Beethoven

“Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us …

Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits …

No one else can ever possess my heart – never – never – Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves … Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men …

My angel, I have just been told that the mailcoach goes every day – therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter at once …

Be calm – love me – today – yesterday – what tearful longings for you – you – you – my life – my all – farewell. Oh continue to love me – never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.

Ever thine,

Ever mine,
Ever ours.”

The Letters of Beethoven
Emily Anderson

Fall time

October just gets prettier and prettier.

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xoxo, Sabine

The autumn leaves rain down

Fall, leaves, fall
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

Emily Brontë

We’re on Fall Break at Bowdoin, and it is really starting to feel autumn-y.  It’s still quite warm in the day, but the nights are chilly and the leaves are turning by noticeable degrees each day.  There are plenty of green leaves, but the red ones are the eye-catchers.  The leaves flutter down from the branches.  It’s also quite dangerous, as there are acorns that plummet down like little bombs!

Here’s a little creature who loves the acorns. The squirrels here have the fluffiest tails I’ve ever seen!  They’re also quite fat.  If I were a squirrel, I would definitely want to live at Bowdoin.  The squirrels here are like kids in candy shops.

Happy October!  Best wishes,

xoxo,
Sabine

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why (Sonnet XLIII)

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,
I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
Upon the glass and listen for reply,
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain
For unremembered lads that not again
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.
Thus in winter stands the lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone,
I only know that summer sang in me
A little while, that in me sings no more.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Vegan cake = <3

I made this lovely cake for last weekend’s Cookie Fund.  (I also made Pumpkin Chipperdoodles!)

Well, there was an entire cake.  But it got eaten before I could take pictures!!
The frosting got rave reviews.  It’s a really standard recipe:  Earth Balance, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and a splash of vanilla almondmilk.  I rarely ever measure out my frosting ingredients– I just mix and add until it’s got the right consistency.

It’s a lovely cake, maybe a little dense but very moist and tasty.  The fluffy frosting is the crowning touch for some reason– the pure cocoa flavor with the slight nuttiness from the tofu blends so well even though the frosting is so very simple.

Enjoy!
xoxo,
Sabine

The Seal Lullaby

The Seal Lullaby
Oh! Hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o’er the combers, looks downward to find us,
At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow,
Oh weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep in the arms of the slow swinging seas!

Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936

http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/satb-choral/the-seal-lullaby

Fall baking at Bowdoin

Today, I took some time from my studies to take a mental break… which means baking, in my case.

I’m fortunate enough to have access to a well-stocked kitchen, which is right nearby the grocery store.  After a quick trip for ingredients, I made two of my favorite recipes:Chocolate chip scones (recipe here) and pumpkin spice bread!

Pumpkin Spice Scones
makes one loaf

1 c. minus 2 tbsp. pure pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or more, if desired)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 c. water
1 3/4 c. dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan, heat pumpkin and spices until steamy. Stir continuously. Cook until pumpkin is stiff and just starts to stick to the pan, about 3 minutes. Transfer pumpkin to a medium bowl. Whisk in water, then brown sugar, then oil, then eggs until smooth. Mix the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl. Fold dry ingredients into the pumpkin until just combined. Pour into greased 9″ bread pan. Bake 70 minutes, until firm and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Low-altitude
baking is so much more forgiving than baking at high altitude.  I didn’t have any measuring spoons available to me, and I felt extremely uncomfortable when guessing on the amounts for baking soda and baking powder!  However, everything turned out splendidly.

I’m starting something I’m calling “The Cookie Fund” for my freshman floor:  I plan to bake every weekend (because it makes me happy) and they donate between $1 and $3 per month to cover the cost of ingredients (because, duh, everyone loves baked goods).  It’s going to take some time for me to get used to a new kitchen with a less-than-ideal workspace, less-than-ideal equipment, and less-than-ideal amounts of privacy.  But I’m glad to have the opportunity to get in a kitchen at all.  I look forward to the day when I have my very own kitchen.  For now, though, this will do!

These recipes are so easy, and they are both perfect for the fall time.  Pumpkins are going on sale in stores, and the weather is great for tea and scones– not too hot.  Luckily, it’s not freezing in Maine yet.  I have a bet with my mother that it’ll snow in CO before it snows at Bowdoin.  Wish me luck!

And I wish you happy baking :)
xoxo,
Sabine