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Great last-minute gifts from the kitchen

Gifts from the kitchen are a great idea, when Christmas , birthdays or other occasions just around the corner and you forgot to get presents for your dear friends or for the nice neighbors next door because of the stress of everyday life.

But don’t panic!

Just because you don’t have much time left, you don’t have to give away nonsense.

Here we have some last-minute gift ideas for you from the kitchen, which you can make yourself very quickly and absolutely not reveal that you are a little late.

Baking mixture in a jar

A tasty gift idea and the recipient only has to add the fresh ingredients, such as butter, eggs or the like, and then put in the oven.

How about delicious exotic biscuits, for example? Or perhaps the delicious chocolate biscuits?

For the exotic biscuits you need:
( about 24 pieces)

For the glass:

7 oz exotic dried fruits (mixture)
0,7 oz grated coconut
7 oz flour
2,6 oz sugar
1 pinch salt

Fresh ingredients:

1 egg
5 tbsp coconut milk
3,5 oz cold butter

Instructions for the glass:

Initially mix the flour and salt and place in the bottom of the glass. Then fill in the sugar as the next layer. Coarsely dice the soft fruits and finally pour them into the glass with the grated coconut. Now close the jar tightly.

Finally write the recipe down completely on a small card or letter and attach the recipe to the glass with a pretty ribbon.

Preparation of the biscuits:

Preheat the oven to 355 °F circulating air and line the baking tray with baking paper.

Whisk egg and coconut milk well in a mixing bowl.

Then add the baking mixture from the glass.

Cut the butter into flakes and knead well with the kitchen whip.

Cut walnut-sized pieces with two teaspoons and place on a baking tray.

Bake the biscuits in a preheated oven for 14 minutes and allow to cool.

And for the chocolate cookies:
( 12 Pieces)

For the glass:

7 oz flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
3.5 oz baked cocoa
3.5 oz brown sugar
3.5 oz chocolate drops

Fresh ingredients:

3.5 oz soft butter
1 egg

Instructions for the glass:

First mix the flour, baking powder and salt and place in the bottom of the glass. Then pour the cocoa over it and the sugar as the next layer. Finally, pour the chocolate drops into the glass. Now close the jar tightly.

The next thing to do is to write down the recipe completely on a small card or letter and attach the recipe to the glass with a pretty ribbon.

Preparation of the biscuits:

Preheat oven to 355 °F top and bottom heat.

Beat butter and egg in a mixing bowl until frothy and then
Stir in the baking mixture.

Form the dough into about 12 balls and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Bake the biscuits for about 10 – 15 minutes.

Seasoned salt and spices

Spicy salts

As a base for this wonderful gift you need some coarse salt, a few herbs or spices and nice little glasses to close them.

We have put together some wonderful, really good tasting compositions.

Citrus salt:

Take the abrasion of an organic orange and an organic lemon (this works best with a special grater) and mix it with 3,5 oz coarse salt.
Subsequently fill it into a nice glass and close it well.

Rosemary salt:

First you have to chop the needles of 1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or use a spice pestle to release the aroma of the rosemary perfectly) and add 3,5 oz of coarse salt. When the salt is well mixed with the rosemary, put into the glass and close well.

Chili vanilla salt:

For this delicious salt variant you need one teaspoon chili flakes and the pulp of a vanilla pod. Now mix the ingredients with 3,5 oz coarse salt and pour into a well sealable jar.
Finally tie a nice bow on it and your present is ready.

These salts taste excellent with grilled meat or fish or even with salads and are a wonderful gift that everyone will enjoy.

Homemade jam - a popular gift from the kitchen

Homemade mulled wine jelly – popular gifts from the kitchen

Ingredients:

25.4 fl oz mulled wine
17.6 oz preserving sugar 2:1

Or as a non-alcoholic variant:

25.4 fl oz non-alcoholic punch
17.6 oz preserving sugar 2:1

Preparation

First of all mix mulled wine and preserving sugar in a large pot. Then bring the whole thing to a boil while stirring until bubbles bubble, then turn the stove back a little and let everything simmer for another 4 minutes or so.
Now you can make a gelling test.

Now pour the jelly into clean and sterile glasses. Screw the lid tight and then turn the jars upside down.
After 15 minutes you can turn the jars upside down and let them cool down.

Finally you can wrap your present pretty christmassy.

Homemade caramel sweets

Homemade caramel sweets as perfect gifts from the kitchen

Ingredients for about 50 pieces:

5.3 oz butter
17.6 oz brown sugar
4 fl oz milk
13.5 fl oz condensed milk (sweetened)

Preparation

The first thing is to put butter, sugar, milk and condensed milk in a pot. Then heat the whole thing over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has melted.

Now keep the mixture warm at medium heat for about 10 minutes while stirring, taking care that the mixture does not start to boil.
Then take the pot off the stove and stir for another 10 minutes until everything has thickened slightly.

The next thing to do is to place this caramel mixture on a mould lined with baking paper, smooth it down and leave to harden overnight in the refrigerator.

Finally you can cut the caramel into nice bite-sized cubes and wrap them nicely in a candy jar.

As you can see, you can conjure up great gifts for Christmas, birthdays or other occasions from your kitchen with little effort.

And it is so tasty!

And…. It’s even fun!

For more inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/womenoverforty/easy-recipes/

Secret fatteners – we have uncovered for you

Did you know that there are these secret fatteners?

Habits that secretly make us fat without us knowing?

Although we pay attention to our nutrition and also like to do a lot of sports.

And we really like to do that, so that we feel fit and, of course, cut a good figure.

But there are these seemingly harmless habits, that make us secretly fat.

We usually do these things on a daily basis and completely subconsciously.

We have unmasked them here, these secret fatteners!

LOW FAT – Products

Although counting calories is very important when losing weight, fat or calorie information on the product alone does not say much about whether you are gaining weight or not.

Because low-fat products usually contain more sugar and this sugar in turn causes your blood sugar level to rise rapidly. Which in turn means that it will drop quickly.

This leads to ravenous appetite, and these make sure that you eat more.

That’s why low-fat products can help you gain weight.

Choose products that are digested more slowly. They boost fat burning and ultimately lead to weight loss.

low fat yogurt and cereal bar

Artificial sweeteners

In order to do without normal sugar, many also like to use artificial sweeteners.

But did you know that one of the secret fattener is artificial sweetener. It is 300 times sweeter than normal sugar?

This means that our brain gets used to this intensity of sweetness and the natural counterpart is hardly enough for us.

And so we want more and more of this sweetness and become addicted to this sweet taste.

According to the study, the risk of getting fat is 33 percent higher if you drink 1-2 light drinks a day.

soft drink light a secret fattener?

You don’t eat enough

Not a good idea!

Your body has a calorie basal metabolic rate (BMR) per day.

It consists of your height, weight, age and activity (how much you move, sports etc.).

This means he needs a certain number of calories per day to function well.

Basal metabolic rate calculator (Link to BMR Calculator of active.com)

If you want to lose weight, you should save about 500 calories per day from your basal metabolic rate.

But if you skip too many meals, your body will use it against you. Why?

If you eat less calories, you will signal a famine to your body. The metabolism is slowed down because energy has to be saved.

Your body saves its own body fat instead

 a banana on a plate

Snacks from the package are also secret fatteners

You sit comfortably on your sofa, watch your favorite series and nibble a snack straight out of the box.

This makes sure you gain weight quickly.

Because if you are distracted, the pack is eaten empty in no time, without you wanting to…

You don’t have to do without it completely, but it would be better if you prepared the portion beforehand.

salted pretzels

You may not drink enough water

The human body consists mainly of water and for every process in the body it needs water so that it can function.

The guideline for healthy adults is about 1 to 1.4 fl oz per 2.2 lbs body weight, but a minimum of 50 fl oz water from drinks.

Sometimes we don’t even know we’re dehydrated.

We then only feel tired, perhaps have a headache or get sudden hunger pangs.

Then you suddenly stand in front of the fridge and want to eat something. But what?

In most cases this is due to dehydration.

Our brain then confuses hunger with thirst.

If you find yourself in this situation again and stand in front of the refrigerator and don’t know exactly what you want …..

Try it with a glass of water and wait a few minutes.

You will see, the hunger has disappeared.

a glass of fresh water

You find more inspiration here: https://www.pinterest.com/womenoverforty/weight-loss/

Incredible benefits of a cold shower

We all need a cold shower

Surely you know that; you are just really relaxed in a nice hot shower, and suddenly only an ice-cold water jet comes out of the shower head ….

The air stays away and you think that you will have a heart attack right away.

One problem with the heating in the house is enough and the warm water stays away.

Or you make it conscious, which is extremely useful for the health of your skin and your body.

There are also special terms for this practice.

It’s called the James Bond shower or the Scottish shower.

The practice is to switch from hot to cold water at the end of the shower.

This is really anything but pleasant!

Cold showering, and cold in general, has been shown to have an amazing effect on your wellbeing and health and could be exactly what you need.

It’s really amazing what a small turn of the faucet can do to make a big difference in your life.

By the way, cold showers are a typical morning ritual of successful people, because they build up an incredibly strong willpower and discipline. This mental strength will have a positive effect in every area of your life.

As you build up your discipline and mindset, you can experience the many benefits of cold showers and your body can only benefit from them.

The cold shower is energizing and invigorating. Cold showering stimulates your immune system, improves your blood circulation, unblocks your internal organs and is diuretic. It makes your skin and hair healthier and brighter. It also stimulates the muscle fibers and soothes stress.

Let’s take a look at the benefits.

Cold showers improve blood circulation and the immune system and your lymphatic system

because it forces the blood to move around our organs.
The body tries to warm itself during the cold shower, which leads to an increase in the metabolic rate and activation of the immune system. This increases the number of white blood cells (white blood cells fight diseases).

The alternation of hot and cold water supports your lymphatic system by contracting the lymphatic vessels when you are exposed to the cold and relaxing them when it is warm.

This pumps out the fluid that has accumulated in the lymph vessels, resulting in a stronger immune system and better overall health.

So, if you manage to take a cold shower every day, you will be less ill!

cold water gushes out of the shower head

Cold showers accelerate muscle regeneration and relieve pain

Professional athletes often take ice baths for their preparation or when the competition is over to eliminate the effects of muscle pain and reduce inflammation.

To take advantage of these benefits, you don’t need a high-tech training center with cold water baths and ice bins.

Just take a cold shower.

It improves blood circulation and helps remove lactic acid from muscles, muscles recover faster and pain is relieved.

Change between very hot (but please do not scalding!) and very cold, so that the blood circulation is stimulated and the lactic acid can reach the surface.

Your muscles will thank you for it.

beautiful legs in water

Cold showering promotes weight loss

In our body we have two different types of fatty tissue.

Brown fat and white fat.

The white fat is bad. It’s the body fat we hate so much. Brown fat, on the other hand, is good because, it is there to generate heat to keep our body warm.

In a cold shower, the brown fat is activated to produce energy, in other words heat, for the body to burn calories. Without any muscular effort.

Cold showers improve the beauty of skin and hair

The cold causes a vasoconstriction. Blood vessels and capillaries contract, the skin contracts.

One of the best ways to improve your complexion and tighten your skin is to shower with really cold water.
You will get a fresher and more radiant skin and look much better!

And best of all: this beauty tip is free!

The same applies to the hair.

A cold shower reduces the follicles on the scalp and favors stronger hair roots. This will make your hair look shinier, stronger and healthier and it will also prevent hair loss.

woman with foil hairdo

Cold shower improve blood circulation

And still not motivated to take cold showers to feel better or look better, then maybe you’re motivated to improve your health enormously.

Because cold showers promote your blood circulation by pumping blood to your organs to warm them.

Stimulating the circulatory system is ideal for your heart health.

Cold showers against depressions

There is a high density of cold receptors in the skin, much more than for heat registration.

This reaction to cold water sends a large amount of impulses to our brain.

Only five minutes of a cold shower or swimming in cold water cause a significant electrical discharge and this influx can lead to an antidepressant effect and alleviate the symptoms.

After a nice warm shower, I let cold water rain over my head as long as I can stand it.

woman takes a cold shower

Cold showering helps to cope better with stress and improves emotional resilience

A cold shower or swimming in relatively cold water can increase our tolerance to stress and even certain diseases.

As a result, you are generally less stressed.

The uric acid content is lowered and the glutathione level in your blood is increased.

Now we are back at James Bond – in the movies and books he always takes a Scottish shower, where he starts hot and ends with ice-cold water. And he’s the quietest and coolest guy there is!

Cold showers improve your attention and wake you up

When you take a cold shower in the morning after getting up, you know that the temperature shock can sometimes make it difficult to breathe.

This deep inhalation will dramatically increase your oxygen intake and heart rate, and a lot of blood will circulate in every part of your body.

A natural energy boost for the whole day!

water drops

Tip for your cold shower

Don’t start with cold water if you don’t want it.

First enjoy your hot or warm shower, only the last few minutes should be cold, as cold as possible.

Just start at the bottom of your feet and walk slowly upwards. First the front and then the back. Next, your arms are next. Also from bottom to top and now your torso.

This also first from the front and then you let the cold water run slowly over your back. Get used to the cold temperature better.

Finally, if you like that, let the cold water run over your head.

cold shower water running over hands

When should I take a cold shower?

In the morning a cold shower wakes up your body, relaxes your muscles and joints and puts you in a good mood.

But also in the evening, before going to sleep, it is very pleasant to take a cold shower because it lowers your body temperature a little.
You can fall asleep faster and get an incredibly good night’s sleep.

You find more inspiration here: https://www.pinterest.com/womenoverforty/body-and-health/

Quickly and easily great and shiny hair

Want shiny hair? You don’t want to hear anything more about fine, brittle, thin and dry hair?

Make your hair shine again.

Here is a little guide how you can get quickly and easily great and shiny hair.

The opposite of shiny hair, thin and fine hair

How come?

Some people have less and thinner hair by nature. But also medicines, diets, hormone fluctuations during pregnancy or menopause can thin out the hair.

Quick help to get shiny hair again

More volume is the goal. Volume shampoos with bamboo extract can promote hair growth and bring fullness. Care products with caffeine can also activate the hair roots and thus strengthen them. For quick volume, apply some dry shampoo to the hair roots and simply change the crown.

Brittle and dry hair

How come?

The older we get, the weaker the natural keratin of our hair becomes, which is why the hair becomes slightly brittle, dull and splissy. But also external influences, like too hot blow-drying and straightening, sun rays or frequent hair washing damage the hair structure and make it brittle in the long run.

Quick help

Care products with keratin can strengthen the hair and provide more elasticity. Especially hair oils and hair masks with Argan, Almond or Jojoba oil can give dry hair a lot of moisture and nutrients.

Unpleasant yellow tinge – how to get shiny hair again

How come?

White or grey hair, but also the blond hair can quickly get an unattractive yellow tinge. This can be caused by UV rays, free radicals or polluted air.

Quick help to get glossy hair

There are special anti-yellowish shampoos and silver shine rinses. They contain blue and violet pigments. As a complementary color to yellow, the blue pigments will neutralize the yellow cast in white, gray and blond hair. Goodbye, yellow tint!

These were the small steps, how you can get quickly and easily great and shiny hair.

For more inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/womenoverforty/hair-styling-tips/

Full ahead! Our tips for a strong and intact immune system

A strong and healthy immune system – therefore we have put together a few tips for you, which are also fun.

If you can incorporate these things into your daily or weekly ritual, you are guaranteed to get into spring healthy and alert.

From now on you can say goodbye to your cold.

Right now we are in the middle of the risky season.

As soon as the sun shines out behind the clouds, the thick, warm jacket is quickly exchanged for the thin T-shirt, and the cold in the morning and evening is underestimated.

A big one for the onion look and an intact immune system.

Our protective shield, which fights hard and vehemently against viruses and bacteria, provided it’s on its toes.

To support a strong imune system, our ten golden rules help:

Sunbathe

First of all, after a long winter we are now really longing for some sun. And under the influence of sunlight, our body can produce important vitamin D.

Exercise – the key to your well-being and a strong imune system

Regular exercise gets the body and mind going and also boosts the intact immune system.

Sufficient sleep

Sufficient and restful sleep of six to eight hours is the be-all and end-all. Unfortunately, however, sleep is often neglected, making the body more susceptible to infections.

Healthy and vitamin-rich nutrition

About 70 percent of the immune cells are located in the intestine. A balanced diet not only tastes good, it also keeps you fit.

Kissing for a better imune system

Another valuable tip that is really fun, is kissing. Almost too good to be true. Kissing actually trains the immune system and keeps it intact.

Laughter

Laughter is healthy. Stress and tension is not good for our body, and laughter and good mood can do the opposite.

Friendships

Quality Time with family and friends is and remains the best medicine for our body.

Relaxation

Enemy number one to our health is stress.
In order to prevent illness, we should listen to our bodies and take regular short breaks.

A Sauna visit

The change between hot and cold trains the immune system optimally and prevents a cooling of the mucous membranes perfectly.

Brush massage and alternating showers

And finally a very good tip! A brush massage stimulates the blood circulation and a morning shower not only stimulates the circulation and the immune system. The cold showers also tighten the connective tissue and cellulite disappears.

For more inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/womenoverforty/body-and-health/

Don’t worry, be happy! – When you get older

When I get older and turned forty – that was a big turning point in my life.

And I asked myself, what will it be like at 40?
What will change? And how will my life go on?

Now I am over 40 and am on a very good way.

But what actually speaks against getting involved in the great adventure of getting older, simply accepting the challenge.

The answer is:

A big one for every experience, every laugh and every year of life!

“I am proud of the wrinkles. They are the life in my face.” – Brigitte Bardot

How often have I found myself thinking about being so happy to have my school, my studies and my first years of work behind me? Of course, I don’t want to miss all these moments and I’ve put the most beautiful ones in my memories.
But to relive all this, no thanks!

In the evening, relax and put your feet up and drink a toast to the self-determined life that you can lead now because you are an adult – it’s not beautiful!

Maybe learn something new again, maybe a new language or a motorcycle driving licence?

It’s never too late for that!

Having it in your own hands is the best feeling of all.

woman in a field of sunflowers

And the little wrinkles? Do I get older? So what?

Of course we change. One fine day you look in the mirror and see the first wrinkles, the first gray hair and feel the first bodily ailments.
You notice that something fundamental is changing.
You are no longer asked for your identity card, as in the past, and at some events you are suddenly one of the oldest in the room.

But it doesn’t matter at all! You just get older, also more interesting, and stand by it!

Some women want to be 27 forever and look like that. But it is not desirable to look young, but good!
Simply look good, be well-groomed and healthy.
Have fun and joy in life and a lot of laughter. Laughing is very healthy and makes a super charisma.

And that’s exactly what matters!

woman looking in the mirror 
thinking about get older

What luck we have nevertheless

In any case, we can look to the future with complete relaxation, because there are an incredible number of statistics and studies that give us courage.

Starting with life expectancy. Did they know that life expectancy has doubled in the last 120 years – and that we live on average 34 years longer than our great-grandparents?

We have gained a whole second life span as adults, which prolongs our lives. Isn’t that an incredible enrichment?

Besides, there are many other positive things about getting older.

“It’s not little time we have, it’s a lot of time we don’t use.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Optimism and joy, our daily companion when we get older

Research says less stress, worry and anger. Because they become fewer in old age. But the perspective also changes. With every year of life you focus your attention more on the positive things in life.
Unpleasant things are better left under the table as you get older.
One realizes more and more that one has it in the hand, whether one lets oneself be annoyed or shrugs simply with the shoulders and continues.
You also become more reconciled with what is happening to you and concentrate more on what is beautiful and good in everyday life.

Over the years we develop a more stable self-esteem.
Inside we are strengthened, we listen to ourselves.
We also no longer blindly trust in what others say. We have our own opinion. This gives us a new independence from external influences.

woman walking on the beach and thinking about get older

In short, our life satisfaction increases.

Getting older also seems to teach us that our remaining lifetime is limited and that we should concentrate on what is good for us in the here and now.

You also begin to take more time for things and people that are really important to you instead of constantly chasing after new things.

Our social skills and judgement are making huge leaps. We also climb up the knowledge ladder and increase our level of performance.

We become wise and learn to trust in our knowledge.

“Getting older also means getting better.” – Jack Nicholson

Best prospects for us women

Biology predicts the best prospects for us women.
Did you know that our estrogen levels after menopause are at the same level as before puberty?
Nine-year-old children are happy and laugh, energetic and balanced – until puberty sets in and messes everything up.
The turbulence also returns with the menopause, but this time to ring in a harmonious time.
We return to the beginning of our lives, only this time we can write our own history.
The stage belongs to us and what counts is us!

So let us be wise and happy now, better sooner than later!

happy Business woman

One of the most beautiful pleas for old age comes from the charismatic and wonderful film and fitness icon Jane Fonda.

For them, age is a staircase that symbolizes “the upward aspiration of the human mind and our attainment of wisdom, wholeness, and authenticity. She is sure: “It is not the experiences that make us wise, it is the reflection of these experiences that makes us wise. It helps us to become what we could have been.”

The three acts of our life according to Jane Fonda:

  1. Women begin in wholeness.
    As girls, we are cheeky, self-confident, and the main characters in our
    of my life.
  2. with puberty, many begin to worry about belonging to it.
    to be popular. We become figures in the lives of others.
  3. in our third artist it may be possible to go to the beginning
    to return.

For more inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/womenoverforty/happiness/