Daring Bakers - December 2012

This is our last challenge for 2012...

Right in time for Christmas, our host Marcellina from Marcellina in Cucina chose a fine recipe for Panettone.

I have to admit that at first I was sceptical, because the ready made Panettone you can find in a super market is not very tasty, at least to me.
My husband likes it very much, though, so he was more thrilled for the challenge than me.

Well..... I am never buying panettone again!
This recipe is so good, that I will make it a Christmas standard. I really liked it. It is tasty, fragrant, dense.... I loved it and so did my husband.

I cut my dough in 4 pieces.

I filled 3 with cranberries and white chocolate chunks and I filled 1 with almonds, walnuts and cinnamon.

I don't have special panettone pans, so I used formula cans, which I lined with parchment paper.

There are only 3 shown here, because we ate one practically from the oven!

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The almonds - walnuts panettone I dusted with confectioner's sugar!

Marcellina thank you for this challenge!
You managed to change my opinion on panettone.


It has been a wonderful year and I cannot wait to see what recipes 2013 will bring us!!!!!!

Survival Kit for a new mom!

A friend of mine was about to have a baby some time ago.

I didn't want to buy something for the baby just yet, so I thought it would be a good idea to give the new mom a little something.
We will give a present to the baby later, now it is the moment of the mom!

A hospital survival kit sounded like a nice present, which I made myself.
I was inspired by my own experience at the hospital and what I thought was necessary for me.

So I put in the bag a hand cream, a hand sanitizer, a nail file, a nail polish in a nude colour, caramels, make up remover wet tissues, a couple of healthy bars, earplugs, a lip moisturizer, a hair band and some elastic bands.

Since she was having a boy, I kept the colours at a "boy" theme.

Thankfully she liked it!

She had a healthy little baby boy and we are all so happy for the new parents!!!!

Office Outfit of the week!

 

I know, it is rather casual, but on Fridays I don't feel like
dressing more "serious"...

"New" blouse!

I have a few blouses from Zara, all the same model, but in different colours.

When I find an item that fits well and I like it a lot, then I try to buy more than one piece.

This particular top has a V-neck, no sleeves and it is draped in front. I have it in white, black, grey, red, beige, light blue, blue... (it also covers some problematic areas....)

When my white one got a bit worn, it showed on the neckline. So, instead of throwing it or using it as a duster, I thought why not up-cycle it?

This is what I did:
This is my grey top, just to show you how the neckline was originally.

 

 This is my finished white top.

I sewed a black transparent ribbon all around, with black thread. Then I got whatever I had around, but in a certain colour group.
Using thin satin ribbons I made flowers and placed here and there beads in several sizes and colours. Also, I added a piece of leather lace!

A little closer for details.

It is easy, plain, simple and it totally transformed my top!

I don't like throwing things away. I always try to think of ways to re-use them!

Choc Chip ..... Sugar Cookies!!!!!!

I have a passion for sugar cookies ...

If someone asks me what do you want for dessert, I will say sugar cookies. No cake, no mousse, no nothing, only these lovele buttery vanilla (most of the times!) smelling cookies!

This is what I made a few days ago.

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Chocolate Chip cookies + Sugar cookies = What is there not to like?

I used dark chocolate chips, but next time: MILK chocolate chips!!!!!

Do these come in Atkins? (I am crying right now...)