A little update on my life

Woah, these last weeks have been quite crazy. I had my parents with me in London after two years, this was so nice. Especially considering my mom has a phobia about flying and being trapped into means of transports and places, so it was a huge step for her to finally come to see me. She made it. I am proud of her. 

Unfortunately I was ill all the days, but I tried to bring them around anyway since it was something I had been waiting for two years to do. We had fun and I showed them a lot of things but London had to show its worst side of course, so for some reason traffic was awful and the tube was a nightmare. But it was fun, in the end! 

Coming home was a nightmare because I had a freaking cold so landing was painful for my ears and I could barely hear anything at all. It was like being on a bloody Doctor Who episode. I was landing somewhere weird with weird people and weird feelings and... I have to admit the plane noise quite resembled the TARDIS one. :D

Once I got home I had a day to rest because on the night after I had been hired as the Official Photographer and Filmmaker of an amazing show that did a total Sold Out! I had so much fun taking photos and filming footage, plus realizing this is actually my job and I can actually be paid for doing something I genuinely like is... something absolutely amazing I would have never thought I'd be able to achieve. It's a little step towards a dream come true. 

The show was actually a musical inspired to Glee. They talked about great issues like pursuing dreams, relationships with each other, self-esteem and anorexia in a very nice way. They made the audience laugh, cry, think, sing, stand up... it was an amazing show and they were all incredibly talented. I'm proud to have had the chance to work for them!

After this amazing night comes the tough part. Unfortunately, being in Italy means I have to get back to work. As much as I love my colleagues and my job it drains me completely. The rhythm I am compelled to keep to serve all the dozens of people who come into the café is not something I can keep doing. My body just can't do it. This summer I felt awful for 4 months because of the stress and anxiety caused also by this job. I got home and I was angry, hungry, sad but most of all exhausted. Completely exhausted and, when I am, I become incredibly annoying. I an nervous and I snap at everybody because I am damn stressed and worried. I then feel awful because I do and so I dislike myself and I don't like this routine. I am not that person. This situation also kills my creativity, which makes me even sadder. So I'll see how it goes, if it's definitely too much for me - and it might turn up to be so, as I have to work 6 days in a row at this rhythm - I will quit. Money is something it's very very very much needed in my family but it's not worth me going insane trying to force my body to keep up with something he just can't do. 

At the same time I got to see my friends again and we explored the theory behind why the toasted bread always falls on the jam side. After formulas, actual experiments on my floor, tough arguments and weird bets we got to the conclusion that the slice just can't turn more than 180° because of a series of factors I didn't quite understand - damn science! - and we let it go. But I love these weirdos and God I had missed them. 

I have tons of medical stuff to do this month, I don't like it, but I really hope I will enjoy my holiday and find the time to relax, have fun, read and write. I also have a few short films soon to come! Youtube is always a great satisfaction and surprise. It always makes me very happy. 

So... What next? IT'S BLOODY CHRISMAS AND I AM sO exiTeD! I love it. I just do. The atmosphere, the fairy lights, the music, the warm and spicy drinks and... the (possible) snow. AAAAAAAAW.

You? What do you like about Christmas? What's your favourite thing of these last weeks? Let me know in the comments below! It's always soooo interesting to know. :)

Now back to a nice glass of warm soy milk with looooads of sweet honey in it. My night treat. 

Ellie

Apple Heart Cookies

Well, it's almost Winter, isn't it? No? Anyway these cookies are perfect for every afternoon tea when you want to treat yourself without going for some junk food in your cupboard. Then I am quite obsessed with apples, I love them to pieces and apple pastries are my favourites.

Buuuuut, let's get started with these sweet drops from the apple Heaven (they have to go somewhere when we eat them, don't they?).

Ingredients:

100g Butter - Burro
100g Sugar - Zucchero
1 Egg - Uovo
Salt - Sale
6g Baking Powder - Lievito per dolci
220g Plain Flour - Farina 00

1 Apple - Mela
1 tbsp Apricot Jam - cucchiaio di Marmellata di Albicocca
1 teaspoon of butter - noce di burro

Leeeeet's bake this shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!

1) Mix the softened and cut butter with the sugar until the mixture is soft, then add the egg and, slowly, the flour together with the baking powder. Mix it all together with your hands until your dough feels smooth and you can shape it in a ball. Then put it in the fridge covered in cling film for 30-45 mins.

2) In the meantime peal and cut to little cubes the apple, melt the sugar in a pan with the apricot jam and add the apple cubes. Cook slowly or 15 minutes on low heat.

3) When it's time take the dough out of the fridge and make two separate balls. One would be the lower circle and the other one the upper. Take a little piece of dough from the lower circle ball and shape it into a little sphere with your hands. Press it and put it on the baking foil on a tray. Make as many as your ball of lower circle dough allows.

4) With a spoon take the apple-jam puree and place it in the centre of the circles. When done with everyone, do the same thing you did to make the base of the cookie to make the top and place it on the base on the tray, making sure to blend the two doughs together on the edges so that the filling doesn't come out during cooking.

I know, they look horrible, but trust me, they taste amazing!

5) Put them in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes. They will grow, so make sure to mak them distant enough on the tray. Aaaaand let them cook!

6) Sprinkle with some icing sugar and eat them like there is no tomorrow. Like, seriously.

Let me know if you liked them and tag me on Instagram and Twitter if you made them!