helle

Exclusive new episode of All The Terrible Cakes!
C360_2013-03-23-19-25-50[1]

This Coffe and Walnut Cake with coffee icing and praline bits (om nom praline) failed in the opposite manner to last week's disastrous Red Velvet, in that it tastes perfectly good, it is just Everything Else that is wrong.

I accidently nudged the thermoneter dial from 160o up to Maximum while keeping watch over a pan of praline and within five minutes the top layer of cake became a little ... incinerated. But! That layer was cut off and everything was perfectly fine, though the loss of the crust meant that the icing got rather crumby. As you may be able to see.

Sometimes my cooking does bother me, but I think over time I've come to view it as equivalent to any other moderatly expensive and occaisionally wasteful hobby. (Which is a postive thing! That sounds really bad when I put it like that.) But then, as Cabin Pressure showed me very quickly, I do have rather a lot in common with Arthur, and the ability to create Surprising Rice and Fizzy Yoghurt (recipe for the latter: yoghurt+time) is perhaps one of those points of similarity. :P

So, I haz cold. This is all

frith_in_thorns fault, nyah. Since, unlike hers, it has not yet evolved into Dethflu, I am counting my blessings.

The one thing that is very nice about illness, however, is my recently-evolved tradition (i.e. since I went to university and did not have to worry about my parents Judging my terrible life choices) of Spontaneous Hot Toddies. Growing up, honey and lemon, drunk as hot as you can physically bear, was the sore throat remedy of choice and household mandate. (Frith claims that sweetened hot milk was hers, but that seems a really wrong and strange practice to me. What traditional illness recipes did you all grow up with?) When I was ill and bored in Second Year, I started to ... modify the honey and lemon slightly. At first I started by trying to make actual proper toddies, but I was a housebound/poor/any student and my ingredients were limited. So!

Soon, variation became the fun of it - the recipe I generally go by now is:
Strongest alcohol on hand + most tasty alcohol on hand + fruit juice, or other citrus-based soft drink + spices. Microwave, and then breathe in the alcohol fumes to clear your nasal passages. (I DID make mention above of my terrible life choices, ne?)

It is always different, which is the fun of it. However, last night I made what I feel to be the ultimate version, and going entirely against the spirit of Surprising Toddies, I am going to record my formula for posterity.
*Dram (probably a shot and a half) of rum.
*Decent splash of ginger wine
*Shot or so of lemon juice, plus a splash of weird artificial tropical squash
*Spices - cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. Chopped ginger.
*Oregano, splash of Worcester sauce, a few chilli flakes.
*Honey
Heat, stir and serve.

You, dear reader, are probably judging this combination HARD right now, I would imagine. But it was really, really good!

Cabin Pressure has EATEN me body and soul. I have spent the last two weeks in the throes of obsession, and by this point, most of my conversations lead back to MJN Air in some way, shape or form. (It was Birling Day yesterday! And since by my Grandad’s account Wales utterly routed England, Birling would have no doubt been in a generous frame of mind. Well, if he wasn’t fictional.)

Yesterday, I waitressed at a wedding where the venue owner was into taxidermy in a BIG way. I tripped over a lion’s tail at one point; luckily didn’t actually spill any gravy. My favourite, though, was the pair of polar bears, one on all fours and draped in a large union flag, and the other rearing and wearing aviator sunglasses. I cannot tell you how badly I wanted a picture...

There was also a dodo skeleton! And each table place was set with a little bottle of vodka as a party favour. I think posh waitressing has ruined me for my expectations of weddings though; I’m not sure anything I go to as a guest will quite compare with some of these dos.

I’m still running the job interview gauntlet – I’ve been shortlisted for LOADS of things, and several of them have made a point of telling me that I was their second choice, or that I should apply again if they have other jobs going – but none of them have hired me! Arrg, it’s so frustrating!

What other news do I have? Last week was [Bad username or site: ”frith_in_thorns” @ livejournal.com] birthday and I made what must surely be my Worst Cake Ever. This including the cakes I made gleefully when I was younger than Caitlin. It was supposed to be Red Velvet, and it tasted so red! The texture was so bad! I mean, I cook often enough that I’ve had a corresponding number of failed adventures, but this particular cake was truly and utterly dreadful. Though the outside, at least, looked pretty – Frith, do you have the picture you took?

Well, I have survived both hospital and Christmas! The latter was even rather pleasant – we had the by-now traditional my-sister-was-too-excited-to-sleep-last-night midday argument, with much shouting and slamming of doors, but it passed relatively quickly and the rest of the day went without a hitch. Bar, that is, my mum’s disappointment that C had got up at three in the morning to open her stocking and that mum hadn’t got to see her face as she opened her expensive, desperately wanted but unlooked-for presents. But we played games and C had fun with her arts-and-craftsy presents and Christmas dinner was delicious.

( Hospital stuff, including brief weight and food stuff discussion )

Anyway, that is the State Of The Eleanor – I am not at home, trying (and failing, rather, but I am trying) to Take It Easy and Remember You Should Be Resting, Ellie. A District Nurse has been coming round daily to change my dressings (!). I spent yesterday writing a few last minute drabbles for fandom_stocking – the first fic I’ve written in years, literally. I’m sorry to have been so rubbish about communicating – I AM thinking of you all, my dears, rather a lot, and am really looking forward to catching up at greater length soon. Merry Christmas!

I am taking a break from 'pretending to work' to calculate just how much work I have to do. My awesome maths skills are telling me that if I write 5000 words/week for the next three weeks, I will get everything done and even have time to edit and stuff in 9th Week. 5000 words. I can totally do that. Really.
Even more wildly optimistic: I have so far written just over 2000 words on Vivien. Most of it is disjointed, random half-paragraphs on something that struck me as interesting spread over about 50 documents of notes and scribbles, but it exists. If I can write another decent 5000 words this week, my essay will be pretty much finished and I can let my tutor see it and offer suggestions while he actually has time and I can concentrate on my translation portfolio! I live in hope. The fact that I have written 300 words - at most - today and considered it real progress, I will gloss over.
Sitting in Ricks, an awesome French cafe down Cowley which has lots of expensive French pastries and really good coffee and hot chocolate. And macaroons.

<-(disclaimer: Not actually the same macaroons and probably less delicious.)

I think looking at Google Image pictures of macaroons and macrons is one of the most soothing things possible, particularly when you can also SMELL THEM.

15,000-16,000 words to write before Friday of Ninth

<8000 on Vivien
- 2500
- 2500
- 2500
Portfolio task 1:
- 1000 words
- 1000-1500 word commentary
Portfolio task 2 <2500
- Translation
- Commentary
Portfolio task 3 1500-2500 words
- a balanced critical analysis of the theorist’s ideas in the form of a well-structured argument

2325 / 16000 words. 15% done!

Current Mood: totally not stressed!
Current Location: Cowley

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