Today I do not write this eating a slice of freshly baked banana bread. I in fact write this eating a slice of fake halloumi cheese, dipped in own brand mayonaise, off a plate which has had both cake and baked beans on toast on it already today. It has not been washed up in between. I am a student again.
No longer am I at home with a fully stocked fridge and fully equipped kitchen. I am at my new house, where finding any surface area in the kitchen is a worthy achievement, and dirty plates are piled high. Walking across the kitchen barefoot results in odd bits of rice and onion peel between your toes. Fridge space is refined to 1 shelf each, and if you’re lucky, a door spot for milk. But we love it! It’s horrendously girly and it even has wooden bras on the wall. And the kitchen does get cleaned every now and then…
Keeping up The Vegaquarium is going to be a little more of a challenge, nevertheless it will be a challenge I duly accept! I am determined that food doesn’t have to be expensive to be yummy.
I sincerely pledge to you that I will continue posting only first class recipes, because I am still a classy kind of girl. I am just economical with washing up.
Mean while you can listen to David Bowie while I get started on the kitchen…
The Vegaquarium 
Loved this writing. You really caught the spirit of the moment perfectly. And am enjoying reading all of your blog! I’ve linked to you today from mine :)
Ah wow thank you Michel! That is so so kind and really made my day :) I have to be honest I have never looked at your blog but I am so glad I have now, its incredibly inspirational and the sort of blog which leaves you smiling. It’s also taught me so much already and I am still browsing! I’ve never really thought about how different it must be to start your life in a new country, so thank you also for opening my eyes. I can’t wait to keep following your blog! p.s I love the post on paddy
Oh boy, this took me back. When I was a student when dinosaurs were still to be invented, I becamr a de facto vegetarian because it was cheaper. Ever had pplain boiled rice with brown sauce out of a bottle? I can’t recommend it, but it fills you up
As for eating banana bread off the same plate as baked beans on toast from earlier? Been there, done that
Haha I am so glad it is not just me then, makes me feel slightly less ashamed. If it gets to the point where the student loan is very late again I will give your rice dish a go, maybe I will even blog about it for my fellow students! As for becoming vegetarian I know a lot of people at uni who have done that, much cheaper and much easier as mostly everything can go in the microwave safely..!
Back then Quorn was still in the far distant future. There was this horrible stuff called TVP (textured vegetable protein) It was awful; when uncooked it looked like grey/brown gravel, and it wasn’t too much better when it was cooked. It even tasted like gravel. Yuck. You needed a lot of brown sauce to get that down. Vile.