“Let the beauty of what you love be what you
do.”

 

-Rumi

Months have passed since my last post. Considering how often I cook and that I photograph nearly everything I make, it is not for a lack of material. If I’m completely
honest with myself, I haven’t posted on this blog because I haven’t had the
“perfect” recipe, nor the poignant story to accompany it. I haven’t had the “beautiful” photograph that can compare to what else is out there. Truthfully, over the past few months, I’ve allowed myself to become too self-critical, too caught up in “how I compare.” In striving to be like everyone else, I have forced myself into silence. In striving for “beauty” I have kept myself from doing what I love.

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” I
have long found relevance in this quote. I find a beauty in food, in cooking,
in what I love, that I convey through photographs – photographs that others will appreciate and find beautiful. Truth be told, I’ve been
missing the point. I forced tangibility on beauty that the sentiment isn’t
meaning to imply. Instead, “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” Let the beauty
of loving something, of finding joy and solace in something, be what you do. Let the beauty of being true to yourself, free of comparison and judgement, be what you seek.

I
love to cook and I love to write – that is me – and therein lies the beauty. 

Strawberry and Lime Popsicles

Makes about 8-10 popsicles

(This recipe is very loose, and can be adapted to your taste – i.e. if you are looking for a sweeter popsicle, add 3/4 cup of sugar, or if you are looking for a less sweet popsicle, add 1/2 cup. Or, if you are looking for a less prominent lime flavor, only add the juice of half a lime).

ingredients:

1 – 1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/2 – 3/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of water

the juice of 1 lime

directions:

1. Add strawberries, sugar, and water to a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sugar is completely dissolved, and strawberries have started to slightly blanch in color (about 10 minutes). Turn off heat and let mixture cool completely.

2. Once cool, use an immersion blender, or standing blender, and blend mixture until smooth. Add lime juice and stir to combine.

3. Strain entire mixture through a fine sieve, and pour into popsicle mold. Freeze until firm (preferably overnight).