YES!!!! I got back from NJ last night at around 9 o' clock, and went straight to bed after checking my emails. I couldn't even stay up to read my new book! If you are wondering, the book's name is If You're Reading This, It's Too Late. It is the second book in a series of five. The series is based around mystery and the five senses. Here are the titles, in order:
#1- The Name of This Book Is Secret (smell)
#2- If You're Reading This, It's Too Late (sound)
#3- This Book Is Not Good For You (taste)
#4- This Isn't What It Looks Like (sight)
#5- You Have To Stop This (touch)
The books are all by the same author, who uses the pen name Pseudonymous Bosch. Though the author has never revealed his true identity, it is thought that the author's full name is Raphael Simon. The author has an interesting way of writing, such as interrupting the story to put in his own thoughts, and ordering chapters backwards. He refuses to reveal the place or date of anything, or reveal the "true" names of the characters. However, their book names are Yo-Yoji, Cass, and Max-Ernest.
I read the first book and enjoyed it a lot, so while we were up in NJ, Dad bought me the second book. I read about half of it in NJ, and am enjoying it so far. I highly recommend it!
OK, time for an announcement: I have to close the Curiosity Shop. It might close down my blog if I don't remove it. 2 of Dad's blogs were taken down due to this issue, and he had to restart and recreate them. I would hate for that to happen to this blog, since I have 340 posts on it. Sorry about that.
Maddie
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
No Math For 2 Weeks!!!! HURRAY!!!!
Now back to bacon... I cannot stress how much I love bacon. It has zero carbs, it tastes delicious, and smells good besides. I like my bacon very crisp and crunchy, while the rest of my family prefer their bacon to be kind of limp. I think that is what my next poll is going to be... How you like your bacon. :D
I'm back! The bacon was great. With it I had cucumbers and strawberries... a strange and unlikely combo that is surprisingly very tasty. Well, I only have one more blog to do, and then I am done for the day. I want to enter a contest as well, so I am ending my Think a Thought here.
Maddie
Thursday, March 7, 2013
NJ THIS WEEKEND!!!! :)
This weekend, me and my family are traveling up to NJ. My Aunt Michelle just went in for an operation on her knee, which had the same condition my Dad's had. The operation went very well, however, my aunt will be off of her feet for 2 weeks. So, as a special treat, me and my Dad are going to make a special dish we invented for her. We like to call them "magic peppers". Here is the recipe:
You will need:
6 red bell peppers
9 slices of bacon
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb ground pork
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 can of mushrooms (optional)
Aluminum Foil
A dab of oil (for mushrooms, meat, and onions)
6 slices of muenster cheese
Prep:
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, line your baking sheet with foil. While your oven is still preheating, wash your peppers and cut the top and bottom off and gut them out. Place them standing up on your baking sheet. Next, start your ground pork in a frying pan. Make sure it is completely defrosted and broken into small pieces. I recommend using a tiny bit of oil in your frying pan for better flavor. While it is frying, dice up your 1/4 onion and toss it in with your pork. If you prefer to keep your ingredients separate, you do not need to fry your onions with the pork. However, I find it is a great time saver. After your pork is nicely browned, remove it from the stove and dump it into a bowl.
Now, open your can of mushrooms. Make sure to drain them completely before frying them on the stove in a small bit of oil. It should take about 5-10 minutes for them to brown. When they are done, remove them from the stovetop and place them in a bowl. (If you want to keep your meat and mushrooms warm while cooking bacon, set them NEAR the cooling burner. The heat from the burner should keep it relatively warm.
Now, it is time to cook your bacon! While me and Dad prefer to use our George Forman mini grill to cook our bacon, you can make yours however your want, to whatever level of crispiness you want. Take nine slices of bacon (I recommend hickory smoked), and cut them in half. Cook these pieces to your satisfaction. Afterwards, break the bacon into small pieces.
Take your cheese out and set it aside in a separate bowl. Now it is time for my favorite part of making this treat- stuffing the peppers!!!! While you can stuff them with any different layer combo, I prefer to do this for my peppers: (Chart shows layers from bottom to top)
Muenster Cheese Ground Pork w/ Onions
Cheese
Mushrooms
Bacon (about 3 slices per pepper)
Ground Pork w/ Onions
... And top your pepper off with another nice layer of cheese!
As soon as your oven is done preheating, put your peppers in and cook them for about 30-45 minutes. Take them out when they are done, and enjoy!!! I find this is a very good recipe to do together with your family, as it has so many things that can be done- someone can cook the bacon, someone can cook the meat and mushrooms, someone can gut the peppers, and someone can arrange the peppers.
Serves 6
Copywright 2013, Madison Nef and Wayne Nef
Well, if you happen to try me and my Dad's recipe, please comment down below and tell me how it turned out!! If you'd like, comment your own favorite recipe! I am pretty open to trying new things, so if you leave a good recipe, I will attempt to make it and tell you how it turned out.
Thanks,
Maddie
You will need:
6 red bell peppers
9 slices of bacon
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb ground pork
1/4 of an onion, diced
1 can of mushrooms (optional)
Aluminum Foil
A dab of oil (for mushrooms, meat, and onions)
6 slices of muenster cheese
Prep:
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, line your baking sheet with foil. While your oven is still preheating, wash your peppers and cut the top and bottom off and gut them out. Place them standing up on your baking sheet. Next, start your ground pork in a frying pan. Make sure it is completely defrosted and broken into small pieces. I recommend using a tiny bit of oil in your frying pan for better flavor. While it is frying, dice up your 1/4 onion and toss it in with your pork. If you prefer to keep your ingredients separate, you do not need to fry your onions with the pork. However, I find it is a great time saver. After your pork is nicely browned, remove it from the stove and dump it into a bowl.
Now, open your can of mushrooms. Make sure to drain them completely before frying them on the stove in a small bit of oil. It should take about 5-10 minutes for them to brown. When they are done, remove them from the stovetop and place them in a bowl. (If you want to keep your meat and mushrooms warm while cooking bacon, set them NEAR the cooling burner. The heat from the burner should keep it relatively warm.
Now, it is time to cook your bacon! While me and Dad prefer to use our George Forman mini grill to cook our bacon, you can make yours however your want, to whatever level of crispiness you want. Take nine slices of bacon (I recommend hickory smoked), and cut them in half. Cook these pieces to your satisfaction. Afterwards, break the bacon into small pieces.
Take your cheese out and set it aside in a separate bowl. Now it is time for my favorite part of making this treat- stuffing the peppers!!!! While you can stuff them with any different layer combo, I prefer to do this for my peppers: (Chart shows layers from bottom to top)
Muenster Cheese Ground Pork w/ Onions
Cheese
Mushrooms
Bacon (about 3 slices per pepper)
Ground Pork w/ Onions
... And top your pepper off with another nice layer of cheese!
As soon as your oven is done preheating, put your peppers in and cook them for about 30-45 minutes. Take them out when they are done, and enjoy!!! I find this is a very good recipe to do together with your family, as it has so many things that can be done- someone can cook the bacon, someone can cook the meat and mushrooms, someone can gut the peppers, and someone can arrange the peppers.
Serves 6
Copywright 2013, Madison Nef and Wayne Nef
Well, if you happen to try me and my Dad's recipe, please comment down below and tell me how it turned out!! If you'd like, comment your own favorite recipe! I am pretty open to trying new things, so if you leave a good recipe, I will attempt to make it and tell you how it turned out.
Thanks,
Maddie
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Coursera Week 1 Progress
Just in case you didn't read the comment of my other post, I decided to do a post on my courses. I am learning songwriting, and it is pretty good. My teacher is very dramatic and interesting. His stories seem pointless at first, and in the end they teach you something you could have learned if he said it straight out. I have learned how to arrange a song, and the meanings of the bridge, pre-chorus, chorus, and verses. These are the parts of a song:
Bridge- Holds together the entire song
Chorus- A chorus is the repetitive part of a song, and states the central idea of the song.
Verses- A verse is the most important part of a song. Without verses, you would not have a song. They describe the song.
Pre-Chorus- The pre-chorus is a lot like a bridge. It is the piece of the song that connects the chorus to the verse.
This is my teacher, Pat Pattinson. He is a professor at the Berklee School of Music. He puts up pre-recorded lessons on Coursera. The projects aren't that hard to do, and the quizzes are a breeze. The worst I have done on one so far is get only 50%.... AND IT WAS ON IDENTIFYING PARTS OF A SONG!!!!
I am almost done with week 1 out of 6. My course started on the 1st of March, and will end on the 12th of April. If I do good on my assignments, I get a signed certificate from Berklee School of Music!!! Wish me luck!!!
Maddie
Bridge- Holds together the entire song
Chorus- A chorus is the repetitive part of a song, and states the central idea of the song.
Verses- A verse is the most important part of a song. Without verses, you would not have a song. They describe the song.
Pre-Chorus- The pre-chorus is a lot like a bridge. It is the piece of the song that connects the chorus to the verse.
I am almost done with week 1 out of 6. My course started on the 1st of March, and will end on the 12th of April. If I do good on my assignments, I get a signed certificate from Berklee School of Music!!! Wish me luck!!!
Maddie
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Updates
Ok, so now that that is out of the way, on to the rest of my blog! I wanted to share an awesome recipe that my Dad created for his pulled pork. It is an easy-to-make meal that can be thrown in the crokpot and forgotten until you are ready to eat. This recipe is also found on www.buybuymomma.blogspot.com
Pulled Pork Rollups
Ingredients:
3 pounds of pork butt or pork roast (frozen)
1 onion
1 18 ounce bottle of Kraft Hickory flavored Barbecue Sauce
1 pinch Italian seasoning spice
water
1 red pepper
sour cream
1/2 bag of shredded cheddar cheese (16 ounce)
1 package of Pepito flour tortillas (burrito size)
Preparation:
Pour one cup of water into the crock pot and then place the frozen meat into the crock pot.
Chop up 1/2 an onion and place it on the meat. Add one pinch of italian seasoning spice over the meat.
Pour the Hickory Barbecue Sauce over the meat making sure to cover the entire roast. When the bottle is empty add 1/3 of a bottle of water and swish it about to clear the extra sauce from the bottle and then pour it into the crock pot making sure not to splash the meat.
Turn the crock pot on high and forget about it for 9 or 10 hours. The added water will help keep the meat moist and the pork will shred easily after this time period. Given the meat was frozen, you WILL NOT overcook the meat over this time frame.
Chop up the rest of the onion and put it in a small bowl.
Clean and chop up the red pepper and place in a bowl.
Place the shredded cheese in a bowl.
Scoop the sour cream into a bowl
At dinner time, place the pork onto a large plate and shred it with a knife and fork. The meat will be very tender and shred easily.
Give everyone a warmed tortilla and have them make their own roll up. Add raw onion and red pepper to taste as well as cheese and sour cream.
OK, well there is the recipe. Be sure to be on the lookout for more easy recipes on: www.buybuymomma.blogspot.com
Maddie
Monday, March 4, 2013
An Interview With My Sister
Ashleigh: Hello, I am Ashleigh James
Me: How old are you Ashleigh?
Ashleigh: 3!
Me: What is your favorite color?
Ashleigh: Pink
Me: What is your favorite food?
Ashleigh: Grilled Cheese! (grilled cheese sandwich)
Me: Ooh, those are good. What's your favorite thing to drink?
Ashleigh: Lemonade!
Me: Yum! Now Ashleigh, whats your favorite way to pass time?
Ashleigh: Play, read books, and watch movies!!!
Me: And what are some of your favorite movies?
Ashleigh: Victorious, Strawberry Shortcake, Dora, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Thomas the Tank.
Me: What are some of your favorite books?
Ashleigh: Cat in The Hat, The Disney Babies, especially VISITING THE DOCTOR.
Me: Wow, that's cool! What's your favorite candy?
Ashleigh: Root Beer Barrels!
Me: My favorite candies are caramel creams.
\
Let's flip this interview around and let Ashleigh ask ME some questions...
Ashleigh: Do you like cheeseburgers? Do you like dogs? Do you like cats? Do you like tic-tacs?
Me: Yes, Yes, YES! and Yes.
Ashleigh: What is your favorite school subject, and why?
Me: Well, I would say my two favorites are blogging and home economics. I like home economics because I plan on opening a bakery someday and in this class I get experience with both baking and cooking.
Well, I just lost my subject.... Oh well. Can't blame a girl for trying. I can always try again in a few months... or years. Well, this is all I have for this post.
Later,
Maddie
Friday, March 1, 2013
Game Store
As promised, there is a new section in my store! I updated it this morning and now there are video game downloads! There is a download for just about ANY game you could imagine. Most of them are at decent prices too... I saw a download for SimCity4 Deluxe Edition for just $15! That seems like a great deal to me, as in stores the game can get up to prices of $60....
I'd like to, in the future, do some game reviews. If you happen to buy one of the games from my store, please comment down below and tell me how it works and if there were any issues. Also, if you'd like me to review one of the games you love, please comment below and I will see what I can do. You will need to leave the name of the game, what genre it is, what game system, it's rank of difficulty on a scale of 1-10 (10 being toughest), and what age group you'd recommend the game for. If my store does not have a game you want, please tell me and I will try to fix it.
I've been counting my pageviews today, and I have almost 3,000! To celebrate, I decided I would put up the stats of the countries that have viewed my posts over the whole time my blog has been up. Here they are:
WOW. I can't believe how much my readers have supported me. I try to check my readings once a day, and I am currently getting about 15 views a day. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I never in a million years would have though I would have readers all around the world. It means a lot to me. One again,
Thanks a Ton,
Maddie
I'd like to, in the future, do some game reviews. If you happen to buy one of the games from my store, please comment down below and tell me how it works and if there were any issues. Also, if you'd like me to review one of the games you love, please comment below and I will see what I can do. You will need to leave the name of the game, what genre it is, what game system, it's rank of difficulty on a scale of 1-10 (10 being toughest), and what age group you'd recommend the game for. If my store does not have a game you want, please tell me and I will try to fix it.
I've been counting my pageviews today, and I have almost 3,000! To celebrate, I decided I would put up the stats of the countries that have viewed my posts over the whole time my blog has been up. Here they are:
WOW. I can't believe how much my readers have supported me. I try to check my readings once a day, and I am currently getting about 15 views a day. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I never in a million years would have though I would have readers all around the world. It means a lot to me. One again,
Thanks a Ton,
Maddie
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