Hello friends, its time to bring in another awesome food blogger for AFBHLS series on Lite Bite. And this time it is multi talented & friendly Simone from Jungle Frog Cooking , a photographer by profession and a food blogger by choice. If her simple yet engaging posts will force you to read the whole recipe word by word then her tempting food pictures will literally make you eat your screen 🙂  “But why this unusual name for a food blog” the curious me asked. “There is no hidden secrets behind it, just that I like frogs and started my company Jungle Frog Images much before my food blog and since then Jungle Frog Cooking it is” she replied as a matter of fact.

Her philosophy of healthy-living is simple and down to Earth, read her own words “I am not a fanatic dieter and I believe in the values of a good meal, so I will never be the person to starve herself, but I rather go for the slow and healthy approach”. She continues. “I don’t really count calories, but just try to use portion control and – basically – common sense!”

I have been connected with Simone for quite some time through our blogs and am extremely impressed by her friendly approach towards her fellow food bloggers on various social networks. I also like it that she makes it a point to reply to most of the comments on her posts personally.  Whether it is the freshness of ingredients that she uses in her recipes or the styling to present the food, each recipe tells a story behind its own creation.

Here are a few of her recipes from Jungle Frog Cooking, how beautiful and scrumptious each recipe looks!

Look at this vibrant and lively Watermelon Salad!

And this easy and comforting Cucumber Soup.

A wonderful baker she is, don’t you feel like grabbing a bite of this delightful Plum Brioche Cake right from the screen!

This Creamy and mouth watering Coconut Ice cream with roasted coconut took my breath away.

And this is what she shared about her sweet life on Lite Bite . Shhh…don’t tell her that I let her secret out 😉 ..she is 40 plus..plus! Gosh…does she even remotely resemble her true age  😯

Simone from Jungle Frog Cooking

Simone in her Baking classes

“I live in the Netherlands (you know that little country below sea level..) and I live there with my boyfriend (of 20 years!) and our demented cat, Gizmo (19 yrs old).”

“I didn’t really grow up with cooking as my mum hated it and was therefore not the most inspiring role model. When I was 19 I started as a student nurse and one of my fellow students, Jacqueline, loved cooking and I think that is when I started to see some fun in preparing food. We’re still friends to this day btw.”

“Even though I liked cooking, I was never really seriously involved in the whole foodie world until I started blogging. I then discovered this whole other world and before I knew it; I was a real convert.. It’s also the only hobby Tom and I have in common so it is also something we love to do together.”

“On my pointers for healthy living… That’s not as easy as it sounds…lol!”

1. I think I do struggle sometimes to keep the health factor in check but I do find it extremely important to keep healthy and fit. I’ve seen people around me struggle because they didn’t and I don’t really want that to happen to me. So what I try to do on a weekly basis is:
2. First of all I try and make sure my meals are healthy. I like to eat quick meals during the week but they need to be healthy and full of good flavors and nutrients. I try to limit the intake of meat (not always to the pleasure of Tom) and I try to eat fish at least once or twice a week too.
3. During the day I stay hydrated on water only and the occasional cup of tea or coffee.
4. Being my own boss it is also important that I make sure I don’t work all hours of the day, so taking time of for fun, Tom and my blog is equally important to me for a good health.
5. Now the sore point at the moment is really my exercise. I used to do spinning three days a week but due to a busy work schedule it slipped and now it is hard to get back into the routine, but I will get there.
6. I do get quite a bit of exercise when working (think about a 15 hour workday at a wedding with very little time to sit).

“I guess that is more or less my ‘secret’ to trying to stay fairly healthy.”

“The recipe I want to accompany with this is a recipe for a lovely salad and one of my favorites. it’s a Quinoa salad with courgette and feta!”

Healthy & Fresh Quinoa Salad with Feta & Tomato

Ingredients;

(serves 2)

• 75 gr Quinoa
• 1 big courgette
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 spring onion, finely chopped
• 100 gr cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 red chili, finely chopped
• 100 gr feta crumbled

Preparation

1. Cook the quinoa (about 10 minutes), drain and rinse with cold water. Leave to drain.
2. Cut the ends of the courgettes and slice with a potato peeler into thin ribbons.
3. Add the oil and the vinegar together, mix well and season with salt and pepper
4. Put everything together, pour the dressing over and stir.
5. And you’re done! Enjoy!

Thanks Simone for bringing in such a refreshing Quinoa salad recipe and sharing some of your healthy-living secrets on AFBHLS. Water is one of my favorite drinks too, I need to ponder over taking out time for my family which is reduced to minimal of late. Such simple measures could bring in lot of pleasures and make life worth living.
....