Some of you might remember this entry from our LA wedding in May. About 4 months later, in September this year, we made our way to Marrakech, Morocco, for our wedding party. We wanted to bring our friends and family together, for the first time, to celebrate this special event with us. I had never been to Morocco before, but thanks to my french family we found Riad Pachavana. In this riad, we could host our guests for the weekend. We arranged a simple wedding ceremony on their rooftop and danced and dined to Moroccan drums throughout the night. It was the most magical weekend of my life, the scenery, the people, the food and our hosts.

I would love to share some photos with you on some of things I came to enjoy, from Dublin airport, all the way to Marrakech and back. Here we go!

Early risings can be tough, I like to dress comfy and find a healthy treat at the airport to make it a little easier. I usually bring some homemade flapjacks or protein bars with me, and pick up something like a green juice. 

Marrakech. It is said Marrakech is called the red city because of the terracotta-coloured buildings, walls, alleys and plazas made with red clay and chalk. The light is beautifully reflected and makes the city shine.

Our first lunch. Moroccan salad selection; carrots, aubergine, pumpkin and spices. A masala with lots of cumin. 

Colorful almond pastries for dessert. 

Moroccan salad selection at Jardin Majorelle. 

My dessert of choice; sliced oranges with orange blossom water and cinnamon.

Loved seeing people interact on the street, the liveliness, the passion for handicraft; and the fruit, spices and herbs in every corner. 

The peacefulness of our riad.

The carefully selected yoga spot of the weekend; surrounded by sky, petals and flower pots.

And so it was time to be the groom and bride for the second time around this year. 

On our last day we went to a SPA to enjoy hammam, peeling and relaxation. We chose the SPA "A thousand and a night" which had this beautiful ceiling. The hammam was steaming warm, the peeling rough, and the tea in our bathrobes a real sweet treat. 

Namaste Marrakech, I can't wait to meet you again. 

When it comes to smoothies, I have always tried to keep the ingredient list as short as possible. Not just because it makes it more simple to prepare, but the flavour also turns out fresh and flavourful.

My man still refers to my green smoothies as “drinking a forest” or “chewing on a lawn” but the truth is - he has never even tasted them.

Surely, flavours with a tone of bitterness have to be "acquired" by most people. For example, when you start drinking coffee and green tea it makes it so much easier if you mix it up with something sweet. That is, coffee and milk or green tea and honey. 

This smoothie, looks super green (!), but trust me it tastes of pineapple and cinnamon. It is the perfect weekend smoothie since it requires a bit more prepping time. Or if you fancy it during the week - you can always slice the pineapple and wash the kale the night before. That would probably half the preparation time. And also, I have always been super suspicious about celery; it has such a pungent taste! In this recipe however, I doubt you will even feel it. 

Cinnamon green smoothie
Serves 1-2 people

1/4 pineapple
2-3 leaves (75 g) green curly kale
1 red apple
1 stalk celery
1/4 avocado
1/2 lemon
1 orange
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon

Wash the apple and celery and cut into small chunks, pop into the blender. Slice off a quarter of the pineapple, remove the tough skin, chop into chunks and add to the blender. Peel and add each orange segment to the blender.

Wash the kale and remove the tough stems. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Open an avocado and spoon out a fourth, then add to the blender together with the  kale and lemon juice.

Add the spices and fill up with cold water up to one third of the blender's height. Blend for at least 2 minutes. Taste, and feel free to add more cinnamon if desired. 

Serve directly!

Last year I shared some of my favourite breakfast ideas, you can find them here. I also promised to write a follow-up post with more ideas but then I got sort of hung-up on this green smoothie which is my total favourite morning boost,

Finally, I have collected some more breakfast ideas that are both a delicious and healthy start to the day.  

Mango orange lemon smoothie with ginger
Serves 1-2

1 mango
2 oranges
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
a pinch of cayenne

Mix all ingredients in a blender with some ice and enjoy! 

Raspberry chia pudding
Serves 2

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup (50 g) fresh or defrosted raspberries
a handful of pumpkin seeds

Add chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla and almond milk to a glass jar or small bowl. Give it a good stir and leave to stand for at least 10 minutes in room temperature or let set in the fridge overnight. If using a glass jar, cover the jar with its lid and shake vigorously for a few seconds until the contents are well mixed. The benefit with using the jar is that you can easily remove it from the fridge and shake it a few times so that the ingredients blend well together. This prevents the chia seeds from clumping upon expansion.

The pudding is best enjoyed after an hour of soaking or when left in the fridge overnight. This way, the chia seeds have time to absorb all the liquid. At serving, top with raspberries and pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

Black coffee and fresh fruit another hot morning in Madrid last summer. Le Pain Quotidien never dissappoints. 

Granola and homemade almond milk in bed.

Layered greek yoghurt and sliced strawberries topped granola and coconut.

Warm porridge on a cold morning topped with sliced nectarine and rice milk.

Black organic coffee with a tablespoon of coconut cream. Yum!