Freak Like Me

On another nostalgic note, who remembers Russell Kane's show 'Freak Like Me'. There weren't many episodes, but when it was on I loved it. There were so many things that made every one of us different and unique. Some were weird collections, like dead bees, some were what we enjoyed doing behind closed doors, like running in circles, some were bathroom habits and how we sleep, and other habits and hobbies, such as the girl who likes small spaces. I personally prefer sticking my head out of the window at night, because I love the smell of the night air and believe that there is such thing as a 'good night' smell.

Here's a snippet of it.(well, 15 mins)



I thought that show was great, because it celebrated our weirdness and uniqueness.
So I'll share with you some of my oddities:

1. I have a habit of collecting notebooks. I love writing lists and random things down, even if it's just a list of things to do today. It makes me feel more productive. I have a notebook for everything and anything, and there's always one in my bag. The only time I won't have one is if I don't have a bag on me, or I'm using a tiny bag for some reason.

Image from Google.

2. Weird food combinations. Mine is ice cream/milkshake and chips (especially Mcdonalds chips and dairy milk Mcflurry). I've actually found not one, not two, but three other people who like and do this. We are planning on a trip to Macdonalds. I like cooked tomatoes but not raw ones, but prefer raw carrots to cooked carrots. Although none of that is as weird as something I watched where a woman ate sofa stuffing. Or cats hair.

3. I personally love singing. Mostly when I'm alone. Always in my car, at the top of my lungs. Because cruising down a country road at 6 in the morning singing along to Fat Bottomed Girls in heaps of fun. I also am a fan of musicals, and frequently my musical CD is churning out a bit of Les Mis for the ride.

Image from Google.

4. I am selective with things I buy. In a supermarket, I will usually pick the second or third product on the shelf (the ones behind the first one). I especially do this with milk and deodorant (because then people haven't sprayed the deodorant and the milk is fresher). I'm also a complete cheapo and buy the cheapest I can, sometimes, but not too often, paying a pittance for bad products, but normally I'm quite good and just spotting bargains.

5. I used to have little packets of decaf coffee in my bag for emergencies. It's a bit like my stash of plasters in my car, and pain relief in my bag. I might carry on doing that as at work we always run out of coffee.

Do you have any weird habits?

A to Z: Jam

I love Jam.

Any jam: homemade, shop bought, squeezy or jelly, thick or thin, I adore the stuff. Though I do love a massive batch of the homemade goodness (not that I've tried making it yet, but I'm I will).

I enjoy browsing the jam and spreads section of the supermarket, love the more odd and less traditional flavours of the farmers market and adore the the thought of it on porridge.

In fact, that's mainly what I have it in. Porridge. Or semolina. Sometimes on crumpets as a treat or on toast as something not quite as treaty.

My favourite is raspberry.
But most flavours will do.

I also like marmalade but would never purposefully pick it out to eat. However I do like Paddington Bear.

That's just Jam for you.

I'm terribly sorry about this post. I know it's not very informative or funny. But i got told to write about Jam, so I am.

A to Z: Food

I am a great food lover.

Wonderful in fact. I'm so modest.

I very much enjoy eating it when I go out, and sometimes I even try foods unknown to me. I'm always interested in learning which things I enjoy and which I don't, mostly in the pudding department. However, there's one downfall to my food love.

I'm not a good cook. I can do basic meals, but ask me to do something fancy, or even a roast, or a three course dinner? No way. I don't know how chefs do it, and all at once too.

Only, I love baking. I have a cupboard full of baking things. I watch the British Bake Off, and Masterchef and those kinds of programmes, and love it.On my Pinterest account I have a plethora (isn't that a great word?) of recipes for cakes and muffins and a couple of savoury meals too.

from potsandfood.blogspot.com

I always look on Pinterest, and at cookery programmes and think to myself that one day I'll do it. I very rarely do. This is mainly because when I go shopping I look at the prices of things and work out if I can afford to do a really nice meal that I may or may not burn. The answer is pretty much unswervingly no.

My best meal to date, that I have actually mastered (amazingly) is pasta bake. Everyone seems to enjoy it, so much so in fact that my culinary prowess in this area has swept across my family and when I told my mum I was making it tonight, she almost cancelled her meal for one to have some. If you want to woo your friends and family by making this awesome pasta, I was so proud I made a blog post, which you can find right here.

So yes, I like food. A lot. Sweet things in particular.
I'll tell you my favourite. It's marzipan. I'm heartbroken because my boyfriend hates marzipan. Its a travesty.

What's your favourite food?

Special: Food for Thrifty Thought

Image from Google

So this is the food special.

Welcome.

Please sit back in your chair, preferably with a mug of tea (or coffee, but being quintessentially British, it's usually tea), and of course some biscuits, and relax.

So food shopping on a budget is always difficult. Theres countless tricks that the supermarkets and other food sellers use to trick you/ force you/coerce you into buying food you didn't need.
So when you get back and sort out your shopping you think 'Did I really put that in my trolley?'... and the answer is usually yes, unless you have children, or a person decided that you really really needed some Spam.
So Here are a few helpful tips the next time you feel like saving some money on food.

1. I think the first thing is to give yourself a budget for each week's food. (Or two weeks, depending how often you food shop.) So write up, or remember, how much you'd like to spend each week on food, and try to stick to it. I gave myself a budget of £10 per week for dinners for two people. I pretty much stuck to it, and we had some left over for the next week too! So, from experience, it can be done.
Also, only buying what you need is very helpful. Maybe making a list of what kinds of things you (and your family, partner, housemates) eat most weeks, and stick to that.

2. Price comparison guarantees. Supermarkets now offer money off your next shop if it was more expensive than at another supermarket. Which is great! The problem is it only compares on brands, and if you don't buy many brands, it won't make much difference. So it's worth looking at which own range is generally cheaper.

3. Supermarket's own ranges like Tesco Value, Smartprice and Essential Waitrose are always cheaper, and usually they taste just as good, but there are some things you just don't scimp on. Pasta tastes pretty much the same no matter what price it is. However I've found I just can scimp on tea bags.. or soup. Both taste bad on the cheap.
Freezer sections are always a good bet too, because you can use the same things for a few different meals each week.


Farmers Market, Image from Google

4. Poundland is NOT always cheaper. I've noticed that a can of Heinz Soup is smaller in Poundland, and the normal size is currently on offer at Adsa for 50p. I think you know which one is better value. If you have enough time (26 minutes) watch The Secrets of Poundland. Please.

5. If you're after fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meat and other groceries go to a market. Farmers markets happen at least once a week in many towns and cities in the UK. Please utilise them. They offer a good price on quality produce, with the added benefit of it being local, so you support local economy. Bonus!

So I hope these tips have helped you in terms of food, and here, as usual, are some useful websites related to saving on food shopping:
http://www.localfoods.org.uk/
Local Food Advisor - Bloggers, Markets
Saving Money on your food bills
Lovemoney.com

How To Be Economically Friendly Online.

Well Hello.
I haven't posted in a while, I've been pretty busy. Evertything seems to be happenning all at once.

I've been working on a series of blog posts all about saving your money. This is because I'd like to work on some about organising your house, but I would be very, very hypocritical if I were to do that. So instead I've decided to write about something I know about. And I'm starting today, with some general tips for anyone who might want to save a good few pounds.

Image from Google

I have come to be a saver from not having much money to begin with. I was taught from a young age not to spend too much, and since going on Education maintenence allowance for college, and having a student loan from university, I've learnt a good few things about how to be frugal.

Look out for these upcoming specials:
-Holiday
-Christmas and New Year
-Clothes and Accessories
-Beauty
-Food Shopping
-General Tips

But the first is online. There are some great ways that you can save by going online.
I challenge you to do something frugal with them this week.

Tips !

One very easy way is to use websites to their full potential. Joining comparison sites like comparethemarket, moneysupermarket and gocompare are great for a comparison of insurance and credit cards. But don't forget to look out for ones that aren't on it, like directline. Also it's a good idea to search the web each year to find yourself a better deal on things like gas and electricity. There's usually an even better offer just waiting for you.

When buying on the Internet, whether it be clothes, food or tickets for that show you want to see, always compare, and look out for discount codes and vouchers. Just do a google search, or join a voucher website, like wowcher. An example is codes for H&M and Boohoo.com, and Dominos Pizza. Also, you can get great online deals for tickets for shows and concerts if you go on opening night. I did this and got a very good discount for a theatre show.

If you're a person who likes to reuse items, or update your wardrobe by adding some embellishments. or just generally like homemade things, I suggest you join Pinterest. I have my own pinterest account full of tips and things to do, how to make cheap gifts, make your own beauty remedies and re-purpose items. It's also a pretty cool way of planning things, like your next staycation or party on the cheap, or maybe just places you'd love to go when you've saved up enough money. Check out mine here.

Don't forget, there's always freecycle, to find items for free in your area. And also gumtree, for pretty much everything. Or your local freeads.

Image from Google

Another idea is to use bloggers and blogs as a resource. They'll give feedback on items and how well they have worked and try out ideas for you to see if they're any good.
Recommended blogs:
A Thrifty Mrs
Diary of a Frugal Family
Frugal Queen

Here are some really useful websites I would also recommend.
1. Tips on being frugal (50 ways.. pretty comprehensive)
2. Frugal Living
3. Top 25 personal finance blogs.
4. Best of the web - Shopping
5.Arts and crafts? try this one.

How to Survive Living With Parents After University

This summer is the end of my Uni year, and after these first few weeks I can tell you that I already know thatit's going to be the same as the last few summers. There have been arguments, and there will be more no doubt. So I'm pretty sure my mum doesn't really want me or my sister to be living back at home either. Not least because we also pose a threat to her privacy and can be pretty annoying. So you see, I feel both my pain and my mums.

I think the first tip here has to be patience, and talking things over, and then moving out as fast as you possibly can.
They need to see that you're an adult and do things your way now, and you need to try to give them the benefit of the doubt. I know it's hard, experiences over too-long summers and Easters have shown me that living with parents after an extended time by yourself is, for lack of a better way of saying it, a pain in the ass. However, there are perks.

Image from Google

Perks Include:
- Not having to do all your washing or cooking anymore. More people, more chances of taking it in turns. Although I still very much intend to do my own washing. Now the only person I want touching my underwear is me. Well, when I'm washing them.

- Your mum's (or dad's) roast dinner. As a student, this was a no-go area. Now all you have to do is eat it, and scrape off the greasy tins afterwards (which is THE worst job ever).

- More channels on TV. WIN.

- A nicer house. Probably cleaner, too.

Reasons not to:
- Be prepared to strip away any independence you had at Uni. Now you'll be expected to do what is asked of you again. Your parents always want to know what you're up to. It's only to see if they can help, or to know you're safe, but after so much independence it gets old fast.

- Nagging. You never had to deal with people caring what you did at Uni, now it'll feel like more than ever before. Now you need to get a job, clean, do errands and so on, because now you're not at Uni every day. note to parents: this doesn't mean we're not trying our best to get a job. You know what the job market is like nowadays.

- Less space. There's always less space. Your room now doesn't feel like a haven of solitude because it's stuffed full of the contents of your Uni room. This means that you're forced to go downstairs and be around the 'rents whenever they're in. Tip: go out more.

- Your parents probably don't want you back either. Sure, they weren't happy when you went, called you up most days and silently wished that you wouldn't like it at Uni, but their bird has flown the nest now. Now they've got over that little bit of oddness, and revel in their own independance.

Image from Google

So, as an overall account of living with your parents after Uni, its probably best not to. You WILL annoy eachother. Everyone needs their independance and privacy. But if you have to, just remember it won't be forever, and to try to be as nice as possible.

I might be pinterested...

Lately I've been a little bit obsessed with Pinterest.

from Pinterest.com

For those of you who don't know, Pinterest is an online pinboard. You just sign up and whack on some pictures, quotes, ideas for clothes, stories, places to go, people you'd have liked to meet in their heyday, animals looking stupid... you know, that kind of thing.

So I've been obsessed with the 'places to go' boards, and trying to put on all my favourite things. This is because generally, I try to write stories and poems, and it never really works out, so I'm trying to get some pin-spiration (get it??) . Right now I'm pretty sure I have about 12 destinations on my online pinboard, all of which I seriously want to go to. They look utterly beautiful. Top of my list, though, is:

1. Norway (on a cruise, to see the Northern Lights)
2. Peru and Venezuela (Macchu Picchu, Kuzco, Lima and the Angel Falls)
3. Hawaii : specifically  Honolulu. It just reminds me of everything wonderful when I look at that place.
4. Spain and Gibraltar (it's where hlaf of my family come from)
5. The German Christmas Markets. Because I went there when I was 15.. or was it 14.. and never got over how amazing it was. And because I love Kinderwein and Bratwurst.

My current favourites are also marzipan fruits, quotes (mostly Einsten and Lewis Carroll) and some music that I adore (ie. Play that Funky Music by Wild Cherry, a bit of Queen, some Elton and a pinch of Stevie Wonder).

I reckon if I carry on like this I just may find myself organising a full blown party. Seriously, so many food ideas and handmade decorations, fashion inspiration and so on. It seems only natural to plan a party, your ultimate round the world trip, your dream home, your wedding and your funeral. (I would not be surprised if people do that on there).

So, if you're interested in joining me in this love of Pinterest, please visit me at My Pinterest Site.

How To Make a 'Bangin' Pasta Bake.

I feel extremely big-headed saying this, but I make the best pasta bake in existence. No other pasta bakes can compare. So I'm going to share with you the secret of the best pasta bake in the world.

There are two secrets. One is in the sauce, one is literally heaps and heaps of cheese.

So. You will need (roughly):
- A mound of dry pasta (in any shape you like, but I like the bows or the twizzles) about 3 cups worth.
- 1 jar of Homepride creamy tomato and herb pasta bake sauce.
- A pepper, or a third of three different types of peppers. Personally I enjoy green, red and yellow.
- One small onion.
- a pinch of garlic powder/ a tiny clove of garlic.
- Lots of cheese.

THIS is how delicious your pasta could look.
From nomoneynocry (link at bottom of page)

- a medium sized saucepan
- a strainer
- a grater
- a shallow ovenproof dish.
- knife, spoons, cutlery to eat with, etc.

This recipe feeds two very hungry people.

1. Cook the pasta, with water, in a saucepan. Pretty obvious, but most recipes don't tell you to do this. I find it's much easier and tastier when the pasta has already been cooked before it's placed into the ovenproof dish.

1+1/2. preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

2. While the pasta is cooking chop up the pepper/s and onion. Plonk it in the ovenproof dish, add some garlic powder and any other herbs and spices you think will go down nicely.

3. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then mix it in with the vegetables in the ovenproof dish. Now pour in the sauce (it's delicious) and stir.

4. Grab your cheese block and grate it away over the top of the pasta/vegetable/sauce. Make sure to cover it all over. Lots of cheese makes it so, so good.

5. Place your dish in the oven and leave until the cheese has melted and gone a goldeny colour. Usually takes about 20-30 minutes.

6. Eat the most amazing pasta bake ever. You won't regret it. I promise. (That is, unless you don't like an ingredient in it.)

----------------------------------------------
For other Homepride Recipes, there are lots on the website.
Click HERE for further details.

Picture: http://knowmoneynocry.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/pasta-bake.jpg

Food for Thought. And Talent, apparently.

Browsing the weird news sites yet again for your enjoyment, I found something pretty darn cool.
China's got Talent.

It does. It really does. In the form of 23-year-old Bai Den Chun. He cuts cucumbers with playing cards. And seriously, it's pretty impressive.
The article for this was found at the Telegraph online AND they have a video of him cutting the cucumber.
To read and watch click THIS LINK.
At least he's not cutting the cheese, eh? (Yes, I know that was absolutely awful.)

Nathan, Toast and Marmite. From google.

But it doesn't stop there.
This only reminds me of a recent Britains Got Talent entry, 21-year-old  Nathan Wyburn, who artfully painted the judge and comedian Michael McIntyre's face onto pieces of toast using Marmite. Pretty impressive.
Even thought Marmite isn't the nicest spread. I reckon he should have gone for Peanut Butter or Jam.
For those who prefer a real news story to my anecdotes, HERE's the link to the Sun's version. (But you should prefer mine.)

Also, for the more chocolate loving of us (you know who you are) I found a wonderful invention. A car powered by chocolate. It's also partially made out of other foods such as potatoes and soy beans. The best part though, is the steering wheel made from carrots. Yes, I was a bit incredulous too. But seriously. Here's the LINK to prove it.
It's greener at least. Or.. Browner. (I know, I'll stop with the seriously crap puns and gags, but come on, some of them are kind of funny.. A bit.)

So there's your update on weird food news. I don't know why, but weird news with food as the subject, I just like it. And food is always good.

Dressing for Dinner or Dressing as Dinner? Your Call.

Cheese Shoes (found at Metro.co.uk)

After having a good old look about the Internet for weird news stories, I found a corker.

A pair of shoes made from Cheese. You don't believe me? There's a picture for proof, and HERE's the news article. So, how about some more dairy footwear, anyone?

Picture from Google
Lady Gaga and Meat
Dress.

And let's not forget Lady Gaga's infamous Meat Dress. Which many people had a lot of beef with. (Pardon the pun.) But seriously, what is it with fashion and food?

I reckon I can find some really good food fashion out there though. So this is my post mission.

Food on clothes have always been an idea, we've seen pictures of cakes on clothes, fruit on heads and the cherry fad that happened, don't know if you remember, but not so long ago fruit was all around us. Cherry dresses everywhere. I'll admit, I did really want one, and I did get something with strawberries on it at one point. But it was all in the name of food. Something I love.

But this just seems a little ridiculous.

Picture from Google

Saying this, I did find this very interesting Burger Dress. I actually quite like it. Would never ever wear it, but at least it would certainly make people stop and stare. 

Of course this also makes me think of the poor people who have to parade outside restaurants and cafes trying to lure people in wearing a food costume of their choice, and the unfortunate people at fancy dress parties who think to come as food. Although very original, most people do think it's weird. Personally, I reckon I could get away with it. And everybody should really. Fight the conformity and all.

I also found THIS website hosting some pictures of food as outfits, and personally I adore the bread one. And the Artichoke hearts. But wow. Elegance and food combined.
Plus I can see a massive upside to food as clothing. When you get hungry all you have to do is take something from the piece of clothing. I'm thinking I'm going to have a cake hat.

So to bring this to a close, I reckon food fashion is the way forward, providing it's not past it's use by date. Ew.

The American Revelation.

I may have said this before, but I adore the USA.
So when I had the chance to go to Washington DC I absolutely had to go. (Not only for the amazing Criminology experience, but because I wanted to see if at least just one small part of America lived up to my expectations. Let me tell you, it completely exceeded it.)


Ted Bundys car. Creepy.



Of course, I went to all of my crime things; Institute of Justice, George Mason University, The Pentagon (I know! That was very very exciting :D.. And nerve-wracking), the National Crime and Punishment Museum. Which were awesome.. and the Crime and Punishment museum had Ted Bundy's car in it. (He's a favourite serial killer- I think it's OK to have a favourite only because I do Criminology and because he was very interesting.)

Then did all the tourist areas - The Washington monument (Which is astonishingly huge. Seriously.. why does everything have to be so huge in the US.. not that I'm complaining at all, it was amazing, but in England things aren't nearly so high.

A few of the Smithsonian buildings: Air and Space, American History and Indian American. Which was amazing. Except for that I was just waiting for things to come to life a la 'Night at the Museum 2'.
The Lincoln Memorial (Also ginormous) The Reflecting pool, the White House (where we chatted to some very friendly policemen who told us how many rooms there were in it. It's something completely crazy, I can't remember the number), The World War Two Memorial, The Viet Nam Memorial.


Washington Monument with Sun

We did so much in the space of a week, but I wish we had stayed for far longer. And the weather was beautiful, which was very strange seeing as it was November.

But the thing I was most impressed with, and what touched me the most, was the obvious pride in their country, the friendliness, the compassion and the expression of freedom and joyfulness. The blatant patriotism was astounding. It was also beautiful.

In America the flag flies proudly at every street corner, whereas in England you'd probably be told to take our flag down because it was offending someone who wasn't British.

NBA match

I think something that I most enjoyed was going to an NBA Basketball game in the Verizon Center.  It was amazing. So much entertainment and good spirited competition. Singing the national anthem at the beginning is something that I've never experienced. I've seen some football games and other games, but none of the English matches I've seen have ever been so.. friendly I guess.

I think friendly is definitely the right word to describe the USA. It was lovely. People asked if you looked a little lost, chatted to you on the metro, said good morning in the hotel. In England that would never happen. On the tube nobody talks to anyone. It's like an unsaid rule. And usually you'd have to ask if you didn't know where to go. Of course there are some people out there who do say 'hi', have chats with you and ask if you're OK, but it's just not the same.

Chinese in a box! (Exciting, oddly)

Also I got to sample some of the cuisine. Went to a diner (of which there were surprisingly, and upsettingly few) and had a burger. Had a Hot dog at the NBA game. Some mini corn dogs at the bowling alley (which were strange, nice, but a little sickly after a while) and had a snow cone (which was lovely in the middle of an oddly hot day.) And had Chinese in a box. Yay!

The only thing that I'd say was bad was the tax. As it's added on as you buy it, rather than already added on. So I'd already got out the right amount of money most times, when I then realised I would have to get out more because I'd forgotten about the tax. So that was a little annoying.

The White House

And the streets were confusing too. We'd walk down the end of one block only to find that we'd gone the wrong way down the street, so had to turn around and walk the other way. Of course it was fine after a week. By then we'd gotten used to it. But It's much easier when all the roads look completely different.
The worst thing was going back. Knowing that work had to be in, and that the holiday was over.
And although it feels nice to be in a place that I know, I can't wait to go back and explore more of America.

Christmas Time: Mistletoe and Wine.

It's almost Christmas.
And I love it.

I'm a bit of a Chrismas lover. Every Christmas, as soon as I hear the first Christmas song, I start to get excited. (Which is usually sometime in November.. so I start early).
I just love everything to do with Christmas.

First there's the songs and decorations around the shops. Christmas trees , cards and tinsel filling shop windows. There's always a need to go out and buy things. Some tinsel there, a bauble here, a small Christmas tree for my room..

Then there's the Christmas Markets. The German Markets. Always a favourite. Stand outside, possibly in the snow cradling a Kinderwein and a Bratwurst, wearing a big scarf, woolly gloves and a silly hat: my idea of heaven. (Although better when it's indoors next to a log fire I'd assume).

The snow. Can't get enough of it. It just looks so beautiful lying out there untouched, highlighting branches on the trees, an icicle hanging down. A blanket of white on a thatched roof. Snowflakes melting on your nose. Not to mention going out there and crunching through it, scooping up a snowball or two, or three.

Reading a book by a log fire, heating up your toes on the radiator (or by the fire, but we don't have a fireplace anymore). Then going up in the attic and hauling down the tree, the lights, the baubles, the tinsel. And tree decorating. There's always that feeling of joy and satisfaction when you put the star/angel on top.

Then it gets closer to Christmas, cards and presents are being given and received. Put under the tree or around the house for everyone to see. Picturesque landscapes scattered on the windowsill.

It gets even more festive once the local panto/nativity has been talked about or done. The Royal variety show is on TV. you're dancing around the house/shops to your favourite Christmas songs.
Then the days are upon you. Christmas Eve. There's always something delicious cooking. The presents are as yet untouched, but you really want to open one. Maybe a sneak peek, or a subtle shake of one. Sounds like chocolate. Looks like a book.
Everyone watches London burst into fireworks and the day is finally here. With any luck, it's snowing. But this is England after all, so most likely rain. You then proceed to drink the night away.
The next morning someone jumps on you/you jump on someone (Yes, that may be me this year) and excitedly yell 'PRESENTS!'. So everyone groggily gets up, someone complains of a banging headache, and everyone tears into their presents.

Then its usually time to visit the family. For me, this involves a lot of drinking, food and board games. And much fun ensues. Usually someone gets a little too tiddly. Although other families can be scrooges (and we deeply resent that people can be scrooges). More chatter, more alcohol. Perfect.

By boxing day you've got a full belly, a dodgy voice box and a small headache.
And usually more family to visit.
But there's always the added benefit that you can still catch someone under the mistletoe. ;)