Bite size pecan tarts

My dear readers, I am generally sorry that I haven't been posting anything for a while. I've been so busy with school and work and therefore I didn't find the time to bake or write anything for you. I hope this will all change the moment I graduate and my long deserved vacation starts.

To recompense your patience I'm going to share the recipe for my delicious, cute and super addictive pecan tarts. They're bite size so you won't feel guilty if you have one, but I can reassure you that it's going to be awfully difficult to just eat one!

Ingredients

1 single crust tart pastry

2/3 cup light corn syrup

100 g dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 whole eggs

3 egg whites

¼ teaspoon salt

75 g chopped pecans

85 g chopped white chocolate (you can leave the white chocolate out, but because of my white chocolate-addiction I think they taste better with.)

note: If you like to shake this recipe up, add 1/3 cup of bourbon, it gives the tarts a great extra touch!

Recipe

For the pastry crust: 

Remove the store bought dough from the refrigerator. If stiff and very cold, let stand until dough is cool and malleable, about 5-10 minutes. Cut circles 1” larger than your tart pan out of the dough. Transfer to pan and gently ease the dough into the sides of the pan, careful not to stretch. Trim or pinch the dough around the pan edges. Freeze tart shells for at least ½ hours.

For the filling: 

In a large bowl, whisk together corn syrup, brown sugar, bourbon if using, vanilla, eggs, egg whites and salt. Divide the pecans and chocolate between the frozen tart shells. Carefully pour the mixture over the pecans/chocolate being careful not to overfill. Bake the tarts until the center feels set yet soft when gently pressed, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Then remove from tart pans.  If the filling has oozed over and stuck to the pan, carefully run a knife around the edge too loosen. This works best if the tarts are still slightly warm.

Enjoy!

A new tattoo, a new start

My dear readers,

This is going to be a rather personal post..

Next week I'm turning 18. For me, this birthday is a very important one. It's the day I'm officially an adult and a lot of things changes. New rules, new events, new responsibilities. I see this birthday as a new beginning. A start of a life totally different from the one I'm having now. To symbolize this new start I went to get my first tattoo. It's something I've been thinking about for over 4 years and I felt that I was ready now to finally get one. I didn't have any doubts about what I wanted. The place of my tattoo was something I already decided a couple of years a go. The words were a decision I made about 8 months a go.

My tattoo needed to be a symbol for who I am. What made me the person I am today. Therefore I've chosen the text "Don't ever forget". Those words stand for the fact that I will never forget what happened in the past, all the things I've been through and which effect those things had on my personality. My past and the memories that goes with it are very important to me. I'm someone who has a really hard time with letting things go, forgiving and forgetting things that happened. Because I think that those things are the ones who shaped me. For me this tattoo helps me to give those memories, a safe place. So I can live on in peace and not forget, but learn how to handle the past and the things that happened in it.

This is the first picture of my tattoo. I'm really happy with it and I am absolutely certain that I won't regret this because of the meaning it has for me.

Visit to London

To celebrate my 18th birthday and my little brother's 16th birthday, my mom bought us a ticket to London so we could visit our sister and brother. I was very excited and couldn't wait to get on the train, because the last time I went to London was 2 years a go and I loved it there. The people, the atmosphere, the food. If I could choose a place to live for my whole life, London would definitely be on my list. My brother and sister both live in South Clapham, which is fairly close to the centre of London. The advantage of that is that we could take the tube for 5 minutes and already be right on Oxford Street.

Because my little brother and I saved a lot of money for this trip, we went straight shopping. Primark was of course the first stop, because then you can get an overview on what you can buy cheap and what's gonna cost more. After spending 2 hours looking for things in our size (were both kind of petite) we each had a bag full of new clothes from Primark. After that we went straight to River Island where I bought a beanie and a jumper. My little brother on the other hand, bought a lot more, which led to the fact that he didn't had any money left. So after River Island, we just went looking for me. One of the stores we did was Uniqlo, a store I had never heard from. The collection was a bit Asian style, with a lot of pastels and vintage-looking pieces. I really loved the look of this store, and the price-quality was also very good, therefore I bought a pastel purple legging which was about 20 euros. The last store I visited was of course: TOPSHOP. I love Topshop, and everytime I visit London, I just have to go there. The only thing that really bothers me is that it's quite expensive to shop there. But we don't have a TOPSHOP in Belgium yet, so It's worth the money because I'll come home with clothes nobody owns here. The last item I bought was a beautiful printed skirt from Topshop. A bit expensive, but totally worth the money. After a long day of shopping we went to an Italian restaurant around the corner. And than I had a goodnight sleep, so I would be downy for the next day in London.

I started day 2 with combining my brand new clothes and turning them into a great outfit. Because it was Easter sunday, there weren't any stores open in the centre of London, so my sister and I decided to go to Camden Town. A great place for people with a love for food and markets. The first thing I saw when leaving the tube were little market stands with cute t-shirts, sunglasses and jewelry. I really wanted to buy a t-shirt for my boyfriend, so I went looking and passed almost every stand in Camden Town, to get the best deal on the t-shirt I wanted. When I found what I was looking for, we went to this big food market. I was so fascinated by the variety of food they were offering. Indian, Italian, Mexican, English, American, and Chinese food. It was like every cuisine in the world was gathered together on one market. My favorite stand was this big donut stand. There, I bought the biggest and most delicious donut I ever had. When we got home, we ordered curry from an Indian called 'the holy cow'. It was delicious and I definitely recommend it!

I'm gonna keep it short for day 3 because my blogpost is already way longer than I thought it was going to be. So on day 3 it was so cold that nobody wanted to do something outside. The best solution for that  was for us to go to Selfridges. I was pretty excited because I remembered going there last time and I was really blown away by it. I know that sounds stupid because it seems just an ordinary mall, but actually it's way more than that. I guess the only way to understand that is by going there yourself. After Selfridges we had a reservation at the Fleming Hotel for afternoon tea. They really treated us like royalty. I loved the tea they served and the food was amazing. There was a wide range of scones (my personal favorite), victoria sponge, cupcakes, panna cotta, and of course the typical sandwiches with salmon, cucumber salad and egg salad. It was a great experience and I enjoyed every single bit of it.

Some of my purchases

Beanie - River Island

Legging - Uniqlo

Skirt - Topshop

Jumper - River Island

So this was a short summary of my weekend in London. I had a wonderful time and I can't wait to go back!

Film Review

I don't know if you already know this about me, but I'm an enormous film-addict. I love to watch films, especially in the cinema. I think there's a big difference between watching a film at home and watching a film in the cinema. I like the overall experience of going to the cinema more than just watching the film at home. The smell of fresh popcorn, the big screen, the sound effects that are never as good at home in your own sofa, and the fact that it's so dark and the volume of the movie is so high that no one can hear you cry(yes i'm a big crybaby when it comes to films). So because I go to the cinema a lot I thought I'd give you a little review on the films I watched recently.

1. Hansel and Gretel: Witch hunters

If you think Hansel and Gretel: witch hunters is a film for children, you're totally wrong. I even think it's best not to go see this film with children because there's a lot of blood, a lot of murder and a lot of scenes that even creeped me out. I watched it in 3D and I'm happy I did because the effects were awesome. Normally I'm not a big fan of 3D because the glasses make me dizzy, but this time I didn't had that problem at all.  I loved the acting performance of Gemma Arterton who played Gretel. I had never heard of her but I was so fascinated by her acting that I went home and looked her up right away.  The only downside there was with this film is that some of the things that happened were a bit predictable. But except for that I thought it was a good film and I definitely recommend it.

2. Playing for keeps

With playing for keeps I really had my hopes high. Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Gerard Butler, I mean they really had to do something very stupid to screw this film up. But gladly for me they didn't. In the beginning I thought the story was a bit cliché, but sometimes the biggest cliché can be told so beautifully. This movie was both funny and moving. And yes I cried at the end. But when you watch this film I bet there will be some tears from you too. 

3. The silver linings playbook

 I was a bit disappointed by this film to be honest. I had high expectations for it because of the oscars and all the other prices it was nominated for but I thought it was a bit tedious. The film takes 2 hours witch is quite a long time and I think that if they had made the beginning shorter it would have been a much better film. I loved the end though. It was very emotional, exciting and unpredictable. 

4. Perks of being a wallflower

I LOVED this film!

 It was moving, beautifully played and I pretty much cried during the whole film. I think that was because I could really relate to the life and the feelings of Charlie, the main actor. Although the actors aren't that famous (except for Emma Watson of course) the acting performances were brilliant! I especially liked Patrick, who was played by Ezra Miller. Unfortunately I read the book first and I thought the book was better than the film, witch I never had before! But If you haven't read the book yet please go watch the film because it is an amazing experience and you won't regret it!

I saw a lot of other films as well but if I have to talk about them all, I'd have a blogpost that's more than 5 pages long and I don't want to bore you. I do want to inform you about the films I definitely want to watch the next weeks:

1. Les Misérables: Because I love the story and I love the actors playing in it, especially Anne Hathaway.

2. This is 40

 because 'Knocked up'(the foregoing film) was very funny.

3. Oz the great and powerful

 because I'm a sucker for fairytales and James Franco is hot!

4. The identity thief

because sometimes I like to see a comedy instead of all the drama and action, and I loved the acting performance of Melissa McCarthy(Sookie) in Gilmore Girls.

5. Side effects

because the story sounds really good,  I think it will stay with you for a long time. I also think Channing Tatum is a really good actor and I like Jude Law's way of acting as well.

I hope I've been helpful for those who want to go to the cinema the upcoming weeks. 

Have a nice day,  talk to you later :) 

Caramel apple nut bars

Hi everyone, hope you're all well. I don't know how the weather is in your country but in Belgium it's starting to get better. And that was about time. I almost forgot how it felt to stand with your face towards the sun, enjoying every bit of it. I think today was the first day I actually put my coat of because I was to hot in about 6 months or so. Anyway, I'm just really excited about the weather getting better again! I'm also excited about the recipe I'm going to share with you guys. If you like the combination of caramel, nuts and apple you are going to love my Caramel apple nut bars. They are so moist, so qooey, and oooh so sweet. Be prepared to eat these deliciousness because you are not going to be able to stay of them!

Ingredients

for the crust

163 g flour
1 1/4 cup oats
1 tsp soda
1/4 cinnamon
1/8 salt
113 g unsalted butter, softened

For the filling

1/2 + 1/4 cup apple, peeled and chopped finely 
50 g nuts of your choice ( I used hazelnuts)
1/2 + 1/4 cup caramel topping 
2 tbs flour

Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the crust except for the butter. Softened the butter and mix into dry ingredients until well combined. Press about 3 cups of the crust mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the caramel topping and flour in a small bowl and set aside. Chop the apples and nuts Pull the partially baked crust from the oven, sprinkle with apples and nuts. Drizzle with caramel topping mixture and top with remaining crust Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool completely.

 Serve with a drizzle of caramel topping or ice cream and more caramel topping!

Favorites on the catwalk

My lovely readers, last night I was looking at some fashion shows online. You know that feeling when you see a beautiful garment and you're imagining yourself in it and you imagine that everyone's jealous because you never looked more beautiful in another garment. Well yesterday I CONSTANTLY felt that. It was a pure torment. So I opened my closet and tried to find some things that I could put together to make it look like some outfits that I saw on the catwalk. Conclusion : I still have to do some serious shopping for this summer! These are the garments I'm talking about

DOLCE AND GABBANA

I only have one word for the summer collection of D&G: Multicultural. I love the etnic prints, the Asian and African elements, the huge accessories, the tropical vibe and I can't wait to dare myself in some of those outfits ( Obviously I mean the copies that Zara or any cheaper brand will produce this summer)

ELLIE SAAB

Ellie Saab's collection for this summer is elegant, classy and ultra feminine. My favorite garment is this dress. I love the 'fairytale-feeling' I  get when looking at it. The virgin white and the see-trough lace compensate each other perfectly. It's a dream dress for every woman.

MARNI

This collection is made for the independent, sassy city girl. It's edgy, cool and you have to have some balls to walk in it. I love the use of different fabrics. I think the use of leather in this garment is beautiful. The colour-combination is one of my favorites and the sunglasses make the outfit complete. 

DRIES VAN NOTEN

And finally the pride of Belgium: Dries van Noten. His collection for this summer is absolutely amazing. I don't even know where to start. The contrast of masculine and floral elements, the colours, the edginess versus the romanticism. This is by far my favorite collection of the summer!

Healthy oatmeal jam bars with almond topping

Hello my lovely readers, I'm sorry to say that my vacation is almost over so i'm not going to have a lot of time anymore to make new posts. So to treat you one last time this vacation, here's another recipe. because my crazy obsession with almonds isn't over yet I made an other recipe with almonds. No worries, I'm guessing I'm going to eat so many almonds that in about a week I'm going to be sick of them. Yesterday I made my healthy oatmeal jam bars with almond topping. These are probably my favorite bars I ever made. There's no sugar or butter in this recipe so that's why I make myself believe there "healthy". They kind of are, right? Well even if there not that healthy, they are extremely delicious! The nuts make them super crunchy and the jam makes them just sweet enough. I hope you enjoy these because I do, every time I make them.

Ingredients

130 g  flour
100 g almond flour
90 g oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
100 g vegetable oil ( I use sunflower oil)
115 g honey
50 g chopped almonds
1 jar of your favorite jam, I do I use as much as I like so if you use more or less that's fine. Don't use to little because that will make the bars dry. (I always use cherry)

Recipe

Preheat oven to 180 c. Line an 20 cm baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, allowing the paper to drape over the edges of the pan. In a food processor, process the oats until they form a fine powder. Than with an electric mixer, mix the oatmeal, almond meal, flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda until combined.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, vanilla and oil. mix the dry ingredients into the wet. 

Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, then spread the jam on top of the dough.  Use a fork to crumble the remaining half of the dough (so that it has a texture similar to crumble topping), then sprinkle it on top of the jam layer. Spread the almonds on top of the dough, then use your hands to gently press down on the top.

Bake for 22 minutes allow to cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy!