Hello there; it's been a while!

Post & Photo: Alexis

The past eleven months have been quite busy for my husband and me, so I feel like I could easily write a blog post rambling on a myriad of topics. To give you a short run down, we moved twice - first from Boston to New York, then from New York to Northern New Jersey. My husband started a new job and was ordained a Deacon in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. In the midst of all of these changes, Erin and I have squeezed in some intensive, week-long cooking, shooting, and editing marathons to keep the ball rolling on the cookbook. (We're almost there!) Although I am still booking photography sessions and weddings in New England, I've also begun to book in the Greater NYC and NJ areas as well. Also, for those of you who haven't heard the news, my husband and I welcomed our first baby, Sonia Noor, into the world seven magical weeks ago! 

As I'm sure you can imagine - or know from your own experience with a little one - Bet L'mssih looks a little different than the last time you heard about it here. Instead of the bed-and-breakfast-of-a-home that I dreamt up as a newlywed, our second floor, metropolitan apartment feels much more like a slightly organized mess most days. Rather than the sound of chickens outside of our dreamy, imaginary, New England farmhouse, Bet L'mssih sounds a little more like the vacuum cleaner I left running to calm our sleepy newborn. It smells like a freshly percolated pot of coffee and also like someone needs another diaper change. It looks more like unpacked boxes in one corner and an overflowing basket of laundry in the other. Breakfast is eggs that were boiled three hours before and a cup of coffee that went cold quicker than I could actually drink it. Dinner is a freezer stocked with crockpot meals (thanks, Mom!) or a thrown together pot of pasta carbonara to use up the leftovers. So although our home is not what I imagined or expected, I wouldn't trade what we have for the world; I never want this short, savory part of my life to end.

It is true what they say, that "a house doesn't make a home."  All of the clutter and unfinished tasks for this Type A Momma seem to disappear when I'm awakened at 2:30am - when the world is still asleep except for the two of us; when the ten-pound weight in my arms is piercing into my soul with her deep blue eyes and intentionally smiling at me for the very first time; when her cooing fills the air with the sweetest sounds the world has ever heard... 

Is this what they mean when they talk about Heaven on Earth? I've always imagined that Heaven is Earth, but that maybe our hearts are transformed when we finally meet our Heavenly King. Maybe in Heaven, we still do the everyday tasks of tending to our homes and working within our communities, but instead we do our work with a new understanding, a new togetherness, participating in the choir of angels all together, singing praises to God with our voices and with our working hands. Maybe our work is not work at all, but simply our whole selves in active prayer, giving and using our unique gifts to participate in and give glory to God's awesome creation.

I think of this as I hold in my arms the precious gift of life. Thank you, God for the challenging, yet beautiful and immense responsibility of motherhood! Help my husband and I to exemplify a marriage that is Christ-centered; one that is self-sacrificial and forgiving.  Help us to raise our daughter and future children to value hard work, to have grateful hearts, a love of service, and unwavering faith. Bless our home - in whatever state, shape, or form that may be - as a little church, filling it with love, prayer, and a place of true hospitality and joy. Thank you for this season, and for every season that has brought me to this day and allotted me this sweet taste of Heaven. 

The Studio, the Pretzels, and the Painting

Post: Erin
Photos: Leeann Plouffe

The Studio, the Pretzels and the Painting

I am blessed to have the most amazing studio space; I actually cried when I saw it for the first time. It was everything I needed: space and natural light. An answer to prayer, to be sure! I had been painting icons in my small home studio for the better part of two decades when I finally admitted that it was bursting at the seams; it was time to find new digs. And so, with a few phone calls (and a heapin’ helping of divine intervention) I found my home on the 3rd floor of Building 26. While it may be modest in the eyes of most with its endless staircases and abandoned-warehouse charm, it feels like a palace to me and I love everything about it. I mean, what’s not to love with its well-worn wood floors and clanging hot water pipes whose intermittent song keeps me company (and toasty warm) on those late night work sessions.

While my studio time is, for the most part, spent in silence (save for the water pipes), anyone who knows me knows that I love a good chat! So, one unexpected perk of my move to the 3rd floor has been the people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made along the way…

I was away for a month, installing icons in Texas, when Greg and Sean moved into the “neighborhood.” Best friends since high school, their big hearts and warm personalities brought a new level of life and community to the 3rd floor which previously had been missing. Perhaps that is why it was so easy to find myself offering to help with the food for Greg’s gallery opening. While I was a little disheartened to hear they were all set with the food, I was quite happy to hear they had no plans for dessert. And so, the mission for this wannabe caterer began!

Greg, an amazing artist whose paintings quickly captured my heart with their rich palettes and soulful stories, had not only vision for his masterpieces, but for every last detail of his event. My goal? To make pastries that fit seamlessly into his vision. He suggested the trendy Chocolate Chip Cookie Shot Glasses made famous by pastry chef, Dominique Ansel. I’d never heard of them, but after a quick Google search, I was smitten! Adorable and oh so yummy! I thought they’d pair perfectly with my Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, White Chocolate Bing Cherries and Dipped Pretzels. The menu was set!

What a fun week I had testing recipes and refining my technique for the cookie cups (I’m pretty sure my family didn’t mind being the guinea pigs); converting my cheesecake recipe into bars (finger foods were the goal); and daydreaming about dipped pretzels that would match my favorite painting, Screen Door Slams, inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road.

The whimsical array of desserts disappeared quickly in this crowd of about 120 friends and patrons. I don’t know if anyone even noticed that the “Pollack”-esque Pretzels were an ode to the painting, but it made me happy just the same. And I’m fairly certain they were quite happy eating them!

SWEET AND SALTY PRETZEL RODS

24 Pretzel Rods

12-ounce bag of Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers

½ cup Ghiradelli white chocolate*, broken into pieces

½ cup Ghiradelli milk chocolate*

Sea Salt for sprinkling

Terbinado Sugar for sprinkling

Styrofoam Block or Baking Parchment

2 Pastry Bags

FIRST THINGS FIRST: For best results, you’ll want to let your dipped pretzel rods dry standing up. You can use a block of styrofoam, pressing one end of a pretzel into the styrofoam to make the holes. Or, just keep it simple (that’s what I did) and lay your dipped pretzel rods on a sheet of baking parchment. They’ll be a little less perfect, but equally delicious!

DIP THE PRETZELS In a coffee cup or other taller-than-wide container, melt the dark chocolate following instructions on the bag. Dip the pretzel rods one at a time, gently tapping to remove excess chocolate. Set aside to cool.

DECORATE THE PRETZELS Put the white chocolate in a pastry bag and melt (as per bag instructions). Using a pair of scissors, cut the very tip off the pastry bag and drizzle the dipped pretzels rods as you like. Repeat process with the milk chocolate, sprinkling the warm chocolate with a hint of sea salt and terbinado sugar for added texture and flavor.

Let cool and enjoy. If you’re impatient (or in a hurry) put them in the frig for about 10 minutes so the chocolate will set up more quickly. Yumm!

*Cocoa butter is what makes chocolate drizzle smoothly when melted. Some bars of chocolate have higher cocoa butter content than other bars or chips which makes them preferable for melting. So keep that in mind when shopping; alternatively, you can add a drizzle of oil to chocolate chips when melting in order to achieve similar results.

Cowboy Cookies

Post & Photos: Alexis

Last August, I spent a week in Florida visiting my Koumbari, Erin and Eric, and met my Goddaughter, Emma. This was the first time since college that Erin and I got to spend time together that didn't revolve around a wedding or big life event that we were helping to put together. (Not that we don't love those special get togethers, too!) This time we were able to drink tea, peruse bookstores, and catch up like old times. Of course we also spent a significant portion of the time snuggling with little E! 

While I was visiting, Erin made these coconut and chocolate-filled, buttery cookies that are to die for! I'm pretty sure I ate at least five of them right out of the oven! She gave me the recipe and it's become a staple at Bet L'mssih! I like to make a large batch and freeze balls of dough that are ready-to-bake should we have last minute guests or just decide we would like a couple for ourselves without eating a whole jar of cookies in one sitting. They are delectable! 

Cowboy Cookies

1 cup softened butter, softened
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar (I used light)
3/4 cup cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup nuts (optional - I like to use walnuts or pecans)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, cane sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then add flour mixture to wet mixture and combine. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. 

While dough is cooling in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. After 30 minutes, roll the dough into balls and place 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12-13 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy with a glass of milk :)

Warning: These cookies are seriously addicting!

P.S. Aren't they the sweetest? :)

Baking Scones and Painting Domes...

Post: Erin
Photos: Alexis

I love to cook, we’ve established that! But did I mention that I also love to paint icons? If you’ve been thinking I was noticeably absent for the past month, it’s because I was in Houston, Texas, installing icons in the dome of Saint Anthony Orthodox Church. 

So, your “wannabe caterer” is also a byzantine iconographer.

At first glance, one might think that preparing a meal and painting an icon have little in common. But for me, they are nearly one and the same. Well, at least where it counts most. They are a means to an end. The “end” I refer to? Relationships. Relationships with family and friends, with people I’ve known all my life and those I’ve yet to meet – and, perhaps some I’ll never even meet at all! And of course, my relationship with God.

Cooking (along with the hospitality that follows) has been intertwined with my relationships for most of my life. It is how I knew my grandmother’s love; how I share my love with others; how I draw closer to God as I joyfully use the gifts He gave me to nurture those around me. I feel His presence in those moments as surely as if He were standing in front of me.

For me, painting icons follows much the same rhythm--I take what God has given me and prayerfully prepare it for others. My hope? That they will know Him through the icons; that they will be “fed” spiritually and thus draw closer to Him. My reward? That the journey (and the relationships that form along the way) feed me in ways unexpected and indescribable. God is good!

So keep cooking…or painting…or blogging…or jogging...or…or…or…so that God might continue to work through each of us, whatever our gifts may be!

Lessons Learned from a Not-so-Delicious Apple Pie...

Post & Photo: Alexis

Disclaimer: Although I thoroughly enjoy cooking, baking, and trying new recipes, I am still a newlywed and very much an amateur chef. Like Erin says, "I'm not a great chef, but I am a great collector of recipes." As I've mentioned before, I'm a serial recipe tester and always want to run before I walk. There are times the outcome has been surprisingly awesome, but more often than not, it turns out that valuable lessons are learned. A prime example of this would be the gorgeous, Food and Wine-ready Maple Apple Pie recipe I found a few weeks ago. I  must have spent a solid hour carving out the beautiful Nordic-style design on the crust! But sometimes looks can be deceiving. Here are a few lessons I learned from the beautiful, but not-so-delicious apple pie... 

1. Do not overwork the dough. You'll end up with the chewiest, impossible-to-cut pie crust. 
2. Follow your instincts when you read a recipe that calls for both a cup of maple syrup and a cup of sugar. You are probably correct in thinking that this is far too sweet a combination.
3. Bon Appétit gives great advice: even when it seems like too much, increase the amount of apples the recipe calls for and roast them separately before baking them in the pie. You'll avoid the shrinking pie problem and have a healthy, full-looking pie!
4. Try out the recipe before entering it into a pie baking contest...