More Brownies!!!!!!

You might remember the mint chocolate chip brownies that I wrote about making in December. Since then, I have made around three batches of a new kind of brownies. They have raspberries in them!!! What I did was, I used the exact same recipe as the minty ones (without mint extract or chocolate chips) and right before putting them in the oven, I put some frozen raspberries on top. I haven't tried them with fresh raspberries yet since it's winter right now, but that would probably work too. Other than that, everything is the same as before (except you replace mint extract with vanilla). A couple weeks ago, I made some for my friend for her birthday but... her dog got into them and ate them all before she could try one!!!! So yesterday I made another batch to give to her that their dog didn't eat and she liked them!

My Dad's Birthday Cake

My dad recently had a birthday and I got to make the cake for one of his parties/celebrations. It's a vanilla cake with blueberries inside. The icing has lemon zest and juice inside and then some blueberries on top as the final touch. The blueberries can also be replaced with raspberries if you don't like blueberries. I like the way the blueberries kind of burst in your mouth when you eat them. The lemony icing is also very good if you are someone who likes lemon. Just in case you might be interested, the recipe is in a book called 'The Baking Book' . It's the blueberry and sour cream cake on page 78. Here is a picture of the one I made for my dad:

Brownies!

Before I get started, I've decided to do a baking blog instead of what I was doing before (random things like a journal).

I baked some brownies fresh today.  They are mint chocolate chip with candy cane on top.  I modified a regular brownie recipe to make minty ones.  I added a quarter teaspoon of mint extract and half a cup of mint chocolate chips.  We crushed about half of one candy cane and sprinkled it on top before putting it in the oven for half an hour.  After taking them out, we all had a taste... SO GOOD!!!!  They were gooey - not to gooey and they were warm and moist and just minty enough.  We'd give them 5 stars!!!!!! (out of 5)

This is the recipe I followed:

• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1/3 cup shortening (I used butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
• 3/4 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 mint chocolate chip
• about half a candy cane crushed on top

If you try it, tell me what you think.  Do you have any ideas of other things I could put in brownies?  Let me know!!!

                                        

ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!!

I can't believe that there is only ONE MORE DAY OF SCHOOL LEFT!!!!!!  I can't wait for summer!  We're going to go to Saskatoon, Edmonton and Jasper and we're gonna spend lots of time with friends.  

I just finished a book called Fly Boy by Eric Walters (an author my friend suggested I read).  It was an awesome book and I am very disappointed that it's over.  Now I'm reading 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' by John Boyne. I'm almost done and I don't have anything to read after that. (TAKE ME TO THE LIBRARY, MOM!!!)  

On the weekend we watched a movie called 'Ferris Buhler's Day Off '.  It's currently my absolute favourite movie.  IT IS SO AWESOME!!!!!  

I want to go jump on the trampoline now so good-bye! 

: )

p.s. This summer if you want to read a good blog go to one (or more) of these:

• If You're Ellie and You Know It Clap Your Hands
• Sasha Says
• About That
• Butterfly Girl

Have a great summer!!!!!!!

Books

I am writing this on a very rainy morning and what better thing to do on a rainy day than read a book?
  One of my favourite authors is Kit Pearson.  Some of the books she wrote are:

• The Daring Game
• A Handful of Time
• The Sky is Falling - Guests of war book, 1
• Looking at the moon - Guests of war, book 2
• The Lights go on Again - Guests of war, book 3

Here are three good series:

• Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
• My Story (Lots of different authors)
• Dear Canada (Lots of different authors)

These are 10 of my favourite books: (not in order)

• Jeremy Cabbage (by: David Elliott)
• Mine for Keeps (by: Jean Little)
• Who is Frances Rain? (by: Margaret Buffie)
• Island of the Blue Dolphins (by: Scott O'Dell)
• Bright Freedom's Song (by: Gloria Houston)
• Titanic Young Survivors - 10 True Tales (by: Allan Zullo)
• Number the Stars (by: Lois Lowry)
• The Hollow Tree (by: Janet Lunn)
• The Princess Bride (by: William Goldman)
• To Be a Slave (by: Julius Lester)

Three series my sister likes are:

• The Mysterious Benedict Society (by: Trenton Lee Stewart)
• Magic Thief (by: Sarah Prineas)
• The Hunger Games (by: Suzanne Collins)

This summer I probably won't be bored but if I am, what are some of your favourite books, authors or series?

Our week in Vancouver

From the 22-28 of February we got to spend a week with our good friends in Vancouver - the Penners.  Here are some things we did:

• Science World
• Vancouver Art Gallery
• Hiking in Deep Cove
• Modge Podge (We covered journals with magazine scraps. Modge Podge is a type of glue.)
• Games
• Trampoline

Here are some foods we ate:

• pancakes and bacon
• burgers (Burgers etc.)
• pork tenderloin
• pasta (Anton's)
• kraft dinner
• Penner Power Granola

We had a great time.  I have proof to show that!

 
 Check out their blog about our visit at http://www.pennerfive.blogspot.com

Just Dance 3

Who has ever played Just Dance 3?  It is so awesome!!!!!  My favourite song to dance to is Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas
Other good songs are:

• Apache (Jump on it) Mash-Up

• Baby One More Time
• Dynamite
• I Don't feel like Dancing
• No Limit

If you've never played it before it is a Wii game you have got to get!  It is so much fun!