Tuesday 27 April 2010

making...

I really don't know where the time has gone this past week, I've been meaning to post this for the last few days and just never managed the time...
As part of my 38 things post, one of the items on my list was to try out a new recipe each month, so for April with the thoughts of Easter not long past I thought I would indulge and try out the delicious sounding Chocolate and Hazelnut Torte. The recipe came from an old issue of Easy Living magazine and the best thing about it is there's no cooking involved! As you can see, my photos involve fruit in a bid to make it look less indulgent lol!
torte5
tore4

Chocolate and Hazelnut Torte
100g (3.5 oz) plain biscuits
150g (5oz) dark chocolate broken into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp castor sugar
100g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter
100g (3.5 oz) shelled hazelnuts toasted and coarsely chopped
cocoa powder for dusting

* Grease a 18cm (7inch) springform (i just used a normal tin) cake tin with butter and line base with baking paper
* Lightly crush biscuits into uneven pieces (use a bag and a rolling pin!)
* Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, you may need to stir
* Put egg, egg yolk, vanilla and sugar in a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer beat for 4-5minutes or until mix is pale and thick
* Melt butter then add it to the egg mixture in a steady stream while beating at high speed
* Beat in the melted chocolate
* Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in the chopped nuts and crushed biscuits until combined
* Pour mix into cake tin, spreading it evenly and gently
* Let chocolate cool
* Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight until firm
* Dust with cocoa powder and eat - yum!

Monday 19 April 2010

ordinary magic...

This weekend I've had a fascination with ordinary magic. Just the kind you get from seeing the ordinary things around you in a different light. I swear I could take photos all day long and nothing could make me happier...
all about the orange...
tangerine dreams...20/365
two...

I've also been playing this cd endlessly and it's got inside my head. Go check out the link and see what I mean. I also love the video that she has on her site with the sea and the birds - just perfect...

Thursday 15 April 2010

little bits of green...

I just noticed when I was uploading some photos that I seem to have a thing about green and white at the moment. There's something quite spring like about this colour combination and it's especially nice when it's paired with a little sunshine.
sun, book, bliss...
bookworm..17/365.
pudding...18/365
Oh and the apples were today's 365 photo on flickr, (see the side bar) after dinner tonight I'm going to do baked apples with brown sugar, butter, raisins and walnuts - delicious...

Sunday 11 April 2010

smitten by hearts...

This week I've been smitten by hearts which started when my new shed arrived and I found a little heart inside. Today I've been playing with paper hearts, though I'm not sure what my neighbour thought as I was pegging them on the clothes line!
i heart sheds...13/365
sunday hearts...
so this is sunday...
I hope you've all had a lovely weekend - whatever you've been up to!

Friday 9 April 2010

busy, busy...

This past week, I feel like I've been so busy that I might meet myself coming in the opposite direction - that's what happens when you take some holiday from work...
gone1
* Got my hair cut **
* Attended a 90th birthday party
* Cooked and ate scallops for the first time
* Painted a room
* Painted a floor
* Weeded 2 beds in my garden
* Ordered some seeds
* Painted a garden fence
* Finally took my library books back
* Which meant a fine £6.07 -ouch!

Really -It's less hard work being at at work lol!
** It's difficult to tell in this photo how long my hair was but it fell a few inches past my shoulders and now it's a jaw length bob.

Monday 5 April 2010

eggy delights...

speckled...7/365
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eggs
It's amazing how much fun can be had with some eggs, a glass and a pink carrier bag! Hope you all had a lovely Easter!

Thursday 1 April 2010

how do you like yours?...

easter

Just a quick post; as I'm off to my in-laws for the weekend and there is no internet, (boo!) I just wanted to wish you all a lovely Easter and thank you for your kind comments on my previous post. When I get back I'm going to look at some of the things on my list and begin to make a start.

Oh and the answer to the question - is that I like mine to be chocolate!!