Day in the Life With Aleksandra Zee
In The Shop
I am very lucky that I can still work in the shop. This place has been my release and my sanctuary. Shifting to being here about 50% less has for sure been hard but it makes the time here special working on commissions and orders from amazing clients that are supporting my craft during this wild time.
I haven't been making anything brand new, which took a bit to give myself grace on, but that is ok. This time is for taking care of each other and getting by, for that I am endlessly thankful to be able to work at all :) The new work will come through when it needs to.
At Home
Lounging at home a lot like all of us. This time is filled with lots of movies and shows and new books! I have been reading Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman and There I am by Ruthie Lindsey.
It feels really good to put on an outfit and get dressed, sometimes it makes me a little more productive. My hubby and I have also been setting aside time to get cleaned up and have a little home date night, cooking a good meal, or treating ourselves to some takeout.
At home, we have been loving taking things slow. Enjoying coffee and cooking food. We have never really spent a lot of time in the kitchen before now and it has been so much fun learning how to make new dishes and I have been baking a little which is completely new to me. One of my favorites is Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (see recipe below!)
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8 by 4-inch baking dish, set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
3. Add sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Rub lemon zest with sugar using your fingertips, until the mixture becomes moist and pale yellow.
4. Add butter to sugar mixture and whip on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, adding in vanilla with last egg. 5. In (microwave safe) liquid measuring cup used to measure milk, whisk together the milk with sour cream. Heat mixture in microwave just until no longer cold (about room temp).
6. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture (to the butter/sugar mixture) alternating with 1/2 of the milk mixture and 1 Tbsp lemon juice (each time), and mixing just until combined after each addition.
7. Bake in preheated oven 45 - 55 minutes, tenting with foil at 40 minutes (don't let foil touch loaf), until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with a few small crumbs).
