The loss of a friend is a very particular kind of grief. I've been thinking thinking a lot about friend grief recently - and the ways it shows up in my own life. It doesn’t have the same ‘status’ as the loss of a partner or parent or sibling……But the death of a friend can affect us just as deeply (or sometimes more) than the loss of someone we are related to. Friend grief can be especially disorientating because there are very few external markers that anything has changed…..day to day life...

A pile of Triple Chocolate Brownies on a plate Not wishing to blow my own trumpet, but if there's one thing I'm 'known for' (aside from my irritating habit of bringing death and dying into every conversation!) it's my Chocolate Brownies. Before I became an Independent Celebrant, I worked in food and ran various businesses, including during covid, a postal bakes business where I was regularly baking and sending 100's of boxes of chocolate brownies each month. (fun fact: for a very brief moment...

(AKA ‘Bish Bash Bosh’ cake 'Freezer Fruit Cake' or 'Yoghurt Cake') In our house this cake has various names. But it’s my go-to recipe when I need a comforting slice of deliciousness with minimal effort and washing up, or something very transportable to take to a friend’s house or picnic! I've realised recently I could also call it the 'Grief Cake' - as it has become the cake I make to leave on the doorstep of someone recently bereaved or going through a tough patch - because it's robust...