PINK GRAPEFRUIT
PINK GRAPEFRUIT
A Bitter Sweet Life
Life
Life is full of amazing beautiful and simple pleasures; The warmth of the sun, the chill of the breeze, the stillness of waters, the rustling of trees. The fluttering of birds, the silence of clouds, the swimming of fish, the sky that surrounds. The beauty of flowers, the smell of fresh air, the deep breath inhaled, the exhale of cares. Segments of a bitter sweet life..
Adventure
Oh the wonderful places there are to explore! A world as wide as you want it to be. Adventures can be found at the bottom of the garden or in a far flung destination.
I love to travel and experience new cultures, food, climates and people. To swim in a clear blue sea with the warmth of the sun glowing down is one of life’s best pleasures.
Motherhood
Nothing quite prepares you for the biggest role of life becoming a parent. But it is one of the most wonderful, fascinating and eye-opening experiences. From the moment your baby is placed in your clueless arms, a whole new world opens up. Life is never the same again.
Re-discovering the joys of seeing life through a child’s eyes once more. Where everything is magical, a big adventure with your hand to hold along every step. Guiding them, keeping them fed, warm and safe. Helping them grow, stretching their minds, challenging their views and
gently pushing them to reach for the stars. This is a lifetime role - with many bumps along the way, but hopefully the most rewarding path ever to be taken. I am the proud mother of two beautiful souls who never fail to surprise me.
Nourishment
Whether you love it or hate it, we all have a relationship with food. I love to be cooked for and adore dining out. If I had a personal chef I would be a vegetarian, but as I have to cook for others in my house too, we eat a variety of food. I’m not a comfort eater, nor am I a snacker, but I do love to eat. I come from a mother who is vegetarian and a father who eats everything, so I have been exposed to a wide selection of culinary delights. Since
having children myself, I have discovered the importance of eating well and feeding the mind as well as the body. The benefits of eating properly can be felt immediately, boosting energy, mood and brain function. How can anyone not love fresh jucy strawberries, peas that have just popped from the pod or the taste of freshly cooked beetroot? That said I’m not averse to the odd treat - especially if it is chocolate!
Guilty Pleasures
450g strong white flour 3/4 tsp salt 40g chilled butter 225ml milk 75g caster sugar 1 1/2 tsp dried yeast or 15g fresh yeast or 1 x 7g sachet of fast-acting yeast 2 egg yolks Vegetable oil for frying 225g caster sugar to serve
Sift the strong white flour and the salt into a large bowl. Add the chilled butter and, using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Heat the milk in a pan until warm, then stir in the caster sugar and the dried yeast, fresh yeast or fast-acting yeast, no need to let the mixture stand. Whisk in the egg yolks.
Pour most of this liquid into the flour and butter mixture, and mix to a soft but not wet dough - you may not need all of the liquid.
all the way through the dough. With your finger lift up the doughnut and swing it in the air! This will make the hole wider.
Knead the dough by hand or by mixer with a dough hook, for approx. 5mins or until the mixture is smooth and slightly springy.
Place the doughnuts on an oiled baking tray and tidy each one up into a round. Cover again with oiled cling film or a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 30-45 mins until doubled in size.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and coat the dough with oil by rolling it around the bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film or a clean tea towel and leave it in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Knock back the risen dough and knead it for 2-3 mins. Roll it out on a floured work surface to 1cm thick, then using a 5cm cutter, cut out about 24 rounds. Into the centre of each round, insert your finger until it goes
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer to a temperature of 180-190 degrees C. Carefully place the doughnuts in the oil with a slotted spoon and cook for 2 -3 mins on each side until golden brown. Remove from the oil with the spoon and toss immediately in the caster sugar to serve.
Nature
A beautfiul beach on a bright sunny day, just waiting to be explored. Feel the rush of fresh, salty air fill your lungs. Hear the sounds of the waves lapping. Feel your toes sinking into the soft sand. There is a peace to be found by the sea, where cares can be forgotten and swept away.
Elements of Surprise
Who doesn’t love a surprise every now and then? be it an unexpected bunch of flowers from someone special, a pair of fabulous shoes half price in the sale or an old friend turning up at your door. There are many surprises in life, some big and
some small, but all just as important at making you feel great. When you get into bed at night, sit for a while and think about your day - you may just be pleasantly surprised at what surprised you!
ONLY MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN
Mans Best Friend
A recent addition to my family is Coco. My loving, crazy, lolloping, greedy, silly hound. I’m not quite sure whether she loves me, her ball or her food more! Never before have I experienced the joys of having a pet, but never again will I be without one.
Life is bitter-sweet & we have
no excuse not to live each moment like it is our last.
Grief
Grief I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest.
Grief is just love with no place to go.
She is gone...
Death
you can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived you can close your eyes and pray that she will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left. your heart can be empty because you can’t see her,
or you can be full of the love that you shared. you can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. you can remember her and only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
Courage
She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.
Terror
LONDON WE WILL NEVER ALLOW EVIL TO DRIVE US APART THERESA MAY PRIME MINISTER
Despair Someone I love needs a cure
Help
Drugs to help prolong a quality of life worth living.
Hope
When bodies fail and illness strikes, hope is all that is left.
A Bitter Life