Snax

I love ‘SNAX’.

I love the runny egg yoke and brown sauce. The crunch of the tattie scone. The warm energy of the coffee slipping into my being. The mirrors that make Phil admire himself. The red sauce/brown sauce debate with Sharon. The simultaneous drip of yolk from our baps. The cheap and cheerful décor that loves and promotes the city it is in. The posters on the wall. The best music playing anywhere with artists ranging from Ben Folds Five to Blind Melon, from AC/DC to The Beatles. I love the way that this should be just another greasy spoon, but yet when the rain is pouring outside, this is the homeliest place on earth. I love the way that nothing matters when you’re at Snax, and the way that breakfast there just doesn’t feel right without Phil and Sharon.

 

The SNAX mentioned here is 118 Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh

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Oooh Chocolate Weetos

“I’ve moved in with some friends now….the best way I can describe them is, that they are adults who eat cereal at night time.”

-Jon Richardson

There is nothing quite like a PJ day is there? I do love a well earned day where you switch your phone off, ignore everyone, don’t open the curtains and have to do nothing at all.

The thing is, I’ve found that if I leave everything to chance then nothing much ends up happening at all. So, may I advise a list for your PJ day? I have found this be essential to fully appreciate the simple enjoyment of nothingness. If you think that making a plan for a day that should be spontaneous makes it sound less fun – Oh – you could not be further from the truth my friends! I have tried it and tested it. IT WORKS!

Two lists are needed.

LIST 1:

This list is to include films to be watched, which are to be pulled off the shelf and placed into 3 piles on the floor in front of the TV (yes, no and maybe piles.) That way you won’t have to rummage about finding them (or not finding them) in the wrong boxes and argue over what is to be watched on the day. Much less stressful I am sure you would agree.

This list also includes tasks to be completed throughout the day. Well, “This would be asking a bit much!”, you might say – granted that would be the case if these were laborious tasks such as ironing or hoovering. But, no! These tasks should include things such as: laying in (to be ticked off the list upon getting up, thus making you feel like you have accomplished something just by getting out of bed and putting you in a good mood for the rest of your slobby day), face masks and soaking feet. So not exactly a taxing list…but very definitely achievable.

LIST 2:

THE most important list ever. The ‘things to be eaten’ list. My last PJ day list goes as follows:

Cuppa (tea for me, coffee for flatmate)

Chicken wings, Kettle chips and salad

Ben & Jerry Ice-cream (a tub each, preferably Chocolate Fudge Brownie)

Toasted Bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon with a glass of OJ

Quality Street (they needed eating!)

Hotel Chocolate chocolates (freebies! they always taste better)

Crumpets

chocolatey cereal (bought specially for the occasion)

The order is irrelevant, though bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon is a mighty fine way to start any day, especially a day with a list full of nothing to get done.

We derived great satisfaction in ticking off the foods from the list, it was actually quite sad how quickly one of us would reach for the list to scribble off the last food or film. Also how annoyed one would get if the other one beat them to it.

Personally, I believe our PJ day was such a success because of the organised list. We watched everything we wanted to watch, we did everything we wanted to do, and most importantly we ate everything we planned to.

See, lists CAN be fun.

 

For the perfect ending to a PJ day. You really must put on clean PJ’s to go to bed.

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Breakfast!!!!!

“I often take exercise. Why only yesterday I had breakfast in bed.”

Oscar Wilde

Breakfast is something special. If you have the time in the morning to create an edible masterpiece then you know that the day is going to be a good one.

The morning started lazily, waking up with the summer sunlight and just laying there, dozily awake, yet still half asleep…that blissful in between state.

Decked out in pyjamas we mooched our way down to the kitchen to begin mixing the scotch pancake batter.

Now I am going to confess here, for someone who loves cooking, like myself, I have never actually made pancake batter from scratch. (I KNOW, I KNOW! Please don’t judge me from that confession!) But I did make this from scratch and it worked out very well. A little more milk had to be added than the recipe intended but that is what recipes are for aren’t they? To be stretched this way and that, to be adjusted, to be tweaked , to be made to fit for you!

Anyway, back to breakfast! Well, we beat that batter into submission! We oiled a pan, and away we went….and burnt the first one!!!

Yes I know, but I have come to the conclusion that it is the purpose of all first pancakes to be burnt. It is their purpose in life!

After the initial burning, all the rest were just right. I even got a bit adventurous and made banana pancakes. It had to be done, I love the song and so I had to make them. (Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson)

The outcome of this wonderful pancake burning/cooking adventure was worth all the effort and smoke.

We then shared the pancakes out between us, (and we didn’t even fight over them) took handfuls and handfuls of berries…mmmm, berries! Then drizzled real Canadian Maple syrup on the top and watched it trickling down the sides of the raspberries while the pancakes absorbed the remaining sticky sweetness.

Conversation was scarce as we lapped up every last juicy morsel and the day was good.

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