Weak Sugar, Weak!

Oh sugar baby, how week you are!

I have inhaled about the weight of a large swan's worth of sugar recently. I found Willy Wonka nerds in poundland -jumbo rainbow pack no less and I have pours the contents into my face on more than one occasion. Temporary weakness? Well two weeks is temporary but it's also disgusting. Now I am not about to wail about dieting. I am not a diet kind of girl. But I am ashamed and I should be.

Food should not be used as a distraction or something to do while your watching Made in Chelsea. Food is fuel for your body. I will never stop loving food but eating should never be a hobby. Cooking should be a hobby. So I want to give bento boxes another try. Getting up early in the morning to prepare something tasty for lunch is fun and gets you moving.

These angry little lumps and bumps on my face are my bodies way of saying 'F*** YOU!' and I am very, VERY sorry that I ever messed with my skin. As a result I am lethargic, moody and essentially gross. I want to chomp on green thing, drink water and feel great.

I haven't posted any nice foodiness for too long. So hopefully at least once a week I'll make something interesting to show to my imaginary audience.

On a brighter note. I wore stuff that I thought was moderately adequate! Hooray...

The Breakfast Club

'Don't you...forget about me!' I am so slow! So, tucked away, or not so tucked away in Islingtons beautiful beating heart is the 'Breakfast Club'. That's right, that place you already know about. Well, I'd only vaguely heard of it until my bosom buddy Riquel took pity upon me and took me there.

You see, Riquel is one of those cool people- no not hipster- just cool. She's taken me to Caribbean dance classes, salsa and talks to me about bantu knots and Korean BBQ, she's awesome.

Anyway, the Breakfast Club serves breakfast, American breakfast. All day, everyday. Ooh yeah. It's also named after one of my favourite movies- on purpose. You have no idea how many times someone has bumped into me at London Bridge station and I've wanted to stop them, double point at them and say 'Don't mess with the bull, young (wo)man. You'll get the horns!' A la Principle Vernon- what is it about men called Vernon? Principle Vernon (authoritarian douche bag), Uncle Vernon (authoritarian douche bag)...Vernon Kay? Well maybe just the two, then.

Man am I a loser or what! They even have the letter the Breakfast club leave for Principal Vernon at the end of the movie.

You know I always tragically related to Alison. I was never the pretty, it-girl Claire was even though I dig her skirt. Alison was oddly charming albeit kind of gross (that cereal sugar sandwich and the dandruff snow- eww). And even though the makeover she got was bitchin', I kinda liked the eyeliner better.


Back to the point. The Breakfast Club's decor is perfect. It's kitschy, it's bright, it's quirky. The walls are littered with pictures, postcards and posters. Bunting hands from the ceiling and there are nostalgic hits blaring out of the restaurant stereo.

The highlight on the walls was by far this.

Seriously FOLLOW him on Twitter!

I want this in my kitchen.

I had the 'All American' because I frigging love pancakes. The scrambled eggs were perfection and the bacon was crispy and flavoursome. And the potatoes, sweet Jemima, the potatoes- herb and garlic fried with skins still on. The pancakes were light and fluffy, unsweetened for that perfect balance of stick sweetness from the MAPLE syrup. (Yeah stick that Macdonalds Breakfast- cut out the Maple syrup will  ya...*incoherent grumbing*)

And Veggie Option!

There's also a delicious and budget friendly fruit salad option perfect for cleaning the pallet after all that comfort food.

It was amazing!

Tribe Face

Well, well, well.

I attacked my face again with all the brushes and the powders I could find.

Inspiration this time? Tribal prints.

As always this was a happy accident. I wanted to practice a smoky eye and then all of a sudden my hand slipped and this happened!

Whoops.

I kinds just smudged and dotted until it came out like this. I'm quite happy with the result.

I want to keep practicing because, as is evident, I need to sharpen my make up applying skill. Nevertheless I think I succeeded in what I wanted to.

Well no I didn't I wanted to recreate Leah Lezark's make up on the front of this months Company Magazine.  
They are unfortunately slightly different but A for effort right?

Not really...no.

But all the same.

Anyway,

OMG I love this song. It's really catchy and rather bizarre. Exactly what I would expect from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. She appeared in Company too as well. Apparently she's set to storm the west! You go girl! I've loved you since I saw you in Kera Magazine.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teMdjJ3w9iM


Speaking of Kera, I still desperately want a pair of Tokyo Boppers. I wanted rocking horse shoes for the longest time but I've downsized. I don't think I could justify wearing something I wouldn't want to wear more than once a month. Here is a pair I'm particularly in love with. I wonder if they do my size.

Also, today I'm craving galbi. The smoky, sweet, meaty goodness, it's been over a year. Just wait til payday!

Tam! x

Food I made!

I started cooking again. It's been a while. Life has been topsy turvy for a little while. I'm hoping for a fast improvement.

Anywho, here's some pictures of stuff I did recently and not so recently. I'm going to try to work out more. That's what they all say right? Well 2013 hasn't provided the suddenly inspired boost of life change that I wanted. It's not that 2013 has been disappointing but I always naively throw my heart into New Years. Then when that doesn't work I jump onto Chinese New Year and hope that it will give the whole new start thing another surge of hopefulness. But hope runs thin when it's cold and miserable. I want to try again and I will.

Listening to music helps. I got Jake Bugg's album and also a The Black Album by Metallica. I love the song 'The Unforgiven', it's melancholic, pessimistic and passionate. I like stuff like that. Riffs that punch you in the gut and melodies that give you that knot in your throat just before you burst into tears. Weird and mildly masochistic maybe but it's just the way I feel. That will be the song of the day. I think this is going to be a running thing. Song of the day. I know enough music for it to last for a few decades without repeating itself.

But yeah, this was supposed to be a foody entry...

Okay well I had a lot of cranberries so I mage ham salad with olives and feta with cranberries. And then cranberries and plum for dessert. It was a bit tart but sort of healthy.

This was delicious! It was lamb chops and an avocado salad with feta, olives, red peppers, mixed leaf salad and shredded carrot. It was a Friday night and I wanted a treat. The Pinot Grigio topped it off. I know that you're supposed to have red wine with red meat. But SUCK IT! I enjoyed my dinner!

You may have guessed the common theme is salad.

Well that's all I really have to say.

Bye!

New Year, New You?

Happy new year!

Tis the season to be punishing and unrealistic with the best intentions. Time to scream at your self in the mirror 'your disgusting!'. By New Years Eve I'm so looking forward to stripping away the sticky sweetness of the Yuletide season. I see New Years Eve as one more opportunity to have a massive blowout, big hair, bold make up, and jagerbombs, jagerbombs, jagerbombs!

I have a long list of things New Years Resolutions that I really want to implement this year. 

First of all I really want to learn to

***Shut The Hell Up***

because....

1. Don't talk more than other people participating in conversations.
2. Awkwardness, if you can't think of anything interesting to say- DON'T!
3. When angry belt up or walk away before you say something awful.

'Oops, accidentally mortally wounded our friendship, my bad!'

There's a New Years Resolution that a lot of people make or secretly hope for that everyone can probably sympathise with. 

*** I Will Find Love****

Umm...no you won't. Love will find you on it's own terms. When and where it feels like it. The time you look for it, you are least likely to find it. 

***Diet Riot***

Okay first of all...Eww!

I love food too much to turn it into an enemy. 

But I want to change my relationship with food like I want to change my relationship with shopping. I don't want it to be a comfort blanket for when I feel like throwing myself off of something high and onto something pointy. That's a dangerous habit and one of my worst. 

Also while I'm here. 

***Dress like it's my last day every day***

I guess overall, my new years resolution is to be the best I can be, a little bit better than last year. 

To live life as vigorously and optimistically as I can.

And

***When life gives me lemons- make margaritas! ***

All the best for 2013.

More Deliciousness

I love making food for people. Whether it be chopping up as salad, making tea or cooking a curry- I love it. People are happy when they enjoy food, and I like sharing that happiness with my friends. Especially when I get to add a little creative flair to whatever I'm creating. Nevertheless, my skills aren't quite as great as I would like them to be.

So I've set myself a task. I intent to try something new every week. It could be something as simple as flapjacks or as complicated as goulash! Whatever it is it'll be fresh. Whatever it is it will be home made!

Hopefully the majority of these well meaning experiments will turn out more like this....

than this....

But I'm prepared for the disappointment of a culinary disaster. Heaven knows, I've had my fair share already.

In the meantime though I want to share with you some nice things I've managed to make (albeit with little effort and even less skill). Healthy and happy meal options- on a bit of a budget. 

Breakfast!

A salmon, onion and sweet pepper salad with my beloved Wakame. I added a Ryvita biscuit (with olive spread) and an iced Latte! Delicious no? To top it off I had a kiwi and orange fruit salad. 

Lunch!

Okay so I went to a placement during the week and decided to bring with me a big packed lunch to help me through it all. 

I made my 'quick tings' pasta sauce because I was in a bit of a hurry this time. I'll  show you my proper pasta sauce- one of my few gems when I have the time and the drive to whip up a proper batch!

Chicken wings, spicy tomato pasta (with dice  tomatoes and onions) and for dessert a fruit salad, with cherries, kiwi and oranges. 

Dinner!

I can't take credit for this, it was my fantastic mother's doing!

Spinach mash, roasted jack fish, and carrot, chilli and tomatoe salsa. Yum!

Okay so I went to a placement during the week and decided to bring with me a big packed lunch to help me through it all. 

I made my 'quick tings' pasta sauce because I was in a bit of a hurry this time. I'll  show you my proper pasta sauce- one of my few gems when I have the time and the drive to whip up a proper batch!

Until then!

Porridge and Green Mush!

In keeping with the food them, here are more goodies I have tried during the last couple of days. My lovely friend Emi was nice enough to sell me a big sachet of Japanese Macha Green Tea for a very reasonable price. I have to say it perks you up quicker than most coffee and is supposedly good for your skin.

So I had the drink sorted but as part of a nutritious breakfast what could I eat?

Porridge!

Nutritious Benefits

-Healing Skin

-Fights Heart Disease

-Beats depression- Vitamin B6 bumps up brain serotonin

-Boosts Energy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sirwiseowl/2975927428/

But just plain porridge with salt can be boring and I didn’t want to add sugar so I decided to make it more interesting with sunflower seeds...

Nutritional Benefits

-Bone Health- Contains lots of Magnesium

-Anti Inflammatory- Big source of Vitamin E

-Lowers Blood Pressure

See for yourself!

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/6-health-benefits-of-sunflower-seeds.html

...And raisins

Health Benefits

-Lots of Iron

-Boosting Libido

-Good teeth

-Healthy blood

Manly sex power is not a joke by any means. Look!

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-raisins.html

Here are bad pictures of my awesome porridge! It is really delicious although I've hardly had the chance to munch because work has been really crazy of late.

My sleep patterns slowly improving and I'm using a face mask called 'LOVE LETTUCE' made by 'LUSH' which is essentially green mushy stuff, see!

And just to prove that I don't look like that all the time. I tried a vintage look with red lipstick and air hostessy accessories. Please see below!

Well Goodbye! 

Olives and Omega Three!

I'm trying my best to change the worst elements of my horrific lifestyle. Well it's not that bad. I don't chain smoke and inhale cheeseburgers, nor to I snort cocaine, chug gin and watch Jeremy Kyle. Things could be worse. That's not good enough though. I want things to be better. So I've started experimenting with my food and the way I treat my body. On the way I discovered 3 great things.

1. Olives

I used to hate olives. But I was desperate for a filler to add to a salad and I thought I'd try something a little different. Olives are full of fat. In fact the internet tells me that up to 85% of the calories found in olives are fat.

Health Benefits

On the bright side though they lower blood pressure and they are packed full of antioxidents, they help prevent cancer (the internet told me) and they also taste really good with poultry!

(If you don't believe me there it is!)
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=46

2. Wakame

My good friend Emi introduced me to this. Wakame is seaweed. The type I have at the moment it the dried version which can be found in most East Asian Supermarkets, all the ones I have been to anyway. All you have to do is soak however much you want in water for about 5-7 minutes and add it to your meal. It has a delicious sweet flavour. I've started putting it on my salads especially when using Salmon or Tuna.

Health Benefits

Wakame contains vitamin E, vitamin K, Iron and Calcium. It's good for your skin, bones, helps your blood to clot and also is really low in calories. It can help flavour food, so richer ingredients aren't needed. I think that was wikipedia talking. On the downside there is a lot of salt in it.

3. Jalapenos

Or if you prefer on a 'steek'.

I can't get that n. It really bothers me.

I'm training myself to handle spicy food. This is kind of helping me and they taste good on cheese and toast, in sandwiches or on salad!

Health Benefits

This is surprising. I was just going to say they're spice-tastic but actually they are good for much more.
They help to clear a blocked nose, stop a migraine, prevent cancer, help with weight loss and stop you looking like a wimp when you order nachos.

Check it out!

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/6-health-benefits-of-jalapenos.html

Hey I made stuff!
Fried scallops and japanese rice with sweet chilli sauce.

Scallop and olive salad

Wakame chicken salad with olives, kos lettuce and sesame oil. Grilled bread with sesame oil.

I hope I can make more interesting things soon. I'm not the biggest fan of scallops so next time I'll use king prawns or squid!

Bye!