LIFESTYLE | WEEKLY ROUND UP

It's had its up and its had its downs but I've come out the other side almost in one piece.

I've finally just about managed to get my head around my dissertation topic, meaning I am now able to crack on with more productive research and planning - Hurrah!

Also,The Great British Bake Off has now finished (I'm having James withdrawals already!)

...taking myself to that dreaded question of "What do I do with my life now?".

The answer is BAKE AND MAKE AMAZING FOOD (obviously).

So that is exactly what I've been doing...

I created the best oatmeal concoction to date the other morning. It was more of a mismatched masterpiece fuelled on "I'm going to be late for my lecture but I need FOOD RIGHT NOW" inspiration.

It comprised of mashed banana, cinnamon with a few swirls of marshmallow fluff and peanut butter.

H E A V E N    I N    M Y    M O U T H .

* Unfortunately I have no picture for you...

I think it pretty much hit my stomach before my eyes even got a good glance - let alone my camera.

I will do my best to get a picture next time.

But I won't leave you without some wonderfully bad photography.

So here are some pictures (not taken on my good camera - sorry!) of a batch of banana pancakes we made last night...complete with vanilla ice cream, sliced banana and homemade peanut butter chocolate sauce.

P . S .

I've also started writing for the lifestyle section of the university newspaper, the Leeds Student.

Last week they used my Courgette Brownies recipe in an article on which you can read HERE.

I'm currently working on a double-page spread (hell yeah!) centred around a breakfast theme, with a particular focus on those bad ass OATS that I love so much. Watch this space.

RECIPE | "SPECIAL" ICE CREAM

Okay... so technically this isn't a recipe post. But I just had to share this.

For a good few years now "Special" Ice Cream has been in existence.

Thanks to the help of a special friend and an array of miraculous toppings it never fails to be a wonderfully different creation every single time.

Last night we created perhaps the best yet.

My two litre tub of Asda Smartprice Vanilla Ice Cream (a bargain 89p) was JAZZED up and dressed to the nines with a concoction of peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, cinnamon, banana, apple crumble granola, pecans, meringues, cookies and some puffed wheat. 

INSTAGRAM | #4

The dissertation scare has kicked in.

I have had my first meeting and I am t e r r i f i e d.

I am really struggling to find a focus/angle which is narrow enough to tackle my topic.

I guess that's what happens when you try to assess US-China relations!

My last few weeks have been mainly work filled and making nice food and buying new things for my cupboard have been the highlights.

How wonderful final year is turning out to be...

Here are my last few weeks in INSTAGRAM (from L-R):

1.  An evenings worth of work... 9 pages just for one seminar which does not contribute to any final degree. Brilliant.

2.  Marshmallow fluff! This stuff is BAD ASS.

3.  Liquid lunch. Stewed apples and cinnamon topped with greek yogurt, and various crunchy bits.

4.  Apple Crumble and Custard Crunch. FREEZE DRIED CUSTARD PIECES. That is all.

5.  Essential late-night mid-dissertation crisis ice cream break.

6.  A spot of Sunday night DJing at a local pub.

7.  Apple and Custard Bread Pudding.

8.  An impromptu DJ set at a house party a few weekends back.

9.  Weekend guilty pleasure. Sticky toffee pudding vs. Custard.

You can see more of my instagram snaps and follow me HERE.

LIFESTYLE | SATURDAY MORNINGS

To me, Saturday mornings are for lazing, strong coffee, and catching up on blogs and the world this week.

A good brunch doesn't go amiss either.

To me, Saturday mornings are rather inspiring.

They give me a chance to reflect on the ideas that I have had throughout the week.

I can go through my notebook full of random thoughts and ideas (which would make no sense to the common eye...and sometime's not even mine!) and then formulate them into concrete tasks/creations/actions.

P R O D U C T I V I T Y .

Image: Elv's

INSPIRATION | ALEXANDER WANG'S CAGE INSTALLATIONS

For when you need that hit of minimal perfection... you've always got ALEXANDER WANG.

Not only does he KNOW how to make understated yet sharp attire and accessories.

He's also got it spot on with his interior design for his shop installations.

Below is a collection of my favourite cage installations which have made their debut in Wang's flagship stores across the globe:

 Images: Alexander Wang 

MOOD BOARD | OCTOBER

OCTOBER.

Time to start piling on the chunky knits and fur coats.

I am lacking a pair of decent booties this year and in desperate need of a good pair to get me through the Winter. I am loving this pair from Topshop, but alas...they are £95.00(!) and this is just an inexcusable amount to spend considering my student budget.

Plus...when did the high street shops get so expensive?

I saw my first pumpkin in Morrisons this week and I may or may not have squealed with a bit of joy. I couldn't bring one home though on top of my weekly shop, they were huge!

I am however looking really forward to overindulging in pumpkin EVERYTHING over the next month.

I will do a round-up of my favourite pumpkin recipes next week.

And mulled wine...oh mulled wine!

And if you want to find me this month I'm more than likely to be tucked away in the Brotherton Library doing dissertation research with a steaming thermos full of coffee or under my furry throws watching The Great British Bake Off sipping on a frothy hot chocolate.

RECIPE | APPLE AND CUSTARD BREAD PUDDING

It's getting colder and this calls for comfort food.

Stewed apples are a regular staple for me.

You can use them in so many ways and in so many dishes.

Simple, cheap and oh so warming!

Last week I ended up concocting what shall now be named as...

APPLE AND CUSTARD BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients:

1-2 Cooking Apples

1-2 slices of Bread

150g Custard

1tsp Cinnamon

1tsp Mixed Spice

1tsp Vanilla Essence

Sugar or preferred Sweetener to taste

Instructions:

1.  Heat the oven to 200°C.

2.  Peel and chop the apple into small chunks. Place in a bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Mush the apples with a fork and add some sugar and cinnamon.

You can leave them slightly chunky or continue to microwave until desired consistency.

Pour the apples into a small oven-proof baking dish.

3.  Slice the broad into small cubes and place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Once warm and soft then add some sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice and vanilla essence to the bread and mix.

Sprinkle the bread on top of the apples into the baking dish.

4. Pour the custard on top of the apples and bread and then season more with spices/sugar if desired.

Place the baking dish into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the custard is bubbling.

LIFESTYLE | WEEKEND

I love Friday's. I love weekends.

This is a new thing for me...

With my last year spent in Poland and then being back home over the Summer, all days blended into one with no real focus/purpose of having work to do or plans to look forward to. Life was a haze.

Sticking to this new routine back at university has being very rewarding so far - I just hope I can keep it up.

Working hard throughout the week with play time at the weekends.

Friday's are my day off university. Today starting with a nice lazy morning in bed with a copy of The Economist, Radio 4 and copious amounts of coffee. I then went into the City, had coffee with a friend and splashed out on a weekend treat, resulting in a jar of Marshmallow Fluff from good old Morrisons!

Now for some light reading, a nap, dinner and then...

...P A R T Y   T I M E !

Oh and here is some crazily good inspiration I stumbled across whilst looking for an amazing weekend brunch idea using my new pot of Marshmallow Fluff:

Fluffernutter Cornflake Stuffed French Toast

from A Cozy Kitchen.

RECIPE | CARROT CAKE OATMEAL

No, this is not a bowl of vomit.

It's a bowl of...

CARROT CAKE OATMEAL !

Ingredients:

30-50g of Medium Oatmeal/Scottish Porridge Oats

1 grated Carrot

2 teaspoons of Dessicated Coconut

A generous sprinkling of Cinnamon, Allspice and Nutmeg

3 drops of Vanilla Essence

200ml of Milk or Water (or more depending on your preferred consistency)

Sugar to taste

Instructions:

1.  Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Add the carrot, vanilla essence and the milk/water and leave for 10 minutes.

2.  Most of the liquid will have been absorbed by the oats. Stir the mixture well. You can then choose to cook it as it is or add more liquid.

3.  Place the bowl in the microwave on a high heat for 2-3 minutes...or if you've got time, pour the mixture into a pan and place on a stove on high heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly. Add sugar to taste.

I have been drooling in my sleep and looking forward to waking up to a bowl of oatmeal every morning.

This Northern chill calls for the breakfast that sticks to your ribs.

I love experimenting with different variations and I have stumbled across quite a lot of "pudding inspired" oatmeal ideas from various blogs over the past few weeks.

And here are my current TOP 5 FAVOURITE OATMEAL inspirations which I will be trying out:

#1

Bruleed Baked Oatmeal from Turntable Kitchen.

#2

Chocolate Latte Oatmeal from Kath Eats Real Food.

(This woman is insane...she even has a 'Tribute to Oatmeal' page HERE).

#3

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal from Oh She Glows.

#4

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal from Chocolate Covered Katie.

#5

Apple Pie Oatmeal from The Oatmeal Artist.

INSTAGRAM | #3

It's been a busy week for me.

University started up again and I was eager to get back into a good routine for the year ahead.

So far, so good.

Stress levels are HIGH and the pressure is ON.

I am managing to find a nice balance between work and play which is always a plus.

My week in INSTAGRAM (from L-R):

1.  A spot of bedroom DJing.

2.  A warming breakfast of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal with nectarines and brown sugar. 

3.  My friend Sam getting excited (and rightly so) over his set at Canal Mills on Saturday!

4.  Ice cream times.

5.  Club stamps.

6.  Hiding away in the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds.

7.  The (not so) delightful view from my window most mornings.

8.  GOTHS playing a bit of techno music.

9.  An update of the leak from the previous instagram post... that room is slowly falling apart.

You can see more of my instagram snaps and follow me HERE.