Recipe: Sugar Cookies

I think these are about as easy as a cookie gets - and they do come out pretty damn tasty. The good thing is that you can do almost anything you want with them. You can add flavouring to the dough or even dried fruit or chocolate shavings (which I’ve done here). Alternatively you can ice ‘em up, or dip them in chocolate, or sandwich them with nutella... I think you get the idea. In short, they’re versatile. And pretty hard to mess up too. Though I dare say, there was a little bit or trial and error in my kitchen. You know what they say though - practice makes perfect.

Ingredients

400g plain flour

½ tsp salt

225g unsalted butter, room temperature (alternatively, if your being spontaneous, just shove in microwave for ten seconds)

140g caster sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:

75g chocolate shavings or drops (yes, the piddly ones - the cookies are too thin to take chunks)

coloured sugar

What to do

1. Preheat the oven to 190 Celsius. Sift together the flour and the salt. Then, in a separate, large bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until sort of creamy.

2. Stir in the egg and then the golden syrup and vanilla. When completely combined to make a gooey-golden paste, add the flour one-third at a time. You’ll need to dive in by this point, no spoons and spatulas.

3. Once well mixed, add in the chocolate shavings (if you’re using them) and knead around a little. Pat the dough flat-ish, wrap in cling film and cool in the fridge for around an hour. If you’re impatient like me, then put it in the freezer for 20 minutes - just don’t forget it’s in there!

4. When it’s firmed up, roll the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper (I didn’t have any, so I went with flouring the kitchen counter - but don’t blame me if it sticks!) to around half a centimetre in thickness. If you want them slightly chewier, keep the dough thicker.

5. Choose any cookie-cutter shape that tickles your fancy and away you go!

6. Transfer to an un-greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coloured sugar if you so wish.

7. Take a step back and marvel at your handiwork.

8. Then pop into the oven for a swift 8-10 minutes. When they start to brown around the edges, that’s probably a good time to remove them. I realised this by the third batch.

9. Marvel some more, swear and blaspheme when you try to touch them and they’re still too hot, transfer to a wire rack to cool and then stash away (if there are any left) in an airtight container for midnight feasting.

Enjoy! xx

That Friday Feeling

It's come to the end of yet another week and it's probably fair to say it's been absolutely mental; a flurry of riots, rows and now reparation for the City of London, the scenes that have set our TV screens ablaze are some we'd never expected to see. For the people that have had their livelihoods ransacked, seen their homes and irreplaceable memories go up in flame or worse still, lost a family member, this week has probably cost them more than they'd ever bargained for. So here's sending good wishes and prayers their way, hoping they don't lose faith that there's more goodness in this world than bad.

On a personal level, I have little more to say than these two little words. Thank you. It's been a long week of hard work; interviews and chores, phone calls and anticipation. And when you put your heart and soul into something, that feeling of elation you get when it pays off is pretty hard to beat. I'm not going to beat round the bush - I'll be back tomorrow but for now, I'm off to begin my weekend.

It's too often that we're so busy running after what we don't have, we forget to appreciate everything we do. Happy Friday everyone.

xxx

Recipe: (Not) Terry's Chocolate Orange (Scone)

So here it is - I hope you haven’t been waiting with baited breath (don’t lie, I know you haven’t because you'd be errr, dead by now? Come on, it’s been more than 24 hours?!) - the chocolate orange scone in all its glory. Totally mind-bogglingly delicious, best served burn-your-mouth (literally) hot with a cuppa. Enjoy.

Ingredients

180g self raising flour

zest of 1 orange

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarb of soda

40g granulated sugar

50g unsalted butter

75ml milk

1 egg yolk

75g of milk or dark chocolate (or both, if you’re just plain greedy)

What to do

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, soda, baking powder and sugar. Then grate in the zest of the orange.

2. Next, cut the butter into cubes and rub it into the flour mix until it resembles bread crumbs.

3. Then, in a separate receptacle of sorts, beat together the egg yolk and milk.

4. Pour this into the dry ingredients, all in one go. You can start with a spoon, mixing it all together, but it does get pretty sticky. So get your hands in, working it until it forms a nice sticky dough.

5. Now for the CHOCOLATE :D chop into nice chunky chunks (none of those piddly shreds pleeeeease!) and mix into the dough.

6. Depending on how sticky your dough, you might need to add some flour. But before you turn it out onto the kitchen counter, make sure you’re gonna be able to peel it back of again. Got it? Cool.

7. Once safely deposited on kitchen counter, knead. When it feels like your wrists might drop off, you’ve probably kneaded enough.

8. Flatten into a roughly rectangular shape and cut into 6, or 8. Brush the tops with a little milk and shove into the oven for 10-12 minutes. It’s a pretty hot oven, so you might want to supervise these - they can burn pretty quickly.

And voila, they should look soooooomething like this!

Though I did eat them hot out the oven the first time (which by the way, I am still paying the price for - WELL WORTH it though!), they’re equally good split and sandwiched with some whipped cream at any point later on. My absolutely scrummy, oozing-chocolatey lusciously delicious full-proof* scones. Let me know how you get on.

*The writer accepts no responsibility for the slightly dim-witted, who forget to take their scones out of the oven in time.

xx

Horrible Bosses, Incredible Scones

It seems finally some calm has been restored on the streets to London - and it's just as well, because really, violence isn't the answer to anything. Who isn't frustrated about something or other? But since when did smashing down shop windows and walking away, flat screen TV and another person's life and livelihood tucked underarm, resolve anything? I hope you're not thinking "she's one to talk", considering my high-powered, rather frustrated rant the other night. Ooooh no. A good ramble, a few tears, a hot water bottle, couple of episodes of Friends and something with chocolate in does it for me. Think these rioters should take a leaf out of my book 'ey? No, I mean seriously?

Because let’s be honest, there’s no situation bad enough that some chocolate therapy and Jennifer Aniston can't ameliorate - even if it's only by way of temporary distraction. And so I embarked upon this mission of self-soothing, armed with a download of Horrible Bosses and a recipe from this blog. CHOCOLATE ORANGE scones. I need say no more because the pictures (in the next post) will talk for me. This one drew tears of joy (and pain - think blisters) as I stood, at the oven, munching my way through the end result. When I finally managed to tear myself away with an additional two scones in tow, their slightly cooler demeanour was more than compensated for by this rather wicked film. IMDb gives Horrible Bosses a handsome 7.5 on 10, and rightly so. It tells the story of three average Joes (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis) stuck in their jobs with, can you guess? Yeah, that’s right, three horrible bosses (Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell). After all three reach their breaking point, they decide life would be better if their bosses ceased to exist. What follows is their hilarious effort in finding a way to get it done without being caught. And while murder, car chases, scandal, rape, blackmail and revenge would otherwise be key words to a suspenseful drama, in this case they're applied to a dark comedy that is relentless. The actors are all brilliant, though of course I'm only the slightest, tiniest bit partial to Aniston, who steps out of her "normal girl" comfort zone and steps out pretty darn well. In all, what I’m basically saying is, make scones guys, not war.

X

A Little Perspective

I sense the onset of a rant, so I'm going to try and keep it short. I've spent a good weekend. A busy weekend, in the company of good friends, close family and wonderful food. Company after all, is the only way to banish loneliness. And as of… ooh, about two month ago, this realisation dawned. And so I purposefully keep myself surrounded by people so as to prevent my mind from wondering off onto tangents that are, really, no good for me. And chit-chat, YouTubing, movie-watching, being engrossed and engaged in conversation that's mentally stimulating really does work wonders in keeping the mind occupied. It distracts me away from the constant, niggling worries, and brimming negativity post break-up. It puts a little perspective on things y'know - talking about the news and other larger-scale happenings makes you realise that there are people out there who've got it SO much worse. And so I guess that's the caption for yesterday's video; when I'm in a state of absolute despair and despondency, it's long afternoons at my best friend's house that snap me out of it. Cooking and eating with his family, chilling out with his sister… being shown random videos like these, and talking about anything and everything from politics to Peter Pan, from history to Harry Potter. If there's any reason I haven't completely lost my mind, it's him.

Sometimes, when I really think about it, I come to realise that I don't think anything can possibly prepare us for the harsh truths adult life throws our way. It's hard not to feel disappointed. Betrayed. We spend our childhood, joyfully, weaving a colourful web of dreams, hatching a complex system of plans and ambitions. I'm going to be this, I'm going to go there and I'm going to do that. I speak at risk of sounding bitter, but really, nobody warns us that there'll come a time when dreams will be replaced by worries, plans by bills. When you won't choose what do with your life, but life will choose what to do with you. I generally subscribe to the "glass is half-full" school of thought, but even so - looking around me, I don't think I'm alone in my slight fury at the current situation. And while it's difficult to attribute this frustration to any singular occurrence, it's not so difficult to reel off a list of contributing factors. Graduates can't find jobs and families can't afford holidays. The elderly can't afford heating and the youth can't afford housing. Prices are rising yet wages are falling. Take a rush hour tube and the atmosphere is so tense you could slice through it with a knife. Riots rocking the city, cuts discrediting the government and uncertainty seeping into every corner of society. It just feels like a big deceit. A disappointment. A shame that we have to grow up.

Just a Video Today

I'm being a bit lazy as I feel worse for wear at the moment - but I will caption this one tomorrow.

xxx

tgif!

Do you know what I absolutely hate about this weather? And please second me on this one if you agree. It has to be those damned creepy crawlies that invade in their masses. The little and the large, the furry and the leggy, the crawly and the… buzz..y?! Whatever - you name it and I guarantee there's one of them hidden somewhere in my house right now. Ever been trying to watch the TV in peace but that bee just keeps on zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-ing past? Yeah? Or moved a book and found a huge web behind it? Even worse, the spider that goes with it? Or woke up to one dangling IN YOUR FACE?! How about this then - yesterday I was carrying a plate full of the yummiest, most delicious oozy-cheesy pizza into the living room for lunch. Obviously the only thing on my mind at the point was, well, getting to the comfy spot where I could sit and stuff face. So you can imagine my absolute horror when I smacked face-on into a MASSIVE spider just, y'know, casually hanging from the door frame, before it decided to SIT on my pizza. Urrrrrrrgh, disgusting creatures. Why don't they stay in their own house?

Y'know what, all I can say is thank God it's Friday! Even though I've had a whole week of doing…well, pretty much nothing, at least at the weekend I can do nothing without feeling guilty for it. I mean no-one works weekends, right?! I'm off for some Friday (no) fish and chips - must be the sign that a good weekend is about to begin. Happy Friday to you all!

xxx

Some Frazzled Thoughts

My, oh my is it hot out there today or WHAT - I stepped out at 2.30 and I don't joke when I say I fried, and then frazzled. Surely a heat of this intensity warrants an afternoon siesta and late night ice-cream? I mean it's lovely and everything, perfect for a bit of lazing by the pool with a cocktail or laying in a hammock with a book. Even better for sitting at an outdoor cafe with good friends, an iced tea and effortless conversation, no? But it just seems… well, heinous to have to work in it! We should all close shop and take a nice nap. It's too hot to be working/stuck indoors/thinking/doing anything! (*Flashback images of Indian labourers and street-vendors working in 45 degrees* … yerrrr, maybe I should shut up.)

I hope whatever you have been up to, you've been having some fun. Unfortunately it's been job-searching and a little bit of (involuntary) gallivanting around town for me. I seem to be spending a lot of time these days thinking and planning, wondering and… well, trying to figure out my next move. It feels like I'm on the cusp of something - y'know the calm before a storm? I've known for a long time that there are things in my life that must change for good - and it seems that might finally happen. Am I chatting rubbish? I think so. Must be the heat. I think I need a cup of tea. Catch you tomorrow.

xxx

Girl's Day Out

It was girl's day out today - the first in a long time for mum and I. Normally mum's Tuesday off is spent by the two of us catching up on the chores, shopping and cooking. Fun huh? Well, not today. There's been a slight lull in spirits of late, for more reason than one, so it was foot down on some 'me' time for the two of us. And off to Brum we ambled for a day of, exclusively, what else, shopping.

As it generally goes, the day we decide to take the train is the day there are lengthy ‘signal failure’ delays. But we finally got there, about an hour later than expected, albeit slightly hungry and stiff-legged. For those of you who don't know/ haven't been, Birmingham is no longer the dirty, shabbily industrialised, “first manufacturing town in the world” it used to be. Uh-uh. It's now the shining beacon of the West Midlands, an international commercial centre, gamma-world city and a shopper’s haven and hub away from the hub, London. Let's face it. London's massive. I mean it's tough working out where to start unless you KNOW where to start. But the Bullring... It's digestible. And that’s great if you’re anything like me - a ‘mission shopper’ who knows that they want to buy and doesn’t want to get confused/bored searching. There’s a balanced mix of high-street and designer stores sandwiched between a huge Debenham’s and epic Selfridge’s (complete with conveyor belt sushi, a Krispey Kreme counter AND a cup cake stall) in a rather state of the art building, making for an iconic shopping destination in my opinion. And if you’ve not had enough by this point, fear not for you can just venture outside onto a more traditional high street set up too - New Street, topped off with a rather lovely fountain (great for when your gasping in 27 degrees of heat) in which you can dip your feet. You might be interested to know that Birmingham is also home to more miles of canals than Venice that link back to it's more industrial days - but they’ve been majorly cleaned up and do make for a rather nice walk too.

Highlight of the day - has to be that Jane Norman was open?! I thought they went into administration and stores closed down promptly, a la Woolworths? Apparently not, all clothing at 70% discount, I was like a kid in a candy store :D Say no more... X

New Month, New Look and 'nother New Start

Well hellloooooooooooooooooooo August and hello everybody. If you're half awake or half interested as you read, you've probably noticed a slightly new look blog today. As much as I'd like to flatter and impress, emphasise the fact that I did it just for you, dear reader, in truth, it was more of a 'can't get to sleep, too tired to read and already watched three movies, what shall I do next' type endeavour. Pah, I kid you. Change keeps up the interest, so I'm hoping those of you who’ve almost reached the end of your tether digesting my pointless rants and rambles will discover a renewed sense of enthusiasm :D Is it working? ;) So here it is, all shiny and new and brand-spankingly clean and I hope you like it. I've also added in a recipe page for the benefit primarily of friends who harass me for the secrets behind an authentic Indian curry (no names mentioned *ehem*Rob*ehem*). Those of you who know me, know that I am an absolute foodie. And as much as I love eating, I do love cooking too. In fact I prefer being on the cooking for rather than being cooked for end of the equation (unless mum is at the other end of that equation that is). Cooking is a little bit like listening to music in that you can almost always find something to suit your mood. Try some mindless, gentle stirring of risotto when you're worked up if you don't believe me. Try kneading dough when you're stressed, or beating cookies to crumb if you're in a particularly bad mood (then combine with butter, spread in the bottom of a cake tin and refrigerate, meanwhile combine whipped cream and cream cheese and sugar and vanilla, smother on top, set for an hour and there you have the quickest, most therapeutic cheesecake - in more ways than one - in the world!)

And so I've spent this weekend cooking pretty much. With family, with friends, and alone too. In between university and jobs, housework and errands it can be difficult to actually enjoy preparing food. Quite often it's just about working out the quickest way to produce something edible and then.. well eating it as quickly as possible too. So this weekend seemed like the perfect time to foray into the mystic world of Indian mithais, or sweets. Traditionally, an Indian meal consists of rice, dhal, at least 2 vegetable curries, roti, papad, yoghurt, small amounts of chutney or pickle, and a sweet dish to top it off, served in small steel bowls on a large steel plate. It’s called a thali. But in the rush of routine, you usually end up with just lentils, rice and chappatis, or a vegetable curry of sorts and rice and chappatis. We often resort to buying the sweets instead of going to the trouble of making them. So here’s my first ever - besan ladoos.

xxx