Hello lovely people!




How’s the new year treating you’ll?




Have you made the resolutions you aren’t going to keep? 🙂




Isn’t it funny (and wonderful) how we make them every year anyway?




Here are mine:




*Get fitter (this includes regular exercise and attempting to eat healthier)
*Give my blog more love
*Spend more time with the people who are important to me
*Start playing the guitar again (this will be done with my very cool guitarist friend Aditi’s help)
*Learn to take better photographs
*Keep believing that the best is yet to come




I think the last one is the hardest. It’s difficult to believe that good things will come when you’ve had a spate of bad things. It’s hard to have faith in people, believing that there’s good inside them, even when they’ve let you down. It’s even harder believing that God has plans for you – the best plans.




But this year, I’m staying positive, and happy, and bright. Because good things will come. I know it. I just need to remember it 🙂
Will you remind me if I forget?




Here’s a look at some good things that happened over December when I was home. Each one is a blessing.




Dinner with my oldest friends in one of our favourite restaurants.







This gorgeous flower that bloomed on our balcony.







A funky new-age Christmas tree my brother put together.







The freshest, greenest, tastiest lettuce ever – from my aunt’s garden.







A massive projector set up by my Dad and brother in our living room, so we could watch movies huddling together under blankets while sipping hot tea.







And this puppy soaking up the sun, who brings us all such joy.







In the midst of some terribly sad things that happened, us cousins got together and decided we needed to make something sweet.




The result was this stunning Strawberry Pavlova.







Everyone helped.




Here’s my brother whisking the egg whites.







Baby cousin washed the strawberries.







Another added sugar and smiles.







And this pretty one cut up the strawberries.







Even the littlest one contributed. He kept the puppy busy 🙂







This dessert is show-stopper. Expect everyone to drop their plates and stare at it in all its wonder.




Just look at it.







And it’s the easiest thing to make. Have a go!




Strawberry pavlova




Largely adapted from: Step by step Baking




Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 80 mins
Serves: 8




Ingredients:




6 egg whites
pinch of salt
350 g caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp lemon juice
300ml heavy cream
200 g strawberries




Method:




1. Preheat the oven to 180º C. Line a baking tray with parchment. Draw a 20cm circle on the parchment and turn it over, so the pencil mark is facing downwards.
2. Put the egg whites and salt in a large, clean bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until you have stiff peaks. Whisk in the sugar a spoonful at a time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Mix in the cornflour and lemon juice as well.
3. Spoon the mixture onto the parchment, making sure you stay within the drawn-out circle. Flatten the centre slightly and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 160º C and bake for 75 minutes. Leave it to cool completely in the oven.
4. In the meantime, whip the cream until it thickens. Wash and clean the strawberries, then roughly chop them into halves.
5. Remove the cooled pavlova from the oven and take off the parchment. Place on a serving plate and crack the top slightly with a spoon. Spread the cream over and top with the strawberries. Serve in rough wedges.







Sorry I can’t offer you some pavlova, but here’s something fun!




*GIVEAWAY TIME*




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I’ll choose one winner through a random draw and announce it in my next post. Comment away!




And have a wonderful, wonderful year ahead! Lots of love!