These are, to me, the perfect little pastries. They're delicate and flavorfully interesting, but not all dolled-up and entering the "too-good-to-eat" territory. They're messy and decadent, just like a pastry should be. (Also, today is my birthday. So happy birthday to me with these tiny pastry birthday cakes.) Enjoy! Ingredients 5 ripe purple plums 3 ripe persimmons (USE FUYU; DO NOT USE HACHIYA) ½ cup dark brown sugar, plus 1 tbsp. separate Juice squeezed from one large lemo

(Photo courtesy of grapplergourmet.com) An almond is an almond, no matter where you get it. You don’t have to go to an organic specialty store just to buy healthy groceries. Health food trends can easily burn a hole in your wallet, but here are a few ways to get around the expensive costs of being nutritious. Dehydrated Vegetables These are the perfect substitute to fill the void of chips and other savory snacks. They are actually a lot easier to make than it seems and you ca

In memory of the winter in 2011. Prelude of Reading, Sleeping, and the Digestion of the Seasons The summer was memorable. Fishin’ in the river with green grass to feed. The bait of the earth, on the edge of the hook. We caught butterflies and poetry, reading on the edge of the bank. Waiting for our next bite, I dug my bare toes into the dirt, feeling the earth beneath my skin. I reminisce on past advice from my father. “What’s a man if he ain’t got no head to think with?” The

The Quality of Human Experience; Simplicity in a Complex World The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector The quality of human experience, as it is to Macabéa, is the curiosity, appreciation, and love for the simplicity in life. Our lives are strained by complexity that burrows deep within us, whether it be financial, mental, emotional, spiritual or physical inquisitions and adversity. Though even through the difficulties that arise, Macabéa sees the light of simplicity that s

These cookies are one of my favorite concoctions thus far. They have the bitter sweet notes of the candied grapefruit, the nutty toasted sugars from the coconut, and a rich fulfilling chocolate that melts on the tip of your tongue. They are perfect for whenever you're having a tropical cookie craving. Enjoy! Ingredients 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 sticks butter 1 ½ cup brown sugar 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, plus 1

The Self-Help Book Movement Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The theory of flow: is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized foxus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does. The author, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is the creator of the theory of flow, so who better to write the book on the theory than th

As I’m traveling to the place I was born, from the place I currently reside, I stare hard out the window. All I want is to be unbound. I want independence from the things I can’t necessarily control. I want to own my time and be able to live each minute excited for the next. Lately I’ve been wearing this weathered out jacket upon my dry bones, and all I want is a glass of water to quench my thirst for existence. I’ve always wanted to live in a world where there is endless hap