valentine love

valentine's day is nearing, once again. i can't say i've really ever celebrated the lovers' day. but still i love the idea of a amorous, romantic, love-filled day in pink and red, with cute little treats for you and your date that glam the normal day up.

here is a bit of inspiration for the upcoming valentine's day, including some recipe ideas and DIY inspiration. valentine's is the perfect day to sport cheeky red lips. you might want to surprise your loved one with a heart-shaped newspaper garland that you did on your own, a glittery message on the wall or a whimsy tassels garland to hang above your dinner table. create an atmosphere of love with pink accents, like the love-letter cushions, or the pink tinted chair. and why not try a raspberry lemonade and a crunchy apple fennel salad for a romantic candle lit dinner à deux? plus maybe some spongy pale pink marshmallows to nibble on and feed each other?

happy valentines day to you, lots of love

think brighter

i just realised it's been a while since my last 'thought of the day' post... though i really need them, like the air that i breathe...! because, as you might know (and i am not proud to say it...), i worry quite a lot. yes, i'm an actual worrier. but what does a young(ish...) woman who's healthy, has got a cool job, best boyfriend ever, amazing family and friends to worry about, you ask?

well, for starts, i worry about my future in general. and about not living in the presence enough. i worry about the love i found and am so happy about - but am afraid to lose. about the friends in my life, and wether i am an equally good friend in return. about my current or possible future home and where i am going to live one day. about the money i should be saving (for years to come) - but somehow never manage to succeed (is it me or are temptations just too big in our world?). about the many wishes i have, and that i shouldn't be wanting all this because really, who really needs all those things at all? about the kind of person i've become - and the person i once want to be. i worry if i'm doing a great job at being me. i worry if people like me. i worry about the fridge i haven't cleaned in a few weeks. and about the to do list i haven't seen to, that's constantly growing as of lately... and that's just the start, you guys!

sighs. do i bring you down? i hope not...! but on the other side be asured that it's also in times like this that i turn to my positive mantras (or to the phone - my mom is the best problem-solver...) for help. and here's my new mantra: worry less - and think brighter instead. because isn't life just too short to worry a lot? today, at least, i'll just put all worrying behind me and will go prepare a comforting dinner now. and tomorrow... we'll see!

picture by BIMH (me)

vintage collections

i instantly fell in love with this room i found on 79ideas. apart from the obvious prettiness and aesthetic of it all, i found out what the secret behind is. it's the vintage collections! the three or four crystal carafes that are nicely arranged and displayed on the table (note to self: definitely on my must-find vintage objects list), as well as the two vintage bird cages on the the closet. plus the pile of glam looking coffee table books. those collections create an inviting atmosphere, that invites to stay and lounge for a while, drink a home-made ice tea and flick through a nice book. a collector's life is sweet!

loafers love

as soon as a new year and january has arrived, i find myself lusting after key spring fashion items (though we're facing mean temperatures at the moment). loafers are the best transitional shoes. they cover enough of the foot to provide a warm feet but feel light (very welcome after those many boots i've been wearing for the last three months or so...).

this loafers version has particularly caught my eye: velvety, silky, glittery or tweedy, they remind me of an english lord's homey slippers. i'm glad we're going to london in march - this must be the perfect item to shop, there. i'm on a loafers mission!

anyway. i love all of the above models. i'd pair them with a skinny, ripped stone-washed jeans or a simple beige chino, a slouchy t-shirt, an oversized navy blazer and a voluminous xl knitted scarf.

1 loeffler randall red studded loafers
2 stubbs & wotton velvet monogram loafers
3 hentsch mustard venetian loafers
4 emerson multicolored glitter loafers
5 charles philip loafers
6 wanted silver velvet slippers
7 lulu navy blue canvas loafers

home-made granola

i never thought about making my own granola . one: i rarely eat breakfast at home (only on the weekends). two: switzerland is somewhat the mecca for muesli. it comes in all sorts  of flavors and mixtures. and three: if i ever make breakfast (on the weekend, as i mentioned) i make my own mix from scratch.

before christmas, i thought about possible food gifts for my family. and not something that i've made all the time. not easy, given that we've probably made most of the common food gifts (from fudge, to spiced bread, candied almonds or truffles in various colors and flavors) for christmas during my last 20 years or so. then i saw this granola recipe from nigella lawson's and i thought: that's the ideal gift for my grandma and granddad.

i ended up adapting nigella's recipe in the end, because i wanted to make it 'preservable' for at least a few weeks, and the apple sauce made me dubious this would have been possible. it was quite cinnamon-y - perfect for the holiday season.

home-made granola
adapted from nigella lawson

ingredients
500 g large rolled oats
500 g small rolled oats
100 g sesame
100 g sunflower seeds
100 almonds, chopped coarsely
100 hazelnuts, chopped coarsely
50 g pistachios
1/2 sunflower oil
1 cup maple syrup
4 large tbsp. acacia honey
1 cup brown sugar or muscovado sugar (i used the latter)
4 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. fleur de sel

200 g dried cranberries
100 g raisins
100 g dried blueberries

directions
preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius. mix everything except for the dried fruits in a large bowl. the mixture has got to be a bit moist and sticky, that's basically my learning. spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. it shouldn't be piled too high, or else spread on two sheets. now bake the granola mix for at least 45 minutes. make sure to stir occasionally to assure an even golden roast. when a lovely, nutty, cinnamon-y smell fills the air, take out and let cool completely.

when cooled, mix in the dried cranberries, raisins and dried blueberries (or any other dried fruits, like apricots or dates), and fill into (previously thoroughly cleaned with really hot water) old-school, airtight sealable canning jars. decorate with a ribbon or gift tag. the granola is best served with icy milk or soy milk.

spread the love

i was dying to show you this project! we were invited to a lovely wedding in december. and since i'm always a big fan of home-made gifts (even more when they're from the food department), i decided to spread the love to the couple as well as to every one of their guests at the wedding. spreadable jam.

here's how i did it. my favorite jam flavor probably is apricot. or raspberry. but since you can combine apricot very well with soft wintery flavors, like vanilla and tonka bean, i opted for that version. the spices gave them a wonderfully warm flavor, that was just a hint special. i could kneel into the jam, honestly, it was so delicious (and i know you shouldn't be saying that about your own stuff, but i'm just smug like that, all the time...).

then i filled the jam in pretty, little, old-school looking jars* and finished them off with cute custom-made gift tags and labels**. i printed them on heavy paper and cut them out one by one. i made a hole through the tags, put a thread through it and tied them with a tiny bow to the snap lock. the labels were glued to the top of the lid with extra strong glue spray. easy.

i thought a butter knife would be a nice addition to the jam. i found these vintage silver ones that could even be engraved with your personal message on etsy.

* canning jars: 
i prefer those old-school looking canning jars with the orange plastic rims, because they close better and are reusable (unlike the ones with the normal lids, that are mostly ruined after opening). plus they have the added value of super cute looking snap locks.

** printables: 
i designed the tags and the labels in power point. i knooow, i'm a pro like that with my real design programs (coughing)... now that they're made and pretty like that, i thought i'd share them with you. if you like them, you can download the printables here by clickin on the pictures below.

spread the love, everyday! and a happy week to you.

christmas recap

the christmas dinner with the family is usually one of my favorite events of the year. this year, though, i was really quite sick. that's why i missed the best part: cooking and preparing everything with my mom. in the end, i just about managed to dress up (a little) and made it to the dinner (at least), though.

i know it's already a little late (and a new year, no less) but i still wanted to share a few pictures from that christmas night. i'm glad i haven't missed it.

angels' spoon

those lovely angels' coffee spoons were part of the baking basket i got and posted yesterday. i love to look at them and touch them. does this make me weird? well, i hope 'good weird'. hmm. 

i've since thought about a dessert to make that allows to use this delicate things. but for now i'm just happy with my nutella besmeared bread...

baking basket

my mom gave me the most surprising and ridiculously perfect gift for my birthday: a baking gift basket, full of all the utensils the professional baker and patissier would choose. when my mom and i baked this lovely, chocolatey beauty here together some weeks back, it became obvious that i'm lacking quite a few essential tools in my kitchen... that's why we ended up baking it at my parents' place in the end. but from now on, i will be very well equipped. because you can't really see everything that was inside (and because i'm an obsessive list writer, too) here's a detailed list:

1 oval / square baking pan, for making brownies
2 round springform pans in two sizes
1 vintage bundt cake pan, for making gugelhopfs or puddings
1 cake shaping round thing, to fill fancy cakes easily, or also to shape your individual round cake pan
1 flour sifter, for sifting flour or confectioners' sugar
1 flour sieve, with an extra fine grid
1 muscovado sugar pack, with a lovely, intense caramel flavor
1 grated cinnamon flowers
6 silver coffee spoons with angels on top
1 pack red vichy checkered paper napkins
2 heart-shaped grey vichy checkered oven mittens
3 grey and black checkered kitchen towels
2 differently sized patissier shapes
1 professional dough mixing bowl, with rubber at the bottom and measurement help on the inside
1 silicone baking sheep
2 glass jars for keeping flour and sugar
1 silicone spatula
1 long metal spatula, to get the icing perfectly smooth
1 silicone brush
1 piping bag with differently shaped pipes, for icing
1 baking book, that i'm going to introduce to you later

thanks so much mom, there is no better gift.

the question remaining: what should i be baking first? do you have any recommendations for me? i thought about this wintery treat here. what do you think? can't await the next free weekend without much else to do than try the new utensils.

lemony multi-grain salad

when you're having a guest with gluten allergy over for dinner, you start to realise how many things actually contain gluten. how many good things, to be precise. when my friends and former colleagues visited some weeks back, i was faced with this exact challenge: to prepare a quick dinner without gluten - i.e. with all the good things that are top of mind.

lucky me, though, that i quite like buckwheat. and since one of it's many benefits is that it's suitable for a gluten-free diet, i immediately thought about the grain. and took it from there. the tepid multi-grain gluten-free combination was my own, healthy creation (probably inspired by ottolenghi, as most happenings in my kitchen). and, well, think the girls liked it, right?

healthy five grain salad

ingredients
1 cup brown rice
1 cup quinoa
1 cup buckwheat
500 g cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
1 yellow zucchino, chopped
1 cups chickpeas, drained, washed and peeled
300 g coco beans
1 cup flat parsley, chopped
1 cup basil, chopped
3 small scallions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 lemons, juice

olive oil

argan oil

truffle oil oil

maldon sea salt
black pepper

directions
first, cook all three grains separately, according to directions, then drain them. put grains on a big plate, add a few drops of olive oil and combine. set aside.

in the meantime, preheat the oven to 220 degrees. combine the cherry tomato halves and yellow zucchino with some olive oil, the two garlic cloves, a generous pinch of maldon sea salt and some black pepper in an oven proof form. roast for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

briefly blanch the (whole) coco beans, drain and briefly chill under the cold running water. slice into bite-sized chunks.

mix the grains with the roasted tomatoes and zucchini, the coco beans, scallions, basil, parsley and add the chickpeas. make an easy sauce out of the other ingredients: lemon juice, some more olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons of argan oil and truffle oil each (i love it to give salads a nutty taste like that) and a few sprinkles of maldon sea salt. you can also add a bit of acacia honey, to make it round. or a tiny drop of harissa, to give it a bit more spice. in any case, serve tepid, because we're hungry and impatient like that.

sweet new year

{sweet winter theme cupcakes i organised for my friend's baby shower}

happy new year, everyone! phew, it's been a long absence from the blog. my last post lies back a few weeks. this has been the longest break i've ever taken from blogging since i started. and i missed it, a lot! i missed taking pictures and documenting them for you. i missed shaping my thoughts. i missed the cooking, baking and styling things.

i had so many plans for the past few weeks, as you can read in my last post. i lay out recipes i wanted to try, i wanted to bake christmas cookies and enjoy the lovely advent time. then, life is what happened, and it simply wasn't possible to manage it all. it was a pretty stressful but great time at work. and i still managed to have a great time, despite the many things that remained undone.

so, before i provide you with a recap from my past weeks' life (among it pictures of all the pretty gifts i gave and received, and of the christmas dinner, too) here's a list (acting as an outlook) of the small and big things that are going to await me this year, that i'm so looking forward to already:

1 skiing in zermatt (i've never been there and i'm so excited) in january
2 a spa trip to my favorite hotel in the middle of an overwhelming german forest
4 short easter holiday on mallorca
5 a friend's wedding in july
6 saving some money for a big trip, and
6 planning the longest travel i've been on in 10 years (three weeks)
7 upgrading my blog with a few new features, tools and gadgets
8 squeezing in a dinner at ottolenghi's in london (hopefully)
9 learn a few new food photography tricks
10 coming up with an exciting suprise for my love's 30th birthday
11 welcoming another nephew - or niece - in our lives
12 maybe think about getting a cleaning lady (i love to dream)

i wish you a very happy, fulfilled and sweet year 2012! may it be a blessed one for you.
love
scarlett