rustic tomato sauce.

beauties!

tis' the season for this beauty love fest

this is a basic in my kitchen arsenal

it's quick, doable & delish

*gather*

heirloom/japanese/early girl/cherry

all tomatoes that you are LOVING

(ask to try everything at the market!)

yellow onion

garlic

olive oil

salt

basil (IF YOU HAVE IT)

brown rice pasta or any pasta

*make it happen*

heat up a pan* on medium

pour olive oil

cut up a bit of 1 garlic & and 1/2 an onion

let it all sweat for a bit

chop up tomatoes

basil if you have

let it all sit with each other

the tomatoes will surrender to the heat

and make the best rustic sauce

add salt to taste

and love of course

this is just as fast as opening

& heating a store bought sauce

not even close to the taste of course

by the time you figure out how to open

 the top (i usually have to hit it with a bread knife!)

this sauce would be made!

you gotta get the best tomatoes

it's all about the source

so please taste them!

*as for the pan*

may it be wide, open & roomy

so you can enjoy the creative process

enjoy beauties!

please share your awesome

thoughts on the blog xxxx

if so inspired...share the love!

baked kale chips.

KALE CHIPS

*gather*

olive oil

salt

curly kale

*bake*

oven to 350

slide leaves

off the stem

tear them into

any size you like

place on a baking

sheet with olive oil & salt

massage it all together

put it in the oven

after 5 minutes

move around with

your wooden spoon

it will be ready in 10 minutes

or less depending on your oven

this is a great starter/snack while

you are getting dinner ready or anytime!

enjoy beauties xxxx

figs.

figs! figs! figs! 

gorgeous beauty figs!

tis' the season

i want to share with you

whats happening in my kitchen!

i was inspired by tara at silver lake farms

for picking a couple of brown turkey figs

for me yesterday during my visit to her farm

(for my monthly farmer spotlight post*)

i realized that i need to share FIGS on the blog!

*when gathering figs*

i am a BIG supporter of tasting food

before you buy it, using your voice,

asking the farmer or seller

if you can try a sample..

most of the time it's yes &

sometimes it's a no because

they have such a small crop

you have to have some market smarts too!

if you see a huge line that might

be a good sign or ask those shoppers

who look like they know what they are doing

who has the best figs? of course

you can ask me if you are in LA!

you want to make sure they are both firm & ripe

unless you are ok with them oozing ripeness

to use as a homemade mashed up

jam on toast or proscuitto

you do not need to put them in the fridge

unless it's really hot//you want to keep them

in a cool dry spot, separated on a plate

the pictures above show what i have been

creating with figs in the last few weeks

i decorated this flourless chocolate cake for a birthday

cake/potluck/garden party celebrating my sweet friend jill!

i cut them onto the morning wood board love

here is the deal: my kids are not eating the figs...yet.

BUT they are seeing the figs on the wood board and 

over here in my kitchen that is the first step.

i love exposing them to the beauty of the foods

they love & foods they might not love yet

as their palette is forever changing

the conversation about food, the memories

with food, the images, smell & feel continue forever

i put the figs there first because i love them

& there needs to be room for what YOU love

(this is such a vital ingredient to their love of food,

you loving food & showing them how)

if you put the fig or whatever food you love out

on the table, there is a better chance

of them eating it, asking about it, seeing it

than if you never put it out at all

(this is a whole book in itself!)

expose them to what you love

give them your love for beauty

this is the beginning to their story

the next image is of the cornmeal or gf pizzas!

you can adorn these beauties with everything..

there is something with the warm dairy

and the figs that makes me want to SING!

*other ideas*

using figs in...salads, fancy waters &

a sweet fluffy clafoutis

i am looking back in the archives

and i can't believe i have not posted

a clafoutis recipe! that will come soon!

i hope this inspires some FIG love in you!

follow me on instagram @julesbdavis

for farmer recommendations &

daily doses of BEAUTY for figs

and so much morexxxx

banana ice cream.

 beauties!!!!

you have mired, you have swam, you have (possibly) sunk inside

my super wordy posts in the last week! i am so grateful for your

sweet replies & emails, in turn i am giving you a sweet recipe from

the secret archives...i am feeling your hunger for a recipe!

this is one of those super easy, fun & healthy snacks to make

with the kids! i love when we can make something sweet that will

not end in flour murals on the floor for me to clean up later....

(note to self: freeze your bananas when they begin to

ripen & brown for this ice cream & smoothies!)

banana ice cream

*gather*

frozen organic** bananas

(peeled & wrapped in wax paper bags)

**i say organic b/c you want the best

tasting banana you can find**

a cuisineart

cinnamon

vanilla

chocolate chips
peanut butter

strawberries

*work it*

as you see in the pic above

you place the bananas

in the cuisineart & add

whatever you want

in terms of flavor

push it on &

watch it whirl!

it's amazing how it

thaws out into the creamiest

ice cream like texture

it may take a bit

as those bananas can be

pretty frozen to break down

super fun to watch it go round

and round with the kids

then they can get all ready

with their toppings to make it theirs

i scream, we all scream

for banana ice cream!

(by the way... i really do love

those flour murals....)

i would love to hear how it

goes for you & your family!

did you love it? not so much?

what happened?

big love beauties

XXXX

allow.

allow

allow

allow

the teacher said

i inhaled & i exhaled

i laid there with my body yoga'd

allow

allow

allow

i want to share

i want to allow

on my first day of 38, 83, 830

allowing the beauty

my birthed body

my belly skin hangs like a drape

my wrists that can hardly hold me up

my swollen knee

alllllloooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww

that's all i can hear now

i might need you to repeat it for me

my incision is a bit lopsided

my marriage too

cutting & pasting

 a new priority list

collaging my way

sketching a map

dusting off a compass

turning my ear to the ground

cold, damp, essential

the recipe calls for

gently folding

the egg white 

of myself

into an old 

doughy story 

trusting the stainless steel bowl

turning under and over and

waiting for it to take

allowing for all of it

xxxx

birthday post//part 3//gifts.

"it was in her completely loving creative being

that was the complete source of all living."

gertrude stein

beauties! for this post i am sharing what is nourishing me, watering the hungry seeds, feeding my growth of being the best mama & woman i can be in those swatches of depth... in those super precious moments when i can take in the warm words of wisdom being shared in the waves of information, you know, out there in the world!

i guess you could call it my creative human process. i cast my fishing rod and here are some of the incredible fish i have found recently... my feeding times are early morning walks, driving in the car or a few minutes at night before i pass out in bed... the quieter moments.. beauty in this still form.. in the transformative section of the menu... where the words steep inside my voracious pockets of expression, understanding, receiving, intimacy in a 'me too' kind of way, how others are doing it (life i mean) between filling the sigg bottles with water to putting pink polka dotted socks onto luscious little feet, trying to maintain sanity & feed the dog all in one breath. 

i am a believer in giving gifts on my birthday! so here are a few offerings to feed you in the heart & home way.... i am so grateful for YOU! thank you for reading my words, sharing in my journey & feeding me with your stories. i am so happy to have you with me in this, our, beauty love fest.

LISTENING TO....
i just recently started to take my iphone on walks... it's become my 'walking church' when i listen to this amazing podcast called on being. my friend lara sent me an email in the new year that said 'this is your new years gift' and she was so right! it took me 3 months to listen to it and now i am hooked. it's a blend of spiritual, creative, intellectual & political interviews all in one. this is one of my favorite interviews with the awesome sylvia boorstein. this link takes you to the video as well... i listen to these when i am walking or in the car, so i don't watch anything, which has been my experience of this podcast. 

READING...
i am slowly yet consistently getting thru brene brown's, daring greatly: how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent & lead. if i could, this would be my white oprah moment... i would send everyone of you this book! i can't wait for that day! anyway, this is such a good one... you want to highlight, underline & put on a t-shirt almost every sentence. 

ON THE RADIO....
loving this one...

ALWAYS LOVING....
everything in this beauty fest of a store....


COVERING UP....
and then there is this for the table.. with every wash it gets better..in the store they have more choices & a lot of beauty wood boards that i could not find on the site.. it's worth a stroll over there...

WEARING//WANTING//ADMIRING....
this designer...  and i will take one of each here. i am really loving this one though... and this one... maybe i want everything here! i have a few of the pieces and i wear them all the time. i love to feel good in what FEELS like me.. that is also super important to my well being.

YES PLEASE....
a week here... or here.... this one looks perfect for right about now. 

may all your wishes come true! love you beautiesxxxx

birthday post//part 2//the cake.

olive oil & olinda orange juice* cake

*gather*

4 eggs (separated)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup superfine sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup olive oil

3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour**

1 heaping tsp baking powder

grated zest of 1 orange

1 cup freshly squeezed juice

(about 4 oranges)

1/2 cup pine nuts

sprinkles too!

*rock it out*

turn oven on to 350

you can make muffins or cakes here

you can use (2) 8 1/2- 9" rounds

lay parchment down with some olive oil

and dust with flour if you want to!

whip egg whites in a large bowl until

they are firm & snowy

(keep them in fridge if it's hot)

whip yolks with vanilla

let them bulk up a bit & become foamy

whisk in the sugars

then add olive oil, bit by bit

mixing well after each addition

add the flour, baking powder, orange rind & juice

beat until you have a smooth batter

gently fold in the egg whites

*bake*

scrape 1/2 batter into each pan

decorate with pine nuts & sprinkles

bake for about 35 minutes

make sure top is golden brown

leave to cool a bit before serving

(this will keep for about 4 - 5 days)

BEAUTIES!

this cake is lovely for many reasons....

it's more of a sponge/tea cake which means more

bites more times of the day! the kids love it

which i love because there is no dairy and not a lot

of sugar it's also super fun to decorate & pretty too!

you can make 2 and i LOVE giving food as gifts

*olinda oranges are one of my special finds at the

hollywood farmers market....farmer vicki told me that the reason

why these oranges are so amazing is because they are grown

on old valencia root soil//they are a bit pricey compared

to the other oranges but so worth it!!

**i used cup4cup for the first time with this recipe

and i would say that if you are not gluten sensitive

go for the all-purpose... it was harder to manage the gf flour

because of texture & weight and it just felt super gooey

not fun to handle and the taste? it turned out ok,

kids and husband loved it (my test kitchen)

i still think it's better with the other flour!

happy birthday beauties!

xxxx

birthday post//part 1//everything.

i found this old wish on my walk this morning

i am wondering if it has come true yet

are they still working on it?

making room for it

trying to make it work

within their lifestyle

every time i blow out a candle

i make a wish

usually about health or abundance

i wonder where it goes

what it takes to birth it

you know, make it happen

i want everything

i remember my everything when i

make a left off the 110

move the wet into the dry

soak the egg pan

draw the kids bath

and now, when i finally sit down with you

it's not as easy to remember

i want to feel happy all the time

i want to have a daily nap

& when i start to nap a little

i am probably going to want to nap some more

i want my body to feel better

i want to be friends

i want to eat dinner out

i want to go to the movies

i want to be alone

i want to go on vacation

i want to buy things, like shoes, good quality t-shirts,

blouses, dresses 

oh and some sandals too

i want a life long membership to empathy

another one for massages, facials and all the up keep

i want a trip, every 3 months,

to check in with me,

meet my husband again

check in with our marriage

our values, our parenting, 

our world that we are creating together

i want to soak inside my voice

sponge bath my way to me

float on the emotional support

that i am so hungry for

where do i ache

what needs to be filled up

the granola in the french terrine

the breast fed breasts

the tears that have been waiting in a single filed line

the wishes

the pink candles

the mourning for days of rest, days for another life perhaps

the gratitude, the blessings of this life

the fragile wrists, fingers, knees & toes

the truth inside who i am, who i want be,

what's growing inside me

my posture & my smile

i don't mean to hurt anyone

i also do a lot of dishes, laundry, toy pick up & feeding the dog

birthdays are an opportunity to go inside

draw the shades & 

see what is glowing in the dark

what do i need to change, shift, pay more attention to

the conversation is

 a poem of intentions, values, 

morals

where do i stand today and where am i headed tomorrow

i don't know how to do anything without a ritual, 

a swatch

of depth, some warm quinoa, sauteed kale & 

some flax seed oil

i want to prepare better for death

i want my body to feel stronger

i want to feel flexible, lucid, flowing

i want yoga

i want to sit criss cross apple sauce with my kids

i want to do a push up

i want to experience fearlessness

i want to have sex with my husband

i want sex to be easy, normal, no big deal

i want to make food for sick kids 

i want people to know about the need for beauty

i want to have all the money i need all the time

i want to swim in a warm ocean

i want to give money to those who need it

i want to travel

i want to show my children the world

i want to learn from other cultures

i want to experience more intimacy in everyday moments

i want to be a better parent

i want to stop myself before i lose it

i want to heal all the wounds

i want to trust you

i want to stop wanting so much

i want to hear your everything

xxxx