5 Summer Recipes you NEED to try!

Summer is here and I thought I'd share some of my favorite seasonal recipes with you. I love cooking, but over the past few years I've tried to change my cooking habits to be a lot healthier, reducing a lot of the added sugar, but including lots of vegetables, fruits, healthy proteins and the like. I still want to enjoy and love the food I make, but also know that I won't have to run a marathon afterwards to burn off loads of bad calories and extra fats I don't need.

All these recipes are not only extremely tasty and fail-safe to make, but I've also tried to make them as health conscious as I can without reducing flavor. Using fresh ingredients, spices and herbs, and combining them creatively is really my take on great cooking!

Keep reading to get 5 wonderful summer recipes, that will have your friends and family wanting more!

Golden Peacock Eyes

I was rooting around in my makeup studio, pulling out a bunch of fun colors, glitter, lashes and the like, and decided to throw together this look.

Want to see what products I used and the tutorial? Then keep reading!

How to make Low-Sugar Jam Yourself

Ever since I posted pics of my homemade low-sugar jam on my fitness Instagram stream (check it out here), I've had numerous requests from you how I make it. I love jam, be it on a rice cake, a piece of toast, in yogurt, or on oatmeal. Normal store bought jam, however, contains so much sugar that it's not really a healthy breakfast option at all. I decided to make my own, so I can control how much sugar I consume. Not only that, but you can get super creative with your own fruit combinations and jam varieties.

Today I'll show you how I make it! Let's start with the BASICS:

• Use best quality fruit that is picked at its prime, and perfectly ripe. This will make the jam naturally sweeter and you won't have to add as much sugar to sweeten.

• Sterilize your sealing mason jars before starting. This will ensure that no bacteria is in the jars which might develop mold, meaning your jam will keep longer. (You don't have to buy mason jars, I often reuse old jam or pickle jars, just make sure the lid still fits tight.)

How to sterilize your jars: Place the jars and the lids in a pot of water. I like to put the jars in a huge pot, and the lids in a separate smaller saucepan. Then boil both items in the water for at least 10 minutes. Then drain the water and dry the jars with a clean towel, but don't rinse them again under the water! Basically, just make sure that after the boiling process, they stay as clean as possible. Line them up for filling with jam later.

Keep on reading to get the full recipe!