New Beginnings

"Everything is temporary"

This past 6 months have been big, full of changes and newness all round. I do change well. I think that's because I learned to accept that change happens whether we want it to or not many years ago. So now I embrace it, and have grown to accept and sometimes even enjoy it. 

One of the most recent changes which hopefully you have already noticed, is my freshly redesigned and refocused blog! For a while now I have been increasingly unhappy with what my blog looked like and how it was being read, meaning that there was no real motivation for me to want to post anything. Something I started to realise was that my blog was slowly descending from a clear vision of things that I loved and wanted to write about, and getting lost in a "what others think I should post, what others will think about me, what is blog-worthy" path.

Within this re-launch, I wanted to change the whole idea of my blog, from the content to the colour scheme. I hope it's easier and cleaner to look through in this new format, and that people will still continue to enjoy reading what I have to say. I plan to let absolutely no more happy moments slip by unnoticed or unappreciated, I want to be able to look back at this blog and have this place to remember how I felt and what my journey was like.

After all it’s not really about what we did or ate yesterday, not about teaching anyone the right way to arrange flowers and coffee cups on side tables, not about what I bought last night, and not about the latest social media tips and tricks. It’s simply about life and our impressions, how it feels and looks every day, about the little moments and memories that make us happy, make us laugh, or sometimes scare us; as well as the big dreams and long-term goals that we’re trying to achieve. I'm not ready to stop and settle, and hopefully I won't ever be.

So this is an introduction to the revised At The Charlie Louise — an “Impressionist Lifestyle” Blog!

Baking Chocolate Panforte!

Panforte is a traditional Italian dessert dating back to the 13th century. Within the rich chocolatey flavours, it contains lots of nuts and dried fruit, which seem in keeping with classic Christmas flavours. The best part is that it doesn't need eggs, and the butter can easily be substituted. A vegan recipe win!

The long recipe may make this cake seem slightly difficult to make, but it's really not. However, it is a little time-consuming, but well worth it! It will keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several days, and if well-wrapped or left under a cake dome it should last more than a week.

This cake actually served as our Christmas day dessert this year, which was a nice change - and one that may well become a new tradition in my household judging by how well it went down with the entire family.

Ingredients and full recipe below!

Winter Calls (poem)

winter calls me,

and I reply,

though desperate not to loose myself

in his palest landscape,

and I look back,

to see the blind trail I once took,

getting there to find,

that winter still calls me,
leaving cold kisses in my ear.