In Time For Thanksgiving - Pumpkin Pie!!

Yeah, so it's safe to say that my baking has been going a bit downhill since starting uni. It's taken me a while to find my baking feet. I'll never forget the horrendous and awfully egg-y Victoria sponge that I served up on the 2nd week. It's sad but the pessamistic side of me lets me hang my head in shame and not expect anything from the culinary 'delights' that make their way into the oven. 

But tonight I've actually done it! Pumpkin pie that's actually edible and looks good! - apart from the section I've stuffed the oven glove into (hence the large missing slice!) But here it is! 

I absolutely love pumpkin. It's a brilliant smokey autumn flavour and a perfect substitute for potatoes. With its cousin: the butternut squash, you can mash it, roast it, boil it and bake it - any way it tastes great!

Here's my take on the classic American pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Pie (£3.50)Serves 6

You will need:

• 375g pumpkin or butternut squash (you may find that butternut squash is more commonly available in supermarkets than pumpkin)
• 375g ready rolled shortcrust pastry (I actually only used 2/3 of the pastry)
• 70g granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 25g melted butter
• 90ml semi-skimmed milk

Method:

1. Peel, dice and boil the pumpkin/ butternut squash for 15 minutes until tender. (You should easily be able to insert a fork)
2. Drain and place in a clean bowl
3. Leave to cool
4. NEXT, heat your oven to 180 degrees C
5. Butter a pie dish and roll out the pastry to cover the tin
6. Trim the edges of the pastry and put to one side
7. Smooth it out to ensure that all the pie dish is covered and patch holes up with the spare pastry
8. Once completed, discard the pastry
9. Prick the base with a fork and bake for 15 minutes (Watch to ensure that the base doesn't rise. You need to make sure that it stays flat.)
   
10. Remove the pie from the oven
11. Turn the oven to 200 degrees C
12. THEN, when completely cool, puree the pumpkin/ butternut squash into a clean bowl by squishing it through a sieve with a fork (This can take a while but persevere - the end result makes it all worth it!)
13. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, egg, butter and milk
14. Add the pumpkin puree to the mixture and stir until combined
15. Pour this mixture into the half-baked pastry case and return to the oven for 10 minutes
16. Reduce the heat to 180 degrees C and bake for a further 30-40 minutes
17. Remove from the oven and leave to cool
18. Serve cold

Thanksgiving 2014: Thursday 27th November

Whiskey Starlight

Bonfire night is one of my absolute favourite times of the year! I love it! The dark, the fire, the colours, the warmth and, of course, the food! It's such a beautiful and happy time of year. 

I wanted to share my experience with you guys of the other weekend that I spent at my auntie and uncle's annual fireworks party but I couldn't quite represent the sentiment the same way with a piece of prose as I could with a poem. 

I'm not a natural poet by any stretch of the imagination but I think that even if you can't write poetry, there's something liberating about describing something in this way. The colours are the things that are special for me. In this one I really tried to focus on the orange glow of the fire and stars and the silky midnight hue of the night sky that's not as harsh as black but not as mellow as blue. 

Take a read: 

WHISKY STARLIGHT: 

Whiskey starlight 

O'er the fields I see 

Ever stoking the fright

Of sheep and we 

Eat the mallows 

Fire-ripened down to their core 

Sleeps past All Hallows' 

Eve of life no more. 

Each golden juice pimple 

Sky's lantern anew 

The show of fifty a dimple

Smiles among people who 

Shout, laugh and chatter 

Pulling children from fire 

Caution never their matter 

As night becomes Sire. 

London's Eye

Despite a morning that felt far to early to be past the boundaries of the night before, I was glad to be in London. It seems to me like London is the city of every season. I tell myself that I like it more in the cold but then I catch myself at Kings Cross in the summer months and I take it all back. 

Today was as beautiful as the day suggested: Sun-day. The light streamed across the pale blue of the sky that was brushed with clouds and the air was crisp and raw. It was beautiful. Really beautiful. I like travelling through London at the best of times but today was particularly special. It's Remembrance Sunday and all the natural beauty of the morning was complimented with the jingling of medals as war veterans passed by in their suits and poppies, their canes and hats. On the train earlier we'd picked up a group of suited school children who were destined to attend one of the services. There is something so festive and communal about seeing such sights. 

I'm not an advocate of war. And, like many other people I know, I don't think that the act of fighting and killing can ever be just. But today: Remberance Sunday, is not about the war (though without it the day wouldn't exist). On the 100th anniversary since World War I, it's about courage. 100 years of selfless bravery. 

People are different. People went into the war with different motives. Some went because they believed that their actions would lead to a greater good. Others were forced. But whatever the reason, those who made it through and those who didn't met with the same fate; they saw war. I look into the eyes of the people that pass by me with their tailored suits and medals. The eyes that now look out on the fabricated, technologically 'advanced', urban landscape that is London and the underground. Those eyes that look out onto the Gucci, Selfridges, Hollister and Burberry. Those eyes were the same eyes that saw guns, scaled pathways, watched the insides of eyelids as they slept in wait of the days, weeks, months ahead. Those eyes carry experience. Experience of it all. The then and now. The here and there. Stories, memories, experiences: told and untold, and etched into the dewy layers of the eyeball's gaze.

There is a different London this morning. Not the cosmopolitan hub of all-too-busy and not-too-bothered commuters as I usually come across. This is a morning in London marked and ruled by history. It is the hub of millions of stories: told, untold and yet to be told.

And so as I leave Waterloo, the rising sun awakening the country, the thoughts of a ugly morning fade. How glad am I that I was up at 6:30am on a Sunday to see it all? The answer is very.   

Apple and Date Cake with Walnuts

Apple and Date Cake with Walnuts

Recently I've fallen in love with, not only baking, but with the website: www.bakingmad.com

I don't really know why I hadn't found it before, but it's excellent! Really makes me love turning on the oven and following a recipe. So, naturally, this recipe comes from BakingMad.com

Originally it was just an apple cake but one of the suggested varieties was to try dates and walnuts. As you may know, dates are some of my favourite foods at the moment and probably now for the rest of time!

My version of the cake has dates and walnuts in the middle, topped with apple and cinnamon and a hard caramel out layer poured in the top.

Here's how you can make it:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C
(Serves 12)

1. Cream together 100g butter and 100g raw brown sugar until combined and pale
2. Beat in 2 eggs and then add 125g plain flour
3. Mix well
4. Now add 1 tsp of baking powder and +/- 2 tbsp cold water
5. Beat with a metal spoon until everything is combined
6. Stir in 16 pitted dates (diced) and 1 large handful of chopped walnuts
7. Pour the batter into a well greased, small cake tin
8. Now core and peel 1 medium sized apple. Slice very finely and lay on top of the cake batter
9. Now sprinkle 1 heaped tsp of cinnamon and 2 tsps of raw brown sugar on top of the apples
10. Cover with a large handful of sliced almonds

11. Bake for 35 mins (NB. The original recipe says 25-30 mins but I needed longer, so keep checking)
12. Remove from the oven and leave to completely cool

TO MAKE THE CARAMEL:
Put 150g caster sugar in a deep pan and heat over a medium heat until the sugar at the sides begins to melt. Swirl the sugar around and leave to melt. Continue to come back to swirl the sugar until it is all dissolved then immediately pour over the cooled cake.

Recent Bakes

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The Importance of Independence

Scottish Independence has been all over the news recently. Whether or not Scotland should remove itself from the Unions in Great Britain as we know it.

But the independence that I want to talk about today is one free of political intervention, protests and a public vote: our own independence. 

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I thought that I was pretty much independent when I was going through college. I knew that through my life I hadn't had such freedom. Mum had always asked for invitations if I wanted to go to a party - I couldn't go just because someone had told me. There were curfews for sleepovers and I still relied on my parents to pick me up after school activities. 

At college, though I was ferried to and from sixth form on a bus that stopped right outside my house, I felt a bit more in control of myself. I kind of just got on with studying. I felt quite independent but I realised that there was still a little more way to go before I was a proper adult. 

It's funny because, having been at uni has made me realise that I'm more of a child than I ever thought. 

Independence was a bit of a shocker. I've never felt like I've wanted to break away from my family. I've never felt like I've wanted to be alone and do things strictly by myself. I felt independent enough and wasn't ready to metaphorically sever ties.

But going to uni scared me. It appears that too much independence definitely makes you find yourself. I felt alone. Every choice I made was up to me. When did I get up? It didn't matter because it wouldn't affect anyone but me. If I wanted to skip lectures, then who would be on my back? No one, really. If I wanted to eat pot noodle all day every day (and I didn't) then I was free to do so.

Those kinds of menial decisions, however, soon took care of themselves. I went to lectures as a matter of principle, got myself out of bed to make life easier and ate as healthily as I could.

But the real test of my independence was the extra things. The things that didn't have to be done every day. And this was where I became disappointed and frustrated with myself in a way that I never thought I could have.

University has a lot of opportunity - an overwhelming amount, in fact. As we entered the 'bunfight' where all the societies had stalls trying to entice us with 'Ultimate Frisbee', men in teeny tiny speedos and cakes, it was hard to make an informed decision. I saw people saying: "Aw! Yeah sure I'll come to the Quidditch club tryouts!" I wanted to do something cool, as well. I wanted to get myself into a spectacular society.

Moving to England, I had quite forgotten how unappealing being outside can become. When it's raining and cold and windy, home seems so much nicer. I missed most of the tryouts and taster sessions through laziness and reluctance of the cold. I went to a few, like trampolining and became quite interested in Amnesty International society for a while, but I saw people around me solidifying friendships in the clubs that they were joining. They had put themselves out there and now were doing things that they loved.

All my life I had dreamed about: "When I'm older, I'll ..." and now I was older and every dream I had was just waiting for me to say 'yes' and I said: 'Nah I can't be bothered!'

And as clubbing became the highlight of my weeks, I began to question what I was actually doing with my life. I knew that before I could even register it, the year would be over and I would be one step closer to working and one step further away from realising my dreams.

The last term of 1st year I hauled myself into everything I could. I went out with my friends for coffees and ice-cream, went to a few socials that the societies that I had joined were hosting and blogged. I explored Southampton, wrote articles for the newspaper and planned upcoming material, I tried out the free gym classes, went to an AGM and got a position on a committee and ... I had a phenomenal time! The last term of university was my best. I felt like I finally had control of  my life.

For me, my independence could have gone a number of ways. It could most definitely have had me plan to do everything but actually do nothing. I got quite frugal with my money in that first year, wanting to save it all up for nothing in particular. What that meant was that I wasn't actually spending any. In hindsight, it did come in useful because it has given me a head start on my rent for next year which I am very, very happy about, but at the time, it meant that I refused to go out and became, in a sense, greedy and centred around the numbers in my account.

Already, I can see that the mistakes and experiences of the first year have made me more ambitious and determined to do things. It has brought me out of my shell. I'm currently saving to put my money towards useful, practical and fun things: hopefully a 10-week course in German and a solo weekend in Spain. I'm also planning a few more trips around the country to concerts and to the 'Cake and Bake Show' in London which I am super excited about!!

So, in short, I am so so so so SO thankful for my independence, but not because it allowed me to 'run away' from anything or anyone but because it brought me closer to the person at the heart of the matter and gave me more resolve to act upon the opportunities that life has given me. I definitely hope that I manage to do far far more things this year than last and I have challenged myself to write a post at the end of April of 100 things I did between my 19th and 20th birthday! Look out for that one! 

3 Rocky Road Recipes that You HAVE to Try!

At the moment, I've been dedicating Thursday evenings to catching up on the Great British Bake Off. I love it! And every afternoon, after watching, I spend my time focusing my attention on recipe books trying to find something that I can bake without risk of failure.

Looking for something today, I poured through various recipes from a couple of my favourite baking websites (www.topwithcinnamon.com and www.johnwhaite.com) but eventually settled upon a 'classic' of ours: the rocky road.

Traditionally rocky road, the way we make it, consists of predominantly dark chocolate with little milk chocolate blend, pink and white marshmallows and rich tea biscuits.

But today, I looked for something else that was still relatively safe and came up with the following: Peanut Butter Rocky Road with Gingernuts and Cranberries. 

For me, I think it looks pretty well decorated and I'm very happy with the result!

Here's how I managed it and a couple of alternatives that you can try:

Peanut Butter Rocky Road with Gingernuts and Cranberries
Makes 16 squares

1) In a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 125g soft butter with 200g Hershey's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips, 100g plain chocolate chips and 3 tbsp of (wild) honey. Continually stir until everything is melted and then remove the bowl from the heat

2) Crush 175g gingernut biscuits into rough chunks and mix into the chocolate mixture 

3) Now stir in 3 large handfuls of cranberries until all combined

4) Now line a loaf tin with clingfilm or baking parchment and spoon in the chocolate mixture

5) Level with the back of a spoon and then crush 5 gingernut biscuits into crumbs and sprinkle on top

6) Chill for at least 2 hours and cut into squares. Store in the fridge until you wish to consume

My alternatives for this recipe are; 

Rich Tea, Date and Walnut Rocky Road

For this one, just use dark chocolate. Swap the quantity of honey for the same of golden syrup. After point number 1, roughly crush 150g rich tea biscuits. Add to this, 2 large handfuls of chopped dates and 100g of chopped walnuts.

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Pistachio and Apricot Rocky Road

As with above, use dark chocolate. Swap honey for the same quantity of golden syrup and complete step number 1 of the original recipe. For this version, roughly chop 20 dried apricots and stir into the chocolate with 150g whole pistachios. 

Adaption of the Chocolate Loaf

I hate to be cynical; but it always seems like when you're looking for something you can't find it. But then when you're not, every door is open to you. When I became vegan for a few months, I could hardly find anything that would fill the sweet hole beyond fruit and Alpro Soya yogurt. The choices were very limited and I was hard-pressed to get a good baking recipe - even on sites that specialised in vegan baking.

Recently, I was searching for fitness tips and stumbled across 2 vegan baking recipes on FitSugar. The vegan no-bake brownies that I made (and that are listed under the 'recipe' section) were very nice. They lacked the gooey fudge texture of normal egg crammed, butter filled brownies but nonetheless calm the angry cravings of a sugar-deprived stomach. Essentially, they tasted vegan. 

The bet recipe I tried was sold to me as: "Zucchini bread that tastes like brownies". I had to give it a go. And, it was delightful. Even the raw batter tasted like real brownies. It was so chocolatey and fudge-like that I could instantly tell it would be a winner. When it was baking, it smelled divine and when I took it out I could finally say that I'd made something vegan that tasted 'normal'. It has quite a crumbly texture but it's not at all dry: a lovely treat for a Saturday evening! 

I had initially intended to make these into muffins by the mixture was incredibly sticky and formed a ball which I didn't want to break up. Beside, for the first try, which is always my mistake, I ought to stick to the original recipe. 

However, I did make a slight change. I am not a particular fan of dried cranberries so I substituted half of the required quantity for glacé cherries which are one of my favourite baking ingredients!!

(Vegan) Chocolate and 'Cranberry' Zucchini Loaf 

(Taken from www.fitsugar.com) 

NOTE ON THE RECIPE: This is an American recipe and so measurements are in cups. If you have cup measures then I always find that American recipes are a lot easier because they save you the hassle of measuring ingredients with scales. However, I have written the equivalent measure in grams alongside the initial measure for ease of access. 

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C

1. Grate 225g courgette (zucchini) thinly and place in a bowl. Place to one side
2. In a separate bowl, mix 120g wholemeal flour, 60g cocoa powder (unsweetened), 1 tsp and 1/4 of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp mixed spice. Place this to one side
3. In a large bowl, Mash 1 ripe banana and stir in 110g caster sugar, 125ml canola oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract
4. Pour the shredded courgette into the above mixture and stir until combined
5. Stir in all of the dry ingredients
6. Add to the bowl 60g of dried cranberries or glace cherries
7. Line a small loaf tin with baking parchment, pour in the batter and bake for 45 minutes (The cake should be soft to the touch and cooked on top. Insert a skewer into the middle to ensure it is fully cooked)

mmmm...appetizing!!! 

For the Love of Salad!

If you know me well, or are an avid reader of my blog, then you'll relaise that I hate salad. Nothing screams 'CAAAAAAARBS' more than a severe deficiency of bread in favour of bowls of leaves and cucumber.

Well, that was, I did hate salad but after creating my own 'special recipe', I've fallen in love.

I first got into salads having delivered them in my job. Goats' cheese, lentil and butternut squash is my lunch of choice, a new recipe of the company.

I can't really remember when or why I decided to make my own salad but I think it partly came from the fact that salad is 0 propoints on WeightWatchers. So here's what I do:

Of course, my salad isn't 100% healthy. It's got a bit of protein and a staple of life: cheese.

Wash a handful of spinach leaves and place in a bowl. Dice some large tomatoes and place on top of the spinach. Dice, finely, one yellow bell pepper and add to the bowl. Crumble around 40g feta cheese on top. Now, finely dice 2 rashers of smoked bacon. Add this to the bowl and toss everything together. Add 2 tsp dijon mustard and serve. 

I don't know why but I absolutely LOVE this! My favourite mouthful is the last one, where the feta becomes soft and coated with mustard then you pick up a little hint of everything. The smoked bacon is just beautiful and particularly scrumptious if it is slightly crispy.

If you fancy spicing your salads up, give this recipe a try!

The Happy Place

When people say 'find your happy place' they usually refer to 2 things. Occasionally it's used as a joke - a wind up for an aggravated person. But more often than not, it refers to a state of mind. A place of complete serenity where worries and stress no longer jar your every thought.

So it never really occurred to me that you might actually be able to find your happy place ... And go to visit. 

The other day I read a post on a blog I follow called Absolutely Lucy. It was all about how she remained happy and about finding your happy place. She said a 'happy place' is a place that you've been to which holds some fundamental importance for you. Your 'happy place' could be a park, a beach, a house. Anything that makes you happy and holds happy memories. It's so simple and I don't know why it never occurred to me before. 

I was having a bit of a dip earlier on last week when I happened to read Lucy's post. I began to wonder about my happy place because I needed to get there. It's hard to start to think of somewhere happy when you're not in the mood. But I still tried. 

Lucy's happy place was an island off Malta called Comino. I went there with my family some years back too so I retraced the holiday through my mind, remembering the beautiful turquoise of sea and the spare rocky expanse. We had literally just been dropped off the boat on a baron land in the sea. I remember worrying that the boat would not come back to collect us and that we were sold our death in the package of a 'pleasant day trip to a popular tourist island'. 

It was a good holiday, but this wasn't my happy place. I went through the catalogue of my other recent holidays. This year we went to Borneo - it was my childhood dream come true and, even though it ticked off number 1 of my bucket list, this still wasn't my happy place. Not because I was ungrateful or because I didn't have an amazing time but because the time we spent on the island was so jam packed that there wasn't a lot of thinking time. 

Thinking time. Where had I had a lot pf that recently? Then I found it. My happy place. An island near Bali: Lombok.

We've been there 2 years in a row now to the same hotel. It's an absolutely beautiful place. It's set right on the beach with its own infinity pool that looks out onto the sun setting behind the mountains of Bali. The water is clear and pickled with colourful tropical fish. When you walk the length of the beach: a walk that takes a leisurely 15 minutes, you get to a bend where large boulders block your entrance. The waves crash over these boulders as though trying to break them and there are fish that stick themselves to the rocks and advance with each breaking wave. 

This year, we sat atop these rocks and meditated: a method that James had learnt from his recent trip to Cambodia. We sat and tried to clear our minds. We thought of nothing and listened. There were no people on this stretch of the beach. It was ours. 

Thinking about this place; remembering the warmth of the sun, the stillness of the sound, the erratic push of the sea, the sticky smell of salt, puts a smile on my face. This was the place that immediately took me away from my low spell and gave me drive and motivation. I clung onto a menory that I loved. Something that I wanted to repeat. 

I remember visiting those rocks a couple of times over the weeks and coming with pen and paper. I wrote poems, I wrote feelings, I wrote prose. It worked wonders for my creativity. 

In the light of reflecting upon that holiday, I now have a new determination. Something I've wanted to do for ages was travel, especially travelling solo. Lombok is my happy place, but I wonder how many more happy places there are out there. It is my plan to start out to find my happiest place on earth! Perhaps a bi ambitious, yes, but there's no time for ambition like when you're alive! 

Hummus Time in No Time At All!

When I first moved to Dubai, I hated hummus. I found it dry and as though it lived in the shadow of bread. Why would I eat a liquid, half formed and tasteless version of a carbohydrate that I could get so easily, cheaply and didn't have to eat with mountains of carrot sticks?

However, it didn't take long for my taste buds to wake up from their ignorance and realise that the 'tasteless' taste was actually a gently satisfying zing. Now one of my favourite lunches is (perhaps, rather boringly) barbecued chicken, arabic bread and hummus.

I've been wanting to make hummus forever but being wary of what the word 'tahini' meant, I never ventured into that culinary sphere. But I wish I had sooner because I could have been making this all summer!

But 'should've', 'would've' and 'could've' are the last words of a fool, so at least I now know how simple (and healthier) homemade hummus can be!

Super Speedy and Satisfying Hummus

1. Blend 1 x 400g can of chickpeas with 1 clove of garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp tahini paste and 1.5 tbsp lemon juice in a food processor. 

2. Continue to blitz until the mixture comes together then add 1 tbsp of water (for the consistency above) or continue adding water until you have your desired consistency

Simples!

Cake depression and VEGAN no-bake brownies!!

Yes, I was this close to sinking into an eternal abyss of cake depression. It seems a year of hardly baking has rendered my hands useless and I had lost nearly all my talent to produce, not elegant, but EDIBLE cakes.

I've had multiple cake disasters over the past few weeks, passing up food that looks hardly appetising and disappoints the taste buds. I had one more shot today at baking something that I normally wouldn't and, if this didn't work, I was throwing in the apron, oven mits and cupcake cases for good.

So thank goodness it worked.

Trawling the internet for 'miracle' foods, I stumbled upon a recipe for 'Vegan No Bake Brownies' which comes from www.fitsugar.com

These delicious morsels include some of my favourite things, including a particular indulgence of mine: dates!

(I've slightly adapted this recipe, due to a lack of applesauce.)

Vegan No-Bake Brownies (Cuts into 20)

1. Peel a medium sized pear and dice

2. Place in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave with 1 tsp water and cook for 1 minute

3. Remove from the microwave, mash with a fork, set aside and leave to cool

4. Blend 2 cups of oats with 1 cup of unsalted cashews, 8 fresh and de-stoned dates, 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor. The mixture should be fine and resemble a flour-y consistency

5. Slice a large, ripe banana and add to the food processor

6. Measure out 1/4 cup of the stewed pear mixture and add to the food processor (you will not need the pear again)

7. Blend in the food processor until the mixture becomes a dough-like consistency (it should be moist and stick together slightly)

8. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil (and more if required until the mixture sticks together)

9. Oil a square metal dish and put the dough inside, pushing the mixture flat with your knuckles or the back of a spoon

10. When it is leveled, push 5 broken walnut halves into the mixture

11. Chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge

TOP TIP: Store in the fridge until you wish to consume

Super test of the imagination!

Recently, I've been very involved in writing. I've always loved creative writing and stories have made my life, from the nights that mum read us bedtime stories to writing my own to my 'boyfriend' in year 3 on Valentine's day.

As I went through my teenage years, I lost my love of writing. Reading was a chore and I tried to focus myself on attaining more superficial goals, acting and being amazingly brilliant at something that no one else was.

It failed miserably and I began to feel useless ... until A-level English when I got a considerably high mark in my creative writing coursework. From then on I poured all my energy into harnessing my creative writing talent. Writing, like every hobby, is like family; no matter how much you love them, there are always those days when they get a little bit annoying.

So, whilst studying I was on a bit of a break from writing. I did it casually and sporadically knowing that one day I would get back into it.

As summer rolled in, I begun to have more free time and so more opportunity to focus on what I wanted to do, not what anyone else wanted or required of me. I wrote a short novella (my third). I was happy with it once I began writing but the conclusion and overall development let me down.

I realised that there was no point just trying to churn out stories to say that I'd done it. If I was ever going to write a full length novel, I was going to do it properly. And that's when I enrolled on a 3 day creative writing course outlining the basics of novel-writing.

Before I took the course, I had always been quite stubborn. I didn't want to read books about other people telling you how to write books. I didn't want to read about how to write. I just wanted to write.

But, the course was actually a really productive and inspiring thing for me and I thoroughly recommend anyone to take it if you are interested. There was so much 'homework' that really got your creativity flowing and kept my imagination ticking over - but don't let that dissuade you.

I started to search for my own tasks to do in my spare time. And here's where I hit a dead end.

For all the vast expanse of the internet, it seems inconceivable that you are unable to find something that you are looking for. The internet is a compilation of a billion thoughts from more than a million people's minds and yet I couldn't find the one thing that was at the forefront of mine: writing prompts. 

Maybe it's because I lack the vocabulary to explain to Google the contents of my mind, but I searched for days looking for suitable material. Everything was either aimed at primary school children or seemed a little too 'basic'.

I did however, find some gems, but there wasn't enough to supplement my daily challenge of completing a writing prompt. So I've come up with my own and I thought that it would be interesting to share them with you. Let me know how you get on if you decide to give them a try. I'll be trying them over the next few weeks.

It's probably worth saying that this list is nowhere near complete and I rustled it up within the past 20 minutes but I'll (hopefully) be adding to it as time goes on.

Here's my 'Super Test of the Imagination' 

1. What does 'sondungurous' mean?
2. Your favourite food has just died: write a tribute for publication in a regional magazine
3. Design and describe a flag that symbolises yourself
4. Describe the taste of water
5. Where did the duck-billed platypus come from? 
6. Describe the concept of heavy
7. When is a leaf not a leaf? 
8. Explain 3 alternative uses for mashed potato
9. Explain to an alien the concept of 'right' without using the word 'left' 
10. Design and describe a new item of clothing which embodies the words: 'empty', 'eighteen' and 'egg'. What is this item of clothing used for?
11. How many elephants would it take to butter a piece of toast? Why? 
12. Your friend tells you: 'I have come from an apocalyptic time to tell you that the world will be taken over ... by robotic sausages." And you reply ... (Write for 10 minutes) 

There you go! So that's 12 prompts to get you (and me) started!

Why I'm one of the luckiest people in the world

At the moment I can't get over how lucky I have been and how grateful I am. But I guess you should never 'get over' feeling grateful or lucky, so maybe that's not the right word. But there are so many aspects in my life that have just made me think: this doesn't need to get any better.

I guess it's tempting the devil to say that nothing could go wrong but I feel so so so lucky. 

Why? 

10 reasons why I'm the luckiest person in the world: 

1) I spend nearly all day everyday with my best friends 

It's true that for most of the year my family love 3,000 miles away, and I'm not saying its easy, but they could very well live in Canada or Australia. Separation makes bonds stronger and I have definitely noticed that this year at uni. Judging by the amount I cry at the airport and upon entering the UK, they mean a great deal to me. 

I am so lucky today an I have been so lucky over the past couple of months to have been with them for ages. My mum, dad and brothers are people that I can't live without and I cherish every moment that I can talk to them, laugh with them, and yes, sometimes argue with them. 

2) I have found myself 

After being independent for a while, I realised how crucial it is to find your voice, comply with it and use it at very opportunity. I am so happy to have a voice that I reckon with and my blog has given me that opportunity.

3) I'm currently in Dubai 

I've been in Dubai for a little while now and I am so so lucky to be here. At every holiday opportunity I have been able to come over and I'm very very lucky to have that option open to me. It spices up the holidays, gives me something to look forward to and is an incredibly welcome change. 

Equally I'm am very fortunate to study in the UK and reap the fruits of the brilliant English weather. 

4) I'm surrounded by people who care for my welfare and who enjoy being around me 

A lot of people are very happy (or seem very happy at least) to help me out when I need, provide ears to listen and give a little chat.

5) I don't fear for my life 

It's weird because when I wrote this one, I thought: why would I ever fear for my life. Then I realised that waking up in safety every morning puts me in a minority of people. 

There are people who go to bed fearing for their lives and wake up facing an even harsher reality. People in war-torn countries, people subjected to abuse, people in violent situations, people who are ill.

I am so lucky because I have no idea what it is to feel these things. That doesn't mean that I never will feel pain but in this moment, I'm so thankful. 

6)  I have food and water 

Similarly, it is so incredibly important to realise that things could be so different. I'm so fortunate to have been born into a world where the staples of life are so freely available. 

7) I am un-constrained 

My life really is down to me and I am so lucky that it is this way. Being indecisive, sometimes this means that I make rash or poor decisions but at the end of the day they are my decisions. My life isn't governed by the fact that I have to work to provide for my family. I don't have to join the army straight out of school. I am lucky because the only constraints that I have in life are those that I put on myself. 

8) There is stability and I have the means to provide for it 

Last year I was panicking about payments for our house. I didn't know who I was going to live with, where and how I was going to afford it since I was jobless. I was then so blessed to be able to get a job and pick up a few others too. 

Without my parents lifting me through the  hoops this year in terms of financing accommodation, I am SO aware of how lucky I have been to be able to pay my way through the year. 

9) I'm set up to have one of the best years (yet again) 

And on the subject of uni, this year, though it will be tougher, I hope to be as wonderful as last year. 

If I had told this to myself last September, I would have laughed. But I really really enjoy uni and all the experiences and people that come with it. I am lucky that I love my course and have the motivation to get through it. I am so thankful for the girls that I'm living with this year and for all the other people in between. 

10) I've made it this far 

Understanding Aysha's parents' decision

I have been so fortunate in my life to have never been ill. I have, equally, never really known anyone in my family who has been severely ill or who I have seen through their illness. Therefore, I can't really imagine the emotional toll of illness upon a family, but in the absence of experience, I can only try to imagine. 

Aysha is a 5 year old terminally ill child who was receiving medical treatment at Southampton General Hospital. He was permitted to leave the hospital for short periods of time and is dependent on a battery-operated feeding tube. 

A few days ago, his parents took Aysha from the hospital and left the country. Doctors now assume that the battery upon the feeding tube has run out and that, as a result, Aysha will not survive much longer. 

As of yesterday, a warrant was issued for his parents arrest and there is a European manhunt out to find the family of 9. 

As important and life-changing it is that Aysha is found and put back into the care of medical professionals, you can't help but try to understand why Aysha's parents took him away. 

Life in hospital is far from normal. It must put a huge amount of pressure upon families to find strength, to find hope and to believe that everything is alright. Though I imagine that doctors and nurses do have 'training' in person-ability when it comes to the emotional effects of illness, their primary concern is with curing, prolonging or facilitating life. 

A couple of days ago, the family was found in Spain. And now, something more damaging than a European manhunt takes place. 

It absolutely breaks my heart to see Aysha's parents being pushed in the back of a police van on the way to court. It feels cold. As though no one has any concern for how the parents might be feeling. I understand the importance of upholding the law, but these two people are being made into a media spectacle. 

They are being taken away from their son who is ill and needs their support. It's most likely that the trial will only prolong the amount of time that they are unable to spend with their son and put an even larger toll on their emotional well being. 

I realise, however, that these parents risked their child's life. But it wasn't out of malice or because they were cruel. It was, most probably, because they loved him and wanted things to be normal. 

Why I won't be doing the #icebucketchallenge

It seems that you can not get awy from the hype and awareness raised by ALS in their 'Ice Bucket Challenge'. It's all over every news feed and it's a great way of seeing people unite together in something that is both fun and charitable. 

My brothers were both nominated and made some very entertaining videos. It's all good fun and part of me would like to try to match their standard, however, I feel that I have to stick to my guns. 

Yesterday, my brother nominated me for the 'Ice Bucket Challenge' and, as you've probably gathered, I will not be taking part. 

Now, I don't want to be a fun sponge or hypocritical, but I thought that it would be important to talk about what bothers me about pouring a bucket of cold water on your head. 

I want to start by saying that I think that ALS holds a good objective: the facilitation of people affected by the motor neurone disease. I know that some ethical issues regarding animal testing have been raised about the charity but what I want to talk about today is the awareness campaign itself. 

Perhaps it's because I am currently in Dubai, a city that pours so much money and energy into the desalination of water. This is a process that is costly, damaging to the oceans that surround the UAE and has an impact on green house gas emissions. 

With this knowledge and perhaps even without it, it is so important to realise how fortunate we are. For every one of us that has access to clean running water, so many people don't. 

It is, looking at the scene from a large, a huge waste of water. It's hard to imagine what it might be like not to have water but, if you are able to, imagine that you are starving. Imagine that you have not had enough food to eat for the last week and have no idea when the next meal will come. You are dependent upon rain that does not arrive and soil that is far beyond infertile. And then you see a picture of people in neighbouring countries, throwing vast amount of spaghetti bolognese around in a global food fightand stuffing their trousers with as many slices of bread that can fit, then nominating others to do it too. 

This situation isn't the same but it's very similar. 

Yes, it's true that the water will evaporate into its natural cycle and that we aren't technically throwing away water but the toll that it takes on the environment to give us back drinkable water comes at a large cost. 

So, I suppose what I'm saying is just that we should all remember that we are fortunate to have water and try to conserve it. 

BUT, please remember that I don't frown upon people who have completed the ice bucket challenge. If we were all like me, this would be some awareness campaign and ALS would have fundraised considerably less. 

I am aware of how much water I waste daily on showers and washing up and whatever else. And so I'm not saying that I don't. But in the ways that we can, I believe that we should make a difference and change our habits because, if not us, then who? 

It has been fun to watch the challenges and I think everyone should be proud but, from my personal standpoint, I wanted to stick with an opinion that I am passionate about. The world needs opinions and it depends on all of us to be different. 

I will be accepting the donation part of the challenge, however, in doing what I can for a charity that does remarkable work for people all around the world and that is WaterAid. 

So, I nominate everyone reading, sharing and liking this post to take time to think about the water that they use today. I also nominate you to do something good for charity and to stand up for what you believe in. 

Change the way you eat, change the way you live!

After the Easter holidays, at the start of May this year, I came back to uni with the resolve to be a vegan - or at least try it.

The decision to change my diet came from a health perspective which is read about but as I became more aware of what veganism was, I began to realise the benefits and feel good about what I was going into my body. However, as we broke up for summer, I was back to my normal ways.

At first, I was reluctant. Every time I put a piece of meat to my lips, I felt guilty. The taste of milk was refreshingly creamy, but it felt wrong. 

It didn't take long, however, to eat without even thinking. 

Recently, though, I've seen a lot of posts about animal cruelty and the benefits of cutting meat from your life. I spoke to one of my friends a couple of months ago about how I'd become vegan. The meat debate is a bit of a toss up. 

When I think of the world, I think that everything is designed for purpose. So chickens lay eggs that aren't poisonous or toxic or don't fertilise soil because the purpose of them is for us to eat. They are provisions from God. 

But, this is where religion comes into it because Christianity believes that the earth was made for humans, whereas, Buddhists believe that everything is equal. I guess what it comes down to is how you view humans. What is our purpose? And how do we function or rank in relation to other animals? 

It's difficult because, if there are nice ways of providing food then why shouldn't we use this bountiful supply and appreciate the things that we have. If we take the example of chickens, what I mean is that, if there is a more humane way of egg production (free-range hens), then why shouldn't we take advantage of the fruits of the hen? 

But I realise when I write this, that the word: 'production' maybe shouldn't exist. Perhaps the problem lies when animals become a product or simply mechanisms and parts to a production line. Everything, animals and humans, should be free. Or maybe, you believe different. 

I suppose that the solution, I often think, might be to go completely back in time to a hunter-gatherer era, where you only catch the food that YOU and your family need, WHEN you needed it and, if you're unable to catch anything, then you must eat the fruits off the land. 

I've read that veganism can end world hunger, but another article reminds me that hunger is a multi-faceted problem which has a number of factors which do not just include removing meat from our diets. (You can read the article here.)

I don't have the answer to whether veganism is the way forward and apparently no one else does either. It is a personal choice and the world probably benefits from all of being different. It needs the blood-thirsty carnivores and the plant eating vegans. 

So whilst I know that something has to change, I won't feel so guilty about willing going back to meat. 

When I go back to uni, I can't see myself becoming a vegan again because I'm such a massive foodie and cooking is what I do. I am, however, going to make changes. 

At ASDA, you can be fooled by low prices and forget about the quality of the products. So that is the main thing I'll be changing. But there are other things that I thought I would share and here are a few. 

Buy local produce

This is something that I don't really take much care about. Especially in Dubai. At the moment, as I've said before, peaches are my new found love. And though the best ones, I believe, come from Jordan, the next choice is American peaches - from, literally, the opposite side of the world. On my part, this is a bad choice. By reducing the demand for produce that is flown from many hours away, contributes to the green house effect. Local produce means a significant reduction in green house gases.

Stay away from beef

This has to do with carbon emissions and health factors. An article published by the Guardian says: 

"The popular red meat requires 28 times more land to produce than chicken, 11 times more water and results in five times more climate-warming emissions."

Based on this, it would seem that chicken is the way to go, which leads me onto my next change factor ...

Free range eggs

I never used to worry about eggs. I always went for the cheap eggs in supermarkets to reduce the cost of my overall shop, not wanting to spend a few extra pence on free range eggs, allowing hens a better life.

Dairy-free products

Until recently, I believed that cows produced milk on tap. I have now learnt, however, that milk is taken from lactating cow mothers who are separated from their calves. This is a step towards eradicating animal cruelty.

Responsibly sourced fish

Prevent over-fishing and allow edible ocean fish the chance to reproduce. Eat: crab, hake, halibut, mussels. AVOID: bream, cod, haddock

Meat-free Mondays

Meat-free Mondays is something I saw Jamie Oliver do. It's actually relatively easy to live vegan or even vegetarian for 1 or 2 days a week. Try tofu stirfry, meatfree 3 bean chilli, quorn sausages. 

I hope that you've enjoyed this post. I wanted to write it partly because I wanted to engrain in my own head how important it is to be a good citizen when it comes to food but also because I thought others would benefit and appreciate information which can help change lives. (--- maybe that statement is a bit bold!)

The Good Samaritan

So a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post where I talked about 3 petitions that I believed needed your help. Today I have just one.

I got an email from Amnesty International yesterday about the trail of a Japanese man named Hakamada. He is the world's longest prisoner serving a death sentence, which means that for the past 46 years he has lived with the fear of being killed at any given moment.

When I read that, I was astounded. If the death penalty isn't punishment enough, waiting with bated breath for you imminent death is cruel beyond belief!

I often like to imagine certain situations. I like to imagine how other people live and some of the experiences that they have gone through that I am fortunate enough not to experience, or hope never to experience. But in this case, I just can't imagine.

Though I'm slowly lessening the fear I have of death, the thought is still quite scary and I can't think on it for long times. I have no idea what it would be like to have that on your mind constantly for over half of my life!!

Not only is Hakamada's case tragic because, I believe, that the death penalty is hugely wrong, it is all the more disappointing to learn that Hakamada has not had a proper trial - a trail that could prove he is innocent.

For the moment, Hakamada is safe but he still needs help to prevent a re-trial that could have him wrongly convicted.

If you understand how life changing your say could be and want to help, here is the link to Amnesty's petition. Please, please, please Save Hakamada