cake hour

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Falling from the Roof of the World

May 26, 2019May 26, 2019 Yana

The Warrior Queen of Oman

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 Yana

My ‘999 cake’ – why baking is the way I deal with anxiety

December 25, 2018 Yana

The Girl Who Stood Up Against Child Marriage

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018 Yana

People surviving because death has not enough space to take them all

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 Yana

The books on the women’s movement/ women’s empowerment that inspired me to set up Tamu

Yana Spencer

I am a journalist and women's rights activist, running Tamu Bakery - a social enterprise which empowers women and girls, who have been affected by gender-based violence, through baking therapy.

This blog features my musings as I travel around the world helping to empower women, shares stories of strong sisterhood, and women's rights insights.

From the deserts of Rajastan, to the plains of the Maasai Mara, from the mountains of Montenegro, to the bustling streets of Hanoi - Cake Hour will take you on a journey of discovery of women's lives.

For more information about my projects, please visit www.tamubakery.org

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Muscat has become my 4th home - for the past few years of leading a nomadic lifestyle, I have learned how to live out of a suitcase. You learn not to get too easily attached to things, and to ask yourself "how transportable is this item" before buying a new piece of kitchen equipment. Favourite baking books are PDFed, cake stands are unscrewed into smaller pieces, cookie cutters slot inside each other. I do buy a new cake oven in each new country, and then sell it again. My constant travel companions are my baking scales, my well-worn Tamu apron and my one piece of trendy gear - a cinnamon grater. As soon as you start baking in your new house or refugee shelter (while on a Tamu trip) and the aroma of cardamom buns fills the air, any building feels like home. I do miss my UK kitchen from time to time - comfortable wooden floor, cute French design curtains, windows overlooking an apple tree planted by my son, and an attic full of baking books and cake forms. Is there are anything you find hard to do without while living abroad/on your travels? You can tell I am packing for a month-long trip to Europe! Pic by @annemariebala #tamubakeryaroundtheglobe

Throw back - 4 years ago I baked some of my favorite cakes and gathered my friends before I left the UK and started living my life the Tamu way. 🍰Friends are like cakes. Some friendships mature with time, like Christmas pudding - you don't need to keep in touch often, just top it up with the occasional glug of support to keep it rich and moist. Some friendships don't last longer than the shelf-life of your average souffle - as soon as things start to get too hot in the kitchen, it all collapses. And some friends are like your favourite chocolate cake - you can't live without them, no matter whether you met them yesterday or decades ago. After all, chocolate can melt and then harden again. Cakeology 🍰 #tamubakeryaroundtheglobe #cakeology

🌹Muhallabiyeh or Middle Eastern Milk Pudding. From Persia to Lebanon, Syria and Turkey this simple and easy to make dessert first took the Middle Eastern world by storm in the 10th century. Recipes vary from country to country, but the basic principle is the same - thickened sweet milk, flavoured with rose or orange blossom water, or vanilla. With its smooth texture, crunchy pistachio nut topping and irresistible aroma of rose water - you will find this pudding everywhere in the Middle East. Move over jelly - there's a new pud in town! #muhallabiyeh #middleeasternpudding #milkpudding #flavouredmilk #tamubakeryaroundtheglobe

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