Chewy Chocolate Bar Cookies

Sometimes a simple chocolate chip cookie isn't enough. Even a triple chocolate jobby just wont cut the mustard. It's these moments that we call upon the humble chocolate bar to fill that all-the-sugar-in-the-world-won't-be-enough-craving. And then what do we do with it? Chuck it in a cookie with a couple its friends to really make things interesting. Today i've gone for Mars and Milky-Way for some molten caramel goodness, but you can choose what you like, go wild - add some marshmallows! 

Here's what you'll need: 

110g butter
55g caster sugar
110g dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
150g flour
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder 
90g rolled oats 
3-4 normal sized chocolate bars of your choice 
(I used two of each; Mars and Milky Way) 

Now, what to do:

Pop your butter, sugars, vanilla and egg into a bowl and beat together until lighter in colour and creamy. Next reduce the speed and add your flour until just combined. Stir through the oats and chocolate bar morsels. Chill your dough for about 30 minutes. Take out of the fridge and use an ice cream scoop divide your mixture evenly. Bake in the oven at 190°C for 9-10 minutes until browned at the edges. Leave to firm up on the tray for a few minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. If you can bare it, leave to cool otherwise beware of the molten caramel - it will be hot!

There perfect snack to satisfy your sugar craving. and, if you're crazy and don't feel like baking them all at once the mixture will keep in the fridge for a few days or can be frozen in scoops ready for a cookie fix whenever you need it! 

Volunteering.

I would recommend volunteering to anyone. The last three weeks of my trip were spent in a small Mexican town on the Yucatan peninsula, working at a summer camp set up for under privileged children. We were also able to teach them basic swimming skills which, for me, was the most rewarding - there are few places to learn how to swim in Valladolid and it's something that I think everyone should be able to do. It's both useful and a fun activity for the children. 

There are so many benefits to Volunteering and I would recommend it to anyone. Not only is it great for your C.V with a view to going to University or for setting yourself apart from other job applicants, but it's also a great experience. You meet new people, form close friendships with them and plan to meet up with them if they're ever in town. Cue a #ShamelessSelfie.

Then there's the kids. Aside from being a- DORE-able, I was able to learn a lot from them. I choose Mexico as it is a beautiful country and, as I bonus would be able to practice and improve my Spanish. If you speak another language and need extra practice, there is no better tool than a child. Their fast words and there willingness to repeat it back to you until it makes sense is like nothing you'll find in a classroom. 

Meet Rey, at the beginning of the 3 weeks he was terrified of the water. He wouldn't even get in the pool, let alone put his face in the water. After 2 and a half weeks he was swimming, front crawl no less, un assisted. But, most of all his confidence in the water was mos improved and I knew that his fear had disappeared. He'd done it! 

Remember, they are kids. They aren't always going to listen to you and sometimes it'll be difficult. But, it's worth it. Trust me. the pride you feel when a child has conquered something YOU taught them is an unforgettable feeling. And, just look at their faces..

 If you're thinking about volunteering, do it. I couldn't recommend it enough and can't wait to do something like this again next year. 

Beach!

You can't go to Mexico and not visit the beach. 

Rather than going to Cancun full of resorts and noisy tourists, we decided on Tulum. A small town with a gorgeous beach perfect for relaxing and escaping the hustle and bustle. We gathered a group of us packed up a mexican pic-nic, squeezed into the cars and took the 2 hour trip to the coast. 

One of the things I love about the beach is watching everyone else; the couples enjoying eachothers company under the sun. Children making new best friends and bonding over sandcastles and playing 'burried alive. Grandparents seeking shelter under the shade of the palm trees. You can't feel sad at the beach, it's everyone's happy place. 

And here come the obligatory beach shots... 

The sun began to set and we decided it was time to head home...

Until next time! 

The ruin you've all been waiting for

Chichen Itza, the most famous and popular ruin sites of Mexico. 

And you can see why. 

After having looked at so many picture if this site, i was glad to finally see it in person, and it didn't disappoint. The main pyramid was stunning and my favourite stand-alone ruin of the trip. 

The site at Chichen Itza used to be is own town, the mud and grass huts in which people used to live are since long gone, but the main buildings still remain. 

The playing field was definitely another highlight. the site where an ancient Mayan game was played where two teams each had a 10kg ball that must be bounced off the floors and walls and put through the hoop on each wall. The Mayans only used their bodies to move the ball, so you can imagine their strength, using only their hip to launch a 10kg ball 4 meters in the air! 

Look familiar to anyone?

Another cool thing was the acoustics, you can stand at speak at one end (where the umpire used to sit) and hear it clearly across the playing field. 

Next we visited the market...you're going to use need a little imagination. 

We bid our last goodbyes to the majestic pyramid and went to cool off in the local cenote. Of course! 

Don't you just want to jump right in? 

Hacienda

Today we're visiting a hacienda. An old, historic house where they use traditional methods to make cotton out of the agave plant. We were taken through each stage of the process and were shown how each machine works and the vital steps needed to create the final product. The machines were slightly modernised here, running on electricity rather than the traditional steam engine, but the processes were still the same! 

The plant is cut and stacked and separated into the machines where it is stripped,

Next it's hung out to dry, ready to be thinned,

After the material is smoothed with a massive hairbrush, it's turned into rope..

 Or other little gifts for the tourists to take home

A simple and fascinating in site into how a common plant in Mexico can be turned into a host of useful items. 

Next, we visited the sites very own Cenote. An almost completely covered body of water lead to a very cold swim, but we just couldn't resist! 

Cenotes really are gorgeous, such a unique feature of the Mexican landscape, needless to say this wasn't my last visit!