Blueberry & Lemon Cake.

By now you may have guessed that I love lemon. I never used to, it is a relatively new phenomenon so I guess you could say I'm making up for lost time. Whilst you're here, feel free to browse a couple of my other lemon recipes - Cheesecakes, Cupcakes and Drizzle Cake are just a few of my favourites. This one is even NICER as it's packed full with fresh blueberries which go all gooey when it's cooked. So, without further ado....

Blueberry & Lemon Drizzle Cake

Equipment Needed:

- Mixing Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Weighing Scales
- 2lb Loaf Tin
- Small Bowl

Ingredients:

- 125g Butter/Margarine
- 125g Caster Sugar
- 3 Medium free range eggs
- 175g Self-Raising/Rising Flour + 1tbsp extra
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 100g Blueberries

For the syrup:

- 50g Caster sugar
- 4tbsp Lemon juice

For the icing:

- 125g Icing/Confectioners sugar
- 1tsp Blueberry conserve/syrup - I used natural blueberry sauce bought from a health food store

Method:

1) Preheat your oven to GM3/170C. Grease/Line (I use loaf tin liners) your 2lb loaf tin. In a large bowl/mixer - whisk together the butter & sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, flour and zest a bit at a time and mix for 3-4 minutes. Toss in the blueberries with the extra 1tbsp flour and FOLD in. Spoon into the tin and cook for around 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

2) Whilst baking, gently heat the sugar and lemon juice & bring to a boil. Leave to boil for about 2 minutes and set aside.

3) Spoon the syrup over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely.

4) If you are using conserve, press it through a sieve & scrape off the underside. Mix this with the icing and a little water or lemon juice until it is just runny. I used water, but will try lemon juice next time! Drizzle it over the cake and leave to set.

5) Eat, Drink and Be Merry.

I edited this with the 'Beautiful Mess' app - it's cute, check it out!

The cake is really soft, moist and fruity and is perfect for summer's day. I enjoyed a slice of mine in the garden with a glass of Pimm's and a book about The Wild West (that is supposed to be for children but I am loving it.) 

Hope you enjoy it!


Much Love xxx

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A Walk with My Camera.

We British are so fickle when it comes to the weather. Of course, we are famous for moaning about it, and not so good at appreciating it when it does work in our favour. Well today, I am changing the trend and enjoying every minute of it. When the sun is out, so am I. So this morning I took a nice walk to the post office and went up to the hills with my buttock toning fit flops on my feet.

Everything looks so different in the sunshine so it doesn't require a lot of skill to take a decent picture, I snap away on my Nikon D40 when I get the urge, so here are the results:

I adore blossom trees, these are right at the end of my street.

Barbed wire screams countryside.

My favourite view in the world, just around the corner from me.

My favourite shot of the day!

The daffodils at our front door.

Now it's time for Pimm's in the garden!

I for one am thankful for the sunshine! For me it means picnics, Pimms and flip flops everyday. I hope you make the most of it...

Much Love xxx

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People versus Things.

I've had this post rattling around in my head for the past few days but got distracted by 'Nashville,' my favourite EVER television program, which I have to keep reminding myself is infact, fiction. So here it is, better late than never!

I have mentioned topics similar to this before, but never this exactly. I want to talk about where we place our true value. Is it in people, or is it in things? 

We all like to accumulate things. I, for one cannot stop buying things that one day will fill a home of my own. I'm forever buying tea-sets, vintage glass, anything from Cath Kidston (hence the picture) and strangely enough, bed linen. But what would happen if one day, I was asked to give it all up? What if all these nice things that would make for a beautiful tea party were one day taken away from me? Would life still be liveable? For me, OF COURSE. 

My treasure doesn't live in the things that I own. I don't place more value on my laptop than my friends. Though it may do a lot of good things for me such as; allow me to send emails, listen to music, watch films, edit photos, make presentations - it doesn't do other things like; listen to me when i'm upset, offer me support and guidance, love me, make me laugh, support me, console me. All the 'real' things that I couldn't do without. 

I have learnt this lesson first hand lately. At the moment, seeing as though I only work part time, I am not exactly raking it in. I have to budget, say no to things I don't really need and think about where I want to invest the little that I do have. But working little hours has given me something truly beautiful. Time. Time to be with friends, to bake with them, to eat with them, to talk & listen to them, to drink tea with them, to relax with them. Time to be with my family. Time to read, to travel, to discover new places, to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. We all know that we don't get time back. We never know when it is going to run out, and we must, MUST, MUST learn to make the most of it. 

We cannot spend our lives chasing after 'things' that in the end, mean nothing. We so easily convince ourselves that we need to be a part of the latest trends, that we need this or that to be truly included in a group etc etc. But do we? It's so hard in a world that tells us the complete opposite, that we are defined by our wealth, the beauty of our homes, what we drive, how we dress and  who we are seen with. But when we take a step back, does any of that truly matter? Or instead should we be defined by something else?  

Perhaps we should be defined by how well love each other. How accepting we are of others, despite our differences, financial status, location, occupation and live together in community. By how quickly forget the past, the arguments and disagreements that nobody can even remember why they started and move forwards. Our willingness to be inconvenienced to help somebody in need, or indeed somebody who wants a sympathetic ear. Our desire to give up our time to volunteer for a local Charity. Our joy to sacrifice a coffee to buy a homeless person some lunch. Or maybe our ability to recognise that people are more important than things?

‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’

Matthew 6:21 

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Inspiration Station.

I can't believe the last time I sat to write was Easter. These past few weeks have flown by unusually quickly and I feel like I need to catch up a bit! I haven't neglected the writing due to lack of inspiration, quite the opposite actually! So much has changed lately that I feel a bit overwhelmed and don't even know where to begin. I suppose the biggest change is that I now feel settled in a new Church. I've already made some great friends and am enjoying getting stuck into life with those guys. I feel my heart shifting towards this new place, with this group of people and am excited about where the next few weeks might lead me. Check them out here. They are involved with lots of great community stuff, and this is the place where CAP (Christians Against Poverty) all began.

The main thing that has prompted me to write comes from a book I am reading at the moment. I was finally persuaded to pick it up as I was looking for something that was bound to inspire and stir me up. So far, it has passed that test as I knew it would, with flying colours! The book is called 'Undaunted' and is written by Christine Caine. After reading one of her previous books; 'Stop acting like a Christian and be one,' I fell in love with her honesty and uncompromising style. It's just so refreshing. I actually started reading Undaunted right before a shift at work and found even the first chapter left me heart broken and totally distracted all day.

You see, we all have dreams dont we? As i've said before, i'm a real daydreamer. I sit and think about when I will have my first youth work job, getting paid to do what I really love. Maybe i'll have my own office. Or then i'll be able to have my own home...full of trinkets and bedspreads (as I seem to have a weakness for bed linen.) Or marriage, family, future holidays or places I'd like to travel to. I know we all do it! Imagine if one day, somebody came to you and just offered you your dream. A fresh start, a new country, provision for your family, your dream job - but more than that - a HOPE that you didn't think would ever come to you. Imagine you are feeling hopeless, like you've given up, you're trapped, you'll never get out of this situation. In a dead end job, with little money, a house you hate or in a place you can't stand - and someone comes out of the blue to offer you a way out of that. How likely would it be that you would at least consider it? That glimmer of hope?

Say, you go for it. You trust that person. You move, ready to start your new adventure, a better life that secures a brighter future for you and your family - only to be trapped. It's not the place it was supposed to be. You were moved under false pretences, lied to, beaten, abused repeatedly. Trafficked. 

You may have guessed why this book left me distracted. This is the fate of so many people today. 27 million. Even as I write this, or as I continue to read the book this is happening. People are being SOLD. Trapped in shipping containers as if they are a product. Men, women and children. Forced into labour or the sex trade. Slavery is so REAL. It's happening right here, in my community, in my town, in my city and likely in yours too. This issue is bigger than ever before. We need to speak out! We need to educate, to spot the signs, to intervene, to rescue, to act, to pray, to speak out, to END IT. We musn't ignore it, or make it feel distant. This doesn't just happen in far away countries, poorer than ours.  You don't have to look far in the news to find it. These people; mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, fathers - are being BOUGHT and SOLD. Human beings, just like you and I. We can no longer sit back  and pretend like this injustice isn't taking place day in, day out. Because it is!

I have blogged about the A21 Campaign before, and the author of this book is the freedom fighter behind this amazing Charity. Even if you aren't a Christian, I would recommend you read even just the first Chapter. It's actually on offer at $2.99/£2.99 as an E-book at the moment so now might be the time to snap it up. Christine writes with much more conviction than I do, but also has real life experiences in rescuing women from trafficking, which are heart breaking accounts - but a necessary read. There are also other great campaigns that speak out - The End It Movement, Restored For, Stop the Traffik, Hope for Justice, MTV Exit and Walk Free.

I think it's important that our hearts break for issues such as this, that we are moved to do something to eradicate it once and for all. Fundraise, talk about it, raise awareness, sign petitions - get involved. Freedom for all is something we must fight and keep on fighting for...

Much Love xxx

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Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone, I hope you have a wonderful day! Today I had the privilege of hearing 4 incredible testimonies of how God has and is transforming the lives of ordinary people with less than perfect pasts. Just like He did with me. Plus I am about to have a roast dinner. 

Much Love xxx 

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When Life Hands You Lemons...Make No Bake Lemon Cheesecakes.

I've been wanting to experiment with cheesecake for quite a while, so I have been searching for an easy recipe to get me started. Up until recently, I never liked the taste of lemon but something has changed in a massive way! It's such a light and refreshing flavour, and it's a little taste of spring in spite of the snow that is still falling in our garden. (I'm not best pleased about it as you might be able to tell.) Anyway, I recently came across a blog post written by one of the contestants of a past series of The Great British Bake Off for 'Quick Lemon Cheesecake.' Read it here.

I slightly adapted it to suit what was in our fridge, and it tasted just as yummy as if I'd done it properly I'm sure! Now, I did completely guess all of my quantities so feel free to use a bit of artistic license with this to suit the taste you want! They really are so, so easy to make and were done in about 5 minutes (minus the cooling time.) They are so fresh and not too heavy, a perfect dinner party dessert.

Individual No-Bake Lemon Cheesecakes

Equipment

- Small pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Mixing Bowl
- 5 Small dessert bowls

Ingredients

For the base:

- 1/2 pack - 200g of Digestive Biscuits
- 50g Butter (I used margarine)

For the topping:

- 200g Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese
- Approx 50g Icing Sugar/Confectioners Sugar
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

1) Crush the digestive biscuits in a bag using a small rolling pin until they are a fine crumb.

2) Melt the butter in a pan and add in the crushed biscuits.

3) Spoon the biscuit mixture into your individual bowls and press down using a teaspoon until firm. Leave to set in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4) Whilst the bases are cooling, put the cream cheese into the mixing bowl and give it a quick mix with the wooden spoon.

5) Add in the icing sugar, the zest of the lemon and a bit of juice at a time until it is as sweet or as lemony as you would like.

6) Lick the spoon.

7) Then, take the bowls out of the fridge and spoon the mixture onto the top of the bases and put back in the fridge for a further 30 minutes to set (if you can wait that long.)

8) Decorate as you please! I chose blueberries. Yum.

Much Love xxx

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What's in a Friend?

I've been thinking about friendship a lot lately. As a lot of my friendships have changed of late, it has caused me to sit back and think about which are true friends, ones which will no doubt be life long, and those which are fleeting or seasonal. Both are important, as both teach us great life lessons - good and bad. I suppose that i've been forced to reflect on this subject for sad reasons. As mentioned in this post, I decided recently to make a few changes. I left a community that I was a part of for around 8 years of my life and have found the aftermath of that quite hurtful in all honesty. I don't wish to go too much into that as in time, I will learn to forgive those who have hurt me, many of whom were very close to me, and move on. This isn't the place to detail it all. However, one thing that decision has taught me is what a true friend should be.

Friendships have the power to shape who we are, for we are influenced by those whom we love and respect. Through good frienships we can be changed, improved, hurt, blessed and strengthened to name a few. I think this is a beautiful thing, this notion of living life together with others:

'[Great Satisfaction] to me is in being with people I am fond of and feeling that in some small way I can help make life happier or more interesting for them or help them to achieve their objective. To me that is much more important than anything else in my life.'

Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn By Living.

When I say 'true friends,' I'm not simply talking about someone who 'does' big things for you all the time, maybe lending you money, letting you sleep on their couch, going on holiday with you etc, though that might be nice. I find that smaller acts of friendship mean more to me, though they may be insignificant to others. For me, the kind of friends I want to spend my life with are those who will text me to see how my day has been. Just because they care. Or those who had a quiet night planned but can see I really need to talk to someone - so they take me to the pub. Even those who I can sit by the fire with a cup of tea and a piece of cake, catching up on what's happened in our weeks. People I can bare my soul to in one breath and laugh out loud with the next. For me, true friendships involve sacrifice on both sides - when one needs to talk, the other one is there to listen and vice versa. There are the ones where you don't see each other for weeks, and then pick up exactly where you left off. The ones where you never run out of anything to say. The ones where it's ok to sit in silence together. The ones that last.

You see, I've started an 'introduction to counselling' course, and just went to my second meeting this evening. It's surprised me how much i've learnt in 4 short hours, but some fascinating insights have come out of it so far. It's taught me to look at some friendships in a different way (sometimes these things are dangerous for me because i'm naturally so analytical - nobody is safe haha!) - and it's helped them make sense to me. I'm used to being a listener and advice giver - and though I love that role, and feel blessed by people who feel comfortable enough to open up to me, this course has taught me that with some friendships it is unlikely that the tables will be turned due to the nature of our relationship. For example, you may have a friend who you always listen to. When you try and open up to them, their reaction may not be so positive and they may not cope with it. In this case - you may need to seek advice from someone else!

Another thing we discussed was the change in the need for community in todays society compared to in the past. Of course, this affects our friendships too.

'Today we are encouraged to be more self-sufficient and independent and may live and work away from close friends and relatives. It can be more difficult asking for help - [we may think] it is a sign of 'weakness' or 'neediness.' When we lived in smaller communities, families, friends and neighbours helped each other on a daily basis and were uninhibited in asking each other for help.' 

(taken from my course notes)

We are afraid to say we need each other, to ask each other for help, advice, guidance, a shoulder to cry on when indeed we should feel able to do this every single day. We weren't created to do life alone, we were created to live it together, learning from each other. I admit, that some of my friendships have ended because I had tried to ask for help, making sure I was as honest as possible - and was not helped and cared for in the way I needed to be. I do not want to sit here and feel bitter, or let down by them -  I want to be thankful for the good seasons we shared and move on to work on the amazing friendships I have since been so blessed with. For our own good, sometimes it is the right thing to do, to let go of some friendships and accept them for what they are. But other times, we can enjoy the ones we have that will make sure we feel loved no matter what!

Much Love xxx

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