Since acquiring a Pinterest account I've come across an insane multitude of recipe ideas. It's a tad overwhelming to be honest. It also means I have no idea what the original source for any of these ideas is. So I apologize in advance for whoever came up with this idea originally. I didn't follow anyone's recipe, I just saw a picture and tried it. And this was the result.

This really is complicated and I wouldn't even go so far to call it a recipe.


First step: obtain a zucchini.
Second step: slice said zucchini into slices.
Third step: lay slices on baking sheet, stick into oven at 200 degrees celsius.
Fourth step: if you have tomato sauce, great! Use that. If not you can do what I did... I was too lazy to make tomato sauce so I took one (rather large) tomato cut it up into tiny little pieces added salt, pepper and garlic. Viola.
Fifth step: cut up tiny, itty-bitty pieces of mozzarella.
Sixth step: take zucchini out of oven, place spoonful of tomato sauce onto each slice followed by a piece of mozzarella.
Seventh step: put it back into the oven for some indeterminate amount of time (it's really not a lot of time- just keep an eye on it)

There you have it.

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So I watched In Time, yesterday... So some of the details may have become partially muddled. Sorry. So as per usual, I would like to start off by saying I really enjoyed this movie. The concept behind it as a pretty fascinating one. Although, I must say I didn't like that they didn't really explain how this might be scientifically possible. As far as I'm aware they just glazed over that detail. And being me, it bothered me for the duration of the movie. Besides that I found it pretty riveting to watch.

It wasn't particularly thought provoking, but I feel like if they had made some effort to explain how any of this would be scientifically possible, it might have been. But because of the absence of the science I just found it to be a very interesting movie, that was fun to watch, and I would consider watching again. I feel like it struck a few similar cords with the Adjustment Bureau, another movie that I also quite enjoyed.

So just in case you haven't watched this movie, and my ramble is not making any sense as a result I'll quickly outline the premise of the movie. It takes place in the future, I don't believe they provide an exact date. In this future everyone stops aging at the ripe old age of 24 (I think it was 24, could be another number somewhat close to that). The issue is, they only have one year after that and then they die. However, if you have money, or rather time, you could theoretically live forever. I'm not going into the plot details here, I'm just going to keep it at this basic concept. The first issue I have is how does the person die? Each of them has a clock and when the last second disappears that person gets shocked and dies. Who is controlling that? What are they dying of? Is it a heart attack? Are these programs that can be shut down? Like in The Matrix. Second, how did (whoever is responsible for this) get the watches onto every person in the population. Is it implanted at birth? Once again, are they programs? Finally, how is it that time can be transferred? How can they live forever? Just getting more time doesn't necessarily mean everlasting life. The older you get the more likely it is that your cells have mutated thus causing cancer, eventually killing you. What about all the other diseases? If someone is 200+ years old, shouldn't they have developed Alzheimer's? Question after question after question.

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I've come to realize that this movie can be looked at in two ways. Depending on the way I look at it, I either hate it or quite enjoy it. I'm choosing the latter option, mostly because when I was watching this movie it was around midnight, so my brain wasn't up for much thought. The first way to look at it is as a plausible future. In that case their has to be some explanation as to how this was possible. If you look at it like that the movie will probably annoy you for the entire run-period. However, if you watch it for what it is, an action movie, it's actually a great time. It's a very interesting concept and it's interesting to see a story unfold within it.

In conclusion if you can shut off the scientist within you watch this movie. Or if your logical brain has already gone to sleep, also watch this movie. If you want to be satisfied by something backed with at least theoretical science, don't.  

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For any of you familiar with the tale of Middle Earth, you will probably be familiar with lembas. The Elvenbread, created by its namesake, for sustenance on long journeys. This rustic bread is given to the Fellowship as it is easily carried, and rich in energy. There have been a number of interpretations as to what these biscuits could be made of, and here is the first attempt of mine. Lembas, are traditionally wrapped in Mallorn leaves, so if you want a truly authentic replication, I wish thee good speed.

Tolkien mentioned in his book, that they are crispy on the outside, and golden on the edges. The inside is paler and softer. They are thin, and contain honey. The rest of the ingredients, have to be implied.

Ingredients

1-3 tbsp. of honey
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
A pinch of salt
4 tbsp. chilled butter
1/6 cup brown sugar (or white if you prefer)
Juice of a mandarin
1/4 cup (almond) milk (you may need to add more, but start off with this)
The rind of that mandarin
A swig of lemon juice
A handful of raisins
Dried cherries or other berries (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
Vanilla extract
1 1/4 flour (white or a half mix of whole-wheat)

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1. Preheat your oven to 220-200 degrees celsius
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and the pinch of salt
3. Knead the appropriate amount of butter in to the mixture, the result should be similar to scones (should be crumbly, a little bit like fine bread-crumbs)
4. Thoroughly mix in the milk
5. Followed by the sugar 
6. Add the mandarin juice and lemon juice (try not to mix too much)
7. Now add all the remaining ingredients, folding them in (again don't over mix) 
8. Roll the batter out, making square shapes. 
9. Bake in the oven for approx. 10 min. 
10. Go on an epic journey and eat your lembas
1. or just have a LOTR marathon 

Credit goes here for the original recipe that I looked at. However, I've made some changes.

Uk Wikipedia "Labeled for reuse"

Recently I've been seeing a number of recipes for "Overnight Oats", it is apparently a new discovery. Well, I'm here to tell you, it's not. The Swiss have been eating what has now been dubbed "Overnight oats" for a long time (I'm not sure of the exact amount of time)... Except, they call it "Bircher Muesli". Which is essentially the same thing, just thought I'd point out, it's been invented before.

Ingredients
Yogurt (greek or skyr if you want to be healthy)
Oats (or ready made buechermuesli mix)

The yogurt 
The sky is the limit on this one, you can essentially use any type of yogurt: however, I do advise trying to match flavours.
Some flavours to consider:
Coconut
Strawberry (probably the most traditional)
Au Natural
Honey (Greek yogurt)
Peach
Chocolate... (I've never tried it)
Stracciatella
Passion Fruit

Optional ingredients
Raisins
Cranberries
Coconut flakes
Apple chunks
Banana
Strawberry
Blueberry
Chia seeds
Almonds (sliced usually)
Flax seeds
Sunflower seeds
Pear
Cherries

Instructions
Really, Bircher Muesli, must be one of the simplest things to make. Chuck everything in to a bowl (I usually use a jar, so I can eat it on the run), mix it together, and leave it in the fridge. Come morning, the oats will have soaked up some of the liquid, and you have yourself "overnight oats". Which I will always call, Bircher Muesli. Enjoy this rather healthy mealtime option (most eat this for breakfast).
Personally, as I'm a raging geek, I like to think I'd bring this on a quest. For the first day at least, as there is dairy, it isn't really advisable to keep it in the sun- unless of course your quest is to get food poisoning.

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Shhhhh. Calm yourself. Breathe. Yes I have only just watched this movie.

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No! Not that one. I don't plan on ever watching that. I'd sooner watch a documentary about a museum. Oh wait. I just did. It was actually really good. It's the one with David Attenborough, where he explores the British Natural History Museum. Check it out sometime. But I digress, as per usual. So today and yesterday I watched the 2011 and 2014 reboot of the Planet of the Apes. Full disclosure, I have not seen any of the other originals, or the other reboot. Which I've heard is absolutely terrible. So I'm staying away from that one. This one on the other hand is absolutely amazing. I was planning on watching only the first and saving the second for another day. Nope. That didn't happen.

First things first, I really- oh wait. Spoilers. Throughout the whole thing. Although, I imagine you've probably already seen it. Most of the population probably has. Well at least the people who want to. Probably even some who didn't. Anyway... Rise of the Planet of the Apes, as the name implies, gives us the backstory as to how the Planet of the Apes arose. Short story short, it's pretty awesome. They take a science route as to explain the comings of these apes, and personally, I feel it worked out swimmingly. The first hour or so of the movie sort of reminded me of the Spider Man origin story: you have a lab experiment that goes wrong, the people involved in whatever happened don't tell anyone else, they then spend the next part of the movie figuring out their powers. So in this case it's a medicine that's being trialed for Alzheimer treatment, the scientist who is working on it is very passionate about it, because his father suffers from the illness. However, something goes wrong and all the apes who were being tested with the drug are put down. Except- there's always and excep -one of the apes was pregnant and her infant son's life now rests on the shoulders of said scientist. He decides to take him home and names him Caesar. And so our story begins.

I'm not going to go through the whole story line here, because, well, that's just a tad boring. Also there are plenty of other places you could go to find that information. Or, and this is a novel thought, you could watch the movie.

I need to acknowledge that Andy Serkis is absolutely fantastic in this movie, the story essentially rests on the shoulders of an ape. And he carries it like the newest Louis Vuitton clutch. Although, to be honest were we expecting anything less? He is after all gollum. My precious. The CGI on this movie is also exceptional, with the apes actually looking like apes. Shocker. But when you look at the 2001 version they don't really resemble real apes. Which is annoying. But in these movies they do. Which is great.

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I've got to say this movie is quite a tearjerker. Actually thinking about it, arguably how his character snaps is very similar to Gollum/Smeagol's transformation. Now forgive me, I'm about to go off on another tangent. But I promise, it will make sense when I'm done. I've always sympathized with the Gollum character, mostly because I can see him change. At some point along the journey with Frodo and Sam Gollum is pushed down and he becomes Smeagol. He genuinely wants to help Master. He does not revert to Gollum because of evil, but because he feels betrayed. I believe his downfall could have been prevented by Frodo. Do you remember the part when Frodo and Sam get captured by Faramir? A little later Faramir calls Frodo to him and shows him Smeagol playing in the sacred pond, or river or something. He then asks if Frodo knows him. They go through their whole Spiel, and at the end of the matter Frodo tells Smeagol to trust master. Which he does, and then Smeagol is rough-handled and captured. That is the point where he reverts to Gollum. Smeagol is once more overpowered by Gollum. He feels betrayed by the only person/Hobbit he can trust. I see a very similar thing carried out in Planet of the Apes. We see as Caesar is captured because he assaulted one of Will's neighbours. Throughout Caesar's stay in this holding place Will comes and visits him I believe two times. Both times he is there Caesar is ecstatic to see him. Both times he asks if they're going home. Both times Will has to tell him no. When Will finally figures out a way to take him home Caesar no longer wants to. Do you see the similarity? Caesar to some extent felt betrayed by Will, he didn't fully understand why Will wouldn't take him home. One of the few people in the world that Caesar trusted. That Caesar loved betrayed him. And that is when his character snaps.

I think that is the most interesting thing in the whole movie, for me at least. Caesar's reaction is so human, so familiar, it makes you feel so much more for his character. So much so that at the end of the movie I was rooting for an ape. No, not the human race of which I am a part of, but a da** dirty ape. So kudos Serkis. Another point, I actually really don't like apes. I love animals, but I've never really held much of an affinity for apes, but in this movie I quite liked them.

I believe that is all I'm going to say about the first movie. A truly excellent movie. Loved it, want to buy it on DVD now. On to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

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I certainly did enjoy the sequel, but I must admit I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. For obvious reasons the sciencey bit of the first movie was absent from the second. Largely because most of the human race and their civilization is no longer in existence. Fun stuff. We still see the character of Caesar who is now the head of a primitive clan of apes, however, Will and all the other human characters from the last film are presumably dead. I didn't all too much mind about most of the characters being missing, but I did like the relationship between Will and Caesar, but I see why he wasn't in it. Their story arc already played out. I really liked the throw-in though of his past when Caesar brings them (some of the humans) to his old house, and looks at an old picture.

One of the things I liked the best about this movie was I kept on thinking I knew where it was going, and then I didn't... When the first humans arrived and then wanted to start up the dam again, I thought it would unfold as Avatar did. And then it didn't. It took a completely different turn on it. I can't say how much I like it when a movie does something I didn't expect of it. I don't really have all too much else to say, other than I also really enjoyed this movie. I would certainly watch it again.

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"Secrets are lies. Sharing is caring. Privacy is theft."

Well being the procrastinator that I am, sort of, I read this book about a month ago. Unfortunately for you, that means I don't really remember all too much about it. I've come to realize with the sheer number of books I cram into my head I tend to forget most of them. Only the really, and I mean really, good ones stay. I should clarify, by really good I mean like Lord of the Rings good. Come to think of it that's one of the few books that my memory has kept largely intact. As for the rest of them, they tend to fade over time... Some more so than others... Excuse me for my tangent, I only recorded it so as to explain to you why this review is likely going to be quite vague. But I imagine, by this point. you're rather used to my vagueness. Also excuse me for this rather shallow review, I realize if I really sat down and thought about it, I would have an awful lot to say: and frankly, this book deserves it. However, as I read this quite some time ago, and only did so for recreation, this is really just a surface review.

So, on with the review! I would like to start off by saying this book is amazing. I absolutely loved it, and for that reason whizzed through it in naught days. Apologies if I don't go into the details, mostly because I don't really remember them... This has got to be one of the most harrowing dystopian novels I have ever read. It makes zombies, kids with burning light shooting out of their hands, The Hunger Games seem like a piece of cake. The reason? The Circle gives us a future that is already unfolding. Of course I'm not saying our society could never have a radioactive spill causing an inescapable dome to encase one town of mutating children, but it's not as real. However, this book uses today as the starting point and looks down maybe five, ten, maybe even twenty years down the line. The point is, the reality we are presented with has already potentially begun. And it is because I can see this happening within my lifetime that makes this book so scary. I'm not going to spoil anything in this review, mostly because I can't, but also because I feel you should read it. Eggars' comments on our society are startling. It really forces you to take a look at your own life and decide where it is heading.

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Probably the only bone I have to pick with it is in the future. I sense one of the reasons why I liked this book as much as I did was because I could see this future as reality. We are mere footsteps away from The Circle. However, if I read this fifty, a hundred, five hundred years from now I'm not sure how pertinent it would be. I certainly don't think it would have the same allure it does today. It's because this reality is so close to where we are today that it scares us, it forces us to examine ourselves and the society we live in. Today. But that is just an observation, there certainly isn't anything that Eggars could have done to change this, nor would I have wished him to.

Finally, the ending really surprised me. Perhaps it won't surprise you, but I certainly wasn't expecting it. To be brutally honest, the ending was tragic. Made all the more tragic by the reality of it.

I guess that wasn't an accurate use of the word finally, because I do have one more thing to say. They're making a movie out of it! So read it before it comes out. I believe it is starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks. So that's kind of cool.


Drinking: Jasmine Green Tea

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First off, I was only really half watching this movie: I was cleaning at the same time. So keep that in consideration. Also because I wasn't really paying attention I don't have an awful lot to say about this movie.
The second movie is very similar to the first. I'm kind of surprised they made a second one, but I actually did enjoy it. Again I don't have all too much feedback. If you want a few laughs, and a good time you might want to give this a try. If you're looking for a mind bending, universe creating epic, this is perhaps not the way to go. But if I have to tell you that then you're probably not going to understand any more thought provoking movies. No offense. Actually, it really annoys me when people say no offense, so I take that back. Maybe I'll write about my disdain for the "no offense" some other time. But for now, if you have some lazy time, I wouldn't say no to a viewing of the Second Best Marigold Hotel.