:: MIXTAGRAM ::

  Happy Holidays!

Instagram: majarotovnik

|cuisine| :: BANANA CAKE WITH WALLNUTS ::

I was in sauna a few days ago and a friend had a magazine wit her, so while she was reading, I was just glancing over the pages and I saw this recipe that looked super delicious, so I took a photo of it and this is how I came to this post about banana cake with wallnuts. :)

I actually made three of them in the last week! What can I say, I have friends with good taste that like to try out my cooking masterpieces. :)

Anyhow, Banana cake + Lemon cake = winwin! :)

So, if you want to make a banana cake of your own, you`ll need:

3 ripe bananas (3 zrele banane)

300g spelt flour (300g pirine moke)

125g butter (125g masla, jaz sem uporabila kokosovo)

100g brown sugar (100g rjavega sladkorja)

2 eggs (2 jajci)

100g walnut kernels (100g orehovih jedrc)

1/2 baking powder (1/2 pecilnega praška)

2 tbs sour cream (2 žlici kisle smetane)

cinnamon (cimet), a pinch of salt (ščepec soli), nutmeg (muškatni orešček)

SLO: Model namastite z maslom, ostalo maslo pa zmehčajte. Grobo sesekljajte orehova jedrca in z vilicami pretlačite banane. Te zmešajte z zmehčanim maslom in jim dodajte še jajci ki ste jih razžvrkljali s sladkorjem.

Moko presejte v skledo in ji dodajte pecilni prašek, cimet, muškatni orešček in sol. Suhe sestavine dobro zmešajte s preostalimi in na koncu dodajte še orehe - nekaj si jih pustite, da jih boste potresli po vrhu. Testo vlijte v namaščen pekač in pecite okrog 45 min v pečici, segreti na 180 stopinj.

ENG: Grease the cake model with butter, soften the rest of it (I just "cooked" it, so I got liquid out of it). Mash bananas with a fork, add butter,sour cream & eggs, which you have mixed with sugar. Next step is to sieve the flour into a bowl, add baking poweder, cinnamon, nutmeg and that pinch of salt. Mix the dry ingridients with the rest and on the end add the wallnuts - leave some, for the decoration. Bake 45 minuts at 180 degrees. Sorry, I discovered that my english is not so good when it comes to the cooking expressions, but I think, you`ll still be able to make a damn fine banana cake! ;)

xo, M.

:: MIXTAGRAM ::

It`s here, the magical December that we were all waiting for to come. I`m really not a winter type, cuz I`m freakin` cold all the time (seriously, what`s up with that?), but there is something special about December. 

I love the cinnamon smell and I always bake like crazy (not just in december, but during the whole winter), because honestly, what`s better than a house that smells of freshly baked cookies (yum!). I love hot chocolate or a big cup of cacao with marshmallows, I love chunky sweaters, twinkling lights, festive atmosphere, x-mass decorations, fireplace, snowlakes falling from the sky, dinners with family and friends, ... and so on. I`m sure you feel the same way, right? Or maybe not? 

Anyhow, this are some of the moments from my Instalife..

Are you following me already?

Instagram: majarotovnik

1. Weekend breakfast , 2. Sunday afternoon, 3. Nails love, 4. Pelicon - Slovenian beer on kickstarter + it`s really tasty, 5. Opening of a Pop-up Home, 6. Art - a store, where my wallet loses weight very easily :)
Ok, gotta go now, cuz I`m baking something good....you`ll find out soon what I`m talking about.
Cheers! x
M.

:: WOODY the Christmas Tree ::

Uh, it`s a long time since my last post, but that`s what happens when you`re busy. It`s really not usual for me, that I don`t have time for blogging, pinterest and all the other internet fun. I kind of miss it, but from time to time, life hits me really hard and I have to work on other things a bit more.

Today, I`ll introduce to you one of the projects we are working on right now and that`s "Woody the Christmas Tree". Woody is made out of a spruce wood, so it`s natural and very stylish. There are two versions of it, Woody Natural or Woody White, whatever goes best into your space/place. 

We made a FB page for it (here), so please don`t hesitate to give a big like to Woody and share the news. 

If you are from Celje or Ljubljana, you can check out Woody White in stores of And by Andraž, along with the recycled ornaments made by moi. :) 

Of course, you can also have a Woody of your own, just write me an email, so we can discuss the details! ;) 

Xo, Maja

woody natural

And by Andraž - Citypark Ljubljana

the ornaments

|giveaway| :: ARE YOU THE LUCKY ONE? ::

Druuuumsss please........

& the winners are:

1. Orelia earings - Maruša (Mushei)

2. Milo za drago - Anja Pirc

3. Handmade Notebook - Nika Perne paper goods - Urška Petek

We did it old school way (as you can see).

Congratulations girls, I`ll need your address, so please e-mail it to me: mixtejp@hotmail.com. Thx! ;)

 Thank you everyone for participating and hope that you`ll try your luck in the next giveaway! ;)

+ Once again I`d like to thank Babushka Boutique for making this wonderful giveaway even possible.

Love, M.

|travel| :: ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE ::

Last week we took a break and spend the weekend in Bohinj. It was an outdoor sporty weekend and that`s exactly what I needed to clear my mind. I love the feeling of a fresh morning breeze on my face, to see the lake that shimmers in the morning sun, to feel the pain in the muscles from all the sport going on & go to sleep early, right after dinner and a ping-pong match. :) Damn, my mom was right...things really do change.  I never thought this kind of weekend would satisfy me as much as a crazy D`n`B party on a Friday night, but it totally does. ;) 

+ this collage is another addition to my collection of Postcards from Slovenia. :)

"The core of man`s spirit, comes from new experiences. (Into the Wild)

+ a lil sugar for your ears (from the same movie (here) as the quote). You might like it, or not. I do - a lot. 

|GIVEAWAY| :: BABUSHKA BOUTIQUE & MIKSTEJP ::

I promised you a giveaway when we reach 300 likes on facebook and we are now already at 314, so it`s about time to make it happen! I`m sorry for a bit of a delay, I was busy - as usual. :) 

I have to thank Babushka Boutique for showing some love to Mikstejp and giving away all this pretty gifts, so I can make you guys happy with this wonderful giveaway (Neva, thank you, you are great)! 

If you`ve never heard about Babushka Boutique, than I strongly recommend you, that you pay a visit to the shop next time you`ll be in Ljubljana, because it`s truly exquisite and I`m sure you`ll end up buying things, taking photos and making comments as: "Omg, this is so wonderful!"! :) (at least that`s what I did). 

If you are searching for a present, for sure you`ll find one. For ex. my b-day in August .. I think I got half of the gifts from Babushka and I have to say, they were all perfect. I guess, you can`t really make a mistake with it, so don`t worry too much (that goes out to all of you boys that are searching for that special something for your lady). Oh, and you`ll thank me later for this awesome tip I just gave you (coffee with milk would be fine). :P

Hm, and for the girls .. Well, I don`t think I need to say much. It`s colourful, beautiful, positive, all the things that we girls are attracted to, so I`m absolutely sure, you`ll love it! 

Address: Babushka Boutique, Gosposvetska 8, 1000 Ljubljana

How to participate in GIVEAWAY: 

You have a chance to win one of this three gifts:
1. Orelia earings (FB)
2. Milo za drago (FB)
3. Handmade Notebook by Nika Perne (FB)

All you have to do is: 
1. Like Mikstejp on FB
2. Like Babushka Boutique on FB
3. Leave a comment which product would you like to have and why

+ spread the news (this is not obligatory, but it would be nice) ;)

This GIVEAWAY will also take place on FB, so you can participate here or on FB.
The winner will be announced next Sunday (6th of October), you have time till 6pm.

Good luck!
xo, M.

|cuisine| :: PUMPKING GNOCCHI WITH ROSEMARY ::

Oh, I`m so into autumn right now. I`m eating pumpkins every day -  soup, gnocchi, fried, grilled...whatever a man can do out of a pumpkin! Ok, I also love apples (mmm apple pies <3 ), colourful trees, fresh breeze, grapes, chestnuts, even the rain is not bothering me, I kind of enjoy it. 

Actually when I think, I must look pretty weird while riding my bicycle and smiling + singing, cuz there is my favorite song playing on my mp3. I don`t care that it`s windy or rainy, I just enjoy it. It`s easier when you decide not to care how your hair will look like when you`ll arrive to work, or that you`ll probably arrive all sweaty (extra t-shirt + deodorant do miracles), oh and your mascara will probably be all over your face cuz your eyes are producing tears from the wind (so don`t put mascara at home, do it at work! p.s. Vanja knows what I`m talking about) and so on .... :) 

As you can see this is another food post, so I should stop talking bullshit and tell you about the recipe! 

I found it on Bratinov.si, check it out, you`ll be hungry in a second. Beautiful photos and wonderful recipes, but it`s not in English, sorry. :) So, I took one of his recipes and did it with a twist. Basically instead of using sage, I used rosemary + bay leaves and I`m honest when I say, that even the smell while cooking, was delicious, so you know that the final product was superlicious. :) 

Thank you Bratinov for sharing the recipes with us! :) 

The recipe for "Pumpkin Gnocchi with Rosemary": 

1/2 hokaido pumpkin

1 egg

flour

rosemary

bay leaves

salt/pepper/garlic (dry) 

ricotta (it`s in the original recipe, but I didn`t use it)

I used half of the pumpkin for two people, could be for three. 

First you cut the pumpkin into pieces, than put it into a boiling water and leave it until it`s cooked. Take it out and mash it. 

Add the egg + flour (trust your gut with how much of it) and knead the dough. Then you make a long snake out of it and cut little pretty gnocchi out of it. Cook them in a boiling water and take them out when they come to surface, because that means they`re done.

The next step is frying them a bit in a pan. I used coconut butter (1 cube of it) and first I just used rosemary + bay leaves, so that the aroma was good and than added gnocchi for a minute on each side. 

That`s it, they`re ready to be served. 

** btw, I just finished with baking around 100 muffins. lol. Why? Well, you`ll have to check my FB page if you wan`t an answer for that one.**

love,
M.

|Postcards from Slovenia| :: HEY, I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU :: guess what? ::

Guys, here they are .. Postcards from Slovenia! ;) Everything really started with this post, when I got an email from a very nice lady, that wanted to buy my postcards (all the way from Singapore btw). At that time I wasn`t really thinking about selling them, but yeah, why not? 

They are available separately or in a package and on two different types of paper. One is more smooth, so they look like more of a photo and the other one has more texture, so they look more like paintings. Depends what you like, more artistic look or more of a traditional one. So, please tell me, what do you think?! What`s your favourite one? 

If you are interested , please write me an email --> mixtejp@hotmail.com. 

I think they are a beautiful gift for your foreign friends or friends that are studying/living abroad + they look great on the wall/refrigerator or in your notebooks/diaries. :)

love,

M.

oh yeah and sorry for the grainy photos, the light was not good. damn, I hate when it gets dark so soon already! 

|mikstejp| :: I LOVE ...

running. 

I guess I`ve mentioned before that I love to run, but I feel like I need to share this with you guys, since I write a blog that contains all the things that I love or love to do & running is definitely one of my favourite daily/weekly routine. Of course, there is another love (we`re talking sports love here) that I have, and that`s aerobics. I never told you about a lil project I was participating in last year and damn, that was fun...I`ll tell you about it next time. 

This upper collage is made out of the photos from some of the marathons I`ve been. I actually never ran a whole 42km, I just did half marathon twice. I was aiming for 42km this year, but it won`t go through, since I don`t feel prepared + lately I have some troubles with my left knee :( 

But hey, let`s stay positive...everything is going to be allright! ;) 

Another thing...a lot of people are asking me, why do I love to run? 

I guess because in life you have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles and you might feel that you can`t do that, but then you find your inner strength and realize that you`re capable of much more than you thought and that feeling, my friends...is amazing!  

When you run the distance, you are using 10% of your body strength and 90% of mental strength. For sure you need to exercise them both. Some might not agree with this, but I`m saying that everything is in your head. 

Also it`s a passion - defined as a "strong barely controllable emotion". It gives me freedom, power, sense, hope, control and fitness. It takes me away from the problems and it gives me time to think in the nature.

So, tell me...how could I not love to run?

Some motivational links if you might need them: 

1. I belive 

2. She runs - loving this one, cuz running at night it is special :)

3. I would run to you - this is just too cute

4. For the love of the run - it makes you wanna leave your couch

5. Mind games - oh, yes we all know that!

6. just go to youtube! :) 

Do you run? Or have any other sport that you love? Tell me about it. ;) 

xo, m.

|mikstejp| :: A VERY SPECIAL BIRTH DAY ::

So, on Saturday it was a very special day. Guess why?  Yup, it was my birth daaaaaay! hihi, it was hard to beat last year celebration (if you dont remember, check it out here), but yet again it was unforgettable thx to Jaka & my friends. First in the morning I woke up and there it was, waiting for me.... the best breakfast possible, since I said one day before, that I`m craving for some orange juice and croissants (someone was listening to me very carefully, respect to that) :) Oh, and come on....the print is just adorable -  he loves me strawberry much!

Then, it was on me to decide what I want to do that day, so of  course I wanted to go hiking. :) It was a hot day, so some fresh air was really what I needed. We went to Rogla, had lunch and walked a bit + enjoyed the nature. Around 6pm it was time to go home and walking into our apartment it was definitely the highlight of the day, cuz they threw me a super duper surprise party!!! Woaaaa, I always wanted that! :) haha, you should see me, first I was scared cuz I thought someone broke into our flat (I`ve heard noises), but than quickly I realized that`s not the case, so I started to cry out of joy.... haha, it was amazing! Once again, thank you everyone for coming and being a part of another special day in my life that for sure I`ll always remember! <3 

Love you all! Ta taaaa xx 

The breakfast. 

Maja and the nature. :) 

That cow was blocking the road! 

Surprise!! 

Thank you once again for all the colorful pretty gifts I got <3 

:: A WEEKEND DETOX ::

It`s Friday, which means we have a whole weekend to enjoy the little things, so try to do that. Take a moment, just for yourself, do something you haven`t done for a while, but makes you really happy. I got creative again.. it`s weird, even though I`m definitely a summer person all I needed was a little bit of rain and a gentle breeze, so I can breathe normally again and my brains can function without limitation of an constant overheating (if you know what I mean). :) 

Anyhow....I did a little diy project today. I used Ikea table runner, potato, black colour and than I stamped and stamped some more, to get smth Ferm Living like out of it. 

It worked, I love it. ;)

xo, Maja

A page from a magazine (Ambient) that I love. My dream mint products, that I`ll have when I grow up. <3 

Oh yes, Ferm Living + House Doctor. I want it all. Damn, I know...materialist. But I`m in love! 

|bits of my week| :: LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES::

Summer is fun, relaxed, hot, happy .. or at least it should be, when you finally have holidays & escape somewhere where you can forget on your job and all the problems back home.

I took advantage of the weekends, cuz our holidays this year were not really like we planned, because sometimes things happen, things that you are not able to control, things that make your world upside down and that make you sad, but life goes on and you can only say goodbye and be happy for all the moments that you had before the happening. I guess you figured out what I`m talking about and I`ll stay with that thought.

This last month was pretty emotional for me & full of surprises (not good ones), but sometimes we need smth to wake us up, so we start thinking about things, that we push so deep down inside of us, because they`re painful or not really pleasant, so it`s only natural to avoid them untill it` really neccessary. 

Ah, yes, c`est la vie right? 

 

Anyhow, since I haven`t posted anything for almost a month now, I decided to do a collage of my Summer days (gotta <3 Instagram). ;)

How`s your Summer? 

xo, M.

 KARLOBAG/ ISLAND PAG - CROATIA

 KAMENJAK/PULA - CROATIA

ISLAND KRK - CROATIA

IZOLA - SLOVENIJA

Instagram: majarotovnik

|events| :: SUNDAY PICNIC IN THE PARK ::

There`s not much going on in Celje, so I decided it`s time to change that, even though it`s just a picnic in the park. First of all the most important thing is, that this picnic was meant for everyone - kids, adults, students, hipsters, animal lovers...the more the merrier. :) The point was, that everyone bring smth to eat/drink, a blanket or a chair (if they don`t want to sit on the grass) & anything connected with sport activities, so we wouldn`t be bored just sitting around. Also, we had a little raffle for all the people who contributed something special (I think kids loved the idea). :)

We were a bit unlucky with the weather (it was raining like every 15minutes), but in the end, we still had fun. Respect to all of you who came (I was kind of surprised, cuz I really didn`t expect that much people, since the weather was terrible) & thank you!! ;) Oh, and the good news is, I got a really positive feedback, so I`ll keep this "picnic" events at least once in a month. You are more than welcome to join us, cuz we`d be happy to see some new faces as well! ;) 
Follow my FB page, to stay updated with the upcoming events & don`t forget to spread the word! ;) 

xo, Maja

Group photo, but there are 4 girls missing (one is hiding behind the umbrella, two came a bit later & I`m taking the photo). :)

Instacollage of the different moments ;)

:: CELEBRATING THE 2nd ANNIVERSARY OF MY BLOG ::

Thank you guys for coming back and browsing through my pages, leaving me comments and supporting me, for all of your tips + critics and of course, for being my virtual friends! I hope we can meet one day and have a picnic together! ;) 

love, M. 

yum! 

This are actually cakes from last week  when Jaka was celebrating his bday, but the photo came in handy. :) 

+ I really the beat in this song - groovy. :)

:: 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT SLOVENIA ::

I read somewhere that Slovenia is one of Europe`s hidden gems, which I have to say I totally agree with.

If you`ve never been to Slovenia, this post might convince you to go and explore the unknown territory. 

Oh and btw, I know I wrote a lot (I just couldn`t resist), so if you feel too lazy to read everything, than do it half today and the other half tomorrow. :) 

+ If you decide to come, let me know, I also have a Couchsurfing account (that needs to be updated)! ;)
p.s. I wrote this article for Wannabe Magazine, but it`s written in Serbian language, so I decided to make an English version as well & here it is. 

      1. GREAT LOCATION & VERY AFFORDABLE

Slovenia is positioned in a heart of Europe and that`s what makes it so easy accessible.

You can come directly to airport in Ljubljana (the capital), or use nearby airports like Graz, Vienna, Venice, Klagenfurt, Trieste or Zagreb.  From there you have quite good train connections, or you can also try to catch a shared ride via Prevoz.org or Go Opti (low cost transfers from airports).

The rank of prices can be compared with Portugal/Spain (maybe this changed in the last two years since I traveled there), for ex. Beer = 2€, Coffe = 1,60€/2.50€ (depends where), Pizza = around 8€, Lunch =  5-10-20€, Burek/Kebab = 2/3€, hostel = from 19€ to 32€ and so on...in Ljubljana (the capital) everything is more expensive than other cities, but of course you can find everything, depends of your taste and wishes.

Piran

        

2. ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY

Slovenia is bordering with Croatia, Hungary, Austria & Italy which makes it multicultural & multi-lingueal. For sure you`ll be pleased by this information, because that means no stressing out when asking for directions, a good restaurant, a taxi or whatever you will need. Everyone will understand you & you will discover that most of the people speak a solid English. A lot of people speak even more foreign languages, so no worries about that, you might even learn some Slovenian. 

      3. DIVERSITY WILL BLOW YOU AWAY & FOR SURE YOU WILL FEEL S`LOVELY

Slovenia is the only country in Europe that combines the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Pannonian Plain and the Karst. The changing landscape is constantly surprising, time and again. Don`t forget to charge your batteries for the camera + phone & make sure that there is enough space on your memory card, because I`m sure you will max it out pretty quick.

The positive thing, that I love about Slovenia is, that at one moment you can have one eye on the sea, than look in the other direction and be overwhelmed by the beauty of high mountains. It`s small but colourful and within 2-3 hours (from the capital) you can get everywhere.

TIPS: Because there is no special section about the NIGHT LIFE, I`m suggestion all the folx that are wishing for some party to go to Ljubljana & check out Metelkova – an alternative (kind of unique) place that for sure you will love (google it!), K4 (club) - has some good parties (electro, d`n`b), Cirkus (popular club right now, with some theme parties going on), you can also find some swing, salsa, whatever you like... this was just a short recap.

Bohinj

4. ACTIVE HOLIDAY FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE

There is so much things you can do around here! :) 

So let`s start with Winter sports. Slovenia has dozens of well-groomed ski centers with lifts (Kranjska Gora, Rogla, Mariborsko Pohorje, Krvavec,..), where you can try yourself in Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross-country skiing, Skating, Sledging, Ski touring..

Hiking – The choice of trails is remarkable, from easier short walks along the valleys and foothills, to highly challenging protected trails in the high mountains, where you can enjoy views of the Alpine peaks.

Water sports – Rafting, Hydrospeed, Kayaking, Canyoning, Swimming, Canoeing, Water skiing, Diving, Nautics & Sailing, Boating... (for all the adrenalin things head for the Soča river)

Cycling , Climbing, Golf, Adrenaline parks, Horseback riding, Cave trekking...it`s a never ending story! ;) 

5. KARST

Slovenia’s Karst is criss-crossed by over eight thousand caves.  The most famous one is Postojna Cave – a network of 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers. It`s the largest cave in the »classic karst« and the most visited show cave in Europe.

Also very known are Škocjan Caves which are listed in the world natural heritage at Unesco & the Križna Cave with it`s underground lakes. An interesting thing to see is also the disappearing Cerknica Lake that is of karst nature and when it is full of water it is also the largest of Slovenia’s natural lakes.

Škocjan Caves (via)

6. MOUNTAINS, LAKES, WATERFALLS & TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK

Quick facts : Slovenia posseses 7000 km of marked hiking trails and 165 mountain cabins + more than 300 permanent Waterfalls. I guess that`s why hiking is so popular here. J 

So, The Julian Alps..there is so much to say about them, but I`ll make it super short. They are bejewelled by two picturesque lakes. Lake Bled with its legendary Island in the middle of the lake, overlooking castle, hot springs, and beneficial climate (a true beauty) and Lake Bohinj which is the biggest glacial lake and is a major feature of the Triglav National Park. The national park in the area of the Julian Alps in north-western Slovenia gained its name from Slovenia’s highest mountain, Triglav, which stands 2,864 metres high (in clear weather it can be seen from all parts of the country). There are also numerous waterfalls, the finest being are Savicaand Peričnik. Check also Blejski Vintgar – enchanting Radovna river George,  The Tolmin gorges and Soča river.

Fun fact : We have a saying, that you are a true Slovenian, when you conquer the Triglav (you`re even baptised on the top). J

Bled via

7. MELTING POT

You can find tasty diversity of food, which is a result of a history we have and all the countries that we are bordering with. No matter what, I`m sure you`ll lick your fingers when leaving the table.  So, I`d suggest you try something typical Slovene, like for example Štruklji, Prekmurska gibanica, Kremna rezina ( you must try that while visiting Bled), Potica (a nut cake), Jota (beans, sauerkraut, bacon, spareribs, potatoes, garlic)...and when in a hurry, you can also find some really delicious fast food like kebab, burek, čevapčiči, falafel,... ok, čevapčiči is a must, also a burek! 

"Prekmurska Gibanica"

8. VINEYARDS

We have some really good wine, so don`t forget to visit some of the Vineyards (Wine Cellars)! With regard to the climate, soil structire and relief, wine experts consired some Slovenian wine-growing areas to be the best in the world. Slovenia has white and red wines, with lush or slight aromas and strong, full or light tastes. Slovenia primarily produces white wine (around 70%).  There are three wine-growing regions (Podravje, Posavje and Karst). If you come to Slovenia in the Fall you might join some grape harvesting, which is a fun thing to do + you can enjoy the wine & good company all day long.

+ a tip : when you eat out, order a house wine, because usually they are good and not over priced.

via 

9. WELLNES CENTERS

Slovenia has more than 15 natural thermal & climatic health resorts, which are a first class relaxation for the body & soul as well of treatment for various health problems.

Fitness & Beauty centers, solariums, Turkish & Finish saunas and whirpool baths are part of the standard offers + various massage techniques (check out for ex. Terme Olivia).

Orhidelia

10. A PARADISE FOR CASTLE LOVERS

Slovenia is a land of numerous small castles. The most famous one are in Ptuj, Podsreda, Ljubljana, Bled, Celje, Velenje & Brežice. 

The Castle (a part of it) - "Stari Grad" in Celje (my hometown)

So take a chance, pack your bags, book a flight/train and come to this little paradise of ours! 

xo, M.