6 sleeps til Christmas :)

Firstly, I'm terribly sorry for not writing sooner. The last month or so of term was completely mad: I had about 700 deadlines and 40 exams to do.
Ok, not really that much, but it felt like it.
I did however, have to spend 9am to 6pm in the library every day, apart from a few coffee/hot chocolate/tea breaks, which meant getting home about 6:30 every night. This is where Stanley came in really handy. It would mean I could come home, fill Stanley with a concoction of whatever food I had in, put my pyjamas on and have would have a lovely warm bowl of something waiting for me.

One night I made a sweet potato and butter bean risotto (I was running out of food by this point), which turned out surprisingly tasty.
By following the recipe for asparagus risotto on page 77 of F&E for a guide, my recipe is:

1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
20g vegetable oil
250g risotto rice
450g water and a stock cube
1 tin of butter beans
1 sweet potato, diced

1) Chop the onion and garlic a speed 7 for a few seconds, then add the oil and cook for 3 minutes/ 100°/ speed 3.
2) Add the rice, potato, butter beans, water and stock cube. Then cook on reverse for about 15/20 minutes at speed spoon on 100°.

It really shows that with a Thermomix, it doesn't take a long time or a lot of effort to have a healthy meal, whether you are a student or not.

Secondly, my term is now over. Hurrah!!! Stanley and I are now back home (he has been reunited with Vera- the TM at home) and I've spent the past few days working at Thermomix HQ, which has been lovely.
Before I left Winchester though, my housemates and I did a secret santa (which didn't stay secret for very long) and I had Grace. My inspiration for what to get her came when I walked into the kitchen one afternoon and found her crouched down in her cupboard with her face in a jar of Nutella. So I made some Chocolate and Hazelnut spread: one jar for her and the other jar as a present for another friend. But somehow the second jar accidentally got opened so I had to eat it. It was an accident though...

By the way, Nutella makes a brilliant filling for a cake! Simply make the Quick Sponge Cake recipe on  228 in F&E and out half the mixture into a loaf tin, spoon lots and lots of Nutella on it and then put the rest of the cake on top. Cook at the required temperature for a little longer than stated. The Nutella will sink to the bottom a bit and the cake underneath it won't cook completely, however, the cake is absolutely delicious, and so good fresh out of the oven.

And finally, as well as working back at TMHQ, I'm busy planning all the yummy baked goods I'm going to make for Christmas. So far I've planned to make a ginger bread house and a chocolate salami (care of Nigella), obviously converted for the Thermomix! I think Stanley and Vera are going to be very busy over the next few days.
Stanley is also going on a little holiday: he is coming with us up to my Aunt's for Christmas: we couldn't have a Christmas without a Thermomix!

That concludes my update! I will try to update more frequently, now I have a little less work to do.
Have a lovely, yummy, chocolate filled Christmas!