OFF COLOR STUDIO

8:16 PM

Mhmmm... can you smell this already? Or can you taste it in your mouth? 

I don't know how you feel about this, but as soon as I hear French toast, I start to dance and make snow angels in a dust of cinnamon... rich cinnamon. And ohhh, how sweet the maple syrup is we pour above. Sticky, maybe a bit smokey - I'm all in. 

I looooove French toast. Funnily, I seldom make them - I rather let restaurants cook them for me. Sometimes, when I have two or three slices of bread leftover, I feel too lazy making some French toast, because I know I won't make it as perfect as I imagine it to be. I want a luxury experience - no standard that stimulates for 5 minutes. I want my mouth to go crazy right now and the whole morning, making it THE experience. 

When I walked through my favorite Turkish neighborhood in my city, I needed to stop at one of the many Turkish bakeries. I stood inside, staring at all kinds of baked goods: acmas, baklava, and sexy simits. Oh, simits are a dream coming true... looking at these babies, I knew they were the right candidates to create THE French toast experience I was secretly dreaming of. 

A Turkish bagel that is super soft, made out of yeast, having a slightly sweet flavor coming from grape syrup and to finish off sesame - the nutty and crunchy element the ring of dough needs. 

Now let's dream one more time: yeasty dough, pekmez (grape-ish syrup), sesame, and then a big splash of cinnamon, maybe a pinch of cloves or cardamom, and the perfect maple syrup to finish off. This is the comfort food I am bathing in right now. Something I can enjoy on a lazy Sunday to get a sense of normality and feel good vibes. 

Let's dive in. 

Simit French Toast

YOU NEED 2 simits + 1/4 cup dairy free milk + 2 eggs + 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar + 1/4 teaspoon cardamom + a pinch of salt + maple syrup for serving 

1. In a large bowl whisk the milk, eggs, cardamom, and salt.

2. Meanwhile, also prepare a large non-stick skillet to medium heat and cut the simits into halves. 

3. Dip each simit half into the spiced egg mixture until each ring is coated beautifully - a few seconds are totally enough. 

4. Time to create sexiness. Put the drenched simit in your pan or skillet and cook each side of the sesame ring until brown. Once you smell the sesame's special scent, you know your simit is ready. 

5. Once both sides are perfectlly cooked and not burned, it's time to get the ring out on a plate and continue doing the same procedure with the second ring! 

6. Serve while hot and drizzle with plenty of maple syrup. 

Sorry for making you hungry right now, but you have no idea how hard it is to write posts like this while getting hungry myself and sweeping in memories. 

I'm so glad that my hometown is always giving me the perfect inspiration to create new things or at least upgrade a classic that has never been made like this before. I love Turkish baking goods and I am so happy about simits and their existence. 

I mean... bagels are a dream. But have you ever tried simit? 

Again. Imagine the flavors coming together here. Cinnamon, a little spice, a little sweetness, a little nutty vibe and you will be totally mind-blown. 

This is it, you guys... 

Have fun making this recipe! 

If you don't have simit in your city, try it with an usual sesame bagel... it's the closest to a simit, I guess. (even though the texture is different!). I hope I could make you smile and hungry today with this post! Let's eat more French toast - deal? 

*Boys and girls, write down the new vocabulary you have learned today: simit — Turkish bagel.

I am deeply in love with coffee and I have to admit that life without coffee is unimaginable for me. I remember I once tried to take a break from it, but then, after coming back, I fell even heavier. I explored coffee in the world of desserts and I started to learn the difference of diverse coffee beans. I became a die-hard coffee freak. And I love it. 

My first coffee machine was my dad's old Nespresso machine, but fastly, I also investigated in sustainable coffee brewing and got myself a very simple Chemex coffee drip machine. I love smelling freshly brewed coffee and watching it drip slowly is a very meditative activity, but somehow, my Nespresso machine is the only machine in my kitchen that makes me feel complete. 

I want my coffee to be rich and creamy. I want my coffee to be done in a second and I love to watch its shades of brown and black floating in my favorite cup. 

This year, my dad's machine died and I got myself a new one. I am back enjoying my favorite capsules and I am back investigating even harder. 

My sustainable heart struggles a little bit, ordering more and more capsules and using so much aluminium. More and more people complain about the waste that is created from companies like Nespresso - but let's talk facts, how bad is this really? How green is Nespresso and what can we do to make this experience a healthier one for Mother Nature? 

One important thing that always comes up is the problem with aluminium. Is this even good for the planet? Can capsules be recycled? Too many companies produce aluminium trash which isn't recycled well - how is this being green? I know. A lot to discuss here and it's important to cover this! Fact is that Nespresso uses aluminium for their capsules to keep the coffee fresh and protect it from light and moisture. Aluminium is light weight and also such a good material that there's nothing else needed to further wrap the coffee - less usage of material and easier logistic planning. 

Having only one material to recycle, it's easier for us customers to really end the life cycle of a capsule right. It's our part to get rid of the aluminium capsules by recycling them at home in the right trash can (Germany...it's the yellow one...) or at Nespresso boutiques around the world. Very easy. In 25 countries across the globe, Nespresso even offers a recycling @ home program where messengers pick up your used capsules easily so you don't have to do the work... as you can see, there are many options! 

The last months, I am deeply researching my carbon footprint and I try to understand what I can do to reduce it and be more efficient with water, electricity, and whatever I use at home. It's not only good for my wallet, but also for Mother Nature. 

I am more than happy that my new Nespresso machine is energy efficient which makes me use less power and my machine is behaving in a green way that makes basically everyone happy. 

Some machines got a stand-by botton or they automatically go off - my machine turns itself off after 9 minutes and with this it uses 60% less power than other machines. I love this! It's the small things that make a change! 

One thing I have been fighting for forever is sustainability - this is an aspect more and more companies focus on. Why? Because it matters! 

We already talked about sustainable packaging, but sustainability actually involves so much more! What about sustainable resources and ingredients? Sustainable work flows and sustainable production? 

Quality and sustainability is a beautiful couple that goes hand in hand at Nespresso. In 2003, Nespresso started the Sustainable Quality Program™ which focuses on environment protection, social justice, and economic viability. Talking about these aspects, Nespresso also focuses on Fairtrade - cooperating with farmers to take care of them and also receiving high quality products in return. The farmers are being socially protected, especially from nature impacts which create harvest shortage. 

That's really nice, but what does coffee have to do with sustainability?? As already mentioned, the working conditions to actually produce and harvest coffee must be sustainable to start creating a sustainable coffee journey. You can't start this somewhere in between the production chain... it has to start at the beginning. That's why Nespresso supports coffee farmers in 14 countries where they get to learn about sustainable farming, water management, and the planting of trees. 

I love that companies are more open to share their approaches and their ideas to be more green today. I know it must be a big move to change from old patterns into something that has a huge impact on so many levels. But, fact is, we need this. We need this now more than ever! Our planet is screaming for more green alternatives or a way to keep the planet as climate friendly as possible. 

Since my coffee consume is very high, I was doing this research only for myself to understand the company and their ideas better. Now that I am very in love with this approach, I wanted to share this with you and I hope that this little investigation is a tiny help for you to understand the myths and speculations about Nespresso and the general usage of coffee capsules, too.

I guess there are many coffee enthusiasts who'd like to help the earth to heal and not pollute it any further. 

Also there is so much guessing and fake fact spreading - why not learning about it now, before listening to the things some people just gossip about? We need education and the info to understand everything right. Without a new input, we cannot change things. 

Here's the input. Voilà.

I hope we can make the world of coffee a very green one in the future! 

Nespresso, kudos to you and your great approach! I will follow along and I'm always excited to see what else is being added in the future! 

Especially in times like these, it's hard for us to relax, de-stress, and just feel good. We might feel a little anxious, we might find ourselves awake at night or having sleep issues. I can tell that I feel a bit more alert and also very sensitive... energies are always messing with me. 

But how do we cope with all of this right now? 

I am reading more and more that people like to forget their sorrows and pain through drugs, alcohol or anything that makes them feel less. It's good to fight the pain and deal with it somehow, but the answer shouldn't be in abusive drugs or such. 

We have to remember that everyone is dealing with any kind of pain right now. From kids to grown-ups...each pain isn't the same and everybody is healing in a special way as well. 

Today I want to share a quick tip with you how to have a smoother sleep or just a relaxing moment during the day. The truth is that we actually have plenty of things in our pantries which we can use to heal ourselves. 

Trust Mother Nature and its magical products. With the help of honey and Himalayan sea salt, you can create a beautiful moment for yourself. 

YOU NEED | get a small jar and prepare a mixture which you can use several times | mix 5 tablespoons of honey with 1 teaspoon of pink Himalayan sea salt 

Before heading to bed or in a moment of stress, enjoy one tablesooon of the honey and sea salt mixture and place it underneath your tongue. That's it - very simple. 

The mix of sweet and salty isn't only very satisfying, but also the perfect cure. Both ingredients help your muscles to relax. The honey, for example, produces serotonin, and the the sea salt regulates melatonin, which promise you relaxation and a moment of de-stress. 

The Himalayan sea salt is the secret rockstar in this blend. Make sure to add the sea salt to many other things you are eating throughout the day. Himalayan sea salt is the secret for regulating your hormonal levels which control your mood, appetite, and several body functions as well. 

Work on a healthy sleep routine and make sure your body is getting a lot of attention right now! We are all creating a new normal to feel comfortable and safe! With things like the honey sea salt balm, you can easily heal your body with things you already own at home. This is done in a second and you can enjoy all the benefits from it right away! 

8:17 AM

Looking outside, we can finally see the leaves changing their colors, the days are getting shorter, and the temperatures are dropping down. It's the season again to get cosy, comfortable, and slowing down the own pace. 

We gather on the couch, sipping our favorite teas, and with October being here, we are also getting in the mood for some spookiness in our lifes. Fall is very versatile - warm colors, pumpkins, Halloween vibes, and a smooth transition to Thanksgiving, pine trees, and all the holiday excitement we are loving so badly. 

A new season approaching means also transition for us. We need the right things at home that help us adjusting to the new things happening around us. 

Install some candles to create a cosy feeling to enjoy a beautiful light in the evening when it's already super dark outside! Or how about a new cup to enjoy your tea or chai tea lattes? My absolute fall must-have is a diffuser and HAY's model is an absolute genious creation!

With today's picks for a little fall vibe at home, I hope I can make you feel fall-ish, too! How do you decorate your home for fall and the cooler season? 

Candle - Homesick | Light - Nordlux | Plate - Anthropology | Rug - David Fussenegger | Chair - Made | Mug - Bloomingville | Diffuser - Hay