Dear darlings, I have had a few weeks off this space to work on new ventures but also took time to contemplate on what I wanted to blog about. After recent global events, a lot of things seemed quite frivolous to feature, to be honest — I know all of the social injustice happening in the world is not new. For those of us who are POC, more specifically fellow BIPOC, I’m sure you have a story or two of your own, at minimum. It affects my world greatly; it affects the entire world and their [victims] stories should not be bastardised or taken lightly.
Although I have made posts (and talked about it socially) on social platforms, I had to take a sabbatical, unplug, and try to see the light at the end of a very blighted tunnel. Even though we are also going through a pandemic, the world still goes on but we must keep fighting for what is right.
Being the offspring of two incredible individuals of vastly different cultures and different races, my comprehension of injustice has been seeped into my pores, even as a child. With everything compiled, my workload is already quite demanding at the minute since covid-19 and stress had set in, so I am thankful that I took time away from the blog.
With that being said, I did want to share several things that have occupied my time as of late. I will be back soon with a special summer post to inspire you. For now, these little bits of happiness have joyfully impacted my days.
Above: Row 1: (from L to R) Evening baking: rustic blackberry-blueberry galette, Homemade sugar-free lemon curd, Homemade smoked salmon – I show you how to confit and cure salmon here, Row 2: Weekend making family spices to ship, DIY chevron tray with stainless-steel handles and flecks of gold, beetroot rose iced lattes, Row 3: Kale pie, Knitting WIP, Sourdough soft pretzels using my four-year-old starter.
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1. Workflows & Hobbies
I have done a couple of food photography workshops (one in May and one currently). I was reluctant to join last year because I had gone to one in the past and it was a joke, an unorderly one.
Fortunately, I was contacted via Instagram by a food photographer to join a workshop, and since then I’ve found a few that I love. It’s an excellent way to meet fellow professional food stylists and food photographers virtually. Some have Zoom meetups, whilst others have specific days for exciting Instagram challenges. Your work is critiqued. Past classes have featured award-winning industry judges, which is exciting to have your work critiqued by some of your favourite creatives.
I also haven’t given up on knitting. I am getting back to it this week.
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2. Virtual Museums
This is something that we did a couple months back at the outset of the pandemic. Some of my favourite museums were giving free virtual tours. Well, if you couldn’t fly to Paris, how about the second-best thing or view the Sistine chapel? When I say, second-best, I’m meant to say marvellous front-row seat because you needn’t worry about anyone getting in your way as you stare at the same painting or as you read the labelling. View the Vatican City’s 360-degree views here, J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angelos or Museu de Arte de São Paulo here.
Above: Row 1: (from L to R) Fun moody video photoshoot with black bean burgers and braised radicchio, Indoor garden growing microgreens, Post-workout nibbles, Row 2: More microgreens x2, We grew mushrooms three times this year and this was our first-batch, Weeknight supper: I made veggie and beef chorizo pappardelle, Row 3: Second win with new oyster mushrooms, DIY chalkboard tray, Sunday roast: a special meal with roasted lamb.
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3. Craft It Out
- “When in doubt, craft it out!” I used to say that to my best friend, and lately, I have been taking my own advice. Reminiscent of favourite pastimes in my old art studio, I’d make a night of painting, sewing, crafting, and such. Now, there’s no excuse, the time has been there. These past few months, I created a functional chalkboard nesting tray and a chevron tray for home décor accents.
- Don’t worry, I will have more DIYs coming up soon. I am planning to bring back my ‘So Anthro” series this summer, which is all very exciting.
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4. Eat, Drink & Share
I revamped my old recipe for beetroot & rose lattes, and even made it iced. It’s so refreshing and delicious! Oh, and it’s with no added sugar (but you may use whichever sweetener you prefer). I use a rose powder, an absolute favourite for life! Additionally, with organic rose powder it’s incredibly good for your skin, drink it and have a self-care bath afterwards.
Baking always brings me joy and I’ve been doing loads of it. My kale pie was something that I just created because I didn’t have spinach on hand. I liked it better because sometimes spinach is quite bitter on the tongue. Obviously, I added truffle pieces to boot but you don’t have to. Here’s the recipe.
Tell me, what have you been doing lately?
