undiscovered culinary genius.

tonight i totally improvised, and came up with a dish i was so pleased with, that it shall become my new signature dish. so here's my recipe, i'm pretty proud. ENJOY.

Chorizo & Kalamata Olive Penne

Serves 4, I think.

Ingredients:

• 2  chorizo sausage, sliced.
• 3  garlic cloves, crushed.
• 1  brown onion, diced.
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 150g-200g pitted kalamata olives (to taste), sliced.
• 150g sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thinly.
• 150g butter beans (optional)
• 250g grape/cherry tomatoes.
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp ground black peppercorns
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp fresh basil
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• 500g penne pasta
• enough fresh vegetable stock to 'loosen' the sauce as needed.

Method:

1. Heat your frypan and throw in the olive oil. When its heated, throw in the chorizo and stir until the sausage is sealed. Add onion and garlic, stirring for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is transparent.
2. Chuck in the grape tomatoes and stir them in for about 30 seconds, followed by the diced tomatoes. Add in the chilli and paprika, stirring gently for 3 minutes. Gradually add the stock for liquid as needed. Meanwhile, you might wanna boil some water for the pasta, and pick your herbs from your garden, WIN! :D
3. Cook your pasta for around 12 minutes, and once the grape tomatoes are soft, crush them with the back of a spoon into the rest of the sauce. Add anymore stock if necessary, but you don't want it to turn into a soup. Turn down the heat a little so it doesn't start boiling.
4. Throw in the salt and ground peppercorns. Stir them in, but do it gently, especially if you've got beans in there, you don't want to break them. Eugghh..
5. You're nearly done! Drain out the pasta and serve it into bowls. 
6. While the sauce is still on the heat, add in the olives, sun-dried tomatoes and the oregano. Make sure this is done last minute, otherwise it will break down and you won't get the texture right :)
7. Serve the sauce on top of the pasta, garnish with some basil leaves, and presto! Mmm. Effing good.

look at that absolute masterpiece. i'm amazing hey ;D

plastic made dreams.

so, i can't remember exactly where i heard this, probably on the circle, but my god, did it infuriate me. apparently these days, size twelve girls are considered 'plus sized', where modelling is concerned. i'm being serious, google it. 

before i continue to rant, i'm not even going to bother trying to sound intelligent, so this is me, typing as i would any other day. i'm not gonna edit anything i say either. because i'm lazy :D

size twelve, is not, fat. and i'm sick of everyone thinking it is. i wear size twelve pants. yeah, i wear significantly smaller shirts, but i still wear twelves, and the fact is i've learnt to accept that i have a 'ghetto bootay' and move on with life. however, its things like this 'plus size' shit that probably gets to people like me. young girls, who care about nothing more than their outward appearance because we're aware that people are staring at us all the time, and we don't like the judgement we're faced with, from both males and females. this relates back to my 'power of the tongue' (or 'say') rant i had earlier this week, if you'd care to scroll down, but this is the negative side of things.

so whoever started saying this, screw you. 'plus size' is not a pretty word to a normal sized teenage girl. we already have enough shit to deal with as it is. i take pride in my giant legs and wide hips, and i honestly couldn't give a shit what assholes like you have to say about it.

don't tell me i'm unacceptable, or that i'm unattractive just because my hips aren't exactly the same measurement as both my waist annnd my bust. i'm not disgustingly thin like your models, and to be honest, i'm sure both myself and my friends, are far more attractive than any of those arrogant, catwalk bitches.

i'd laugh if some designer was looking at this.
ah yes, i can hear the whispers now;'what a fat bitch.'
yep. i really am.
deal :D

THANKS :D

in other news: i really dig this song. emma watson is a lucky woman ;D

warning sign.

oooh yeah :)

blah.

oh, such beauty.

Jessica. says: (12:26:23 AM)

i cant help it if i'm closed off :P

Genevieve says: (12:26:41 AM)

I wish it was clothes off ;D     

say.

Words. Some larger than others, some smaller, but even the smallest of words can have the biggest impact on the people we are, and the lives that we lead. Going to a Christian school, you tend to hear the words 'the power of the tongue' used a lot. I whole-heartedly agree, the tongue does have amazing power, but people never really focus on the good side of it, or how it can fix the brokeness it's caused. Just how harsh it can be.


It's funny how some of the hardest sentences to say are the shortest and simplest, containing only three simple syllables.

'I'm sorry.' 'I miss you.' 'I love you.'

I suppose it's because these words are packed full of such meaning, and as a result of this, sometimes a risk has gotta be taken to put it out there. When apologizing, maybe we feel we're losing our pride or sense of self. When saying we miss someone, are we admitting that we're weak because we can't get by without them? When saying I love you, I suppose we're jumping into the deep end, and whether we sink or swim is dependent on the response of the other person.


Not saying what you need to say takes it's toll on the soul, i've noticed. Whilst the result of what you say may not be desirable, it truly is better to say 'too much', as long as you've said what you needed to. It's just getting over the fear of the response. Getting out there, and seeing where you go. The unknowns kinda fun anyway.


I always put off saying what I need to say, and I think in my case I do it because I'm a little self conscious, if I'm honest. I think today I've decided that if things are meant to work out in the end, they will, and maybe not how you expect, but you'll always get by.


So go and listen to this song that's been following me all day. John Mayer and yes I know, I reference him all the time, but I just love him. Haha.

Take all of your wasted honor

Every little past frustration

Take all of your so-called problems,

Better put 'em in quotations

Say what you need to say

Walking like a one man army

Fighting with the shadows in your head

Living out the same old moment

Knowing you'd be better off instead,

If you could only . . .

Say what you need to say 

Have no fear for giving in

Have no fear for giving over

You'd better know that in the end

Its better to say too much

Then never say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shaking

And your faith is broken

Even as the eyes are closing

Do it with a heart wide open

Say what you need to say

'

angus.

gonna take her for a ride on a big jet plane.

split screen sadness.

wow. i'm really lonely tonight. and my back really hurts. everything turned to shit after i dropped all my friends off.

ah well. i'll just sit here and listen to john mayer. mmmm. x

ten.

my top ten favourite songs. ever. 


ten. 1901. phoenix. dance city.
nine. brothers on a hotel bed. death cab for cutie. always loved it. always will.
eight. skeleton boy. friendly fires. reminds me of one of my favourite days.
seven. fader. the temper trap. have you even heard it? woah.
six. careful. paramore. preach it.
five. politik. coldplay. all my favourite genres shoved into one song, and in my favourite key. yeah.
four. dindi. jobim (performed by astrud gilberto). my favourite bossa.
three. with everything. hillsong united. gives me shivers.
two. naive. the kooks. the first song i ever heard by them. its been quite a love affair since.
one. north to south east to you. jonathan boulet. i love the words. i love the tune itself. i'd marry it.

i really should've done a top twenty.

knot.

knotinmystomach.

knotinmystomach.

knotinmystomach.

knotmovingintomychest.

i'mscaredofthismonth.

goawaygoawaygoaway.

idon'tevenknowanymore.

ihavetoomuchtosay.

buticantbefucked.

ohbloodyhell.

yep.

i'm a sinner.

if you read this little page of mine regularly, you'll be aware that i'm a devoted christian. however, i know many devoted christians under other denominations of the faith whom have a totally different approach to their relationship with god than me. i don't know how controversial this is going to sound to these particular groups, or anyone for that matter, but i'm about to share my true opinions.


today for some reason, i've decided that it may be a good idea for me to write a book. if you know me, you know i'm not a massive fan of writing or literature, but i believe i have some good and valid opinions that i would like to share with other christian teenagers. 


the fact is, so many other christians i know are very 'old testament' to put it simply. following a set of rules and restrictions that are taking over their lives to the point that they aren't acting like teenagers anymore. they're so caught up in this world that they are unable to even understand why it is that other teens act as they do and think as they think, and their minds appear to be closed to the outside world. once they grow up and head into the 'real world', they'll find it so big a shock that it will slap them in the face. this probably sounds a bit judgemental, or maybe even a little self-righteous, but i just believe its the truth.


i think its so sad when people are in this mindset. so what do i believe? i don't believe in sticking to a set of guidelines like i'm going to be killed if i screw up. no. i believe in a relationship with god, i believe in the restoration and forgiveness of jesus, and i believe in loving others. however, i'm sure many people will testify that i am most certainly not a model christian.


heres what i'm guilty of. i'm guilty of lying. i'm guilty of cheating. drinking. bitching. fighting. swearing. hatred. lust. envy. being incredibly lazy. pretending i'm someone i'm not. and probably so much more that i can't think to write right now. but i tell you what, none of it matters, because god still loves me regardless, and as long as i can admit my mistakes and ask god to forgive me, its all okay.


i also don't think there is anything wrong with questioning the christian faith, no matter how long you've been a 'follower' for (and i use that term loosely). its okay to wonder if gods really there sometimes, its okay to ask him 'why?' about whatever it is you're thinking. i think questioning things proves you have an open mind, or at least to an extent.


(on a sidenote, i found this song today - in that little youtube thing there. haaah.  its not really my style of music, but i've been through this in the last week, and i pushed through just the same. yay.)





i just honestly believe that christian leaders/adults need to stop pissing around and deal with real issues that are facing the youth of today, not last century. yes, theres been a massive rise in underage drinking, use of illicit drugs, petty crime, 'not so petty' crime (hah), flaunting of homosexual behaviours like its a trend, teenage pregnancy, bullying in schools, over the internet and via text messaging, sexual sin and so on, but i don't think its right of us, as christians, to ignore these issues like they simply aren't there.


before i get critisised, can i just say that i do not have a problem with people of other races, homosexuals, drinkers, whatever. people are people. i refuse to be awful to people because they're different. what i won't stand for is christians being ignorant, telling people they're going to hell for these things like thats the end of it. 


my book will be something about 'real jesus for real young people'. there'll be no fancy words/"religious jargon", no judgement, no criticism of anyone. it will be about facing those issues realistically. everyone goes through something big in their teen years, but christian youths seem to struggle more than others because they can't deal with the shame of their churches that comes with it. i'll focus on how to get out, and making a positive from the negative. finding your plan in god, your spiritual gifts, and moving forward. well, if i ever get around to writing it anyway. 


if you've read this and felt condemned or offended by what i've said, or you've felt like i'm shoving my opinions down your throat, i'm really sorry. but this is just how i view the christian faith sometimes.

its not about an image. its not about being perfect. its not about being more pure than another. its about JESUS.

its time to face up to the fact that we're all people, and stop pissing around like we're all perfect.

we're not perfect, but jesus is. and through him, nothing is impossible.