Month: June 2013

7 Heures du Mat’

Well, in place of a band post I’m going to post some of my French school work instead. If you have corrections (e.g. if you’re a fluent speaker), then you’re very welcome to comment below. Thanks!

Essentially, this is just my morning routine before I go to school, but all in French.

Pendant le matin, ma mère essaie très fort de me sortir du lit, mais je suis un sommeil très profond, alors elle se démène beaucoup! Elle dit toujours “Rebecca, sortir du lit!”
Et puis je viens de se rendormir. Cela continue 3 ou 4 fois jusqu’à ce que je me lève, et puis je commence ma routine quotidienne.
Je me lève à 7h20 et je vais au toilette, puis obtenir mes vêtements et s’habiller. Alors je prends mon petit déjeuner, qui est habituellement un croque monsieur, ou du pain avec du beurre d’arachide. J’ai habituellement un verre de jus, du café ou Milo avec cela.
Après cela, je me brosse les dents dans la salle de bain et me brosser les cheveux, puis je me redresse mes cheveux. Mes cheveux sont très frisés et incontrôlable dans le matin!
Après cela, je courir autour comme un fou en essayant d’obtenir tous mes choses prêt: les dossiers de musique, des dossiers scolaires, ma clé de casier, ma boîte à lunch, mon portable, ma bouteille d’eau, mon étui à crayons et tout j’ai besoin pour la journée. Enfin, après avoir été stressé pour un peu de temps, ma mère et me laissent à sur 08h00.
C’est ma routine quotidienne.

Band Of The Week – Paramore

Paramore is an American alternative rock band formed in Tennessee in 2004. They started off with the members Hayley Williams (vocals), Josh Farro (lead guitar, backing vocals), Zac Farro (drums), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar) and Taylor York (lead and rhythm guitars). However, Josh Farro and Zac Farro split from the band in 2010 after disagreements with Hayley Williams.

Paramore - the original lineup

Paramore – the original lineup

Paramore’s sound was at first a simple blend of alternative rock blended with emo rock, but after Josh and Zac Farro split, the band came back with a softer, less rocky sound, releasing the self-titled #1 album Paramore in April 2013.

And now for the music video, and this time it’s Misery Business, one of the most popular singles from their second album, Riot!, released in 2007. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to check back next Tuesday for another Band of the Week post!

You can visit Paramore’s website here.

Fun Friday: My Five Favourite Cat Gifs

Ah, cats. Does anyone not love them? They’re awesome,  fluffy little creatures that the internet seems to worship, and so, for this week’s Fun Friday, I just had to present my five favourite cat GIFS! So, without further ado, here they are.

1. Grumpy Cat – the king of internet cats

Grumpy Cat - the king of cat gifs

 

2. Now that’s a stylish way to get home …

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3. I can just watch this over and over again.

 

4. This actually looks like fun …

anigif_enhanced-buzz-15598-1367062763-2

 

5. Transformers Cat!

autobots!

Yummy Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

I am so in love with cupcakes at the moment, and these gooey, delicious, mouth-watering, yummy chocolate ones certainly don’t disappoint …

Chocolate... yum...

Chocolate… yum…

Prep time: 20 mins (est.)
Baking time: 20 mins
Makes: 18
Ingredients: 

  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 1 cup (250ml) water
  • 125g butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (255g) brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
  • 1/2 cup (75) plain flour
  • 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder

Chocolate Sour Cream Ganache

  • 300g dark chocolate
  • 300g sour cream

    Method:
    Step 1
    Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 18 x 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity muffin pans with paper cases.

    Step 2
    Combine the chocolate and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

    Step 3
    Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until just combined. Add the flours and cocoa powder and stir until just combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Spoon evenly among the lined muffin pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

    Step 4
    To make the chocolate sour cream ganache, place the chocolate and sour cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth and glossy. Spread over each cake and set aside to set.

    Voila! C’est fini! 🙂

    This recipe first appeared in Notebook Magazine, created by Sarah Hobbs

Iron Maiden – When The Wild Wind Blows

I’ve been really getting into the heavy metal recently, and Iron Maiden are easily one of the best metal bands out there. I love the guitar solos, the catchy riffs and the sheer epicness of so many of their songs. One of my favourites is ‘When The Wild Wind Blows’, which at 11 minutes long is one of their most epic. Enjoy 😉

Cookie Monster Cupcakes Recipe

There is one thing a lot of people wouldn’t know about me, and that’s that I have a secret obsession with cupcakes. Seriously. Cupcakes are one of my favourite foods, and I love so many things about them: their simple deliciousness, their amazing variety and creativity, and the fact that no matter how bad my day is going, cupcakes will always be there to offer sweet, crumbly comfort.

And so, it is my pleasure to present one of my favourite cupcake varieties ever – The Cookie Monster Cupcake! (omnomnom)

COOKIE MONSTER!!

COOKIE MONSTER!!

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

  • a large quantity of chocolate cupcakes (made beforehand, any type will do. Also cut a ‘mouth’ into the cupcake for the cookies.)
  • 200g butter, softened
  • 2 ½ cups icing mixture
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • blue food colouring
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1 pkt white marshmallows
  • 1 tube black writing icing (or brown mini M&M’s)
  • 12 chocolate chip cookies (1/2 per Monster with a few for breakage)

Method:
Using an electric mixer, whip the butter until it is pale. This will take at least 5 minutes on high.
Gradually add in the icing mixture and vanilla until well combined.
With the mixer running, add in food colouring until you get to the Cookie Monster colour. This may be a lot if you are using liquid food colouring or a little if using gel food colouring.
Add in the milk an mix until the frosting puffs up.
Fill a piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe on icing.
With the black writing icing, place black spots on the marshmallows for pupils (or just stick on brown mini M&M’s).
Place on each cupcake.
Cut cookies in half and place in ‘mouth’.

Voilà! C’est fini!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe 🙂

This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot.com.au.

Band of the Week: Jack’s Mannequin

I have to be honest here.

Jack’s Mannequin are without a doubt one of my favourite bands of all time. Maybe it’s because of the smart, soulful blend of piano mixed with rock. Maybe it’s because of the lead singer Andrew McMahon’s deep, meaningful lyrics. Or maybe it’s because McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at the age of 22, and not only beat the cancer but came back with two more albums and founded a non-profit charity to raise funds for cancer research. Whatever way you look at it, this band is pretty awesome.

photo-credit-james-minchin-extralarge_1312491122323

Andrew McMahon at centre

Jack’s Mannequin was an American rock band formed in 2004. It originally began as a solo project for Andrew McMahon, the former frontman of Something Corporate. Over the course of eight years they released three albums. In late 2012, it was announced that McMahon would discontinue releasing music under the Jack’s Mannequin name, preferring to use his own name instead.

You’ll love Jack’s Mannequin if you like ….

  • Something Corporate
  • Andrew McMahon
  • Valencia
  • The Format
  • The Rocket Summer
  • Augustana
  • The Starting Line
  • Matt Nathanson
  • The Academy Is …
  • Dashboard Confessional

Below is one of the singles from their first album, called ‘The Mixed Tape’

Don’t forget to check back next week for another Band of the Week post 🙂

Simple French Recipe ~Baked Apricots~

Baked Apricots

Baked Apricots


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup water
  • 8 apricots, halved and pitted
  • 4 tablespoons kirschwasser, or kirsch
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Preparation:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Pour the water into the bottom of a 2-inch deep baking pan, and then arrange the apricots, cut side up, in the pan. Sprinkle the kirschwasser evenly onto the apricots, making sure you get a bit of liqueur into the hollow of each fruit. Sprinkle the sugar evenly across the prepared apricots, and then bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. The apricots are done when they start to brown on top, and are cooked through, but still slightly firm.

Makes 4 servings.

This recipe was first posted on About.com ~ French Food