I lead a Formula One Appreciation Life

I got up at 6am (on a Sunday!!!) to watch the Japanese Grand Prix. The race was good until near the end when Sebastian fucking Vettel took the lead and won the race. This is the  same asshole who screwed over his lovely Australian team-mate, Mark Webber, earlier in the year. Sometimes the universe just sucks. Huge sigh. At least Mark came second (my phone keeps autocorrecting second to sexing - why??? I so know why) and Romain Grosjean came third. Vettel didn't get enough points to win the championship today so I suppose it's not all bad. 

Also, Romain (the cutie in the picture) has the face of an adorable French angel.

That is all. 

Much live, QoS

London Calling

I'm off to London on Monday for a week of sightseeing with little sis' (who is 15 months younger and 4 inches taller than me but meh, details). I've only been to London for odd little day or two day trips in the past and they've all been for a specific reason - killing time before getting the Eurostar to Paris, visiting the British or Natural History or Science museum. I live such a thrilling life.

This time, though, we're seeing all the cheesy tourist crap that you usually skip because it's your country and you're not a tourist. I have a list somewhere but as I'm at work and without my comic book pad, I can't really remember all of it.

Anyway, if you happen to be in London next week and you see a short girl with dark curly hair, a dress and combat boots, taking pictures of anything and everything - give her a wave. If she looks confused and asks the taller redhead with her who the fuck is waving at her, it's probably me. This would probably mean more if anyone other than me actually read this. Sigh.

Much love, QoS

Millionaire's Shortbread, I presume?

I love to bake. It's seriously one of my favourite things and if I could figure out a way to start my own business without risking everything, I totally would. I'm thinking a kind of retro tea shop with a built in quirky book shop and I'm dreaming when I'm supposed to be working. Oh well. On second glance, it's seven minutes past my finishing time so I'm freeeeeee!

Anyway, the point of this was to impart my recipe for Millionaire's Shortbread because it's the one thing I make that I always know everyone will love. Even people who don't like desserts love this bad boy so here goes:

9" x 9" baking tray or throwaway foil tray (I tend to go with the throwaway option because it's easier to get out of the tin when the caramel has stuck to the sides. Also, no need to grease it which makes it healthier. Or as healthy as a shortbread/caramel/chocolate concoction can be)

Preheat oven to gas 5 or whatever degrees that is in your oven (190C/375F - thank you, Google)

Shortbread base
125g cold butter cut into small chunks
175g plain flour
50g light brown sugar (you can use dark brown if that's what you have)

Rub together flour and butter until fully combined and looking like buttery breadcrumbs. If there's a few lumps, it's not the end of the world.
Sieve in sugar to get rid of any lumps then stir into flour/butter.
Mix it all up until it becomes a ball of doughy goodness.
Press mixture into tin, making sure it's right up in the corners and spread evenly.
Grab a fork and stab some holes in to prevent air bubbles
Put in oven for 20 mins - when cooked, the edges will just be golden brown.
Remove from oven and leave to cool
When base is cool, start the

Caramel middle

50g dark brown sugar (again, if you don't want to buy another sugar, you can use light brown)
50g butter
1 tin of condensed milk

Put ingredients in a pan, medium heat, mix together and do not under any circumstances stop stirring until it starts to bubble. When this happens, time 5 minutes and stir like your favourite actor will vanish from the planet if you stop. Seriously, do not stop stirring like a maniac for these 5 minutes.
When the five minutes are up, pour over base. Make sure you get an even covering.
Leave to cool.

Chocolate top

200g (ish) milk chocolate (don't use less than 180gish or it won't be enough to cover)

Melt in a dish over a pan of simmering water. When fully melted, pour over caramel. Make sure to cover completely and evenly.

I'll add pictures next time I make some so you can see how perfectly neat (ha!) mine turns out. It usually looks like my 3 year old niece did it but it tastes good so what does that matter?

Much love from the QoS x

Back again...

Hello again universe. It's been a while since I've done anything with this blog. Partly because I read back over the majority of what I'd wrote and shuddered and partly because I couldn't remember the email address or password to log in and change it. I thought about scrapping it completely and starting again but it took me so long to get this just how I wanted that to start again made my brain weep in agony. Fair point, brain - I'm lazy as hell, too.

On my first blog post, I listed a bunch of things I could be ranting, raving or just being boring about but some of those have changed so I'm going to have a play around with it until it reflects the sort of junk I whine about on a daily basis. The original list will be in the usual colour which, if my memory serves correctly (not sodding likely) is a purpley sort of colour and the new version will be green, for contrast.

Things I rant/rave/bore people stupid about on a daily basis

Pacific Rim
Teen Wolf
Avengers (or just Marvel movies of any description)
Harry Potter (not sure why I forgot this last time)
Star Trek (or this)
Supernatural  
Suits
Castle   
Merlin             
Firefly             
Doctor Who
Torchwood
Formula 1
Glee This has been moved down the list because the newer seasons suck. Has only retained a place on here because of Kurt, Finn, Santana and Adam. Everyone else can suck my non-existent dick.
Vampire Diaries (I have to be in the mood but when I am I watch it continuously) 
I love a massive variety of music which you'll probably read about at some point.
Socks. The brighter and more patterned, the better. Socks are love, remember that.
Chocolate. Need I say more?
Pretty dresses. Worn with my lovely grey combat-y style boots. (RIP grey combat-y style boots. Long live black combat-y style studded boots!)
Bags. Not just gorgeous handbags (of which I seem to have a bajillion) but backpacks and completely impractical purse sized affairs that I squeeze my phone and some money in when I go out. 

There are so many more things that will probably turn up at some point that I haven't mentioned but, meh, I'm sure you'll survive. If there's anyone who is even reading this. Probably not. Oh, well. 

Much love, QoS

Blast from my teen tv past

So I'm watching Roswell. Don't judge me, it really, really sucks and I'm judging myself enough already. Mostly for the fact that I own all 3 box sets.

I loved this programme as a teenager and I'm ashamed to say that I'm getting re-addicted to it as I type.

It really puts things into perspective. I mean, how bad can my problems really be - I'm not an alien hiding from the government while going through the usual teenage drama.

I'm going to switch my brain off, drink my glass of super-chilled rose and take a trip down memory lane.

Animals At Rest

This is one of those things that could go one of two ways. First way is making me sound like a genius. An eccentric one but a genius nonetheless. The second way is making me seem like a complete and utter eedjit. This is the most likely option but at least you're pre-warned. See how kind I am?

On to the blof for today. On my way home, we travel pretty much the entire length of the M69 and there's a lot of fields (really, there's loads) along the side of there and in these fields are some of the most adorable alpacas known to humankind

See, they're freaking adorable. 

Also, there are the obligatory sheep, cows and horses. There's even a goat. Just one (again, weird).

Anyway, today I saw a cow and multiple alpacas lying down. This is weird because when they're 'lying down' they don't look like they're lying down. They look like they're sitting up and it freaked me out. 

Weird, right? 

I always associate lying down with being on my side. I sleep curled up on my side and find it extremely weird when people (or animals. Especially animals) don't. So are they, in fact, lying down or are they just having a sit down? Putting their hooves up and having a metaphorical cuppa to take a break from the hard task of standing up and eating all day? This also makes me wonder how farm animals sleep? If the above images are them putting their hooves up for a break then how do they look when they're curled up in their animal beds with their animal duvets and fluffy pillows?

According to Google images, cows look like this:

And sleeping alpacas like this:

I guess Google images has answered my question for me and also made me realise that at least half of the cows and alpacas along the M69 are the type to spend the day sitting down watching Jeremy Kyle, drinking tea and eating biscuits.  

That's all. Definitely leaning towards the eedjit side of the coin. I'm just going to pour myself a lovely cold glass of wine and watch some tv. Or knit or something.

Bye folks

Inspiration Time

I met a man today who'd had a car accident where he'd received something like 84 fractures down the right side of his body, he'd spent two weeks in an induced coma during which his family was told he had less than a 1% chance of making it. He then spent a year learning to walk and talk again and now he's thinking of running a half marathon. He has such a positive outlook on life and is generally lovely. This man is my new idol.

That's all I wanted to say. On a day where I could cheerfully beat the gremlins tunnelling away in my head to death and am having end of tax year stresses to drive me crackers, this gave me some perspective.