Weekend Reading

Hello! Just a quick post today! Here are a few links to some LIGHT but interesting reading that even the busiest bee can fit into their weekend. Hope you have a good one! 

J.K Rowling's statement regarding The Cuckoo's Calling 

A very funny article on gender focused marketing for cosmetics and toiletry products

Where to find a stylish not swampish dressing gown 

A great, but worrying article about how we are still ignorant about child labour

UK Recipe- Nutella Brownies

So, a rare recipe post and I will tell you why; as I was doing my daily browse on Pinterest, I stumbled across a fantastic- no wait- a fantabulous idea- NUTELLA BROWNIES. However, after following the link I found that all the recipes for Nutella Recipes were American, meaning that ingredients were measured in cups not in grams and I have never found this an accurate way of measuring ingredients and struggle to get the balance right. Therefore I decided to create my own recipe adapted from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course. The result was not exactly pretty but... the taste (if you could see that) was simply beautiful... sweet, nutty, chocolately, gooey, chewy, squishy... all round my mouth but I don't care... good. I just had to share the recipe with you, it's a crowd pleaser! 

Just look at that chewy, chocolately goo

You will need:

110g unsalted butter

110g chocolate (I used Galaxy, my favourite)

2 eggs

110g light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

50g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

1tsp of baking powder

100g Nutella

1) Preheat the oven to gas mark 4.

2) Put the butter and HALF the chocolate into a big heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

3) Stir until melted and smooth. Take the bowl off the heat.

4) Beat the eggs and add them to the bowl.

5) Sieve in the sugars, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.

6) Chop up the remaining chocolate into small pieces and add to the bowl.

7) Add the Nutella in small blobs.

8) Stir until well mixed

9) Pour into a square tin, lined with baking parchment.

10) Cook for 35 minutes. I like them gooey in the middle but cook for longer if not. 

University Summer Reading

Hi! Sorry, I know I haven't posted in a while but I've had a busy few weeks. I've been on holiday to Sorrento which was really lovely (especially as I didn't get a holiday last year), stayed at my boyfriend's house for a few days and caught up with family and friends.

Enjoying a nice dog walk with my furry friend

Just as I was getting into an incredibly lazy lifestyle (getting up at half past nine, lounging in the sun etc, etc) my summer reading list dropped into my inbox. For my final year at uni, I have to buy around 40 books. This doesn't include secondary books which I can borrow from the library, these are books I need to have my own copy of. Obviously this is always quite pricey so I buy the books in stages and shop around to get the best deal.

As you can see, there's quite a mixture there. I bought all the Bronte sister's novels that I didn't already have as I am planning on writing on some of their books in my dissertation. I have bought the Oxford World's Classics versions of most of the books as they have really useful explanatory and introductions which are a great help if not essential when you are using books for academic purposes. 

As for shopping around I bought these books from Waterstones Online, Amazon and eBay. Now I know a lot of people (especially my fellow students) write Waterstones off as far too expensive and favour Amazon but when I checked prices online, most of the Oxford World's Classics were either the same price if not slightly cheaper online. Not only that, but students get 10% off with Waterstones (which you don't with Amazon), Waterstones offer loyalty points and often free postage. I did buy a few books from Amazon because they are cheaper on somethings but was disappointed that the books took so long to come and that Amazon have started charging postage. Although eBay doesn't always have what you want, it can be great for books- much better (cheaper and dispatched more quickly) than the sellers on Amazon, probably because the feedback system on eBay is used far more successfully on eBay than Amazon and it's sellers want to maintain a good feedback score. For instance, I bought Shirley by Charlotte Bronte off eBay, brand new Oxford World's Classics edition for £3 including postage. So check on there for bargains. 

I have only read 2 of these books so far- The Professor by Charlotte Bronte and Villette by Charlotte Bronte, both of which I enjoyed and will write a small review of each on here soon. I will be attempting to read Ulysses soon, but I can't say I'm looking forward to it much; it's huge and supposedly difficult to read! Have you read any of the new books I've bought? If so, any advice? What did you think?