Nectar & Light

inspired my neighbor and good friend, den and i embarked on our first detox this morning. the first week calls for eliminating caffeine, alcohol, peanuts, dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, all processed foods and beverages and no sugar additives.  what the hell is left to eat?  so was my first reaction. but i was up for the challenge - after den and i truly od'ed on all of the above during the holidays we've been eating much better since coming home early this month. but i was ready to take the next step... i don't think my refrigerator has ever seen so many vegetables at once. we've stocked up on fruits for snacking and smoothies, veggies for lunch and dinner, quinoa, chickpeas and lentils... and almonds. 

i am in the jif camp. meaning, that i can pass a blind taste test when it comes to peanut butter - it is a major comfort food for me - when i say i love it - it really does not begin to describe how i feel. so i have never even considered venturing into the natural peanut butter realm. but when i found that we could eat almonds this week - and den was unable to find almond butter at our nearest little grocer - i thought i would try making almond butter myself. at worst we would be able to use it in soup.

but it's heaven - heaven!!  this being my first time making it, i of course did not measure anything - but this is more about consistency than anything else... and you can eliminate the salt if you would like.

~ 2 c. all natural slivered almonds

~ 1 T + 1 t. canola oil

~ 2 T honey

~ salt

preheat the oven to 350. layout the almonds on a large baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. roast for about 10- 15 minutes - you will know they are ready when they turn golden. let them cool for just a few minutes but not too long - you want them warm as this helps release the oils when they are processed. pour them into a heavy-duty food processor and begin to process. stop and open the lid a few times to scrape down the sides - you will know when you are close when they start releasing their oil. 

now you could be done at this point - you will have a thick butter. if you want something a bit smoother you can add any vegetable based oil to the butter - i added canola until i achieved the consistency i was looking for.

and again - you could be done at this point as well; but i was looking for a touch of sweetness so i added a little honey {we are allowed to have a little bit of natural sugars this week} and processed again until smooth.

you can store the almond butter at room temperature up to 30 days - mine won't last until the end of the week - it's SO good! i have plans to use it with bananas in a smoothie, a dip for apples and possibly in that aforementioned soup.

let me be that cliché for but a moment... it is nearly february and i am pining for summer. pining - the desire burns like a fresh wound. i have fought against those tendencies for years - those that can not find the beauty, grace and joy in the living moment you find yourself. but this time of year, i find myself yearning for warmth and resenting the icy grip that holds my mind and body captive. i do need to venture outside more. i have created a self-imposed hermitage of sorts - shying from the cold and buried in the book {the final edits are due next month}. my goal this coming week... to step outside at least once everyday - to breath deeply and bear witness to the quiet shift of the season - it is coming - it must be.

in my summer dreams i find love and light - and ultimately some external influences that feed that fire...

~ the cool school - a beautiful little film about the beginning of the modern art movement in los angeles;

~ this california shoot by j.crew;

~ heidi's tumblr... a golden state: i was born in california {i was too - thus my eternal draw to that land};

~ surfer blood will be my summer soundtrack.

more soon...

sometimes the complexity and darker beauty of the world nearly makes my heart stop.  i am exploring some things in my work - some things that have been dormant - reconnecting with ideologies that i discovered living on my own in my early 20's on the island of la maddalena. breathing. connecting.... i think to be considered an artist - you have to push yourself, challenge yourself, question yourself. it is how we evolve - and ultimately - how we create.

something new - and not so... elysium & asphodel - while the ideas are still forming in a very organic way - the current site acts as a reflection of where i am. i realize i am being painfully vague - the veil will be lifted in time.

p.s. yes, that's me.

we are happy to be back in brooklyn - enjoying our neighborhood, our friends and our sweet daily routine once again.  this morning is grey and wet, but for the most part - we have had our fair share of sunshine. this morning we delivered the first draft of the polaroid how-to book {whose name we hope to share soon!} - and i am still a little shaky - excitement, anticipation, anxiety are all coating my heart right now. i have been buried under edits and notes since our return and it feels good to breathe again - even for just a few days.

on another note, in effort to adhere to my new work philosophy of shooting for me - and seeing where it leads - i have been shooting a lot of film again and it feels amazing. both my hasselblad and my dad's old nikon fe2 that he passed on to me are getting cozy in the cradle of my hands again and i am completely obsessed with kodak's new portra film. they have combined the best of the 400 nc and vc to create a wondrous new 400 film whose tones are superior to anything i have ever seen.

and after feeling rather stale, i am seeing some things i am loving online again...

~ the haunting dioramas of lori nix;

~ the equally ghostly and gorgeous corpse of detroit;

~ this video by warpaint. is it too late for me to form a girl band? whose in?

~ one of the most visually beautiful posts ever at the vamoose;

~ WANT;

~ the portraits of michael borremans;

~ and finding myself highly inspired by the work of deborah turbeville.

i have also updated my pinboard under the obsessed link and have added some new favorites to the love link - new love includes:

 ~ the impossible cool;

~ twisted lamb;

~ and the mother magazine blog.

and have you seen secret of the kells? the most gorgeous animated movie EVER.

more soon...

i am sitting in front of the fire, watching the winter waves kiss the cold shoreline and reflecting on a very magical few days. i have written before about how the water calms me - balances my fires and renews my spirit.  this week has been no exception - and i was able to share that with my family and some very special friends:  late nights on the beach under a black blanket of star dust with my sister; beautiful, open discussions about the great spirit; capturing the blooming beauty of my nieces at sunset {a new story for my portfolio, called rodanthe - shot with expired Time Zero Artistic Polaroid film}; the simple joys of our daily shell hunting excursions.

something has solidified within me - the processes has been ebbing and flowing for sometime, but in short - i feel very optimistic about this new year... and  i am excited to share a new book from fieryeyed books to be published in a very limited edition in february.

i hope you had a gorgeous new year.  i hope you are looking to 2011 with hope and determination in your soul and that all of your dreams paint themselves across the canvas our your life in a glitter of alchemy.

more soon...