Piece of Cake Accounting

The book that changed my business plan!

I know - it has nothing to do with business, but at the same time - it's all about the business.

If you struggle to answer the question - why are you doing this? Why do you even have the business? This is a book for you!

It's a book about different things we want and value at different times of our lifes.

Life can become busy and we can be doing things just because that's what we (or others) do.

What if instead we would do what makes us happy 😍

I am an accountant, but I don't do tax returns.

I help my clients create the business they love!

What does it say about me?

September always feels like the start of the last chapter for the year. Time to explore what makes this year extraordinary 😍

I just spent a week at the amazing Fringe Festival and not a single picture to share - because a while ago I decided that I don't want to live my life through the phone camera...

I found out why I love music events most - it's the emotions of people play. I don't really mind what they play 😊 I just love watching people playing and not caring about anything else around them...

The only reason I went to more than one comedy show was because people next to me. As English is my second language, I do struggle to understand comedy. But I don't need to, because what makes me laugh is the person next to me laughing. There is nothing better than sitting next to someone who is laughing their head off, especially when I have no idea what is so funny 🤣 🤣 🤣

I realised that my love for food is very simple! I don't need expensive restaurants - all I need is simple, tasty food prepared from local ingredients and made with love in an independent cafe or restaurant.

I also loved so many amazing charity shops in Edinburgh. Because I don't really care how much I paid for my clothes, what I do care about is how they make me feel.
I am a strong believer that you can wear whatever you want, as long as you feel good.

Red is my comfort colour 😍

My favourite audiobooks are those read by the author.

I love water and mountains.

I am also the Piece of Cake Accountant, I love all of my clients as long as I am making a difference to their lives!
And this year is already one of the best:
🍰 Holidays taken
🍰 Dream cars bought
🍰 Mortgages repaid

Not by me, but by my clients - and that's why I love what I do!

Who said accountants are boring?

I believe accountants are life changers!

I am so excited for the last few months of the year - new office, new clients and even more little steps to changing someone else life!

I hope you all are as excited as I am!

Challenge accepted!

Make a cheesecake in a student's kitchen... Anyone else tried whipping cream with a fork? 😂😂😂 Or baking a cheesecake with no tin?

It turned out really nice, so here is a recipe:

For the base crumble as many Scottish shortbread biscuits as you have energy for. 😂 No fancy tools, just your hands, fork, bottom of the glass... Use your imagination!
Add chopped pistachios till it looks like it's enough.
Melt some butter and mix in till it resembles wet sand.
Bake in whatever container you have for 10 min at 170 degrees.

For the filling, mix 3 tubs of cream cheese with some sugar, finely chopped lemon zest from 3 🍋, hand squeeze juice of the same three lemons and three eggs. Add some vanilla and roughly 2/3 of a cup of sour cream. Mix it all well with a fork or a spoon ( or both, just in case) but don't overdo it 😂

We also found a jar of pistachio cream in a shop, so added blobs of that into the mixture.

Add on top of the pre baked base and bake for an hour and a half at 160 degrees. Let it cool completely and top up with some whipped cream and more pistachios.

So the only thing we where able to measure accurately was time. We had to trust the oven for the temperature and just wing it with everything else 😂😂😂

The result was very good, everyone was happy, but I don't think it's for me. I rather bake in my own kitchen 😍

Oh and I definitely prefer shortbread base.

The lesson here is - just have fun and it all will work out 😍

Here is the crumble for your apples (last week's post)

I must admit that crumble is an odd one out. Normally with baking you have to follow the recipe and best to not make changes, especially if you are sharing the cake with someone later 😂😂😂

Here situation is different and normally I just check the cupboard and use what I have. A random combination of oats, flour, nuts, sugar and butter/oil of some sort and it works! Mostly 🤣🤣🤣

I also don't really way anything, do it with my hand and when it feels right - good to go. This way we normally end up with a lot of crumble, but that's ok as I freeze it and then get a bag of apples, put them in a tin, top up with some crumble from the freezer - bake and enjoy!

But this time I did measure thing, just to be able to write a recipe:
50g of flour
50g of outs
59 g of chopped almonds
50g of sugar
100g of cold butter

I crumbled it all with my hands - best method to relax and meditate!

Baked for about 20 min at 170 degrees.

Enjoy! And share your best crumble recipe 😍

Price of privilege to call two countries home...

Something I never talk about, but live it every day.

If I say I am going home while in UK, I get asked - so after 22 years this is still not your home?

And when in Lithuania, if I say I am going home, I get asked - so only after 22 years you already forgot where you come from.

There is no right answer and hand on heart both feel home in a very different way.

We came to UK almost 22 years ago for a bit. At a time opportunities and experience my husband could have where much better here than in Lithuania. And I was on maternity leave, so it didn't matter where I was.

We never made a decision to permanently move to UK. Life just happened.

My husband got a permanent job, we had our son, I started accounting qualification as that was what I wanted to do after studying Business Management and ... 22 years, one more child and a business later here we are.

Calling two countries home and trying our best to not say a wrong thing when asked - so where is your home?

Every time I go home (to Lithuania) I come back a bit sad, a bit happy and a bit messed up.

Sad that I don't talk my own language every day (all three kids are bilingual), that I don't eat tradition food and that I left my mum behind.

Happy to be able to go home and enjoy time with family, take in nature and swim in lakes and rivers. Eat good food and switch off for a bit.

Messed up, because even I question myself - so where is my home?

I will always be a foreigner in UK. I don't think I stand a chance of getting rid of my accen 😂😂😂

And Lithuania has changed so much in the last 22 years that sometimes I don't recognise it.

I changed too, but in a different way.

So while I call two countries home, few days after coming back from Lithuania I feel like I have no home.

Picture taken a few days agos in my mum's garden 😍

Lithuania is a bewtiful country!

My day in a picture 😍

Just wanted to give a shout to New Energy Yoga Wi******er for creating an amazing space for body and mind 😍

What I love most is that I can choose what I am doing depending on where I am at this specific moment.

I joined Yin for summer today, because I felt exhausted after the amazing week we just had.

I am not complaining about the weather 🌡️ - just saying!

And on the way back I saw this leaflet - yoga for men! Love this, because I believe yoga is so powerful, but is seen as something women only do.

I am so happy to see men including - come and join us! You will love it 😍

And then I had to stop at the Hampshire Pantry. What an amazing stop for a coffee and a few other bits.

Can you guess what's in the paper bag? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Two local businesses spreading love, joy and energy - thank you !