Beach balls and Kokeshi

Ahh, Merry Christmas. I've been shooting a Christmas story for the last couple of days, and was it ever hot. Nothing like shooting a roaring fire on a 29 degree day! I'll try to post a bit of a sneak peek later ;)

I've just posted some new images on etsy. I've actually just sold a set of the kokeshi for a girl's bedroom (they were 10"x10" each) and one of the beach balls prints, so I thought I should finally put them up on etsy. I'm kind of slow on these things.  I'll get it together one of these days!

I took this shot while camping at Monck Park. This image is just a sample of my hazy memories of camping there as a child. 

I have a small collection of Kokeshi and decided to shoot a few of them. They look especially happy in a bedroom or a powder room. 

Now that Christmas is wrapped up, I hope to be able to take a couple of hours to check out some of your fab blogs today. Have a lovely day!

Baked on Monday - Crumpets with blackberry butter

I'm sure most of you out there have had a crumpet, but have you experienced a home made crumpet? Let's just say these are slightly time consuming to make, require patience (maybe that's just me), and I'm happy about that. If they were less time consuming and being impatient was perfectly ok,  I'd be eating a dozen a week, with loads of blackberry butter. Having said that, they are worth the time. Oh, and I suppose they are not technically "baked", so I guess these were "Cooked On Monday".

Crumpets with blackberry butter - makes about 15 (I picked up this recipe in Australia)
You will need 3 inch by 1 inch metal biscuit rings to make crumpets.

1 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 tsp sugar
7g sachet of dried yeast
375g/12oz all purpose flour
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Blackberry butter:

1 cup fresh blackberries
1 1/2 tblsp sugar
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

To make crumpets: Pour milk into a saucepan and heat until just warm (no warmer as it will kill the yeast). Remove from heat and add the yeast and sugar. Let stand for about 10 minutes or until mixture starts to bubble. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Slowly add the milk mixture beat with electric beaters until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for about 1-1 1/2 hours or until batter doubles in size and is full of air bubbles.
Mix the baking soda with 200ml/6 1/2 oz of water, and use electric beaters to combine with the batter. Heat a heavy based frying pan over medium heat and brush with melted butter. Grease biscuit rings and place in pan. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of batter into each ring. Cook over very low heat (crucial point!) for about 5 - 10 minutes or until the surface is full of large bubbles and a skin has formed. Loosen rings and turn over to cook other side. Remove crumpets from pan and place on a wire rack, cover with a tea towel while cooking the remaining batter. Serve fresh or toasted and top with blackberry butter. Beyond delicious. Enjoy!

To make blackberry butter: Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place softened butter in a bowl and whip with a spoon until creamy. Fold through the blackberry mixture to create a ripple effect. Cover and refrigerate until required.

Batter should double in size and have lots of air bubbles. 

Lots of air bubbles while cooking, is a sign that things are going well ;)

Have a lovely Monday everyone!

Views of Vancouver and beyond

I Hope you're all having a creepy free Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious? I'm not, but I guess I shouldn't jinx myself, just in case.

Thought I'd share a few spots I've checked out over the last little bit - Finn Slough (above), Stanley Park and the Coal Harbour area of Vancouver. I feel like a tour guide, but I do kinda like my city. If you visit, call me, as they say ;)

Coal Harbour in Vancouver, a nice sentiment from Vinny and Alida, and some wild life in Stanley Park, Vancouver.

A little about Finn Slough:

A group of Finnish people bought this land, located in Richmond BC, in the late 1800's. Apparently, there are a few descendants that still live in Finn Slough. Very interesting story, so if you'd like to read more click here. Finn Slough is about 20 minutes from Vancouver, and worth checking out if you're in the neighbourhood. The walk ways and bridge are very rickety so watch your step!

Various images of Finn Slough including the plank that I almost fell through. 

Finn Slough. I love the caged arm chair. 

Some of the homes still standing in Finn Slough. Love them. I'd love to have one myself.

A happily used old pick up. I'm happy to see the owner "brakes for unicorns".

That's it until Baked on Monday! Hope you enjoyed the "tour". Have a lovely weekend.

Commune Cafe and a sleepy niece

My husband and I had an early morning shoot at the fabulous new cafe, Commune, located here in Vancouver. Rob (husband) and my brother David, of Evoke, designed it. We were shooting it for a design book out of Singapore. Unfortunately we forgot that our niece, Annika, had booked in for a sleepover. Hated having to haul her out of bed at 6am ;)

Tina, the incredible chef, loaded Annika up with marshmallows and hot chocolate and a nutella sandwich to start the day off. Don't tell Annika's parents. Tina also whipped up a fabulous wild shrimp sandwich for the photo shoot. Holy yum.

A sleepy niece. Photo taken by her guilty Auntie.

Eating the props.  Can't waste anything.

I love the red chairs, cork light shades, mural and the thick felt on the bench seats. If you live in the Vancouver area, or are visiting this lovely city, definitely stop by Commune Cafe. Oh, did I mention it's also licensed? 

If any of you are thinking I'm a hideous Auntie, I did take Annika to the Vancouver Aquarium to see a diver swim in a tank with some of our native sea life, after the shoot. She loved it, even though she could barely keep her eyes open.

Baked on Monday - Sweet Potato Biscuits

Did you all have a nice weekend? Hope so.

I have to confess, I baked these last Monday to take on my camping trip. They are the perfect camping biscuit as they go with everything and last for a few days. I used "yams" instead of the yellow sweet potatoes this time around, hence the vibrant colour!

Sweet Potato Biscuits - makes about 12-15

1 lb sweet potatoes or yams
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tblsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
8 tblsp unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400f. Wash potatoes and, using a fork, prick the potato several times. Place on baking sheet and bake for about an hour or until soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and press through a sieve. You should have about 1 1/4 cup of puree.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles course meal. In another bowl, mix potato puree and milk, then add to dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Place dough on lightly floured board, knead a little, and pat out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a 2 inch round cutter. Bake on parchment paper lined baking sheet for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm!

Enjoy your Monday! Back on Wednesday.

Happy Camper

 I hope all had a great week! Just got back from a little camping trip to Monck Park in beautiful British Columbia. I went with 3 of my sisters, Mom and a couple of nephews. Hot, feral and heaps of fun....even without a campfire. Lots of forest fires here in B.C. so there is a ban on campfires for a bit. I bring you bits of B.C.....

 

 Liam, pine cones, the perfect camping breakfast, and a little washing up.

Various views of our campsite at Monck Park, one of B.C.'s many provincial parks.

Beautiful Nicola Lake.

A lonely looking little red house, in Merritt.

Merritt, B.C.

Allison Lake, B.C. This lake is stunning! The colour of the water was beautiful.

I leave you with a very happy pink house located in Princeton, BC.

Have a good weekend! Back on Monday for a little baking.

Baked on Monday - Nanaimo Bars

Well, not really "baked", just cooked a little then refrigerated.

My family has made Nanaimo bars forever. They are named after the city in which they were created, decades ago. Nanaimo is located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I thought these bars would be the perfect BC Day Baked on Monday. Hope you like them!

Nanaimo Bars

bottom layer:                                                         
1/2 cup unsalted butter
5 tblsp sugar
5 tblsp cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped

Middle layer:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tblsp milk
2 tblsp custard powder
2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Top layer:
4 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tblsp unsalted butter

Bottom layer: In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in the cocoa powder and sugar, then gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (1-2 mins). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped walnuts. Press mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9x9 non-stick pan. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Middle layer: Beat the butter until creamy, with an electric or hand mixer.  Add the remaining ingredients and beat until mixture is smooth. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover, and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

Top layer: In a heatproof bowl, melt chocolate and butter over a saucepan of simmering water. Spread the melted chocolate, evenly, over the filling and refrigerate until set. Wait until room temperature before cutting, as it could crack. Actually, who cares if it cracks? It will still be delicious.

Happy B.C. Day! I'm off camping for the next few days. It'll be nice just to be all feral, and hang around Nicola Lake.  Have a great week everyone!