Carrot and Coriander Soup

Just a quickie-

Here is one of my favourite soup recipes, its dead simple and one I make quite often.

Ingredients:

7 large carrots

1 large onion

chicken/vegetable stock (enough to cover the carrots and onions)

tsp dried coriander

1 tbsp butter

fresh coriander

salt & pepper

Method:

Chop the onions and sauté in butter until translucent. Whilst the onions are sautéing, chop the carrots and add them to the onions. Stir for 2-3 minutes and ensure carrots are coated in the butter. Pour over the stock, season and add the dried coriander. Cook on low until the carrots are soft (about 20 minutes) Remove from heat, add the fresh coriander and blend your soup. If the soup is to thick, you can thin it down with a little milk or cream, depending on how healthy your feeling....

Serve with a little chopped fresh coriander and soup bread and butter, because lets face it, what is soup with bread?!

Bagel Time

Well I've just finished my first week of university and I'm already experimenting with lots of options for breakfast lunch and dinner. I'm used to food shopping for my family, but food shopping for one is slightly trickier yet more exciting as I can choose anything I fancy (within budget of course) and eat when and whatever I like. Of course there are draw backs, I have to buy little and often opposed to one big shop, but that means I get more creative with the ingredients I already have. However, walking through the isles in Morrision's I was heavily tempted by the 5 for £1 bagel offer in the bakery section. Bagel's aren't something I regularly eat, but occasionally I get a craving for them, and this was was on of those times. It's probably due to the fact I've been watching the Great British Bake off on BBC iplayer where they've recently made bagels. Did you know they part boil the bagel before putting it in the oven ? This is apparently what gives them their chewy texture. But besides that little gem of information, I was once again influenced by TV and couldn't wait to have a bagel for breakfast.

 Scott stayed this weekend which was really lovely. We both had bagels, but with different spreads. I personally like Philadelphia and strawberry jam, I know how weird that sounds, but I once had it at a friends house and never looked back !!! Scott opted for strawberry jam and cheese... a combination also favoured by my grandparents on sandwiches, but that's another story.....

 I also like peanut butter (and when I'm in a really terrible mood, peanut butter and nutella, wow), and I also like to have it as a ham and salad sandwich. We toast ours but that again is optional!

 There is obviously no need for me to write a recipe for this, it was more a sort of inspiration for breakfast, as it can be quite monotonous to have the same breakfast everyday and sometimes you just need a little change. So bring on the bagels :)

And Bethany shall be going to Uni!

So last week my mum Hazel and I went to two university interviews in Nottingham for Decorative Arts, and Leicester for Footwear Design. I spent the best part of Monday and Tuesday frantically running from the printer to college to home to the camera etc trying to put a portfolio together, which I did eventually manage to do, but only in the nick of time as my family are well aware of :) !

We started the day with a full English breakfast (those who know me know I do not function  well without food) and found our way to the interview rooms. Then there was a lot of waiting! But to be honest it's not as scary as you might think! The tutors looked through my portfolio, asked questions about my work and why I wanted to do the course etc and that was it ! The next day the same process, this time for Leicester, and it is just amazing there!

I'm not usually to finicky about what I wear, (it's usually a dress which helps prevent the putting things together process)  but I put a bit more effort in this time and decided to go for this assemble.

Dress: Juicy Couture (From a special occasion, I can't usually afford that!)

Shoes: Red or dead

Bag: H&M

Coat:H&M

 These pictures were all taken by my mum, who is also a document-er! Here I was on Tuesday morning panicking and laying my portfolio out all over the floor, and making a right royal mess.

But...... It was all worth it ..... Because.....

 I got two unconditional offers :)! So very very happy!!!