Happy Long Weekend!

If you celebrate Easter, I hope you have a nice one! A couple of my sisters and I, are taking our mom to Las Vegas. Should be interesting. Wish me luck. What do you wear in Vegas?

I'm wrapping up a busy week, with some pastel colours from the week of shoots...

Have a great weekend! Back soon.

Janis

Baked

I hope your week is going well! Thanks to all who sent emails and left lovely comments about my news the other day. Shooting the cookbook, for Butter Baked Goods, will be a fantastic experience...and possibly fattening!

Speaking of fattening (actually, these aren't too bad), I baked a batch of cookies the other day using almond meal, coconut and chocolate. They seem to be my favourite ingredients these days...so many possibilities!

Almond Coconut Cookies with Chocolate - makes about 12

1 1/4 cups almond meal (finely ground almonds)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
whole almonds for tops of cookies
100g of dark chocolate for dipping

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter, then add the egg and almond extract, mixing well. In another bowl combine the almond meal, baking soda,sugar and coconut. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Roll dough into balls, about 1.5 inches each, and place on baking sheet. Flatten a little and press an almond on top of each cookie.

Bake for about 10 minutes. They are quick to burn, so keep a watch on them. Allow to cool on wire rack.

To melt chocolate, break up 100g of chocolate into a small saucepan. Melt on low heat, stirring until melted. Dip one half of cookie in melted chocolate and enjoy!

Have a great day! Back soon.
Janis

Weekend Observations

Did you have a nice weekend? What did you get up to? I worked for most of mine, but it was still lovely and too short ;)

A few bits of my weekend...

The best bit is that is was for no special reason, and paid for with their own money. Love that. 

Butter is a beautiful, and delicious, bakery here in Vancouver. Their amazing marshmallows are sold all over North America and now Japan! Rosie Daykin is the multi-talented owner of Butter Baked Goods, and writer of this book, published by Random House. My first house shoot ever was with her for House and Home. I've since gone on to shoot her stunning garden for Vogue Living Australia, and Rosie herself for the cover of Canadian Home and Country. I can't wait to work with her on this huge project (99 recipes) and learn more about the book publishing world. 

That's it for today! Have a great day.

Back soon,

Janis

A Very Happy Office for Friday

It's been a busy week, and I'm looking forward to the weekend! What do you have planned for the weekend?

I thought I'd wrap up the week with the lovely Shereen de Rousseau's home office, designed by Nancy Riesco.  I shot it for Style At Home magazine's May issue. I'm sure she never has a bad day in this perky space...if she does, she can just curl up on that cute day bed.

Have a fantastic weekend! Back soon.

Janis

Baked

Hope your week is off to a good start! I've got heaps of photo editing to do, and deadlines looming. Oh well, nothing a cupcake can't help.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream - makes 12 cupcakes

150g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup all purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin tin with vegetable oil, or line with paper liners (I didn't seem to have any of those kicking around).
Beat butter and sugar, with an electric mixer, until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined.

Pour in milk and almond meal, and blend. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, and mix together until well combined.

Scoop batter into cups evenly and bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer, inserted in centre, comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Coconut Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups icing sugar
2 teaspoons coconut extract
2 tablespoons coconut milk
unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on tops

To make buttercream: Beat the butter, with an electric mixer, until smooth and creamy. With mixer on low speed, slowly add the icing sugar, a little at a time, then coconut extract, and coconut milk. If it's too thick, add a little more coconut milk. Spread over top of cupcake, then sprinkle with coconut. Enjoy!

Have a great day! Back soon.
Janis

PS
I've done a "behind-the-scenes" of a photo shoot for The Cross, over at Poppytalk today. It was so much fun!

Weekend Observations

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Here's a little of mine...

Nerissa Goco is the designer of these beautiful bags. Check out their shop here. 

See more of the Cross here.

This fun "guerilla gardening" workshop was put on by Aloe Designs. Guest speaker was author and blogger, Andrea Bellamy. Hands in this pic belong to Aynsley Tanner, my partner in seed bomb making. I can't wait to start tossing these randomly throughout the city. 

This book is so helpful if you have just a tiny space to work with. I've shot Andrea in her tiny garden for Sunset magazine - it's incredible how many edibles she grows. 

What did you get up to this weekend? Hope it was a fun one!

Back soon,

Janis

Happy, Sunshiny Friday!

Well, it's sunshiny here today. Hope it is for you too!

Back soon,
janis