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An invitation to go back to our basics Not because of any polarity with modern medicine, but only as a means to help "rediscover your place in nature and our ecosystem. Plant medicine offers not only gentle remedies for everyday ills, but also a means of nurturing yourself, bringing powerful element of self-care to your life that will inspire and awaken your senses - from smell and taste to sight and tough - and loop you back into the wonderfully nurturing cycle of food and flowers, healing and health." A snippet from Bloom & Thrive. Thanks Brigit Anna McNeill for your inspiration. Bloom & Thrive Old Fashioned Fire Cider It takes longer to forage the ingredients than to make it. It's simple. It's easy. It's tasty. Basic Ingredients Apple cider with “mother” in it (32 oz) Fresh horseradish (1 cups peeled and diced) Fresh turmeric (1/2 cup peeled and diced) Fresh ginger (1/2 cup peeled and diced) Garlic cloves (1 cup peeled and diced) Sweet onion (1 cup peeled and diced) Habanero chili peppers (2 split in half (leave seeds in)) Lemon (1 quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise) Orange (2 quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise) Peppercorn (2 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns) If you prefer: Fresh parsley + Rosemary or Thyme and Raw honey (1.5 cup or more to taste) Wide Mouth Half Gallon masor jar - 64 oz 64 oz Mason Jar will yield 32 oz of cider Plastic top for it (do not use metal tops) Parchment paper between mason jar and plastic top to prevent corrosion from the vinegar. Pro-tip: peel horseradish, turmeric, and ginger with a teaspoon instead of a peeler. Don't dice too fine. One inch cubes should do it. Throw all of the ingredients in and add the vinegar and honey in the end. Then let it sit for 3 weeks. Pro tip: It's best if honey is added in the last week of the process so the 'fire' ingredients make their magic before 'sweetness' is introduced. Make it in a big jar because the ingredients take a lot of space and you won't have enough liquid if you are looking to add this to your daily/weekly routine Turn it upside down daily for at least 3 weeks Add masking tape to the lid and write your prep date on it with a sharpie Don't leave it to cure near a window where the sun can warm it (let it do it’s thing in a cabinet in room temperature) Once ready, pour it in a new jar or bottle through a funnel. Cover funnel with a cheese cloth or use a fine mesh strainer. Serving Suggestions Straight up: a shot every day or every week Other uses: as a marinade, as salad dressing, try a few dashes for cocktails, drizzle over steamed veggies. Good for 6 months to a year. Nourishing Nettle Infusion The most nutrient-dense and mineral-rich plant and a superfood that grows right by our feet. Not only does this rich supply of minerals do you good on the inside, through addressing mineral deficiencies, it also shows up on the outside, through the gift of thicker hair, sparkly eyes and stronger nails. Drinking nettle infusion will give so many nutrients to your blood that the feeling of uplift can start to happen within a few days, while regular use will have long-lasting effects. Nettle goes well with mint, rosemary and mallow, so add a teaspoon of each to your infusion. . Use a quart/liter jar. Put 30g/1 cup dried herbs or 60g/2 cups fresh herbs in the jar. Pour boiling water over the herbs to the top of the jar. Cover with a lid. Leave to infuse for 4-8 hours or overnight. Drink 2-4cups daily or 3-6 liters a week. Dosage: Nettle is food based, so works slowly and gently. The reason it takes longer is because it invites your body to heal from the core, rather than just addressing the symptoms. The immensely powerful benefits of this plant will not b felt in their fullness for about 1-2 months. It’s therefore not a plant to be taken every now and then; instead try to commit to a regular routine for nettle infusions. You can keep taking nettle through the year or, if preferred, try taking it for 2-3 months, then have a break and go back to it the following month. Wake-up and Thrive Infusion This is a brilliant warming drink that supports and wakes up the body with a powerful boost of antioxidants and antiviral properties, aiding digestion, the immune system and gut health. Drink like a tea. Rind and juice of 1 organic, unwaxed lemon 5cm/2in ginger root, grated 1 tbsp honey; Raw or Manuka honey have the best medicinal properties; or maple syrup. 1-3 tsp apple cider vinegar; Optional 1. Place all the ingredients in a heatproof jar. 2. Pour boiling water over the top. Cover with a lid and leave overnight. 3. In the morning, strain and reheat, if preferred, until warm but not really hot. Albanian Remedies For inflamed or sprained limbs Chunky Mediterranean salt and chopped onion wrapped in plastic For hemorrhoids St John’s Wort flowers (Lule Basami) and leaves dried fusion in olive oil in the dark for 40 days For spider veins and for tired legs 2 spicy dried red peppers, 5 garlic cloves infused in raki for 5 days. Crush and create rough paste. Effect will show within four/five days of rubbing legs with paste. For infections or burns Tomato heels infections and burns over night. Create paste of crushed tomatoes and wrap in plastic around the would. For younger feeling face/skin Make a water and starch paste in a bowl, apply to face every night before bed, wash away after 5 mins Similar to fire cider, prevents colds, sickness. A boost to your immune and digestive system. Diced chunky garlic infused in a jar of honey. Take a teaspoon daily. Liver therapy For five mornings Half an ounce of EVOO Half an ounce of fresh lemon juice A pinch of cayenne pepper Rose Petal Elixir Rose is a safe medicine, bringing calm to an emotionally fraught heart, and helping to soothe anxiety and nerves. This is my favorite medicinal recipe, handed down to me by my grandmother. It’s soothing, recuperative and uplifting, like a hug in a bottle. Carry this elixir around and take one or two dropperful of it as a pick-me-up when needed. Fill a jar with rose petals. Fill half the jar with honey. Raw or Manuka honey have the best medicinal properties. Fill the remaining of the jar with brandy. Place a lid on top and let it infuse in a cool place for 4-6 weeks or longer. During this time, try to take the lid off and stir the mixture as often as possible, inviting the melding of plant medicine, honey and brandy, so they can become one. After 4-5 weeks, strain and bottle the liquid. Take one or two dropperfuls when needed in times of anxiety, worry, stress, or hurt. Happy Spray 30 dro ps of mixture of these essential oils: lavender, lemon balm, frankincense, bergamot. 20 ml/1 1⁄2 tbsp vodka 80 ml/5 1⁄2 tbsp spring water or rose hydrosol Mix the essential oils with the alcohol, then add the water or hydrosol. Pour into a spray bottle Spray your bedsheets, clothes or hair. Sage Tea Albanians say it builds emotional strength, promotes wisdom, heals grief, and if that’s enough, it helps the digestive system, relieving bloating, gas and abdominal pain. Drink before or after meals, it will be huge benefit for those who cannot digest fats well. Put 1-2 tsp dried or 2-4 tsp fresh herb in a mug and fill with boiling water. Infuse for 20 minutes. Happy Tea Blend This is a good blend to make from dried herbs to keep in a jar for when needed. You can make it as either a tea or a stronger herbal infusion. 3 parts lemon balm 2 parts chamomile flowers 2 parts nettle 2 parts Siberian ginseng root 1 part St John’s Wort 1 part oat straw For a cup of herbal tea: Use 2 tsp per cup/mug and steep for 20 mins. Strain. For an infusion: Put 30g/1 cup of the dried herb mix in a liter/quart jar and cover with boiling water. Put on the lid and leave to steep for 4-8 hours. Strain. Birch Juice The sap directly tapped from (white and silver) birch trees can be immediately consumed fresh and/or when naturally fermented. When fresh, it is a clear and uncolored liquid, often slightly sweet with a slightly silky texture. After two or three days, the sap starts fermenting and the taste becomes more acidic. The fresh juice is light, more like flavored water than pulpy thick juice. To stop fermentation, the juice can be stored in the fridge up to 1 year. I was first introduced to it by a Latvian friend during a visit to her house in The Netherlands. She had a collection of birch trees on her property and proudly explained that her ancestors have been using it for generations for revitalization and to prevent cancer. "If nothing else, it's great for skin and hair. My little girls and I wash our hair with it and rub it as a face mask on our special girl-and-mommy-time days" she said. Her husband explained that harvesting it is hassle free. "Between fall and spring you put the tap in and collect it like maple sap for syrup. Every 24 hours, from only 1 tree, you get 1.5 liters of fresh juice without having to process it." And when I asked why he started collecting after the last leaf fell and stopped in the spring before the first bud, he answered: "Because the trees need their strength. We won't ever harm the trees. We only collect when they are hibernating." I tasted both fresh and fermented and couldn't pick my favorite - they were different enough and both delicious and unique. I was sent home (to my hotel) with two 1.5L bottles of it. I drank from them every day until the last drop before I checked out. I am not sure if I became an ambassador of birch juice because of its uniqueness, health effects, or taste first. But all were encapsulated and fortified by the family and story time I was honorably a part of. That's what sealed the deal - witnessing ageless healthy living remedies passed down through consciousness and subconsciousness, entwined in modern day interactions between husband and wife, mom and daughters, family and guests, from one part of the world to another. . These teas have been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years, They can be enjoyed both by drinking, inhaling, and even topically applying this tea to the skin. Sage Mountai n Te a anti oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancerous, improves blood sugar control, promotes oral health, healthy skin and wound healing. Sideritis Mo unta in Tea anti-microbial, ant-ulcerative, anti oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, decongestant, pain relie ver, carminative mood enhan cing, and anti-depressant Red Oregano Mountain Tea anti-inflammatory and antioxidant Nettle Tea from dried leaves anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, and it purifies the blood and destroy the toxins from the body. Nettle Tea from dried roots & stems treats hey fever, enlarged prostate symptoms, and lowers blood pressure, joint swelling, and estrogen metabolites. Dandelion Tea from leaves relieves constipation and soothes minor digestive ailments. prevents urinary tract infections, anti-cancerous Dandelion Tea from roasted roots best known as 'liver' tonic, it helps detoxify the liver, can be used as a substitute for coffee Dried Crab Apple Tea prebiotic - enables good gut bacteria, immunity booster, anti-inflammatory, aids in weight loss Thana Tea and more... Thana, known in Latin as Cornus Mas and in English as Cornelian Cherry , is a special, less known plant, native to southern Europe and south-western regions of Asia. Dandelion Honey Dandelion honey isn't honey made by bees, but rather it is really dandelion syrup made from the flowers and sugar. You're the bee converting flowers into sweet goodness. You can weed those pesky dandelions from your lawn and make a treat from the flowers. Dandelion honey is a good substitute for honey for vegans or anyone who may have an allergy to traditional bee's honey, with a surprisingly similar flavor. T he consistency is thinner than most honey. It has a very similar appearance in color. If you have a lawn dotted with dandelions and you are sure there haven't been any chemicals applied, you can forage for the flowers. If spring has sprung but the bees aren't yet buzzing enough to make honey, this is a fun seasonal substitute. Prep:75 mins Cook:90 mins Steep and Soak:6 hrs 5 mins Total:8 hrs 50 mins Servings:16 serv ings Ingredients: 4 cups dandelion petals 4 cups water 3 lemon slices (1/4-inch) 1/2 vanilla bean, split in half 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar Directions: Pick dandelion flowers during the daylight while in full bloom. Remove the petals, then measure the petals only. Discard the center of the flower and the stem in your compost. Soak petals in cold water for five minutes to allow time for any insects to exit, then drain. Place petals in a heavy saucepan along with water, lemon slices, and vanilla bean. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let steep for 6 hours. Strain dandelion tea through a cheesecloth and discard solids in your compost. Place dandelion tea in a heavy saucepan and bring to a low boil. Gradually add sugar to boiling liquid while stirring until sugar is dissolved. Lower heat and let simmer uncovered until it reaches desired syrupy thickness. This may take about 1 hour. It will thicken more as it cools. Store covered in the refrigerator. It should keep for about six months. It also freezes for longer storage. Not es: Some cooks leave the flower heads intact, but this can add a bitter note to the honey. It's best to use only the petals and eliminate any green parts. If you're concerned about who or what was tiptoeing through the dandelions before you picked them, the rinsing and boiling processes should eliminate any lingering bacteria . Picking the dandelion flowers will keep them from going to seed and propagating more dandelions. That's good news if you want fewer, but bad news if you discover you love dandelion honey and want lots more flowers the next season. Try using orange slices in place of the lemon slices for a different citrus flavor. You can add a little bit of fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, bay leaves or lemon verbena to the petal-water mixture. Remove them as soon as you're happy with the level of herbal flavor, before any delicate floral notes get overpowered. Albanian Remedies: Teas Elderflower Syrup Elderflower is the flower of the elder tree. An extract of the flower is used to make medicine. In addition to tasting like summer, this wonderful syrup treats the common cold, the flu (influenza), swelling of the nasal cavity and sinuses. Elderflower prep Best if you collect your own flowers in a clean forest. Do not wash or rinse to prevent pollen from coming off. Carefully pluck the flowers. Remove as much as you can of the green part because it will add bitterness. Making the syrup Put 350 g of Elderflower into a 5 liter jar Pour in 2.5-3 liters of water Add lemon juice by squeezing 2 organic lemons Mix softly to blend everything together Cover the top and let it rest in the fridge for 72 hours Everyday, carefully push the flowers down with a wooden spoon Filter the syrup through a cheese cloth For the sugar and citric acid add-ons, start out with adding a little, mix, taste, and repeat until you reach your desired taste. Add sugar (up to 0.75kg) Add citric acid (up to 2 tbsp) Store in fridge in glass bottle(s) For drinking it as a cold brew, add 50/50 syrup and water in a glass. Fun Fact: Elderberries grow from the same tree as elderflowers. The flowers (white and small in bunches) bloom from July to July while the berries (blue, dark purple, black) ripe from September to October. European black elder trees are called Sambucus Nigra. The elderberries from this tree are used to make the Italian liquor called Sambuca. Homemade Calcium Calcium, the most abundant mineral in our body, helps with our bones and teeth and maintains a healthy heart, nerves, muscles, and an ideal weight. Here’s a home remedy from my aunt Hana. 12 eggshells 5 organic lemons Freshly squeezed lemon juice 32 oz glass jar with plastic lid Wider glass bowl as a deep tray for glass jar Wash the eggs well before cracking with warm water. Instead of baking or boiling them, because they are my chicken’s eggs and fresh, I don’t have to worry about bacteria and use them raw. Hand-crush the shells and fit them into the jar. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over them and close the lid. Place in the fridge for 5-7 days and shake twice a day. Place a wider glass bowl as a deep tray for glass jar to catch any leaks that drop from the lid during fermentation. Before using, strain to separate the eggshells from the thick white liquid. Put back in the glass jar and close the lid. Store in the fridge. Take a teaspoon a day. Its wood was used from the seventh century BC onward by craftsmen in southern Europe to construct spears, javelins and bows, the craftsmen considering it far superior to any other wood. Today, it spectacularly presents itself in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina in distilled Rakia. During full fruit bearing, 20–80 kg of fruits can be picked from one tree. Less known and unique uses are that the leaves can be used as a tea substitute and provide a good source of tannin; oil may be obtained from the seed, and a unique red dye from the bark. The thin trunks make excellent walking sticks and canes. Bay Leaf Tea The Greek word for laurel is Dafni (similar in Albanian, Dafinë ) named for the Daphne of Greek mythology. Laurel was prized during ancient times. Its leaves were considered as a symbol of wisdom, peace, and protection. They were used in Mediterranean religious ceremonies and believed that the smoke from burning bay leaves could ward off evil spirits. Wreaths, crowns, and garlands of the herb were worn by emperors, heroes, doctors, and poets. Doctors wore crowns of bay leaf due to the belief that it provided support for maladies from indigestion to bad dreams. Bay Leaves have been used for 1000s of years for cooking, essential oils and traditional medicine. As you have probably guessed already, it can also be brewed into a delicious and healthful herbal tea. Because the leaf is full of essential oils, its taste is similar to those of eucalyptus and menthol with hints of pepper-like spic, and it's complimented fantastically with honey. Among countless health benefits, the most noteworthy one is that laurel leaves are high in vitamin C and vitamin A, and excellent for your immune system. WILLOW TREE ASPIRIN The acid from a Shelgë or willow tree is aspirin. The ancient Sumerians, circa 2000 BC, recorded the use of willow leaves to treat inflammation. The Ebers Papyrus, circa 1500 BC, one of the most important medical documents of ancient Egypt, references the use of willow leaves as a general purpose pain reliever. And Hippocrates himself advocated the use of willow bark tea to reduce fever and alleviate pain. Jumping ahead to modern times, the first ever recorded clinical trial was centered around willow bark, when in 1763 Reverend Edward Stone sought a treatment for the symptoms of malaria. Any special remedies you'd like to share?

A DIARY Across the Peaks of the Western Balkans The ambition: 7 countries, 700 kilometers of walking, love, history, unity, hard work, good food, great fjalë. THE ILLYRIAN WAY Get your copy today! Nina, Nana Lullaby In The Press Book Description Shortly after a life-shifting diagnosis fractured the silence of everyday life, the author set out with her husband on a three-month pilgrimage through the wild heart of the Western Balkans. The Illyrian Way is more than a travel memoir—it's a deeply personal journey of grief, healing, heritage, and discovery. Crossing seven countries and three legendary long-distance trails—Via Dinarica, Peaks of the Balkans, and High Scardus—the pair embrace mountain solitude, cultural resilience, and unexpected joy. Packed with trail maps, intimate photos, local recipes, and luminous vignettes of alpine meadows, Sharr dogs, wild horses, and warm family tables laden with raki and homegrown fare, this book is a love letter to connection: to history, land, and strangers turned kindred spirits. It’s a mosaic of encounters—world travelers, village heroes, ancient ruins, and a search for the author's own Illyrian roots. With quiet strength and playful reverence, The Illyrian Way invites readers into a tender expedition that celebrates nature’s drama and human grace. Whether you're a backpacker, a dreamer, or simply curious, this journey will awaken your wanderlust—and just might guide you toward your own version of home. Get your copy today. From the author The Illyrian Way is a physical trail along mountain peaks, forests, and the Adriatic Sea. There are three established long-distance trails that I have stitched together for the hiker enthusiast to experience 7 countries in the Western Balkans in one go. These established trails are called Via Dinarica, Peaks of Balkans, and High Scardus. Altogether they make up over 965 miles of hiking in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania. I personally walked 450 miles of it. The Illyrian Way is also a mental journey of discovering culture from the comfort of your own home through this book. It depicts a unique cultural blend of West and East, of Christianity and Islam, of communism and democracy, and of various ethnic identities, the larger two being Slavic and Albanian, that have shaped the region. It is so much more than a place you may associate with corruption, poverty, and conflict, due to mainstream media often focusing their reporting on grief rather than celebratory human stories. For me, The Illyrian Way is a spiritual journey , a pilgrimage into my own heritage. One in which I embarked on out of personal grief, history, and fear but that left me feeling hopeful, proud, and joyful. Read more... VIA DINARICA is ~1,000 km or ~620 mi trail system in the Dinaric Alps or Dinarides. The Dinarides are named after Mount Dinara (1,831 m), a prominent peak in the center of the mountain range on the border with the Dalmatian part of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The trail begins in Razdrto at the foot of the Nanos plateau in Slovenia, and roughly follows the Croatian mountains of Velika Kapela, Velebit and Dinara. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the trail passes through the Hercegovina region, and then through the mountains of Central Montenegro. The route ends in the Valbona valley in the Albanian Alps in Northern Albania. PEAKS OF BALKANS is a ~192 km or ~120 mi trail system in the Accursed Mountain Range, the southernmost subrange of the 1,000-kilometer-long Dinaric Alps range (Dinarides). The Accursed Mountains (in Albanian: Bjeshkët e Nëmuna; in Serbo-Croatian: Проклетије, Prokletije; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (Albanian: Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans. The official trail extends from northeast Albania to southern Kosovo and northeastern Montenegro. It does not include the other half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, nor the Sharr or Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. HIGH SCARDUS trail is a ~362 km or ~225 mi trail system which leads through the untouched mountain world of the Western Balkan countries of Kosovo, Albania, and Northern Macedonia. The start point is in Staro Selo in North Macedonia and the end point is in Sveti Naum at Ohrid Lake also in North Macedonia. When hiking the High Scardus Trail you cross the mountain ranges of Sharr, Korab, Deshat, Jablanica and Galichica - one more beautiful than the other. The best time to hike the Trail is from mid of June to Mid of October. The sea level stretches from 700m to 2.764m - so a certain basic physical condition is needed - especially when hiking the longest stage with 8 hours and a length of 26km (stage 8 "Brod - Radika") but boy, is it worth it! The longest stage by altitude meters is stage 10 ("Strezimir - Radomire") with 300m up and 1.600m down (you cannot miss this one either). Below is a journey that combines VIA DINARICA & PEAKS OF BALKANS & HIGH SCARDUS trails and includes official and unofficial trails. A portion of the VIA DINARICA official trail overlaps with the PEAKS OF BALKANS official trail. Th e northwest Albanian region of the Accursed Mountains (Malësia e Madhe region) is NOT part of PEAKS OF BALKANS official trail today; however, it is well marked and is not something you should skip, as it will offer you complete authenticity . Trails along the Sharr Mountain Range and Korab Mountain Range are part of the High Scardus trail . They are not part of VIA DINARICA because these mountain ranges are not part of the Dinaric mountain range. The Sharr Mountain system is about 80 km or 50 mi long and 10–20 km or 6–12 mi wide and does NOT have an official trail system. The Korab Mountain system stretches over 40 km or 25 mi and does NOT have an official trail system. These mountain ranges offer the best cheese in the Balkans, are arguably the world and similar can be said about the views and the trails. Remote, raw, barely explored, but the natives are friendly and will give you a wonderful experience, every step of the way. Our journey across the PEAKS OF BALKANS Slovenia/Slovenija Lake Bohinj Mt. Vogel Lake Bled Mt. Triglav Mt. Viševnik Mt. Snežnik Cro atia/Hrvatska R isnjak National Park Mt. Risnjak Northern Velebit Premužić Trail Middle Velebit Split Senj Opatija Pag Island - Star Novalja Bosnia & Herzegovina/ Bosnia i Hercegovina B lidinje National Park Jablanica Mostar Sarajevo Umoljani & Lukomir Sutjeska National Park Montenegro/Crna Gora Durmitor Mo untain s Prokeletije Mountain Range and National Park -Babino Polje - Plav - Mt. Talijanka (Maja e Vajushës) - Grebaj - Karafili Peak - Vusanje - Kolata Peak Kosovo/Kosova Pejë Accursed Mountain Rang e and Bjeshkët e Nëmuna National Park - Maja Hajlës (Hajla Peak) - Gjeravica Peak - Marijash Peak - Guri Kuq Peak Prishtinë Prizren High Scardus Trail - Sharr Mountain Range and National Park - Korab Mountain Range Macedonia/Makedonija Sharr Mountain Range Ma vrovo National Park Jance and Galicnik Korab Mountain Range A lbania/Shqipëria Kora b Mountain Range Korab-Koritnik National Park Theth and Valbona National Parks Accursed Mountain Range - Maja e Harapit (Arapi Peak) - Vuk ël - Tamarë - Vërmosh - Lepushë - Bogë - G rykë e Lugjeve - Theth - Maja Jezercës (Jezerca Peak) - Çerem - Dobërdol Bogë Shkodër Lake Shkodër Tiranë THE ILLYRIAN WAY DAILY ITINERARY Start Now EC ME LEZET! Peaks of Balkans & High Scardus Trails along the Accursed, Sharr, and Korab Mountain Ranges spanning Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia Accursed Mountain Range Accursed Mountains (Bjeshkët e Nëmuna in Albanian and Prokletije in Serbo-Croatian), also known as the Albanian Alps, are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans that are the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps. Maja Jezercë, standing at 2,694 m (8,839 ft), is the highest point of the Accursed Mountains and of all Dinaric Alps, and the fifth highest peak in Albania. Accursed Mountain range extends from northern Albania (Malësia e Madhe, Theth National Park, and Valbonë Valley National Park) to southern Kosovo (Bjeshkët e Nëmuna National Park) and northeastern Montenegro (Prokletije National Park). They are ethnographically and sociologically diverse with many tribes living in the region as sheep herders; primarily, Hoti, Kelmendi, Shkreli, Kastrati, Gruda, Dukagjini, Shala, Shoshi, Nikaj, Krasniqi, Gashi, Kuci and Rugova. It includes the highest mountain in Montenegro and second highest in Kosovo. - Zla Kolata (2,534 m or 8,314 ft) part of accursed mountain range - Gjeravica (2,656 m or 8,714 ft) part of accursed mountain range Accursed mountains are world renowned for its dense old growth forests and high biodiversity. The range was formed by the folding resulting from the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. After the Alps, these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet. They have very steep limestone slopes with abundant karst features. Its engulfed by active glaciers, glacier lakes, rivers, waterfalls, karst caverns, protected wetlands, wildcat, lynx, fox, deer, boar, wolves, chamois, falcons, brown bears, partridge, owls golden eagles, ancient black pine, hundreds of medicinal herbs, blue grass, glacial flora, beech, fir, maple, spruce, Petasites doerfleri is only found on the Jezerca peaks, and the Albanian lily Lilium albanicum and Viola ducagjinica are only found at the top of the Maja Radohimës slope, and last but not least, t he Accursed Mountains are also the only European area where the Tertiary relic Forsythia europaea grow. Fun Fact: Albania has 42 mountains that are 2,000m or 6,000ft and above . Sharr Mountain Range Sharr Mountains (Malet e Sharrit in Albanian) is a mountain range extending from southern Kosovo to northeastern Albania to northwestern North Macedonia. The sections in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia are national parks (Korab-Koritnik National Park in Albania, Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia, and Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo). These mountains are among the highest on the Balkans, with ~30 peaks higher than 2,500 m or 8,202 ft and 70 above the 2,000 m or 6,600 ft. There are 70 glacial lakes along the range. The dog breed Šarplaninac (aka Illyrian dog) comes from this area. Sharr Mountain Range is NOT part of the Dinaric Alp system and therefore not part of the VIA DIN ARICA Trail but part of the High Scardus Trail. Count on this trail to deliver arguably the best cheese you have tasted in your life - the Sharr Cheese. Korab Mountain Range Southwest of Sharr mountains, Korab Mountain Range is a mountain range around the border triangle of Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo. It’s across three national parks (Korab-Koritnik National Park in Albania, Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia, and Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo). Great Korab or simply Korab peak stands at 2,764 m or 9,068 ft and is the highest peak in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. A kind of double peak, that of Korab II is about 150 m or 160 yds northwest of the peak within the Albanian territory. On the same ridge are two other peaks rising over 2,700 meters or 8,900 ft: Shulani i Radomirës and Small Korab or Korab III. Korab-gate (Albanian: Maja e Portës së Korabit; Macedonian: Korapska Mala vrata) is another peak about 2 km or 1 mi to the southwest. A few hundred meters south is another peak, Maja e Moravës. Fun Fact: Korab is the highest mountain in Albania and the fourth-highest mountain located entirely in the Balkan Peninsula, standing at 2,764 meters or 9,068 feet. The official trail systems extend primarily from northeast Albania to southern Kosovo and northeastern Montenegro. It does not include the other half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, nor the Sharr or Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. The information above is to promote the official extension of the current trail to include ther half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, the Sharr and Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. List of top 60 Accursed peaks Maja Jezercë (2,694 m or 8,839 ft; in Albania) Gjeravica (2,656 m or 8,714 ft; in Koso vo) Maja Grykat e Hapëta (2,625 m or 8,612 ft; in Albania) Maja e Radohimës (2,570 m or 8,432 ft; in Albania) Maja e Popljuces (2,569 m or 8,428 ft; in Albania) Maja Briaset (2,567 m or 8,422 ft; in Albania) Maja e Hekurave (2,561 m or 8,402 ft; in Albania) Rodi e Kollatës (2,556 m or 8,386 ft; in Albania) Maja e Shënikut (2,554 m or 8,379 ft; in Albania) Maja Tat (2,543 m or 8,343 ft; in Albania) Gusan (2,539 m or 8,330 ft; in Albania and Kosovo) Zla Kolata/Kollata e Keqe (2,534 m or 8,314 ft; in Albania and Montenegro) Marijaš/Marijash (2,533 m or 8,310 ft; in Kosovo) Dobra Kolata/Kolata e Mirë (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Albania and Montenegro) Rosni Vrh/Maja e Rosit (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Montenegro) Žuti kamen/Guri i Kuq (2,522 m or 8,274 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Visens (2,517 m or 8,258 ft; in Albania) Maja Kokervhake (2,508 m or 8,228 ft; in Albania) Rops/Maja e Ropës (2,502 m or 8,209 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Shkurt (2,499 m or 8,199 ft; in Albania) Maja Reshkullit (2,496 m or 8,189 ft; in Albania) Maja e Malësores (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Albania) Karanfili (Veliki Vrh, Kremeni Vrh, Maja Gurt e Zjarmit) (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Montenegr o) Maja e Ragamit (2,472 m or 8,110 ft; in Albania) Maja Bojs (2,461 m or 8,074 ft; in Albania) Koprivnik/Kopranik (2,460 m or 8,071 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Vukoces (2,450 m or 8,038 ft; in Albania) Veternik (2,410 m or 7,907 ft; in Albania) Shkëlzen (2,407 m or 7,897 ft; in Albania) Maja e Thatë (2,406 m or 7,894 ft; in Albania) Pasji Peak (2,405 m or 7,890 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro) Maja Bogiçaj (2,404 m or 7,887 ft; in Albania and Kosovo) Hajla (2,403 m or 7,884 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro) Rusulija (2,382 m or 7,815 ft) Streoc (2,377 m or 7,799 ft) Tromeđa (2,366 m or 7,762 ft) Žljeb (2,365 m or 7,759 ft) Maja e Kakisë (2,360 m or 7,743 ft) Liqenat (2,341 m or 7,680 ft) Rrasa e Zogut (2,305 m or 7,562 ft) Hajla e Vëranocit (2,281 m or 7,484 ft) Junik (2,280 m or 7,480 ft) Maja Stogut (2,246 m or 7,369 ft; in Albania) Maja e Elbunit (2,231 m or 7,320 ft) Deçan Mountain (2,200 m or 7,218 ft) Maja Harapit (2,218 m or 7,277 ft) Maja Trojan (2,190 m or 7,185 ft) Pogled (2,155 m or 7,070 ft) Maja Dramadol (2,120 m or 6,955 ft) Beleg (2,102 m or 6,896 ft) Maja e Ershellit (2,067 m or 6,781 ft) Maja e Vjelakut (2,014 m or 6,608 ft) Hajla e Shkrelit (2,011 m or 6,598 ft) Maja e Madhe (2,011 m or 6,598 ft) Maja e Grebenit (1,864 m or 6,115 ft) Lice Mountain (1,799 m or 5,902 ft) Maja e Veleçikut (1,725 m or 5,659 ft) List of top 30 Sharr peaks Titov Vrv (2,747 m or 9,012 ft) Mal Turčin (2,707 m or 8,881 ft) Bakardan (2,704 m or 8,871 ft) Borislavec (2,675 m or 8,776 ft) Velika Rudoka (2,660 m or 8,727 ft) Bistra – east summit (Peskovi) (2,651 m or 8,698 ft) Bistra – west summit (2,641 m or 8,665 ft) Small Rudoka (2,629 m or 8,625 ft) Džini Beg (2,610 m or 8,563 ft) Lake Peak (2,604 m or 8,543 ft) Karabunar (2,600 m or 8,530 ft) White Lake Peak (2,590 m or 8,497 ft) Maja e zezë (2,585 m or 8,481 ft) Big Vraca (2,582 m or 8,471 ft) Guzhbaba (2,582 m or 8,471 ft) Isa Aga (2,555 m or 8,383 ft) Black Peak (2,536 m or 8,320 ft) Kobilica (2,528 m or 8,294 ft) Piribeg (2,524 m or 8,281 ft) Ljuboten (2,498 m or 8,196 ft) Maja Livadh (2,497 m or 8,192 ft) Zallina (2,493 m or 8,179 ft) Small Vraca (2,483 m or 8,146 ft) Kara Nikolla (2,409 m or 7,904 ft) Maja Koritnik (2,393 m or 7,851 ft) Tumba Peak (2,346 m or 7,697 ft) Gemitash (2,183 m or 7,162 ft) Kalabak (2,174 m or 7,133 ft) Crnkamenska Kula (2,117 m or 6,946 ft) Šerupa (2,092 m or 6,864 ft) tri-point List of Korab peaks Great Korab or Korab (2,764 m or 9,068 ft) Korab II (2,751 m or 9,026 ft) Shulani i Radomirës (2,716 m or 8,911 ft) Small Korab or Korab III (2,683 m or 8,802 ft) Korab-gate (2,727 m or 8,947 ft) Maja e Moravës (2,718 m or 8,917 ft) Daorson - capital of the Illyrian tribe Daorsa 300 to 50 BC Ošanjići Capturing beauty through unique perspectives A creative portfolio dedicated to showcasing the beauty of Albanians through photography. Click here to start on the visual journey. Capturing beauty through unique perspectives A collective of researchers from different generations, ethnicities, and backgrounds in Kosovo. OHI's main activity is its publicly available and researchable multilingual digital archive that presents life stories of people from varying angles. Albanians have a long and unique relationships with oral history. Curiosity may take you on a lifetime journey peeling the onion of intergenerational transnational memory one layer at a time. Capturing beauty through unique perspectives Balkanism is a dynamic digital platform and publication focused on Balkan identity, history, culture, diaspora experiences, and social rights issues.

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SWEET DOUGHS T'baftë mirë Adriatic Sea Cookies You may use walnuts, or pecans, or a combination of both. Ingredients 1 cup of salted fresh butter, softened 3 tsp of vanilla extract ½ confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon water 2 cups of all-purpose unbleached flour 2 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans ½ confectioners’ sugar (for rolling) Adriatic Sea Salt Directions In a large bowl, beat together the butter and vanilla extract. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar and beat until fluffy. Add water and beat again. Then add the flour and continue to mix until the dough is formed. If the dough is very sticky, place it in the refrigerator for an hour before shaping the cookies. Mix the chopped walnuts into the dough and add a couple of sprinkles of satl. Use a spoon to mold the dough in small balls. Place the dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the remaining ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar onto a large plate. Roll each cookie in the cookie while they are still warm from the oven. Cool thoroughly before serving. Pro-Tip: The taste is enhanced if you add a teaspoon of rose petal powder to the recipe. Gurabia Yields 24 servings Ingredients 2.5 cups Flour 1 Greek Yogurt 2.5 Eggs 1 cup Sugar 1 stick of Melted Butter 1 Tsp Baking Soda 1 Drop Vanilla Extract 1 Drop Almond Extract For Coating Before Baking 0.5 Egg 1 tbsp Melted Butter Directions In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients and mix together until a dough is formed. The dough should not be sticky at the end so add more flour if needed. Chill dough in parchment paper for 30 minutes before handling. Using the extra melted butter, rub some over your hands before breaking the dough into 20 equal sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Before rolling each ball, rub melted butter over your hands each time. Place the balls of dough onto a greased / lined baking tray 2 inches apart. You will need to split the balls into two batches, cooking one batch at a time. Brush each ball with beaten egg and place in the oven at 325 °F for 20 minutes. The cookies will be a light golden color and slightly squishy in the middle. Place on a cooling rack to cool. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet to prevent them from crumbling apart. English Toffee Yields 24 servings Ingredients 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup almonds or pecans, finely chopped Directions Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a steady boil, stirring constantly. When it turns a dark amber color or reaches 290 degrees with a candy thermometer, it is done. You can also drop a small bit of the mixture into ice cold water, and if the drop turns hard and brittle it is done. Carefully pour the mixture into a foil-lined baking sheet. Let harden for a minute or two, then sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Let them melt on top for a minute, then spread the chocolate evenly with a knife. Sprinkle on the chopped nuts and press down slightly on the nuts. Let the English toffee candy cool and harden, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. Dawn's Torta Barozzi Servings: 4 From my friend Dawn Dawl Servings: 4 1 ounce hazelnuts or almonds, blanched if possible 2.5 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces 4.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks 2 eggs ½ cup (scant) of sugar ½ tablespoon rum 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee Whipped cream Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the nuts until nicely browned and fragrant, about 6 to 7 minutes. If necessary, remove the skins while still warm. Chop and set aside to cool. Line an 8- or 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler over gently simmering water; set aside to cool slightly. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a mixer bowl and the whites into a large glass mixing bowl. Beat the yolks with sugar until thick and creamy. Add the rum, salt and coffee at low speed. Stir in the chopped nuts. Add the melted chocolate-butter mixture and stir again. With the hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold whites into the chocolate mixture and pour into the lined pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes and then carefully remove from pan (it’s fragile). Cool completely before serving. To serve, cut into slices and top with sweetened whipped cream. Sara's Plum Crumble This crumble is shallow and top-heavy: a jammy layer of tart plums blanketed by a lumpy crust that can aptly be compared to a giant snickerdoodle cookie, warm with cinnamon. The plums are simply halved, pitted, and tossed with spices and a little flour and sugar. The dough is streusel-like—flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and a beaten egg—just pinched apart and scattered over the fruit. Its glorious cookie-cake texture comes from the final step: Before the pan goes into the oven, you'll pour melted butter all over the top. The butter binds clumps of dough to gether, so that they form a craggy crust that's got fluff and crisp, lightness and density. 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1 cup unbleached flour, divided 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 10 to 12 Italian prune plums, halved and pitted 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra (optional) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg, well beaten 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted Heat the oven to 375° F. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the ground ginger. Add the plum halves and gently toss to combine. Arrange, cut side up, in a 9-inch pie plate set on a baking sheet (to catch leaks!). In another small bowl, combine the granulated su gar, baking powder, remaining 1 cup flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the vanilla bean powder (if using), and the salt. Stir in the egg and the vanilla extract (if using). Use your hands to squeeze and mix thoroughly to form soft clumps and bits. Scatter pinches of the dough evenly over the plums. Pour the butter evenly over the topping and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is browned and the plums tender. Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream, crème fraîche, mascarpone, yogurt, or whipped cream. Stilton Scones with Cranberries 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter at room temp, plus more for greasing 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup sugar, plus more to coat 4 tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine sea salt 2/3 cup whole milk 1 large egg 2 tbs dried cranberries 6 oz Stilton blue cheese, broken into large chunks (about 1 1/3 cups) Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a sheet pan with a little butter. In a large bowl, whish together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined and lump free. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients until the butter is fully incorporated. The mixture should have the consistency of a coarse cornmeal. Add the milk, egg, and cranberries and mix with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the dough comes together. Gently fold in the blue cheese chunks until just incorporated (you want those chunks to remain intact, not break down into smaller crumbs). The dough will be fairly wet. Using a tablespoon, take a heaping scoop of the dough (about 2 inches in diameter) and place it on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough, spacing the scoops 1 inch apart. (The dough spreads as it bakes, so if your pan isn’t big enough to space out the scones, you will need to use two.) Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 5 more minutes. They’re done when they’re golden, with some browned bumps on the uneven surface. Bake for 2-6 minutes more, as needed. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the scones into a wire rack. (Some of the melted cheese will have escaped and gotten crispy on your baking sheet – that’s the cook’s treat to nibble on!) Enjoy warm or at room temp. Michele's Snickerdo odle Cookies Texture: airy, crunchy yet soft Serving size: 36 cookies Fun fact: My friend, neighbor, and grange part ner in crime Michele shared this recipe at game night, over at our mutual friend’s, neighbor, and grange partner in crime Michelle. Michele is even keeled, kind, smart and always can be counted on to be the voice of reason. Michelle and I, on the other hand, are known to lose all common sense around any type of animal. Ingredients 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 cup softened butter 2 eggs 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt Coating: 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Directions Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with butter. Beat 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter, and eggs together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl then stir into creamed butter mixture until dough holds together. Mix 2 tablespoons of white sugar and cinnamon together in a different bowl. Form dough into 2-teaspoon-size balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven on the center rack for 7 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them over to a wire rack. When removing them from the over, they may look doughy still. That’s okay. By allowing them to continue to cook on the cookie sheet out of the oven prevents hard cookies. Once completely cooled, store cookies in a plastic container or plastic bag with a piece or two of bread to keep cookies soft. Tony's Strawberry spoon cake Ingredients ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing. 5 oz/145 grams frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup) 2/3 cup/150 grams packed light brown sugar ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk, at roo m temp ½ tsp kosher salt 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp of vanilla extract Vanilla ice cream for serving Directions Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch square or round baking dish with butter. Set aside. Using your hands or the back of a fork mash the berries to release their juices, and stir in 1/3 cup of the brown sugar. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk, and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners. Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 mins before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Lavender mini cupcakes Ingredients 1 cup of cornstarch 2/3 can of condensed milk 1/2 cup of melted butter (1 stick) 1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla powder 1 tsp of dried lavender Directions In a bowl, mix all together and pour dough into your preferred mold but I have great success with two mini cupcake trays. If you opt for mini cupcake, fill almost to the top. Bake in 400F for 8-10 mins. ProTip: wet paper towel with butter and coat each mold. Then to get the mini cupcakes out, gently push them from side to side between your thumb and pointer finger until they loosen and you can pull out. Blood Orange Rosemary Cookies Yield: 24 cookies Ingredients For the cookies: 2 cups of all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon of salt 1 cup granulated sugar Zest of 3 blood oranges (¼ cup) 2-3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary ½ cup EVOO 1 large egg, room temperature ¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature For the glaze: 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice Zest from ½ blood orange (optional) 1-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed blood orange juice Directions Step 1 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, zest, and rosemary until it has the consistency of wet sand. Whisk in the EVOO and egg until smooth and well combined. Alternate mixing the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet until all the dry ingredients and buttermilk have been added. Rest the cookie dough at room temperature for 30 minutes. Step 2 Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Step 3 Scoop 1-tablesppon amounts of cookie dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until a finger lightly pressed into the top of the cookie bounces back. Keep the cookies on the hot baking sheets for 3-4 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Step 4 While the cookies cool, make the glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest if using and 1-3 tablespoons of blood orange juice, to taste. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cookies, and let it set for 30-45 minutes before serving. Spiced Mexican Wedding Cookies Yields 32 cookies Ingredients 1 cup pecans 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided Zest of 1 medium orange 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract Step 1 Place the pecans in a small skillet, and light toast them over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer the pecans to a food processor. Process until the pecans are fine like the texture of almond flour. Cool slightly before using in the recipe. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add the butter, ¾ cup of confectioners’ sugar and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On medium sized speed, beat the mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. On low speed, mix in the ground pecans and vanilla and almond extracts until smooth and well combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Step 2 Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Step 3 Scoop 1 tablespoon amounts of the cookie dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Cool the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 15 minutes. While the cookies are slightly warm, roll them in the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Cool completely to room temperature and roll them once more in the confectioners’ sugar if you would like a double coat of sugar. Almond cake with pecans & condensed milk Ingredients 1 cup of almond flour ½ cup of all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ cup of melted butter (1 stick for dough) + ¼ cup of melted butter (half of the stick for the sauce) 1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla powder Kosher salt 2/3 cup light brown sugar ½ cup of condensed milk ½ whole milk, at room temp For the sauce ¼ cup of melted butter 4 cups of quartered pecans ½ cup of condensed milk ½ whole milk, at room temp Directions Soak pecans for 1 hour. In a bowl, mix all together with electric beater/mixer. Grease 6 inch round cake pan with butter. Pour dough and Bake in 400F for 20 mins or until golden brown and the toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Set cake to cool. In a small sauce pan, brown butter, then slowly whisk in the milk. Then add the condensed milk and drained pecans. Turn heat off and cover with lid. Place cake in a serving plate. Pour the sauce over it before slicing into pieces. Garnish with powdered sugar (by pouring it over a sifter), or sprinkles, or colored granulated sugar of your choice, or candied orange peels, or pistachio powder, or jam, or dates, or raisins. Earl Grey Sugar Cookies This recipe yields 24 cookies prep time 15 MINUTES cook time 8 MINUTES additional time 1 HOUR total time 1 HOUR 23 MINUTES Amount Per Serving: 1 CALORIES: 130 SATURATED FAT: 5g CHOLESTEROL: 35mg SODIUM: 60mg CARBOHYDRATES: 14g SUGAR: 5g PROTEIN: 1g Ingredients 1 1/4 cups chilled butter, cut into 1/2" pieces 3/4 cups granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3 tea bags of Tazo Earl Grey Tea Directions In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, tea leaves, and sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder on low speed, mixing just until incorporated and the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill overnight in the refrigerator for the best result of tea taste. When ready to bake the cookies, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out using cookie cutters and bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges just barely start to turn golden. Cool completely before decorating with royal icing or frosting. Notes These sugar cookies start with the slightly unorthodox approach of beating the butter and sugar together while the butter is still cold. As long as you are using a stand mixer and cut the butter into chunks, this works really well and results in a better cookie texture than creaming softened butter together with the sugar. There is 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in the dough to make the cookies tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture without making them fluffy or causing distortions while they bake. Don’t overmix the flour into the dough when it is added. Once the dough starts to come together, it will be thick and similar to the texture of play-doh. I DO recommend chilling the dough. It helps the butter re-harden in the cut-out cookies before baking so that they don’t spread as much. It’s not like you have to wait overnight though – 1 hour will do it, and even then you could fudge it a little closer to 45 minutes if you needed to. I find that leaving the chilled dough out on the counter for just 10 minutes before attempting to roll it out makes a big difference in how easy it is to roll these out evenly. Use a rolling pin with adjustable rings that go on each end of the rolling pin to help you roll out your sugar cookie dough to an exact thickness, depending on which ring you are using. It’s a game changer in getting consistent results in thickness and reliable baking times and worth the investment, in my opinion. 1/4-inch thick is my preference, but you can make these super thick sugar cookies if that’s what you like. The key is to rolling out the dough is to let the chilled dough sit out on the counter for 10 minutes, then rolling it on a lightly floured surface using light pressure on the rolling pin. The secret to soft sugar cookies is slightly underbaking each batch. Mine typically are done right around the 12 minute mark, but I make large, 1/4-inch cookies. Small cookies might be done in the 9-11 minute range. The key is for them to look “set” because often, these won’t even brown around the edges (although the bottoms of the cookies will be lightly golden when lifted off the baking sheet). Use parchment paper on your pans so that the cookies don’t stick. Frost with royal icing or buttercream. Or just press the unbaked cookies in sprinkles before baking. Once frosted, the sugar cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. Royal icing helps the cookies stay fresh longer, but even unfrosted cookies are good for at least a few days without going stale if stored in a well-sealed container. For longer-term storage, freeze the baked and decorated cookies by wrapping them up well in plastic wrap and freezing. Just give them time to thaw when you are ready to eat them! Both the dough and the finished cookies freeze well. If freezing the dough, transfer it to the fridge the night before you want to roll them out, then let the dough sit out on the counter for 30 minutes before rolling it the next day. Cookie dough can be made 1 month ahead; freeze instead of chilling. Cookies can be baked (left undecorated) 2 weeks ahead; wrap tightly and freeze. You can flavor the dough with a little almond extract or lemon zest, and I included amounts in the recipe notes. In my recipe testing, I experimented with each and liked them both. White Chocolate Cranberry Tart Takes about 30 minutes to cook but total time A-Z will be about 4 hours. You will need a 9-inch tart pan. It will yield about 8-10 slices. This tart is raw, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and gluten-free. Its crust is made with oats, almonds, coconut oil and maple syrup. The filling is a mix of cashews, coconut milk, vegan white chocolate chips, maple syrup and coconut oil. To make it look more festive way, coat cranberries with maple syrup and granulated monk fruit sweetener. In a medium sized pan add water and maple syrup. Heat over medium to high heat until it starts to bubble. Simmer for a couple minutes, then add the cranberries. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes over low heat until almost now liquid remains. It will appear very stick, similar to caramel sugar. Transfer onto a cooling rack and let them sit for about 1-2 minutes. Then place them in a bowl or onto a plate filled with either monk fruit sweetener or granulated sugars. Coat them well and transfer back onto a cooling rack. Let them dry until maple has hardened and sugar is stuck to the cranberries. cranberries on top of tart 1 cup cranberries 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener (or granulated cane sugar) cranberry inner layer 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup water 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tsp agar agar (substitute with gelatin powder 1:1 ratio) crust 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats 1/2 cup raw almonds 5 tbsp coconut oil (melted)** 2 tbsp maple syrup white chocolate layer ⅔ cup coconut milk (sub with cashew milk) 1 cup raw cashews (soaked*) ¾ cup cacao butter (sub with vegan white chocolate), melted and cooled 1/3 cup maple syrup Pinch of salt 4 tbsp vegan white chocolate, melted and cooled *soak cashews in water overnight or for at least 3-4 hours. **use refined (vs unrefined) coconut oil to avoid coconut flavor. For the crust add oats and almonds into a food processor. Pulse until combined and add maple syrup and coconut oil. Process into a moist mixture. Firmly press dough into the tart and press up on the sides as well. Bake at 350F for about 10-15 minutes until crust appears golden brown. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer onto a cooling rack. In a small saucepan add cranberries, water and maple syrup. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes over low-medium heat until cranberries have broken down. With a hand mixer puree cranberries and add a little bit of water if sauce is too thick. Add 1 tsp of agar agar powder (or gelatin powder) and simmer for another 5 minutes over low-medium heat. Set aside to cool for a couple minutes, then spread cranberry jam/sauce into the crust (½ way full) and let set in the fridge for another 15 minutes. In the meantime prepare the white chocolate layer. Melt white chocolate and cacao butter in a small saucepan over low heat and set aside. In a food processor or high speed blender add cashews, maple syrup and coconut milk. Process until completely smooth. Add melted chocolate/cacao butter and process until combined. Pour white chocolate mixture into the tart and let set in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours. Garnish with sugar coated cranberries and white chocolate chips and serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Candied Pecans YIELDS: 2 c. PREP TIME: 10 mins TOTAL TIME: 25 mins Ingredients 2 c. toasted halved pecans 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper Zest of 1/2 orange 1/2 c. packed brown sugar 3 tbsp. orange juice or water Kosher salt Directions Preheat oven to 350° and spread pecans in an even layer on a medium baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until nuts are fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Combine spices and orange zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine brown sugar and orange juice or water and bring up to a rolling boil. Boil, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add pecans to skillet and fold into sugar mixture to coat completely. Cook, stirring frequently, until no sugar mixture pools in the bottom of the pan when nuts are stirred, 3 to 4 minutes. Working quickly, remove pan from heat and stir in spice and zest mix until nuts are fully coated. Transfer nuts to prepared baking sheet and season with salt. Let cool completely before serving. Storage: Store any leftover candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or in the fridge for up to three weeks. Pecan Pralines YIELDS: 2 dz. PREP TIME: 10 mins TOTAL TIME: 10 mins CAL/SERV: 155 Ingredients 1 c. (215 g.) packed light brown sugar 1 c. (200 g.) granulated sugar 1 c. evaporated milk 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 c. raw or toasted, unsalted pecan halves 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Directions Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have a tablespoon-sized scoop or measuring spoon ready to go. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugars dissolve and mixture begins to foam and boil, 5 to 7 minutes. Place a candy thermometer inside mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thermometer registers between 235° to 240°, 5 to 8 minutes . Remove from heat and immediately stir in pecans, vanilla, and salt just until mixture begins to thicken and lose its glossiness, 1 to 2 minutes. If you beat too long, it will start to seize up. Working quickly, drop heaping tablespoons onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2" apart. If mixture begins to thicken, add 1 teaspoon hot water and stir to keep mixture loose enough to scoop. Let cool to room temperature or until set, about 1 hour. Notes Work quickly! This isn’t a recipe you walk away from, so have everything ready and nearby. You want to start scooping as soon as the mixture is ready. Use a candy thermometer. While you can eyeball, a candy thermometer will reduce your stress. Pralines go from a nice and silky texture to seized up in a matter of a minute or two, so it's important to monitor the temperature. Buy some spare ingredients if you're aiming for perfection. Pralines are finicky and temperamental, and you might have to make a few batches while you get used to making them. Be patient and enjoy the process! Have some hot water nearby if your pralines start to seize up. Adding a few drops of hot water can save your pralines when you overbeat the mixture and they start to harden up sooner than you wanted. Storage: Pecan pralines can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. No refrigeration needed. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Tahini Cookies Recipe from my dear friend Nadia O'Dell. Yield: 3 ½ doz, or 5 if allowed to rest as below. Ingredients 3 cups unbleached Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Kosher Salt 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened 1 + cup Tahini, well stirred 2 tsp Vanilla 1 cup loosely packed Dark Brown Sugar 1 cup Sugar 2 large Eggs Directions Whisk Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt together. Set aside. Beat Butter, Tahini and Vanilla on medium speed until no butter streaks left. Add sugars, beat. Reduce to low speed; beat in half of Flour mixture. Add egg, beat. Add rest of Flour, beat. Roll into 1 ¼ inch diameter balls. Place on baking sheet. Lightly press each ball to flatten slightly and leave indentation. Bake 14 (20 in gas oven?) minutes at 350°, rotating half way through. Do not overbake – they crisp as they cool. Optional: Sprinkle with DeMara sugar before baking. Dough is soft and sticky – let rest in fridge a few hours or overnight – easier to handle. This also creates a greater yield. Apricot Bars Recipe from my dear friend Nadia O'Dell. Ingredients 3 cups Flour 1 ½ cup Sugar 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter 1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter) 1 cup unsweetened coconut 2 egg (beat before adding) 1 cup finely chopped or ground nuts 1 18 oz. Apricot (or other) preserves Directions Work first 7 ingredients as for pie crust Press ¾ of mixture in ungreased 9x13 pan Spread with preserves Crumble remaining dough mixture on top Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes depending on o ven. If using ground nuts the dough will me a little more dense and moist and will need more baking time. Bakllavë me 5 arra (5 nut Baklava ) Baklava is an iconic pastry that defies borders: It’s beloved in Turkey, Greece, Central Asia, the Balkans and beyond, and each of these regions boasts its own variety. This version, my version, combines the Albanian, Greek, and Turkish versions. Store-bought phyllo makes preparing a pan of homemade baklava much easier, but it does require patience, too. There are no cutting corners when it comes to buttering every couple of sheets of phyllo, but your efforts will yield shatteringly thin layers of pastry. Making and chilling the syrup in advance of pouring it on top of the pastry is an important step, as it allows the baklava to fully absorb the sticky sweetness, reducing pooling on the bottom of the pan. To thaw frozen phyllo, remove the rolls from the box but keep them in their plastic sleeves. Place it in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can thaw at room temperature according to package instructions. Ingredients 3 cups of mixed nuts (1 cup of pistachio & 2 cups of pecan, hazelnut, walnut, cashew) 2 sticks of salted butter with sea salt 1 pound phyllo dough, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator (Kontos brand #4) 2 cups sugar and 1 tbsp of sugar Juice of ½ fresh lemon Directions In a food processor, pulse the nuts until coarsely ground (or you can chop them by hand until very finely chopped). Don’t overprocess the nuts. You want to maintain some texture. Clarify the butter by melting it over low heat, then letting it cook until the foam rises to the top and the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes depending upon how high your heat is, but don’t rush it or the butter could burn. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a piece of cheesecloth, place it over a bowl and pour the melted butter through. Heat oven to 400 degrees and brush the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a little of the clarified butter. Prepare the phyllo dough by trimming the stack of it with scissors to fit the bottom of your baking dish. Packages of phyllo come in different sizes; some won't need any trimming, some may need an inch or two cut off a side, and some may need to be cut in half crosswise. Place 1 piece of phyllo on the bottom of the baking pan; brush lightly with clarified butter. Layer phyllo sheets on top, brushing each sheet with butter as you go, until half the phyllo is used. Spread nuts on phyllo in an even layer, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 of clarified butter, then layer with remaining phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter as you go (rewarm butter if necessary). Cut the pastry into 36 pieces (6 by 6), using clean up-and-down strokes and rotating the pan if necessary. Make sure to cut all the way through to bottom of pan. Pour any remaining butter evenly over pan. Bake baklava until the top is golden brown, and the lower phyllo layers beneath the nuts are thoroughly baked through. To test this, use a knife to lift up a corner of one of the pastry rectangles from the center of the pan so you can peek at the bottom layers. Start checking after 40 minutes, but it could take up to a n hour. If the top starts to get too brown before the pastry is cooked through, lay 2 pieces of foil over the top and put another piece of foil under the pan. Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup: In a medium pot, combine sugar with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in fresh lemon juice. When the baklava is baked through, remove from the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot baklava, including the corners. Set aside to cool completely before the pieces are removed from the pan. Baklava is best served after it has rested and the syrup has been fully absorbed, 4 to 6 hours. Cover and store at room temperature for 3 days, after which you can transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week. 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Hello Beautiful You and Me DF 11.15. 2025 Wrinkled I was first as you held my infant me. I was more scared when you raised me up than when you let me be. With two feet on the ground, I ran behind you. My hands pushed up your air, and when safe, your pant legs, too. Only for a short moment, today, I would iron out the wrinkles on your eyes. Naïve me hopes to delay looking up -- at the skies.