Roasted Beet + Blueberry Scones

I set out on a mission to make blueberry scones and on the search for a new recipe I came upon these Roasted Beet Scones by Smart Cookie. I modified the recipe to make it vegan, sweet, + add blueberries. The results were scrumptious little breakfast scones for me :)

Enjoy!

-Nelli

Directions:

1. Roast the beets: Slice into quadrants, place in a tin foil house with salt + water for 1 hour at 400'

2. Once cooled, Slice the beets into little bite sized pieces (i made mine a little smaller than the blueberries)

3. Prep the chia egg - 1 tbsp chia 3 tbsp water

4. In a large bowl thoroughly mix together dry ingredients

5. Mix in / Cut in oil: I used 3 tbsp coconut + 3 tbsp olive oil but you could use any combination. You'll know you're done when the mixture is crumbly.

6. Mix in wet ingredients (egg, honey, milk), stir until well combined

7. Place in fridge for 10-30 minutes to let dough absorb some of the water (not necessary step)

8. Stir in beets + blueberries

9. Place dough on parchment paper lined cookie sheet

10. Shape

- Triangles: roll the dough into a ball, press flat until its about 1" thick + slice

- Squares: repeat like triangles but cut into squares

- Lumps: spoon onto cookie sheet (like I did)

11. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes

Yield: 16 scones
Tips: Depending how much fruit/veggie you want in the dough may vary. I would slowly add the fruit into the dough and if you want more bread decrease the quantity of fruit.

Pour Some Sugar on Me

The Domino sugar factory in Brooklyn held one last exhibit before it closed for good (well before it will be converted into luxury housing like every inch of open space in cities these days.... But I digress). This show was Creative Time by Kara Walker in which a woman created sculptures out of sugar. Not only was this exhibit clever, but it was intense. The sculptures were mostly of young children who worked in the sugar fields, they carried large baskets on their backs or held tools to aid with the daily work. These sculptures were made of brown sugar and were beginning to melt in the humid environment that is NYC, which added both dimension and scent to the show. It was emotional to see these children melting into the concrete, their bodies dripping limb by limb until they were nothing more than a caramelized metal heap sitting in a pool of brown sludge; sticking to the feet of any and all viewers.

The smell was bad, if you can imagine "bad sugar packets" that is what I would call the stench. The first few minutes were fine but after 10, 20, 30 minutes it became unbearable.

Any-who, here are a few shots I took today. 

Enjoy!

-Nelli

One Year!

Happy 1st Birthday to BSOM!

We can't believe it's already been 1 year since we had our very first post here on BSOM! The time has just been flying by but with it we've gained experience and have really found our own little niche + style of blogging. 

So glad you've all been around to experience it with us!

Cheers to another year!!!

Nelli + Noonie

Essen in Berlin | Food Excursions

I didn't take photos of all of my meals but here are a few snippets of the highlights.

Der Imbiss | Curry Lentil Soup + Dirty Naan | Pretzberg

This was my first meal in Berlin, and I'd have to say my favorite. The food was ridiculously flavorful. For people who don't like salt I wouldn't recommend the dirty naan, also, this plate was easily enough food for 2 people so keep that in mind when ordering. The portions are reasonably priced and huge! 

Markthalle Neun | Wine, Cheesecake, Sausage, ... | Kreuzberg

Markthalle is a large warehouse busting with a variety of food and beverages. Be sure to walk around before you choose your lunch spot as many of the vendors provide samples. We enjoyed a slice of  cheesecake and 2 glasses of wine. Both were delicious and it's nice to walk around the space before making a decision. 

Kantine Neun | Unsere Currywurst | Kreuzberg

Kantine Neun is located inside of Markthalle Neun, it's the largest vendor so you definitely cannot miss it. They offer locally grown and sustainably raised dishes. We went with the Currywurst (yes made from pork) it was delicious; juicy, flavorful, and knowing it's local just makes it taste better. It came with salad and fries and was 8€ which I think was a great price! Typically I'm not a fan of fries, but these were fantastic! I still only ate a handful but if you're a fry lover you'll be in heaven.

Weinerei Cafe | Wine | Mitte

This cafe has wonderful pastries and soups during the day, and a "pay what you wish" potluck type food option for dinner. I didn't partake in the dinner but it looked fine. I did however have a slice of cake and some wine and was in heaven! If they have carrot cake when you arrive definitely grab a slice, the owner let me know it was their specialty. 

I found this spot because I was looking for a cozy wine bar with couches and a nice ambiance. I had passed it my first day but didn't go back until the last night. And for those of you who desire outdoor seating they have that too.

Rothaus | Veal Spatzel Special + Weiner mit Potato Salad + Chocolate Apple Crepe | Mitte

Unfortunately I didn't snag a photo of the food at this joint, but this was the most "traditional" faire I had in Germany. Definitely a tie for my favorite restaurant in Berlin. Der Imbiss was fantastic but on the other end of the spectrum from this joint. The food was comforting and flavorful everything was balance perfectly and the beer and ambiance was great too. I was on the hunt for Spatzel throughout the trip and this was a spinach Spatzel which I'd never had before, but I was impressed. Great place for a quiet/hip dinner. The staff was wonderful and spoke English too!

Lissabonbon | Pretzel | Kreuzberg

My partner in crime was Portuguese so when we wandered past this bistro we had to stop in so he could check out the goods and make friends with the owner. As they were getting to know each other I snagged one of her hommade pretzels. Everything in this place is fresh baked by the owner. She also offers fresh soups, other lunch items, as well as Portuguese products including sardines! 

Overall, the food in Berlin was spectacular! If you're in town do yourself a favor and avoid the touristy places and chain restaurants (but this is my recommendation for any city). Berlin is thriving, just ask a local, do a quick yelp or google search, or wander around and get lost. I'm certain you'll find a good place to eat. My favorite neighborhoods for this were Mitte + Kreuzberg (as you may have noticed from the offerings I've provided you).

If you try any of these we would love to hear about it!

Cheers,

-Nelli

"Predator"

Lately I've been wanting to create some more mixed media pieces of art. I shared one of my first mixed media pieces + a DIY a few months back + ever since I've been scheming up more possible mixed media combos to try including the one I'm about to show ya :) For this next piece I decided on a combo of watercolor + Prisma markers. I hadn't created a piece utilizing markers in a while + since I had a brand new pack of Prismas I thought I'd give it a shot. One goal I had in mind for this piece was that I wanted it to have a very "textured" look. I have created some animal pieces in the past but this was the first piece where I really wanted to be sure to capture the texture of the owl's feathers. Very happy with how this piece turned out as I accomplished what I set out to do, I captured the textured look I was going for but still managed to keep it somewhat loose and abstract. Really love the feel of this piece including the somewhat chaotic background that's going on, it kind of sucks you in but doesn't overpower the main subject of the piece. 

I'm very happy with how the watercolor + marker combo turned out + can't wait to utilize these 2 again! 

Until next time friends...Cheers!!

<3 Noonie 

Peanut-Butter Coconut Hot Chocolate

Peanut-butter Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate, now that's a delicious mouthful!

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp carob powder

1 cup coconut milk

Directions:
1. Melt peanut butter + coconut oil over low-medium heat
2. Add in carob powder (or chocolate)
3. Add in coconut milk (or whatever milk you have around)
4. Once its boiling remove from heat + transfer into a glass
5. Top with raw or toasted coconut

Tips: Be careful patient + when melting peanut-butter
Yield: 1 serving

Enjoy!

-Nelli

A Toast to Nelli!

 

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS NELLI!!!! 

Just wanted to wish my bestest amiga/sister/confidant/co-blogger a happy happy birthday + many more!!!!

Love ya Nelli!!!! 

Cheers!!!!

<3<3 Noonie

Gone Fishin'

Last month I told you all about my little adventure to the mountains, got out of dodge + went fishing. Well my boyfriend Carl aka The Fisherman, didn't catch anything on that particular trip, which was our motivation to take another trip up there to see if we'd have any better luck. Which we did! As my fisherman told me "if you're not catchin anything you're not fishin you're sittin", so I guess technically this particular fishing trip was my first "official" time fishing. I should clarify I wasn't the one fishing as I don't have a license just yet, but the fisherman did and boy were those poles stayin busy!

Here fishy fishy...

I'm not sure of the rules in other states but around these parts there is a 5 limit rule on the fish you catch + take home. The first 4 trout we caught were "pannies", that's pan sized fish for all you nonfishers out there. According to the fisherman pannies are the best tasting. After we caught the first 4 we didn't get any bites for about 3 hours, so we thought we'd throw in the towel + go home + enjoy the fish we did catch for din din. Just as the fisherman was reeling in his line to leave he felt a big tug. A strong tug. Which could only mean one thing, he'd caught himself a bigon! It was quite the sight to see him fighting this fish, it was not going down easily (or should I say up? Ha). After about 5 minutes of fightin' the damn thing he got it on shore, + right as he did the line snapped! The fisherman grabbed that big boy up real quick before he could get away, + the fish started hissing! Never in my life have I heard a fish make a noise like that, hell I didn't know they could make that noise! I guess he was just super pissed at getting caught! According to the fisherman this particular fish was about 12 years old, he had survived that long without getting caught so I can see why he was so pissed! Talk about a good day of fishin' for us though!

Catches of the day

After we got back the fisherman proceeded to gut + clean the fish, which was yet another first for me. I don't do blood well so I sat out on this part of the venture but once they were all cleaned up we froze the big boy + decided to eat the pannies for dinner.

Although I love fish + any type of seafood I haven't prepared + cooked much of either. But of course the fisherman had + he showed me the way! And I in turn wanted to share this recipe with you! He's been perfecting this recipe over the years + once you try it you can definitely tell as it's super delicious!  Here we go....!

Carl The Fisherman's Trout Recipe

Whatcha Need:

* Sesame Seed Oil

* Siracha 

* Lemon Juice 

* S + P 

* Mushrooms + Bell Peppers

How To:

* Grab your cleaned trout, and slice a side of it open. This is where all the goodies are going to go. 

* Squeeze some lemon juice onto the meat, then drizzle some sesame seed oil. Next add your Siracha, I personally don't do spicy food so I just put a tiny sliver of Siracha along the spine of the fish I was eating. Dash a little S+P, and now it's time to stuff the fish.

* Add the mushrooms + bell peppers, drizzle some sesame seed oil on top and this bad boy is ready to be wrapped in foil + thrown onto the BBQ. 

* The thickness of the fish will determine BBQ time, the pannies we caught were on the BBQ for about 20 minutes or so. 

As you can see we served our Trout alongside some roasted asparagus which was topped with Sesame Seed oil + Parmesan cheese before being thrown in the oven. We also had white rice on the side which we mixed some terikayki sauce + veggies in, super delicious!! 

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!! You may have noticed we only cooked the pannies for this dinner, so be on the look out for yet another delicious trout recipe to come!! 

Until next time friends....Cheers!! 

<3 Noonie

Caramelized Leek + Avocado Cornbread

Over the past year or so I've been having digestive issues, this phenomena has led me to a wide range of research on what's best for digestion, stomach bacteria, good combinations, and so on and so on.... Needless to say at this point I feel as if I'm an expert on that terrainium that is our tummies. It is obvious that fruits and veggies are good for our tummies as well as ginger, but some lesser known fabulous foods for keeping your gut happy are olive oil, garlic, onion, fennel, fermented veggies, baking soda, mint, and leafy greens.

As this topic has been consuming my being I have decided to up my intake of onion, garlic, and olive oil; which (of course) had me brainstorming recipes to test out and share with you all. My first attempt was the Lemon Fennel Quinoarotto recipe from a few weeks back. Filled with lots of onions and fennel healthy and delicious.  My next challenge was what could I concoct for breakfast or snacks that would follow these same principles? And so the Carmelized Leek, Garlic, + Avocado Cornbread was born!

As an extra treat I cut them in 1/2 an topped with additional leeks and sea salt. They turned out so flavorful and delicious, and the best part is everythin is natural (and not that I'm into it, but...) and also gluten free!

Directions:
1. Caramelize 1/4 leek (mostly the white) + garlic.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350'
3. Mash the avocado.
4. In one bowl combine all the ingredients, I started with the dry ingredients, added leeks, oil, avocado, then water. However, I don't think the order matters much
5. Spray muffin tins (or use paper jackets) and fill with the mixture.
6. Bake for 20 minutes at 350'
7. In the mean time caramelize the other 1/4 leek (mostly the green part) and use as topping for a fancy little snack.
8. Remove from oven + enjoy


Yield: 6 muffins or 1 small pan

Tips: They came out perfectly crumbly, I would add more water, egg, or applesauce to improve the consistency and make it more cakey if thats you're preference.
For a sweet version try my Banana Corn Muffins

Enjoy!

-Nelli

Leaf Inspired Pus

I've said it before but I'll say it again inspiration can really be found anywhere at any time, if you only keep your eyes + mind open. A few weeks ago as I was sitting in my backyard + I happened to notice this big leaf was kind of shaped like something. Call me crazy but when I saw this leaf it instantly looked like an octopus wearing an old scuba diving mask. Random I know. I knew right then I needed to feed this inspiration + decided to grab my sketchbook + markers + started working on this piece right then. A lot of the time I feel like some of my pieces don't come out as I imagined them in my head, + this piece was no different but I'm still happy with the way it turned out :) 

Titled: "I Have No Idea"Medium: Prisma Markers 

Until next time friends....Cheers!! 

<3 Noonie 

Kaffee in Berlin

Berlin Coffee, like food, is up to par with NYC quality and prices. Coffee is a "hip" commodity and all the coffee shops have gourmet pastries. This meant I had to try something at each! Also, if you're vegan or dairy free Berlin has soy offerings for you. I'm not, but I like to switch back and forth between milk and soy. Coffee was good, and pastries were better!

The Barn | Flat White + Scone + Flapjack | Mitte

As I conducted my coffee research The Barn continuously popped up, and luckily it was located only a few blocks from my hostel. Keeping with my love of Flat Whites I snagged one here. I also grabbed a flapjack for breakfast which is equivalent to a hommade granola bar beware these are filling! My friend grabbed a raisin scone which was the perfect consistency! 

Espresso Ambulanz | Soy Macchiato | Mitte

This little place has a nice ambiance and the barista was very sweet. With your drink every patron gets a little treat. Mine was a little brownie.

Zeit Fur Brot | Soy Cortado + Laugencroissant | Mitte

I'd been reading about laugencroissants for weeks and couldn't wait to try one! Zeit Fur Brot was "the bakery" to have them at, so when I Rome.... This treat was delicious!!!!!! 1/2 croissant 1/2 pretzel I was in complete heaven with 2 of my favorite baked goods in one! My friend got a chocolate pastry which was equally as delicious. The coffee here was not my preferred, but then again they are a bakery and known for their baked goods which (again) are fantastic!

Koffain | Soy Gaelo | Kreuzberg

This drink is similar to a Cortado only in a taller glass. I had to try it as I'd never heard of it before. 

Five Elephants | Soy Cortado + Cheesecake | Kreuzberg

OMG one of the best cheesecakes I have ever had! Coffee was very good as well, but it's hard to focus on coffee with cheesecake this good!

In and outdoor seating and a cute little place. The owner was sweet and even made a special drink for my pal.

Cafe a | Soy Cappuccino + Blueberry Scone | Mitte

The cappuccino and pastry here were both good quality, however, nothing that  stands out in my mind. They do have other offerings including fresh fruits.

Einstein Coffee | Cortado | Everywhere - German Starbucks

This coffee did not warrant a photo, coffee was good for an "on the run" cup of joe, similar to a Starbucks. Avoid it if you can, but if you need your "fix" they will do the job.

A Moment to Ponder

A friend of mine that lives down in SoCal snapped this awesome photo + I wanted to share it with all of you! (With her permission of course) BIG thanks to the home girl Viki!! <3

Intriguing eh?? 

Until next time friends...Cheers!!

<3 Noonie