Flat Twist Border with a(nother) bow

I did this style a couple of weeks ago, on the week of Christmas.

Seriously, when Christmas comes around, I'm obsessed with bows.

I like to think of myself as a present to the world, so perhaps the bows are appropriate (I kid, I kid!)

When summer comes around, the flowers will come out in force...

So I use my fingers to part my hair at the place where my fringe starts, because I didn't want it too neat.

The right section was bigger than the left - it's like I have more hair on one side of my head or something, which is down right weird.

Then I flat twisted each section around my head, and twisted the ends.

 

My ends are hilarious - my hair is so fine that it looks like I've just lost half the bulk in one sitting.

Then I crossed the twist ends over each other at the back and pinned them down with a few bobby bins.

Then I put the bow in - in this picture, you can see where the parting is as well.

I didn't really take the pictures well, but because of where I'd parted my hair, the bow intersects between the two flat twists, making it look like it's one long flat twist split by the bow.

It wasn't really anything special, but I liked the way it looked. Also, I just really loved the bow ^.^

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On the cusp of a new dawn...

Well, technically, as I write this, it is dusk.

But you know what I mean.

It's New Years Eve - and I very much hope that tonight you will be getting merry in a manner you feel is entirely appropriate to you.

For me, this will involve a lot of chocolate covered Brazil Nuts.

That's just how I do.

2010 was a brilliant year for me. I'm looking forward to meeting it's little sister.

I hope that all you take all the good things of 2010 into 2011 with you and all the bad stuff you leave behind.

I pray that you'll achieve all the goals you're striving for in the upcoming year.

And most importantly, I wish you all have a very, extremely, indubitably -

Happy New Year!

See you all in the new year!

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Hair - Raising Resolution

I'm having a bit of trouble uploading a couple of posts, since my internet has gone all of a bit funny.

While I'm trying to sort them out, editing and re-arranging and formatting, I thought I'd remind you of this post, where I talked about doing a Waist Length for 2012 challenge. Not sure if the blog author remembers it, but one of the original participants, Nikole of Moptop Maven, is doing her own challenge about healthy hair resolutions for 2011.

Aiming for Mid Back Length by the end of next year, I'm definitely taking part (Number 243 in the comments section)!

Do you have any plans for your hair in the new year?

Merry Christmas Eve!
A.s.t

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Ginger-ism

One of The Bro's friend's was over today.

There is usually one of them in our abode at any given time.

So, I walk into the room, feeling my twist out, when he looks at me and, in mild disgust, he says
"I hear you're dating a ginger."

The Bro explained: "He hates ginger people."

I looked at the Bro's friend, whom The Bro and the other friends refer to as 'The Ginge'.

Uh.

I didn't really know what to say to that.

Like, should I have joked "Wow, looking in the mirror in the mornings must be a real nightmare"?!

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?!

(For my lovely international audience, who may not be aware, the British have a habit of calling red headed people 'ginger.' I don't know why - ginger is golden coloured, isn't it?)

So I just scratched my head and said "Uhhhhhhhh..........okay?"

I think that maybe he was taking Tim Minchin's advice to a bit of an extreme.

Simply Confused,

A.s.t.

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Monday Mission - Sharing is Caring!

Since sharing is caring, and it's the Christmas season and Home Alone is going to be on TV,  I thought I'd share a couple of my favourite, non-hair related blogs that I don't really mention here.

I just stalk them.

Quietly.

Stealthily.

Like a ninja.

If you now have an image in your head of a ninja with an afro puff, I'm sorry.

I always try and link to blogs I love, but there are others that I may not have the chance to link to, simply because my random ramblings don't head in that direction

So I'm sharing, in case anyone out there is interested.

-

Since my addiction simply won't let up, when I want all the up to date news on the K-actors, K-drama, I adore Dramabeans - the two main contributors, girlfriday and javabeans, on the My Girlfriend is a Gumiho K-Drama recaps, made me literally laugh out loud and screech in hysterics at their reviews of each episode and character analysis. They also help in explaining how certain aspects of Korean culture further and encourage the plot and character development.

I want to be their friend, eat kogi with them and discuss the latest happenings in K-drama land.

I attempted to write a (brief) recap for the first episode of this new K-drama I've started and it has given me a new found respect for what they do.

As well as making me swear to myself never to do it for an entire series, lest I die of exhaustion.

-

The blogger behind Grosgrain Fabulous is incredibly inspiring - I think I've read through her entire archive and my favourite dress that she has made has to be this asymmetrical Streamer Frock that she did for a giveaway, but there's so many others as well. 
She also did an Embellish Knit Month theme, where she'd get a knitted item and alter and embellish it to make it look completely different, and gave tutorials as well (She doesn't always do them for her usual sewing items). She also linked to the incredible WWEPW ('What would Emma Pillsbury Wear?') site that, as a major Gleek, I really love.  As soon as I repair the sewing machine, get over my fears of sewing thread, learn how to sew, and get the time...I may attempt to make a dress.

Maybe.

-

For some pure cuteness factor, I head over to My Milk Toof. It's about two milk teeth called Lardee and ickle and they're simply adorable. Usually, each post is made up of still pictures that depict a simple story. There are captions underneath each photo that show you what ickle or Lardee is saying in the picture. Because I can't do anything by halves, I read the entire archive in a day. The work that the artist who does the blog puts into each post is incredible, and it's so well done.
The one I love for the 'awww' factor is Up and Away.

No, wait, 'Spelunking' is awesome.

But 'Toof Cleaning' is great too!

I should move on.
-

As well as all my leisurely readings, I have a little folder named 'Lifestyle', and in it is Fabulously Broke in  the City - which is basically a twenty something Canadian woman talking about finance and how she got herself out of $60,000 worth of debt in two years.
I'm not the most money jargon savvy person, but fortunately, she also sometimes writes on more subjective elements: Why her brother is Mr. Jones, what a study said about weight affecting pay, comparing university tuition fees in different countries and different monetary scams that people may get sucked into.

As a university student who has no desire to marinade in debt for too long, it's incredibly useful to me, but it's also fascinating from a  feminist view-point.

Her reflections on attitudes to money are insightful too - and far, far too easy to relate to, such as this one about what people tell themselves to allow themselves to buy.

Plus FB, the blogger, is very straightforward about what's she's saying, which I really appreciate considering the topic matter.

And I'm the kind of person that usually needs things spelt out for her.

In really big letters.

No more than five letters per word, please.
-

There is a woman in the U.S.A. She is known as the Pioneer Woman. I have no idea how I stumbled upon her blog this year, but I then spent the next two days reading all, forty-something chapters of her Black Heels to Tractor Wheels series epic that detailed how she'd met her husband.

I briefly thought about doing a similar thing for The Wonder Thing and I.

But since the first time we met involves a football match, a remote control, The TV show Skins, Luke Pasqualino and my bosom area, I didn't think it'd be *ahem* appropriate for now.

Why did I just mention my bosom on this blog?

I don't know.

I guess it just felt right.

Back to the topic at hand - as well as her life on the ranch, she also blogs (extensively, thank goodness!) about food, and was also were I first picked up some tips for photography. It'd be useful if I had a decent camera, but my phone and I can continue to pretend for now. Also, her giveaways are ridiculous.
I'm going to stop now. All this gushing is embarrassing.

But if you have any other blogs you'd like to recommend, please do - especially if they're your own!

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Homecoming

On the news, all you hear people talk about is the weather. Snow, snow, everywhere.

This was one of the trains I had to get to go home.

You can't see very clearly (since I was being merrily dragged along by The Wonder Thing) but there is snow on the front from whence the train came.

And where it is going, there is also snow.

Where I got off, there was no snow.

There is still no snow.

Ah, well.

It's good to be home.

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Christmas Meal Twist and Curl.

This was a dry set, but I was pretty impressed with how it turned out.

So I put my hair into medium sized twists all over my head. I didn't part, because it was only a set, so I didn't need neatness. I didn't really used a holding product (since I don't really have one..?)

It took me about 45 minutes to do my entire head, but that's because I had cheated and tried to do flat twists on one side the night before. They actually inspired the set, since I liked the way they looked when I tried to take them out and came out like this:

Then I got some neon coloured flexi-rods and rolled the ends of my twists on them, so that faced inwards and downwards, rather than upwards and outwards.

Neon coloured flexi-rods make everything ten times as fun.

It may not be a concrete fact yet, but it will be!

Then I tied on a satin scarf and a hat and ran off to class for a couple of hours.

Then I came back and took off the flexi-rods.

Whoa. Spirally much?

I took down the twists...

...and then I split the twists, to give my hair more volume, and then gently put my fingers in the dividing sections and gently massaged to minimise the appearance of sections.

Aw, man, totally didn't realise the attempted part of my flat twist was visible.

Then I tied and pinned in place a scarf that kind of matched my outfit and went out the door.

I may try this again in the future!

A.s.t

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Chat Up Lines

Every now and then, I like to attempt to chat up The Wonder Thing.

You know, to make him feel loved and wanted.

Though most of the time, he tends to laugh at my most noble of efforts.

The other day, I looked at him and rubbed his T-shirt between my thumb and finger.

I said to him, "Do you know what material this is?"

At this point, he cringed away from me protectively.

He anxiously replied, "Wha - what? No, what material is it? Are you allergic to it?"

Yeah. So. I has allergies.

I smiled angelically up at him. "Nooooo, I'm not allergic to it. I was just thinking...that this material? This is boyfriend material."

He looked at me.

He laughed and gave me a massive hug.

I'm not quite sure if I pulled or not.

I think I did?

Potentially Rejected,

A.s.t.

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Monday Mission - Know Thyself

Hi. I'm A Simple Thing.

And you're....er, You.

So, I'm guessing that we know who we are right now.

Cool.

However, sometimes we forget who we are and we allow other people to define us - telling us that our body looks wrong for our height/colour/age, that we're not the irregular side of tall/short, that if only our nose was smaller/less pointy/narrower we'd be so pretty, and that we shouldn't wear that thing, because we look so terrible in that colour it makes them want to tear their eyes out, so please would we do the world a service and take that hideous cardigan off and incinerate it?

The answer, in my case, is always no.

Because I like it. And it's warm.

I got into a 'discussion' (read: argument) with someone the other day over what was typical for certain types of people.

I said "Well, I don't fit any of those characteristics!"

To which they replied "To be honest, you're not really typical, are you?"

To which I say "Boo to you!" I'm typical for me.

And hopefully, you're typical for you.

Hopefully you know that being who you are is typical.

You know that when people tell you that because you're such and such, you should or shouldn't really be into this-and-that, it's not even worth gracing them with a reply.

We all have our similarities (especially considering that over 99% of your DNA is the same as any random person on the street) but allowing these similarities to restrict us in our (hopefully, legal) passions just doesn't make sense.

At this point, unless you lived a Jason Bourne life and your memories were erased, you should be getting to know yourself as a person quite well. And unless you live with Derren Brown, or your mother, there shouldn't really be anyone who knows you better than yourself.

If you know you enjoy it, don't let anyone else tell you different.

*Eats cake*

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Christmas Ribbon Puff

After washing my hair, I kind of liked the bigness after I took my drying twists out.

So I gently tugged it into a shape I liked, and tied a red ribbon around my hair.

I have the world's tiniest bow in there.

Somewhere.

Wow. I have a seriously shiny forehead.

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So I henna'd...

But not my hair.

I henna'd my hands!

Here's the pattern whilst drying.

It took an ages to dry. The lovely lady who did it for me told me it would dry in an hour, 2 hours tops.

It took 5 hours to completely dry.

This included about 20 minutes under a hand dryer.

And I SMUDGED it.

This is what it looked like straight after I'd grown desperately bored and washed it off, about 5 hours later.

One of my friend's got hers done too and I'm very jealous at how her design darkens the further it goes down.

I think it was accidental, but it's still gorgeous.

Warning to anyone thinking of trying this: You peel. Not as in an orange. As in your skin. I never understood it when people who tanned or got sunburnt talked about peeling.

I was like, how does your skin peel?

I can now assume it looks somewhat like my hand a week after I got the henna done.

So be warned.

A bicarbonate of soda, brown sugar and olive oil scrub was used, followed by a thin covering of aloe vera gel for a couple of days sorted it out but it was still unpleasant.

But other than that, I've gotten all interested in henna designs now...

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Falcon's Amazing Modified Carrots

When I was in first year of university, I had an amazing flat mate from the states.

She was amazing.

She knew this guy, called Falcon, who had amazing hair, and who made this dish before my very eyes.

It was amazing too.

What can I say?

I'm surrounded by a lot of amazing things and people.

What I love about this dish is the pure simplicity - two to three typical kitchen ingredients, 10 minutes of your time, and bam, you're done! Helps you clear out those two or three or five carrots that always seems to be in the fridge, lurking about, like a Justin Bieber fan backstage, or a bogey in the bat cave.

Or maybe that's just me.

Everyone who has tasted this asks "What did you put in there?"

And then they say "No way!" when I tell them it's literally two ingredients.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of vegetable oil (optional)

2 carrots

1.5 tablespoons of chicken/vegetable bouillon/powdered stock.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, if you're using.

When the pan is hot, add the carrots and allow them to just cook for about 5 minutes, till soft.

Then add the stock and stir well, to make sure it's well distributed.

And...that's it.

No, really, that's it.

No, seriously, they're done! Serve as a side, with..well, anything. It's like James Bond in a suit - you somehow get the feeling it would somehow manage to fit in anywhere.

Unless you're not satisfied. In which case, you can do the hustle:

Enjoy.

Doing the hustle, as well as the carrots.

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Monday Mission - And then...just Give

For me, the whole idea of giving is to give something and not expect something back.

I know that sounds pretty dang obvious, but at Christmas time, there's this continual idea of reciprocity that overhangs the whole thing.

That if you don't know what to buy, just spend a bucket load of money to alleviate the guilt.

That if I'm going to spend my precious money on you, you need to do the same for me.

Like, I spent £30 on you and you bought me a £1.99 bath set from Wilkinsons that I can't even USE since I'm allergic to it and GOSH it's like you don't even know me AT AL -

Ahem. Ignore that rant. That is something left over from last year. I'm different now.

Anyhoo. As a student, it's hard for me to give, because to be honest, I don't really have much.

So, the best thing I find I can give, is my time.

I volunteer, and I try and give my time to people who ask or need of it whenever I can.

I think it's easier to buy and gift something than to give your time, because time is priceless.

Giving isn't easy. And I admire people who can do it without even thinking.

One of my favourite examples is here.

Happy Monday,

A Simple Thing

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Holey Sock Bun

Maybe you've got one.

At the bottom of your drawer.

You know.

That - that thing.

That sock. You know, with the hole in it.

It needs to throw it away, but then there's that sticky, haunting thought of "Nooooo, it's so comfy! And what can I do with the other one that it matches? It will be there in my sock drawer, all lonely and sniffly."

It's winter. Nobody wants to be lonely and sniffly, because that is not what Christmas is about.

Oh dear. I digress. That's the problem with being so merry.

So, you have the sock. What to do with the sock.

Easy. Snip off the toe bit. Snip it off the other one as well.

Use them to make a hair sock.

And then make a sock bun!

She does it on wet hair, but I don't like manipulating my hair whilst wet, so my hair was only slightly dampened.

Make sure you've washed the socks before putting them anywhere near your hair. Because cheesy smelling hair is never a good thing.

Unless you're Betty Spaghetti, I guess.

Here's mine:

You could see the sock/knee support I improvised with, so I covered it with some red ribbon.

Whoo! I feel Christmassy!

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British Frugalistas - Heads up!

When I stopped relaxing my hair, one of my biggest issues was finding stuff I could put in my hair without fear of some horrific outcome. I was 17, broke and my family thought I'd gone mental to try and live life without relaxers..

In short, money wasn't coming by easy. The websites I lurked on constantly recommended products that I couldn't afford ($60 for a hair cream? What, you putting pure gold in there or something?), or couldn't get a hold of (Target? Trader Joes? Whole Foods? What are these places? In the words of Liz Lemon: "I want to go to there...").

An abusive relationship with Wilkinson's Coconut Conditioner ensued.

The end was...unpleasant. And gunky *shudders*

So, I'm compiling a list of silicone-free products for us Curly/Coily/Fro endowed British lot that are under £5 (at the time of writing).

All of the products are on the high street (but everyone's high street is different...)

I haven't tried many of the products on this list, just the Inecto Coconut Conditioner and Original Source White Pear and Avocado conditioner, both of which are staples. All my information came from this thread on British Curlies. I'm not trying to encourage product junkie-ism!

Here we go!

Prices may almost definitely vary!

An Anon has kindly left this link that leads you to a pretty awesome forum thread listing CG friendly products available in the UK. 
Other contributions are gratefully accepted:

Low Poo Shampoos

Naked shampoos (available in Boots) £3.91

Halos n Horns Mango Melon Mayhem Shampoo and Conditioner priced £3.79

Tara Smith Big baby shampoo £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Tara Smith Feed the root shampoo £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Tara Smith C Curls shampoo £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Tara Smith Straight Away shampoo £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Body Shop Rainforest Shampoo Range around £2

Conditioners

Asda Jojoba £0.70 - £0.90

Dr Organics Aloe Vera £4.99 [Holland and Barrett]

Naked Conditioners [Boots] £1.29 - £3.99

Naked Unveiled Hydrating Conditioner (2 water soluble cones) - £3.99

Naked Rescue Conditioner - £3.91

Naked Rescue Repairing Hair Treatment Repairing Sachet - £1.29

Naked Richness Revealed Colour Protection Conditioner (2 water soluble cones) - £3.99

Naked Smooth and Silky Conditioner - £3.99

Naked Mildness Unadorned Sensitive Conditioner - £3.99

Naked Volume Unleashed Weightless Conditioner (2 water soluble cones) - £3.99

Original Source Conditioners £1+

Garneir Fructus Repair & Shine Conditioner - £1-£2

Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Conditioner - £2 [I get mine from BodyCare]

Superdrug Naturals Intensive Conditioner Coconut and Sweet Almond £1.89

Superdrug Naturals Conditioner Coconut and Sweet Almond (300ml) £1

Boots Ingredients Intensive hair mask Honey and Jojoba (350ml) £1.99

Boots Ingredients Intensive hair mask Coconut and Almond (350ml) £1.99

Faith in Nature conditioners for cowash - approx £3.90 - £4.50 [Health Food Stores]

Lustrasilk Shea Butter and Mango - £1.69-£3

Dr Organics Manuka Honey Conditioner approx £4.99 [Holland & Barretts]

Morrisons Fruits Conditioners £1+

Tara Smith Big baby conditioner - £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Tara Smith Feed the conditioner £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Tara Smith C Curls conditioner £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Tara Smith Straight conditioner £4.50 for 250ml, £2.50 for 100ml

Tesco Extracts Coconut Conditioner - £1.50

Body Shop Rainforest Shampoos - £4

Schwarzkopf Supersoft Bio Pomegranate Conditioner £1-£2

Loreal Elvive Full Restore Conditioner - £2.40

Deep Treatments:

L’oreal Elvive Nutri Gloss Intensive Shine Masque - £3.99

Andrew Barton S.O.S Help Me! £3.70 [Asda]

Gels

Boots Essential Gel - £1

Umberto Giannini Curl Friends Scrunching Jelly (200ml) - £4.50

L’Oreal Paris Studio Line Mineral Control Invisi’Gel (150ml) - £3.50

Eco Styler Krystal 473 ml - £2.00

Dr Organics Aloe Vera Gel - £4.99 (Holland and Barrett)

Tara Smith Rock On! Gel about £2 for 100ml but prices vary

Garnier Fructus Endurance gel £2-3 (not the invisible one)

Curl Creams

Boots Essential Pink Curl Creme - £1.29

Naked Curl Cream - £3.99

Serums

Naked Frizz Fighter - £5

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Fantasy Christmas Wishlist: Family Edition

Not for me. No, I don't really fancy anything. But one of the main reasons I love Christmas is because of the chance to shop in an unashamedly excessive manner for some of my favouritest people in the world!

It's December already, it's Christmas time! Well, not yet. But it's 24 days until the real deal! So I've started looking for gifts (I'm late, I know) So in order to procrastinate, I decided to compile a wish list of some of the things I'd get for the people in my life if money, time, resources etc were no object.

The Mama:

Ideas: Decadent, Relaxation, Nurturing

A trip to the Ayana Spa Resort in Bali.

Source

The Diamond Miracle Treatment - involving a bath of 500 roses, a facial made of sea quartz and pure diamond dust, whilst being served champagne and strawberries? Oh my Lord, my mother would be slain by the spirit a thousand times over.

It's alright Mama. It's 'cos you're worth it.

The Pappy

Ideas: Mentally Stimulating, Nostalgic, Funky

Going to see Fela! The Musical

Source

Because I know it would zap the funk of his favourite era into my Daddy, sending phenomonal feelings all the way around his body and have my lovely Pappy dancing like King Sonny himself down the aisles.

I don't think I'll tell him Jay-Z was involved in the production.

The Littlest Sis

Ideas: Cooler than me, more stylish than me, more fashionable than me.

I guess this is kind of cheating, since she gets three -

This shirt?

Source

Under this Dress?

Source

With these shoes?

Source

She would actually be the first person to be arrested for thinking she's too cute. It would be too much. Even as her sister, I would be slain, lying prone on the floor crying "I can't take it! I just can't take it!".

The Rebel Sis:

Ideas: Creativity, Expression, Freedom

A Production Studio, for music and movies and other artsy outlets.

Source

With her own team of lackeys that she could boss around.

She'd probably prefer it to be in New York, so that we weren't constantly interrupting her work.

Tough.

It would be in the basement/cellar of my mother's mansion, so I can get my kicks telling people my sister still lives with my mum.

The Bro:

Ideas: Games, Gadgets, Greatness.

To be honest, if I got him a car or something like that, I would literally own him. So that's not even difficult.

No, wait, I know!

Skateboard lessons from Tony Hawk!

Source

There is a huge possibility that this option may make my mum cry...

Later this week, the Friends Edition!

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Sumptuous Sticky Toffee Pudding

I've been working on this post since the 12th...because good things need to be lingered over...

*[In the M&S voice ]*

A delicious, soft, moist date sponge, oozing with delicious, buttery toffee sauce, that literally melts into a wondrously gorgeous state of affairs as soon as it hits the tongue ....

This is not just sticky toffee pud - well, actually, that's a lie. It is just Sticky Toffee Pudding. However, it is also one of my all time favourite desserts and a delicacy of the area I'm currently living in.

Thus, I have a perfectly reasonable excuse to try as many as I want.

Problem is, this tends to leave a rather massive hole in my near non-existent budget.

So, being the thrifty, dessert loving gal that I am, I endeavoured to learn how to make it!

I think my recipe is just as delicious as the ones in the restaurants....maybe even better!

Prep Time: 20 minutes (including weighing)

Baking Time: 20 - 45 minutes

Difficulty?: Easy - even if you mess up the sauce, it still tastes great!

Ingredients:

For the date sponge: -

200g (1 cup) of dates, pitted and roughly chopped

300ml ( 1 and 1/4 cups) of boiling hot water

1 tsp of baking soda

50g (1/4 cup) butter

175g (3/4 cup) sugar

2 eggs

175g (1 and 3/4 cup) plain flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

For the toffee sauce: -

50g (1/4 cup) butter

3 tablespoons plain flour

50g (1/4 cup) sugar

125ml (1/2 cup) of milk

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3/160 Degrees Celsius/325 Degrees Fahrenheit if you're using a 9 x 9 inch tin and anything bigger.

However if, like me, you decide to use an inappropriate 7 inch diameter cake tin in a fan assisted oven, turn it down to 150 Degrees Celsius and put it on the bottom rack.

Grease whichever tin you're using.

If you haven't pitted and chopped the dates, you probably need to do that now.

This will take a while, and you will end up with it all over your fingers.

You will come to truly understand where the 'sticky' aspect of this dessert truly comes from.

There's no pictures of this phenomenon since - well, I was too busy eating it off my fingers to take pictures.

When it is done, put it into a bowl and then pour the boiling hot water all over them - this helps them swell up and become even juicier!

Add the teaspoon of baking soda and put it to one side to do....uh, date and soda-y things.

In a big mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.

Till it makes a lovely, squishy mixture.

Beat in the eggs. You can do them one at a time, reeeally making sure the first one is completely made a part of the mix, before adding the second one.

Or you could just dump them both in at the same time.

When you've finished, you should have quite a smooth mixture.

Then gently, and slowly, fold the flour and baking powder into the cake mix.

You'll be looking at it now, like "There is no way in heck that this is going to tun out moist."

What, did you forget about the dates and water already?

Gradually add in the dates/water/soda mix, mixing until the entire mix is well combined after each addition.

Pour into the pre-greased tin.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes (if you've used a big tin. If, like me, you've used an inappropriately sized tin, you will have to wait 45 minutes. Sorry, loves!)

Then pop it into the oven and turn your attention to the sauce...the sinfully delectable sauce.

Melt the butter and sugar over a low heat. Then gradually pour in the milk, and sprinkle on the flour.

You have to keep stirring frequently at least every 10 seconds, because the flour is the thickener. And the first time I made it, I put the spoon down for 30 seconds while I went to change the song on my computer.

And I ended up with lumps.

So no pictures of this process, to avoid the lumps.

They were tasty lumps, but lumps nonetheless. So please. Keep stirring.

When the sauce has thickened considerably (it takes about 10 minutes from beginning to end), add the vanilla extract and then take it off the heat.

Check on the sponge. If a fork inserted in the centre comes out with some delectable crumbs hanging on desperately onto it, then it's done.

Basically, as long it's no longer molten.

Take the pudding out of the oven and gently run a spatula around the edge, before turning it out onto it's final serving place.

Turn it right way around and then poke it all over with a fork. Then pour the sauce over the pudding, making sure that a lot of it goes into where the fork has poked though.

And then enjoy. With custard, or ice cream, or by its stunning self.

Because, like Slinkys, that's what it was made for - enjoyment.

It's so....it's just....you know what, I'm running out of words to use to describe this pudding.

No wait. One more.

Magic.

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Monday Mission - Give Thanks

I know this one is a bit of an obvious one, what with it having been Thanksgiving in the U.S last week, but I don't celebrate it, so I need reminding, so there.

Sometimes, when it's a bad day, it's so easy to forget about the good stuff in our lives, which is a shame, because that's usually when we need to remember the most.

A Simple Thing: I am thankful to my God for all he has given me:

I am thankful for all the wonderful people in my life: -

For my family, who love and encourage and support me in their unique way. They're amazing.

For the Wonder Thing, who is continually patient and also continually crazy. He leaves me speechless.

For my friends, especially Lady V and The Fae, who are lovely and bonkers. I fit right in. They're fantastic.

For my amazing tutors, who continue to push and encourage me and open my eyes to options I never thought possible. They're inspiring.

For my body - it works! And it wears orange and yellow quite well. It's distinctive.

For my health, especially in this weather. It could definitely be a lot worse. It's improving.

For my growth as a person; my burgeoning courage; my ridiculous confidence; the sound of laughter on the regular. It's heart-warming.

For the joy I have, due to all of the above, and the continual grace and mercy I receive on a daily basis from all avenue. It's magnificient.

I am eternally grateful.

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A Letter to Jack Frost

Dear Mr Frost,

You must've known we'd hear the weather report.

That we'd get our hopes up.

Hopes of being snowed in and unable to make it to class/work/the library.

Hopes of reverting to our childhood (well, admittedly, some of us never left) and being able to have snow ball fights, make angelic shapes and have sleigh rides, along with other snow related delights.

I mean, some people, on the same island as me, even managed to make snow people.

So what's up with this?

What, by the time you came around to my area, your little snow elves got a bit tired?

Had run out of snow or something?! So you got them to go to the supermarket and get some odd icing sugar/baby powder mix and throw it everywhere on the ground, and you thought we wouldn't notice?

Mr Frost. This is not acceptable. I demand frosty frolics! Soft Snowflakes! Snow so thick one must wade through it! I'm wearing so much mismatched winter wear that I'm waddling about - and I kinda need a reason for it, you know?

Don't make me get out the pencil and draw a protest. Nobody wants it to have to go that far.

Yours,

A Disappointedly, Only Mildly, Snow Sprinkled Thing

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