Nomnomnomnomnom

In honour of all those Czechies who claim to hate peanut butter (until they've sampled a Reeses' after someone's business trip), I've been whipping these up for lucky coworkers...

Peanut Butter Bits

Ingredients:

125g unsalted butter
123g powdered sugar
180g smooth peanut butter (use Skippy, it’s the yummiest annnnnd you can even buy it in Albert!)
60g unsalted butter
90-100g chopped chocolate (go crazy)

Directions:

1.    Line an 20x20cm square pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the sides, then butter the foil. Set aside.

a.     If they do not make 20x20cm pans, then I don’t know what to tell you. I’m converting everything from our ridiculous imperial system. Just use common sense. Also, I forgot to butter the foil, but it’s nonstick anyway, so I feel like this is just unnecessary. Don’t bother with it.

2.    In a medium saucepan, melt the 125g of butter over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter until completely combined and smooth. Spread the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Lick the spoon. And maybe the pot, as it needs to be cleaned out anyway.

3.    In the now-empty saucepan (because you licked it clean), melt the 60g unsalted butter over VERY LOW heat. Add the chocolate and stir until almost completely melted. Remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer and smooth into an even layer.

4.    Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set. Remove from the pan using the foil overhangs and place on a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter to slice into 16 bars. If you don’t have a pizza cutter, I’m pretty sure you’ll still be able to manage. If not, I think we have bigger issues to tackle than your cooking skills. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or just eat it all, then you don’t have to worry about storing anything.

Please note that I accept no responsibility for weight gain or dentist’s bills. Dobrou chut!

Everything in moderation, including moderation.

                                                                        -Julia Child

Tuesdays are just the worst, aren't they?

Listening: Inexplicably, I have Coco Jamboo stuck in my head. Now you will too.

You're welcome.

Eating: For dinner, I had italian breaded chicken strips and, as a side, a plate of cheese. My diet is deplorable, I'm aware. (I had a salad for lunch though, so back off.)
Feeling: Confused - reading Mad About the Boy and cannot fathom how Bridget Jones is in her fifties, as book must surely be written in some time warp as not that much time has passed since I first began my obsession. Oh god, it has. Very soon will go less from image of BJ as typical adult to more like being her - pudgy, questionable hair and counting alcohol units. Sums it up about right.
Loving: It's Peej's birthday!!! This gorge Lilly Pulitzer print. Mail from Steph! Living room furniture comes tomorrow! Super easy peanut butter fudge - recipe coming!
Hating: It is very, very cold. (This will be my stock answer for, ohhhh, the next six months.)
Wanting: slinky, super tall black suede boots... still. Really, any lovely black boots.
Needing: Hmmm... I wouldn't say no to another cup of tea. Donut, if you'd be so kind?
Thinking: I should really dye my hair this weekend. 
Planning: This week is all about the birthday celebrations and parties! And Tin Mouth, the annual chilli eating competition, so fingers crossed for no repeats from last year. Yowza!

As we're halfway through Movember, it's high time I share the link for our work Movember team. Donate what you can (your dollars go far here!) and help safeguard futures - men, so you don't get sick, and ladies, so we don't have to take care of them. Help a Mo Sista Out!

Wine Snob

Svatemarintsko... The Czech version of Beaujolais. Having been here for this time of the year for my 3rd time (what?!? How?!?), I finally partook in some festivities... A wine tasting at Noelko. Ten wines, approved and certified by some fancy Czech wine board, agreed that these bottles fit the bill. They certainly fit my bill for a cold and gloomy Tuesday.

Surrounded by one Serbian and eight Czechs, I nodded along, feigning comprehension as the connoisseur described each bottle in detail (would I have understood much more in English? Probably not), happily guzzling away and munching on cheese that tasted alarmingly like broccoli (didn't stop me). 

I wanted to screenshot for you my notes, so that you could also enjoy my slide from "if it tastes good, I drink it" to pseudo-wine snob asshole. However, and this may not surprise you, I lost them. Generally, they started out with just stars and emoticons next to the ones i liked and finished up with things like "Burnt umber coloring", "a hint of plum in the nose", and "I do detect a whiskey undertone?" Told you. Insufferable. Luckily, I wrote these all very messily so no one could understand and mock me for it. 

Looking forward to picking up my bottles this week, so I can as our that whiskey finish from the comfort of my own home.

For those of you lucky enough to be in Prague, ask for Olda at Noelka.
Vinotéka Noelka, Slavíkova 3, Praha 2, Prague 120 00