FEW DAYS AGO….

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Only few days have passed since Xmass. The right time to turn back to the memories, which made laugh, smile and to those I surly want forget. I like to spend the Christmas Eve at home, but we staid at my brothers in law house this time – will be the first thing ill remember!!! Why? Well I had no rush while preparing the dinner this time J.

The second - hanging up the Christmas three two days earlier – how cool was that. AND!!!! The first time in my life I bought this shiny and color full Christmas decorations – very untraditional in my case.

The third – the gift I was most happy about – little Monchhichi monkey for little Mia – which made my self more happy then her i think…..well plenty of my childhood memories come along with this tong sucking monkey.

The forth – Eastern in Xmass – my girls have decided to paint RAW eggs…no comment!

The fifth – my beloved Macrons – got afraid I want have time to get them ready this year – but YES I did!

The sixth – lovely gift from my dear husband and my mum…….. They made me really happy J

But the best memory of all will be……………..the warm feeling of being surrounded with the ones I love the most!

CHESTNUT PRALINES…..

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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……

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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!!!   

IN LOVE WITH CHESTNUTS

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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!