i could make you smile, in the morning i'll make you breakfast

First, let me use a lyric from Staind's damn-that-holds-up-well-there-goes-my-snide-attitude 2001 song It's Been A While to ruefully acknowledge that I haven't posted on this blog in some time.

It's been a while. 

In case you've been living under a rock, a metaphorical rock that represents your own sufficiently full life with its own things that you are perfectly entitled to focus on instead of me (but hey! Me!) here's your "Previously, in HungryandFrozen! The Musical: The TV Series" intro before I go any further. In my last blog post I'd already come out and broken up with Tim (a sad side-effect of being gay: really can't marry that guy. A positive side-effect of being gay: I'm gay!) And now to add to that I've moved into a new house and also quit my job. 

The last thing happened for a number of reasons (most of which were along the lines of "it's not you, it's me") but really crucially because I want to focus on my writing and my cooking and My Cookbook, which I just haven't been able to do to even a squillionth of the level that I'd like to be. I say this a lot, but like, having my own cookbook published is one of the most incredible things that has and can ever happen to me, and sometimes I forget I even have it, because I just don't get to think about it or promote it or talk about it or even just write about food in general. So if anyone out there has some cool part-time work (I'm good at marketing and sassy group emails, bad at lots of things) that they feel like letting me know about, I can't recommend myself hard enough. Like, my last day is really soon and I have no idea what I'm going to do. It could very well have been a really stupid move, I mean, I need to pay rent and I can't assume I'm going to just land on my feet, but...it felt right. So that's where I'm at. 

This recipe is really simple and I know people have been talking about Bircher muesli for ages, but I'm not trying to claim any authority on it, more just like...this is what I made for breakfast and the light was all dreamy and it was delicious and you could make it too. The push in this direction came from my sweetness-y friend Charlotte, who in turn got it from her friend Kimberley, and it sounds like it has evolved along the way with each new person's bowl that it's made in.

Oats though: so filling, so good for you, in ten minutes I'd undoubtedly eaten more healthy things than I ate all of last week. Hand on heart, it is one undeniable heck of a pain to remember to make it the night before, but if you get into a routine or put a reminder on your phone or tape post-it notes everywhere (Trab Pu Kcip springs to mind) you should get there. I actually made this at 2am and it was totally do-able. I was completely sober, I'd been knitting and watching TV shows and tidying my room and it was all of a sudden really late to be doing such activities. I was just drifting off to sleep when the thought of Bircher Muesli jolted me awake. Eventually I sternly told myself to get up and make it because damn it I'm a food blogger and an adult and as ever, think of how happy you'll be tomorrow when you get to instagram it in the swoony morning light. And also eat a nice breakfast. So I did.

how i made bircher muesli

3/4 cup rolled oats
grapefruit juice
thick plain yoghurt
an apple (I used a variety called Smitten because damn that's a cute name)
pumpkin seeds
pinch salt
Any other bits and pieces: coconut, nuts, dried fruit, so on. I used a handful of this preloaded "raw mix" or something from the bulk section at the supermarket, it has coconut and sunflower seeds and like three goji berries per kilo so they can throw an extra two dollars on the price.

Before bed, place the oats in a bowl and cover - just - with the juice. You can honestly use any juice you like here, apple is standard but I both had and like grapefruit. I also mix in a heaped spoonful of yoghurt at this point - I like to think it helps make the oats particularly tender. Grate the apple into the bowl and stir. Go to bed.

The next day, stir in a pinch of salt (if you forget this bit, that's fine - I just do enjoy my sodium) pile on some more thick yoghurt, sprinkle with whatever bits and pieces you like, and there you have it. Breakfast. 

The oats swell and almost dissolve into the liquid, becoming much lighter than you might anticipate. Their mild beige flavour is perked up by the tart yoghurt and bittersweet grapefruit, with little bursts of apple and the soft crunch of nuts making it less like obligation-paste and more like an abundant bowl of serene joy.

Moving out of my old flat was nonstop exhaustion for every particle of my body, and I'm going to miss it. But I love my new space and it has that same happy-to-be-here haven feeling as the old one. And my new flatmate Caroline made donuts from scratch on Friday. I think that's almost more important a factor than living with someone who pays rent on time.

See? Instagrammable. I was barely even trying with this one. 

In case you're like "yes but Laura say the word gay again and also talk about yourself some more" (I don't know, I say this to myself a lot, it's plausible you might too) I was recently lucky enough to have a piece published on The Wireless about coming out. Lots of people said lots of nice things. I felt both brave and like I was hardly worthy of the word, which I guess is actually how many of us feel about small and large things in our life. Mostly just glad though.

So anyway, now that I'm finally 100% completely almost unpacked, you can anticipate, with earnestly shining eyes and earnestly clasped hands, a lot more blogging from me.

PS: Speaking of significant things happening in my life, the Pretty Little Liars season finale, what whaaat? If there are any fans of the show out there who want to talk about theories and character development and representation of women and shiny shiny hair then hit me up. Because I can talk about this for days. Can I put that on my CV?
_____________________________________________________________
title is from: Siren Song by Bat For Lashes. It's gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. As per usual with that one.
_____________________________________________________________
music lately: 

Donde Quiera Que Estes by Selena featuring Los Barrio Boys. The first 20 seconds are unpromising but then it gets soooo good. And what I'd give for Selena's fringed leather jacket. 

Darlin' by Emily Wells. I love her record Mama so much. I got to meet her in New Orleans and we joked about fizzy drink and kombucha (I'd never even tried the latter but was hoping for the best.) The song is still great even without that pointless anecdote. 
_____________________________________________________________
Next time: the return of I Should Tell You interviews, alriiiight! With Anika Moa! Double, nay, quadruple alriiiight!