DIY Christmas | chocolate orange truffles.

I'm starting a new series of blog posts called 'DIY Christmas'. I'm a bit late time be talking about Christmas gifts & decorations but this is my first year doing this kind of thing so I'm just documenting the things that I've enjoyed making, ready for people to get ideas for next year! (Can't believe I just spoke about NEXT Christmas when it's only 18th December!)

This first post is about chocolate orange truffles and how to make them. I stumbled across this recipe online and as a sucker for anything chocolate-orange, I had to try making them. The end product was great and I though what a great Christmas gift these would make! We all know what it's like;  the major festive stress of who to buy gifts for. My family is huge and I physically could not afford to buy for everyone. However, I can afford to make them truffles! I'm making these for aunties, cousins, uncles, friends and anyone else who enjoys a sweet treat!

My plan is to make each person a little gift bag decorated with a luggage label with their name on, some ribbon and inside, four delicious truffles of two diffrrent flavours flavours.

To make about 30 chocolate orange truffles, you will need:

200g milk chocolate
1 large orange
100ml double cream

and that is it!

method:
melt the chocolate & cream together either in a bowl above (but not touching) simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave.

whilst this is melting, zest and juice an orange and pop contents into a small saucepan. bring to the boil, simmer until the sauce reduces to about a tablespoons worth.

Add the two liquids together and simply put into a container, making sure the mixture is at least 3cm deep. Pop into the fridge and leave to cool for 2-3 hours.

Once the truffle mixture has hardened slightly, use a melon baller or teaspoon to roll a small ball, shape in your hands and roll into a bowl of icing sugar. DONE!

You can decorate these however you like. I use eBay for all my crafty things ans have bought little cases for them which worked out super cheap. And the cellophane bags are from eBay too. Perfect for Christmas.

Cornish Beauty.

chocolate & banana muffins.

This is a Nigella Lawson recipe but can be altered.  Its really yummy, uses up fruit and is so quick and easy.

I don't even like bananas but love these so they must be good!

To make 12 of these muffins you will need:
3 ripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 medium eggs
225g plain flour
100g soft light brown sugar
45ml cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

First, preheat your oven to 200ºc/gas mark 6 and line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases.

Next, mash through bananas in a bowl and whilst still mashing, assumed the oil, eggs & sugar.

Sift altogether, the flour, bicarbonate & cocoa powder into through banana mixture and mix together gently.

Equally spoon the mixture into the cases and pop into the middle of the oven

Within a few minutes your house will be filled with a delightful scent and within 15-20 minutes your muffins will be ready!

Leave in the tray to cool a little before putting the muffins onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Cornish Beauty.

stop smoking | update #8

Today is 18th December & im pretty upset! The most useful tool in my stop smoking journey has been my NHS smokefree iPhone app. BUT my iPhone went to Apple heaven last week & I lost all my apps eek! Not impressed at all and I had to grab the cheapest contract phone quickly so I ended up with the Samsung Galaxy S3. It's okay but jee whizz I miss my iPhone!

But anyway! My point is that I lost my smokefree app which sucks as I used it so much. So, I have no idea how much money I've saved or how long exactly I've given up for. But I do know one thing: it's DAY 74!!!

Do you know what this means?! Over Christmas I would have given up for over 80 days. I'm incredibly happy with this!

Things are great in this department. Cravings are a minimum although don't be disillusioned; I DO still get them! My chest is feeling heaps better-not tight at all and I'm feeling fresher than ever!
So it's all good. I'm going to end this post here as there is not much to say other than I'm still a non-smoker ;)

I've got loads of health related plans for the new year!

Cornish Beauty.

one wish.

I've been having a SHIT few days and feeling rather miserable today. The older I get the more I notice how much people differ, but also how much I'm changing as a person. My opinions are getting stronger, I'm becoming more resilient but also the stakes are higher. This may sound vague but what I mean by saying the stakes are higher is that everything comes more important and there is more to loose. Emotions are more vivid and thoughts can be toxic if you're dying for something. But no-one can change the situation. If there even is a situation. When do you make yourself not be heartbroken and just forget and carry on. This sounds pathetic and really strange, I know but things have got to change, please? I'll do anything. Cornish Beauty

a Cornish Christmas.

Well, well, well. Against all belief, it is infact time to 'deck the halls with bells of holly'. I honestly can't believe it (sure I say this every year!) Is this time again! Sunday 9th December 2012, and the day we shall turn our home into Santa's grotto. We are pretty low-key Christmas people, especially when it comes to the decorations. But what we do have, I just love. We bought everything together when we moved into our first house and nor really changed much! First things first: I HATE coloured lights. Yellow/white all the way. Colours are just too tacky! Our tree is a 6ft (fake) slim line tree which is perfect for us, beautifully understated. With only gold/silver/cream/wood items hung from it. Most of the items are hand-made in Cornwall. We have some baulbals and instead of tinsel we prefer beads. Finally, we have beautiful gifts of tree decorations which makes it even more specular.

Other festive touches include 2x stockings,  hung on the fireplace of course.
Garland along our wooden beams & on the fireplace -a new addition this year courtesy of my mother-in-law :)

And another favourite is my home-made festive oranges! Large oranges stabbed with lots of whole clothes hung with a beautiful Christmas ribbon!

Our house looks so festive now, and this is our first Christmas in our cottage, which incidentally is made for this time of year! Starting to get excited for father Christmas coming now!

Cornish Beauty.

cornwall | lunch in Charlestown.

This Saturday saw me working a delightful shift of 26 hours (lovely) but luckily it was a pleasurable 26 hours and apart from the fact I was at work, it wasn't all that bad!

I was lucky enough to go to a near-by seaside town for lunch in one of my favourite restaurants. Wreckers is an understated independent restaurant in the village of Charlestown set back from the sea by about 50 yards with the most beautiful view. Charlestown is famous for the Tall Ships, real life 'pirate ships' I call them!!

Wreckers menu is simple but delicious and I was spoilt with the dough balls & balsamic vinegar dipping oil/mozzarella, pinenuts, sun ripened tomatoes & guacamole salad/home-made bakewell slice. Seriously good! I was pretty stuffed but completely satisfied after this feast and along with a drink this meal was a bargain at under £16!!!

Finished off with a Costa hot chocolate and a walk along a beach, today was a good (work) day.

Cornish Beauty.

PS sorry about the side-ways photos. I've got a new phone & have not figured this out yet!