hop along with me...recipes, photos and order!

Today I’m blog hopping! I was invited to participate in the ‘Around the world creative blog hop’ by a fellow travel-lover, who I met on a grey, rainy day in London in early February. Not surprisingly, we were both at a travel blogging workshop at the Guardian, which everyone in attendance found to be full-on inspiring.

The inspirational offices at the Guardian

My hop host writes about her love of all things Italy, and that also inspires me! Elizabeth’s blog, called Dream Discover Italia has Italian stories, events, photos and historical knowledge that will make you want to book your flight to Bella Italia. Thanks for the invite, Liz!

Photo source: dreamdiscoveritalia

To blog hop, you need to answer four questions about how you are participating in the creative process. So, here it goes:

What am I working on?

Currently, I’m working on a couple of real-life stories to share with my readers; adventurous experiences of people who I’ve met here on the Rhine. But, because they are deeply personal stories they need TLC and time to write. The fact that they are vivid, exciting, courageous tales makes me want to write them and, hopefully, you to read them. Stay tuned!

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’m not sure if my work fits into a genre. I love stories about people, and the places that have shaped their experiences. I also truly enjoy traveling and so often my blog posts are about inspiring corners where I have had the opportunity to visit. Usually my work involves a story; a connection that I feel, and hope my reader feels, to someone or some place.

Why do I write/create what I do?

If a reader feels the connection to something I’ve described, or feels a glimmer of adventure or motivation to visit a place or to learn a neighbour’s story – that hope is why I write. I feel connected to and invested in the river along which I currently make my home, because I write about it, photograph it, and want to learn more it. Researching and writing about someone’s story connects you to that person in a beautiful and lasting way…hopefully learning and inspiration follows.

How does my writing/creative process work?

I wish I had a process, or maybe I just haven’t discovered my ideal creative process yet. The hardest thing for me is to just sit down and start writing. I feel like I need to clear out space in my mind before I can put pen to paper or finger to keyboard…or just plain old butt to chair. Usually ideas are jostling around in my brain, vying for priority, but once I have a post title I can usually jump in and write. The ideas always come to me through a great story I hear from a friend or the newspaper, or an inspiring photo that I’ve taken. I just want to share them.

And, now for the best part! Check out these three inspiring women who are each creating in their own individually beautiful ways. My nominations to continue the hop are...

Kylie at The Baking Bird - For you regular readers this will come as no surprise, I love throwing parties. With a great party there needs to be great food - guests are always looking for the food! So, I’m always on the lookout for new, interesting recipes. I’m no Martha Stewart and so, I’m not interested in hugely complicated recipes where I need to buy every single ingredient. I look for great-tasting, easy-enough-for-me-to-make-without-a-ton-of-stress, beautiful food. At The Baking Bird, I have found this, along with witty commentary and Martha Stewart-worthy photos!

Apricot pistachio cardamom bars - yum. Photo source: thebakingbird

Emma Love’s photography captures the magic of children, families, or the newly-married in moments of whimsy. I’ve known Emma for years and her photos have always been creative and stunning reflections of the person in her lens. She shoots in Alberta and Saskatchewan if you’re looking for a great photographer. But for now, you will love creeping through her blog….trust me.

Photo source: emmalovephotography

Jen takes the smallest, most unruly spaces, such as closets, offices and bedrooms, or the family calendar, and whips them into shape. Her blog, jorganizing, documents her projects in personal, reflective and honest style, inspiring us to try and tackle our own chaotic corners.

Whose garage looks like this? Not mine! Photo source: jorganizing

If you have other creative, inspiring blogs you’d like to recommend, please let me know! I know there are a million out there, but if there’s one you love, I would happily take a look. There is so much learning to be done!

...and the recipes

Here, a few of the new recipes I tried out for the party:

Aioli - a great, garlic-y, bread dip, which is how it’s served in almost every restaurant in Spain, but also great alongside fish or veggies.

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         2 egg yolks

·         1 cup extra virgin olive oil

·         2 teaspoons lemon juice

·         salt to taste

·         ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium bowl, beat eggs well with a wire whisk. Stir in garlic. Gradually add oil in a thin stream, beating constantly until light and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate.

Zwetschgendatschi (Plum Streusel Kuchen/Cake) – I love this, and it’s surprisingly easy!  It's great for a bunch of people, and like pizza it tastes great the day after.

·         1 kg plums, washed and sliced in halves

·         250 g + 150 g butter

·         150 g + 150 g sugar

·         1 pkg. vanilla sugar (probably equiv. 1 tsp. vanilla)

·         Pinch of salt

·         5 eggs

·         400g + 200 g flour

·         1 pkg. baking powder (equiv. to 5 leveled tsps)

·         5-7 T milk

Directions:

Mix 250 g butter, 150 g sugar, vanilla and salt until creamy.  Individually add each egg and stir.  Mix in 400g flour and baking powder and add milk as you stir.  Spread dough onto a greased cookie sheet or baking pan (35x40cm).  The place plums, closely together onto the dough, in rows, covering the dough.

For the streusel, mix 200 g flour, 150 g sugar and 150 g butter first with mixer and then with your hands until the dough is crumbly.  Spread streusel evenly over the plums.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175 C (350 F) for 40 minutes.  Stand to cool.  Serve with whip cream if desired.

Basil Pesto Toasts – these little baguette toasts are so tasty even with nothing on them!  And the pesto topping is also great with baked potatos or as a dip.

·         Baguette

·         Olive oil

·         2/3 c. mayo

·         ½  c. basil pesto

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         Salt to taste

·         ½ c. parmesan, shredded

Directions:
First, slice baguette in 1-inch slices, lay out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 200 C (400 F) until golden brown.  Turn once.
Mix the remainder of ingredients, except the parmesan, in a mixing bowl.  Spoon mixture onto each of the cooled toasts, top with parmesan.  Bake for 6-8 minutes and then broil quickly until the pesto bubbles.  Serve immediately.

Spinat Blätterteigtaschen (Spinach Pockets) – so yummy!

·         1 pkg. (6 sheets) phyllo pastry

·         500 g. chopped spinach

·         1 medium onion, diced

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         2 T. olive oil

·         Pinch of salt

·         Pinch of pepper

·         150 g. feta cheese, cubed

·         Flour for rolling the dough

·         1 egg for dough glaze

Directions:
Add onion and garlic to heated olive oil and fry until glassy.  Add spinach, cover and let steam for 3-4 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  Roll out each phyllo sheets onto a floured surface and fold in half.  Into the middle spoon spinach mixture and feta cheese.  Brush the edges of sheet with egg and fold the sheets from each side into the middle, pressing the edges together.  Brush the each pocket with egg and place onto baking sheet.  In a 400 C (400 F) pre-heated oven bake for approx. 15 minutes until golden brown.  Serve warm.

a new day

On Saturday night we partied.  It was a new day; a different day on which to celebrate great guy’s birthday...the first time he’s EVER had a party the day after.  It proved to be a success, as most friends could then make it.  The thirty odd revelers lounged, clustered and strolled about; making themselves comfortable on the various green spaces and terraces this odd property offers.  With the river flowing softly just metres away, and great guy’s music system streaming out George Michael to Dixie Chicks to Bob Marley to Adele, the atmosphere was groovy and chill (or as great guy kept saying, “chilly”…and after correcting him twice I stopped and just enjoyed the “chilly-ness” of it all). 

In the days leading up to Saturday, we spent countless hours clearing the river bank so that we could actually see the water; we mowed and mowed and mowed; we cleaned the now-outdoor, ancient, 1970’s yellow, GE refrigerator (it’s so big it deserves the full word) and stocked it with wine, beer, water, and apfelschorle…and I grocery shopped.

I really like to plan a party, if I have the time, and I just so happen to have a bit extra this month.  So, on the various wooden tables which we had set up, we laid out baskets of fresh-baked langen bretzen (big, salty pretzels) and baguette; plates of antipasti and French cheese; old, einweck (canning) glass jars filled with olives; and various dips, salads, kuchen and canapés.  We placed cutlery in antique, metal, measuring cups (which I’m sure great guy bought at the fleamarket a hundred years ago); plates were stacked in tall, white columns; and the glassware had their own table conveniently located beside the party fridge.  And, as party time came along, great guy fired up the grill and brated the heap of bratwurst (birthday boy’s choice) and guests began munching happily; snacking and mingling all over.     

The evening was softly breezy, but warm, especially because of the great friends who made their way down our path that evening; wanting to hang out and spend some time.  There were some friends who we haven’t seen for a few months like Gert and Dora; some like Max and Bärbel who we get to see often; and others who are new to us like the Kluck Clan (with their 4 über-sweet daughters…winning great guy over with their tiny, blonde charm).  And, many more wonderful people who make up great guy’s (and now mine) freundeskreis (friendship circle…man, that sound dorky in English).

Thanks for a wonderful party, friends; and thank you great guy for being born so many moons ago…it’s a great thing to celebrate.  To many, many more.

Some wise words which I have been thinking about recently…

Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other. Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn to be brave. (Pradeep Tripathi)

and

Marriage is not a noun, it's a verb. It isn't something you get, it's something you give. It's the way you love your partner every day. (Barbara de Angelis) ....To love and to be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. (David Viscott)