Come and make some chocolate truffles..faa laa laa laa laa, la la la laa!

Hey sweet friend! It has been ages since I have posted, I have tons of news which I promise I will get to in the weeks to come - but in the meantime, have a peek at my latest creation...


Rustic, decadent homemade truffles. Life is good. These require only three base ingredients, a couple of dustings or coatings and in a few easy steps you will be snacking on the gift you had planned to give to your BFF (so maybe you should make an extra batch for yourself!)


 These little balls of delight really are a breeze to make, no double boiler, no scary processes just heated milk, chopped chocolate and a melon baller (or ice cream scoop if you are fancy like that). In fact, these are so simple to make I whipped them up while recovering from knee surgery and hobbling around on crutches...



 I have decided to do something really brave and out of my comfort zone with this post. I have decided to film it and share as a free class on Skillshare. Eeeek. I am even getting get cold feet as I type. I wouldn't be at all offended is you just wanted to read this post and try these yummy treats without giving my class a quick watch, but I would SO appreciate if you would swing by and show your support. I need to get 25 enrollees and at least one premium referral, and while I haven't been around much and mentioning it here may seem iffy - I know this will help me keep my blog going. SO do pop by if you have a chance...

Plus - if you have been eyeing out a premium subscription - be sure to use this link to get 3 months at $0.99.


Decadent Homemade Chocolate Truffles (Print)

Makes: about 20
Time: 30 min plus chilling time 

Ingredients:
2/3 Cup Fresh Cream (at least 35g fat per 100ml)
200g Good Quality Chocolate
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter 

Dusting:
Anything your heart desires such as:
Cocoa
Cookie Crumbs
Crushed Whoppers
Chopped Nuts

1. Roughly chop chocolate and set aside in a heat-proof bowl.
2. Warm cream and butter over a moderate heat until butter is melted and cream begins to boil.
3. Pour hot cream and butter over the chocolate and stir vigorously until the chocolate has melted and is glossy.
4. Place mixture in a shall dish and chill in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to set up. The mixture should be firm and able to be formed into balls.
5. Scoop and form the mixture into little balls with a melon baller or small ice-cream scoop.
6. Dust and coat the balls with your choice of dustings.
7. Serve room at temperature but store in the refrigerator.

www.bitsofsunshine.com

Like I said, I am trying to make 2015 a bit of a better year as far as organization is concerned.

If there was ever a Procrastination Contest, I reckon I would be somewhere near the top of the log, I do everything around about me except for the task at hand. Then I stress the day before whatever-I-am-procrastinating-about is due. NOT cool. I am hoping that seeing all my tasks and projects in one place will keep me motivated so I don't wind up miserable every single time I have a project to do.

If you like this 2015 Year at a Glace Planner, you may want to have a peek at this 2015 Desk Planner - they go together like butter and sugar.

Do you have any tips and tricks that keep you motivated? I would LOVE to hear about them.

Happy Tuesday!

Yes, I am happy! And its not for any other reason than: God is faithful.

I have experienced it time and time again in my life.

I made these as a reminder for myself - you are welcome to download them here!

Enjoy!

Hi there.

I know, its been months. I have no real reason why. I guess I just needed a break.

But I am back, and fully committed to ensuring that, amidst all the new years resolutions, there is a promise to make something delicious every now and again. Sorry if that messes with your new years resolutions to eat healthier ;)


Summer is in FULL swing here in South AFrica! I think last week has had the hottest day of the season! Phew! So I found a way to cool things down a bit!

This recipe does require an ice-cream maker, but don't despair if you don't own one - just use this no churn chocolate ice-cream recipe from Carla's Confections as your base and you will be A-for-away!

Ok - lets get down to business...


And it starts here - with chocolate of course!



And then it moves onto this (insert heart-eyes face right here!). You can buy it ready-made, or you can make your own caramel treat.


Time for the chocolate ice-cream part.


I guess if you wanted to you could stick a straw in right here and slurp it all up.


Mine, however, did make it into my ice-cream maker.


And then all the non-ice cream stuff that you have been nibbling on throughout the process get added - if there are any left!


And you get this.

The perfect way to cool down on a HOT summers day. To be frankly honest, I kind of think this is a perfect ANYTIME snack, but then again, I am a 'sweet' blogger and I feel that it is OK to eat cake for breakfast!

 Chocolate Rolo Ice-cream Printable Recipe



Source: Bits of Sunshine Original
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Freezing Time: 30min

Ingredients:
1/2 - 3/4 cup cocoa (depending on taste, 3/4 cup makes a dark chocolate version)
3/4 cup icing sugar
dash of vanilla essence
125ml boiling water
1 cup full fat milk
2 cups full fat cream
1 tin caramel treat
1 cup Rolos

Method:
Make a paste using the cocoa, icing sugar and boiling water
With a hand whisk, mix the chocolate paste, vanilla, cream and milk together
Pop into the fridge and let it cool completely.
Once cool, freeze according to your ice-cream maker's directions
When the ice-cream reaches the 'soft-serve' stage, create layers of ice-cream, caramel and rolos it in a freezer safe dish.
Once all the layers are done, make an S swirls through it all with a butter knife.
Add some caramel and Rolos to the top of the ice-cream for effect.

www.bitsofsunshine.com (c) Heidi Hawyes

Hey guys! I just popped in to let you know the winner of the Zespri hamper...


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Well done Hazel! I will be in touch so we can get your prize to you!!! Thank you so much for all your support and comments!!!!

Well, here we are on day 14 of the Zespri Blogger challenge! We have done it! You and me! Thank you SO much for all your support, all your sweet comments, all your likes and all your encouragement. Its been so wonderful!

The last two weeks have been a challenge alright! Eating the kiwifruit was not hard AT ALL, so that wasn't even challenging at all! It has been all the blogging that has been kind of tough, but if it weren't for all of you, I am not sure I would have kept up with this post-a-day stuff! I am so privileged to have such wonderful readers! Thank you! <3


I really hope that you have entered the give away - its my way of saying thank you so much - I wish I had one for each of you!



This is my celebration snack - Salticrax and Cheese - my one true weakness! I can never say no to it! And I used my 2 favourite cheeses here: a yummy brie and some philly cream cheese! And I, of course topped it all of with some sweet and zesty kiwi!


What better way to end off 14 hectic, but wonderful days of Zespri Kiwi!


Thank you all for being such lovely readers!

xxxx

 The moment of truth - how have these two weeks changed my life :)

Well, other then the healthy mind set I have gained from eating fresh fruit everyday (must admit , I did eat a chocolate sprinkled do nut this week - so maybe not totally healthy ha ha!!) I guess I have lost a bit of weight - woooo hooo and I have learnt SO much about kiwi! SO much so that I will be on the look out for the Zespri label at the shops and I am sure kiwifruit will end up in my shopping basket more often then not in the future! Here are 10 really cool things about kiwi, just to end it all off..

1.	Kiwifruit are the nutrition powerhouse of fruit
	Kiwifruit consistently rank at the top of fruit in nutrition density models which tell us exactly how nutritious food is. That means you get more vitamins and minerals per gram, and per calorie, of kiwifruit than most other fruit.
2.	Kiwifruit are rich in vitamin C
	While oranges have a deserved reputation as valuable sources of vitamin C, kiwifruit can also lay a claim on the vitamin C crown. In fact there is twice as much vitamin C in kiwifruit as there are in oranges. You only need one kiwifruit each day to get your recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
3.	Other vitamins that kiwifruit are especially high in compared to other fruit
	Vitamin E It’s quite unusual for a low fat food, let alone a fruit, to be a good source of vitamin E. However, kiwifruit is a great low fat natural source of vitamin E, which is well known for its heart health and antioxidant properties. Folate Kiwifruit is a natural source of folate which women take to help prevent neural defects in their unborn babies. It also assists in brain and cognitive development in children and combats cardiovascular disease. Folate is so important many countries are considering adding it to flour or bread to ensure the population consumes sufficient amounts. Potassium A kiwifruit has about the same level of potassium as a banana - but only half the calories. This makes kiwifruit an excellent low-sodium option to access potassium, which is potentially beneficial for heart health and in the maintenance of blood pressure.
4.	Kiwifruit are a good source of the carotenoid lutein
	Kiwifruit not only has one of the highest concentrations of lutein in fruits - but the lutein in kiwifruit has recently been shown to be really highly bioaccessible (better than from vegetables) and so it is bio-available - meaning it can actually do good things such as help to prevent age related deterioration of eye-sight.
5.	Kiwifruit are naturally high in antioxidants and other potentially-beneficial phytochemicals
	Eating kiwifruit will provide your daily intake of antioxidants, such as polyphenols and carotenoids, to help fight the damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress.
6.	Kiwifruit can help improve the function of your immune system
	Kiwifruit help ward off the effects of stress, inflammation and attack from bacteria and viruses. Recent and ongoing trials have shown kiwifruit to be highly-effective at beneficially modulating the immune system.
7.	Eating just two kiwifruit a day has been proven to reduce the amount of oxidative damage to your cells and improve the repair of damaged Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) caused by oxidative stress
	This has been shown in human studies both in New Zealand and Europe.
8.	Eating kiwifruit with a meal reduces the oxidative stress on your body from that meal - especially if it is high-fat food
	Researchers in the United States found that people who ate kiwifruit with or after a meal had a marked reduction in the markers of oxidative stress.
9.	Just two to three kiwifruit a day has been shown to reduce blood platelet aggregation
	Platelet aggregation is a known risk-factor for cardiovascular disease. Platelet aggregation contributes to arterial and blood vessel blocking, and kiwifruit have been shown to reduce it.
10.	Kiwifruit are really great to relieve that bloated and blocked feeling
	Recognised widely as a natural digestive aid, this is due to the unique combination of fibre and other components in kiwifruit. Source: http://www.zespri.com/zespri-health/fabulous-facts.html   And here is my last reminder to enter the giveaway.... You can enter here It includes a Zespri carry bag, a Zespri green kiwi box with a spife, a Zespri yellow lunch box with a side kiwi compartment and spife, a kiwi hand cream, a kiwi lip balm and R150 fruit and veg voucher. (kiwi is not included :) )

See you back here tomorrow when I announce the winner!

Saturday! Wooo Hooo!!!! Happy week end everyone!

I hope you are all relaxing and having a good one! And on this, the 13th, and second-to-last day of the Zespri Kiwi Blogger Challenge - I have this very refreshing drink to share with you - because you deserve it!

I love that kiwi can be used in SO many different drinks! I chose this Kiwi and Lime because I tend to always take the quicker, easy route to most things, and this is just so simple to make- yet delicious!


Doesn't take much to make! Just some pureed kiwi, some Roses Lime Cordial and some Sprite.


And they all just get mixed together and VOILA!


So sit back, relax, sip and enjoy!

P.s - today is the second to last day to enter the Zespri hamper giveaway....be sure to leave a comment on this post to enter! For extra chances to win, hop on over to these blogs tomorrow! They all have a hamper to giveaway too!

Kiwi and Lime Spritzer

Source: Bits of Sunshine original
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
300ml Sprite
30ml Roses Lime Cordial
1/2 kiwi pureed

Method:
mix the sprite and lime cordial in a glass
add the kiwi and stir
pop a mini umbrella in the glass
sit down, put feet and enjoy!

Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post. Zespri has supplied me with the kiwi fruit that were used in this post. I can assure you, all the views are my own! I would not promote a product if I didn't believe in it whole-heartily! The kiwis I received were amazingly firm, and in good condition. They were tasty and wonderful! And I am glad to be part of their Blogger Challenge. Thank you Zespri!

Today is actually day 12 of the Zespri Blogger Challenger, not yesterday :) And that means that after today, there are only two days left! Two days of kiwi fun and facts and two days of kiwi treats! Ah man!

Today I want to introduce you to a sweet and sassy little girl who has a special message for you!



So I made this treat to share with you all today!



It includes a Zespri carry bag, a Zespri green kiwi box with a spife, a Zespri yellow lunch box with a side kiwi compartment and spife, a kiwi hand cream, a kiwi lip balm and R150 fruit and veg voucher. (kiwi is not included :) )

To stand a chance of winning, just leave a comment here saying what your favourite use for kiwi is (this is a mandatory requirement for this giveaway! That simple! You can score bonus points by following me on twitter and facebook, or by tweeting about this giveaway!

Find the details here

Kiwi and Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Source: Bits of Sunshine Original
Yeild: 1 litre
Prep time: 20 minutes
Freezing time: 12 hours

Ingredients
750ml Full Fat Greek Yogurt
1 cup powdered sugar
dash of vanilla essence
1 kiwi, peeled and pureed

Method
in a bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar and vanilla until smooth
spoon into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the ice cream makers instructions
once frozen, layer in a freezer safe container with the pureed kiwi
pop into freezer and freeze over night

Its day 10 of the Zespri Blogger challenge today. Only 4 more days of this kiwi kraze, and I honestly have mixed feelings about that. I have really enjoyed making all things bakes and treats, developing new recipes and combos and taking thousands of photographs, but I am feeling a little tired now. I have been working non-stop over the last 10 days having to stuff in this wonderful challenge, my daytime job and UNISA assignments with looming due dates! But I don't really want to bore you with all those sordid details!

I have to say, over the last 10 days I have been pleasantly surprised with the whole kiwi-a-day thing! I love acidic fruits, but my skin does not! If I eat and orange or mango, I have to make sure I wash my face and moisturize straight afterward! I was a little concerned when I first stared this challenge that I may be adversely affected consuming mounds of these pretty little fruit, but it seems that I haven't had any reactions to it yet. The cut, scoop and enjoy method is pretty cool that way, no stray juices! I have seen some other clever bloggers make face masks out of them, and well I have been tempted to try them out, I think I will count my lucky stars that I have had no irritated skin and not tempt fate!

Any hoo! Here is what you are here for :)

 I guess its because they are so easy to whip up, and they are so good to eat. Maybe that is a bad thing?!?




 Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post. Zespri has supplied me with the kiwi fruit that were used in this post. I can assure you, all the views are my own! I would not promote a product if I didn't believe in it whole-heartily! The kiwis I received were amazingly firm, and in good condition. They were tasty and wonderful! And I am glad to be part of their Blogger Challenge. Thank you Zespri!

Day 9!!!! And I have to admit, I have been LOVING this Zespri kiwi challenge!Woooo hoo! So far I have been eating kiwi everyday, and now it has kind of become my daily fix. I have even had to restock on my kiwis. I can see that this is going to be my 'thing' for a while. I am not sure if it just a mind set, but I have been feeling a little better.

Actually, I am totally sure its a mind thing - when I eat healthier, I drink more water (I mean if I am going to be healthy, may as well be HEALTHY) and then I contemplate whether I should start exercising again, and then hopefully reality hits in somewhere along the line and I go back to cupcakes and cookies!

But for real, I have enjoyed having a good helping of fresh fruit everyday. I am always in a rush and its been nice to be able to grab a kiwi as I am dashing out the door to work to enjoy for tea.

Anyways, enough about these nutritious little green, fuzzy fruit, on to this kiwi crumble.



I LOVED this recipe the most. Out of all the recipes I have created over the last 9 days, this one is the very best. Baked kiwi is like a zesty rhubarb. It is AMAZING!


And this crumble happens to be very easy to make..


..in fact it is stand mixer free. Well actually any-mixer free. You just throw all the ingredients into a bowl, mix it with your hands and sprinkle it on top of some diced kiwi.

 And then slather it in melted butter.


No, I am not kidding. It's that easy. And its amazingly crunchy and yummy!


It is best served with a dollop of fresh cream!


P.s- if you haven't entered the competition for the Zespri hamper and R150 Fruit and Veg voucher head on over here.


Kiwi Crumble Printable

Source:Bits of Sunshine Original


 Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post. Zespri has supplied me with the kiwi fruit that were used in this post. I can assure you, all the views are my own! I would not promote a product if I didn't believe in it whole-heartily! The kiwis I received were amazingly firm, and in good condition. They were tasty and wonderful! And I am glad to be part of their Blogger Challenge. Thank you Zespri!

Wow! Day 8 of the Zespri blogger challenge! we made it through a whole week of kiwi! :) Thanks for sticking around guys! I really hope you have all entered the awesome giveaway, if not, pop on over straight away to stand a chance to win that Zespri hamper and the R150 Fruit and Veg voucher!


So, you may ask, what is up with all the fuss surrounding browned butter. And my answer to that would be: you clearly have never browned butter before.

When it is browning, it has the most enticing smell ever! And it lingers and begs you to make more!!! For real!

And how, you may ask, does one go about browning butter? Well, I would say, its so so very simple!


 Start by melting your butter in a pot on the stove...


And once it has melted, keep it on the heat a little longer. Little brown specks will begin to show and that its when you can whip it off the heat and leave to cool for a couple minutes.

That's it. And when you smell it - you will be addicted! And when you taste it, you will never look back. It gives a rich, nutty flavour to your final product...*swoon*


The thing I love most about these muffins is you can make a large batch of this mixture and you can store it in the fridge for up to a week, so every morning you can wake up fill one or two muffins holes of a pan and bake them and have freshly baked muffins every morning of the week without the fuss! I would suggest chopping fresh fruit every day though, because the kiwi may spoil!


Mmmmmm!Speaking of addictions,  I think I may be developing a kiwi addiction. Zespri - you are to blame! Not that I am complaining! I have loved, loved, loved having a fridge stocked with kiwi fruit to enjoy! Heck! I now look forward to my tea break at work so I can slice and scoop my kiwi!

Ok, ok, off track I know!!!!


I made these muffins using a mini muffin pan! They are so pop-able when they are mini.


You have to try these!! Ok?

Browned Butter Kiwi and Bran Muffins Printable

Source: Bits of Sunshine Original

100g butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 teaspoons baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
2 cups wheat bran
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup  shredded coconut
2 cups milk
2 kiwis peeled and chopped