Hello to you, Lovely   

How are you today? Anything exciting happen this week? Please do share with me - I LOVE hearing about what makes you smile!

Last Sunday marked the first of advent. Here in Sweden, the arrival of advent is marked by placing electric advent stars or candles in windows, and by lighting the first of four advent candles, each marking the weekly countdown until Christmas. Walking past apartment blocks you can't help but notice that pretty much every window is illuminated by these lights. I imagine that, like me, the occupants of these homes are more than happy to adhere to this tradition even if they may not be particularly religious as it is a wonderful opportunity to add some light to the darkness that winter brings.

I am proud of myself, as for once I have been prepared and have put up our advent stars and dug out the advent candle holder on time, and I type this warmed by the flicker of the first advent candle in front of me and by the dancing flame from inside the fire place. Outside it is cold and crisp, and Christoffer, our dog Pixie and myself are content after a fun spot of sledging and a warming meal. 

We have been at home all weekend enjoying the calm of the countryside. Up until recently, I have been working mainly from home, but for the past 2 months I have been commuting into Stockholm each day and working from there. So the little time that we do get to spend at home is really cherished. Read on to see how I have adapted my eating habits to ensure I still get access to yummy, energizing, nutritious food without spending ages in the kitchen!

One thing I have really enjoyed recently is drinking more fresh juices, but you'll have to stay tuned for my next newsletter where I will share a few of my juicy secrets that help deliver my body with a quick a yummy dose of potent nutrients!

Until then, stay energized and inspired!

In this issue:

Love and snowflakes, 

Johanna xx

Raw Magic Stockholm

As you may recall from my last newsletter, I hosted Kate Magic for 2 inspiring events here in Stockholm. Both the talk and the workshop were a great success and the lovely participants left inspired and energized. You can read my article about these magic events here >>

Raw Fast food

Because I have been spending more time on trains than in the kitchen recently, my eating habits have changed somewhat. Since time is really of the essence, I have been eating much less recipe-orientated food and a lot more high energy, high nutrient foods that are quick to make, easy to transport and simple to digest.

Until I start spending more time at home again, I may not be able to offer more precise recipes and lovely pictures like I have been. I really do hope that instead of clicking 'unsubscribe' at this news, you will see it as a bonus as I will be bringing you simpler food ideas that you can literally throw together to take into work! I personally am enjoying the new dimension it has brought to my food, and it certainly sharpens up my meal ideas to suit people who want energizing, yummy healthy food without the fuss.

So to start you off, here are my current three favorite 'fast foods':

1. Saurkraut and Kimchi

Saurkraut is, to put it bluntly, fermented cabbage. But before you poke out your tongue in disgust, just hear me out. Yes, it doesn't sound very nice (and to be honest, it doesn't smell very nice either) but this dish super nutritious: high in vitamin c and healthy bacteria that is great for the digestion and immune system, assists the uptake of iron (thanks to the naturally occurring, non-dairy  lactic acid), and is thought to help prevent some cancers. In addition, it makes for a quick raw salad, and I believe it is really yummy, especially if you add a little magic to it. See my recipe below. 

Kimchi is similar to sauerkraut but is a bit spicier and sweeter due to the addition of ginger, chili, garlic and root vegetables such as carrots. Kimchi is a much loved daily staple in Korea. Here in Sweden, it is a bit more expensive that sauerkraut so I tend to buy the extra hot variety and stir a little of it into my sauerkraut to perk it up a little.

You can either make your own fermented vegetables, or you can buy them in a jar, like I do. Look in the refrigerator in your local health food store or well-stocked supermarket. Try and get unpastorized if you can so that all the nutrients are intact.

Warning: these fermented beauties can be a bit whiffy, so eating them at your desk may not make you the office darling!

Creamy Kimchi-Kraut Salad

So simple, you don't need strict measurements here. Just adjust to suit your own taste!

• Kimchi and/or sauerkraut
• Nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 avocado
• Optional:  2 nori sheets snipped into small pieces, or a handful of soaked sea vegetables eg. arame or wakame

Place a few forkfuls of kimchi and/or sauerkraut in a bowl. Cut open an avocado and scoop the flesh out into the bowl and mash together with a fork. Sprinkle liberally with nutritional yeast flakes and stir. Mix in the sea vegetables if using and enjoy!

2. Sea vegetables

Sea vegetables such as dulse, nori, arame and wakame are packed full of minerals and are a great addition to any diet. I love the fact that you can quickly increase the nutrient content of your meal by adding a little seaweed.

Most of them need soaking first, so if I am in a rush (or unorganized) I will either stuff a few sheets of nori (the seaweed used in making sushi and which doesn't need soaking) with avocado, sprouts, greens, veggies and even my kimchi-kraut salad above, or I will grab a pair of clean scissors and snip 2 sheets of black, untoasted nori into my salad. By lunch time, the nori will have softened up and will slip down a treat.

If I have remembered to soak wakame or arame for 10 minutes or so (and then rinsed and drained) and will throw a little of that into my salad instead. Delicious with a sprinkle of lemon or lime juice, tamari (or soy sauce), olive, flax and/or hemp oil and a little chili powder 

3. Desk mix

I have to admit that for the first few weeks of working away from home, I stuck to my previous routine of making a yummy, nutrient packed satisfying raw cake or bar to bring some with me. However, as the weeks sped by, I felt sometimes that it wasn't always fun 'having' to make a batch of bars for the week ahead. And when making food become a bore and a chore I like to re-assess things to see how I can tweak it so that I keep eating supportive, yummy food without it feeling like a 'must do' (after all, our days are full enough of those without having to lower something as fun as raw cake to a chore, right?!)

So this was my solution. Hardly ground breaking but it works a treat. Instead of combing all those lovely nuts, seeds, cacao and dried fruit to make a cake, just throw them in a box and nibble on them as they are.

My favorite mix at the moment it:

Shelled hemp seeds - providing a great dose of the essential omega fats, and all the essential amino acids (which makes them a complete protein) these little yummy seeds are a great addition to your snack pack. I found mine in a supermarket but you can also find them in health food stores and on line.

Cacao nibs - packed with antioxidants, and other nutrients such as magnesium. Yummy to eat, and can give you a little perky buzz to help keep you away from coffee and caffeinated tea. Also, since the nibs are not highly processed it is more of a whole food than say cacao powder, and brings its nutrients and healthy fats intact as mother nature intended. Look in health food stores or online for cacao nibs.

Goji berries - very high in beta carotene and vitamin c, and also contain all the amino acids, making them a great source of protein. I found mine in a supermarket but you can also find them in health food stores and on line.

Throw them together into a lidded container and nibble on when you need an energy boost. I prefer to have just a sprinkling of cacao nibs so that I don't get too buzzed or unbalanced.

If you don't have these ingredients to hand then you can also mix together a selection of nuts, seeds and dried fruit such as: brazil nuts (high in selenium), almonds (great source of calcium), pumpkin seeds (high in zinc) and apricots or raisins (good sources of iron). Nuts and seeds are of course high in protein and healthy fats.