our home and of course, we want them to grow up in a green world. And we want them to understand that little things do help and their decisions can make a difference. Which goes the other way around as well. Not paying attention to small things that do harm our world, do make a difference as well. Unfortunately not a good one. Something to keep in mind and to remind people who still believe that their -sole- impact would not help to make our world a better place!

Things like turning off the lights when leaving the room are no ‘shocking news’ anymore and we probably heard that phrase since we were teens. But there is more and talking with your children and asking them for ideas and input is a great way to implicate some more ways in a more sustainable family living.

Here is a list of things we do in our family. I am sure that you already do some/ most of them but maybe there are one or two that inspire you to adapt:

Home cooked food!

I love to cook and currently I am super excited to try out quite a few new recipes from the vegan blogs and books of this world. Cooking your own food instead of packaged meals is better because processed food is resource-intensive to produce and unhealthy to boot as well. It includes that we do shop local ingredients – last time I saw herbs coming from someplace in Africa, totally unnecessary – as much as possible and we also go with the seasons. (no strawberry tart in December!)

Waterbottles to water plants!

When the kids come home from school and empty their backpacks, the water bottles are often not 100% empty. Instead of emptying the water down the drain we use it to water our plants. With four kids this really adds up over a week and then think about a term…

Laundry check!

Instead of just putting everything into the laundry basket, we ask the children to double check their clothes. Not talking about underwear and socks, but jeans and cardigans are often fine for another round.

More about laundry!

Laundry uses a lot of water and a lot of products. First: Ditch fabric softener.
Next: 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes goes to heating water. Most washing powders clean just well in cold water as they do in hot.
Only wash with full loads because the use of water and energy is nearly the same for a machine that is only filled half.

Buying eco/ organic!

Next, to buying seasonal and local, we do buy organic. A few points why organic is better:
Organic farmers build soil with natural fertilizers in order to grow crops. They rely on the natural enemies of pests
and use crop rotation to conserve soil. Which means that more animals and plants can live in the same place in a natural way. Organic farming makes without the use of synthetic inputs, including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regulators, nanomaterials and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

Recycle envelopes!

Snail mail is less these days but we still get some official letters and other stuff. The envelopes are great for writing down to-do lists, shopping lists or just as general note papers.

Fabric napkins!

No more paper towels or paper napkins. Fabric it is and it looks so much nice on the table too.

Reusable shopping bags!

I always have a reusable bag in my handbag. You just never know when you may need it…
We have a drawer full of cotton bags that everyone uses for shopping, bringing things to school and so on.

No straws!

Long-lasting clothes.

You know that I believe very much in the whole ‘quality over quantity’ thing when it comes to clothes. For the whole family. Invest a little more in timeless, long lasting clothes – better for the environment as well as your bank account in the long run!
I recommend this article to you.

Separate waste!

Separation of waste allows for efficient reuse and recycling. An example: When waste is not separated properly it leads to less recycling and many resources may be wasted. And you can help by starting segregating the waste in your own house.

Reduce waste!

Seeing the points above already helps to reduce waste. Even separating helps because it shows you so clearly how much there really is. Other examples of how to reduce waste: Ditch plastic bags, make meal plans and shop accordingly, buy in bulk for less packaging or choose products that can be refilled. Just a few and actually a topic well worth a post on its own.

Soap bars instead of plastic bottles!

Buy soap instead of shower gels in plastic bottles. Even shampoo comes in form of bars now…

Cycle!

We do not own a car and we are not planning to get one either. If we really need one we can always rent one and I believe that carpools and car sharing are getting more and more popular.

Tap water!

Yes, here in Sweden the tap water is excellent. And so it is in many other countries. And you can always go for a filter too… just do avoid buying water in plastic bottles.

Reusable containers!

For snacks, lunch etc…

Purchase energy efficient appliances!

If you need a new machine, make sure it is energy efficient. Same goes for light bulbs.

Plant seeds!

Or even more, if you have space. Like I said – every little thing helps.

Natural cleaning products!

Use the most natural cleaning products you can. Vinegar, for example, is a great cleaner.

Do you have tips to share? We want to hear them in the comments…

Becoming a vegan family and a weekly meal plan

Paul & Paula: vegan-family story and weekly meal plan

After the very late travel guides, our relocation news as well as my opinion on the current kids fashion business, I am here to share something very new going on in our family: Vegan!

Just one word but so much behind it. I shared a little bit on my Instagram and received lots of great feedback as well as questions. And the demand for meal ideas and such was quite big. And since I am already busy to share more private stuff again, I will give you some insight into our Vegan life.

Disclaimer: I am not on a mission to convert you to become a vegan! :)

How did it start?

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Now, I have been really very interested and also concerned when it comes to food and nutrition for the last 8 years. Reading books (started with the Wheat Belly back then) and watching lots of documentaries. I mean, we can be so happy to have easy access to all the literature, researches and shows. It really makes everything so much easier and quicker. I did periods with no sugar and now wheat. Sometimes both at the same time. We eat a lot of veggies and had meat twice a week – max. Then we watched Cowspiracy, strange enough I thought we did watch it and hubby reminded me that we did in fact not. And something pulled the trigger and I said: OK, let’s do one week vegan when we come back from our holidays. Just to see! And that is how it started…
I would like to add that it is definitely a little overwhelming in the beginning. There is a lot of info out there, good as well as false. But once you get interested and invested you will find your path. Trust me!

Movies and documentaries that I can recommend:

What the Health, Cowspiracy, Food Inc., Fat, Live and let live, Forks over knives, Food Choices

What did the kids say?

Our children are really very open and cool about this kind of things. Travelers and explorers since birth and always with the rule: Try before you don’t like it.
So when I told them about our ‘project’ and also why, they were really pretty cool about it.
Since we started we discussed quite a few things about animals, meat and the impact on our environment as well as the treatment of those animals.
For starters we did not change their diets during school hours! For three of them this means that vegan is happening only at home. Antoine on the other side decided to also skip meats and dairy at school.

We asked them for feedback on meals, what they think is hard, how we can be more sustainable in general (I will write another post about this soon!) and what they miss. So that they felt involved and heard.

Then what?

I started to google meal plans but quickly realised that there was no ‘perfect plan’ that fitted our family. So I had to prepare our own. And googled for recipes. Had a look at the ingredients, how quick they are to make and then decided if it could work for us on a week day. That is why I am sharing our first weekly meal plan with you here today as well. Maybe you will find it helpful – let me know!

Important to note:

Vegan does not equal healthy. Meaning that buying everything with the vegan label at your local supermarket might not be the best of ideas. Because those can also be will be mostly processed, full of sugar and strange ingredients.
That is something I wanted and want to avoid. Vegan for me, us, means fresh and plant based.

 

Paul & Paula: Vegan family story and weekly meal plan

Tips from our start into the Vegan lifestyle:

Plan ahead, make a list for your grocery shopping and search for recipes that you feel confident to cook. And that will most likely please your crowd.

Cook more. You need leftovers for easy lunch meals!

Experiment, enjoy raw cakes (Oh I love them so much!) and discover that cooking vegan does not have to be tricky. Oh and the colours in your fridge will make you glow before you even start cooking…

What happened after one week:

Yes, we said we will try for one week. Well, after that was up I just decided to add another week. Because one week feels like you did not really experience it. Things just start to kick in… so two weeks is better to see the effects.
So we added another week and the kids were fine with that.
And after two weeks we all sat together after breakfast and discussed what to do next. Antoine came up with the idea to keep the vegan until we go to London and look for houses, which adds two additional weeks.
Personally: I cannot imagine going back to eat meat. Even dairy products. It feels strange to say no to it, eliminate it for a couple of weeks and then roast a chicken again. And I really enjoy the recipes and do not feel like I am missing out on anything. On the contrary…

So, here is my very first meal plan on Paul & Paula. Vegan, printable (just click on it and print) and really full of excellent meals for a family. And below I will share the links to the recipes and also write something for each day. Some feedback, because we did make and eat all of those meals (promise!) and little add-ons and tips:

Paul & Paula: weekly vegan family meal plan

Monday:

Smoothie Bowl – in case you are new to the concept: Put the yoghurt, a box of frozen fruit (we love raspberries) and a cup of plant milk in a food processor and mix until smooth. Scoop into bowls and sprinkle with fresh banana slices and a vegan muesli.

Salad – easy and nutritious.

Curryfrom Jamie.  Easy, quick to prepare and perfect for Autumn. My kids love curries and this was a hit!

Tuesday:

Oatmeal – cooked with oat milk and topped with fruits of your choice. Or a home made apple sauce, which my kids love and I try to make often.

Lunch – you can exchange the hard bread with your favourite. Just top it with hummus, some veggies and herbs. Salt and pepper and enjoy.

Zoodles – Zoodles are courgettes made into noodles. In our house only Romy likes them so I make normal, egg free, pasta for the others. A classic tomato sauce (passatta & veggies basically) and topped with vegan parmesan. Sounds strange I know, but this stuff really is yummy!

Wednesday:

Toast – easy. Kids love it and it keeps you full for a long time. I always opt for a wheat free version but you do what you prefer.

Lunch – leftover from yesterday. Yay! Easy.

Vegan chili – basically a chili sin carne. Served with vegan creme fraiche, cilantro and a good dose of Tabasco for me. (not the kids!) This is a great dish to cook a huge pot and freeze for busy days! The kids love it!

Prepare: You need to prepare your Chia pudding for breakfast tomorrow tonight!

Thursday:

Chia – how I make it: 1/3 cup of chia seeds, a box of extra smooth coconut milk (not the cans where the cream sticks at the top) with a dash of organic vanilla extract. Put all ingredients in a jug, mix very well and let sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning you serve it in bowls (it is very filling!) with fresh fruit on top – I love it with berries.

Lunch – leftover from yesterday. Yay! Easy.

Falafel – my kids love falafel! Falafel recipe and garden salad. I love to have a yoghurt sauce with my falafels and I make it like this: Soy yoghurt, fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs (whatever I have in the kitchen – cilantro, mint, parsley…) and maybe a few tiny cubes of cucumber. Salt and pepper, mix and done.

Prepare: Get your Banana puddings ready for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Friday:

Breakfast – just needs to get out of the fridge and on the table today!

Lunch – leftover from yesterday. Yay! Easy.

Burrito – I made these Vegan Burritos and again a sauce that goes like this: Oat yoghurt, ½ avocado, garlic, cilantro, salt & fresh lemon juice. In a mixer and mixed until smooth. Another dish the children enjoyed.

Saturday:

Pancakes – it is Saturday and we serve delicious pancakes. And these are the bomb. Healthy, fluffy and so easy to make. I admit that I did not make the apple/pecan thingy but we had some maple syrup, cinnamon and fresh fruits to top.

Avocado – on toast. My kids love it and it is one of the dishes we had regularly before too. So easy and great after the pancakes this morning…

Diner – Chips is potato wedges baked in the oven and the vegan balls. The balls were not a huge hit (trying a different recipe this week!) but they were not that bad either. I liked them and so did hubby. On Saturdays we like to have a sweet dessert so we made these Chocolate Pots. Just make sure to get very smooth tofu for this one.

SnackStrawberry Oat Bars.

Prepare: Banana bread for tomorrow’s breakfast. I am lucky because Romy, 11, loves to bake and she prepares lots of our desserts and stuff like banana breads etc.

Sunday:

Banana bread – this recipe is really good and topping it with some nut butter is truly delicious. Especially on a Sunday morning…

Soup – super easy and great to cook extra for lunch tonorrow. Tomato soup is a favourite in our house anyway.

Stuffed Peppers – not everyone liked the stuffed peppers but they all loved the rice in them.

SnackVegan cookies.

 

So, I hope you liked this. Soon I will report about ‘Phase Two’ and another meal plan if you like!

 

All images & meal plan: Paul & Paula

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A few things for August (Friday List)

A few things for August (Friday List)

I moved my desk to France and isn’t a new scenery always a welcome change?

We arrived on Sunday late and had our dose of crepes, creme de marron, supermarket stroll and real cider straight away. Oh and a ‘croissant aux amandes’ for me too…

We are in Brittany which is relatively cool compared to the temperatures of the rest of France! (which means: very often we had rain drizzles and temps around 18 when the rest of the country had sun and 28C. No kidding! We which the ‘meteo’ and the whole country was nice and sunny and then one grey spot. One. Just here! But anyway… this year we are just happy with the weather and that we can be outside all the time!)

And enough about France and off to my finds from the last weeks, lots of goodies. As usual!

 

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swell and solis
Swell & Solis

Inspiring article: The 50 people changing the way we travel!

 

PEOPLE-BLOCKS_ANDY-REMENTER
Antoine, Fabienne, Jean and François – unique wooden characters entirely made and painted by hand. The individual pieces are interchangeable! People blocks!

Hilarious IG account!

 

A lovely neutral boys room with tigers
A lovely neutral boys room with tigers!

Another inspiring article – on living abroad! A ‘real’ one.

 

jezyk baby
Something to coo about! Jezyk baby!

When we are back from holidays we will do a family project. One full week of vegan eating. We are always interested in food, nutrition and healthy living. And we just watched another set of documentaries and I just decided that we will do this. Ha. Talked with the kids one morning and everyone is in, without much discussion actually. Now, I will report… so stay tuned. If you are living vegan as a family I am happy to hear from you… maybe it is just our beginning :)
This article, it is a long one – is really good when you want to know more about food:
The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right
Please take the time!

 

printebebe mum dress
printebebe mama off duty dress! With 2 layers of our superfine cotton, this is the easiest breeziest, one size fits all, dress. I need one!

Nei Miei Panni – for kids, teens and mums!

 

kalon studios bough collection
Kalon Studios Bough collection.

So simple and so beautiful!

 

cazando mariposa and co
Beautiful swimwear from cazando mariposas and co.

Yummy watermelon pizza!

 

Best-Vegan-Tacos-Recipe
A propos vegan. Here is a yummy summer taco recipe – all vegan!

Oh, I have my eyes on this bag!

 

rylee crew new collection
New collection from Rylee & Crew!

Also for mums!

 

Have a good week end everyone!

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