tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1761528852186781662024-03-13T22:24:58.681-07:00High C and other challenges of life Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-90878015371942367592015-06-28T20:52:00.000-07:002015-06-28T20:55:39.472-07:00Fish out of water post #1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORmrj3QA-Hw/VZC7kyfT4xI/AAAAAAAABKg/vIbBjRhhxAg/s1600/IMG_1940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORmrj3QA-Hw/VZC7kyfT4xI/AAAAAAAABKg/vIbBjRhhxAg/s320/IMG_1940.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salut Québec!</td></tr>
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So I arrived in the province of Quebec this afternoon.. My goodness, how exciting.<br />
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I've been thinking that it would probably be a good idea to write about about my adventures, as it's pretty easy to forget about the things that you've done otherwise. Also, Ms. J would be sad with me if I completely gave up story telling. Alors, bonjour! </div>
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I'm living in Quebec for a little over a month. I'm a music student, but I also like learning about languages and cultures. My government offers a program for anglophones to practice their French over the summer and earn university credits. It's a pretty sweet deal and this is the second time I've done it. </div>
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I got here on a particularly dreary and rainy day. On the train I sat next to a nice Egyptian man who gave me some sort of coconut flavoured madeleine cookie and helped me to get my suitcase unstuck. It was funny how quickly memories of my last trip flooded back to me when I got here. In a taxi I heard a bit of Murry Schafer's Apocalypsis being broadcast from Toronto on the CBC, but I think the driver thought it was a bit too far out, so he switched the station back to Quebecois pop music about beating hearts and love. </div>
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I made it to my residence, and was greeted by people who seemed relieved when I could understand what they were saying. Later, I adventured out in the rain to buy groceries, and was pleasantly surprised when I also could understand what the cashier's rapid French about points cards and plastic bags. </div>
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Most of the students seem to be arriving this evening, and I haven't had the chance to meet many people yet. I'm looking forward to an event on my schedule tomorrow that just says 'pizzalympiques' with no further description of what it is. Hopefully I will get to meet my classmates. Also eat pizza. </div>
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Anyway, hopefully there will be funny stories of my incompetence to follow, but for now bonne nuit!</div>
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E</div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-51105446080079551112015-06-03T21:49:00.003-07:002015-06-03T21:49:46.848-07:00Well this is awkward<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="157" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WvRwR-hZDVY?rel=0" width="210"></iframe>
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Remember when people used Yahoo messenger? When was that, 2006? What a time it was to be alive. I remember you used to be able to send these little talking animations to your friends in the chat. I particularly liked one of a muscular, suit-wearing man who would jump up and say, "Don't worry - <i>I'm </i>here." I would send it ironically when I arrived after a prolonged absence.<br />
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I'm currently wishing that there was some sort of equivalent for modern blogging platforms.<br />
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Hi. This is awkward. I'm E. I took an almost year long hiatus on this blog. Sorry!<br />
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"<i>But E,</i>" you must surely be wondering, "<i>why did you abandon your blog for an extended period of time? Also, why are you talking to yourself in third person</i>"<br />
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Well, dear imaginary readers, I recently finished my first year of university. University is wonderful. However, I also found that university takes up a heck of a lot of time. On good days, I had time for an afternoon nap (on a related note, I now love naps. naps are so great). On bad days, it was just a struggle to finish all my assignments and practising so that I could get to sleep at some point. However, it is now summertime, and I can blog once more! Hurray!<br />
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"<i>So E, what have you been up to since last summer besides taking naps/wishing you were taking a nap</i>?"<br />
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Oh boy! So much! I'm studying music education. I get to play flute lots, which is pretty great. I also learned how to play a bazillion percussion instruments, and the violin. Actually, I don't <i>play </i>the violin so much as make interesting noises on the violin, some more ear piercing than others. But it is an improvement from knowing nothing about stringed instruments!<br />
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I've made lots of lovely friends. I learned about music history! I learned about world music! I now know how to articulately justify my fondness of disco music. I had a TA explain to us how Beyonce's 'Love on Top' is actually brilliantly written. I learned how to identify chords by ear (useful for impressing little sisters by playing pop songs on the piano). I played a bass flute! I travelled to Chicago and played at Symphony Centre! I saw a crap ton of great concerts! It's been such a good year.<br />
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(omg so many modulations)<br />
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"<i>So E, why have you come back, other than having too much time on your hands?</i>"<br />
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I do have too much time on my hands, this is true. I missed writing, for one thing. Another thing, I'm doing a French immersion program next month and thought it would be fun to document my adventures.<br />
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Anyway, that's it. How do people end these things? God, I'm really out of practice.<br />
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Too de loo?<br />
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E<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-13962013035858774082014-07-31T18:20:00.004-07:002014-07-31T18:20:38.093-07:00Happee Birthdae Harry + garden update #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pretty much anyone acquainted with me knows that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I was a late bloomer with the books, reading them all in the span of a week in grade six, but I made up for my lateness with my enthusiasm. I held viewing parties of the movies with friends, making cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties. I went to the exhibition twice when it came to Toronto. I've watched all three of the Potter musicals no less than five times and have all the music on my ipod. I've knit hats that look like the ones Hermione wears in the movies. One time I greeted my new flute section in a Canada wide wind ensemble by saying, "Hey! I'm E! What's your Hogwarts house?". When I really want to veg out and relax, I giggle at bad HPotts fanfiction on the internet.<br />
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Yes friends, I am a nerd.<br />
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However, I do not regret nor try to deny this fact. I think there are plenty of wonderful reasons why everyone should be a Harry Potter fanatic. The books are wonderfully written, and teach us important lessons about friendship, love, and courage. They foster community, and have encouraged a generation of kids to get their noses in a book.<br />
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So, I try every year to celebrate Harry's birthday in a quiet thanks to JK Rowling and her brilliance. This year I made a chocolate fudge pudding that I think that Molly Weasley would be proud of.<br />
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I got the recipe from a cookbook my Gramma gave to me a few years ago from one of her trips to Scotland:<br />
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In case you folks don't know, in the UK the word 'pudding' refers to many different kinds of desserts, rather than the North American term which refers something closer to custard.<br />
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This recipe makes a delicious self-saucing cake that's easily made in a food processor:<br />
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PUDDING:<br />
4 oz butter<br />
4 oz caster sugar<br />
2 medium eggs<br />
3 oz self-raising flour (or 3 oz regular flour and 1 tsp baking powder)<br />
2 tbspns cocoa powder<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
1-2 tbspn milk<br />
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SAUCE:<br />
4 oz soft brown sugar<br />
2 tblspn cocoa powder<br />
1/2 pint (1 cup) boiling water<br />
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Set over to 375 F, place all the pudding ingredients into a food processor and blend in the order listed until it becomes a soft consistency. Put into 8x8 inch square ovenproof dish (or any that can hold about 5 cups of liquid). Make the sauce by combining sugar and cocoa in a bowl, then adding the hot water. Mix well, and then pour over the pudding mixture. Bake for 40 minutes.<br />
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I served mine with freshly picked blueberries and butterscotch ice cream. Yum!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p97sq5aS2ro/U9rh0p6iktI/AAAAAAAAAuo/VeEhouo4_S0/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p97sq5aS2ro/U9rh0p6iktI/AAAAAAAAAuo/VeEhouo4_S0/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's Ontario blueberry season!</td></tr>
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Now for a quick garden update:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato plant healed with a pipe cleaner + TOMATOES!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vDYPqB5eX_0/U9rh5RdMcvI/AAAAAAAAAvE/LtIKfuvSAFY/s1600/IMG_1308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vDYPqB5eX_0/U9rh5RdMcvI/AAAAAAAAAvE/LtIKfuvSAFY/s1600/IMG_1308.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BABY WATERMELON! (this was tragically eaten by an animal the day after I took this picture, but the plant has many flowers so I still have hope)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BABY CUCUMBER!<br /></td></tr>
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Basically gardening is wonderful and exciting and you should all do it if you have the space.<br />
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Wow this was a long post. Thank you for reading. As a prize here is a picture of my overweight cat:<br />
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Let's all toast to the boy who lived!<br />
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E<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-35033363020536878672014-07-21T17:34:00.001-07:002014-07-21T18:04:19.153-07:00Potato Salad MathThe other day I discovered the funniest thing I've seen on the internet in a very long time. This guy Zack 'Danger' Brown on kickstarter has raised $61,186 (as of 8:00 PM on 21/07/14) to make potato salad (<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad" target="_blank">Link</a>). I have no clue what he's going to do with all the money - hopefully some will go to charity as he proposed in an interview. However, it got me thinking. How much potato salad could you make with that amount of money? Naturally I had to put my grade 11 university math skills to the test.<br />
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First, I found a good potato salad recipe. I picked <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/worlds-best-potato-salad/" target="_blank">this one</a>, since it calls itself the world's best, and has a ton of good reviews backing up that claim. Then I did some research and tried to figure out the price of making said recipe. Here's how it seemed to break down:<br />
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6 potatoes - $2<br />
1 small onion - $0.17<br />
1 cup of celery - $0.33<br />
1 tsp salt - $0.0026<br />
8 eggs - $1.33<br />
1/2 cup sugar - $0.23<br />
1 tsp cornstartch - $0.02<br />
1/2 cup vinegar - $0.07<br />
1 can evaporated milk - $1<br />
1/4 cup butter - $0.3<br />
1 cup mayonnaise - $1.50<br />
1 tsp mustard - $0.2 (if you use the really good stuff)<br />
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That totals up to about $7.15. One recipe of this stuff serves 6 people, assuming each person eats about one potato's worth.<br />
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$61,186/$7.15= 8557.5 recipes of potato salad.<br />
8557.5 x 6 servings = 51,344.9 servings.<br />
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So in theory this guy has enough money to feed 51,345 people. That's 20,000 more people than the entire population of Nunavut. You could feed every resident of Monaco. Madness.<br />
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So yeah this is how I'm spending my time lately. Summer is great.<br />
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Hope you're all being as productive as I am,<br />
<br />
E<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-53379666444346180182014-07-10T20:14:00.000-07:002014-07-10T20:31:43.331-07:00Two things Hello! I am about to go on vacation so I will be disappearing for a while. Before I go, I will leave you with some things.<br />
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<i>Thing #1 - My garden </i><br />
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Mission vegetable garden is going s'well so far. Here is an update:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basil plant has doubled in size! Huzzah. I removed aphids with the help of a bottle of soap and water. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pRVz5H7CByA/U79OhLZpx9I/AAAAAAAAAtM/VqYz55cMpbQ/s1600/IMG_1093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pRVz5H7CByA/U79OhLZpx9I/AAAAAAAAAtM/VqYz55cMpbQ/s1600/IMG_1093.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato plants are getting tall!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red lettuce is beautiful. Head lettuce looks confused. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2x1q0WcoNo/U79Oj2OhiNI/AAAAAAAAAtU/tNpQXyZ8lsk/s1600/IMG_1095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2x1q0WcoNo/U79Oj2OhiNI/AAAAAAAAAtU/tNpQXyZ8lsk/s1600/IMG_1095.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumber flowers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bmH2CLlL4Tc/U79OnQFXdrI/AAAAAAAAAtk/a9AYHQmAvWQ/s1600/IMG_1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bmH2CLlL4Tc/U79OnQFXdrI/AAAAAAAAAtk/a9AYHQmAvWQ/s1600/IMG_1096.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WATERMELON!!?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ELy_gZyIlQ/U79OpFG--MI/AAAAAAAAAts/RSAVF3M-rp0/s1600/IMG_1097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ELy_gZyIlQ/U79OpFG--MI/AAAAAAAAAts/RSAVF3M-rp0/s1600/IMG_1097.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swiss chard is also lookin' fine damn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">probably not edible</td></tr>
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<i>Thing #2 - Cool composer dudes </i><br />
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So while researching my previous post about cool lady composers, I also came across two cool male composers that deserve to be shared.</div>
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-Nikolai Kapustin <3</div>
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Kapustin, where have you been all my life? His music is an awesome mix of classical and jazz, and it makes my ears very happy. </div>
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I think this is what love sounds like.<br />
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-David Maslanka<br />
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Also, how have I never heard of this guy? Holy moly. He writes a lot of really really gorgeous music for upper level wind ensemble<br />
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I've been listening to his music obsessively for the last couple says along with Kapustin. So far I really love his symphonies no. 4 & 8, and his trombone concerto written in memory of a famous flute player. Sounds like an odd memorial, but it works well, somehow.<br />
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'The Doxology' is quoted in symphony no 4 around the eleventh minute, and then it gets a jazz remix around the 20th minute. Epic. Also featured here - cool lady conductor!!<br />
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Well, I'm heading off to the beach.<br />
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Later gators! Pictures to come!<br />
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E </div>
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Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-14025143797376111822014-07-09T18:55:00.006-07:002014-07-09T18:56:57.373-07:00Where the ladies at? <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="188" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6FileyyXWlU?rel=0" width="250"></iframe><br />
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Lately I've been thinking a lot about my future in a field that is pretty male dominated. Historically, music has been a man's business in almost every aspect. In the past century or so women have made large advances in this respect, but in a lot of music related careers we are still vastly outnumbered.<br />
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Thanks to blind auditions, female participation in orchestras has greatly risen over the last few decades. However, there is still a large gap between the number of males and females on the podium (according to <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/media/2013/09/women-conductors-gap-charts-marin-alsop-proms" target="_blank">this article</a>, American orchestral conductors are 80% male).<br />
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In composition as well it seems that we are outnumbered. I recently discovered that I've never played a piece in band written by a woman. After a search on the <a href="http://www.windrep.org/Category:Female_Composers" target="_blank">wind repertory project</a>, I found a total of 29 female composers of band music, versus 706 men. Perhaps this is because historically there haven't been a lot of women trained in composition, and that wind ensembles were very male exclusive for most of their history.<br />
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What I think we should do is celebrate the few women who do advance in these male dominated fields, and hopefully they will inspire the next generation of girls to pick up a baton, or try out their school's copy of Sibelius. So today I'm going to list a couple of the cool female composers of band music that I've recently discovered.<br />
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1. <b> Julie Giroux </b><br />
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Julie Giroux is an Emmy award winning composer living in the United States. She has studied with John Williams, and went to school at Louisiana State University and Boston University. She is a very well rounded composer, writing for film, orchestra, and choral ensemble. However, in recent years she has written music primarily for wind ensemble (and she was the only woman composer I found who does so). She has certainly added many gems to the modern wind repertory. While listening to some of her music, I particularly loved her 'Symphony of Fables'. It has a movement based on the story of the Pied Piper which includes an awesome flute solo (I'm a bit biased).<br />
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2. <b>Libby Larsen </b><br />
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Libby Larsen is a well known American composer. She has written more than 500 works, which have been recorded on over 50 CD's. She is a Grammy award winner, and was the co-founder of the American Composer's Forum. She has written for huge range of ensembles, but has a good sized repertory for wind ensemble.<br />
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<a href="http://libbylarsen.com/index.php?contentID=238&profileID=1161&startRange=" target="_blank">Here's</a> a link to a really innovative composition she wrote called "Introduction to the Moon". The piece itself is half improvised by the performers, and includes audio recordings of poem readings. When the musicians start singing at the end I always get shivers up my spine!<br />
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What I'd really like to hear, but sadly couldn't find a recording of, is her composition called "Encircling Skies". It's orchestrated for double SATB chorus, narrator, orchestra, band, didgeridoo, conch shell, three pianos, and three marimbas. Wicked.<br />
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3. <b>Joan Tower </b><br />
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Joan Tower is generally super cool. She's been called one of the greatest female composers of all time. She's also a pianist, conductor, and Grammy award winner. She studied at Columbia University in the 1960's and her music is influenced by the serialism she was exposed to at that time. Though she hasn't written a huge amount for band, her composition "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman" is awesome and I think she deserved to be on this list just for that alone. (see the top of this post for a recording)<br />
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4. <b>Chen Yi </b><br />
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Dr. Chen is a Chinese violinist and composer born in Guangzhou. She was the first woman to earn an M.A. in composition at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Later, she studied at Columbia University, and is currently a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory.<br />
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I really like her piece "Dragon Rhyme", which is a neat mix of Western music and Chinese folk tunes.<br />
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Let me know if you have suggestions of more cool lady composers to listen to! I think that when I'm a band teacher I will try to expose my students to works of a more diverse selection of composers, and it's a good idea to start compiling a mental list now!<br />
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Happy listening,<br />
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EEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-27338660008223836712014-06-29T17:52:00.000-07:002014-06-29T17:52:03.850-07:00Summer!Well, I am now the proud owner of a high school diploma. Let the summer of baking/flute playing/weird craft projects begin!<br />
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It is blueberry season here in Ontario! Today some family came over to visit, and I was in charge of dessert. </div>
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It's<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-white-cake/" target="_blank"> this recipe </a>for a one layer vanilla cake. Usually what I would do is just whip up a bunch of heavy cream and dollop it on, but sadly we didn't have any. Instead, I made a simple syrup of lemon juice and sugar, then added to that 3/8 cups of icing sugar. This made a nice glaze to go in the middle. Then I made a cream cheese icing (1/8 cup butter, 1/8 cup cream cheese, about 3/4 cups of icing sugar, 1/8 tsp. ground vanilla beans, milk as needed) to spread on top. After that I just dumped on a bunch of fresh blueberries. It was pretty darn good. </div>
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I've also been doing a lot of gardening lately. I took charge of the vegetable boxes this year, and it is extremely fun. I'm growing a whole bunch of things, including two varieties of tomatoes, red and green lettuce, onions, herbs, cucumbers, swiss chard, rhubarb, and watermelons (we'll see how those turn out). </div>
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I found the first flower on my tomato plants this afternoon! </div>
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I'm also very proud of my small basil pot. It's my favourite herb, but one that I've had very little success in growing over the last few years. I caught some earwigs trying to munch on it yesterday, but I seem to have gotten rid of them with a solution of dish soap and water. Fingers crossed!</div>
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So far summer 2014 is very successful. I think it was worth the wait. And I'm only on week one! </div>
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E</div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-82288675847897483052014-06-22T17:37:00.003-07:002014-06-22T17:37:34.021-07:00FUTURE<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZGes7FDmHAM?rel=0" width="300"></iframe><br />
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Well, it looks like my high school career is very soon to end. Tomorrow is my last day of school, and the day after that I graduate.<br />
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By chance this afternoon while cleaning out my closet I stumbled on a letter I wrote to my future self at the beginning of grade nine. It was quite enlightening.<br />
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<i>"Dear Future Self,</i><br />
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<i>I'm fourteen this year. I have braces, I'm a flute player, and I opened a letter today from myself at age eleven. It was weird. She told me not to smoke. Duh. </i><br />
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<i>I'm wondering what I'll be like at age 17. Am I tall? Am I still into music? Do I have nice friends? Have I dated boooys?</i><br />
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<i>What will I be? Will I have decided what to study? Have I gone to Paris? Did I go back to music camp?</i><br />
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<i>I hope you made the right choices. I hope you're happy. Keep your head up, there's only one shot at life."</i><br />
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I thought I'd grace her with a response:<br />
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Dear past me,<br />
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I'm eighteen this year! I also have braces, but they're coming off next week (praise the lord almighty). I'm also a flute player, but I play piccolo and piano too! You'll be relieved to know that I don't smoke. Duh.<br />
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I guess I'm kind of tall now, 5'4'', not bad. I'm still very much into music. I have a bunch of lovely friends, some of whom I'll be very sad to be parting with soon. I dated a booooy for a while. It was a good learning experience.<br />
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I don't really know who exactly I am at the moment, so I can't really answer that one. I've decided to study music education! I haven't gone to Paris, but I've been to Shanghai (which I've heard is one of the fashion capitols of Asia, so almost the same thing right?), and I've lived in Quebec! I did go back to music camp for one last summer in grade ten.<br />
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I hope I've made the right choices too, but I'm happy at the moment, so I think so! I hope that you'd be proud of me.<br />
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Love,<br />
Future E<br />
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P.S. Please learn to use semicolons.<br />
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You know, I'll be sad to leave high school. But I think that letter was exactly what I needed to see today. Providence? I've grown a lot (more in a mental sense), and accomplished a lot in the last four years. Yeah, it's nostalgic to have to leave a place, and it's a little scary to think about the future, but things usually turn out. Just gotta keep that head up. Thanks 14 year old me.<br />
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Hope I don't trip on my gown on the way up the stairs!<br />
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E<br />
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<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-52929381841933528332014-06-15T17:53:00.001-07:002014-06-15T17:53:47.936-07:00Father's day cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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See? I told you that the regular obsessive baking posts would return soon.<br />
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Today I made a cake based on a beautiful one I saw <a href="http://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/olgastips/kitchen-tips/how-to-make-a-chocolate-cage/" target="_blank">here</a> a while ago. Mine is quite a bit smaller, as I only made one layer, but I think that doing so made my first shot at the surrounding chocolate cage a bit easier. I would recommend doing the same to any other newcomers to chocolate decorations.<br />
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The cake was for my dad, as today is father's day here in Canada. My father is a big fan of all things chocolatey (a trait he passed on to me), so I thought this would be just right!<br />
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My dad's a pretty great guy, even though I don't tell him that enough. He and I have a lot in common. We both are foodies at heart, and often try out new restaurants before my weekly flute lesson. We both are huge fans of live music, and like to go to festivals in the summer time. We're both interested in history and morality, and he's one of the few people I feel comfortable sharing my philosophical musings with. He's also an extremely hard worker, and a person who's determined to do what's right.<br />
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So thanks dad - for trips to the gum store, teaching me how to ride a bike, for eating my early attempts at baking (and saying it was delicious), for the concerts, and for always being enthusiastic and encouraging.<br />
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Hope you like the cake.<br />
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xoxo E<br />
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<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-44383834166563735382014-06-10T15:41:00.002-07:002014-06-10T15:41:57.278-07:00Shanghai and stuff <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi, it's me again. Sorry it's been a couple months (whoops). Life's been pretty crazy. I'll be back to posting pictures of baked goods with unholy amounts of butter in them soon I promise.<br />
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Crazy thing #1 - I recently went to Shanghai for music related reasons and it was really cool.<br />
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Shanghai is really a city of contrast. There are some of the tallest buildings in the world (pictured above), but smack in the middle of the city is 'old Shanghai', full of buildings built hundreds of years ago. Some buildings are in the traditional Chinese style, and some look like they belong in a major European city. There are Prada stores and Starbucks, but if you drive for five minutes you can find people living in shacks next to demolition sites.<br />
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My travelling friends and I were visiting on the generous invitation of the Chinese government. We played a bunch of concerts, and found that the local people really loved classical music, and were extremely enthusiastic audiences (much more so than I ever saw back home!). We also had lots of time to explore the city - here's some of the stuff I saw.<br />
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Crazy thing #2 - I am graduating soon (and related things)!!!<br />
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As soon as I got home from Shanghai, I had a lot of end of year/graduation things hitting me up the back of the head. I played in a bazillion concerts, wrote a harmony exam, went to provincials, and locked myself in a practice room for a while. School is almost done now, and I'm graduating very soon! I'm very excited for a summer of baking and fluting before university starts this fall!<br />
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Anywho, regularly scheduled programming should be returning soon as school is winding down.<br />
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Good luck on the final stretch to fellow highschoolers,<br />
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EEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-81572489247987984512014-04-20T13:19:00.002-07:002014-04-20T13:22:58.398-07:00Flower cupcakes for spring<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Sometimes I bake cakes and things for family friends to make a bit of money. These were for a lovely grandmother's birthday. I wasn't quite sure what she wanted, so I just made what I was in the mood for - spring!</div>
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As well as showing off my recent handiwork, I though I'd share some tips about cupcake decorating I've figured out over the years.</div>
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1. You can't really go wrong with American buttercream. </div>
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While Swiss-meringue might be the bomb on wedding cakes, there's really nothing like a big bite of pure sugar and butter on top of a cupcake. Along with the taste factor, it's also really tough to screw up this kind of icing. </div>
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I like to start with either 1/2 cup of softened butter, or 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening. From there, you can pretty much do anything you want. Alternately add cups of icing sugar with a tablespoon of milk until you reach the desired consistency. Then, add flavouring (vanilla? cocoa? marmite?), and/or food colouring. How thick you want it really depends on what you're doing with the icing. To get the icing to keep its shape on the cupcakes, I tested it by lifting up the beaters and seeing if it held in place for 30 seconds or so. </div>
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2. Good piping tips = pretty cupcakes </div>
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Some people have been able to magic beautiful icing shapes out of plastic bags, but for me (and probably for beginners) it's much easier to just invest in a nice icing tip and piping bag that you can reuse many times. For these ones I used the wilton "1M Swirl" tip. To make the rose shape, start icing from the middle and spiral your way out. </div>
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3. Fondant isn't the enemy </div>
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I used to believe that fondant was extremely difficult to handle, disgusting, and to be avoided at all costs. That was until I figured out how easy and affordable it was to make marshmallow fondant at home. It's a dream to work with, and costs a fraction of the stuff you buy at the store. Use it to cover the tops of cupcakes, or use cookie cutters to cut out little flowers like I did.<br />
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Happy cupcaking, and a very happy Easter to those celebrating!</div>
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Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-5833042129046238292014-04-15T11:09:00.000-07:002014-04-16T12:45:37.005-07:00Aurora awakes<div style="text-align: center;">
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Well, spring has come to Ontario. Kind of. It snowed this morning, but I'm getting good spring vibes. Plus I read that it's going to be 17 above on Friday. So, SPRING! </div>
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Life's been interesting lately. Also very busy, hence the non posting. I found out last week that I've been accepted into my two top universities, so HURRAY! I'll be studying music education this fall! Audition success! </div>
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Now that my school schedule has cleared up considerably, I've also had a lot more time to practice, which makes me very happy. </div>
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Lately I've been thinking back to last May when I was part of a really cool auditioned wind orchestra for a week. It was intense; we had about nine hours of rehearsal sometimes. There were also only four flutes, and I was the only person on my part, so there was a lot of pressure to get things right. But we also did things like visiting the Toronto Symphony's dress rehearsal, listening to the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and eating way too much pizza. I got to play some beautiful music (including 'Aurora Awakes') with a lot of incredibly talented people.</div>
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So I have a lot of hope for the next six years of my life, if it can be anything like last year. I'm so lucky to be able to study what I really love. </div>
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Regular obsessive baking posts will return shortly. </div>
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Happy spring,</div>
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E </div>
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Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-2831636620143760922014-03-10T11:24:00.001-07:002014-03-10T11:24:36.103-07:00Post audition thoughtsWell, I've made it to the other side! Two auditions down in the span of about a week. Whew.<br />
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I thought I might share some of the wisdom I've gained after completing this stressful stage of life so that future youngins may benefit.<br />
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1. It's good to ask other people about what their audition experiences were like, but take what they say with a grain of salt.<br />
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Before my major audition, I was told by one girl that the panel was really mean, that the acoustics were terrible, and that I should basically prepare myself for failure. Turns out that the acoustics weren't bad at all, and that my panel was very nice. Experiences vary widely - don't psyche yourself out.<br />
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2. If you can, play for an audience beforehand!<br />
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Three days before my audition, I was up being a teacher's assistant at a music retreat. The retreat had a small concert on the last day, so my teachers encouraged me to play for the kids. Doing so was a great experience as it helped me to overcome some nerves. If you can play for 100 people, you can play for two people sitting behind a table.<br />
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3. Realize what your body does when you're nervous<br />
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Playing a wind instrument requires you to be very in tune with your body, so it's a good idea to figure out what happens to you when you're nervous in order to overcome these idiosyncrasies. Do your hands get really sweaty? Bring a small towel to your warm up room. Does your mouth get dry? Bring a bottle of water.<br />
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4. Remember that stress is your body's way of preparing you to do something awesome<br />
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I listened to a really perspective changing TED talk a while ago which explained that when you see your stress in a positive light, you often are healthier and have more positive experiences.<br />
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5. Don't be too humble<br />
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Although humbleness is a virtuous trait the majority of the time, it's really not helpful during auditions. Stop comparing yourself to other people, smile, and play like you're the best.<br />
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Good luck for people who are still auditioning! There is light at the end of the tunnel!<br />
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Happy March Break,<br />
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E<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-14425608660191277422014-02-28T19:48:00.000-08:002014-04-15T11:12:12.826-07:00Auditions <br />
Hello internet friends. I'm sorry for neglecting you these past few weeks.<br />
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Right now I'm in the jaws of audition season. My first audition is tomorrow, in fact, and then I have two more shortly after. Ew.<br />
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I used to think that I was pretty knowledgeable about auditions. However, I've found that university auditions are a whole other emotional beast entirely. <br />
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First of all I went though a blind panic phase. This included questions such as, "WILL I HAVE MY PIECES READY ON TIME?!", and generalized superlative statements such as, "I AM THE WORST AT EAR TRAINING!". Secondly I went though a major doubting my abilities phase with fun thoughts such as, "I WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED INTO ANY UNIVERSITIES!". Thirdly I went though an existential crisis phase where I said things such as: "WHAT IS MY PURPOSE ON THIS EARTH?! DO I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE MUSIC THAT MUCH? I SHOULD MOVE TO CHINA."<br />
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Right now I feel like I've reached stage four, an odd mix of calm acceptance and perfectionism. After much thought, I've decided that yes I actually do like music that much, that I want to spend my life helping people through the medium of education, and that the stress I'm going through right now is probably worth it if I can improve the lives of others in the future. And that in a couple weeks, life is going to get a lot calmer, and I will be happier.<br />
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Sometimes life is hard. But it's sort of like a pendulum on a clock - there will be dips, but it always swings back up again.<br />
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I just have to remember to breathe now! And if it goes terribly, I could always open a bakery. Cookies are another way to improve people's lives, I think.<br />
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But wish me luck, internet. And best wishes to all the young musicians out there going through the same thing right now.<br />
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EEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-26769250291270037832014-02-08T19:49:00.000-08:002014-02-08T19:49:10.699-08:00Baking Adventure #3 - Carbs<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="40" id="gsSong338499875" name="gsSong338499875" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=3384998&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=3384998&style=metal&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/search/song?q=Earth%2C%20Wind%20%26%20Fire%20Got%20to%20Get%20You%20Into%20My%20Life" title="Got to Get You Into My Life by Earth, Wind & Fire on Grooveshark">Got to Get You Into My Life by Earth, Wind & Fire on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object><br />
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I've noticed that the songs I put on top of these posts no longer relate to the subject matter, and are just what I'm listening to. Oh well. Enjoy the Earth Wind and Fire.<br />
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<i>(does this make up for last week)</i></div>
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Today my family went out for dinner without me. New Semester is fantastic, and I now have way too much time on my hands. So basically I made a three course meal. </div>
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I think bread is widely regarded as something extremely finicky and difficult to make. I don't really understand how it got such a bad rep, because really it's not like that at all. I made this loaf in about an hour and a half by just throwing together 2 c. of flour, 2 tsp. of quick rising yeast, 1/2 tsp. of salt, and about 1 c. of water. Let rise for about an hour until doubled, shape into a loaf, and bake in a hot oven (mine was 385 degrees F.) for about half an hour until it looks pretty and sounds hollow when you knock on it. </div>
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This method makes a good loaf of bread in a short amount of time, but it's quite dense. If that's not what you're going for, I'd suggest trying a recipe for 'No Knead' bread. There are a bazillion on the internet. It makes a super easy loaf with lots of air bubbles. </div>
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Gnocchi is one of my favourite things to make. I learned how to make it at a cooking seminar type thing a long time ago, and became slightly obsessed. It's so versatile! Nowadays when I make it for just myself, I use a large potato then freeze half of the pasta for later. </div>
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You sort of need to mess around with the ratios for gnocchi until you find a consistency you like. I prefer a firmer piece of pasta, so I use about a 1:3 ratio for flour to potato, and then one egg for every 900 g. of potato. So today, I had 300 g. of potato, 100 g of flour, and 1/3 of a beaten egg. </div>
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Roast the potato until really soft, take off the skin, then squish it though a potato ricer into a bowl. Mix gently with the flour and egg, roll into ropes, then chop into what my cooking teacher called 'little pillows'. Boil them until they float to the surface, drain, and enjoy with pretty much any sauce on the planet. </div>
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I had mine with brown butter and sage. Yum.</div>
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I have also recently fallen in love with 'rustic tarts', which are basically pies without all the fuss. I got the recipe for the dough <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/11/simplest-apple-tart/">here</a>, but made up the rest myself. Roll out your dough quite thinly, then arrange apple slices on top in a spiral like pattern. Fold in the edges until it looks vaguely hexagonal: </div>
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Dot the top with butter, brush the dough with melted butter (Julia Child would be proud), and then dredge the whole thing with sugar. Transfer it onto a preheated baking tray, and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 385 degrees until it looks nicely browned on top. </div>
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Ah, the single life ain't so bad. Happy early Valentine's day to me. </div>
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Hope your New Semesters are treating you well,</div>
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E</div>
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Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-31080147775895569232014-01-30T13:23:00.001-08:002014-04-15T11:15:20.319-07:00Baking Adventure #2 - Turrón de Doña Pepa<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="40" id="gsSong324254640" name="gsSong324254640" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=32425464&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=32425464&style=metal&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/search/song?q=Gotye%20I%20Feel%20Better" title="I Feel Better by Gotye on Grooveshark">I Feel Better by Gotye on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object><br />
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EXAMS ARE OVER!<br />
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I made a cake not to celebrate this fact, but rather to procrastinate studying for my last exam. Haha whoops<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <i>Not the most beautiful thing I've ever made</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I dated a Peruvian guy for a while, and through him learned about the glory that is Peruvian food. People always think of countries like France when asked about the best places in the world for eating, but from what I've heard and tasted, Peru is 'da bomb. Peruvians have a whole holiday dedicated to eating roast chicken (<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.91111183166504px;">Día Nacional del Pollo a la Brasa - Look it up, I'm not even kidding), and have some wicked awesome pastries.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.91111183166504px;">My ex's mother is an excellent chef, and one day she sent over a tupperware container with a large slice of cake, the likes of which I had never seen before. It was absolutely heavenly. After being given the recipe months and months ago, I finally decided to give it a shot yesterday. Mine isn't nearly as beautiful as the first one I tried, but oh well, it tastes great!</span></span><br />
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The secret to the cake is anise, a spice that tastes a lot like licorice. For this recipe, it's toasted in the oven, then ground up before being added to the dough. </div>
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The dough is shaped into long rods, then baked in the oven until golden. They're then stacked on top of each other in layers, and drenched with syrup. </div>
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The syrup (honey) is made by first simmering water with some fruit and spices, then adding a lot of sugar and boiling the heck out of it until very sticky and quite thick. I didn't boil mine quite long enough, so it was too thin to stay on top of the cake. Lesson learned!</div>
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Since I don't have permission to reveal the possibly top secret recipe I was given for this cake, <a href="http://perudelights.com/turron-de-dona-pepa/">here's</a> a link to a website with a pretty similar recipe (and a cool post about its history!).</div>
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Happy new semester!</div>
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E</div>
Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-60694662053282458852014-01-25T12:40:00.001-08:002014-01-25T12:40:45.985-08:00Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="40" id="gsSong3083941820" name="gsSong3083941820" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=30839418&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=30839418&style=metal&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/search/song?q=London%20Symphony%20Orchestra%20Chocolate%3A%20Spanish%20Dance" title="Chocolate: Spanish Dance by London Symphony Orchestra on Grooveshark">Chocolate: Spanish Dance by London Symphony Orchestra on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object><br />
So I accidentally created something delicious this weekend,<br />
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I was not at all intending to be making ice cream in the middle of January. What I wanted to make was a recipe for chocolate truffles made with coconut milk which I saw on the super cool website "<a href="http://www.bojongourmet.com/2012/12/vegan-chocolate-chile-coconut-milk.html">The Bojon Gourmet</a>". You should read her recipe - it's hilarious and includes a story about a dead pig hanging from the ceiling of a cold room. </div>
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Unfortunately, I decided to conveniently forget the section of the recipe where it says '<b>only use 70% chocolate or else your ganache will be way too runny and it won't work</b>' and I decided in my infinite wisdom to use chocolate chips. After a very sad 24 hours of praying that the pudding like substance in my fridge would somehow solidify, I decided that I needed to improvise. I added more milk, whisked it up, and stuck it in the freezer overnight. Yum! </div>
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Here's how to make it if you don't want to make a batch of failed truffles beforehand: </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YyqjEqhCBZs/UuQchzLJ7sI/AAAAAAAAATw/78rtw6WD0qU/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YyqjEqhCBZs/UuQchzLJ7sI/AAAAAAAAATw/78rtw6WD0qU/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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In a saucepan, combine a can of full fat coconut milk, a big pinch of cayenne pepper, a pinch of salt, and two or three cinnamon sticks. Cook on medium heat until it's steamy and starts to bubble around the edge. Then reduce to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. </div>
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Measure six ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips into a large bowl or a measuring cup. Strain the hot coconut milk on top of the chocolate, and leave to sit without stirring for 2-3 minutes (this allows the chocolate to melt properly), then stir to combine. </div>
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Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then you can either put it into a tupperware container and place it in the freezer, stirring every half hour until frozen, or just put it in an ice cream maker if you're making a double recipe. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Julia Child once said: "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Always remember: If you're alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who's going to know?" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Be fearless, internet friends.When life gives you runny ganache, make ice cream, because who's going to know? And if it doesn't, make ice cream anyway, because it's delicious and you deserve it, damn it!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Hope exams go well for you all. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">E</span></span></span>Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-68447133337350675202014-01-18T14:22:00.001-08:002014-01-18T14:22:24.172-08:00I wish I'd never taken this excursion around the bay<br />
Well internet, I'm in the mood for sea shanties about people dying and that means one thing - it's almost exam week!<br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="40" id="gsSong398408762" name="gsSong398408762" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=3984087&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=3984087&style=metal&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/search/song?q=Great%20Big%20Sea%20Excursion%20Around%20The%20Bay" title="Excursion Around The Bay by Great Big Sea on Grooveshark">Excursion Around The Bay by Great Big Sea on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object>
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"Oh me, oh my, I heard me old wife cry,<br />
Oh me, oh my, I think I'm gonna die!<br />
Oh me, oh my, I heard me old wife say,<br />
I wish I'd never taken this excursion around the bay!"<br />
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Going into highschool a lot of people told me horror stories about how terrible the workloads were. Luckily, I have somewhat decent time management skills, so for the last 3.5 ish years I've managed to get a good night's sleep and get my homework done.<br />
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However, the next two weeks of my life are destined to fit the stereotype and be absolute hell. Oh well! I'm already out in the water, no turning back now.<br />
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Good luck fellow highschool friends. Listen to lots of disco music, put a fake smile on your face, and we'll sail through this!<br />
<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-16547728936202233892014-01-12T21:25:00.001-08:002014-01-12T21:29:31.049-08:00On stress etc. <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="40" id="gsSong45117944" name="gsSong45117944" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=451179&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=451179&style=metal&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/search/song?q=Jackson%205%20Get%20It%20Together" title="Get It Together by Jackson 5 on Grooveshark">Get It Together by Jackson 5 on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object>
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While in a practice room last week, I overheard one grade nine violin player say to another while struggling with tempo:</div>
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"Guys, we <b>need </b>to get our shit together!" </div>
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I had a good giggle. Don't we all need to get our shit together around January. </div>
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The more I think about this time of year, the more I am willing to believe that it is some type of cruel plot to suppress rebellion in late teenagers. You know, keep them so freaked out about their future and mountains of homework that they don't have time to go against the man like in the olden days. It certainly has worked on me lately. I'm much too tired for world domination. </div>
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I was in a variation of this state around exam time last year, and I came up with a sort of backwards, nonsensical, yet useful mantra. It was something like:</div>
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"Everyone expects you to be stressed. People keep giving you all these things to do to make you stressed! However, being too anxious and obsessive keeps you from doing all the important things in life. Thus, to be overly stressed is to let them win, and to fight against the man is to be happy and calm." </div>
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Yes, I am a philosopher. </div>
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I learned a new word this weekend, </div>
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<h2 style="background-image: none; display: inline; font-family: georgia, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; margin: 20px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 7px 0px 0px;">
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equa·nim·i·ty</h2>
<span class="main-fl" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><em style="color: #717274; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">noun</em></span><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="pr" style="color: #717274; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-left: 10px;">\<span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˌ</span>ē-kwə-<span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˈ</span>ni-mə-tē, <span class="unicode" style="background-image: none; font-family: 'lucida sans unicode'; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ˌ</span>e-kwə-\</span><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><span style="background-color: #e8ecf5; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
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: calm emotions when dealing with problems or pressure</div>
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I think it's a word I should try to take to heart a bit better, this week especially.<br />
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Hope you all are surviving and not catching senioritis, internet,<br />
E </div>
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Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-4573884236029186842014-01-09T18:43:00.001-08:002014-01-09T18:56:34.286-08:00Baking Adventure #1 - A study in butter and patience <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="40" id="gsSong3605658724" name="gsSong3605658724" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=36056587&style=metal&p=0" /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" width="250" height="40"><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=grooveshark.com&songID=36056587&style=metal&p=0" /><span><a href="http://grooveshark.com/search/song?q=Fiona%20Apple%20Hot%20Knife" title="Hot Knife by Fiona Apple on Grooveshark">Hot Knife by Fiona Apple on Grooveshark</a></span></object></object>
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So today to celebrate the end of stress-day and the commencement of this blog, I attempted to make Danish butter cookies. You know the kind in the blue tin you probably ate at some point? Yeah, those.<br />
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I found the recipe here on the blog "<a href="http://travelling-foodies.com/2012/12/08/klassiske-vaniljekranse-danish-butter-cookies/">Travelling Foodies</a>". They made it seem very easy. I soon learned that Danish butter cookies are one of the challenges of life mentioned in the title of this blog.<br />
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(please excuse my lack of photography skills - I'll get better, I promise)<br />
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First you start with an unholy amount of butter. </div>
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You mix this room temperature butter in with flour, icing sugar, an egg, and 'vanilla bean paste'. I am ashamed to say that I have never heard of vanilla bean paste in my life, so instead I used 1/2 a tsp. of ground vanilla beans.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mWt0VRJRTEA/Us9cGG1_lAI/AAAAAAAAATI/XSCj2bPdMBE/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mWt0VRJRTEA/Us9cGG1_lAI/AAAAAAAAATI/XSCj2bPdMBE/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eventually you'll end up with a rather stiff cookie dough. This is where the challenge comes in. I could not for the life of me find my piping bags, so I attempted to use a thick ziplock bag with the corner cut off instead. For the love of God, do not do this. I wasted five bags and a lot of my sanity while trying to make this work. Eventually I got fed up and searched my kitchen to eventually find my piping bags hidden in a cupboard. Lesson learned.</div>
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<i>if at first you don't succeed</i></div>
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<i>just go and find the piping bag ok - it's so much easier</i></div>
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They were as delicious and caloric as you would expect for a recipe with the word butter in the name. Happy Thursday, internet. </div>
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<br />Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176152885218678166.post-31146418615850301292014-01-07T21:22:00.004-08:002014-01-07T21:22:58.009-08:00Hello all <div>
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Hello! Welcome to the inaugural post of this blog. I don't have readers yet, so I will ask myself questions to get things started. Don't judge. </div>
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<i>"So, author of this blog, who are you?"</i></div>
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I'm E, an almost-adult-like person living in Ontario. I play the flute, piccolo, and piano. I am a proud band nerd, and I hope to be going into music education this fall. I love to bake and cook in my free time. I'm semi-fluent in French. Terrible puns are my favourite form of humour. I have a vast knowledge in all things Harry Potter related that is sadly under utilised at present.<br />
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My mom writes the blog "I can fly, just not up". She's funny and likes Benedict Cumberbatch a lot.<br />
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<i>"What can I expect you to post on this blog?"</i><br />
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Hopefully I'll be posting pictures and recipes from my baking adventures. Music anecdotes. Flute related frustration. Funny stories from my fascinating life. Sad break-up poetry (but not really).<br />
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<i>"Why are you starting a blog anyways?" </i><br />
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I'm currently enrolled in a writer's craft in school, and it's a ton of fun! I hope to keep writing even after my semester is over, so this is a good place to do that. (also my deep wisdom needs to be shared with the world)<br />
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Stay tuned, friends! </div>
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Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11785534353775110559noreply@blogger.com1