Not the heat, of course. I can't stand the heat. [To its credit, though, it's not humid here, which is a welcome change from back home.] Rather, it's the sheer peacefulness that's lovely, and it's really pleasant to drive through the small city with trees and mountains encircling campus.
My internship is somewhat tiring, simply because I spend 3+ hours with children between the ages of 6 and 10 first-thing in the morning, and being around them makes me feel a) old, and b) old. Old because I'm about a decade+ older than all of them, and also because I don't have nearly the same amount of energy as them.
[Something I could really use on school mornings.]
But they've been adorable, and after about two days became really comfortable with us interns and Profesora. We celebrated our week of Spanish teaching/learning with a cute little fiesta, which was a nice way to begin a Saturday, and a really nice way to spend an internship.
Nevertheless, I'm very much enjoying my weekend (well, half a Saturday and Sunday) off. Chelsea came down to visit, and we had a marvelous time catching up.
And cooking.
Since we are basically two of the biggest foodies on the planet.
Who enjoy nothing more than strolling through Whole Foods and thrift shops, planning out our life of travel with Anthony Bourdain in the background, and wasting away hours chatting over coffee at cafes downtown.
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| Our marvelous dinner of spaghetti tossed with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, and roasted potatoes dipped in homemade pesto. Plus an amazing brunch of Egyptian ful this morning, prepared by Chelsea. We are so gastronomically spoiled for college students. And I love it. |
Chelsea has been playing the vegan-game as of late, and so we stuck to a vegetarian dinner. I myself am not huge on meat anymore, so didn't mind in the least.
I was somewhat more skeptical about dessert, though [dessert was a given], without the use of any eggs or dairy.
But, you know, we persevered. Quite splendidly, might I add.
Peach-Berry Cobbler
Adapted from Chef Chloe
For the dough, you'll need:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a large, shallow casserole dish.
To prepare the dough, combine all dough ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Be careful not to over-mix. Set aside.
Toss chopped fruit with the sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and pour into the casserole dish. Spoon lumps of dough on top of the berries. If desired, brush the top of the dough with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle sugar liberally over top. Bake for about 45 minutes, until dough is evenly cooked and lightly browned on top.
Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened cream.
Adapted from Chef Chloe
For the dough, you'll need:
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 3 tbs sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, chopped [we used 4 large donut peaches]
- 1 cup assorted berries [we used blackberries and raspberries]
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon, if desired
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a large, shallow casserole dish.
To prepare the dough, combine all dough ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Be careful not to over-mix. Set aside.
Toss chopped fruit with the sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and pour into the casserole dish. Spoon lumps of dough on top of the berries. If desired, brush the top of the dough with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle sugar liberally over top. Bake for about 45 minutes, until dough is evenly cooked and lightly browned on top.
Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened cream.
We didn't have any vegan ice cream or cream on hand, unfortunately, so we just enjoyed it plain. I would definitely recommend eating it with either of the two, though, because by itself the cobbler is quite hearty and tangy.
Nevertheless, despite the cobbler being vegan, it's absolutely delicious.
And, to be honest, we preferred it the next day, after letting it sit in the fridge overnight. It tastes sweeter and more refreshing, and was a delicious afternoon snack before Chelsea left for home.
As for me, I'm alone at the apartment once again and plan on spending the rest of the evening (re)watching Sherlock and eating leftover pasta and cobbler for dinner.
I anticipate an excellent night.
