Fellow Crumbs,

the past month has seen me through both appalling and exciting times, thrown me left right and centre. Now on this brighter Thursday at 8am, I feel good enough, comfortable enough, to be back in this safe space of sharing, having created a more welcoming headspace for myself. From dating to work to handling life things head-on, it seems as if the whole year has been a slew of ups and downs that I wasn't prepared to deal with. Things are looking up now.

Food news of the week:
Headed to The Royal Oak in Oxford last Sunday, where we sampled the roast. They offer a nut roast which really impressed me, alongside pork belly and beef. The roasted vegetables go too well with their gravy (which they also have a veggie version of). Also, excuse me, the extra Yorkshire puddings are only 50p each?! I never thought I'd be big on roasts or stereotypically British food in general, but I am a recent convert. There is plenty to offer and I am ready to rank all the roasts in Oxford. 

Science news of the week:
An interesting look at the necessity of vaccine boosters during such a time. Being older or immunocompromised once again plays a part. Aside from that, got some cool data on this protein I'm looking at which seems to progress major depressive disorder, and hoping there's an important biological mechanism behind it. So much seems to be guesswork right now.

Insight of the week:
I have a love-hate relationship with routine. I enjoy having my life together, but also enjoy pondering life at 3 am then waking up in a daze late the next day. Have come to the conclusion that it's possible to do both, minus the late rise, for that 30-second decision to sleep in usually changes the course of the following 12-hour day. So I do that thing where I try to get up at the same early time every day, so I can get stuff to do out of the way, and then have a longer nap later, if need be. I used to think I could get away with not being a morning person, but oh, I was so wrong. Anyone else like this...?

Recipe of the week:
So I actually tried making Yorkshire puddings, and this is a foolproof recipe. Nothing was modified. Honestly, made this together with someone special and it went so well! Just make sure to whisk everything together really thoroughly (will take a good few minutes) so you get a thin and homogenous pancake batter, before pouring. If you don't have something to pour the batter from, use a measuring cup. Next stop: learning how to do a gravy....

That aside, I've been shaping up a recipe for coffee-flavoured blondies and cookies, which sound simple enough, but the secret ingredient may be unexpected. Watch out for it soon. 

Until next time,
Alex