Tanya Burr's Cookies.

Hey, 

So I made Tanya's Cookies, modifyed. So, here is my 'Baking Routine', if you could call it that!

Ingredients

• 200g Butter
• 300g Caster Sugar
• 275g Self-Raising Flour
• 75g Cocoa Powder
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Large Bar of Chocolate (Whatever      flavour you want)

Step One


Put your music on and turn it up! You have that solo dance party!







 Step Two


Preheat your oven to 200 degrees centigrade, weather it is a fan oven or not! I made this mistake but DON'T CHANGE IT! Leave it be.

Step Three


Cream the butter and sugar together. You can use an electric mixer but when I am cooking to relax, I normally just use a wooden spoon! Put it in the bowl and MIX IT UP! Then add the egg and mix it in well.





Step Four


Put all the dry ingredients in the bowl with the eggy, buttery, sugary mixture. Mix it in carefully, trying not to spill it! It needs a bit of welly in it, so it is mixed really well.

Step Five

Break up all the chocolate and add it to the bowl. Mix it in with the wooden spoon, and then finish it with your hands. They should be evenly dispersed.

Step Six

Line two baking trays with grease proof paper. I like to use pizza trays because I find that it cooks them better. I don't know why, but it works! 

Step Seven

Roll five balls onto each baking tray. Don't worry about the left over mixture. Pop your trays in the oven. You will have about half left over, you will fill four trays in total. If you can do them all in one go, you do that! Cook them for exactly 11 minutes.

Life Hack 


If you have no grease proof paper, butter your tray and then cover it in plain flour so it sticks to all the butter and then knock off the excess. It will not stick any more!

Step Nine

Have another dance! My album of choice today was Taylor Swift 1989. You can always have a good jam to that.

 Step Ten

Take the cookies out of the oven and leave the two trays to cool for 2-3 minutes. Don't worry if they don't seem cooked, they harden when they cool. Prep the next batch/ten cookies and put them in the oven with the same cooking times. 

Step Eleven

Leave them to cook for about 15 minutes or until you can hold them and they don't feel too hot. Now present them however you want to.

 You could put them in a jar as a present?

Or just on a plate or tub?

Put them in an air tight container to keep them.

ChangingTimes x

The Fun Questions Tag.

Hey, 

So I was reading around one raining day in August (I know! Rain in August, it shouldn't be allowed!) and stumbled across this tag. I realised, that if there is anyone reading this, you don't really know a lot about me. I want this blog to be anonymous but there is nothing wrong with you knowing a bit about my personality and if I get to the confidence, I might share more and more with you. But that will come with time. 

For the time being, here is The Fun Questions Tag;

1) When is your birthday? 

(You don't have to include the year if you don't want to.)

February 21st. Winter going into spring, it is always beautiful but always raining!

2) What are three of your favourite colours?

White, Grey and Light Blue, kind of a duck egg colour.

3) What are your three favourite quotes?

"We have all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on, thats who we really are." -Sirius Black

"You are confined only by the walls you build yourself." -Unkown

"If we stop defining ourselves by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by who we are, we can all be free." -Emma Watson

(I am not even joking, that was so hard to decide! I am a massive quote person! I have so many more I could've put in!)

4) Are you addicted to YouTube?

To put it simply, no. I watch it now and gain but I could quite happily go days and weeks without watching it and not really miss it. I am much more of a books and music kind of person, being sucked into another world and forgetting about the real one. Much more my scene.

5) What are three of your favourite shows on TV or YouTube or both?

GBBO (Great British Bake Off), Gossip Girl and Bad Education. Three very different shows but I love them all.

6) What are three qualities you look for in a best friend?

Loyal, the same sense of humour/a good sense of humour and able to keep a secret.

7) Do you like your name?

Meh.

8) If you got to have the choice to pick your own name, what would it be?

I have always loved the names Abigail, Mia, Emily, Victoria… The list goes on. But I would keep my name because I can't imagine being called anything else.

9) What is your fantasy dream?

Just to be happy. I struggle with anxiety so to be happy and content and loved is just a thing I would love in my life. Not that I don't have friends or family that don't love me, but that life long companionship you read in Nicholos Sparks novels. 

Or to travel the world.

Or to go to University.

But you know, the first one.

10) Do you wear makeup?

I do. Concealer, Powder, Eye Shadow, Mascara. Not loads but it makes me feel confident.

11) If you could write a book, what would the title be and what would it be about?

I acctually have no idea. I would probably go John Green style for my theme or Distopian like The Hunger Games trilogy and Divergent trilogy but I honestly don't know. If I ever got the chance to write a book, that would be a shocker anyways!

12) What makes you cry?

The song 'Happy Ending' by Mika. Oh my days, it has so many meanings and strings attatched for me so it is just so emotional to listen cause it causes those memories. There are books and movies as well but that is the main one.

13) What makes you angry?

Idiocy, Racism, Cancer, War and when people think it is funny to make fun of people who can't fight back. People who find the above things funny. There is no need to do that, you don't know what is going on behind closed doors for other people and after experience this myself, I am extra careful and aware because it hurts. It really does.

14) What makes you happy?

A good book. It is an amazing way to escape and I love them so much. I probably own way to many.

*Wink Wink* Bookshelf tour and reviews coming soon.

15) What is "Fangirling"?

The obsesion over a person or thing that resolts in an unhealthy addiction to that thing. Extreme joy and in some cases crying, laughing and obsesive stalking.

16) What are your three favourite snacks?

Cookies, Strawberries, Raspberries and Pineapple.

Oooo, such a rebel, four choices, but I just couldn't choose!

17) What are your favourite foods?

Roast Potatoes, Salsa/Homous and Pasta of most kinds. Love 'em.

18) What are your three favourite drinks?

Water, Tea and Mango Juice.

19) Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Nope, sorry, maybe another time?! Is that annoying? If it is, I am truely sorry!

20) What are ten random facts about you?

-I am an Athlete.

-I am a lover of Rock Pop. Foo Fighters, Green Day, Oasis, The Killers, The Kooks.

-But I also love Taylor Swift!

-My favourite shop is H&M.

-I have two Springer Spaniels and two Cats.

-My camera is the SonyAlpha 200.

-My favourite subjects at school are Geography, RE, PE and Maths.

-I love English but I wish I was bilingual.

-I don't drink anything other that water most of the time because it breaks my skin out and makes me feel like rubbish when I run, therefore effecting my performance.

-I am female.

21) What are your three fun things to do?

Reading

Listening to music

Sport; Netball, Rugby, Athletics.

Hope you liked that! I will probably do more tags once school starts because I will not have as much time to write and take photo's.

ChangingTimes x

What Is On My Desk? Autumn 2015.

Hey,
So here is a what is on my desk, but guiltily, most of my blogging is done on my bed. It's bad, I know. I use it for homework and revision and to get ready in the morning so I thought I would share.

My desk is an IKEA white Table. I am not exactly sure which one it is or how much it cost as my Mum decorated my room as a suprise when we moved and I went away on holiday with my Dad.

The jumper on the back of my desk chair is a Jack Wills Cardigan from the outlet website for around £50. I love it so much and I put it on to snuggle in the evenings or when I get cold. My desk chair, which you can't see, is a pink faux leather one from Argos for about £20, I think.

 So on the far right of my desk I have a pile of books. The bottom of the pile is a memory/notebook from The Works for £2. It is grey, pink and mint green on the cover and I use it to write memories ect. in. Above it I have the April edition of Vouge. I wasn't too impressed by it so I didn't buy any more editions. I kinda got a bit bored, but then again, the articles are quite good. I'm not sure, so I keep it and read it again every so often. Next, I have an Encyclopedia of World History. My Mum bought this for me years ago but it is so useful, it is unbelievable. I love history so sometimes I will read it. Sounds sad, I know but it facinates me. Then I have a miniature Teen Vouge which was slightly better and it came with my full size Vouge. You've already heard all about that. Above that is ELLE May. The Rebel Wilson edition. I love Rebel and this article is amazing, so funny and quite well written. Loved it. So much. Next, yet another notebook and we all know what they are. It is from WHSmiths, around 5 years ago. 

 Then I have my Pointless Book above that, which I don't really use. I bough it because it was a YouTuber book, one of the first. And I keep it for the same reason. Then my recipe book. I like to write down any recipes I don't want to forget. It's getting quite full and I love it! The top of the stack is a set of Old Royal postcards from an exhibition. They are so beautiful. Then my badges from various things like guides and what I did growing up. The Vase and Flowers are from IKEA. The vase was £1, the Pebbles £1.50 and each flower was £1.50. I have one in white, one in a deep pink and one in light pink. My Purse is from Egypt and is Micheal Kors. 

Next is the far left which houses my TV, cotton pads and buds in an IKEA pot and Laptop charger. Quite self explanatory. 

This is my makeup and other stuff that I like to keep on my desk. My skincare is elsewhere. My Body lotion is the Boots Botanics range and I got that for Christmas from my Grandma. The Body Mist is from the Body Shop and is in the smell Indian Night Jasmine. It was £7.50 but it smells AMAZING! I use that most days. In th small M pot is loadsa 5p's and rings and hair clips. Basically loads of rubbish.

Then it is my makeup and brushes. It is just a few bits that I wear at the weekends.

Next to my desk books is a glass of water. I keep a glass or bottle of water on my desk so it reminds me to drink. Behind that is a glass bottle in which I put smoothies or juices on days where I might be cooped up doing revision or homework. Then is another glass bottle with pens and pencils in. 

So there it is, my desk. Obviously, it doen't always look like this. It gets messy with books and pieces of paper and pens within the first week of school! But I try my hardest. 

ChangingTimes x

A Little Haul.

Hey,

So, today I have a little haul for y'all. Just some of the things I have bought for school and stuff! Sorry if you don't care, but I thought you might want to know what I have bought in the last few days. It is not a lot but I don't really know what else to write.

 The first thing I bought a 50 pack of Index Cards from Wiko for 75p. These are for notes for Language exams and stuff where I need to remember.

(If you want revision tips, it might be coming soon?!)

 I have bought two A4 folders for 50p each to put my books in so they don't get ruined. One is for my French work as at the moment it is in paper folders and they just fall apart ALL THE TIME! They are so rubbish. The paper folders not these ones! Aha...

 I am a big lover of Fine Liners. For AGES I had the Staedtler Fine Liners but they ran out. I saw these ones for half price, so I thought I would give these ones a go. They were reduced/on offer/half price. £5 to £2.50 and the Staedtler ones were around £7.

The final thing was a pair of Nike Pro running leggings for £22.99 from Sports Direct. As you may or may not know, I am an athlete/do athletics and I needed a pair for winter training and when the weather gets colder.

ChangingTimes x

What is in my School Bag? Autumn 2015.

Hey,

Today I have a what is in my School Bag for you for Autumn 2015. I go back to school on the 2nd September so I have most of my school supplies ready so I thought I would share it with you!

My School Bag is the Lottie Tote from New Look and it is £27.99. It is the perfect size for school to carry books, lunch, stationary ect.

I love it and it feels like it will last a long time.

Firstly, I have my pencil case. The actual case is from Wilkinson and I think is was about 59p around two years ago. Inside I have a pair of Sissors, gifted for me by my Grandma for Christmas, just white and metal and always handy for at school. I have four Bic 'brite liner grip' in Pink, Yellow, Blue and Orange which are perfect for my work as I am doing my MFL (Modern Foriegn Language) GCSE early so I need to be uber organised and focused. Also, it contains, two Bic 'round stic' pens, two pencils, a red pen, ruler, protractor, ruler, rubber and Bic 4-way pen. I will end up collecting more stationary throughout the           year so don't worry, I will have more!

I always, without fail, have a book in my bag. I am a total book worm, (I will be posting a few book reviews soon, if that is what floats your boat) and I am currently Life of Pi by Yann Martel. So far, I don't quite know what to think. But… I have just been on Holiday to Egypt and managed to read four books; Insurgent and Alligent by Veronica Ross, Looking for Alaska by John Green and When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. All of them were amazing and reviews will be coming soon! Anyways, I have to have a book for Tutor and English lessons. I try my best to read about 4 books a month, if I have bought enough, because I feel so good after I have read a good book. Relaxed. Refreshed. Wierdly informed. Books are an essesntial for me to have for school.

Next is my purse. I always have my purse with me as it holds all the money! It is Micheal Kors and I loooveee itttt! Well… Egypt Micheal Kors..! It has all my cards and change which I am sad to say that it is quite empty and it makes my sad.  The purse is such good quality and I can't believe it! My other purse, a smaller one I will probably be swapping this purse out for is a £5 cream and gold from Peacocks. It is about half the size if this one so it will be better one I get all my books.






Here, I have a representation of my books and folders that I will be given on my first day back. I have all my French books so far as I am in my second year of excelorated GCSE and it is SO MUCH PAIN. It will be worth it tho… I hope. I will also get by school Planner which is my old one pocking out of the corner over there!

Earphones! I am not aloud my phone in school. I know. Tragic. But I take earphones anyways. You never know when you will need a pair. IT, Tech even English! They are just the Apple iPhone 5c ones but they are honestly some of the comfiest pairs ever!

Also is a hairbrush with hairbands. The brush is just from Primark and I got it a few years ago for Christmas so I just carry it around for PE and those days when your hair just doesn't play ball. Always there and always used.

I have my essential beauty/life things that everyone needs in thier lives. The lipbalm is just a Fanta Lipsmacker as it is just the easiest and most compact one I could find. It is £3.50 from Claire's accsesories and it does the job. The hand sanitizer is the Mango one from The Body Shop, £2.50. Oh My! It's the best smell EVER! I love it! Can't even explain to you, you just need to smell it! Finally I have an Impulse Body Spray in Vanilla Kisses. The smell is okay but I am going to buy a new spray because we are not aloud to take aerosolse to school because of asthmatics. It is £2. I also keep a deodrant and other essential things in there but you don't probably want to see that.

At my school, we have to have a thing called Drama Shoes. When we do Drama we have to have specific shoes. Mine are just plimsoles from Primark so I can just shove them in my locker and forget about them for the year. Nothing special.

That is everything that I keep in my school bag at the start of term! By the third week, we all know that it will be full if scrap pieces of paper and wrappers and other random rubbish that we don't need. That's not just me right?! So, I will see you next time?

Thank you, 
ChangingTimes x