Write · Bake · Create
Creating a life you want to live rather than survive, is an art form of its own.When logic has left the building, a different perspective needs to enter the room.- I gain perspective by -Writing what I see. Baking what I'm craving. Creating what I'm feeling.And then I share the juiciest pieces with you.One thought, expressed the right way, creates the holy shit moment you need to not feel so alone in this insane world.Writing, baking, & creating my way around the mess that makes us human.Take what resonates.
Leave the rest.
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My Why
I am happiest when exploring, learning, & sharing stories.
People, culture, food, anything outside of the ordinary is the driving force
behind my survival.I’m interested in the different ways we see ourselves.For instance, I trust my ability to travel, live, move, explore - alone.
Add someone else to the mix, anxiety around expectation & whether
they are enjoying themselves is enough to make me want to go home.Other people have the opposite experience.
Neither is the "right" way, but both experiences exist - understanding the contrast
gets my juices flowing.How we treat ourselves, others, & the stories we cling to,
reflects where we are in our growth; influencing a reality that is either
staggeringly wonderful or wildly unsettling.
How our chapters of your life are spent depend on your priorities.Focus is a choice.
So is confrontation.
So is everything.I choose reality.
It’s not always enjoyable, but it’s typically clarifying.
Love & OtherLessons
A Collection of Essays on Being Human
Writing For Release
I write for those who:•Don't take themselves too seriously, but also understand when shit is serious
•Want language for things they feel and haven’t yet named
•Are curious, a bit tainted, but somehow still have hopeI write about the mess we call being human:
love, travel, shit that makes no logical sense, self-reflection & deprecation, and
lessons I never wanted, needed, or intended to learn.I don't explain things away or give advice. I notice & write about it.
• Read a bit & get a taste for the tip of my pen •
Bake & Create
• Same mind satisfying a different sense •
I write about life: the fun, the fucked-up, the feral freedom.
When the words get to heavy, I trade in the pen for flour and knead my thoughts into dough.I LOVE making & sharing food.
Seeing someone enjoy a homemade cookie or slice of pie brings me a kind of joy
I cannot explain.I found baking when I needed peace of mind.
So now, when my mind needs a break, I bake.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. So much more to come.
Join me to satisfy a few of your senses.
No nonsense writing about the mess that makes us human.
xxoo Sarah Elise
No Bake Protein Bars
When I cant find words, but still need to create, I bake.
I dont always nail it; but when it works, it worth sharing.
I blended the oats so the crust is more of a solid - it tends to stick together better.
I am not a huge oat fan - after the first no-blend, full oat go-around, fine oat is where it's at for me.Ingredients:1 cup rolled oats
½ cup peanut butter or almond butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp honey -*Sub agave for vegan option
2 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
⅓ cup chopped dark chocolate
½ tsp vanilla
Make the Oat Crust First:
1 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter
½ tsp vanillaInstructions:
Mix all crust ingredients until slightly sticky.
Press firmly into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
Put in freezer 10-15 minutes to firm up - this ensures separation of the filling and crust so it's actually a bar, not a oat nugget.
Chocolate Protein Filling:
⅓ cup peanut butter or almond butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
optional: chopped dried cherriesInstructions:Warm nut butter x coconut oil x honey until smooth.
Stir in cacao powder and vanilla. (I didn't use vanilla in the filling and it was fine)
Add seeds x chocolate
Spread over chilled crust.
Refrigerate 1–2 hours, then cut into squares.*LEAVE IT IN THE FRIDGE AFTER YOU CUT INTO SQUARES
Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mindless days lead my hands to the familiar.
Growing up, my mom had a rule - "homemade cookie dough or no cookies at all". I followed her script.
I like big cookies. Not too soft, not too burnt. A nice chew and a little crunch.
Trial and error taught me this little chem lesson: mix wet and dry ingredients separately.
When it's time to combine, mix the dough well, but not aggressively well.
Throw it in the fridge for 30 min before baking.Ingredients:1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter - soft
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt (I don't add since I use salted butter - you do you)
1 1/2–2 cups chocolate chips (70% cocoa chunks and semi sweet chocolate chips)
The dry ingredient instructions:
Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and (if you are not using salted butter OR if you just like adding more) salt.The wet ingredient Instructions:
Mix SOFT, not melted, soft - think room temp but softer - butter with the brown sugar and cane sugar. Should look like a smooth, buttery brown situation.
Once buttery brown, add vanilla extract and room temp eggs.
Mix until fully combined.Combine wet and dry ingredients
Slowly mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Mix together well, not aggressively, just enough that the dough comes together.
Fold the chocolate chips and chunks into the dough.
After dough is mixed instructions:
Throw the dough in the fridge for 30 min before baking - I like to roll the dough into balls (~ 2.5 tablespoons each) before putting in the fridge - totally up to you how you want to do it.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F)The baking Instructions:
Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper
Bake 6-8 cookies at a time for 9-11 minutes (I always check at 9 and usually leave in for another min)Let cookies cool and ENJOY!Hopefully now - "homemade dough or nothing at all" - makes a little more sense.
Tomato, Red Bell Pepper, & Feta Soup
Tomato soup is my comfort food.
Grilled cheese on the side - of course! I'm not a serial killer.
And whipping it from scratch somehow makes me feel like I've made it as an adult.
This recipe is phenomenal.
The bell pepper adds a sweetness to the tangy tomato, and the feta gives a creamy, sharp undertone.
I will NEVER eat store bought, pre-made tomato soup again.
One lazy evening, when I didn't have energy for a full cook sesh, pre-made tomato soup happened - the difference in flavor profile was unavoidable! I couldn't even fake enjoyment.
Once you have better than ordinary, basic is blasé.*I use a food processor - a standard blender or immersion blender work just as well.Ingredients:6–7 ripe tomatoes (Roma or vine)
2 large red bell peppers
1 medium red onion
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 fresh red chili - (I use red pepper flakes)
4 oz (about ½ block) feta cheese (I prefer feta in brine. Seems to have a sharper flavor)
3 tbsp olive oil
Fresh basil - ladies small handful (I don't use basil - I have had so many overpower dishes with basil and rosemary - I can't)
Salt & black pepper to taste
Optional: pinch of smoked paprika
Roasting Instructions:Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Slice tomatoes in halves/quarters, bell peppers into strips, onion into quarters.
Put it all on a large baking sheet with garlic cloves and chili (or the red pepper flakes - gives it a smoky taste)
Drizzle with olive oil
Season with salt & pepper.Roast for 25 minutes.Add the feta to the baking sheet at the 15-minute mark - it only needs the last 10 min to soften and brown (slightly).
Blending Instructions:Take the sheet out of the oven and let everything cool for 5 -10 minutes -or until its not pipping hot.
If you're using a food processor - insert the S blade.
Load about half the roasted mix into the bowl. Overfilling makes it hard to blend the ingredients evenly.
Pulse 5 - 6 times to break it down.
Then switch to Puree/High for 1–2 minutes until smooth.
Repeat with the rest of the baked ingredients.If you like creamer - more feta.
If you like spicier - more red pepper flakes.Since coming out of the oven, the soup may have cooled a bit.
I'm not huge on homemade meals being microwaved - throw the soup in a pot and warm it to your preferred heat.Finish with feta crumble and a drizzle of olive oil.Eat & enjoy with your grilled cheese on sourdough! You are officially an adult!