i think i've made it

“1. iced coffee for summer / 2. raspberry sorbet for aesthetic / 3. pool scenes / 4. 4D tesseract in 3D / 5. celebrate! / 6. the view from abby’s”

yesterday was my last day of classes of my first year of high school. it doesn't even feel like it's ended, but rather that it's just starting all over again. bad? meh. i think it's time that i reflected on 10 things that have happened this year, (like i did last year).

  1. i turned 15
  2. i started and finished my first year of high school
  3. i became comfortable with wearing a uniform every day (yep.)
  4. i started a plant-based diet (yeah!go vegetables!)
  5. i got hired for my first real photography commission (it never really went through...)
  6. i became comfortable with not having extra time to do the stuff i want to do
  7. i learned that it's good to keep in touch with old friends
  8. i learned that speaking up for myself is extremely valuable
  9. i realized that baking (although tedious at times) is a stress-reliever
  10. i grasped that i really take sleeping for granted

so yeah. 10 things that definitely weren't as deep as last year, but, you know, it's still constructive. 

so. for the final moments before summer, i will share some cool stuff things magic thingamabobs:

/ such a cool air purifier + planter + design piece 

/ beet tart tart tart

/ 2-ingredient buckwheat pancakes (bc PANCAKES)

/ i'm very intrigued by this instagram

/ chill sounds

/ i dig this

have a fabulous weekend, everyone.

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Posted on June 6, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under blah blah blah, i share stuff, i take photos and tagged blah blah blah summer stuff.

cool things

i know i've been gone for a while now. it's finally all slowing down. school is approaching its end and i am not stressed as much as i used to be. it's nice having a few extra hours of free time to just enjoy myself and curl up with a nice episode of the newsroom and a large cup of iced coffee. i know that during this short period of time until summer, i will surely savor these moments.

i never realized until this year how much i love to do nothing. how much i love to sleep and to relax and just lay in bed and think philosophical things.

so here are some pretty cool things for you to explore until i come back.

/ awesome balloon mirrors

/ (cool) diy projects for the summer

/ magnificent interactive projections for the win

/ light + hanger = hank

/ super chill matcha brownies

/ gorgeous maple + lemon + meringue pies

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Posted on May 15, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under moodboards, blah blah blah, i share stuff and tagged moodboards link love blah blah blah.

super cool raspberry chia bars

i received a box from hatchery the other day. hatchery delivers small red boxes of artisan, hand-made ingredients directly to your door every month. my april box contained spices, some apple cider vinegar, jams, caramel, and mustard. 

i thought i'd experiment with just jan's apricot marmalade. sweet, tangy, the fruit spread was perrrrrfect for my raspberry breakfast bars.

this recipe is fast, delicious, and super healthy for you. it's also extremely versatile, so yeah, switch those raspberries with any other berry for pure awesomeness  – (or heck, add more).

i used my old recipe for raspberry jam as the base to my filling for these bars. holy yes.

i also dolloped a small spoon of white chocolate-cinnamon peanut butter from my hatchery box underneath the bar for a play on pb&j.

so off we go!

3/4 cup almond flour

2 cup oats

2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

1 tablespoon chia seeds + 2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1 tablespoon almond milk

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown rice syrup

 

2 cups frozen raspberries

1.5 tablespoons white chia seeds

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons of just jan's apricot marmalade

 

1 small dollop of white chocolate peanut butter

00/ preheat oven to 350˚F

01/ combine chia seeds and water in small ramekin and set aside

02/ thouroughly mix almond flour, oats, coconut oil, baking powder, almond milk, maple syrup, and brown rice syrup

03/ once chia "pudding" is thick, fold into oats batter

 

04/ combine raspberries, maple syrup, apricot jam, and chia seeds in a saucepan 

05/ cook until raspberries have broken down into jam; cool until thickened

06/ on a parchment-lined baking dish, press down 3/4 of the oat mixture (leave rest to sprinkle on top). over  the pressed oats, spread cooled raspberry chia jam. then sprinkle the rest of the oats

07/ bake for 25-30 minutes until top oat crumble is golden brown

08/ take out, let cool, and devour

 

09/ optional: when plating, place dollop of white chocolate peanut butter on plate and spread with a spoon . plate bars over. sprinkle with fresh fruit.

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Posted on May 1, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i make food and tagged breakfast food raspberries.

Q&A?

i thought it would be fun to host a Q&A where you could ask me questions and i'll respond in a video or post... questions could be about:

blogging, new york city, favorite recipes, my projects, what school is like, etc.

+ anything that you would like me to answer. you can either comment here or enter a question at my submission box; whatever is most preferable to you. i'm not sure when i will post my answers, but it will most likely be in the next couple of weeks. 

also, please let me know if you would rather have my answers in video-format (will not be available for a few weeks) or readable, blog post-format (will probably be posted more promptly)!

have a wonderful weekend everyone!

⌇

Posted on April 24, 2015 by izzy rael and tagged q&a.

found artists: lorraine loots

the other morning i stumbled upon lorraine loots, an artist who is known for her "paintings for ants". her work is incredible– the microscopic details that are so realistic and intricate they seem life-size. she explains the project and the process of creating in her vimeo video above.

every day for a year (starting on january 1, 2015), lorraine designed and created a new painting on a 10cm x 10cm piece of watercolor paper. do you see the pencil to painting ratio? i don't even know if i could write a letter that small... i could keep scrolling through all of her little notecards and just stare in awe. 

i wish i had the patience and delicacy to do what she does because it truly is impeccable.

do you have any artists you admire? 

⌇

Posted on April 16, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under this was found and tagged found artists.

grey

i've been thinking about summer lately and about all of that precious free time i'll have to spend so loosely. it's kind of warm feeling i get thinking about all that time (which, when you think about it, isn't actually all that much). it's the final stretch now. i have all of these projects i'm trying to keep up on (both school-wise and photography/design-wise). at this point, i feel as though my brain is about to collapse on itself and fold into a cheese-less calzone. a good feeling? meh, i would say i've felt better. 

i just glanced out the window and realized how beautiful it looks. maybe i'll go outside today to enjoy it? we'll see. 70˚ sounds quite nice. i'm waiting for the weather to become consistent again. bleh. anyways enough blah blah blah. i haven't done a link-love in awhile, so i thought now would be a great time.

––

1/ give me all the flatbread

2/ my absolute new favorite song - it's been on repeat all morning

3/ drool (not literally)

4/ probably the coolest website for telling time

5/ yoga, photography, and recipes combined? swoon!

6/ the brilliance of this photograph is unreal. like seriously.

––

have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

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Posted on April 11, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under blah blah blah, i share stuff, i take photos and tagged nyc photographs.

a cookie or three

today i have for you a very special guest: my friend julianna. she's going to share the recipe we adapted when i was over at her place in los angeles last weekend. enjoy.

*photographs by julianna y.

hello, my name is julianna and i run a little lifestyle + fashion blog called bursts of beauty. izzy and i have known each other for a very long time, so when she visited los angeles, it was only appropiate to share a day together. we dined at gracias madre, a wonderful vegan mexican restaurant in west hollywood and sipped on some iced lattes and green juice at alfred coffee. there, i proposed the idea of baking together. when we got back, we did some research and found a great recipe for oatmeal + chocolate cookies and made a few twists.

 

       flourless almond butter cookies

2 tbsp flax seeds

5 tbsp water

 

2/3 cup rolled oats

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup turbinado/brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup almond milk

 

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup dried cherries

 

1/ preheat oven to 350F

2/ whisk together flax seeds and water (this makes 2 vegan eggs)

3/ line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper or non-stick spray of your choice

4/ in medium bowl, combine oats, baking soda, and salt

5/ in another bowl, combine almond butter, peanut butter, sugar, almond milk, vanilla extract, and vegan "eggs". use a handmixer to mix until smooth

6/ pour wet with dry and stir until the mixture becomes like a cookie dough. if too wet, add more oats. if too dry, add more almond milk

7/ stir in chocolate chips + cherries

8/ roll a small amount of dough into a ball shape and place in a row of three on the baking sheet. spread the cookie dough balls out so they won't combine when baked in the oven

9/ bake for 9-11 minutes. let cookies cool before removing from the baking sheet

10/ enjoy!

Posted on March 26, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i make food and tagged cookies dessert chocolate almond butter vegan.

pi(e)

yesterday was both my friend's birthday (happy birthday lil) and pi day. hoorah! 

it was inevitable that i made a pie (with my friend julia). a vegan blueberry pie.

the one thing about pi day is that you can celebrate by joining math and baking together. (not like they're related or anything...) 

although pie is one of my favorite winter/spring desserts, i've never actually made one without the assistance of an older individual... most likely because a) pies seem so difficult because of the butter-freezing and the dough-freezing and the crust-forming and rolling. b) the cooked-crust-consistency that varies from the bottom of the pie to the top. c) there's social stigma about pies.

but today was the perfect excuse to do all of these things. making a pie for pi day is also a perfect reminder that i actually have time to do stuff now because i'm on spring break. FINALLY.

so i present to you a simple, vegan, blueberry pie because blueberries are really great.

the crust

2.5 cups white-whole wheat flour

1 cup vegan butter, cut into small cubes + frozen

7-8 tablespoons ice water

pinch of salt

 

the filling

2 pints of fresh blueberries

3/4 cup turbinado sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

juice of 1/2 lemon

zest of the lemon

3 tablespoons corn starch

 

the topping

turbinado sugar

coconut / canola oil 

01/ preheat oven to 420-425˚F

02/ in the freezer, chill large mixing bowl and pastry cutter

03/ sift flour and salt and mix together. using the pastry cutter, combine butter and flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

04/ once combined, slowly incorporate ice water (tablespoon by tablespoon) until dough begins to form. (do not overwork or else the dough will not be flakey when baked.)

05/ with water-coated hands, split the dough into two even pieces. roll into a ball and flatten out into a disc. cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. 

06/ in the meantime, combine all of the ingredients for the filling. taste test if necessary, (always). refrigerate until the dough is ready to be rolled out. 

07/ when chilled, take out one disc of dough. flour the surface and rolling pin. from the middle towards the edges, roll out the disc until it's about 1/4" thick. (*note: the dough will most definitely fall apart. just keep smushing it back together until there are no holes.)

08/ spray your pie pan with canola oil. roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer it to the pan. roll out into the pan and begin to push dough into the creases and edges of the tin. pour filling into the tin and place in freezer. 

09/ repeat step [07] with the second disc.

10/ use a pizza cutter or knife to cut dough into 8 strips, each about 1" long. 11/when done, take out your unfinished pie. create a design of your own or make a lattice crust on top.

11/ freeze one last time for about 10 minutes. take out. brush with oil and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. cover edges with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. 

12/ bake for 45 minutes, taking off the foil after 20 minutes. let cool before cutting and eating. it will be very hot. 

 

Posted on March 15, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i make food and tagged pie food dessert blueberries.

the time

* image from cancaramelo

a new season is just around the corner and i am getting prepared culinarily and mentally for the relief of spring. 

i thought it would be nice to pull together a set of delicious, spring-y recipes for you to all enjoy in the upcoming months ahead. 

plus all of the photographs are gorgeous, so enjoy those as well.

1/ asparagus + sugar snap pea pasta (w/ ricotta)

this is one of my favorite pasta recipes. the combination of asparagus, basil, ricotta, and lemon zest is the epitome of spring feels. 

 

2/ blood orange + fennel + beet salad

oranges? fennel? beets? this simple, warm salad is the perfect transition dish between winter and spring. it's also very pretty to look at, which is a definite plus.

 

3/ spring pea toast

avocado toast with a nice twist: spring pea hummus! a slice of ezekiel toast with this green hummus and slices of avocado would be the perfect breakfast or lunch. holy yum.

 

4/ cold soba salad

soba is my favorite noodle. made of buckwheat, soba is light, healthy, and just sooooo good. i usually julienne snow peas, carrots, and edamame and toss it with a sweet soy sauce and the soba. this is a slight variation of what i make, but it looks just as good.

 

have a great week everyone!

Posted on March 3, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff and tagged food vegan link love recipes spring.

guana

as many of you know, last weekend my family and i took a trip to the british virgin islands, a set of small islands near san juan. it's been wicked cold in the nyc. last week it was 9˚F, so it was nice to add a zero to the end of that number...

it was the first time i've ever seen waters so clear and blue. yes, i've been to the beach multiple times (thanks, cali), but to see water to pure was probably like seeing snow for the first time. it seems almost impossible. there was plenty of fruit-eating, sun-bathing, and sleeping. sleeping in has never felt so good. 

there was rain, but it was beautiful. it was the type of rain that you can swim in because it's so warm and soft. there was something about this place that made me tranquil, and i don't think i have ever had such an experience like that before. 

next week, exams start, so i guess this trip was a stress-reliever of sorts. i'm looking forward to that. not. 

have a lovely weekend everyone!

Posted on February 21, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under travel, videos!!!, i take photos and tagged travel.

when in doubt... pancakes.

alex holding the backdrop with her nose

life has been good. i've been successful at my new school and i've been been continuing my project with vsco in my spare time. however, spring break is approaching, and with that comes exams. i don't know if i can handle thinking about it on top of all of the work i have already. i just want to let out the biggest sigh. 

also, you know what's the most terrifying moment? when you realize that a quiz/test is tomorrow rather than the day after and you have 30 words from Macbeth to memorize. yeah, that's tough. 

moving on...

i realized i haven't posted a recipe in awhile... so i'm going to change that. today i share with you my favorite pancakes recipe. and, it's vegan. woooooop woop!

i mean, look at that syrup pour (thanks caoimhe). these pancakes are SO INCREDIBLY FLUFFY that i cannot fathom it. 

#ThanksAlexForHoldingTheBackdrop / #ThanksCaoimheForPouringTheSyrup

ingredients

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking power

a pinch of baking soda

01/ measure milk + whisk with vinegar until foamy (to imitate buttermilk). set aside.

02/ whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl

03/ after 5 minutes, gently stir in "buttermilk" 

04/ if too thin, add another tablespoon of flour. if too thick, add another tablespoon of milk or maple syrup.

05/ heat a large pan on medium with canola spray or butter (if not vegan, obviously.) 

06/ use a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop (like me!) to pour the batter onto the pan

07/ feel free to add bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, the WORKS!!! it all works. 

08/ eat with more maple syrup of course



Posted on February 10, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i make food and tagged pancakes breakfast gifs.

found artists: fi wong

(*click to slide)

 

i had the absolute pleasure of being drawn by fi wong. her sketches are absolutely gorgeous and are bold, but still have intricate details.

to check out more of her work, go here.

we are hoping to collaborate on something sometime soon.

 

have a great end of the week everyone!

Posted on February 4, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under this was found and tagged found artists features.

subwaves

subway-coral-reef-05-2.jpg

i stumbled across some beautiful photographs taken by stephen mallon of old new york city subway cars being dumped into the ocean. i spot old C train cars that i used to ride to school. kind of nostalgic in a way.

i was somewhat dubious about the idea of discarding these cars in the ocean, but after i read the article about the purpose of doing such a thing, my thoughts changed.

after several years at the bottom of the ocean, the train cars become a part of the ecosystem, serving as an artificial coral reef system for sea life. 

at first glance, stephen's work seems to reveal an act of pollution, while in truth it is something more beautiful.

 

have a happy thursday, everyone. 

* credit to my best friend a-rad (alex) for the punny, yet relevant title.

Posted on January 29, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff and tagged nyc photographs.

what to do + eat on a rainy day

photograph by luise from green kitchen stories

it's raining in new york city today. really rainy. rainy and cold and nice and it's inevitable that i feel absolutely unproductive. but it is on these days that i really need a set plan to figure out what i'm going to make and/or do. for all of you who are experiencing boredom or are stuck inside because of the chilly weather, follow this short guide (for a very foodie experience).

 

1/ start your day with porridge

porridge is one of my favorite breakfasts of all time. it also just so happens to be a fantabulous way to start a rainy day. as i've talked about in previous posts, oatmeal is great because of the variety of toppings you can add to it. luise tops her porridge with raspberries, sliced avocado, and hemp seeds for a hearty breakfast meal. if you're not feeling so adventurous, you can top your oatmeal with more tradition toppings like berries, bananas, granola, or thick coconut milk.

 

2/ bake something sweet

baking really warms my heart (as you can probably tell from reading this blog). jessie is the author of one of my favorite blogs faring well. her recipe for coconut macadamia biscotti is actually brilliant. dipped in a cup of tea, these little treats will surely brighten your dark day (too cliché?). also, who doesn't love baking cookies in the winter?!

 
tumblr_nf7esew2M71r9ged7o1_1280.jpg

3/ explore

if you live in new york city, you live in one of the most vast cities in the world. so explore it. explore wherever you live. take a camera. capture the rain. visit new restaurants. visit new shops and parks. take a friend and just walk until you find something extraordinary. explore.

 

4/ grab a coffee. and a snack

because we all know you're still hungry. while you're wandering around your neighborhood or city, pop into a coffee shop. sip a warm (almond milk) cappuccino or latte. nibble on a muffin, talk to the people around you. take more pictures. always take pictures. 

 

5/ make a nice dinner for yourself (and others)

cooking for yourself is always so great. you can season according to your individual taste and can make whatever you'd like. did i mention that jessie is an awesome blogger? yeah... her recipe for this beautiful asian bowl with wild rice, roasted beets, and broccoli is not one to miss. holy yum.

 

i hope you survive the winter, wherever you are. (especially you australians with your warm weather).

have a great weekend everyone!

Posted on January 18, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff and tagged link love food.