I firmly believe that there is no reason to limit your spring-cleaning to the spring.
Since we came back from holiday six weeks ago, I've felt a very strong urge to de-clutter and to simplify. I survived a month with just the clothes and possessions that I could fit in a suitcase. Having a whole flat's worth now seems excessive.
This weekend we finally got rid of some unwanted furniture that had been making an obstacle course out of our hall for the last few weeks. We made several trips to the recycling centre with books and clothes and shoes. I cleared out the kitchen cupboards and took an inventory of everything lurking in the back of the freezer.
After all that, we cleaned floors, vacuumed carpets and polished surfaces. I wandered round the flat, marvelling at how bright and light and spacious it seemed. Together with a little bit of sunshine over the weekend, life has suddenly seemed a lot simpler and easier.
On a related note, I've also done a little spring-cleaning of the blog. If you reading this on the actual blog, you'll notice a sparkling new header up top there. I worked with Shay, the talent that first came up with the design for my blog last year, to give this space a bit of a makeover. As before, Shay did such a great job at taking my jumbled vision and turning it into something beautiful. It has made all the difference.
Speaking of simplicity, you can't get more simple than a dessert made from just two ingredients. When one of those two ingredients is chocolate, you know you're not going to be disappointed.
This is one of those recipes that I'd seen in various places but never been convinced that it would actually work. To my amazement, it did and with just some chocolate, some water and a bit of whisking, I had a rich and luscious chocolate mousse. If only life was always this simple.
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Two-ingredient chocolate mousse Source: Food52Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 200g (8oz) chocolate (Food52 recommends 70%, I used a mixture of various dark chocolate I had on hand)
- 180ml (3/4 cup) water
- Ice cubes
Cooking Directions
- Prepare a large bowl over an ice bath.
- In a saucepan over a medium-low heat, combine the chocolate and water stirring until all the chocolate has melted and you have something rich and glossy.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl-over-ice and, using a handheld electric whisk, whisk the mixture until it starts to thicken and turns a slightly lighter brown colour.
- Pour the mousse into ramekins. Serve immediately or chill until required.