Boring old homework.

Homework stew

I cooked my maths book in a broth 

and stirred it to a steaming froth. 

I threw in papers—pencils, too

to make a pot of homework stew. 

I turned the flame up nice and hot 

and tossed my binder in the pot. 

I sprinkled in my book report 

with colored markers by the quart. 

Despite its putrid, noxious gas, 

I proudly took my stew to class. 

And though the smell was so grotesque, 

I set it on my teacher's desk. 

My teacher said, 'You're quite a chef. 

But still you're going to get an F. 

I didn't ask for ‘homework stew,' 

I said, ‘Tomorrow, homework's due.''

As you probably can  tell I love to cook. Speaking of that. keep refreshing your browsers for my recipes. They soon shall make away to your plates and into your tummy. 

I got so much assignments from college and just fancied writing a poem about that today with a bit of humour from cooking.

If you do your homework last minute.  Then this poem is just for you!!

Do Your Homework Now

I've told you once, Mom's told you twice

forgetting homework just isn't nice.

Homework is like getting dressed

got to do it to be your best.

You say it isn't fair,

but people do it everywhere.

Do it now, get it done.

I know, I know it isn't fun.

Homework is like cleaning your room,

except you don't have to use a broom.

Do it now, we'll give you a treat,

something tasty good to eat.

We're like parrots repeating stuff,

like our brains have turned to fluff.

JUST DO YOUR HOMEWORK NOW!

With that said. I better go and do my assignments.

Spooky Saturday

This Saturday it's October 31st, its when people celebrate Halloween. It is thought to be one of the nights of the year when ghosts, witches, and fairies are especially active. 

Well. I know that. But why do we exactly celebrate Halloween? 

The easy answer to this question is that no one really knows the origins of Halloween.

What we do know for sure is that Halloween is on the eve of a major Catholic festival, All Saints (1st November) and the eve of the pagan Celtic festival known as Samhain.

The three days between 31st October and 2nd November see pagan and Christian celebrations intertwined in a fascinating way and is a perfect example of superstition struggling with religious belief.

Currently, it is widely thought that Halloween originated as a pagan Celtic festival of the dead related to the Irish and Scottish Samhain, but there is no evidence that it was connected with the dead in pre-Christian times.

( source: Stations of the Sun by Ronald Hutton pages 360-70)

Did you know?:

Our ancestors celebrated New Year on November 1st. 

They celebrated their New Year's Eve on October 31st. 

Samhain (pronounced 'sow-in') marked the end of the "season of the sun" (Summer) and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold" ( Winter).

The Facts

Neither the word Halloween or the date 31 October are mentioned in any Anglo-Saxon text indicating that it was just an ordinary day a thousand years ago.

From the Medieval period (1066 - 1485) through to the 19th century, there is no evidence that 31 October was anything else other than the eve of All Saints Day.

From the 19th Century to the present day, 31st October has increasingly acquired a reputation as a night on which ghost, witches, and fairies, are especially active.

All Saints Day - 1 November

In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made 1st November a church holiday to honour all the saints. Although it was a joyous holiday it was also the eve of All Souls Day, so in Medieval times it became customary to pray for the dead on this date.


Another name for All Saints Day is 'All Hallows' (hallow is an archaic English word for 'saint'). The festival began on All Hallows Eve, the last night of October.

Where does the name Halloween originate from?

Halloween comes from All Hallow Even, the eve (night before) All Hallows day. Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.

So there you have some background knowledge of why we celebrate Halloween and what their name originated from. 

Although Halloween began as a holiday for individuals who practiced the occult, it has since turned into something completely different. Halloween has really become all about the kids. It is about the fun of dressing up and pretending to be someone else for a night. It is about children gorging themselves on way too much candy. Unfortunately, there is also a sinister aspect to the holiday that has to do with children believing that they are entitled to received candy and vandalizing property when they don't get what they want.

Time for a poem, maybe it's your pre Writing Wednesday poem. Is that even a thing?

Witches brew their Halloween stew 

and stir the pot this day. 

Ghosts and goblins prepare themselves 

to eerily pass our way. 

Skeleton bones rattle and shake 

and come alive in the night. 

Once again we're reminded of death 

as the moon casts its light. 

A chill in the air is felt by all 

and a shiver runs through man. 

Let us hold on fervently to our life 

and defy this unearthly plan. 

This night shall pass. Dawn will appear 

and the Halloween stew will disappear. 

All will be as it was before 

this eerie night of the year

Do you worry?

It's been a while, so I begin with a huge apology to all those crowds of you who have been anxiously refreshing your web browsers waiting for the next instalment.  Well for my weekly post apart from the Writing Wednesday post. What's that? Oh, well an apology to my two readers then.
 
I have been worrying lots about not meeting my expectations. I also bumped into my long friend from dancing who was also worrying. So I'm glad I'm not the only one worrying. So I was walking to the train station and picked up my phone read a long email message from my friend. Who gave me such an inspirational bible verse. O.K. it's a bible verse. What's so uplifting about that? You have to answer that question yourself!
 
Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
 

Worry does rob us of our strength for today doesn’t it? Have you ever been so worried about something, that you felt paralyzed by fear? Have you ever been so worried or fretful that you found it difficult to concentrate or accomplish anything worthwhile or be productive? Have you ever been so worried that you failed to follow through on something good God had called you to do?

Worry does that to us—it robs us of precious opportunities to do what is right, to do what is good, to do what is helpful. We get so gripped by worry that it hinders us from being effective for the Lord. Instead of standing fast in the Lord and being spiritually stable, when we are filled with worry we are wavering, ineffective and unstable.

Notice the first part of verse 6. Be anxious for nothing. Commenting on the word anxious, Warren Wiersbe says…"What is worry? The Greek word translated “anxious” (careful) in Philippians 4:6 means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! The Old English root from which we get our word “worry” means “to strangle.” If you have ever really worried, you know how it does strangle a person! In fact, worry has definite physical consequences: headaches, neck pains, ulcers, even back pains. Worry affects our thinking, our digestion, and even our coordination."

All of us at some time in our lives have probably experienced worry. Some of us may spend a lot of time worrying. Maybe you think you are just a “worrier” by nature and there isn’t much you can do to change it. Well I have good news for you this afternoon. There is a cure for worry and it’s found right here in the passage. We don’t have to be enslaved by our fears. Worry doesn’t need to overwhelm us and keep us from being our best for God. There is freedom from worry for the believer.

 

Paul tells us to be anxious for nothing. Now we can’t say back to him, “well that’s easy for you to say, you don’t face the kind of trials I’m facing.” If anyone had cause for worry don’t you think it was Paul? He is writing this while he’s a prisoner chained to a Roman guard. He faces an uncertain future. He could be facing death for all he knows. Yet he tells the Philippian believers to be anxious about nothing. Don’t worry, Paul says.

Take heart in what we are told in 1 Peter 5:7.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (NIV)

But a little worry is okay, right? No—we are not to worry. We are not to worry at all. We are not to worry about anything. Paul says be anxious for nothing. He doesn’t say it’s okay to worry about a few things or that one thing that is heavy on your heart. No—He says be anxious for nothing. Don’t be worried about anything.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care or be concerned. We should care enough and be concerned enough to do what we can in a situation that could potentially worry us. For example if you are in college and you have a test coming up you should care enough about your grade that you take time to study and prepare but you shouldn’t sit around worrying about your grade. If you have an unsaved friend or loved one you should be concerned enough to share Christ and to be a good testimony and to pray for their salvation but you shouldn’t be overcome with worry.

Maybe you’re thinking, I do worry too much and I would really like to be obedient in this area. I want to stop worrying. I’ve tried not to worry but the harder I try the more it seems I worry. How can I quit being such a worried person? There is a cure for worry. Instead of worrying we need to be prayerful.

 

Look again at verse 6. "but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"

 

 

Prayer is the replacement for worry.

 

 If you don’t want to worry then you need to pray. Are you to only pray about a few things and worry about others? No, it says in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Pray about everything! Pray about the big things and the little things that concern you. Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything! As Matthew Henry said…

When any thing burdens our spirits, we must ease our minds by prayer; when our affairs are perplexed or distressed, we must seek direction and support. 

Prayer is vital and important in the life of the believer. Jesus told us to pray and not lose heart. It says of Jesus in Luke 18:1;

Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, (NASB)

And in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we are told to pray without ceasing.

 

When you find yourself tempted to worry about something get on your knees instead. Replace your worry with prayer to your Heavenly Father. Charles Tindley, who wrote many Gospel songs was visited by a man who was a constant worrier. After listening to this man for a while Tindley said, “My advice to you is put all your troubles in a sack, take ‘em to the Lord, and leave ‘em there. Tindley wrote the song, Leave it There and the chorus goes like this;

 

Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

 

That is what you need to do. You need to take your burdens to the Lord and leave them with Him. Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything. Instead of worrying, take your cares to the Lord in prayer.

 

Our prayers and supplications are to be offered up with thanksgiving. Don’t miss this! If you want to be free from worry then you not only need to pray about everything, but you need to pray with thanksgiving. What a wonderful cure for worry is prayer with thanksgiving. When we have grateful hearts our attention is focused on God and His goodness and we get our eyes off our feeble, puny selves and on our mighty, powerful, sovereign, loving God.

 

Did you realize that when you worry you aren’t trusting God like you should. Is it easy to pray and trust and not worry? No—it’s not easy, otherwise Colossians 4:2 wouldn’t tell us that we are to;

 

Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

 

Did you realize that when you are focused on God and His goodness it gets the focus off of you and your problems and instead of worry you can rest confidently knowing that God is working everything in your life for your good.

 

If you have difficulty praying with thanksgiving maybe you need to understand and know God better. The more you get into God’s Word and the closer you are to Him and the more you experience His faithfulness in your life, the more your heart will be filled with thanksgiving.

 

As you learn and understand and know how wonderful God is your heart will be filled with praise and thanksgiving. If you lack gratitude in your life then you need to know the Lord better. He is good and gracious and the better you know Him the greater your reasons for thanksgiving.

 

Worry robs us of joy, but when we get our eyes back on the Lord through prayer that is filled with thanksgiving our worries fade. We understand that God is in control and even in the troubling circumstances He is working it all out for our good.

When there is cause for alarm or worry in your life, pray with thanksgiving. God is in control. No matter how bad your situation is God can use it to strengthen you, to grow you. His purpose will prevail and you can trust Him even in the midst of difficulty.

 

And look at the results with me. When you learn to stop worrying and start praying about everything with thanksgiving the results are peace.

 

Do you want to experience His peace? When you replace thankful prayer for worry, God graciously gives you His peace.

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

He gives us peace that is beyond all understanding. It’s beyond our comprehension. God can give you inner tranquillity when the storms are raging all around you. When your mind is focused on God through thankful prayer He gives you peace.

 

God’s peace protects you from anxiety and worry. As Christians we don’t have to be worried and fretful and uptight. There is a cure for worry and it’s found through prayer with thanksgiving.

When you feel like worrying you need to pray instead—pray with thanksgiving and God will give you peace that you can’t explain.

 

J. Oswald Sanders said…

Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.

And he’s so right. If you’d rather experience God’s peace than be worried about your troubles, then pray about everything with thanksgiving. That is the cure for worry. That is the key to peace in your life. It doesn’t mean your troubles will vanish but in the midst of your troubles God can flood you with His peace.

 

Worry won’t bring you peace. Prayer with thanksgiving will. Worry isn’t the answer to all your grief and trials but faithful prayer with thanksgiving is.

If you're feeling anxious you may want to try these things out.

 

Control your breathing

If you're feeling so anxious that you can barely think or stay still, then it's likely that your heart rate is up and that you feel like you can't get enough air -- even if you're breathing twice as quickly as you normally do. If you want to control your breathing, then you should take the time to sit down wherever you are, to close your eyes, and to focus on returning your breath to its normal state. You can also try this exercise for good measure

• Breathe in slowly through your nose for 5-7 seconds.
• Hold your breath in for 3-4 seconds.
• Breathe out slowly through your pursed lips like you're whistling for 7-8 seconds.
• Repeat these steps 10-20 times, until your breathing has returned to normal

Know what you can and can't control

 

Knowing what you can and can't control can go a long way in preventing your anxiety. Make a list of all of the things that are worrying you, and mark the ones that you can and can't control. Tackling the ones you can control will make you feel more productive, and realizing that there are some things outside of your control will help you let go of your anxious thoughts.

• Tell yourself that you're not helping anyone, not yourself, and not anyone around you, by wasting your time worrying about things you can't fix.

Learn to live in the present

Learning to live in the present can take a lifetime, but it will be worth it. Embracing every moment and opportunity that comes your way will help you stay grounded in the present instead of worrying over something in the past or in the future that can cause you harm. Take the time to "wake up and smell the roses" by slowing down, enjoying your relationship, taking a daily walk, and unplugging from your computer and phone for several hours every day. Can you manage that?

• Meditate. Meditating for 10-20 minutes every day can help you focus on your body and your mind and on what's happening around you.
• Use all of your senses. Take the time to appreciate the sights, smells, and feelings around you.
• Don't take a day of your life for granted. Write down all of the things you're thankful for and embrace them as much as you can.

 

 

 

Jump onto your hoverboard!!

Great Scott! Today is the day Michael J Fox's Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown travelled to in Back to the Future 2 in 1989 - jump on your hoverboard. 

What happens if you haven't seen it?

  Well tune into ITV2 tonight at 6.50pm because they’re playing the film as part of a Back To The Future marathon with part one at 4.30pm, part three at 10.30pm with a Keith Lemon tribute show at 9pm. (Sorry it's a bit late notice.)

You can also enjoy some of the sounds of the ’80s with this Spotify playlist with some of the most iconic songs of that decade including a-ha’s Take On Me, Starship’s We Built This City, and Gloria Estefan’s Conga.

OK, but why are people making a day out of it?

Like George Orwell’s 1984 and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the world loves the idea of seeing whether the predictions made in these vintage books and movies ever came true!
Also it’s a pop culture classic and should be celebrated anyway.

So what predictions did they get right?

Well we have hover-boards, the Cubs are on track to win the World Series, and there’s a whole load of gadgets we have now that the film predicted

So your poem this Wednesday was an inspiration from back to future. Unfortunately I won't be watching the films today as I got an assignment. But on Friday I will, as I got a day off. 

1955

The future of the past is always dim.
The past we recollect is always bright.
The present may be flawed but still we cling
To it. As though we’re fighting for our life.

The 1955 in which we find
Ourselves is picture perfect and we must
Do everything we can to re-align
The faces that we think created us.

The resurrection of a perfect past.
The preservation of a perfect real.
The destination of a swerving car,
With teenage freedom reeling at the wheel.

As Marty speeds away from now to then
We hope he finds a way to live, again.

To all those under pressure with work, school, essays, revision, assignments (like me)... This one is dedicated to you: hope you enjoy, ( please note, if after reading this you don't smile or feel uplifted, go and either read a book, or eat some chocolate)

Homework

How can one little word

Mean so much

To us

To our life

Try our best to keep it up

Do it as best as we can

We need a break too

We cannot work all day

Otherwise it doesn't go in

Parents

Telling us the final years of school

Just starting primary

Or studying for university

All parents say "Revise "

Is there an end?

Do you feel trapped, swimming in never ending tests?

Assessments?

I know you are bright

You have a bright future ahead of you

Don't let homework rule your life

After all

You're only young once

Tigger and the wishing box

'Hi, I'm Tigger. T-I double 'G'-er" Most of you remember me as a character from Winne the Pooh. You may think I'm a cuddle toy that children cuddle at night. Well I'm a cuddle toy but that is not all, I live in two lives. I also have a life of my own, where I go elsewhere. I know what you are thinking, elsewhere is a place you go when you die and on your birthday you go back each year until you are one year old then you back to the river Nile and back to earth. I mean adventures that you think are bizarre.

I live with my owner who is called Cassandra. She is seventeen years old and goes to college therefore has no time to play with me, all of her other teddy bears all collected up in a big teddy mountain in her corner of the room. None of my friends live with Cassandra or me. However there is a box next to the gigantic teddy mountain. Know it's not just a normal box, oh no! It grows wings, little red buds, then just when I get in the box it takes me to see my friends or adventures. I never knew what I am going to each day. While Cassandra goes to college.

Hop in the box with me. "Where shall we go today?, Goodness Knows Where." Well that is actually a place. I can't quite believe that there is a place called Goodness Knows Where? I don't know where it is, so don't ask me, I'm so glad that this magic box knows where it is going.  Well that is what I thought, until the box  dropped downwards after a time and came to a tiny village. The chair hadn't landed in the village. It had flown a few feet above the strange little houses and then shot upwards again. The box flew again, and then came to a heaving mass of water? Was it the sea? Or a lake? You can never guess what I saw. I saw a lovely silver moon-path on the sea. I'm sure it leads to the moon! The box stopped and hovered  in mid-air as if it read my mind and was changing its mind. To my great relief it left the moon-path and flew on till it came to a little island. This was perfectly round and flat, and had one big tree standing up in the middle of it. Under the tree was a boat and someone was fast asleep in it. It was my best friend winnie the pooh. Winnie the pooh is a small golden bear, about 22 inches tall. He wears and old red t-shirt. One way to describe him, he is a chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff. A bear of very little brain. Oh I forgot, to introduce myself, well you know I'm tigger. I'm a very bouncy animal, about 23 inches tall. I'm very active and fun-loving. I actually look like a tiger. My top is made out of rubber, my bottom is made out of springs. I'm bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun.

'Winnie the pooh is a funny fellow, you know-can't bear to sleep, if anyone else is within miles of him. So he has a boat and airplane, and each night he takes one or the other off to go some lonely place to sleep, so this evening he went to the deserted island.
Winnie the pooh was sleeping, and I decided to jump out of the box and give winne the pooh the fright. I certainly did that alright. I even jumped on to him. There was a mirror and whinnie the pooh thought there was two tigger's. But it wasn't as I was I'm the only tigger. I didn’t like the Tigger in the mirror, so I ran under the table "has Tigger gone? Pooh replied "yes, apart from the tail." It was gone as a flash of lightning. I then jumped on to pooh again. "Did I said I was hungry." Pooh said "no, nope for honey I hope." But I love honey and that's what tiger likes the best. Winnie the pooh was very upset when he said "I was afraid of that!" Tiger doesn't like HONEY!!

I jumped back in the box to go home, well more to Cassandra bedroom. "Take us home, Box." And up into the air it rose, flapping its big wings-and in five minutes' time I was back in Cassandra bedroom. Just in nick of time, as she has finished college early this evening.

I said "Good-bye, Wishing Box", patting it. It has taken me and you on a wonderful adventures The box creaked loudly, as if it, too, were saying good-bye. "I must go and jump onto Cassandra bed. I will see you all again someday, I hope."

Before I do go, I want to share you something.  "Sometimes life is hard, where you just want to escape. Did you know life is like a roller-coaster, or even a game of ticket to ride? With life and roller-coaster it slows at times, speeds at time. It scared at time, thrills at times.  It's full of ups and downs, be prepared for the ride. Put on your seat belt! Hold on tight and enjoy the ride. And close your eyes when it dives. Oh did you feel the rush, of the air when you plunge. Up you go and down you come, same as in the journey of life. If there is no down there won't be up. So do not frown, do not sigh just smile and bravely face the sunshine." (Do you remember this poem?)

"T-T-F-N; Ta-Ta for now."

I had English last Friday, I got told to write a story so my lecture had a box and we had to come with something from a box. First thing poped in my head was Tiger and a magic box that can go to places just like the wishing chair by Enid Blyton. What a great child book. I really enjoyed writing this story and wanted you to read this story.

Did I mention that I was going to write a story? I think I did, then every Wednesday after that I wrote poems.

The magic and the moment

The wind began to blow
And shook the trees
Heads turned up in unison
Witnessing a season of change

The leaves were freed from their branches
Floating and swinging through the air
Painting the sky with golden colors
Dancing their way to the ground

The wind blew again
And the trees shook
Whispers in the wind:
"It's good luck to catch a leaf!"

Searching and turning
Arms opening wide
Hands held high
Watching the leaves dance in the sky

They swirled, turned and swept me
Off my feet
Dodging and scooping
The magic in the moment

I come here this evening forgetting it was Wednesday. Thanks to my friend reminded me to write a poem. I look back to my walk this morning where I saw the trees changing colour from green to orange. Then a child then says the her Mom 'it good luck good luck to catch a leaf!!' I also wanted to write a poem about autumn since it's autumn. 

 It's definitely autumn when Starbuck sell their pumpkin spice latte.

Where has time gone?

I have been so busy with college recently, so I have not had time to do my weekly post about what I got up to. I could just about to my Writing Wednesday poems. Sometimes you get more than one. Don't get used to it. I say that a lot don't I then do it next week. How does that work?

I hear, you want me to give you a weekly post, right now. Well do you know, I'm going to do that right now.

I can't believe it's October. Where has September gone? Where has our Summer Holiday gone? Time flies by when you are having fun. Did you know that? So does that mean homework is fun? I will let you decide on that one!

First day at college

I can just about remember it. We didn't had much time to settle in before we started lesson. With two classes in one lesson. Very confusing, for trying to learn new names and too much faces. So much challenges to face in college. I thought college was great fun. Did you thought that? Well to your attention it is great fun after you overcome your challenges. At the moment after each challenge I have I'm faced with another. I remember last year I finished early so could go home do my homework and have so much time on my hands. I'm afraid this year I start late and guess what? I finish late in the evenings. So not much time on my hands.

I'm sure lectures are evil. So you are just about there with getting you never ending of homework and then you are given an assignment with your first two weeks. You hand your assignment in. And said to yourself 'least I can relax for a couple of weeks before another assignment is given in my hands.' NO, think again. What, it can't be. That's not fair. You can rebel as much as you want. Hand it in an assignment and another assignment has flown your way. 

That's college for you.

Parents have gone away for a weekend

What comes to your mind when a teenager parents have gone away for a weekend? Maybe it's the parties, house getting damaged, teenager gets drunk. I'm sorry to disappoint y'all. Mine was very tame. I worked, got home and studied and made dinner and make cakes Then study more and didn't get to sleep until midnight. 

I made a wonderful dish just by putting random things in the pan cooked it and put it in the oven. It worked and was very tasty.

Chicken hot pot

I fancied cooking something. But not to sure what. So I looked in the cupboards, fridge and even freezer. And this was the outcome. If you fancy making this dish then here is the recipe. I must say it was very tasty and easy to make but took a while so not good if you are busy in the evening. A great dish to make when you got time on your hands.

Ingredients

• 1 onion 
• 1 garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 pepper
• 2-3 potatoes (enough to cover the casserole dish)
• 1-2  chicken breast 
• 1 vegetable cube
• 1 can of baked beans
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan oven 200/Gas mark 6
2. Before you start the actual cooking. I find it helpful if I chop all the vegetables before hand. So dice the onion, carrot and use a garlic presser for garlic. Don't forget to slice the potatoes. Just mind you fingers. Make sure you have ten fingers left. How can you forget about the chicken? I cubed the chicken. 
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic until they brown slightly. Put in the chicken. 
4. Until the chicken has gone white. You can put the vegetables in. Just wait until it has gone soft then. Meanwhile put the kettle on. I put extra in then I need so I can make a cup of tea.
5. Put the vegetable cube in the jug pour over 900 ml of water in the jug. If you fancy making a tea then you can make a cup of tea. Stir the vegetable cube until it has dissolved in the water. Then put that in the pan. Bring it to the pan.
6. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the veg are tender. Stir in the baked beans and a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce and heat through. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Then this fun bit comes in. Put the contents in the pan to the casserole dish. Place the sliced potatoes on top in layers and cook for 50 minutes. Test the potatoes with a fork to check that they are cooked. If not turn the oven down to 160°C fan oven/180/Gas mark 4 and cook for another 10 minutes.
8. Best of all enjoy.

Carrot cake

Carrot cake

I peeled an extra carrot. I couldn't bin that carrot it would be such as waste. Plus I had no dessert after my main meal. I know what to make, can you. Carrot cake. Yep carrot cake the best cake that is so tasty and doesn't take long to make either. One problem I didn't had a recipe to follow. Who needs a recipe anyway? If you want a recipe than you are in luck! 

Ingredients

• 175g dark brown soft sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 200g self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1 grated big carrot 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170 Fan/Gas Mark 5. Put 12 paper muffin cases in a muffin tin.
2. Whisk the sugar, eggs and oil together in a bowl for 2-3 minutes until pale and bubbly around the edges. Check that there is no sugar left undissolved.
3. Now sift the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl, then fold all this in gently. Then add the grated carrot.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until well risen and springy to the touch. 
6. Transfers to a wire rack to cool completely. 
7. Best of all enjoy.

If you asked people what their favourite cake was, carrot cake might just come our top, This cake is loved by everyone who tries it and has the added bonus of being pretty easy and cheap to make.

Dad cupcakes 

My attempt of making chocolate and orange cupcakes

My Dad birthday on the 20th September and wanted some cake to take into work. So me being me. Dived in going 'I will make a cake.' I'm looking through all the recipes book either in the house or on the internet sometimes in book stores to get an inspiration. But nothing was coming to me. It wasn't till the morning of making these cakes, I looked at orange and there was chocolate on the table. Why not put them together? I had a final look for recipes that was chocolate and orange cupcakes. I found one. So this isn't my own recipe this time, it's from Marks and Spencer book called 'scrumptious cupcakes perfect pick me-ups'  Since you are are eagering to cook this lovely cupcake, I'm not surprised since is one of your five a day!!

Ingredients 

For the cake

• 155g softened butter
• 115g golden caster sugar
• 1/2 grated orange ( I used about an whole orange)
• 2 eggs
• 115g self-raising flour
• 25g of plain dark chocolate (I used 35g dark chocolate)
• thin stirps candiced orange peel to decorate. I think you can just grate some oragnge and put it on top.

Topping

• 115g plain chocolate broken into pieces. (eat the fine bits, no one is watching you)
• 25g softened butter
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup.

Method

For candied orange

1. Cut the top and bottom off each orange and score the skin into quarters. Remove the skin (peel and pith, the white part), and cut the skin into strips about ¼" wide. Wrap the oranges in plastic wrap to store for other use. Place the strips of peel in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.

For the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Put 16 paper baking cases in 2 X 12-hole bun tins or put 16 double layer paper cases on a baking tray.
2. Put the butter, sugar and orange rind in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Stift in the flour and, using a metal spoon, fold gently into the mixture with the orange juice and grafted chocolate. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
3. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer to the touch. Transfer to a wire racks to cool completely.

For the topping

1. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and add the butter and syrup. Set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and heat until melted. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Cool until the topping is thick enough to spread. Spread over the cupcakes and decorate each cupcake with a few strips of candied orange peel. Leave to set. 

If you got any candied orange pieces and chocolate, which didn't manage to get a way to your mouth. I know what y'all like. You can always dip in your orange to the chocolate just get prepared to get messy and wash up a messy plate. But you are rewared with a lovely snack with your tea or coffee. 

Poem

I deiced to write a poem to conclude this post. Since this post at the intention of talking about time then somehow got lots of recipes. So lests wrap up with a poem about time. 

Time

time is

the space in which we grow

   without awareness

   in our early years

structured by meals

   arrivals and departures

   light and dark

   hot and cold

   school   studies  play  adventures

   celebrations

and by waiting

   anxiously or not

for things to happen

time is

that feeling

that we may not have enough of it

in our later years

busy with jobs and family and travel

covering long distances in order to

achieve and educate and care

time is

what starts to rush by us

with increasing speed

in our final years

making us wonder

what it really means

that space 

by which we measure 

our lives 

   our universes

      our worlds

time is