MyWorldMyLife

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Cosy up with the ultimate homemade pumpkin pie

There’s nothing quite like the smell of warm spices filling your home on a chilly day. It instantly makes everything feel a little cosier. Whether you’re baking for a family gathering, sharing dessert with friends, or simply fancying something sweet with a cup of tea on a quiet afternoon, this homemade Pumpkin Pie is always a lovely choice. It’s creamy, full of warming spices, and surprisingly easy to make. And the best part is you don’t have to wait until autumn to enjoy it. One slice, and I’m sure you’ll find yourself coming back to this recipe all year round. Ingredients: 3 large eggs 100g dark brown sugar 70g white sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp lemon zest 1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 428g tin of pumpkin purée (you can always make your own pumpkin purée when they're available if you wish!) 340g tin of evaporated milk A 22cm blind baked sweet crust pastry case Instructions: Preheat the oven to 220°C. Beat the eggs together in a large bowl. Add the dark brown sugar, white sugar, salt, lemon ...

Love, cancer, and a blended family

Life rarely turns out the way you imagine it will. If someone had told me at thirty what the next ten years had in store, I probably wouldn't have believed them. Divorce, a demanding career, remarriage, a blended family of five, two cats, a dog and, just when I thought life couldn't get much fuller, a cancer diagnosis. It certainly wasn't the picture I had in mind. But here I am, navigating it all, sometimes gracefully, often not, and learning to find the good in a life that looks nothing like the one I once planned. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Mine just happens to come with a WhatsApp group, a colour-coded Google Calendar and a fair amount of coordination between households. Our blended family is a wonderful mix of personalities, parenting styles, cultures, backgrounds and faiths. We're a multi-faith family, which means our differences aren't just something we occasionally talk about; they're part of our everyday lives. We have different tradi...

Vibrant beetroot hummus

Bright, creamy and naturally vibrant, this beetroot hummus is as delicious as it is colourful. Creamy chickpeas, earthy beetroot, zesty lemon and nutty tahini come together to create a simple, nourishing dip that’s perfect with crisp, crunchy vegetables. Ingredients 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 small pre-cooked beetroot, peeled 1 garlic clove 1–2 tablespoons tahini Juice of ½ lemon A splash of water, if needed Raw vegetables, to serve Method Add the chickpeas, beetroot, garlic, tahini and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If the hummus is too thick, add a small splash of water and blend again until you reach your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust with a little more lemon juice or tahini, if desired. Spoon into a serving bowl and enjoy with bread or raw vegetables such as cucumber, carrot and pepper sticks. Tip: For an extra-smooth and creamy hummus, gently peel the skins from the c...

Raspberry chia pudding

This raspberry chia pudding is creamy, fruity and naturally sweet, with lovely little bursts of fresh raspberry in every spoonful. It’s quick to prepare, full of fibre and antioxidants, and makes a lovely breakfast or snack when you fancy something special. Ingredients 2 tablespoons chia seeds ½ cup (120 ml) milk (dairy or plant-based) A generous handful of fresh raspberries, mashed A few extra raspberries, to serve 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, optional 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, to decorate Method Add the chia seeds, milk and vanilla protein powder, if using, to a small bowl or jar. Stir well until the protein powder has completely dissolved and there are no lumps. Gently mash the fresh raspberries with a fork, then stir them into the mixture. Leave to stand for about 15 minutes, giving it another stir halfway through. The chia seeds will absorb the milk and create a lovely thick, creamy pudding. Top with a few fresh raspberries and enjoy straight away, or cover and chill in t...

When treatment ends, but the journey continues

Today feels almost surreal. I just had my sixth and final Zometa infusion, a milestone I’ve imagined for so long. Yet now that it’s actually here, I’m surprised by the sudden rush of mixed emotions. There is enormous relief, of course. Having finished two years of Abemaciclib last June, this marks another major chapter of my breast cancer journey that I can finally put behind me. For years, my life revolved around blood tests, hospital visits, chemo wards, and endless scheduling. Now, the constant cycle of biweekly blood tests and treatment trips stops. That freedom feels amazing. Yet, finishing treatment brings an unexpected fear. Those appointments and medications were my safety net, proof that I was actively fighting to keep the cancer away. Even when exhausting, following the plan brought comfort. As that routine fades, the logical mind knows the medical team designed this path and that hormone therapy and monitoring continue, but cancer is as much mental as physical. The fear of r...

Lemon ricotta pasta

Some recipes are more than just something to cook and eat. They become little pieces of home, tied to a moment, a season, or someone we love. I hope this is one of those recipes for you. It’s simple, comforting, and bright, with creamy ricotta, fresh lemon, and plenty of Parmesan. The kind of meal you can make when you want something delicious without making a fuss. One day, when you make this for yourself, or for the people you love, I hope you remember that it started here, with me making it for you. And perhaps, years from now, the taste of lemon and ricotta will bring you back to our kitchen, to this time in our lives, and to all the love that went into the meals I made for you. Ingredients 450g pasta (spaghetti or bucatini work best) 250g whole-milk ricotta 50g freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan 1 lemon, zested and juiced 30ml olive oil Salt, freshly ground black pepper and chilli flakes, to taste Fresh basil, to garnish Method 1. Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta in a large pan of ...

The invisible side of cancer recovery

Two months after my final round of oral chemotherapy, I stood on my back patio staring at a completely flooded garden. Five hours earlier, I had turned on the sprinkler for what was supposed to be a "quick soak," only to walk away and forget it entirely. At first, I laughed. We all have absentminded moments. But then the slips began to stack up. I forgot my phone in the back of an Uber, left a bag of gifts I bought for my family at the boarding gate, and walked away from my wallet at a store checkout. The tipping point arrived late one night when the sharp smell of smoke hit me while I was sitting in the other room; I had left the oven on high heat, completely oblivious to it. That was the moment the jokes stopped being funny. These were no longer trivial slip-ups; I was making mistakes with serious, dangerous consequences, and I lived in constant dread of the next one. I felt perpetually one step behind my own life, plagued by a deep sense of shame. I started second-guessing...