why i love blogging

whenever i tell people i'm a blogger, reactions are somewhat bifocal. there's the group of people who thinks it's amazing, who want to know my blog name, regularly send me feedback in one form or the other, and generally just like to be part of some aspects of my life. then there is the other group of people, who look at me funny. and all written over their faces is: 'one of those exhibitionists and over sharers'... 

to the latter group i often tried to explain that blogging is cathartic for me, and some kind of way to keep sane. that it's not about sharing intimate feelings that nobody wants to hear anyway, but about making friends all around the world, with people who think and feel alike. like, a few weeks back i got to know the fabulous leti from becoming lola, and since her comments and feedback are of incredible value for me. she encourages me to keep going. also, i made friends over instagram (which i only got a hang of because of blogging). it's so inspiring to see what other people do in their lives, to be part of it, and to enjoy the beauty and the happiness (and sometimes sadness) they feel in their lives. it's relatable. it's honest. and it's real life.

so, as i'm a diehard list-lover, here are my top ten reasons as to why i love blogging. 

1 blogging is a means to collect and archive the things that happen in my life.

2 it's cathartic. meaning: i process a lot during writing (and feel better afterwards).

3 in a way it's like a diary - except that it's not in handwriting...

4 i get to edit many pictures of memorable things that i normally wouldn't even look at ever again.

5 so many amazing bloggers out there, adding up to a tremendous creative power & i'm part of it!

6 i made friends through blogging, that i'd normally never meet. they're awesome, caring & lovely.

7 you know, i just like to make other people smile with my self-deprecation (i'm funny, sometimes)...

8 sometimes it helps me see the positive side of life (when i'm really feeling anything but it)

9 it makes me wanna get up in the morning, start the day and do something good.

10 a major plus is that i get to eat all this lovely food that i cook & i feed others, with it.

if that still doesn't convince you, well i guess then you're just part of the second group of people. and that's okay. just don't look at me funny anymore, if you may? you know, this kind of upsetting eye-rolling that you think i don't see but pretty well do. we do not have to be blog-friends. or any other kind of friends... just get on with life and think what a nutter i am (i can totally live with that, most days).

if, instead, you can relate to it, i would love for you to say hi - and read on, of course. 

as always: much love

scarlett

kind to yourself

i got these new pillows on a short trip to the netherlands a few weeks ago. i had this one here in mind to accompany them perfectly. now i (still) only need the new couch. and let me tell you i've spotted one and it will be in my home pretty soon. i can't believe i'm all grown-up and choosing my couches, all on my own!

and also, this weekend isn't exactly what i planned it to be... let's just say: it's unexpectedly quiet. and i'm not sure wether i like it or not? probably not really, though i like to tell myself that it's okay, because my to do list is so long (you know, i got an ironing board last week... yeah). but then, while taking a stroll through the city yesterday, i came to the conclusion: if everything else fails, well, you just have to be nice, and kind, to yourself. treat yourself well, you know? not be sad or disappointed, or full of self-pity. no, i won't have that. but instead go out, face the day, feel the sun, drink something nice, maybe treat yourself to an enormous ice cream. and enjoy the day.

note: sorry this turned out to be a 'thought of the day' post, although i actually started with a 'home sweet home' post... well i guess life is what happens while you're making plans. alas, as always, thank you for reading. i'd love for you to comment and tell me how you spend your weekends, and what you do when everything goes wrong. happy sunday to you, lots of love.

pillows: from lifestyle interior store in the netherlands

bling on display

as a kid, i was obsessed with organising my things. everything had to be displayed neatly, or if it wasn't suitable to look neat, then it would simply be stashed away, hidden somewhere or had to go off with the declutterers. today it seems to me i had a slight neurosis back then, actually. i still do like tidiness and order, very much so, today. but i manage to not shift around my roomies or my boyfriend's things at home (all the time) (which helps with relationships, let me just tell you...).

of course it also helps that nowadays, i simply lack the time to have everything organised the way i'd like. for example, my jewelry is just thrown all together into one box. rings over bracelets over necklaces over studs.... meaning: i don't even get to wear all of it regularly, because i am simply too lazy to dig it out in the mornings. but it's definitely something that's on my to do list! 

and this picture has haunted me for a few days now. isn't it the most fab way to arrange jewelry? in colorful, luxe ashtrays (possibly hermès, nah?), in porcelain bowls, on a nice tray?

picture source: 1 from ariannabelle, 2 from cupcakes and cashmere, 3 from metallicmatte

tassels everywhere

i've been a tassels-fanatic for a fair bit. i've had this beautiful key chain with a tassel on it that i got from my friend to a birthday a few years back. i really liked to pet it and hug it. until it was so old it fell apart. then i got two new ones to replace it. now i like to pet and hug these. 

uhm, you got the picture. i got these pretty extra large tassels ballerinas in orange at zara (for not even 50 franks, wow!), and the green sandals are from h&m. they don't exactly look very high-quality at closer inspection - but i sure love their popping green color. 

anyway, you might be seeing quite a few tassels around here in the future - because i'm crazy for them.

nature's pace

just by glancing at this shot (that i took a few weeks back), i get a tingly feeling that being out in the woods would be so lovely right now. having the new green branches above you, sucking in fresh air, being away from the hustle and bustle of it all. going at a different pace. 

but, ahem, i'm actually writing this from the cosiness of my bed, so it's only conditional tense, really. but it would certainly be lovely in the woods now. as for me, i'm taking the weekend literally slow, for once, and planning on doing, oh, uhm, not much. have a fantastic weekend, lovelies! thanks for reading, as always, and lots of love.

braised artichokes II

my regular readers have probably found out about my serious artichoke fondness... it's beyond normal. i'd happily embrace a meal consisting of only some braised artichokes and nothing else. not even desert (if i must).

to rationalise it, i like to tell myself there is probably something really, really healthy in them. like, i don't know, folic something? or antioxidants! blabla. so when i spotted these pretty, dark purple, baby ones some time back, i had to get them. even though i was alone at home. with not really much planned, either, except maybe staying in and doing a bit of household chores (you know, good person as i am...). 

preparing these babies is actually just as much fun as eating them. you will have to slip into rubber gloves (okay, maybe not so endearing...) to prevent yourself from getting black fingers and nails. and you'll have to stand by the stove while they are, first, charr-grilling* and, then, braising*. it's fun and it makes you dizzy. enjoy it while it lasts! 

so here's yet another of these super beautiful and super yummy globes, with what basically is the same production process (first one to be found here). sorry, i stick to routines sometimes. but you'll find a few tweaks, i'm sure.

braised artichokes II

ingredients:

16 baby artichokes (or fewer bigger ones)

2 lemons

3 shallots, minced

4 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 green, medium spiced chile

1 tsp. fennel seeds

3 bay leaves

1 rosmary twig, needles minced

1/2 cup noilly prat (or other vermouth) (note: i'm sometimes more generous... i like to hiccup)

1 cup vegetable broth or stock with water

olive oil

fleur de sel

freshly ground black pepper

directions: 

start by filling a bucket or your sink with ice cold water. half the lemon, squeeze some of the juice into the bucket with water and let the two halves remain in the water. prepare the artichokes one by one: peel off the outer, too hard to eat leaves, trim the stems and a bit of the top off the leaves. half and, with a pointy knife, peel out the inner hay of the artichokes. put them in the lemon-water and let sit there until all the artichokes are ready. take them out and pat them dry.

heat a frying or grill pan with enough olive oil. add the shallots, garlic, chile and fennel seeds, and sweat for 1-2 minutes. take out, i.e. put on a separate plate. then fry the artichokes in the same oil (that's now very fragrant from the spice-mix) and grill the artichoke for a minute or so or each side until slightly charred. deglaze with the noilly prat, and inhalte deeply. like what you smell. cook on full heat until liquid is slightly reduced. then add the broth or water with stock, the bay leaves, rosmary, a generous pinch of salt and the pepper. now reduce the heat and braise for 4-5 minutes, or longer, if desired (i like my artichokes with a tiny bit of bite). the liquid should be almost reduced to nothing, again. take the artichokes out of the pan, add a generous squeeze of lemon, some more olive oil, if needed (or if you want to store it in the fridge for later use - which i never seem to manage), and either enjoy while still warm or serve cold as a snack.

* note: are these actual verbs? can they be verbified? do you understand what i'm, not english native girl from the really small country switzerland, saying? i sure hope so. otherwise just look at the pictures. thank you, sir.

rhubarb tart

in switzerland, we have something like a completely different pie variety altogether. it's called 'wähe'. as far as i know, there is no official translation, let alone it being common outside our small countrey's borders... but 'wähe' definitely is a type of pie that every swiss child grows up with. it's often a typical friday dish, as many bakeries across the country bake them especially on this day.

it comes in savoury and sweet varieties, and the concept is simple: a puff pastry is used as the dough, a fruit, vegetable and / or cheese composition is selected and then everything is put together and baked. no lids or covers, as it's the habit in, i believe, some english-speaking countries. and no upside-down-turning, as the french love it with their tarte tatin. this makes wähe a fast and simple dish that can be consumed on various occasions: as a whole meal itself or as a dessert, depending on the composition on hand.

mine here is a classic rhubarb wähe. it looks a bit green, that's maybe because my rhubarb, strangely, didn't have many red spots (strangely). is this a quality issue...? i don't know. i just know my bf fancies rhubarb, like, very much so. a good reason to make this as a dessert on a lazy, long, easter weekend.

rhubarb tart

ingredients:

6-8 (about 600 g) rhubarb sticks, washed

1 round puff pastry

3 eggs

3 dl milk

1 cup sugar

1 pack vanilla sugar

1 cup ground almonds (optional)

   

directions:

preheat the oven. wash the rhubarb, trim and slightly tear off the worst 'threads'. cut into longish, diagonal slices of about 1 cm width. place the puff pastry in the tart pan (note: i left the parchment paper on, as i am too lazy to clean the whole pan... if you want to put it directly in the pan, make sure to grease it thoroughly first), press the borders down slightly. pinch the ground several times with a fork. spread the ground almonds, if you are using any, evenly across the ground. combine all the other ingredients: milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar, and whisk well until smooth. place the rhubarb on the pastry, then gently pour the liquid over it. the rhubarb has to be almost covered. bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 200 degrees (note: i always end up thinking that a few minutes more would probably taste even better... so really dare to let the crust become golden-brown). leave to cool slightly and serve warm - with a little cinammon whipped cream on the side.

muguet my home

there is nothing i enjoy more than to relax with a scented candle. i particularly like the classy diptyque scents. my current favorite is muguet, as it smells just like spring. the green one in the background is from anthropologie. it smells of sweet and sour green apples. but most of all, it's just pretty in it's green glass and with the lid to cover it (actually really useful, that lid, since it prevents the candle from getting dusty). what techniques and tricks do you have to relax and chill? 

basic strawberry cake

strawberries shouldn't be consumed at this time of the year. i know that. a dear blog-friend of mine even explained to me as to why it doesn't make sense, in an ecological way. but i can't help it: i looove strawberries in early spring time! i don't know why i think they taste better now than later, when it's summer and actual strawberry season. i can't help but crave strawberries now. their sweetness and juiciness is what makes me buy them, even though i know you really shouldn't.

side note: so, dear grown-up readers, please be a good (or better than i am...) example and don't buy them for your kids and families! just don't! this shouldn't be a strawberry advertising. at least i didn't intend it to be... ugh, okay. i've got the impression that's an epic fail here... sorry?

anyway. you might just want to try this basic (and really, really yummy) strawberry cake when strawberries are officially legitimate? if you can wait until then. i'm sure nature would appreciate you being all responsible! you'd probably get a really big bonus on karma points! imagine!

basic strawberry cake

recipe adapted from smittenkitchen (originally) and foodonpaper

ingredients:

85 g butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

500 g strawberries, halved

icing sugar

preheat oven to 180 degrees. grease a round tin, and dust with a little flour. combine the butter with the sugar, first. beat until homogenous and fluffy. add the egg, vanilla and milk. then sift in the flour, add the baking powder and salt. combine well, then pour the mix into the tin. place the strawberries on top of the dough, face side down. you might want to sprinkle a little extra sugar on top, this makes a nice sweet crust. bake for about 1 hour at 160 degrees. take out, let cool and then dust with icing sugar before serving. i recommend to serve it with crème double de gruyère.

gee, that might not be really ecologically conscious and all, but so good...

fava beans quinoa pilaf

this colorful pilaf is the first recipe i tried from my new cookbook 'tender', by nigel slater (reviewed - by humble me - here). side comment: what i particularly like about his book (i might have forgotten to add this in my last post), is the fact that the recipes are sorted by vegetable, in an alphabetical order from A to Z. thorough as i am (or maybe it was just a coincidence), i started at the very beginning, namely at 'A' like 'asparagus'...

truly, the ideas slater provides are fantastic. like, would you ever, in a million home-cooking trial and error years, have guessed that asparagus goes well with cinnamon? would you, now? i certainly wouldn't have. but i thought it sounded just a bit adventurous. perfect!

instead of his rice version though, i used quinoa for the pilaf. i often find rice 'salads' boring and dry, and prefer to switch it for other, more interesting grains, like buckwheat or barley. this time around i had some leftover quinoa on hand, so i threw this in. otherwise, i pretty-much followed the original recipe*. here goes:

fava beans quinoa pilaf 

adapted from nigel slater's tender I 

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions

1 onion, chopped

bunch of green asparagus, washed and trimmed

1 bowl shelled fava or broad beans

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 piece green jalapeno, medium hotness, minced

1 cinnamon stick and / or 3 cloves

1 tsp. black cumin seeds

1/2 cup vegetable stock and / or cup of (salted) water

2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more according to liking

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup mint leaves, minced

1 cup parsley leaves, minced

6 spring onions, chopped

1 lemon, juice

directions:

what seems like a really long list of things and never ending directions is actually quite simple to achieve. the concept is the following: pre-cook the three main ingredients (quinoa, asparagus, beans) separately. heat the spices in a saucepan and then combine everything and heat through. it's not unlike a warm salad.

first, cook the quinoa according to directions. add a pinch of salt and / or some vegetable stock to the water. set aside.

in the meantime prepare the greens. wash and trim the asparagus, and quickly (shorter than you normally would) blanch in salted water, for about 1 minute. drain and 'shock' with ice cold water. then cut into bite-sized junks and put aside.

shell the fava beans (not much substance will be left after the shells are gone, so make sure to buy enough beans in the first place). blanch them in salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and shock, too. when cooled, make sure to remove the outer, slightly white transparent-ish fine skin of the beans by squeezing them tenderly between your fingers. i know it sounds like an ordeal (though i actually quite like this process), but it's totally worth it and necessary. the beans are otherwise slightly bitter, with their skins on, and you won't want that. it's just not nice. put aside, too.

the next big step: start with the actual pilaf-spice-combo. in a wok or a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. sweat the onion and garlic, then add the jalapeno, cumin seeds and sweat for a minute more. now 'deglaze' with the water and / or vegetable stock. add the cinnamon stick and / or cloves, and bring to a boil.

finally, add everything: quinoa, asparagus, beans, and heat through for 1-2 minutes. this is why you shouldn't over-cook the asparagus in the first place, because now it will cook a bit more. you don't want your asparagus mushy. season with salt and pepper, and stir occasionally. turn off the heat.

just before serving, mix in the fresh ingredients: the herbs (i used mint and parsley), chopped spring onions and - if you wish - lemon juice. sprinkle with a bit more salt, maybe.

* note: seriously though, not really... eep! i hope nigel aka my personal hero wouldn't mind or, worse, disapprove of my adaptations? it sort of seemed like the perfect recipe that he provided. but somehow, i just had to obey a certain mood that grabbed a hold of me during the cooking process, and make a few twists and changes here and there... you know how, right? okay i was just being a bit bold and thought that nothing could possible ruin this solid base of a recipe... and i must say i quite liked my pilaf version. it was a nice, green, spring-like pilaf, ideal for an afternoon snack on a saturday. or a midnight snack on that same day. or breakfast the following morning. or... hm, i think you get the picture.

cookbook review: tender I

nigel slater's tender must be the vegetable cookbook. his passion for a vegetables oriented cuisine originated from a new year's resolution: he vowed to himself to start his own garden in his london based back-yard. his goal was to become as self-sufficient as possible - in a world that's fast-living and consumption oriented - and to grow what he would normally buy. the main message for me: the passion for cooking eventually leads the cook to the origins of the raw ingredients. 

while tender volume I focuses on the vegetables, tender volume II is dedicated to fruit and berries. apart from the informational aspects regarding the produce (like when to plant them, how to grow them and what flavors to combine them with), the recipes around them are so much fun and easy to make. i particularly liked that nigel slater focuses on keeping things as simple and natural as possible. 

if you are not intimidated by it's weight and like a bit of background information on ingredients, then this is just the cookbook for you. 

white desire

white is always one of my favorite shades for the home. and for the kitchen too. though i like colorful, wildly patterned (and/or vintage) plates, too, for accents, i'm particularly fond of the clean chic any white objects add to your kitchen, table or home in general.

here are four things that i am currently focusing on and that are fostering my domestic goddess' dreams*:

1 kitchen aid in white

2 classic soup bowls with lion heads on the side

3 simple white cake stand

4 le creuset casserole currently available in white

well, for one, i actually really need (emphasize) a new mixer. mine (which has been crappy since the beginning, i assume, that much has to be said, for fairness' sake) is old, broken, not nice. intense head shaking going on around here. and tut-tut-ing, too. whereas a kitchen aid is actually a gem and a decor element on it's own, don't you find? the soup bowls are available anywhere, really, they're such classics. i don't know why i still don't have them in my collection? this cake stand is just a nice example for any other white, puristic one. it might also be a bit more whimsy, with more details, maybe? i wouldn't mind. and last but not least: i know i've posted the famous le creuset before, and i know you've got it that i like them (i'll stop, soon). but don't you just have to love this white (and limited, i believe?) edition?

* cough-cough, don't tell anyone i admitted i were having any... it's embarrassing. but it's also sort of true. sigh.

classy classics

some things are never out of fashion, because they were never just a hype in the first place. some things, like a classic church shoe are made to last for decades. not only to last, but to actually cut a good figure in, come rain, come shine. can you imagine how happy i am to finally own these lovelies, here? they are bottine perfection: elegant, shiny, durable, classy. if only all decisions in life were that easy.

picture perfect

a friend of mine drew this, with ink (i think) and water. she is the most talented cute little lady imaginable. and she will be a huge success in fashion design and illustration and everything artsy that i don't know nothing about (to be honest), in a few years' time. i just know that she will be a success because she is so passionate, and so, so amazing at creating things that are so attractive and intriguing.

ever since i got this illustration, and it's standing in my flat (because it's not actually hanging, yet, because i need to put a nail in the wall... and because maybe i like it standing on the wall, too), i can't help but think i would so love to live in this picture. those girls are so slender, and so pretty. they sport cute frocks. and they are completely at ease with themselves. i'm pretty sure they have glamorous lunch dates, too, and dates with cute boys. picture perfect glamorous little lives of pretty awesome ladies. i want more of that!

so, sweeties, i'll start by glamming up our little easter holidays. with tiny gifts, good food, nice trips, cosy evenings and lots of love. happy easter, to you, see you next week! xx

simply porridge

sighs... porridge. i know many think it's simply one thing: mash. but for me it's so much more! it's quick, it's so healthy and it stops your hunger for a long, long time (well, if you're me then maybe not such a long time, but still... you get the idea). fact: i really love it!

one day, i am going to be all grown-up and professional and reasonable. i'm going to get up early enough in the morning to not only shower and get dressed, but also to make porridge. and actually eat it in the cosiness of the home, without having to stress or hurry. this would be a perfect world. until then i'll just make a dinner out of it.

porridge
ingredients:
1 small cup medium-sized rolled oats
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 pinch salt
1 tbsp. sugar

maple syrup & cinnamon for serving

directions:
in a medium saucepan, roast the oats until a nutty fragrance evolves. pour in the milk and water, sugar and salt, turn the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is completely dissolved. add a little cinnamon and or maple syrup, some berries (optional), or a splash of cream, and serve immediately. i like my porridge with an earl grey tea on the side, it completes the british feeling.

easter plans

we'll be spending some very relaxed easter days. here is what i'm planning on cooking. i have been craving these crushed potatoes (that by the way have made an appearance on so many food blogs, i can't count it anymore...) ever since i first spotted them. i need to make these, asap! maybe with a little herbed butter on the side, or a lavish selection of cheeses? i don't know yet.

{crushed potatoes via the pioneer woman}

then there's a fabulous looking quinoa (seriously?) risotto with roasted mushrooms. have you ever considered using quinoa to make a risotto with a twist? it sounds so simple but exquisit! obviously, i'm doomed to love that! and though it's not really mushroom season, why not roast some for a lovely night in front of the fireplace?

{quinoa risott via the shiksha in the kitchen}

last but not least, i'm always a sucker for creative pasta variations. these lemon & chickpea spaghetti with parsley pesto look right like spring. and pasta plus chickpeas - let me just tell you it's a perfect match!

{lemon & chickpea spaghetti via the year in food}

how will you spend your easter days? with some festive meals at home? or somewhere exotic, probably? wishing you all already a merry and peaceful retreat!