A delicious autumn recipe

These are a bit more involved than my usual recipes - but worth it! Also you really need a thermometer to get the oil to the correct temp ( I got a brilliantly affordable one for just £5 in Dunelm here’s a link) Be prepared to get addicted to these!

Cinnamon Sugared doughnuts

MAKES 6

210g strong white flour, plus extra to dust
7g dried yeast
½ tsp salt
15g caster sugar, plus extra to dust
20g unsalted butter
65ml whole milk
45ml warm water
1 egg, beaten
2 litres vegetable or sunflower oil, to cook
3 tablespoons jam (I used blackberry, but you can use whatever jam you fancy)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (to add to the dusting sugar)

Optional: whipped cream to top (for super indulgence!)

1. Combine the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Put milk, water and butter into a pan. Gently warm until the butter melts.

3. Pour this into the mixing bowl, along with the beaten egg, and stir until it comes together into a dough: it should be firm, but soft. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour.

4. Tip on to a lightly floured surface, or into a mixer fitted with a dough hook, and knead until you have a smooth and elastic dough (about 10 minutes by hand, around 5 in a mixed).

5. Put into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).

6. Shape the dough into 6 equal balls, folding each side tightly into the centre in turn, turning as you go, then turn the ball over and gently roll it into a ball. Place on a lightly floured baking tray or board, spacing them well apart. Cover and leave to rise again for around 45 minutes.

7. On a plate mix some caster sugar with the cinnamon ready for rolling the doughnuts in once cooked.

8. Heat the oil to 160C in a large pan - shallow-sided works best. Or a deep-fat fryer if you have one. Of course be careful with hot oil (this bit is definitely NOT for children).

9. Cook the doughnuts in batches (how many per batch depends on space in your pan) for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden, then blot with kitchen paper and roll in the cinnamon sugar.

10. Allow to cool slightly, then make a small hole in the side of each, and use a piping bag to inject your jam.

11. Use the same jammy piping bag (don’t bother cleaning in between) and fill with whipped cream (if using) and swirl the created jammy-marbled cream over the jam hole.

7. Eat immediately, while they're still a little warm. Marvel in the deliciouness of a homemade doughnut!

Recipe adapted from one by Felicity Cloak.

Some things I’m loving right now & you might like too…

Some inspiration to click on, I hope you enjoy them too.

• An utterly inspiring woman and an important legacy. Watch this Kris Hallenga documentary about living every second of our short lives.

• A podcast to fuel your ears.

• I’m a little obsessed with the gut microbiome. Why eating 30 plants a week is so good for you.

• I’m also little obsessed with mythology right now, one reason I am looking forward to this at YSP

• A special Wintery theatre treat that I cannot wait to take my girls too.

• Why a good enough mother is good enough

• Darker evenings mean you can see more night sky happenings. I’ve just signed up for alerts for seeing the international space station flying overhead.

• I’ve created some greetings cards. You might like them. Find out here

• Find out producers near you. This is new, but a fab idea.

• I loved this book, and have awaited the film launch for months. Loved it too.

A super-short reset

Take a minute for yourself

A one minute breathing practice for when you are feeling gripped or anxious.

May your heart feel soft and your breath feel wide.

You can listen to a recording of it here:

A poem

It was National Poetry Day last week. Here is a poem to savour…

THE SHAPE OF YOU by Donna Ashworth

It is a fool's folly to shape your body to match the trends, or someone's expectations. Trends change, expectations change, and so too do the people dishing them out. The pain you put your body through to fit, is exhausting, cruel and most importantly of all, pointless. It won't last, as nothing ever does. And there you will be, perfect, but feeling entirely worthless, used and battered, because you forgot to feed your soul whilst you were starving your body. Fast forward all that misery, my love, and see. See your body as it is. The shape of you. Unique. Flawed. So what? You didn't come here to fit. You came here to grow.

Journaling Prompts

Journalling prompts For Curating Your Own Chaos.

Here’s some journalling prompts you might find interesting. Make of them what you will (that’s the whole point BTW)

1. FUTURE SELF

An older version of yourself visits the you of today. What’s one thing they’ll point out that’s obviously a source of present-day unnecessary clutter or distraction…whether literal or abstract?

2. OFF-BRAND

What’s something you are recently into, curious about, or obsessed with that’s surprising, nonsensical, or out of character for you?

3. CURRENT ORACLE

Who is someone you’re looking to as a source of wisdom, inspiration, or inner guidance - whether or not they know it. 

4. REFILL THE WELL

Reflect on the last couple of weeks. At what times did you feel most free, loose, alive, energized?

A seasonal playlist

I made this list last year I think. It’s still fun and I’ll be playing it loud around the house very soon!

Listen on Spotify here

2 minute self-care.

GRATITUDE

Gratitude welcomes joy into a moment of the day. It turns our attention from what is hard, and what we’d like to change, towards what is good and right and real, and what we are enjoying in the moment. It is not to deny that there are challeging things happening in our lives, but it is welcoming in the ‘and’. There can be challenges ‘and’ brilliant things, at the same time winding and weaving together. Gratitude can turn on a light in an otherwise grey room. it is neuroscience based (as you probably already know I am a neuroscience geek). It’s always there, but sometimes we have to be really intentional in seeing it.

Even on the darkest days, if you look hard enough there are things you will find to be grateful for. Gratitude does not invalidate your difficult feelings (toxic positivity helps no one), but it can usher in others to sit beside them.

Take two minutes to list all the things you feel grateful for in this moment.

Books to read…

Lets Come Together…

My online programs & courses

Did you know I have a whole range of online courses and programs you can access from the comfort of you own home, or anywhere in the world! I have all of this I have created for you …

~ The Online Pregnancy Yoga Program™

~ The Truth About Early Motherhood

~ Calm & Empowered Motherhood. A complete Mothers self-care toolkit to help you find calmness and strength, as you traverse the ups and downs of motherhood. Yoga, meditation, guided relaxations and more

~ What Nobody Tells You About Your Pelvic Floor

~ Meditation for Modern Life

~ ‘Blank Page’ - Journalling For Wellbeing Course. 12 different types of journalling to explore.

See them all and purchase here.

That’s it for this newsletter. Wishing you a lovely cosy Autumn time, and hope to see you very soon.

Susan x

PS Do drop me an email with any feedback on this new Newsletter, or any suggestions. It’s always lovely to hear from you.

Other things you might find supportive…

For Modern Mothers Podcast

You can also now listen to my podcast. This is a podcast to help mothers and mothers-to-be you thrive physically, mentally and emotionally in the modern world.

You’ll find no BS talks about all aspects of modern motherhood & wellbeing - physical, mental and emotional health, self-care, mindset, pregnancy, work, relationships, birth, cyclical living. This is a podcast to support, inform and empower you to find your own unique way through motherhood. Episodes include:

~ The Truth About Baby Sleep

~ Postnatal Bodies

~ Breastfeeding Myths

~ Self-Care For Mothers

~ Reconnecting with your Menstrual Cycle

Plus there are some guided meditations on there too. Use the link below or simply search for 'for modern mothers' on your preferred podcast platform (Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google, Spotify, Stitcher etc). ttps://www.formodernmothers.com/podcast

For Modern Mothers blog

Over 70 no-BS, evidence based articles on pregnancy, birth, babies and motherhood. You can read the articles I’ve written here on my website

Join me on instagram…