Chocolate Tasting at Luisa's Vegan Chocolates in Sneinton Market

A couple of weeks ago I was invited along, to sit in on the first ever chocolate tasting at Luisa's Vegan Chocolates in Sneinton Market.

I have been chatting to Luisa for several months now, she is a really lovely person with a passion for creating wonderful chocolate. All her chocolates are made with a range of indulgent natural ingredients, and can be enjoyed in the knowledge that the beans used are traceable back to their  farms. This direct trade ensures the farmers are paid a fair price, enabling them to support their families and empower local communities. 


Luisa's unique 'Bean-to-Bar' production process allows her to be in full control at every stage of the journey, resulting in chocolate that is not only delicious to eat but ethically produced. 

A new experience concept from Luisa; the tasting is an opportunity to sample the chocolates in her delightfully decorated studio in Sneinton Market. Beautiful pictures from the farms that supply her business adorn the walls and the intoxicating aroma of fresh chocolate being conched envelops you.

The session starts with Luisa and business partner Martin explaining all about the cacao beans, where they come from and how they are processed ready for roasting. It is a really complex process and one about which I had no idea. 

Learning about the soil that the beans are grown in allows you to understand how the complex flavours are created. Luisa tells us:

"The volcanic islands we source our beans from are the perfect natural environment for cocoa beans, with the tropical climate and richness of minerals in the soil allowing for sustainable growth of the cocoa bean. "

The chocolates were given to us to taste in both their liquid and solid form and the difference in flavour between the two states was amazing, Martin went on to explain why this was the case and it really opened up my eyes as to how the flavours develop when you eat chocolate.

Once you are suitably full of delicious samples and armed with knowledge of their Bean-to-Bar production process, Luisa and Martin send you on your way armed with more chocolate to eat at home. It was a really wonderful experience and well worth a visit for any chocolate lover.

It's hard to decide which one I loved the most because quite frankly, I loved them all!! The 'Casholate', made with cashew milk, is without a doubt a game changer and I love it, maybe a little too much as I can easily polish off a bar in one sitting!!

The tasting sessions cost £35pp and would make the perfect gift for a loved one or friend who loves chocolate. You can find out more over on her website or Instagram page.

A Look at Sneinton Market in Nottingham

Back in its hay day Sneinton Market in Nottingham was considered one of the best markets in the county, a Penny Lane style market that was always busy. Chat to any member of my family and you will hear stories of how great it was.

With the rise of the supermarket though, places such as Sneinton Market became run down and a hub for vandalism and up until a few years ago it was a sad site for the most part.

But with lots of small businsses making a come back, we are now lucky enough to see the start of the regeneration of this once thriving part of Nottingham.
Blend coffee shop has become my favourite haunts for a coffee, cake and yummy toasties. It is a really family friendly place and has an outside area for those warmer days. They also serve a great selection of beers and ciders.

Blend has been host to outdoor cinemas and events and have really helped to bring the area along. Then with the opening of the Fox and Grapes it means that even more of the rundown areas of the market were being regenerated.

Now we have The Watered Garden, Neon Raptor Brewery, Luisa's Vegan Chocolates as well as lots of other small independent shops, food outlets, and popup shops. Add to that some really great street art and it is beginning to look like somewhere people will start to flock too once again.

There are lots of pop up markets both in the square and in the lanes, I purchased a beautiful ring from eLaTion Jewellery last weekend, a lovely lady who has some really beautiful items and this was a lovely way to showcase her jewellery.

In fact this weekend the lanes are host to the Nottingham Craft Beer Festival, a celebration of local beers from some of the great new breweries that have been popping up all over this county in the past few years. So if you like craft beer and are a bit lost for something to do this weekend then there are three sessions to choose from on Friday and Saturday. Plus, you’ll be supporting lots of local crafts people doing what they do best.

This area is a wonderful place to meet friends and have a wander, parking is usually relatively easy with a car park just over the road (first hour free) as well as on street parking, there is also a lovely park and even Stonebridge City Farm within easy reach too. 

Top 5 Easy Easter Activities

With an early Easter this year, there is no better time to think of some bright colourful springtime activities to do with the children, especially on the colder and wetter days.

So, I have put together our top five super easy Easter activities.

Easter Bonnets

These don't have to be expensive, most shops have reasonably priced hats now, or you could make some out of cardboard and tissue paper. We opted for some pre made hats with the addition of some feathers, little chicks, sheep and ribbons.

We started by wrapping the ribbon round the hat, using some sticky dots to attach it, then added on some tissue paper grass and the chicks, sheep and feathers. The sticky dots make it easier for the children to do this themselves, no mess which is always a plus.

Once you've finished your creation you are all ready for Easter and any parades you might have to go to.

Sweetie Filled Carrots

These easy to make sweetie filled carrots are the perfect addition to an Easter party or just as something different to put sweets in for your children on Easter morning.

To make them, all you need is some A4 orange and green card. To start, cut the orange card in half and then roll into a cone shape. Then, stick down with some tape or glue, you may need to clip with a peg until the glue is dry as the card springs back quite easily, if you had some cute easter themed washi tape this would look good too. 

Next, cut off the overhang at the top of the card to make the top of the carrot a circle, then using the green card or some green tissue paper to make yourself a green carrot stalk and stick this in place on the carrot. Now, unless you are intending to fill with lots of eggs, pop some tissue paper or shredded paper in the bottom of the cone and just place some eggs on top.

You could make smaller versions of the carrots by using a quarter of the card or any old bits of card you have lying around, these carrots could also be used as a prize at the end of an easter egg hunt.

Easter Cakes

I love baking with the children, it's a great way of getting them to help me in the kitchen and they can also enjoy the fruits of their labour afterwards. These are almost too easy but they look cute and can be altered to suit everyones tastes, cornflake cakes are by far the easiest of things to make, even for the non-bakers. You'll need chocolate (I use milk), cornflakes, chocolate mini eggs and some cake cases.

Take some chocolate, 200g should do it and melt in a heatproof bowl over some water, once melted add in some cornflakes, no real amount here just keep going until they are all coated and you've mixed them into all of the chocolate.

Once you've mixed all of the cornflakes into the chocolate, place a large spoonful into each cake case, add a few eggs onto each cake and then pop in the fridge to cool and harden.

Serve on a pretty plate at an easter party or just because!

Easter Tree

Each year we have an Easter Tree, don't ask why but we love to decorate a branch or piece of tree we've found with some easter decorations we've either made or found in a shop. It's a simple way of adding a little fun and colour to our home and has definitely become a tradition.

This year I have chosen some pussy willow branches as our tree, we already had a few branches from a winter bouquet so I bought a few more from a local florist. We would normally find a branch from a tree on one of our walks but as these looked so great we used them instead. 

We have some little felt chickens and wooden eggs to add this year, I will add a few more as I find them and we will be making some more over the next few weeks.

Easter Egg Hunt

I love to do Easter Egg Hunts for the children, we don't go overboard on chocolate and just do a few eggs for them to find around the garden, but they love it and if the weather is fine it is the perfect way to get them out in the garden first thing to enjoy the morning sun.

You can buy cheap Easter egg hunt kits from places like Asda for about £1.50, and with some fillable eggs you can add your own chocolates or healthy treats or even something completely different, some little toys or pieces of a puzzle maybe.

These are just a few but there is so much more you can do, whether inside the home or out and about. 

If you are in Nottingham then Rufford Abbey have an Easter trail, you pay £1 and they give you a sheet to follow round the gardens. Once you've found all of the clues you get a chocolate, an easy way to get out and about an enjoy some fresh air and join in the Easter fun without having to set it all up yourself.

Why not check out your local garden centres and some of your favourite spots to visit, they usually have something on, either over Easter weekend or during half term.

I have started a Pinterest page with some of my favourite activites from other fellow bloggers too, there is some great inspiration.

Follow The Mummy Diary's board Easter Activities on Pinterest.

Gluten Free Creme Egg Brownie

I have been trying to eat less wheat and gluten in my diet, it doesn't agree with me and makes me feel lethargic and to be honest not that great. I do however love cake so have been trying hard to find recipes for gluten free cakes that taste great, are easy to make and will also be eaten by family too.

These brownies are great on their own but with the addition of creme eggs make the perfect easter treat, pretty certain the addition of anything else chocolate related would be great.

Ingredients:

225g Unsalted Butter
225g Dark Chocolate (70% minimum)
3 Medium eggs
200g Caster Sugar ( I use golden)
1tsp Vanilla Essence
175g Ground Almonds
Creme Eggs, mixture of full size and mini or just full size if you prefer, cut in half.

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 170°C, line a 23cm square baking tin with tin foil or baking parchment.

2. Break up the chocolate and cut the butter into small squares, place in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted, set aside to cool a little.

3. Whilst the chocolate mixture cools, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence together until it is smooth and creamy in texture, you can use a hand whisk for this.

4. Once whisked, slowly pour the chocolate into the egg mixture and keep stirring, you can use a spatular to do this, folding in the chocolate and egg until combined.

5. Fold in the ground almonds until completely combined and then pour into the lined baking tin.

6. Place the creme eggs equally over the top of the brownie, best to think about how you are going to be cutting it up into pieces.

7 Place in the centre of the oven for around 25-30 minutes, it should be set on top and a skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle should come out with a little of the mixture attached to it. It will continue to cook in the tin and you want it nice and gooey so don't leave until it is too dry.

8. Using the tin foil you should be able to lift out of the tin without too much effort, whilst it is still warm use a knife to cut into squares.

These gooey and tasty brownies make the perfect treat and are great for any creme egg lovers, served warm with a scoop of ice cream or simply with a cup of tea.

Please note the ingredients I used were all checked to be gluten free, please ensure you do the same.

Brigadeiro - Chocolate Truffle Recipe

This recipe isn't my own but one my hubby's aunty told me about a few weeks back, she has lived in America for many years and recently came back to live in the UK and it is a favourite over there.

It is a really simple recipe:

1 tin of sweetened condensed milk (larger size about 397ml)

3 tablespoons of cocoa

15 g butter
Spinkles
Oil to grease hands

Method:

1. Place the condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder into a saucepan and heat for approximately 10-15 minutes stirring all the time, the mixture should thicken after about 10 minutes and come away from the sides and start to form a ball.

2. Leave to cool until it is cool enough to handle, rub a little oil onto your hands and then take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a ball.

3. Once shaped like a ball roll in the desired topping, I chose chocolate and Christmas sprinkles but you could use coconut, cocoa powder, crushed biscuits anything you like. Place in some petit four cases and serve, or you could wrap in little boxes and give as gifts.

What is your favourite Christmas treat?

Busy Breakfasts & Mid Morning Snacks

BelVita have been a favourite in our house for quite some time now, whether it is a quick brekkie for mum or a pre school snack for the kids.

Sometimes if I am in a rush, rather than skipping breakfast I grab a packet of belVita, they are perfect for eating with a coffee and not only are they tasty, they fill you up too.

Being in separate packets they are perfect to pop into a bag for the journey to work or for a busy day doing school drop offs and visiting relatives. They are also my favourite snack to pack on a trip out for the day, allowing everyone to have something to fill them up until we get to our destination.

Slow release energy means that they release carbohydrates over several hours, although not a substitute for a balanced breakfast, these are certainly a better option than skipping breakfast.

I also pop a packet into my lunch bag for a mid morning snack. Munching in these helps me last through tip lunchtime.

These new crunchy biscuits are a bit thicker than the original so not as easy for smaller mouths to eat, but they are as tasty, and with three flavours to choose from there is something for chocolate and fruit lovers alike.

My personal favourite is the chocolate, but I have a sweet tooth so it's not surprising really! The apricot ones have lovely chewy pieces of apricot in and still offer some sweetness for those who aren't too keen on chocolate. The hazelnut are also really tasty and great with a mid morning cup of tea.

BelVita are a definite #morningwin for me and a great addition to my morning routine.

This post is an entry for #MorningWin Linky Challenge sponsored by belVita Breakfast. Learn more at http://bit.ly/belVitaUK

Naniamo Bars - Tried and Tested

I was recently approached by the people at Baking Mad to see if I’d be interested in trying one of their recipes in return for some baking goodies, not one to turn anything baking related away and loving a challenge I agreed.

I had a look through their massive collection of recipes, including cake recipes, traybakes, and sweets and chose something I had seen before but never tried.

The recipe sounded yummy and not too simple, meaning I could challenge my baking skills.

You can find the instructions over on the Baking Mad website but here is my take on the ingredients, as a few of my family don’t like walnuts, it still worked well though.

Ingredients:

For the Base
75g Unsalted Butter 
100g Dark chocolate 
75g Digestive biscuits finely crushed 
75g Dessicated Coconut 
75g Flaked Almonds

For the Filling
1 Egg yolk
1tbsp Whole Milk 
1tsp Custard powder 
100g Unsalted Butter
Vanilla extract a few drops (I use Nielsen-Massey) 
150g Icing sugar (I use Silver Spoon) 

For the Topping

125g Dark chocolate

There is a really useful Enter Bake Mode on the Baking Mad website, which allows you to view the instructions whilst displaying the ingredients needed for that step.

Melting the butter and whizzing up the digestive biscuits...

Making the base...

Making the filling...

Adding the top...

Naniamo Bars are a Canadian treat and well quite frankly a resounding success, we all enjoyed it and anyone who saw them wanted to know what the recipe was. The perfect treat to have with a nice cup of tea.

 NB: I was sent some baking goodies by Baking Mad, the rest of the ingredients were paid for by myself and I have received no other compensation for doing this..

Hot Chocolate, My Raison D'être

Okay so my children are my reason for being, my first, my last, my everything and I suppose I had better include my husband in that list.

But of all the inanimate things in the world Hot Chocolate is my number one thing I can't live without.

If I'm out I'll always have a hot chocolate, if we get home from a cold walk I have a hot chocolate and if I need some cheering up I'll stick on some milk and make myself a hot chocolate .

So imagine my joy when I opened this beauty on Christmas day...

 

Along with some amazing Prestat hot chocolate, I had never had this before but it is divine.

My other favourite hot chocolate is by Charbonnel and Walker and both of them are made into the most amazingly smooth and velvety hot chocolate in the chocolatiere jug, it even works for just one cup.

And if you prefer to use cocoa powder then you can, I really like the Fairtrade Divine Cocoa powder.

You can also use grated chocolate but I haven't got round to that yet, but with so many mint chocolates, white chocolates, or even orange chocolate (goes and gets the last chocolate orange) I cannot wait to try so many flavours using the jug. So thank you Santa for bringing me this, I wasn't expecting it, it was a surprise and I love it :)

And finally here is one I made earlier, adorned with the obligatory squirty cream and marshmallows.

Cherry, Almond and Brazil Nut Florentines

This is probably a little bit late on the festive recipe front but for me it's never the wrong time of year for anything cake related!

This recipe has been a hit with all my family and friends who have tried it and I must have made about half a dozen batches in the last few weeks.

Ingredients:

75g Golden Syrup
75g Butter
25g Plain Flour
50g Flaked Almonds
25g Brazil Nuts (broken into smallish pieces)
75g Glacé Cherries
1tsp Lemon Juice
125g Plain Chocolate

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 160c and line two baking trays with grease proof paper. If you prefer you can do one tray at a time.

2. Place the butter and golden syrup in a bowl over a pan of hot water and heat until melted. (you can heat in the pan if you prefer but mine aren't the best).

3. Add the cherries, almonds, brazil nuts, flour and lemon to the melted butter and syrup and stir until everything is combined.

4. Place teaspoons of the mixture well apart on the baking sheets and flatten with a fork. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, if they have spread into each other you can use a spatula to part them and also make them rounder if needed.

6. Melt the chocolate and spread evenly over the flat underside of each florentine.

7. Leave to set, if you like you can use a fork create a wavy pattern before the chocolate sets completely.

I wrapped these up as gifts and served when visitors came round and they are not just a Christmas thing I love these any time of the year.

Hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.