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Mamma Wears Prada February 11, 2015

All you need is Family love

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On Sunday we are going to have a big celebration for my husband’s 40th birthday (eeeekk) and obviously we’ll have many cakes and sweet treats.

Because of this, I thought I would bake a cake for Valentines’ day few days earlier. This year I wanted to celebrate what I believe is the biggest love you can have: a family!

During the endless hours spent at night on Pinterest (I know I should be sleeping!), I often see these sweet little love birds on cakes and cupcakes so I got the idea to create a cute family of 4 birds which would represent us.

I first baked some cookies shaped like birds, decorated with royal icing and set them aside. With the rest of the dough I made mini cookie hearts and coloured them with royal icing too.

I then baked a super moist sponge cake, prepared a Nutella and ricotta filling and assemble it all together. I covered the cake in lilac fondant and placed the birds on top by using some toothpicks. At last I attached the cookie hearts all around like a garland.

The result is not perfect but I literally did in less than a day while the kids were nappy or playing so I guess it’s not too bad (self pat-pat on my back :))

Whatever you do, however you celebrate, I hope this Valentine’s day will bring you much love … and cake!

Mamma Wears Prada February 2, 2015

I am a lucky mamma

family, motherhood, parenting Comments Off

Today, especially today, I feel like the luckiest person ever.

I’ve been following this incredible brave mum and her blog for quite a while now. Two years ago today, she lost her 9 months old daughter to SIDS and I cannot help but be moved to tears every time I read her blog, every time I see her pics on Instagram, every time I feel her pain through her words…

As a mom. I just CAN-NOT imagine how hard it must be. I wish I could do something to alleviate her pain, her struggle to keep living and fighting for the sake of her other precious children. I just pray… every day Matilda and her family are in my prayers.

It’s crazy how you can feel so close to someone you don’t even know…I guess motherhood keeps us all in the same pod and if someone feels the pain then we share it all together. I’d hope that knowing how much love we all feel for her could do a teeny tiny fraction of good but I guess the pain is so immense that it’s almost impossible to bear it…

Today, particularly today, I feel lucky, I know I am lucky.

I’ve got two gorgeous cheeky children who I adore with all my heart and I don’t think my life would ever make sense without them. It’s moments like this when you stop, once more, and you reflect.. and you feel silly for the many times you got crossed over worthless matters and for a fraction you forgot the real joy of life: every day moments with your loved ones, simple acts that make your life worth living.

Every morning my children leave the house with their dad to go to nursery. They kiss me goodbye until I see them again in the afternoon.

For a while now, I’ve been teaching Leonardo to give me a kiss before he leaves the house. I usually have to call him and say “Give a big kiss to mamma!” so he stops, turns back and gives me a kiss (most of the time wetting my whole face! lol). This morning while I was tying Bee’s shoes, I could see Leo going out the door then, without me saying anything, he stopped came towards me with his little feet and with a smile he stamped a kiss on my lips…

It was precious… it meant the world to me… It was one of those moments when you feel your heart exploding because there is so much love.

For this and for many other little-BIG moments of my life, I am extremely grateful…

Today, once more, I feel lucky.

Mamma Wears Prada January 28, 2015

Taste maker challenge – Scrambled eggs with Truffle oil

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For the Happy Egg January challenge we were asked to give a different twist to scrambled eggs.

Scrambled eggs are perfect for breakfast but they can become part of a great brunch or dinner only by adding a few exciting ingredients!

The last time we went to Italy we bought a tiny bottle of incredibly tasty Truffle olive oil so I thought I’d use it, along with mixed wild mushrooms, to make a tasty Happy Egg meal.

Scrambled Eggs with Truffle Olive Oil and Chestnut Mushrooms (if you can find mixed wild mushrooms even better!)

Serves 2 :

4 eggs

150g chestnut mushrooms

30g diced bacon

2 slices of rustic bread

truffle oil

parsley

chive to sprinkle on top

salt and pepper

In a large frying pan fry the bacon without adding any seasoning ( the fat will be released from the bacon and it will give flavor to the mushrooms). Add mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and season with a pinch of salt . Pour over the mushrooms and start stirring slowly ( I found using a spatula gives me a fluffier consistency) .

Just remember eggs continue to cook after you have taken off the pan so you need to remove them when they are slightly under cooked.

Serve on rustic toasted bread toasted and drizzle with a little truffle oil .

You see… Scrambled egg can be posh too 🙂

Mamma Wears Prada January 24, 2015

Eggciting meals

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I’ve recently become a member of the Happy Egg co. Taste 100 Blogger Network.

Happy Egg are the Uk’s number one free range egg brand and it’s because they believe that happy hens lay happy eggs that their eggs definitely taste better! I was kindly sent a voucher to buy some of their eggs so here are my tasty recipes made using Happy Egg free range eggs.

My husband is obsessed with Nutella so he was over the moon when he came home from work and found this Nutella and Ricotta pie

The whole family enjoyed this pie so much that the next day I decided to make another one. This time I filled it with raspberry jam, simple but gorgeous and the kids loved it!