Balsamic and Maple Brussel Sprouts

Are you dreading sprouts tomorrow (why?! they might be my favourite thing about Christmas dinner, in fact we have a wreath made of paper sprouts)  then I am here to save the day. I found this recipe on Nutrition Stripped a couple of years ago and have been using it regularly ever since. I’ve made a few tweaks over the years but it never lets me down. Excuse the picture, I was too desperate to eat them.



Ingredients:

• 1 kg of brussel sprouts
• 1 cup of red grapes
• 0.25 cup of maple syrup
• 0.25 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp or more of pine nuts
• 1 tbsp of garlic infused olive oil (or olive oil and two cloves of minced garlic)
• 1.5 tbsp of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C.
2. Place the sprouts and grapes into a large baking dish.
3. In a small bowl mix together the syrup, vinegar and garlic oil.
4. Pour over the sprouts and use a large spoon to make sure they are all coated.
5. Sprinkle pine nuts and fresh thyme over them, followed by salt and pepper.
6. Roast for 45 minutes or until soft inside and browned outside.
7. Serve with your dinner of choice this festive season. 

 Merry Christmas you lovely people!

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Gingerbread Syrup

I wanted to share this quickly before our train to beautiful Scotland for Christmas. Are you worried that you won’t be able to have your gingerbread latte in the new year? Don’t worry, make your own gingerbread syrup (and even better your own lattes so that you don’t spend all that money in well-known coffee chains). If making lattes then you’ll want a stove top, a milk frother and some finely ground coffee ( I am a big Pact coffee fan). Make your coffee, heat and froth your milk, then pour your syrup into your cup followed by the milk and coffee. BAM. Christmas in your mouth.

Midnight and Mistletoe at Cedarwood Lodge

Christmas has come early!! Rebecca Raisins’s final book in the Cedarwood Lodge trilogy has come out and my gosh what a finale, I loved it!! I read it in two days but only because I had to go to work.

I want to live in every ‘world’ Rebecca creates and be friends with all of the characters. If you need a Christmas read, buy all three Cedarwood Lodge books, get a mulled wine and a chair by the fire; Christmas sorted.

Christmas Gift DIY: Gingerbread Jars

I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone! It has flown by and my gosh it has been a busy one. Especially the last 6 months. But I have finally made it online to blog (after meaning to do so properly every weekend for the last three months) to share with you a simple DIY Christmas gift idea. If you are anything like me this year, you are totally unprepared. I didn’t even make my Christmas cakes until November! Given how busy I have been, I decided to make my Christmas hampers a little less labour-intensive. These were top of my list to try and these custom spoons are the star of the show, in my opinion, I ordered them from Auntie Mims, along with some other custom bits and pieces (and no they didn’t ask me to say that, I just love their products). Follow them on Twitter for a discount code.

Brides and Bouquets Blog Tour!

Christmas is coming, wooohoooo!!! Check this festive cover out, it is gorgeous:

Brides & Bouquets

Cedarwood Lodge #2

By Rebecca Raisin

Releasing November 24

HQ Digital

Celebrations & Confetti – Rebecca Raisin

Somehow, she has done it again. Everytime Rebecca writes a book, or even a series of books (she is prolific – thank goodness, I can hardly wait as it is) and I don’t see how she can do it better or differently, she does. Rebecca’s books are my happy place. Every single one of them. I love them all. Whilst Cee Cee and Lil from the Gingerbread Cafe will always be my favourites (they were my first Rebecca Raisin books), all over the characters, settings and stories have such a place in my heart. I love them all. This book is no exception. Rebecca’s ability to write down to Earth, relatable and loveable characters amazes me. She is one of those people who just gets people. She also manages to write the type of books where you wish every single one of them was your life. I genuinely don’t know how she does it, or why you haven’t bought all of them yet.

Gianduja Gelato

(Pssst! Gianduja is basically the official name for what we call Nutella) Somehow, it is October! Which may not seem the ideal time of year to share an ice cream recipe but in my opinion there is never a bad time to eat ice cream; breakfast, lunch, dinner, January, July, November. Plus there is something very autumnal about hazelnuts and chocolate. My favourite flavour of ice cream is Hazelnut, there is nothing greater on this Earth. This recipe, however, is for Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate and is pretty damn amazing too. I will be using the method minus the chocolate to make Hazelnut Gelato. This recipe is from my ice cream oracle, David Lebovitz‘s – The Perfect Scoop but I subbed the milk chocolate for  dark chocolate, just a personal choice, and make sure it is good quality chocolate with a minimum of 30% cocoa solids, whatever you choose.