10 Phrases You Won’t Learn in Spanish Class I studied Spanish for years and taught it for several as well. The problem with formal education of a foreign language is you never get to learn the good stuff. Now that I am no longer on any education-related payroll, I can finally impart my knowledge of malas palabras en Castellano, Castellano being the type of Spanish spoken in Argentina. Remember, these are just for Argentina, many of these won’t have the same or any meaning in other Spanish speaking countries. Here are my top 10, use them carefully and have fun! Andáte a la mierdaLiteral translation: ”Walk yourself to the shit”. Photo by Jorge FarahLiteral translation: ”The slut/bitch that birthed you” Practical use: This is one of my all time favorites. Rease Kirchner a staff writer/Travel Adviser for Travelated.
Easter Cupcakes Baked in Real Egg Shells I watched my Grandmother’s face when she realized that I hadn’t handed her a hard boiled egg but rather a cake baked inside a real egg shell. Her eyes were filled with wonder and I could envision what she must have looked like as a tyke the very first time she saw a red balloon float across the sky or the the trunk of a giant elephant spewing a stream of water. “Crack it on the table,” I told her. Eggs were cracked, cupcakes were eaten, and I was perceived as a cupcake Houdini. Update 3/19/2012: For the basic instructions on these Easter cupcakes, keep reading. I modeled my cupcakes in egg shells after Nicky’s egg shell cupcakes from Delicious Days. Yield: 10 large egg cupcakes What you’ll need: 9 large eggs (Only one will get used in the cake. To prepare the eggs: Carefully poke a small hole in the top of each egg. Once you have poked a tiny hole, peel back the edges of the hole to expand it a bit. Turn the egg upside-down and dump out the contents. Bake the eggs at 350 F for 23 minutes.
Zebra Cake | The Whimsical Cupcake Animal prints is something I never really got behind. It was something that I only saw on 75 year old blue-haired ladies that are way cooler than me or on kids who looked like walking cheetahs. Not really the look I go for. Lately everywhere I look, there’s something with some form of animal print on it and I find myself liking it. Ok, not EVERYTHING but a few pieces here and there. I can probably attest some of this animal print tolerance to my sister, she’s so stylish sometimes that it kills me. ;) I’m not sure what kind of demographic I reach out there in internet land, animal print lovers or haters, but I’m sure your love or hatred won’t apply to this cake. I said it. This is a simple cake needs no pillowy frostings, no fancy ganaches, and no whippy creams. Zebra CakeAdapted from King Arthur Flour Yields one 9″ or 8″ round cake Ingredients: Directions: 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2) In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. Like this:
Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes So, after being gone all last week, this has been catch up on the house week. Mostly laundry actually. Man, who knew that a weeks worth of laundry from 5 people could be so daunting. Yikes!! Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes 1 box brownie mix, 8x8 inch size 24 Oreo Cookies 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Makes 12 servings Recipe from picky-palate.com foodsnots.com
Eight Types of Hecklers and the Comedians Who Shut Them Up In the 2007 documentary Heckler, Joe Rogan says that “the number one thing about hecklers is 100% of them are douchebags.” A stand-up comedian’s act depends on the audience reaction by nature, but when someone attempts to derail the performer’s work, well, that’s something a douchebag would do. Still, heckling creates exciting moments of discomfort for the audience, and hecklers have instigated some great moments in comedy (Bryson Turner’s comeback) as well as some terrible moments (Michael Richards incident). 1. Joe Rogan embraces hecklers like few other comedians, and his confrontation with this strange young woman is another drop in the bucket. 2. Rule #1: Always say yes. 3. They’re called servers, not waitresses. 4. Okay, this isn’t a stand-up clip, but the way Kevin Smith handles a guy who tells him his recent movies suck is worth watching. 5. 6. Kenny Moore has a temper. 7. Ari Shaffir integrates a belligerent female heckler into his act seamlessly. 8.
Rainbow Cake in a Jar I’ve always had a penchant for sunshine in a jar. Doesn’t the very phrase itself, “sunshine in a jar,” roll off your tongue and fill your mouth with magic? While I’ve never yet found myself a sunshine in a jar, I think we may have just concocted it in our kitchen tonight. Cakes baked in jars can be topped with traditional metal canning lids and stored in the fridge for up to five days. Rainbow Cake in Jar 1 box white cake mix made according to package instructionsNeon food coloring in pink, yellow, green, turquoise, and purple3 one-pint canning jars1 can vanilla frostingRainbow sprinkles Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop about 1/2 cups of cake batter into five small bowls. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the purple batter into the bottom of each jar. Remove jars and allow to cool completely before scooping a small portion from the top of your cake and adding a hefty dollop of vanilla buttercream to the top. For even more great desserts in a jar, check out our slideshow “Contain Yourself!
Crown Jewel Cake Of all the nostalgic desserts to revive, I think this one is most fashionably worthy. This cake is based on a recipe that ran on the back of Jello boxes during the late 1950's. Long gone are the days when Crown Jewel Cake (a.k.a. Broken Glass Cake) was made with powdered, processed, and if I may say - oldfangled - dream whip. The original 50's style recipe has a graham cracker (sometimes cookie) crust, so it is really more like pie than cake. Each time this cake is sliced, it's like getting a little piece of artwork. At the bottom of this page, you'll find a link to the original recipe. Crown Jewel Cake with Jaconde SpongeServes 6-8 [click to print] To make this cake you will need a 7" round spring-form pan, an 11x17" jelly roll pan, and a tea towel. Gelatin cubes: Prepare 3 oz. flavored gelatin packages (I used 3 different colors/flavors of Jello brand) as directed on the box. Jaconde cake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer.
The Best Chocolate Cake The Best Chocolate Cake is combines cocoa and coffee to create a chocolate lover’s dream. The rich buttercream frosting makes it perfect! We’re a family that loves to double down on chocolate. Peanut butter is a favorite, too, and my No Bake Cookies combine both with oatmeal. But since there was a birthday, I felt like I really needed cake. For birthdays, we have to do it up right by making my version of cake bliss. My family enjoys watching me flit from one thing to another like I’m their own personal reality show for entertainment. They love to point out when my missing spatula can be found at the computer desk, or my phone in the pantry, and helpfully letting me know that the oven timer has dinged at least 15 times. I also like to do things in excess – you know a little mound of frosting will never do in this household. I need to swirl on a pile of it on top, and then top it off with ganache just for the fun of it. I started my chocolate cake adventure by baking this cake – twice. Notes:
Beyond Pink and Blue: A Look at Gender Colors It goes beyond culture. There is science behind the gender-relationships when it comes to colors. A study by John Hallock compares the color preferences among various demographics and takes into account information collected from 22 countries. Our friends at KissMetrics put together this informative infographic that tears down the gender barriers to reveal what really goes on in visualizations. Click any portion to enlarge. Colors by Gender The Color Purple - The most notable gender difference can be seen in the color purple. Blue Reigns Supreme – Both males and females like the color blue, which receives favor with 35% of female respondents and more than half of the male respondents. A Closer Look In 2007, Doctor Anya Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling created an experiment to explore how men and women differ in their perceptions of color. Results of the Experiment The experiment showed that men and women both preferred blue out of the sets of colors. Color Naming: Men Keep It Simple
Three Safe-to-Eat Cookie Doughs: Chocolate Chip, Sugar, and Cake Batter! I’m siiiiick. If you follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook or Twitter (you do, right?), you’ve probably heard me whining about it lately (okay, maybe this isn’t the best way to encourage you to follow). It started with a sore throat and has turned into a beastly, phlegmatic ogre of a cold that has taken up residence in my chest and commenced hanging draperies and such. Three Safe-to-Eat Cookie Doughs: Chocolate Chip, Sugar, and Cake Batter! I know my students are to blame for this plague! I can’t stay home until I’m better, but I do tend to baby myself when I’m sick. And I’m not even going to mention the amount of this cookie dough I consumed over the weekend. If nothing else, cookie dough is good for the soul. And now, look how far I’ve come: this weekend I made not one, but three kinds of cookie dough! Chocolate chip cookie dough recipes are popular and easy to find, but safe-to-eat sugar cookie dough is a bit more elusive. Oh, and are you wondering about those truffles in the photos?
Rainbow Cake For Cake: 2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces) 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature 2 teaspoons almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces) 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring For Frosting/Filling: 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 10 large egg whites 2 pounds (8 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, softened 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 pound best-quality white chocolate, melted and cooled Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your cake pans by first liberally buttering the pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Butter the rounds and set aside. Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes.
Bad ass LEGO Tattoo – Pilot Extra-fine Bad ass LEGO Tattoo – Pilot Extra-fine A awesome ad for ball-pen “Pilot Extra-fine“, with some crazy Bad ass Tattoo on LEGO figurines ! I love it ! Created by Grey agency (Barcelona).