date night ravioli.

Sunday marked the first anniversary of our wedding and we wanted to do something special to enjoy each other and mark the occasion. It being a Sunday, neither of us felt entirely into a night on the town and opted instead to spend the afternoon making fresh pasta. Cooking is an aspect of our relationship we have grown into. During the first year we could barely be in the kitchen together without fighting, but as our relationship has progressed so has our ability to communicate, work together and be open to the others ideas. We still have wildly different culinary predilections, but what we do have is a common love for fresh ingredients, innovative recipes and hours spent in the kitchen. Pasta is as good a labour of love as any and was the perfect way to spend our special day.  

Sausage & ricotta ravioli with wild mushrooms

Please note we made a mammoth amount, enough for six healthy portions and froze the rest for quick dinners. We layered the ravioli in a large square container alternating it with layers of baking paper and made sure to put it in the freezer as quickly as possible. 

Filling:

400 gr. good uncooked sausages (squeezed out of casings or finely chopped)

200 gr. ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in medium pan and add finely chopped onion. 

2. Add sausage and cook until done.

3. Put sausage and onion mixture in a blender and add ricotta and eggs. Blend until smooth. 

4. Set in the fridge to cool while you make pasta.

Pasta:

1.5 Kg flour

6 whole eggs

4 egg yolks

We used this method to make the pasta, cutting each sheet of pasta in strips which we laid on a floured piece of butcher paper. 

1. Spoon the sausage filling about an inch apart onto a strip of pasta

2. Cover with a second strip and gently press around the filling.

3. Use a pizza cutter to make squares around the filling and put dough aside to use for more pasta.

4. Use a fork to gently press around the filling and remove air pockets. 

To Serve:

100 grams of fresh mushrooms

1 tablespoon butter

Parmesan

Finally, add your fresh made pasta to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, drain. 

Add to a pan with melted butter and mushrooms and fry just long enough to coat. Serve with parmesan. 

Lately-home edition.

Huevos rancheros.

Seeing as I'm back in my native Canada, land of the all day breakfast, I thought I'd share one of my favourites on here. Huevos rancheros are the perfect food to skirt the border between breakfast and lunch. They are savoury and hearty and will keep you full all day long. For me they crave, crumbly home made flour tortillas, runny eggs and heaps of ripe avocado. The recipe here is the most basic option but if you have a bit more time, or left overs from dinner, you pair them with mango salsa, sweet potato, or anything else you can dream up. 

Huevos Rancheros (serves 2)

2 home made tortillas

11/2 cups of cooked black beans

1 table spoon chipotle puree

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 avocados cubed

2 tomatoes cubed

1/2 of one red or green onion, sliced

Goat cheese for topping

1. First make your tortillas. I follow the directions on the package (it varies slightly depending on the masa) and then roll them out between two sheets of baking paper. I then fry them quickly on each side in a small amount of oil. 

2. Add the beans to a pot with a small amount of oil in it. Stir until they just start to split, add chipotle puree and set on low heat. 

3. Fry your eggs and set them on top of tortillas, top with black beans, tomatoes, avocado onion and goat cheese. Serve. 

on simplifying.

Simplifying in relation to my wardrobe has been a goal of mine over the past year or so. I've strived to pair it down to items that both function for everyday while still being able to carry me through a party or two. I've been drawn to quality, rather than quantity and have really tried to stick to things with longevity. Packing for my three week trip to Canada, was the perfect opportunity to really pair it back to what I need for my day to day. It turns out, it's not a lot. Definitely a good exercise in the art of the capsule wardrobe and a treat for my arms on my upcoming trip (I leave in a couple hours!) Anybody else seizing the opportunity for a bit of spring cleaning/wardrobe detox?

DIY graphic tote bags.

I bought these bags off of EBay a couple months ago, because I couldn't resist the price. Since then I have been racking my brain trying to come up with something to do with them. Then during an eight hour marathon spent perusing the Internet I stumbled across this tutorial and I knew exactly what to do. I used the same fabric paint and process that I used for both my stencil pillows and monogrammed napkins. This is a super easy way to spruce up plain tote bags, but would also be fun for graphic T's or tea towels. 

Instructions:

1. Cut a sponge into little graphic shapes. 

2. Put newspaper, or cardboard in between the two layers of cloth to prevent any paint from leaking through.

3. Dip the sponge in the paint and then onto the tote bag. You can play around with the amount of paint you put on the sponge depending on how solid you want the shapes. 

4. Let the paint dry. Iron the paint to make it washable (or follow the specific directions on your paint)

5. Enjoy!

Lately.

A few pictures from Easter long weekend. A combination of the cold weather and a busy schedule had left me feeling super drained, so I was only too excited for some time off. We spent a lot of time around the house, managed a bit of spring cleaning and some late breakfasts and cozy dinners. All in all, a much needed rest. The kitties have only been too happy to have us around to share in cuddles and plays. I also got around to organizing my closet and in the process created a shop to sell the much loved vintage pieces that I'm no longer wearing. Check it out HERE. Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Spring where are you?

We are having the winter that just wont end. There is still snow on the ground and temperatures haven't crawled above zero in weeks. I'm at the point where I loathe my parka, snow boots and wool mittens and can't help but dream of warmer, less layered, days ahead. My spring dreams include, boyfriend jeans, perfect black pumps and effortless everything else. Anybody else having spring dreams?

River Island boyfriend blazer
$46 - riverisland.com

Boutique cashmere vest
topshop.com

Sass & Bide loose jeans
sassandbide.com

Salvatore Ferragamo shine shoes
stylebop.com

Yves Saint Laurent black suede handbag
ysl.com

Michael Kors chrono watch
macys.com

Black shawl
gretnagreen.com

lately- in the studio.

My biggest goal for 2013 was to bring ballet and dance in general, back into my life. I touched on the time I've been spending in the studio here and here, but thought it would be nice to create a regular feature where I share my progress in the studio. Michelle from Kingdom of Style does a lovely job of incorporating her ballet journey into her fashion blog and I have to say that has been a source of inspiration for me. 

Since the start of January, I have been attending classes two to three days a week. Tuesdays I attend intermediate ballet, Wednesdays intermediate modern and Thursdays I occasionally attend a beginner ballet class to build on my technique. I adore the Tuesday class, the teacher pushes me and the level is just right. The perfect combination of being challenged, while still knowing what my feet are doing. The Wednesday class in an amazing workout. I can feel my core strength improve after every class. I am not a modern dancer and the teacher is persistent in pushing me to loosen up. She urges me to spend less time worrying about being in the right position and more about just dancing. The Thursday class, however,  doesn't work for me. I find it slow, I have trouble properly warming up and end up leaving feeling a bit deflated. I've wanted to attend a Friday morning, advanced class since the start of February but haven't been able to get up the courage to do it. As a young dancer I never would have hesitated to throw myself at any exercise, or any class, but as an adult the idea of being out of my depth and stumbling is so much more uncomfortable. Twice, on a Friday morning, I've put on my leotard and grabbed my shoes and then hesitated and stayed home at the last second. This week was different, despite feeling anxious the whole way there, I forced myself out of the house and across town to the studio. I'm so glad I did. Although there were a couple of times where I lost my concentration and made mistakes, I know that by next week, or the week after, my brain and feet will work it out. That's the magic of dance, even when you feel like you can't, your body and brain remember and slowly the steps become easier, until the point that they become as natural as walking. For me it was also a good lesson to make sure that I don't let fear of imperfection stop me from doing the things I want. And the best part, I can now do away with the Thursday class for good and add a new class, one that works much better, to my routine. 

fried polenta with salsiccia, chorizo and herbs.

After seeing this recipe via Pinterest, I knew that sausage and polenta was something I wanted to try. I picked up a mix of duck sausage, Spanish chorizo and Italian salsiccia, added a few fresh herbs and ended up with a true winter comfort food. The perfect combination of heavy and warm for a chilly evening. 

Ingredients:

Good sausage

Polenta

Fresh basil, sage and rosemary

Onion

1/2 cup stock

1/2 cup red wine

Salt and pepper

I prepared the polenta the day before and allowed it to set in a bread pan in the fridge. I then fried the sausages and onion in a pan, on medium heat for about 10 minutes. I added the fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Next, about 2 tablespoons at a time,  I added the stock and red wine over a 30 minute period, letting it thicken in between adding. I reduced the heat and let gently simmer for 10 minutes while frying thick slices of the polenta. I served over two slice of polenta with heaps of rich, warm herbed sauce overtop. 

lately.

A week and a half ago we adopted two kittens, meet Pippa and Penelope, our new family additions. They are the most lovely 6 month old sisters, who already have a pretty special place in our hearts and home. So lately has been filled with plenty of kitten cuddles, playing and plenty of sleepless nights. I'm sure you will be seeing lots more of them, I'm already struggling not to send my instagram feed into kitten madness....

DIY jar candles.

For our wedding last year I re-purposed a bunch of glass jars to make DIY candle holders. I only kept four of them, but I've used them all winter for a bit of extra light and 'hygge' atmosphere. Because of another project involving paraffin, and it only being sold by the kilo, I had quite a bit left and decided to fill the jars and make my own candles. I used a ratio of about 250 grams beeswax and 750 grams paraffin, as well as some old candle ends. 

Instructions:

Over high heat melt all the wax in a double boiler. I used a pot with a stainless steel bowl inside. Attach a weight to the wick (I used a one kroner coin, which happens to have a hole in it) Lay the wick inside the jar and have some one help you pour the hot wax into the jar. Use a pencil to lay the wick over while the candle dries. In terms of clean-up make sure to wipe the bowl you've used for the wax with paper towels while it is still on the double boiler, this takes almost all of the wax off and the rest will come off with a quick scrub. 

lately.

A few shots from the past few weeks. Above: Sunday reading hour. An early morning look out the door. Misser making tracks in the snow. A Fastelavns Boller and my new, thrifted, Nordic mittens.

peanut butter Oreo blondies and an explanation.

It's the 22nd? How did that happen? I would love to say that I have tons of excuses as to why I haven't posted since the 1st, like I've been swamped with work, or preoccupied with ballet, but the truth is while I've been moderately busy with both of these things, I mainly just haven't felt like it. It's been freezing and I've been lazy. I've spent my time curled up under blankets watching Girls and the new season of the Bachelor. Sidenote: anybody else watch that trash? I absolutely love it. Not in a dough eyed, true love way but in a sarcastic, are all of these egomaniacs for real, did they actually just say that kinda way. So with explanations out of the way I present the best cookie bar I have ever baked, or eaten for that matter. These were so good that after me and R overindulged on the Sunday I baked them, I brought the rest to work to get them out of the house. They were gone in minutes. I found the recipe via Pinterest and you can check it out at The Crepes of Wrath. 

Antoinette's vegetable dip.

Firstly I'll start by saying, I have no idea who Antoinette is. This recipe comes from my mother, who was given the recipe from a lady she met while holidaying in the Kootenays, and I'm pretty sure that lady wasn't even Antoinette. Secondly, it's a bit of a toughie to get a good photo of. Something about a beigeish dip that doesn't lend to food photography but that being said you should make it, it's delicious and without question my favourite veggie dip on the planet.

Antoinette's Vegetable dip:

1/2 cup oil
1 small white onion.
1/2 cup flake nutritional yeast
4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
2 tsp. tomato paste (or ketchup)
1 tbsp. peanut butter
to taste: salt, pepper, chili & garlic.

1. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend. Done!