g'mornin!

Cycle of Almonds

I've grown increasingly fond of eating and experimenting with raw food that I've recently invested in a dehydrator to broaden the possibilities. I decided to do a whole cycle of almonds starting with almond nut mylk, an easy enough to do project. Just soak 1-2 cups of almond nuts in water overnight. Next morning, drain soak water and rinse nuts (they'll double in size).

Put in blender. Add water a bit above the level of almonds (or more if you want the mylk to be less dense).

Blend and then squeeze mylk through a sieve or cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Store in the fridge or enjoy it straight away with some honey. I made "chocolate milkshake" by blending some mylk with banana, some carob, maca, lucuma and a dash of cinnamon.

The pulp left from the bag I then used to make dehydrated cookies! (even Fra got excited)

The recipe for this was based on raw nut bread but I omitted and added different things (raisins, dried grated coconut, flax seeds, etc) and didnt even bother to write anything down so I'll just have to try it again next time and then repost the recipe. :) Anyway, I made 2 kinds: one huge monster cookie and a batch of smaller regular cookies. The bigger denser one was more chewy. =D And boy was it a full breakfast!

Adamo is born

Towards the last week of June, I've been having contractions by the day. Fra had several exams to complete in University then and was asking baby to wait until after the 1st week of July. I told baby to come when he pleased. July 1st, around 6:30am, I woke up with contractions. Fra wasn't convinced it was the real thing (or maybe he was in denial. hehe) so I waited for several minutes to see if it would reoccur - well, it did and it kept going up until we birthed Adamo around 4:45pm.

It was a long process. In the beginning I was at the birthing tub hoping I'd have a relaxed, ecstatic birth. It turned out to be too relaxing while contractions were getting stronger, longer and the hours just passed by like there was no tomorrow. I tried other positions: standing, squatting, on my back, and finally on a chair - which, towards the end, worked perfectly well. The birthing didn't turn out as relaxed/ecstatic as I wished but it was most definitely cathartic - no tears were shed, not a single drop (up until seeing baby's face, that is) but I did give out the most ferocious sound (primal scream?) that it made Fra say, "you can do it Tausug tribe woman!", referring to part of my father's blood line.

The name Adamo came up at the last minute. It was one of the names Fra suggested months ago - among many others. How it came up at the last moment and how it felt so right, ah well it just did. Adamo, the italian version of Adam, the first man. AD/ad, in latin means to or towards. Amo, in italian means love. Fra's mother Pina, whos also big with esoteric stuff, looked it up further and found out it also means earth. More here. I like looking at situations as if they somehow connect to other things, like the fact that he chose to be born on the first day of July while I was born on the last. Another good friend Patricia, a vedic astrologer, told me that a partial solar eclipse occured on his birthday and at the moment he was born, the eclipse was just about over. She says hes definitely going to be strange (ookk.. hehe), sensitive, and... well, we shall see. :)



Not too long after his big arrival, we were informed that an infection and a health complication came up. This meant staying for a loong 9 days in the hospital. Without communication, I imagined I was having a retreat. Hes all well now and thats all that matters.

The story continues. More pictures here.

Oliveto in Mogliano

Its summer, the perfect time to invite friends over for dinner outdoors. What better place to be than in the countryside - in this instance, Oliveto, an olive farm in Mogliano, a small town set in the hills of Marche. Tamsin, the artist/designer who I met through Etsy by chance (or destiny!), runs the place with her husband Aldo.




This is my first summer in the Italian countryside. Last year's was spent mostly in sea-side Sardinia, so I never really had that "Italian" feeling you get from watching movies like Under the Tuscan Sun or Eat, Pray, Love. All the better, I think, as I've developed my own feelings about being in this country, not all of which are movie-worthy. hehe..



Still, it is a sight to see. A nice smell in the air with all the vegetation, so green and lush against the pale brick walls. Everyone a bit more perky, sociable, and finally we can wear less clothes (and flipflops!).



Oliveto gave me that Italian feeling. Its just so rustic and irresistible. Flowers jutting out from nowhere begging to get noticed even when you don't see them, they'll get you by the lungs!



This is a discovery - Elderflower cordial. Its fermented elderflower with sugar and lemon that just makes you want to wear a victorian gown while taking a nice cool sip. Respect the Elders!

Dinner Date at the Balcony

Spending the whole day indoors working, cleaning, and whatnot, I thought having dinner at the balcony would be fresh change of atmosphere.

Its a small space but with the use of a yoga mat and some pretty fabric, we made ourselves the guests of our first outdoor restaurant. :)

We had a big lunch so for dinner was a simple salad with heirloom tomatoes, basil, celery, and a mix of greens together with lemon tahini dressing. On the side we had some samosas and veggie balls.

Swallows all over the sky around sunset.

Rawventures: Veggie Sushi with Lemon Tahini dressing

More recipes? Did I just do all this in one go? Answer: No. I happen to take pictures of most of my experiments and come back to them looong after (more like a month or so until the camera's memory card goes full). Then I have to get rid of it by releasing it into the World Wild Web (fly free my little ducklings, fly freee).  ok, here it goes.



Veggie Sushi Wushu! What better way to make use of whats left of your vegetables than to roll it up with Nori and dip into something YUM. If its getting really hot where you are, as it is here, this'll cool you down without sacrificing spice and flavor. Also, when was the last time you enjoyed freshly grated carrots? Its surprisingly refreshing, crunchy and sweet. Its easy to make magic with these things, seriously.

Ingredients:
- 2 or 3 medium-sized carrrots grated (the amount will have to depend on how much sushi you want to make)
- 2 stalks of celery with leaves, finely chopped
- half cup chopped spring onions
- 2-3 nori/seaweed sheets
*note: obviously you can mix in other vegetables too like grated radish or beets or greens - experiment!



For the Lemon Tahini dressing, mix:
- juice of half a lemon (about 2-3 tbsps of it)
- 2 tbsps tahini (its sesame seed paste/butter. go get a bottle now, you'll love it. :)
- 2 tbsps nama shoyu or soy sauce
- dash of paprika
- dash of chilli powder OR wasabi
- light drizzle of agave syrup or honey (optional)

Process:
1. Ready your sushi assembly line. Lay out your nori sheet, long side up. Fill and layer your veggies.



2. Top with your Lemon Tahini dressing and start rolling. I'm no master of this so its normal to have irregular bumps and spaces. Seal with a bit of water or oil on the edges of your nori sheet.



3. Chop, serve, enjoy.

Our dedicated tester finishing his melon quickly before I eat all the sushi 

Easy Herby Mushroom Sandwich

My mental name-generator isn't working so well today. I guess we'll just have to settle with Herby Mushroom sandwich. Hey Herb, how ya doin'?
Anyway, this is a super easy quick veg sandwich that'll make you happy and smiling in a matter of minutes - those precious MINUTES.

We will need:
- handful of fresh mushrooms sliced not too thinly
- half cup of sliced eggplant cut to fit your sandwich
- handful of fresh basil leaves
- slices of fresh tomato
- whole wheat bread slices
- Balsamic vinaigrette (simply mix 2tbsps of olive oil with 2tbsps of Balsamic vinegar, add a bit of agave syrup or honey - whatevers available, and mix. set aside)

Process:
1. in a non-stick pan or grill, lightly toast your sliced mushrooms and eggplant until they sweat a bit.




2. dip your toasty mushrooms and eggplant into your Balsamic vinaigrette. have them sit there for a little bit, absorb those juices, then assemble on to your slice of bread.

3. layer in some tomato slices and top with some fresh basil leaves. Enjoy.

Rawventures: Brasil nut paté

Heres something for anyone with a need for something nutty, sour, and spicy. Goes perfectly well with celery and carrot sticks or as a filler for veg sushi (or bread and breadsticks, whatever you fancy). The key is to soak the nuts overnight for a creamier texture. oh, and pickled sundried tomatoes. :)

Ingredients:
- half cup of Brasil nuts (soaked overnight)
- 1/4 cup mix of cashew nuts and/or sunflower seeds (soaked overnight)
- 1/4 cup pickled sundried tomatoes (if not available, soak 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes with the juice of half a lemon, mix in a bit of chopped parsely and oregano and drizzle with olive oil. let sit overnight)

- 3-4 tbsps of olive oil

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1 small sized red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- dash of paprika
- dash of chilli powder (or more if your HOT)

Process:
1. Mix everything in your food processor or mortar then pulse or grind to a paste.
2. Serve in a bowl. Enjoy.

Wedding in Alassio

From Wedding in Alassio

About a month ago we witnessed a lovely wedding in Alassio, a sweet little town by the sea in the northern region of Leguria where roads take you to Italy's neighbor, France. Francesca, the bride, looked amazing with her dress, a simple yet elegant gown colored with light blue stripes reflecting the color of the sea and sky in spring. Edward, the groom, blushed and smiling under the sun and us happy, enjoying the weather and the wonderful company - it was a pleasure indeed.

Corrado, a friend greets the bride

Oh, and I designed the wedding invite too! It was their idea to have a retro postcard with an image of old Alassio and its shoreline.

Old black and white photo of Alassio reframed, sepiafied and redistressed

The next morning, Alassio still looking like it did in the postcard