Nectar & Light

She is back - stretching her long limbs into my kitchen this morning - sweet sunshine.  So it called for celebration; something to honor the warmth and dreams of Spring - a touch of strawberry jam does the trick.  This is one of my favorite ways to eat oatmeal - enjoy, cozy up and allow flowers to dance in your dreams...

1/4 c. McCann's Irish Oatmeal

1/2 c. hot water

1 T. organic maple syrup

1 T. demerara sugar

2 T. your favorite strawberry jam

Add dry oats to a bowl and pour the hot water over them.  Microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Stir, add sugar and syrup - stir until the sugar melts - stir in the jam... sweet perfection...

*And falling head-over-heels for two new finds here and here.

I have not been able to put my Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera  down in a week - I sleep with it next to my bed.  Is that weird?  I just want it there when I wake up in case the sun ever decides to shine here again. ;)  Above are some of my favorite images from that camera that I have just added to the shop.

And while updating Etsy, I fell in love with this and this.

Have a wonderful day!

xoox~jla 

The snow is falling in blizzard fashion outside my window; the girls are running about the house in pj's and legwarmers; the sky is so deeply gray; the window glass bitterly cold; my tea - minty and warm.  I know it is early to be pining for Spring - but gazing outside, I just can't seem to help myself.  I am soaking up the sweet Spring warmth here and here.  And dreaming of open-neck shirts and this.

Stay warm and {if possible} in your PJ's - such a day calls for self-indulgence...

xoox~jla

Thank you so much for all of the welcome back wishes!  I have received a few emails asking if I will be carrying over any of the content from Athena Says - no, I don't think I will - I need a fresh start! ;)  However, I have linked the Athena Says archives on the right column if you wish to browse the old stomping grounds. 

One of my short lived projects, but one that was near and dear to my heart was Athena Eats, a food blog in which I shared some of my personal recipes and experiences in the kitchen.  Though I will not be linking that site , I will be carrying some of it's content over as the mood fits.  And on that note, if you are to be snowed in tomorrow as we are {which is especially harsh considering the Spring like weather today} - this will act as the perfect pick-me-up!  Happy Snow Day!

~ 3 c. heavy cream

~ 1 1/4 c. half & half

~ 1 12 oz. bag of the most sinful semi-sweet chocolate you can find

~ 1 t. cinnamon

~ 1/2 t. cloves

~ 1/8 t. ginger

~ 1/8 t. sea salt

~ 3 whole organic eggs

~ 3 organic egg yolks

~ 1/2 + 2T sugar

~ 1 loaf of semi-stale challah torn into good size pieces

~ vanilla ice cream

Place chocolate in a very large bowl and set aside; whisk eggs, yolks and sugar together in another bowl and set aside.  Heat the heavy cream and half & half together until it just begins to boil.  Keep a close eye on this as you do not want the cream to curdle - whisk it frequently.  When it just begins to bubble, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate - whisk until the chocolate is completely melted.  Begin to temper with the egg mixture {this means add a bit of the egg mixture to the cream/chocolate mixture and whisk together - then add the cream/chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk - then add the remaining egg mixture to the bowl of chocolate again - this prevents the possibility of introducing too hot a liquid to the eggs and thus cooking them - ew!} .  Add the cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt and whisk until everything is well combined.

Add torn bread to the mixture a bit at a time ensuring you are submerging each piece.  Let the bread soak for 20 minutes.  Pour into a baking dish and place in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes {or until inserted knife comes out clean}.  Let stand for 15 minutes before serving warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

One of the primary reasons I decided to return to blogging is the sense of community I feel in this realm.  This time around, I want to do more to engage my readers in this adventure - community, openness, sharing - some of my mantras of 2008.  One project I have planned for this blog is to host a monthly photo exchange where each month will be a different theme {Polaroid, Holga, black and white, the season, etc.}

So... I would like to share this month's theme and invite readers to participate.  We will be capturing moments from 'Morning Rituals' for the month of February.  Whether it be a shot of your favorite mug of latte or an action shot of rushing for the school bus - I simply would love to honor this hour of the day and your moment in it.  If you would like to participate in the swap, please email me at info@nectarandlight.com with the following information:  Your name, website/blog, mailing address and link to your Flickr account {if you have one}.  I will collect names through 9 February - you will receive your partners name by 11 February at which time you will mail them a printed 5x7 or 5x5 of your shot of the month!  I will also be creating a Flickr group for the swaps in which you can upload the photographs you receive.  All items {feel free to throw goodies in and a hand written note of course!} are to be sent by 25 February.

Thank you and I hope you have fun with this!

Please Note:  I can not be held responsible for a swap partner who does not follow through.  If you have such an experience, please email me so I can ensure they are unable to participate in any future exchanges.

***Edited to say:  Thank you so much for the wonderful response so far - we have some amazing photographers signing up - so exciting!!*** 

... so here I am yet again.  This new year has brought about so many changes so quickly, sometimes I find it difficult to take it all in.  Yet, in this whirlwind of change, I realized how much I missed my little corner of the blogosphere.  For those of you coming over from Athena Says - thank you so much - that experience was so wonderful, you are the most devoted and open-hearted readers - I could not have imagined so much love when I began blogging two years ago.  With the close of Juniper Designs, which was the original catalyst for Athena Says, I was unsure of my place - but now - after some months reflecting - I know I am home once again.  A new look, a new direction and a new voice await you, I do hope you join me.  Thank you again and to my new readers, welcome!

xoox~jla