What I’m Into: August 2014

This summer has been insanely good. I can’t believe it’s already September. After a summer working for LiNK and adventuring all over Los Angeles, August was well spent with a week in San Francisco, some time at the cottage, and lots of movie watching. After seeing the idea on my friend Christie‘s blog, here is what I’ve been into for the month of August.

Books I Read:

Blankets by Craig Thompson-  I think I must have already read it before but have no idea when. Anywho, it’s a coming of age type story starting with two young brothers, following a romance, and exploring faith – and I liked it.

Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick – After hearing this book mentioned time and time again at the LiNK office, I finally got around to reading it. It shares the stories of the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years, each of them with very different experiences. A powerful book that gives great insight to life in North Korea.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway – This was my first read by Hemingway and I really enjoyed it. It’s the story of an old man on a great fishing journey, as a he battles the environment around him. 

Movies I Watched:

Guardians of the Galaxy – I really love Chris Pratt. He’s seriously the best. This move is action packed and full of space adventure and fun, with an awesome soundtrack. It’s different than most other super hero movies I’ve seen – in a good way!

Chef – This movie follows a chef as he ventures out of the fancy restaurant kitchen and into a food truck. It shows you an honest glimpse into the life of a chef and makes you want every food from every city in America.

Obvious Child – I really enjoyed this movie! It’s about a 26 year old aspiring stand up comic and follows her struggles with romance and life. It’s a romantic comedy without perfect people and is just so pleasant to watch.

Boyhood – This was awesome. Filmed over the course of 12 years, it follows the story of a boy named Mason through ages 5 to 18. Boyhood is beautiful! Everyone grows up and the world changes right before your eyes. Loved it.

TV Shows I’m Into:

Breaking Bad – Way late on this one but I finally finished Breaking Bad! And I loved it. I am usually not one to follow serious type shows, but Breaking Bad really got to me. It’s great writing, acting and way too much purple.

New Girl – After being compared to Jess Day so many times I decided to finally give New Girl a chance. It’s fluffy enough that I don’t feel like my brain is melting, but also funny enough that I don’t feel embarrassed watching it (re: my old MTV reality habit). Also, Zooey Deschanel has perfect hair and clothes so there’s that.

Music I Jammed To: 

Beyonce – I went to the On the Run Tour and whooey it was the best. Beyonce doesn’t even seem like a real person. She was never out of breath, her hair was always wind blown, and she was always looking so fierce. Jay-Z also oozed with coolness every time he stepped on stage, and I couldn’t help but obey when he told me to bounce. 

Fun Stuff I Did:

Wine Tasting at Castello di Amorosa – While in San Francisco, we hopped over to Napa Valley for a wine tour and it started at this awesome castle! It was a beautiful setting to pretend I knew things about wine, and the tasting was so much fun. I definitely recommend going – we also had the best, most hilarious tour guide, Victoria, so if you check it out request her!

Cottaging – Even though I’m missing the dry heat of California, nothing beats a weekend at the cottage. All summer long I’ve been dying to jump in the lake and finally the itch has been scratched! Reading, BBQ, relaxing by the water – all add up to some great weekends back home. 

Peach Berry Cobbler

Last week Mom and I headed out to pick some blueberries. Originally we were just going to pick a few, not enough for jam but enough to snack on and maybe some to freeze. Oh man, we ended up with about 4 litres. There were also so many raspberries! We just couldn’t stop picking. So now we have a freezer full of berries and I’m making everything and anything I can with them. Since peach season is also coming to a close I decided to throw them into this cobbler as well. 

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries

2 cups blueberries

3 large peaches, pitted and cubed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

4 teaspoon baking powder

5 tablespoon sugar

5 tablespoon butter, cold and cubed

1 cup 2% milk

2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a glass baking dish or cast iron pan. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the fruit with the lemon juice and vanilla. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Combine the fruit and flour mixture until the fruit is lightly coated. Pour into your pan and set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into this flour mixture until it forms into a crumbly, sand like mixture. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Mix together just until moist and mostly holding together. Break the dough into small, lightly flattened balls and place onto the fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving. 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Hey! I’m back again! I know this summer hasn’t been the best for blogging, but I really enjoyed my time working for LiNK and don’t regret missing out on posts one bit. Now that I’m back in Canada, I’m hoping to get back into baking. You know how my baking mood usually strikes at the strangest of times. Well this week I had arrived home from the cottage late afternoon and seriously felt the need to whip up something sweet. I quickly decided on chocolate chip zucchini bread, seeing as I had never made it before and I already had most of the ingredients in my kitchen. This bread is incredibly moist, with a hint of sweetness from the chocolate. It’s perfect for a quick breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. 

Ingredients 
(Adapted from A Beautiful Mess)

1 1/4 cup grated zucchini (appx. 1 zucchini)
2 eggs
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 F and lightly grease one loaf pan. Finely grate the zucchini. Combine the zucchini, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture, until just combined. Gently stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Belgian Waffles (with Maple Syrup)

One of my favourite childhood memories is waking up on a summer morning at the cottage, to the smell of homemade waffles. Nobody makes better waffles than my mother, that is a fact. They’re perfectly crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and best topped with real maple syrup and fresh berries. I was recently given a bottle of Lake of Bays Maple Syrup, and love pairing it with oatmeal, pancakes, but especially waffles. It is light in flavour, and perfectly sweet, the aroma alone will have you wanting to drown your breakfasts in real maple flavour. 

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups milk

2 egg whites

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the vegetable oil and egg yolks. Gently stir, slowly adding in the milk. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the waffle mixture – making sure not to over mix. Pour a scoopful into the heated waffle and cook according to your iron’s instructions. 

Good Books: Bird Box

I’ve never read a horror book before. I love scary movies and haunted houses and all that jazz, but I have always figured that if the Hunger Games gave me nightmares, a horror novel definitely would too. That being said I really enjoyed completing the 9th book of my 25-book pledge, Bird Box by Josh Malerman. The back cover synopsis really leaves a lot to the imagination, and as someone who is afraid of birds, I really don’t know why I grabbed this book when it’s supposed to be suspenseful and has ‘birds’ right there in the title. Well I’m here to tell you I survived! Though birds did play a minor role in the novel, I am pleased to say I’m not having nightmares of my face being pecked off. Bird Box follows Malorie and her two children, as they struggle to survive in a world where unknown ‘creatures’ are driving people to deadly violence. Fear of the outdoors leaves them living in an abandoned house, windows covered and doors bolted, and blindfolded when so much of a crack of light is seeping in. Their journey of survival and escape to a seemingly better place will leave you turning pages on the edge of your seat until the very end. Definitely recommend this read.

Coconut Lime Pull-Apart Bread

Maybe I should consider changing the title of this blog to something with coconut in it. I think nearly everything I’ve been baking recently has coconut. Or lime. This bread is no exception. It is similar to a cinnamon bun except instead of cinnamon it uses coconut oil, toasted coconut, and lime zest to ensure a sweet and tangy taste. It’s moist and chewy, and perfect for dessert, but better for breakfast!

Ingredients

(Adapted from A Beautiful Mess)

1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted, coconut oil
1/3 cup light cream
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lime zest
1/3 cup toasted coconut

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/2 cup toasted coconut

In a small bowl combine warm water, pinch of salt and yeast. Allow to rest for at least 8 minutes, until foamy. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture, melted coconut oil and cream. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined and form into a ball of dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and rise for at least one hour, until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. After the dough has risen, roll it into a large rectangle (1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Brush with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sugar, zest and toasted coconut. Cut the dough into small rectangles, stack, and place in a lightly greased loaf pan. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. When ready, bake for 35 minutes. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. After allowing the bread to cool for 10 minutes, pour the the glaze over top and sprinkle with more toasted coconut. Now dig in while it’s still warm and gooey!

Life Update

Well I went a whole month without posting. At first I felt sort of guilty for not putting up my usual weekly baking or book update, but then I remembered hey, this is a hobby! Hobbies are fun. Hobbies don’t bring feelings of guilt, so I’m over that. Instead of apologizing I will update you on life things that have kept me from the blogosphere. 

I had my last day of work this weekend! But Joanna you say, don’t you still need a job? Yes, yes I do, and though I will not be earning an income this summer, I think it’s safe to say that the next few months are going to be pretty awesome. I’m moving to Los Angeles for the summer! I’ll be interning with LiNK and couldn’t be happier. 

Also, school. This month has been mayhem and I am so glad it’s over. Having class for approximately 24 hours a week, with mountains of homework, and work on top of that was a less than ideal situation. But now it is over! Now I have a week off and it’s fantastic. Insanity was totally worth it.

I went on vacation! I spent the last week of April in San Francisco, mostly stuffing my face with delicious food (bread and Mexican food mostly). I also realized that I am probably going to sweat to death this summer seeing as Northern California was too hot for me, so we’ll see how I do in the Southern part. 

I’ve been reading books yes, but nothing so fantastic that I felt okay giving it the Good Books badge of honour. I read Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It’s a book meant for 9-12 year olds but I heard so many good things about it that I gave it a read. If you have no shame reading kids’ books, or have a kid in the family, this book. This book is it. I also read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn after hearing so much hype about it. This book is messed up. It is all sorts of crazy. If you’re into that then cool, but it was a bit too far for me.

That has been my month. Bring on the summer.

Oh, I also turned 26. 

Chocolate Almond Cookies

The month of April was been insane. With what seemed like hundreds of school assignments, a fake humanitarian crisis, figuring out U.S. visa regulations, and preparing for a much needed vacation, there was a great need to bake but little time for it. So I came home one evening and just started making cookies because I could and I needed to. Cookies can be such a comfort. They take little time and effort to make and are always so satisfying. Given the stress of the week I also needed chocolate. Chocolate almond cookies were made, and they did just the trick. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop approximately one tablespoon of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, about 1.5 inches apart. Take a few sliced almonds and stick them into the top of the cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the bottoms are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Good Books: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

I know. You don’t have to tell me. I am falling way behind on my 25-book pledge. Maybe ‘way behind’ is a bit of an exaggeration but I am at least two books behind where I should be for the end of April. I’ve started quite a few books but I just couldn’t get into them. I couldn’t even get in so far that I was at the point of no return where you just keep reading because you have been reading. I was at the point of return. Book returned, Joanna left with no book. That being said I am so pleased to say that I recently finished such a fantastic read that it made the returns all worth it. Enter Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. This is the story about Budo and his friend Max. Budo is Max’s imaginary friend and helps him deal with his day to day life. Max’s everyday life is a bit different than the average 8-year old since he is on the spectrum for Asperger’s, but either way Budo is a good friend to have around. Budo is sent on a quest to help protect Max from one of his teacher’s Mrs. Patterson, when she makes a rash decision, thinking she alone can take care of Max. With the help of other imaginary friends Budo must decide what is more important, Max’s life or his own existence. 

I loved this book. It reminded me a lot of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and Room by Emma Donoghue, but is made completely unique with the perspective of the imaginary friend world. Go read it now.

Key Lime Pie with Coconut Crust

Last week I had an interview for an exciting internship opportunity over the summer in California! I’ll talk more about this later but to ease my nerves that morning I woke up and baked a pie. It seems rather ambitious to bake a pie before an interview rather than other sorts of preparations, but baking calms my nerves! So a pie it was. Mom and I have been going crazy over a local food truck here called the Itty Bitty Pie Company that make the best miniature key lime pies in the universe, and ever since we found them I’ve been itching to replicate. After searching through several recipes, I finally found one that was simple enough to whip up in a couple hours. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
(Adapted from Hummingbird High)

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (appx. 14 crackers)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil

Filling
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 tablespoon lime zest

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a food processor, combine graham crackers and shredded coconut until crumbly. In a bowl mix together the crumb mixture, coconut oil and sugar until moist. Using your fingers press the mixture into a 9 inch pie dish, until evenly spread. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely.

Lower the oven to 325 F. In a bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and zest until just mixed. Pour into your cooled crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until solid but still slightly jiggles. Allow to cool before serving. Top with whipped cream and lime zest.

Note: I know this is technically supposed to be key lime but we had lots of regular limes so I used those and it was still fantastic. Lime Pie just doesn’t have the same ring to it.