I love you truffles

 It's February 2026 and I cooked 7323 free meals last year at Manna House in Kendal. A statistic to be proud of and I  was busy compiling a recipe book "World on a plate"for the homelessness prevention charity. I love my job and helping others is a privilege but this year I need to carve out a little time to write my own recipes and share them here...

Scores on the doors last year were :-

Manna  7323  What's for dinner Clarey 0!! 😉

So here goes! I'm hoping journalling my daily eats and treats will make you smile and maybe try one of my recipes.

I love you truffles

These little beauties were made out of leftovers from Christmas 

1 whiskey soaked fruit loaf cake

Baileys

2 bars of dark chocolate(  I love Bourneville)

1 tub of brandy butter

3tbsp golden syrup

Cocoa and caster sugar to roll in

Break the fruit loaf into crumbs and soak with leftover Baileys. Melt the chocolate and butter and syrup to make a chocolate sauce. Stir into the crumbs and roll into small balls. Dredge with cocoa and a little caster sugar. Put in a tin and refrigerate until they are firm .

My nickname at my house is chocolatey Clare ( chocolate eclair) these would be lovely served in threes with pouring cream or squirty if you're trashy like me.

Tomorrow at Manna House...

In the Learning kitchen we will be making 

Spicy parsnip soup

Chicken pie and cheesey mash ,savoy cabbage and bacon

Broccoli cheese

Cinnamon roll bread and butter pudding

Cinnamon custard

Last week a homeless guy paid me the biggest compliment by saying " thank you that didn't taste like a free meal". 

It's 2026 we need to do better for those who are not doing well in our society.

As a teenager in the 1980s Prefab Sprout was my favourite band . "The Venus of the soup kitchen" was on my Walkman on repeat.

These days in my encore career I'm always teaching people to make soup, souper Tuesdays are dedicated to spinning straw into gold! Whatever free vegetables arrive from supermarket waste or from our allotment we whizz up into liquid gold.

Spicy parsnip soup

Chop the tops off 3 bags of wonky parsnips. Wash but don't peel ( fibre is my 2nd favourite F word!) Chop into chunks put in a pan

Cover with a carton of uht full milk

Add 1tbs curry powder,  2tsp cumin, 2tsps garlic granules, black pepper and salt

2 veg stock cubes

Bring to a simmer and when the parsnips are soft whizz them up with a soup wand .

If you're feeling flush add a pot of double cream and a handful of chopped coriander before serving.

I always have a big pan of soup on the go , super tasty and full of the vitamins we need to stave off the Winter bugs.

To me food equals joy and when Joy is in short supply , a bowl of soup made with love, kind of saves the day.

My great Auntie JOYce is 97 today , she is my beloved Nanna's youngest sister and when I speak to her on the phone its like phoning heaven. She has the same little Yorkie voice and giggle and sounds so much younger than her age. What a woman. 

So this year I want to be more joyful like Auntie Joyce and like my soup a little bit spicy! Bland is banned.