im back. with blueberries and more inspiration

I'm back. I've had a few people asking where my blogging went. After a 6 month or so sabatical / uninspired to blog..or even cook, I am back.

I have been working at a local bakery around here, and when I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is bake more. This meaning, I'd put the almonds, and the kitchen aid to sleep, but as of this week I am back with so much creativity flowing I can hardly keep up.

Last week I made the most luscious Blueberry Crisp.

Perfectly "buttery" (or lack of butter) crust, amazingly juicy blueberries and just the right amount of cream.

I love this recipe because it is a great American inspired dessert that is easily made gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free, and the best part, it taste amazing!

Blueberry Crisp:

Crust:

2 cups of almond flour or ground almonds

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

1-2 tbl. of raw agave (depending how sweet you like it)

1/2 tsp. of sea salt

mix all of the ingredients in a mixer until it turns into a dough, depending how coarse your almond flour is, you may need a little bit more of the coconut oil to make it come together well.

Press the dough into a pie pan, just as you would any pastry dough.

Cook in a pie pan for 15 minutes at 350.

Cashew "Cream:"

1 1/2 cups of unsalted, raw cashews (soaked in water for a few hours is best)

1/4-1/2 cup of warm water

1 tbl. of raw agave

1/4 tsp. of sea salt

take the cashews and strain, then put in any heavy duty blender, or food processor and blend with 1/4 c. of the warm water, add more as needed until the cashews are smooth (make take up to 5 minutes) then add the agave and salt until you like the taste of it.

Once the crust is baked, spread the cashew cream on the crust, I like a really thick layer because it's so yummy, but you may want to save some to put on top when the crisp is done.

(If you aren't dairy free, you could easily just use whip cream instead of the cashew cream and not bake it!)

Blueberries:

2 cups of blueberries

1/4 c. of lemon juice

1 tbl. of raw agave or stevia

1 cup of water

I take 2 cups of blueberries and cook them on the stovetop with the water, lemon juice and agave on LOW until the blueberries get soft. Then I strain the blueberries and put on top of the Cashew Cream.

Cook at 350 for another 15 minutes or until the crust begins to brown and the blueberries are really tender.

This dessert goes great with some vanilla coconut ice cream!

Enjoy!

sweets and such

since being back from my ventures out west i've been so inspired. in the kitchen, in my craft room and even in my dress closet. I've been scheming up new ideas for cute little frocks and crushing almonds into flour to make macaroons. I've been inspired by the ever lusting powers of parisian macaroons! Friend and owner of the Almond Tree has turned me on to these beauties!

While in San Francisco I visited a well known macaroon place, Paulette!

amazing little macaroons from Paulette, San Francisco.

my, not so pretty macaroons.

turned out alright, they tasted so great!

cute little frock for Marmalade designs.

also, i made this little bohemian vegan chocolate cake. with vegan coffee buttercream :)

that's it for today, more bites tomorrow.

i'm getting some oral surgery this week, ill be posting some more while im bed ridden for days.

last hoorah in San Francisco.

the last few days in California were breathtaking. the weather was perfect. I am sitting sipping my cappuccino, wishing I was there right now, although the weather here in Nashville is absolutely gorgeous.

1. adorable little french bakery in Santa Cruz

2. amazing cappuccino's too

3. our old RV that broke down in Santa Cruz, we left it for a lady when she gave us a newer one to use. We went and visited her, so sweet :)

4. great little Cafe with the most superb brunch ever!

5. Jesse at Cafe Brasil

6. Brunch at Cafe Brasil

7. Jesse and I on the beach (before a short hike)

8. Little place next door to where we stayed in San Francisco, called Sugar Cafe

9. We were surprised by how inexpensive it was for being in Union Square, but so good. $3 gin+tonics!

Oh this trip was the best. My mom and I are perfect for trips, we eat and drink the same, and pretty much shop the same. We love sharing a bed and watching the food network in hotels and talking about food. We are perfect for each other :)

vacation: Santa Cruz

while in California, my mom and I got to visit with my 1 cousin, Jesse and his wife Margot. They live up in the mountains along side the beach outside Santa Cruz. Their little cabin in the woods is amazing, and they also have a wonderful little yurt.

1. long afternoons at wonderful little bookstores (that serve you local wines)

2. Capitola (beach town by Santa Cruz, cousin went to surf there...too cold)

3. Mom and Jesse in Capitola

4. eating at Jesse's cabin (about all we did :)

5. Sweet little cabin in the woods

6. cooking in the cabin

7. found a wonderful vegan indian place in santa cruz :)

trying to round up the last of my photos to move on my from my trip....

san francisco: pt. 2

i love all of the little nooks of san francisco.

coffee shops, bakeries, patisaries, clubs, bars, theaters...so glorious.

[adorable little condiment bar at a french bakery]

[sign for the condiments]

on our first day we also walked to

Fisherman's Wharf.

we indulged in some freshly baked sourdough bread, and yummy soup.

this was a wonderful reminder of my time here a few years ago with my whole family.

oh goodness.

[sourdough bread animals]

[baking sourdough bread at the Boudin bakery at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco]

[sourdough bread on the wharf]

[dinner one: Kuleto's]

[ricotta stuffed eggplant]

[mom and I indulging in some fine italian and wine]

one of my favorite things to do in this vast city is shop.

this is a view from sacks 5th, onto the off-set ice skating rink, in the middle of union square.

one of my favorite things to do in this vast city is shop.

[macaroon sighting number one]

vacation pt 3:san francisco part 1.

after being in the freezing cold states of colorado and kansas, I was happy to be flying to San Francisco: warm, sunny, and full of delicious food.

I hit almost every pastry shop, bakery and macaroon niche.

We ate endless meals while in San Francisco. We realized, 1/2 way through the trip that we hadn't actually eaten a whole meal at one location.

A glass of wine here, a bruschetta there, a salad here, and a desert plate there. It was so wonderful!

first stop after getting of the bart in sunny California: our "not-in-the-city" french boutique hotel.

This place felt like it should have been in the countryside of france, but alas, it was right in union square, San Francisco.

Petit Auberge

[amazing little nooks in the room]

[sweet fireplace in the room]

[breakfast nooks as well as the wine&cheese reception place]

[breakfast: sun-dried tomato quiche, oatmeal, apple crisp, good local coffee!]

[french boutique bathroom]

[fireplace]

[walked and walked and walked... through chinatown]

[little italy]

[little italy]

over all the 1/3 of the trip was amazing.

can't wait to post the rest of the pictures!