AUSTRALIA!

Hello from Canberra! I had never heard of this city before this trip, but it is basically like the Washington, D.C. of Australia (but smaller and quieter and prettier)--about 3 hours south of Sydney and a bit inland. Raf is doing some research at the ANU, so I tagged along for a couple of weeks...We will be mostly staying here in Canberra, but it has been lovely, to say the least. The people are incredibly friendly and I have been really enjoying walking all around the city, popping into all the little shops, and most of all grocery shopping. Finding new food in a new country is my favorite thing to do. I have found it to be fairly similar to British food... I also volunteered as a prep cook at the University's Food Co-op, which was great. I spent a couple of hours chopping, and got a delicious (and free) vegetarian lunch the following day! I have made friends at the amazing bakery near our apartment (picture soon) and a new friend (Rebecca! :) who owns an adorable clothing shop nearby called Fang Clothing. Last Saturday we spent the day with our host, Bob, and his family. He took us to a tower overlooking the entire city and surrounding countryside and then to the botanical gardens before heading back to his house for yummy lunch and dinner. The following are photos from that day spent out and about...Oh, and I must say the wildlife here is pretty much knocking me out--the birds alone are so amazing to me--parrots, cockatoos, the elusive Kookaburra, all flying around and squawking their heads off...outside our apartment sounds like a tropical bird paradise every morning. Oh! And when we were walking around the gardens we stumbled upon a group of KANGAROOS just chillin', looking at us like "yeah? what?". It was pretty exciting! Although to the natives it is probably about as exciting as seeing deer is to us...Anyway, more to come...

Cockatoos in the trees in Bob's backyard. At one point I counted 16. And they are noisy!

Cockatoos on the trampoline.

Beautiful red parrots at the bird feeder (bad picture, sorry).

So pretty.

Roo.

Same roo.

"Frilly lizards".

Waterfall (before we knew there were frilly lizards there).

More roos. Their legs are crazy long, all casual and bent for relaxing :)

The land surrounding Canberra.

Towards the city.

The beautiful mountains in the distance.

Bob and Raf.

K, bye!

THINGS!

So, we woke up this morning (5:30am) to our bed shaking in an earthquake! It felt like a big deal, I think it was a 4.0. Intense!

Oh! I leave a week from tomorrow for Australia for a couple of weeks. Raf is going to be working at a university in Canberra for three weeks, and I'll be joining him the last two. It should be fun (we'll explore on the weekends)--I have quite a few creative projects lined up to bring with me to work on while he works. Some new collages, jewelry, and a new Etsy shop featuring vintage treasures I have been collecting! Yay!

Here is a little sneak peak at a find I snagged. It is a two piece bathing suit from the 1960's in PERFECT condition. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat when I found it...I would have kept it, but it was just a bit too big :( It will certainly be just perfect for someone!





Happy Monday!

YUMMY, SIMPLE, NUTRITIOUS, NO-ADDED-SUGAR-OR-OIL GRANOLA.

These days around here it is rare to not have a jar or two of homemade granola on our kitchen counter. I eat yogurt and granola at some point in the day most days, and Raf usually eats it plain (by the spoonful) or with almond milk as a snack at night. We go through the stuff pretty quickly. And we both prefer it light and crunchy, barely sweet (granola shouldn't taste like candy, people!), and loaded with a variety of seeds (pepitas-yum!) and nuts. I have been through a lot of trial and error, trying many a recipe, only to find that most are too sweet, oily, heavy, etc...This final recipe has gone through a lot of tweaking, but I think I finally came up with a keeper! Oh, and it smells very, very good while baking...

It doesn't have any sugar (unsweetened applesauce and brown rice/maple syrup only), --but you can add more sweetener if you would like, and no added fats/oils (although nuts and seeds have their fair share). Also, RAW buckwheat groats (I get mine in bulk at Whole Foods) are key, as is sea salt (it adds a pep to the flavors), and you can use any combination of dried fruits and nuts. You can also add raw flake coconut. Remember to not add dried fruits until after it is done baking (it dries them out to much otherwise), and it is best to use raw nuts and seeds (otherwise you are double toasting them--but if that is all you have, then I would add them in at the same time as the fruit). Enjoy and make often!




GRANOLA:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two (or more depending on how large yours are--mine are 1 large and 1 medium) baking pans or jelly roll pans (it is very helpful to have pans with sides, as granola will fall of easily when you stir it!) with baking parchment. Set aside.

Dry ingredients--in a very large bowl:

--2 c. rolled oats (not instant)
--2 c. raw buckwheat groats (usually in bulk at a co-op or health food store)
--1 c. puffed brown rice or quinoa (think healthier version of Rice Crispies--also found in bulk at health food stores) (optional--you can also add more oats and/or groats)
--1/4 tsp. sea salt
--4 Tbsp. (or more, if you like) EACH of flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds/pepitas, etc. (raw is best)
--1/2 cup (or more, if you like) raw nuts, broken into small-ish pieces (I usually use cashews, almond, pecans, pistachios, etc.)
--1/4 large flake raw coconut (optional)
--cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or any spices you want to add, in any amount you want (optional)

Mix all dry in ingredients (except spices) with your hands until well blended. Set aside.

Wet ingredients--in a medium bowl:

--1 c. of unsweetened applesauce (or 2 snack cups, which equal 1 cup)
--1 tsp. vanilla
--scant 1/4 c. brown rice syrup, maple syrup, honey OR agave
--1/4 c. water

Add all wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Poor wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients. Mix well with your hands until they feel well combined. Carefully pour the granola onto the lined pans, spreading it out into an even, thin layer. With a spatula, press the granola firmly into the pan. This will help make pieces that stick together into yummy clusters after it bakes a bit. Sprinkle with spices and pop in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour (my oven takes an hour) until it is LIGHTLY browned. About halfway through baking, carefully flip and rotate the granola so that it cooks evenly. Check to make sure it isn't browning too rapidly about 40 minutes in, if it is turn down your oven and monitor it!

Take baked granola out of the oven and let cool. Add dried fruit (and nuts if you only have roasted). Transfer to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator if you will eat it slowly, or you can leave it on the counter if you will eat it up quickly like we do--in about a week or so!

CHEESECAKE, OCEAN VIEWS, &CHESTNUTS...

The Mighty Pacific.

So windy!

He conquered!...well...I guess that rock. :)

Cute.

The beautiful Monterey coast.

Crazy black moss growing all over the beach rocks.

Coast flora.

San Rafael Farmer's Market chestnuts. Yes, random but pretty.

Really good Valentine's cheesecake (really good)--recipe below!

Well, the folks are shipping off tomorrow afternoon. It was a very nice visit. We were able to see a LOT of great things. My favorites included: Sonoma wine country/the Fremont Diner, sunset dinner with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge at Greens vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco, the incredible coastline of Monterey and Carmel (I swear I saw Clint Eastwood drive by us), amazing Indian food in Monterey, and my second trip to the fabulous San Rafael Farmer's Market (I seriously am in awe with that place). The weather was perfect every day and once again I fell in love with the Bay Area...sigh...Oh, and the cheesecake I made for V day was crazy delicious! Just listen: it was a rosewater and rose petal cheesecake, people, with a pistachio crust, for the love of all things holy! Anyhoo, here is the recipe:

Crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup ground pistachios

1/3 cup organic, raw cane sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

5 Tbsp cold butter
2 tsp cold water

Cheesecake Filling:

16 oz low fat cream cheese (2 standard packages--I used Horizon Organic Low Fat)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or agave

2 large eggs, lightly beaten (I used fresh, organic, cage free!)

4 Tbsp Greek yogurt

1 tsp rose water (optional)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp organic dried rose petals (I used rose tea I got in Spain) (optional)

To make the crust, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, pistachios and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly, then add water. Press crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch, springform cheesecake pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven to cool while making filling.

In a medium bowl (preferable an electric stand mixer--or use a hand mixer), beat cream cheese and maple syrup until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and rose water just until blended. Fold in the rose petals, if using. Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on your oven--mine was an hour) or until filling is set and barely jiggles in the center. The cake will be lightly browned, but not burnt. Cool in the oven (turned off) with the door propped open to prevent cracking of the top of the cheesecake . Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferrably overnight.

(I've made this recipe without rose water and it turns out really good too. If you don't like floral flavors, opt for that. You can also add any topping you choose--I think a berry compote would be particularly good. Oh, and any nut can be substituted for the pistachios. I bet pecan or hazelnut would be lovely.)

K, good night!

PRINTING AGAIN...

I have been having a lot of fun working at Sala, a boutique in Berkeley that I first got acquainted with when I began selling my jewelry there about a year ago...The owners are a couple of sweet and stylish ladies with fabulous taste. They support local artists and designers and I am so happy they asked me to spend some time in the shop a couple of days a week.

I was a busy bee this past week, cranking out a bunch of prints from original woodcuts and linoleum cuts I carved. I put them for sale at Sala--I think they would be perfect to give to a Valentine!




Speaking of Valentines, my Valentine and I have a couple of sweeties flying in from Buffalo, NY on Tuesday to visit with us. My parents are heading to California for their first time for a week, so we will be pretty busy touring around this beautiful place...

Happy weekend!

SANTA CRUZ WEEKEND.

We had a lovely visit with our sweet buddies, Beth and Andrew in Santa Cruz this past weekend. We couldn't have asked for better company or weather--perfect for all of the garden and farm touring we did. Beth is a fabulous cook, it was so nice to eat her food again and crash at her adorable place...and Drew, thanks for the killer, large brunch coffee and farm tour! We have so much fun with these guys and can't wait to come back again soon...Santa Cruz is a dreamy, laid back, surfer town--you should check it out someday! :)

Beth firing up the stove for brunch omelettes.

Drew French pressing it up!

Relaxing at Chez Beth.

Mesmerized by the steam.

Mesmerized by the sunny view.

Omelette hands.

Pear, orange, and pomegranate salad.

Cute hosts.

Omelette fixins'.

Porch herbs.

So yum!

Cute entryway path and gate.

Steam and orange & blue combo.

Kiwi trellis in Beth's backyard.

Amazing raised beds in Beth's backyard. And there are super cute ducks wandering around too--I couldn't get close enough to them to get a good picture.

Chard!

Webby oranges.

Where's Waldo--err, I mean Drew?

I'M BACK... & LUNCH!

Hi! For lunch today we had leftover (from the night before) mushroom risotto. It was so darn delicious. I went to Monterey Market, which has a crazy-good mushroom selection, and bought baby shiitakes, hedgehog mushrooms, and criminis. I cooked them all with a bit of butter and a pinch of salt and set aside. I made my risotto the standard way (which is typically described on the arborio rice package) but added two leeks (also sauteed in a tiny bit of butter with a pinch of salt), nutritional yeast, a bit of parmesean, and some dry red wine. It was divine, I tell you. I served it at dinner time over a bed of organic baby spinach and some baked tofu. For lunch we had the same, minus the tofu, plus an Asian pear. So yum!

Oh, and I'm back from my hiatus. We traveled for about 5 and a half weeks and I just had so much to catch up on upon our return. I have a lot to share in the coming days--recipes, adventures and a lot of fun with our peeps!

And! I have a new haircut (bangs!), new eye glasses, a new part time job (with potentially another one on the way), and a fun new etsy business/shop (in the works). And we made sweet new friends tonight (went out for a vegan dinner at Herbivore with them :). 2012 is lovely so far!

One more thing: it is citrus season around here and I couldn't be happier. It is so nice to walk around the neighborhood and see so many varieties of citrus fruits in full bloom, pretty dreamy if you ask me...Take a look at this pommelo--isn't it beautiful??