32 by 32: Marriage

I started thinking about approaching 30 and I started reflecting on my life, where it was going, what had happened so far and how did I see the next ten years panning out? I started thinking about this probably much too close to actually turning 30.

A couple of my friends and I were having a chat about all of this, and chatting about our thoughts on turning 30 - what it meant to us, how we felt and how achieved we were for this time in our lives. A couple of us decided to do a 30 things we wanted to do before 30 list. I wanted to extend mine out to 32, and do 32 things before I turn 32. Two reasons, the first being things I wanted to do I wasn't ever going to be able to do before 30 with having a wedding in the middle to pay for. And second, 32 has always been the age I thought of as the scary grown-up age.



One of the things that was on my list was to get married. As readers of this blog will know I have been very happily married coming up to two years now. D and I met each other as high school students and started dating when we were only 17 and 18. We got engaged at 26 and married at 28, and it is without a doubt one of the best things I have ever done with my life.

D and I have put a lot into our relationship, spending four years of it living in separate countries. As so many relationships facing long distance difficulties can do, we didn't grow apart but instead grew even closer together. We made a point of ensuring we were in touch and spending time together where we could. This laid the most solid ground for a wonderful marriage, which we have been lucky enough to enjoy now for two years nearly.

Marriage has always been an important step I wanted to take in my life, and I knew that when I married I wanted it to be a partnership, a friendship and the most valuable thing in my life, which it has become. I wanted a partner in all parts of my life, someone who really understood and accepted me for exactly who I am. Someone I could travel with, see the world with. Someone I can laugh with and joke with, and cry with, someone I can grow with. Someone to share my passions, and someone to hold my hand through everything. I found that, and so much more, in my husband. I am biased, but I'm also pretty sure he's the best man that has ever walked on this earth. AND.... he's pretty hot. Marriage means partnership, acceptance, fun, pure love, support, warmth, growth and happiness.

The first thing on my list was a success.

1. To get married.

Awards season 2016 - Favourite Looks

Golden Globes

Eva Longoria, Alicia Vikander and Jenna Dewan-Tatum

Oscars

Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan and Alicia Vikander

BAFTAs

Julianne Moore, Saoirse Ronan and Annabelle Wallis

Grammys

Kacey Musgraves... and not a lot else!

I think Ailicia Vikander's Louis Vuitton dress for the Oscars was my favourite award season look overall. I loved how different and bright it was, though I am a little biased as my bridesmaids wore this colour on my wedding day! She got a lot of flak for the shape of the bottom of this dress, and to be honest I think I would have also preferred had it just run down smoothly to the bottom, though I still think with this pillowy, billowy effect she still blew everyone else out of the water. With Saoirse Ronan's emerald sparkles coming in a close second. 

Book Review: The Girl on the Train

I picked up this book on a recent work trip to France - I thought it was a great opportunity to really dedicate some time to it, with some flights and some layover time to really keep a fast pace with this much-hyped thriller. Another push to get it read as part of my Spring reading list was that the film is due to come out in October, and stars Queen Emily Blunt, ruler of all mankind. 

This book tells the story of Rachel, a depressed alcoholic whose life is in tatters. She takes the train to work everyday, and in the process of so doing, manages to weave her way in to the lives of a streetful of neighbours. Dark things ensue. (Trying not to give spoilers!) This book was doing the rounds of Booktube and Goodreads and newsletters and there was a lot of buzz surrounding it. It was comparable, in my mind, to Gone Girl, which I had loved, so I was really looking forward to reading it. 

I thought the plot of the novel was well paced, and that the story had enough information, and enough gaps and holes, that it kept the reader engaged and interested. However, as we started to approach the end, it became somewhat predictable. I worried that I had missed something everyone else hadn't, as I certainly didn't think it was as mind-blowing or as unexpected as everyone raved it was. The main characters of the novel were a bit of a bugbear for me, I thought they were all horrid. As lost and as much of a mess as Rachel was, I just found her so irritating that I didn't sympathise with her in any way. Unfortunately, character development wasn't a highlight of this novel at all, I didn't feel like Rachel's character really moved on, even after the twists and revelations came out. 

I enjoyed the writing of this book, and I thought the author did a good job of transporting the reader to this quite dank, dark, miserable everyday English life. The novel felt grey and rainy, and as dark and depressing as it was meant to be. I would recommend this book, I think, but probably after some other books (definitely read Gone Girl which does a hell of a better job of this genre). I hold out more hope for the film!

Overall rating - 2.9/5

Dream Destination: Food tour of India

India is one of those places that I imagine you can drink in the colours, smells, flavours, spices and sounds and get drunk on it all. It's a place that I have a very romantic image of in my head, and a place I would really, really like to visit.

However, there are a lot of reservations in visiting India. D is not very keen on visiting somewhere with such a bad track record on women's rights and with such social injustice and poverty. And I completely see his points. I have heard from people who have visited India that it is actually quite an upsetting place to visit, with lots of problems with begging and generally western tourists being a little ripped off by locals. And then there is Dehli belly....

However, with all that being said, I saw this trip on the Intrepid Travel website, which I thought looked really fun. I think if we did decide to visit India, it would be a trip like this we would take.

From Intrepid Travel

Why India?
In the same vein as Japan, as as China before that, India is appealing to me as it's somewhere so foreign - the like of which I have never visited in my life. Asia is vast and different, and this is just another face of Asia I would like to get to know.

Major cities/attractions:

• Delhi: This tour takes in Delhi, India's capital city. This trip affords visitors trips to the bustling Delhi markets, and visits to ancient mosques. 
• Taj Mahal: This white marble monument is high on my India list, adn this tour takes you there and affords you time to explore the English gardens.
• Goa: Time to visit the exotic beaches and gorgeous seafood restaurants.
• Mumbai: The crown in India's business crown, Mumbai is one of the bustling must-sees of this country.

Taj Mahal

Getting there?

Travelling in October from Dublin-Delhi, then from Goa back to Dublin will set you back about £500 per person.

Getting around?

This tour takes care of all the travel and getting from place to place, and covers internal flights, metro passes, private shuttles, taxi and train.

How long do you need?

This tour lasts 15 days, and has stops in eight locations, which is a busy trip but long enough to get to see all these places. 

When to visit?

Between October and March seems to be the best time to visit this country, though it is so vast that weather systems can be very different in different cities and at different times of the year. 

Non-negotiables?

Goa

Goa and Taj Mahal.

Reading Routine 2016

I spend a great portion of my spare time reading, it is definitely my number one hobby - as you can probably tell if you read this blog with any regularity! I love reading books of all kinds: fiction, non-fiction, history, biographies, all sorts. I also love reading magazines and have spoken previously about Readly - the Netflix of magazines! So fitting in all I want to read on a weekly basis can be a challenge. I will separate this out into books and magazines, to give you an idea of how I try to make sure I make enough time to read everything I want to.

Books
I have spoken about my approach to selecting titles before on this blog - I set a seasonal reading list well in advance. This means that I can take a look at the genres and lengths and fit them into a typical 13 week season. I like to make sure that I have a good range of genres and book types and lengths, this allows me to follow a heavy history book with some light chick lit, for example. So once I set my seasonal list, I put dates beside these based on how long I think it would take me to get through. These dates are then put into my planner and I aim to work with those dates to get through all the books I need, giving more time to heavier books, longer books or classics, and less time to more frivolous and shorter works.

I curl up at the weekend, Saturday afternoons usually on the sofa with a coffee and a blanket, and that's my favourite reading time. In comfy clothes in my own house. During the week, I get about 45 minutes - 1 hour of solid reading done each morning on the train. I always read my book on my morning commute with my coffee, I feel most energised and really enjoy the journey to work.

Magazines
This is a little more complex. This is where my inner planning nerd and my book worm personality meet and they have a huge geeky party, and nobody else is invited because nobody else wants to bloody go.

I have a good few magazines - both monthly subscriptions and weekly - that I have on my Readly app, as well as additional subscriptions the the weekly Economist magazine, its bi-monthly sister publication 1843 (previously Intelligent Life, but recently rebranded) and the monthly National Geographic magazine. I have a set list of magazines for each week, that usually looks something like this (I counted five weeks in my April planner, but this would be over four weeks in months with four, for example):

Week 1:
Weight Watchers magazine
Delicious magazine
Good Housekeeping
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 2:
Olive magazine
National Geographic
Women's Health (UK)
Rolling Stone
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 3:
1843 (half, as this is bi-monthly)
Lonely Planet magazine
BBC Good Food
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 4: 
Total Film
BBC History
Ideal Home
Rolling Stone
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 5:

Fast Company

Cosmo Deutsch

Wanderlust

Women's Running

Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

I tend to read these with a flask of coffee on my commute home, and for an hour or two in the evenings during the week. It's the perfect time to read magazines, as you jump from article to article and it is great for the end of a long work day when your brain is a little frazzled. I also read magazines when I first get into bed, which is one of my favourite times of the day - when D and I cuddle together for 25 minutes and spend time winding down reading our own little things. It is the most relaxing time of the day, for sure. I sit at the start of the week and I will schedule when I will read each magazine in the week, to make sure I can fit them all in.

So there you go, that's my reading routine and how I try to make sure I fit it all in. How do you approach your reading lists? I would love to hear from you :)

Book Review: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

As part of my 32 goals that I have set myself to achieve before I turn 33, I have pledged to read ten classic books. I have a series of goals to reach and a good few of them have a lot to do with reading! Quelle surprise. My track record of classic fiction prior to undertaking this challenge was woeful. I never had spent much time reading classic literature, presuming them above my station, too challenging, and a little bit daunting.

I couldn't have been more wrong. This is the first classic I have read since I started this blog, but it's the second Charles Dickens novel I have read as part of the challenge having read Great Expectations in 2014, and I read A Christmas Carol prior to this challenge.

I was, of course, familiar with the storyline of Oliver Twist prior to picking it up as it is one of those stories that just seems to seep into our collective conscious! I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book, though, even though I had expected to enjoy it, I really, really loved it. Charles Dickens's writing is among the best I certainly have ever seen, and among the best this world has ever seen I would guess.

His characters are so well rounded, complex and interesting. I particularly love the way Dickens writes about Victorian London, in a way I have never read before and the way he transports you there works so beautifully and translates so well to screen.

His portrayal of women at this time was incredibly interesting, giving the reader a feel for how women fit into the society of the time, the irony being Nancy turns out to be the heroine of the piece. He jolts the reader back to reality when Nancy's fate is decided for her. Women take a back seat in Victorian England, whether you have something worthwhile to contribute or not.

I will defintiely be picking up more of Dickens work in the future, Oliver Twist was the fifth of my classics challenge, so I am half way there. I watched Oliver! following reading this book, and I am definitely interested in the BBC series which I can rent or buy to stream on Amazon, I believe.

Overall score - 5/5

WW - Week 1

The first week of my new Weight Watchers plan is complete, and it is safe to say I am still getting to grips with it all. I really am enjoying it so far, and was delighted when I stepped on the scales to a 2.5lb weight loss! Especially as this spanned Easter, and while I gave the majority of my eggs to D, I did indulge a little... tis the season!

Meals this week included some salads, of both the fruit and vegetable variety, and my favourite dinner this week was probably the sesame turkey meatballs in chilli noodle broth, which I have featured on the blog before. For those of you following the Weight Watchers plan, this meal has 14 SmartPoints.

This incoming week, I have some busy weekend plans and a pretty straightforward week following that, so I will continue to get to grips with everything and learn the ropes. The main differences I find in this and Slimming World is that bread is a lot kinder on Weight Watchers than on SW! As is wine, which is welcome :) However, things that had been free before like pasta and rice are definitely more heavily 'penalised' on WW, so that is taking a bit of getting used to.

Week's loss: -2.5lbs
Total loss so far: -2.5lbs
Goal for this week: 1lb

Movies of March 2016

March has been a pretty hectic month, so we were glad to get a couple of cinema trips in to get a couple of new releases, plus a couple of older films that we watched for the first time, and a golden favourite that isn't a first time watch, and certainly won't be a last.

London has Fallen 

This should have been a CGI-fest comaprable with that of San Andreas, which I loved. It. was. not. It was a pretty shameful display of under-par graphics, storytelling and script writing. London is a grey old place, too. 

4/10 

Oliver! 

Having recently read Oliver Twist I am keen to catch all the TV and film adaptations that I can for this book. This was my first port of call. I love old Hollywood a lot, and this quaint little musical is a lovely example of it. Some catchy tunes involved and the old Hollywood feel. Didn't like the deviation from the book though, and I'm really sorry, but the little kid playing Oliver annoyed me a bit. 

6/10 

Inside Out 

Not my first time and not my last time watching this. This is my third time watching this film now, and in my book it gets better with age. It's stunningly clever, heart-warming, funny, emotional and as a viewer you are completely swept up. And the soundtrack is immense. How this didn't win best picture... I don't know. 

10/10 

10 Cloverfield Lane 

I wasn't the biggest fan of the 'blood-relative' (as opposed to sequel) of Cloverfield, this film's predecessor. However this film was very, very good. It was a brilliant mix of tension, drama and you never quite know which way it will turn next. John Goodman was excellent in this film, and the ending sets it up very well for a sequel. I will take more of this, thanks. 

8/10 

Maleficent 

My first time watching this high fantasy Disney film, giving a warm heart to a previously vicious character. I really, really enjoyed this. I though Angelina Jolie (I'm still firmly #teamjen) played the part magnificently, and the picture was a beautiful spectacle. I have also added the soundtrack to my Apple Music playlist of movie scores, and some of the music appeared in my wedding video.. so a little biased. 

7/10

March Favourites

Favourite music:
March has really seen the Centenary of the Easter Rising in Ireland ramp up a gear. TV, radio and the printed media have been covering the event in depth and with a beautiful and mature reverence. I was introduced to a song called Grace in this time, which is an Irish ballad written about the wife of Joseph Plunkett, one of the rebels, whom she married in Kilmainham Gaol the night before he was executed. This cover in celebration of the centenary was recorded in the jail, and is poignant and touching.

Favourite TV show:
D and I have been watching Orange Is The New Black this month a lot. Always late to the party. We are really enjoying its subtle comedy and the depth of character development, while the storyline is a meandering wander, not a sprint - which we've been used to recently! (Following The Returned and Making a Murderer, I'm enjoying the gentle stroll)

Favourite movie:
10 Cloverfield Lane - reviews to follow...

Favourite book
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. (Again, full review to follow..)

Favourite article:
Elton John: The Bitch at Peace by Stephen Rodrick in Rolling Stone, published February 25, 2016. The singer reflects on his career and his meteoric rise to fame, its effect on his long-suffering partner, David, and the feud with his mother.

Favourite moment:
Going to my first ever Ireland rugby game and watching them beat Scotland!

Most proud of:
Making necessary changes and pulling together to get back on track.

And my promotion at work. :)

Looking forward to in April:
I am looking forward to spending a night with our closest friends, for some laughs, drinks and nice food. A spa weekend with one of said friends, to celebrate her getting married soon!

Shifting plan, focus and a little change in direction

This year got off to a roaring start, and I was full of beans raring to go. This momentum has definitely got lost along the way. When I'm off over Christmas, thinking and evaluating and making plans for the goals I want to set in the new year, I sometimes forget how easy it can be to just let real life get in the way of all my grand plans. Recently, things have been extremely busy with a big project and work, and I was away in France on business. Which sounds more glamorous than it is, I promise.

I had a few days off over the Easter break to take stock and see what was going right and what wasn't. And that's when I had a look again at Slimming World. The plan is fantastic, and as I might have mentioned I lost a substantial amount of weight on it a few years ago. My problem is, that I know it so well and so inside out that I was complacent. I also had little niggles about some aspects of the plan, like how much processed food was enabled and encouraged, and they need to haul their ass into 2016 on the technology front!

And last week, I took a look at the Weight Watchers website. I was really, really impressed with their online package, and the look and feel of their website and their tools was just fresh, new and a little exciting. So I made the switch (and was pleased to discover I had made a £7/month saving in the process).

The plan works on (newly-branded, I believe) SmartPoints. You have a certain number of points per day, depending on your personal variables. After this, you also have a certain number of weekly points available to you, for use on the days when you run over your allotted daily allowance. On top of this, you can also convert FitPoints, which you get for completing exercise, into extra points, should you need those. I find the way exercise is encouraged and incentivised much better than on SW, as with WW you are given a certain number of FitPoints to aim for each week, and broken down to each day. Also,  the app connects to your FitBit device, making tracking effortless and seamless.

Being on a new plan is benefiting me in that it has refocused me. I have to concentrate on what I'm tracking and how the plan works, which is keeping me engaged and on top of it. I love the technology integration, I love a gadget and this works very well. The app is just fantastic - take note SW. The cost saving of going with WW is a bonus too.

In the coming weeks and months, I will learn the plan better myself and I'll be able to share my thoughts and experiences (and losses!) with you all. For now, 2016 may start again. And I will check in next week with my week 1 update.

Dream Destination: Mainland Japan

Tokyo

For those of you that have been following this blog recently, you will know that last month I started a new series called Dream Destinations, to allow me to explore locations for that next trip we might take! The next big escape we will plan (once we have our house stuff sorted, please refer to China post if this makes no sense!) will likely be Asia, as neither D nor I have been before and it is right at the top of our bucket list. Having visited lots of places in Europe and North America, it is time to visit somewhere that will be a lot more challenging to get around and a much bigger culture shock, depending on where we go.

Mainland Japan (which for the purposes of this blog post I will call 'Japan') is the next stop on this series, and as it's a little more manageable in size than China I am going to explore the cities right across Japan that can be hit up in one super-trip.

Why Japan?
As some of you might already know, I am a huge history buff and love anything to do with the world wars in particular. Japan's role in the second world war in particular is fascinating and I want to go there and explore what I can on the ground. Tokyo is a huge metropolis that I want to spend a few days getting lost in and Hiroshima is at the top of my list for a visit. I have visions of cherry blossom trees, tea ceremonies, mountains and lakes, bright lights, bullet trains, fast cars and great food.

Major cities/attractions?

Mt Fuji

• Tokyo Old meets new in Japan's capital city, home to over 13 million people.
• Hiroshima This one needs very little explaining, the sight of the devastating nuclear attack by American forces. I imagine it would be extremely surreal to stand in the very place the bomb fell and reflect on the devastation that humans can wreck on one another. 
• Mt Fuji There are a few towns that offer exceptional views of the iconic Mount Fuji, some nice spa hotels in and around there offer guests the chance to soak in natural hot springs with an uninterrupted view of this dormant volcano
• Kyoto Large swathes of this city are protected by UNESCO, as so many monuments and relics in the city have been spared demolition of war and foreign forces that other locations in the country have suffered. 

Getting there?

To get from Dublin to Tokyo around October time will set you back £500 (approx) for each person. However, there are no direct flights so watch out for transfer times in airports as this can really make the journey lonnnng.

Getting around?

A Japan Rail Pass costs approximately £285 per person for two weeks, and it allows the user access to the network across the entire country. Alternatively, if the self-guided touring isn't your bag, there are some good tours including this 14 day trip from Intrepid Travel, which will set you back £2535 per person (excluding flights) and hits up some major headline locations, including Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto.

How long do you need? 

I would anticipate a trip to mainland China would take at least 10-14 days to see it properly and at a relaxing pace. 

Autumn in Kyoto

When to visit?

The weather is kindest to tourists in Spring and Autumn, Spring being the time of year when you get to see the famous cherry blossom trees. 

Non-negotiables?

Hiroshima. 

Ground Zero at Hiroshima

Spring cleaning your home 101

There is a change in the air. The mornings and evenings are brighter and the sun is certainly making itself a little more available. Spring is always a chance to open the windows, clear the air and declutter. Let the winter air out and the fresh spring air in!

With this in mind, here are a few tips and tricks to help guide you spring cleaning in 2016.

1. Make a list.
Putting down on paper exactly what needs to be done can really help you visualise, plan and prioritise. This list will be applicable to every zone, be that an area or a room, and you will start at the top of the list and work your way to the bottom each time - checking off as you go. 

2. Take your time
Spring cleaning involves attacking every room and area of your home, so spread it out. You aren't going to get to it all in one day, so take a month and schedule time for each room or area in the month. So by the end of March, say, all your jobs are done, and it's only taken 1-2 hours out of each weekend and a few weekday tasks that are a bit shorter.

3. Delegate, if possible. 
A problem shared is a problem halved, so get everyone who lives in the house to help out. Husbands, children, heck - pets if you can strap little cloths to their feet.

4. Do a stock inventory before your spring-cleaning-month is here
The weekend before, add any extra cleaning supplies to your grocery list. Make sure you have the right sprays, cloths, sponges, bleaches, wipes - and of course the nice smelly candles for when you're putting your feet up with a cuppa in your sparkling new castle.

ZONES:

Kitchen/dining:

• Oven - clean the inside, take out the internal shelves and either run them through the dishwasher or give them a good scrub in the sink. While this is happening, fully clean the doors. 
• Fridge - take out and thoroughly clean each shelf and drawer. Clean the inside of the fridge and replace all the shelving. Best to do this on a day before you plan a major grocery shop.
• Cupboards - remove everything from each cupboard one at a time and dust and then scrub with water and dry thoroughly all the shelving. Replace items and move on to the next one. Clean the front and back of each cupboard door. 
• Wash skirting boards and hoover or dust ceiling and walls, including any air vents, pictures, mirrors etc. This will remove any dust and cobwebs.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills (and the outside ones if you can brave the cold, I would hire a window cleaner for a professional gleam!)

Living area:

• Wash and dry any cushions covers/throws on the sofa, and if possible have your sofa shampooed/cleaned. 
• Wash and dry any fabric curtains (or have them dry-cleaned) or if you have wooden blinds, dust and wash those. 
• Declutter any old magazines or papers lying around that could be got rid of. 
• Dust and polish all wooden surfaces.
• Wash skirting boards and hoover/dust ceilings and walls.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills. 

Bedrooms:

• Buy new pillows to replace any current ones. I wouldn't say this is necessary for spare rooms or pillows that aren't used often, but for your daily sleeping pillow, I would do this. 
• Wash and dry and curtains/blinds.
• Wash skirting boards and hoover/dust ceilings and walls.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills. 
• Clean and organise your wardrobes - dusting where necessary and clearing out any clothes you no longer wear so they can be donated or got rid of.

Bathrooms:

• Wash every washable surface with bleach or cleaning products. 
• Clean taps very thoroughly, clean shower head and bath taps too. 
• Wash your bathroom bin.
• Clean tiles and grouting. 
• Scrub your bathtub clean.
• Wash and dry and curtains/blinds.
• Wash skirting boards and hoover/dust ceilings and walls.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills. 

Other:

• Organise garage area and garden shed if applicable, dispose of any rubbish appropriately and tidy and organise the area. 
• Dust all doors (including the tops of doors) and shine all the handles. 
• Digitally spring clean - purge your inbox, back up your folders, save your photos. It is a good habit to get into as you approach each new month to save photos and organise them from the previous month. Each three months it is worth ordering any prints you might like to ahve hard copies of. 

How do you attack Spring Cleaning? What's your favourite thing about getting it done? Let me know in the comments below! :)

Recipe: Albodingas, mash and griddled asparagus

I am always on the hunt for a good recipe, that can fit in with the Slimming World plan and is tasty, nutritious and that my husband and I can enjoy on a week night! I found this recipe in an old copy of Slimming World magazine, so it fits the bill nicely.

Albondigas are Spanish meatballs, in a tomato-based sauce. You could play with flavours here and mix in some chillis, chorizo, anything you can think of! I kept this attempt plain and simple.

Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
794 g lean minced pork (though I am using beef)
3 garlic cloves
1 egg yolk
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper
For the sauce:
fry light
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp artificial sweetener
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper

Handful fresh flat leaf parsley

Method:

1. Put the mince, garlic, egg yolk and spices in a bowl and, using your fingers, mix well until combined. Season. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Getting the mince mixture ready

2. To make the sauce, heat a large frying pan sprayed with fry light and add the onion and garlic.
Cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sweetener and paprika and bring to the boil.

3. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. For the meatballs, make small balls from the mince mixture (allow 5-6 per serving). Add the meatballs to the sauce in a single layer and stir gently.

5. Continue to cook over a gentle heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and season to taste.

Bubbling away

6. Serve in warm bowls, scattered with chopped parsley.

While all the above is going on, I made the mash and griddled the asparagus in a dry griddle pan so it charred nicely. (This takes about 4 minutes each side).

The easiest and tastiest asparagus ever

Let me know if you make this - I would love to see pictures. If you are on the SW plan, this is free (aside from any margarine you might put in the mash). Enjoy! :)

Finished product

Book Review: War Horse

For those of you who have been following my blog for any length of time, you will know that I have been on a bit of a mission to swot up on my knowledge of both World Wars. As part of that, I have been trying to bring the era to life through books and films and TV. War Horse was one of those novels that I really wanted to read for that purpose. I first became aware of it, after having seen the stage production on a visit to Toronto. The stage production really blew my mind, the staging was ingenious, the costumes and the way they portrayed these huge beasts and the terror of war on a stage was mind-blowing, I would really recommend it to anyone.

The book tells the story of Joey, a horse who has been sold to a farmer. Joey finds himself being trained to work on the farm, threatened by the farmer who has purchased him. He finds a very loving relationship with the farmer's son, Albert. Joey and Albert are separated when Joey is sold to the army and goes to fight on the front line with British soldiers. In his time at war, Joey fights with the British, is captured and employed by the German army, and manages in an extraordinary twist of fate to find his way back to Albert once again.  

The book is charming, short and lovely, and definitely a children's book. The whole story is told from Joey's point of view, which is lovely. It is WW1 for kids, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, maybe just not what I was after.

Overall score - 3/5

World Book Day 2016

Today is World Book Day - a celebration of literature around the globe. Should it be an international holiday? I think so. I love the traditions that surround this day, people dress up and really get behind the imagination of it all. I thought this would be a great chance on SDWC to really reflect on reading, which is such a huge passion of mine. Why do I love it so much?

There is something magical about reading. It has the power to literally transport you anywhere. I am currently reading Oliver Twist (review to follow soon) and I was really struck by the magic power of Dickens' words during the week. I was sitting on a train, commuting to work, and rolling through the foggy Northern Irish countryside. Except I wasn't. I was on Fagin's coattails as he navigated and trundled through tiny, dirty, dark, Victorian London streets. I was totally there with him. I was in two places at once. My mind was able to decipher these squiggles on a page and simultaneously put me in Victorian London while I was physically north of Antrim. You can time travel to places you would never be in your whole life. It expands your horizons. It's pure escapism. You can be in any story in any part of the world, in times gone by, in times that haven't even happened yet. You can be in space. You can be at sea. All through your eyes and ink on a piece of paper. It is pure magic.

The printed word changed everything. It was fundamental in the development of the world and the human race. With knowledge comes power, and books give people that knowledge. Books are imperative for understanding the world in which we find ourselves. We learn about the past, the future, the present. We become informed, intelligent, and we develop. Hitler's book burning in 1933 has sinister imagery, the image of depriving pep. In 1821, German journalist Heinrich Heine said, somewhat prophetically, "Where they have burned books, they will end burning human beings."

So here's to the printed word, the wonderful stories, the past, the present, the future, the wild, the wicked, the hilarious, the dreamy, the magical, the real, the sad, the uplifting, and the romantic. How will you be celebrating World Book Day?

Spring TBR List 2016

Spring reading - something about those two words that conjures up lovely feelings of new-ness and relaxing. It feels like no time ago when I put up my winter reading list! I have been looking forward to spring and without further ado, let's see what I have lined up for next season's reading.

Spring TBR

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The thriller everyone has been talking about! I am looking forward to reading this and seeing what the fuss is about. I really enjoyed Gone Girl, which I imagine will be similar in vein to this novel. I understand filming has begun for the October release, which I believe stars Emily Blunt. Just one of my idols, no biggie. *faints*

2. 1914-1918: The History of the First World War by David Stevenson
I have actually started this book a long time ago, and it is DENSE. I really wanted to get more knowledgeable about both World Wars, and really knew nothing about the first. So it is fascinating learning all about it. I wanted to make some space in my reading calendar to really get my teeth into it instead of getting only about five pages read in bed at night.

3. Fallen by Lia Mills
Part of getting to know WW1 (and 2 when it comes) is bringing it alive through fiction and film. I have a good few historical fiction books I want to get through, and this one is set in Dublin - merging Irish history of the time with the war-time drama. (In the post)

4. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Part of my 2016 resolutions was to pick up this series and also start watching the TV show - so this will begin in earnest in the Spring with the first installment - A Game of Thrones.

5. The Life and Loves of a He-Devil by Graham Norton
A little light comic relief following the epic Game of Thrones in the form of Graham Norton's memoir. I picked this up in the Kindle store in the January sale for either £0.99 or £1.99 - pennies! So I thought it would be a good fit at this point in Spring. (Kindle read)

6. Little White Lies and Butterflies by Suzie Tullett
Even lighter relief to ease me into the summer months - some relaxing chick-lit. People often look down on chick-lit (even the name of it as a genre has that effect) but when it is written well, there is nothing more relaxing than a nice story, told well. It goes well with a bath, with a glass of wine, or as I am hoping with the creeping temperatures of a lazy summer garden. (Kindle read)

So a mix of chick-lit, non-fiction, historical fiction, memoir, thriller and epic fantasy. A well-balanced season I think! What have you got up your reading sleeve for spring? Do you like to plan your reading? Tell me in the comments below, I would love to know.