Shall Earth No More Inspire Thee

Shall earth no more inspire thee,
Thou lonely dreamer now?
Since passion may not fire thee,
Shall nature cease to bow?

Thy mind is ever moving,
In regions dark to thee;
Recall its useless roving,
Come back, and dwell with me.

I know my mountain breezes
Enchant and soothe thee still,
I know my sunshine pleases,
Despite thy wayward will.

When day with evening blending,
Sinks from the summer sky,
I've seen thy spirit bending
In fond idolatry.

I've watched thee every hour;
I know my mighty sway:
I know my magic power
To drive thy griefs away.

Few hearts to mortals given,
On earth so wildly pine;
Yet few would ask a heaven
More like this earth than thine.

Then let my winds caress thee
Thy comrade let me be:
Since nought beside can bless thee,
Return--and dwell with me.

Emily Brontë

Pink

think pink. the perfect pretty color motif for mama delia's 60th birthday celebration. kuya dohn is so clever. he's hosting the birthday party and pink is the color of the occasion. we have many things to be thankful for as we celebrate once more: our loving parents who turned 60 this year, our supportive families both near and far, good friends who always gather with us, and the pink icing on the cake--our mom's four cancer-free years. so guess what i made for the party? au revoir for now... poutoux!

me taken by ate delsa

an assortment of pink french macarons

chocolate ganache

pistachio buttercream

crème brulée

much love...xoxo

Crème Brûlée French Toast

Among my list of many fun addictions (i.e.Twilight: ), bread pudding has to be on top of that list. I'm crazy about bread pudding. Although this treat is considered French Toast, if you ask me it's really bread pudding and it is divine!

Each and everytime I crave for Crème Brûlée French Toast (which is often), I take a mini break before 11:30 a.m. with my partner in crime at work (yeah, that's you John-John) to Whole Foods. That's the cut-off time for their breakfast bar where this highly sought after treat is taken away if it's not already gone. I know right? John says this is my crack! LOL!

I've been searching and asking staff for the Whole Food's recipe, which is suprisingly not published in their cookbook. I found that many others online are doing the same. So when I came across a recipe that claims to be from Whole Foods. I just had to try it. It came very close, but I will have to do more testing in the kitchen to come up with the caramel-like sauce that this bread soaks in.

Take note, as much as I wanted to hog the entire cake pan of this pudding, like all of my baked goods here I do share them. My coworkers enjoyed this morning treat. A day later, one of them came to my office desperately craving them! (That would be Erin : ) LOL!

My Totem

A cardinal, a toad, ... can't remember the others. Once we were in our yard and Bruno pointed out a cardinal. Betty said that was Bruno's totem. Shortly after, Patrick pointed out a dragonfly which happily rested on our lavenders. I told him how growing up in the Philippines, I used to play in the praries and that catching (and releasing) dragonflies were some of my fond carefree memories as a child. He said that dragonflies must be my totem. I think I agree. Do you have a totem?

The Meaning of a Dragonfly: The main symbolisms of the dragonfly are renewal, positive force and the power of life in general. Dragonflies can also be a symbol of the sense of self that comes with maturity. Also, as a creature of the wind, the dragonfly frequently represents change. And as a dragonfly lives a short life, it knows it must live its life to the fullest with the short time it has – which is a lesson for all of us.

Click here - What Does a Dragonfly Symbolize?

Pizza Margherita

Inspired by the sweet basil in our herb patch and lovely cherry tomatoes, I decided to tackle pizza making for the first time. It was a lot easier than I thought and oh so much fun! Summer can't get any fresher than this.

Ina Garten’s Pissaladière Dough

From Barefoot in Paris

Makes two 10 x 15-inch pissaladières

• 1¼ cups warm (100 to 110 degrees) water
• 2 envelopes dry yeast (14 g)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. (If the bowl is cold, start with warmer water so it’s at least 100 degrees when you add the yeast.)


2. Add 3 cups of flour, then salt; mix on medium-low speed.While mixing, add 1 more cup flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Mix dough on medium-low speed about 10 minutes, or until smooth, sprinkling it with flour to keep it from sticking to the bowl.


3. When dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.


4. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover lightly with oil. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel; allow dough to rest at room temperature 30 minutes.


5. Divide dough into two equal parts, rolling each into a smooth ball. If you’re only making one pissaladière, place one ball on a baking sheet and cover it loosely with a damp towel. Allow dough to rest another 10 minutes. (If you’re not using the other dough, wrap it well and refrigerate or freeze it for next time.)


6. Roll dough lightly with a rolling pin, stretching it to form a 10 x 15-inch rectangle. Place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Add toppings and bake.
   
   
   
   

My husband loved it so. ;)

Just Because

Friday after work at a bistro. Dates are nice. : )

Young People's Theater

We had a lot of fun watching Lucia perform in this cool musical. The Young People's Theater camp did an incredible job showcasing the students' talents. We really enjoyed the jazz music too. As for Lucia--- she was fantastic!

Hubby's favorite number in the musical:

Three is a magic number,
Yes it is, it's a magic number.
Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity
You get three as a magic number.

The past and the present and the future.
Faith and Hope and Charity,
The heart and the brain and the body
Give you three as a magic number.

-Three is a Magic Number-

Starring Lucia Rose

School House Rock rocks!

Schoolhouse Rocky

A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing

Bows

Proud Mom Rebecca (a.k.a. Betty)

and Uncle Patrick

My favorite number in the musical:

Next time you go on a trip,
Remember this little tip:
The minute you get back,
They'll ask you this and that,
You can describe people, places and things...
Simply unpack your adjectives.
You can do it with adjectives.
Tell them 'bout it with adjectives.
You can shout it with adjectives.

-Unpack Your Adjectives-

Conjunction Junction

Lucia and company in the groove.

Leaving Las Vegas

Here's my parents beloved Range Rover, leaving Las Vegas.
As you know, I had to say goodbye to Gus last month. I know you've been wondering since then who will replace him. With God's good grace, we were given the opportunity to purchase my parents' old vehicle which is in excellent condition. As you can imagine, as good of a decision to sell this beloved vehicle, I'm sure they were sad to see it go.
The Rover was picked-up for transport today and will make the 2000 miles journey here... We're looking forward to welcoming Gus' replacement.

Photos taken by Papa Willie. Auto transport staff from Dependable Auto Shippers.

Papa & Mama Grace: Thank you for all the care and preparation you've given the Rover to ensure it's in pristine condition for our use. We appreciate you!

KULINARYA: Beef Bulalo

I've been skimming through the beautiful pages of my new cookbook and finding that through cooking, I'm beginning to rediscover my roots. Starting with this dish whose name "bulalo" originated in Batangas, my city of birth. (I had no idea.)

Unlike baking, cooking in my opinion is not exact science. It's all about finding the balance in flavors; and if there's one thing I've learned from watching my family cook, it's all about "a little of this and a little of that". I think that's what makes a proper cook.

Equipped with that mentality, I dove right into making beef bulalo. Deviating from the recipe from the start, I slow boiled the beef shank at very low temperature for three hours, leaving it extremely tender like butter! Then slowly adding and taking the simple vegetables (as they cook in different temperatures and times) from the boiling pot of broth until they are just perfectly cooked. Lastly, assembling all the parts together to make this perfect plate of harmony.

For those of you familiar with this dish, you'll notice that this beef and vegetables is very similar to "nilagang baka", which as the book explains is becoming an interchangeable term with "bulalo".

My husband and I had a "Julie and Julia" thought this evening... With my love for Filipino food and this cookbook, I may just be inspired to cook and blog my way through KULINARIA. *wink* Bonne Appétit!

P.S. I should mention this cookbook has the instructions for making lechon. Can you just imagine it? Lil' ol' me roasting an entire pig in our Lavender Hill yard!? LOL! (You'll laugh at the image of it too knowing that our yard has no privacy whatsoever.)

Holiday

That it will never come again

Is what makes life so sweet.

Emily Dickinson

I've been MIA for over a month. Retracing my steps I began to think about notable dates, special moments, pictures captured, and the joy of being here with you when we're miles apart. Finally, a holiday... A day I can tend to all of you.

My absence here just means that life has been giving me a full plate lately. It also means summer is here and as much as I detest the heat, enjoying the outdoors gardening, cooking, eating alfresco, and a little traveling are also good reasons for my lack of blogging time.

So I hope you will welcome our time together here once more. Starting with what I did today: Woke up with the Mr., sipped my cuppucino, bid him a good day as he tended to his studies, had brunch with friends, finished the laundry, and baked a cake, an almond cake. (Click here for the recipe courtesy of David Lebovitz.) That sounds like a perfect way to end my day and begin blogging. What do you think? Shall we? There's 9 posts ahead, please keep scrolling to older posts.

A Summer's Day

In May you got a glimpse of Lavender Hill's edible landscape. You're about to see what a difference a month makes, not to mention the joy a summer's day can bring.

setting the table for our 4th of July barbeque

staying true to the home's name

my first year not planting sunflowers, these are from the farmer's market

snap peas, grape and cherry tomatoes, bok choy, and peppers

string beans

grape tomatoes

lettuces

grapes

cilantro, rosemary, lavender, green onions, camomile, chives, parsley, oregano, basil, and thyme

raspberries

Our happy 4th of July party! This is what summer is all about. A warm night, cozy on picnic blanket, under a sky of fireworks-- all top with an apple pie! Thinking of all of you and wishing you had a magical time.