Cherry Almond Crumble

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Cherry Almond Crumble

Cherry Almond Crumble

As I walked into my apartment late last night, kicking off my shoes and tossing my keys on the kitchen counter, I asked my boyfriend to step out on the balcony and smell the air. Though an odd request, he did as I asked, moving the window blinds aside and sliding the door open. After taking in several breaths of the air, he turned around to look at me with a puzzled expression across his face. It just smells like night, he said.

Exactly, I told him. It smells like night.

Cherry Almond Crumble Cherry Almond Crumble Cherry Almond Crumble

When dusk falls, the air takes on a new scent. While the aromas of the day are subdued, drowned out by heat and car exhaust, the disappearance of the sun pulls out the scents hidden deep within the earth. Night air has an undeniable sweetness, as if a thousand quiet flower blossoms are blooming at once. The smell is earthy, the dirt kicked up during the day finally settling back to solid ground. Once the humidity of the day begins to wane, the dampness of the air holds the aromas in place, helping them grow stronger as the dew settles onto the leaves in the trees.

When I walk through the grass, looking up at the starry sky above me, I wonder if the stars rain their own fragrance down from the heavens.

Cherry Almond Crumble

Growing up in a state marked by pastures and endless blue skies, the unique scent accompanying the night was something I took for granted. Perhaps it wasn't until that late night walk into my apartment that it dawned on me that it was something to appreciate. The light breeze keeps the aromas of night unspoiled—never to grow old, always to remain familiar. I wonder if the night carries its own scent elsewhere, in cities big and small. I wonder if it has the same sweetness, the same feeling of grass underneath your bare feet and dirt beneath your fingernails. I wonder if I am the lucky one.

As I sit out of my porch with twilight long past, the darkness of the sky pure and unyielding, I breath in the night and hold it in my lungs until my chest aches. I know I am the lucky one.

Cherry Almond Crumble

Cherry Almond Crumble has a flavor as pure as the night air. Dark sweet cherries are mixed with a little brown sugar and baked until bubbly and fragrant. A dough of cinnamon, oats, and almonds is sprinkled over the top and continues baking until golden. The fruit crumble allows the simplicity and sweetness of the fresh cherries to shine, the other components deepen and support the bright flavor. This crumble is a celebration of summer fruits and long summer nights.

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Coconut Sorbet

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Coconut Sorbet

Coconut Sorbet

When I was teenager, I suffered from horrible bouts of insomnia. I would lie awake at night for hours, watching the numbers on the clock change, wishing I was somewhere else. Eventually, I did start daydreaming of that somewhere else—my own deserted tropical island. Each night more details of my island emerged. The colors of the sunset, the grains of sand on the beaches, the gradual intensity of the colors on the rocky cliffs. I invented a story for how I arrived on this island. Sometimes I envisioned myself on the island with others, though often I was by myself.

In this sleep-starved state of my mind, this island became my paradise.

Coconut Sorbet Coconut Sorbet

As the fitful nights progressed from weeks to months, the elements of my island grew greater in detail. I imagined building a shelter from coconut palms to block out the blistering sun. I imagined fishing with makeshift poles, struggling to find a meal. I imagined the sleepless, hungry nights, when the rain leaked through the roof and the fish weren't biting. I imagined battling with the hard husk of coconut shells, knocking them down from trees, trying to reach the sweet fruit within. I imagined the loneliness that would build up inside me from my little island, the fear and the desperate wishing to go home. The longer I thought about it, the more stressful my tropical paradise became.

Eventually I let go of my island fantasies, abandoning them once the stress of my paradise began to overshadow my sleepless state.

Coconut Sorbet

Though my short-lived tropical daydreams were years ago, fragments of my imagined adventure pop up whenever I encounter sandy beaches and ocean waves. Landlocked as I am, my curiosity towards coconuts became a way to bring those daydream adventures to light. Eventually, that curiosity turned into a love for the multi-purpose fruit.

Nowadays I like to imagine myself on a sunny, crowded beach, eating coconut sorbet beneath a large umbrella, and watching children play in the tide. I find there is far less stress when modern conveniences are involved.

Coconut Sorbet

Coconut Sorbet is a refreshing, cool treat to enjoy whenever the mood strikes. Coconut milk is sweetened with pure maple syrup and vanilla bean before whirling in an ice cream maker. Small pieces of shredded coconut are added to give a chewy texture to the smooth sorbet. While the sorbet can have the tendency to be icy straight from the freezer, if you leave it out for 10 minutes before scooping, the sorbet transforms into a creamy texture.

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Frozen Strawberry Bars

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Frozen Strawberry Bars

Frozen Strawberry Bars

Last weekend I took time to do something I don't do nearly often enough—relax. I put away the computer, closed the textbooks, and spent some quality time with my family. While I did do some baking in the kitchen, most of the weekend was spent enjoying home cooked meals, conversing over the dinner table, and wandering about in the great outdoors. After a long, difficult month, the few days I spent recuperating have left me feeling like a brand new person. There's less stress, more laughter, and a better outlook on the months to come.

We need to remind ourselves to take breaks more often.

Frozen Strawberry Bars

This summer in particular, I've been feeling a little sun-starved. It's halfway into July and I haven't detected a trace of any of my traditional tan lines. While I only have a few more weeks before I wrap up my masters degree, I can't help but stare longingly out the window, wishing my textbooks would disappear and I could go outside and play. My inner camp counselor misses the day of running in the grass, having picnics in the sun, and listening to the silly stories of excited children.

One of my favorite parts of summer is eating popsicles when the weather feels like it can't get any warmer. The act becomes a competition as I try to lick up the frozen treat before the sun melts it into a puddle at my feet. Popsicles were a part of camp culture, the reward for a well-played game of capture the flag. The aftermath of sticky faces and bright colored tongues was a mess I would never wish away.

Frozen Strawberry Bars

Last weekend, during an overcast morning, I wanted to bring a little of that sunshine into my kitchen. With a pint of strawberries in the refrigerator, it took only a few minutes to transform the fruit into frozen treats. Once the sun found its way out from the clouds, I took one out from the freezer and enjoyed it on my balcony, savoring the feeling of the sun on my face and sweet berries on my lips.

A week later, I still have a few left, waiting for moments when I can take a break in the sun.

Frozen Strawberry Bars

Frozen Strawberry Bars are a delightful summer treat. Strawberries are macerated in sugar to sweeten and bring out the flavor of the fruit. Half of the berries are left sliced while the other half is pureed with orange juice. The fruit is layered in the popsicle molds with the puree, creating a frozen bar that has a great bite. These popsicles are refreshing for those hot summer afternoons.

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