So last weekend I made this fabulous no-knead bread that I could have easily ate delightfully for the rest of my life. So fresh, a practical orgasm in every bite. Plus, that sensational smell of fresh bread in the kitchen, that’s enough motivation to bake. And the fact that it’s so cheap and easy.

Anyway, now that i’m back on a bread-making kick, I have this recent fascination for brioche despite it’s probably waistline suicide. So that’s my weekend project. To make brioche in all it’s egg and butter glory.

Interesting to note: It was brioche that Marie Antoinette was referring to with her “let them eat cake” comment. We really mistranslate that. 

Let them eat brioche! (and i am so excited to try this recipe).

Chocolate. The wrench in my diet plans.
But, OMG, this cake recipe is so good. I substituted grapefruit peel for orange peel, and let’s just say that was a great pairing.

madeweekly:

Can’t have a sweet potato week without sweet potato fries. You could also make this dipping sauce with sour cream or mayonnaise, depending on your preference or what you have on hand.

Definitely will try this the next time I buy sweet potatoes at the store…so delicious.

Just discovered Alex Winston, who has such a distinct voice, almost love-hate, but so interesting sounding you keep  on listening. Another one of those happy songs with lyrics you don’t catch…i.e: that she ends up in a metal asylum. But still pretty damn catchy.

So, yes. I was going to save the very decadent profiteroles that I made yesterday for V-day weekend, but good news calls for celebrations. 

(let’s just say I took the leftover chocolate fondue and used that as a filling, and it pretty much was like chocolate mousse heaven).

Took a shot of Jamesons with my lover like a good Irish girl, and ate those delicious pastries filled with chocolate and whipped cream. 

Because, the first paper i ever wrote was accepted to a scientific journal today with ever so minor revisions. And the reviewers loved it. It’s especially sweet when I think of the craziness and motherly labour that I went through to put out that beautiful thing. It’ll be published probably just in time for my birthday. 

An early happy quarter century to me. Whoot!

source: liquorsnob.com

Writing while sipping a lovely cup of french press dark roast is a heavenly way to start the day. One of those great morning rituals. If there is one thing I cannot give up, it is my morning coffee. Mostly, because like many things that I end up liking, there’s either memory or sentiment attached. For coffee, it makes me think good memories of my parents, and growing up. Sneaking a cup when they weren’t looking. And then later, of pouring a cup in a warm ceramic mug and spending hours writing, listening to music, and being in tune with my thoughts. And, I suppose now, of those good ol’ days of barista-ing and pouring lattes with succulent foam, poetry in cups, and the truly awesome people I met. 

I’m in the process of discovering (or re-discovering?) new music. Right now, Lionel Richie, who is actually pretty soothing. 

The concept of novelty is something we all need. Life gets pretty monotone and one-noted, and you have to push outside comfort zones and try myriads of new things. To constantly feel adrenaline and the awe of seeing the world new and alive. A good friend taught me this lesson over a delicate cup of tea, and I have not forgotten it. Plus, I’m a bit attention deficit sometimes. And a bit manic (not actually, but totally feels that way). 

Did I mention how much I love saturday mornings?

Well, hello Valentine’s Day.  I like it; some people don’t. For me, it’s another excuse to eat chocolate and a reminder to let people know I care. But, I’m pretty comfortable with my feelings, so I can see why that’d be difficult for people.

I’ve been making a few positive changes to my life which have made a huge difference. The fall was pretty crazy, and I developed some pretty bad habits in terms of eating and taking care of myself. But, I pushed through, finished my chemistry projects, and now I can coast until I finish my grad studies (kidding! coasting does not exist). 

I’ve been consistency exercising for a whole month pretty much, which is definitely a lifetime record for fitness. I’ve never really been physically active, which is pretty ridiculous since I have the perfect genes for being an athlete. 

So far, I have really surprised myself with what my body can accomplish. And it’s really made me re-think the type of person I want to mold myself into. I’ve tried to not be influenced by fashion magazines and that model image, but still for some reason (societal programming, maybe, or peer pressure), it’s still something I’ve subconsciously seen as an ideal. An ideal that maybe i could not ever achieve, but still the standard. 

Recently, that’s changed a lot. I now aspire to have that olympic athlete body. I want to exude both strength and beauty. In both senses, I have been genetically lucky, but the beauty is something I don’t really have to put much effort into. The strength can be there, but its potential I have to harness, and that’s what i’m going to work towards. 

Interestingly enough, with these said life changes, the diet and exercise has really helped me develop some discipline. I know it’s still early days, but I feel really committed to this. I don’t fear aging, but i do fear dying in a hospital bed. I want to be running when i’m 70, and that is a long-term investment that starts now.