Clementine Olive Oil Cake

April 29, 2013

Clementine Olive Oil Cake| une gamine dans la cuisine


I love the feeling of sunlight on wrinkled morning sheets. My late April mornings are crisp and cold, but thanks to a gentle early sunrise, their edges have softened, significantly. And whilst winter is still trying to make itself heard, his windy voice is now a hollow echo - we're no longer bumping into each other with awkward elbows and disgruntled sighs.

This morning's sunbath was particularly difficult to depart from. My pillow was perfectly cool, and the sheets had the inviting warmth that comes from being slept on all night. Why is it that a bed reaches it's peak comfort level as soon as the alarm goes off? After several minutes of basking and stretching and hitting the snooze button, I remembered the bundt cake sitting on my kitchen table. Nothing awakens the body and mind quite like the promise of cake, and strong, creamy coffee.

Brown Butter Strawberry Streusel Bars

April 25, 2013

brown butter strawberry streusel bars | une gamine dans la cuisine



Invitation

Oh do you have time
to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy

and very important day
for the goldfinches
that have gathered
in a field of thistles

for a musical battle,
to see who can sing
the highest note,
or the lowest,

or the most expressive of mirth,
or the most tender?
Their strong blunt beaks
drink the air

as they strive
melodiously
not for your sake
and not for mine

and not for the sake of winning
but for sheer delight and gratitude—
believe us, they say,
it is a serious thing

just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in this broken world.
I beg of you,

do not walk by
without pausing
to attend to this
rather ridiculous performance.

It could mean something.
It could mean everything.
It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:
You must change your life. 
                           ~ Mary Oliver, from Red Bird


Sending thoughts and brightly-coloured wishes of hope and healing to everyone touched by the events of last week. xo

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Bars

April 18, 2013

meyer lemOn buttermilk bars | une gamine dans la cuisine


My camera and I are in the middle of a dispute; I'm calling the board colour in these photos - Caribbean blue - my fickle camera insists it's toothpaste green. Depending on what device you're on, I'm sure it is a retina-awakening mixture of both. I have been waiting several months to start using this board, which I felt was too bright for winter. So, indecisive hues or not - I decided it was time to go Caribbean.

In case you were wondering, the colour on the paint tube said "turquoise." We're both wrong (and heavy on the snark).

Lime & Ginger Cream Scones

April 13, 2013

lime + ginger cream scones :: une gamine dans la cuisine

Happy weekend, everyone! Today I'm sharing a breezy, simple, scone recipe. Scones, as I've only just learned, are not very camera friendly. Either that or I'm over-thinking the art of photography (a huge taboo, I'm sure!). But I think we can all relate to not liking something - and redoing the redos to the point where up is down, east is west, and your jagged, growing mound of frustration could easily rival Mount Everest. Yes?

I'm probably just sick of this dull, grey, sleepy weather. It feels like a heavy, cold, wet, cloak that I can't quite shake off my sun-thirsty shoulders. Once the temperature catches wind of what the calendar is screaming, I'm sure I'll be happier, and less frustrated...about everything. Thank goodness for sugar, flour, cream, and ovens.

Strawberry buttermilk skillet cake with Strawberry-Cointreau Reduction Sauce

April 8, 2013

strawberry buttermilk skillet cake with strawberry-Cointreau sauce | une gamine dans la cuisine

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love my skillet, Moody Blue! Not only can she flip an omelette with the grace of a Cirque du Soleil acrobat, she also has a sweet spot for procuring tender, fluffy cakes. Thanks again for introducing us, Averie!

Due to an obnoxiously long winter, and perhaps some too-early expectations on my part, this season's strawberries are still on the tarter end of the spectrum - thankfully, sugar and buttermilk (& Moody Blue!), can take the surly out of just about anything.

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 1, 2013

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies | une gamine dans la cuisine


Happy first of April, everyone! My mind is having a difficult time wrapping itself around the fact that my food blog is four years old. Sometimes at 2:18 am, when I can't sleep, and in between playing with my Monopoly app (Al cheats!), I find myself trying to come with a clever tagline. Everything that floats through my head sounds cheesy, or trite, or phony - like a too-much-makeup induced infomercial perma-grin. So, if it's all the same, I'll stick with my usual nonsensical style of food blogging.

It's a lot like me, this little blog - full of idiosyncrasies, random bouts of self-deprecation, and an innate ability to go from speaking with flowery words to tripping, gracelessly, over comma's and the phrase "super-*insert ambiguous adjective*."

But *cheers* to another four + years. And a huge Thank You - to everyone who visits (new and old!). And thank you to my fellow food bloggers too! You're an amazing group of beautiful people. (Even if I am, at times, super-jealous of your fancy cameras, product giveaways, and Anthropologie photo props.)  XO
 

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