Ten Steps to Perfect Dafs!

Hello blogging family!

How is everyone? This is a blog that I have been excited to do for a while now, and which the photos for it got buried for a month or two under layers of work, busy-ness, last-term-savouring school life and general forgetfulness. Anyhow, daffodils are still as beautiful in May as they were in March, and I would like to share this blissful memory of our beautifully sunny English Spring...

How to... FLOWER ARRANGE:-

ONE:

Find a BEAUTIFUL friend

TWO:

Choose your vase that desperately needs replacing and transforming...

THREE:

Find a garden where daffodils grow

FOUR:

Pick a range of varieties (don't forget to pick some leaves too!)

FIVE:

Lay the flowers out with your scissors and vase

SIX:

(OPTIONAL): Find a nosey cat that doesn't want to be left out

SEVEN:

Start placing the stems in the vase.

Make sure you include several different heights to make it interesting!

EIGHT:

Keep going, choosing flowers of different ages as well, until...tah dah!

NINE:

Repeat this process, making small changes according to the vase you use

(here, I filled out the vase more, so that the flowers wouldn't flop over)

TEN:

Admire your new ornaments!

I hope you enjoyed a taste of Spring.
Sending much love,
Sarah

The ultimate fish-pie

So, any of you who know me, know that one of my few hobbies (I don't have many hobbies!) is cooking!! I love love love cooking! I love the satisfaction in getting the raw ingredients and making a meal that tastes reeeally good and brings people joy! It's just brilliant!!! So - on Easter Sunday (yesss HE IS RISEN!!!) I cooked lunch - and I thought why not make a fish pie - Jamie Oliver style (legend - best cook EVER!) I love this recipie - it's quite layered - but not difficult - its also not pressured so you can take your time. Thought I'd blog about it so you can all cook it too and discover how delicious it is!! It's also great if you don't like fish - I hated fish - and still don't like it - but always always loved this recipe!

Step 1 - put the oven on - 230'C/480'F/gas 8

Step 2 - peel and cut up 5 large potatoes - so there in 2.5cm squares - put them in salted water to boil


Step 3 - 2 mins later - add 2 large free range eggs


Step 4 - put a packet of spinach in a steamer above your potatoes and eggs







Step 5 - 8 minutes later take our eggs and drain potatoes/spinach







Step 6 - cool the eggs under cold water de-shell the eggs and cut into quaters

Step 7 - in a frying pan fry a finely chopped onion and carrot (for about 5 minutes on a medium heat)













Step 8 - add 1/2 a pint of double cream (bring to the boil)








Step 9 - grate 2 handfuls of cheddar cheese









Step 10 - squeeze the juice out of one lemon










Step 11 - measure out a teaspoon of English mustard powder (or mustard) - don't worry if your not a fan of mustard - it doesn't give off a strong flavour - just balances well with the cheese and lemon :)

Step 12 - finely chop a handful of flat-leaf parsley











Step 13 - add the cheese, lemon juice, mustard and parsley to the creamy carrot/onions.





Step 14 - cut up your fish (I use salmon - but you could use a white fish - around 500g) and put it in the bottom of an oven-proof dish with your spinach - ontop layer the eggs






Step 16 - then pour over the cheesy, creamy veg mix











Step 17 - mash up your potatoes and season














Step 18 - layer the potato ontop of the veg mix











Step 19 - wack it in the oven for around 30 minutes - until potatoes are all golden

Step 20 - I like to serve mine with baked beans and tomato ketchup (and shloer!!)

YUM (I want some right now!)

How To Learn a Quote

This may not seem like the most interesting blog post ever, but hopefully- in the season of exams and past-papers and revision- it may be a helpful one! At least to any English Lit students out there...

1) Make a list of the ones you want to learn. Start with the first one and repeat it over and over. Then say it, add the second one and repeat the second over and over (make sure you say the first from memory.) Then say the first and second once, add a third, and repeat the third over and over. Then say the first and second and third once, and from memory, add a fourth, and repeat the fourth over and over. Guess what comes next... :)

2) How to get them to stick whilst repeating them:
A- Set a rhythm to the quote, and make sure you stick to the beat.
B- Say it and stress a different word each time
C- Make actions up to it
D- Associate an object with it, then when you look at that object, you'll always remember it. In theory...
E- Put it on a Post-it note and stick it up in prominent places in your house
F- Blur some of the words together into a new, more interesting word, that'll stick into your memory!
    Here's a few my sister and I had (I reccomend doing this with someone! It's funny, and humour makes it stick!) If anyone can guess them I'll be impressed...
> Yoothsumalov
> Ajwintersgell
> Medicinufahouse

Hahaha.

And G) Go into town, grab the nearest stranger and shout it in their face.

That last one was a joke. I find B, C, F particularly helpful. Others... not so much.
Happy working!

Flipping Awesome

                                         

  

                              




 HOW TO DO A BACKFLIP:  

This is a surprisingly easy method, you think it’s going to be impossible, but before you know it you’re flipping all over the place, backwards, forwards…the lot! If you have the guts, give it a try:

Step One: Safety first- Gina had a little accident with some barbed wire and a nasty thorn bush before, so be careful to always start at one end of the trampoline, and preferably place the trampoline in a safe area. Always have someone with you, this method requires that anyway.

Step Two: Get someone to help you. They should stand adjecent to you (not in front) holding a towel around your waist, while you both bounce up and down.

Step Three: This is the scary part. It will require a leap of faith, or prefferably a bounce. The person holding the towel should propel you backwards at the right point in mid air. You should feel secure as the towel can support you the entire way round. This requires a hard bounce.

Step Four: Repeat this many times, each time loosening the towel just a little bit. Normally, this should take a few tries but don’t let the failures knock your confidence.  

Step Five: When you feel comfortable remove the towel and have a go by yourself.

So this is a step-by-step to backflipping! If it's something you've always wanted to try, now's your chance. Enjoy, this tutorial should have you spinning and flying in just one afternoon :)

Love

Gina and Milla