Florida has the best...

Today was officially the first day of spring, but it’s so terribly cold… To me it really feels like it’s still winter. In fact, I’m still wearing my winter coat and trying to eat as much fruit and vegetables as I can! Including grapefruit from Florida. Did you know that this particular type of grapefruit is sweeter than the others? And that characteristic makes it perfect for smoothies, cocktails and salads!

A little while ago I went to a workshop at the fabulous Markthal in Rotterdam (at De Wereld van Smaak), where a nutritionist, a chef and a mixologist taught me everything there is to know about grapefruit. Especially the Florida grapefuit. I didn’t know either, but it really has a totally different taste than other types & it contains vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and dietary fiber… just what I need right now!

We made a mocktail (or virgin cocktail, if you like) with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, tonic water, elderflower syrup, 3 slices of cucumber, a few mint leaves, some ice cubes and dried rose buds.... it was so delicious! And I did not miss the alcohol in the cocktail at all! The cherry on the cake was the goodiebag I got to take home... filled with lots of Florida grapefruits and even a blender, to make smoothies at home!

For more information please visit:
Florida Grapefruit http://www.floridacitrus.org/grapefruit 

Markthal Rotterdam http://markthalrotterdam.nl

De Wereld van Smaak http://www.dewereldvansmaak.nl

Photos without logo courtesy of Golin for Florida Department of Citrus.

In Love with Peru!

Last week I went on a trip to Peru. My first time there... and it was absolutely stunning! The people are super friendly, the food and cocktails were delicious, the hotels I stayed in superb, the various landscapes breathtakingly beautiful!

I went to Machu Picchu, surfing (oh well... I tried) in the Pacific Ocean, sightseeing in Lima and Cusco, relaxing in the Sacred Valley, salsa dancing, shopping (of course), to a food festival (Mistura), on several excursions in the jungle and more and more!

One of the highlights, besides Machu Picchu, was my visit to the Mario Testino Museum in Lima, MATE. He's one of my favourite photographers and it was a dream come true to see his photos in "Gargantuan" size.

The following weeks I will publish several articles about Peru, so stay tuned!

Ps. Thanks to Jeannette and Manon for taking my picture.

Today's Inspiration... cherries

Cherries just scream summer! That's why I like them so much... the taste, the colour, the shininess...  pure perfection. The same goes for the Louis Vuitton cherry bag collection! Too bad it was a limited edition.