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  Succulent Cake by Ivenoven made by artisan homebakers in Jakarta and Surabaya

Succulent Cake by Ivenoven made by artisan homebakers in Jakarta and Surabaya

Friday Five: The 5 Prettiest Cakes on Instagram

February 23, 2018

Happy Friday, friends! It's been quite awhile since I've made a Friday 5 post. I had forgotten how fun it is to research and let myself just get carried away.

Cake has been on my mind a lot. Family and friend birthdays give me an excuse to experiment with different cake types and decorating. I have found myself rather paralyzed by the number of fantastic recipes out there. My list of "cakes to try" is ever-expanding. For this post though, I wanted to bring you to cake dreamland. These are cakes are works of art that I would find very difficult to cut and serve. And yet, that is why they are made. Similar to the fleeting lives of flowers, these cakes celebrate and mark something precious in the lives of people that bring them into their homes. They demand that we seize the moment. 

Enjoy and have a lovely weekend.

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In Friday Five Tags cake, cakesofinstagram, baking inspiration
Chocolate Cake with Meringue Brulée | Linden & Lavender

Chocolate Cake with Meringue Brûlée by Linda Lomelino

February 15, 2018

My copy of My Sweet Kitchen by Linda Lomelino (her blog, Call Me Cupcake is a favourite of mine) is starting to look a little beat up. Dustings of cocoa powder have added some grit to the pages. Well-used recipes are a bit sticky from icing sugar that I attempted to wipe off with a damp cloth. There is a splatter of chocolate on the chocolate cake page. While I do try to look after it, I sometimes get into the "baking zone" and things start flying. The concern is that I have owned the book for less than a year! For a baking blogger, the book is a gem because it offers the beautiful photography and recipes that one would expect as well as tips on how to create that imagery. For the home baker, the recipes are approachable and often have a bit of a twist.

It is in better condition than my mom’s cherished 1980’s Better Homes and Gardens cookbook but I think it is well on its way to having that” loved look” to it. On days when I am in the kitchen, whipping up dinner and then taking a long time to make the perfect dessert, my husband’s sighs and mutters “you cook like your mother.” He is referring to flour on the floor, the bowls piled in the sink and the use of all the available countertop space. Of course, I take this as a compliment and celebrate the fact that I do something similar to her.

If you are looking for a delicious chocolate cake that has more of a wow factor, than look no further. Chocolate addicts rejoice as this recipe has three types of chocolate: dark, milk and cocoa. The cake itself has a moist crumb and it is easy to achieve excellent results with this  recipe (even in my finicky oven). The drippy layer of dark chocolate is the most difficult part to achieve a consistent look. I had planned to share this recipe months ago, but I had to practice dripping the chocolate down the sides. Balance is achieved by the toasted meringue frosting.

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In Recipes, Recipe Tags cake, cakes, chocolate, meringue, layer cake, drippy cake
Valentine's Day | Linden & Lavender

Happy Valentine's Day!

February 14, 2018
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”
— John Lennon
In Celebrate Tags Valentine's Day
Granola | Linden & Lavender

Feel Good Walnut Granola

January 29, 2018

The house is filled with the scent of baking granola. Warm cinnamon mixed with the buttery smell of roasting walnuts. Paired with thick yoghurt and fruit, it makes for a lovely morning and just radiates cosiness.

A healthy breakfast. Non-fussy mornings so that we can get out the door on time. It is quite the achievement when snowpants, boots, mittens, hats, scarves have to be found and then put on the body. I like to start the process with the kids at least 20 minutes before we have to leave the house. Inevitably, a mitt will have gone missing or someone will not feel like getting dressed today.

But, I do love winter. I love the extremes. The snowstorm that rages all day and night and leads to the school being closed. Then, the next day, greeted by sun and a foot or two of fluffy, white snowflakes. The cold weather that the kids and I play in only to come inside to a warm home filled with blankets, pillows and candles. The option to curl up with a book by the fireplace or skate on the ice rink down the street. During the cold months, I give myself permission to indulge in more reading and the arts. To have a burst of fresh air and then spend time indoors.

Given all the Oscar buzz around Lady Bird, my husband and I went to see the film. I had no idea what to expect and ended up loving it. It resonated on so many levels but most significantly, the mother-daughter relationship. The film depicted what it is like to be a secondary school student with brutal honesty. The casting was very thoughtful and I left the theatre a little nostalgic given the 2002 aesthetic.

Big gulp. What have you been doing for the month of January? Do you gravitate towards films or more wintery hobbies?

Walnut Granola | Linden and Lavender
Walnut granola | Linden & Lavender

The Snow Man

“One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.”
— Wallace Stevens
Granola for breakfast | Linden & Lavender
Bee Pollen | Linden & Lavender
Frozen Blueberries | Linden & Lavender
Feel good granola | Linden & Lavender

What I like about this recipe:

Walnuts: known for their loads of health benefits, from reducing inflammation to improving moods. My favourite part is the buttery taste when they are perfectly toasted.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: allows me to skip the step of combining cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg together. There are some haters out there, but I think this dislike stems from the pumpkin spice latte phenomenon. The convenience and flavour combination works!
Rolled Oats: again, loaded with health benefits (prevents constipation, nutrient rich, assists with weight loss). More importantly, they are satisfying and help maintain that full feeling.
Less Sugar: The granola is not overly sweet as it is only sweetened with maple syrup.

Feel Good Walnut Granola

Makes: 6 cups of granola
Time: Prep time (15 minutes) + baking time (35 minutes)

Ingredients
½ cup (100 g) coconut oil
½ cup ( maple syrup
4 cups (400 g) rolled oats
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp fine grained sea salt
2 cups (100 g) walnut pieces
½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened with applejuice)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan, slowly melt the coconut oil. Stir in the maple syrup. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl mix together the oats, spice and sea salt. Pour the oil and maple mixture over top of the oat mixture and stir well. Spread the granola onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and mix in the walnut pieces. Return to the oven for 15 minutes (or 20 minutes if you like it a little toastier). Remove from oven, mix in the cranberries and allow to cool at room temperature. Store in a glass container for 1-2 weeks.

Serve with yoghurt, fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries, hemp hearts and bee pollen.
 


Adapted from Make Your Own Rules Diet by Tara Stiles

Granola all dressed up | Linden & Lavender
In Recipe, Recipes Tags breakfast&brunch, granola, walnut, oatmeal, cranberries, maple syrup
Tahini Cookies | Linden & Lavender

Tahini Cookies

January 17, 2018

For my first recipe post of 2018, I wanted to try using a new baking ingredient. Given all the tahini-hype over the past two years, I decided that I would start with a simple tahini cookie. Tahini is on regular rotation for savoury family meals at my home and I have heard some people liken it to peanut butter. I am not particular to one brand but I think I am still getting accustomed to recognizing quality tahini and figuring out where to source it. Do you have any suggestions?

Before I move onto the recipe, I wanted to link to my first blog post of the year in which I stated that I have forgone New Year’s resolutions. Instead of resolutions, I looked back at 2017 to see what was working for me. Specifically, the practices that bring joy to my life or offer some small benefit if practiced regularly.  I identified several habits that I began at different points during last year. These are actions that fit my life right now, in this moment.

Morning ritual
Warm water with lemon. After getting dressed for the day, I fill the kettle with water and slice a lemon. I pour the hot water (not boiling) over the lemon to the halfway point of a large mug. Then, I put a dash of cool, filtered water so that I can enjoy it as I prepare breakfast for the children and pack lunches. This little ritual is calming and allows me to have enough energy to do the school run before coming home to put the baby to bed.

Yoga plus Core-strengthening
I have been practicing yoga since I was 17. Through my practice I have had both physical and mental breakthroughs but as of late, l I have been stagnant in my practice. In the fall, I began an online program that focused on core strengthening for mothers called Momma Strong. Through a daily, 15-minute exercise routine, I have gained stability that I don't think I would have if I had just continued with yoga. The instructor/entrepreneur, Courtney Wyckoff, has made it easy to get a workout in that well, actually works. Plus, she shows you how to get it done with children and pets and late nights and all of the things that mommas do. 

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In Recipes, Recipe Tags tahini, cookies & bars, winter
Happy New Year! | Linden & Lavender

Happy New Year!

January 6, 2018

I couldn’t let this week go past without recognizing that we’re in 2018! I’m working on loads of recipes at the moment but nothing is worth sharing just yet. I hope that you had a wonderful holiday and that you feel refreshed and invigorated.

Did you make any resolutions going into the new year? This is the first year that I didn’t. Usually I make a laundry list of things that I want to improve or get started. Ultimately, I start to feel overwhelmed about the list and by the summer, it is a distant memory.  This year, I realized that I just couldn’t take on any more. I am in the process of accepting that I am working to the best of my abilities. Hence, no new year’s resolutions (with one exception… that I wear my mouth guard on a regular basis due to grinding my teeth).

Last night, I finished Rupi Kaur's most recent book of poetry and thought this might give you some comfort and reflection:

“the year is done. I spread the past three hundred
sixty-five days before me on the living room carpet.

here is the month i decided to shed everything not
deeply committed to my dreams. the day I refused to be
a victim to the self-pity. here is the week I slept in the
garden. the spring I wrung the self-doubt by its neck.
hung your kindness up. took down the calendar. the
week I danced so hard my heart learned to float above
water again. the summer i unscrewed all the mirrors
from their walls. no longer needed to see myself to feel
seen. combed the weight of my hair.

i fold the good days up and place them in my back
pocket for safekeeping. draw the match. cremate the
unnecessary. the light of the fire warms my toes.
i pour myself a glass of warm water to cleanse myself
for january. here I go. Stronger and wiser into the new.
”
— Rupi Kaur, the sun and her flowers, p. 247

To January. To 2018. 

In mindfulness&thoughts Tags happynewyear
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 Linden & Lavender is a baking blog based in Kingston, Ontario that focuses on the use of local and seasonal ingredients, celebrates the home and provides community content. Thank you for visiting! Scroll down for my most recent posts. I'm glad you're here!

Linden & Lavender is a baking blog based in Kingston, Ontario that focuses on the use of local and seasonal ingredients, celebrates the home and provides community content. Thank you for visiting! Scroll down for my most recent posts. I'm glad you're here!

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Rhubarb sheaths are just starting to sprout up in my backyard. Welcome spring! This is reliably the first edible that I will bake and cook with of the season. I expect the first harvest to be in late May or early June. Until then, I plan to use dried fruits and nuts as well as frozen fruit in my baking. Stay tuned for chewy chocolate chip, blueberry oatmeal cookies coming to the blog soon. #firstsignofspring
It’s the little things. Finding beauty in the everyday is easier in warmer weather. Barefoot on a sunny day. #adoremycupofcoffee
“The place where we spend most of our lives moulds our priorities and the way we perceive our surroundings. A human-engineered habitat of asphalt, concrete and glass reinforces our belief that we lie outside of and above nature, immune from uncertainty and the unexpected of the wild.” - David Suzuki

I hope you were able to get outside on this beautiful #earthday
10 months with my darling baby boy. Yesterday, we watched the snowfall. A quiet moment while his sister napped. 
You may have noticed that I am not posting photos as often in this space. This has been intentional as I’m attempting to slow down time. And, it hasn’t worked at all! But.... I have been more present and I am satisfied with that. Now, if only the weather would cooperate! Have a lovely weekend, friends!
I decided that it was time that I put a macaron recipe up on my blog. Unfortunately/fortunately (?😉) I will have to go back to the kitchen to correct my technique as these macarons have the dreaded nipple look to them. This undermixing issue is partly a result of doing 2 things at once and not doing either thing well (making macarons while looking after children under 5 is not recommended). In terms of taste, they are spot on but that is secondary if they don’t look properly prepared. So, a macaron recipe will hopefully be coming in the next month. How’s your Tuesday going? #lavendermacarons
Baking up a storm over her 😉 Classic cheesecake with blueberry reduction because I haven’t made cheesecake in ages! I had that “oh no” moment when I thought that the water bath had leaked through the tinfoil. When I unmolded it the graham crumb was just as it should be. It was the creamiest cheesecake I’ve made yet. #bakingupastorm
It is one of those easy-going Fridays. My oldest is home from school for a PD day so we didn’t have to rush out the door this morning. In a nod to the slow morning, I baked a classic banana bread recipe and served it alongside cut up citrus. The house is already in shambles so it is time to head to the park! 
Have a lovely weekend, friends!
Happy Wednesday, friends! Coffee Walnut Cake recipe is up on the blog. I was surprised and delighted to hear from some of you that it is your favourite cake! It is one of those cakes that isn’t overly sweet so eating it for breakfast is perfectly acceptable.
Sticky Toffee Pudding on its own doesn’t make for an appetizing photograph. Add vanilla bean ice cream and homemade caramel sauce though and it becomes irresistible! I made this classic from the #thebakefeed special British Issue. My favourite issue to date.... 😏
Yesterday we had a little celebration send off for my mom who was due to catch her train back home. My girls in their flower crowns and party dresses enjoyed their Easter chocolates while my mom and I enjoyed generous slices of Coffee Walnut Cake. A tea time classic. The ritual of selecting the tea to share and then choosing the delicate tea cups to set the table with has become a relaxing weekend treat for us. How has your weekend been?

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