Crepe: a type of very thing pancake; made by pouring a thing liquid batter onto a hot frying pan or flat circular hot plate, often with a tract of butter on the pan’s surface. The battter is psread evenly over the cooking surface of the pan or plate either by tilting the pan or by disdtributing the bater with an offset spatula. After the Crepe has finished cooking it somewhat resembles a really thin pancake.

Recipe:

- 4 eggs

- 1/2 cup of milk

- 1/2 cup of water

- 1 cup of flour

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 2 tablespoons of melted butter

-1 tablespoon of sugar

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1) Mix all the ingredients until batter is completely smooth and pretty looking. :]

2) Get a frying pan (or something of that form).

3) Put a little bit of oil  and take a towel or something and spread the oil out, or you coud use Pam. This is to prevent the crepe from sticking. If the oil isn’t spread out, the chances of it being fried is higher. Crepes aren’t really meant to be fried…so make sure the oil is spread out beautifully throughout the pan!

4) Pour a little bit of the batter. If you pour too much, it’ll be too thick and come out like a pancake.

5) Pick up the pan and rotate/move it around like circles to make the crepe thinner. You want it thin, but not paper thin.

6) Flip the crepe back and forth until a light brown color-ish.

7) Remove and decorate as you like! Eat it while it’s still hot!~

*Temperature varies. I tend to put mine on medium tho.

†Charm†

I’m so glad I found this. Now if I get into any arguments, I can prove it! Woman! You are a problem! >:\

†Charm†

In America, it’s known as Salisbury Steak, made from minced beef, pork or a blend of the two, mixed with minced onions, egg, breadcrumbs and spices along with some kind of sauce and vegetable!

Ingredients for Hamburg Steak
(serves 2)

- Fried Onion -
1 Onion (200g/7.05 oz) – 2/3 for hamburg meat mixture, 1/3 for onion sauce
1 tbsp Olive Oil

150g Broccoli (5.29 oz)
1 Steamed Potato (160g/5.64 oz)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 Tomato

250g Mixture of Ground Beef and Pork (8.82 oz) – beef : pork=7 : 3
1/3 tsp Salt
A pinch of Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
2/3 Fried Onion

15g Panko – Breadcrumbs (0.53 oz)
2 tbsp Milk
1 Egg

- Onion Gravy -
1/3 Fried Onion
50ml Water (1.69 fl. oz)
1 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Mirin
1 clove of Grated Garlic
10g Butter (0.353 oz)

Grated Daikon Radish
Shiso Leaves
Ponzu – Japanese Citrus-Based Sauce

** Removing the air from the meat mixture will prevent it from breaking into pieces while being cooked.

I’ve color coded it so that you know basically what order you will use the ingredients. The stuff in the purple are the things that you don’t need. Or cfouse, everything else you can fiddle around with it and what not. But incase you’re a bit confused as to what to do then I’ll help you out a bit.

1) After cutting the onions into tiny pieces, cook them. No need to add any seasonings to them. Once they’re done let them cool for a bit.

2) As you wait for the onions to cool, do your meat mixture. Once you’ve added everything, add 2/3 of your cooled cooked onions. Make sure to mix everything really well!

3) Split the meat mixture to how ever you want, once you’ve split them up, shape them into a hamburger shape. You don’t want it too thin and too thick!

4) Cook it! If you use pork, make sure it’s fully cooked otherwise get ready to go to the toilet or possible hospital. D:

5) As you’re cooking the meat, you can start cooking the sauce. It’s really up to you as to what you want your sauce to taste like. If you want it to really have that saucey gooey thick texture, remember to add the “gravy mixture” thingamajig. Idk what it’s called. My mom put itin. xDD

6) Once fully cooked, plate them however you want! ^^

If you have any questions you can check out the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWLBaQcvqF0

 Enjoy! D

†Charm†

McCourt, Frank. Angela’s Ashes. New York: SCRIBNER, 1996.

Quote:

“I talk to…tell him about[my siblings], my father…and bringing home no money,…sending no money from England, Theresa and the green sofa,…Hermann Goering for what he did to the little children with shoes scattered around concentration camps,…the tears in Mam’s eyes when I slapped her.” (McCourt 343)

†The Story†

It’s that time of the year again where we are requried to read at least one book on the school district’s summer reading list. Many people find it a hassle and annoying to do so. Though, honestly, I believe it’s good that we are required to because now nowadays people need a little push and motivation to get them going. I believe that if you pick the right book to read that you’ll enjoy it and take in the morale of the story. The book I chose to read during the summer is Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt. The main character is actually McCourt himself. It’s a non-fiction story based on his life!

In McCourt’s life, he struggles with the fact that his father is an alcoholic, the death of family members, poverty, and being a Irish Catholic. McCourt was born in New York, where his parents met and got married. His mother later throughout the years gives birth to a boy, Malachy (named after his father), two boy twins, Eugene and Oliver, and their only daughter, Margaret. McCourt’s father never got a stable job, due to the fact that he would always mess it up, and would use the money that he earned to buy himself drinks. McCourt’s mother, Angela, struggled a lot due to her husband’s alcoholic problems and idiotic decisions to waste the money away on drinks rather than use it to take care of the family. Angela never worried about herself, but always worried about the welfare of her children. After the death of young Margaret, the parents decide to move the family back the to their homeland, Ireland, in hopes that they will be able to get help from other family members and would be able to have a much more happier life there. During their time in Ireland, Angela had two more boys at different times, Michael and Alphie. The family struggles so much to the point where they pick things off the street, go to certain churches in hopes that they will help them, and as well as begging. McCourt’s father never liked begging because he didn’t want to seem pathetic. His mother, on the other hand, will do anything for her family to survive. Of course we all know that the father would sooner or later lash out and leave the family. At first, it doesn’t seem like he would abandon his family. McCourt’s father leaves his family during World War II to work in a British factory with the intent of sending home his wages. While the family has high hopes that their working father in England will send his wages to them, little do they know that their father is actually using that money to pay himself drinks. This causes them to fall into deeper poverty. In the end, McCourt saves enough money for himself to go to America in hopes that he can earn enough money to buy his family a house, food, clothing, and basically a happy life.

†The Meaning†

The quote that really stuck out to me was when McCourt was confessing all of the things he considers “sins” to a priest at the St. Francis’s church.  “I talk to…tell him about[my siblings], my father…and bringing home no money,…sending no money from England, Theresa and the green sofa,…Hermann Goering for what he did to the little children with shoes scattered around concentration camps,…the tears in Mam’s eyes when I slapped her.” (McCourt 343) McCourt considers the death of his siblings, his father’s actions, having a sexual intercouse with a girl named Theresa, the events happening at a concentration camp, and slapping his own mother as sins and carries these things as his own guilt. In reality, it is not his fault that his siblings passed away. It’s not his fault that his father is selfish, that as a young man his hormones take control over him, that there are concentration camps, and that he had to slap his own mother. I chose that quote because it was really saddening when he felt guilty for all the things that he had no control over and isn’t even the one to be blamed for. The quote has many meanings to me.

The death of his siblings could not have been avoided. The time in which the family grew up in lacked technology. The results of death were either due to the fact that the family could not afford the medication, the cures were not yet discovered, or by the time the doctor reached the patient it was already too late. Therefore, at what point could it have ever been McCourt’s fault? Why should he be the one to be at guilt?

When you think about it, the only reason why McCourt’s family went through so much, is because of the father/husband. In today’s society, you would probably blame both parents. Though during the time at which McCourt’s family lived in, it was the men who would earn the money and the women who would stay home to take care of the children and house. Therefore, if Angela, McCourt’s mother, couldn’t get a job, then the only person who could was Angela’s husband. But think back again, what exactly does he use the money on? Alcohol. It was his decision to waste the money away and to screw up his job. There were several times where he had a really good job. But of course, he just couldn’t control himself and had to waste it all away. Imagine how the family’s life would’ve been had he have more self-control.

By the time McCourt had met Theresa, it was natural for his hormones to be going crazy to the point where he would have sexual intercourse. Actually, there have been several times where such a thing could have happened, but it didn’t. It’s actually surprising that McCourt was able to control himself! So, it’s not really a sin to have a sexual intercourse, especially since you have the feeling of love for the person. If he did what he did in today’s society, it wouldn’t have been considered a sin at all…People might even praise him for holding out for so long. I know people and heard of people on the news and whatnot who have done it even before they became a teenager…>.>;; It’s crazy…

The concentration camps are obviously not his fault. It has absolutely nothing to do with him. The people who are at fault are the one’s that follow Hitler’s orders and Hitler himself. Maybe he feels guilty because he didn’t/couldn’t do anything? But really…who could have? I do believe that one person can make a difference and that’s clearly shown by Hitler. But I’ve seen and heard lots of information on the Holocaust and there’s no way McCourt could’ve done anything to help the poor children in the concentration camp, especially since he himself was having a rough time.

Everyone, at some point in their life, does something that he or she regrets. For example, I remember on one of my birthdays I got really upset and told my mom that it was the worst birthday ever. I don’t remember why I said it, but I remember that right after I said it I felt really guilty and I don’t even think I had a reason to say such a harsh thing. McCourt, on the other hand, had a reason to slap his own mother. He slapped her because she was sleeping with some other guy. First of all, she shouldn’t be sleeping with someone other than her husband. Second of all, McCourt had gotten into an argument with the man she was sleeping with. Had she not have slept with him, they wouldn’t have gotten into an argument. Lastly, I feel as if that was supposed to be her wake up call. In my opinion, I believe a person is more likely to change, or wake up to reality, if a family member does something to do so because that person is someone you really love and trust.

After reading the story, I completely respect McCourt. To look back at such a past isn’t the funnest and easiest thing to do. I’m sure as he was writing his life out on paper that at times his heart would ache, not physically but mentally and emotionally. To feel guilty for so many things that weren’t even his fault and to do his best to support the family is amazing. To share his life with the whole world so that we could all learn from it and not repeat what isn’t needed to repeated…now that’s amazing…>.<!

Franky McCourt died on July 19, 2009, from cancer with meningeal complications. He was able to live a happy life up to the age of 78. May he rest in peace.

†Charm†

P.S.

Because last year I realized that the book I was reading had a movie, I looked up to see if McCourt’s story was turned into a movie too. And guess what! It is! I found the trailer on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zLpf1XDNko) and also the film information online! The film was released on December 25, 1999, and is 145 minutes long. Should check it out! ^^

On June 6th, 2010, my mom, sister, and I went to New York. We first went to our grandparents place so that we could pick them up and go out for lunch. Lunch was alright. It could’ve been better but eh. xD. Then after that, my mom dropped my sister and I near a subway station. Tickets were about $2.50 per person for 2 hours. Instead of using a purse to hold my stuff, I used a sackpack and my mom told me, a bit too late, that some people in the city know how to take out a knife, slash your bag, and take stuff from it without you noticing. So instead of wearing the sackpack like most normal people do, I just held it in my arms. xD Felt like a noooob.

The subway ride was about 45 minutes which wasn’t bad. It didn’t feel like 45 minutes – felt like only 20. It was a bit awkward tho because there was a couple sitting next time me and time to time they would make out…xD;;; Anyways, after the 45 minute subway ride, we got off at the station and got on another one for only 5 minutes. After that, we went straight to the Hammerstein Ballroom building and then my sister looked at me implying the words Where’s Chipotle? I remembered Google Mapping it and it said that it was only about 245 feet away from our original destination. But we had a hard time looking for it so I had to make a phone call to my Uncle and ask him to Google Map it. But by the time he figured out how to spell it, my sister found it. xD

At Chipotle, I had a chicken fajita burrito! But the person who made it disappointed me. Usually the burrito is so big that they need 2 tin foils to wrap it up. My burrito in NY was about half the usual size. They only needed 1 foil to wrap it. xD RIPE OFF! D: My sister had a naked burrito. After that, I told her that we should start waiting in line because there was already a huge line.

When we got into the line, it was about 1 block long and as time went by, obviously it started to turn at the corner and god knows how far it went. We waited for about a little over 1 1/2 hours? Or maybe just  1 1/2 hours. While we were waiting, there was a Subway right next to us, so I got us a refillable soda cup thing. (<3 Root Beer) And we were quite worried that it would rain, but fortunately it didn’t. Oh yah I forgot to mention. After we got off the Subway, we still had about 3-4 hours to kill before heading to the concert, so we went karaoking. We sang English and Japanese songs and the place was actually pretty cool. But I don’t know if it was because of the lack of people there or it’s because I’m not a karaoking person, but I didn’t have much fun. I mean, it was alright but it wasn’t like…ZOMG!!! Maybe it’s because I suck at singing…But anyway, after that we went to Chipotle.

Back to the line, when it was around 6:30~ some ladies were going down the line asking if there were any VIPs, we followed them and soon found out that there was a line for VIPs…xD Well it was shorter than the original line. OH! I forgot! While we were on the original line, these girls - I think they’re known as “Wonderfuls” – were passing out purple glowsticks and told us to break them during “So Hot”.

So we’re on the VIP line and going through security. We go in and head to our sits which were in the 1st balcony. While we were waiting for the show to start, I went back downstairs to look at the merchandises and had to get myself the $30 concert t-shirt. Once in a life time! xD. So I went back and was taking pictures of the place, but you know…they had this funky gas running throughout the place. So when you take pictures…it’s all fuzy and poopy ‘cuz of the stupid gas. D:

So the concert starts and this girl named…Tiffany M-somthing sang 4 songs. It was funny because after one song, everyone thought she was done but then she would start again and everyone would be like “Augh…” She can sing, but it sounded more rock and Disney ish…Like a mix of Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and what not. Her last song was called…”Last Song”. xD.

Then Mr. JYP came out and explained why there was a little delay. (Because the airport said that there was going to be a storm, so he had to get them a special jet thing to fly them from D.C. to NY. Haha!) And then he went on about how asian people have a hard time getting into the American business which is true, so he asked us to help them by keep supporting them so that Wonder Girls could become the first asian group to become big in America. Of course everyone said “Yes”. xD. So then 2PM comes out and all the cameras turn on!

2PM’s performance program was:

1) Imma be “ok” (that’s not the real title of the song but meh xD)

2) Heartbeat

3) Again and Again

4) I hate you

5) 10 out of 10

I think. xD Something along the lines of that. And then Wonder Girls came out!

They sang some Destiny Child’s song, and some other English songs.

~ So Hot

~ Nobody (smexy version)

~ Tell Me

~ 2 Different Tears

And then they had their solos. Lin song something that had to do with lips. Yubin danced/sang/rapped to Black Eyed Pea’s “Boom Boom Pow”. Sohee did “Single Ladies”. And I forgot what the other two did.

And then the encore was the original “Nobody” and of course everyone danced to it.

After the concert, all the VIPs went to the basement and waited in a long line to get pictures taken with the Wonder Girls and 2PM. It took 1 hour~ for us because the Wonder Girls were having an interview first. Sadly, we weren’t allowed to get their autographs because they didn’t have time to do that. ):

The Wonder Girls are sooo pretty and they’re about my height, which is around 5ft 4inches. (with heels). They’re definitely shorter than my sister. xD Then we waited a little longer to take pictures with 2PM! At first, we thought we weren’t gonna take pictures with them but it was because they were in a different room. THEY’RE SOOOO HOT AND TALL!!! All of them are at least 6ft! xD!!! I’m so upset I didn’t ask for a quick hug. It’s that moment where you know what  you wanna say before the thing happens, but when it happens, you just get soo nervous and what not that you forget it. xD (I felt Nickhun’s body on my shoulder x___x) And our VIP gift was a picture of the Wonder Girls…which we think they were supposed to sign but didn’t have time.

I will never forget that concert. Omg…It has changed my life…x_x; I knew that they were real people, but they seemed so perfect that it was always difficult to picture them as real solid people. But now I saw them!!! AND THEY GLOOOOOW. X____X I’m definitely going to want to go again and get my hugs! xD

Ja ne~!

†Charm†

I don’t remember the exact date, but sometime during the winter of 2009, we had a huge snow storm that resulted in my school closing. NO SCHOOL THAT DAY~! Woo! But the consequence was to clean up the snow on the driveway…which was kind of a pain in the but because LOOK!

 I don’t know how many feet of snow that is…that’s a lot. And probably had more on the ground. This is on the stairs to outside. Lmao.

My mom and I trying to shovel our way out of the driveway…xD Our snowblower got clogged a couple of times. It was a fun day though! Better than going to school. xP

Since we hadn’t had that much snow in a long time, I decided to build a snow man on Christmas in the backyard…it rained the next day though…so Mr Snow Peep died the next day. >:

The red is…I can’t tell you. But on the right was supposed to be a heart person thing. On the left I wrote “Happy Holidays” and the red stuff on his face are blush marks.

ISN’T HE CUTE?! ;D

†Charm†

This is the thing that I ordered. You can order things and share with everyone but I didn’t feel like eating anything else. It contains home-made noodles, bok-choi, really good meat, all in spicy soup. It really clears up your nose. xD

My family ordered this fried bread thingy that most chinese people eat for breakfast and as a snack. The other dish consists of rice cake, mushrooms, some kindof vegetable. It’s yummy but you could kind of get tired of chewing on the rice cakes.

Another dish my family order. Same kind of noodles I had, but it’s not in spicy soup. There’s chicken and some other vegetables.

And the famous Shanghai Buns. They’re buns with SOUP inside. They only taste really good when they’re hot. If you let it cool down for too long, it  doesn’t taste as good. I like them but time to time after I eat too many of them I start too feel sick and tired of them. xD…SHH Don’t tell anyone! o3o

†Charm†

I’ve tried most of their different flavors, but I find myself not really fond of them. They’re alright. But most of them are too sweet for me. x_x…Getting old…

The one flavor that I find myself in LOVE with this Banana Colada…it’s more like pineapple colada…oh well. It’s yummy!

†Charm†

They have:

† Pumpkin (Halloween and Thanksgiving)

† Apple Pie (Thanksgiving)

† Peppermint (Holidays)

† Hot Cocoa (Winter Season)

That’s all I can remember for now…x.x LOVE peppermint though. You have no idea how happy I was when I saw it. xD

Eddy’s Peppermint Icecream! :3

Before I destory it….

After I destroy…haha…3 scoops.

THE NEXT DAY!

Eddy’s Peppermint Icecream HALF THE FAT!!!!

4 scoops…? 8D

THE NEXT DAY

I decided to try hot cocoa.

4 scoops…xD It was alright. It was like chocolate with a tint of coffee? And chewy marshmellows. Peppermint > Hot Cocoa. I was tempted to try the apple pie but decided not.

Good stuff!

†Charm†

I made these cupcakes because I felt like it. (Honestly…xD)

Really easy!

What you need:

† Cupcake mixture

† Cupcake baking thing

† Aluminum foil

† Icecream cones

1) Make your cupcake mix. You can make it from scratch or from those awesome boxes where they already gave you the yummy powder and you just have to put the water, eggs, and oil in. Haha. xD

2) Once you mixture is nice and smooth, make sure you set your oven, take a normal cupcake holder baking thing. Cover it with aluminum foil. Then poke holes in each cupcake holder thing. Stick an ice cream cone in each hole. So basically the aluminum hole thing holds the cone and makes sure that the cones don’t move, and then cupcake baking metal thing is to support the bottom of the cone.

3) Fill each cone about 2/3 full of your cupcake mixture. You don’t want to fill them all the way, because it’ll break the cone then.

4) Once you fill each cone, stick it in the oven. It should take at least 30-4o minutes. Check it by sticking a toothpick or chopstick in.

5) Once the cupcakes are done, let them cool down. Once they’re cool, you can decorate them however you wish!

*NO! THE CONES AMAZINGLY WILL NOT BURN!!! O-O IT’S MAGIC RIGHT?!*

Enjoy~!

†Charm†