The Nourishing Your Soul Challenge: Days 2 + 3

Hello lovely lovelies!

I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. It got late and I was tired and ill and blah, blah, blah. Anyhow, as part of my second day of soul nourishing I decided to cook! I love, love, love to cook. It's a rare treat for me to cook anything I like, living on a student income. And I just love cooking with apples.
Apples are often considered symbols of love and godliness! They taste sweet, light and crisp. I don't know what could be better to nourish my soul (or my stomach) than cooking apple pastries. I felt it only fair to share my recipe!

To make for two people you need:

• 6 ready rolled filo pastry sheets, 3 sheets per person (You can do this with puff pastry and not make parcels. Both ways taste just lovely.)
• 3 cooking apples
• Golden caster sugar
• An egg
• Some salted butter

I also added some seasonal spices to give it a Christmassy edge. These are optional though, the pastries taste just as nice without them:

• A half or whole teaspoon of cinnamon (dependant on personal tastes)
• 2 cloves per apple stewed
• A little bit of ground nutmeg

Ok! So now for the instructions. I'll make them as brief as possible. It really doesn't take as long as it might seem.

• Peel, core and quarter 2 of the apples and plop them into a pan of water and lemon so they don't brown as you go.
• Chop them up a little more and place them in another pan over a high heat with a knob of butter and 2 tablespoons of golden caster sugar.
• Chuck in the cloves now so the flavour soaks into the apple.
• The apples will gradually break down and turn lovely and mushy. Chuck in the cinnamon and nutmeg. Add sugar and butter to taste if you like. It's a very experimental recipe and all up to you!
• Peel, core, quarter and thinly slice the last apple. Pop that in the lemon water too for a while.
• Unroll 3 sheets of the pastry and scoop half of the stewed apple into the middle. Lay some of the sliced apples on top and sprinkle with a bit more sugar. 
• Fold one corner over the apple and brush the folded corner with egg. Repeat this for all of the corners and sprinkle the whole thing with a little more sugar.
• Put in the oven at 200 degrees C for 10 minutes then check it. It might need more time in the oven but just keep checking.

Serve with cream and enjoy!!

As for day 3, I've lapsed. I'm baaaaad. I'm not feeling well today so my soul nourishing activity has been to sleep! And sleep I shall.

Lots of love and good night!

xxxx Aria

Here's some pictures!

Waiting, wishing, washing.

Hello all!


As the title suggests I am doing 3 things today!
The most mundane and boring being the washing. Not that any of you wonderful peeps really cares that I have a mountain of washing to do but there ya go :D


The waiting refers to a number of things. I am waiting for my nommy, baked sweet potato to be ready so I can totally chow down on it! I am also waiting for aforementioned washing to be done so I can hang it out to dry. 
Aside from that I've gained this crazy sense of empty. I feel like I'm waiting for something to happen. I have plenty to do but with my recent string of, seemingly, bad luck, I can't help but feel a little hopeless.
I've mentioned in my previous posts that I had received an unwelcome diagnosis (though at least I know what's wrong now). I feel comfortable enough to now tell you that I've been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Until they do more tests (going for a scan on Saturday) they won't know how bad it is or how to treat it. There are a lot of implications. The two that have hit me hardest are that I may always have acne and that I may have real difficulties having children.
Whilst the acne appears to pale in comparison to the not having children part, it is something that makes me feel ugly and unattractive. I have low self-esteem as it is and finding out that as I grow up the things that "make" me ugly won't go away has knocked me for six.
As for the having children, I have always wanted a family. I know it's a bridge I'll cross when I come to it but I'll feel like half a woman if I can't have kids!


Sorry this is such a downer post but I really need some loving and holding up. The people who should be supporting my aren't and I'm finding that difficult.


The wishing part...well. I wish the PCOS would go away, I wish my family would be a little kinder, I wish everything would come together nicely.

Just let go. Of inhibitons, fears and expectations.
Allow yourself to just be.

But I've got to take what I can get. I have a wonderful partner and his family are amazing. I have good friends and I have a lovely support network online too.
In fact, here's my latest art entry! It's all about letting go of what holds us back from just being and doing!


I really hope you enjoy it. Love you all
xxx Aria