Last day

Tomorrow I officially leave behind the first quarter of a century of my life. I am turning 26. Doesn't feel any different to any other birthday, and why should it? Although the amount I'm baking recently it would seem it might be affecting me ever so slightly.

I think I've mentioned this before but I bake when I'm stressed or upset or angry. When I'm channeling bad emotions. Baking clears my head, calms me down, and gives a sweet treat at the end of it. So its all good.

Last night I baked chocolate and raspberry brownies. They started out as white chocolate and raspberry brownies but the white chocolate melted and the dark chocolate merged into one and there was no trace of white in the finished product. But it really didn't matter.

When they were ready and cut in squares, they were still warm. The raspberries were juicy and squishy and warm. The brownie was a chocolate overload - in a good sense - and kind of gooey in the middle and crunchy on top...just the way I like them. But wow. Luscious was the word my mum used. Several times. And for a woman who doesn't eat many sweet things, she went back for a second...and a third.

In hindsight, I wish I had taken a photo. But I doubt it'll be too long before I make them again, so I'll take a photo then - perhaps with white chocolate actually visible - and post it then.

Post script: Have to say thanks to Aoife in work for passing the recipe my way, and to Rachel Allen for publishing it.

Food

So it seems that food is the only language I understand. That would explain why I'm overweight.

New Room

I have spent a lot of my time over the last two weeks redecorating my bedroom. It has been the same since I was about 14 or 15. Not entirely sure when I changed it. But I figured ten years was about enough for the stars.

So, time for a change. My initial plan was to go red, black and white. One deep red wall, three white. White ceiling and black accents. Edgings etc. And with a small design on the red wall. The basic idea has changed, but the colours began to mutate as the process progressed.

White became TOO white. And the red too red. And together a bit too cold. So I mixed it up a little bit. The red wall turned to raspberry, and the white walls to a warm pale cream. The official names of the colours are Raspberry Rush and Picket Fence. Gotta say, I love them.

When I first applied the raspberry to the stark white wall it freaked me out a bit. It was just SO pink. But two coats later and its warm and deep and just so right.

The idea of the edging and design in a dark colour is still there in the back of my mind, but right now I can't decide on a colour. Chocolate brown has been suggested, and I bought four different testers, but none of them match up just right. I need it to be just right. So I may have to spend a few more weeks scouring the paint stores trying to find the right colour. When I have, and have also decided on a design for the wall, I'll update more pictures.

Animal Cruelty

I just had to write about this because of my immediate reaction to it.

I went for a walk earlier this evening down the beach, and as I was walking back towards the prom I saw a man and his son walking their dog. A beautiful red cocker spaniel I think. She looked quite young and hyper, as those dogs are wont to be. The father had her on her lead (I'm saying her, it could have been him) and walking alongside his left side. As I mentioned, she seemed quite hyper and was trying to run. He kept pulling her back quite sharply, which is done. I did it when we had out dog. I was watching her because she was such a pretty colour and seemed like a sweet dog, when I saw him reach out and kick/shove her on her back haunches, quite forcefully. I will admit it made me sick to my stomach to see and I was so tempted to take her away with me, but he was a big guy, and from dealings with him occasionally in the shop I work in, I wasn't about to take him on.

She didn't seem too affected by the kick. She just kept scampering beside him. But no one should treat an animal that way. Its horrible.