Hello loves! I hope you are all well? Welcome to the month of Summer! Are you enjoying summer 2021? Here in London the weather has been very confused. It has been sunshine and showers every couple of minutes!! It is like a tap has been constantly been switching on and off lol
Finally this week has been a little more settled as we are away enjoying our staycation this week.
I always say overcoming anxiety and depression is not easy. I have been determined to push myself so that I am not in my comfort zone, by keeping myself busy so that I don’t have the opportunity to dwell so much on my thoughts. I also talk about my experiences with anxiety and depression, and this too helps me.
Since I have been attending Jung Shim in central London for acupressure treatment and classes, I finally feel at peace and have questioned my thoughts. Allowing myself to stay in the moment and feel my feelings. For me to be a better woman, friend, mum, and individual, I feel the only way for me to move forward with my life is to love myself like I depend on it and try whatever it takes to accomplish my dreams.
I say my affirmations daily, I meditate and practicse the Buddhism SGI chanting and bake when I definitely can!
I find that anxiety in itself is a liar it causes us to fear without ourselves even analysing the facts! We believe our minds and think the worst, when in reality it doesn’t pan out like that, when the moment passes we then think back and say why was I so worried? I tell myself what’s the worst that could happen? I usually can’t think of anything logical and think outside of my comfort zone.
Looking back when Lilly wanted me to make her birthday cake for her 4th birthday. How stressed I was about making it! What it would look and taste like. The expectations we’re real! It had to be perfect I felt! There was a list of requirements for her cake and found everything I needed in my local supermarket.
Anxeity and fear took over when I made the cake I felt so unwell, my own thoughts were against me, I felt like quitting but couldn’t let my daughter down, not my baby. She deserves so much more but, God gave me her so I told myself to keep going. The cupcakes were first out the oven and they looked really good. So proud of how they came out and they tasted incredible! I had surprised myself at how amazing they tasted! At that very moment I knew that my baking and bringing awareness of mental health was something I wanted to corporate, I just didn’t know if I could do it. I had let the fear get the better of me but I continued to keep going. I kept telling myself I can bake, baking I felt was all I had as my daughter’s dad couldn’t stand my cooking. I had found his behaviour very strange at this time, as we had been together for 10 years and my cooking was never a problem before.
From that moment of baking my daughter’s birthday cake, I treated it as though it was my space for therapy. In that moment I released what I had to and concentrate on my present moment. To stay in the present moment is the most difficult but rewarding experience to accomplish.
While I engage in play or time with my daughter or engage in baking I concentrate on what I’m doing. Giving my all by only concentrating on what matters in that moment.
I have to be kind to myself and allow space for me to adapt, not letting the things I can’t change or control get in my way of my daily life, staying calm and constantly analysing my thoughts and pumping positive thoughts through my mind all day everyday.
It is a bit like being your own cheerleader constantly hyping up yourself and loving what you do. Never be afraid to be different and never apologise for being you! Don’t spend time pleasing others if it doesn’t please you first. Baking is something I love, I’m passionate about cake and desserts (not bothered about icing, foundant or cake decorating), but I absolutely love making the cake. It fascinates me how butter, sugar, eggs, and flour can make all types of different cakes and each cake tastes so very different.
I love baking and experimenting with recipes trying flavours and ingredients that I haven’t tried before. A thing I do when baking is use less sugar! I love desserts but it doesn’t need to taste like I’m eating sugar from a bowl!
A quote I found today reads ‘An important thing is that you concentrate on developing yourself.
Whatever others may say or do, those who have established their own solid identity will triumph in the end….
A Japanese author wrote in his novel ‘Rather than worrying about your future, thinking perhaps, I should become this or perhaps I should become that,’ first be still and build a self that is as solid and unmoving as Mount Fuji.”
Vegan Ginger Cake
This recipe is one for Ginger lovers! This has a fiery kick so if you can’t take the heat don’t use too much heat!! You can actually make this with gluten flour so it’s best of both worlds!! This recipe contains no eggs or butter!
The measurements are a rough guide only as I don’t measure but guesstimate! If you feel it needs more of something like flour, then please add more flour.
Ingredients:
350g Plain Flour or Gluten Free Flour
250g sugar Soft Dark Brown
100ml Vegetable Oil
2-3tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
4 tbsp Black Treacle
210ml Water
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp Ground All Spice
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Method:
1. Place all ingredients into a large
mixing bowl using a hand held mixer, mix on a medium speed until all ingredients are combined and has a smooth brown batter.
2. Pour into 8”inch tin lined with parchment paper and bake at Gas Mark 4/ 180c/ 355f for about 35-40 minutes until risen and a cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
That is it loves, a perfect way to introduce you to baking, nothing too complicated with me. I try and make it easy when it comes to baking. People always say they can’t bake! Don’t over think it, just bake it.
All I ask is that you share your version of my vegan ginger cake recipe on social media and tag @mells_desserts.
You are all braver than you think.
You are all smarter than you realise.
You have all got through a storm or two in your lifetime, this one like the others you will overcome it.
Keep going you’ve got this!
You are doing great!
Take care
Mell xXX