Enchantment Learning & Living Blog

Welcome to Enchantment Learning & Living, the inspirational space where I write about the simple pleasures, radical self-care, and everyday magic that make life delicious.

Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

August 5, 2014

Earlier in the week, I posted my Cherry Tomato Summer Salad, an easy, refreshing dish that highlights that flavors of this perfect summer fruit. Since you know my love for a good tomato borders on the pornographic (remember my effusions on the first tomatoes from my own garden?), I thought I'd offer you another tomato salad recipe, this one just as simple and delicious as the last.

It makes a perfect light meal or a great side dish for an Italian dinner. I love making this salad for Sunday pasta night with my family! It has a big wow factor, both in taste and presentation, but takes only five minutes to prepare. Unlike traditional tomato and mozzarella salads, I go easy on the cheese, using it more as an accent to the tomatoes rather than as a competing flavor. Feel free to play with the types of tomatoes you use too. I used more yellow pear, chocolate rose, and sun gold cherry tomatoes here, but the recipe can easily be tweaked to accommodate what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

4 cups cherry tomatoes

8oz small mozzarella balls (one container)

1/2 cup basil

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Place washed cherry tomatoes in salad bowl. Slice mozzarella balls (roughly the size of your cherry tomatoes) in half and add to your bowl. Shred basil and add to salad, then stir until ingredients are combined. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir. Serves 4 as a light meal or 6 as a side dish. Enjoy!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Women I Will Never Be, Clothes I Will Never Wear

August 4, 2014

To the awkward Barbie high heels, I've only ever worn once: goodbye. You never fit quite right. You were the bright spectacles on my feet that I wore to give myself wings the day I defended my dissertation. I hobbled to my defense, your heels clack-clack-clacking in an undignified manner, reminding me that my former career path--a nun given herself over to scholarship, a Hardcore Intellectual--like you, did not fit me right. So goodbye. I will never be that woman, tired and driven and ready to sacrifice everything, including her feet firmly planted on the ground, for a few scraps of old paper and old lives that no one cares to remember. I am an intellectual, yes, but made of heart and blood as well.

To the white dress: goodbye. I don't like white clothes. And I am forced to press all the air out of my lungs to hoist your zipper over my ribcage and even then not without help. All white doesn't suit me. I am a woman of colors, of rich desert browns and turquoises and yellows and greens. So goodbye at my vague attempt to be a Demure Girl. I will not be silenced.

To the shoes I've never worn: goodbye. You were bought on impulse as if to prove I could be anyone I wanted to be now that I was done with school. You were tall, coated in thick black and purple stripes, looking like nothing if not bulbous spiders on my feet. There was a faint dream that you would be worn for Girls Night Out or to clubs or to wherever women my age seemed to go on weekend nights. But the only thing you ever did for me was take up space in my closet for this one simple reason: I will never be the Girls Night Out woman; there will be no loud bars or silly drunkenness, because I am not a girl or fond of crowds or having to miss the early morning hush because I've been out too late. I am of the earth and the sky and the quiet of simple living.

To the fancy jacket lined with sequence and the purple polka dot dress: goodbye too. I cannot wear you without feeling sad. You are the Dashed Hope, the outfit worn to give me grace as I transitioned out of my old life, the outfit I wore in a desperate attempt to distance myself from the gray surrounding me. It only partially worked. You too must go, though it hurts a little. I am always Sad Birthday Girl when I attempt to wear you as if the gray has stuck to your shine and began to absorb into my skin. I cannot hold onto that sadness. So I will give you away with the hopes that it will cleanse you of the burden of my past and you can be reborn into healing garments for someone else.

To the too-tight work pants I stuff myself into: most definitely goodbye. I am not a Straight-laced Anything. I am a teacher, plain and simple. And one who likes bold dresses and A-line skirts. I have learned to breathe in my profession, to honor my nature even as I make my way in the world, so you must go. And to those stiff jeans--yes, goodbye to you too, for much the same reasons. I have no room in my life for conventional restrictions. My limbs are carved from yoga; my body caught up in a fluid daily dance of self-expression. It will not take to the constraints of stiff fabric or conventional thoughts. I am a woman of nature and breath, air, and light.

Goodbye to you all and many others. I unburden my closet from your presence as I unburden myself from these women I never was and never will be. I will think twice about taking on robes and roles that are not my own, of cluttering my life with things I am not meant to have or be.

It is a sweet relief to create more room for the woman that I am.

Cherry Tomato Summer Salad

August 3, 2014

What is summer without the delight of tomatoes fresh from the vine? They taste like distilled sunshine and sweet, sweet earth...I could go on forever about these perfect summer jewels which is probably why I end up with piles of these delicious fruits in forms and varieties sitting on my kitchen counter ready to be devoured. This especially true for cherry tomatoes that are like individually wrapped treats I can pop in my mouth like candy (only better because I don't really like candy, just clean, healthy food).

One of my favorite ways to enjoy cherry tomatoes is to use them in this easy salad. It celebrates the perfection of the heirloom cherry tomato with minimal ingredients to weight them down. Think of it as a bread-less bruschetta. The only real difference between my salad and a tomato bruschetta topping is the bitter dandelion greens I add to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes. Or you can almost think of it as a variation of my spicy cherry salad, minus the spice.

I like to use a variety of cherry tomatoes, here being yellow pear, chocolate rose, and sun gold (pictured below). It doesn't matter what type of tomatoes--including larger varieties--you use as long as they are super fresh, either from your garden or the farmers market. Store bought just won't give you the same taste. Lastly, I keep the dressing light, just enough to coat the ingredients without overshadowing the tomatoes, and rarely use salt in my recipe since these fresh ingredients hardly need to coax out their flavor. This dish makes a light summer dinner or a perfect side salad.

Ingredients:

2 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup dandelion greens

1/4 cup basil

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

salt to taste (optional)

Slice the heirloom tomatoes in half and place in a salad bowl. Shred dandelion greens and basil and add to bowl, stirring until combined. Mince garlic and add to bowl, stirring until combined. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar to bowl and mix again. Add salt of desired. Serves 2. Enjoy!

On Farmers' Markets

August 2, 2014

You are a sucker for a good farmers' market, just as you can't resist the temptations of any grocery store. You go there wanting to be seduced--by ripe heirloom tomatoes, heaps of ruby radishes, and, if you're really luck, tangled nests of garlic scapes in the spring or juicy peaches near summer's end.

It is best to go early, before the heat and the crowds bear down on you, before the tender greens and over-ripe fruits begin to wilt and soften under the sun's gaze. For now, you enjoy the early morning coolness, made all the cooler today from the previous evening's monsoons that raged through the city; the sky is still coated in a blanket of clouds promising more rain. The city is quiet, subdued.

It is good coffee you must have first in order to browse through the produce stands; it will hold you over until you decide what goods you truly want to commit to. Its taste is dark and bitter on your tongue--tempting you to balance it out with one of the pastries piled high in several booths like edible artwork topped off with powdered sugar. But no, you aren't ready to commit yet, not ready to give up the little thrill that blossoms in your belly with each temptation, each possibility.

As you wind your way through the stalls, you marvel at the jewel-like produce: amber carrots, emerald greens, butter yellow corn heads poking through pale green wisps of silk and husk. You keep your eye out for pickling cucumbers (what is summer without homemade pickles?) and another for those culinary miracles of homegrown tomatoes--gone too soon from the stands--that needs only your teeth sinking into their flesh to make a perfect meal.

When your coffee has dwindled in its cup and you have made a full circuit around the market, it is time to let yourself be fully seduced by the few items you can't stop thinking about, time to give into the temptation of peppery radishes, red and green okra spears, and tiny heirloom cherry tomatoes. You return for your treats, already planning the week's meals which all somehow revolve around just washing and eat these earthly treasures raw. At the last minute, you throw in a bouquet of wildflowers because farmers market flowers always make your nightstand look so lovely, make your mornings so much more delicious when you roll out of bed.

With a full heart and an even fuller canvas bag, you head home, content in your treats, excited to spread them out on your counter in a cornucopia of summer pleasure.

A Love Letter to Summer Monsoons

August 1, 2014

You quiet my mind as you feed the earth. The strength of your thunder, the flash of your lightening all serving to soothe the storm inside me. Your wet rain kisses my skin, filling the cracks and crinkles of my parched mind as it soaks into the dark soil grounding my plants, burrowing deep into their roots even as it brushes their upturned faces.

You send a hush over the city, making the land, the traffic, the day-to-day bustle slow down whether it wants to or not. You wind your way to your fullest expression, clouds gathering in force behind you, a welcome promise of a calm, settled evening. I watch those dark clouds race across the horizon punctuated by your low grumble that warns the city of your strength, inviting the day to bow before your might. There will be no late night frolicking or even an afternoon reading on the porch; windows are securely fastened shut, door tightly closed. Inward I must go.

Your crackle and light sooth me to sleep late at night, the downpour of rain finding me in my dreams. I would run out and dance in you, if I could, if it weren't for the thunder and lightning. I content myself with listening to your wild symphony--the only noise that can draw me away from my book and my place on the couch to simply stare out my window and listen and drift on the song that is my summer monsoons, my healing balm that washes over my soul.

Lavender Foot Scrub

July 31, 2014

So yesterday I talked about the importance of giving your feet a little extra TLC, especially after moving or doing other activities that keep you on your feet all day (teachers, I'm talking to you!). In that blog, I extolled the virtues of my Honey Eucalyptus Foot Soak, a perfect way to sooth and refresh your tootsies. Today I offer you another such treat in the form of a foot scrub. Like my foot soak that can be turned into a full-on bath, this foot scrub can also be used as a regular body scrub, but it is especially nice on the soles of your feet. The rough texture of the sea salt smooths away dead skin while the lavender is a natural relaxant and anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.

I use less olive oil in this recipe than I would in a body scrub because you want more grit than moisture for a foot scrub. Since the soles of your feet are tougher than the rest of your skin, the extra grit offers more exfoliation. If you want to use this as a body scrub, just add another 1/4 cup olive oil to soften it. Ready for the big kicker? You can also use this as a foot soak! So why not double the recipe and use half to soak your feet and the other to scrub them clean?

Ingredients:

1 cup sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

10 drops lavender essential oil

2 tablespoons dried lavender buds (optional)

Combine ingredients in a bowl and transfer to a mason jar to store. To use, wash feet thoroughly. Generously apply the scrub to feet and work it across your skin with your hands, spending more time on rougher areas. Rinse when complete and moisturize feet. Makes about 1 cup. Enjoy!

Honey Eucalyptus Foot Soak

July 30, 2014

The only thing better than a long hot bath after moving and unpacking (or helping someone else do it) is a long hot foot soak! After all, you've been on your feet all day (and night) and sometimes it's nice to slip into jammies, chill on the newly moved-in couch, and dip your feet into a basin filled with Epsom salts and other restorative ingredients. Your only task then is to not move for a little while, which should be no problem after a day of running around.

For this recipe, I use Epsom salts which help sooth tired muscles thanks to all the magnesium and other minerals in it. I also add honey which smooths and softens skin while reducing any inflammation. The little bit of olive oil moisturizes your feet while the eucalyptus oil energizes them and relieves sore muscles. Its crisp scent also soothes the spirit. The only special equipment you need is a big tub or basin to soak your feet. The best time to use this is at the end of the day after you've unpacked your last box. Get cleaned up, slip into your favorite PJs, brew a cup of tea, and sit back to enjoy your foot bath! Of course, it goes without saying that you can easily turn this into a for-real bath--simply pour these ingredients into your bath tub and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 cup organic honey

1 cup Epsom salts

10 drops eucalyptus essential oils

1 tablespoon olive oil

4-8 cups hot water (depending on how big your basin is)

Combine all ingredients into your tub except the water. Then fill your container with hot water from your bathtub. Make sure to test the water first for desired temperature first. Do not to overfill the tub--the water level will rise once you put your feet in it. Soak for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!

On the World's Longest Bubble Bath

July 29, 2014

It is late--far later than you realized, the clock's hands rapidly making their way towards midnight. It is no time for a bubble bath, really, but you simply can't shake your need to get lost in hot water and a thicket of frothy bubbles.

The past few days were a flurry of moving boxes and running errands and whipping up dinner for family as you all worked to help your sister and her husband move into their new home. You are dizzy from the movement and the inevitable chaos that is moving a person's home box by box into a new space, to be reassembled into relative orderliness. Happy to help, yes, but now your body craves a hot soak and your mind the quiet of the late night.

As you draw the bath, you relish the hush of your home, the comfort of being surrounded by your things from books you've read or mean to read, and the ones you toy with bringing to your bubble bath only to be discarded on your nightstand--words are too much for you right now. You enjoy your candles which you light to perfume your home with the scent of lemongrass and the ever-comforting collection of stones and crystals lining your nightstands and desk and shelves--they calm and ground you, centering you back to you. You even relish putting on your bathrobe speckled with stars on a midnight sky. It is yours as is this night.

When your bath is ready and piled high with those bubbles you so love, you forsake the robe and sink deeply into your watery haven. You will not move for some time. You will listen to the gentle popping of the bubbles and your quiet breathing. You will savor the heat soaking into your limbs and the bright tang of lemongrass tickling your nose. You will let the days of moving wash off you like dead skin. You will make this the world's longest bubble bath, lazily letting the clock's hands circle past midnight and tick-tock towards one, maybe even two.

Post-Helping-Sister-Move-Bubble-Bath...more tomorrow!

July 28, 2014

Yup. The title pretty much says it all. I helped my sister and her husband move into their new home this weekend to prepare for the baby on the way. It went well and fairly smoothly...as far as moving goes. We had lots of help from his family and ours so we were able to get a lot done. That said, there were the inevitable unexpected complications and long hours and takeout food and all the things that come with moving. It is picking up the entire contents of your home and setting it up somewhere else, after all. How could it not be just a little chaotic? There were, of course, lots of giggles and bubbly drinks and celebrations too!

That said, I've just finished helping them for now and all I can think about is the longest, hottest, bubbliest bubble bath in the world. And a dirty gin martini. Possibly at the same time I take my bath. So what if it's only noon?

But I promise to bring you more tomorrow once I've had the world's longest bubble bath followed by the world's longest nap!

Limoncello Spritz Cocktail

July 27, 2014

Most of last week was spent waxing poetic about the glories of limoncello--making it, drinking it, allowing it to flood me with the golden memories of my trip to Italy. I also promised you a recipe for the alluring elixir, assuming you don't always want to drinking it as is, perfectly chilled in a small sipping cup. This cocktail is a variation of the Italian spritz, which uses a bitter orange liquor, Aperol, as a sparkling wine enhancer. Here I swap out the Aperol with my limoncello for a light lemony bubbly drink perfect for your next celebration. As a bonus, this drink tastes marvelous in any cup, including this plastic cup pictured here used when toasting to my sister and her husband's new house. There was no furniture or even proper dishes in yet, only some takeout lunch, a few blankets for a makeshift indoor picnic on the wood floors of their living room, and of course, this bubbly drink to welcome them to their new home.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz (1 shot glass full) limoncello

5 oz (about 3-4 shots) of a dry sparking white wine

1.5 oz (1 shot) sparkling water

Ice (optional)

Pour limoncello into the bottom of a glass. Add sparkling wine and sparkling water. Add ice if desired--sometimes I put it in, sometimes I don't. Serves one (so double the recipe and invite another limoncello lovin' friend to join you!). Pairs well with a sunny Capri state of mind and a lovely patio garden. Enjoy!

Best Hits: Top 5 Most Popular Recipes to Date

July 26, 2014

Yesterday we looked at the Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts to Date, but we all know that besides my musing on everyday magic and simple pleasures, I also offer recipes on everything from DIY beauty products, healthy meals and snacks, to cocktails and even tea blends to help you conjure everyday bliss in your own life. In honor of that equally important facet of Enchantment Learning & Living, today I am sharing the Top 5 Most Popular Recipes to Date. I compiled the data, and the revelations are as varied and surprising as the most popular posts! Check it out below, in no particular order:

1. Keepin' It Fresh Homemade Deodorant

2. Lavender Gimlet

3. Easy Homemade Pickles

4. Chickpea & Mushroom Salad

5. Sleepy Time Tea Blend

What favorites of yours made this list? Which didn't? ...and don't fret, there are plenty more recipes to come!

Best Hits: Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts to Date

July 25, 2014

I got to thinking the other day--now that I am a little more than halfway through my year of daily blogging--about what my most popular blog posts are as of now. So I did some investigating, perused my blog activity, hits, comments, likes, favorites, and retweets...you name it! Once I compiled my data, I found there were a handful of standouts that people just couldn't seem to get enough of. This biggest surprise to me was that these "best hits" were from a pretty wide range of topics and tones, from the playful On Maximalist Fashion to the more somber On Healing as Art. Wow!

So here, in a nutshell, are my most popular blog posts (chosen by your engagement), not including recipes--those come later. Enjoy rereading the ones you helped make the most popular or reading for the first time the ones that slipped past you the first time around!

1. On Healing as Art

2. On Returning Home After Work

3. On Tasting the First Tomatoes from Your Garden

4. On Maximalist Fashion

5. O n the Necessity of Good Coffee

What were your favorites that didn't make it on the list? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Mama Love Pregnancy Tea Blend

July 24, 2014

I am happy to announce that in just a few short months, I will be the proud auntie to a little baby niece! I can't wait to do all the things good aunties do, like fuss over her as a baby, take her to high tea when she is old enough, and teach her the value of good books and polka dot dresses. Even as I write this, I am in the process of knitting a hot pink blanket for her so that she knows how loved she is--loved even before she came into this world!

Of course, it's not all about the cute baby. In fact, my mom and I have been doing quite a lot of girl bonding things to enjoy this pregnancy process with my sister and the whole family is helping her and her husband move into their new home this weekend. So it has been lots of love and excitement all around!

And yet we mustn't forget the needs of the mother. Her body is changing rapidly as it adjusts to the new life it carries and it is important to make sure she gets plenty of nutrients in her system--just as important as plenty of rest, exercise, and a healthy diet. So in honor of my sister's pregnancy, I came up with this herbal pregnancy tea blend meant to give this new mama a little TLC.

One thing to keep in mind is that when using herbs, it is always wise to consult your doctor and local herbalist about what herbs are safe for pregnant women. Make sure to stay away from stimulating herbs like ginger because it can make the uterus overactive. With this in mind (and a trip to my local herb store to consult with the experts), I stuck with nutrient dense herbs like alfalfa, rose hips, and raspberry leaf for this recipe to give my sister the extra energy and vitamin boost she needs. The mint leaves balance the grassy taste of the alfalfa while soothing the nerves and easing morning sickness.

This is also a great tea for non-pregnant ladies who need a little nutrient boost. The raspberry leaf on its own, especially, has long be considered a woman's herb, as it is good overall uterus health and contains a significant amount of magnesium which most women are deficient in (and which can be one of the causes of cramping). My sister has been enjoying this blend all throughout her pregnancy; she likes the taste and loves that it nourishes both mother and child!

Ingredients:

1 cup Alfalfa Leaf

1/2 cup Peppermint leaf

1 cup Raspberry Leaf

1/2 cup Rose hips

1/2 cup Spearmint leaf

Blend all ingredients in a bowl and transfer to an airtight container. Keep away from direct sunlight and heat. To brew, use a heaping tablespoon per cup of hot water. Add more tea per cup of water for a stronger brew. Makes approximately 3 1/2 cups of tea. Enjoy!

Health Properties of Herbs:

Alfalfa leaves: natural diuretic, improves digestion, rich in vitamins A, E, K, B, D, iron, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

Peppermint: a cure-all herb for headaches, cramps, sore throat, and stomach aches.

Raspberry leaf: rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, magnesium; tones uterus; relieves tension.

Rosehips: anti-aging; contains vitamins A, D, B, C, E, and K, iron, calcium, zinc, and other vital nutrients; promotes healing and boosts energy; antibacterial.

Spearmint: soothes nerves, motion sickness, along with the properties associated with peppermint; stronger flavor than peppermint.

On Attitude

July 23, 2014

Attitude (n): 1. A settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior. 2. A position of the body proper to or implying an action or mental state. 3. Individuality and self-confidence as manifested by behavior or appearance; style. -- oxforddictionaries.com

Your body is your mind, a reflection of all you hold dear, all you would reject. It carries your thoughts in your veins and maps your feelings in your body's tissues and sinewy muscles. The grace of your actions, a mirror to what you allow into your mind, but deeper still, your soul and the very fabric that it is woven from.

You must be careful with this connection, the braided threads of mind, body, soul. It is a gift, this power of reflection and magnification, your body absorbing what your deepest you conjures through thoughts, feelings, nourishing your whole self. But this mirroring goes both ways. It lets in light and hope, nurtured through your thoughts of growth and wholeness, of forward movement and healing.

And yet, it too can feed off of the weeds in your mind, the doubts and old selves that grow through the cracks in your self-confidence. It can leak out in bad posture or long-healed injuries flaring up, or nasty thoughts that encourage those weeds to grow deeper, thicker--until your mind would be a dark bramble seeping through your mirror, your body in the form of heaviness, a disconnection that wraps itself around you like a fog.

The only way to dispel the fog swirling in the mirror, to make those brambles fade back into the cracks they grew out of and seal off those openings is to let in light; feed your individual attitude mapped in your veins and bones. Awaken the core you sleeping inside your ribcage, and reminding it that it is a force of sun and earth, blood and bones, strong roots and open wings.

Zucchini Fritters

July 22, 2014

This recipe is the perfect solution to an overabundance of zucchini--it's easy, light, and sooooo addictive! It makes a healthy, quick weeknight meal or a perfect side to a fancier feast come the weekends. The term "fritter" might be a little misleading, conjuring up images of deep-fried excess. In reality, these fritters are really more like golden brown cakes or latkes cooked in a little olive oil.

The trick to getting perfectly crisp fritters is to make sure you drain the moisture from the shredded zucchini otherwise you end up with mushy fritters. To do this, you'll need some cheese cloth which will help you wring the excess moisture out of your zucchini. You can save the juice for green smoothies. The second trick to a perfect fritter is in making sure that it is super flat, which in this case means less "batter" to fry up for each cake. This way you get a crispy outside and moist inside without any mush.

You can serve them over a bed of lettuce and top them with a little Greek yogurt and fresh chives for a dinner that is pure bliss! They also freeze well, so I like to make a big batch and freeze some of it for a rainy day.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchinis or 2 1/2 cups), shredded

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 egg, beaten

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon red chile flakes

1 teaspoon sea salt

Place shredded zucchini in a cheesecloth and squeeze out any excess liquid.

Then place shredded zucchini in a bowl and stir in garlic, chile flakes and salt. Incorporate nutritional yeast and cornmeal next. Lastly, add the egg and stir until fully combined.

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a pan. Using your hands, take about 3 tablespoons worth of batter and flatten it into a thin cake. Place on a skillet and repeat until pan is full. Let each cake cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown.

Serve warm. Makes about 10 fritters. Enjoy!

On Making Limoncello

July 21, 2014

It is your way of distilling sunshine in a bottle, of capturing the salty, bright air of Capri and the golden light of Tuscany. It will forever be your first time in Florence, savoring the sweet lemony digestif at midnight on the Palazzo Vecchio, only half-believing that there you were in the heart of a city you had only ever read about.

Now, as you peel your lemons, you think back to that first night and how smoothly that limoncello went down, a cool, clean tonic on your throat, the perfect antidote to a year of uphill climbs and dead ends. The heaviness in you had lifted, carried away by the soft midnight breeze and kept away with the lively conversation of your late-night companions and the music floating across the piazza. It took the bitter peel of a tart fruit and a long year and turned it into something soft, gentle, enjoyable.

You do this now too--taking those seemingly unusable pieces and shaping them into something beautiful. You work your way carefully around the lemon, making sure to shave off the outer skin but leave the too-bitter white flesh untouched; it will not do to let a pith-soured rind steep in your brew. This elixir must be made up of light and fresh starts.

As the weeks pass and your mason jar, full of lemon peels and spirits, darkens to a rich golden hue, you consider the time it takes to make something worthwhile, to let it cure until it is ready to be finished off with sugar and water. Remove the peels too soon, and you are left with a weak drink, more sugar than citrus; too long, and the fruit's oils overtake everything else, saturating your drink with the sharp taste of harsh moonshine. No, the timing is everything and only the golden color of the concoction tells you it is ready. It does not listen to fixed days or firm dates but arrives at perfection in its own time.

You admire your first batch of limoncello when it is complete, almost hesitant to take that first sip. But when you do, overlooking the quiet evening from the comfort of your patio, it is perfectly chilled and reminiscent of those long, slow nights in Italy, unrushed, unfettered, the taste of sweet lemon on your tongue. The taste of present sweetness birthed from past bitter harvests.

Small Batch Limoncello

July 20, 2014

Limoncello to me will always be my first night in Florence, sitting in an outdoor cafe on the Palazzo Vecchio at midnight with my mom and some artist friends drinking this delicious after dinner digestif. This was my first time ever traveling abroad. The drink became the embodiment of everything I love about travel: sweet and surprising, with a whisper of that country's everyday routine. I spent the remainder of my trip in Italy finishing off my nights with this limoncello nightcap, as the Italians do to close out their meal. The lightness of the lemons acts as a palate cleanser as digestive (where the drink title "digestif" comes from). Even now, I love to enjoy a bit of limoncello on my patio using my favorite traditional shot-glass sized limoncello cups that I purchased from Capri.

My mom and I enjoying some limoncello in Florence!

Imagine my delight when I found out how easy it is to make this drink! This liquor is actually made from lemon peels rather than the fruit itself. They soak in vodka or another clear spirit for anywhere from a week to a month and then the ensuing lemony spirit is mixed with water and sugar. I let my peels steep for almost three weeks, as the longer you let the steep, the richer the lemony taste of the drink. The important thing is to make sure that you use organic lemons since you need a chemical free peel to soak in your alcohol base. This drink is best served chilled, usually after dinner or a big meal. My family typically enjoys this on Sundays after our pasta feast. You can also use it as a base for other cocktails--but more on that later.

I prefer to make this in smaller batches because I like to play with the amount of lemon peels I put in each batch. Since it is so easy to whip up, these small batches are ideal for this sort of experimentation. I often use more lemon peels (almost double) than is traditionally called for in this recipe, because I like their brightness more than the sugary taste. After trying limoncello all over Italy during my stay, I found that this drink ranged from light and crisp (ideal) to super syrupy (yuk!), so I made sure that my recipe stayed on the awesome side of this spectrum. I also used raw organic sugar, making my final product come out darker than the traditional drink--more like a rich honey hue than a bright lemon yellow--but it still tastes delicious. Don't discard the lemons after you peel them; save them instead for some homemade lemonade.

Ingredients:

2 cups good quality vodka

1 3/4 cup water

1 1/4 cup sugar

6 lemons

Remove the peel from your 6 lemons using a vegetable peeler. Make sure that you are getting the peel only and not the bitter pith. Place peels in a mason jar and pour vodka over them. Seal jar and let sit for at least two weeks and no more than one month, shaking the jar periodically.

Freshly peeled lemons with peels soaking in vodka...

...and same peel & vodka steep three weeks later.  Notice the darker hue that tells you it is ready. — ...and same peel & vodka steep three weeks later. Notice the darker hue that tells you it is ready.

Once the peels have steeped and you are ready to finish your limoncello, strain the alcohol from the peels and discard the peels. Heat water and sugar in a saucepan on medium-hight until sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Add sugar water to your alcohol and stir. Store in two airtight mason jars and let cool complete in the fridge for at least four hours before drinking. Lasts for up to one month in the fridge. Makes about 4 cups of limoncello. Enjoy!

The final product, ready to chill in the fridge!

What Simple Pleasures Do You Love? Share Here!

July 19, 2014

As you know, I spend a lot of time on this blog writing about simple pleasures, from Buying a Bouquet of Flowers, to the delight of Drinking a Glass of Wine on My Patio, to that thing of pure bliss, otherwise known as Getting Sh** Done.

But now I want to know what your simple pleasures are! What inspires you? What makes your day just a little brighter? What do you look forward to during the week? One of my favorite things about blogging is that I get to have this conversation with fellow readers and writers about what makes our life enjoyable and how we continue to create that enjoyment through cultivating a space to stop and ponder the little things we value in our lives. In essence, we are thinking about what feeds our soul, day in, day out. So share your thoughts! Who knows, you might even inspire a blog on the topic!

On Writing in a Cafe

July 18, 2014

You find yourself in a crowded cafe. It is the lunch hour. The tables are packed with people and food and conversation. There is the clattering of silverware and the hiss of freshly brewing coffee. There is even the clack-clack-clack of your fingers whizzing across your keyboard.

But that is what you came here for, after all. Home would be too cozy today, luring you to your patio with birdsong and dappled sunlight, or to your bedroom where a stack of books awaits your eager gaze--if you enter the kitchen, you are lost for there would be no little recipe that you wouldn't be tempted to try. So you put on a dress and headed to a place far noisier, but with significantly fewer distractions.

With this hustle and bustle, this active living swirling around you like a heady perfume, you are finally able to sink into yourself, to hear what it is you want to say today. The buzz of everyday life becomes a soothing beat that allows you to slip into your own meditative thoughts, to breathe and be and write.

Soon, when you've released all the words in you for the day, spinning them out of your fingertips to your blog, when you've allowed your mind to settle and come back to the present moment, you look around and tune into the cafe noise again. It has, if anything, only grown in fervor. It is the little details you notice first: you cup of tea cooled beside you, the lemon slice lying discarded next to your cup; the smell of freshly baked bread; the new people occupying the table next to yours. Your words begin to fade as the buzz of activity around you intensifies--it is time to rejoin this bustle of everyday life.

Homemade Ricotta

July 17, 2014

Freshly made ricotta...it didn't last long after this!

Yeah, I went there. Cheese. I love the stuff, probably too much. I love a good cheese board for appetizers (if I'm feeling classy) or dessert (if I'm feeling French), and I will never say no to an aged Gouda or a stinky, soft Taleggio...or really any cheese for that matter. And if I'm really honest, as much as I like to think up new ways to use cheese in recipes or pair it with other dainty bites, I would rather eat it on its own. Unless drinking wine with said slab of cheese counts as "pairing" it with something. So it seemed only natural that I take my relationship with cheese to the next level. Yes, I decided it was high time I make my own.

Making your own cheese--ricotta, in this case--is surprisingly easy and only takes two real ingredients: whole milk and an acid. I used lemon juice although many people use vinegar. If you want to be over the top, you can add salt to bring out the flavor of your cheese more. In fact, the only real piece of fancy equipment you will need is cheesecloth to help you separate the curds from the whey. Best of all, you really just spend about five minutes actively working on this--the rest is in the waiting between steps. Make sure to use organic whole milk because the fat-free versions don't have enough fat and contain weird additives to make the cheese curds stick together.

Once you've made your cheese, you can top with honey and cinnamon for a delicious dessert or let it be the shining of your next cheese platter. When I first attempted this, I used it in homemade gnocchi, so it easily elevates a simple pasta dish and makes you look like a kitchen wizard with very little effort.

Ingredients:

1/2-gallon whole milk

2 lemons, juiced

1 tsp salt

Allow milk to heat in a saucepan on medium-high heat until just about to boil (about ten minutes). While milk is heating, fold a piece of cheese cloth in half so that it makes a finer sieve. Place a colander in a bigger bowl, then put the layered cheese cloth over the colander.

Once milk it hot-to-almost-boiling, remove from heat and add lemon juice, stirring just until the acid is combined with the milk. You will see it begin to curdle. Let sit for five minutes.

Then pour your curdled milk over the cheesecloth.

The whey will drain through the cheesecloth and colander and collect in the bigger bowl. Let sit for about 20 minutes then lift the cheese cloth away from the colander and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Makes about two cups of cheese. Store in fridge for up to five days.

Don't throw the whey out--save it and freeze it using an ice cube tray. The whey can be added to omelets and smoothies for an extra boost of calcium and protein.