Naturally Spirited

RECIPE // Cocktail Sorbet & Lemon Bowls

Steph — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 03:38:20 +0000

Spiked Sorbet Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of your favourite VnC Cocktail
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups water
grated lemon zest
3 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water until the sugar dissolves.
Add the lemon zest; stir until mixture comes to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
Place a fine strainer over a large bowl and pour syrup mixture through (straining out any zest).
Add lemon juice and vodka to the strained syrup mixture; stir until thoroughly blended.

Ice Cream Maker Method:
Transfer mixture to ice cream maker, process according to manufacturers instructions.

Freezer Method:
Pour into a container, cover and place mixture in the freezer. When it is semi-solid, mash it up with a fork and refreeze again. When frozen, place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Cover and refreeze until ready to serve.

Lemon Bowls

By: The Proper Pinwheel

1. Carve out some lemons

2. Freeze

3. Scoop sorbet just before serving

Photos by: The Proper Pinwheel

GOT TO HAVE IT // iPhone Accessories

Steph — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:34:50 +0000

1. iHome iP4 Portable FM Stereo Boombox

If it’s good enough for the King of Hip Hop, it’s good enough for us!

Say hello to the iP4. This device is modeled after the classic boomboxes of the 1980s. But this time, it’s made for your iPhone or iPod touch. The dock on the iP4 is flexible, but sturdy and the actual device is powered by batteries or the included AC adapter.

The iP4 features SRS TruBass digital signal processing technology, as well as equalizers, amps, woofers, and tweeters — this baby comes stacked. It has an FM radio and aux line-in jack as well as an LED display and remote control. As with all of the iHome products, the iP4 works with the iHome Radio app for access to thousands of Internet radio stations.

Right: Music mogul Jay-Z pictured with iP4 in hand.

2. Gizmon iCA iPhone Case

This latest greatest iPhone case now turns your smartphone into a vintage camera! Not only will the Gizmon iCA iPhone case make you look like a Magnum Pro photographer it actually has function as well as form.

The shutter button actually presses down on your phone’s volume up button so you can use it with many of the iPhone photo apps widely available. A detachable tripod mount also allows you to shoot long exposures to get some really creative shots while the strap holes mean you can use your favourite strap to hang your new retro camera-phone around your neck. What’s not to love about this nifty little accessory?!

Click here for more information.

3. Holga iPhone Lens Filter Case Kit

Wouldn’t you love to be able to preview iPhone photo special effects before you take a picture? The status quo for photography apps like Instagram right now seem to be that you shoot the picture, and then apply an effect. The clever folk at Holga have now come up with what they call the Holga iPhone Lens Filter Kit SLFT-IP4 (US$24.99 plus $5.25 shipping), which provides physical effect lens filters instead of those cheesy digital equivalents.

Simple to install, this kit slips onto an iPhone 4 or 4S just like a case. But a case with a difference! Once fitted you now have access to 9 different and crazy special effects and filters without any software or app installed. Cunningly designed like an old school telephone just dial in your preferred special effect and behold the Holga craziness that follows!

For about $30, you can get some really incredible photos. If you’d like to see what each of the filters can do for your photography, be sure to take a look at the examples shown here.

Source: App Advice, Gadget Sin, Eclechick, Holga Direct, Le Long, Tuaw

FASHION // Maison Martin Margiela Beijing Store

Steph — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:30:52 +0000

Fashion brand Maison Martin Margiela, combine designer fashion with incredible architecture in their talked about flagship store on Beijing’s bustling Sanlitun Road. It is spacious and a bit industrial but with very good sense of architecture and form – somewhat of a ‘fashion laboratory’.

The multi-floor boutique is the largest boutique of the brand, with a complete range from its apparel, accessories, and home design collections. The unique Martin Margiela style is evident in the whole building, with subtle “fun” aspects dotted within its design, such as the aluminum slide that brings you from second to first floor in a jiffy!

Source: Zimbo, Delood, Travel Modus

SOCIAL // Le Style French High Tea, Melbourne

Steph — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 03:38:32 +0000

VnC Cocktails teamed up with Le Style for their annual French High Tea, held at Melbourne’s exclusive Sofitel on Collins. The glamorous event began in Melbourne last year and will be going worldwide at the luxurious Sofitel chain. Guests at the luxurious event enjoyed all the very best in French fashion, food & dining, travel, bridal.. as well as a VnC cocktail or two!

More pictures available here.

MIDWEEK TREAT // Tim Tam Cake

Steph — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:47:28 +0000

Tim Tam Cake // Another genius creation by Raspberri Cupcakes…

Chocolate sponge recipe from Gourmet Traveller

NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with sponge recipes you might want to read up on some tips on how to make a successful sponge cake before starting. Gourmet Traveller has a great article. You can also substitute the cake recipe for any light chocolate cake that you are more comfortable making.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
110g (½ cup) caster sugar
65g cornflour (cornstarch)
35g (¼ cup) Dutch-process cocoa
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the cake filling:

100g butter, room temperature
150g chocolate, melted
3 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp milk
1 packet of Tim Tam biscuits

For the chocolate ganache topping:

300ml pouring cream (min. 35% milk fat pure cream)
400g milk chocolate

Directions:

Line two 17x27cm rectangular slice/brownie tins, or one larger sheet cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

(alternatively, split all the ingredients in half and baked two separate cakes one after the other) Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Whisk eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until thick and pale (5-6 minutes, go nuts and don’t underwhip).

Sift over cornflour, cocoa, flour, cream of tartar and bicarb soda, fold in with spatula. Fold in butter, spoon into prepared tin.

Bake in centre of oven until cake springs back when lightly pressed (10-12 minutes). Turn onto baking paper covered wire rack and cool completely. (If you baked one large cake, cut into two equal sized rectangular cakes)

To prepare chocolate icing filling, beat butter light and fluffy and then gradually add sifted icing sugar and beat until smooth and pale. Add melted chocolate and milk and beat until smooth. (You can adjust the amount of milk you add to get the icing to the texture you want.)

Spread icing over the top of one of the cakes, and (if you want) place tim tams along the centre of the icing. (Tip: It’s even better if you crush up the tim tams before you put them in the middle to make it a lot easier to cut the cake later.) Sandwich other cake on top of the icing and biscuits.

To prepare the chocolate ganache topping, break up chocolate into small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Slowly heat cream in a small saucepan. Just as it starts to come to the boil, remove from the heat and cool for a couple minutes. Pour hot cream over chocolate and set aside 10 minutes to allow chocolate to melt. Mix cream and chocolate together until smooth using a whisk, then cool (place in fridge for about 15 mins) until it reaches room temperature and thickens.

Pour over the top of the cake, using a spatula to ensure the ganache covers all the top and sides of the cake (the excess will drip off everywhere so make sure you lay down some baking paper to catch the drips). Chill in the fridge until the ganache sets, then peel off the bottom baking paper and serve cake at room temperature.

SHAPE UP // The 30-Day Abs Challenge

Steph — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:43:26 +0000

Put Women’s Health Magazine’s workout tips and eating strategies to the test and achieve a flatter stomach in just 30 days!

Day 1. Training Tip:

Put Your Core First.

If flat abs are important to you, promote them to the top of your fitness to-do list. “A lot of people exercise their abdominal muscles at the end of their workout, and that’s when you get sloppy or run out of time,” says Women’s Health Exercise Science Expert Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S. “You should do them first, and then move on to your cardio. To get them looking great, you need to make them a priority.” You’ll be glad you did.

Day 2. Core-Sculpting Workout:

Attack Your Hidden Core Muscles.

Even women who are otherwise slender and fit can end up with a belly pooch due to underworked lower abdominal muscles. We created a workout to tap into the deep abdominal muscles—the transverse abdominis—that pull in your waistline like a corset. Get the 15-minute abs workout!

Day 3. Plank Test #1

This is the first of five plank tests.

Hold a plank for as long as you can with proper form. Your goal is to build up to 90 seconds. How long can you hold it? Write down your time so you can track your progress. If you can already hold a plank for 90 seconds, try these plank upgrades.

How to do a plank: Starting at the top of a pushup position, bend your elbows and lower yourself down until you can shift your weight from your hands to your forearms. Your body should form a straight line. Brace your abs (imagine someone is about to punch you in the gut) and hold. Focus on form: Don’t drop your hips or raise your butt.

Day 4. Training Tip:

Move Your Butt!

Your booty and your belly are unlikely partners in crime. Here’s why: Over time, sitting around too much renders your glutes practically useless and causes your hip flexors—the muscles that connect your hipbones to your legs—to become stiff. This couch-potato combo tilts your pelvis forward, which increases the arch in your back and puts stress on your spine. From a cosmetic standpoint, it pushes your abdomen out, making even a relatively flat stomach bulge. That means that to lose your gut, you’ve got to work your butt. The glute bridge march and hip-thigh raise will help you get a stronger behind.

Combat tight hip flexors with this stretch: In a lunge position, lower yourself so your back knee is resting on the floor. Push your hips forward, keeping your back upright, until you feel a stretch in the front of your back hip. Hold for 10 seconds, relax, and repeat. Switch legs. You can increase the stretch by reaching your arms over your head.

Day 5. Slim-Down Strategy:

Eat Monounsaturated Fats.

Dietary fat is one nutrient with a serious image problem: “Fat in food is equated to fat on hips—but it’s not the same! Our bodies need certain fats,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., author of Read It Before You Eat It. Getting the right amounts from the right sources will not only ensure your food doesn’t taste like cardboard, but also can help you lose stubborn pounds (yes, you read that correctly).

A study in the journal Diabetes Care found that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (such as almonds, avocados, and olives) may prevent the accumulation of abdominal fat. “Fat is all about the source it comes from,” says Lauren Blaue, R.D., a nutrition coach at Life Time Athletic Club in Minneapolis. Combining fats and carbs in the same meal will keep your blood sugar stable and help you avoid hunger-inducing spikes and dips.

This isn’t license to gorge on one ginormous cinnamon roll, though. Spread your fat-carb combos throughout the day: natural nut butter on whole-grain toast in the a.m., olive oil drizzled on your salad at lunch, guac with veggies for a snack. Learn more about good fat versus bad fat and find out how much fat you should be eating.

Day 6. Core-Sculpting Workout:

4 Amazing Abs Exercises.

Jillian Michaels lends a sneak peek from her newest DVD, Jillian Michaels Killer Abs. These are meant to complement your existing workout routine twice a week. “The combination targets every muscle in your abdominal wall,” she says. “If you’re eating properly and doing your other training three or four times a week for 30 minutes, you’ll notice a difference by the second week,” promises Jillian. Get Jillian’s abs workout!

Day 7. Training Tip:

Give Your Abs A Rest.

You need only three sessions a week to see maximum results—really. “Training every day with endless crunches won’t flatten your belly faster,” says Bill Hartman, co-owner of Indianapolis Sports and Fitness. “You’ll see benefits quicker if you give your muscles a day to fully recover between workouts.” That’s because stressing your muscles during a workout breaks down the tissues, and they need rest days to rebuild and get stronger.

What’s more, you should stick to only 15 to 20 reps of each move. “If you can easily do that many, it’s time for harder moves,” says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California.

Still want to get your sweat on today? Try some calorie-blasting cardio with this tempo workout!

SOURCE: Women’s Health

Picture source: All Women Stalk, Women’s Health, Chronicles of a Dime

FOOD // Fancy Marshmallow Special

Steph — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:56:42 +0000

FUNFETTI MARSHMALLOWS

Source: Raspberri Cupcakes

Makes about 25 marshmallows

Ingredients:

250g (about 1 cup) sugar
2 tsp liquid glucose or light corn syrup
1 tbsp gelatine powder
1 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 tsp extract + 1 /2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus extra for decorating (softer ones are better than the crunchy ones)
Vegetable oil (or melted butter) for greasing
1/2 cup (75g) icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (75g) cornflour (cornstarch)

Directions:

Grease and line the base and sides with baking paper in a 20cm square cake tin or a 17x27cm slice tin.

Place caster sugar, glucose and 100ml water in a small saucepan. Place on low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Place 100ml cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatine powder over it and set aside to soften. Increase heat on saucepan to medium-high and insert a sugar thermometer. Boil for 3-5 minutes, until sugar thermometer reaches 120°C (250°F).

Remove from the heat and carefully add gelatine to mixture and whisk until gelatine dissolves and no lumps remain (if you are worried about this step you can heat the bowl of gelatine over a pot of simmering water first to make it smoother before adding it).

Place egg white in a large mixing bowl and start beating with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on high speed. Gradually add hot sugar syrup to the egg white while mixing, if you are using a hand mixer you should beat your egg whites to a stiff peak before you start adding the syrup, but it works fine to add it as soon as you start beating the egg in a stand mixer. Beat until mixture is glossy and white, about 5 minutes on a stand mixer and closer to 10 with a hand mixer.

Fold in vanilla and 1/4 cup of sprinkles (or more if you wish!). Before mixture starts to cool too much, pour mixture into prepared tin and use a spatula to quickly smooth top. Leave to set at room temperature overnight. Use a greased knife to cut into 25 squares. You can then roll or top with extra sprinkles on the outside of each marshmallow. Mix icing sugar and cornstarch together and use to dust each marshmallow. Place on a piece of baking paper to dry about an hour, then store in an airtight container. Best eaten within two days.

OREO MARSHMALLOWS

Source: Raspberri Cupcakes

Makes about 40 marshmallows

Ingredients:

3 x 250g (about 1 cup) caster sugar
3 x 2 tsp liquid glucose
3 x 1 tbsp gelatine powder
3 x 1 large egg white
2 x 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Vegetable oil (or melted butter)
1 packet Oreo biscuits

Directions:

This recipe requires making three layers of separate marshmallow, one chocolate layer, then vanilla and then another chocolate layer. Note: if you want to simplify things, you can just make the whole thing just vanilla (or just chocolate) marshmallow and do the entire thing in one go (though your mixing bowl may not have the capacity for this, so you may need to use 2/3 the ingredients).

Grease and line the base and sides with baking paper in a 24x32cm lamington tray, or two 20cm square cake tins. Prepare one of the chocolate layers first – place 250g caster sugar, 2 tsp glucose and 100ml water in a small saucepan. Place on low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Place 100ml cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle 1 tbsp gelatine powder over it and set aside to soften. Increase heat on saucepan to medium-high and insert a sugar thermometer. Boil for 3-5 minutes, until sugar thermometer reaches 120°C (250°F). Remove from the heat and carefully add gelatine to mixture and whisk until gelatine dissolves and no lumps remain (if you are worried about this step you can heat the bowl of gelatine over a pot of simmering water first to make it smoother).

Sift in 1 tbsp cocoa powder and beat again until combined. Before mixture starts to cool too much, pour mixture into prepared tin and use a spatula to quickly smooth top. Try to keep it as smooth as possible so you have nice, neat layers. Repeat process for second and third layer, replacing the cocoa with vanilla extract for the second layer.

Leave to set at room temperature overnight. Remove filling from Oreo cookies, I used a knife to scrape it off. Place in a food processor and pulse or smash in a ziplock bag to a fine crumb. Using a round 3-4 cm cutter to cut out marshmallows, or cut into squares. It is best to lightly grease the cutter with some vegetable oil before cutting each marshmallow, cutting with a twisting motion. Roll marshmallows in cookie crumbs, or just dip each end in the crumbs depending on how you prefer to present them. Place on a piece of baking paper to dry for at least a few hours, then store in an airtight container. Best eaten within two days.

MILO MARSHMALLOWS

Source: Raspberri Cupcakes

Makes about 50 marshmallows

Ingredients:

400g (about 1 3/4 cup) sugar

1 tbsp liquid glucose (usually available in baking aisle at supermarket, you could probably replace with light corn syrup if you can’t get this)

2 tbsp gelatine powder

2 large egg whites

3 tbsp Milo powder (or Ovaltine, or half cocoa/half malted milk powder)

Vegetable oil (or melted butter)

1 cup Milo powder + 1/2 cup cornflour (cornstarch)

Directions:

Grease and line the base and sides with baking paper in a 24x32cm lamington tray, or two 20cm square cake tins. Place sugar, glucose and 200ml water in a small saucepan. Place on low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Place 200ml cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatine powder over it and set aside to soften. Increase heat on saucepan to medium-high and insert a sugar thermometer. Boil for 3-5 minutes, until sugar thermometer reaches 120°C (250°F).

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl and start beating with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on high speed. Gradually add hot sugar syrup to the egg white while mixing, if you are using a hand mixer you should beat your egg whites to a stiff peak before you start adding the syrup, but it works fine to add it as soon as you start beating the egg in a stand mixer.Beat until mixture is glossy and white, about 5 minutes on a stand mixer and closer to 10 with a hand mixer.

Add 3 tbsp Milo powder and beat again until combined. Before mixture starts to cool too much, pour mixture into prepared tin and use a spatula to quickly smooth top. Leave to set at room temperature overnight. Cut into 3-4cm squares. Mix milo powder and cornflour together in a large baking try and roll marshmallows in it. Place on a piece of baking paper to dry for at least a few hours (you may need to re-dust the outside after an hour), then store in an airtight container. Best eaten within two days.

LIVING // DIY Flower Pots & Candle Holders

Steph — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 03:22:43 +0000

Super easy, affordable, creative and effective – this is our kind of DIY!

Compliments of World of Decor.

YOU WILL NEED:

Shallow tin can (lid and contents removed)
Wooden pegs
Candle or small plant

Follow steps 1, 2 and 3 in the images below.

Place your candle or flower in the centre and voilà!

Source: World of Decor

NATURALLY SPIRITED // Quotes To Live By

Steph — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 22:18:41 +0000

BEAUTY // DIY Ombre Nails Manicure

Steph — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 04:32:19 +0000

Even though the Ombre Hair trend is over – here is another Ombre trend that is definitely here to stay! Ombre Nails are this season’s hottest trend, and now you can ‘nail’ the look with a little help from The Nailasaurus. Have a go at this step-by-step tutorial, we guarantee that you’ll have a blast creating the perfect shade to suit your ombre-style!

You’ll Need…

Two colour polishes and a top coat

You can choose colours that compliment or go bold and pick two that clash. Experiment with different combinations and see what works.

A sponge, a plastic sheet and toothpicks

The Fun Part…

Step 1

Using the lightest of the two colours, paint your nails and wait for it to dry completely.

Step 2

On a flat surface, paint a generous amount of the colours right next to each other on to the plastic. Make sure they’re just about touching at the edges.

Step 3

Using a toothpick, swirl the two colours together where they meet. The area where they mix will determine the length of the graduation. So if you want a long graduation, mix a bigger section of the colours, if you want less of a fade, just mix them together a tiny bit.

Step 4

Take your sponge and dab it directly down on to the polish a few times.

Step 5

Dab the sponge directly down on to your nail. Keep dabbing lightly and moving it very slightly up and down your nail.

You can repeat this step as many times as you need to. Just make sure each layer is completely dry before sponging again otherwise you will start smudging the underneath layers and ruin the whole thing.

Step 6

Add a topcoat. Or two or three! The sponging makes this mani very bumpy so you may need a couple of topcoats just to even out the surface.

Step 7

Clean up all the excess using a brush dipped in acetone or polish remover. You can use a q-tip dipped in remover for the big bits, then a small brush in pure acetone as you get closer to the nail, to make a crisp line near the cuticles.

All finished!