Ever have regrets for positive things? The feeling where you enjoy something or someone so much that you wish you noticed its ability to make you happy long before you even discovered it? I had that feeling while I lived in St. Andrews. Something I thought about on and off during the summer months, but spent countless minutes over on the flight from London and every night since then before falling asleep.
I never really got to enjoy the true essence of St. Andrews until the summer months. Yes, classes and seminars and deadlines were in the way. But I just never made the time. As the readers who have been with me since even before my grad school adventure started you probably noticed that I have taken a step back from my very, very busy lifestyle. {That’s not to say that I have completely emancipated myself from a lifestyle that is stressful.} I have grown to take a breathe. Close my eyes. Inhale. Exhale.
I guess what this happy regret entails is that I wish I met and/or noticed some of the people I befriended and painted memories with earlier.
I wish I started visiting cake shops and drinking tea with Lizzie earlier. I wish I shared recipes and silly stories with Tania and Caroline earlier. I wish I started cooking dinners with Mario earlier. I wish I spent afternoons getting lost with Allison earlier. I wish I had met Katie and Nat much, much earlier.
Life is defined by regrets. Though I term these as happy regrets, I often wonder if my academic life at St. Andrews would have been just a bit easier. I also worry and ache over the fact that these friendships, so short-term, may end entirely too quickly. Fall right out of my hand in front of me. But we learn from these experiences. Learn to seek simple pleasures.
This recipe is brought to you by Lizzie’s grandmother. Adapted and photographed by yours truly.
7-inch cake
Victorian Sponge Cake Recipe
ingredients
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 225g butter, softened
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g self raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- milk, to loosen
- 1 cup strawberry jam
method
Heat the oven to 180C. Prepare two 7-inch cake tins.
Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs and just a splash of milk. Fold in the flour with a large wooden spoon. Add more milk if necessary.
Divide the mixture evenly into the cake tins and gently spread out with the back of a rubber spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly golden and cleared with a toothpick.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Layer with icing sugar and strawberry jam in the middle.
