On Charity Shops and Treasure Finds

I feel as though charity shops (or thrift stores, if you’re not from dear old Blighty) can be a bit of a dividing subject these days. When I was younger, at least, it used to be that buying from them was frowned upon: you weren’t cool, or wealthy enough to buy things from regular shops like a normal person. The kid with the thrifted shirt or shoes was consistently shunned by their playground cohorts. It just wasn’t the done thing to admit that you frequented your local Oxfam.

Meet Nigel. He cost me 50p.

I like to think we’ve all grown up a bit since then. Today, though, it’s sneered at for another reason altogether. It’s automatically associated with hipsters. You know, those arrogant try-hards who’s shallow re-appropriation of emblems from a time gone by is assuredly ironic.

But you know what? Either way, I still love charity shops. And I’m going to try my best to explain why. It probably stems from my obsession with all things kitsch and vintage. I’ve always secretly loved swing music and vintage styles of dress and makeup. There’s something endlessly fascinating about pouring over old photos, or listening to old music, and learning about something vibrant and real that came before you. And it’s in no way a crime to want to recreate that for yourself if you’re so taken by it. In fact, it’s hardly surprising given that modern life can be so stressful and difficult.The swinging 60s or the roaring 20s did not and does not belong to any one person. So who’s to say they can’t come to symbolise something far removed and isolated from your current concerns - something wondrous, engaging, and pristinely preserved? Is re-appropriation really that much of a heinous act?  Well, if it gives you joy, it gives you joy.

With this in mind, it’s fairly obvious that rummaging through clothes racks or scouring the shelves for a physical link to the past can be a bit of a thrill. Most shopaholics will happily tell you that finding the perfect item and making the transition from discovery to purchase is a thrill in itself. The difference here is that, often, with charity-shopping, it feels like a discovery with a capital D.

I got this teapot for £1. I can’t decide whether it says more about my infantile, whimsical nature or my inability to function without tea. Or rather, I can’t decide which of these issues needs addressing first.

These items all have a rich, untold history. More than likely, if they were mass-produced, they’re not being produced at all anymore. They’re scarce - dare I say, rare, even. And you’ve unearthed them just in time. A dress, a teapot, a record, a book. They all suddenly become treasure finds. Maybe you don’t have a particular penchant for any of those things, but if, on the off-chance you do, that is where the thrill lies. Materialistic or not, these things can evoke a sense of nostalgia for an era we’ve never directly experienced but have always longed to. They’re magical little relics, and reminders of those who came before us. And you get to breath new life into them, usually at a bargain price and whilst donating to a charitable cause.

So there's my first little public rant done. I’m okay with spending some of my free time in dusty little corner shops and foraging for vintage trinkets. Let them scoff, because I know why it is that I love it so much. And if it brings you joy, it brings you joy.

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Cheesecake (Topped with Fresh Blueberries)

It's not even been a week and I've been baking again already! What can I say, nothing gets between a woman and her craving for dark chocolate. And hey, who doesn't appreciate a good cheesecake? So, I thought I'd share this fairly simple recipe with you - two birds, one stone.

A deliciously rustic looking dessert (or maybe that's just because I had to use my phone camera for this one). Oops!

Ingredients

• 150g of digestive buscuits
• 50g of butter
• 150g of dark chocolate
• 110g of caster sugar
• 200g of cream cheese (I recommend Philadelphia, nice and simple!)
• 120ml of whipping cream
• Roughly 1 tsp of cocoa powder
• A handful of fresh blueberries

Fresh, juicy blueberries compliment the bitter chocolate and cocoa powder perfectly.

Instructions (approx. 2 hours to make)

•  Crush the digestive biscuits (you can do this with a rolling pin or by hand) and melt the butter over a low heat. Mix the crushed biscuits and melted butter together in a large bowl with a tablespoon of your caster sugar to form the buttery base for your cheesecake.

• Press the mixture into a 7 inch cake tin - preferably spring-loaded to make popping your finished cheesecake out later much easier - making sure that the surface is as flat/level as possible - and then place it in your refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

• Melt the chocolate over a low heat (mixing it with a spoon as you do so to ensure that there are no solid lumps left) and then allow a few minutes for it to cool.

• While you are waiting for the chocolate to cool, mix the cream cheese and remaining caster sugar together in a large, clean bowl and set it to one side.

• Slowly add your 120ml of whipping cream to the cool, melted chocolate. Mix the cream and melted chocolate together thoroughly.

• Add your melted chocolate and cream mixture to the bowl containing the mixed cream cheese and caster sugar. Fold both mixtures together thoroughly until it is of a thick and silky ganache-like texture. Your cheesecake filling is done!

•  Take your chilled base out of the fridge and spoon your filling on top of it. Use a spreading spatula to help spread it out evenly (right up to the edges of the tin) and smooth it off for the sake of presentation. Place your cheesecake back into the fridge and leave it to set for 1 more hour.

• Carefully pop your cheesecake out from it's cake tin and place on a level surface before adding the final touches.

• Sift no more than a teaspoon of cocoa powder through a sieve (or tea strainer, if you have one to hand), covering the top of your cheesecake. Then take a small handful of fresh blueberries and scatter them across the top, as well. (You can lightly press some into the surface to help them stay put, if you'd like).

• Serve and enjoy!

If you tried this recipe out, let me know! Or, if you can think of a topping that would work even better than blueberries (I'm just a sucker for blueberries), why not suggest it?

Recipe: Chocolate & Cinnamon Toasted Hearts

This is the perfect recipe for a romantic breakfast in bed this Valentines Day. It's simple, quick and super cute!

Something to tickle your sweetheart's sweet tooth!

Utensils 

 

• A heart shaped sandwich cutter (cookie cutters can also be used if needs be, but sandwich cutters provide a much neater finish).
• A frying pan
• A pastry brush (optional but very much advised)
• A knife and fork
• A clean mug or bowl
• Tongs

 

Ingredients

 

• 2 slices of bread minimum (this can be whatever kind of bread you prefer or think would work best, but I used regular white bread. You may need more depending on the size of your cutter and how many toasted hearts you want to make).
• Chocolate spread
• A pinch of cinammon
• 1 egg (medium or large)
• Cooking oil

Mmm... yummy!

 

Instructions

 

Step 1

 Begin by using your cutter to cut the heart shapes from your bread. Do this in pairs, making sure that you have an even number.

Step 2

Use the chocolate spread as a filling between each pair of hearts. (Spread it evenly with your knife and then press two hearts together to form a sandwich - be sure to repeat this for each pair you have cut).

Step 3

Crack the egg and whisk in the bowl or mug of your choice with a fork. Now add a pinch of cinnamon and whisk until everything is thoroughly mixed together.

 Step 4

Dip your pastry brush into the mixture and lightly coat both sides of each sandwich with it. (If you don't have a pastry brush, you can carefully dip the sandwich itself into the mixture, but be very careful not to let them go soggy!)

Step 5

Pour a dash of cooking oil (not too much, just a tiny amount!) into your frying pan and let it simmer over a medium heat for a brief moment before popping in your heart sandwiches. Use your tongs to make picking them up easier, and make sure to cook them on both sides until golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!

How To: DIY Vinyl Record Storage Bowls

Here's a really simple way to create storage on the cheap and breath new life into something at the same time!

I stumbled upon this idea whilst rummaging through my local charity shops a few weeks ago. It's simple and quick to do, and the result is pretty interesting, as well. So, without further ado...

You will need:
• A vinyl record (I find that 10 inch works best, as smaller records tend to just warp instead of taking on the shape of your bowl)

• An oven

• An oven-safe bowl (the ‘taller’ your bowl, the better, - or, if you'd like to make your record into a 'dish' shape instead, a shallower bowl would be best)

• Oven gloves

• A sharpie or similar marker (optional)

Step 1 

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius and chose your record while you wait. Check on E-bay first, just in case you do something sacrilegious and ruin a classic (As a side note, I do apologise if anything by Slim Whitman is a masterpiece in your opinion, but at least it’s not just sat around collecting dust anymore!)

Step 2 

Turn your bowl upside down, and place your chosen record on top of it, in the centre. This will help the record to take on the ‘bowl’ shape once it begins to warp.

If you want to be more precise with this step, you can mark the centre of your upturned bowl with a sharpie (or something similar) first, so that when you come to place the record on top of it, you have a guide to help you align it through it’s hole in the centre.

Step 3

 Carefully place your bowl and record in the oven and leave for about 1 minute. It shouldn’t take long - if you have a window in your oven, you can watch it take shape, if not, keep a close eye on the time.

Step 4

 Using oven gloves, take your bowl and record out of the oven. Don’t separate them just yet - quickly place them on a safe surface and, whilst wearing your oven gloves, press down on the record around the bowl and wait for it to cool. Alternatively you could push a larger bowl than the first down on top of it and leave it to set that way.


Once the vinyl has set, you should be left with your DIY record bowl! Each one should turn out a little differently. They're not the neatest looking things and they might not be to everyone's tastes, but if you're feeling thrifty, give it a go!