Back to life, back to reality...

Apologies for such a long break since my last post, the reality of the real world hit. I have been working full-time for five weeks now, but I have to say I am enjoying the challenge and the satisfaction of feeling like you're contributing to something again.

The other reality is you must fit the rest of you life in to 'out of work' hours. This means a lot less time for baking, eating, socializing and going on adventures...One day I hope to perfect the concept of the work/life balance, but for now I think I am stuck on the seesaw.

 Anyway, on to more important things...

Something yummy...

Tamarillos are currently in season and our household can't get enough of them! They are so delicious. Their flavour really packs a punch and its followed by a subtle sweetness. To accentuate their sweetness I decided to use them instead of plums on top of Annabel Langbein's Vanilla Plum cake. I was a little worried about the juice running in to the cake but they turned out perfect.

Something not so yummy...

How disappointed was I when I tried the new Whittakers L&P chocolate bar! I usually love Whittakers but they really have missed the mark here.

I picked it up at the petrol station before battling the Friday night traffic on the Southern motorway. Oh what a bad choice! All you can taste is fake lemon essence - like the one you can buy at the supermarket. The only reason I ate the whole thing was because it was the only edible thing I had in the car, and after an hour on the road and only half way home I got bored.

The only positive thing I can say is that the popping candy is great fun. In my opinion though you're better off buying a Cadbury creations bar, at least it would be fun and taste good too. 

eating...'little and friday' treats & fabric browsing at Martha's

Today I had the pleasure of experiencing 'little and friday' and Martha's Furnishing Fabrics in New Market. 'Little and friday' have the most beautiful food, sweet or savory it is hard to decide. You actually want a few people in front of you to give you time to consider your options thoroughly before reaching the counter. 

I was looking for tonights dinner so I ended up with a blue cheese, beetroot and spinach quiche, an onion jam quiche, a chunky slab of chocolate and meringue yum yum slice, and a rhubarb and fig tart. Yum! 

Next time I have my eye on their old fashioned jam donuts and about ten other items of yumminess...

'Little and friday' sits inside Martha's Furnishing Fabrics and oh what fabrics! They have rolls and rolls of fabric in all colours and textures. Your imagination runs wild with ideas on how you could use each and every one. If only I had some basic sewing skills...

Martha's Furnishing Fabrics | No.12 Melrose street, Newmarket 

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday: 10am - 5pm | Saturday: 10am - 4pm | Sunday: 10am - 4pm 

heaven...The Chocolate Line by Dominique Persoone

After 11 months in Belgium I can not believe I only discovered The Chocolate Line two weeks before I am due to depart. 

What is The Chocolate Line you ask?...To say The Chocolate Line is just a chocolate shop is a huge understatement. It is founded by famous "shock-o-latier" Dominique Persoone and is 1 of just 3 chocolate shops in the Michelin Guide. The quality and variety of chocolates is out of this world. Edward Vanhoutte sums up the experience pretty well below. 

"Surprise yourself with exciting flavour contrasts, subtle aromas, and long undertones. Indulge your palette of flavours, broaden your chocolate experience and shock your expectations. Because nothing is what it seems." 

And this is exactly what we did. We decided to share a mixed box as the variety was just too overwhelming on the first visit. I have to say the only evidence I have of this is the empty box and menu guide. The excitement of each little chocolate got the better of me and my camera was forgotten. Luckily their website was well stocked with images of each tasty delight. I do not want to bore you with a description of each one so I have picked 3...

Love at first sight: "Apero"

It's bright green shell caught my eye immediately and once I had read the description I was sold. But when I bit into it the flavour blew all of my expectations. Sharp passion fruit and lime, sweet white chocolate and a naughty splash of vodka...what more could a girl ask for?

Surprising delight: "Italiaanse Javanais"

While these traditional Italian flavours are not what you would usually associate with chocolate, the

balance was just right and surprisingly delicious. The initial tang of the sun-dried tomato and olives is unusual to start with, but then you are left with the sweetness of the chocolate and basil and wondering why you had never thought to put this combination together before. 

On the list for next time: "Cebolla"

I think purely due to my upbringing this is a must for next time. What Onion farmers daughter could resist trying this intriguing combination? 

Yes that's right there will be a next time! I will definitely be squeezing in another visit to Brugge for another fix during my last week here. We will see if any last long enough to make it in to my suitcase...

Image source: Individual chocolate images from The Chocolate Line website. 

drinking...beer

Last weekend we decided to venture in to Brugge and attend their annual beer festival. With more than 65 breweries and 300+ beers there was a lot to see and sample! With a massive variety of blonde, brown, amber, and red beers it was hard not to find something to your liking. Some flavours even extending to banana and coconut for the more adventurous. But the highlight had to be trying the Westvleteren 12. Holding the reputation for years now as the best beer in the world we could not pass the opportunity by to give it a go. How was it you ask? Well it sure was flavoursome, and as far as darker beers go pretty easy drinking. Maybe not something I would consume on a regular basis (especially when you come across it in a bar it costs a cool €30 a bottle) but a tasty beer no less. I think the real gold behind this great beer is that it has a brilliant story...

The Westvleteren Brewery is a Belgian brewery which was founded in 1838 inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren. The quantity of beer brewed is only enough to financially support and run the monastery, no extra will be produced regardless of demand. So if you were thinking it might make it to a store near you soon you are sadly mistaken.

"As every man we must be able to live. So we have to try to earn our living and let others share in what we have to abstain from. Indeed, we have to live 'from' and 'with' our brewery. But we do not live 'for' our brewery. This must be strange for business people and difficult to understand that we do not exploit our commercial assets as much as we can. We are no brewers. We are monks. We brew beer to be able to afford being monks." Father Abbot, Westvleteren Brewery.

love...fresh as

I used Fresh As raspberry powder to flavor the icing for my chocolate and raspberry layer cake (recipe here) and have become a big fan.

Fresh As source high quality, ripe and sweet fruit and then freeze-dry it to produce intensely flavoured fruits and powders. You can add the powders to icings, smoothies, or in my opinion just about anything that needs a little flavour kick. They suggest dipping the whole/sliced fruits into chocolate, crumbling them over ice cream or adding to your cereal. You can find their retailer list here or purchase from their online store here.

Can't wait until I get back and can try out the rest of the range!

reading...A Painted House

Rating 4/5...

I really enjoyed this book. It is not a typical John Grisham legal thriller which is probably why I liked it. Set on a cotton farm in Arkansas in 1952, A painted House is told in the first-person through the eyes of seven year old Luke Chandler. Living in a small, unpainted house with his parents and grandparents, and required to pick cotton for long hours of the day, Luke dreams of better places and bigger things. The yearly hiring of "Hill people" and Mexicans as seasonal pickers disrupts the normal flow of life on the farm. Luke, a curious kid, experiences some misadventures that lead him to keep secrets that are too heavy for a seven year old.