ROIDWEEK 2013

A quick post today in celebration of 'RoidWeek 2013. 

I love the Instax camera and over the last few years its become a vital travelling companion for Hannah and I any time we head somewhere new and we always insist on making each shot worth it, endeavouring to capture a moment in time or a memory we wish to keep safe. 

These moments adorn the walls in our flat, providing constant nostalgia trips of the last 3 years we've spent together.

Be sure to check out last years RoidWeek Post & 2011's RoidWeek on my Flickr

SPRING II

A year ago today I posted by first blog here. As a little blog birthday I've put together another post about the joys of Spring as I've witnessed the longest winter leave our little garden and a splash of colour enter back into our lives.

I've really enjoyed my first year on Blogger and love the freedom it gives me. Some of my favourites include:

Monmouth Coffee
New York: Part I Part II Part III
Eggs Benedict
Whippet Grey
Clock Project: Part I Part II
Terrone Coffee
Garden Project: Part I

BLUEBERRY BANANA BROWNIES (PALEO)

These brownies are fantastic, in fact I think they are some of the best I've ever had - George of Civilized Caveman isn't lying but I've modified the recipe slightly through some tinkering of my own:

Ingredients:
170g Almond Butter
2 Eggs
40g Honey (Melted)
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
30g Cocoa Powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
200g Blueberries
100g 90% Dark Chocolate (Lindt) Broken Up
1 Ripe Banana (Mashed)

Method:
Pre-mix the almond butter to get it nice and creamy then add the eggs and mix well.
Add the honey & vanilla followed by the salt & baking powder.
Add the cocoa powder & mix into a smooth paste.
Add the blueberries & broken up chocolate followed by the mashed up banana & mix until smooth.
Bake at 200 until a knife comes out of the brownies clean then remove from the oven and cut into squares.
Place the brownies on a metal cooling rack and put them back into the oven for 5-10 minutes to double bake the edges. It makes them much more chewy!

My Paleo Experience (so far):
I first became really interested in nutrition in April last year after I saw Tim Ferris on Chase Jarvis Live talking about his new book The 4 Hour Body (4HB). I proceeded to read the book front to back and applied the diet side to my already dialed in training regime helping me to drop about 6kg of weight in few months, but the problem with 4HB is its a diet, not a lifestyle and so I slowly began looking elsewhere and started to hear about Paleo.

I've been eating a pretty strict Paleo since January and I'm just getting away from that pesky cheat day thanks to a 21 day stint after our last trip to Exmoor. During that time I've been playing with making the occasional treat to help satiate my cravings for baked goods and these brownies are part of that effort!

I'm hoping to bring more of this side of my life to the blog over the coming months including more of my journey and some of the amazing food & training I'm enjoying as a result.

TERRONE

My highlight of the London Coffee Festival was by far the True Artisan Cafe pop-up. The premise is simple, three bars, each one held by a different Artisan for each session over the course of the festival - 3 bars, 3 Artisans, 3 hours, with a live DJ to keep everybody jumping (if the free coffee wasn't enough).

Terrone had the afternoon slot at bar one on Sunday and after a few months of following them on Twitter thanks to a recommendation by Giulia during our very first brunch, I knew Hannah and I had to be there.

As the slot began we were greeted by a display of Terrone's branding thanks to the talented team behind Apple&Pear who were also on hand to help with the preparations (thanks to Giulia for another introduction). As you can see from the photographs they've produced a wonderful aesthetic & brand around an equally wonderful & driven company in the form of Terrone's team.

Its very refreshing to see small, independent companies working closely together to create a lasting impact, and I'm hoping this blog post will inspire others to check out these burgeoning companies before they blow up.

PS. Seriously, thanks to Giulia for all these introductions. I'm very happy to call her friend and even more happy she made me carrot cake! Thanks Giulia!

HAPPY EASTER

I feel I should share a few photographs of these wonderful white Tulips Hannah and I picked up for our Easter break in Combe Martin. We're having a wonderful time getting away from life for a few days.

I hope you're having a lovely Easter Break filled with anything and everything that keeps you content.

OZONE COFFEE & PHOTOWALK IN SHOREDITCH

Back in February (oh dear, I'm a terrible blogger) Hannah and I met with Guilia aka Mondomulia & Charlotte Hu aka, well, Charlotte Hu for a spot of Brunch at Ozone and a photowalk around Shoreditch, where every shop is also a cafe.

It was a bitterly cold February day, with a wind that cut straight through every layer you wore before uncomfortably settling in your bones and residing there without remorse. But still we braved a walk from the tube and soon found ourselves warm & cosy in a booth watching the hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen whilst perusing a menu filled with all kind of wonderful brunch dishes. This is what we came for, and I couldn't wait to get started.

I opted for the baked eggs thanks to the high praise Dave Cox gave them, unfortunately I was a little disappointed as the dish ended up being a slightly runny affair and the overall service slower than I'd expect for even the busiest brunch service. The coffee however, was fantastic and I happily bought a bag of beans for home before having a look at the roasting equipment and the large communal area downstairs.

As we departed Ozone the February wind picked up right where it left off, leaving us huddling for warmth and dropped in and out of shops to escape the chill, forcing us to pause and enjoy the quaint corners of Shoreditch, the multitude of shops selling interesting wares and the seemingly exhaustible amount of cafes bolted onto every shop.

Eventually we found ourselves in the strangest Nike shop I'd never heard of, hidden below a bridge in a gated courtyard with no discernible link to the multi-national super power that is Nike. I'm convinced it was Nike's version of the Troll Market from Hellboy.

All in all I had a wonderful afternoon with some wonderful company. A trip I hope to make again and again and again with many grand plans of picnics during the summer and any other brunch opportunities that come my way.

Technical: Ozone with the D600 & 50mm. Minolta 7 & Portra 160 for everything else

CHARLOTTE VALLANCE ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN

I knew of Charlotte for a little while before our path inevitably crossed thanks to our shared love for Seasons Cafe & Deli and Old Amersham in general, Hannah and I actually had one of her prints on our wall for a few months before we even spoke.

Charlotte was kind enough to send me a few lovely examples of her work in return for some photos, which of course seemed like a fantastic deal to me. I get to do what I love and she gets what I'd like to think is a different take on her Etsy shop photos.

You can find her here:
Blog: http://charlottevallance.blogspot.co.uk/
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/charlottevallance?ref=em
Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlsvallance

PROJECT I - A CLOCK PART II

A visual guide. Part II of the Clock Project.

Part I: http://samrevel.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/project-i-clock.html

PROJECT I - A CLOCK PART I

 

I've got two new years resolutions this year.

The first is to shoot more film and the second, is to make more things with my hands. With that said here is my first project for 2013, thanks to Hannah getting me this wonderfully minimal clock for Christmas since I constantly swoon over clocks whenever we're out.

As soon as I unwrapped it on Christmas morning I was reminded of this project on THEDSGNBLOG and figured I had to recreate it, so here is the first post towards the final product.

Part II: http://barbellsandbaking.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/project-i-clock-part-ii.html