Appraising the world of food.

And onwards with my new fruity obsession, I'll begin. Thank you.

As an accomplished successful young lady (stop laughing), I have decided to begin a food-i-licious trend. OK I'M EXCITED. Gee, thanks.

As of about two weeks ago, je suis buying a newly-discovered or exciting fruit/veg to try raw or cook into a meal. There is such a extensive undiscovered world around us and I find that half of it is unknown to me. I want to become more familiar with other cultures and develop my knowledge and experience of food. I'm a happy bunny and very eager. Get with me on the bandwagon. It's gonna be hip and hop and très exhilirating. Oh yes!

So far, on the menu has been black-eyed beans, passion fruit, frozen berries, physalis, permisson (which the British like to know as a sharon fruit. What is even with that?). This overnight oatmeal thing was new too; so were these delicious pear rolls. I want to try dragon fruit, guava and kale. Please share any ideas on other unique fruits and veggies to try. Merci!

Cheerio!

Banana Overnight Oatmeal

So, I'm on the bandwagon. The whole 'overnight oatmeal' craze has finally hit me (probably about six months late) and I'M HOOKED. I love the whole idea of making breakfast way too early for breakfast and not actually having to prepare anything in the morning. So long, rushed before-school time. This means I get to wake up just that extra ten minutes later - and that's good. Very good.

I should preface the rock'n'rollin' explanation by saying that banana controls the oatmeal world and nothing should ever substitute it; but, yanno, it's a free life, so you could, within reason, replace the 'nanas with a multitude of fillings. Some of my preferances happen to be:

- Berries (sweet and sour 'cos we like that)

- Nuts and Seeds (oh yes! we've added a crunch to the smooth. Genius!)

- Apple (tarty, bitter, sweet. I know)

- Cocoa and Peanut Butter (this works just too well. Think Reeses... in a bowl... for breakfast.)

- Plain (just because we like that)

- Mango (this helps with the longing desperation for the British summer. For real, though...)

- Syrup (erm... yum!)

Let's make oats!

To begin with, we are/should be in the kitchen because I do not want to clean up clumpy masses glued to my bedroom walls - that's optional. So lets grab a bowl and measure out, or not, about 35g. 35g provides a large-ish helping. This is where you choose your own level of hungry.

Next we add the milk, and, keeping in accordance with veganism and the dream of that bikini bod in summer, I poured in ma soya milk. Generally, any plant or dairy milk would blow those oats out of the country. Thats good. You can tweak the amount of milk to your taste-buds likings. My tasting-buddies like the oats rather milky so I use a small cupful. If you prefer it to follow the suposedly-normal flow of oatmeal stodge, just coat the oats generously.

So now we're working all sorts of happy magic in this breakfast bowl.

- We're adding a filling to the oats. Too easy.

- We're mushing up that mess. Time to get funky.

This is the choose your own adventure station; and you get to decide which filling flavour you add. Mush accordingly. 

And then we have a contented tummy just like that. I know, it tastes that good. That's right. Yum, indeed.

Cheerio!

A Fan of Tattoo-Tights.

*In need of a desperate iron.*

Black Loafers, Office, £62//£31

I am noticing a reoccuring obbsession with printed stockings lately, so proffusely that they are now known as tattoo-tights - how original. And so, I accordingly dressed my legs in Mickey and Minnie. I bought this pair a couple of years ago, though I have rekindled a fascination (and a desire to buy, though with the amount of no money I have, it will remain a desire) for Primark, Topshop and ASOS stockings and stocking-socks. 

Kitty Tattoo White Stockings, ASOS, £8  //  Smudge Floral Ankle Stocking Socks, ASOS, £4  //  Spring Flower Stockings, ASOS, £8  //  Jonathan Aston Gaya Stockings Cat Tattoo, ASOS, £12.50  //  Whale Black Seam Stockings, ASOS, £8  //  Ying-Yang Stockings, Forever 21, $8.80

I paired my stockings with my black tassle penny-loafers (Office), my striped grey/blue and white tunic dress (Joules) and my vintage charity-shop denim jacket. The denim jacket is both a relaxed vintage, and modern, addition to the outfit. Blue and white seems a refreshing palatte for these hot days (which hot days?); though the blue used in the dress has a grey undertone which allows for a darker, duskier outfit - perhaps to be worn throughout the year, rather than just in the non-existant British summer. I accesorised with a multitude of antiquated, inherited and reloved charity-shop finds, in both cheap plastic jewellery and beautiful dainty gold. I loved it, *insert happy face emoji*!

Love you, Dani xxx

Now Loving...

Grandma came for a three month holiday from South Africa, today. So... I'm excited!

Let's do this thang.

Olivia Burton watches are too darling for words. Picture a vintage charity shop with a free painbrush and funky, neon colours. Put me in this room and expect the cumulation of one of these sweet antique/modern watches. I love... get that.

We need to talk haircuts, becaue thats what's currently important. I think it's highly important to know how to care for ourselves: basic hygiene, basic cooking skills, basic vegan cupcakes, cute haircuts. Basics, right? I'm thinking definitely YES to getting my hair cut shorter. No. I mean, like, really shorter. I've been going a wee bit hoo-hah crazy on Pinterest. Hello summer. 

Soy sauce has become somthing else in my wannabe kitchen. I have been over-the-moon, substituting this sweet, salty, sticky sauce for sugar or sweetner. Too good and healthier? That makes me happy.It's a thing. Try it.

This looks unbelievably delicious and a definate must-make for the near time future. Sundries Tomato with Zucchini (hey there fellow Brits, courgette) Hummus, hello! Sometime. When I've lost my weight and got that spick n' span bikini bod... kinda soon. I am giving wireless hugs to Emily from This Rawsome Vegan Life for introducing me to the recipe. We must do this.

You guys... this shop is the bees knees. Having a smock in your wardrobe is the equivelent to having too many shoes. Nescessary life essentials. STATE the label, understands my needs for beautiful, comfortable, natural, chic items of clothing. And, really, guys, c'mon, they call underwear 'intimates'. Thats cute. It's cute. How cute?

I'm kinda in to Cruelty-Free Beauty at the moment because normal make-up is way more mainstream and unkind than we would like. I'm especially head-over-heels for Barry M, Superdrug and LUSH. Now I just need to find some money to support all these lovely causes and get me some lovely looking facial features. 

This half-term week is gonna be très fun. And, if the weekend plans involve a couch and re-watching episodes of Miranda, then it's over. Wave goodbye 'cos I'm gone. Laziness is not an issue.

Cheerio!

Wearing pink before it gets mainstream.

And a summery breeze welcome to you too (Not a euphemism.),

Has the weather not been just wonderful? Indeed-o. Because, now, my friends, I am able to wear short socks to school. Oh yes! I bear and display my legs to an extent - because who doesn't love to see my longer than average, pale body components (Again, not a euphemism.). Furthermore, I sat outside and WE HAD A BARBECUE. That's important. It's a life skill. I invited with mucho jollity and sprightliness - never question my sprightliness - the many Vitamin D pals that joined my skin party (I am not purposefully making references to uncomfortable euphemisms. Do excuse me.). I was sweaty but it was  a nice sweat, a satisfying kind of sweat. Ew. I doubt this will be the last occasion discussing the weather as it is definitely a very important topic. So... I guess summer is coming. I need to prepare better. I should hydrate. I'm thinking about using more berries in some way. Berries never fail to make the kitchen look professional, I think. For the 5 days of summer, I guess I should plan more outfits, too, summer ones, yanno?

Coral Rib Crop Tee - Topshop £8
White Anglaise Skirt - Baker by Ted Baker (similar at ASOS / Topshop)

Cat-eye pink sunglasses - Charity shop (similar at ASOS)

Maxi Low Jelly Pale Pink Sandals - JuJu (Office) £20

I tried to honour summer by dressing as such, in brighter colours and including many varieties of candy-inspired goods (Cue, ice-cream necklace and mille feuille adorned ring. I thank you.). I feel like bikini weather is just not quite here yet and I'm not quite there yet. I just don't feel like I have nearly enough confidence to prance and wollop (new word?) around the street in a bikini, exhibiting my goosebumps because, although Mr. Sunny is sehr sweaty, it's not too hot. It's nice.

My outfit ode to summer consisted of a too-many-years old skirt that still evidently fits me, my new and sooooo nice cropped ribbed tee and my gorgeous jelly shoes. An acquired taste, perhaps? I'm acquired. Has the Jelly shoe craze hit your end yet, it's a thing. A really sweaty, comfy, jelly sort'a thing. The extra light layers on the skirt also double up well as a homemade air fan to beat the heat, and, so, yanno, that's good, cos' a two-in-one is always a good offer.

So... I'll be dressing up more. It's summer so I'll make an effort. 

I'll go now, Cheerio!

How to say it in 'Vegan'

I like to cook because it allows me some responsibility and creative lead. It gives me confidence in the culinary basics and allows me to develop my interests and skills. I need that one thing that gives me some 'me' time and I find that whenever I am in the kitchen, people know not to disturb me. It's good. I think I use the excuse of 'mom and dad being busy or at work so I'll cook something for them', far too much. Now, even more so, that morality has come to light and I have made the decision to become a vegan, I find myself scrolling through Pinterest, food blogs and recipe books even more often for ideas and inspiration. Being in a family of naive meat-eaters gives me the challenge of cooking meals that are family-friendly and don't come across as being 'vegan'. Oh, how ignorance is bliss. 
I do believe that very often, people think that vegans don't eat anything. Or, they only eat fruit and veg. This is codswallop. Utterly.
I can feel ya being sceptical. It's really not necessary. Really. Trust in me.
Making up my catalogue of methodical routinely meals happens to be an exciting time; and one, especially, for me to reconsider and mentally over-indulge in the joys of the variety of my meals. I like to alternate between porridge, wholemeal bread (for the slimming, ya get me?), fruit in an array of forms and tofu scramble (?) - for breakfast, mainly. After I've slugged through three hours of probably never-to-be-needed-again lessons, most likely to be in the form of Technology, Home Economics or PE - I then like to think myself ready for another delicious meals. This time the plate bears the voluptuous bulk of pasta or rice of sorts - probably leftovers from some night prior. 
When I get the munchies for some dinner of sorts, I like to allow myself to imagine that I will be able to hit all flavour ranges and speedily construct an amazing meal that is systematically all being calculated in my head while I realistically put together one of the following. I'm joking. It's really good.

Take me to Paradise สไตล์ผมร้อน

I'm not sure if it is the alluring idea of the up and coming summer or whether it is the idea that a summer will never come and I am making up for my tropical losses; which ever it may be, I am falling dangerously head over heals for this new/old tropical trend. I'm leaning towards the vintage-ier styles of prints - 60's style. The birds of paradise and palm leaf prints are taking my fancy especially when incorporated into scenes and tribal prints are also definitely making an appearance on the shopping agenda. I've never had anything from ASOS and I only ever allow myself the delicious eye candy of River Island when I have Christmas or birthday money hidden somewhere deep in my pocket. The reason for this is most probably that I don't have a job/ should definitely get a job/ refuse to spend any pocket money because I'm just too frugal (?!). I don't know. Nonetheless, I decided to 'browse' for 'a few minutes' (which turned out to be far too long) and figured it would just be too wrong to not love anything so kinda now I am needing to buy the whole shops - with what money? I do not know. 

British Camping Endevours.

Ahoy there!

The only other time I had ever been camping before last weekend was after the remarkably sweetened idea of beautiful sunny weather in the open English country side was falsely planted in my mind. It did not go as planned and after our tent was flooded by the arctic waters, we left behind our planned 3-day expedition, after only one night.

Needless to say, I was rightly precautions after our - me and le family - second camping trip was booked for the middle of April. Summer in England (that one day) leaves a large enough room for negative anticipations and extra safety measures to be undertaken. I often wonder why British love camping so much and then I remember that one day of summer. We have to use our weather-related opportunities to the absolute maximum. It may be minus temperatures, but if it's not raining; everybody navigate the exit and go and frolicking in the sunshine. Quite so! This is my theory, anyways. Surprisingly, I was mistaken to think that it would result in disasters not dissimilar to my previous camping experience. We were greeted with sunshine and a very mild climate every day. I had a very light-hearted adventure. I feel like ecstatic is taking it a bit too far. It was refreshing to not have any access to wifi for 3 days!