little miracles all around.

BEAUTIES!

here are some of the photos from the seasonal 'little miracles'

i create & share in ocean's 1st grade classroom.

the idea started at his preschool when i would bring 

'jules basket' ('what's in jules basket?') with a few things

from the farmers market for the kids to see, taste and 

begin their connection with food that is locally grown

and cared for in a different way then what they might

be experiencing in their day to day lives with

snack life & their food story at home

(bunny love carrots & apple squeezers ;)

it was amazing what happened....

kids that have no desire for anything

other than white, white, white and maybe an apple

were HUNGRY.. actually they were

starving for this kind of love!

the menu would range from roasted asparagus,

roasted purple cauliflower, raw shredded beets to 

more beauty that you wouldn't believe your 4 year old

would be eating let alone wanting more...

we talked about the beauty of trying new things,

what it's like to eat food that is grown

during a specific time of year and why it has

a hard rind or it's super juicy inside and more & more.

i would leave these classes HUNGRY for more too!

ocean is now at a public school that doesn't have that

sweet private protective halo over it so i was not so 

sure how the teacher or the students would receive

this love fest i wanted to offer our class. lets just say

when they see me at assembly or just walking by 

they yell out 'hi yummy lady!' "when are you coming back to class?"

or "your food is my favorite' 'when will you bring your good food!'

and here is the kicker... this has nothing to do with me!

i am just creating the space for their food story to BEGIN!

yes, the environment is one of celebration, they are surrounded

by excited friends, with no expectation or the stress

we mamas carry around for our kids to be healthy & well fed!

can i hear an amen?!! along with my own stress about

all the 'other things' i carry (& then eventually heal) into the kitchen..

it's such a HUGE piece to how my kids eat and feel...

in the little miracle the kids do have to try

everything our saying is: try it, see if you like it.

i am sharing this for a few reasons.

i am so inspired by our kids hunger, their curiosity about food

and their desire to learn thru taste, smell, feel & more..

they yearn to have sensual experiences just like us.

they are us and we are them. we are all so hungry for

someone to nourish us, fill us up with beauty, inspire

us in this way of real food in a simple offering.

even if you don't know it yet, when it happens

something inside of us wakes up!

when in our personal story did this turn off?

when did our life (as we know it) slowly diminish

our cravings for beauty? when did we begin our journey

to sacrificing flavor, health, our passions to feed ourselves

for no time, no money, no sleep? OR did we ever have it?

did we see a glimpse of it as kids?  what was happening

in the kitchen at 5, 6, 7 years old and older? 

whatever our story, we are hungry for this conversation.

i see it in the little miracle, the big miracle, the park,

the supermarket and the mother at pick up who says

pretty loudly 'oh my kid won't eat anything!'

as she wears one babe in the front and holds hands with the other.

sounds like she is PISSED OFF! and i totally get it!

it's so frustrating! it's so many things....

in the same breath....

i hear her saying 'hey i am alone on this island

and i am trying to do it all by myself and what the f*(@#*@(*#^@(#^!!'

sound familiar? and then i wonder...is this mama nourishing herself?

do her kids see her enjoy and love food?

do the kids have a food story led by their mama or papa?

how can we do this alone? how do our kids know what to do

if we do not give them the space to explore, discover, create

a sensual experience with food... and i am not talking about

making coq au vin and a side of something even fancier...

we were never meant to figure this all out on our own!

for me, it begins when i let go of my expectations

& reconnect with my own nourishment.

when i create more space for me it creates more space for them...

to eat, to nourish, to receive, to breath, to all of it..

when they feel the shift in my story,

they have room to write more of theirs.

would love to hear

your thoughts

BIG LOVE

XXXX

blueberry muffin cupcake.

beauties!

i have not been sharing too much baking lately

so i want to break the silence with this 

this bad boy... baking bad with this blueberry muffin...

i am sure that one has been taken by now!

i haven't fully shared with you my sweet and deep

love affair with nigel slater... i can only read him in 

small spurts of time...we share a super concentrated love

for one other... i mean, ripe, tender, notes from the larder..

he kills me with love, beauty, knowledge and passion ;)

so here is a little ditty on this 

blueberry muffin (cupcake)

from ripe//nigel slater

*gather*

i used cup for cup for the flours in recipe*

you could also try other gf flours for texture

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole grain spelt flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbs butter

2/3 cup golden bakers sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup yogurt (i used buttermilk here)

1 1/2 cups blueberries

*mix & rise*

preheat oven to 375//place cup liners in muffins tins

sift flours and dried things together (i did no do this)

cream butter and sugar together until pale

scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula

lightly beat the eggs and add to butter/sugar mix

beat thoroughly then add the vanilla

then mix in buttermilk or yogurt or....

gently add dry ingredients, continue mixingg

and then fold in the blueberries

drop mixture in cups

you can add a little demerara sugar and oats on top if you wish!

bake for 20 - 25 minutes

let cool and ENJOY!

o & b called this a cupcake ;)

and now i am seeing why!

i messed up in the sugar measurement!

let me know

how you go

XXXX

what journey are you on?

beauties!

i am so grateful to be featured on the website journey for earth. annabel ruffell creates this beautiful space where she explores & interviews people's passions, intentions and manifestations in the world... she begins each conversation with the question what journey are you on? it has taken me months to answer her! it's a pretty HUGE question. annabel is a beauty mama, an artist, a writer and a creator of this movement with journey for earth.. 

here is part of our interview... hope you love itxxxx (check out her website here! it's really wonderful)

My name is Annabel Ruffell and I am the founder of Journey for Earth, a socially conscious media company that shares the personal journeys of inspiring individuals making a positive impact in the world.

The intention with these interviews is that they inspire people to take action in any way that they can for our planet – humanity, environment, animals and also to inspire us to be the best that we can be on our journey through life, for ourselves, our community and our world.

A friend introduced me to Jules and her wonderful, colorful food blogging site. I love that she has this beautifully creative connection with food and making healthy eating a joyful lifestyle. Yes it is possible within our busy lives!

Jules Blaine Davis inspires and nourishes people to reconnect with their kitchen, their food story and their hunger for beauty. She is cooking up a culture where we connect with our food in a new way; redefining what nourishes us and teaching us how to cook local, delicious and simple food inside our busy lives. Jules is a food writer/poet, a kitchen healer, mama to two zen masters (ocean and beauty) and on most days, she is funny. You can find her musings on motherhood & beauty, simple recipes, finds at the farmers market and more on her blog www.julesblainedavis.com. You can also follow her daily food inspiration on instagram @julesbdavis. 

Jules has seasonal classes in her kitchen called miracles.

She also comes to you for one-on-one cooking sessions and consultations. 

You can see a list of Jules services at www.julesblainedavis.bigcartel.com

1) What Journey are You on?

The first thought that comes to mind is what journey am I not on!!!? I feel like I am on a million journeys like so many colorful wires all braided, knotted and aligned in some beautiful mess all going in the same direction. We are in a time where the opportunity to be passionate, inspired and connected is all around us, it’s in every moment, to how long we keep the faucet on to what socks we wear to how we parent, how we educate, what we eat…pick your passion! In our normal day to day, every decision we make seems to lead to a journey we are on, let alone something outside the home or outside ourselves. With that said, my journey is one of connection, nourishment, beauty, growing out from under resistance and fear, changing patterns that no longer serve me, living inside a vulnerable & intimate experience, beginning a conversation with joy and creating a culture that is inspired to nourish with beauty and be free of the noise inside.

My journey is a creative movement, where so many of those colorful wires converge and converse to exchange ideas & thoughts, building something that can teach us a better, more efficient and loving way to live.

2) What has been one of your greatest challenges over the years, either with the work that you do or in another area of your life, and how did you overcome it?

So many challenges!! There a lot of those too! I would say one of my challenges is balance. Time is so precious at this phase in my life.

continue reading the interview here....xxxx

put an egg on it.

sweet beauties...

i am finding that raising 2 kids, creating a nourishing beauty food

movement in america, keeping a marriage alive, maintaining a strong

immune system, barely sleeping, feeding my own story

and taking the dog out makes for a very busy life.

you wanna know my secret? 

did i hear 'live in nanny?' 

almost but not yet! 

my secret is...

EGGS!

they are the answer to nourishing myself in a jiffy, for adding

protein, color and love to an ordinary bowl of veggies and/or pasta!

if i have a little more time.. i will pair it with something new.

in the image above we have: day old roasted chiogga beets

& sauteed kale with garlic and olive oil (might be a

day or two old as well).. mix it all together and i'm in heaven

i love making 3 minute eggs for the kids too

(otherwise known as dippy eggs)

we put them on top of pasta, breadcrumbs & parsley

OR

a crunchy rice cake in a bowl broken into pieces

with whatever herbs i have around, cherry tomatoes

and a dollop of apricot honey goat cheese

OR

roasted asparagus or brussel sprouts & prosciutto  

with chopped up basil or pesto

OR

dropped into some cauliflower potato, broccoli

or any silky blended soup

what i am trying to say is you can put an egg

on/in anything and it will make your day better

it will leave you nourished & sated fully 

*also the best eggs are local organic eggs*

the brighter the yellow the better for everyone

a recipe for the 3 minute egg....

the jury is out on the various ways

to boil an egg...

i bring a small pot of water to a boil

put eggs in while it's boiling

put the timer on for 3 minutes

this is for smaller to medium size eggs

you can leave in a little longer for a bigger egg!

let me know

how you go

enjoy beauties

xxxx

VALENTINES

MIRACLE

WOOD 

BOWL

RSVP

(3 more spots left!)

tatsoi.

hey beauties!

i am inside a new love affair with this beauty above...

is it calling to you like it calls to me? 

i can't believe that i am just nearly getting on board

with this japanese spinach. if bok choy & the freshest new zealand

spinach had a baby it would be tatsoi! it's sweet, crunchy and not

like any spinach i have ever experienced...

you can saute it with any oil you wish...

i have used olive oil & sesame oil, salt and love

(which will not be hard to find once you taste it!).

this simple saute takes about 3 minutes.

Tatsoi is high in beta-carotene and

Vitamins A, C, and K as well as other minerals.

i wanted to show you the bottom because these (in the photo)

are grown hydroponically.. i am hoping you can find tatsoi

at your local farmers market...

i believe one of the farms that sells it is called Kanji Yasutomi

they are at hollywood on sunday (8am - 1pm) &

south pasadena on thursdays (4pm -8pm)

let me know

how you go

xxxx

RSVP WOOD BOWL

VALENTINES MIRACLE

(a few more spots available)

thai fried rice//an everlasting meal.

"tug your memories back into the kitchen with you and you'll

find yourself less separate from the idea of making food"

an everlasting meal//tamar adler

beauties!

i have been taking an everlasting bath

in the words, quotes and recipes of

tamar adler's amazing book an everlasting meal.

i have underlined (almost) every page and the amount

of little tomato decorated post it things holding the place

of reminders & recipes is comical.

tamar is sewing from a similar fabric

when she talk about permission, freedom

& inspiring us to turn on the fire

whether it be boiling water or stoking the oven...

it's the beginning to so many things.

she nourishes us with a refreshing simplicity

while in the same breath de-whelms our daily

conversation about gathering, cooking & eating.

this is the first time i have ever looked forward to

having left over rice....

one day, two day or even three day old rice!

she gives us a template (which i LOVE)

where you can make it your own

with whatever you have in the fridge...

thai fried rice

a natural pour//1 tbs of peanut or roasted peanut oil

2 shallots, sliced

1 thai bird's-eye chili (i do not do chile but you can!)

2 cloves garlic, smashed a bit & chopped up

1 cup or more of yesterday's rice (or 3 days old...)

salt & love

1/2 cup cucumber, radish or green tomato (did not measure this)

*i also threw some peas in there*

2 cups chopped cilantro, mint, basil or just cilantro (i only had parsley)

a big squeeze of lime

a bit of sugar

2 tsp thai fish sauce

optional: 1 fried egg per person 

i cracked two eggs open onto the batch while i was making it all 

it gave it a thickness i liked.. i mixed it in with a fork...

you can also fry the egg separate and add it on top

heat the oil in a wide pan or wok

you need enough surface area for each grain to fry..

let the oil get hot... you can even let it smoke a bit.

then add the shallots, chile, garlic and then the rice...

spread it all over the pan... let it fry then add the rest of the ingredients..

i loved the radish and cucumber in here too!

share the love

let me know

how you go 

XXXX

RSVP

for

winter

miracle

here

will you be my valentine?

beauties!

so hungry for YOU!

can they put that on a sugar heart?

or how about: deeply nourishing you,

i love your vulnerability, beauty love fest,

you are a soft place to land...

i am really on a roll...

maybe i need to start my own line of hearts!

i should get on that asap.

in other news...

our winter miracle is

on valentines day!!

2.14.14

let us fall in love

with our hunger, our needs, our stories

let us nourish & sate the huge love we give & receive

inside beauty, inside turning on the fire, 

inside our words with amazing women & connection 

you will leave FULLY

inspired, nourished & reconnected

to cooking (& eating) in a new way

with a hand full of new ideas/recipes

to cook up in the season

these are intimate groups

more information &

reserve your wood bowl here

(rsvp by friday 2.7.14)

baby turnips & a new kind of terrain.

dearest beauties,

i am missing you

& your stories....

i am hungry to gather

hear how you are doing

life these days...

any new recipes? 

here is one i am working on....

i am hiking up some new terrain

my story is a mountain

that looks familiar

but with these new shoes

it feels uncomfortable,

awkward, not so stable

i am unsure

can it handle me and

my copper pots?

as i climb, i think about

creating a new kind of soup...

it's a combination of finely chopped letting go
sweating being seen and being heard
with a full cup of cream topped confidence
add a hand full of i can to the base of the broth
pour all the salt water you have
bring it to a boil then simmer
let it cook for as long you need

as the mountain gets steeper
i can smell the aroma
i can feel the heat
the pots are getting lighter
my feet feel higher
am i flying? 

i can hardly see

my heart

my hunger

maybe i need to shred

some loneliness into the soup

that will give it some thickness

i have no idea where i am going

everything feels old and new

at the same time

i am committed to

staying the course

and when i get there

(wherever there is)

i am going to drink this soup

in a tea cup i love

and call it a dayxxxx

AND...

buy some baby turnips

roast them on 400

with olive oil & love

for about 20-30 minutes

check them at 20

move them around

buy two bunches (or more)

they are so tender & lush on the inside

wonderfully strong on the outside

i am in love again

(the man i have been looking for :)

i eat these cold and hot

with eggs, salad, rice, everything

you will want to have them in your fridge

all the time... you can keep them in 

glass tupperware for 3 days at least

enjoyxxxx

fragile confession.

i woke up this morning, went pee, picked up a deliciously inspiring book, got back into bed, put my new readers on (yes, i am wearing glasses...) and stayed there. in bed. i stayed in bed reading. it's friday. it's a weekday. i read chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, i kept going till chapter 8. i said i would tell no one. uh-oh.

i am holding this sweet & fragile hope that i will do this again, soon. i do not want to wait until i am sick or by a pool in hawaii with a nanny to support this simple desire to feed myself in this way. it's been 8 years of waiting. it's not necessarily trending in our culture to stay in bed and read unless one is on vacation or sick. right? to just stop and listen to my body, to hear what she wants instead of what i automatically do. profound for a healthy weekday morning. no? 

the calendar for today read 'me time' which looks like this: wake up with the sun and/or two children fighting in our bed for our morning 'love' fest, brush baby teeth, brush my teeth, ask kids not to run in the bathroom, stretch super small leggings over my wintery white legs, exercise which means walk vigorously in the neighborhood for about an hour to beyonce on pandora, make a tea, figure out where to write, work on my resistance to write and meditate on how i have such little time for the novels of things i need/want to do (boring story) and hopefully get to work. the only issue with that plan is it's non-stop. it's go, go, go. it's my everyday. 

i am not feeling so hungry for that go, go, go but i keep cutting it up & putting it on the wood board. i keep eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. i want more of me and less of doing. i want to eat receiving. you can quote me on that one. i want to read all the books i keep buying. i want to drink the tea in the microwave that i find in there the next day.* i want to listen when my body says 'can we stay in bed and read for a bit?' there is no way i can give, give, give the out if i am not refueling with the in. right? it's an old song usually sung while making a soup. the healing, the in, the inner piece can be found in a hot pot of something. peeling carrots, sauteing onions. this is all true. i heal while creating nourishment to feed others. few birds, one stone.

what if i want to make some new soup? i am hungry for new soup.

then i get all crazy in the club with life, the huge needs, my resistance and before you know it another year has passed. i am going on record to say... i want to get off line and go IN-line... get inside again....nourish all the hungry bits...teaching, inspiring, creating, giving the permission from a place of being a bit more sated inside could get me to that hawaii feeling or just in bed for an extra hour with juicy words and my readers on. i will let you know how it goes. happy new year beautiesxxxx

*going to stop using the microwave in 2014 too*