CHESTNUT PRALINES…..

*******

It is about all the sweet and delicious cakes, biscuits and pralines before X-mass. One of my favorites is my own creation of small pralines with chestnuts, rum, marzipan and dried plums.

Here is the recipe:

250g of chestnut puree

150g of marzipan

15 dried plums

4 spoons of rum

200 – 250g of dark chocolate glaze

Cut the dried plums in to small peaces – aprox. one plum in to 3 smaller peaces. Wrap the plum bit in marzipan and make a little ball of it. Mix chestnut puree with rum, and use as second wrapping for the marzipan ball. Melt the chocolate glaze in steam bath. Dive all small chestnut balls in to the chocolate – one after another. Let them dry on a baking paper. You may also switch dried plums with dried cherries. To make the taste more rummy – you may let the dried fruit in rum over night before preparation. Decorate the pralines before the chocolate dries……use your fantasy for the decoration.

Store in cold place, or put in to the freezer – they last for ages!!!!!

Bon apetit!!!! J

FUNKY GINGERBREAD……

******

This post was supposed to by about our past years X-mass decorations and the one we are going to have this year. Well – the tree is not standing yet (daddy has been very busy all day long J!). There fore I have decided to move the decorations for tomorrow. There are plenty things to do and prepare anyway. Spending time in the grocery store in the morning, I have been in a very funky mood – no stress at all - comparing to all the people around me. Everyone just grumpy and moody – I have been asking “Why?” all the time. They must have known that they want be the only ones deciding to go for the morning grocery shopping today. Never mind – I did not let anyone ruin my day!!!! Got everything I needed and left back home. We have had a big day with my girls today – painting gingerbread cookies. We do it every year. I always decide to go for the traditional white color – but not his year. I think the happy bride colors will rule our X-mass this year…………..and not only via gingerbread cookies………….lets see the result tomorrow, when the day light comes. Happy X-mass preparation to everyone!!!   

CARP FISH IN THE BATH…..

******

It may not be the tradition in every family, but in our family, we used to have a live carp fish in the bath before X-mass - till we grew up of course every year. I nearly forgot about how happy I used to be watching this big fish swimming in our bathroom. Today I got the phone call from my dear husband: “Shell we not buy a carp fish for the little ones my dear?”….. What a brilliant idea!!!!  Girls have been so surprised and happy. And the best part – the fish want end up on the X-mass table, but in our small garden lake – very satisfying!!!!

IN LOVE WITH CHESTNUTS

*******

I can judge my self as a small cooking freak. I love to cook and to bake – it is a kind of real relax for me. Especially now before X-mass it becomes a real time for letting all the work and stress behind. I´m always looking forward for this time for my self – I now officially declare it for my second passion, right after photography (well and also sportsJ!). I found this great chestnut tart recipe in one of the cooking blogs I follow -  Dulce de Leche – you my find it here:  http://www.dulce-de-leche-blog.com/2012/12/gastanovo-cokoladova-torta.html.

And I immediately fell in love with this cake! Heaps of chestnuts, chocolate, bit of rum, no flour at all – which is amazing!!!!! So crunchy from the outside, but soft and delicious from the inside at the same time.  Just top it with a big spoon of fresh wiped cream! YUM!!!! Had not even time to shoot some pictures of some nice portion……the cake was gone in 5 minutes J!

READY FOR X-MASS?

********

One week before X-mass – the time flies – unbelievable. I can’t imagine Christmas without preparations and baking. We do it every year together with one of my best friends Barborka. This year is kind of funny – being pregnant again – it gets little bit harder for me to bake sweets 12 hours in the road J. I will remember this years baking for many years, as my little one had to stay in hospital this morning. Nothing serious, but I wasn’t expecting the doctors to make such decision. I can’t be with her; because of my pregnancy (they don’t allow it in fear of infections …… which is understandable). There fore I have been running between the phone and cakes! I hope to have her and my dear husband home as soon as possible – they should not stay there longer than 2 days (hopefully!!)………..well have to take it positive – better to go trough something like this now, than to have ruined X-mass!

WINTER IS COMMING...

*******

We can call it „the first winter weekend” of this year. Spending time with my family and friends and having fun in the lands. Just have a look tomorrow…….my next post want be anything for vegetarians…….but it will be about tradition and nice time in circle of my dear family…..keep in touch!!!

LOVELY MORNING ON 6th OF DECEMBER!

********

I adore St. Nicolas day! I did when I was little, because of my believe, that there is a nice old grand pa bringing sweets in the night, and I do today…..because of my kids! To see those little faces in the morning, how they gently and quite observe the gifts, touching everything with huge respect and happiness. Its worth every minute!!! Only pity is that they have to wake up so early in the morning – I always prepare the sweets in our winter garden, which gets normally plenty of light, but at 6.15 am it looked more than a night party to themJ. Never mind – they can’t wait to come home from school and kindergarten to have a better look on their sweet surprise. The biggest surprise is the advent calendar from LOVELY LITTLE SOMETHING I both last year – one stocking for every day, with a little surprise in it!!!!

Even my dear husband left his boot for St. Nicolas at the window – some things does not change even if you get older J

My private sweet St. Nicolas has been expecting me in my office in the morning….just love this day!

 If you wish to see more of the beautiful Lovely Little Something gifts, just visit following FB profile:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Lovely-Little-Something/167022676725339?fref=ts