This is just a little post to say Happy New Year! We won't be posting anything else this weekend, but we'll be back with lots of posts on January's self-improvement theme next weekend.



Even though we probably won't be nursing massive hangovers, because we're pretty sensible, y'know? We're going to take the weekend off from publishing any posts, to give ourselves a little break, so we can come back all refreshed and full of shiny new ideas for January. We've also got a new little idea in the pipeline, which we're very excited about - All will be revealed soon!

We've had a great couple of months sharing all of our recipes with you, our life tips, and even some speed dating disasters. Another little highlight was our trip up to the lovely Scarthin Books.

Thank you for supporting us, and reading our posts for the past couple of months - It keeps us going to see your kind comments! Here's to 2017 being full of exciting new content!

Happy new year!

Love,
Katie, Lou & Amy.

P.S. As we're entering a new year, we'd be delighted to welcome some new writers on board. If you think you'd like to join us, click here!

Looking for something to make with your leftover vegetables from Christmas dinner? We've got your back with this tasty parsnip soup recipe by Katie's Dad.

Merry Christmas from all of us at The Weekend Edition!




We hope you have a wonderful day! And we'd just like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading over the past few weeks. It wouldn't be worth doing without your support.

Things are going to be slightly different this weekend, as I'm sure you'll understand. So, instead of popping another post up tomorrow, we'll be back on Monday instead.




See you on Boxing Day with a little recipe that you can make with your leftovers! (So, make sure you don't eat everything!)

Merry Christmas lovely readers! Have a good one!

Katie, Lou and Amy
x

Ahh books. They're not cool, are they? At school, if you liked them, enjoyed reading and, heaven forbid, took occasional trips to the school library at lunchtime, you were a square. Pure and simple. Nowadays, it's not as unfairly tarnished with negative connotations. You're not a square for sticking your nose in a book. You're socially accepted, even if you do like reading. (Thank. Goodness.)

Now, we've got a winter theme going on over The Weekend Edition this month, and curling up with a good book is one of our favourite pastimes on those chilly winter nights. So, we thought we'd share some of our favourite reads with you! Read on to find out what they are.

Katie's Favourite Books:

Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

This is probably my favourite ever book. I've read it several times in a pretty short duration, as it was only released last year. Haig's from the East Midlands, like us, and this book details his struggle with depression and anxiety. It completely documents his journey back to better mental health, and beyond.

Reasons To Stay Alive isn't laid out like a traditional book, as it's got really short, snappy chapters that are only a few pages each. (Which makes it great if you've got a short attention span, or if don't have a lot of time to read.) The book truly offers hope to those who've been in the same situation, and offers enlightenment for those who haven't. If you don't already own a copy, I'd definitely recommend picking one up!

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

A firm favourite from my from childhood, I remember reading Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and re-reading it countless times. It seemed utterly magic to my 6-year-old self. A few months ago, I stumbled across the original copy I had as a child, and couldn't resist flicking through it again. It brought back so many memories! I'm sure I'm not the only one who was enthralled by Dahl's works as a child. (If so, let us know in the comments what your favourite Roald Dahl book is!)

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

An oldie, but a goodie! I've read this book several times, which is all about a thirty-something in London who's torn between the slightly pompous lawyer Mark Darcy or her smarmy boss Daniel Cleaver (I'm on #TeamDarcy in case you were wondering.) 

Anyway, I'm sure you don't need me to recap the plot of this popular book, do you? To me, the first book's the best out of the three. Despite the fact it was written in the nineties, some aspects are still pretty relevant to women today. Again, if you haven't read it, or have only seen the film, treat yourself to a copy!

One Day by David Nicholls

I can't be the only one who loves this book, surely? One Day follows Emma and Dexter for 20 years on every St. Swithuns Day after they meet at their graduation. It's certainly relatable content for recent graduates when both their lives don't turn out how they expected over the course of the book. You might need some tissues towards the end though, that's all I'm saying. Just after they finally realise that they should be together, a horrible twist tears them apart. Oh, that twist - it's heartbreaking. 

(I won't give you any more spoilers though. Promise.)

Amy's Favourites:

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

I didn't read this children's book until I was 15, but it quickly became one of my most beloved books. The book follows the story of Sophie Hatter, a girl born the eldest of three in the magical world of Ingary. Sophie believes that because she was born eldest of three, she's destined to fail first and worst in life. As a result, she has poor self-esteem and resigns herself to the fate of inheriting her father's hat shop. All this changes one day when she meets the Witch of the Waste who curses Sophie.

Determined to make the best of her situation, Sophie decides to seek the help of the Wizard Howl.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

We all know this one, don't we? This is the tale of a small group of rabbits who leave their warren due to the visions of death beheld by their smallest member. Watership Down follows them through their trials and tribulations to find and protect their new home.  The story of their companionship and bravery is one I love to read over and over again!

Mossflower by Brian Jacques

One of my favourite childhood book series is the Redwall series by Jacques. This series follows the anthropomorphized animals living in the titular Redwall Abbey. In this series Mossflower is my favourite, which tells the story of how the Abbey came to be. It follows the heroic mouse, Martin the Warrior, as he helps the animals over throw the evil wildcat warlord, Tsarina.

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien

One of the first high fantasy books I ever read, and part of a favourite series for many fantasy readers. With the popularity of the films and books I'm sure I don't need to tell you what it is about! I've read and enjoyed the entire trilogy, but my firm favourite is definitely the first book.

Blind Beauty by KM Peyton

When I was a pre-teen, I was obsessed with horses, so mum brought me a lot of horse-themed books. Out of all those books the one I still enjoy reading is the story of an abused girl and her love for an 'ugly' horse. Set with the back drop of the horse racing scene this book is an emotional and at times bitter-sweet story that shows how love for an animal can save a person emotionally.

You can't beat a good old soup to warm you up on a cold day, can you? Through December, we promised to show you some of our very favourite winter warmer recipes, and here's my fave! Behold, because this is pretty much what I consider my signature dish.

Wonderfully cheesy and filled with crisp tasty bacon pieces, what's not to love about this simple pasta recipe? If you love cheese and bacon then carbonara's a must-try meal for you. This is one of my favourite pasta dishes!

In the colder weather carbonara is definitely my go-to meal when I've had a really bad day. It's easy and simple to make with plenty of room for inventive extras. You could add mushrooms like they do in Italian restaurants or add other vegetables. I personally enjoy adding some spinach to the meal occasionally. If you love cheese then I am sure you will enjoy this carbonara recipe. Read on to find out how to make it!

Hands up, who loves chocolate chip muffins? This recipe for muffins is a creation that I stumbled across by accident. (My chocolate chips were out of date so I desperately had to improvise.)

Continue reading to find out what I used instead!

Happy Friday! Here at The Weekend Edition we've decided to focus all our posts throughout December on the theme of Christmas and Winter! So expect to see lots of winter warmer recipes and things to see and do this month!



For starters, coming up this weekend, we've got comfort food for you with two lovely recipes! We're really going all out with lot of these over the next month! So, expect to see seasonal winter warmer food, Christmassy places to explore and visit - like several Christmas Market posts - and even things we're loving and want to share with you all this Christmas.

To Summarise, Here's What To Expect This Month:

• Festive recipes,
• Winter warmer recipes,
• Christmas Market posts,
• What's inspiring us this December!

In January, we're going to be focussing on self-improvement, so let us know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see us cover!

Love,

The Weekend Edition

It's a crisp new week! (Let's just ignore the fact that we're going through a horrible cold snap, shall we?) So, here are our top music, reading, food, and video picks for inspiration and to keep you going through the week.

Scarthin Books is a wonderful little independent bookshop based in the Derbyshire Dales village of Cromford. Well-loved and locally famous, it's a perfect place for book lovers to visit. Situated just off Cromford Market Place, there's free parking nearby and with a good public transport network in the area too, it's easy to get to.

Enjoyed this post? You might also like: Coffee at The Bookcafe, Derby, Dusk at Alport Height, or maybe even Peak District Photo Diary: An Afternoon in Castleton.

Happy Friday! We've got some exciting book-related posts coming up over the weekend, but to kick things off, I thought I'd write a little list some of the things that life is too short for.

We are over half way through November now so it's getting colder and darker. Why not cheer yourself up with some tasty delicious homemade tomato soup?

(This recipe is easy to make and will warm you up in no time!)

Sometimes, as a perfectionist, life can get a bit overwhelming as you try to do it all. If you asked my closest friends (Amy, in particular) she'd tell you how much of a perfectionist I am. For starters, this blog is a product of that perfectionism! Personally, it makes me a more difficult person to live with, and it saps the fun out of everything, including my beloved hobbies. Pushing life to be as perfect as possible, and trying to do everything to the highest possible standard, can have a negative impact on you. Here's some advice:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! So, join Lou on the joys of Christmas card making and giving something 'extra'...

"Bah humbug; now that's too strong! 'Cause it is my favourite holiday..." Oh yes, it's that time of year again, when you are just waiting for the Coca-Cola Truck to appear on the old box to announce it's officially CHRISTMAS! But, until that moment, it's time to pop in "Now, what I call Christmas" CD in the player and begin to MAKE Christmas cards!

 



Hello! Welcome! Let's have a bit of an introduction, shall we? We're The Weekend Edition, and we thought it's about time you knew a little bit more about us.

We started in Autumn 2016, with the intention of initially writing posts under four different categories: Make, Bake, Visit, and Explore. So, join us as we take you through our favourite recipes, life experiences, and even share our favourite cafes and restaurants across our region with you!

We're based in the East Midlands in the UK, with two of us in Derbyshire, and one in Leicestershire. We've also got loads in common. We're all young women in our twenties, who've grown up being tech-savvy. We all enjoy writing. We all enjoy learning and trying new things. And what better way to utilise those skills than to share our experiences on the Internet?

So, who exactly are we?

 

Katie

Hi! I'm Katie, and I started The Weekend Edition before recruiting some of my lovely friends to join me in this endeavour. I'm just about to graduate in Broadcast Journalism, and already have a fairly well-established blog called Katie Writes, where I write about beauty and lifestyle. (You can find that here, by the way!)

I wanted a new home for some of the content that I felt didn't fit with my existing blog, and I'm pretty excited about my friends bringing something new to the table too.

My posts on The Weekend Edition are generally a mix of everything - from the odd recipe, to a bit of lifestyle, and also the odd 'visit' post too.

Lou

Lou's our resident philosophical-soul. Her posts mainly focus on lifestyle and exploring aspects of life such as dating, adult learning, and everything in-between! Don't let it be said that you won't learn something from her posts!

Despite all this, she's a bit of an enigma, hence the avatar; so you generally won't find much else out about Lou.

Amy

The Weekend Edition's resident foodie, Amy's as passionate about cooking as she is about reading and gaming. She's currently at university, where she's studying Education. Her posts are generally yummy recipes that are both easy to make and taste great too.

We'll also be joined by some new faces very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for introductions from them too!

You can find us on Twitter (here), Instagram (here), and Facebook (here). Also, fancy writing for us? Find out how to here!

Hands up - Who doesn't love chocolate cake?

We all know that winter can get a little depressing at times. Here, Katie talks you through some of the ways that she beats those pesky winter blues.


Not all of us deal with autumn and winter that well. The cold and the dark as we head to the tail-end of the year can leave some people feeling down. Personally, I find that the older I get, the harder it gets to deal with the colder seasons. So, here are some of my tried and tested methods for beating the blues:

The last weekend in October can only mean one thing: Belper Fair!

Amy's got a fabulous recipe for you today!

When you say you enjoy soaps to people, they sometimes turn their noses up at you. But, really, let’s focus on the good things that continuing dramas offer.


Unless you were living in a cave last week, or aren’t interested in soaps in the slightest (in which case, why are you reading this?!) you’ll have noticed that the ‘Northern soaps’ i.e. Emmerdale and Coronation Street, both had exciting action-packed weeks.

Seriously, if you’re yet to watch Emmerdale’s #NoReturn week, then go to ITV Hub and have a gander now! It’s nothing short of spectacular!

The stunts looked like something out of a Hollywood movie. The writing was brilliant, the acting was fantastic, and the directing from Duncan Foster was simply beautiful. Last week’s Emmerdale disaster was also branded the most-expensive soap stunt ever. So, kudos to them for showing the rest of the world how it’s done. A 19 car pile-up can’t have been easy to orchestrate, and I’ve heard it only took them 8 or 9 days to film. Last week wasn’t all about Emmerdale though. Here’s a little bit of goss…

Lou explains this weekend why getting away from it all, and leaving technology well alone, is sometimes the best medicine; here she talks about her recent trip to Somerset.



During the summer (yes, I know...what summer?), I visited and stayed in Somerset. This was part of my summer job which involved going to an outdoor pursuit centre. You read it right - an outdoor pursuit centre. Now, I'm a city girl, my version of 'outdoor pursuits' consists of: petrol fumes, crowds and decrepit 1960s buildings, not fresh air, nature and rock-climbing.

I'm not going to write about how many bruises I got (unfortunately, I wasn't the winner of Sexy Legs of 2016) or about how bl**dy terrified I was of caving - but ended up loving it - or even how I was spoilt with delicious, home-cooked meals (the diet starts next year....) What I am going to write about what I saw.

Now, have you ever been to a place where the view is so spectacular that you just feel absolute peace? Have you ever been to a place where you want to take the view home to show everyone the beauty of it all? I wish I could have taken a photograph of the view but I fear even the latest camera technology could not capture that feeling of absolute awe.

"Sometimes, these views can only be captured by our own eyes."

I mentioned that I'm not going to write about what I did there but I do feel that I need to explain how I got to this view in the first place. I was on the way back from an expedition - I do love a bit of walking, it's good for the soul - it was lunch time which was quite a relief as my feet were beginning to ache. After making our way through the forest, we reached a grassy area, just as the sun began to rise through the rain and drizzle.

Luckily enough, this grass was on a steep hill, as I sat and rested - there was this view. The view of Bristol, Clifton Suspension Bridge and Wales...to me that was a view. You could see the view of life - people in cars driving along to their jobs, to their families, you could see houses and factories, where people are working, loving, being; you could see life...the world was turning.

Unless you are lucky to live in a 'beauty spot', views like this only exist on travel programmes, or Escape to the Country or even on Poldark.

I don't know exactly where I was when I saw this view. All I know I was in Somerset, that's all. Sometimes, these views can only be captured by our own eyes. They can only be special when we don't know where we are.

By Lou

Where's your favourite view?




Let us know by Tweeting us, or tagging us in a pic of it on Instagram!

Amy’s first post on the blog features this healthy, hearty lentil bolognese recipe; perfect for Vegetarians and meat eaters alike!

(It’s really easy to make too!)
by Amy

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Let us know if you make it by tweeting us or tagging us in a pic on Instagram.

Last weekend it was speed dating, this weekend it's swimming! Join Lou on her adventures of learning how to swim and prizing her fingers from those floats.



I let go off the balls and hands recently. You may be thinking “What on earth is she on about? And do I want to know?” Too right I say….but it is all innocent, don’t you worry. For the past…ahem…two years I have been learning on how to swim. Every Tuesday, I attend an adult class where two very (and I mean, very) patient and wonderful instructors teach/coach adults to swim – either better or from the beginning.

It was only as an adult, I wanted to learn to swim. School swimming lessons was an opportunity to not to do any “proper” work and besides, the class was too big. So, I decided as my 2015 new year’s resolution to take the plunge, literally, and sign up for swimming classes. Off I went up and down the pool swimming with floats, learning to breathe, kicking my feet…I thought I would be independent (without floats) within the matter of weeks. Have you ever seen that advert in the cinema where ‘apparently’ it takes an average person (who is this average person?) around 20 lessons to learn to swim? Pffttt...



Well, as I said, roll on nearly two years and I’ve only just learnt to be independent around two months ago. Believe me, my instructors and myself tried everything to prize my fingers from those floats…noodles…a metal pole at some point….and various other equipment. But, it turned out that my fingers were tightly or rather glued on to these things, like a magnet to a fridge...

I – and we – even tried to diagnose my “problem” to this attachment problem. Am I afraid of water? Nope…I love water. Seriously, I do. I was that child, in those school swimming lessons, that was leaping into water even though I couldn’t swim. Am I afraid of drowning? Well, yes…but isn’t everybody?? Am I afraid of what may happen if I let go? Probably. Isn’t everybody?



As adults, we lose that wanderlust that we seem to have as a child where we are not afraid of the consequences; not afraid of the…ifs, buts and maybes. I don’t know how or when we lose that innocence, at some point, we learn to control ourselves and think of the consequences.

We know that if we let go, something bad may happen, which may harm ourselves or others. But, what we forget is…if we do let go, something good may happen. If I let go of the objects…then, I may float…and start to actually swim. This change of attitude came around after getting frustrated with myself – I started to compare my progress with those who were new to swimming but by the end of the lesson, started to swim like Ariel…

One should not compare with others; the rate of learning differs from person to person…but that comparison can be a good motivator to improve. I was sick of my lack of progress. I wanted to be like Ariel, so I began to focus, I stared at the wall, leapt up and let go. A huge step and gosh, it felt good!!! I survived. It was only a couple of metres but that to me was real progress. I’ve been building on that experience ever since; just little steps such as swimming more of a distance, and trying to get the arms working. It will come in time, I know, but I'm just so glad that I have finally made that leap...




What age did you learn to swim?

By Lou

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