The winter drink

The last two rainy days have made me reach for my hot chocolate jar again.

This is my quick method hot chocolate - obviously melting good quality chocolate and milk over the stove is gorgeous but late at night when I want to take a drink with me to bed, this has been it. You can make it sweeter but this is my perfect mix.



My hot chocolate

1 cup good quality cocoa
1 cup brown / demerera sugar
1 cup milk powder (you get fat-free)
good pinch of salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (can omit but makes it taste amazing)

Stir all together and place in a container. Mine has been decorated by Miss Ruby.

To serve simply place three heaped teaspoons in a mug and top with hot water. I like a little extra milk on top (like you would have with tea) or you can make it creamier with half milk and half water (but then you need to heat your milk).

We love it and it doesn't have odd ingredients lurking in it. Enjoy!

A secret project

What a mess it was - and I got a blister on my hand. Hopefully it will all be worth it... and more importantly that it will be ready for Christmas!!

My favourite Babysitter

I wish every family had a Babysitter that is this ardent about her non-paying job (well... she does get supper) and can babysit during the week! Kin like this is a gift from above.

She is fun and firm (when necessary), a winning combination and Rebecca loves her. Thanks for last night!

Bees

The swarm of bees came down from the farmlands. I heard them before I saw them. A thick smallish black cloud descended on our herb patch and over all the nearby flowering trees.
I told Rebecca to go indoors and every now and again we peeped to the back to have a look at the fascinating feeding going on (I didn't take a picture for fear of getting them annoyed - being stung is no fun).

Later I went outside as I thought they had left and found the large group quietly on the ground. It looked like siesta-time, so we left them alone. In the morning they were gone.

A veggie omelette

A perfect omelette filling... spring onion, spinach, tomatoes, corn & chilli - saute together just to combine (not cook)... then season to taste and add to your omelette. Roll up and tuck in. A little sprinkle of cheese would also not go amiss. This is so delicious. I don't normally finish my omelette's but I did this one.

"How about Mozzerella, Bella?"

What do you eat at home after a week of Italian food? You make your wife the last memorable quick meal you ate in Venice. You create a superlative Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato toasted wholewheat sandwich for dinner, which tastes like summer.

And she eats it with gusto, thinking about the Italian sunshine.

Friday night pudding

I've made this dessert lots of times especially when I'm pressed for time - its super easy and delicious and can be made in the morning or even the night before and covered with cling wrap and hidden in the fridge until needed. Its hardly a recipe, more of a guideline on layering.



First it's leftover cake (lamingtons - my favourite, chocolate cake or even a bought vanilla sponge) broken up and placed in a pretty deep dish.
Sprinkle it with sherry or apple juice.
Spread with a layer of chocolate mousse (sometimes I make my own, sometimes I buy)
Spread a layer of fruit e.g raspberries, strawberries - gooseberries are good with the vanilla cake, but then I would probably use a vanilla mousse.
Finally spread with a layer of cream.
Decorate with a sprinkle of almonds/grated chocolate/toasted coconut/light dusting of cocoa powder.

There are so many alternatives. Use custard instead of mousse or add a thin layer of caramel over the cake for a richer finish, before the mousse layer. You could use a double layer of fruit for a lighter taste (before and after the mousse) or replace half the cream with fat-free smooth cottage cheese (or mascarpone). Lightly poached pears are also sublime with the chocolate (or use a can in natural juice).

My uncle loved this the last time he was here. It's kind of a modern trifle. Yum!