improve me

I didn't do a Mismatched monday yesterday because I realized Mismatched mondays are now very similar to trending Thursdays. So, I'm still looking for something to write about on Mondays. My apologies!

On Sunday, a friend and I went to a festival in a neighboring town. It was an hour and a half drive away, and during this trip I stepped up my iPhone picture taking game--I have to catch up to Erika, after all! As an apology for my lack of Mismatched mondays, please accept these pictures.

 
The gist of it is - I tried deep fried ice cream for the first time, there are a lot of mountains and pretty scenery where I live, we found a lonely crab, I had cotton candy on a stick for the first time (was not as tasty as I had originally anticipated), and I TOOK PRETTY GOOD INSTANT PICTURES.

Tip of the Week - smelly stuff

Have shoes that stink? A bag? Garbage that just follows you around your house?

Do you drink tea or coffee? If yes, then save those teabags and coffee grounds! The caffeine in both of these substances absorbs odors (just don't smell the teabags after you've put them in your shoes--gross!).

All you have to do is save up a few teabags, keep them on a plate or in a cup to dry, and then place them in your shoes overnight or even up to a week. Here's the thing, though. Tea doesn't have as much caffeine as coffee and also--usually--doesn't have as strong a smell. If using teabags, they soak up their capacity for smelly odors quickly which means you have to replace them often and use more of them. 

So, obviously, the opposite of that is that coffee absorbs more and leaves a fragrant coffee smell in your shoes. For the garbage, all you have to do is save up your coffee grounds in a separate container and occasionally sprinkle your garbage bin with it. For your shoes, bags, or other "use-ables", place two or three heaping spoonfuls of coffee grounds into a small coffee filter (the filters that are usually used for single servings or for two cups). Pour it into the flat middle, and then fold the frilly edge to meet the base of the filter. Fold the other edge to the end so that you now have a rectangle. Take the open ends (your filter should now be long with the coffee in the middle, and two sides will be open) and fold the filter in half so that the ends meet. Fold the tip of the ends about a centimeter, and then fold again. Staple. It should kind of look like a teabag. Stuff into your shoes or anything smelly! 

Trending Thursdays - what IS up?

The sky is up and the sky is beautiful today.

Here's the thing. I've been looking at "what's trending" and "what's popular" but all I get are (a) videos or (b) celebrities. Or BuzzFeed lists. So I'm just going to look up things that I find cool that I don't know enough about.

Today's topic, thrift stores.

I was out with a friend today. We had lunch and just chatted for about two hours. When things get long like that I tend to get a bit awkward or antsy... So I usually look around and such, but he didn't seem to mind at all! I actually think we're both like that.

We caught up, but he did tell me he had an appointment around three. This is another friend who didn't know I had an instant camera so I took a picture of him in front of a mural that's by the building he needed to go to. It turned out really well (in total I have only two polaroid pictures that came out well, not including that one) and then we went our separate ways.

Well, right beside this mural was a local thrift store. I hadn't been in there in ages, so I dropped in really quick to check out the books. This was my find.

I found a violin jar and a book about conspiracies! The thing about thrift stores is that they are so hit-and-miss. It is a real life example, like garage sales, that one man's junk is another man's treasure. To you, these things may not be interesting or may not have a use, but to me, they're perfect.

You see, I've been looking for a cool, cheap glass jar for a while. I fold little paper stars and straw stars and put them into all sorts of glass containers. Some of them are little jars with corks, some are star-shaped, another shaped like a bear. I have some that are actually uniquely shape wine bottles that I washed out and removed the stickers from. But I've filled them all up. I've been folding stars since I was eight, maybe younger, and over the years I've probably made over five thousand stars. I love string instruments, especially violins, so this violin-shaped glass jar that cost one dollar just made my day.

(The next is the book about conspiracies. I can't explain that. I just have an interest.)

I got to thinking how a few years back, thrift stores became this big thing. Like, with the arrival of "hipsters" came the demand for used books and thrift stores. Old fashioned, vintage items came back in to style (were they really out?) and all of a sudden, young people were going to libraries and thrift stores more than before. Has that stopped? Or did it even really begin? Was it maybe that teenagers were always going to libraries and thrift stores, but now they had a name and a presence?

I don't know. What I do know, though, is thrift stores weren't created the day hipsters demanded them. They've been here a long time, and I don't know much about them.

Thrift stores are also known as charity shops, and generally what happens--and what people know about--is that used items are donated to the store manned by volunteers, and then sold at very low prices. The profit these stores receives goes to their stated charity, like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or funding for patients of a local hospital.

(info via Wikipedia) The first few thrift stores began during World War I. It started as more of a bazaar or fundraiser of sorts as one of the earliest thrift stores, Wolverhampton Society for the Blind, began selling items made by blind people to raise money for the society. It wasn't until World War II that thrift stores really became popular as Red Cross opened over 350 of these such stores.

Now, especially with this kind of economy and with the pop culture trend of "being hipster", thrift stores are popular in entirely different sense. So popular, in fact, that there are even tutorials teaching you how to shop when you're there! Here are some tips I found:

-look for something specific. Think about online shopping and how sometimes that can be difficult because you can't "see" everything. In stores, there are a limited amount of items in a enclosed space. Online, there could be an endless amount of things--if you just follow a subject, you could be searching for hours! When you have something in mind, even roughly, online shopping becomes incredibly convenient. The same applies to thrift store shopping. Sometimes, because it's a second hand store, you may have a negative impression of a certain colour or style of clothing before really looking at it--or maybe a too positive one. Sammy Davis suggests taking pictures of certain items of clothing you already own so that you can find something to match it.

-Get Rich Slowly suggests to ignore your prejudices. Don't assume that second hand items are dirty or only there because they are "garbage". Also don't assume, though, that all things at thrift stores are vintage and hipster

-They also suggest using thrift stores as a way to diversify your wardrobe or to decorate your living area in ways you never thought of before. You can buy colours, designs, or just things you wouldn't normally pay for to experiment for cheap.

-and a lot of different sites suggested looking for familiar brands. Don't be afraid to try out new brands, but it's always a steal when you see cardigans--if you're a cardigan lover--of your favourite brands.

DIY Tuesdays - of panda macarons and 3 ingredient chocolate banana cake

Last Thursday, I attempted to make lemon macarons with Erika. Sunday, I successfully made panda macarons--can I get a hollaaaaaa?

The recipe is from Ochikeron on YouTube--it did help a little that I could see each step before acting them out myself. Plus, I legitimately think that this recipe is ten times simpler, partly because there are less ingredients and partly because I managed to make them by myself. Since this recipe comes with step by step instructions, I'm just going to post little tid-bits on the side... 'Cause I made a lot of mistakes along the way.

Panda Macarons:

Necessary Equipment:
electric mixer
pastry bag with a 3/8-inch round tip

Ingredients:
((Macaron Shells))
55g (2oz.) egg whites
50g (1.8oz.) granulated sugar
60g (2.1oz.) ground almonds (without skin)
80g (2.8oz.) powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
((Buttercream Filling))
2 egg yolks
40g (1.4oz.) granulated sugar
100g (3.5oz.) unsalted butter *room temperature
vanilla extract
((Decoration))
brown and pink chocolate pens

Directions:
((Macaron Shells))
1. To draw panda face, you want to make large macarons. So, draw about an inch and a half wide circles (leaving about 2 inches between) on a piece of paper. To make perfect uniform circles, you wanted to place it under the parchment paper to trace. You can search for the template online.
2. Measure the egg whites in a large bowl, and keep in the fridge (to make them easier to whip). Sift in ground almonds and powdered sugar in a large bowl, then keep in the fridge (to let them stay dry).
3. Meringue: Whip egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar 1/3 at a time, then continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form when you lift the beaters. 
4. Add the meringue into the dry ingredients, and mix with a silicone spatula until just incorporated.
5. Macaronnage: Punch down the spatula into the batter, then scrape batter from the sides to the center, and punch again. Repeat this for 10 or more times (depending on your arm strength) until the batter slowly and continuously drips back into the bowl like a ribbon when you scoop it up with the spatula.
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, place the template under the parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe out the batter in the circles (the batter will spread a little, so keep it smaller). Tap bottom of each baking sheet (or slam on the counter) to release any air bubbles in macarons.
7. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a skin forms on the tops,　for about 30 minutes or more. Make sure the batter will not stick to your finger.
8. Preheat the oven to 150C (302F). Bake for 14-15 minutes. Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet.
((Buttercream Filling))
1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until they turn a lemon-yellow color and thick.
2. Add the butter and mix well. Then add vanilla extract to taste.
3. Pour the buttercream into a pastry bag.
((Decoration))
1. Pipe about 1 teaspoon buttercream on to the middle of one shell, then gently place another shell on top.
2. Set the chocolate pens in a cup of hot water for a few minutes. Cut the tip of the chocolate pens and draw panda faces on the macarons.

Rest the filled macarons for a day before eating them. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Firstly, when she talks about a template, take her seriously! My macarons were all weirdly shaped and oval at best, so it really does help to have a template! Then, because I think Japan is more humid than western Canada, I also didn't re-refrigerate the egg whites nor the almond-icing sugar mix. With the almond flour, dispose of anything that doesn't sift through! You don't want chunks of almond in your macarons, after all. 

Then, unless you are experienced with making macarons (in which case you are probably just laughing at this post), take her seriously when she describes the macaronnage. Actually count out how many times you've done it. I didn't and was trying to gauge by comparing it to cake batter; the macarons did not crack and actually came out pretty well, but they fluffed up a lot because I over-thinned it. What happened was I had a very thin, crunchy layer of macaron, and then a lot of air before a chewy and dense bottom. At least the "feet" did actually come out!

Definitely use parchment paper as it helps a lot when you are trying to get the macarons off of the baking sheet. They should stick a bit to the paper--macarons are chewy inside!--and it's just much easier to be able to hold the sheet up and peel the macaron off. Don't forget to tap it on the table because if any air bubble remain in the macaron, it will crack! 

My macarons only had to sit for about 15 minutes, but remember I also thinned it way too much. When I piped my mixture on the baking sheet, it spread like crazy (importance of counting!), and became very thin so it may have dried faster. I'm not too sure. What I do know is you can actually see a skin forming on top! It goes from being shiny--when you first pipe--to glossy.

 

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR MACARONS OUT OF THE OVEN. I squished a perfect macaron shell with my thumb because I wasn't paying attention. 

Next, the buttercream icing is pretty straightforward. The only issue I had here was that my butter wasn't soft enough. I was able to cut through the butter easily, so I assumed it to be soft enough. What I ended up having was a lot of butter chunks and I wasn't able to mix it with a spatula. I beat it on medium with my mixer instead, but that just made little butter chunks. I ended up putting the mix in a small bowl and putting that into the microwave for ten seconds. After that, I used a spatula to flatten the bigger butter chunks, and then used one of the beaters from my electric mixer and just whisked quickly until the right consistency. It turned out really well! I then put it in a bag and refrigerated it (mostly because I had microwaved it I was scared of it being too runny). It was super easy to pipe and melted in your mouth.

Lastly, the chocolate pens. I can't buy chocolate pens where I live, so I dropped some dark chocolate chips into a Ziploc bag, tied off the end (like you would a piping bag), and placed it into a cup half full of hot water. every few minutes I took the bag out and "kneaded" it just to help it melt and see how far it's already melted. I repeated this until it was completely melted, and then cut a very small hole for piping.

Mismatched mondays - of doodles

Ah, doodling. It's what you do in math class when things just get too...math. Scribbling, writing, drawing, you name it--it happens without you knowing. To some, it's a waste of time and a distraction. Spending time doing something you're not supposed to; drawing pictures of cats (that aren't necessarily nice) instead of focusing on your studies. To others, however, it's an escape. It enables you to rest your brain muscles and clear your head so that you can think more creatively and clearly. (That's what I think!)

Well, to those of you who believe that it's a waste of time, suck it, because studies show that people who doodle during phone conversations, lectures, and while studying actually retain more of the info. Of course, the doodles have to be somewhat related to the information, something like a visualization of what you've just learned. 

(I don't know about you, but I hate it when I'm note taking, and my professor just speaks at a 100 miles per second. "Doodling" comes in handy when taking notes, too! Instead of writing out "flower" or "house" just draw a quick one!)

Fastcompany.com lists steps to turn your mindless masterpieces into learning enhancers! Although they mean to enhance doodling in a "company" sort of sense, their tips are helpful for everyone. They discuss the "visual alphabet"--symbols that are easily recognizable and draw-able--to just having confidence in your doodles. Really, who cares? Remember, it's the thought that counts!

Besides remembering that last thing said during a lecture (that could help you pass your midterms!), doodling also helps enhance your artistic abilities. Need to learn how to doodle? Well, it's quite simple, really. 

Everyone has their own method of memorization, their own studying techniques, and their own doodling identity. I like like to jot down a single idea first--my name, something that's currently bothering me (if I'm worried about a test, chances are my page will be filled with vocab that I can remember), a flower as spring draws near--and then work around it. Draw shapes or write words that somehow relate to your idea and then just get farther and farther away from it. I do highly doubt that you don't know how to doodle, though. Just check your homework or notes from the class you hate most, you could be very surprised!

If you've checked out the link above, I particular like their last suggestion: create your own doodle world. Create a place that inspires you every time you think about it. A place where you can do whatever you want, however you want. Create a story with characters, unexplainable shapes and events and people. 

Make your doodles inspiring and let them inspire you.

You never know what it may turn into.

Here are a couple of themed ideas to get you started if you're nervous:

Doodle on your hand. (not what it sounds like, more like this) Trace your hand(s) once or several times and create something within the hand. I remember back in pre-K my teachers used to have us do this on Mother's Day and Thanksgiving. It was a bittersweet reminder of how fast we grow, but just how much smarter and more creative we get with each passing day; yet, it was also a weird shape and a great way to make a turkey. Just saying. 

Doodle the Earth. Show how this planet looks in space, in your head, or just draw it and fill-in-the-blanks.

Heck, doodle space or animals or space animals. Just get on a tangent! 

(NOTE: As I was typing that, I couldn't remember the word tangent and instead wrote "tandem" which I learned it's number one definition, according to Google, is "a bicycle with seats and pedals for two riders, one behind the other.". This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about, people. Learn something new from a silly mistake and just keep going.)

And, of course, it wouldn't be Mismatched mondays if there wasn't something to mismatch. You see that "TO LOOK FOR..." list? That's a list of things I will continually be searching and try to fit in here and there.

Well, here's a cheap, quick, and totally dorm room approved Paper Heart Wall Art.

macaron adventure

A couple of things before I begin the adventure:

-My headphones have just broken and I am devastated. 

-I just bought a dress. This is something new, trust me. 

-Screw it, I've decided to do "Mismatched monday"s, "DIY Tuesday"s, and "trending Thursday"s. Mismatched monday will be just random thoughts I have or interesting things I've found. DIY Tuesday will be anything DIY that I've recently done (crocheting, baking, origami, etc.), with a tutorial. Trending Thursdays will be about "trending" things. Basically, I will try and find popular things and learn about them and blog about it. *Note: I'm not a very trendy person. Not even in that cool, old-fashioned, backwards way. 

-Erika's made me sound pretty amazing on her blog. She's an amazing writer, though, so I think this fact just amplifies her talent. 

On to the show!

Erika and I decided to make macarons. We were very excited, but we maybe should have seen the signs ahead of time--things weren't exactly going our way. To start things off, we couldn't find almond flour. We live in a small town, so chances were if one grocery store didn't have almond flour, none of them would and we would never be able to make macarons ever. Turns out we seemed to be blind specifically to almond flour, as we had been in the right aisle, looking at the right section, and it was just sitting there staring us straight in the face. We didn't even see it until the second trip to the aisle.

We bought our groceries, headed over to my house to pick up some necessary ingredients that I had, and headed on over to Erika's house. We had dinner. Had a nice conversation. Caught up. It was quaint and lovely. And then it ended.

Here's the recipe:

For macaron shells

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ cup fine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• Yellow food coloring
For lemon buttercream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teapsoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. In medium bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until hard peaks. Add lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon juice and yellow food coloring. Beat on medium speed for one more minute.
3. Sift the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture over the whipped egg whites. Gently fold the mixture running the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half, as shown in the video above. The batter will look very thick at first, but it will get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over mix it though. Every so often test the batter to see if it reached the right consistency. To test the batter, drop a small amount of the batter and count to ten. If the edges of the ribbon are dissolved within ten seconds, then the batter is ready. I repeat, do NOT mix again. If you still see edges, fold the batter couple more times and test again. I posted a few pictures above to show you how just couple of folding changes the consistency of the batter. This step is so crucial, so please make sure to test often to ensure not to over mix the batter.
4. Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip.
5. Pipe out 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
6. Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. If you don’t release the air bubbles, they will expand during baking and crack the beautiful macarons shells. And who wants cracked macarons, right?
7. Let the macarons rest and dry for 15-30 minutes. On a humid day, it might take an hour or so. To see if it’s ready to be baked, lightly touch it. If the batter doesn’t stick to your finger, then it’s ready. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
8. Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. To check the doneness, remove one macaron. If the bottom does not stick, they are done.
9. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, and then remove from the baking sheets.
10. While macarons are drying, prepare the lemon buttercream. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt and beat until well combined.
11. Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag and fill the macarons.

We began by "sifting". The only thing is, Erika does not sift, or measure to a T as I do. There was a lot of guestimation as well as me silently crying inside. Okay, maybe not that silently. I made my opinion quite clear, rudely even. 

"sifting"

We also didn't read the recipe ahead of time. I had seen a few videos making macarons, and they described this unique method of making the thick batter a bit thinner--this recipe didn't use that and instead used a simple folding technique... We may have over folded. 

 

We piped them, let them set, and put 'em in the oven. They looked pretty legitimate!

...And yet, this is how they came out:

Smiley face!

Half-eaten "macaron"

 

Erika takes really good iPhone pictures

They came out ridiculously flat--but they were sweet, tangy, and deliciously chewy. The buttercream came out perfectly, though!

Look at how incredibly fluffy and delicious that looks. You probably can't see it. That's okay, it's hard to see. You're just going to have to trust me.

Did I mention I have a Fuji Instax 8? It's a polaroid/instant camera--and, apparently, I keep forgetting I have not told anyone about it... or very few people, as Erika did not know. I had brought it along to take beautiful pictures of our amazing macarons, which didn't exactly end up happening, but Erika took beautiful pictures of the one polaroid I did take.

 

old friends and organization

Every now and then I get these really vivid dreams which are kind of like a movie. Actually, a lot like a movie. I am seriously flying in the sky or inches away from an actor's face. Not in the romantic, I'm-about-to-kiss-them way, though. More like, once again, in a movie, where you are observing how they react, I suppose. Usually these dreams consist of warped past events and twisted versions of people I already know personally. Usually, they're not very nice. More often, I don't even remember any of it, I just get an overall feeling of the dream. That feeling, whatever it is, is usually uncomfortable and leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

So imagine my surprise, when last night, I have one of these vivid, movie dreams in which i actually remember bits and pieces, didn't know the people in it personally, and it didn't make me feel like punching someone in the face (preferably someone who was in the dream). This time, my dream had Ryan Reynolds, Emma Watson, and a collection of what I think must have been comic book background characters brought to life. I don't know why Ryan Reynolds, since I've never obsessed over him or anything (read that with absolutely NO sarcasm. I'm being serious), nor why Emma Watson since I haven't watched Harry Potter or anything with Emma in it in ages. 

Back to business, the content of my dream was basically X-men. Really. It was, like, mutants vs. humans, and Emma Watson was a mutant, but Ryan Reynolds wasn't--but for whatever reason he was trying to protect the mutants. I just re-watched X-men Origins: Wolverine last week, so I'm guessing that that's why Ryan Reynolds was calling himself Deadpool... Anyway, it was bizarre and involved some sort of plane in heavy turbulence nearly crashing, but Emma was trying to prevent it from crashing, but all these humans were blaming her for the turbulence, thus preventing her from concentrating, but Ryan was there to kick ass and calm things down so Emma could concentrate and--I don't know, man. Maybe I should become a filmmaker.

And then, as I contemplated life and dreams and just now, it occurred to me that I am living the moment of "when I grow up". I don't know if this scares anyone else, but, like, what do I do? I thought I knew my exact path, I thought I was mature, I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to--but this is the time where I get to choose who or what I want to be. I get to choose my life now; do whatever I want. It's terrifying. 

I could change my entire future with a small change in decision. Maybe I take a different course than planned, maybe I switch schools, maybe I move out. Either one of these decisions will not only shape my opinions for the future, but how I live and perceive life. One small change in my life now could change everything in the future. This blog could change everything, too. Who knows? I don't, and the unknown is pretty scary. 

So I feel like I should grasp everyday, you know? Do things and try new things. Finish all those projects I've got on Pinterest. One such project--not on Pinterest--is macarons. I believe I talked about this before. I was making them with my good friend Erika (her blog here), who is a better writer and iPhone photographer than myself (I've never actually compared photos from a digital camera with her, so hold judgement!). Therefore, you can blame her for my poor quality photos of our "macarons" (really just cookies) as she has not sent me the photos she took.

We decided last night to make lemon macarons (original recipe). Let's just say it did not go as planned. I'm going to blog about that particular experience in another post, just because (a) it deserves one, (b) it's going to be long, and (c) this one's pretty long itself!

Before I leave, however, I am contemplating doing one of those schedule things. Like a DIY Tuesday or like a trending Thursday or Food Friday or Mismatched monday or, you know. I don't know. Can I commit to this?

Macarons (sort of) and hilarity to come!

catfish

Okay, so I know I talked about this TV show two (?) posts ago, but this show is seriously gold. I don't understand why I stopped watching TV, to be honest.

Haha, as much as I love this show aside, the entire idea of this show has been my worst nightmare since I first got a computer. I think because my parents and all of my close family are pretty old fashioned, I've always been afraid of meeting people online and having them not be who they are. Like, who would lie like that? Serial killers, definitely.

I've always hated when people lie to me; even white lies. I feel like, if I look gross, tell me. I'm not on my deathbed, I'm not a child--in fact, I need to know what looks good and what looks gross. Right?

A part of me thinks that Catfish is glorifying online dating, meeting strangers online, lying in general because the show is actually very sweet. At the same time, though, I recognize that this does really happen in real life, it's not always bad and that this is, after all, a TV series. It's meant to be an escape from life, and addicted to it I am. I guess it's done it's job, and we shouldn't take everything too seriously.

...Unless it comes to measuring and sifting flour in baking. More about that--and my first macaron adventure--later.

french baking

So a friend and I are going to attempt to make macarons tonight. This is something we've been dying (or at least I have!) to make for a while, and then last summer we tried to meet up to make something, but failed to before she left for university. So, now it's summer again, and we're determined to at least try.

We've never made macarons before, and I have no idea what kind of recipes are "good" recipes, so I just tried to find "easy" or tasty looking recipes.... forgive meeeee.

Chocolate macaron recipe
I WILL ALWAYS TRUST MARTHA STEWART
Ochikeron panda macarons
basic macaron recipe
orange macarons
smores macarons
chocolate gingerbread macarons
blackberry macarons
birthday cake macarons
nutmeg macarons with vanilla buttercream
lemon macarons
mint macarons
red velvet macarons
mint chocolate chip macarons

Alternatively, we may also make other goodies, so:

Snickerdoodle cupcakes

I think that's enough, right??

of movies and magic

I really love the idea of unexplained wonders. Especially when there's proof of it actually existing, like the pyramids, ancient artifacts, old bones. I mean, I love mermaids, mutants, the idea of ancient civilizations that are far greater than we are now; but it'd be cool to have something to back it up, y'know?

So as I was looking up some unexplained modern mysteries, I came upon this list and I think what creeps me out the most is that a lot of these photos look like they might have been taken before double exposure and definitely before photoshop. What on earth could have created that, other than actual ghosts? Don't tell me, I don't want to know. 

On a completely separate note, I just watched Maleficent today! It was kind of cheesy and kind of predictable but let's be honest--there is only so far you can stray from an original fairy tale before you butcher it. 

I won't say too much about it other than I thought Angelina Jolie was perfect. I don't usually watch movies with Angelina Jolie in them--not because I don't like her, but because writers make her characters extremely similar and, after a while, predictable--but I am so so so glad I watched this! It was absolutely adorable, the graphics and creature were beautiful, and the "plot twist" was as creative as it could get. It was lovely. 

And, since I am on the internet as of this minute, and I have just finished watching a movie, let me tell you about Catfish; a movie and tv series (documentary) about people who fall in love through the internet. It is really interesting to see what happens, what compels people to fall in love online (or lie to others online), and in a super modern perspective. Not to mention, Nev and Max seem to be so caring and it's so sweet!

So on that note, please enjoy these super cool related links!

Maleficent print-out paper toy 

Maleficent eye make-up

Maleficent eye make-up v.2

Floral Wreath (explanation: You could choose any colour scheme of flowers or use buttons to create a mosaic. YOU COULD DO ANYTHING WITH THIS OMG)

Maleficent Horns

Make your own Maleficent raven

20 awesome internet meme crafts

These dark watercolour paintings by Wednesday Wolf

banana llama

Hey there!

I've decided "trying out this recipe" is too long and boring a post title--so whenever I test out a recipe I will hereby refer to it as an animal that hopefully rhymes with whatever I'm making.

I made banana shortbread today, using the recipe from Anna's Table with a few adjustments. Firstly, I had to double the recipe because of the amount of butter I had was difficult to make smaller, but I think it turned out quite well! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 large bananas, mashed

Instructions:

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter (I used a spoon) until the mixture looks like gravel. Mash your two bananas (I cut them into small pieces, mashed it with a fork, and then whisked it so that it would be smooth, but you could probably use large chunks if you wanted) and pour half into the mixture. Cut as you did the butter. The dough should start to form. Add the other half of the mashed bananas, and mix until all the flour is gone and you have a big ball of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until hard enough to work with.

Preheat oven to 375 F (my oven is old, so the equivalent for a newer oven would be 300 F or 325 F). Cut dough in half. Place one half on a floured piece of wax paper and put the other half back in the fridge (or leave it out if you're not worried about it getting soft again). Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into rectangles (what I did - 2.5 inch by 1 inch) or use cookie cutters of your choosing. Decorate if you'd like! Bake for about 25 minutes (probably 15 with a not-super-old oven!).

It's not quite as loose as shortbread is supposed to be (it's kind of chewy when it's warm!) but it's a really creamy banana sugar cookie type of snack.

beauty pageant

So I've always been interested in weird. Not quite paranormal as depicted in movies--with human slaying ghosts and demons of blood--but unexplained mysteries type of weird. The pyramids. Friendly ghosts. X-men. Et cetera.

And, to be honest, sometimes you just need a pick me up. Something to make you confused, thoughtful, or happy; just to make you feel something that you're not currently feeling.

So, here are some...weird things!

Animals!

So, here are a bunch of super cute animals. But, while I was looking them up ("strange animals", "weird animals", "cutest animals") I also found this dog-, kangaroo-, tiger-like creature known as the Tasmanian Tiger. The size of it's mouth may be terrifyingly large, but other than that it looks to be such a cute creature! Unfortunately, it has been extinct for quite some time now! And, that's how I happened to come across this documentary of sorts in which a scientist tries to clone a Tasmanian Tiger. 

This is crazy stuff!

Baby Alpaca

Baby Dik Dik

Baby Tasmanian Devil

Bush Viper

Eastern Bongo

Fennec Fox

Gobi Jerboa

Jacobin Pigeons

Maned Wolf

Okapi

Piglet Squid

Pygmy Owl

Quokka

Silkie Chickens

Zebra Duiker