Posts filed under i share stuff

what to do + eat on a rainy day

photograph by luise from green kitchen stories

it's raining in new york city today. really rainy. rainy and cold and nice and it's inevitable that i feel absolutely unproductive. but it is on these days that i really need a set plan to figure out what i'm going to make and/or do. for all of you who are experiencing boredom or are stuck inside because of the chilly weather, follow this short guide (for a very foodie experience).

 

1/ start your day with porridge

porridge is one of my favorite breakfasts of all time. it also just so happens to be a fantabulous way to start a rainy day. as i've talked about in previous posts, oatmeal is great because of the variety of toppings you can add to it. luise tops her porridge with raspberries, sliced avocado, and hemp seeds for a hearty breakfast meal. if you're not feeling so adventurous, you can top your oatmeal with more tradition toppings like berries, bananas, granola, or thick coconut milk.

 

2/ bake something sweet

baking really warms my heart (as you can probably tell from reading this blog). jessie is the author of one of my favorite blogs faring well. her recipe for coconut macadamia biscotti is actually brilliant. dipped in a cup of tea, these little treats will surely brighten your dark day (too cliché?). also, who doesn't love baking cookies in the winter?!

 
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3/ explore

if you live in new york city, you live in one of the most vast cities in the world. so explore it. explore wherever you live. take a camera. capture the rain. visit new restaurants. visit new shops and parks. take a friend and just walk until you find something extraordinary. explore.

 

4/ grab a coffee. and a snack

because we all know you're still hungry. while you're wandering around your neighborhood or city, pop into a coffee shop. sip a warm (almond milk) cappuccino or latte. nibble on a muffin, talk to the people around you. take more pictures. always take pictures. 

 

5/ make a nice dinner for yourself (and others)

cooking for yourself is always so great. you can season according to your individual taste and can make whatever you'd like. did i mention that jessie is an awesome blogger? yeah... her recipe for this beautiful asian bowl with wild rice, roasted beets, and broccoli is not one to miss. holy yum.

 

i hope you survive the winter, wherever you are. (especially you australians with your warm weather).

have a great weekend everyone!

Posted on January 18, 2015 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff and tagged link love food.

izzy's xmas wish list

                                        

                       

     

       

     

    

'tis the season of gift giving... it's inevitable that i might have a few desired gifts this year. i realized that as i grow older my christmas list becomes more minimal, both artistically and, well, literally. this christmas i'm eying a few bold items (from left to right):

1/ i've always wanted to touch this bubble necklace whenever i visit the moma store. what a statement piece.

2/ eames. red. rocking chair. enough said. 

3/ this mug is so rad. i always see them around the shops in williamsburg..

4/ my mum has a iacoli & mcallister necklace like this one. but this one is way cooler.

5/ noguchi lamps = life. i think i need another one...

6/ "but mom it's a house nightlight!"

7/ this mason jar candle smells like heaven. fig heaven.

8/ i am love with everything associated with building block. especially this bag.

9/ a stainless steel ring? count me in, please.

 

what is on your wish list this season? 

have a stress-free weekend everyone!

Posted on December 5, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under wishlist, i share stuff and tagged wishlist.

goldy locks

it's that time of year here in new york city. cold. windy. bitter. horrid. treacherous. barbaric... i mean cold. i know that when the scarves come out, so does the porridge. and i love it. 

so today, i'm going to give you some porridge inspiration; some of my favorite recipes from my favorite blogs and photographs of my own. 

1/ raw buckwheat porridge

luise and david from green kitchen stories share this wonderful raw buckwheat porridge recipe. while it is not a traditional, warm porridge,  it's just as tasty. i would recommend this one if you're in a hurry in the morning (as you can easily make it the night before). personally, i make this recipe pretty often– i love the nutty taste of raw buckwheat and the sticky-sweet consistency. 

2/ pearl barley porridge with spice-poached pears

a completely new and unique take on the standard porridge... barley and poached pears??? who would've thought to pair (hehe) the two? i think that it's brilliant to be honest. also can we take a moment to appreciate that thick coconut milk on top? yeah. this kind of reminds me of my own porridge recipe...

3/ overnight bircher müsli 

and from one of the most well-photographed blogs on the entirety of the internet: "super delicious overnight bircher muesli" from what should i eat for breakfast today.  generally, bircher is very simple, combining yogurt, oats, grated apple, and some (almond) milk. exotic toppings and flavors are optional, but totally recommended. if you want a simple, classic bircher recipe, this is it.

4/ izzy's oats

lastly but not leastly (.......?!!?), i'll share my own personal recipe that i make on a every-other-day-to-day basis. it's really simple, but adaptable. it never seems to fail me.

1/2 cup oats

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tbs maple syrup

01/ in a blender (i use a small nutribullet), blend oats until ground into a somewhat fine flour

02/ in a small bowl, mash banana until only slightly chunky

03/ in a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine ground oats, banana, almond milk, and maple syrup. if the consistency is too thick, add more almond milk or water. stir until everything is fully combined. taste just to make sure everything is on point

04/ serve in a bowl, top with fresh fruit (maybe more bananas), nut butter, seeds, and/or dried berries. enjoy.

breakfasts like these are especially great on test days (which is every day). just saying.

have a great midweek everyone!

Posted on November 18, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff, i make food and tagged breakfast oatmeal link love.

found artists: drew tyndell + (friday) links

remember the last time i found a rad artist? well i've found yet another. (so many cool creatives everywhere!)

when i saw one of drew tyndell's hand-drawn gifs floating around the tumblr-sphere, i was in awe. i mean, the precision and hand needed to create such pristine gifs is absolutely insane. 

take the first gif. just don't move your mouse or anything and really look at it. just keep watching it. and watching it. and watching it. you never really want to look away, do you? (i know i don't). imagine what sort of planning is behind making these... 

this morning i was scrolling through his portfolio and was looking at some of the other animation work he's done. turns out he did this clip for cartoon network. just wow. 

 

enough said.

because i didn't get a chance to post them on friday, here are my collective links for last week!

1/ orchiette? stew? comfort? yes. please. thanks.

2/ so i got a new scarf...

3/ i went to go see this movie with a bunch of friends last weekend. it blew my mind in the most extraordinary way.

4/ we all know who's the best first lady...

5/ i literally screamed when this premiered last night.

6/ speaking of which, if you haven't seen this clip from the newsroom, then you probably haven't lived. (skip to 3:11 if you want to hear just the speech).

 

on a more personal note, i apologize for being on a mini-hiatuses in-between posts. ninth grade has been pretty tough.

have a fantastic week everyone.

Posted on November 10, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under this was found, i share stuff and tagged found artists link love.

stress & friday links

let's talk about stress. 

as a freshman at a completely new school that is also completely unfamiliar, i have a lot of stress. stress = little sleep = anxiety about not sleeping = being unconfident about stuff. so therefore, using the transitive property, stress = not being confident about stuff.

i think that what's hard for me to fully understand is that struggling is part of being a teenager. that being uncomfortable when you don't grasp a concept or when you are around other people is normal.

although i am writing these statements now, i realize that even i haven't comprehended them yet. which kind of sucks, but i think i'm getting used to it. 

to all my fellow students: you will make it through. 

to all of my fellow non-students: you will make it through.

to myself: just stop freaking out.

 

okay. just had to put that out there.

on a much happier note, here my friday links for this week. 

1/ this kale + squash salad is definitely going on my "have-to-make-this-now" list

2/ i've never heard of a bostock before... but i think i need one. or four.

3/ can we all just agree that this can easily be the greatest flour shot of all time?

4/ i think this is very relevant. plus, ruby is one of my favorite cartoonists...

5/ can we just appreciate the fact that the newsroom season 3 is premiering next month (!!!!!!!!!! internally screaming !!!!!!!!!!)

6/ i think i am in love with the coloring of this movie

 

have a lovely weekend everyone.

Posted on October 24, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under blah blah blah, i share stuff, i take photos and tagged blah blah blah photographs link love.

hello? + links/photographs of my week

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one the many problems of being a part time blogger is... *sad and weak drumroll*... figuring out what to write about. i guess that's why a lot of people do friday links, or color-coded moodboards, or interior posts... (*coughcough* me *coughcough*). 

i think what the point i'm trying to get at, here, is that curating for a blog is not easy. it's especially hard when you're also a full-time student. the thing about blogging (in its entirety) is that you're trying to post what you would read, yourself, while thinking about what your readers would want read, too. difficult, isn't it? you probably don't want to hear me blab on about this "ya gotta stay committed" sort of stuff, but i'm not listening!

i realize that being completely and utterly honest, and sharing that with your audience, is what makes the blog interesting because there's so much stuff about the writer and there's so much other stuff about stuff and there's so much writing and photos and information and jumbles of words and you just can't stop writing and there's just so much to do and there's so much to say and show and tell! but you can't. and when you try to blog, you get blogger's block. it happens. it actually happens to me every time i carve out some time to write here. and it sucks. but you know what? i think, and it usually comes to me, anyways. 

1/ molly's funfetti cake from scratch is actually fabulous... does homemade mean healthy? i think so.

2/ really want to try this (vegan) farro salad with cashew cheese. have yet to make cashew cheese... maybe this is clear sign to do so.

3/ this tumblr post made me bawl. tell me if you get it.

4/ frank ocean though. 

5/ did someone say pumpkin spice latté? 

have a wonderful wednesday, everyone.

 

Posted on September 10, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under blah blah blah, i share stuff and tagged link love photographs blah blah blah.

a super exciting announcement + (almost) friday links

as all of you may or may not know, i'm doing a project with VSCO. (sneak previews above)

i, izzy rael, am going to be part of VSCO's Artist Initiative project. exciting, isn't it? for the next few weeks, i'm going to be creating, shooting, and writing a book of all things creative. 

that's all i am going to tell you.

you can see the official announcement on the VSCO journal here. stay tuned and watch out for specific photographs on my grid, using the hashtag #artistinitiative. 

but you're probably all here for the awesome links i'm about to share with you... so i will not deprive you further.

1/ izy, the purely magnificent, internet-famous baker, just released her own announcement for her new cookbook, Top With Cinnamon! woohoo! guess who's going to be first in line when you come to sign books in new york...

2/ i'm in love with this video for green kitchen stories' raw buckwheat & walnut porridge. 10/10 great.

3/ can i please just buy all of these ceramics? please? thanks.

4/ for my mum's birthday, (happy 39th, mom!) my dad and i grilled up this easy, yet incredibly sophisticated zucchini and ricotta flatbread. heck yes. 101% recommend before summer ends!

5/ where incredible graphics, doctor who, sherlock, and harry potter collide: my new fandom tumblr! i'm almost 15, i still get to do these things. dooweeooooooooooooooo.

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Posted on August 28, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff, i take photos.

hey, it's summer

 

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it's summer. 

and i've said it about a gazillion times this month. from the five years that i have lived in new york city, i have never been so entirely intoxicated by the thoughts of summer. most likely because this winter was the absolute worst. no jokes here. 

anyways… what i have composed for you all is a little palette/moodboard that really gives me those bright, bold, summer-y feels. plus, all of these photographs and graphics are a few of my favorite pins this week.

enjoy, and have a lovely afternoon.

Posted on July 10, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under moodboards, i share stuff.

some finds + where have i been?

1/ yossy arefi shares a stunner slab blueberry pie on food52.  plus, it's made with rye too!

2/ diy waffle cones, pastel-colored ice cream, gorgeous pictures, and... er... awesomeness

3/ can i have this bracket of bracelets? maybe some inspiration for a little diy project this summer.

4/ unknown source - but a super simple, exquisite black "uniform"

5/ ginger and vanilla granola. because ginger and vanilla are totally meant to be paired together.

6/ i absolutely love this outfit. from hair to shoes, the white against white is sure to please me. 

— 

so where have i been for the past week?

well… packing, sleeping, eating, packing, moving, sleeping, etc. for the next ten days or so we are living in a local hotel. sure, there are perks: blasting the AC to 60 degrees at night, turn-down service with chocolates, free apples in fruit bowls at every corner, and an empty gym. but, i still have the characteristics of the impatient little girl who wants so badly to move in, and sleep in her own room (finally). 

the excitement is creeping up on all of us, i must say. we check the apartment three times a day, making sure that everything, the floors, the walls, the cleanliness, is as close to perfect as it can be. problems arose at the beginning, but it seems that everything is finally mellowing out. and we're happy.

so here we are. or here i am. sitting at an aroma café scrambling for words, and enjoying the free wifi while it lasts. (nope, no free wifi at our hotel).

on the other hand, it's the fourth of july, and my mother, brother, and i are going to spend the day in chinatown to get our food-fix. 

have a lovely weekend, and a grill-filled fourth of july!

Posted on July 4, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under moodboards, i share stuff.

found illustrations: stephanie ginger

today, i found stephanie ginger's petite, but really cool portfolio. and i when i find something cool, it's only natural that i share it. and here i am. 

her illustrations are simple, adorable, and have a modern and bold feel to them. i love them, to be honest, and i wish there was more to her portfolio!

 

hello summer art inspiration… nice to see you again. 

have a lovely week everyone!

Posted on June 3, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff, this was found.

this week in the city + link loves

hello! guess who's had one of the busiest weeks ever?

me.

so busy that i haven't written a blog post in over a week! 

so busy that i haven't baked anything this week!

so busy that i want to sleep all the time.

that kind of busy.

and yes, i know i am only fourteen years old, but it's pretty bad, okay?

 

but although it seems that i have no time whatsoever, i've taken a few photos here and there… (i guess i wasn't all that busy after all…) 

there was rain, and there was sun, and there were watermelons, and there were blossoms, and– well, you get the point.

and if you'd like to take a look at the few things that i've found interesting/note-worthy this week...

 

Posted on May 4, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff, i take photos.

link loves / 04.09.14

hello lovely people!

my dad was on the british virgin islands this weekend, and he sent me these pictures that are stunning. i mean, look at that water! soooooo blue. i hope i get the chance to visit at least once. from the photos, it looks like a serene paradise. really.

anyways...

it's not sunday, and it's not particularly friday… but it's time for some link loves to get you through the second worst day of the week.

 

 

that's all for now!

have a stress-free hump day everyone!

 

Posted on April 9, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff.

a few friends

although we've never encountered each other face-to-face, i have photography-savvy friends around the world. i'm oblivious to the fact of how incredibly talented, creative, and committed each and everyone one of these splendid individuals are. from the united kingdom to the san francisco bay area to nevada, these young, humorous photographers are always striving for the finest capture.

 

top row: henry "howl" hemulen. curly-haired dreamer of the uk. aspiring to become one of the new york city folk, and meet alice gao. we call him "crumpet man" for obvious reasons.

middle row: dominic laxague. explorer of reno, nevada. obsessive over all plants, inside and out. always talks about how one day he will visit the great iceland. constant sweater-wearer.

bottom row: will suiter. adventurer of the san francisco sea. fog-follower. i'm absolutely positive he has a crush on each and every potted succulent plant alive. we call him "fish". also for obvious reasons.

 

i encourage all of you to explore their accounts on instagram, and follow their journeys around the corners of the globe. each of these gentlemen have many stories to tell in their square captures, and all have a stunning view of the world.

in many ways, i am jealous of how skilled and ingenious these fellows are, and someday i hope to master the fine art of photography just as they have. i also hope to meet them all one day.

but for now, we are currently curating and laying out our ideas for a magazine: articles on pot-plants, local restaurants, food, amenities, things we adore, and of course, our own photography. 

it is still up in the air, but just know that the three of us are hard at work! i will release more information about this soon-to-be magazine in a few more weeks. for now, be sure to follow the magazine's official instagram!

 

until then, have a lovely start of spring!

Posted on March 22, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under i share stuff.

olive oil oatmeal cookies

good morning from new york! it's been such a great weekend… baking… indoors… while the sun is out and it's the first time in months where the temperature has actually peaked 50 degrees. yup, i know, BAKING IS TOTALLY WORTH IT. the feels, people! the FEELS!

anyways, i haven't shared my favorite links from this week…

my favorite song for this week is seriously amazing, and you should listen to it….

moving on...

woahahahhhhh.

i don't think it can get better than these babies right here.

(hint: roll over the image below with your mouse)

INSTANT BAKING. yeah, that's right. throwing some of my html skills at you.

here we are. with these fantabulous cookies. i mean just YOU and these cookies. because once you eat them you'll be tempted to eat them ALL. 

but that's okay. *whispers* because they're healthy.

*continues whispering* and they're flourless. and vegan.

*dracula laugh*

 

olive oil oatmeal cookies – w/ toasted coconut, raisins, cacao nibs, and anything else you can think of

makes 12-16 cookies

adapted from mangia

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (or less if you don't like the sweet-salty profile)

heaping 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbs olive oil

1/4 cup + 1 tbs unsweetened almond milk (more if needed)

1/4 cup raisins

large handful of cacao nibs

1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes (on a pan on medium-high heat, toast coconut flakes for about 3 minutes, or until golden)

 

00. preheat oven to 375 degrees

01. use a food processor to grind the oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar into a fine flour

02. pour "flour" into a large bowl and fold in olive oil, almond milk, and raisins, and cacao nibs

03. gently fold in coconut flakes, as not to break them (entirely)

04. take small piece dough, and roll into a ball (be sure to taste test, just to make sure that it's not poison or anything…) and place on a baking sheet. repeat.  

05. flatten balls into round disks (unless you want baked cookie truffles, which is totally OK.)

06. bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes. i baked mine for 7.

07. eat.

Posted on March 15, 2014 by izzy rael and filed under playlists, i share stuff, i make food and tagged vegan recipes gluten free cookies.