February

Yet another late monthly post - whoops! February has been yet another busy month for yours truly! This month saw semester two in full swing. I'm working hard to keep up with reading and essays this semester so that when it comes to final essays/exams i actually know what I'm doing. HOWEVER, this month hasn't been all work, there's also been a lot of play.


I took a day trip to Alnwick gardens - which to all Harry Potter lovers will be known as the setting for a certain Hogwarts. This was a really good trip and the gardens were a little different to your average stately home. With a number of interesting sculpture water features as well as a poison garden there's a few quite extraordinary things to see. The tree house situated in the gardens is also an interesting feature, containing a cafe and a restaurant. It's also incredibly cute - like something you'd find in a fairytale. Unfortunately the castle wasn't open to visitors at this time of year but this just means I'll have to take another visit.

Whilst in Alnwick we came across Barter Books - a famous second hand bookshop located in the old train station building. You could probably find any book you're looking for in there, as well as a few rare first edition copies. They even have first editions of Jane Austen which I won't lie made the literature student inside me squeal with excitement. Coming in at almost £7000 though this was a little out of my budget! I think the fact it is also in the old railway station gives it a bit of an edge.

This month i've also been working on my Uni cooking. I discovered this tortillia wrap pizza recipe from Lean in 15 which i think is aaaaaaaamazing. First of all i'd just like to say his Instagram account is top notch. Second, this pizza recipe is soooooo good. It's fast, it's easy, cheap and actually pretty good for you. As an avid pizza lover this is a win win for me. You just take a tortillia wrap, spread on tomato sauce (can use chopped tomatoes or any sort of tomato pasta sauce); bang on your veggies; crack an egg and you're good to go. I usually cook mine on 200 degrees for about 15 minutes. This means the egg comes out usually pretty hard but you'd have to play around with this depending on how you like your eggs. Just like any other pizza it's really versatile and your toppings can be literally anything you fancy. Definitely recommend! I've also been trying to cut back on sweets and choc which are my fatal flaw. This means I've been looking for other sweet treat alternatives. Dates and peanut butter are a favourite of mine at the moment. Easy, nutritious and satisfy that craving! I also recommend sprinkling with a bit of cinnamon.

This month also saw my first visit to restaurant and bar chain Revolution - or 'Revs' - as the local frequenters call it. I have to say I was impressed. It's a nice place to go for cocktails that are a bit whackier as well as the classics. My friend has a Rev card and we went on a Wednesday which is half price. This meant our meals were half price and cocktails were 2 for 1. A pretty good deal for students if you ask me! It's quite surprising that I had never been to a Revolution before considering they seem to be situated in most cities.

Lastly, this month also saw yet another trip to the seaside. I love it in all weathers and I am so blessed to live in a city so close by. Even though it's pretty chilly down by the shore this time of year I still appreciate it because it's so beautiful!