Puglia 2019

My trip to Puglia did not start out great: my flight was cancelled due to the Lufthansa strike. I received absolutely no notification from the airline and spent seven hours at the airport trying to rebook my trip. Two days and two connecting flights later, I was finally in Italy.

Puglia is filled with charming towns that are begging to be photographed and explored. I based the first part of my trip in Lecce and made a day trip out to Otranto, where for some reason I was the only visitor at the castle and was let in for free. I was also caught in a severe wind and rainstorm and was later told it was the worst storm they've had in years (this was the same storm that flooded Venice).

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Sneak Peak: Puglia

Getting to and from Italy was a total disaster: Cancelled flights! Missed connecting flight even after lots of dramatic running at the airport!

However, Italy itself was fabulous. More soon.

Applesauce Spice Cake

It's that time of the year where it's all apples, all the time. I had an overabundance of applesauce from project canning and was looking for ways to use it up.

This cake is from Deb's second cookbook, which has a party cake builder section to mix and match different types of cakes and frosting. While this cake is similar to another one on Smitten Kitchen, the recipe from her book is a bit more versatile since you can swap out the applesauce for mashed bananas, pumpkin puree or grated carrot to change the type of cake. It's also a one-bowl recipe, which is a bonus.

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Yucatan 2019

Remember when I went to the Yucatan? Me neither. The past several months have been a big blur, but here are some photos from my trip.

Mexico remains as photogenic as ever - I will never stop loving intricate doors against colourful walls.

Swimming in cenotes was a highlight of the trip, though their spectacularness was difficult to capture in photograph. Visiting the ruins of Mayapan was fabulous due to the lack of crowds. Fun fact: I desecrated the ruins by throwing up on the grounds. Good times.

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Discoveries of Summer 2019

Bike rides where you don't feel like you're in the city.

I've done this route multiple times and have yet to get sick of it.

Toasted homemade sourdough bread tossed in a caprese salad made with tomatoes from my dad's garden, olive oil I lugged back from Portugal, and Maldon salt a friend kindly brought back from England.

I was doubtful anything could improve a caprese salad, but I was wrong.