love+books

I have a mean list of books on order, it will be like Christmas in October (or November if we leave time for shipping).

And our list includes: American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis), World War Z (Max Brooks), Rosemary’s Baby (Ira Levin), With My Body (Nikki Gemmell) and two books on horse riding.

If you are wondering what the occasion is, it has to do with revenge+my dogs. Instead of sulking, I bought books.

Also, because I need to get stuck into thesis work, I am reading fiction. Such a vice!

Ahhh fiction, it leaves a guilty twang reverberating through my head. Quite unlike the academic material for my thesis, I could read several years' worth of fiction even if the books are terrible.

Love books, you won’t regret it.

Pie in the sky

I have baked savoury pies (using Jamie Oliver’s Steak and Guinness recipe), but never sweet?

 Glossy beer and beef pie

It is time… I have spent around two days dreaming up pie combinations.

Caramel and cherry? This is The Idea I have been toying with. And because of the immense sweetness, it would have to be a small tart, and not so much a pie.

Dark chocolate, hazelnut and orange: this idea grabs me. Basically blanched and roasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate ganache and orange rind, almost layering the filling  into a thin pie base.

Short crust though, will be the end of me, this is where I get unstuck. When I consider short crust pastry, I feel as if I should stick to a tarte tatin.  And here is the recipe I plan on using: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pastry-cake/the-world-famous-tarte-tatin

Bless you Mr Oliver, you have taught me all I need to know about pies!

Worth a try I’d think. 

Updates to follow soon :-)

More than meets the eye

I see you

Two of my dogs came to me as unwanted pups. They were ill, and they are unfortunately power breed dogs. Smart, big, strong, agile.

This is not their fault.

What also is not their fault is how people perceive them: fierce, vicious. They are not these things. I have seen my dogs melt into happiness at the prospect of going for a drive, cower at the tumbling waves of the ocean that I thought wise to show them, lick the hands and faces of children.

I am fiercely protective if my dogs. When I visit my parents (which is far too often lately) my dogs get relegated to back area, people over-react to their size, they become frustrated. They are judged.

I hate narrow-minded people. I hate how incredibly daft it is to take all your own lack of confidence and transmit it into the shape of a big black dog, or a big frightened horse.

These animals are loved, invested in, they are an extension of somebody’s person. They are not yard hounds relegated to outside and fed the cheapest way possible. They are not simply dogs, they are sentient beings. They think, they feel.

Moreover, they are my responsibility, and I do not take that as lightly as a lot of people do. My boyfriend recently said: ‘he is just a dog.’ But the simple truth is, there is no such thing as just a dog.

Love dogs, you won’t regret it.

Live, Love, Cook

The key ingredients to happiness varies. It depends really, on who you are. I live knee-deep in horses and hounds, I cook (most recently chocolate cake) and I try to get on with the business of living in spite of everything.

This blog is a journal, a record of everyday. I hope you enjoy it :)


Baking this makes me happy!

 Cake: dark chocolate ganache