tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9545619831577099352024-03-21T03:19:18.174+01:00Cooking Pretty with Julija ArtJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-80535318902778570472012-07-21T14:54:00.006+02:002013-01-18T16:29:14.981+01:00Bran PancakesI love food, and, as a great food lover I have a problem, I love it too much. I love it to the point of obsession, I love it till my body tells me I have to stop myself from loving it...for some time ...<br />
It never really works... Even on my low carb, high protein diet binges I find ways to make it taste good:)<br />
To all of you Dukan diet lovers, here's a pancake that will make your life that much better when you're on the it (skip the dip if you're on Dukan diet phase 1-2).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_8Noc4EEaNjSMAdmfH_TFTYgtswMf0j57Vwrbi4TJaH81tZjbrPj32X_0ACaqD38lzqfbwNTaA3FHR7BFrKYA9GICA4Ehcu4f_sobjNrEv2MxYeLwr6oG_zsXkX7Gb2sUiidWFHl92k/s1600/DSC_2266+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_8Noc4EEaNjSMAdmfH_TFTYgtswMf0j57Vwrbi4TJaH81tZjbrPj32X_0ACaqD38lzqfbwNTaA3FHR7BFrKYA9GICA4Ehcu4f_sobjNrEv2MxYeLwr6oG_zsXkX7Gb2sUiidWFHl92k/s320/DSC_2266+copy.JPG" width="215" /></a></div>
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<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_500aa5693d5a69815607645">
Bran Pancakes with salmon and 'Guacamolish' dip;)<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"> <br /> Bran pancakes (makes 6)<br /> <br /> 4 tbsp oat bran<br /> 3 tbsp fat free natural yoghurt<br /> 1 egg<br /> 1/2 tsp baking powder<br /> <br /> salt to taste<br /> <br /> mix all the ingredients and fry on a non-stick skillet on low heat so they cook all the way through and don't burn.<br /> <br /> <br /> No dice/no slice guacamolish dip (makes a small bowl, 1 person serving)<br /> <br /> 1/2 ripe avocado<br /> lemon juice to taste (i prefer lime, but didn't have any at home)<br /> 1/4 medium sized onion<br /> 1/2 garlic clove<br /> finely chopped cilantro (if you like it)<br /> salt, pepper to taste<br /> <br /> Mash avocado with a fork.<br />
Here comes the awesome part about no dice/no slice;) Grab garlic press
and cut the onion into chunks that fit into the press easily, press it
into the avocado, repeat with garlic. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Voila! you're done! <br /><br />Enjoy your breakfast/ brunch!</span></div>
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Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-47674641982618876842012-05-02T14:56:00.003+02:002012-05-02T14:56:57.691+02:00Strawberries and wonton wrappers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring is in full swing, seasonal berries are plenty, perfect time to indulge in one of my favorite breakfast dishes-- strawberry dumplings. <br />When I was little, mama used to make them for us on her days off. Time consuming you see...but oh so worth every minute spend with that heavy rolling pin:) <br />Now, if you're lazy, or just saving time, grab some wonton wrappers at oriental grocery store and you're good to go. Wrapping them is easy and fun. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyJHrNftAOkdBvzlXawj58oWK3LBIQ75GPIlGqWPG9FZH86p9o7w8JUC07I-rMFO0EgfXipOuYFlczJlOyWknjl2iP6cbMGu4H1mCM9s8-nMKFype70KFnf6UlEVj_gG4qeQjiVH3rYQ/s1600/DSC_9141ws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyJHrNftAOkdBvzlXawj58oWK3LBIQ75GPIlGqWPG9FZH86p9o7w8JUC07I-rMFO0EgfXipOuYFlczJlOyWknjl2iP6cbMGu4H1mCM9s8-nMKFype70KFnf6UlEVj_gG4qeQjiVH3rYQ/s400/DSC_9141ws.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />here's the recipe for the dough:<br /><br /><br /><br />Dough:<br /><br />1 egg<br />flour<br />pinch of salt<br />1c of ice cold milk (I drop an ice cube in the cup of milk, before I start the process)<br /><br />strawberries<br />sugar<br />sour cream or butter, to top<br /><br />Whisk egg, milk, salt together with a fork, and add flour, enough for you to be able to still mix it with a fork. Beat all the lumps out and pour the dough out on a heavily floured surface.Fold flour in until the dough is pliable, small amount at a time. <br />Once the dough is not sticking to your hands anymore, start kneading it, give it good 10-15 minutes.<br />Wrap in plastic and let 'relax' in the fridge. <br /><br />-or-<br />buy wonton wrappers and use them ;) <br /><br />toll out the dough as thin as you possibly can, add half of a strawberry, dust it with a little bit of sugar, and wrap in any shape you wish. <br /><br />Boil in salted water, eat carefully, try not to bite your tongue off ;D oh yeah, they are that good!:)<br /><br />Enjoy <3<br /><br />p.s you can use blueberries or pitted cherries, they make some awesome dumplings too!Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-14349991623881941082012-04-23T19:02:00.001+02:002012-04-23T19:02:37.247+02:00Hail the Almighty Grilled Cheese!why Almighty?<br />coz it's that good! it has so many flavors and variations, it's hard to find someone who wouldn't love one or another type of a grilled cheese sarnie.<br />
Prosciutto , apple , onion and cheese, that's my favorite combo!<br />
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The minute that gooey cheese hits your tongue you know you're in heaven!<br />I love a little tangy apple in it to set the cheese off, something about it, it's sooo good.<br />Don't overdo the prosciutto, you want it there just for the variation in flavor, not to add too much saltiness.<br /><br />here it is:<br /><br />
Ingredients :<br />
<span class="hasCaption"><br /> 5 grain bread<br /><span class="text_exposed_show"> thin slice of onion<br /> slice or two of apple, I prefer sour kind,like Rennet<br /> 4 thick slices of full fat cow's milk cheese to your liking<br /> a strip or two of prosciutto <br /> stack,fry in butter (if you want to reduce fat, use PAM or any other spray oil straight on the bread)<br /> and enjoy!<br /> <br /> p.s if you find that raw apples and onions are too much for you, feel free to caramelize them,that works too ;)</span></span>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-91223663927053546922012-02-14T02:27:00.001+01:002012-02-14T02:32:15.267+01:00LOVE it or hate it!Valentine's day is here!<br />
and you probably guessed, I LOVE IT ;D<br />
if you reading this and you think this is a made up holiday<br />
for stupid people who just need an occasion to spend money, then<br />
you need to bugger off immediately, coz I think you're one of those<br />
stupid people who just hate life. There's no reason to hate any holiday, <br />
it's just a reminder to celebrate, nobody is making you go buy flowers<br />
for your wife, you should anyway...<br />
<br />
And since I LOVE it, I spend a good few hours making some awesomely cute fondant covered cookies to mark the occasion!:)<br />
without further ado, here they are! <br />
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the recipe I used for the cookies comes from the very talented SugarBelle <br />
visit her page here :<br />
<br />
http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/blog/2011/06/basic-sugar-cookie-recipe-2/<br />
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I used almond extract, and the cookies turned out amazing, no blisters,kept the shape, and the flavor is just outstanding!<br />
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Marshmallow fondant was a bit tricky to work with, but, I think they turned out just fine for my first ever attempt at making it. Here's the recipe I used :<br />
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http://allrecipes.com/recipe/marshmallow-fondant/<br />
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Hope you enjoyed these !<br />
have a lovely, looooooovely ,love-filled Valentine's day!<br />
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xxxJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-22439340742661807792012-01-29T20:45:00.002+01:002012-01-29T20:49:52.800+01:00it's choux , not shoe ;DChoux pastry cookies-childhood memories in one bite ;)<br />
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<br />
These have always been one of my favorite cookies when I was growing up.<br />
No matter where you buy them, they always taste the same, always perfect!<br />
Soft,moist,fragrant,sweet,mmmmm, perfection ;)<br />
<br />
I make sure I know my favorite recipes, that way if I can't buy something, I know I can make it at home anytime I wish. Today was one of those days where I just had to have them ;) <br />
They are pretty basic, choux pastry cookies, slightly sweeter, and denser than actual choux used for profiteroles etc. Addictive as cigarettes and heroin, lol ;D <br />
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Try them and you'll see ;)<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<br />
350 ml of milk<br />
75 grams butter<br />
100 grams of sugar (i used 120 grams)<br />
170 grams of flour<br />
pinch of salt (less that 1/4tsp)<br />
3-4 eggs<br />
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heat milk, butter and sugar in the sauce pan, turn the heat down to medium low once the milk is boiling, add salt and sifted flour all at once and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball of dough.<br />
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Let cool for 10-20 minutes,but not completely, add one egg at a time,incorporating the egg fully before adding another one.<br />
<br />
pour the dough into the pastry bag (I used 1M tip) and pipe cookies onto a baking sheet.<br />
feel free to play with the shapes, hearts will be perfect for Valentine's day ;D hint hint ;)<br />
<br />
bake at 210 c for 20--25 minutes (test your oven with a small batch of cookies, I baked them at 180c)<br />
do not open the oven while baking the cookies, they will most likely flop down!<br />
<br />
enjoy cold or warm, you can even pipe some cream into them (I'd suggest reducing the amount of sugar to the minimum then)<br />
<br />
at first cookies are nice and crispy on the outside, but once they cool completely and sit for a while, they become nice and soft. I like them either way ;)<br />
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enjoy! xxxJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-75103709183873114772012-01-05T13:39:00.000+01:002012-01-05T13:39:24.248+01:00I Heart Bread!Apparently this is an authentic recipe from one of the Lithuanian bakeries. If you're not informed yet, Lithuania, being a tiny country, has one of the best breads on EARTH, not exaggerating at all !<br />
Makes me proud... Every time I get nostalgic, I bake bread.<br />
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This recipe is easy to make, but takes time to get the end product, due to the amount of yeast in the bread, it's tiny and it takes a while to raise, but it give you the lightest bread with the crunchy crust,mmmmm, absolutely glorious!<br />
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Ingredients :<br />
3 cups white flour (375grams)<br />
6 grams dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon)<br />
6 grams salt (3/4 teaspoon)<br />
8 grams sugar (1 tablespoon, I used 2)<br />
55 grams vegetable oil ( 4 tablespoons ) (when I make this bread with raisins, I use melted butter instead, makes it so fragrant and much denser)<br />
200 ml water (3/4 c)<br />
egg-wash<br />
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Combine 1c flour with yeast and 3/4c warm water (not hot,it will kill the yeast), cover with plastic and let sit for 30 minutes, when you see bubbles raising to the top, it's ready.<br />
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Add 1 cup of flour, salt, 1 tbsp sugar, veggie oil , and knead for 10-15 minutes, adding flour as needed. I never use the remaining 3rd cup, barely under 1/2c , y bread always turns out great.<br />
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I cannot stress enough the importance of kneading your bread, don't be lazy,what's 10 minutes of playing with soft dough?:) I don't trust the machines, like Will Smith in "I, Robot" ;D<br />
I believe you give your food your energy when you make it with your hands ;)<br />
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After the dough is kneaded, put it in a bowl and cover it with plastic and a towel, let is sit someplace warm until it doubles in size.<br />
<br />
Divide the dough into 3 parts, let it sit another 10 minutes, as 'they' say to relax ;)<br />
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Braid the dough as shown in this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR6aIAh2Vt8<br />
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My favorite is 5 strand braiding, 6 i find to be too much.<br />
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Once you're done playing with it (it is very entertaining!:), place bread into the baking tray (any shape you want, bread pan, bundt pan) cover with plastic and let sit, until the bread is doubled in size again.<br />
Brush with eggwash and bake at 180c /356 F for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven and location.<br />
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Enjoy it warm, with some fresh butter and whatever else you want to put on top of it!Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-51704001524056515062011-12-30T20:21:00.001+01:002011-12-30T23:52:40.832+01:00worthy of emperor's taste buds for sure!Meet the Napoleon Torte !<br />
a traditional New Year's Eve dessert for millions of<br />
people in ex soviet countries, loved by everyone I know to this day.<br />
Time consuming? yes! Delectable ? You'll wanna slap your next door neighbor!<br />
Yes, not grandma, coz she taught me to do it, neighbor, coz it's that good the mere<br />
thought of sharing it with someone will make you wanna slap them! :D<br />
<br />
without further ado, here is the beauty :<br />
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this recipe is very easy to make, minus the grueling labor when rolling out those tiny tiny layers , mine had 12 this time, and 16 last time i made it.<br />
this amount of dough makes a 20cm / 8 inch diameter cake.<br />
I doubled the recipe to get 16 layers and made the cake 30 cm/12 inch cake.<br />
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200 gr margarine (1 cup minus 1 tbsp)<br />
3 cups of flour<br />
1/2 cup cold water<br />
1tbsp vinegar<br />
<br />
grate chilled margarine and cut it with the flour.<br />
once the mixture looks like fine crumbs, add water and vinegar, knead the dough gently into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator to cool while you're making the cream.<br />
<br />
I used pastry cream that's made in 2 steps:<br />
<br />
3 cups of milk-- heat on medium heat while mixing following ingredients in a separate bowl:<br />
<br />
1c sugar<br />
1c milk<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 tbsp flour<br />
<br />
Once the milk has started boiling reduce the heat a little bit and start pouring the egg mixture slowly into the milk,whisking it constantly to avoid forming lumps. When the cream has thickened, cover it with a towel and let it cool (if you're lucky and have minus temperature outside, it won't take long)<br />
<br />
Once the cream has cooled completely, add this mixture to it:<br />
<br />
300 grams of butter (1cup plus 5 tbsp)<br />
1 cup of sugar<br />
(whip it with the mixer until sugar completely incorporated)<br />
<br />
Add one table spoon at a time to the cream, and whip it with the mixer after each addition.<br />
<br />
let it stand it the fridge for an hour or so.<br />
<br />
Get your dough ball out, cut it into 12 equal parts,shape them into small balls and place them back in the fridge, using one at a time, so they don't start melting on your table,it makes it very hard to roll out.<br />
<br />
Dust the work surface with flour and roll the balls as thin as you possibly can. Move onto baking sheet and pierce wholes all through with the fork.<br />
<br />
Bake at 240 c (464F)<br />
the layers bake very quickly, so watch out for them getting scorched. If you have an eager set of helping hands, that's the time to employ them.<br />
<br />
Cut the layers into the shape you wish, I prefer the cake round, and I use this glorious TRICK, I take a lid off any of my pots and cut the layers with it, the actual layer gets stuck inside the lid and i can move it without breaking it onto the plate that the cake will be served on;) veeeeeery handy ;)<br />
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Reserve the leftover cutoffs from the cake layers, they will be turned into crumbs and used to decorate the cake.<br />
<br />
Once all of the cake layers are ready, pour the cream on each layer, pressing lightly to 'glue' the layers together. If you like the layers half dry, this is not the cake for you,it's very moist and heavy.<br />
<br />
Make sure you have enough cream for the top layer (I reserve it in advance just in case)<br />
Once you have poured the cream on top, cover it with crumbs all over, wrap with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to soak up the cream overnight. I remove the cake the next day and let it sit at room temperature for complete 'soakage' lol ;)<br />
<br />
It's time consuming, but very rewarding!<br />
Everyone who tries this cake is smitten with it's delightful aroma and flavor, not to mention the texture of 12 layers of pastry melting in your mouth!<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
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Happy New Year!Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-24924138227039625512011-10-31T14:31:00.000+01:002011-10-31T14:31:41.210+01:00Spookylicious!Happy Spooky Halloween to all!<br />
<br />
Gotta love this holiday! Get to play dress up, <br />
eat crazy looking food, drink toxic beverages, and what's most<br />
fun trick or treat! :)<br />
Not sure if little trick-or-treaters would love the idea of brain-dead<br />
cupcakes with blood clots bursting out of them, but I am more than certain <br />
PG 13 audience most definitely will! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwEwwaVmr9SFLVa19ywjp1FZyul16oJ1GD8Wt5awJpkI4kN07tvEpAmvMsfEE_Z9Weyzp0ioKApI8WFP81qhFk5hiqd-8v1TnaCDrNp9lDd4_ei12kPtP9YwodJmQt5mSf-Tjloqhzg8/s1600/DSC_2561s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwEwwaVmr9SFLVa19ywjp1FZyul16oJ1GD8Wt5awJpkI4kN07tvEpAmvMsfEE_Z9Weyzp0ioKApI8WFP81qhFk5hiqd-8v1TnaCDrNp9lDd4_ei12kPtP9YwodJmQt5mSf-Tjloqhzg8/s400/DSC_2561s.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
No specific recipe to be followed here,use your favorite cupcake and frosting<br />
recipe, cut holes in the cupcakes, fill with strawberry or cherry pie filling until they are about to burst. <br />
Frost with squiggles that look like brain matter and voilà,your toxic brain cupcakes are ready to be served! <br />
<br />
Your friends will be delighted! Make sure you have plenty of napkins in store,it could<br />
get messy! <br />
<br />
Happy Halloween!Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-92128070240041946432011-10-28T16:55:00.000+02:002011-10-28T16:55:46.038+02:00Decadent indulgenceI've always loved caviar! Salmon, beluga, cod, you name it--I like it! all but fake caviar, eek!<br />
<br />
Sadly, most people I speak to hate it, I usually hear something like :" EEEEEEW , fish eggs". Makes me laugh, they don't know what they're missing! <br />
<br />
On special occasions I make some crepes and eat caviar rolled in a crepe with crème fraîche, blissfully yummy! On the days when I have no time for crepes, I butter fresh bread and spread generous amount of caviar on it, top it with a thin slice of lemon, perfection!<br />
<br />
When I have guests that enjoy caviar as much as I do, I always make sure to serve these little appetizers, Halloween table will have them on too, especially since they go nicely with the orange color scheme;)<br />
<br />
If you never tried caviar, go for it, especially if you're not the 'eek-fish-eggs' type ;) <br />
<br />
Don't they just look gorgeous? Orange pearls of salty goodness , yumm!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSrKQHL45NgNoYiHIS0wYHFjovzHcuBM5YSS-hyNpmBwSzhICsdaDm6Sw5X0pLKsrtHjPZCpMYLnmxi2L0g5ckg-GZJ799WrpPVCA9NhkOwQ2XsO4exzI3pFGxZJHFHCXbI5vFCvfJeI/s1600/320259_183830361698569_115775728504033_385815_1927532544_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSrKQHL45NgNoYiHIS0wYHFjovzHcuBM5YSS-hyNpmBwSzhICsdaDm6Sw5X0pLKsrtHjPZCpMYLnmxi2L0g5ckg-GZJ799WrpPVCA9NhkOwQ2XsO4exzI3pFGxZJHFHCXbI5vFCvfJeI/s400/320259_183830361698569_115775728504033_385815_1927532544_n.jpg" /></a></div>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-57997131207578882122011-10-22T03:03:00.000+02:002011-10-22T03:03:15.006+02:00Churros with a CauseI dreamed up my Pink Ribbon Churros last night,I was staring at all the beautiful recipes online, drooling over the thought of making them first thing in the morning. Morning came,it was a very cold morning, so standing around a hot pot of oil was more than pleasant ;)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyThevxx14ElRCM524Qxx8dHWoeaYLGpN9CGxBSBDbt13b4wLWlNBsZdFG33FSLBmDn7AouPtJLOHcfJJ7xRVuaIFqHQ9OABD83EBbxv_wO3KPnpQH6NNwxdNiCCn4SGFEVF4_02DVUQ0/s1600/296697_180859648662307_115775728504033_375914_833799913_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyThevxx14ElRCM524Qxx8dHWoeaYLGpN9CGxBSBDbt13b4wLWlNBsZdFG33FSLBmDn7AouPtJLOHcfJJ7xRVuaIFqHQ9OABD83EBbxv_wO3KPnpQH6NNwxdNiCCn4SGFEVF4_02DVUQ0/s400/296697_180859648662307_115775728504033_375914_833799913_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
they are really easy to make, and there are millions of recipes out there, I liked this one coz it uses eggs,somehow makes me feel good knowing there are eggs;D Weird, I know:)<br />
<br />
Onto the serious part. I made these in the shape of the ribbon to mark the Breast HEALTH Awareness Month. I refuse to call it anything else but that, HEALTH awareness. I believe we should be aware of health and put effort into maintaining it, rather than going to see a doctor only when you get ill. <br />
<br />
Therefore, even if ONE female reads this blog entry and decides to get an appointment to get checked out or does a self exam, I will be happy as a big pink elephant ;)<br />
<br />
Onto churros, to make them you will need: <br />
<br />
<br />
Churros with a cause !<br />
<br />
1 cup = 250 ml container<br />
<br />
1 cup of boiling water<br />
100 grams of butter (just a bit snipped off 1 full stick)<br />
zest of 1 orange or lemon<br />
1 cup of flour<br />
1-2 tablespoons of sugar<br />
1/4 tsp of salt<br />
3 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
<br />
vegetable oil (I used peanut oil ) - for frying<br />
cinnamon and sugar - for dusting<br />
<br />
<br />
Bring water to boil and melt butter in it. Add zest, sugar salt mix until melted and toss flour in , mix vigorously until you get a smooth thick dough. Whisk eggs lightly and slowly pour them into hot dough, continuing to mix like a mad housewife ;D<br />
If you still have lumps in the dough, just run it through a sieve--my best friend in the war with lumps ;D<br />
Once cooled, pack the dough into pastry bag or syringe fitted with a large star shaped tip.<br />
<br />
Heat oil on medium heat, to check if it's ready toss a small cube of white bread in, if it turns light brown, it's ready, if soaks up the oil and floats lifeless it's not hot enough, if turns dark brown quick, it's too hot, take it off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes, you don't want your churros ugly brown color.<br />
<br />
Fry churros for a minute each, they don't take long, once they are light brown, they are ready to come out. Toss on the paper towel to absorb excess oil and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.<br />
<br />
Hot (or cold) chocolate dip: <br />
<br />
1 cup of milk or 1/2 c cream +1/2 c cream if your naughty ;)<br />
200 grams of dark chocolate, chopped<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence<br />
<br />
melt chocolate with milk either in a saucepan or a microwave, add vanilla essence and enjoy hot or cold;) I like it cold believe it or not ,when it's hot it's too overpowering for my taste buds;)<br />
<br />
<br />
Eat churros right away dipping them into the chocolate, they are perfect when they are hot, they are just as good when cold ;)<br />
<br />
Enjoy! and stay healthy!<br />
<br />
p.s original recipe can be found here : http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/2469/churros+con+chocolateJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-55128416083416482992011-10-20T21:43:00.001+02:002011-10-20T22:27:39.011+02:00Macaron love!I finally went to Venice last week, it was a glorious day! Sunny and crisp, not yet cold, basically perfect for a stroll around tiny streets of Venice. <br />
<br />
Needless to say after all the walking we did, we got hungry, went to a beautiful little restaurant, enjoyed some Venetian style squid, cooked in it's own ink, very flavorful, and oh so different to say the least! Toothbrush would've been a great helper getting all that black out of my teeth, but, with some ingenious inventions in front of the pretty little bathroom mirror, my teeth were good as new!<br />
<br />
Long story short, dessert didn't fit in my stomach right away, so I decided to walk it off and get something later. <br />
Loads of beautiful patisseries all over the place, one better than the other, displays were bursting with sweets and I spotted something I've been dreaming of tasting, but was holding out for Paris... <br />
I hear macarons reign supreme over there. I hesitated, but figured, they originated in Italy, surely they will be good here and oh my LO-R-DAY was I mistaken! Now, here's a disclaimer, I didn't go to a patisserie that specializes in macarons, and I do not say that all of Italian macarons are bad. I was just unlucky. They were hard, flavorless, brittle chunks of plastic mixed with powdered sugar and coloring... eek!<br />
<br />
I mourned a little, but was determined to erase that awful incident off my taste bud memory, so I came back home and made them myself, easy as that! :D<br />
<br />
If you embark on this journey, please prepare for it in advance, here's what I learned :<br />
<br />
1. egg whites NEED to be aged (mine were a week old!!!)<br />
2. almond flour needs to be sifted, you'll find some huge chunks in them for sure!<br />
3. all the measurements need to be precise, digital scale is a must!<br />
4. have all the ingredients set out and measured before you start,it will help you avoid running around the kitchen like a headless chicken when your caramel is burning ;D<br />
5. If you have an eager set of helping hands, use them! it will cut piping and filling time in half ;) <br />
6. don't be scared, they are not that hard to make:)<br />
7. start with the lowest temperature, make a small batch and learn from it, all ovens are different, so are the geographical locations;) it matters a lot where you are when you're making macarons,Italy or California ;)the conditions will be different so will results if you don't adjust.<br />
8. I used parchment paper, people say it's best to use silicone pads, I don't trust them, they move too weird and feel like some sea creature, too wiggly :D <br />
9. Over-beating...something you'll see on a lot of blogs and in tons of books, but there is no certain way to do it right, I mixed my ingredients till everything was uniform. Didn't count the times I did the folding, nothing like that.<br />
10. to dry or not to dry the piped macarons...I did, for 30 minutes, they turned out lovely! some say no need for it, some say leave them for a few hours or even overnight!!!...it's up to you.<br />
<br />
I am in no right to give out advice, I made them the 1st time and they turned out brilliant, so I'll attribute the success to the gorgeous genius of Pierre Hermé and my prep effort! I read the recipe 100 of times, plus had everything set to go when I was ready to bake.<br />
<br />
Without any more twaddle I introduce you Pierre Hermé mouthwatering Frivolté <br />
Salted Caramel Apple Macarons!<br />
<br />
for the macaron batter you'll need( feel free to cut the amounts in half, this makes enormous number of macarons!) :<br />
<br />
step 1:<br />
<br />
300g ground almonds<br />
300g powdered sugar<br />
<br />
sift and run in the blender or food processor for a a minute, don't overdo it, you're running a risk of extracting almond oil into the batter, and you sure don't need that!<br />
<br />
step 2:<br />
<br />
110g aged egg whites (3-4 they shrink like crazy when they dry;))<br />
yellow food coloring<br />
<br />
mix together well, do not beat, and pour over the almond/powdered sugar mixture.<br />
<br />
step 3:<br />
<br />
330g sugar<br />
75g bottled still water <br />
<br />
bring to 118C on the candy thermometer and set aside (if you have a helping hand, get someone to start the sugar syrup while you beat the 2nd batch of the egg whites)<br />
<br />
step 4:<br />
<br />
110g aged egg whites<br />
<br />
start beating the second batch of the egg whites (stationary mixer is preferred, but handheld will do just as good. Switch to high speed and pour sugar syrup in slowly, continue beating on high speed for 2 minutes, the whites will get thick but still a little runny. Set aside to cool. <br />
<br />
step 5:<br />
<br />
once egg whites are cooled off pour them into the powdered sugar/almond/colored egg white mix and fold gently, incorporating the mixture fully, but not over processing it. The batter will be thick but slightly runny, not too liquid.<br />
<br />
step 6:<br />
<br />
prepare piping bags fitted with #12 tip in tall ,place them in glasses (for easier transfer, it gets a bit messy)<br />
pour the batter into piping bags, start piping macarons onto parchment paper. Some draw circles, I didn't , they came out just fine without any unnecessary geometry ;)(never liked it anyway;D)Make sure you leave enough space for them to expand though, about 2-3 centimeters is enough.<br />
let them sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours, I left mine for 30 minutes, they were just fine. You'll know they are ready once the top of the macaron has a slight film that won't stick to your fingertip if touched. <br />
<br />
step 7:<br />
<br />
Bake in a preheated oven at 165C to 180C (I went with the lowest temperature and was happy about it). Bake for 12 minutes, opening the oven at the 8 minute mark slightly(macarons should have the crust and the 'feet' developed, you'll see them when it happens;))to let any condensed steam to come out (I stuffed folded paper towel in the oven door to let the air in). <br />
Once done, remove from the oven immediately onto work surface covered with a flat towel. Let cool, and put the next batch in. <br />
<br />
Filling :<br />
<br />
for the filling you will need :<br />
<b>NOTICE : if you're using homemade dried apples, do this step a day in advance!</b><br />
<br />
(I suggest buying something like this : http://www.gourmetnut.com/apple-rings.html )<br />
<br />
4 to 5 apples (peeled and cored)<br />
(you can bother with drying them in the oven, I see no point, just buy dried apples in the health store, but make sure they are not the super dehydrated kind, but white and soft )<br />
30g lemon juice<br />
20g sugar <br />
<br />
step 1: <br />
cut the apples into small chunks, douse them with lemon juice so they don't brown, add the sugar and spread on the baking sheet in one layer. Bake at 90 c until slightly dehydrated, but not crisp, remove from the oven and let stand covered with a paper towel,they will dry some more overnight. <br />
<br />
step 2: <br />
making caramel <br />
you'll need:<br />
<br />
330g sugar<br />
335g cream<br />
65g salted Butter <br />
<br />
Heat the cream in a small pot and set aside (do not need to bring it to boil).<br />
Toss sugar into a sauce pan over medium heat and mix with a wooden spoon until it all melts and turns dark amber color, turn the heat down to low and add the cream. Bring it to 108C and add salted butter, be careful it will be a little angry at you and spit ;) set aside to cool, cover with cling film and transfer to the fridge to cool off completely. <br />
TIP: if you do not have salted butter just add a pinch of salt, I like to actually taste the salt in my caramel, so I went a bit over 1/4 teaspoon of pink salt (I like it cause it's not too overpowering and natural, it's hard to over-salt with pink salt). <br />
<br />
step 3:<br />
<br />
290g unsalted butter (at room temperature)<br />
<br />
whip the butter until it's light and fluffy (about 10 minutes) and add caramel in 2-3 batches to incorporate fully. <br />
<br />
Last and the awesomest step :<br />
<br />
assembling macarons!<br />
<br />
is fun and easy! make sure you don't apply to much pressure, pipe the filling onto a macaron, top with 3-5 chunks of apple , I squeeze them into the filling a little bit and cover with a second macaron. <br />
<br />
'They' say you need to wait for at least a day to eat your macarons, I can't wait that long, I had them right then, and they were glorious!<br />
thank you Pierre Hermé , you are indeed the MAN! :)<br />
<br />
and here's my shot of the beauties before I devoured them! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclaqwr3eai48JHMmbICZ66dSPyzFfYiZrcbF4hTErumTrLLsAZeHvYpQaAJ3qFl_LphxkKYHoXk1q0EHmnaivzYzY-zl1qAm0eFOQLPju6YGfoiIiB1gDELYOtHMyA4Kqy8JuVBkFjHM/s1600/DSC_1822+s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="296" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclaqwr3eai48JHMmbICZ66dSPyzFfYiZrcbF4hTErumTrLLsAZeHvYpQaAJ3qFl_LphxkKYHoXk1q0EHmnaivzYzY-zl1qAm0eFOQLPju6YGfoiIiB1gDELYOtHMyA4Kqy8JuVBkFjHM/s400/DSC_1822+s.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Enjoy! and come visit my facebook page Cooking Pretty with Julija Art for this and other recipes. <br />
Baci xxxJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-90732290367631984942011-06-08T12:34:00.000+02:002011-06-08T12:34:09.811+02:003 am MascarponeSometimes I take forever to get to making food, yesterday <br />
was not that kind of day ;)<br />
3 am, when normal people are fast asleep, I decided I need to make some<br />
mascarpone, so I did ;) <br />
Good thing I always have cream in my fridge:) Instead of dragging my sleepy<br />
self to bed as I should,I went to the fridge.<br />
It takes very little time to make, cooling is what slows it down, I am impatient :)<br />
Watched an episode of 'I love Lucy', laughed and went to bed bed dreaming of my breakfast ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
Mascarpone easy as 1-2-3<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDoyIyQp-UJ1Mt4FHuFYNjemCpZtJoNdycTWezfCeB0s5iX-CinPbuGlmCJdpFy2WOfvT6NE0WnSNb71rQvcoA3VMjfkf6CxV7tswZMZzxHU1BaTBZp6SdWDccYw0bFxvhtISvZ1yBuQ/s1600/DSC_3115s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDoyIyQp-UJ1Mt4FHuFYNjemCpZtJoNdycTWezfCeB0s5iX-CinPbuGlmCJdpFy2WOfvT6NE0WnSNb71rQvcoA3VMjfkf6CxV7tswZMZzxHU1BaTBZp6SdWDccYw0bFxvhtISvZ1yBuQ/s400/DSC_3115s.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
1 cup (250ml carton) of whole cream<br />
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)<br />
<br />
most recipes say 'use double boiler', but who needs that mess ;)<br />
heat the cream in the pan on medium heat til it reaches bubbling stage (90c) watch it not to run over--it gets real fluffy and has a big desire to escape the pan ;)<br />
<br />
turn the heat down a bit, add lemon juice or vinegar<br />
stir gently<br />
<br />
it will thicken up pretty quick, once it starts sticking to your spoon turn the heat off and let it stand for 20 minutes till it cools off. <br />
<br />
to strain the whey out, line strainer with cheese cloth, if you don't have any , wide gauze will do ;) <br />
put it in the fridge overnight covered with plastic wrap<br />
<br />
Enjoy first thing in the morning:)<br />
<br />
p.s you can season it with your fav herbs and garlic and spread it on bread--yumm!!! :)Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-47009901741031831052011-06-01T19:33:00.000+02:002011-06-01T19:33:27.567+02:00Summer In The City!!!Right off the bat my summer is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!<br />
<br />
<div>First thing in the morning I got a phone call from my bestest friend! with some fabulous news! Then I went out to pick some fresh wild strawberries and cherries conveniently growing in my back yard! :)</div><div>A nasty little tick came as an added 'bonus' with the berries. Lucky me it was slow, unlucky the tick-had to fly back into the grass hungry. I am paranoid enough to check myself the second I get out of the grass.<br />
<br />
Eeeeeek! you should've heard me scream! My neighbors got a bit of a show with me ripping articles of clothing off in panic :D (it's a good day for everyone I guess;)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Apart from creepy crawlers that come with summer time, I love everything about it: the unexpected rain showers, the thunder and the scorching heat and sunkissed skin ! L-O-V-E it! </div><div><br />
</div><div>I feel it's only right to celebrate the first day of summer with some yummies! Nothing better than a popsicle to cool you off on a sunny day. I made some 'über' healthy ones and some slightly decadent ones ;)<br />
Eather way they are refreshing and yummy! </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODmjds4lMvwqeC0Ky67h14st5D99eCLneq1dmeyQUF8GC4NANIbfRJP3ZF1fOEYoz4BHuM-ztI-tq4xINbO2kDIR6j-eNc0qaFsgZxzUY0oxDR6iyw_xGbUPwYdq4qt1ZUswXmGZKYCk/s1600/DSC_2848s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODmjds4lMvwqeC0Ky67h14st5D99eCLneq1dmeyQUF8GC4NANIbfRJP3ZF1fOEYoz4BHuM-ztI-tq4xINbO2kDIR6j-eNc0qaFsgZxzUY0oxDR6iyw_xGbUPwYdq4qt1ZUswXmGZKYCk/s640/DSC_2848s.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><div>Peaches 'n' Cream Popsicles:</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>2cups of frozen peaches</div><div>1/2 cup cream</div><div>sugar/agave/stevia to your desire (I used none, peaches were really sweet)</div><div><br />
</div><div>blend all ingredients together </div><div>pour into popsicle molds</div><div>wait for them to freeze [very impatiently!] :)</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o_PNUtdyd2IA-a4lopUjk6JQoNvOmQ3dMizOKRkCgysvQl4aC_Lf5o5rjpI6oFJ0XAHkCijTD41prdPvPolvzX9g0uypPqVZmm3coi8De-voTg-cmLcRgowmYGVCw_hbmGUmIZRhcB4/s1600/DSC_2826s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o_PNUtdyd2IA-a4lopUjk6JQoNvOmQ3dMizOKRkCgysvQl4aC_Lf5o5rjpI6oFJ0XAHkCijTD41prdPvPolvzX9g0uypPqVZmm3coi8De-voTg-cmLcRgowmYGVCw_hbmGUmIZRhcB4/s640/DSC_2826s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Lemon and Wild Strawberry Popsicles: </div><div><br />
</div><div>1/2 c lemon juice</div><div>1c water </div><div>sugar to your preference</div><div>fresh wild strawberries ( if you use larger ones,like strawberries or cherries,cut them in quarters)</div><div>mix ingredients, make sure sugar is dissolved</div><div>freeze </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Pomegranate Tea Popsicles:</div><div><br />
</div><div>brew tea (3-4 packets) to a cup</div><div>add sugar or any other sweetener you use</div><div>cool and freeze </div><div><br />
</div><div>Have a YUMMY summer everyone! </div><div><br />
</div><div>xoxoxo </div><div><br />
</div><div>Julija </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-24512585495476089762010-12-18T00:51:00.000+01:002010-12-18T00:51:36.254+01:00whiteSoooo... Italy...not too generous on snow...<br />
<br />
I decided to make my own...and it's not the kind you buy at the supermarket in a can, that sprays weird smelling goo all over things, making them look like a fire truck had freshly puked on them...no! warm and fuzzy snow... like in old puppet cartoons... MY SNOW :)<br />
<br />
you'll say, "snow can't be warm and fuzzy! it's cold and it melts if you touch it". Yeah, in YOUR boring world maybe, in MY world, it's very pleasant to the touch, and if you rub it on your cheek it won't prickle, or freeze it, it will give you warm fuzzies ;) just like little fluffy chicken (if you ever had the honor of touching one;)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy3q0BSY_pSryi1iuD-N8YJjCw00hbkNeBgcdK8qgMz2kc5cm3Jc4QT5lAPkl5KOeBCoScF0OA1KccH-dtyHwkPSYoq2j4heH4IlIon9BpUG0NJ-7w76qyAvW9Op6dn_DW9QPRKGYcag/s1600/color+cast+xmasy+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMy3q0BSY_pSryi1iuD-N8YJjCw00hbkNeBgcdK8qgMz2kc5cm3Jc4QT5lAPkl5KOeBCoScF0OA1KccH-dtyHwkPSYoq2j4heH4IlIon9BpUG0NJ-7w76qyAvW9Op6dn_DW9QPRKGYcag/s320/color+cast+xmasy+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>here it is ;)<br />
I think my snow will make real snow jealous :D! and it will come Christmas eve just to show off :)<br />
<br />
I dare you Mother Nature! I dare you!Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-65427119519922750392010-12-07T19:00:00.002+01:002010-12-08T02:16:11.059+01:00☃❄ ☃❄☃getting on the Christmas bandwagon ☃❄ ☃❄☃Ho hooo hoooo! it's almost Christmas!<br />
<br />
I am not awfully religious, but as any bad Catholic I think I am entitled to that :D<br />
Christmas is more of a special time to spend with family, sharing love in the form of<br />
great meals, jokes and presents.<br />
<br />
Decorating the tree, wrapping gifts and preparing food is the best part of it all.<br />
Yeah, I am that shallow... cry me a river why don't you...!<br />
<br />
Slowly, but most definitely surely,I've started on my Christmas decorations. There will be light! a lot of it!:)<br />
lights I should say, and cookies, going to get pastry brushes and new piping bag tomorrow and get on with my cookie making;) E-x-C-i-T-i-N-g!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9i1FsQmgEyAc4aLJJZSBTzY9baz9fbWqBb0h2WIMJV1NFnvf1ZsJR81CuYoDvVuJpsOGkBj4sNc9rMBmJm4czva6W2UV9DDhOwR64TpPijPZRl0qYC_Y-KcT54yQV5r_8WfAd0a0sSk/s1600/kaledos+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9i1FsQmgEyAc4aLJJZSBTzY9baz9fbWqBb0h2WIMJV1NFnvf1ZsJR81CuYoDvVuJpsOGkBj4sNc9rMBmJm4czva6W2UV9DDhOwR64TpPijPZRl0qYC_Y-KcT54yQV5r_8WfAd0a0sSk/s400/kaledos+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
For now here's the recipe I've created (not modified from an online source -- CREATED! :) due to my temporary sugar free lifestyle :<br />
<br />
2-3 egg whites<br />
1/2c (or less) Stevia/Equal or sugar if you're able to have it:)<br />
1/4 tsp cream of tartar<br />
tiny pinch of salt<br />
8-12 Tbsp almond flour<br />
<br />
beat egg whites with sugar,cr. of tartar and salt to stiff glossy peaks. fold almond flower in gently, pour in the piping bag, squeeze on parchment paper and bake at 90C until light and crisp, about 30 minutes. They should not change color, if they start turning yellow, pry your oven open and leave it like that for the rest of time.<br />
(if you want heavier cookies, add more almond four, I prefer them heavier, but the amount automatically shrinks,because you break air bubbles in the egg whites with the almond flower and additional mixing)<br />
<br />
enjoy ;)<br />
<br />
p.s. I added some food dye to make half of the cookies pink ;)<br />
<br />
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</div>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-54365226697790336062010-11-29T14:33:00.000+01:002010-11-29T14:33:28.288+01:00vegan,me? nooo wayso I am on this ridiculously restricting diet...<br />
in short no carbs, carbs are in everything,so i only eat meat, nuts, and tiny amount of veggies...that sucks you'd say, and I'll agree...1000% :D<br />
but I am getting creative to say the least ;) now I spend hours online looking for vegan recipes that include the ingredients I can have and this cheese is just too good not to make ;)<br />
I found this recipe on the glorious website called Vegan Lunchbox.<br />
<a href="http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/">http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/</a><br />
here's the cheese in all it's splendor! ;)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfEj-LwjBJrVQa6oVGzowPREp22rdfXQM8pZxbDcHnhHdmRfq_rzJbJkro1z7m-etv8RwcKNyRBhrJ9-TcV4iScCx_Cl_kdABDz8MWTJ63RbYFCK3CiQ3HhnFVJ1tDOc1dbxClCT6uTI/s1600/DSC_9006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfEj-LwjBJrVQa6oVGzowPREp22rdfXQM8pZxbDcHnhHdmRfq_rzJbJkro1z7m-etv8RwcKNyRBhrJ9-TcV4iScCx_Cl_kdABDz8MWTJ63RbYFCK3CiQ3HhnFVJ1tDOc1dbxClCT6uTI/s400/DSC_9006.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Enjoy! I sure did!!!<br />
<br />
it's fantastic hot right from the oven, waiting for it to cool to see how it's cold ;) the crust is just scrumptious:)<br />
I'm planing on making little cookie shaped thingies out of it next time to get more crust per bite:DJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-53452967077757420342010-11-14T21:02:00.000+01:002010-11-14T21:02:49.801+01:00I've been so neglectful of my blog it's too sad! :D<br />
and yet I am grinning ;)<br />
<br />
I think it's a good sign ;) I had too much happening this summer, friends' visits, parents' visit, trips to London and Lithuana,it's been eventful and busy, not to mention very hot!<br />
Italy is one glorious country and I have enjoyed every day of it tremendously!<br />
<br />
I will try my best to make up for time lost and do better! <br />
<br />
here are some of the yummies I've made, and after I get off my ridiculously restrictive diet, I'll get to<br />
my normal cooking routine .<br />
<br />
enjoy;)<br />
<br />
Avocado-lime-coconut ice-cream:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS4dr_2r1EtLX1XeTpOB6a9yghMwquN8tXYbQmI4JIvroVZYuPumqu2bCGkHzBFYLgQ7S3J_r2opqpB7qaQ060bKWld5A4HQlW5Gh6v6OmxKr0kX-IdYsJXZnbdtH73YJ4SZ_YiFSMKU/s1600/35929_10150208647810352_808570351_13018253_1610530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS4dr_2r1EtLX1XeTpOB6a9yghMwquN8tXYbQmI4JIvroVZYuPumqu2bCGkHzBFYLgQ7S3J_r2opqpB7qaQ060bKWld5A4HQlW5Gh6v6OmxKr0kX-IdYsJXZnbdtH73YJ4SZ_YiFSMKU/s400/35929_10150208647810352_808570351_13018253_1610530_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
one of the healthier treats you can have, and oh so delicious!<br />
<br />
1 ripe avocado<br />
2-3 lemons (only use juice)<br />
2-3 limes (use juice,plus use grated zest of one lime)<br />
1 can coconut milk(400ml)<br />
<br />
blend all ingredients in the blender until uniform and fluffy (add sugar to your preferences, I used some raw demerara sugar) <br />
<br />
pour in the container, freeze and enjoy ;)<br />
<br />
i do not mix it like some recipes suggest while it's freezing, it will crystallize no matter what, it's got raw veggie in it, so just let it sit for a bit before eating it will get nice and soft.<br />
<br />
<br />
Fresh homemade cottage cheese :<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qwfMczCV24-OWn8a-vj-VjF_YzeCUfXNdXYHqaLdf1pxFUiDF3G7a1rQnyD5SXmUyD9BebE4jHFTVd-SMyiybMlZbNJRGFAy__ezb5IKBtxT1RQ8I3zjC9yy3yjagiLBnu0rctOP1TM/s1600/29438_10150205046265352_808570351_12908326_80875_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qwfMczCV24-OWn8a-vj-VjF_YzeCUfXNdXYHqaLdf1pxFUiDF3G7a1rQnyD5SXmUyD9BebE4jHFTVd-SMyiybMlZbNJRGFAy__ezb5IKBtxT1RQ8I3zjC9yy3yjagiLBnu0rctOP1TM/s400/29438_10150205046265352_808570351_12908326_80875_n.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
3 liters (of fresh not skimmed milk) (12.6c)<br />
250 ml sour cream (1c)<br />
1/3c lemon juice<br />
(makes over a pound of cottage cheese)<br />
<br />
warm milk almost to a boiling point<br />
add sour cream and lemon juice<br />
mix on low heat slowly till it clots and whey is separated all the way<br />
once there's no milk left in the pot, drain the cheese<br />
and serve whichever way you like ;) I add some creme fresh and strawberries ,oh yumm!<br />
<br />
<br />
and one more to finish the sweet trinity ;)<br />
<br />
Salted butter caramel ice-cream :<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWdDwhqAAEmxViI1jTSaDhqlzx0TQF4PD9WPIUtF114PKdkaNiAgX4rpaV60HpwJvhsfsOvSttqPQllD1VSiiQc_X3pNBaI1AFtS3UWkrTR4gIfQK9N-EihWoeSOtmmXtpwiRc1vSesU/s1600/34248_10150218373595352_808570351_13299914_688729_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWdDwhqAAEmxViI1jTSaDhqlzx0TQF4PD9WPIUtF114PKdkaNiAgX4rpaV60HpwJvhsfsOvSttqPQllD1VSiiQc_X3pNBaI1AFtS3UWkrTR4gIfQK9N-EihWoeSOtmmXtpwiRc1vSesU/s400/34248_10150218373595352_808570351_13299914_688729_n.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
I have used this link <a href="http://www.cilieginasullatorta.it/2010/04/gelato-al-caramello-al-burro-salato.html">http://www.cilieginasullatorta.it/2010/04/gelato-al-caramello-al-burro-salato.html</a><br />
The ice-cream is absolutely delectable!!! one of my favoritest flavors on earth! I've tried this ice-cream flavor in Paris for the first time and thought- goodness! it doesn't get better than that;)<br />
I had a goal to replicate the flavor as close as possible, and I succeeded, I make it without an ice-cream machine , with one it's probably close to perfection ;D<br />
<br />
<br />
p.s the recipe is in Italian, but google translate does an amazing job ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
ciao ciao ;)Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-53855606585046982252010-01-26T18:30:00.001+01:002010-01-26T19:24:18.006+01:00Sea Monsters<div style="text-align: justify;">Yep, that's what I think of when I have to drain my kitchen sink. Every time I have to roll up that right sleeve and dive in all the way up to the elbow, I wow I will never pour tea leaves in the sink, I will always scrape the plates and by golly I'll always toss dry rice from the pot straight into the trash. But that's a lie, I never remember to do it until the sink looks like a dark scary , COLD ocean. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And then it begins, the dreaded immersion in to the unknown, the creatures crawl up my skin, they tangle between my fingertips, they are slimy, sticky stinky! Oh how I hate my Sink Ocean!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I just irrigated it though, now I need to lift all the dying creatures and put them to rest... They don't like it, I can't stand it, but it has to be done. I like my sink clean, don't get me wrong, but I like dumping the contents of my mug straight in the sink, I like not scraping my plates into the trash bin, I like it! it's easy! leave me alone!<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">oh btw the main culprit of my Sink Ocean this time was this beauty ;) I tossed the cake pan in the sink and flooded it with water, Sink Ocean was very dark, rich chocolate color:)<br />
here it is:<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Crazy Chocolate Cake --triple C ;)<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbk71-KEajpbXlTvJum9uog7Q6NazYrAC_DiOAP-lPFvjCEaDC2aCNECg-Tivh2aNN4xetUNSj1XlfzLuJOQlMccJ4s6Lqp28B2zp3nGB1m_Fr9ZT-8WaWqN4q6VdevvsbJD00RuFY5Qo/s1600-h/DSC_0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbk71-KEajpbXlTvJum9uog7Q6NazYrAC_DiOAP-lPFvjCEaDC2aCNECg-Tivh2aNN4xetUNSj1XlfzLuJOQlMccJ4s6Lqp28B2zp3nGB1m_Fr9ZT-8WaWqN4q6VdevvsbJD00RuFY5Qo/s400/DSC_0016.jpg" width="303" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am not going to share the recipe for now, I have no time at the moment, but I will , promise :)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Truly Madly Deeply yours ;)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Julija<br />
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</div><div id="refHTML" style="text-align: justify;"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-5175803870619627812010-01-18T14:33:00.000+01:002010-01-18T14:33:45.776+01:00'bloggy' frustrationI've been fighting with my blog recently, it's been causing unnecessary grief in my life,<br />
so I played the 'ignore it and it will go away" game for a while now. It didn't go away,<br />
I missed it instead ;)<br />
<br />
Somebody's got to be smarter I guess...<br />
<br />
I have tried posting a few times and It kept telling me there's some error preventing it to post my stuff, so we had a fight and i haven't spoke to it since Christmas...I made yummies,but i guess nobody will ever know how good they were, I hate going back to things, the moment is gone, so is Christmas tree (lie, i just lied! :) i still have it up, too lazy to move it, but it doesn't excite me anymore,so it's good as gone )<br />
<br />
I made an awesome pund cake yesterday, stuffed my face with it and worked it all of doing bodyflex this morning, so here's the shot of it, drool all you want,it won't go to your hips ;)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9gQnXuc6WijWDZiME6MV7NYXtcbMIwuPgrxPg4UH_dA-RHOutn2lkFaF0zXryI061_WRk0CPRE6aa0HLlfal0YFd6QcoDtEvzY6jvwzdM4ZxZJjtVaetIFo3sTqNFFirw_oHAXcfGdM/s1600-h/DSC_0300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9gQnXuc6WijWDZiME6MV7NYXtcbMIwuPgrxPg4UH_dA-RHOutn2lkFaF0zXryI061_WRk0CPRE6aa0HLlfal0YFd6QcoDtEvzY6jvwzdM4ZxZJjtVaetIFo3sTqNFFirw_oHAXcfGdM/s320/DSC_0300.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the recipe is generic I used one from about.com website. <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I made my glaze with 1cup of powdered sugar. fresh lemon juice and a drop of yellow food color.<br />
</div><br />
p.s I watched "it's complicated' yesterday... Merryl Streep is on the roll, good on you girl! ;)<br />
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-14889633513146772742009-12-25T14:22:00.001+01:002009-12-26T12:58:09.850+01:00Merry Christmas!What a great morning!<br />
Started with traditional opening of the presents followed by a steamy hot cup of chilly hot chocolate!<br />
it screams Christmas to me :)not so traditional, but very invigorating to say the least;)<br />
I want to share it with you,so next time on a cold winter day when you need a cup of comfort in your belly, you can make this beauty!<br />
<br />
to make 2-4 mugs (depending on the size of it) you'll need:<br />
<br />
400grams of milk<br />
200grams of cream (if you like it less fattening, use milk only, but I discourage you from that;)<br />
150grams of chocolate of your choice (I use Hersheys, it doesn't overpower with choco flavor too much)<br />
pinch of salt<br />
and 2-3 chillies (depending how hot you can handle, I use 2) seeds removed, leave the stem on, so you can easily get them out of the pot<br />
<br />
heat milk and chillies in the pot, let simmer for a minute or two, move off the heat and let infuse for 10 minutes.<br />
add chocolate, cream, salt, bring back to simmer, stirring constantly. I remove one chilly and leave one in until we are finished with the drink ;) it gets extra spicy at the end!!! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAMTK_H63qWOzBl15jeEOpgN0B0JEjFU0eg8_uIewYrxT1fvgyqIKMkeUuFrHm0lvAPrhPBqxe7rzxw51LiAiN5qQ1juG3SZkIMjVEqbq3mNv2iy9RYykjbiXlEIPvUxol6IQ5zQDYm0/s1600-h/DSC_0554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAMTK_H63qWOzBl15jeEOpgN0B0JEjFU0eg8_uIewYrxT1fvgyqIKMkeUuFrHm0lvAPrhPBqxe7rzxw51LiAiN5qQ1juG3SZkIMjVEqbq3mNv2iy9RYykjbiXlEIPvUxol6IQ5zQDYm0/s320/DSC_0554.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">it will look smth like this, do not get alarmed, it might have little lumps, they don't bother me but you can always strain them ;)<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!!!! Promise, it will be the best cup of hot chocolate you ever had ;)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw40LRZipU0T6jUKW3MZ6FzEX4bcNDF2jsO7jAb2MyPKmumpTKnzyYZxMvfUxh5wBpu-bhCqHr2CMOoJC2rN028M7UbndTUHvbCwDmpaT-fwS6gsnL_zHSudMdCSVtY3jpLLrE5YpYBs/s1600-h/DSC_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw40LRZipU0T6jUKW3MZ6FzEX4bcNDF2jsO7jAb2MyPKmumpTKnzyYZxMvfUxh5wBpu-bhCqHr2CMOoJC2rN028M7UbndTUHvbCwDmpaT-fwS6gsnL_zHSudMdCSVtY3jpLLrE5YpYBs/s400/DSC_0573.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><br />
Off I go to make some cookies ;)<br />
Merry Christmas!<br />
<br />
yours truly,<br />
<br />
JulijaJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-84568279793063667402009-12-22T17:55:00.000+01:002009-12-22T17:55:37.395+01:00feeling Christmasy ;)My dear friends,<br />
I am being a tad bit lazy with blogging, got a lot of things to do before Christmas Eve!<br />
but this I had to share!<br />
<br />
Wish you all cuddly and giggly Christmas!<br />
With the loveliest people around you, warm hugs and yummy food!<br />
Tis the season to be JOLLY ;)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">with love,<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Julija<br />
</div>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-45411529303205899552009-12-17T12:05:00.000+01:002009-12-17T12:05:56.719+01:00Snooooooow!I don't know what it is about waking up and seeing the first snow, but it always gets me. Remember how when you were a kid, first day of winter you're wishing for snow, so you can go and play and you finally see it when you wake up to go for school? what an overwhelming feeling! it's dark, and cold out, you're barely awake, but that white fluff just changes everything!<br />
You know you'll fall on your butt a few times on your way to school, you know some mean kid will throw a snowball straight in your face, you know you might be made into a live sleigh by older kids during the break, but still... that white does something to you, it's too special to let anything ruin it for you!<br />
<br />
well...I am not going to school today ;) and I got to sleep in till it was actually light outside, thanks to the outside shutters, I was blissfully unaware of the white surprise outside. So when I go to let my white and fluffy RoRo out (it's his new name for now ;) I gasp in absolute awe! there it is! ;) everywhere!!!! sooo delightfully clean! I squeak like a pet toy and grab my camera, of course ;) <br />
<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">how gorgeous is that?! it's not too thick, so I can't compete with any other 'cold' country that's drowning in it, but I can tell you I was not hoping to see it this year, and here it is! made my day so much brighter, I am sitting and grinning typing this ! ;)<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Speaking of school days, did anyone ever get turned into a live sleigh? I know I have,. lol<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Imagine,a frail little blond kid, with blue eyes and funny white rabbit fur hat (camouflage really, so I blend better with the snow :) getting tossed in the snow. Now that I am remembering this, makes me wanna think why would somebody do that??? grab a piece of cardboard you bastard! LOL ;)<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">aaaaand just like a real sleigh, they drop their fat behinds on your back and ride you down the hill...<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
What a delight that was! I can't help but laugh now, sadly back then you had to get back to class, all soaking wet, with funny snowy dreadlocks on the insides of your boots and gloves. Desperately trying to get warm, while some boring, mean teacher is working hard on pasting some knowledge into your frozen head.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Thank goodness for sophisticated means of enjoying snow, snowboarding and skiing ;) where you get to return to your fancy hotel room and thaw out in a nice bubble bath , and nobody's using you as a impromptu sleigh and there's no Russian Literature class to get back to...<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Let's have a nice day ! ;)<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Julija<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <br />
</div>Julija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-51571560626257027032009-12-16T15:29:00.000+01:002009-12-16T15:29:34.528+01:00BelliniSalve!<br />
I was talking to my friend online, and we both shared our foul Christmas mood.<br />
She's packing, I am unpacking ,she mentioned the drink she's planning on buying while snowboarding in Italy, and I remembered I have a whole bottle of gorgeous Bellini in my fridge!<br />
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</div><br />
<br />
and since I had no clue what to write about today, the idea came in a beautiful martini glass ;) I know, I know, Italians are very particular about what they pour into what glasses, but I am in the middle of unpacking, that's all I could find.so mi dispiace, both for the martini glass and bad Italian;)<br />
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</div><br />
<br />
If you buy into the Bellini hype that I am poorly attempting to start and decide it's a drink you want to try, here's how you make it at home :<br />
<br />
Bellini<br />
(it is aperitif and it is served before the meals to make you want to eat A LOT;)lol<br />
made me want to drink more )<br />
<br />
1 fresh peach per drink, skinned, pitted blended into mush<br />
1 bottle of white sparkling wine (chilled)<br />
1teaspoon of lemon juice<br />
blender, champagne flute<br />
decorate it with a slice of peach <br />
i put sugar on the rim, it's just sooo yummy!<br />
<br />
spoon peach mush into the champagne flute, pour half or the amount of<br />
wine into it, stir, add the remaining wine, repeat as many times as you wish! ;)<br />
one thing's for sure, one glass is never enough! ;)<br />
<br />
it's a girly drink ;)boys can make em for their girls on special occasions, yumm! ;)<br />
<br />
and here's what happened next :<br />
I was looking for better light to take a picture and i spilled my drink :(<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFS0eLmLWoG_QJCnL0gD9B2Er5O4sF0aEFSpvFhzV8GyPPwP6_Omla_sde7LDf46wdPAoZm_KOsEAbRaLJQsInhigsSv4nKOiftvAdMlM0_Ggce3A34d8MZYRk7zXwV-Ufj7KTo7JSLA/s1600-h/DSC_0133+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFS0eLmLWoG_QJCnL0gD9B2Er5O4sF0aEFSpvFhzV8GyPPwP6_Omla_sde7LDf46wdPAoZm_KOsEAbRaLJQsInhigsSv4nKOiftvAdMlM0_Ggce3A34d8MZYRk7zXwV-Ufj7KTo7JSLA/s320/DSC_0133+copy.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but since I have an ECO friendly cleaner at home I didn't get too upset, he rushed to help me out, lol, such a star he is ;) lol and a snooper... <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp1x2gRCVATAdQUrBVKyNnJTqZQiBrVS_c3dGr035oxxyMB51Y6i_NyaMvHbGQm4bdweVHXAUcJSXpuFFWzJ3OMMsx7uV2o5B7853mWQMvu7SEAzga5L7qBiv2tfvcTtgt2Ghe9LptuM/s1600-h/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp1x2gRCVATAdQUrBVKyNnJTqZQiBrVS_c3dGr035oxxyMB51Y6i_NyaMvHbGQm4bdweVHXAUcJSXpuFFWzJ3OMMsx7uV2o5B7853mWQMvu7SEAzga5L7qBiv2tfvcTtgt2Ghe9LptuM/s320/42.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>I was fast enough with both camera and shooing him away! I got a shot and my drink remained untouched by his nosy nose ;)<br />
cin cin!!! <br />
<br />
I guess drinking cocktails at 3pm makes me a lush lol, love that word ;)<br />
<br />
that's it for today, off I go to continue with unpacking and getting into Christmas mood.<br />
<br />
truly yours,<br />
<br />
Julija and snoopy RoccoJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954561983157709935.post-29898457514748234602009-12-16T01:49:00.000+01:002009-12-16T01:49:01.008+01:00my first one!Hello hello ;)<br />
I have succumbed to the trend and started my blog.<br />
I am new to this, so be nice, please ;)<br />
I will most probably end up sounding really random later in the blog, but I start here with the intention of sharing <br />
a bit of my life, love for photography,(self-portraiture mainly, so maybe love for myself ;)lol),<br />
definitely love for making, taking pictures of and eating food, some crafts perhaps?maybe music? and here and there travel .<br />
Sounds lame? maybe,but that's what I do, I am unemployed at the moment, so I have loads of free time, might as well make best of it.<br />
<br />
So welcome to my blog, hope it will be a nice one :) <br />
<br />
p.s to the very eloquent, pardon my rusty writing, I've been mostly watching TV after college, lol<br />
really miss my creative writing classes at the moment ;)<br />
<br />
ttyl,<br />
yours truly JulijaJulija Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04294363898367760137noreply@blogger.com0