The birth of a blog!

Well, hello there, darlings!

Welcome to my newest foray into the internet - blogging! I was sat down in the university library today, banging out an essay on linguistic semantics, when windows word processor asks me very sweetly if I would like a new page, or a new blog post. Now, I am nothing if not a stranger to reading blogs (many exciting posts from schoolfriends, various shabby-chic queens and of course "stuff white people like" have all been trawled in the wee hours), but it was the first time I had considered writing one of my own! And so I set to, and here we are - at Eloise-Likes-Food.blogger.com. I'm Eloise, by the way - and I'm very much a foodie. I'm currently studying French and Linguistics at University in Scotland, loving every moment of it. Well, I say studying - what I mean is that I write essays when I'm not surrounded by cookbooks trying to work out what will satisfy my current craving - be it a snack or a full-blown meal. (Despite working in a charming little coffee shop, I also try to do this on a budget - leftover pocket money for yet more cookbooks and things of the glittery variety, you see.)

Perhaps this blog could be seen as a long time coming - I realised a few weeks ago that since moving into my flat and having a beautifully fitted kitchen, that putting it to use was a worthy pastime. I was further inspired to domestic goddess-ness by the unearthing of my Nigella Lawson cookbooks, (Nigella Express and the aptly named How to be a Domestic Goddess) and all the newspaper and magazine cut-out recipes I get on a weekly basis from my mother - who also shares my love of food.

I hasten to add that I am not a glutton, although you'd be forgiven for thinking it, coming from a food blogger! No. There is much more to food than simply the eating thereof - shopping for the ingredients, assembling them and having some "kitchen-therapy", as well as entertaining friends over the weekend, or having a lazy, yet satisfying breakfast; knowing what to do with leftovers, and knowing what can be salvaged all combine to make good food not only enjoyable, but a wonderful way of life.

Now, this is an unformulated thing - updates will be sporadic, I warn you, but hopefully each time I post I'll have a few anecdotes and recipes to match. They may not be all my own creation, but there will usually be variations therein. Enjoying good food can't always be done on a budget, but I'll make amendments where appropriate! I truly hope you enjoy reading as much about the food I make as much as I know I'll enjoy writing about it.

I'll leave you with a personal recipe for this evening. This was something my mother used to make back in the days when I couldn't be trusted with the tin of golden syrup when making warm milk before bed; the ration of syrup to milk would be horrifying, I assure you.

300ml milk (whole or semi-skimmed work best)
1x 15 ml tablespoon of golden syrup
Sprinkling of cinnamon, or a cinnamon stick for stirring.

In a small pan, gently warm the milk (you don't want to boil it, it will smell eggy and unappealing) and slowly add the golden syrup, stirring until the tablespoon you dollop it into the pan with comes clean. Add the cinnamon to taste, and once you deduce how hot it is, pour it into a large mug and stagger off to bed. I discovered the grown up version of this the other day, when Prudence placed a bottle of Sailor Jerry rum beside me, and I had the mind to add a slug. The vanilla and lime flavours are delicious with the cinnamon and it makes a good night's sleep all the more attainable. Try this yourself and you'll see what I mean: sweet dreams in no time.

Ironically, I am being called away by food - dinner is upon me and I shall deliver my mother's tomato pasta sauce to you in no time.

Til then, keep warm, full and happy!
Love,
Eloise xx