If you're looking for a gift for someone going through difficult times, a copy of my book, combining simple tasty recipes and everyday survival tips, is perfect. It's nominated for the 'Food & Mental Health' Gourmand World Cookbook Award. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1739967038 #FoodSky #BookSky #Cookbook

Had a cheese ploughman's sandwich for lunch and was somewhat shocked to see that it has 36 different ingredients in it!

I was today years old when i learned that in America a 'coffee cake' is actually a cake with a cinnamon crumb designed to be eaten with coffee, not, well, a 'coffee cake', made with (and tasting of) actual coffee.

Dinner was cooked by the 12yo today - Roasted Chicken Thigh Traybake with Plums, Ginger, Garlic, Chilli & Soy

In this day and age, why are Nobel Prizes limited to three people? Why not simply reward all people that made significant contributions to the discovery? Science is teamwork!

Five years ago today. The (then) 7yo was very wise for his age... "Do you like going to the woods?" "Yeah, I love the woods" "Why do you like the woods?" "Because its sheltered... sheltered from all the noise... and I like it"

Fork-Tender Slow-Cooked Persian-Spiced Lamb Shoulder / Spiced Roast Potatoes / Persian Salad / Grilled Asparagus with Smoked Salt / Mint Yoghurt #SundayRoast #SundayDinner #SlowCooking #Foodie #FoodSky

Walking in the woods. #Woodland #NorthCliffeWoods #EastYorkshire #Trees #AutumnLeaves

Vegan Crispy Tofu Curry (with Onion Bhajis, Basmati Rice & Mango Chutney). The recipe and story from my latest book are attached! www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DWLYCR96

They are currently decorating electric boxes and bins around York city centre - we are enjoying spotting all the designs - they turn the totally mundane into little pops of colourful art.

Couldn't have loved the Traitors any more. Top TV! #Traitors #nospoilers

Very sad to see the major university in the East Midlands 'suspending' (i.e. planning to close) key courses like Modern Languages and Music and scaling back Nursing. It's a scandal that top universities are just being left to go to the wall after years of underfunding. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Really love this 'easy paella' recipe from my latest book that comes together in about 30 minutes with almost no effort at all. #CookSky #FoodSky #BookSky www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1739967038

Honey Miso Chicken One of our favourites from my latest book - you must try it! Serve it with what you want, but I raid the Asian supermarket and put it with wasabi crisps, Japanese pickles and rice with shichimi togarashi. Book: www.amazon.co.uk/Bluesky-Reci... #FoodSky #BookSky #Cookbook #Foodie

Living in York, is a great place to reflect on what it means to be 'British'. Founded in 71AD by the Roman Empire, Eboracum was such an important city that two Roman Emperors happened to be here when they died. The multangular tower is largely of Roman construction. @VisitYork 1/12

Given Grok trains itself on the cesspool of total disinformation that is many X posts, it is unsurprising that it should then behave like an AI fascist Minister of Propaganda.

Fried Doughnuts / Hot Apple & Cinnamon Sauce / Vanilla Ice Cream An easy 10 minute crowd-pleasing pudding for almost zero effort. Recipe is in my latest book - just swap strawberry sauce for apple sauce. (Peel & dice 2 cooking apples, add 25ml water, 1tbsp sugar, simmer to soft. Add 1/2tsp cinnamon)

Delighted my new book is shortlisted for a Gourmand World Cookbook Award. The book has delicious, short recipes, just the length of a Bluesky post, and reflects on how, as a single parent to a child with additional needs, I try to boost wellbeing. www.amazon.co.uk/Bluesky-Reci... #BookSky #FoodSky

Tomight the 12yo cooked tea - these Cajun Prawns from my first book made a really simple, tasty recipe for him to follow. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HSNBRJR/

As usual, the neighbourhood went all out for Halloween.

Given Florida relies massively on child-centred tourism for much of its income, getting rid of vaccines is madness. Why would anyone want to take their kids there on holiday once Florida gains a reputation for massive outbreaks of serious and damaging childhood diseases?

Have to applaud Blackpool's willingness to innovate, like with the 2-week artistic #Lightpool festival. Some crowd-pleasing installations on the prom but also some real art statements like Ataraxie, by Maxime Houot, reflecting on the void of the unknown. (Volume up on video for full effect).

Pier/Beer On our very last holiday, Sam just managed to walk the whole length of Blackpool's Central Pier, and we sat in the setting sun drinking beer in the family bar, with its cheesy kids' disco. As the sun went down, I knew he wouldn't make it back again. It's now a mini pilgrimage spot for me.

Sandcastle, Blackpool One of the 12yo's happy places - we've been through every one of those tubes!

In Blackpool, waiting for the tram to head to the 'Sandcastle' indoor waterpark.

Today was our Blackpool Pleasure Beach day. With the oldest ride dating back to 1904, lots of Art Deco classics, and some modern wonders, I think its a great theme park. As for the 12yo, he LOVED the Wallace & Gromit ride and Valhalla - both ridden multiple times.

Blackpool

Blackpool

Today, we took to the streets of York with hundreds of people armed with torches for night 1 of the York Ghost Hunt. York Ghost Merchants hide 125 ghosts near the Minster. We found an official 'ragamuffin' ghost (right)! We also found an unofficial 'crying' ghost (no idea of the origin)! #GhostWeek

I live in a country where people complain there are too many ethnic minority people in adverts, say such people can never be English' and should be deported, and stick as many England flags as possible up on lamposts. If Reform get elected, then I will live in a fascist country.

Google Scholar has introduced a 'Sh-index' metric that scores papers higher if you are first or last author. Apart from the fact metrics are generally bad, this one explicitly punishes PIs who often collaborate, publishing with 2 or 3 equal PIs at the end of the list. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

I've always believed in giving the 12yo as many experiences as possible, so this afternoon we've gone to the opera in Leeds to see a one-act production 'The Big Opera Mystery' containing lots of famous opera characters and songs. #OperaNorth @operanorth.co.uk

Pan-Fried Salmon with a Dill Cream Sauce, Roasted New Potatoes and Asparagus. It's simple, delicious and barely needs a recipe, but you can find one in my book, along with reflections on one of my favourite places and how it boosts the wellbeing of the 12yo & me. www.amazon.co.uk/Bluesky-Reci...

As you might expect, this Nature policy on citation diversity statements has received a massive backlash on X. However, I work in a field where fantastic work is done in India and China and I can say for a fact it does not get cited as often as equivalent work from the USA.

To celebrate my book being shortlisted for the 'Food & Mental Health Award' at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards (the Oscars of food writing), I have cut the price of the paperback to basically the minimum possible. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1739967038 #Cookbook #GourmandAward #Foodie #FoodSky #BookSky

For my Year 1 lecture course this year, I used AI to produce an audio podcast to support student learning. I was amazed how listenable it was, and how broadly accurate it turned out to be. In this thread, I talk through the process I used to make the podcast. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK36...

Universities will be allowed to raise fees with inflation. 40% of universities are currently running a deficit - their costs go up with inflation, so its nothing more than a holding position. Add in the proposed 'tax' on overseas student incone, and universities will actually be worse off. #bbcnews

Went to an activity park with some other adopted families. The parents got talking and someone asked 'what do you do for you?'. And I said, 'well nothing really - work, childcare...' and then sat in silence. In honesty, I'm not sure there is a 'me' anymore. #singleparenting #adoption #SENparenting

Autumn Colours at Thorp Perrow Arboretum. #ThorpPerrow #ThorpPerrowArboretum

#Caturday napping.

Pulled Pork Burger, Fries and Homemade Slaw Slow cooker magic worked - perfect return from a day out exploring the Autumnal woods!! Cookbook: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1739967003/ #FoodSky #Foodie #ComfortFood #SoulFood #Cookbook #BookSky #HomeCooking #GourmandAwards

Feeding the wallabies, flying birds of prey, autumn colours, and a halloween trail - a lovely visit to Thorp Perrow Arboretum in Bedale, with a little bit of everything.

Cooking a MASSIVE pork shoulder in the slow cooker to make Pulled Pork (with LOADS) of leftovers for freezing.

We have pioneered 3D-printing supramolecular gels by wet-spinning, using the patterns to grow cells for regenerative medicine (pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...) or as soft conductors for nanoelectronics (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....). Here is a cool video! www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCgP...

Part-way through my first year course teaching the fundamentals of organic reaction mechanisms using my own unique 'priority rules' approach. Developing this is one of my proudest achievements in chemistry pedagogy. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... #ChemSky #ChemEd #Chemistry #OrgChem #Mechanisms

The 12yo had a tricky day at school, falling out with his friend, so I made him a pie with love to cheer him up. #SoulFood #HomeCooking #Foodie #FoodSky

Delighted my latest book has been shortlisted as a Winner in the 'Food & Mental Health' category of the 2025 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Will find out next month whether it achieves 'Best in the World' status! #GourmandAwards #Foodie #Cookbook #SoulFood #HomeCooking #MentalHealth #Wellbeing

Blackberry & Apple Crumble Enjoying the fruit from the allotment. #allotmentlife

Autumnal adventures in the woods.

I love Autumn, it's the perfect excuse to get out the slow cooker so something delicious, like this goulash, cooks itself while we are out having adventures! The recipe is in my book - Bluesky Recipes for Difficult Days. www.amazon.co.uk/Bluesky-Reci...