"The Scroll" by Christian K.

Once there was a child. In The 160’s This child had endured many conflicts with the law.
As the government of other nations wanted to exterminate all children with “light” flowing
through them. This special child had no idea what he were to accomplish and succeed. But he
knew that the army of other nations wanted him gone for something. They wanted all of his guild
to be gone for this special so called “light”. The child was very incular. He wanted nothing to do
with anyone and when the elders told him he was very special to the guild, along with others, he
would deny it. Even though on the inside he knew he was going to be important, he didn't want it
to be him. But it was. He was going to have to face that he was important and when he would
look at the mountains that guarded them, he saw the red color in the sky that indicated that evil
was near.This special child's name, was ash.
Deep in a luscious green meadow a guild was going throughout their day. Trying not to
worry about any danger. The guild of Greystone was admiring all that was around them, but
also grieving over what they thought is their final day in their city.There was a faint roar. Arrows
were unleashed with fire on the tips. Fear spread across the guild. As the army approached,
the city geared for the fight for their lives. Blazing arrows flew threw the air, torching every house
and burning it along with all of the furniture and decor. Ash was only 12, and his parents were
one of the wealthiest of the city. So his parents grabbed him and rushed him to a safe spot.
Under a cave there was a hole that could be sealed with wood and on top was grass and dirt to
hide it. He entered and saw a friend of his. He had very few. Her name was chandra. Ash had
very few friends, but the one he spent the most time with was her. Their parents were good
friends but they weren't happy to see each other as there was too much panic. their parents
closed the hatch. Ash was stricken with fear, he never liked being without his parents, especially
his mother.As they calmed all they could hear was violence. Chandra herself was filled with
rage, and loved violence and the thrill to hunt, but even she was overwhelmed with fear.But she
calmed herself, as she was very controlling of her feelings. Ash was too anxious and knew he
had to calm down, like chandra. However they both noticed that the village grew very quiet.
There was no movement. The only remnant of life was the stench of fire.After 12 hours, They
agreed to resurface. But both of them wished they never had of done so. They got out and both
went searching for their families. Both realised they couldn't find them. They agreed they were
to part ways to search for their families. For they were arguing and couldn't decide which way to
go. Chandra said “I will see you, for it is indeed a small world, especially the one we live in.”
As six years have passed, ash was not used to being bound by the rules. He wanted to
fight, but not under the control of an army to resist the nation, the one that had exterminated his
village. Ash soon realised he were to go through many tough obstacles to achieve something.
He wanted to go incognito, off the radar to search for a secret that could find him his path, to
destiny. His trainer wanted to control his destiny as he saw the light within him, but ash was not
able to be controlled as he flead. Going to the top of a mountain, it was a task few dared to take.
This was called “The Throat of the World”.Facing trolls and elemental spirits made of ice he had
to conquer the foes that stood between him and his destination. And once this was complete he
saw a very thin but deep chasm. he leaped across it and saw what would mark the finale of his
adventure.Only two days passed as he flea. One to contemplate what he was doing, and the
other he used to set out on this remarkable journey. Entering the one story mansion, he saw
what had appeared to be a scroll. This scroll is something that he believed to resurrect anyone
within the same heritage. As he approached he heard rustling. Thinking it was just the wind, he
remembered a soldier that knew he was fleeing telling him someone else was after it. And then,
in the corner of his eye he saw a shadow. He glared a lantern at the shadow and saw a slim
figure that was unrecognisable as a human. As he saw no skin, only fabric. This person talked,
but the way the shadow talked was with a distorted voice, as the person had a spell to disrupt
their voice. “I knew you would come to this retched place”! the shadow said. Ash was confused,
“How do you know me? And you have no business of what to do with that, for the writers are
long passed away”! The shadow rebuttals “I Do for i will be causing the end to this planet's
disease,the humans. Ash still confused “What?! This scroll is meant to resurrect a family, not to
cause the planet's demise”! The shadow moves forward, appearing as a human figure. “The
outcome of this scroll depends on the type of light is flowing through the caster. As it is different
for both of us”. Ash yells at the person. “I can't let you take this away from me, for it is what i
have been searching for and you will have to go through me to get it”! As they both draw swords
and fight ash slices the persons robe, blood is now visible so ash knows he is fighting his kind.
With the training of his master he was able to put up the fight that would able to throw his foe to
the ground. Stabbing the person in the chest, he saw that there was tears that appeared from
the cut fabric. It was a tear that he had seen before, the tear that was from when he had left his
village. He unwrapped the robe that covered the person's face, hoping it wasn't who he thought
it was to be. But it was. It was chandra. Desperately trying to inflict pain to those that caused her
a great deal of sorrow and pain. And her last words were. “Don't let others change your path, for
it is your own unique path. And know one else can control it, just how no one will be able to
control you”. But Ash wasn't going to be able to help it for this person would change his path
forever.

"I Wrote This For You" by Alex R

You are all I think about. The way your eyes lit up when something you like is mentioned. The
way your eye color darkens when you’re angry. Everywhere I go, something always reminds me
of you. Whether it is from the way someone walks or it’s just a simple phrase I hear. You are
always around me and it sickens me. I want you to leave my memory but I also want you to
stay. It’s suffocating me. Sometimes, I walk past the old swing set we used to play on when we
were kids and end up with salty tears running down my face. You were the light of my world but
you sadly left me. It’s quite funny actually, you said you would never leave me but look what you
did.
Your mother cannot even look at me. She says I always remind her of you. We were
inseparable. She says that she misses you everyday. Your father doesn’t even want to talk
anymore and when he does, he gets very angry. I haven’t talked or seen them in a while
though, it hurts too much to see both of them in that state. Why did you decide to leave me? Or
even them? Did I do something wrong? God, all these questions flood into my brain and it kills
me to not to know the answer to them. I’m trying to manage without you, it’s really hard. It feels
like I’m being held underwater for a long period of time and I’m struggling to breathe. No matter
how hard I try, everything is still stuck in my memories. Your hair, your eyes, your smile, your
laugh. I hope you’re doing good wherever you are. I wrote this for you. I love you

“How to make authentic Pho” By Jordan D

            Pho is a national dish of Vietnam; it has captured many people’s taste buds by complex flavors. Pho is perfect comforting food because it is warm and refreshing. It is great to eat it in the winter and summer basically any weather. In Vietnam pho is considered street food or people food because it is common.

Ingredients

-       2 pounds beef soup bones

-       2 onion, unpeeled and cut in half

-       1-2 tablespoon salt

-       3 pods star anise

-       2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

-       4 ½ quarts water

-       1 (7 ounce) package dried rice noodles

-       2 1/2 pounds beef top sirloin, thinly sliced

-       1 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

-       1 tablespoon chopped green onion (optional)

-       1/2 cups bean sprouts
(optional)

-       2 bunch Thai basil

-       1 lime, cut into 2

-       Any amount hoisin sauce (optional)

-       Any amount Chile-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha®) (optional)

      

 

"How to make peanut butter cookies" by Zya W

Do you ever just crave of soft, deliciously warm peanut butter cookies. Well now you don’t have to crave anymore  you can just bake its as easy as a blink of an eye.

Step 1: get a bowl, a spoon,  a pan, and preheat the oven to 350

Step2:  You will need peanut butter, vanilla  extract, sugar, and one egg

Step3: Add one cup of peanut butter into the bowl

Step4: Then you add a cup of sugar

Step5: Add a tablespoon of  vanilla

Step6: Crack one egg into the bowl

Step7:  you mix all the ingredients together after you add them

Step8:once you mix all of them together you pull out your cookie sheet and roll out the dough and place them about 2 inches apart

Step9: Place the cookie sheet with the rolled cookie dough into the oven leave it in for 8-10 minutes

Step10:once the timer is the done take out the cookies and see if they are soft & brown

Step11:EAT ALLTHE COOKIES YOU MADE!!!!!!!!!!!! You don’t have to share

I hope you enjoy these cookies!

"Paydirt" By Braden B.

      My name is Paydirt, it's an interesting name I know. I live in Las Vegas. I live a sad and abused
lifestyle. Everyday people from around the world are begging me for money. They push my
buttons to get the money they want but I almost never give them any. Every time that I don't give
someone money they leave and a new one comes. Another person to pray to me. Cry on me.
Kick me, punch me, scream at me. Then one day a nice young man walked up to me. Gave me
some money then started to push my buttons to get the money. As usual i didn't give any. Instead
of throwing a fit the man gave me more money and tried again. This surprised me. I gave him a
small amount of money to see what he would do. With the money i just gave him, he have it
right back to me to try to get more. I gave him more. Even more the time after that, and even
more the next time. After ten times the man had gotten $10,000 out of me. He got up, thanked
me for what I had given him and left. I was in a good mood as the next man came over to me. He
gave me money then pushed my buttons as everyone else did. I gave him a small amount. "This
is not enough" he screamed, he then proceeded to kick me. The kind man who I had given a great
sum of money to came back to take this angry, kicking man away. Phil the kind man kept yelling
this name, Phil. The kind man sat down again and gave me money. Since I knew his kind nature
I generously gave $5,000 dollars. Phil had heard the bells and sirens go off, anytime I gave
someone a lot of money this happened, and he ran over to the kind man and beat him and took
his money. The next thing I knew Phil was attacking me he broke my glass ripped off my name
plate and yanked off one of my buttons. That's all I remember from that night. Now I'm on the
way to the dump. Riding in the back of a garbage truck. I am going to be scrapped for parts and
that is how my story will end. My name is Paydirt, I am a slot machine and I miss my old life. I
miss that one kind man. I miss my home in that hotel in Las Vegas. I will never see any if that
again.

And December Too!

Here is some sweet writing for December too!  (Don't forget to comment on BOTH November and December writers -  you can find all of them by clicking on the months in the dropdown under "Blog Archive" on the left hand side of the blog...)

Please comment on a minimum of five pieces this time!  (More is good too. :)

We have one deadline for BOTH months -   Monday, Dec. 14 

-  Hard copy printout with copied and pasted comments with time and date stamp must be turned in by Monday in class in order to earn credit. 

"How To: Grand Marnier Soufflé "by Zoe W

            I feel like the soufflé is the perfect dessert for a romantic Christmas.  It’s warm, very light, and has an ethereal feeling to it- it’s like you’re eating clouds! Soufflés are often expensive when they’re sold in restaurants or cafés, and the media makes them seem like a challenge to make! In reality, it’s fairly easy once you know what you’re up against.  The soufflé is one of my favorite desserts to eat and make and I’ve made them countless times, especially around Christmas.  Below is an in-depth recipe that I’ve come up with after trial-and-error.

For 3 8-ounce ramekins

Ingredients*:

*all measurements are approximate

·         Preparation:

o   some room temperature butter

o   some white sugar

·         Batter:

o   10 teaspoons melted butter

o   10 teaspoons app-purpose flour

o   ½ cup cold milk

o   3 egg yolks

o   2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

o   2 tablespoon brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier) [may substitute with orange juice]

o   Less than 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

·         Meringue:

o   3 egg whites

o   ½ cup white sugar

o   1/8 cream of tartar (optional)

·         Garnish

o   Powdered sugar (optional)

Prep:

Normally, the first thing recipes would tell you to do is to preheat your oven, but we are going to do this later.  The first thing you should do is to wash and dry 3 8-ounce ramekins.  Take a stick of butter (preferably room-temperature so that it spreads easier) and smear the bottom and the sides of the ramekins with the butter.  Then, take about a tablespoon of white sugar and put it in one of the ramekins.  The mission: cover the sides and bottom of the ramekin with sugar.  To do this, simply tilt the ramekins to coat it with sugar.  The butter should allow the sugar to stick easily.  Dump the excess sugar into the next ramekin and repeat to all ramekins.  The importance of this step is so ensure that the soufflé rises straight-up and it also increases its life-span (slightly) before it deflates when taken out of the oven. 

Making the batter:

            The soufflé is one of those unique desserts that are actually cooked twice- kind of- over the stovetop and then in the oven.

In a trusty saucepan, melt 4 teaspoons of butter over medium-low heat.  Once the butter has melted, stir in the 10 teaspoons of flour. Keep stirring the mixture until it smells fragrant (like buttery-goodness) and turns a light golden color (this takes about 2-3 minutes).  Lower the heat and pour in the milk slowly (to prevent burning and the revival of the splash zone).  Return the heat to normal and resume stirring the mixture until all combined.  It should look like a smooth, thick paste that begins to lump together (doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan anymore).  Turn off the heat.  Congratulations, you just made béchamel (fancy word that just means a white-sauce base) J

            Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.  Mix in orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, egg yolks until all smooth.  Set aside.

Meringue (kind-of):

            Whenever bakers hear “meringue”, they either have a really positive response or a really negative one.  Making a meringue should be simple and easy- in theory- but it is equally easy to screw up badly even before you start. 

            Some pointer tips:

o   Make sure that your bowl is NOT plastic or made of wood. 

o   Make sure that your bowl and utensils are free from any grease/oils.  It has to be sparkly clean!! If you’re not sure or want to be cautious, try rubbing a slice of lemon over the inside of the bowl (but make sure the bowl isn’t wet when you use it). 

o   Your eggs, preferably, should be room-temperature.  If they are fresh from the fridge, it’s harder to whip them up to potential volume.  If your eggs are not room-temp, a quick way to improvise is to submerge the eggs in a room-temp water bath and leave them there for about 10 minutes. 

o   Meringues are sensitive to the cold.

o   When separating the whites from the yolks, it’s okay for some whites to be with the yolk, but it is NOT okay for some yolk to mix with the whites.  If there is even a speck of yolk in the whites, the whites WILL NOT whip for the life of the unborn soufflé.  The only thing you can do is to discard the whites and start all over.

In a meringue-friendly bowl, whip the egg whites (normally, I would use a hand-mixer, but if you have guests or a date over that you want to impress (or maybe you want a workout?) you can whip the mixture by hand, although it would take longer).  Add in cream of tartar if you have some.  When it starts to become frothy, gradually add in ½ cup of sugar in portions while mixing.  BEWARE not to overmix; stop mixing when the mixture consistency is like shaving cream.  You do not want soft-peaks or stiff-peaks (terminology used to describe which of the two commonly used stages in whipping cream or egg whites.  At stiff-peak stage, the egg whites would be considered to be a meringue). 

Final Stage:

            You may take this moment to preheat the oven to 400°F. 

            In the next steps, the rubber spatula will be your best friend.  Take a quarter of the kind-of meringue mixture and mix it into the batter mixture.  Take another quarter of the meringue and fold it into the batter (mixing and folding are different! In folding, try not to deflate the meringue’s volume- in other words, be gentle!!).  The reason for these two steps is to lighten-up the batter so that it will be easier to mix in the rest of the meringue.  FOLD in the remaining meringue.  The result should be a very light and voluminous mixture. 

            Distribute the batter among the 3 ramekins and stick them into the oven for about 15 minutes (depends on the oven) or until lightly brown and risen.  Keep a close eye on the soufflés after 12 minutes because you want to catch them when they’re nicely golden. 

            Remember, soufflés deflate VERY quickly after taking it out of the oven even with all precautions.  If you plan to garnish it with powdered sugar, have that ready near the table it will be served.  To nicely garnish, take about a tablespoon of powdered sugar and sift it onto the soufflé.

            Have your camera ready when it’s just out of the oven to catch its moment of maximum fluffiness.  

"How to: Make Positivity" by Sarah-monet L.

Positivity is an important trait to have, if you have a positive mindset you have a positive day
which leads to a positive life. Today you will learn how to create positivity: it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Just take your time and relax as you read this. Everyone deserves a great life , and to gain
happiness you must first learn how to make positivity .Doesn’t everyone want have more
happiness, more laughter, more fun, and more joy? What’s the point of living a life you don’t
enjoy? Not only do you enjoy life the people around you enjoy it with you. This guide will give
you step by step instructions to achieve full positivity.
Tools:
∙ An open mind
∙ Positive family and friends
∙ Uplifting Thoughts
∙ Optimism
∙ Hope
∙ Faith
Warning : This is not an easy task to accomplish it takes a lot
of effort, but once you achieve it's amazing .
Procedure:
Step 1:
Start off the day by thinking to yourself how lucky you are to have life, the fact that you woke up
this morning healthy and living. Begin thinking with an open optimistic mind, think about all the
opportunities you may have that other people don’t, think of the blessings you have within your
life. The fact that you have someone you can call a friend or family and you are lucky to have
them in your life. Think to yourself how lucky you are, because not everyone gets another day to
be alive. Life is short, so live it right. This is by far one of the most important step, without this
mindset it is difficult to achieve true positivity.
Step 2:
Not only do you have to start the day off by being optimistic. You need to start the day off with
an open mind, positive and uplifting thoughts. Say to yourself, “today will be a good day “,“I am
strong“, “I got this “. By starting off the day in such a way ,you give yourself hope that the day
will be great and positive , it puts you in a mindset that nothing can get in your way because you
are “stronger” than that and you “got it “. Having positive thoughts make positive actions which
makes a positive life.
Step 3 :
Next you have to have an open mind ready for whatever may come your way. You need to
prepare yourself that the day may not go as plan, but you can get it back on track by staying
positive. With an open mind you don’t think about everything that is going wrong. You think
about the great things that is happening around you. Know that there may be things that bring
you down are just temporary and you can turn it around. It’s always sweeter on the other side.
Step 4:
As you have an open mind filled with hope and uplifting thought you should add the tool faith.
Have faith that no matter what may happen to you during the day there is always another day,
pain is only temporary. Allow yourself to just shake off all the unnecessary negative thoughts
and vibes.
Step 5:
Next you need to surround yourself with a positive environment, and positive people. Allow the
positive energy of others motivate you to keep going. Surround yourself with people who will
uplift you and not tear you down. Speak words of wisdom and not slander, people who are there
to love you unconditionally.
Warning: This step may lead to a loss in negative friends and family, and any
influence that is negative. You may also gain new people who have your best
interest at heart. It’s one of the hardest steps, because it involves such a dynamic
change in your life that may not be the easiest.
Results:
If you followed the instructions step by step you should have made positivity in which you can
apply to your life and others. You should have gained a different outlook on the world and life
around us see it as something totally different. You should see it as life worth living if you have
positivity.
Personal Experience:
The experience of making positivity is life changing and eye opening. It allows me to stay calm,
and enjoy the life I’m living. This step by step guide has taught me how to be a positive happy
person and allow me to pass it on to others. To make just as happy as I am. It’s not the easiest
thing in the world but it is possible. It may take some adjusting and time but once mastered it’s
the best thing to experience.

" How to Make a Tasty Homemade Milkshake" by Justin F.

            Do you like milkshakes? Do you like sweet desserts? If so this step-by-step tutorial will be perfect for you. In this tutorial, I am going to be telling you guys how to make a tasty, yet easy milkshake. You can complete this task in less than 10 minutes! Keep reading to find the steps and tools you will need to complete this task.

Step 1: Tools

The tools you will need for this process are a blender, a blender lid, and a cup. You will need the blender to blend up the ingredients. You will need a lid so that all your ingredients won’t go flying all over the place in your kitchen or wherever you make this. The cup is needed so that you can drink your completed milkshake.  

 

Step 2: Ingredients

The ingredients you will need to make the milkshake are ice cream (vanilla is recommended), milk, one banana, ice, vanilla extract, one egg, and cinnamon. You will need the ice cream so that you get one of the primary flavors and so that you get the creamy texture. Milk is needed so that when you blend all of the ingredients, the blending won’t be so rough. The milk also helps prevent you from making completely thick malts. Bananas are a preferred ingredient because this creates the basis of the flavors. Banana is recommended but you can also use strawberries or any fruit you like. You will need ice so that the milkshake isn’t so watery. If you don’t use ice then the milkshake will be completely watery. Having a completely watery milkshake is not a tasty thing to drink. Trust me… I’ve learned the hard way. So, don’t do what I did and add ice, you’ll be glad you did. The vanilla extract is actually up to you. Vanilla extract is a liquid substance that has the flavor of vanilla, hence the name. It just adds a little more vanilla flavor. So if you like this flavor, it is recommended for you. I use an egg because ever since I was a kid, my dad used an egg. I never understood why until I asked. He said it adds protein and it makes the milkshake a tiny bit healthy. So, I listened and ever since then I have also added that one egg. Yes, it is a weird ingredient for a milkshake but, you can’t taste it at all once you drink the shake. Cinnamon is also another flavor factor to add. If you are allergic or don’t like to this ingredient, it isn’t that important. You don’t really need this. The milkshake might be a little bit more bland than usual but that’s okay. These are the ingredients that you need to have in order to complete this tasty and easy homemade treat.

      

Step 3: Making the Shake

To make the shake you will need to throw all the ingredients in the blender. Not literally, but like this. First put in the ice. All you need is a little more than a handful. Next put the ice cream. You need 2-3 scoops of ice cream. The next thing you need to add is the milk. Only pour the milk half to half way up of the blender. Next, you add the banana. You will need to cut the banana in half then put the pieces in the blender. Then this is where you add that crazy ingredient, the egg. All you need to do is crack it over the blender and let it fall in with the other ingredients. For the vanilla extract, you just need to add one or two drops into the blender. Lastly is adding the cinnamon. If you don’t like cinnamon, just add a small pinch or none at all. But if you do like it, add two pinches or more. You will need to press the ice blending button on your blender on a level of high power. Then you may use the normal blend button on a medium speed. 

Step 4: Enjoy

The last and easiest step to this process is to enjoy your outcome! If you followed these steps, you should have a tasty milkshake in your hand. I know you will enjoy this tutorial because I have made these all my life. I know that the outcome is extremely tasty. My dad has also been making this dessert since I was a kid as well. So go and try this recipe and you will enjoy it very much.