Banana skins, funeral homes and second hand fedoras

In a week that's seen more prime ministers than hot dinners, we've been tackling the somewhat inevitable winter bugs infiltrating our household. With two kids under two fighting everything from conjunctivitis to chest infections, its been an endurance test in patience, empathy and creativity, ensuring I entertain a toddler, that seems to get even more feral when ill.  

From water play, handmaking green playdough, stamping & painting, leaf picking and playing blocks I feel like I've become a fully fledged nursery nurse this week. What it has taught me however is a valuable lesson in being able to make your own fun and that you don't need as much money as you think you do. With a brief daily nature walk being the most we can do, I've enjoyed a slower rhythm to my week. 

With our government determined to plunge us into hardship not seen since the 1950s, making your money stretch has never been more important. Whilst we're not personally in dire straits compared to the fuel poverty seen across the UK, we are like most working families having to get creative with keeping warm and making money stretch further. With this in mind I'd like to kick things off with a recipe made from banana skins...yup, you heard me, you've been throwing away a perfectly edible piece of food, that can make bananas so much more valuable than just chopped up in your fruit salad! 

Vegan 'Pulled Pork' (banana skins)

Ingredients 

4 -5 banana skins (I used this amount and it fed three of us with leftovers)

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp cumin 

1 tbsp paprika 

Salt to taste (I used half a tbsp) 

1 red bell pepper 

1 onion 

Pepper to taste 

Method

1. Using a spoon, scrape the inside of the banana skin (you'll probably naturally get three 'pieces' from one banana skin), you are removing the sweet banana taste when you do this. 

2. Next, using a fork, drag the prongs down the banana skin (where you've just scraped), this will start to shred the banana skin into ribbons. Once you've done this to all the skins, use a knife to further chop the strands thinner, to resemble pulled pork.

3. In a bowl add the spices and oil and allow the banana skins to marinate in this mixture for at least 5-10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile in a lightly oiled pan, sauté onion and red pepper until the onion turns translucent.

5. Add the banana skins and fry on a medium heat until the banana skins soften and start to look darker brown, they will very much look like pulled pork. 

6. You can then add the vegan 'pulled pork' into pitta breads like I did and serve with wedges or you can make loaded potato skins (which is how my mom did it and who I got this recipe off), and serve with a salad and corn on the cob. 

Enjoy! 

Thrift wise this week I've been styling a top inherited from my mom, which is actually third hand, (she bought it from a charity shop but it didn't fit, so I got lucky and had it)! I teamed it with my charity shopped vintage 70's high waisted skirt and a boho fedora I recently got from Vinted for a paltry £4.00. It's giving me some much needed Stevie Nicks vibes! Speaking of, I've been slowly working my way through Fleetwood Mac's discography. Being perpetually late to the party I thought it was high time I gave them my full attention as every Fleetwood song I've heard in passing I've loved. 

Rumours, was well...Rumours- Iconic, life changing, magical, a once in a lifetime album. I then listened to Tango in the Night (I'm not listening in a logical order, I chose Tango in the Night basically because I liked the title and I'd heard its one of their better albums), and as of yesterday finished listening to Tusk. I thought Jacob Shelton's article, 'Tusk at 40: what the hell were they thinking?' Offered a balanced perspective on how Tusk had faired compared to their other albums, you can read it here. 

I've always adored Fleetwood Mac's fashion choices, Stevie Nick's romantic witchy vibes in particular, but now I've begun exploring their music I can totally see why people are still fawning all over them. To quote a friend, they are 'chef's kiss' brilliant. 

Other influences this week have come in the form of a Discovery+ channel program called,               'We Bought a Funeral Home,' it follows a real life family the Blumberg's (random fact, the mom is a Brit), who buy an abandoned 1800s Victorian funeral parlour in Canada and start renovating into their dream home. Their kids Rafe and Noa, are my personal heroes, cool Rafe being my dream big brother and Noa his quirky, little sister, who goes in search of the history behind, 'the blue lady' a friendly spirit who lives on their staircase. From making a speakeasy in the old embalming room and a drinks cabinet out of a coffin (see below), to having antique scyths on the wall in their all black living area, I just love their creepy, out there style. 

 Having being validated by a few friends of mine recently saying I look good in black, I've noticed I've started to enjoy wearing all black ensembles, perhaps as a nod to Halloween but mostly because I've been influenced watching 'We bought a Funeral Home,' (I love that the family seem to all wear black, it's their uniform). Being a magpie when it comes to colours, I have enjoyed wearing just black and playing around with textures and a red lip. I don't give a crap about what you're 'supposed' to wear post partum, but I've got to say wearing black does make you feel pretty chic, if not a little rock and roll. I'll always love my paisley prints and garish hippie colours, but I am definitely making room in my wardrobe for a more witchy, gothic vibe. 

 

New Look jersey dress bought second hand from Vinted, Tu shaggy cardigan and Mandala earrings also both Vinted. Necklaces from various places! 

Well my lovelies, there's another instalment for you ciphered in between toddler and baby nap times! It'll be my Birthday this weekend so I'll be back with a little update about my impending ageing - or as Mariah Carey likes to call it 'my anniversary.' 

Love Sophia 

xxx