Week 8; more broken bones, some good meals and a special birthday
I was born with glass bones and paper skin. Every morning I break my legs, and every afternoon I break my arms. At night, I lie awake in agony until my heart attacks put me to sleep
Hi friends,
Welcome back to my weekly highs and lows, where I share all the good and bad things that happened to me this week. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s some really fantastic food in here - so let’s get into the lows.
Lows
If you’ve heard through the grapevine - yes, the rumours are true.
Your girl has BROKEN ANOTHER BONE.
Sorry, what the actual hell is going on??
Straight from landing at Berlin airport, as I was getting off the train just metres away from Seb, I slipped. On the last step of the train, I weirdly landed on my foot. I had a great big bag on my back, which I think added extra weight, and the angry German woman behind me yanked me up without a word.
I hobbled over to Seb, tear in my eye, and - classic Seb - he told me to just “walk it off.”
(What is it with men and not wanting to believe pain is real??)
The next morning, we went to the local orthopaedic clinic, and he confirmed I had a small fracture on my accessory navicular.
Which, by the way, is apparently just an extra bone I don’t even need?
Thankfully, it should heal on its own in about 10 days.
This all happened just days before our big Saturday plans (a dinner party!) and Seb’s birthday on Monday. So not only was I in pain, but I also felt like I was ruining Seb’s birthday.
Luckily, the pain subsided to about a 4/10 the next day, and I was able to hobble from place to place.
If you have any tips on how to strengthen bones, please - send help. This can’t happen again.
Highs
The Jerk Chicken Place
Right before the accident, before my flight, I treated myself to a jerk chicken spot I’ve been dying to try for months. I couldn’t find it on Google Maps, but if you're ever at Hoxton Market, near Fennec & Parsley (an amazing falaffel place, btw), you have to try the Caribbean food truck.
but god damn, it’s worth it.
I had lots of rice at home, so I just got a ¼ jerk chicken for only £5. Paired it with some salted tomatoes - perfection. Half the time I don’t even bother dressing summer tomatoes - just a big pinch of salt is more than enough.
I will be returning.
Making Friends with Locals
I used to get so annoyed at people who randomly strike up conversations in public. Like, leave me alone - I’m busy scrolling.
But recently… I’ve become one of those people.
I’m a chatter. You couldn’t pay me not to chat.
So, now and then, when I’ve got a bit of time, I’ve been starting conversations. Not in a creepy way - just in a social, curious way. Getting to know people in my neighbourhood: what brought them here, what we have in common (which is usually food).
I chatted with a Moman from the print shop and we spoke about how he used to make lentil soup for his uni friends, how he’s excited to go home to Turkey and smoke a joint, and how much he loves his daughters.
We both left grinning. It really puts into perspective how important human connection is. And also reminds me how much I hate self-checkouts!
So I challenge you this week:
Chat to a random stranger. See what happens.
Seb’s Birthday
We celebrated Seb’s 32nd birthday on Monday, and it was so much fun. Seb is pretty good at birthdays, so I knew I had to step it up.
For breakfast, I woke up early and assembled a Swedish strawberry cake (prepped the elements the day before), grabbed a bottle of champagne, squeezed some orange juice, and even learned how to sing “Happy Birthday” in Swedish.
Later, we went to a fancy all-you-can-eat hotel buffet - the same hotel where Michael Jackson dangled that baby. So you KNOW it’s fancy.
We had champagne, caviar, and lots of cheeses. What more do you want?
Was the food itself spectacular? Meh. Maybe the Ritz would’ve been better. But it still felt really special.
We were right near the museums, so we strolled through one of Sebs choosing. He chose the DDR museum and forced me to learn about the West/East German divide and how it came about lol.
Fun fact: Seb was once arrested for graffitiing in his youth.
Yeah - I bagged myself a bad boy.
So I booked us a graffiti workshop to redeem himself. Very fun, very silly - though the guy teaching us was a bit rude. And he was oddly really nice to all the passers by, it kindof felt like we were inconveniencing him the entire time.
this is the one we booked, if you are interested and need a bit of prewarning lol
Finally, we ended the day with drinks and a very fancy dinner at Barra - maybe one of the best we’ve had in Berlin.
Everything was truly amazing, and I had a glass of wine that might have been my favourite ever.
The fish?? Unbelievable.
A bit spenny, but if you want to go for a really special occasion i would definitely recommend.
And the celebrations aren’t over - we’ve still got his big fat birthday party this weekend. So stay tuned for that:)
Let me know your highs and lows of the week in the comments!!
Recipe of the Week: Grilled Lettuce with Sesame Anchovy Caesar Dressing
If you’ve never had grilled lettuce, let this recipe convert you.
It’s like a softer, juicier bok choy - and much cheaper. It grills perfectly to get that char, and the crevices hold onto dressing beautifully.
Serves 6 as a side
Can be served hot or room temp! Make ahead and just dress when you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients
3 gem lettuces, cut in half
Dressing:
4 tbsp mayo
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
4 anchovy fillets
1 tsp dijon mustard
Small handful of grated parmesan
Topping:
Crispy garlic or crispy shallots (store-bought)
Method
Get a cast iron pan ripping hot, then add a good glug of oil.
Add the lettuce cut-side down and turn the heat to medium. Once one side is nicely charred, gently flip and char the other side.
Plate the lettuce cut-side up and generously sprinkle with salt.
Blend the dressing ingredients using a hand blender. Thin with 1–2 tbsp water if needed - it should be pourable.
Drizzle generously over the grilled lettuce.
Sprinkle with crispy garlic or shallots and serve.
Let me know if you try the recipe, and see you next week!
Yooooooo please tag our sheds!!!!
I feel a little like I’m a few moments behind you always. I broke my right wrist after you. Then I sprained my ankle. Vitamin D supplements were recommended. Also to reduce osteoporosis risk - impact exercise: running (ew), weight training, even just Zumba is meant to be good. Though yet to take my own advice!