I love mixing it up on a weekend and switching my regular cereal breakfast out for something more indulgent. This smoothie feels almost as indulgent as french toast, but it is slightly healthier (sugars – I know!) and the best part is that you can make it from things you likely already have either in the fridge or freezer. This makes it a great way to get in your five now that we are all trying to go the shops less frequently. The handheld blender I received as a housewarming gift last year has also revolutionized my smoothie game – leaving me with much less dishes to do.
Fridge Rose Water Cheesecake
Looking for a quick and easy recipe this Valentine’s day? Just add delicious to your requirements and use this recipe. This will please any cheesecake lover.
Valentine’s Day Cookies Recipe
Looking for a fun activity this Valentine’s Day? Cookie decorating has become my go-to destressing holiday activity. My mother and I made some for Christmas and this time around I invited my bestie to decorate some hearts. They may not be winning any awards for looks, but we sure had fun decorating them. Plus if you can part with some of your better designs, they’ll make a cute gift too.
Festive Van Der Hum Cocktail
This time of year – summer, the festive season and school holidays – is the ideal time to have friends and family over. Although our gatherings are usually fairly casual, I love how a simple cocktail can make even a pizza party feel special. As Christmas is around the corner, you’ll likely find yourself playing host some time over the coming month. This cocktail is a staple in our house as it is so easy to scale according to party size, whether you’re solo wrapping all the gifts or hosting the extended family.
Meatball Gyros Recipe
My husband and I like this so much that we included this in our meal lineup almost every week during the summer and now that it has cooled down I still find myself craving it every now and again. This is the result of researching falafels before our Paris trip (can you believe we didn’t even know what they were!?) and trying to create something similar looking with what we had on hand. So not very authentic and actually much closer to Greek gyros. The best part though? One batch will serve about four adults and you might even have a little leftovers for lunch.
Easter Chocolate Bark Recipe
Looking for something fun and easy to do this Easter? I’ve got you covered with the ultimate in sweet treats – Easter egg chocolate bark! This is a great way to use up the last bit of Easter candies or, as was the case for me, a good excuse to stock up on some of your favourites! I’d like to say that this recipe is fool proof, but unfortunately you do run the very real risk of finishing the ingredients off before they make their way into the melted chocolate! If you managed to keep your taste buds under control though, you’re good to go! I would venture to say that this is even a good one to keep the kiddo’s busy (under supervision of course!) and of course you can customise this to include some of your personal favourites, these just happen to be mine.
Christmas Chocolate Stars
I thought between posting my gift guides I’d throw in a quick and easy DIY to gift to anyone from a host to a teacher this festive season. Although it is a small gesture, making something yourself like these chocolate stars, can mean so much to the recipient. It would also be the perfect addition to your Christmas table, serve as a great accompaniment to coffee and compliment many a dessert. So really this is an all-rounder! As an added bonus, it is really simple and affordable to make! All you need is chocolate, your favourite toppings (added bonus if they’re in festive shades) and a silicone ice or chocolate tray.
Ingredients:
- 200g milk or dark chocolate
- 40g pistachios, chopped
- 40g cranberries, chopped
- Spray and Cook
- Gold dust
Method:
- Break up the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and put to the side.
- Chop up the pistachios and cranberries and keep at the ready.
- Give a festive ice or chocolate silicone tray a light spray with Spray and Cook. If you are working with an ice tray, see whether you need to fill the whole shape or whether filling it half-way would be better. My stars turned out quite thick and it might have been better to only fill the shapes halfway.
- Take the bowl of chocolate and melt it in the microwave. I usually put it in for 30 seconds at a time at full power. I take care to stir it in between microwaving it and often stop it shortly before everything is completely melted, knowing the final small lumps will melt as I stir. Each microwave is different and your melting times might be different to mine. I know this isn’t conventional or the best method, but it is by far the most convenient! I always microwave my chocolate to melt it (a double-cooker is the correct tool) and rarely use bakers chocolate, but know that if you use regular milk chocolate it will only melt once. So you have to work quick, before it sets.
- Fill your tray with chocolate, stopping two milimeters before you get to the top.
- Sprinkle the tray with the nuts and cranberries and lightly press each star to ensure that the toppings will set in the chocolate.
- Leave the chocolate to fully set.
- Once it is set, turn out the stars and dust the top of each chocolate with gold dust.
- Store in a cool spot in an air-tight container.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
I was never the biggest fan of banana bread, or bananas for that matter, until I found this recipe. I’ve made a few changes to it over the years, but now I think it is perfect!
It is fair to say that I have a few hang-ups regarding bananas, as I love artificial banana flavoured things (Beacon’s Fruit Salad sweets come to mind) but I don’t love bananas themselves and the idea of a warm banana freaks me out! They’re okay when eaten slightly green, but after that they just become a slimy mess with an overpowering taste. So I made this recipe with two ripe bananas, not overripe, and the end result has just a hint of banana. Perfect for those of us who believes that bananas only has a small window of time during which they are edible.
Lemon Drizzle Cake
This lemon drizzle cake has been a massive success in our house, so much so that I’ve received numerous requests to bake this again soon! I have never actually had a lemon drizzle cake before, so maybe I’m not the best judge, but from my husband feedback I’ll chalk this up as a big success. This is one of those super quick recipes that you could easily whip up on a whim, likely from ingredients already in your pantry.
Cheats Carbonara
I love all things Italian, especially food. Crusty breads, warm pizzas and creamy pastas are just a few of many things that I dream about. Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with a traditional carbonara, I love this lighter varient that was born when I combined two of my faves (alfredo and carbonara) with some fresh herbs. I think some of the best recipes can be born out of need. In this instance I simply didn’t have enough cream left over for a alfredo sauce and since then I’ve purposefully recreated this recipe a few times as we love the intense flavours and lighter sauce. If the raw egg in a traditional carbonara worries you, then read on to see how I make myself feel better about it.