27/07/2013

Dandelion dream

Hello my friends :) How is your weekend? Mine is sunny, from all perspectives. Here is my latest "creation" - dandelions and more dandelions. I hope you like it and I am looking forward to reading your comments.
I guess it's the only drawing/painting I have documented with so many photos, mainly because it took me quite a lot of time to get it to this final version. Enjoy and don't forget to let me know your opinions.
Kiss, kisses,






the sketch



in the middle of work, funny pic :)




and the final outcome :) 


some details








23/07/2013

Wroclaw, city of dwarfs

Hello, dears! I have had a hectic period of time, relocating to a different country, new job, new people and slowly, slowly making new friends, as well. So that is why I decided to share with you some photos of the city I am now living in - Wroclaw. Being the 4th largest city in Poland, Wroclaw will soon captivate you and make you love every narrow street of the its old city center or new skyscrapers dominating the view. Whether you arrive here to study one Erasmus semester, work or visit, I am sure you will find plenty of wonderful attractions for everyone's taste. There are parks, gardens, islands, shopping centers, cathedrals, amazing bridges and buildings, great cuisine and thrilling pubs and night life :) 
What surprised me the first time I came here, was the multitude of small statues representing dwarfs - they are everywhere, from city center, next to churches, to bars and casinos. As I later found out they represent a symbol of the Orange Movement from 1980s and now they are literally everywhere :) 
One of the best things about Wroclaw is the geographical proximity to other important cities in EU and a wide range of flights, buses, trains which make possible to reach it fast and easily. If you are looking for cultural events - here is the place: almost every week there is something new to see - theater, movies, open-air cinema, concerts and festivals. I included some photos of my favorite cinema in Wroclaw - DCF. 
Hope I managed to raise you curiosity. Enjoy the photos and c u soon. Kisses,  





City center - Rynek


City hall


One of the new bus stations :) 


Shopping center Arkady 


New office building


Cinema DCF 



I always forget who is the "guy" :)


Shopping center Renoma 


View of the Opera house


Perhaps the creepiest statues in Wroclaw - called the Passage or Transition



And of course some dwarfs - they were next to a casino :)





08/07/2013

Apple cake as a summer day :)

Hello, dears :) I have decided to share with you my journey in the kitchen, too. Since I have made a hobby out of cooking, I thought to post the recipes of the most appreciated dishes I have tried. So for this time, I choose the apple cake. Well, this time was apple cake but it can work with other fruits, as well: strawberries, apricots, forest fruits, etc. If you are a fan of fast cakes, this is the recipe for you. As a measure, I used the cup in the photos. Next time, promise to include photos from the making of, too. So here we go:

Ingredients: 

1.5 cup flour 
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla sugar 
grated peel from one lemon 
2 tablespoons sour cream fat at least 34% 
2-3 pinches of cinnamon  
1 pinch of salt 
1 teaspoon of baking powder
5 medium size apples  
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Time required: 

15 minutes to prepare it
45 minutes in the oven at 180° C
30 minutes to eat it (kidding :)) 




First thing is to set the temperature of the oven at about 100° C to get it hot, because the preparation time is rather short. Wash and cut the apples into pieces, as big as you like them, do not peel them. Pour a bit of lemon juice on them to avoid the oxidation. In two plastic bowls, separate the white part from the yolks. Add the pinch of salt on the white parts of eggs and mix/whisk them very very well, until they become  like a foam that is not leaking out from the bowl, if you turn the bowl upside-down :) This is one of the secrets of this cake. While you mix the white part you can add half of the cup of sugar, gently. In the other bowl, add the rest of sugar on the yolks, mix them, well, this time with a regular wooden spoon, not mixer. Start adding the flour, slowly, step by step. Then add the vanilla sugar, the lemon peel, cinnamon, and sour cream. In a small cup put the baking powder and add lemon juice on top, mix it for a couple of seconds then add it on the rest of ingredients. This whole dough will get more difficult to stir it, but no worries, once you start to add the white parts, things will get easier. Do not use the mixer when you add the mixed white parts on top of the other ingredients. Use only the wooden spoon and try to incorporate the white parts gently. This will help the cake to rise and to be fluffy at the end. 
Prepare the tray as it is more convenient to you: you can use baking paper or you can try to use a bit of butter for the bottom and walls of the tray, then add bread crumbs. 
Lay a layer of apples on the bottom and then lay a layer of the dough, then add another layer and so on till you finish both the apples and the dough. 
Place it in the oven, set the temperature for 180° C and leave it there, for about 40-45 minutes, depending on your  oven. One important thing: do not open the oven's door in the next 15 minutes. If you want to check if it is done, use a toothpick to see how the cake is in the middle. If the toothpick gets out clean, it is time to switch off the oven. Then, another important advice, do not take out the cake immediately, try to leave the oven's door barely open for another 5 minutes, then open it at about 1/2 of the whole range. The heat from inside will maintain your cake soft and fluffy :) 
After it gets colder you can serve it next to whip cream or ice cream or eat it just like that. 
Bon appetit :) 

P.S: Let me know if you tried this recipe :)