Oh man, life is busy these days. B1 has just started playing netball, which requires two additional early morning wake-ups, and she’s taking an art class every week. B2 is keen on “ripper rugby” and pretty much every other activity that gets advertised at school. Did I mention B2 has started school? Two times the homework! B3, on the other hand, is occupied rearranging my plastic containers and whatever I’ve just recently folded or put away. Do you ever feel like just as life feels as busy as it can get…it gets busier? How on earth to fold in the new ingredients?!
All I can advise, from my very limited experience is – gently and one at a time. I learned this from chocolate mousse.
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Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt mousse
A rich, cool and elegant dessert. Serve in French jam jars or pretty glasses.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups of heavy, whipping cream
3 egg whites from fresh, organic eggs
8 ounces / 230g of good quality dark chocolate (containing at least 65% cocoa solids)
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon of sea salt
Method
Place the chocolate, milk and salt in a small bowl and microwave in short bursts until the chocolate is melted (usually two sets of 30 seconds). Mix together until well incorporated and set aside.
Place the whipping cream into a large, chilled bowl and whip until there are soft peaks. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites until they are very white with stiff peaks and set aside. In the large bowl with the cream, very slowly and gently fold in the melted chocolate and milk mixture. Aim to maintain as much air (that you whipped into the cream) as possible.
Once the chocolate is evenly mixed in, add the egg whites and continue to fold gently until all three elements are completely incorporated. Then, divide the mousse among six containers and chill for at least four hours. Serve chilled, topped with a spoonful of fresh whipped cream, chocolate shavings or fresh summer berries.
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Another couple of ideas for remedying busy-ness, also from chocolate mousse:
1) Share. I can’t thank my similarly-harried friends enough for making room in their lives for my complaining and eye-rolling. They help take my kids to this or that and send inappropriate GIFs to brighten my day when it all goes pear-shaped. Also, so many arguments on whether to pronounce it GIF or JIF. Don’t get me started.
2) If a day does go pear-shaped – or in the case of the mousse, split and separate – it’s probably best to laugh and start again. The next time is likely to work out better and there is probably left over dark chocolate to devour from the first attempt.
What helps you cope with the busy days?
How good is chocolate mousse?!
With love,
Hannah x
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