heartyspoonful

If you know me, or if you've followed my previous adventures, you're aware that I love to travel on my own. A lone, but happy wolf. Sure, I travel with my family, but my adventurous trips have always been on my own (or with a friend or two). But this year, after the heartache my family went through, it seemed like a brilliant idea to travel together and see a place through three different  sunglasses (I do mean this quite literally, ha!). 

Croatia! It was the first time in a long time my mum, brother and I agreed on something. It might've been the only decision we've ever made that didn't require copious amounts of tears and arguments. (But seriously, there's always a row even when we're just deciding which film to see.) We deemed this pain-free decision as a sign from the heavens that this trip would be clear skies and laughter-filled. And off to Croatia we went! 

I won't get into the details of the trip planning because I will tell you this now, five days in a country as beautiful as Croatia will leave you with many, many options.

The City

Maybe it's strange, but I have a thing for visiting a country's capital city first. The only time this never applied was for U.S.A. because let's be honest here, Washington D.C. isn't really on top of anyone's American dream travel city list (what a mouthful). Croatia has many beautiful coastal cities and we definitely could've easily rented a car and drive from one town to another, but I had to drag my travel mates to Zagreb. 

No regrets on my part (my brother disagrees) because there's so much history in this city and I'm a big fan of history. There was a stillness in the air, the beautiful kind. The city was homey, even at its busiest. The cars and trams and bicycles everywhere were all so beautifully placed. There's no fear in walking and getting lost. And it's a walkable city! Though there were zig zaggy roads, it wasn't difficult to get your sense of direction. But I did keep my map close, just in case. 

It was the first time we went with no particular itinerary in mind. We'll get through what we can get through and if we don't get to something, then tant pis. (This kind of travel mentality is actually very freeing!)

We stayed a few steps from the Katedrala Marijina Uznesenja, which is a Gothic cathedral right on Kaptol and there's always a slew of tourists any time of day. There are benches near the cathedral and oftentimes, you'll find tourists and locals alike eating their lunches here, enjoying the nice weather. Right across the cathedral, there's the Holy Mary Monument with it's beautiful gold statues and pigeon friends. We found ourselves sitting by the fountain a lot before heading back to our AirBnb after a day of exploring. You just feel this calmness at the end of the day. 

Early mornings were the best, only because the Dolac Market was a few minutes away from us and that was our daily ritual. I grabbed my bag, some money, my camera and headed to the colourful stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables. There were figs, grapes, the sweetest berries and lots more. I tried my best to read the Croatian words for the fruits I wanted for breakfast. Unfortunately, I retained nothing. A little ways down you'll find the Ban Jelacic Square, which is the central square. You'll find stalls selling roasted and steamed corn, Croatian handcrafts, and flowers. There are always kids playing around the Mandusavac fountain and tourists taking photos of the statue of Josip Jelacic. 

After getting lost trying to find a particular vegan cafe, we found ourselves facing a funicular. With the choice of either taking the funicular or climbing flights of stairs, we opted for the stairs... because we want buns of steel. Duh. Kidding aside, it wasn't a steep climb or a long one at that, so take the stairs, people. There were also some pretty cool graffiti on the wall so there's that. Once on top, we were welcomed by such a lovely view of the city. Definitely very nostalgic at this point (similar to Prague, Lisbon, Florence, any European city that allows you to see the city from up high). The fun doesn't stop there. 

A few minutes of walking led us towards St. Mark's Church with its colourful rooftop. It was a little difficult to capture this spot in a single photo. It was just too beautiful! I couldn't get over the wonderful creativity that was displayed. After turning my head, a sign caught my eye. Voila! There's the Museum of Broken Relationships. During lunch, I saw two girls with a paper bag with the "Museum of Broken Relationships" printed on it. I was intrigued and there we were! There were some laughs, a few sad ones (especially when it came to familial relationships), and some head scratches (Girl, you knew he was bad for you!). All in all, a worthwhile climb. 

There were so many parks, too, I can't quite recall their names. I can point them out to you on a map or even lead you there. There's a succession of parks in the city, Park Zrinjevac then Park Josipa Jurja Strossmayera that will then lead you to towards the Art Pavilion. This last park is reminiscent of Parisian parks. It must be the trees and graveled paths. A few blocks away you'll find the Botanical Garden and it's free to visit! (I'm from Montreal, the botanical garden isn't free.) We had lots of fun naming the tropical plants and trees that are able to thrive there (hello, Banana!) and even marvel at the small animals that were hiding (the frogs, the turtles, the storks). It was like being a kid again with our mum laughing at our antics. 

Because I'm such an avid walker who wanted to drag everyone to do the same, we walked some 45 minutes to Maksimir Park. We didn't wake up early enough to catch the bus to Plitvice (very, very unfortunate), so in the end we settled for this big park. There were old men fishing, lots of cyclists that day, and what seemed to be a national celebration with people wearing the Croatian national costume. All well worth the walk! 

Other Attractions

Obviously there was an extensive research before we headed to Croatia for vegan restaurants, or at least for vegan-friendly options in Croatia. Let's just say there wasn't much choice, but I don't hold a grudge against Croatia for this. Seafood is fresh, which is great for anyone who eats seafood. (Please don't, it's bad for the environment.)

The vegan restaurant we visited often was Nishta and we were lucky at how close it was to where we were staying. Some dishes fare better than others. We all liked the pakora, the Asian noodle stir-fry with tofu, the falafel pita and this creamy potato and mushroom dish. We didn't like the burrito or the other Mexican-style dishes (too much cinnamon for some reason). The food, overall, was average. There are definitely much better vegan restaurants in other cities, but for Zagreb, it wasn't too bad so I won't complain. I ate the food and I was satisfied. We didn't try any of the desserts because the servings were generous. Best place to eat after lots of walking. 

For breakfast, I usually went to one of the bakeries near the Dolac Market and would get myself fresh bread (my brother went crazy for their spinach pastries). I bought a lot of fresh fruits and we feasted like vegan fairies every morning. 

Green Point was also one of our stops. We bought smoothies and didn't try the veggie burgers. The location is very central so if you want something quick, head here. 

All in all, my best bet was to buy fresh ingredients and prepare my own food. There were a few organic supermarkets around that offered good selections and a farmer's market so I was all set. 

What We Observed

What kitchen dreams are made of <3

 

My birthday was a few weeks ago. There was no Earth-shattering revelation. It wasn't the beginning of a new book, just a simple turn of the page. We love to think of specific dates as the days when we should make the change to improve our lives and finally chase our dreams. So why not today? Why not this moment?

Although I do talk the big talk, I like to take small steps. No spontaneous grand leaps. At least not at first. This month, I decided to do the following to improve my state of mind: 

Too good!

My idea of fun? It involves books, a cozy blanket, a cup of hot tea and a vegan dessert. That's fun for me. Or long walks in autumn wearing a thick scarf with cheeks all blush red. A day in the kitchen, slicing and dicing, mixing and plating. Swimming in the ocean and sunbathing afterwards with a good book and a cold drink. Sipping a glass of wine and laughing with girlfriends over dinner. Traveling to new places and meeting pretty awesome people. It's not for everyone. Someone who's reading this right now may even be labeling me as a grandma (if you happen to be doing just that, heck, I'm one of the most rad granny in her 20s there is). 

Thing is, I discovered acai bowls one night when, instead of bar hopping with a friend from out of town, I decided to stay in and Google vegan breakfast recipes. (This was 2-3 years ago... not much has changed.) Acai? I didn't even know how to pronounce the word. A-kay? A-say? A-Sa-ee? Ace? I also had no idea where in the world I'd be able to get my hands on acai packs. It's a lot easier now, I assure you. But somehow, I did find frozen acai in a grocery store and cringing a bit when I saw the price, I did take the pack home. Thus begin my love affair with acai bowls. 

If the fact that this blog exists isn't an indication that I find recipe testing/creation fun, then let me tell you this: I really do think cooking and baking are hella fun. If you don't really like cooking/baking but still want an easy healthy breakfast, then this recipe is right up your alley. Plus, you get to be as creative as you want! Barely any measurements (in  case you hate numbers). Go with your gut (it will thank you for this recipe as well, just sayin'). 

Acai Bowl 

 Serves 1

Ingredients:

"Autumn mornings: sunshine and crisp air, birds and calmness, year's end and day's beginnings."
- Terri Guillemets

Sure, you can call me basic, but there's no denying that autumn is my season. Let me tell you why:

• Landscape changes, with the foliage all yellow and orange and red;
• I get to wear boots and layers and my super comfy (but still stylish) poncho;
• Colder weather, but before the snow;
• Even if I'm not into pumpkin spice latte (sue me), I still get to bake with pumpkin;
• This is the only season I'll eat apples (I'm serious);
• Blanket scarves. Enough said;
• Halloween time, which means it's time to come up with costume ideas; 
• Stargazing is so much better. 

But do you know what's all season? Oats. Baked or lovingly slow cooked or prepared overnight.

I've said this before and I'll say this again: Baked oatmeal from the Oh She Glows cookbook is the bomb diggity. I've tried the original recipe a few times and my parents loved it. My mama who's not a big fan of oatmeal (I know, right?) loved every single bite. Obviously, I've played with the recipe a few times, too, because, hello, everyone has different personal preferences.

If you're ready to cozy it up this autumn, why not try this recipe?


Baked Oatmeal (inspired by the OSG Cookbook) 
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups gluten-free oats
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• Figs, sliced

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish with coconut oil. Set aside.

In a bowl, combined all dry ingredients (oats to salt). In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients (coconut sugar to vanilla). Pour liquid into dry and stir until well combined. Stir in diced apples.

Pour the mixture into the casserole dish. Top with figs.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the apples are tender.

Let cool before slicing.

Enjoy with coconut yoghurt and fruits, or with almond milk and nut butter! xx



 

 FAVE!

Since moving to my new home, I haven't been reading as much as usual. I still read, of course, but I suppose without the almost feverish need to do it every time I have some free time. In any case, I can tell you that I still feel a panic attack coming when I realise I didn't bring a book with me when I step out of the house. Books are my safety net. 

This summer, I browsed the best seller shelves in bookstores to inspire me. Not very creative at all. There are still books left unread that are forever parked in my wishlist. I must remember to click on "add to cart" one of these days. Let me tell you anyway of what I've enjoyed (and not so much) reading these past few months.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur 

I love poetry, but I always find myself reading the works of Baudelaire and Rimbaud and Gautier (in French, too). I must say though that due to my past obsession with tumblr, I stumbled upon the modern day take on poetry and prose. I even started to write poetry without much consideration for structure. It's about self-expression, right? 

This is why I fell in love with Rupi Kaur's work. I remember stumbling upon a very short work of hers on tumblr (see below) and though there were only four lines, I found myself nodding because I just understood. Rupi's work also reminds me of Warsan Shire's work and that's not a bad thing at all. 

Milk and Honey was an impulse buy and boy, I don't regret it one bit. I couldn't identify with all of her prose (sexual assault, her complicated relationship with her father, being an Indian woman), but there's a progression in this book. Growth. Being a woman. Romantic relationships--their exciting beginnings, the delicious yet somehow lacking middle and ultimately the bitter end. Finding oneself after a heartbreak. Being an immigrant. It's a hodgepodge of subjects and for sure you'll find yourself identifying to at least one of her works. 

Rupi's raw honesty that cuts and her no nonsense approach to her writing are two strong points of this book. There's something about the simplicity of her poetry that is both soothing and urgent. It's not like the works of (my beloved) Edna St. Vincent Millay, but let's not be poetry snobs about it. I still recommend Milk and Honey, a light read to tug at your heartstrings. 

From tumblr: 

"the way they

leave

tells you

everything"

Personal favourite:

"and here you are living

despite it all"

You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein

A collection of personal essays peppered with witty remarks, hilarious yet awkward blast from the past tales and accidental inspirational banter? Sign me up! I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately, mostly essays written by women, a lot of whom I didn't even know before reading their works. They've all been such nice surprises. 

I picked up this book because of it's title and the photo of Jessi as a somewhat boyish-looking girl in pink. I can relate. I remember that day I was browsing the bookstore, I kept on telling myself to buy Eckhart Tolle's books for inspiration because, hello, I'm in my 20s and there's always a funk somewhere that I need to air out forever. But then, I saw You'll Grow Out of It and my body just automatically reached for it and there was no turning back. As I've mentioned above, I really like the title... but I'm still uncertain as to what I need to grow out of (I'm in denial, obviously). I wanted to find out Jessi's version. 

No need to tell you about the different essays on this book, that's for you to find out (with joy). But let's just say that this book, like many others of this kind before it, is about a woman's journey, told in a comedic yet self-patronising yet smart tone. Jessi's a woman who has seen it all (almost all?). You'll realise she's a late bloomer as well, and trust me, I could relate to that. I'm not Jewish, but I enjoyed her Jewish interpretations to certain life events. 

There was something about her writing style that made me think that hey, I can relate! We don't share the same experiences, but reading about her thoughts about particular situations made me recall my own thought process. Hey, apparently, I'm not alone in thinking that Victoria's Secret is, well, not that great (think about it, the chances of you wearing the same lingerie as your boyfriend's ex...). Although, unlike Jessi, I left packed underwear when I was a child. But, like Jessi, I need dessert to comfort me when all hell breaks loose. Oy. 

Do I think you'll enjoy this book? Absolutely. Unless of course you just want the hard-hitting non-fiction books about war and the world economy and the minds of great thinkers. But hey, sometimes you just need a break and a refreshing read. 

Favourite quote:

"This was when I learned one of the biggest secrets of being a woman, which is that much of the time, we don't feel like we're women at all." 

So Sad Today by Melissa Broder

Ok, I bought this book because of the title. Specifically, because I was feeling really sad that day. I had a random, out of the blue panic attack. Usually, I can "sense" when a panic attack is looming. There's that dread of it. The sudden mood swing. And then the inevitable. That day, however, everything was fine until it wasn't. Until I felt like there was a dementor sucking all my happiness away. Until I found myself hiding in a quiet corner of the office, grasping desperately for air. It lasted less than a minute, but it somehow felt longer, much longer.

I didn't know a thing about this book at all when I purchased it. I guess, selfishly, it intrigued because it seemed someone else had it worse than me. (We're funny, us humans, in that way.) Have you heard of that quote that goes along the lines of comedians are really the loneliest people? That's what So Sad Today made me feel about its author. Melissa isn't a comedian by trade like Jessi Klein, but there was still some comedic interpretation in her writing. Ha! You see, another sad individual using comedy to lighten the pain of being alive.

Not everything Melissa went through is relatable. Or maybe not to me (yep, not living such on the edge). There's drugs and medication and extra marital affairs and just lots of irresponsible decisions. But there's also her sweet yet heartbreaking marriage. That touched my heart quite a bit. There was something so vulnerable yet so real in Melissa's writing. She fearlessly writes about what a lot of people would hide in their closets. Hello, are you open to discuss your fetish openly?

This book is sad, but sweet in its own way. It's also disturbing and infuriating, but at the same time, so ironic and witty. You'll either love it or hate it (like anything in life). Even though I don't understand her obsession with Twitter, it's still well worth the read.

Favourite quote:
 "I am a superficial woman of depth."


Honourable Mentions:

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

Again, should it even come to you as a surprise that I picked up this book because I liked the title? We see the pattern here, right? I don't know what I feel about this book personally. Maybe because I'm not a guy and don't go through the same experience? Maybe it's a cultural thing and I don't know much about Dominicans? Maybe because I don't get the overall experience of the protagonist? There was just something about the story (stories?) that I couldn't really understand. On a personal level, I wasn't able to relate and connect with the characters. The loving and the cheating and the running after people. We all deal with these things (avoid the cheating bit, please), but to be quite honest, I found it a little over the top.

It's a big puzzle, these short stories. Personally, I don't think the characters were developed enough. Especially when Yunior was much older and had gone through all those relationships. Grow up! Again, the majority of readers loved this book. I'm not one of the masses. But that's just me.

Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by the Best Selling Memoir

There are still about 100 pages left unread. It's a hard read for me, only because I suppose after reading Eat, Pray, Love I'm expecting some big, drastic life changes. That's not always the case. Though each story is inspiring in its own way, the question remains: "Will you be inspired by it?" There were times that I feel like the authors were trying to sound profound... Having gone through a difficult time dealing with my dad's cancer and death, I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the stories. I get it, we're only human, our threshold for pain varies. BUT the collection of essays in this book weren't all on the same page. What I mean is, there are stories that really move you because the author sounds very genuine. Other stories drag on and on and I wonder how Eat, Pray, Love actually brought about the change in this person's life. Maybe this book is exactly what you need. I'm not there yet.


Happy reading! xx