Tuesday 13 January 2015

POSSIBLY THE BEST THING EVER

Okay, I can feel that this post is going to be somewhat disappointing for people. But I swear, a delicious, healthy, low calorie, easy to make snack makes me VERY happy. And this is soooo beautiful.
I can't remember how I discovered these, like I think I may genuinely have just made them up, but they are quickly become one of my favourite foods. I think about eating them wayyyy too much of the time. They are one ingredient, simple delicious food. I know, I know. We've all been there with these promises of 2 ingredient pancakes, cauliflower pizza crust... and just felt, well, disappointed. Low fat mozarella is not stringy and I once made a healthy cake which was so disgusting I actually shed a tear as I tried it.
But never again. These are healthy but so fabulous I want to cry. I've been reusing baking paper because I can't keep up with how many batches of these I want. It's getting serious. These are essentially healthy crisps, the same satisfying crunch but the most amazing flavour too, not fat, no added sugar, no salt, they are purely healthy.


And what are they???? APPLE CHIPS

My recipe skills aren't great but let's try:

1. Grab yourself an apple. Of any description (EATING APPLES THO). I've used both the red ones and the red-and-green ones, haven't tried Granny smiths but I think they'd work! So yep, grab your apple. Oh and whack on the oven. I'd go gas mark 2, which is 130 degrees C apparently?? Basically, a low ish temperature.

2. The only making part which could actually be rather tedious. Basically, your goal is to cut your apple into very thin slices. I'm talking as thin as poss. Not so thin they snap as you pick them up, but heading towards see through thickness. Tiny. The way I do this is by using an attachment on my food processor which slices. I cut the apple into halves (avoiding the core) and put it into the processor. It makes little thin pieces and then some tiny ones which I get to snack on.

3. Put a piece of baking paper onto a baking tray. None of this 'lining' nonsense. Just tear it off and whack it on. Then place the beautiful thin apple slices you have made onto the paper in a single layer.

4. This is optional but I've included it so thought I should tell you. You can now sprinkle the slices with cinammon. I ALWAYS do this, but for the first time tonight I didn't, and I've actually found that I prefer them without cinammon. Shocking really, and the house doesn't smell as good when they're cooking, but hey.

5. Whack em in the oven. Wave goodbye to your babies. Go and do something fun. But not too fun, because you need to check on them regularly. Go and peer through the oven door every so often. If they're browning turn the oven down, but pick one up (sadly this volunteer rarely makes it back to the tray) and see how soft they are. You want them to be very slightly soft, as they crisp up when they cool, but not so soft that you are effectively eating a luke warm apple. This can take (in my experience) up to an hour, but ovens vary a lot so please vary according to how yours are looking.
I actually prefer mine a bit less cooked than here but they are FABULOUS (these aren't the batch pictured above btw- forgot to photo them as I was too busy snacking!

6. Take out your beautiful angels, pour into a bowl, and eat. You won't regret it. They're wonderful.

Saturday 10 January 2015

The only new year's resolution you should have

Hi!
Sorry I've been an inactive blogger and I am trying to change that! I was unsure what to post about but it occured to me that there was something I feel very passionately about. And that is blood donation.

Now before you click off the page, shuddering at the thought of a needle entering your skin or the idea of the red liquid, please please please read this. Because I feel the same way. Blood makes me grimace, veins make me gag and the idea of needles makes me feel slightly faint. I have cancelled my flu jabs for the last year because the thought of being injected makes me cry, I put off a blood test for months purely due to fear, so how can I be so passionate about blood donation?

Because it's not for me. 

That is literally the entire reason. I would rather risk flu than be injected and I will cry in the waiting room of a blood test because I know that the horrible needle feeling is only going to affect me. But knowing that my discomfort will be helping someone makes that suddenly irrelevant. Watching a pint of my blood leave my body and knowing that I will be helping someone makes me so, so happy.
'Red cells are used predominantly in treatments for cancer and blood diseases, as well as for treating anaemia and in surgeries for transplants and burns. Plasma provides proteins, nutrients and a clotting agent that is vital to stop bleeding - it is the most versatile component of your blood. Platelets are tiny cells used to help patients at a high risk of bleeding. They also contribute to the repair of damaged body tissue.' -http://www.blood.co.uk/giving-blood/why-give-blood/

Your blood will not be wasted, it might be used to help someone who has been in a horrible accident or with a serious illness. You can spare a pint of blood, the person you're giving it to is relying on it.

And hey; there are free snacks! What's not to love?!

I first gave blood in October and went along with my friend Lauren in a double free lesson we both had. We filled in some forms (only I was signed up to donate but that didn't matter!), answered questions, sat around for a while, had our haemoglobin levels tested and then sat on weird chairs doing exercises for 10 minutes whilst we donated a pint of blood each. Then we sat at the snack section and then went on our way. Everyone was lovely and reassuring, constantly checking we were okay and making sure we weren't worried.

I didn't get hideous bleeding, it hurt but I'd describe it as 'mild discomfort'- nothing like stubbing your toe or knocking your elbow- that pain's intense.

It was genuinely such a great thing to do and I definitely want to be a regular blood donor :-)! More than one in four of us will require a blood donation at some point in our lives, so tbh you're basically just paying back!

There are also regular appeals when blood supplies are low, which is so worrying as people's lives are put in danger so unnecessarily!

There is certain criteria which you need to meet to give blood (I went along to a session on Wednesday to donate and discovered I have anaemia and can't give blood for a year:((((( ) but most people are fine!

You're under no obligation to donate more than once even though it's great to, so why not suggest to your friends going along? Sessions are regular and in a lot of locations so it is genuinely convenient!

Here is a link to the blood donation website, I hope this may have encouraged you or even just made you think about blood donation!!!

 http://www.blood.co.uk/

xxx

Sunday 4 January 2015

2014

Okay I have been really bad at posing.. soz! I just never know what to post :(( I was going to claim that I've been busy which I suppose I have with A levels and attempting a social life, but I spend way too long scrolling through instagram/twitter/tumblr/facebook which I could have spent blogging!
2014 was a really strange year. It seemed to go quickly but at the same time stuff that happened last January seem like several years ago. It was definitely the most dramatic and eventful year of my life so far, though when you put everything into perspective everything has turned out pretty much okay. I met lots of new people and experienced so many things for the first time. I also realised that friendships breaking down is normal and yeah the quote 'Not everyone you lose is a loss' definitely applies here... The first half of 2014 definitely had more downs than ups. There were times when I was really stressed and sad and idk why I didn't do anything about it?! It is very important to look after yourself!! But I still had some really fun times and learned a lot. I also struggled my way through exams and somehow came out with 4As. I was so happy and relieved (I still am!) and I'm so glad that all the stress and work paid off! And I had an amazing summer and got to visit America and yeah. Year 13 has so far been okay and I just hope I continue enjoying everything and balancing school work and everything, and try not to drink alcohol every weekend. I posted my new year's resolutions on my tumblr but here they are:

-moisturise more
-remember how great you are -do even more things which make you happy
-tell people when they/their views are being shitty -buy and wear good lipsticks
-only apologise when you mean it -worry less
-eat a lot of cake

Don't set yourself stupid standards, you are fabulous xxx

 I couldn't be bothered to post individual photos so I made a long flipagram of my instagram posts of the year, enjoy chums and have a fabulous 2015


xxxxxxx