My Crazy Coffee Brewing Method

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I don’t know about you, but I love a good cup of coffee. The smell makes me want to go make one right now. But how do I like my coffee? Well, it’s not the same every time. Some days I prefer iced coffee or hot tea, and other days I need something stronger to get me going in the morning. To satisfy my craving for variety with a single drink, I’ve developed an interesting brewing method that allows me to have both strong and iced coffee at any time!

for the love of coffe

Step 1:  Choose a good coffee brand. It doesn’t matter if you have the greatest brewing method if your coffee stinks. Go with something you like.

Step 2: Grind it fresh. Nothing makes coffee taste worse than stale, pre-ground beans

Step 3: Measure your coffee and water carefully – too much of either will make the drink bitter, but not enough means weak results. I like to use a slightly rounded tablespoon per cup. Ground for drip or filtered coffee.

Step 4: Bring water to a boil, then brew immediately – once the pot is on the stove and brewing has begun, it’s too late.

Step 5: Pour boiled water steadily over the grounds – this is where you can experiment with how to pour. I like a spiral pattern, starting in the middle and spiraling outward.

Step 6: Let it sit for a minute or two, then begin the slow process of pouring yourself a cup.

Step 7: wait five minutes before serving and drinking your coffee

Step 8: Drink and enjoy your cup of coffee!

 

7 tips when shopping online

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advice for online shopping

Make sure the website is secure !

It is easy to detect that a website is using https at the beginning of the address, for example: http://www.website.com or https://www.website.com . If you enter a website and it does not start with “https”, move on to another site!

Read reviews before you buy anything online

I’m not saying to pay attention to every review, but if a product has 15 bad reviews out of 20 ones, it may be something you should think about before buying.

When I say “read” the reviews, here’s what I mean: if there is a comment that says “this color looks nothing like on the picture.

Use a credit card instead of your debit card to protect yourself from fraud

Unless you are buying something that costs less than 100 dollars. Using a credit card has many advantages, the main one being that if the item is defective or does not arrive, your money will be refunded by the bank.

Using your debit card means you have to call up your bank and ask them to recover it. If they decide not. You have a problem.

Check out shipping fees and return policies before buying anything online

Shipping fees are added on top of the cost of the product hosted, and if you return it, there is a chance you will have to pay for your return shipment. So make sure you know what you’re buying!

Always use a shopping cart when making purchases, so you don’t forget items or accidentally purchase more than one of something by accident .

For example, if you need to buy dishes online for your house, first purchase the plates and bowls, then purchase the cups. This will help you avoid buying both napkins and placemats during checkout.

shop online

Sign up for email alerts for sales and promotions on your favorite stores’ websites .

Most online stores will send an email when there’s a sale going on, or if they have a promotion. You can also get notified when your favorite store has a new product out!

Avoid clicking on links in emails, even if they are from companies you know – there could be malware attached to them that will infect your computer with viruses or spyware

.If an email comes from a company that you recognize, go to their website through your browser and then find the link that leads to the product. Never click on an email if it does not give you the option to do so!

The same goes for ads in social media. If you are targeted by an ad in facebook or twitter.

Something Definitely Unexpected!

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big win at slot

I won in an online casino game! Can you believe it? Well, I never would have guessed this would happen to me!

I am not one to play online games. I have nothing against it – do not get me wrong. However, I never really thought about playing these games – much less online casino games.

Harry, on the other hand, has an account in one of the casinos on the Internet. I remember there was this one time that he showed me what he was playing. I couldn’t really be bothered by then. But now that I am always alone at home, well, I have to say the idea is starting to appeal to me.

So I asked Harry about his login details and I started playing. Now I am starting to understand why this is a really fun thing to do!

I played an online casino game

I wasn’t going to play the online table games the way Harry did. I am more of the slot machine type. I chanced upon the Miss Kitty slot game and I started playing – with Harry’s money of course.

I love the theme – obviously because I am a lover of cats. The game has 5 reels and the first few minutes – I was already hitting some wins. I liked the game because there were symbolisms based on the life of my favourite animal. There were yarns, a blue bird, milk carton, wind up mouse, and even a goldfish.

The game was simple enough and before I knew it, I was already playing for 2 hours! Can you believe that! Time flies when you are having fun! I had a couple of free spins and guess what? I won! I really won the jackpot.

I kept on playing for a while but I was careful not to go through everything that I won. I do not want to be too addicted to this.

When Harry called to check on me, he was just as ecstatic about my win. He said I was always the lucky one. He is such a sweetheart.

What to do with the money I won

Anyway, I was thinking about what we could do with the money I won. Harry never told me if he won anything – maybe it was not as significant as my winning – or maybe he has it stashed somewhere! Or maybe I am just overthinking everything.

But I am excited about withdrawing this amount. I have to wait for Harry to do it because it is his money after all. And I have no idea how to go about withdrawing this money. I found this site: casinowithdrawal.co.uk/ about withdrawals at online casino, so maybe i can get some help there. I might end up sending it to someone else’s account and I definitely do not want that to happen.

Maybe we can do something special this weekend. Edward called last night to say that he took some time off and he will be coming for a visit this weekend. He will arrive Friday and will be staying until Sunday. I think that calls for something special right?

I wonder what we could do for the weekend? Maybe head out to the beach? Or maybe have a picnic? I found this new version of the beef casserole that he loved so much. I can cook that for him. We can use the money I won.

I really cannot wait to spend the money I won from the online casino. This is really a very special and unexpected upturn of events. Wait until I tell the girls!

The Best Streaming Sites On Internet

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stream things online

I have found the best streaming sites online! I know I sound a bit enthusiastic about it but please bear with me. This is something new for me and I am loving it!

Before you roll your eyes, I do know about streaming sites. I have heard of Netflix. However, I never really got the chance to try them all out. And now that I am retired, I have all the time in the world to choose movies and TV series that I want to watch. It’s a great way of catching up on all the films and series that I missed!

My top streaming sites

We all have our own list of the best streaming sites and I want to share my list. Actually, there are just three that I am currently looking into.

Netflix

Obviously, Netflix will be the first. This was the only one that I knew about when I started streaming films and series. For less than £9 a month, I get to watch from a wide library of films and tv series. I would have wanted to have the ability to download videos for offline viewing but this is not allowed here – which is sort of a turnoff for me.

Amazon Prime

This is the next option that I have. For only £6, I can watch films and series on any device. What I like about it is that it allows offline viewing – as long as I store it on my iOS device. This is probably the most comprehensive streaming site that I have found compared to the others.

Apple iTunes

Since we are mostly Apple users, I have tried streaming from this platform. The price you pay is per movie or series that you will watch. I like how it has most of the films and TV series that I want to watch. I like how they will let you buy or rent. There are some that I only want to watch once while there are other films that I want to watch several times.

Other streaming sites

In the UK, there are other sites that will allow you to watch films and TV shows online. Some of them have different subscription options in varying prices. Let me discuss them here so you can choose which of the best streaming sites work well for you.

Sky Now TV

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, this is what you want to opt for. You get to choose the type of service that you want to subscribe: Sports, Entertainment, and Movies. The access to shows will depend on what you will subscribe into. Sports is the most expensive of them all with an option to subscribe only for the day – but it will cost you £6.99 (£31.99 a month).

Wuaki

What is great about this option is it also allows you to buy or rent. It does not have subscriptions – just a pay-as-you-watch policy like Apple iTunes. They allow offline viewing so it is a great alternative to the Apple version. They also have some free content – which is actually quite great.

Google Play

Finally, you have this option from Google. It is another pay-per-view option and has a more extensive device options compared to Apple iTunes. You can also opt to rent or buy – depending on how many times you want to watch a film or tv series.

What do you think? Have you chosen among the best streaming sites listed here?

A Day Out With the Family

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Let me tell you about our day out with family. I think I mentioned in my last post that my son, Edward, took the time off to spend the weekend with us. He is currently based in London and we rarely get to see him except when he comes over for the weekend.

So he arrived Friday and rested for most of the day. He said he just finished a major project and thought he needed a break from the stress. I’m happy he thinks about our home as his go-to place for comfort instead of going out with his friends to drink the night away.

I cooked his favourite beef casserole to celebrate his coming home.

This weekend was all about family

When Saturday came, the day out with family was just about to begin. I got up early to prepare our meal for the day. I wanted to do something special for the weekend. But seeing how Edward just wanted to relax, Harry and I thought that maybe it was best to just have a picnic like we used to. We decided to have a picnic at Southampton Common. It a huge area near our place – more than 300 acres to be exact.

Sarah woke up early as well to help me out. Of all my kids, she is the one who seems to have inherited my love for cooking. Lately, she’s been very busy with her school work. It is her last year after all. We talked about her plans to move to London with her brother. He volunteered to look after her while she tried to find a job. I didn’t want to have both of them so far but as long as they are together, it should be okay. Edward’s always been very protective of his sisters and I love that about him.

When everyone was up, we loaded everything into the car and drove off to our picnic destination. We got a nice spot near the pond and set out the food that Sarah and I prepared.

The family that eats together…

So what did we have in our picnic? Well, I made a huge batch of beef casserole the day before so we brought the leftovers. I baked some bread that morning so we have fresh loaves of bread with us too. Sarah made her special salad – since Rebecca’s been very vocal about staying away from carbs at the moment. I am not sure what diet she is currently on and how she will stay away from that blueberry cheesecake that Edward brought home from London. It’s her favourite.

I also roasted some chicken that morning. I sliced it thinly and packed some ham and cheese as well. We had some sandwiches and the beef casserole that I made. Rebecca seemed content with her salad but she ate some of the roasted chicken too.

Sarah whipped up her homemade iced tea and we stored that in a jug filled with ice. It was quite a meal! We were all so full that we were just content lying on the blanket. I had my book with me so I was really fine lounging about. Harry and Edward took a walk near the pond while the girls played a board game and talked about their boyfriends.

This was one of the nicest day out with family that we have had in a long time. I guess as I write this, I am feeling a bit nostalgic since my kids are moving out one by one. But I know that Harry and I taught them well. Seeing how close they are to each other, I know they will be alright. Maybe I am just reassuring myself since I know that Sarah will be joining her brother in less than a year. But then again, we will always have this picnic tradition with us. I hope they look back on how peaceful and relaxing it was to spend this quiet day with the family. No matter what, we can always recreate this whenever they are feeling stressed, sad, or lonely.

Oh well. I hope your weekend was just as awesome as mine was!

Why I Love Cooking That Much

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I am not really sure when it started but I am sure about why I love cooking. Ever since I was a child, I was always fascinated by my mother whenever she cooked our meals. I loved how she could transform different ingredients and turned them into sumptuous meals for the family. It did not matter how long it took to cook the meals. She would do everything from scratch. I was mesmerised by all of it. I actually preferred watching her cook instead of going outside to play.

Why do I love cooking?

It was probably there that I started to love cooking. But I know that there are two important reasons why I love cooking this much.

First is for practical reasons. I love my family. Naturally, I want them to be healthy. No matter how crazy it gets at home or how tired I am, I will always make sure that what they eat will be something that my hands made. No ifs or buts – unless I got sick and confined in the hospital. Thankfully, that has not yet happened. I want to make sure that the food my family ate is healthy and good for them.

It is also cheaper if I cook our meals.It is more expensive to order takeout or eat outside. Not only that, I get to choose the ingredients and I can plan around any leftovers that we will have. My kids are used to eating leftovers from dinner. They wouldn’t know if you pack it well enough.

The other reason why I love cooking is I get to reminisce about the hours spent with my mom in the kitchen. I miss her so much and I loved the smell of her cooking. She passed away a couple of year ago and that made me appreciate the times I spend in the kitchen. We had a lot of great conversations while she cooked.

I also love how Harry and the kids look forward to dinner. It is the one time that we are always together as the kids grew up. It is not just the food that we ate. It is the conversation that flows while we eat. When you have good food in front of you, there is no hurry to get up from the table. We usually lounge around the table talking and I love that my kids grew up to that tradition.

If these are not great reasons why I love cooking, then I don’t know what is.

What I cook now

So what do I cook now that I have so much time in my hands? Well, it is usually what my family wants to eat. I let them decide in the morning and I try to do it for them. I even tried cooking Spanish food once – Callos Madrilenos. Harry tasted it in a conference he went to in Spain and wanted me to replicate it. Well, it was quite an interesting dish that requires a long time to cook! But it was well worth it because Harry said my version tasted better than what he had. Rebecca wasn’t so enthusiastic about it when she found out what was in it, though.

Now that I am no longer working, I am able to cook and bake everything from scratch. I even make our own bread! I actually enjoy that a lot. The smell from the kitchen is quite amazing. Maybe I will write more about what I cook in the kitchen. We will see how I can include it in the future posts.

Well, there you have it. That is why I love cooking so much. Can you relate to it?

Why I love the Internet so much

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The Internet really surprises me sometimes! Now I don’t want to say that I am naive about it nor will I imply that I am a tech genius. I have social media accounts (thank you Rebecca!) and I have this blog so I am more than a novice when it comes to the Internet.

But even with that, I am still amazed by this digital world!

I love how the Internet connects!

I guess all this enthusiasm started when I got to connect with an old friend via Facebook. Her name is Lena and we were roommates back in college. I haven’t seen her since we graduated because she moved to the US to work. Let me tell you how we connected.

Apparently, she sent me a friend request two months ago and I never realized! I didn’t know what that was and I asked Rebecca about it. She sort of rolled her eyes at me and told me it was friend requests. Haha smart one.

Anyway, I looked into it (I had a lot!) and I found Lena! I was so excited about it! I immediately accepted and sent her a message! It took her some time to reply – because she was working at that time. But when she did, I was waiting for it so I answered back. We haven’t stopped chatting since. I told her I have a blog and that I would tell you guys about how we connected again so – shout out to Lena!

It was fun catching up again. I could still remember the times when we would just stay in our room talking about anything and everything. It was really cool to reminisce. We’ve been talking about seeing each other but we haven’t really decided who will come over. It is quite a long distance after all.

The Internet is one cool world if I do say so myself.

I started an Instagram blog!

With everything going on and my new found confidence in surfing the Internet, I also thought about starting an Instagram blog! I am still new at this but I have posted a couple of photos of what I have been cooking at home. I haven’t decided where this new blog will lead to. It will definitely be about my cooking. Sarah suggested that I post videos of how I cook our meals. I am not so sure about that because I feel silly talking to a camera – but it sure sounds like fun.

Harry said he will help me look for my equipment. My eldest, Edward, will be coming home to visit soon. They said they can join forces to set it up for me so I only have to turn it on and off. I am still unsure but all this talk is getting me excited about all of it.

For now, you will just see photos and recipes on my Instagram blog. I will be putting up more in the coming days.

I am really having a lot of fun exploring the possibilities of what I can do on the Internet. This blog started it all and the ideas that I have in my head just keep on coming.

Will let you know how everything will develop. Wish me luck!

My Favourite Cooking Blogs

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cooking blog

Lately, I find myself gravitating towards different cooking blogs on the Internet. I love cooking and since I have so much time in my hands right now, I find myself being more adventurous in the kitchen. I have always cooked from scratch but I usually stick to recipes that I am familiar with. There are times when my family would request me to learn something new and usually, it works out well.

This is probably why I am not really afraid of trying out new recipes that I find on the Internet. I love discovering new ways to cook my family’s favorite meals. You won’t believe how many versions there are of how to make lasagna (a family favorite)!

Anyway, my family loves the new dishes I serve and that encourages me to search for new recipes to try out. This will also be a great way for me to add more entry into my Instagram blog.

My all-time favourite cooking blogs

While the cookbooks are still a great source of dishes, I find myself enjoying cooking blogs. There is something more real and authentic with them. I love reading about the people behind the blogs because, well, I can relate to them. Being a blogger myself, I love how open they are and generous in sharing what they know about cooking. I feel like making friends with them as I go through their blogs.

Although I have come across several cooking blogs, these are the three that I have really come to love.

Lavender and Loveage

This is the blog of Karen Booth. She is from South Africa and is very vocal about how her mother and grandmother influenced her cooking style. She loves using local and seasonal produce – just like me! She lives in Yorkshire but she holds cooking workshops in south-west France. That, for me, makes her a really impressive cook!

Deliciously Ella

This is another cooking blog that I am quite fond of. Ella Woodward is emerging as a brilliant cook online. She was diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and this led to a complete lifestyle makeover for her. What I love about her blog is that she turns unhealthy meals into healthy ones by substituting certain ingredients.

Poires Au Chocolat

This is one of the new cooking blogs that I recently discovered and I must say it impressed me a lot! I have been looking into baking more for my family and this is one of the blogs that I usually get my recipes from. Emma Gardner grew up in Devon and has some impressive baked goodies that I am dying to try out.

Some of the famous cooks I follow

Of course, I also have to share the cooking blogs of my favourite cooks. I am inspired by their method of cooking and I love how they have built an empire around it.

Rachel Ray

I love this woman. She is such an inspiration to me. My favourite is her 30-minute meals and how she always talks about her family whenever she does her cooking demos. There is a lot of warmth whenever she cooks and I really love that about her.

Jamie Oliver

I used to watch his cooking show – the one where he cooks in a seemingly small apartment kitchen – I forgot the name of that show but that was how I got to know Jamie Oliver. I love his method of cooking and the ingredients that he uses.

Wolfgang Puck

Now, this guy cracks me up. He has such a dynamic personality but his dishes are something else! This is probably why he is one of my favorite cooks. I usually find myself copying one of his recipes – which I must say my family really loves.

What about you? Do you have favourite cooking blogs?

Internet Is All About Cats

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cats cats cats

I love how the Internet is all about cats. It keeps appearing in my Facebook timeline. I asked Rebecca about it and she said it was probably because I often liked videos or photos of cats. I don’t really understand most of what she said. What is important to me is that I get to see a lot of cats on my timeline.

My two adorable cats

I have to admit that I was not enthusiastic about cats in the past. But when Harry and I saw this frail looking kitten on the road and decided to rescue and give it a home, I fell in love. I only planned on nursing it back to health and then giving it away. Well, that kitten never left our home.

We named her Tabbie. I know – it’s not original. But she is one of a kind – that I guarantee. Tabbie is a gray cat. I’d like to say that she is friendly but she is not. She is as snob as cats will get. But you know that she loves us by the way she purrs and sleeps on our laps. Harry is her favourite. Maybe because she remembered that it was him that picked her up from the street.

A year or so later, Sarah came home with another stray and we named him Sammy. He is an orange furball that is the complete opposite of Tabbie. He is soooo playful! Tabbie is more reserved. But Sammy – oh boy you should see him run all across the hall when he’s excited. He gets easily scared too – which is actually quite hilarious sometimes.

I guess the photos I post and the status about cats tell the world that this is what I want to see. Maybe that’s why I see the suggested posts in my timeline always. Maybe, maybe not.

About cats and the Internet

But who will not fall in love with these remarkable creatures? They are actually one of the most misunderstood animals on the planet. I actually noticed that people are at extremes when it comes to cats. It’s either you love them, or you hate them.

Well, I am one of those who loves everything about cats and I am proud of that. I mean have you seen the videos about them? It’s awesome!

Sure a lot of the videos are probably edited. But that does not remove the fact that these cats are simply amazing. Like the video compilation of cats being scared of a cucumber. Isn’t that hilarious? Edward tried it on Tabbie and she didn’t bat an eyelash. But with Sammy – oh boy! All hell broke lose. That was fantastic. Poor cat. I made sure I gave him extra cuddles that night. He is so adorable and jumpy.

Maybe I should make a video of Sammy. I wouldn’t get much out of Tabbie so I wouldn’t even try. Sammy, on the other hand, I think the Internet will fall in love with him.

Do you have videos or posts about cats? Why don’t you share them with me? It would really make my day.