Hello apple cakes, cold breeze, first jumpers…
November has brought the beginning of autumn to us in Tenerife and also the self confidence to start writing to you all. So, thank you for joining me today! I must say, writing a newsletter is an idea I have been flirting with for a long time but it came with a lot of buts and fears... Will I commit to it? Will people find it boring? What if nobody signs up? Etc, etc.
But I have finally found the courage to send out this first one.
If you are here, reading this: thanks a bunch!! It really means a lot to me. To show my appreciation, I have added a little printable recipe of my nan's lovely apple cake, which tastes just like autumn and which brings me right back to my childhood, when autumns in my island were much colder than they are now.
Please, feel free to share your thoughts with me if you try to bake this or tell me if you have any recipes that bring you back to your own childhood, I would love to hear all about it.
As I mentioned on my instagram, my nan had three different recipes for her cake. This is because she actually makes it without a recipe and whenever you ask her she will say things like "add as much sugar as you like" or "you can check the consistency and see if it needs more liquid or more flour". But let's be honest, I would have no idea what the right amount of sugar or consistency should be; so I had to make it with her, write down what I saw and test it a few times by myself to make sure I did it right. I think this is just about what it should be like. However, I have added a blank recipe card so you can write your own version if you like or use for other recipes. I hope you find it useful!
Grandma Lola's Apple Cake Recipe
Latest News from my little world:
A new book is being released today! This has been a very special project that I have been incredibly lucky to be part of and I am head over heels to see it out in the world . Brave Huxley, written by Dan Hipkiss for the Matt Hampson Foundation tells the story of Matt through this little tiger toy and shares a message of resilience, friendship and hope. You can get the limited edition hardback or paperback copy here. You can also watch Matt Hampson explaining the origins of Brave Huxley on this video:
I am thinking about sharing a bit more about the process with you in December's letter. Meanwhile, you can have a better look at some of the interiors on my website
I am currently working on a different project which has a more difficult topic, luckily it is turning to be quite enjoyable thanks to my lovely editor. I will be sharing more about it next month!
Since I have just come back home, to Tenerife, I have been enjoying wild swimming. We are so lucky with the weather in my home town that I have been able to go swimming pretty much every day since we arrived last September. It has inspired me lots to illustrate. I have seen such funny fish around here!
If you draw, write or do anything creative, where have you been finding your inspiration lately?
I will say goodbye for now but I hope I see you again around here!
Enjoy November! Winter and Christmas are slowly approaching...
Love,
Saru xx