Lately

I realize it's been a while, but I'm finally ready to spill the beans. Long story short, I completed my contract in Muskoka, and have since moved to British Columbia for another baking job. The past few months have been filled with moving out, packing, driving, and moving in...but I made it. I'm hoping once I've settled into my new job and life, I'll start baking for myself again, but until then, here are some pictures from the last few months, including one of my new home.

Unlimited Juice Party

I always like experimenting with my diet and seeing how it effects me. I was in Toronto for a few days last week and I thought it would be a fun try my first juice cleanse. I've always been curious about them, though a bit skeptical.

As I am both juicer-less and lazy, I decided to splurge on a prepared juice cleanse from my favourite raw restaurant in Toronto—Live Food Bar. I was already familiar with their juices and love them, so I kind of thought the cleanse would feel like a treat...an off-the-hook, unlimited juice party.

I committed to three days of nothing but juice, drinking 6 juices a day (delicious) in addition to a morning elixir (gross). I cheated once and bought an extra juice...I also drank my fair share of coconut water, but aside from that, I stuck it out.

Physically, I really didn't feel...much. Actually, I was surprised because I was rarely hungry. I never felt full, but there weren't any "my stomach is eating itself" hunger pains. I felt light and fairly normal, though a bit tired. I was also fairly emotional during the cleanse, but some of these symptoms could easily be attributed to external events. Oh, and I also had to pee all the time.

The mental component of the cleanse was most difficult...knowing I couldn't eat anything made me obsessed with wanting to eat something. I don't think the urge would have been so prominent if I had not been visiting Toronto, where I have a kitchen and access to my favourite restaurants. Had I done the cleanse back in Muskoka, I think I would have been ok, as I don't cook or eat out much. Juice would have been a welcome change to salad.

Post-cleanse, I feel good. Really good, actually. Kind of like I'm re-set. Nothing major, just a general good feeling. I'd do it again...during a calmer time in my life, and perhaps for a longer period of time. I'd like to see if anything becomes more marked as time goes on, though I don't know if I could make it a full week. I love food.

Summer is ending and so is the busy season here. A bunch of my co-workers left this week, so I made them baking related cards to say goodbye. I thought I'd share them...they're food related and I haven't had any recipes in a while.

Summer

Please excuse the ridiculously irregular blogging! I'm still in Muskoka, and trying my best to enjoy the rest of my summer. I'll be living here until October—a bit longer than I originally thought—and some big changes are planned for the fall, so I'm not quite sure when I'll be blogging regularly again. Hopefully soon! Until then, here are a few snapshots from my summer...

Simple Granola

I really enjoy living in Muskoka. It's liberating to have a job that satisfies my urge to bake, leaving my spare time open for other favourite activities, like running, reading and practicing painting.



I miss working on recipes and having my own kitchen space, but because I sometimes stress myself out over creating new recipes, I am finding a summer away relaxing. For now, I leave my recipe workbook in a drawer, and, instead, spend my time refining my practical baking skills. The only thing I miss about baking for myself is eating it.

I had been making this granola during my last few weeks in Toronto, but with the activities of the pending move, never found time to share. This week, I paid a visit to my parents' cottage and took advantage of their new oven to refill my stock. I made the recipe below 6 times, hoping it'll last me until I next find myself with a kitchen.

There is nothing complicated about this granola recipe. Everything can be mixed in one bowl, and the only reason I add the hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds after baking is because I don't like their toasted flavour. My favourite way to eat it is with yogurt and berries—original, I know. 

Granola

(makes enough to fit nicely on a cookie tray)

Ingredients:

• 94 grams coconut oil, room temperature (solid)
• 125 grams maple syrup
• 250 grams rolled oats
• 26 grams coconut flour
• 25 grams flaked coconut
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 50 grams raw hazelnuts, chopped
• 25 grams raw pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine oats, coconut flour, flaked coconut, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt.

2. Add coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix until combined—small clumps of coconut oil are fine, though this is not a clumpy granola.

3. Bake at 320F for 18-20 minutes, until oats and coconut flakes begin to golden. Stir as necessary for even baking.

4. Once granola is baked, add hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds.

Practice II

Practice

The move to Muskoka actually went well. I saw two moose and, amazingly, I didn't even get lost.

Work for the bakery has begun, so we've been scratch baking every day—so exciting. No personal baking though—sorry, food blog!

Since spring decided to turn back into winter up here (it snowed on Sunday!), I've been practicing painting a bit in my down time. I still have no idea what I'm doing, but practice I must.

These flower designs are not of my own invention. I cannot find the source of the blue flowers in the first picture, though I'm pretty sure they were from Rifle Paper Company. Sorry! I thought I had pinned it. However, I do know that the roses are a lame attempt at ones from here. Everything on her website is so beautiful, it makes my heart ache.

The second practice was inspired by an old pillow case at my parents' cottage.

In the realm of baking and pastry, I know that baking theory is my passion. But when it comes to a favourite practical component, I just don't know.

Cake Decorating: Blackberry Cake

Last week, while leisurely decorating some miniature cakes, it occurred to me that they were ugly. I keep decorating cakes in the style I was taught in school—buttercream roses, piped borders, swags, etc...—only to repeatedly find myself displeased with the results.

Oatmeal Cookies II

If you will believe it, I haven't just been lazy about posting oatmeal cookies. It actually took me a month of obsessive oatmeal cookie making to arrive at this recipe. Creating an oatmeal cookie for my dream bakery was way more difficult than I anticipated...in part because I struggled to define my "perfect" oatmeal cookie, but also because of the increased number of variables to consider, adjust and change, especially compared to a basic shortbread or sugar cookie.

I'm spending my rainy day off working on a dream bakery oatmeal cookie. I am using my first oatmeal cookie recipe as a base, because, upon re-making it this week (and editing the post and pictures...haha, shh, it was embarrassing), I found the cookies were actually quite good. Still, I know they can be better...but I'm having a hard time determining the criteria for my ideal oatmeal cookie. All I know for sure is that it doesn't have raisins.

Barbados

My father has been living and working in Barbados for the last 6 months, and for a week this month, my family and I finally went to visit. I've tried to limit the number of photos I share, as this is a food blog, but it's difficult to go on vacation and not want to tell everyone about it. I'll try to be brief and food related...

Chocolate Cake with Honey Buttercream

It seems as though when you are an aspiring baker, you become forever responsible for making your own birthday cakes. Last year I made myself a raw cheesecake, but this year I wanted something more traditional. 

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Like shortbread, sugar cookies were a staple I thought I should be able to make using local sugar. This time, I stopped counting after trial batch number 6. While a nice tasting cookie was quickly achieved...a nice texture, not so much.