I know everyone’s heard of a bucket list, mostly places to go and things to do before you die. There are many destination books out there listing all the places you should go before you kick the proverbial bucket. The adventures sound amazing but how many people can actually afford the luxury of world travel?
Books can transport you on an amazing adventure to. And if you have a library card they’re free! So, I’m making a far more achievable bucket list. Here are my top recommendations of things to read before you die.
1.The Bible
– Yes really! If you want to be transported to far away lands, see fierce battles and amazing miracles the Bible has all this and more! It’s the ultimate love story, packed with action and adventure, brave heroes and terrifying creatures straight from the pit of hell there’s even a talking donkey! I personally believe the Bible, believe that all of the events therein are fact and base my life on that truth. However, even if you don’t, it’s still worth a read.
2. The Outsiders
– The ultimate coming of age story! This is my favourite book of all time. This is THE book that got me through my teens! This is THE book that inspired me to write. This is THE book that turned me into the bookworm I am today. Before The Outsiders was assigned as mandatory reading in my eighth grade class I’d never read an entire novel cover to cover. I found books, especially books targeted to my age group boring, stupid and entirely un-relatable. Apparently way back in the sixties tween (before the word tween even existed) books weren’t much different and so sixteen year old S.E. Hinton created this masterpiece which is second on my list of books to read before you die.
P.S. You don’t have to be a tween to enjoy it!
3. The Evolution Of Alice
– I won’t spend too much time on this one as I’ve already delved into it’s fabulousness in my previous book review post but I will tell you this book touched me deeply. It has such a unique and incredible mix of harsh and gritty everyday life with a touch of magic thrown in at just the right spots. And I’m a sucker for a really great friendship story.
4. The Sisters Brothers
– Out of all the books I’m recommending here, this one has the most entertainment value. If your looking for a real escape, I mean lose yourself completely in an utterly weird and crazy tale of two brothers on a mysterious mission then this Governor General award-winning book is for you! Patrick DeWitt is the author and I’d love to live just a day in his imagination! Now there’s something for the bucket list!
5. The Opening Sky
– The description of this book did it so little justice that I actually wasn’t interested in reading it at first. Thank goodness that the book I wanted was checked out at the library and this little gem was staring me in the face practically begging me to take it home. So I did and I found myself entirely wrapped up in the every day life of the Glasgow-Fimeser household, their problems and heartbreaks and their ordinary/extraordinary lives. What’s most amazing about this book is the masterful way in which a pretty everyday kind of family is elevated by the masterful writing talent of Joan Thomas. Life in The Wolsely neighbourhood takes on a life of it’s own and even though it takes place in the same city as I’ve lived my whole life, it transported me, not to a far off land but in to the life of an every day family which can be just as interesting.
the best carrot cake from the best food blog 5starcookies-enjoy and share
When I laugh with my friends I called him Bill Cosby and by him I I mean “psycho boss”.
You know the type: charming, controlling freak, narcissists and masters of deception. One of my favorite explanation is the following
“Psychopaths operate from a warped moral code and experience little to no guilt or remorse over telling lies. These bosses are skilled at avoiding accountability and have a Teflon-like capability to deflect blame. They lie, omit information, rephrase the truth, and misrepresent facts. They take credit for ideas that they did not come up with.”
So, how many of you have this kind of experience every day in your life? And how do you deal with it?
For me I like to bake. Baking is the perfect escape from my cold reality. I can even create perfect little creatures in this fictional life and I can make them from anything I like…like ginger
and there you have it…perfect little ginger people with the big heart in the middle. (Reality, eat your heart out)
Ginger People
In this baking escape I like to make cake that my grandmother made for me every week when I was a child.
It is my favorite and the best cake ever – THE CARROT CAKE.
My grandmother used to make different version of her basic recipe. It can be with cheese or with chocolate icing.
There are so much memory connected to this cake and very often when I need something to “hold on” and forget “reality” I make this cake.
And it makes me smile. I love the color, I love the taste and I love to pretend that I am eating the healthiest cake ever made..The Carrot Cake.
And because of memory of my grandmother I like to share this recipe with you.
I know somewhere she is watching over me and saying: “Still your favorite cake…” Yes, grandma still my favorite cake.
Thank you for the recipe…and the memory.
Now, I need to start making carrot cake. The version that I selected today is carrot cake with cheese frosting.
My grandmother used to make very special frosting with secret ingredients.
Her secret ingredients was apple sauce and strawberries.
You will find yourself making this cake all the time.
Quick and easy, it will become your family favorite!
For this recipe you need the usual ingredients: flour, sugar, oil, eggs, cinnamon, walnuts, cheese, apple sauce, strawberries, vanilla, baking soda and salt.
So, let’s make magic …the Carrot Cake
the best carrot cake from the best food blog 5starcookies-enjoy and share
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden Along with the sunshine There’s gotta be a little rain some time When you take you gotta give so live and let live Or let go oh-whoa-whoa-whoa I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
I could promise you things like big diamond rings But you don’t find roses growin’ on stalks of clover So you better think it over Well if sweet-talkin’ you could make it come true I would give you the world right now on a silver platter But what would it matter So smile for a while and let’s be jolly Love shouldn’t be so melancholy Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden Along with the sunshine There’s gotta be a little rain some time
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon But if that’s what it takes to hold you I’d just as soon let you go But there’s one thing I want you to know You better look before you leap, still waters run deep And there won’t always be someone there to pull you out And you know what I’m talkin’ about So smile for a while and let’s be jolly Love shouldn’t be so melancholy Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden Along with the sunshine There’s gotta be a little rain some time, I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
MAGICAL LEMON BARS
MAGIC IS SOMETHING YOU MAKE…SO MAKE LEMON BARS…
and remember.
“It’s still magic even if you know how it’s done”.
lemon bars Martina McBride -baking with country star
Let’s start making Coffee Crepe Cups. Before I start making them let’s talk about crepes. The word crepe is French for pancake and is derived from the Latin crispus meaning “curled”.
Crepes originated around the 12 century in Brittany, a region in the northwest of France. Crêpes are also common in other European nations, such as Italy, Poland, Romania, and Denmark, although they are known under different names.
In areas of Eastern Europe, the meal is called palacinka (Serbian,Czech, Slovenian). In Danish, it is Pandekage and in Dutch it is pannekoeken. There are two types of crepes:
Sweet
Savory
Now that we have a basic knowledge of crepes we can start making them.
This is my favorite recipe and it is the best one you can find on the Internet. I made million version of this recipe but today it is my coffee version.
(Does it look like Cappuccino?)
Coffee Crepes Start
For this recipe we need the following ingredients: eggs, milk, coffee, flour, salt, oil, water.
Coffee Crepe Cups - Part 2
Ingredients
1 cup AP flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup coffee
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup H20 (water)
1/8 tbs salt
1 tbsp oil
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour and the eggs.
Add milk, coffee, water, salt and oil.
Beat until smooth.
Let batter sit at least 15 min at room temperature or if you are not in a hurry you can refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 day, whisk before using.
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with oil. Add 1/2 cup batter and swirl to completely cover bottom of skillet. Cook until underside of crepe is golden brown.
Loosen edge of crepe with a rubber spatula or knife, and quickly flip. Cook 1 minute more.
Turn crepe out onto plate.
Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil and stacking crepes on plate.
Now, my friend you are ready for “Fancy Coffee Crepe Cup”.
You are going to build the following + some extra on the top
Coffee Crepe Cup
Your Crepe Ready to be Mold
Crepe in your Mold
Now, it is easy part. Let’s have fun. Start with the whipping cream. ( O, I know…..things we can do with whip cream…).
After the whip cream, add some Nutella and honey.
Crepes Nutella
… add your favorite fruits…banana, grapes, kiwi and so on…
Banana, Grapes
Add more whip cream…(and why wouldn’t you?)
Coffee Crepe Cup
And add the finishing touch…. You can use walnuts, hazelnuts, chocolate…
5 Star Cookies
Now, grab your spoon and let’s eat. Don’t ask me how, just start from the top and ….keep going…
5 Star Crepes
I hope, I am your favorite Hello and hardest Goodbye.
Yes, I know this blog is about baking, cookies, cakes, chocolate…. But this blog is also about health, taking care of yourself and
your body. I always look for different ways that I can improve my life, my health and my body.
And for today my Eureka is “WATER”.
So, if you never heard you can learn now, you can lose weight by drinking H2O or WATER.
Some other benefits are:
1. Energize us
2. Protect our joints
3. Keeps our kidneys working
4. Prevent headaches
5. Can improve mood
6. Great for your skin
…and so much more…
The amount of water you need to drink will depend on your current weight.
Obviously a woman of 125 pounds does not need to drink as much as a woman who is 200 pounds.
Here’s how much water your body requires to lose weight based on your weight.
132 lbs or 60 kg you need to drink 2L of water (8 cups)
143 lbs or 65 kg you need to drink 2.1L of water
154 lbs or 70 kg you need to drink 2.3L of water
165 lbs or 75 kg you need to drink 2.5L of water
176 lbs or 80 kg you need to drink 2.6L of water
187 lbs or 85 kg you need to drink 2.8L of water
198 lbs or 90 kg you need to drink 3L (12 cups)
209 lbs or 95 kg you need to drink 3.2l
220 lbs or 100 kg you need to drink 3.3l
….and so on…
As always I would love to know what you think about this.
I am sending you love from my blog 5 STAR COOKIES,
Your Cookie https://www.5starcookies.com
How often do you find yourself screaming: “O, God, not again. It’s hard as a rock and I need to make my cookies now, like right now. You nusty, lousy brown sugar. I hate you.”
But as this scene is playing in your head, I am thinking: “What I am going to do? I need this brown sugar and I don’t have 2 days to soften, I need it now!”
So, my bloggers what is the solution?
Stick small pieces in a food processor or blender and chop/pulse until usable.
Preheat oven to 250 F. Place the brown sugar in a baking pan and check every 5 min. You will know when it is ready.
If you have microwave (and I do not) – put it in a container with a small bowl full of water beside it. Microwave for 1 min, check – if not ready try for another 30 sec – check and keep going until it is soft.
Of course for the best results prevent problems before they occur. Store brown sugar in a sealed, airtight container.
If you can afford and it is not expensive buy a clay disc.
A clay disc kept in the container can help prevent the problem.
Unless you want to have hard as a rock in your hand…brown sugar and if you do – get some help.
If you are in mood to do some baking I have perfect recipe for you.
It is called “Dream Bars”. Yes, I know dreams are hard to chase but this one will just come into your life
and stay like the best dream you ever had.
This dream looks like the following picture
5 star cookies dream bars
For this recipe you will need the following:
flour, sugar, butter, graham wafer crumbs, chocolate chips, chocolate, walnuts, sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate, oil. And the most important ingredients – LOVE AND PASSION.
Because baking is a science, and when you mix together ingredients, you are creating chemistry.
Proper measuring is critical to baking. So please follow my recipe below….
Dream Bars
Yes, if you want to dream and eat you need to make this bars.
Dream Bars - Enjoy and Share
Ingredients
1 cup AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 cup Chopped Walnuts
1 cup Graham Wafer Crumbs
1 can (300 ml) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/3 cups White Chocolate Chips
1 TBSP Oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease a 13 x 9 pan. Set aside.
Crust:
Combine sugar,flour and butter using an electric mixer until crumbly.
Press into prepared pan and bake from 8 to 10 min.
FILLING:Combine chocolate chips,walnuts, wafer crumbs and condensed milk.
Mix until well blended.
Drop mixture over warm base.
Bake for 19 min until top is lightly browned.Cool.
TOPPING:Melt white chocolate and oil until smooth.
Spread evenly over bars.Cut into bars...any size you want it...
Notes
Don't be afraid of your dreams.
My is to share this recipe with billions of people.
Help me reach this dream.
I know you will.
Love and hugs
from your
Cookie
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 grams Amount Per Serving:Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Now you are ready to invite your family and friends. AND SHARE YOUR DREAM BARS…
5 Star Cookies from the best food blog 5starcookies-enjoy and share
Take a little time to enjoy the Dream Bars!
If you like to dream and bake I have another recipe for you:
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