PEARS baked with maple syrup


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2017!Holy $#!t!

So,here we start another trip around the Sun!Crazzzzzzy.But you know what?It’s my 31st and I’m more excited than EVER.
Just think of all the food that can be tasted in the next 12 months!And how much can be learnt about photohraphy during the next 365(ok 361 now) days!And hey, challanges, life lessons, unexpected adventures, I am ready for you. I’m ready for the ride!

I really love how stepping into New Year always brings joy, optimism, hope, good vibes and exciting plans!Everybody seems so much happier.I’ve never seen so many happy faces around on a Monday morning!(ok, there were some hangovered faces too!lol!)That’s just how it shoud be. It’s exciting!It’s special! It’s a fresh start of a new journey with a countless oportunities to learn, to experience life, to become better.

Let’s just don’t be to harsh on ourselves, shall we?

Let’s not strive to be perfect. Let’s make misteakes, be silly, admit we don’t have to know everything.Because we don’t!Let’s cry when we need to. Let’s enjoy life with all it’s ups and downs.Even if it kicks your ass from time to time.

2016 kicked my ass for sure! It was challanging. Painful. Rough. And we all know how difficult it was globally too. But hey, I feel stronger than before and It made my notice everyday magic more and appreciate the little beautiful moments.

 


So let’s just focus on those happy moments for a bit.
Simple food is what makes me happy.And I’m sure this recipe will make you happy too.It not only takes 20 minutes and it tastes sooooo good you will want to screem with excitment. That’s what I did anyway!

Enjoy!

And If you have few spare moments I highly recommend reading this beautiful post about entering a New Year by Elizabeth Gilbert 🙂


RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

5 ripe pears(conference pears are great for this recipe)
vanilla pod
maple syrup(how much you prefer :))
handful of hazelnuts

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 190 C. Peel the pears,cut the fruit in half lengthwise and remove the cores with a teaspoon. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with a baking paper. Mix vanilla beans removed from the pod and mix with maple syrup.Pour over the pears. Chop the hazelnuts roughly and sprinkle over the pears. Bake for 15 minutes or until the fruit is soft.

Enjoy  with some cream or top up the porridge x


 

Late summer TART

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Somewhere around three years ago I got myself a camera. I had no freaking idea about photography. All I knew was that this small black box that was going to turn up in the post had lots of weird buttons and somehow I had to figure it out and learn how to take decent photos. You see, I’m quite a sentimental gal, the first thing I’d take if my house was on fire would be the box filled with the pictures of all my favourite moments I collected over the years. (By the way, I do keep this box next to the bed in case of the fire!) So now that I lived so far away from my family home I wanted to make sure these precious moments we spent together were nicely captured.  That was my mission.

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Little did I know at the time that I was just about to start one of the most emotional journeys that was going to change my entire life.  Photography has totally shifted the way I see the world. Totally! It makes me jump out of bed in the morning, it excites me, make me curious to learn new things and scares the sh** out of me at the same time. It challenges and pushes me out of my comfort zone, makes me do things I’m so frightened of and turns me into the person I’ve always wanted to become. It gives me freedom and makes me feel alive.

But the best part of this journey, without a doubt, are all the amazing human beings I connected with along the way. People who make this planet such a unique place. Who prove that creativity has no limits. Whose work makes my heart beat faster. Who make me fall in love with the world every single day.
So here is a delicious tart for you guys!For making this journey so special! For inspiring me!For all your support! For being here! Thank youuuuuuuuuuu!

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The base of this tart is one of my favourite recipes to make. It’s easy, effortless and can me used in lots of different ways.You can turn it into these cups,  use it for a cheesecake base,crumble on the top of the porridge, not to mention it makes amazing cookies that can be then dipped in dark chocolate!

INGREDIENTS:

for the base

100g wholegrain flour
100g desiccated coconut
100g unsalted butter, melted
60g coconut sugar or 40g unrefined cane sugar

for the filling

300ml double cream(cold) + 2-4 tablespoons
250g mascarpone cheese
icing sugar/maple syrup or any of your favourite sweetener to taste

top with:

fig slices, blueberries, blackberries
cinnamon
maple syrup

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Mix the ingredients for the base and line the bottom of the 35cmx12cm tart tin using your fingertips.

Bake for around 20  minutes. The tart will ‚swell’ a little bit so take it out and press the pastry back to it’s shape with the back of the spoon and put back it the oven for extra 5 minutes.

Take it out the oven and let it cool down.

In the meantime, whip the cream until it’s thick and creamy, add mascarpone cream and icing sugar to taste (you can also leave it unsweetened or add couple of spoonfuls maple syrup or any of your favourite sweetener). Add extra double cream in case it’s to thick and might feel difficult to spread.

Spread the mascarpone mixture over the base and decorate with fruit. Pour over the maple syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon just before serving.

Enjoy xxx

 

Coconut cups with strawberries & yogurt

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I freaking love live!With all its ups and downs.With all its perfect imperfections.I really do!(Even when it rains for days in the summer!).I believe that we have bad days so that we can appreciate the good ones,to get to know ourselves,to learn,and to grow.And so I celebrate every single moment-bigger and smaller,because I feel somewhere deep down I might not have a chance to experience it again.Celebration comes in all shapes and sizes.Sitting in pijamas on the patio with a cinnamon latte sounds like the best party ever to me just lately.(Is this what most almost-30-girls do?).Of course great food has to be involve too.OF COURSE!Sweet and not-so-guilty treats-even better 🙂 Just like these coconut cups(And here I would like to pay a tribute to the inventor of muffin tin!) They cups don’t need much attention,they are pretty easy and quick to make(Yuppie!More time on the patio!)  and taste insanely amazing!

So let’s just celebrate life!Eat great food!And make every moment count  xxx
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RECIPE:

for 8

INGREDIENTS:

for the base

100g wholegrain spelt flour
100g desiccated coconut
100g unsalted butter,melted
60g coconut sugar or 40g unrefined cane sugar

for the filling

100 strawberries,mashed with fork
310g natural yogurt
1 vanilla pod
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

for decoration

strawberries,sliced
blueberries
pistachios,chopped

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Mix the ingredients for the base and line the bottom and sides of muffin moulds.The layer shouldn’t be too thick as it will ‘swell’ a little bit in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes.It you notice they ‘swell’ to much,take them out the oven after 10 minutes and press the sides with a teaspoon.(Tried & tested :))

Take them out the oven and let them cool down still in moulds for few minutes,then remove and cool on the rack.

In the meantime,remove vanilla beans from the pod,add them to natural yogurt and mix in the maple syrup.

It’s best to prepare them before serving,as the yogurt will soften the cups.To finish them off:fill the cup with 3/4 of yogurt mixture,mix in 1-2 teaspoons of mashed strawberries.Decorate with strawberry slices,blueberries and chopped pistachios.

Enjoy xxx