Monday, February 16, 2015

The new BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer

BMW is set to launch their new BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer this summer.

This spacious seven seater is clearly targeted at families and features large windscreen, optional panoramic roof and intelligently redesigned pillars to provide superior all-round vision. You can create even more space by folding down the third and seconds rows.



This extra efficient car has Auto Start-Stop (as standard) which reduces emissions when stopping temporarily at lights or in traffic. BMW also claims that their Aero Curtain provides optimised aerodynamics, thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel consumption.


There will be a range of preferences and driving styles to choose from including a range of petrol and diesel engines. Extra options include the xDrive 4 wheel drive and the latest generation BMW TwinPower Turbo engines which offer enhanced performance and efficiency.


Sweet Potato Chocolate Spread

 Sweet Potato Chocolate Spread


What if I told you that 2 tbsp of this spread provides you with all the vitamin A you need in a day? Sounds too good to be true? Well it isn't. Other than being delicious, sweet potatoes are packed with this super important nutrient that keeps your eyes in good condition and your skin beautifully radiant. Plus this recipe is so simple and quick to make and only requires five ingredients! No excuses!



Ingredients:

2 medium-sized, peeled sweet potatoes (380 g)

3 tbsp melted cacao butter or coconut oil

10 dates (100 g)

2 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder

Pinch of salt


How to:

1. Cube the sweet potato and steam until entirely soft and easy to pierce with a fork, approximately 15-20 minutes.
2. Transfer the cooked sweet potato to a medium-sized bowl, add the remaining ingredients and blend with a hand blender until smooth. This could also be done using a food processor.
3. Spoon up the chocolate spread in a mason jar or any airtight container of your choice and store in the fridge.

Enjoy this spread on peanut butter sandwiches, your oatmeal or eat it straight from the jar with a spoon! (That's what I do...)

Chocolate love from Tilda 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

BMW Hybrid cars: Top performance, stylish and economical

High performance and economical is not something you hear together when you are talking about cars. Well, BMW offers three varieties of hybrid cars offering the same exciting top performance and quality which we associate with the BMW brand, along with reduction in fuel consumption and reduced emissions.

When the first hybrid cars came out, I guess the design and styling was not what the car manufacturers had in mind – they simply looked horrendous. Thankfully that’s changing now as we can see from the range of sexy designs being launched annually. The BMW ActiveHybrid models across their popular 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series range are among the best looking hybrids available in the market now.

3 Series ActiveHybrid Sedan

The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 is the World’s first BMW full hybrid compact executive saloon and available as a Sport, Luxury or M Sport model. Prices for the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 in the UK starts from £42,145.

As for the technical specs, the ActiveHybrid 3 is powered by a Turbo six cylinder 3 litre (2979cc) VALVETRONIC with Double-VANOS direct injection, in-line petrol engine with a max output of 306hp (let me catch my breath). The engine is mated with BMW's eight-speed automatic transmission. The car stores and draws power when required from a lithium-ion high-performance battery. The electric engine comes on for silent urban driving for approx 1-2 miles with a maximum speed of 37mph. It also automatically recognises when the car is going up a gradient and the boost functions comes on automatically to support the combustion engine. The car also charges by itself when it is going downhill.

5 Series ActiveHybrid

The BMW ActiveHybrid 5 powertrain is very similar to that of the BMW ActiveHybrid 3. I have always had a soft spot for the 5 Series models - neither too small nor too large. Just the right size. The ActiveHybrid 5 is significantly more economical and with reduced CO2 emissions. Prices in the UK start from £47,790.

7 Series ActiveHybrid

The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is squarely aimed at those with a taste for luxury but also want to do their bit for the environment. The car is powered by a 3 litre TwinPower Turbo V8 engine. The car features a 0.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. You have the choice of several options to personalise your BMW ActiveHybrid 7 including a choice of paint finishes and extensive range of alloy wheels.

M Sport package

Pictured is the optional 20" M light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design for the M Sport model. Prices for the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 start from £66,200.

There are actually several hybrid cars offered by other manufacturers available in the market and many of them cheaper than the BMW models. However, they simply cannot match the performance of the BMW ActiveHybrid models. And when it comes to design and styling, the BMW cars are heads above the competition.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter-Blueberry Sundae

Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter-Blueberry Sundae






Ice cream:

- 3 ripe bananas, sliced and frozen (300-330 g)

- 3-4 tbsp almond milk

- 1 heaped tbsp Arctic Berries Blueberry Powder

- 1 pinch vanilla powder or extract

Peanut Butter Sauce:

- 1 tbsp peanut flour (or peanut butter)

- 1 tbsp almond milk

- 1 pinch sea salt

Optional:

- Toppings such as mulberries, coconut chips or raw cacao nibs

How to:

1. Start by making the peanut butter sauce: in a small bowl combine the ingredients for the sauce with a fork until you're left with a thick yet runny sauce. Set aside while you make the ice cream.
2. Place all the ice cream ingredients except for the almond milk in a food processor or high speed blender and blend on high*. Blend for approximately 60-90 seconds or until the frozen banana slices have all been broken down to tiny pieces. Stop to scrape down the sides if necessary.
3. Carefully remove the top cap from your blender and slowly pour in the almond milk while blending. Blend on high until smooth and again, stop to scrape down the sides if you need to. Be patient and don't add more liquid unless you really have to. The ice cream will be much creamier and not as runny this way.
4. Spoon the ice cream up in two bowls and drizzle generously with the peanut butter sauce. Top with whatever you desire and eat immediately before it melts! (And feel free to just have it ALL for yourself. That's what I did.)

*I find this the most effective way to get a creamy, completely smooth ice cream but if it seems too complicated to you, simply place all the ice cream ingredients in the blender/food processor and blend until smooth.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Berry-Boosted Blueberry Jam (Naturally Sweetened)

Berry-Boosted Blueberry Jam (Naturally Sweetened)


There's something oddly comforting about jam. That sweet, slightly sour taste adds another dimension to basically any carb-y meals. On top of a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal is how we usually enjoy our jam here in Sweden but I have always loved to spread a thick layer of raspberry preserves on top of a crispy, golden brown slice of toast. Mhm. And I know I just said raspberry even though this recipe specifically calls for blueberries. Confession: I didn't like blueberries as a kid. I loved spinach but not blueberries. Yes, I was weird. Moving on.


I must say I'm very pleased with this recipe. It's thick, just like jam is supposed to be. Don't want any of that runny, slimy stuff, no thank you. So it's thick, packs a punch of blueberry flavour only rounded off by a hint of vanilla. I even got my mom hooked on it so now it's a battle against time to have as much as possible for myself before she eats it all up!



Also, I finally got to use a jar from the collection featured throughout this post. To say that I have an obsession with jars is an understatement. This recipe makes one small jar but if you feel like you're likely to finish it soon after making, feel free to double the recipe. You could probably even freeze some for later if you wanted to, even though I haven't tried this myself yet.

Finally I want to point out that this jam is even more nutrient-dense than your average Homemade-healthy-jam all thanks to the Arctic Berries powders! I added some of the blueberry powder and some of the sea buckthorn powder in this but combine them however you want for your own personal touch! Hope you enjoy the recipe!


Berry-Boosted Blueberry Jam

-1/2 lb (225 g) frozen or fresh blueberries

- 6-8 fresh dates (75 g)

- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla powder

- 1/2 tbsp  any Arctic Berries Powder (I used the Sea buckthorn and blueberry powders)

- 1 tbsp chia seeds

How to:

1. Place the blueberries in a small sauce pan and slowly thaw them over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, pit the dates and put them in a small bowl. Blend the dates with a hand blender until smooth and set aside.
3. Once the berries start to release their juices, bring it up to the boil and let boil for about a minute.
4. Remove the blueberries from the heat and stir in the date paste, vanilla powder and Arctic berries powder(s). If the date paste feels very dense and hard to incorporate into the berry mixture, start by transferring a few tablespoons of blueberry juice into the bowl with the date paste and mix the two to make it a bit looser in consistency.
5. Lastly, stir in the chia seeds and make sure they're evenly divided throughout the jam.
6. Spoon the jam up in a glass jar, seal it and let sit on the countertop to cool off before putting it in the fridge.


My favourite way to eat this jam - thinly spread on top of a rice cake.


Best Granola Ever (no oil!)

 Best Granola Ever (no oil!)


Prepare yourselves for the crunchiest, sweetest, most delectable granola ever! Though you could never tell from how they taste, these caramel-ly clusters are 100% refined sugar-free and contain no added syrups or oils whatsoever! That's just how we do it around here. ;)


The added nutrient-boost from the sea buckthorn powder gives this granola an extra umph, a je-ne-sais-quoi that is hard to beat. I know that I'm going to add this beautiful orange powder to many more recipes from here on out and after tasting this granola, I hope that you are as well.


Sea Buckthorn & Buckwheat Granola

1 cup raw buckwheat groats (175 g)

1/2 cup quinoa pops (15 g)

1/2 cup raw almonds (75 g)

14 dates, pitted (160 g)

2 tbsp Arctic Berries Sea Buckthorn Powder

2 tbsp water

How to:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 130C.
2. Chop the almonds coarsely and pale them in a large bowl along with the buckwheat groats and quinoa pops.
3. In another, smaller bowl, blend the pitted dates, water and the sea buckthorn powder with a hand blender until completely smooth.
4. Transfer the date paste into the bigger bowl and mix well with the grains and almonds until you have a chunky 'dough'.
5. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove to stir around every ten minutes to prevent the clusters from burning!
6. To make sure the clusters stay crunchy, leave them in the oven overnight to dry out, preferably with the oven lamp on.
7. Store in an airtight container and enjoy on top of your smoothies, oatmeal, banana ice ream or anything really!