Joanna Anastasia

Spiced Manzanilla & Hojiblanca From Spain Creamy 20 minute pasta

/ Food / 0 comment


Pasta dinners are definitely my kids favourite – I could probably feed them a new pasta dish every day of the week and they wouldn’t get bored of it! I can’t blame them though, as me too I feel that there’s nothing as comforting as a plate full of pasta on a gloomy fall day! 

So today I want to share with you this super simple yet absolutely delicious pasta recipe that I came up with on one of these rainy weekday nights when I needed a dinner ready real fast – but I was also craving something absolutely delicious that would remind me of summer evenings!  

The base of this pasta dish is somewhat similar to the easy carbonara pasta by Jamie Oliver – by adding eggs to steaming hot pasta and just a bit of cream we end up with a deliciously creamy pasta base that can be dressed in any way you like! So for today’s recipe we use it with toppings of sauteed chorizo with mushrooms – and the star of this recipe-  Manzanilla & Hojiblanca Olives From Spain – spiced with fresh coriander seeds and red pepper flakes- adding a real depth of flavour to this dish as well as a big dose of nutrition ! I used two different Olives from Spain varieties in this recipe- Manzanilla and Hojiblanca from Spain- as when they are mixed together they add somore visual interest and taste depth!

So if you’re craving a comforting and full on flavour pasta dish with big nutritional benefits -as Olives from Spain are packed with vitamins, healthy fats, fiber and antioxidants! – then look no further! 

What you’ll need:


1 cup of large Manzanilla Olives from Spain

1 cup of Hojiblanca Olives from Spain

One package of spaghetti

2 eggs

¼ cup of cream1 chorizo sausage 

½ cup of mushrooms

½ cup of cherry tomatoes

2 pinches of coriander seeds

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

Fresh persil

Cook past as per instructions on the package. While pasta cooks, take a skillet and heat on some olive oil. Add all Olives from Spain, red pepper flakes, coriander seeds and cherry tomatoes cut in halves. Cook for around 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Add fresh persil. Set aside.

Now cook chorizo and mushrooms cut in thick slices. Set aside.

Once your pasta is cooked, drain the water and then toss in two eggs and cream. Stir it and keep on a low heat for around two minutes until the egg and cream mixture is thoroughly cooked. Add fresh pepper and set aside.

Now it’s time to dress your plates- put a generous portion of creamy pasta first, then add a bit of sauteed mushrooms with chorizo, and finally top it all with a large portion of spiced cooked Olives from Spain with tomatoes and fresh herbs! Enjoy your dinner!

Disclaimer- this post was brought to you by Olives from Spain, all opinions remain exclusively my own.

Vegan sloppy joes

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You know what I promised myself at the beginning of this year? That I would cook more vegan food! And you know what I failed at? Actually cooking more vegan food !

Let’s be real, if you weren’t brought up with vegan cuisine it’s really difficult to switch- and not because meat is so delicious ( I really don’t think it is) but because coming up with EASY, YUMMY AND FILLING vegan recipes is just SO TOUGH!

But I really love eating vegan when we’re out and about- though the food I order usually looks really complicated to prepare- like nothing I could actually whipped up at home with a whiny toddler at my feet!

Finding a vegan recipe that doesn’t require a million ingredients and that actually will keep us all filled and wont make my kids say yuuuuck – is like finding an unicorn!

Well. I found an unicorn. These vegan sloppy joes are : easy to make. Delicius. Filling. And easy on the budget!

What you’ll need:

  • 6 slider buns
  • 2 zucchinis
  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 lime
  • 1 pinch of grounded cumin seeds
  • 1 pinch of coriander seeds
  • salt & pepper

Chop onions and garlic. Using a mortar and pestle crush spice seeds. Cook together until fragrant on medium heat. Meanwhile cut zucchinis in small cubes- and then add them to the pan. Let cook for around 5 minutes. While it cooks drain the chickpeas – put half aside in a bowl, and crush the other part with a potato crusher ( that way the sloppy joes will have the comforting mashy texture of mashed chickpeas and the interesting more crunchy all at once ) Add all of the chickpeas to the pan and squeeze in the lime juice in- and let cook for another couple of minutes.

Place the mixture in the slightly heated bun and enjoy!

Easy crostini recipes with Olives from Spain

/ Lifestyle / 0 comment

It’s a no brainer why we all love end of summer so much – the days spent together adventuring outside in the fresh crisp air, the evenings of laughs and entertaining, and the easy on the go lifestyle – it all makes the end summer a season of memory making and endless fun!

And I think the quintessence of it all are easy and simple summer picnics! And by easy, I mean delicious no fuss bites that you can throw together in less than 10 minutes but that everyone will enjoy- including the kids!

So when we have meet my sister- in-law and her family on our annual family camping by the lake, it was the best end of summer picnic ever! Because if there’s one thing that says laidback days it’s camping by the lake! With kids playing and running around, gorgeous weather and all the catching up to be done. there’s no time for long and fussy food prep!

That’s when in hand comes Crostinis & Olives! I first discovered Crostinis on our honeymoon trip to Europe and I remember thinking how those mediterranean cultures know how to elevate a simple sandwich situation! And when you serve Olives From Spain on the side you have basically covered the healthy and yummy snacking in a breeze!

So here are my all time favourite summer Crostinis that you too can make in 10 minutes or less!

Ricotta, sundried tomatoes & Olives from Spain

  • Hojiblanca Olives From Spain
  • Fresh baguette 
  • Ricotta cheese 
  • Sun Dried tomatoes cut in stripes 

Simply spread the cheese on the baguette, top with sundried tomatoes and Olives From Spain and voila! 

Garlic crostini with fresh tomatoes, Olives from Spain & fig balsamic vinegar

  • Manzanilla Olives From Spain
  • Fresh baguette
  • Garlic olive oil
  • Heirloom tomatoes
  • Fig Balsamic Vinegar 

Top the baguette with a drop of garlic olive oil, add thick slices of heirloom tomatoes, and top with the Manzanilla Olives From Spain and a drop of the fig balsamic vinegar ! 

Goat cheese, pomegranate and Olives from Spain

  • Hojiblanca Olives From Spain
  • Fresh baguette
  • Goat cheese
  • Fresh pomegranate

Spread the goat cheese on the baguette, top with fresh pomegranate seeds and the Hojiblanca Olives from spain cut in rounds, and enjoy! 

And if you wonder why I add Olives from spain to my Crostinis recipes, it’s because they are delicious, healthy – full of minerals, amino-acids antioxidants and fiber – and they help to digest better and improve one’s cardiovascular system! Also, my kids are obsessed with olives – so I add them everywhere I can! 

I hope you’ll enjoy these Crostinis on your next picnic with family just as we did! And remember- family picnics don’t need to be complicated- they just need to be fun!

Disclosure- this post was brought to you by Olives from Spain, all opinions remain exclusively my own. 

Eclectic home fall tour

/ Home decor / 7 Comments

I’m so excited to share with you my fall home tour! Now that the temperatures started dropping I love being at home – and I want to make it extra cozy and warm.

I really think that decorating for fall is like re discovering your home all over again- after months spend outside, it’s the time to add throw blankets, switch up textiles and bring some lovely fall flowers in.

So today I’m partnering with a bunch of my Canadian blogging friends -very talented ladies – so you can see their lovely fall homes too! Their styles are all different and so I’m sure you’ll be able to find plenty of inspiration for your home- you’ll find it at the end of my home tour!

So grab yourself a nice mug mug of hot tea ( or a glass of vine!) and let’s start!

Welcome to my home!

It’s not big but it’s cozy and it smells like pumpkin spice- now let me show you around!

Living room

First thing you see when you come in is our living room- right of the entry door, this is the space where we read, cuddle and spend time as a family- so of course this space is usually the first one that gets decorated for fall!

And the first thing that you will notice in our living room is most likely the fireplace! This year I opted for warm and cozy vibes in here- so lots of yellow, a bit of pink, and all the velvet pumpkins I could get my hands on!

To be honest I’m absolutely obsessed with my mantel this year- I used to decorate for fall with more heavy and black pieces and I always felt it wasn’t me.

This year I decided to embrace pink and gold with a pumpkin theme and I think it looks absolutely perfect in here!

I shopped my home for the candles and candlesticks and I added all the pumpkins and the pom pom garland that I found at our local Homesense!

The rest of the living room got even more cozy then usually too- fluffy throws, candles and ceramic candles are all it takes for the cozy fall vibe!

Master bedroom

Then if you’d go up the stairs is my bedroom- this is the moody space in our home- and this fall I did something I never did before- I added plaid!

I realize it may not be shocking for you, but I usually decorate with florals or simple geometric prints- so this all in cozy change is big for me!

But I just love how it looks and feels! And would you believe that these plaid pillow covers where an Amazon find?

Also, adding velvet pumpkins is my new fall obsession! I really think they add an instant cozy fall touch to any space! That, and of course candles everywhere.

Family table

Now let me show you in our sunroom- after going back the stairs and passing through kitchen there’s this little space where we eat, do homework and craft- our family table.

And in celebration of the new season I have set up a simple fall centerpiece: more velvet pumpkins, some greenery, sunflowers and a little bit of yellow check- this space is definitely bright and cheerfully autumnish!

I must say, I have a soft spot for sunflowers- maybe because they grow in Poland everywhere during the summer and so they remind me of my childhood, and maybe because they’re the essence of cheerfulness – they are definitely my favorite flowers!

And so I don’t think I could have my morning coffee with a better view!

Kitchen

And lastly I wanted to show you fall in my kitchen ! It’s another space in our home that’s mostly moody and cozy! Once the morning light is over this little kitchen is full of shades- truly a perfect space for lighting a candle or two.

I decided to add another pom pom garland in here and simply display my seasonal finds- mugs and tea cups- it’s nothing fancy, but a lot of cozy!

Front door

Now if you’d be leaving you’d probably pass by this door- our entry isn’t big nor fancy, and we have some work to be do on the stairs here- but it didn’t stop me from adding some pumpkins and seasonal flowers! And the cutest little wrath I found at Homesense!

This entry is far from elegant eclectic vibes I usually go for- but it’s cheerful, cozy and makes my kids smile when they pass by- and that all that really counts!

I hope you enjoyed my eclectic home fall tour and that you have found some simple inspirations for your home in here! Remember, it’s not about perfect, it’s about cozy and comfortable!

And now, grab another mug of hot tea and go check out my talented friends – they all have a different style and so you bet you’ll find tons of inspiration!

PMQ for two Amidst The Chaos Northern Style Exposure Meredith Deanne Lifestyle Chic Mom In the City and Karin U Living

Collected eclectic living room reveal

/ Home decor / 3 Comments

If there is one thing I was dreaming about for my home it was to have a comfortable and cozy sitting room with no TV. The type of a space where we could catch up with family and friends, cuddle with books in front of the fire place and finish emails in the evening while sipping on hot tea underneath the blankets. A no-tv space where coziness and connections are the focus! 

If you’ve followed my blog for awhile, you’ll notice that I never shared this part of my living room with you before. The reason being that this is where there was a big ugly tv and my old kijiji find that I always wanted to paint but never got to it. Two big brown and black pieces that were just blah.

But when I finally moved the tv to the basement to make room for my new small sofa I decided to paint that old piece of furniture too – and with the new mirror I think it looks absolutely gorgeous next to that blue velvet piece! It took me probably around three hours to paint it, and to be honest I still can’t understand why didn’t I do it before! 

Here’s the before photo so you can see the transformation!

I also dreamed about a bold sofa for this room – a show stopper piece, dramatic yet timeless. Comfortable, but beautiful. I know it sounds as If I’m describing a unicorn but I found it!

The Sven Cascadia Blue velvet sofa from Article is everything that I was dreaming about and more: extremely soft and so comfortable, it looks elegant and timeless – yet the bold color brings drama and adds style to my small living room! I love how this velvet sofa feels and even more how it looks! The loose bolsters are such a chic feature and the upholstery is simply gorgeous!

I also added a new gallery wall here – the black and white and blue theme ties perfectly well with the Sven sofa, don’t you think? I usually like balancing the conceptual art with some graphic prints and a hit of colour- and so I have a mix of abstracts and pretty drawings on here. I absolutely love how it all ties up together! 

Now every corner of this room makes me smile- and the new blue velvet piece is the perfect place to cuddle with tea in front of the fireplace! 

Disclosure- this post was written in collaboration with Article, all opinions remain exclusively my own. 

Baby-led weaning snack hack

/ Parenting / 0 comment

One of the things I did differently as a mom third time around was following the baby-led weaning route. Not that I was against puréed food, it just didn’t last and my baby hated when I tried to feed him with a spoon. So very early in I was feeding him with real food- things we ate, just softer and easy to grasp.

After a month or two, a phase of soft avocado and toasted bread was over and it was time to bring on snacks – that was a tricky part since as a parent you’re always worried that your baby won’t choke! I can recall what was the exact time I started giving Cheerios to Julien but he’s one years old now and Cheerios have been his before dinner snack for over 3 months now.

Their size is great for practicing pincer grasp and fine motor skills and is safe for babies to eat! Plus they’re low in sugar and made from whole grains so it’s a healthy option.

So my BLW snack hack and my trick to keep a baby busy while I cook is give them a kitchenette to play with by my side and a healthy and easy to grasp snack – Cheerios- to munch on!

Seriously, cheerios have been my lifesaver during witching hours- when you’re so close to dinner time, and kids are turning in rounds around you- a bowl of cheerios is all they need to stay calm until dinner! And as a BLW mama, I can honestly say that it’s a perfect eat-alone snack!

And since Julie has been eating alone and practicing his fine motor skills for a couple of months now, he can now eat his morning bowl of Cheerios with a spoon – at one-years-old! We’re pretty proud of this little boy!

Disclosure- this post was brought to you by Cheerios Canada, all opinions remain exclusively my own.

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