Leaving, the book

Ray, my sister in law, and her hubs, are leaving London. They that have lived 10 doors down on the same street for the last 18 months. They that have made our neighbourhood feel like home. They that have become our closest friends and family. We have fed each other, nicked bottles of wine from each other, borrowed dresses and tools and baking stuff and kitchen chairs and bedding and beer brewing equipment from each other.

It's Ray that inspired me to move to London in the first place, when she was just my boyfriends intimidatingly cool  big sister, nearly 10 years ago. She that became my best friend in my first year of uni, watching Sex and the City and eating chocolate. We dyed our hair the same colour (I probably copied her) dressed the same, got matching bar jobs, practically lived together and graduated on the same day.

It truly is the end of an era. I feel like one of my London anchors has just gone.

Anyway, enough of the cheese.  I made them a book.  Well it started out as a card, but turned into a book.

I took it to their leaving do so that each guest could leave a message in it. I also took our polaroid camera so we could snap a picture of each guest looking sad and stick it in the book with their message. It turned out really well, and they both loved it.

(I'll do a quick tutorial in another post. For now I'm too busy feeling sad!) 

Home made bagels, Leila Lindholm

I love the soft chewy texture of bagels. I'd go as far as to say that its bordering on obsessive, so its a wonder that we haven't attempted to make them at home before. But funds are a little tight of late which has left us more time to pursue such efforts. In fact, one of our more inspired ideas to deal with being skint was to plan baking days. We cant afford to go to a restaurant, but we can bake things! The ingredients for most baked goods are mercifully cheap and easy to come by, and unendlingly rewarding (well, until it gets scoffed, which happens quite quickly in our house). On Saturday we made bagels using a lovely book was sent to me a while ago, Leila Lindholm's 'One More Slice', The bagels were a success (as my twitter followers know) and surprisingly easy. We need to work on making them look a little prettier but they tasted amazing.

The rest of the book looks equally as promising, I cant wait to try the birdie num num bread (purely because of its name) and the beetroot baguette (because, err, its purple) on our next baking days.

Our finished bagels

Look- purple baguettes!

And here is the recipe, with a few addendums from me

Ingredients

25 g yeast
5 cups warm water
2.5 tsp salt
2 tablespoons liquid honey
5.13 cup plain flour
Water for boiling

Brushing
1 whipped egg white

1 ) Crumble the yeast into a bowl and dissolve with the warm water, salt, honey.
2) Spoon the flour in slowly, with the mixer on slow.
3) Work the dough in the machine for about 5 minutes. The dough should be pretty hard.
4) Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rise until doubled in size for about 60 minutes. 

5) Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 12 pieces.(Note- I reckon this recipe is easily enough for 14 - ours were monsters) 

6) Shape each piece into a round bun and push a hole in the middle with your forefinger. Spin them around your finger to form the ring (I wish I'd made mine smoother at this point)
7) Leave bagels on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for about 45 minutes.(Cover with tea towel)
8) Boil water in a large saucepan and Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
9) Boil each bagel in the water, a few at a time, for about 2-3 minutes on each side. 

10) Let them dry on a clean kitchen towel.
11) Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and brush with beaten egg white
12) Bake bagels in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes until they are golden. 

13) Slather with butter whilst they are still warm and enjoy the warm, chewy goodness. Mmmmmm....

Recipe from One More Slice by Leila Lindholm

London, lately

In amongst the re-decorating, the riots, working and a bit of writing, there has been time for some London days. Some walks, some food, some new places and some old. 

A couple of weekends ago, with an unexpectedly free day before us, my mister and I packed the camera and headed out into London. We just walked and walked for miles and miles. Talking, stopping for coffee, sloping in and out of pretty shops, strolling through parks, past pretty buildings. We dropped by Bea's of Bloomsbury, and ended up in Inn the Park in the evening. It was lovely, and why I love living in London so much.  

I finally visited Spuntino with a friend last week. I loved it. It was all brick walls, dangling bulbs, scrubbed wooden work surfaces and chipped tiles.  Free chilli popcorn and water when we walked in, followed by a crushed pea and radish crostini which was divine. Handily located on my walk to the station, meaning I shall be frequenting.

I've also made it to Franks Bar in Peckham a couple of times recently. A pop up bar on top of a multi storey carpark, with incredible views across London and gorgeous food, it is a must if you are in London. Yesterday I took my mister here on a date (followed by the Inbetweeners film- I'm nice like that) and bumped into not one but two sets of friends. I love when this happens in London. 

Berwick st

Inn the Park

Spuntino's

Spuntino's

Franks

Franks

Franks

Franks

Sex and Power

An alert from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) popped into my inbox this morning announcing a new report, Sex and Power, which measures the number of women in positions of power and influence across 27 occupational categories in the public and private sectors. I am increasingly passionate about womens rights and gender issues as I see their reach and influence in more and areas of both my private life and in the world around me (as I laid out in this post on International Womens day). The report made me sad and angry and before I knew it I was bashing out the following rant on my keyboard on my lunch break.  The EHRC have been dogged by scandal lately, but I have overlooked that to focus on the contents of  this very interesting, though thoroughly depressing report. 

The report concludes that More than 5,400 women are missing from Britain’s 26,000 most powerful posts, and that at the current rate of change it will take70 years to reach an equal number of men and women directors of FTSE 100 companies and women MPs in parliament – another 14 general elections. It goes on to list some depressing facts and figures showing the pitiful percentages of women in top jobs across lots of different industries. 

It says,however,  that women are graduating from university in increasing numbers, do better than boys at school, achieve better degree results than men, and are level with men in their twenties. But then something happens.  From that point on, they are not entering management ranks at the same rate, and many remain trapped in the layer below senior management.

That something, although not stated explicitly in the report, is in lots of cases children.  I feel frustrated and angry, although sadly unsurprised,  about the findings of this report, and the fact that things have remained unchanged since 2008. It states:

"Studies have shown that outdated working patterns where long hours are the norm, inflexible organisations and the unequal division of domestic responsibilities are major barriers to women’s participation in positions of authority."

It frustratingly doesn't really elaborate on this, and no solutions are given. It also says, interestingly, that men are losing out too, that many of them wish to be able to spend more time at home with their families. 

In my opinion (and please disagree with me below if you think I'm wrong)  women wont enjoy greater equality  in the workplace until there are better rights for men. I know that sounds odd, but until men have equal right to paid paternity leave, women will continue to shoulder the majority of the child rearing (I hate that term!) and domestic responsibilities. And working culture in the UK needs to change. If all employees were able to enjoy more flexible working, if part time work was valued more (if I had a pound for the amount of grumbles I've heard about part time workers in my past work places I'd be a rich woman), if both parents were able to take responsibility for raising kids then I believe that women will be far more tempted to stay in the workforce and progress their careers. Lots of my friends don't want to return to work after they have children. I'm undecided if I'm one of them. But perhaps more of them would be tempted if they could look forward to flexible part time work that was properly valued and if they knew that their partners would be more available to help them...

GAH. Sorry for that long rant!

The report is short and easy to read, find it here. And I I would love to hear your thoughts on the report, on your views of shared domestic responsibilities, on parental leave, on how to achieve greater equality in  the workplace.. anything really. 

Happy Wednesday!

(and breathe...)

Give every man your ear, but few thy voice...

Image by Ky Olsen

I had to attend a work course recently called  'Effective Communication'. Compulsory, run by an external company, taking up a whole day and involving actors; my insides seemed to wither and die as I read the email.  But, as it turned out, I had to eat my words. It was actually ok. It's true that there were some horrifically embarrassing moments involving fake crying but I actually learned stuff. Stuff that is as equally applicable outside my office as it is within it.


It reminded me how very easy it is to not listen to other people properly, to be waiting to speak rather than really listening to them. It also made me appreciate how great it is when someone really, I mean really, listens to you, you know? And conversely,  how crap it is when the person you're with doesn't ask you a single question or drifts off. Or they somehow turn everything you're telling them into something that they have experienced or have an opinion about, and all of a sudden it's all about them.

In fact it made a pretty effective catalogue of all the crap things I do to my friends, and the crap things that I sometimes experience in return. I have a bad habit of drifting off mid way through other peoples stories. I get it from my Dad (along with an inability to remember names, a total lack of control when it comes to food and a horrific toe stubbing habbit. Thanks Dad). I'm really sorry about this, dear friends, I am trying to work on it.

The course also talked about judgement i.e, when one person listens to the other and then promptly makes a judgement or gives their opinion. I do this sometimes along with pretty much all of my friends, it's tricky as we think were being helpful. But I learned how much nicer it is to ask a few questions before wading on in there with my opinion/judgement. We even did role play. And I didn't completely hate it.

Its sparked some interesting conversation with my mister and friends. Am I alone in my bad listening habits? What irks you? Am I the only one willing to confess to finding a corporate training course not hell-ish?! (please say no)

P.S The re-decorating continues. And oh how it stinks- figuratively and literally. But we have some exciting ideas for our walls. Hence my recent fervent activity on Pinterest

Two things...

This:

 Constant screeching sirens, thumping helicopter blades through the night, fire, smoke, looting and violence, all happening frighteningly close by. Waking with a jump at every slight noise. 

 And this:

 Re-decorating. A lot less productively than anticipated due to riots. We glossed over nicotine coloured skirting boards (not from us I hasten to add) and white washed grubby walls. Hubs and I keep opening the door to the lounge then dramatically covering up our eyes and feigning blindness from the dazzling white of the walls... It's very satisfying, although remains unfinished as yet.

Which is why I've been absent.

I'm heart-broken about the riots. Ashamed, angry, scared. But there are some amazing stories of hope too. Post-it covered walls in Peckham bearing messages of love, the riot wombles clearing up afterwards, bus drivers giving free journeys to people to help them get home safely, communities coming together to defend their shops, the handimen offering their services for free, etc. And its those actions that I choose to dwell on. It's easy to get whipped up in the hype, the hate, the rumour. So, with a deep breath and a cup of tea, with a bit of trust for my neighbours and local community, I will  carry on as normal, smile at people, try to help with the clean up and have a little faith.

Image: Oh Dearism

Wales, camping, and the sea, the sea! (I'm back!)

I was a little nervous about camping in Wales, given that the last time involved hurricane like winds, horizontal rain, and retreating home early, but we needn't have worried. We woke up to bright blue skies and hot sunshine on all but one day. The Llyn peninsula is where, 12 years ago, I was first seduced by the sea which surrounds it on three sides, that I first fell in love with the windswept, wilderness beaches of Wales, that I first dreamed of living somewhere like this.

First though, we faced an 8 hour journey by train. It slowly snaked along the very edge of the coast, almost tipping into the sea at times (or so it seemed), and it stopped at every single small provincial Welsh town on the way (38 stops in all!) People waved at us continually; I waved back. A man fell asleep on his feet. The sea shimmered at us beautifully. Ancient dry stone walls formed wobbled lines across the countryside, like embroidery stitches. We ate delicious Iced buns...

Once we arrived, we eventually hauled up the tent, ate the first of many barbecue dinners, slumped around the fire with cups of hot chocolate then snuggled down in bed wrapped in hoodies, a big duvet and blankets. 

There was fishing (my mister), flicking through magazines (me), lots and lots of sea swimming (I reckon I'm a pro now), sunbathing, playing with an excitable, articulate, dare devil of a two year old. Running with my Dad and brother along breathtakingly beautiful coastal paths, Barra Brith in a local tea room, beach fires, walking. Waking up in the middle of the night to go to the loo with a cold nose; being greeted by bright stars and hundreds of bunny tails, yep, bunny tails. The campsite is home to hundreds of wild rabbits! 

It was so lovely, so relaxing.

 My brother and sisters boyfriend

 Coming in on the waves after a swim

Me and hubs. I love the difference in our skin colour!

Drying off

The dude wearing one of my sisters wellies, and his mums swimming costume as a scarf, whilst holding a tractor. Classic 

Campsite bunny! Apologies for the crap photo, those bunnies are nifty little movers, even when you've stalked them with the camera for 20 minutes...

We stopped for lots of locally grown food whenever we saw these signs. 

Last night celebration; beach fire.

We Brits are so lucky to have such beautiful British coast and countryside on our doorstep, I'm already planning our next couple of trips.

Its good to be back, though.

x