By Harry Godfrey
One day, years ago, a man married a woman very dear to his heart. Her name was Veronica, and she was the most beautiful and kind lady the man had ever had the pleasure to meet.
They had no children, no pets and it was very quiet around the house.
Something seemed to upset his wife, shortly after the man lost his job, but he still loved her so, but she found it difficult to carry on supporting him.
One morning, the man woke up to find his wire hanging off one of the curtain poles from one of his old work ties. When he saw her he felt like he could not breathe. He sat under the kitchen table and spoke to himself.
‘Was it me?’ he asked himself, ‘Was it me?’ He sweated. ‘Was it the fridge? Dumb fridge! Always bloody getting too hot!’ he twitched. ‘Or was it the window? The table? OR THE FLOOR?’
He never slept in their bed again, always on the kitchen floor, he never changed his clothes or washed ever again, he never watched telly, he just lay there in the front room staring at her cold, still body.
Over time he lost all interest. He never really ate, only when he had to, when he had no energy to stand up. He then decided it would be best to meet her himself. He locked himself in the bathroom and avoided all water and food. He then slowly drifted away.
Yes one day, many years ago, a man married a woman very dear to his heart. Her name was Veronica, and she was the most beautiful and kind lady the man had ever had the pleasure to meet.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Vegan Recipies Of The Day - Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th
VEGAN LAYER SPONGE CAKE
I made this today. It migt be a little burnt, but it's still good...
I never said I could cook did I?
I made this today. It migt be a little burnt, but it's still good...
I never said I could cook did I?
It was meant to look like this:
This Recipie was from the book 'Puddings'
Eggless Sponge
8oz self-raising wholemeal flour
6oz caster sugar (I used brown sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
6tbsp sunflour oil
9 floz water
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 tbsp jam (I used way more than this)
caster sugar, for dusting (I didn't bother)
Mix the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl
Pour in the oil, water and vanilla flavouring. Mix well witha wooden spoon for about 1 minute until the mixture is smooth
Grease and line two 8" sandwich cake tins and spoon the mixture evenly between the two
Bake in a preheated oven, Gas Mark 4, for about 25-30 minutes (mine was only in for 20 but it still burnt, but that's just my oven).
Leave to cool and transfer to a wire rack. remove the baking paper and place one of the sponges on a plate.
Spread jam on the sponge which is on the plate and place the other one on top, then top it caster sugar to serve.
------------------------------------------------
Tuesday's 'Recipie':
Sandwiches.
Not really a recipie, but to be honest everyone eats sandwiches, and without vegan sandwich fillings, lunches would be a bit more complicated. So here's some vegan sandwich ideas for you.
Houmous
Houmous and salad
'Veggie Slices' (basically liike flavoured tofu slices. surprisingly nice)
Vegan 'Egg Mayo' (Vegan mayonayse, available from health food shops, with mashed tofu)
Marmite (with or without sliced cucumber)
Cucumber
Vegetable Pate
Any type of vegan dip
Miso
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter and Banana
Peanut Butter and Jam
Jam
Tofu (any kind, prepared any way)
Vegan cream chese
Falafel's, houmous and lettuce
Salad
Mashed Kidney or Butter beans (with/ without salad)
Roasted Vegetables
Vegan Chocolate Spread (from health food shop)
There are more..but I could never list ALL the possibilities
Anything goes as long as theres no animals involved.
How To Get All Your Nutrients on a Vegan Diet
A healthy diet must include:
Protien, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, water
Everything here can be found in a vegan diet, and here's how...
PROTIEN
There are 10 types of protien requited from the diet, these are:
Arginine (not needed for adults)
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Llysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Arginine: Alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green vegetables, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, parsnips, nutritional yeast.
Histidine: Apple, pomogranates, alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, dandelion, endive, garlic, radish, spinach, turnip greens.
Isoleucine: Avocados, papayas, olives, coconut, sunflower seeds.
Leucine: Avocados, papayas, olives, coconut, sunflower seeds.
Lysine: Apples, apricots, grapes, papayas, pears, alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, dandelion greens, parsley, spinach, turnip greens.
Methionine: Apples, pineapples, Brazil nuts, filberts, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, dock (sorrel), garlic, horseradish, kale, watercress.
Phenylalanine: Apples, pineapples, beets, carrots, parsley, spinach, tomatoes, nutritional yeast.
Threnoine: Papayas, alfalfa sprouts, carrots, green leafy vegetables such as celery, collards, kale, and lettuce (especially iceberg), lima beans, laver (Nori -- a sea vegetable).
Tryptophan: Alfalfa, brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, chives, dandelion greens, endive, fennel, snap beans, spinach, turnips, nutritional yeast.
Valine: Apples, almonds, pomegranates, beets, carrots, celery, dandelion greens, lettuce, okra, parsley, parsnips, squash, tomatoes, turnips, nutritional yeast.
CARBOHYDRATE
This is not at all hard to get in a vegan diet.
Try bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, nuts and more..
FAT
Vegetable oil, nuts, seeds and more
VITAMINS
Vitamin A: carrots, broccoli leaves (more than florets), sweet potatoes, spinach, leafy vegetables, pumpkin, apricots, papaya, mango, peas
Vitamin B: potatoes, bananas, lentils, chilli peppers, tempeh, nutritional yeast (or brewer's yeast), molasses
VItamin B12: Marmite and vegemite (claim to be the best), nutritional yeast, B12 fortified cereal, B12 fortified soy milk, or suppliments (but I would not reccomend suppliments, they are unneeded and weird. plus a vegan diet is perfectly healthy so there is no need to suppliment)
Vitamin C: broccoli, capsicum, kale, cauliflower, strawberries, lemons, mustard and turnip greens, brussels sprouts, papaya, chard, cabbage, spinach, kiwifruit, snow peas, cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, limes, tomatoes, zucchini, raspberries, asparagus, celery, pineapples, lettuce, watermelon, fennel, peppermint and parsley
Vitamin D: the sun (that's right!)
Vitamin E: vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals
Vitamin K: leafy green vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts avocado and kiwifruit
MINERALS
Iron: soy, dried beans, dark green leafy vegetables, lentils, spinach, potatoes and more
Calcium: tofu (if prepared using calcium sulphate contains more than four times the calcium of whole cow's milk), green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts. (The calcium in green vegetables is absorbed better than the calcium from cow's milk!)
Phosphorus: see calcium.
Sodium: salt
Potassium: bananas, citrus fruit, grains, vegetables
Iodine: seaweed, iodised salt
Magnesium: tofu, legumes, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, Brazil nuts, soybean flour, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin, squash seeds, pine nuts, and black walnuts, peanuts, whole wheat flour, oat flour, beet greens, spinach, pistachio nuts, shredded wheat, bran cereals, oatmeal, bananas, and baked potatoes (with skin), agar seaweed, coriander, dill weed, celery seed, sage, dried mustard, basil, cocoa powder, fennel seed, savory, cumin seed, tarragon, marjoram, poppy seed
Zinc: beans, lentils, yeast, nuts, seeds and wholegrain cereals
Copper: whole grains, nuts, raisins, legumes (beans and lentils), cereals, potatoes, peas, mushrooms, some dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach or kale), some fruits (such as coconuts, papaya, and apples), tea and rice
WATER
Water
Protien, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, water
Everything here can be found in a vegan diet, and here's how...
PROTIEN
There are 10 types of protien requited from the diet, these are:
Arginine (not needed for adults)
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Llysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Arginine: Alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green vegetables, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, parsnips, nutritional yeast.
Histidine: Apple, pomogranates, alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, dandelion, endive, garlic, radish, spinach, turnip greens.
Isoleucine: Avocados, papayas, olives, coconut, sunflower seeds.
Leucine: Avocados, papayas, olives, coconut, sunflower seeds.
Lysine: Apples, apricots, grapes, papayas, pears, alfalfa, beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, dandelion greens, parsley, spinach, turnip greens.
Methionine: Apples, pineapples, Brazil nuts, filberts, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, dock (sorrel), garlic, horseradish, kale, watercress.
Phenylalanine: Apples, pineapples, beets, carrots, parsley, spinach, tomatoes, nutritional yeast.
Threnoine: Papayas, alfalfa sprouts, carrots, green leafy vegetables such as celery, collards, kale, and lettuce (especially iceberg), lima beans, laver (Nori -- a sea vegetable).
Tryptophan: Alfalfa, brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, chives, dandelion greens, endive, fennel, snap beans, spinach, turnips, nutritional yeast.
Valine: Apples, almonds, pomegranates, beets, carrots, celery, dandelion greens, lettuce, okra, parsley, parsnips, squash, tomatoes, turnips, nutritional yeast.
CARBOHYDRATE
This is not at all hard to get in a vegan diet.
Try bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, nuts and more..
FAT
Vegetable oil, nuts, seeds and more
VITAMINS
Vitamin A: carrots, broccoli leaves (more than florets), sweet potatoes, spinach, leafy vegetables, pumpkin, apricots, papaya, mango, peas
Vitamin B: potatoes, bananas, lentils, chilli peppers, tempeh, nutritional yeast (or brewer's yeast), molasses
VItamin B12: Marmite and vegemite (claim to be the best), nutritional yeast, B12 fortified cereal, B12 fortified soy milk, or suppliments (but I would not reccomend suppliments, they are unneeded and weird. plus a vegan diet is perfectly healthy so there is no need to suppliment)
Vitamin C: broccoli, capsicum, kale, cauliflower, strawberries, lemons, mustard and turnip greens, brussels sprouts, papaya, chard, cabbage, spinach, kiwifruit, snow peas, cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, limes, tomatoes, zucchini, raspberries, asparagus, celery, pineapples, lettuce, watermelon, fennel, peppermint and parsley
Vitamin D: the sun (that's right!)
Vitamin E: vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals
Vitamin K: leafy green vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts avocado and kiwifruit
MINERALS
Iron: soy, dried beans, dark green leafy vegetables, lentils, spinach, potatoes and more
Calcium: tofu (if prepared using calcium sulphate contains more than four times the calcium of whole cow's milk), green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts. (The calcium in green vegetables is absorbed better than the calcium from cow's milk!)
Phosphorus: see calcium.
Sodium: salt
Potassium: bananas, citrus fruit, grains, vegetables
Iodine: seaweed, iodised salt
Magnesium: tofu, legumes, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, Brazil nuts, soybean flour, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin, squash seeds, pine nuts, and black walnuts, peanuts, whole wheat flour, oat flour, beet greens, spinach, pistachio nuts, shredded wheat, bran cereals, oatmeal, bananas, and baked potatoes (with skin), agar seaweed, coriander, dill weed, celery seed, sage, dried mustard, basil, cocoa powder, fennel seed, savory, cumin seed, tarragon, marjoram, poppy seed
Zinc: beans, lentils, yeast, nuts, seeds and wholegrain cereals
Copper: whole grains, nuts, raisins, legumes (beans and lentils), cereals, potatoes, peas, mushrooms, some dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach or kale), some fruits (such as coconuts, papaya, and apples), tea and rice
WATER
Water
Monday, 17 November 2008
Friday, 14 November 2008
Vegan Recipie Of The Day - Thursday 13th & Friday 14th
Sugar Cookies
From 'The Garden Of Vegan' by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer. The recipie is measured in cups as the people who wrote it are canadian. You can buy measuring cups from homeware stores or supermarkets. One cup is approximatly equal to 130g.
3/4 cup dry sweetner (a.k.a. sugar)
1 cup margarine*
Egg replacer** equal to one egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
*dairy free margarine is available in normal shops and as far as I'm aware it doesn't cost any extra. It's just margarine made from vegetable fat instead of butter.
**egg replacer powder is available in health food shops and mayebe some supermarkets, you could also use 1/2 mashed banana per egg to be raplaced OR 1/4 cup mashed tofu OR 1 tbsp soyflour / cornstarch + 2tbsp water.
In a large bowl, stir together the margarine, sweetner, egg replacer and vanilla. Stir in the salt, flour and baking soda and mix well. Roll out and shape. Baker for 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges.
Vegan Quiche
This recipie uses tofu instead of eggs to create that quiche-y texture. You can vary this recipie by adding any vegetables you want.
For the Pastry:
100g plain flour
pinch of salt
50g margarine
2-3 tbsp olive oil
To make the pastry:
sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and margarine. Rub/ process the margarine into the flour until the mixture forms breadcrumbs.
Mix the oil with 3tbsp water and add to the bowl. Mix or process briefly until a dough forms. Wrap it in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Grease a 8-9" tin and preheat the oven to gas mark 6/ 200C. Roll the pastry out thinly and place into the tin. Pierce the base with a fork. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until the pastry is browned.
For the filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 packet tofu
1 tbsp chopped herbs of your choice
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt & pepper
nutmeg
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 1180C
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for 10 minutes. Put half the oinion in a liquidiser and blend with the garlic and tofu. Add the rest of the onions with the fresh herbs, soy sauce, salt, peper and nutmeg to taste.
Spoon the mixture into the pastry case and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and set.
From 'The Garden Of Vegan' by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer. The recipie is measured in cups as the people who wrote it are canadian. You can buy measuring cups from homeware stores or supermarkets. One cup is approximatly equal to 130g.
3/4 cup dry sweetner (a.k.a. sugar)
1 cup margarine*
Egg replacer** equal to one egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
*dairy free margarine is available in normal shops and as far as I'm aware it doesn't cost any extra. It's just margarine made from vegetable fat instead of butter.
**egg replacer powder is available in health food shops and mayebe some supermarkets, you could also use 1/2 mashed banana per egg to be raplaced OR 1/4 cup mashed tofu OR 1 tbsp soyflour / cornstarch + 2tbsp water.
In a large bowl, stir together the margarine, sweetner, egg replacer and vanilla. Stir in the salt, flour and baking soda and mix well. Roll out and shape. Baker for 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges.
Vegan Quiche
This recipie uses tofu instead of eggs to create that quiche-y texture. You can vary this recipie by adding any vegetables you want.
For the Pastry:
100g plain flour
pinch of salt
50g margarine
2-3 tbsp olive oil
To make the pastry:
sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and margarine. Rub/ process the margarine into the flour until the mixture forms breadcrumbs.
Mix the oil with 3tbsp water and add to the bowl. Mix or process briefly until a dough forms. Wrap it in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Grease a 8-9" tin and preheat the oven to gas mark 6/ 200C. Roll the pastry out thinly and place into the tin. Pierce the base with a fork. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until the pastry is browned.
For the filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 packet tofu
1 tbsp chopped herbs of your choice
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt & pepper
nutmeg
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 1180C
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for 10 minutes. Put half the oinion in a liquidiser and blend with the garlic and tofu. Add the rest of the onions with the fresh herbs, soy sauce, salt, peper and nutmeg to taste.
Spoon the mixture into the pastry case and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and set.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Recipie Of The Day - Wednesday 12th
Vegan Stir Fry
Not amazingly interesting, but quick and easy to make and it a great staple food. You can add anything you like to it and as it doesn't contain dairy or eggs, as long as there's no meat added (and you don't have egg noodles with it) it's completly vegan.
Vegetables of your choice, chopped.
Tofu (optional)
'Straight to wok' noodles. (just because it's really easy)
Basically, heat some oil in a pan (wok's are best but you can use any old frying pan). Then add the veg and tofu, stirring constantly. Add the noodles a bit later as they don't need that long to cook. Once everything is heated through and the vegetables are cooked, it's done.
Not amazingly interesting, but quick and easy to make and it a great staple food. You can add anything you like to it and as it doesn't contain dairy or eggs, as long as there's no meat added (and you don't have egg noodles with it) it's completly vegan.
Vegetables of your choice, chopped.
Tofu (optional)
'Straight to wok' noodles. (just because it's really easy)
Basically, heat some oil in a pan (wok's are best but you can use any old frying pan). Then add the veg and tofu, stirring constantly. Add the noodles a bit later as they don't need that long to cook. Once everything is heated through and the vegetables are cooked, it's done.
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Vegan Recipie Of The Day - Tuesday 11th
Couscous with stir-fried lettuce and marinated tofu, green beans and roasted pumpkin and red onion.
Put the tofu in a bowl with some sweet chilli sauce for about 10 minutes to flavour it a bit, then fry it in some oil with chopped iceburg lettuce.
The green beans you can buy frozen, add them to some boiling water and cook for a while, and then add to the pan with the tofu and lettuce.
Chop up the pumpkin and put it in a baking tray with the onion (also chopped). Season to taste and add olive oil. Bake for about half an hour.
To make the couscous, you just put it in a bowl and add boiling water.
That's it!
serve everything together and add whatever you like to put on your food (soy sauce is good =) ).
This recipie is a bit random and made up but it was quite nice, hope you enjoy it!
Monday, 10 November 2008
Vegan Recipie Of The Day - Monday 10th.
Usually I would also include a picture of what I had for dinner today, but I forgot to take a picture of it. I had Spinach and Chickpea Curry. I don't know the recipe, my mum made it, but the recipe of the day for today is:
Aubergine and Vegimince Lasagne.
I made this on friday (I think). I'd never made vegan lasagne before but it turned out alright. Vegans can eat lasagne.
2 Aubergines
Lasagne pasta
Soya mince (or vegimince or whatever. you can buy it in Tescos.)
Salt
Soya Sauce
Water
Vegan Cheese (if you like. I didn't put any on because I don't like it.)
Sauce:
Cooking Oil
Plain Flour
Soya milk
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
To Make the Sauce:
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add 2tbsp flour, cook for a moment of two. Add soya milk slowly to reach the desired consistancy, while stirring. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
To Make the Actual Thing:
Cook the 'mince' according to the packet. Usually you cook it in a pan with an equal amount of water until it's all absorbed. Add salt and soya sauce if you like.
Cut the aubergine into circles (slice it that is) and fry it in some oil until cooked (Softer and sligtly browned).
In a large dish, layer the aubergines, vegemince and lasagne pasta however you want, and add the sauce (and vegan cheese if you like) to the top layer.
Bake on a fairly low heat until the pasta is soft.
Done!
I will be doing this every day until the end of the month now so come back and check tomorrow!
Please don't add meat/ cheese / milk etc. This would defeat the point of it being vegan. It won't be THAT bad, promise.
Aubergine and Vegimince Lasagne.
I made this on friday (I think). I'd never made vegan lasagne before but it turned out alright. Vegans can eat lasagne.
2 Aubergines
Lasagne pasta
Soya mince (or vegimince or whatever. you can buy it in Tescos.)
Salt
Soya Sauce
Water
Vegan Cheese (if you like. I didn't put any on because I don't like it.)
Sauce:
Cooking Oil
Plain Flour
Soya milk
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
To Make the Sauce:
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add 2tbsp flour, cook for a moment of two. Add soya milk slowly to reach the desired consistancy, while stirring. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
To Make the Actual Thing:
Cook the 'mince' according to the packet. Usually you cook it in a pan with an equal amount of water until it's all absorbed. Add salt and soya sauce if you like.
Cut the aubergine into circles (slice it that is) and fry it in some oil until cooked (Softer and sligtly browned).
In a large dish, layer the aubergines, vegemince and lasagne pasta however you want, and add the sauce (and vegan cheese if you like) to the top layer.
Bake on a fairly low heat until the pasta is soft.
Done!
I will be doing this every day until the end of the month now so come back and check tomorrow!
Please don't add meat/ cheese / milk etc. This would defeat the point of it being vegan. It won't be THAT bad, promise.
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Short Horror Story Winner is Harry Godfrey!
We had lots of excellent stories to choose from, but this was the scariest. Well done Harry, pick up a prize from the library after school on Monday.
The Shadows
One day, many years ago, a girl called Katie moved house and she got the attic room of the new house. They had old-fashioned wooden floors, and chandeliers. Her bed was soft and the room was warm.
So there was nothing wrong with the room, in fact, it was perfect, so she snuggled up, and tried to get to sleep.
Then, all of a sudden she heard very strange murmurs and faint laughing, she bolted up, and there were tens of dark, blotchy shadows in front of her, they had no faces, just the shape of a head, and the rest went straight down, she was very frightened.
“Who are you? Can you play with us?” the shadows asked happily, as if nothing was happening.
“My name is Katie Shaw, w…w…w what games do you play? Hide and Seek?”
“We play with axes and guns and knives!” the shadows voices went higher pitched. “Do, you play with axes?”
“No, not at all”
The shadows closed in and they all had inky guns and knives and swords. Katie feared for her life, and she hugged her teddy, she started to cry.
Then, all of the shadows laughed and fluttered around, throwing knives and shooting each other, loads of thick purple blood fell all over her face, she screamed, the shadows made weird noises.
“Would you like to know of our daddy?” the shadows said. “He was an axe murderer, he snatched us from our mummies, and then took us to this house, there were lots of us to start with, but then every night, he would chop us up and eat us in stew, he pretended our blood was raspberry juice, and sold our blood. Our daddy liked us though, he HUNG himself for us so he could meet us again. When he found us in hell, he tied us up in boxes, and threw us here, we needed a host, YOU FIT THE BILL!”
Then in a shock of black and red ink and blood the shadows flew in through her mouth, ears and nose her eyes widened and black ink fell from the inside of her eyes, as if she was drowning in the gooey black liquid.
“We are only PLAYING” the shadows said through gritted teeth, they made her cheeks go black and her veins were so visible as they had sucked up her skin.
Her eyes shone a bright red, then the same night, she found a rusty axe, chopped up her parents and ate the pieces. The police found her dead the next day, hung by a chain, just like her daddy…
The Shadows
One day, many years ago, a girl called Katie moved house and she got the attic room of the new house. They had old-fashioned wooden floors, and chandeliers. Her bed was soft and the room was warm.
So there was nothing wrong with the room, in fact, it was perfect, so she snuggled up, and tried to get to sleep.
Then, all of a sudden she heard very strange murmurs and faint laughing, she bolted up, and there were tens of dark, blotchy shadows in front of her, they had no faces, just the shape of a head, and the rest went straight down, she was very frightened.
“Who are you? Can you play with us?” the shadows asked happily, as if nothing was happening.
“My name is Katie Shaw, w…w…w what games do you play? Hide and Seek?”
“We play with axes and guns and knives!” the shadows voices went higher pitched. “Do, you play with axes?”
“No, not at all”
The shadows closed in and they all had inky guns and knives and swords. Katie feared for her life, and she hugged her teddy, she started to cry.
Then, all of the shadows laughed and fluttered around, throwing knives and shooting each other, loads of thick purple blood fell all over her face, she screamed, the shadows made weird noises.
“Would you like to know of our daddy?” the shadows said. “He was an axe murderer, he snatched us from our mummies, and then took us to this house, there were lots of us to start with, but then every night, he would chop us up and eat us in stew, he pretended our blood was raspberry juice, and sold our blood. Our daddy liked us though, he HUNG himself for us so he could meet us again. When he found us in hell, he tied us up in boxes, and threw us here, we needed a host, YOU FIT THE BILL!”
Then in a shock of black and red ink and blood the shadows flew in through her mouth, ears and nose her eyes widened and black ink fell from the inside of her eyes, as if she was drowning in the gooey black liquid.
“We are only PLAYING” the shadows said through gritted teeth, they made her cheeks go black and her veins were so visible as they had sucked up her skin.
Her eyes shone a bright red, then the same night, she found a rusty axe, chopped up her parents and ate the pieces. The police found her dead the next day, hung by a chain, just like her daddy…
Saturday, 8 November 2008
The best of the rest in the short horror story competition
Belle
by Lotte Laing
Great Aunt Mary had always had an obsession with dolls. Every birthday she would send me a porcelain doll. I loved them, but after 13 years, they had begun to lose their magic, and now were hidden away inside my wardrobe.
But Belle was different.
“It’s from Aunt Mary.” said mum handing me the package.
I opened it and read the card.
Happy Birthday!
Her name is Belle,
just like you
Aunt Mary.
I picked up the large doll that lay on my lap. She was heavier than most, perhaps it was her large elaborate dress which was silver satin. She had beautiful golden curls that tumbled down round her rosy cheeked face. Her eyes were big and deep, deep blue. They looked so real, staring through mine...
“She’s nice! Come on...SCHOOL!” said mum.
I took Belle under my arm and carried her to my room. I carefully placed her on top of my shelf and looked at her. Was it just me or were her lips, slightly upturned, as though she was smiling to herself? No, it couldn’t be, I was imagining it. I closed my door and went off to school.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t get the feeling of someone watching me out of my mind. I lay there, staring up at the blank ceiling, listening to the tick of the clock. Closing my eyes to try and help me relax. I cleared my mind and felt myself getting sleepier.
My heart skipped a beat. I had heard something in my ear ...like breathing, then a tiny, little girl’s giggle. I slowly turned my head to the side and saw something that took the breath from me. There, beside my bed, was Belle. All I could see was her pale face glowing eerily in the dark room. Her mouth was slightly upturned, like she was smiling. Her face was slowly getting closer and closer...
My eyelids were heavy but I forced them open. I tried to move my arms but it was impossible, and I realised what I could see. I was in my room, high up, as though I was on a shelf. I couldn’t even move my eyes; they were fixed, staring straight ahead. The door opened and a girl came in. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was me. The girl looked at me, reached up and took hold of me. She smiled ...an evil smile.
“A nice body you’ve got here!” she said turning and admiring herself in the mirror. “100 years Belle... it’s finally been 100 years... now it’s your turn,” she snarled as she walked over to my wardrobe. What was she saying? I couldn’t understand what she was going on about. She opened the large wooden door and threw me in, I was surrounded by the faces of all the other dolls. I looked at the girl; myself...
“100 years” she said once again and taking one last look at the daylight, she closed the door.
A Halloween Poem
by Amanda Boach
As a vampire came out at night
The dull orange pumpkins glow alight
The Vampire’s assistant came out to play
For a long long time, all night not day
So if you hear him children listen clear
He’s right outside your window, yes he’s near
He’s digging a spot just for you
Marking the place he’s going to push you through
He’s going to suck your blood and steal your soul
That is always a vampires goal.
So if you hear me children listen now
Fall to your knees and start to bow.
by Lotte Laing
Great Aunt Mary had always had an obsession with dolls. Every birthday she would send me a porcelain doll. I loved them, but after 13 years, they had begun to lose their magic, and now were hidden away inside my wardrobe.
But Belle was different.
“It’s from Aunt Mary.” said mum handing me the package.
I opened it and read the card.
Happy Birthday!
Her name is Belle,
just like you
Aunt Mary.
I picked up the large doll that lay on my lap. She was heavier than most, perhaps it was her large elaborate dress which was silver satin. She had beautiful golden curls that tumbled down round her rosy cheeked face. Her eyes were big and deep, deep blue. They looked so real, staring through mine...
“She’s nice! Come on...SCHOOL!” said mum.
I took Belle under my arm and carried her to my room. I carefully placed her on top of my shelf and looked at her. Was it just me or were her lips, slightly upturned, as though she was smiling to herself? No, it couldn’t be, I was imagining it. I closed my door and went off to school.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t get the feeling of someone watching me out of my mind. I lay there, staring up at the blank ceiling, listening to the tick of the clock. Closing my eyes to try and help me relax. I cleared my mind and felt myself getting sleepier.
My heart skipped a beat. I had heard something in my ear ...like breathing, then a tiny, little girl’s giggle. I slowly turned my head to the side and saw something that took the breath from me. There, beside my bed, was Belle. All I could see was her pale face glowing eerily in the dark room. Her mouth was slightly upturned, like she was smiling. Her face was slowly getting closer and closer...
My eyelids were heavy but I forced them open. I tried to move my arms but it was impossible, and I realised what I could see. I was in my room, high up, as though I was on a shelf. I couldn’t even move my eyes; they were fixed, staring straight ahead. The door opened and a girl came in. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was me. The girl looked at me, reached up and took hold of me. She smiled ...an evil smile.
“A nice body you’ve got here!” she said turning and admiring herself in the mirror. “100 years Belle... it’s finally been 100 years... now it’s your turn,” she snarled as she walked over to my wardrobe. What was she saying? I couldn’t understand what she was going on about. She opened the large wooden door and threw me in, I was surrounded by the faces of all the other dolls. I looked at the girl; myself...
“100 years” she said once again and taking one last look at the daylight, she closed the door.
A Halloween Poem
by Amanda Boach
As a vampire came out at night
The dull orange pumpkins glow alight
The Vampire’s assistant came out to play
For a long long time, all night not day
So if you hear him children listen clear
He’s right outside your window, yes he’s near
He’s digging a spot just for you
Marking the place he’s going to push you through
He’s going to suck your blood and steal your soul
That is always a vampires goal.
So if you hear me children listen now
Fall to your knees and start to bow.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Vegan Month
By Sophia Raffety
As you may or may not know, the month of November is ‘Vegan Month’. Organised by the animal rights charity Animal Aid, the aim of the month is to raise awareness of reasons to go vegan, and the benefits of a vegan diet. Being a vegan myself, I can personally recommend veganism.
What is a Vegan?
A vegan is someone who chooses to eliminate all animal-based products from their diet and lifestyle. A vegan does not eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, honey and other animal slaughter by-products such as gelatine (made from melted bones and hooves, usually from cows – generally found in mousse, jelly or chewy sweets ) or rennet (a liquid found in the stomach of a calf – used in hardening products such as cheese).
In addition to this, a true vegan also refuses to wear animal-based fabrics such as leather, suede or wool and avoids purchasing cosmetics or other products which have been tested on animals.
There are many reasons why someone would chose the vegan lifestyle, these include:
Animal Rights: Perhaps the most obvious reason for choosing veganism is the belief that factory farming, animal testing and cruelty to animals is morally wrong, and is unnecessary.
Health: When people find out that you are a vegan, they often worry that you are going to end up unhealthy and weak, so it may come as something of a surprise that many people choose a vegan diet for health reasons. Meat and other animal products are packed full of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to various health problems including heart attacks and blood clots, in addition, animal-based products often contain additives and hormones, which can have negative effects on the body for example the common use of the female hormone oestrogen in meat production can cause men to grow female breasts. A vegan diet can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer, to name a few.
Environment: Animal farming is also bad for the environment. The methane produced by flatulence of the billions of farmed cows is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses. Humans have intensively farmed cows in cramped conditions to get as many of them as possible into a smaller space, because of this, there are now many times more cows on earth than would exist naturally, and so there is an increase in greenhouse gas production. Over-grazing and chopping-down of trees to create space for animal farming also ruins natural landscapes and can spoil land.
World Hunger: Feeding a cow on grain to produce meat uses five times as much food as is produced by that cow. Half the crops harvested on the earth are used to feed animals in meat or dairy production, so if we stopped farming animals and used all this food to feed humans, we would have 2.5 times the amount of food with which to feed the world’s population of humans.
Vegan Month is the perfect time to try out veganism, or even just vegetarianism. Reducing the amount of meat or animal products you eat makes a huge difference. Visit www.veganmonth.com for more information on vegan month.
For vegan recipes check out www.vegcooking.com, www.veganrecipies.org.uk or http://vegetarian.about.com/
As you may or may not know, the month of November is ‘Vegan Month’. Organised by the animal rights charity Animal Aid, the aim of the month is to raise awareness of reasons to go vegan, and the benefits of a vegan diet. Being a vegan myself, I can personally recommend veganism.
What is a Vegan?
A vegan is someone who chooses to eliminate all animal-based products from their diet and lifestyle. A vegan does not eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, honey and other animal slaughter by-products such as gelatine (made from melted bones and hooves, usually from cows – generally found in mousse, jelly or chewy sweets ) or rennet (a liquid found in the stomach of a calf – used in hardening products such as cheese).
In addition to this, a true vegan also refuses to wear animal-based fabrics such as leather, suede or wool and avoids purchasing cosmetics or other products which have been tested on animals.
There are many reasons why someone would chose the vegan lifestyle, these include:
Animal Rights: Perhaps the most obvious reason for choosing veganism is the belief that factory farming, animal testing and cruelty to animals is morally wrong, and is unnecessary.
Health: When people find out that you are a vegan, they often worry that you are going to end up unhealthy and weak, so it may come as something of a surprise that many people choose a vegan diet for health reasons. Meat and other animal products are packed full of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to various health problems including heart attacks and blood clots, in addition, animal-based products often contain additives and hormones, which can have negative effects on the body for example the common use of the female hormone oestrogen in meat production can cause men to grow female breasts. A vegan diet can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer, to name a few.
Environment: Animal farming is also bad for the environment. The methane produced by flatulence of the billions of farmed cows is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses. Humans have intensively farmed cows in cramped conditions to get as many of them as possible into a smaller space, because of this, there are now many times more cows on earth than would exist naturally, and so there is an increase in greenhouse gas production. Over-grazing and chopping-down of trees to create space for animal farming also ruins natural landscapes and can spoil land.
World Hunger: Feeding a cow on grain to produce meat uses five times as much food as is produced by that cow. Half the crops harvested on the earth are used to feed animals in meat or dairy production, so if we stopped farming animals and used all this food to feed humans, we would have 2.5 times the amount of food with which to feed the world’s population of humans.
Vegan Month is the perfect time to try out veganism, or even just vegetarianism. Reducing the amount of meat or animal products you eat makes a huge difference. Visit www.veganmonth.com for more information on vegan month.
For vegan recipes check out www.vegcooking.com, www.veganrecipies.org.uk or http://vegetarian.about.com/
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