Black Forest Cake Light (Sugar Free) and a Blog Birthday

This is a Sweet Blog turns ONE today! First blog birthday! First anniversary! 

I couldn't even imagine that this blog would take such a significant part of my life. As a matter of fact, I couldn't imagine that I could have a blog at all! Since I can remember my passion for cooking, I have always been reading other food blogs and I always thought that it would be so nice one day to have my own. However, I have never taken it seriously and it seemed to be just another unrealisable dream.

Date Sweetened Oatmeal Cookies

"It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

Damn, who knew?
All the planes we flew
Good things we've been through
That I'll be standing right here talking to you
'Bout another path
I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
But something told me that it wouldn't last
Had to switch up
Look at things different see the bigger picture
Those were the days
Hard work forever pays
Now I see you in a better place"

"See You Again" - Wiz Khalifa

Christmas Fruit Cake

Tomorrow we celebrate Christmas! To be honest, I am totally confused with the fact how fast the week after New Year has flown by. Holidays make me lazy, especially after such a difficult term. But one of the pleasures of being on holiday is a freedom to loaf around without feeling guilty. And I do! I do nothing but watching How I met Your Mother day and night. At the moment I am in the middle of the 8th season! I just can not give up, it is only 1 and 1/2 season left (780 minutes, that are equal to 13 more hours of watching))). Hah, crazy, right? Tell me I am not the one crazy like that here!? But I really liked the series - jesting about situations that can happen to each of us in real life. So, for all of you who haven't yet watched this series (or if you just don't know with what to amuse yourself during the holidays), I highly recommend it.

Back to our Fruit Cake. I can't imagine Christmas without this cake. Usually we cook a lot of dishes and they can vary from year to year, but this cake is sort of a tradition. Three weeks before Christmas I bake a fruit cake and let it rest in the fridge, soaking it from time to time with alcohol. Actually I should have written the recipe much earlier, I know. I hope that you will keep it in mind and will be armed with the recipe the next year. 

And also you wouldn't have to worry about what to bake for Christmas, because the cake would be waiting for you in the fridge and you with a safe conscience would loaf away your time. Win/win!

Merry Christmas!!

Cherry & Almond Frangipane Tartelettes

Believe  it or not, but only today I have realized, that half of the summer is already left behind. On the one hand it makes me sad, especially because we have only two months of summer holidays at the university (NOT enough!!).

Plus I'm a little bit disappointed, because all my plans for summer vacation went wrong.

Croissants with Frangipane and Peaches + Puff Pastry recipe

To tell the truth, I didn't even think about making croissants until my Lviv weekend. 

First of all I'm not a huge fan of puff pastry. This kind of pastry seemed for me too boring (if I can use this word)....I mean I don't like the ratio of pastry to the filling, cos the amount of the last one is always much less than my expectations...so what's the point in eating "bread"..?

Secondly, I always thought they are very difficult in the making. It is so much easier to use bought from the store puff pastry (actually, I've been doing just so up to this day=). 

So, back to Lviv...

Banana Tropicana Peanut Butter Granola

Oh, well...It's a shame that I still haven't shown you the recipe of this mega awesome Banana Granola! Granola is that kind of thing I can't live without. I can have it for breakfast only 1 or 2 times a week, sometimes I don't eat it for weeks at all. But you will always  find a jar of granola on my kitchen.)

Berry Tart (sugar free!)

This day has finally come! I've finished all of my exams. And it means that I am totally free till the end of summer. Two. TWo. TWO!!! months of long wished holiday!

The past two months were crazy. Sleepless nights, exhausting days. I felt that I could no more distinguish them.  I lived 24/7. So yeah...I can not describe you with the words my feelings right now. You just had to see me a few hours ago. You know, when neurosis is replaced by laughter, then access of tenderness....and laughter again...