Market day in Cracow

Farmers markets are becoming a new place to be, there is no question about that. However, it took several years in India for me to see the attraction of Cracow's old market.

 And I'm not alone! Both tourists and locals are flooding in and the market is keeping up well with the new fashion. Next to the seasonal fruits and veggies, new stalls opened up. You can find everything from fresh antipasti, Turkish soaps, spices from every corner of the world to organically grown grains and cold-pressed coconut oils and doggy treats.

On top of that, once a month you can enjoy kind of a market picnic with specially selected food, drinks, and some handmade items.

Living in Goa, I can't complain about the availability of fresh produce, but I did miss all the berries, homemade cheeses, and wild mushrooms.

I'm still planning a photographic visit, but till now I stayed true to the purpose of the place and only managed to click few pics, ladened with bags and bags of fruits and jars (hello preserve making season!).

I also discovered rather funny addition - a milk vending machine, where you can get a bottle of farm fresh milk anytime!

Hundertwasser shoes makeover

This is a short story about the shoes. It started with the wedding...

Way back, in the beginning of march, we went to one of those epic Indian weddings - several days, functions, venues and, of course, outfits. It was a bit of a challenge, seeing as most of our "wedding clothes" were still in the storage, but we did pull it off, somehow! I even had my ah-mazing red dress moment, which I took no pictures of - no idea why.

Anyway, we had it under control, with one exception: I had no shoes for one of the dresses. With no time for proper shoe shopping, i just ran to the nearest H&M and bought one pair of their trusty ballet flats in a lovely salmon color. Only, after the night of dancing on the lawn, they were everything but salmon. I cleaned them up the best I could, but they still had weird black stains all over.

Throwing our perfectly good shoes after wearing them once is, to me, all sorts of wrong, even if they did cost close to nothing. I packed them up, brought them home and they were waiting for better days ever since.
And it seems like their time has come!

I think I mentioned my fascination with decoupage. Well... I always wanted to do some shoe makeover but never had a proper victim to run my experiments on. And there they were - two lovely salmon victims, ready to be remade! Even more, I just found a tissue with Hundertwasser print - the only one in the shop-  almost screaming : use me! use me!

I always thought that Hundertwasser's works were so perfectly decorative, almost like patterns, not paintings and so much fun! Now, who wouldn't want shoes like that?!
But to the point... All it took was one printed tissue and some decoupage glue/seal. In all honesty, I could probably do a better job if I wasn't in such a hurry. There are some wrinkles here and there but I doubt anyone will examine my shoes with a magnifier so it's good enough for me. Actually, I kind of love them!

As far as I know, there are many ways to decoupage shoes, can't really say which one is best, since it was my first try. I know that there are a lot of how to's all over the internet, but in the end, it's rather intuitive, isn't it?
I started by cutting the tissue roughly to the shape I needed. I would recommend leaving a good margin around in case of mistakes or adjustments.
I worked with the front and back of the shoes separately cause smaller pieces of tissue are easier to manage. To keep the tissue from moving in an unexpected way, I glued the center front (and center back) first and worked towards the sides. It makes it easier to smooth out the wrinkles and avoid trapping in the air  - if you work slowly and patiently, not like me!

I glued my tissue in intervals, allowing every section to dry before starting another. It is also important to allow every layer to dry before applying the next.
the thing I enjoyed the most: you don't have to be very exact about the edges. You can tear the off and let its merge with the shoe "organically" or file the excess of tissue once it's dry.

I'm still waiting for the perfect weather to test run them outside the house. I didn't get the waterproof seal and it's been rather rainy lately. I wouldn't want all my enthusiastic work to just wash away...

fail-safe banana bread (guaranteed!)

Some time ago I was raving about chocolate banana bread. Well... Somehow, from the chocolate one I worked my way down to the plain old banana bread which I now love passionately! It's the easiest loaf cake in the world, and, what's more, it's absolutely impossible to screw up!

And here is the proof: I baked it changing proportions nearly every time according to what I had (or didn't have) in the fridge - it baked perfectly. Once or twice we had power break (aka the blackout - very common in India) mid-baking - it turned out perfectly. I made a cake mix out of it - it turned out perfectly (or so my husband who never baked a cake before tells me). I overloaded it with nuts and chocolate chips - it turned out perfectly.

It's moist, fluffy, cakey but also full of bananas so you can pretend it's healthy; you can make it with a fork and it takes about 5 minutes to whip up (plus the baking of course).

So here it is, the magic recipe!


4 big bananas - mashed with fork (best if they are overripe but not necessary)
50-100 g butter
1/4-1/2 cup sugar (i say the less the better, bananas will make it sweet - trust me)
1 egg
vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
pinch or two of salt
1,5 cup flour
nuts, chocolate chips, cranberries or whatever your heart desires!

Warm the oven to 180 degrees. Melt the butter. Mix in sugar (you can use a fork for the entire process) and add to the bananas. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. If you are feeling ambitious you can combine dry ingredients before adding them to banana mixture, if not - just dump everything in and mix until combined. Lastly, mix in the nuts and raising if you are adding them. Pop in the hot oven for about 40-55 minutes.

Lavender pouches

It's been a while since my last summer in Poland and I'm delighted with all the familiar places, flavours, fragrances... It's so comforting and oddly exciting to revisit summer-type activities! But, at the same time, I'm really happy with the changes.

For example, lavender became an extremely common flower. You can find everywhere: gardens, parks, sidewalks, balconies and farmers markets. I even found a couple of lavender plantations and they are definitely going on my "to visit" list! I probably haven't mentioned it enough, but I adore lavender! The look, the smell, and versatility.

I always like to tuck some lavender pouches in between my clothes or bedsheets - apart from the fragrance, it eases the headaches, relaxes, wards of the moths and helps with insomnia. I usually pick some up, when I see them in the shop or market, but isn't it just great to make one yourself? Plus, more often than not, I have to make do with lavender essential oil or even lavender spray.

Well, I wasn't about to let the opportunity pass, especially that it's like a 10 minutes DIY, 5 - if you already have a pouch!

And let me tell you, no matter how great lavender sachets you have, it's nothing compared to the smell of freshly dried flowers!

Why Air France - Jet Airways customer service sucks

After all the FRO drama, we had to make the quick decision and finalize the travel plans fast. Obviously, we couldn't just drop everything and leave, so, in the end, we decided that I will fly out with the baby while Anant holds down the fort and keeps the cats company.
We chose Air France once again - god knows why! And once again the customer service they provided was, well... I would say shocking if I didn't know better.

We booked the ticket through Air France website, but as they now joined operations with Jet Airways, the first "leg" of the journey was carried by Jet Airways. I'm not really clear on how exactly this "cooperation" is supposed to work, because, quite frankly, from the customer point of view - it doesn't.

On Air France website, we came across sth called bassinet seat provided to parents travelling with kids under 2 years of age. You have to apply for it in advance as there are only a few on each flight. We messaged Air France immediately requesting said seat, and, to be sure, called them to confirm.

They told us, that, as the flight is carried by Jet Airways, we have to request bassinet through their customer service.
Fine.
We called Jet Airways - they told us that, as we booked the ticket through Air France website, we have to book the seat with them.
That carried on for a while, till the point when my husband, technical genius as he is, got both of the airlines on one call. After a lof of confusion, they mutually decided that we do have to request bassinet with Jet Airways, but only after Air France issues PNR number - 24 hours before the flight that is. In other words, the "joined operation" doesn't allow you to book the seat in advance and thereby take advantage of facility they allegedly provide.

Of course, we tried booking the bassinet the day before the flight but the Air France customer service doesn't work on Sundays and the Jet Airways representative was such a bright bulb, that she made me long for FRO officers! First, she claimed, they have no bassinet seats whatsoever, then, that she can't book one for us for some mysterious reason. In the end, we wanted to know if there are any left so we could book it at the airport, but she was "not at the liberty to disclose this information". Why - she didn't know.

We set out for the Goa airport at 2 am. In Mumbai, we went straight to the Jet Airways counter, to see what can be done about this unfortunate bassinet. They assigned the seat on the spot BUT told us that there won't be an actual bassinet - just an extra leg space.

On my way to the gate, I stopped in the bathroom to complete the whole pre-travel baby ritual. My diaper bag was still wide open on the changing table when they announced the final call for my flight. Of course, I panicked - as I hate being late for anything- and didn't stop to think that there was still at least half an hour left until the actual end of boarding time.

As I got on the plane, it turned out that the seat they gave me was... directly behind the bassinet seat. That was just adorable!

The flight attendant told me not to worry, though - they will see what they can do.
Luckily the flight was half empty, so they didn't have to do much. In the end, I got a whole row of seats and the infamous bassinette - go figure.
While I was quite comfortable, it wasn't thanks to the airlines. Simply put - there was no-one sitting there and nearly every passenger had at least 2 seats to themselves. If the flight were full, that would be an entirely different story, which is sth to think about, especially when you have difficult "baby travel" ahead of you.

Obviously, it wouldn't be the end of the world, getting the regular seat, but it does tell you what to expect in terms of care for the client and service they provide. If you have a stressful journey and want to plan ahead - the ground crew is just rubbish.

On the other hand, they really have excellent flight attendants - I give them that. They were extra attentive and very helpful with the baby, wich is priceless if you are alone on such a long flight.
Even so, I doubt I will fly with them again (not counting the return flight), and if you value your sanity, I wouldn't advise you to do that either.

Delightful Amaretti

Ah, elusive macaron... And, yes, its macarons, not macaroons (macaroons are the spiky ones with shredded coconut) - as if I care. There is this mystic aura around them and for a good reason! It's not just about how enchanting they are. Quite frankly, sometimes I think it's not that at all! It's the making process, the nearly alchemical precision in every step: the ingredients, the mixing and whipping and folding and squeezing and drying... you name it!

Well... I tried it three times, didn't get the perfect result yet. I could say that there were extenuating circumstances, (the humidity, the ingredients and finally the fact that I burned the mixer half way through the third attempt... ) but, generally speaking, I'm not a macaron type of baker. I like to improvise, be messy and not very particular about the recipe. So, while I continue to admire the perfect pastel-colored cookie, and probably attempt to bake it every now and then, I usually turn to it's much more forgiving cousin: Amaretti.
It's a tiny, adorable and delicious cookie, perhaps not so elegant, but full of rustic charm. And so much easier to make! The concept is still te same: meringue base, almond meal, sugar; but you don't need to be Pierre Herme to get it right!

170 g ground almonds
150 g powdered sugar
2 eggwhites
15 ml amaretto (if you want to be extra fancy)

Mix almonds and sugar - I recommend pulsing it in your food processor
Whip the egg whites until stiff and fold in the almonds. If you are using amaretto - fold it in last.
You can use baking paper, baking mat or buttered cookie tray. Squeeze small cookies with confectionary sleeve or scoop with a spoon. They will grow a lot, so leave enough space in between.
Bake - now there is and either or to this step. If you want crispy, dry cookies, bake at 160 C for about 15 minutes (or a little longer), if you like more chewy and soft cookies, try 170 for 10 minutes

The truth is you just have to keep and eye on them. But they are delicious either way!

tying loose ends...

I mentioned a while ago that we had some issues with FRO and visa extension. As it was quite funny (if by funny you mean full of incomprehensible absurd) I decided to continue the saga.
After the last visit, we asked our landlord to come along with us to FRO and explain why he didn't provide the C-form on time. As it turned out, he used to work with like 70% of FRO officers, so there was much of back slapping, man hugging and weird boxing but not a lot of actual office work. It came as no surprise that we didn't get any answer then and had to make yet another trip the next day.

I have to say, they are very consistent in their lack of helpfulness, but the ways they invent to make your life harder are quite imaginative. As we got there, we were sent to talk to some women I never dealt with before. She glanced at our file, slammed it close and said, not even to us but to some other person, "Issue an exit permit" and made to leave without a word of explanation. At that, my dormant monster awoke, and I told her in no uncertain terms, what I think about this kind of behavior and of this office in general.
I mean, they accepted our file, gave us a confirmation and were supposed to send it to MHA in Delhi to be processed and all of a sudden she is issuing an exit permit without so much as "Hello, sorry we can't help you" ?!
What we got instead was, and I quote : "Visa expired, you ENJOYED here for almost three months, not you go".
So we went - to the guy who is supposed to be the head of something there. Honestly, at that point, I didn't much care.
He definitely tried to appear helpful but wasn't. Instead, he blessed us with this piece of office wisdom: "there are only two cases when we can extend X-visa. When you get married on it or if you are born on it". Now, how anyone is supposed to be born on any kind of visa - that I don't know. Don't you have to have a passport to have a visa? And a name, nationality, and date of birth for that matter?
He also got confused, and at some point, tried to send all of us- including my husband, out of the country,  to, I'm guessing, get rid of the problem altogether.
After much time wasted, they grudgingly agreed to forward our file to Delhi. It hardly felt like a victory then, and even less so when we learnt that we will have to wait for a decision for another 2 -3 months.
That was just too much on top of everything, so, in the end, I just packed my bags, book the tickets and came back to Europe with our little troublemaker.
It goes without saying, we needed a beforementioned exit permit, which we had to apply for. It's quite simple, really, though it didn't stop me wanting to rip their throats out at some point or the other.
You write an application mentioning that you need an exit permit, for when and why - they tell you to wait. At some point they will give you a green light to buy your tickets, you need to submit the copy and... wait. Then, you have to pay for overstaying your visa - mostly it's the cost of the visa you overstayed, as far as I can tell - they tell you to wait again. And finally, you can come and collect you permit, which will be issued a day or two before your flight - talk about nerve-wracking!

Of course 24 hours on the plane(s) with 6-month old is a whole other story, so I won't even get into it now. I'm just emerging from my post-travel coma, trying to comprehend the fact that just a couple of days ago I was packing in pre-monsoon Goa, and now I'm eating strawberries in pre-holiday Poland!

Magical meringue dessert

Ever since I discovered how ridiculously easy it is to make lemon curd, we have a fresh jar in the fridge pretty much every week. But, quite frankly, I wouldn't be myself if I kept making the same recipe over and over again. I mean, cooking should be fun, shouldn't it? Otherwise, it's just a chore, and there is nothing magical about chores. And where there is dessert, there has to be magic, otherwise, it's just sugar, and you can as well go to the store and get yourself a candy bar.

And so, the passionfruit curd was born, and with it the absolutely incredible meringue mascarpone dessert!

The recipe is pretty much the same as in Lemon curd so I won't go into the details of it.

Passionfruit curd
100g butter ( I used slightly salty)
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 cup of passionfruit with seeds or 1/2 cup strained
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. While mixing add egg yolks and then fruits until everything is well combined.
Place the bowl over boiling water and whisk energetically until mixture starts to thicken - about 5 minutes.
Strain you curd (or not, if you like the crunch)
Refrigerate overnight

Meringue
4 eggwhites
pinch of salt
200g sugar
1 tsp potato starch (I used cornstarch)
juice from a small lemon

Mix egg whites until just foamy and add salt. Now turn your mixer to high speed and mix until stiff. Turn to medium speed and add sugar one spoon at the time, until well incorporated. Still mixing, add starch and juice.
On parchment paper, form three circles - you can draw them on the paper using a plate as a template and fill with the meringue mixture. If you can manage to make the edged a little higher - even better! Bake in 120 degrees for 70-80 minutes. Cool in slightly open oven.

For the dessert, you will need:
1/2 jar of passionfruit curd - strained, plus some leftover seeds
1 packet of mascarpone (300-400g)
3x Meringue base

The rest is simple (not that the previous preparations were complicated):

Whisk or mix (but don't overmix!) mascarpone and curd. Spread half of it on the first meringue base, cover with the second. Mix seeds and remaining mascarpone mixture and spread on the second base - cover with the third. Sprinkle with curd. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

And then let the magic happen...

little side table redone - again!

So, that golden blue blur from the last post finally dried and found its place in one of the corners. I say finally, cause it took me way over a year to get it to the current state. We actually bought it even before we moved to the previous house.
It was sad wobbly clunker with polish peeling off, termites happily nesting inside and looking more like firewood than an adorable little side table that it is.

First, I did all the boring stuff I always do: sanding, getting read of termites, putting primer and so on. Then I painted it turquoise. I was going through a major: "we live next to the sea so let's paint everything in sea colors" phase. But I didn't like it turquoise, so I spraypainted it gold.

I didn't like it gold either. I got out some sandpaper and gave it more layered look getting the turquoise show through the gold. That was more like it, but not really "it" yet. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure how I wanted it to look so I just turned it into a bar table and it stayed this way until about a week ago.

I got some adorable decoupage tissues which I thought would be just perfect. But when I was done sticking and mod podge -ing, I wasn't really happy with the result - what a shocker!

I almost thought that the poor table was doomed to ugliness, but I figured I'll give it one more try. With some acrylic paints, I tried to hide the tissue edges, merge the pattern part with the plain one, bring out the flowery motif and... I finally got to the "it" I was hoping for, for over a year!

I really love how it turned out. It has this amazing texture of a crackled old painting (thanks to my inexpertly applied tissues, no doubt) and weathered look of a piece of furniture which has been serving people for centuries and then stood somewhere abandoned and forgotten. You can almost see it in some elegant sitting room and then, as the paint starts to peel off, moved to less and less representative parts of the house. And there it would be discovered, after decades passed, by someone who would appreciate it again.

Now I just need to give it proper company - maybe some pictures, maybe a lantern or a rug?
I love that we are finally at the stage of "moving i" when we can think about hanging pictures and not unpacking boxes!