Mia Bella Passions

Avocado Chocolate Bites...

Just THREE ingredients...

and

SUPER EASY to whip up.

If you adore AVOCADO,

Then you will adore these 'Avocado Chocolate Bites'!

All you do is:

Mash half an avocado.

I chopped the Avo...

and blitzed it in the Nutri.bullet!

MELT 1/2 cup of dark chocolate (the darker the better!)

ADD mashed avocado and mix.

Chill for a few minutes in the refrigerator until you can roll into bite-size balls.

And then finish them off with a roll around in Dark cocoa powder.

Keep stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

An Avocado lovers health treat!

Printable recipe HERE

#healthytreats #healthysweets

Hippeastrum Plant ❥

I remember seeing this plant when I was just a teenager when I visited my cousins' house.

And I fell in love with it.

A leafless elegant long stem.

With flowers on top.

The most amazing flowers!

So when I saw this one - I had to have it!

White and red with peach cream undertones.

It really is a stunner.

What joy it brought to my kitchen...

As day by day, I watched the blooms open.

'Hippeastrums' are from the Amarilys family.

And there are many, many colours available.

The flower heads can be from 13 to 20cm in size.

They are funnel-shaped but do come in double forms.

To grow:

Place in bright light with some sun for part of the day.

(I grew mine on my kitchen bench which has morning sun and bright light for the rest of the day).

When actively growing/flowering, aim to keep the soil moist most of the time.

After Flowering:

Cut the spent flower spikes to the base, but keep the leaves growing by watering when the bulb soil is dry.
Place bulbs in the pots outside or in a greenhouse or covered patio during the hot summer months.
Only fertilise every 2 weeks while leaves are growing.
Keep in a 10 to 13-degree temperature will in its rest period after leaves die back.
Do not water while dormant.
Don't let bulb sit in water as this will cause the bulb to rot.
Do not repot unless the potting medium has broken down, or the plant produces offsets.
Baby offset bulbs take 2 to 3 years to flower.
The plant nor bulb like frost or cold.

Here's a little advice from a grower who has had her 'Hippy' for 26 years!

My amaryllis bulb is about 26 years old and blooms twice every year without fail. I have it in an east-facing window, and I water it as and when I remember! I feed it with Gro-more twice a year as the main stalk starts to show (only adding to one watering each blossoming time). I honestly do not pamper this bulb, never take it out of the window (even in winter but central heating usually keeps the house at about 20 degrees), forget to water regularly (sometimes the leaves start to droop a little) and yet it still gives me 2 beautiful displays every year. The bulb has almost filled the pot for the last 6 years, so I took it from the pot 6 weeks ago, cut back the roots (there was very little soil left anymore) and put some new soil in. I thought I had killed it but it is proudly showing 4 deep red blooms on the stalk. I do strip off the dead 'skins' on the bulb when it gets very flaky - a gentle pull brings most of it off.

#hippeastrum #floweringpotplant

Easy Valentine Table Centerpiece

Scenario...

Valentines Days will be here VERY SOON.

You want to make the dining or coffee table lovey,

and just a wee bit special.

BUT:

Life is so busy.

You just do not have time to be super creative.

So here is your answer.

A simple, valentine day table feature that is super easy to prepare and super affordable too.

Sooooo...

Just grab a wine glass

Some heart or love inspired fabric

And an open bloom rose.

Put the bloom head inside the upturned wine glass...

Place the bloom head inside the upturned wine glass onto the scrunched up Valentine themed fabric...

Place a red candle or mini candles on top of the wine glass base...

Light your candles.

And now you have a loved up but super easy to create table centrepiece!

#valentinedecor #valentinetablecentrepiece

Breathless Moments....

A new quote to share today...

it's about:

Love and Nature's breathless moments = ❤️

#newzealandphotographer #blackandwhitephotography

Valentines Dippy Treats...❥

Valentine's Dippy Treats are elegant, light, textured Corinthians that have been dipped in melted white chocolate and sprinkled with pretty 'sprinkles'.

I mean who does not like wafer biscuits?

And sprinkles?

And chocolate?

And crisp wafer biscuits with a yummy strawberry filling?

I'm not doing a recipe link because they are so EASY to whip up.

The kids LOVE making them!

All you do is:

Melt chocolate (using the microwave or over hot water technique)

Dip the wafers in it.

Place on a tray that has been lined with baking paper.

Sprinkle with 'sprinkles'.

Then place in the refrigerator to set.

And you know what?

If you don't like white chocolate,

change up the dip to dark or milk chocolate.

And red and white themed 'sprinkles'.

You can also change the strawberry wafer biscuits to chocolate or vanilla.

Also tubes to rectangles.

Rectangles dip just as nicely.

Keep in the refrigerator until serving as they are so tasty good COLD!

Valentine's Dippy Treats are also great for parties - adults and kids will LOVE them!

Note: An ingredient conversion chart can be found HERE

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#valentinesday #Kidspartyfood

Marshmallow Slice...

Mmmmm, a buttery base with a thick marshmallow topping.

I remember my mother making this slice often.

But she did it the hard way...

with gelatin or jelly.

And we beat and beat that mixture using hand beaters.

For what seemed like hours to my young mind,

until the topping turned pale pink and creamy.

But I discovered a super-easy way to make the marshmallow topping.

Using MARSHMALLOWS!

You do need an electric beater to create it quickly.

10 minutes is all you need.

And then you pile it on the prebaked cooled shortcake base.

Leave to set.

And then cut into squares.

It is so delicious.

Fluffy.

And not too sweet.

Try it.

Bake it with the kids.

It will become a family favourite.

Or serve it on Valentine's Day as a treat -
just top with a berry jus, berries (from a can or fresh),
and a dollop of cream or ice cream (or both).

You'll find the recipe HERE

or copy and Paste the recipe:

Marshmallow Slice

For the Base:

125 grams of soft butter

1 cup of white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1 cup of sifted self-raising flour

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.

Mix in the sifted flour

With clean floured fingers, press the mixture into a greased 20 x 30cm slice pan that has been lined with baking paper that has come up the sides by at least 2 inches.

(you will need this height for the marshmallow topping stage.

Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes and cool completely.

Marshmallow Topping:

In a pot place 1/2 a cup of water.

Add 1 packet (520 grams) f pink and white marshmallows

(I used the Pascall Big Softie Brand)

Heat over medium heat stirring until the marshmallows melt.

Set aside to cool.

Place the marshmallow mixture in the bowl of an electric cake mixer.

Beat slowly at first, and then increase the speed as it thickens.

Beat for at least 10 minutes.

When the marshmallow mixture is thick. pale and creamy pile on top of the cooled, cooked base.

Sprinkle with coconut.

Refrigerate until set.

Cut into squares.

Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Help with ingredient conversion here.

Grab a cuppa, and visit

my Fine Art America gift store

#marshmallow #homebaking #slices #sweettreats

#sweetslices #homebaking #baked

Hanging Succulent Plant....❥

Are you like me?

Do you have a habit of killing the plants in your hanging baskets?

Try as I might I simply cannot remember to water them.

And that is why I am choosing succulents for my covered deck hanging baskets.

I found this sweet plant at 'Bunnings Garden Centre'.

It's called 'Rhipsalis Cereuscula'.

And isn't it dinky?

Great form.

Great green colour.

Great no kill properties!

The plant was $15.

I already had the hanging basket planter from a previous unsuccessful flower planting.

I freshened up the potting mix and popped this green beauty into the basket.

As it gets older it will grow new hanging jointed leaf spikes that are shaped like rice.

They will hang down over the sides.

In the Spring this interesting hanging succulent plant produces white to pink satiny flowers.

The secret to growing this plant is to keep it dry in the winter.

Protect it from frost.

It prefers warm conditions, but I have had mine on my covered deck all winter in the afternoon sun, and it has not minded the coldest mornings of 2 degrees at all.

The recommended position is in the full sun to part shade.

In fact, it is sprouting new growth!

And the little white flowers in Spring are just the cutest!

'Rhipsalis Cereuscula' is also a perfect plant to use with the kokedama no pot technique.
Find out how to make a DIY Kokedama HERE.

#succulents #hangingsucculents #hangingbasketplants #droughtresistantplants

Kokedama Christmas Tree...

For something completely untraditional,
a kokedama tree is a perfect choice for Christmas.

Kokedama in English literally means moss-covered ball.

And this is the technique used to create Kokedama.

The idea originated in Japan.

It's a combination of nearai (meaning no pot) and the kusamono planting style.

(The tree used here is Robina pseudoacacia 'Lace Lady')

To create your own Kokedama

You will need:

A sludge mix of potting mix and water.

Soaked sphagnum moss.

A Plant That has been removed from it's pot.

Then:

Loosen and trim the root ball.

Covered it in the wet mix, and then in a thick layer of sphagnum moss.

Wind natural rope fibre around the ball until the moss is mostly covered.

tie a knot.

Wind rope around and around...

Until the moss is mostly covered and it is firm.

Soak root ball in a container of water until the air bubbles stop.

(this is also how you water Kokedama plants once established.

Drain off excess water.

Place on a waterproof tray.

Pot plants are great fun to kokedama.

Here is one we made using 'Rhipsalis Cereuscula'.

A kokedama plant will last 2 to 3 years.
It's a great diy to create.
Fun, and a unique gift too.

Kokedama is a great way to create a modern Christmas tree statement as we have done.
The tree we made this year will move outdoors onto the deck once the Christmas season is over, so we can still enjoy it.

#kokedama #diyplanters

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