edinburgh: a photo diary (of-sorts)

Components of our trip:

Walks through the city, exploring with friends.

Warm drinks clutched between cold fingers. 

A-freaking-mazing architecture.

Hilltop views that can't be beat.  

A few snapshots in an art gallery.

Being promptly told "NO PHOTOGRAPHY" in the aforementioned art gallery.

New observations of age-old holiday traditions. 

A cozy Christmas afternoon with family.

A short walk at sunrise (8:30 am) with my mom. 

Altogether, a pretty fantastic time. 

(And special thanks to everyone who made it possible!)

travels in square format

Right now, we are in the lovely Scottish city of Edinburgh. It is fantastic and cold and dark (because there are only about 6 hours of sunlight every day), and we're enjoying it immensely.

I have been taking some photos of our trip with my Canon, but I left my computer (and thus, my Lightroom app) at home, so I won't be able to post them until I get back. However, I do have some grainy iPhone photos to offer, instead! Not really a sufficient substitute, I suppose, but it's all I've got.

Enjoy!

(p.s.  I post photos on my instagram more frequently. Check it out, if you fancy seeing some more shots of our trip.)

dylann's apple pie: a recipe

The holidays just aren't complete without warm, homemade desserts. Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, flakey pastries. The harsh chill of winter is mellowed out by the glow of ovens, filled with delicious treats. Our winters certainly aren't cold where I live, but I definitely remember what it was like. It's hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it's 90 degrees outside. However, there are a few things we can do to encourage our sentimentality of the season; baking festive goods is one of them. 

My sister makes a KILLER apple pie. Last week (for Thanksgiving), she created one of her masterpieces. The delicious scents that surrounded our kitchen during the time she spent in it made us all feel just a little bit more at home. It's so extravagantly amazing, I thought you might like the recipe. So, here it is; Dylann's apple pie: 

i n g r e d i e n t s:

(c r u s t)

2 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup butter or margarine 

1/2 tsp salt

3-4 tbsp cold water

(a p p l e  f i l l i n g  /  s u g a r  s a u c e)

8 apples

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup white or raw sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

i n s t r u c t i o n s:

(see below)

(1) mix flour and butter/margarine in a medium mixing bowl by cutting it with a pastry cutter until it forms small balls.

(2) add remaining crust ingredients into the bowl and mix. 

(3) roll dough out into two equal-sized circles and set one into pie pan so that it fits snugly (2nd circle will be used for topping). cut off excess dough with a knife. set aside. 

(4) melt the unsalted butter and flour (from the sugar sauce ingredients) in a saucepan. stir in the flour to form a paste. add the water, cinnamon, white sugar, and brown sugar; bring to a boil. then, reduce the temperature and let simmer.

(5) skin, de-core, and slice the apples. then, add to the pie pan on top of the bottom crust layer. 

(6) make a lattice with the other circle of crust. cut it into equal strips and weave together on top of the pie in an under-over pattern.

(7) pour the sugar sauce over the pie. pour it gently and slowly, so that none of it runs off the top.

(8) bake in the oven at approximately 350 degrees until the apples are soft and the crust is a golden brown.

Happy December, folks! 

Do you have any favorite treats for the holidays? 

windy

pre rain jitters

consisting of soft golden

and gray hues,

cool winds

and fresh scents,

and the excitement

of relief from the relentless

african sun.



listenings || entry one

Right now, I'm living in one of those weird in-between moments. I've finished my school, but my new curriculum hasn't arrived yet. So, as of late, my life has consisted of lazy mornings curled up in my bed, afternoons in our hammock, and copious amounts of reading. Also, I've been burning lots of vanilla-scented candles (slight tangent: I highly recommend burning a candle in the evenings. The warm glow is cozy, and delicious, autumn-esque smells are so comforting at the end of the day.) 

Anyways, I guess I could say that my taste in music has been much the same, a weird in-between. Many of my tunes are slower and laid back, but I occasionally feel a need for something more up-beat. So, here's my autumn playlist, mostly slow and some a  little folky, peppered with a few more alternative songs. 

I Cried Like a Silly Boy- DeVotchKa

My Silver Lining - First Aid Kit

Columbus - Snowmine

Waves - Sleeper Agent

My Body's a Zombie For You - Dead Man's Bones

Featherstone - The Paper Kites

Walcott - Vampire Weekend

This Too Shall Pass - OK Go

Three White Horses - Andrew Bird

Tugboat - Galaxie 500

Troubled Waters - Sucré

When I'm Up I Can't Get Down - Oysterband

What's on your playlist?