thingsbeforeimthirty

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

Just a bit of appreciation for Prue Leith really, she has lived a brilliant life, from growing up in South Africa and protesting against apartheid in her teens. Moving to Paris, then London to attend the Cordon Bleu School. She became a champion for female chefs in a time when it was still very much a boys club, opening her own restaurant and culinary school. She has gone on to do lots of amazing things, not least raising two children and holding down an impressive career. I recommend everyone reads up on her, she is an absolute legend! 

#cooking #female chefs #prue leith #legend #cordonbleu

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

I've been challenged to post seven album covers that influenced me over seven days, I just dont have the concentration for that...so here they are in one go, and because I'm already breaking the rules i've done eight!

Enjoy x

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

Here is some Super Moist Carrot Cake!

The principle behind carrot cake can be utilised throughout baking in general, the addition of vegetables to a bake can bring another level of flavour, texture and structure. Other popular vegetable that are added are beetroot to chocolate cake, as well as aqueous vegetables such as courgette to pistachio and lime sponge.

Purists will argue that you shouldn’t add anything else to your carrot cake, like walnuts or raisins. Honestly I’m not big on recipes, experimenting with flavours and ingredients is one of the most exciting elements of cookery. 

I will say one thing though, if you aren’t very confident with your flavour palates and you don’t want to risk making something vomit inducing, then a quick google search can be a life saver (or stomach saver at least!) we have this wonderful tool at our fingertips, a fountain of knowledge from chefs, both professional and amauture around the globe, so use it! The internet has a lot of negative points, however if you consider it as a giant recipe book then it’s fantastic.

Next up...SPICES!! Don’t be afraid of them, it can be a fine line between over powering and undetectable BUT the best and only way to combat this is practice, you know what you like so work to that. Cooking is all about using your senses, smell is such an integral part of it, I can smell if a dish is under seasoned, so go on get your nose in there. Taste, of course, is important! Some people get a bit queasy about tasting raw cake batter, but trying a little smidge is going to give you an insight into how the flavour is going. Side note, salt makes everything better, it accentuates flavour, you should really be adding a little salt to everything, including your sweet bakes. 

As a starting point, find your basic recipes, perfect them and then you can experiment with different elements, for example I have a basic sponge recipe that I know like the back of my hand, if I need to make some cakes up in record time, that is my go to and I will throw different spices, flavourings and fruits in to make some truly tasty creations. 

Most importantly, enjoy yourself! Food is fun!

Happy Baking x

#baking #cooking #lovefood #carrotcake #cookingtips #love #food #foodporn #chef #cookery #cakes #tips #bakingtips

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

In the spirit of Shagged, Married, Annoyed, I thought I would share my email. There is a lot of gross stuff shared, so this is fairly tame!

Dear Chris & Rosie,

I would apologise for another shit story but we all know everyone loves a poo joke.

So my friend and I have encountered some pretty gross stuff over the years working in the catering industry. At one point we were both working in a local coffee shop, the age range varied from old to super old so we were always dealing with one Nana dilemma or another.

Anyway, this one day we see a queue forming around the toilets (there were only two separate toilets) we do rock, paper, scissors to decide who has to go over and check if everything is okay, just as we decide we see the door open from the other side of the cafe and order is resumed...or so we thought. Carrying about our business, a slightly hunched, greying grandma comes over to the counter and exclaims that "Someone, has made a right mess in the ladies love!" At that she scurried off and down the high street. 

Now a very distinctive smell has started to waft across the place and a feeling of dread starts to come over us both. We decide to tackle the crime scene bog as a double team! 

As we enter the now putrid smelling room, the sight of what can only be described as a dirty protest greets us. Shit, everywhere! On the toilet, on the floor, on the sink, everywhere! We venture further in, only to discover that not only has the toilet not been flushed but it has been stuffed with and ADULT NAPPY!! 

We can only assume that the hunchback granny has exploded everywhere and decided we should clean it up! 

I know some people can't help it, but really not something that falls into our job description. We had to close off the offending toilet for the rest of the day so that it could be fumigated. 

Still love a poo joke but it turns out they aren't as funny when you are elbow deep in Nana Nappy!

Thanks for reading!

#shaggedmarriedannoyed #shitstory #rosieramsey #chrisramsey #isolation #boredom

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

Butter Chicken, Bombay Potatoes, Braised Rice and Flat Breads.

Flat Breads

1 Cup Natural Yogurt

1 Cup Self Raising Flour

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Garlic Puree

Mix all the ingredients together, flour a work surface and divide the mixture into 6. 

Add more flour is the mixture is too sticky.

Shape bread with hands to form flattened, ovals.

In a hot pan with a little oil, fry the ovals on each side for 2 minutes.

Eat ‘em up! 

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

Simple.

#dontbeadick #bekind #niceisfree

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

Lockdown Playlist

Don’t Stand So Close to Me - The Police

Love Lockdown - Kanye West

I Want to Break Free - Queen

It’s the End of the World as We Know It - R.E.M

U Can’t Touch This - MC Hammer

I Can’t Feel My Face - The Weekend

Temperature - Sean Paul

Toxic - Britney Spears

I Think We’re Alone Now - Tiffany

I’m Still Standing - Elton John

#lockdown #quarantine #bored #allbymyself

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

10 Masterful Movie Music Moments

One of my favourite, not so guilty pleasures is a musical, so when music moments pop up in otherwise none musical movies, it’s always welcome!

Ex Machina - Oscar Issacs, dancing with a robot! What more is there you could possibly need, piece it together with a recognisable funky tune that is “Get down, Saturday Night” by Oliver Cheatham, (it was remixed in the early noughties, make love and listen to the music). It makes for one memorable scene in a somewhat forgettable film.

Baby Driver - The opening sequence with Ansel Elgort‘s get away driving character dancing and acting out BellBottoms by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, is divine. The timing is exquisite, and shows off the brilliance of Edgar Wright, the comic genius behind films like Shaun of the Dead. Side note, the entire soundtrack for this movie is perfect.

Wayne’s World - I doubt anyone of a certain age can listen to Bohemian Rhapsody and not head bang along like Garth and Wayne, especially when you’re driving with your very best pals, if you say you can...you’re lying!

Guardians of the Galaxy - Both Guardians films have killer soundtracks, say what you want but music was just better in the 70s and 80s. I’ve chosen a really poignant moment from the second movie for this list though. Father and Son by Cat Stevens, a song that already had a place in my heart is beautifully played whilst Yondu is receiving his heroic funeral, the song resonates as Peter realises Yondu was his father figure. Emotional, brilliance.

Almost Famous -  Singing Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, on a tour bus with a fictional rock band is where I wanted to be when I was growing up, this just seemed like the coolest scenario I could think of, come to think of it...still is. 

Napoleon Dynamite - VOTE FOR PEDRO! The dance scene in Napoleon Dynamite is so unexpected, but watching him bust those shapes to Canned Heat by Jamiroquai,  like his life depends on it makes the movie, and is definitely the most memorable part.

My Best Friends Wedding - Aretha Franklin is best enjoyed when it’s sung in part by various actors around a dinner table, look I don’t make the rules. The I Say a Little Prayer scene initiated by Rupert Everett is a couple of minutes of pure joy, the way every one joins in and sings the parts, fab-u-lous! Forever and ever...

Pulp Fiction - Obviously John Travolta is not shy of a dance number or two, and his funky dance at Jack Rabbit Slim’s with Uma Thurman is priceless. The whole scene is classic Tarantino and I dare you not to start doing a twist whenever you hear You never can tell by Chuck Berry, dare you!

13 Going On 30 - Matty Flamhoff being dragged onto the dance floor by Jenna at a real grown up shindig to re-enact MJ’s Thriller dance, in it’s entirety is a master piece and i’ll die on this hill.

500 Days of Summer - Any Hall and Oats song makes any situation a 1000 times better, instantly. You Make My Dreams Come True belting out whilst Tom is overjoyed at getting the girl is the perfect accompaniment, it even has cartoon birds, but it also provides a brilliant contrast to the devastating heartbreak, post split scenes.

Ciao x

#exmachina #waynesworld #pulpfiction #guardiansofthegalaxy #500daysofsummer #mybestfriendswedding #napoleondynamite #almostfamous #babydriver #13goingon30 #films #music #movies

[thingsbeforeimthirty]

Top ten emotional sitcom moments!

Marshals Dad dies - How I Met Your Mother. Marshal is so excited about his news from the fertility clinic and the first person he wants to tell is his best friend, his dad! It punches you right in the gut that first time and doesn’t get any easier upon repeat viewings. Also knowing that Jason Segal wasn’t aware that it was going to happen and that his reaction is one of genuine shock and raw emotion makes it all the more heart-breaking. Don’t get me started on the countdown.

 Doctor Cox is actually attending Ben’s funeral - Scrubs. This is scrubs at its finest, taking you in one direction, big laughs full on humour and then pull the rug from under you! They set you up with this loveable, goofy character, the complete opposite of Dr Cox (very similar to JD), despite this they’re best friends. Only to realise that at the end of the episode, Ben’s cancer treatment didn’t work, he actually died and they are attending his funeral, not his sons birthday party.  The sad musical accompaniment of Joshua Radin’s, Winter is enough to make the coldest hearts break.

 Will’s dad leaving again – Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Throughout the series, Will’s parents are both fairly absent, (the premise of the show is him moving to live with his Aunt and Uncle). However, his dad abandoning him as a child, then popping back up when he realises that Will is living in Bel-Air and that he might get some money from him, then bailing again is generally awful. However, it is the reaction of Will, “Why don’t he want me man?” and the embrace with his father figure Uncle Phil, gives the final blow!

 Chandler at the adoption agency -FRIENDS. When Erica mistakes Monica and Chandler for a reverend and a Doctor and they pretend that’s true, subsequently Erica decides she won’t let them adopt her baby. A sweet moment ensues in which Chandler explains to Erica just how ready and committed they are to having a baby. “My wife, she’s already there… she’s  a mother, without a baby” It’s the contrast of such a tender moment being delivered by the sarcastic, joking Chandler.

 The family reacting to Paul’s death – 8 Simple Rules. The circumstances surrounding this episode are really what make it so devastating, John Ritter, the actor who played Paul, died in real life of a heart attack. The reactions to his death on screen are real, genuine emotions from his TV family. Also the death being something so normal and relatable, makes it more distressing, the family churning over their last words spoken to their father, tears every time.

 Kitty’s grief over Red’s mother – That 70’s Show Another relatable death, sometimes people die who we don’t have the best relationship with, it’s hard to process those emotions, the what if’s, the wasted time. In this episode, Red’s mother dies after being her usual spiteful self at a family dinner, all of the families reactions are upsetting, but it is Kitty, the maternal, nurturer of the show that hits hardest. Kitty goes into over drive, baking and taking care of things, until she runs out of ingredients and has no form of escapism left, ultimately breaking down in the arms of her husband and son. TEARS!!!

 Howards mother’s death – The Big Bang Theory. Another scene brought about by genuine tragedy, the death of the voice actress who played Mrs Wolowitz, meant that the character also died. It opened up some heartfelt discussions from the characters about times spent with Howards mother, a strange one for the audience as we never actually see her on screen, but feel their loss and pain all the same.

 Terry gets racially profiled – Brooklyn 99. Brooklyn 99 is big comedy, huge laughs and general silliness, however a show about cops in America would be foolish not to take the opportunity to reflect what is happening on the streets in their country. Terry the most loveable, honourable guy in the precinct is stopped, whilst looking for his daughters blanket, simply because he is black. Later, Jake and Amy try and gently discuss the incident with Terry’s kids. It is awful to watch and even more awful when you realise this actually happens to innocent people everyday. I’m not crying…well I am, and so are you!

 “Do it for Her” – The Simpsons. I could write a whole list based on The Simpsons episodes that make me cry but this one is a real hard hitter. In a flashback episode, brought about by looking at photo albums, Bart and Lisa wondering why there are no photos of Maggie. We learn that Homer had just left the Nuclear Plant, and was working a job that he loved and was fulfilled, however after they discover Marge is pregnant, Homer is forced to grovel to Mr Burns for his job back to support his growing family. The closing scenes we see Mr Burns installing a sign “Don’t forget you’re here forever”, we see that Homer has a whole collection of Maggie photos, strategically placed to make the sign read “Do it for her”! maaaaaan, I’m tearing up!

 Dwight & Jim’s Heart to Heart in the stairwell – The Office. Another show hitting you in the feels on several occasions, but this one is a more subtle episode, Jim and Dwight connecting over their shared heartbreaks. It’s a genuinely sweet moment, and proves that their friendship is more than just Bears, Beets and Battlestar Galactica.

#sad sitcom emotional tv himym scrubs freshprince friends 8simplerules that70sshow bigbangtheory thesimpsons theoffice #sitcom #emotional #scrubs #himym #freshprince #friends #8simplerules #that70show #the simpsons #theoffice