Foodie Friday - Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Last weekend, I was invited to a brunch and volunteered to take dessert. I dug out a simple vegan chocolate cake recipe and used cupcake moulds for easier sharing.

On top of being easy to make, the ingredients of this recipe are very "normal" - nothing that you wouldn't find in a typical pantry. Sure, I make the odd vegan cheesecake using tofu and agar-agar, but for me, the best recipies are the simplest.

Wisdom Wednesday: How to be Happy

I haven't come up with a concrete resolution for 2013 yet, but I have found a motto to live by :)

Source: imgfave.com via Yuri on Pinterest

Wisdom Wednesday - Something Wonderful

Source: fitsugar.com via Yuri on Pinterest

Guinea Pig Monday: Échalotte

Ballet: Adult Ballet in Geneva

Like a lot of girls, I took ballet classes when I was a child but didn't continue for very long. I stopped when I moved from Spain to Thailand at the age of 8. I remember my mum trying to get me back into ballet in Bangkok. She took me to her friend's daughter's ballet class when I was about 12, but I was so demotivated by the higher level of the class - I can still remember how self-conscious I was thumping during jumps! - that I never returned. Of course, now I am a ballet-nut and I am kicking myself.

Looking for a fun way to exercise, I started taking adult ballet classes three years ago in Geneva, Switzerland. My first classes were at Ecole de Danse de Genève. I really enjoyed my weekly classes and, within a few months, I started taking another weekly class at Dance Area. From my second year, I've been taking classes exclusively at Dance Area because they offer more classes and more levels. This is important to me because I travel a lot, so it makes it much easier to make up classes that I miss. All the teachers that I have had are great and I like the friendly atmosphere in the classes. The location right by the river and the gorgeous view of the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices (BFM) from the studios is also a big plus.

source: website of the BFM

Taking up ballet has boosted the amount of exercise I do because on top of my classes (currently three times a week), I do cross-training to help me improve. I started pilates earlier this year to strengthen my core and tone my muscles. I also swim a few times a week to strengthen my muscles, improve my stamina, and keep in shape.

I started beginner pointe this month and I am very excited about it. More on this in another post ;)

To finish off, here is one of my favourite ballet photos.

Diana Vishneva in Swan Lake. Photo by Marc Olich