Journal Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

los angeles, california

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 23:55:24 +0000

Ages and ages ago (at least, it feels that way) my husband, Adam, and I spent a few days in Los Angeles. It was a thoughtful Christmas gift from Adam – I could pick any city in the country to spend a long weekend in. Since it was winter in Minnesota, I had a friend in Los Angeles with an Airbnb (see below!), and visiting Joshua Tree National Park was on my lifetime bucket list, we decided to head West. It was a lovely weekend, despite getting burnt to a crisp at the ocean. I also got to spend time with an old friend and her family (the cute littles pictured above) and have coffee with Nicole from Eat This Poem and Alana from Fix Feast Flair. Some places we ate/visited: Ramen of York Grand Central Market Habitat Coffee Shop Joshua Tree National Park Amoeba Music Also! If you are looking for a great Airbnb to stay at in Los Angeles, check out this one! We loved our time here: everything was so clean and comfortable, and it was a great location. The Airbnb photos directly above were taken by Jessica Isaac.

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north

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 03:24:28 +0000

‘Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place in the family of things.’ – Mary Oliver Each summer, my family took a four day get-away to Wisconsin Dells, (Water Park Capital of the World!) the vacation destination for most middle-class Midwesterners. My siblings and I thought it was the best place on earth, and were terribly disappointed the summer my mom vetoed The Dells and insisted we head North, spending our days instead on and around the North Shore. It’s possible we complained bitterly the whole way there and during our entire trip, driving my parents to the edge of patience and then right off the cliffs of insanity. It’s possible my mom completely lost her temper while we were exploring Gooseberry State Park, after we had mentioned yet again how […]

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oregon: portland

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:39:20 +0000

Part two of our Oregon trip in picture form: our adventures in Portland. We had a great time eating so much good food, checking out parks and gardens and downtown and quaint neighborhoods and hanging out with family and friends. Highlights included getting lost in the amazingness of Powell’s City of Books, eating the best cream cheese Danish I ever had at Grand Central Bakery, quite a few ice cream stops at Salt & Straw, dinner at Pok Pok, day trip to Multnomah Falls, impromptu picnic lunch at the Rose Gardens, meeting up with old friends, and Uncle Buddy playing saxophone for us. Places we stayed/visited, and loved Buddy Jay’s Jamaican Jazz Band – Uncle Buddy plays saxophone, and just came out with a CD. You can check it out here. It’s been on repeat at our house since we’ve been back. Powell’s City of Books – absolute heaven. I could have stayed there all day, and then seven more. Every book you could ever dream of is there (except, of course, that one I’ve been searching everywhere for). Pok Pok – believe everything you hear; the food is amazing. Even my littles still talk about how good their meal […]

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oregon: along the coast

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 21:32:08 +0000

“It is said by the Eldar that in water there lives yet the echo of the Music of the Ainur more than in any substance that is in this Earth; and many of the Children of Ilúvatar hearken still unsated to the voices of the Sea, and yet know not for what they listen.” – Tolkien, The Silmarillion I just got back from the West Coast (where I had this song in my head all week). We spent 8 days traveling up and down the coast on our first family airplane trip (thank you, frequent flyer miles!). It was a beautiful adventure, filled with high highs (my first time visiting Oregon, my littles first experience with the ocean) and low lows (homesickness, long car rides, same room sleeping), as all family vacations are. Cannon Beach was a favorite spot. I don’t know what it is about Haystack Rock (besides, of course, Goonies), but it is completely mesmerizing, and I could have stayed on that beach forever, gazing at it. We were lucky enough to get a room at the Surfsand Resort, and I highly recommend staying there. It was a perfect family spot: clean, cozy rooms on the beach, and […]

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photographs + links

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 29 May 2016 09:00:33 +0000

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a family session; I photographed this family a few years ago, and it was great to have another shoot with them. A few links to spend your Sunday on: A literary quiz to keep you on your toes. I’ve been enjoying Hello Poetry. Both classic and contemporary poems, and you can search by words to find just the right poem. This video on how to boil water correctly was pretty amusing. Still sad about ATK, but I’ve always been a fan of Bridget and Julia. I’m looking forward to this album. And this one. This litfest in Ireland looked pretty epic. Maybe next year? Emily Dickinson: gardener.

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photographs + links

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 04:00:51 +0000

I finally got to meet baby Margot, and take a few pictures of her as well. This family has been dear friends for years and years, and it is such a joy to welcome their new little. Some links for your Sunday reading and viewing: I have always believed that trees are friends, and I can’t wait to read this book I’m a big fan of Vivian Maier’s street photography, and this glimpse into her past is an interesting read Top 10 kitchens in literature You’ve mostly likely seen this, but it makes me laugh every time I watch it: Kylo Ren: Undercover Boss (also, outtakes) Nigel Slater on the joy of cooking Portlandia food sketches How to write: a year in advice That time Jane Austen drank too much wine

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maple oatmeal scones + outtakes from pure green magazine

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 17:34:16 +0000

Pure Green Magazine’s latest issue (volume 9) is themed family life, and I’m very happy to have a piece about life in the kitchen with my children tucked away in its pages. If you haven’t heard of Pure Green, I highly recommend heading over and taking a peek. Each issue contains thoughtful articles and beautiful photography, and there is also a blog and podcast to check out. My daughter helped me make maple oatmeal scones for a the feature. Winter and I had a lot of fun making these maple oatmeal scones. It was one of the last recipes photographed in our previous house, so we were a bit teary-eyed when the article came out; all those memories we weren’t quite ready to recall yet. The recipe for these scones can be found here, although I used the folding technique found here to put them together. They are tasty made either way.

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photographs + links

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 03:39:59 +0000

A few things *I appreciate these posts on blogging from Heidi, Emma, and Kasey. *I like these Thanksgiving tabletop ideas from Local Milk on Gardenista. *Over the Rhine’s new Christmas album is lovely. And a new song from Luxury. *Julia, Child. *Some cookbooks on my wish list: The Yellow Table, Handmade Baking, Date Night In, Paris Pastry Club, and Baking Chez Moi. Also *I have brioche cinnamon rolls with brown butter icing on Wit & Delight. *I have super easy chocolate bark (with sprinkles!) on Handmade Charlotte. *My latest column from The Blue Heron Coffeehouse is up on Food 52. *I have a piece in Pure Green Vol. 9.

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a sunday suppers gathering

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 02:24:30 +0000

This past weekend I hosted a City Picnic in celebration of the Sunday Suppers, Recipes + Gatherings Cookbook by Karen Mordechai. I stumbled upon Sunday Suppers a few years ago on Instagram; a gorgeous feed filled with pictures from Karen’s Brooklyn studio. There I saw many of my favorite food bloggers and photographers hosting and participating in gatherings and sessions. I tried not to be envious, wishing plane tickets weren’t quite so expensive. But they are, so I looked on from a distance, happy to watch others partake. When Karen asked me if I’d like to host a small gathering for her cookbook launch, I replied ‘yes!’ with no hesitation. A few months later I found myself on the lawn just outside the Gutherie Theater in Downtown Minneapolis, sharing a lovely city picnic with a few good friends and all our little ones. The sun was blazing but we were tucked under trees, basking in shade and a perfect menu, straight from the pages of the book. My children asked me all week long if we could ‘go back to the picnic again’, which I took as a sign of a really good day, tucked away in their memories. It […]

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photographs + links

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 02:42:45 +0000

Two Things: *I have a new column on Food 52! It’s titled ‘From a Coffee Shop in the Midwest’, and it features recipes from my favorite coffeehouse: The Blue Heron. *One of my favorite local bands, Eustace the Dragon, has a new session on Daytrotter. It’s fantastic.

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