Lessons In Avoiding Your Dissertation

The 5,000 word draft for my dissertation is due Thursday, which also happens to be the day before our Easter Break starts, which also happens to be the day before I am due to fulfill the top to-do on my bucket list (a.k.a Greece.) Needless to say, I've been hibernating in my room all weekend in an attempt to get at least the majority of those 5,000 words transfered from my brain and onto my Mac, so I can attempt the next hurdle of finding myself a swimsuit before my flight departs Friday morning.

Staring at a computer screen for hours on end leaves you with two things; fuzzy eyeballs and pins and needles in your legs. So what do you do to get yourself up and moving and away from a possible slow death-by-pixels? You cook of of course...

It started with a little mushroom risotto Saturday night. Who knew barley took that long to cook! I'd been watching Masterchef during a bit of an afternoon break and decided to attempt a parmesan crisp (the fluorescent orange tubular thing protruding from my barley...) I also grilled a little zucchini, cooked up a caramelized onion sausage, and added a little wholemeal bread to the plate too. 

The following morning, I woke up bright and early to start it all over again to discover my daffodils had bloomed!! (Yes, I bought daffodils. They were a pound fifty at Tesco and I couldn't resist the challenge again to try and not kill my household plants....wish me luck.)

I'd already forgotten to water them once and one of the tips turned a wee brown and Sam yelled at me...

Decided to try something I'd picked up from one of the American food stores in London - GRITS! Looks like Cream of Wheat, kinda taste like it too, but apparently a typical Southern staple. I got the packaged kind that you just add boiling water to but you can make your own....if you care to boil corn in lye on your day off, but if not, I would suggest forking over the few pounds for a box of Quaker ones. 

I first saw grits on that Simply Breakfast blog I love so much. She typically serves them with a fried egg on top, so I followed in her example. Also, in order to clean out my fridge before I leave, I whipped up some whole wheat cheese scones and a piece of bacon too. One big ol breakfast to start the dissertation-writing day off right! 

P.S If you go to the website with the scone recipe, it is actually a vegetarian blog with the most adorable little cartoon on the top... reminds me of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!!

P.P.S Dad, if you're reading this, I really think we should have a nostalgic junk food and B grade horror film movie night when I get home. I vote a little 'Godzilla vs. Mothra', and maybe some of 'The Brain that Wouldn't Die.'