Old Hobbies

I was on one of my many Pinterest binges (there's a few of these a day...) and I suddenly realised how much I missed doing photography.  I used to do it at college for an A-Level and that sort of made me go off it. I didn't like being told what I had to shoot. I liked the spontaneity of what I captured, it was never really planned. I just saw something beautiful or that was interesting and shot it. 

I need to do that again. Stop and capture the beautiful moments.

Summer Fruits Mousse Cake

Summer Fruits Mousse Cake

I made this cake for my family on New Year's Day. It's the right balance of refreshing and decadent (in my opinion), but yummy all the same. It does take a while to make the different layers (and to set), so I would definitely recommend making the day before you want to serve. 

Ingredients:

Cookie Base:
110g soft margarine
70g caster sugar
140g plain flour
1 egg yolk
2tsp vanilla extract

Mousse Layer:
250g summer fruits (I used frozen)
25g caster sugar
140g marshmallows
200ml double cream

Chocolate Sauce:
125g chocolate
generous handful of marshmallows
150ml double cream

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy.

2. Add the yolk and vanilla extract and mix in well.

3. Sift in flour and mix into a soft dough.

4. Grease a round 8inch cake tin (use one with a removable bottom or sides as you will be assembling the cake in this tin, and makes it much easier to get out!)

5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown, in a preheated oven at 180 degrees/ gas mark 6.

7. Into a pan of 100ml hot water, add the summer fruits and the sugar. Cook the fruit over a medium heat (until mushy). 

8. Melt the marshmallows into this mixture, then leave to cool.

9. Whip the double cream until it holds it's peaks. 

10. Fold the cream into the summer fruit mix and then add the mixture on top of the cooked cookie base (still in the cake tin).

11. Place in the fridge to set for an hour.

12. Melt the chocolate and marshmallows bain marie style (in a bowl over hot water, basically). 

13. Add the double cream and mix until smooth.

14. Once the mixture has cooled a little, pour on top of the mousse layer and place back in the fridge overnight to ensure that it is totally set when you take it out of the tin.

Enjoy!

I made the mistake of not leaving the cake long enough to set, so when I took it out of the tin, it started to collapse a bit! Still tasted good however!

Burt's Bees Goodies

Burt's Bees Goodies

So I was sent a bunch of lovely goodies from the nice peoples at What's In My Handbag and Burt's Bees. 

In it was:
- Burt's Bees Heritage Collection
     (Beeswax Lip Balm, Almond & Milk Hand Creme, Lemon Butter Cuticle             Creme, Hand Salve, Peppermint Foot Creme and Coconut Foot Cream)
- Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub
- Cranberry & Pomegranate Body Butter
- Blueberry & Dark Chocolate Lip Balm

I'm not ashamed to admit I tried them all straight away! I'm particularly in love with the Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub, it makes your skin feel great (and smells delicious!) 

With any of them in fact, I don't think my skin has felt so soft. I'm definitely converted in case youse couldn't tell... ;)

If you want to treat yourself or need a good gift idea for someone, these are a must buy, get on it! :D

(okay, fangirling over...) 

D.I.Y Whiteboard Calender

D.I.Y Whiteboard Calender

What you'll need:

- Large photo frame

- Wallpaper or a large piece of patterned paper

- Pencil

- Ruler

- Felt Pens

1. Measure your frame, then cut the paper to size. I've used a piece of wallpaper sample (which you can usually get for free). 


2. Draw up a plan showing where you want each section (and what size you it). On mine I've included a box calender, days of the week and a to do section. 

3. Working from your plan, measure and mark onto your paper in pencil. 

4. Once your happy with the layout, go over it with the felt pens (my background is quite plain so I've used different colours for each bit). 

5. This is your basic calender and wont need changed so you can now put it in the frame. 

6. Using a non-permanent marker you can fill it in for the week and the month and if you make a mistake then it's easy enough correct!

Chocolate Heaven Brownies

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN BROWNIES

115g butter
115g dark chocolate
300g sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 tsp orange essence
2 eggs
140g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
100g chopped white chocolate
handful of marshmallows (chopped)

180 degrees, 35 minutes 

Makes 12

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line an 18" square tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan on a medium heat.

3. Once melted, leave to cool a little. Then add the sugar and essences. 

4. Mix the eggs in one at a time.

5. Sift in the flour and the cocoa powder and fold into the mixture.

6. Fold in the chopped white chocolate and the marshmallows.

7. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for approximately 35 minutes.

8. Leave to cool a little, then cut into 12 (or whatever floats your boat).

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Healthy Muffins

HEALTHY FRUIT MUFFINS

½ cup muesli
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts and pecans)
½ raisins
½ cup sugar
1 mashed banana
1 chopped nectarine
1 diced apple
4 chopped strawberries
1 egg
¾ cup milk

180 degrees, 25 minutes

Makes 12

1.       Preheat oven to 180 degrees and put muffin cases in the muffin tray.

2.       Combine all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

3.       Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and stir thoroughly.

4.       Pour the wet ingredients into the dry first stirring and then mixing with an electric hand whisk (you don’t have to; I just think it mixes better).

5.       Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases (about 1 ½ tbsp each).

6.       Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

7.       Leave to cool for a bit.

8.       Eat those scrummy guilt-free muffins! (maybe not all at once... sharing is good too...)