this morning & more from sunday.

hello, hello.
will you be cross with me if i show you just photos?
photos with no recipe...



it's just that i'm still working out a few kinks
and so the recipe isn't ready yet.
forgive me? it's coming, i promise.
it's the one i mentioned on sunday, the one for:


ceylon cinnamon & pear tarts with brown butter & walnuts




+++



anyway today it's chilly in toronto.
i've got on a long sleeve shirt,
one with a thin grey stripe.
over top i'm wearing a soft black cardigan
with the prettiest small buttons.
i've got on my favorite dark jeans
they're worn just a bit at the knee.
and on my feet,
worn leather boots
the kind with waxed laces.
love.

believe it or not.
they're from grade 9. really.
i think that makes them officially old.
they're kind you wear with english chaps
when riding horses.
can you picture them?
they're so perfectly worn in.





+++





for breakfast this morning.
i had steel-cut oats
with fresh ground walnuts
vanilla pods and turbindo sugar.
i just threw in what was around
and it turned out really great.
the consistency was near perfect.
i think you should try it.




my walnut oats.

1/4 cup steel-cut oats
1 cup water (give or take)
1/8 cup freshly ground walnuts (give or take)
a pinch of turbinado sugar
1/4 vanilla pod
(i save the pods in a small jar after i use the contents, so i always have them around)


i boiled the water first
then added the walnuts, oats & pod.
after cooking, i let sit for 15 minutes or so
then i sprinkled on the sugar.
it was so so good, almost creamy somehow.
yum.








anyway, i'll be back tomorrow.
until then.
hope your day is great.
xox, n.

my kind of sunday.

hi there.

for me,
this morning
was a morning of apples.
and of orchards
and of what really looked a lot like dew.
it is that time of year i suppose.

i wore my favorite boots.
i stepped in mud.
i ate corn on the cob from the barbeque
and drank cream soda
from a bottle.



this afternoon,
i'm catching up on some reading
and i'm working on those little pear cakes
i mentioned the other day.
but, they've changed since then
and now they're





ceylon cinnamon & pear tarts with brown butter & walnuts






yum. recipe coming soon.
oh and i'm relishing
in the little bits of weekend
left to be had.



and finally today is my dad's birthday.
so dad, if you're reading

happiest of birthdays to you.






have a good one friends.
talk soon. xox, n.

friday!

right this second,
the sun is streaming in my window
and i'm listening to my radio.
two things i love.
two things that make me smile.

i'm also thinking about these boots in navy,
and these lucille lace ups
and i'm obsessing slightly about this pretty pair.

oh and i'm
baking small pear cakes
making chicken stock
thinking about what to make for dinner
and planning my weekend.




what about you?
what are you up to for the next couple days?
how was your day?





and lastly, the photos
those small cinnamony peices of
chocolate goodness
they're for tara of seven spoons,
but you can have one too.










happy friday!
xox, n.

in process: almond tarts.

hi hi!

how about a cup of tea and an almond tart?
and how about a chat about the little things,
the small things that make us smile...


things like:
how's your week so far?
done any tasty baking?
how about the weekend?
how was it?
any delicious meals anywhere?



as for me
at this very second,
i can't think of anyway super noteworthy foodwise.


but, noteworthy shopping...
yes indeed.
i popped by robber on saturday.
and i bought myself a new pair of shoes. love.
and a new favorite shirt,
an alternative henley. also love.



oh and i'm working on writing
a new recipe for you
one for toasty almond tarts.



how about it though...
have you tried any of my recipes so far?
and if so, how were they?
i'd love to hear your thoughts.
and even see your photos.




anyway,
let's chat again soon.
xox, n.



===



+ 3 things to like:


this recipe, photo and words. love.
these flags.
this real wedding. look at that crinoline!






===

sunday sort of light - today.

today, i'm thinking
of a trip to new york
of which i'm due.
and i'm thinking of fall baking.


thinking of a rustic apple tart tatin,
of sweet pear loaf with cinnamon ice cream.
of a pumpkin pie, perfectly spiced.
of an autumny apple tart.
wouldn't any of those be
so nice with a steamy cup of tea.





happy sunday friends.
hope you've had a lovely weekend.
i've had good times with good friends.
it's been really nice.
xox, n.








+++


oh and ps:
there were a few mistakes
in my last recipe
the one for fig jam.
i've fixed them though.
so, in case you were confused
at what i was talking about...
you'll need just 6 half pint bottles
i think i was sleepy
when i wrote that bit.

on hermit crabs and ocean things.

just saying hello.
wishing you a happy friday.
a happy weekend too.


oh and how cute is that hermit crab?
i love his little claw.

love how he was just,
a little too big for his shell.


i held him as long as i could.
but, his legs tickled my hand.
i dropped him back in the water
soon after i picked him up.



i imagine i gave him a pretty good fright.
i let out a little squeak as he scurried across my hand.
the tickle of his legs sort of startled me.
it's funny you know.
i wouldn't hold a spider.
can't stand the thought of it.

but, a hermit crab,
a hermit crab i can handle.
i love how they move from shell to shell.
love that they upgrade when their
snail home gets too small.
it's cute.
and a little precious i think.





anyway,
happy trails friends.
xox, n.



ps: i love that little icy ring on the window when flying.
i wait for it every time.

on figs from the tree + bottles of jam.

hello. how are you?
what's new? anything exciting?
nothing much exciting here.
toronto is having lovely weather though.
perfect in fact.


at this very moment,
i'm typing to you
drinking a mango smoothly
and eating more pieces of baklava than i should.
yum. oh and have you seen this pretty little video?
i think it's nice.



that's all i've got for now.
that is, except for recipe 3.
i think you'll like this one
it's really great.
in fact,
it turned out far better than
i thought it would.
delicious.


my friend s and i
ate with plain yogurt
and on steel cut oats.
yum.






fig and chambord jam.
(adapted from epicurious)


a note on the figs:

i picked the figs straight from the tree.
i like to wait until they are almost falling
to the ground before picking.
until they are soft to the touch and
are literally dripping with sweetness.
(before they mold or start to dry up of course)

for jam,i find that
they are perfect at this point.
that said you might find that
at the grocery store
they often aren't fully ripe.
in that case, i think
it's a good idea
to get them straight from the farm,
or maybe a roadside stand
or farmer's market
or even a little specialty store.
i'm thinking that in those places
you'll probably be able to find them
a little riper.

it's a great recipe either way though
and if you can only find them
at the grocery store and they are a little firm
i think you'll be okay anyway.
you should try it.
it's so easy
and so tasty.


plus, i'd love to hear your thoughts!


what you'll need:

6 1/2 pint jars with rings
6 lids for sealing
1 small pot, 1 medium pot
1 wooden spoon, 1 measuring cup
1 container for overnight storage


the recipe:

2 lemons, juiced
4 pounds ripe black figs (about 1.8 kg)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup chambord
1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


1. stem the figs and place in bowl
2. squeeze and strain the lemons
and pour over top
3. add the sugar and then the chambord
4. mix slightly
5. cover and refrigerate overnight
6. the next day,
place clean jars in a 150 degree oven
7. put lids and rings in a small pot, simmer
8. place fig mixture in a pot on medium
allow to come to a boil
turn heat to medium low
and allow to simmer for 40 - 50 minutes
or until the skins seem to have incorporated nicely
9. take off of heat, stir vigorously for a moment or two
(you can use a hand mixer if you like, but it isn't necessary)
by hand will work just fine,
all you are doing here is agitating the seeds
next, mash mixture with a potatoe masher until
it seems pretty uniform
10. take jars from oven 2 at a time,
fill almost two the top
11. dry 2 rings and 2 lids
12. place on bottles
13. repeat until all are full
14. flip each over and let cool on a cloth
15. make sure each lid is sealed before storage
16. that's it, you're done, enjoy!


===



talk soon.
xox, n.




===

ps: i haven't tried the recipe with green figs,
i just like the photo

an ode to summer: blackberry sangria

i know, i know.
it's fall, it's my favorite season.
but, i've got bits of summer,
still to share.
bear with me.
with one more ode to the past season.
and to late summer apples.
and here too,
is my second recipe.
and you can find #1, here.

oh and there's a new ladle for my shop,
it'll be there later today or tomorrow.
it's made from rhododendron wood,
really.

oh and
those tiny apples in the photos.
i know, adorable.
they're crab apples grafted onto a transparent.
and this graft is special,
this one was the last graft
of my late friend george.
an amazing man,
who passed at 90,
a few years back.


he taught my father of apples.
and of gardens and of life.
and he played crib with my mother most everyday.
he was great man and i feel privileged to have known him.


anyway,
that last branch he grafted
was so full of tiny
beautiful apples this year.


try to imagine the tree.
a woody old trunk, peely, mossy.
most of the branches,
bare of fruit now,
leafy. free from apples.



the one branch he grafted
turned to 4 or 5 now.
they are heavily weighed down
as though they can barely hold their load.
they're full of those tiny peachy pink apples
the ones with the yellow tinge.

the transparents ripen early
they are long gone.
but the late summer crab apples
they are there.


in all kinds of apple glory.


i wish you could have seen my face
when i first saw them that is.
i don't know why exactly i reacted as strongly as i did.
i've seen many grafts over the years.
many trees with two different types of apples
swinging in the wind.
as to almost be showing off their beauty.
this one though.
this one was something else.
it was beautiful.
i wish you could have seen it.


happy day friends.
more tomorrow.
xox, n.





blackberry sangria

2 bottles of grenache based red wine
(or any wine you like really)
750 ml club soda
1/2 vanilla bean
2 cinnamon sticks
1 lemon (sliced)
1 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup fresh blackberries or marionberries
2 apples sliced
1/2 cup chambord

1. combine wine, sugar, chambord,
half of the blackberries, vanilla pod, orange juice,
cinnamon sticks and lemon together
and stir until sugar is mostly dissolved.
2. let stand in refridgerator for 2 - 24 hours.
3. before serving add the soda,
the sliced apples
and the remaining blackberries.
4. i think it's nice to serve it from an old bottle
with a pretty ladle
and lots of ice
into small glass lassie cups.
5. but, anything you like is just fine. enjoy!

hello!

hello hello.
happy september.
how are you?
i'm back from vacation
and have got so much to show you.
new recipes, new photos and just plain fun.
anyway, these photos are a little taste of what i was up to.


i've got a busy day ahead
so have got to run for now.
more to come tomorrow though.


======



oh and pop over to
camp comfort,
my fall essentials are there.



======


talk soon.
hope you are well.
xox, n.