A Cup of Shai

A few days ago, I went to a fair :) Lou Lou's Vintage Fair is a touring fair which happens annually this time of year. :) They sell vintage products like hair fascinators, silk scarves, pocket watches and suitcases. The fair was held at the plush Mercure Hotel on Granby St. The atmosphere was charming and chilled out :) But I was also conscious of being the only girl in a headscarf there :(.One stallholder had used her retirement time to make these funky necklace pendants from old novels. Isn't that such a cool idea? Then were plenty of stalls selling floral tea-dresses and stylish fur-coats, (which reminded me of Del Boy), but I preferred looking at the products like typewriters and suitcases. Image taken from the Lou Lou's Vintage Fair Facebook page.  I had fun jabbing keys on an actual working typewriter, and using it was so weird when I thought of all the touch-screen technology we have today! The satisfaction of jabbing a key and hearing that metalling C

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash Soft fleece pulled over my hands, cradling a warm ceramic mug like a new-born. Precious and cosy. Comforting smells. Smoke uncoiling into nothingness. A luscious pool of hot chocolate, marshmallows melting like The sorry Snowman. Descending, and bubbling away into nothing. A swirl, stir and then tapped twice on the side. Metal on ceramic. Chink chink! Gulp. Sigh. Eyes closed and a liquid hug trickling down my throat. Earthy, sugary cocoa.  Wafts from freshly baked rolls rising. Blessed bread, laced with cinnamon and sugar.   Medallions of comfort, sticking to the plastic wrapper, teasing each customer in the coffee shop.   The clash of warm air with the crisp fog outside. Cardamom and ginger chai sprinkled in the frosty air. Bringing India to Leicester. Licking of sticky lips, as that Salted Caramel shortcake crumbles around you.  Candles flickering nearby, flames flashing through a copper lantern. Bringing out the shards of honey in

Hello! I don't know about you, but I do like snuggling up with a soft blanket and watching a good movie on the telly when the weather's like this. Now that Autumn is in full swing, here is a yummy favourite which will warm the cockles of your heart :) You will need:  Apple Filling 4 Cooking apples. 50g Brown Sugar. 1/2 cup water. 2 tsp of Cinnamon Powder. Crumble 300g Plain Flour. 150g Butter or Margarine. 50g Porridge Oats. 1 pinch of salt. Method 1. Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 5 2. First, chop the apples into 2cm sized chunks and put them into a pan together with the sugar. 3. Let the apples cook until they're slightly browned.(If you want a more pureed apple filling, then add water, or cook for longer.) Leave to the side to cool. 5. In another pan, toast your porridge oats 6. Then, add in your plain flour, salt and B/M. 7. Let the flour and butter cook, mixing slowly. 8. Next, (with cold fingers), crumble the mixture so it looks a