Rainbow Pancakes: Baking

RAINBOW PANCAKES!

 

Surprise! Elana has kindly let me swap our days so that I could upload a rainbow pancake recipe on pancake day- my favourite day of the year! These pancakes are soo much fun to make and taste amazing with some nutella!

 

Ingredients:

• 150g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 225ml milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 chunk of melted butter (around 12-15g)
• 6 food colours of your choice

 

 

Method:

• Firstly, mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
•  Then make a well in the centre by moving  your index finger around in a small circle until you get a hole.

 





 

 

• Then crack the egg into the hole and then add the milk on top of the egg. This will help you gradually combine the flour with the wet ingredients.
• Beat the mixture with a whisk until everything is combined and there is no lumps of flour at the bottom of the bowl.
• Then stir in the melted butter.
• Now you can separate the mixture into bowls. I used 6 colours (blue, purple, green, orange, pink and red) so I separated the mixture into 6 bowls. The recipe makes 12 pancakes so that means that I get 2 pancakes of every colour.

 

 

• Heat some butter up in a frying pan and then spoon 3 colours in at a time. Wait 2-3 minutes and then flip the colours over and cook for another 2 minutes.
• The cooking time will reduce when you put the second batch on, so keep an eye on the bottom of the pancakes and flip when they start to turn brown.

 

 



 

 

 

Stack them up and decorate with any topping of your choice. I used nutella because it is the greatest thing to ever exist.

 

 

Have a brilliant pancake day!



Boho Shoulder Bag: Textiles

Boho Shoulder Bag

After last weeks disaster of not posting, I thought I'd do something special for the oncoming summer and potential festivals or beach days. Before I begin I want to say sorry if you don't understand something. This is the first time I've made one of these bags so this was just as confusing, if not more so for me, because I winged all of it. Any questions please comment and I will help out you out best I can.

Lets get cracking!!!

You'll need:

• News paper (biggest pages you have)
• A pen
• Maybe tape if your paper isn't big enough
• Lots of pins
• Thread (same colour as main fabric/s)
• Sewing machine 
• Fabric for lining (thinner fabric)
• Fabric for the outside of the bag (thickest fabric)
• And scissors 

Making Pattern:

Fold your biggest sheet of newspaper in half portrait. Then grab your pen and draw a lovely curvaceous line like so, the top line if you want a deeper bag:

This is your pattern, please cut it out.

Cutting Fabric out:

You'll need to cut four pieces of fabric out using the pattern you just made. Make sure you leave 1cm extra for a seam line. Pin your pattern to the fabric first then cut it out.

Iron your fabrics:

Sewing first seam:

Lie your two lining pieces on top of each other so their right sides are touching. Pin the right edge of the fabric together 1cm in, then sew down this line. Do the same to your outside fabrics. Then iron the seams open to give a neat look.

Sewing on pockets:

I cut the back pockets off a pair of my mums old jeans, which i used as the the pockets of the bag, because i am that lazy. To jazz them up a bit, I put some simple appliqué of cut out sticky back felt (donated by Charlotte). I just cut out some random shapes, a hippy sign and a heart to keep with the hippy theme. Then I pinned them to the front fabric piece of the future bag on the right side, and sewed them on. 

You don't have to do this, you could make your own pockets or even stitch on appliqué.

Ironing:

Make sure all your seams as you are sewing are ironed flat.

Sewing tops of fabrics pieces together:

Lie both the lining and outer fabric on top of each other spread out so the right sides are touching. pin the top edges together, and down the sides if you want to hold the fabrics together better. Then sew along the edge making sure you've used your 1cm seam line. don't sew the tops of the straps closed.

Sewing sides together: 

This part is a bit tricky so do it slowly. Pin it together then turn the bag the right way to make sure its done correctly. I'm going to try and explain it as best as i can. after turning your bag the right way lie it down with the inner and outer spread out on either side and the straps in the middle, right side facing up. Then fold the bag so the side that has not been sewn yet (not the bottom of the bag) on the lining and outer are touching. Pin this edge and sew along it, remembering your 1cm.

Like this:

NEARLY THERE KEEP GOING

Base of the bag:

 This bit I had to make up so it will involve a bit of fiddling and just playing around to get the fit you want. Cut two rectangles of the same size in any fabric (preferable a thicker one). You may have to pin and repin, cut and recut this piece of fabric because i cant think of a way to measure it out.
Start with the innner, so if you make a mistake it wont make the final product look bad as it will be on the inside.

Turn your inner inside out, then grab your first rectangle. fold the rectangle in half horizontal, and put a pin as a marker on the fold line, either side to show you the middle. Unfold the fabric and place the now marked middle onto the bottom of each seam. pin in place. Make sire the rectangle fabrics right side is facing inwards. now just pin the bottom edge of the inner to rectangle and sew but not all the way. Leave the middle of a side unsewn. This is the place where you will turn the bag the right side.
So the same to the outer but sew all the way.
Some images of me doing the outer:
(showing marker pin and rectangular fabric)

 Turn the right way, using hole left in inner:

Now sew this hole closed neatly

Straps:

One of your straps fold inwards slightly, the slot the other inside of it. If one of your straps is narrower then use this one as the one to be slotted in.

Then sew them in place. If you have fancy stitches on your machine, then take this opportunity to show off.

DONE!

If you found it tricky stitching the base, then cheat and just do a running stitch along the base to seal them shut.

The Round Up: Valentines Week

It was Valentines week not only on Almost1998, but for pretty much the whole world. Originally, Valentine's day was a celebration of early Christian saints named Valentinus. One of the most popular

accounts was St Valentine of Rome who was imprisioned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.

Valentine's day wasn't associated with romantic love until It wasn't until the High Middle Ages when courtly love began to flourish. In the 18th century, it evolved into lovers presenting flowers, offering confectionary and giving Valentines cards.

The true meaning of Valentines day isn't about whether you have a Valentines buying you chocolates, flowers or cards, as long as you have someone who loves you, that is a Valentine. It may well be a lover but it maybe a sister or a best friend p, someone who you love enough to want them to be your valentine. Valentines day has been commercialised into this big product placement for lovers to shower each other in gifts, to some degree that is flattering and some may express their love that way however that's not the only way. For most girls, a single rose would do just fine or a bar of their favourite chocolate, something to show you know them. If you and your friends what to go out for a meal on valentines day, it's not just because you compensating for a lack of a lover, it's because these are the people you love enough to spend Valentines day with.

Love comes in all shapes and forms which may not come under the stereotyped 'Valentine'. With this in mind, I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines day and just like St Valentine of Rome himself, I

sign out as,

"Your Valentine"

Safety in Dating: The Serious Stuff

As you might have noticed, it's valentines week on the blog! I am tasked with the burden of attempting to find the serious side of this celebration of love. As a whole, valentines day is a fun celebration of love and relationships, whether it be your partner or your best friend. This means that finding something serious to talk about (without ranting about commercialism) is a bit tricky.

So instead, I have decided to focus on being safe with relationships and dating. When your single, valentines day can seem like an exaggeration of your loneliness compared to everyone else's relationships. Therefore in the wake of the 14th of February a lot of people desperately search for dates, but you need to stay safe! So here's a list of tips for you.

Going out on the town to hook up:

• Stay in groups! Strength in numbers in every sense of the word.
• If your drink has been spiked the side effects will probably take effect within 15-30 minutes, but it could be several hours
• Symptoms of drink spiking include lowered inhibitions, difficulty concentrating or speaking, loss of balance and finding it hard to move, visual problems (particularly blurred vision),, paranoia (a feeling of fear or distrust of others), hallucinations (seeing, hearing or touching things that aren't there) or having an "out of body" experience, nausea and vomiting or unconsciousness. Experiencing any of these means you should get to a safe place with someone you know and trust, just in case you pass out.
• Don't accept drinks from anyone you don't know personally. If you do then go to the bar with them and take the drink from the bar staff themselves.
• Try to avoid giving out personal information, you don't know who may overhear you.
• Make plans for your journey home. Tell someone when you think you're going to get back by so they can keep an eye out for you.
• If someone comes onto you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, call them out on it. I know this can be incredibly hard to do, but it is the most effective and fast way of getting them to back off.
• Know the area you're in! If you're abroad or just in an unfamiliar parts of town, find a safe place you can go to if you feel unsafe.

Online safety:

• Personal information safety! Most people on the internet aren't weird stalkers, but there are a few dodgy people out there that you would not want to give your home address to.
• Skype calls are a good, safe way of checking if people are who they say they are. If you've been talking for a bit, offer a Skype call!
• If you're sending nude photo's to someone, make sure you completely trust them. If they do get shared, people may blame you instead of the person who violated your privacy, so make sure you know they will keep them to themselves. 
• Another tip for nudes: If you have naked pictures of someone under the age of 18 on your personal device, that is child pornography and is a serious criminal offence. If your under sixteen, don't take or send nudes. If you're sixteen and up but still not an adult, snapchat is your friend (but screenshots are still a thing).

Safety in relationships (general):

• Make sure you can recognise signs of abuse in any forms, you need to know if you should walk out.
• If you fear your partner in any way, that is a red flag.
• Talk to people about your relationship! They don't have to know everything, obviously, but they will be able to pick up on any changes or negative signs you might miss.
• If you have a problem with your partner, talk to them. Communication is a massive part of a successful relationship and is key when sorting out arguments or tension.
• Don't worry about how fast the relationship is going or if it's following the stereotypical movie-type plot. If you're both happy and comfortable, then the relationship will work itself out.

Safety in relationships (sexual):

• Know your partner well. Their comfort zones are incredibly important and you should make sure they know yours too.
• Trust your partner before you try to push any boundaries, and make sure they trust you.
• Do not push or pressure them. At all.
• Be safe! Whether with a long term partner or a one night stand, birth control is never a bad choice. Also make sure you have your own forms of contraception on you, just in case. (Plus other than pregnancy things like condoms stop STD's and STI's as well.)
• This is gonna sound weird, but if you're putting anything in a place it's not supposed to go (i.e. but stuff): lube.
• If you're doing some BDSM type stuff, know your safewords. Also aftercare is perhaps more important than the sex itself. Always keep it safe, sane and consensual.

Stay safe kids!

Sources: 

http://buzz.bournemouth.ac.uk/facts-about-drink-spiking/

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/abuse/Pages/drink-spiking.aspx

http://youngwomenshealth.org/2013/09/13/safety-in-relationships/

https://www.getsafeonline.org/social-networking/online-dating/

Fifty Shades of Grey Sountrack: Celebrity Culture

As this week is our Valentines themed week, I thought I should talk about the Fifty Shades of Grey movie soundtrack seeing as the film is now out at cinemas and we can all see Jamie Dornan's sexy face! 

The fifty shades soundtrack is defiantly one of my favourite movie soundtracks that I have listened to in quite a long time! When I first saw the list I was so amazed at the artists as it ranged from artists such as Beyoncé to The Rolling Stones. Below is the full soundtrack: 

I Put a Spell On You- Annie Lennox 
Undiscovered- Laura Welsh

Earned It- The Weeknd
Meet Me In the Middle- Jessie Ware 
Love Me Like You Do- Ellie Goulding
Haunted- Beyoncé 
Salted Wound- Sia
Beast of Burden- The Rolling Stones
I'm On Fire- AWOLNATION
Crazy In Love-Beyoncé 
Witchcraft- Frank Sinatra
One Last Night- Vaults 
Where You Belong- The Weeknd 
I Know You- Skylar Grey
Ana and Christian- Danny Elfman
Did That Hurt?- Danny Elfman 

Without a doubt, from the few songs I have listened to 'Earned It' is my fave but I also love Haunted, Crazy In Love and Salted Wound. Ellie Goulding reached the top spot in the charts on Sunday with 'Love Me Like You Do' and the whole album is set to be massive in records this year! I can't wait to see if the album reaches number 1 in the upcoming weeks...

Valentines Day Red Velvet Cake: Baking

LOVEY-DOVEY RED VELVET CAKES

 

 

So this Saturday, as you probably already know, is Valentines day and what better thing to make then Red velvet cake! Whether you're making these for someone special or all alone like me and making these to feel better about yourself, Red velvet cake is the winner!

 

 

Ingredient's:

• 180g sugar
• 175g butter
• 3 eggs
• 4-5tbsp Cherry Kirsch
• red food colouring
• 190g flour
• 4tbsp milk
• Vanilla essence
•  2tbsp Cocoa powder
• 200ml cream
• 100g mascarpone cheese
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

Firstly, mix the sugar and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Then add the 3 eggs, one by one and mix until it forms a batter

Then add the kirsch (a cherry liqueur- you can find this in supermarkets) This will give your cakes a good texture as well as a hint of cherry which makes them taste amazing.

 



 

Then add the vanilla and red food colouring. I used gel food colouring but it didn't give me the brightest colour so I suggest using a liquid colouring and keep adding drop by drop until it is as bright as you like. Although, if you add too much it can make your cakes taste funny, so keep tasting the batter as you go along to check it's okay;)

Then add the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Then add the milk to make it all smooth and glossy.

 

 

Then put into a cupcake tin or cake tin. ( I made cupcakes and a cake for the others in the blog) and cook for 22 minutes.

 

Whilst they are cooking, beat cream in a bowl until it is thick, then add the mascarpone and then the icing sugar.

In a small pot or glass, mix some sugar and food colouring together until all the sugar has turned red. You can use this to make the cakes look pretty.

 

 

Once they are cool, decorate to how you wish.

 

I took the heart cake into school for some of us bloggers plus Harriet to eat and we all devoured it in less than five minutes!

Before and after!


 

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a brilliant valentines day!

 

Single on Valentines Day: Life, Advice and Rants

Welcome to Valentine week here on Almost1998! We all know what its about don't we? Valentine’s Day is full of love, happiness and enjoyment...if you actually have some to share it with! If you are like me, February 14th is just another day of being single but with discounted chocolate for the next day. So while some of your friends are out for dinner being all loved up, you are bitterly sitting at home enjoying the company of yourself and a really bad movie. Or is that just me? Anyway we don’t have to spend the evening feeling sorry for ourselves, we have to take some action (or get some action). Here are some ways how to own being single on Valentine’s Day with a few ‘please for the love of God don’t do’ on this day of love. 

DO: Hang out with other single friends
Your all lonely, so why not just do it together! I mean Valentine's Day is about celebrating love but who said it had to be romantic love? Meet up with your best ones and watch movies, eat chocolate and just have a good time. Just try and stay clear of Bridget Jones, it will only make you feel worse. 

DO NOT: Get drunk and call an ex
I will personally come over a cut your hand off just to be certain. Whether its to shout about how much you hate them or plea them for their love, it is the worse idea you could have ever thought of. Especially when your drunk, this will lead to embarrassment and humiliation. 

DO: Be happy regardless of your relationship status
Does it really matter whether you are with someone on this commercialized day solely invented to suck more money out of the general public? Use it to celebrate the strengths and achievements that testify to you being a whole and healthy person, a person who has space for love should it come along but who does not need such a relationship to create self-worth, happiness or confidence.

DO NOT: Feel sorry for yourself
Ugh I find it so annoying when people over dramatize the day because they are single. It just gets on everyone's nerves so don't be that person. Instead of whining about it maybe you could do something about it or just realize your not going to have a Valentine's every single year.

So just call me the Anti-Cupid because you don't need no one else to make you better than you are. If your in a relationship, have a good time with the person you love. If your not in a relationship, there are plenty more Valentine Day's to come for you to enjoy with a partner. Until then enjoy it regardless because remember it is just another day.