best. cheesecake. ever.

I made a cheesecake with  O N E   K I L O  of cream cheese

It was so amazing I don't even want to write about it.

I can describe it in one word  -  H E A V Y !

Besides, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?!

M A R S   B A R   C H E E S E C A K E

310g chocolate biscuits

150g butter, melted

4tbsp brown sugar

40g butter, extra

3 cups cream

3 tsp gelatine

½ cup water

1kg cream cheese, chopped, softened

1 cup caster sugar

10x mars bars, finely chopped

B I S C U I T   B A S E

Process biscuits until fine. Transfer biscuits to a medium bowl, stir in butter. Press mixture evenly over base of 20cm springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

B U T T E R S C O T C H   S A U C E

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, 40g butter and 4 tablespoons of the cream. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes.

C H E E S E C A K E

In a small heatproof jug, sprinkle gelatine over the water. Stand jug in a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until dissolved.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and caster sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. In a small bowl, beat remaining cream with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir slightly warm gelatine mixture into cream cheese mixture with half of the chopped Mars Bars; then fold in whipped cream.

A S S E M B L E

Pour 2/3 of the cream cheese mixture onto the biscuit base in pan. Drizzle over 2/3 of the butterscotch sauce. Swirl the mixture to distribute the butterscotch sauce. Repeat the process with remaining cream cheese mixture, butterscotch sauce.

Refrigerate for 5 hours or until set. 

xx

vulnerability is not weakness

I'm not good at being vulnerable;
showing vulnerability;
or even pronouncing the damn word correctly (if I'm completely honest).

vul·ner·a·ble  (vŭl′nər-ə-bəl) adj.

a. Susceptible to physical harm or damage: 

trees that are vulnerable to insects;

b. Susceptible to emotional injury, especially in being easily hurt: 

a lonely child who is vulnerable to teasing.

c. Susceptible to attack: 

"We are vulnerable both by water and land, without either fleet or army" (Alexander Hamilton).

d. Open to censure or criticism; assailable: 

The mayor is vulnerable to criticism on the issue.

VULNERABLE  =   SUSCEPTIBLE   =   DISADVANTAGE  =  EXPOSED  =  WEAK

Via Instagram  @TheGoodQuote

I blame Beyonce, Christina and Britney for their incessant singing about being a Survivor, Fighter and Stronger than yesterday for making vulnerability seem undesirable.

Their music taught girls (ok.. maybe just me) that we must we must be independent, fierce AND dirrty.

How come no one is singing about the strength of showing vulnerability ?

The raw truth of allowing the world (or even just that special someone) to see you for exactly who you are ?

Maybe if I had grown up with anthems that taught me that vulnerability is what connects one human to another, I wouldn't resist it so damn much!

OK.. probably not.

The walls I have built around me; and the barriers I have created have become somewhat of a joke among my closest friends.



- - -

"Her heart was a secret garden; 
And the walls were very high"

- - -



And whilst it may not be a direct result of singing pop lyrics into my hairbrush throughout my teens (and for many years later) -

My abstinence of vulnerability is real.

We should be teaching young girls that being ambitious, confident and intelligent is not mutually exclusive to showing vulnerability.

We should remind ourselves that closing ourselves off to the world in fear of showing vulnerability prohibits possibility.

We should be making a statement;
And shouting from the rooftops -


V U L N E R A B I L I T Y   I S   N O T   A   W E A K N E S S

xx

my new bff

I don't always get into a tv show.. 

But when I do, I binge watch 500 episodes in one day, 

become entangled in the story line,

and feel like the characters are not only a part of my life,

but my very best friends.

Insert Donna from Suits.

Men want to sleep with her;

And women want to be her.

I want her as my bestie.

The woman just gets me.

Like every time she wears her Sassy Pants.

And how she knows that you can kick ass at work and still keep everybody's secrets.

And the way she just calls it like it is.

And how she knows that ice cream has therapeutic properties.

And that alcohol makes everything better.

Basically, I'm in love with her. 

And she obviously loves me too....

xx