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Project Number 40: A Harry Potteresque Story.

Introduction: (Project Number: 40; Project type: Task/Story/Epic/Initiative/Strategy/Goal/Vision/Purpose; Goal: to write a story people will enjoy).

Planning: (Materials: food; Time: 1.5 hours minutes; Budget: £0)

Learning: (Research: Google; Skills: writing, AI prompts, story writing).

Execution: (This weekend I was visiting family and we stumbled upon a particular topic. I was asked by somebody about Harry Potter. We talked about the perceived failure of the Fantastic Beasts series and that was when an idea for a project struck me. I should make a little story to fill that gap that tries to capture that feeling. I go back to this website (Fantasy name generators. Names for all your fantasy characters.) that I have used in the past. I decided to bring back a name that I had generated before which was Ebba Littletree. Once upon a time had the start of a story that was far too broad to realistically complete. My first point of call is to imagine what Ebba might look like. Here, in full disclosure, I will use copilots AI generator whilst I'm fleshing out the details. I fully intend to pay an artist in the future for this. So, we need to generate what Ebba looks like. I imagine she's sorted, say 5 foot 6. We'll say that she has blonde coily double braided hair with hazel eyes. We'll say that she has soft skin and prominent high cheekbones. Here is what it gives us.

It's added some freckles which are evident on her right cheek and nose. This may be something that we use as a particular characteristic of hers. DALL E 3 then gives some additional prompts to add. The first will be to make her wear a cloak and the 2nd will be add a magical spell effect around her. What I get doesn't 100% fit the description of what we're looking for but it will do for now.

Next we're going to need to create some backstory for her. I picture her to be the youngest of the family. Her family have all excelled in their careers and were brilliant students at Hogwarts. So let's make her the youngest of 5. Maybe she's the youngest and also the only girl in the family so all the older brothers give her a hard time. In that respect, character wise she would be dogged, determined, stubborn, prone to being too focussed. We'll say she was born in 1997).

Edit at 20/08/2024 22:27. Tonight I was talking with my partner about the upcoming Fable release. We talked about how Fable didn't limit its scope to say a specific town (like Silent Hill 2 did which I am personally also excited about playing). Instead, it allowed smaller stories to happen within the scope of Albion. So, with that in mind, I'll borrow some components from Fable now for this story as well. Mainly I'll focus on a large enough land region to allow multiple stories to happen within it. I'll also give some thought to magical components as well as animals/beasts/plants.  I head back to our fantasy generator website, although I won't include the descriptions of these things just yet. I ask it to produce a description for some plants and then some animals. We then use our AI friends to generate images of these plants and creatures.

Epigaea Quadrifolia

Buxus Armeniacum

Euonymus Spurium

The Dotted Pheasant

Hell Locust

Friday, 23 August 2024. On the topic of Ebba being the youngest and that she was the youngest of 5, her brothers names are: Reuben Littletree, Brighton Littletree, Thomas Littletree and Jackson Littletree. Their parents names are Layla and Brooke Littletree. I then use the generator to come up with the town of Goulcrest. I like this name as the 2 words separated make me think of Ghouls from Fallout and crest makes me think of the coats of arms that we see. There might be something worth exploring in that idea and perhaps it could be linked to royalty.

Saturday, 24 August 2024. When I think about Ebba’s brothers, I wonder what they would be like. I imagine at least 1 became a death eater which is a source of shame for her family, and I wonder whether it would be something she gets teased about. I picture it being Reuben. I picture that she’s the opposite of her brothers who were more interested in potions and DADA. She would enjoy herbology. I would imagine students make quips at her, often taunting her for having a death eater brother who went to Azkaban for his involvement in the war.

5. Reflection: (Outcome: a character profile and some descriptions/images of plants and creatures which exist in the lore; Lessons: I find the more that I have elaborated on Ebba, the more those ideas generated other ideas. I've also found AI generators to be not that helpful when it comes to specifying what not to include. Several times it was asked not include a tail and include 6 legs but in the end I just gave up trying to get it to very specifically generate what I wanted and accepted what I had).

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Code of Conduct

As I approach my 50th project, I thought now would be a pertinent time to lay out some ground rules for myself and this blog by developing my own Code of Conduct which will give this blog (and those reading it) a clear expectation of what they can expect from me and this blog. Expect this to be a live document which is updated over time but will still be the guiding structure which I will operate under.

Project Types: I often begin my posts by specifying the project number. These are unique to me and refer to a master list which I run to keep me organised. However, I often specify a project type. Below is the guiding principle of these types.

Task: these projects are completed within 24 hours, will include at least 3 photos and at least 100 words.

Story: these projects are completed within 7 days. A story contains 7 Tasks.

Epic: these projects are completed within 28 days. An epic will contain 4 stories.

Initiative: these projects are completed within 84 days/3 months. I will use my template each time to ensure continuity and familiarity with my structure.

Posting Frequency

I will aim to upload and/or update once per day.

I will publish my upload and/or updates at 17:30 GMT.

Quality Standards

I will aim to ensure that all information I share is well-researched, accurate and proper citations are cited where necessary.

I will aim to ensure that posts are proofread to maintain a high standard of grammar, spelling, clarity and alignment with project type specifications.

Engagement and Feedback

I will aim to respond to comments within 24 hours.

I will remain open to the idea that what I can do today can be done better tomorrow and will be guided by reader feedback as well as my own internal affiliation for continuous improvement.

Ethical Considerations

I will aim to always create projects based on my own ideas. However, where this is not possible, I will always credit sources ands inform you of where inspiration comes from.

I will always remain transparent about any sponsorships, affiliate links, uses of artificial intelligence and uses of random generators.

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Project 37: Health and Wellness

Introduction: (Project Number: 37; Project type: Strategy: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for a Year: Commit to a regimen of exercise, nutrition, and sleep).

Planning: (Materials: BRITA Water Bottle; Time: 1 Year; Budget: N/A)

Learning: (Research: Google, YouTube, ChatGPT; Skills: self-discipline, statistics, cooking, nutrition, physical fitness).

Execution: (As part of my lifetime goal of trying to live a strenuous life, I asked ChatGPT to list 100 items for each of the 10 mentioned strenuous topics. One of the suggests under resilience and endurance was 'Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for a Year: Commit to a regimen of exercise, nutrition, and sleep'. I then asked it to expand on what would be considered the main pillars of health and wellness and it suggested the following:

Regular exercise

Balanced Nutrition

Mindfulness and Meditation

Adequate Sleep

Hydration

Social Connections

Limiting Stressors

Holistic Therapies

Continual Learning

Regular Health Check-ups

After I get this list, I then go back to ChatGPT and ask it to turn the above into daily, weekly and monthly checklists. Lately, I'm finding that I'm struggling to remember all of the things that I'm supposed to be collecting empirical evidence for. I then get started with it. All of this will be a work in progress so I'm not looking for perfection here but rather continuous improvement with my health. Perhaps the easiest to start with will be adequate sleep. My sleep routine is quite good already and I'm able to track my sleep through my Apple watch.

Friday, 23 August 2024. Sleep wise, I slept for over 8:23 hours last night and my Apple watch informs me that I had a good night of sleep. Food wise, I had a berry blast smoothie which I then add an assortment of nuts to. I also added some peanut butter for the healthy fats. I drank 600ml of water. For lunch, I have a ham and cheese sandwich and for dinner we cheap out by having chicken nuggets with a pasta n sauce. I also drink a 2 litre of cola which isn’t as healthy as only drinking water.

Tuesday, 27 August 2024. Today I haven’t eaten well, at all. I didn’t eat anything for breakfast. At lunch I visited the supermarket, and I picked up ingredients so that I could make butternut squash soup for dinner. I also picked up some microwavable burgers which I know are absolutely terrible for me, but I didn’t clean the container for my smoothie or tub for my overnight oats. I have completely let myself down because of it. For dinner I’ll be having the butternut squash soup and will prepare ahead of time my breakfast, so I eat very nutritionally tomorrow.

5. Reflection: (Outcome: a structured plan to improve my well-being; Lessons: when it comes to trying to do quite a lot, it's best to put together a checklist of sorts).

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Project Number 40: A Harry Potteresque Story.

Introduction: (Project Number: 40; Project type: Task/Story/Epic/Initiative/Strategy/Goal/Vision/Purpose; Goal: to write a story people will enjoy).

Planning: (Materials: food; Time: 1.5 hours minutes; Budget: £0)

Learning: (Research: Google; Skills: writing, AI prompts, story writing).

Execution: (This weekend I was visiting family and we stumbled upon a particular topic. I was asked by somebody about Harry Potter. We talked about the perceived failure of the Fantastic Beasts series and that was when an idea for a project struck me. I should make a little story to fill that gap that tries to capture that feeling. I go back to this website (Fantasy name generators. Names for all your fantasy characters.) that I have used in the past. I decided to bring back a name that I had generated before which was Ebba Littletree. Once upon a time had the start of a story that was far too broad to realistically complete. My first point of call is to imagine what Ebba might look like. Here, in full disclosure, I will use copilots AI generator whilst I'm fleshing out the details. I fully intend to pay an artist in the future for this. So, we need to generate what Ebba looks like. I imagine she's sorted, say 5 foot 6. We'll say that she has blonde coily double braided hair with hazel eyes. We'll say that she has soft skin and prominent high cheekbones. Here is what it gives us.

It's added some freckles which are evident on her right cheek and nose. This may be something that we use as a particular characteristic of hers. DALL E 3 then gives some additional prompts to add. The first will be to make her wear a cloak and the 2nd will be add a magical spell effect around her. What I get doesn't 100% fit the description of what we're looking for but it will do for now.

Next we're going to need to create some backstory for her. I picture her to be the youngest of the family. Her family have all excelled in their careers and were brilliant students at Hogwarts. So let's make her the youngest of 5. Maybe she's the youngest and also the only girl in the family so all the older brothers give her a hard time. In that respect, character wise she would be dogged, determined, stubborn, prone to being too focussed. We'll say she was born in 1997).

Edit at 20/08/2024 22:27. Tonight I was talking with my partner about the upcoming Fable release. We talked about how Fable didn't limit its scope to say a specific town (like Silent Hill 2 did which I am personally also excited about playing). Instead, it allowed smaller stories to happen within the scope of Albion. So, with that in mind, I'll borrow some components from Fable now for this story as well. Mainly I'll focus on a large enough land region to allow multiple stories to happen within it. I'll also give some thought to magical components as well as animals/beasts/plants.  I head back to our fantasy generator website, although I won't include the descriptions of these things just yet. I ask it to produce a description for some plants and then some animals. We then use our AI friends to generate images of these plants and creatures.

Epigaea Quadrifolia

Buxus Armeniacum

Euonymus Spurium

The Dotted Pheasant

Hell Locust

Friday, 23 August 2024. On the topic of Ebba being the youngest and that she was the youngest of 5, her brothers names are: Reuben Littletree, Brighton Littletree, Thomas Littletree and Jackson Littletree. Their parents names are Layla and Brooke Littletree. I then use the generator to come up with the town of Goulcrest. I like this name as the 2 words separated make me think of Ghouls from Fallout and crest makes me think of the coats of arms that we see. There might be something worth exploring in that idea and perhaps it could be linked to royalty.

Saturday, 24 August 2024. When I think about Ebba’s brothers, I wonder what they would be like. I imagine at least 1 became a death eater which is a source of shame for her family, and I wonder whether it would be something she gets teased about. I picture it being Reuben. I picture that she’s the opposite of her brothers who were more interested in potions and DADA. She would enjoy herbology. I would imagine students make quips at her, often taunting her for having a death eater brother who went to Azkaban for his involvement in the war.

Tuesday, 27 August 2024. I’ve noticed on Tumblr that there is a lot of love for the Marauders. I feel like this was an area of the series which could have been explored further so I’m going to adapt it into mine. I’ll have Ebba’s dad Brooke be part of a Vampire family or something to that effect (akin to Lupin). He’ll be one of a group of 4 guys who go around causing havoc in their school days but there is a bigger story afoot which I will explore in a bit more detail. For now, I’ve documented it.

Wednesday, 28 August 2024. Today I’ve been thinking about plot structure, especially the plot of the main storyline. The hero’s journey is a popular plot structure which I’ll look to utilise here. I first discovered this plot structure through this video. We start by establishing the ordinary world. Here we have Ebba who lives in Goulcrest with her family. I imagine that her family life is settled. Although her brothers tease her as she’s the youngest of the family and they all did well at Hogwarts, it’s still a loving family which is guided and moulded by her mum and dad.

Thursday, 29 August 2024. Today I’ve been thinking about the word class of adjectives. Soon I’ll want to start writing the story itself. I’ve found in the past when I’ve tried to write stories or novels my writing can come across as being a bit wooden. So last night I started to flick through a dictionary to see how many adjectives I could identify that may make for great word choices to add to my collection. It turns out, there are quiet a lot of choices I could make when it comes to adjectives. I’ll continue to try and experiment.

5. Reflection: (Outcome: a character profile and some descriptions/images of plants and creatures which exist in the lore; Lessons: I find the more that I have elaborated on Ebba, the more those ideas generated other ideas. I've also found AI generators to be not that helpful when it comes to specifying what not to include. Several times it was asked not include a tail and include 6 legs but in the end I just gave up trying to get it to very specifically generate what I wanted and accepted what I had).

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Project Number 23: Lemon Tart

Introduction: (Project Number: 23; Project type: Task Goal: to successfully make a lemon tart).

Planning: (Materials: food, utilities; Time: 6-8 hours; Budget:  N/A)

Learning: (Research:  Google, ChatGPT, Paul Hollywood; Skills: cooking).

Execution: (I add 1 1/4 cups of plain flour, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a food processor.

I then blend it all together.

I then add 1/2 cup of cold, cubed and unsalted butter.

I then blend it with 1 egg yolk until it just comes together.

I then rolled it out onto a floured surface.

I then wrap it in clingfilm and add it into the fridge.

I then press it into a dish.

I then cook it with baking beans on top of the parchment paper.

Here I will confess that the first time I made this, I only poked it once in the centre. The 2nd time I poke it plenty.

I then apply a layer of egg wash which is a tip that I take from the Paul Hollywood book 'How to Bake'.

I then cook it for 10 or so minutes, just to have it firm up the pastry.

I then measure out 200 grams of granulated sugar.

I then add in 3 large eggs and whisk it all together.

I then add in 120 ml of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.

And a pinch of salt.

I then whisk It all together. I then add in 1/2 cup of melted butter.

I then stumble upon a realisation. I'm missing quite a lot of photos for my lemon tart but I'll fill in the final steps that I can't document due to not having photographic evidence. I had allowed the short crust pastry once cooked to come to room temperature and then I placed it in the fridge to chill. I then, much later made the lemon mixture. I then added the lemon mixture on top of the short crust pastry which I then add to the oven for 20/25 minutes. I don't want it to burn so I cook it for as long as I can within the parameter of 20-25 and until I notice it starting to crisp a bit too much. I then take it out of the oven and leave it on the side to cool down to room temperature. I then add it to the fridge for a while. I made this over the course of a long Saturday. I was going for an Italian theme and I also made a lasagne with a tomato, mozzarella and basil starter. I also had a lovely glass of red wine (I think Chianti).

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Introduction: (Project Number: 38; Project type: Task; Goal: to make a blended feast of lemon panna cotta, tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich and a carrot and ginger drink).

Planning: (Materials: food, utensils; Time: 3 hours; Budget: £10)

Learning: (Research: BBC Good Food, ChatGPT; Skills: cooking, juicing).

Execution: (I start by making the panna cotta ahead of time by filling a bowl with water.

I then add 3 gelatine leaves to the water and let it sit for 5 minutes.

I then get the saucepan.

I fill it with 250ml of full-fat milk, 250ml of double cream and 100 grams of sugar.

I then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

I then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

I then add the zest of 2 lemons.

After 5 minutes of cooking the mixture, I remove the leaves from the water and shake them dry.

I then mix the 3 gelatine leaves into the mixture.

I get out 4 ramekins.

And add the mixture to the 4 ramekins.

I then leave them to chill on the side and add them to the fridge for 1 hour.

Reflection: (Outcome: 4 successfully made ramekins; Lessons: this was my 2nd attempt at making these. In the first one, I had accidentally forgot to put the sugar in the mixture which meant that the actual panna cotta's were foul. I threw them away and then made them again with the correct recipe).

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Project 31: Growing an Apple Tree

Introduction: (Project Number: 31; Project type: Goal; to successfully grow an Apple tree).

Planning: (Materials: apple seeds, kitchen towel, Ziploc bag; Time: 10 minutes; Budget:  £5)

Learning: (Research:  Google; Skills: plant care).

Execution: (Feeling somewhat inspired by seeing a green shoot for the start of my lemon tree. I thought it would be a good project to see if I can also grow an apple tree. I begin by removing the seeds from the apple core.

I then rinse them with luke warm water to remove any the pulp. I then dry the seeds with a paper towel.

I then prepare the seeds by placing the seeds on a moist paper towel. I fold the towel to cover the seeds completely.

I then bag the seeds by putting the paper towel with seeds inside a plastic bag and seal it.

I then place the bag in the refrigerator (not the freezer) for (according to the internet) 6-8 weeks. I will check periodically to ensure the paper towel remains moist but not soggy.

Edit: Sohushygrayness at 15/08/2024 18:50. I decided to take the Apple seeds out of the fridge and change the kitchen roll. As you can see from the photo, there looks to be some discolouration going on.

Some of the seeds have germinated and have small roots starting to grow.

The paper towel is drenched and probably has exceeded the 'lightly dampen' threshold that I'm often suggested online.

I start to then move them onto a clean paper towel.

And then fold them up again.

This time I do indeed 'lightly water' the paper.

And place it back in the bag for an additional 3 weeks.

Reflection: (Outcome: some germinated seeds; Lessons: it's interesting that Apples require cold to try and bring them out of their shells. I would have thought that you would cultivate them in the same way as lemons, but no. So, lesson number 1 is that Apple seeds require cold to germinate. Lesson 2 is to ensure that you regularly check on the conditions they're in when they're in the cultivation phase).

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Project Number 28: Learning to Speak Arabic

Introduction: (Project Number: 35; Project type: Task/Story/Epic/Initiative/Strategy/Goal/Vision; Goal: to learn to speak fluent Arabic).

Planning: (Materials: Duolingo Application; Time: 2 hours; Budget: £0)

Learning: (Research: Duolingo, Wikipedia; Skills: languages).

Execution: (Recently, I was browsing the Wikipedia for 'Mint' which then led me to a page that showcased all the information for Mentha. It was on this page that I found references to Limonana. Although I'll make that drink later today, the combination of the picture which showcased a drink served in Damascus, Syria and the recent attempt to make traditionally Turkish food inspired me to want to learn Arabic. I begin by checking whether DuoLingo offers the language as a course. It does, and I start by learning about pairing letters with their sounds. Arabic is read from right to left which is something that trips me up at first.

Edit: 06/08/2024. I have, to try and support myself in being more empirical in these entries, including a chart which rounds up the time that I've committed to learning Arabic.

Edit: 11/08/2024. Last night I did some lessons on learning the alphabet. I find doing so beneficial because then I am not just pairing sounds against symbols but rather trying to improve my understanding of the script. Last night's lesson focussed on short and long vowels. I was relatively comfortable with long vowels but learning how to accent correctly for shorter vowels I found to be beneficial.

Edit: 21/08/2024. One of the nicest things about learning Arabic is learning a new script. English uses the Latin script so when you're learning a new language, such as French or Spanish, you find yourself vaguely familiar with the script. In Arabic, you have to learn new letters altogether. I find that being bad at something inspires me to want to be better. I'm quite stubborn in that respect. So lately I've found myself checking the leaderboards on DuoLingo more often than I should to see where I am.

Friday, 23 August 2024. Today I have been largely focused on practicing letters rather than words. I’m becoming more confident identifying the difference between the symbols for dh, j, k and z. One key component of Arabic that I like is that is that vowels such as aa have their own symbol, and then when it’s a single vowel, it’s accented instead. I’m also finding though that learning the Arabic script is half the challenge, the other challenge is learning to write the letter in a way that does justice to how it should be written. Especially letters like K.

Saturday, 24 August 2024. Today I have been focussing on trying to get my head around the order of words in Arabic. I know that it’s written from right to left and in Duolingo it shows as verb then noun, e.g. cold house. However, when it comes to the mini quizzes, I have to do noun then verb. So even though it’s still technically cold house, I need to write it as house cold. I’m also struggling to remember Arabic words. I think I rushed past that section when I should have been paying attention so now, I’m catching up.

Sunday, 25 August 2024. No update today due to sickness

Monday, 26 August 2024. Today I have spent more time on learning Swedish through Duolingo rather than on Arabic. I’m a huge fan of the Nordic countries and Swedish is a language I’m already familiar with. Well, I’m familiar with the Latin script as we all are in Western Europe, but I also know a few words. Given the familiarity, I’m able to speed through the first 3 units and I’m currently top of the leaderboard on Duolingo. A few words are reminiscent of synonyms, such as an alternative word for Dog is the Swedish word Hund. I like that.

Tuesday, 27 August 2024. Today I have once again been focussed on learning Swedish. I’m currently working my way through the section that covers ‘talk about food and drink’. I feel like I have a generally good grasp on the basics here, varm pizza, kall sallad, etc. Later this evening I’ll do a little bit more letter practice with learning Arabic as I have slacked with it over the past few days. I think my antimotivation is coming as Swedish is simpler for me to understand which makes me feel more at home with the language as I work through.

Reflection: (Outcome: successful completion of 5 lessons; Lessons: that Arabic is written from right to left and that the script has taken a lot of practice on my part.

Edit: Thus far it's been a rewarding experience learning Arabic and now learning Swedish. I think that Arabic is tougher than Swedish at this point in time. Largely because you have to learn an entirely new alphabet. So, whilst you're learning about different letters you're also learning how to pronounce them and the rules that govern their use).

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Project Number 21: Baklava

Introduction: (Project Number: 21; Project type: Task; Goal: to produce a successful baklava).

Planning: (Materials: ingredients, food processor; Time: 1 hour+; Budget: £10).

Learning: (Research: how do you make baklava; Skills: cooking, baking).

Execution: I start with 2 bags of pistachios which I purchased from my local supermarket.

After peeling them, I then have a plate's worth of pistachios.

I then add these to the food processor to ensure that they resemble something akin to breadcrumbs.

I then melt butter in my pan and use it on the base layer.

Then I begin by adding one filo pastry at a time, I then brush it with the melted butter and once I’m half way through, I add in a layer of crushed pistachio.

I then finish up the syrup which is made by combining 250g caster sugar with 250ml water and the juice of ½ lemon which I pour over the top after I’ve cut diamond shapes into the baklava and then I add it into the oven for 25 minutes.

I take it out of the oven and allow it to cool down before I try some of the slices.

Reflection: (Outcome: a successfully made baklava; Lessons: next time I think I will allow it to cool down overnight next time. As nice as the dish is, it doesn't have a consistent consistency. When I've tried store-bought baklava before, the pieces themselves have held together relatively well, that isn't the case with this dish and I'll need to investigate why).

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Project Number 20: Lemon Tree

Introduction Project Number: 20 Project type: Vision Goal: to successfully grow a lemon tree Planning Materials: lemon seed, compost, container, soil Time: 10 years. Budget: TBC Learning Research: how to grow a lemon seed from scratch Skills: gardening Execution Document each step: I begin by extracting the seeds from the lemon that I used to make the Sherbet. I then rinsed them and remove the pulp and leave them to dry.

I then fill the container with compost, ensuring that I crumble it adequately between my fingers which will allow it to drain correctly the time comes. I then use a pencil to poke 4 holes into the compost before then adding the seeds into the soil.

I then lightly water the top of the compost and add the lid on. I've seen suggestions that you can use cling film for this, but I thought that using a sealed container would be ever better (and also more sustainable).

Edit: at 28/07/2024 19:19. It's been (almost) 2 weeks, so now it's time to re-pot. I begin by finding a pot that has drainage holes at the bottom. I begin by getting a pot of compost, a container with holes in the bottom and then fill the container with compost.

I get some compost, crumble it up so that the roots have room to expand.

I then get the container which has the lemon seeds, remove the lid and look for the 4 seeds and (hope) that they've germinated.

I can only find 2 seedlings that have germinated. So, these are the only 2 which make it into the pot of compost. I then water the top layer and take it up to the attic where it will grow.

Reflection:

Outcome: as of the 30th of July 2024. So far so good.

Lessons: I had initially misunderstood the instructions when it came to how to cultivate the lemon seeds. I had placed them in the aforementioned container, watered the top and added the lid to contain the moisture. However, it turns out that you are supposed to keep watering the compost ever while it's in the container. This may have contributed to the additional 2 seeds which didn't make it.

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Project Number 27: Mint Tea

Introduction

Project Number: 27

Project type: Task

Goal: to make a tea using mint leaves and honey

Planning

Materials: tea pot with infuser, kettle, water, mint leaves, honey

Time: 10 minutes

Budget: £10

Learning:

Research: how to make mint tea

Skills: plant care, tea preperation

Execution

I start by bringing my mint plant down from the attic where it practically gets light 24/7 to the kitchen where I have a bigger space to work with.

I then pick the largest mint leaves that I can find and add them to a bowl of water where I can wash them gently.

Then I prepare a hot kettle and take out my recently purchased infuser.

I then pinch the leaves to help release their oils. I then add them into the infuser and pour in the kettle which has been off the boil for about a minute. I then allow it several minutes to steep.

I then pour the mint water into a glass and top it up with 2 teaspoons of honey.

Reflection:

Outcome: a cup of mint tea with honey for sweetener.

Lessons: Overall I thought that this was delicious. I didn't expect the mint to be as prominent as it was. Then again, it wasn't like the mint overpowered the tea by any means. It was a lovely floral tea which I look forward to drinking again.

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Project Number 26: Parsley Plant

Project Number: 26

Project type: Task

Goal: to successfully re-pot a parsley plant.

Planning

Materials: a container with holes; compost; a parsley plant

Time: 10 minutes

Budget: £1.50

Learning:

Research: how to re-pot a parsley plant successfully

Skills: gardening,

Execution

I begin by finding a container that has sufficient draining holes on the bottom.

I then get a pot of compost and begin crumbling it with my fingers. I then filled it up sufficiently and make a well in the middle where the new plant will go.

I then remove the plant from its store provided container. However, its roots were extremely tangled and they came away with a snap as I tried to untangle them.

After I had re-potted the plant, almost immediately the roots fell over. My initial research leads me to believe that this is root shock which I understand is normal and can happen for up to 2 days. I decide to try and help this growth by tying some string around the roots to keep them upright and will research further about what I can add into the soil to keep it up vertically.

As you can see, the leaning has already begun. After this photo I tied the string around the roots to support the stems. I also cut away what I think are the broken stems to allow the plant to focus its energy on new growth.

Edit: 26/07/2024 09:59. I have topped up the top layer of soil in an attempt to keep the stems better supported for growth.

Edit: 28/07/2024 20:19. I have cut away a few stems and hope that this will accelerate its growth.

Reflection:

Outcome: a successfully re-potted basil plant.

Lessons: next time I will need to bear in mind about root shock and plan ahead of time how I can prevent this from happening.

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Project Number 25: Cauliflower Soup

Project Number: 25

Project type: Task

Goal: to make a delicious cauliflower soup.

Planning

Materials: utensils, food.

Time: 1 hour.

Budget: £5.

Learning:

Research: this recipe was found when I was searching BBC Good Food for a Cauliflower cheese recipe.

Skills: cooking.

Execution

Ingredients

knob of butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large cauliflower (about 900g/2lb), leaves trimmed and cut into florets

1 potato, peeled and cut into chunks

700ml vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)

400ml milk

100g mature cheddar, diced

Instructions

Heat the butter in a large saucepan.

Tip in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 mins, stirring often.

Add the cauliflower, potato, stock, milk and seasoning.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 30 mins until the cauliflower is soft and the potato almost collapsing.

Whizz in a food processor or crush with a potato masher until you get a creamy, thick soup.

When ready to serve, warm through, ladle into mugs or bowls, top with the cheese pieces, then stir through before eating.

Reflection:

Outcome: a delicious dish.

Lessons: I tried to spice it up by adding more salt and pepper to this dish. I thought it tasted amazingly but the small human in my house suggested it was too spicy. I only added half a teaspoon but next time I'll need to add less than that.

[sohushygrayness]

Project Number 24: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Project Number: 24.

Project type: Task

Goal: to succesfully make a meatball and spaghetti dish

Planning

Materials: food, utensils

Time: 1 hour+

Budget/Cost: wasn't calculated.

Learning

Research: I found a recipe in Jamie Oliver's cookbook regarding meatballs but cross checked it against what ChatGPT recommended and this is what I made.

Skills: cooking.

Execution

Italian-Style Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

500g beef mince

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup milk

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes

1 can (400g) tomato sauce or passata

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Meatballs:

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Let it sit for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.

Add the beef mince, Parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, chopped onion, parsley, basil (if using), dried oregano, salt, and pepper to the breadcrumb mixture.

Mix everything together until well combined. Be careful not to over-mix, as this can make the meatballs tough.

Shape the mixture into meatballs, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter.

2. Cook the Meatballs:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Once browned, remove the meatballs from the skillet and set them aside.

3. Prepare the Sauce:

In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil if needed. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine.

Add the dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using). Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Carefully add the browned meatballs to the sauce, making sure they are covered with the sauce.

Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for about 20-25 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

4. Serve

Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Serve the meatballs and sauce over spaghetti, with a side of crusty bread, or as a meatball sub in a toasted roll with melted cheese.

Reflection:

Outcome: a lovely spaghetti and meatball dish.

Lessons:  3 of the meatballs broke apart during the cooking phase and I'm not sure why. Some of them held together whereas 3 fell apart. I think part of the reason was I tried to move them to early which caused them to crumble.

[sohushygrayness]

Project Number 19: Sherbet (Şerbet)

Project type: Task

Goal: to successfully make a glass of Sherbet

Planning

Materials: pomegranate juice, water, lemon, lemon juicer, pan, mint, granulated sugar, glasses, ice and straw

Time: 30 minutes

Budget: £5 limit for the ingredients

Learning:

Research: how to make a traditional Sherbet drink

Skills: drink preparation

Execution

I begin by adding some water to an ice tray and placing it in the freezer overnight. I then trim some of the mint leaves off and add them into an old container which was used for clotted cream (and will serve a secondary purpose later).

The first steps is to add 2 cups of pomegranate juice to 1 cup of water and half a cup of sugar.

I then bring this to the boil and stir consistently for a few minutes. Once that's done, I then add the juice of 1 lemon (and keep the seeds safe) to the mix and stir for a few more minutes.

Then I place it on the side (and later transferred to the fridge) and let it cool down. I then add some mint leaves to the glasses of ice and pour it over.

I then serve up with a metal straw and enjoy.

Reflection:

Outcome: a successfully made Sherbet

Lessons: this drink was surprisingly easy to make. I also benefitted from having a lemon juicer to hand which made that part of the process straightforward. However, if I didn't then I would have had to rely on squeezing by hand.

[sohushygrayness]

Project Number 18: Mint Plant

Project type: Task (for now)

Goal: to continue the growth of my mint plant

Planning

Materials: a mint plant, compost, water and a container

Time: 15 minutes

Budget: £2

Learning:

Research:

Skills: gardening

Execution

This weekend I purchased a mint plant which I want to try and reg-grow once I have used the leaves for a drink that I'm making tonight. I have been, historically, pretty awful at keeping store bought plants going so fingers crossed this time it's different. I start by taking the mint plant out of the container that it's sold in.

I then take some of the compost that we purchased for the herb garden and make a well in the middle.

Then it's time to remove the mint plant from it's container and transport it into the new container which contains our compost.

I do my absolute best to release the roots which have been trapped for quite some time. Plenty of soil comes off the mint plant as pull its roots apart to allow them to grow better. I then move the mint plant into the compost and water it

I have created a YouTube video to coincide with this.

Reflection:

Outcome: so far so good but time will tell whether I have given this plant a head start.

Lessons:

[sohushygrayness]

Project Number 15: The Strenuous Life

Introduction: (Project number: 15; Project type: Purpose; Goal: to live a strenuous life).

Planning: (Materials: N/A; Time: A Whole Life; Budget: £ N/A (will gradually calculate)

Learning: (Research: which virtues constitute a strenuous life? Skills: Self-Discipline)

Execution

Sometimes project ideas happen because of a thought I had in conjunction with another idea that I’ve worked on. This idea was, to a certain extent, the same. However, it was more a combination of ideas which had been allowed to marinate in my mind like prepared chicken in a tikka masala. A while ago, I came across 2 separate schools of thought which I have now combined. A while ago (and I can’t tell you exactly when) I became aware of Theodore Roosevelt. I have a suspicion it will have been due to the Epic Rap Battles of History featuring him (not literally) and Winston Churchill (again, not literally). I have, perhaps answered my own question so allow me to re-phrase my initial thought: when did I have the idea to want to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt's life? (edit: I believe at one point I was building a scene in mind for a movie and Winston Churchill’s speech in the Darkest Hour film came to my mind which may have triggered me to search Theodore Roosevelt, I’m still not sure).

Edit: 21/08/2024. I'm confident in saying that my first exposure to Theordore Roosevelt came when I read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I don't think I'd internalised though who he was until years later.

Fortunately, YouTube is awash with plenty of content about the man but one video stands out in particular for a one-stop shop which is the Biographics (I’m a fan of the channel) video about him. 

Theodore Roosevelt: The Old Lion - YouTube

Then, my interest in the man waned but YouTube then suggested 2 videos on the man from the channel called Today I Found Out (also with Simon as host). These videos detailed Theodore’s escapades which are enough for many lifetimes, let alone one mans.

The President Who Randomly Liked to Challenge People to Fist Fights (youtube.com)

That Time Teddy Roosevelt Got Shot in the Chest But Gave a 90 Minute Speech Anyway (youtube.com)

The 2nd school of thought started as a musing. For a while now, I’ve seen articles that talk about Andrew Tate's influence on young men and I can clearly recall saying to my partner “Who do young men have to look up to these days?” 

YouTube, randomly recommended the following video to me: 

Why Aragorn is the Epitome of Masculinity (youtube.com)

I listened to the entirety of the video once before then listening to it for a 2nd time and then it occurred to me… there’s a lot of overlap with Teddy Roosevelt here. Next up, I asked ChatGPT which of the values these 2 overlap and why. Here are the 8 it suggested (along with one of my own): 

Courage and Bravery

Leadership 

Compassion and empathy

Honour and integrity 

Humility

Resilience and endurance 

Wisdom and knowledge

Physical prowess

Service 

It’s from this starting point that I begin this challenge. 

Reflection:N/A

Outcome: a life well lived.

Lessons: N/A