Carrot plum cake

This recipe is not mine but I've tried it lately and I can just say that it's beautiful.

Butter (for the pan)
	Flour (for the pan)
2	cups flour
1	teaspoon baking powder
½	teaspoon salt
½	cup (1 stick) butter, at roomtemperature
2	cups granulated sugar
4	eggs
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
7	red fleshed plums, each sliced into6 pieces
	Cinnamon-sugar made with 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for sprinkling)
	Confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling)

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

3. In an electric mixer, cream the butter andgranulated sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time,followed by the vanilla.

4. With the mixer set on the lowest speed, blend in the flour mixture. The batter will be thick. Pour it into the dish and smooth the top.

5. Place the plum slices, overlapping slightly, in rows on batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

6. Bake the cake for about 45 to 50 minutes until the cake pulls away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean when pierced in the center.

7. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2013/08/20/recipe-for-plum-cake/spCfpBYHvaTLYVg4wjYcNP/story.html

Unplug!

Ok, so this week's challenge is to unplug a little bit from whatsapp, instagram, and all my social networks in general, 'cause they keep distracting me so much! So here are some tips that I'm gonna use:
-When studying, I'm gonna go downstairs and I'm not going to bring my mobile phone with me!
-When I arrive home, I'm not going to check any social network before the shower... I'm gonna to do straight what I have to, and then, I can check my mobile phone.
-Half an hour before going to bed, I'm gonna put on plane mode all my electronic dispositives- so I can fall sleep easier.
-I'm just going to have each app downloaded once. Like, snapchat on the mobile phone, instagram on my tablet, twitter and facebook on the computer... So I just can check one social network at a time.
This doesn't mean that I'm gonna completely stop using the internet, like at all. Because like, ya know, I HAVE TO answer all my whatsapp messages and to read the groups and to see my friends pictures on instagram, and I'm also a bitta stalker and I need to know about what's going on out there. Is just that I need to throw any distractions because I'm already studying so hard for the advanced exam.

my week!

ok, I just had an awful week and I couldn't wait for it to finish! so, finally, it's over, and i'm kind of try to start all over again this next week that it's coming. 

 That's why (I'm sorry guys!) I'm not doing this today... I'll leave it for next week. 'Cause I haven't really done pretty much this week, so... I just went to galway (today). Oh and I booked for doing the advenced exam of english on MAY! I'm kind of nervous about it, and I'm gonna have to work reeeeeally hard for it.

Friday favourites

Favourite place: Cliffs of moher

 When I camed to Ireland with my parents a few years ago, we went there. However, I haven't been in there since I'm living here! The other day I read some stuff about them and now I'm really looking forward to go again!

Favourite quote: 

Favourite shorts

Hello, I NEED these for this summer! Definetly gonna buy them, both american apparel or a cheaper version.

Favourite puppy:

Favourite boots:

I was going to get one of these on cherry red (HELLO) for xmas but at the last moment I decided with my mom that my feet were already big enough to wear a pair of Doc Martens. Because, hello, they're massive.

"when chris turned the corner...

... he saw the ship saling out of sight. Flox was leaving the country in that ship. For a normal person, that would mean the end. But Chris had never given up in his life and he knew that he was not going to start giving up now.
 Floxs' ship was still in the horizon when he started looking for another boat with the same destination. He didn't care about the circumstances, or the effort that he was doing, all he wanted was to be with Flox.
That evening he was on a ship, in his small room, with just a backpack with some clothes.
It was a long trip. Chris had to work hard on the ship, helping everyone. He also had to fight, but that's another story.
 Eventually he arrived at the city where Flox was supposed to be. But he had no home, no money, and no food. So he started asking for money on the streets.
 Sometimes he was under the impression he had seen Flox. That times, he ran and ran behind her, but she just disappeared every single time.
 One day, Chris was asking for money at a curch door, when a newly married couple came out of it. When he saw that the woman was Flox, he realized that sometimes, giving up is the best option".

 Well, here you go. This is the first story I've written in English, and even if it's kind of crap, I'm so proud of it, because I'm under the feeling that it hasn't got almost any mistakes (hopefully) Please, as always, if you see any mistake just coment it below.
 I'm sorry about the past two days, but I just had an awfull week, and I'm kind of trying to start over again this afternoon.
Do you write short storys? Then, please, share them with me!
xoxo
Elisa

This week's taeget: DIET!

Well, I don't know if you do actually remember, but the first target from the year was to do sport often. And even if I've almost did it well with that, my diet is being awfull. I started the year so well, but since I went to Valencia... things have just gone worse and worse. So for this week I'm starting again the diet, and I hope I'll do it! To keep me motivated, I've set a food schedule:

Breakfast: Bowl of bran flakes + Skim milk / 1 toast + 1/2 tbsp spread + 2 fruits / 1 light yogurt + 1 banana + 1 apple.
Morning snack: 2 fruits
Lunch: 1/2 sandwich
Afternoon snack: 1 cereal/protein/whatever bar

As my hostparents cook for me I'm not able to choose what I'm having for dinner, but it's usually just a main dish with veggies and wholegrain stuff and that so I'm happy with it.

For this week I'm also gonna write down everyday how did the challenge went to keep me more motivated and not to give up that easy.

Do you follow any diets? Do they work?
xoxo
Elisa.

MY WEEK

Well, I'm already attached to the old routine so I don't have really much to say about this week. We've been rehearsing so hard for the musical that we have on february, and this week I've camed back to the gym, to my english lessons... I've also received loads of assignments to be done for different subjects by the end of the month. So I have loads of work!

 On the 16th, Tuesday, the town where I live waked up with this amazing view: 

I took the picture on my way to the school!

The rest of the week was pure routine... Some of the irish girls I'm with at school can't hold us (Can't understand why but...) And eventually it's getting tiring being with them everyday.

On saturday we went to dublin for SALES! Shops like Forever21, River Island, GAP, Fat face and Abercrombie and Fitch had reeeeeeally good discounts so we just razed with everything! I had an unreal day. 

Finally, on sunday I've went with my hostparents to a family dinner. I actually feel like they're my second family now, so I had a great time. I want you to meet my lil hostcousin and my hostauntie's puppy! The kings of the family!

How did ur week went? Have you got any puppys at home? Send me the pictures! I fancy puppies so bad!

xoxo

Elisa

Friday favorites

Favorite braid: 

Favorite city:

Favorite picture: 

Favorite Miley:

Favorite GIF:

IRELAND 2013

Ps. Sorry it's in spanish guys!

Tv serie: Sherlock holmes

Ok...! I watched last Sherlock episode on sunday, on the bbc channel... And I'm still wondering... why didn't I saw it before? It's beautiful! Ahhh It's lovely. It's like CSI, Bones, or series like that, but in a very english way, everything is so correct, and the jokes are so, so subtle, and the reasonings are just brilliants. AND, please... Have you seen Benedict Cumberbatch?

Ten Tuesday:Ten cute cats

It's always nice to see some cat's pictures. Especially if I'm so tired and I don't have any post set for today.

This week's target: To improve my english!

As you know I'm studying at Ireland for a year to learn English. And even if my english is not as bad as it could be, I want to improve it even more. And I really can do a bigger effort! Because you know, at the school where I'm going there are loads of spanish people (even if it's supposed to be irish), so it's so easy to end up hanging out with them (Irish people are note very going-out people), so my target for this week is to learn loads of english. Even if at the weekends I go out with spanish guys (I'm not staying at home), I'm gonna try to speak more english during the day, by going at class, etc. always with english-speaking people. And I'm also gonna try to read and listen everything on English, and I'm gonna tell everyone I talk on whatsapp with to talk in english with me.

Last week's target: Not to be a Drama Queen.
Well... the challenge didn't go as I expected. I really didn't think things like "Whoa, I''m doing it so well!", even if I didn't overdramatized some things.

my week!

Hi guys...! Loads of things happened in this last week...
I started the week on the three kings day, opening my presents! That same evening we taked a plane, and we flight back to Valencia... At last! The 7th and the 8th were crazy days. On the morning on the 9th I was flying back to Ireland, so I had to see everyone in valencia in just these two days.
I made loads of things, and I was so happy to see that nothing changed between me and my friends, not even with the people I know who are not my friends. Everything was (more or less) as I leave it! that relieved me so much, because I was scared thinking about to come back after a whole year and seeing how everyone treats me like a strange.

And then, on the 9th, back to Ireland! I actually didn't want to come back like... at all. But once here things got easier. The next day was friday so I camed back to school. We're doing the rehearsals for the
musical (It's on february)

This Saturday, 10th of January,I went with my hostparents to a trip. We visited wonderful places, like St. Patrick's college (looked like Hogwarts to me), or this lake: 

We were playing a game called geocaching, (follow the link), a game to play all over the world. Ireland is such a cold but beautiful place! 

Later on that same night we went to my hostdad's granny's 80th birthday. All his family was there and I discovered how can you have 70 1st cousins. Mad! As the village where the party was on was far away from where we live, we slept over at my hostdad's parent's house. And on this morning (11-01-14) we camed back from there, and I went out to meet again with all my spanish friends here in Ireland!

friday favourites

Favourite youtube channel:
CutiePieMarzia's channel. I can't help it, I love her so much! And english it's not her first language so feel like kind a of identificated with her, I just hope I'll have her english someday!
Here is her "best of 2013" youtube video.

Favourite dancing song:
Trumpets by Jason Derulo. I'm dancing this song for a musical in my school and It's actually so cool. I didn't find a video with a similar choreaography so I leave you the original video.

Favourite iPhone case:

I love this ethnic iphone case. You can find it for iPhone 5/5s on ebay.

Favourite instrument:

I've been really wanting to learn to play he piano since last year, but I never get enough time...!

Favourite skins couple:

 You don't need any reasons... do you?

So here are my favourite fridays for this week. I'm so sorry I'm posting things late again, I just had a completely crazy week. Hope things will be back into normal for next week.

What's your favourite TV series? Do you play any instruments?

Bye!

xoxo

Elisa.

random thursdays: book: little bird.

Little bird is the last book I'm reading and I actually love it so bad. It's a little bit hard to read (as you get it you think it's gonna be a book for children but actually I can tell you it's not. But it's such a tender and sweet book, full of love, that will surprise you in every single page.
 It's about the live of a girl who is stolen from her mum at the age of two, that lives in a forest just having human contact with a deaf man for 10 years, and then it's found, living in new york, london, founding love in a man who loves her with all his hearth. Just when everything seems to be pacific at last in little bird's (also know as Elodie or Kate) live, actually terror has just begun.
 The only thing I don't like about this book it's that kind of always-perfect-main charachter. It's not as bad as in some other books I've read but I hate them anyways!

Ten wednesday: New year's resolutions!

Here I come with my resolutions this year. I want it to be a productive and a busy year, so I camed up with loads of things!

1. Start to run! I've always hated to run but since I tried it a few months ago I realised how happy and accomplished I feel while and after running.
2. Eat healthier. I've been always that kind of person that eats completely everything without getting fat. But since I camed to Ireland my eating timetables, the type of food I was eating, and my metabolism changed. So in this past months I've gained some kilos!! So I think It's time to start taking care of my body.
3. Learn more things about fashion. I've never been a very fashionable or chic person, you know... But these past months I've changed pretty much, and I began to be interested in fashion, parfums... I'm not interested in make-up yet but I guess it's about time.
4. Get a really good English level. I'm doing the english level exam from cambridge on may so I better improve my english! Now seriously. I'm studying here for a reason, and appart from having so much fun, I need to learn English!
5. Read loads of books! I want to keep learning things and the best and funniest way to do this is by reading! I've always been a reader person, but for the last 6 months I haven't read a lot, because of exams,whatsapp, friends, twitter, school, facebook... And here is where we arrive to my next resolution:
6. Disconnect more often my mobile phone. It's easier to be productive if you are not cheking your mobile hpone every five minutes.
7. Be better at school. I've never been the hard-worker type of person. So for this year I want to work hard with the school and get productive!!
8. Be more quiet. I'm always saying loads of no-sense stuff, and I've realised that people can get tired more easily of you if you don't shut up sometimes. So as I don't want anyone to be sick of my unfunny foolishness I better think more of what I say,
9. Improve my flexibility. I've always said that I'm like a trunk; if you try to fold me I can break in two pieces. But recently I've realised that ist just about practising everyday... Is never too late!
10. To write a blog. Well... I don't think this one needs any explanation!

RECIPE: MACARONI WITH SPANISH PEPERONI (CHORIZO)

I love this recipe! It's actually my mum's, but cause I did it today I wanted to sahre it with you.

You'll need:
              -Chorizo
              -Macaroni (80g/head)
              -2 small cans or 1/2 of a big can of triturated tomato
              -loooooads of cheese!
Steps:
1-. Chop the chorizo in very small and irregular slices (you can do it with thermomix or a mini pinner if you have one)
2-. Fry it on a pan with a little bit of olive oil for a couple of minutes.
3-. Add the tomato and let it fry for a while
4-. Full a casserole with water and put it at the fire. Wait until it's more or less hot and then add the macaroni. Let them boiled. The boiling time variates depending on the type of macaroni you're using, but taste them berfor putting them out to make sure that they're allright.
5-. Mix the macaroni with the sauce on a deep baking tray and add all the cheese you want.
6-. Put it on the oven and let the cheese melt,

As you see, is a really, really easy recipe and it tastes delicious!
Did you try it at home? What's your favourite macaroni recipe?
Xoxo
Elisa.

This week target is...

... don't to be a drama queen.
I'm always dramatising everything. At every fight, every bad things that happens to me, I don over dramatise and stress. That's why this week my target is to don't stress about everything, because I think that that would make me a lot happier! Stress is unhealthy and it won't do anything good for you! It actually helps gaining weight, makes your skin and hair unhealthy, and I will only make you feel unhappy, sad, and angry with everyone.

LAST WEEK TARGET: TO MAKE SPORT EVERYDAY:

This past week I've been really, really grand with my target. I've made sport, I've lose weight... Mondays are my cheat day, so I didn't do anyhthing. Now I just have to keep going with it and don't give up on it!

MY WEEK!

These past days I've been so busy at my granny's house here in the canary Islands.

On tuesday I went with my sister and my cousins to have treat: delicious handmade italian ice cream!

Later on that same day, we went to the beach to end the year in a good way. Time here is beautiful!

The next day, wednesday, the first day of the year, we went to the beach (again). The beach was completely full of people, it was mad!

On the evening I went to the cinema to watch a film for children with my cousins.

The rest of the week we have been busy going to the beach and buying presents for Three Kings. If someone does not know about them; three kings day (on the 6th of January) is when you get christmas presents here in spain. The three kings act like Santa in other countries, leaving presents in the houses at night time. De day before (the fifth of January) there is a parade where children go and get candies and sweets.

Tonight we have to prepare everything for the three king's arrival: put our shoes next to the window, leave biscuits, milk and champain for the kings and bread and water for the camells (three kings ride in camells). My parents always keep everything in secret until the very last moment so I'm so excited because I don't know what I'm getting tomorrow yay!

Do you have something similar where you live? If not, what did you get this christmas?

Xoxo

 Elisa.

Ps. I had this prepared for sunday but becouse of the slow internet at my granny's house I didn't do it. So sorry guys! Yesterday I also didn't wrote anything because I spent all the day travelling. But tonight I'll try to write the three entries I missed!

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Favorite hair: fishtales

Recently I learned to make fishtail braids (I know I'm a little bit older to learn that things) and now I'm doing them all the time! I like them even more if you let them rest on one of your shoulders. They're so chic and so elegant and fit you with everything: You can wear them to do sport, to go to work or school or even to go to a party, with a dress.

Favorite artist: Avicii

At the end of the summer I watched the Tomorrowland aftermovie and (apart from being so damn jelaous like every single year) I discovered Avicii, and I have to say I love him! I knew some of his songs from before (Actually just Don't wake me up but whatever), but it was not until I saw the Aftermovie that I known him as an artist. And, right now, I'm always listening Hey brother. It's so addictive!

Favorite app: Noom Coach

After the Christmas break and for the new year I'm trying so hard to lose the pounds I gained on the last weeks. That's why I updated my Noom Coach account to PRO (now they have 50% off so I just had to pay 7.31€ for three months of PRO) and I've loved it! It's so cheap and keeps you so motivated for weigh losing. You have to try it yourself!

Favorite runners: Adidas Boston 4 Adizero

I also get new runners for new year. These are the amazing adizero. And I have to say that I'm completely in love with them. I got them on neon orange and I love the feeling of wearing them while running. They're also so comfortable and, why not to say it, they're so fancy.

Favorite treat: Llao llao Sanum

I tried it today and it's wonderful! It's so, so healthy because it just has fruits, froyo (made with skimmed milk) a sauce and granolas! For the syrop I chose honey, and for the granolas, almonds and muesli, so it has bean a healthy and completely delicious snack.

This week's Friday favourites are oriented on fitness and health but it's because it has been my first week of healthy habits and I've been a little bit obsessed with it.

See you on Sunday! Xoxo

Elisa.

FIT THURSDAY

  

For this week I'm bringing you pollen. Is a dietetic suplement with loads of vitamins and other substances that our bodys need. And it's 100% natural! I bought it because I was feeling tired. I've spent two days eating it and now I actually feel really better. It's so easy to take: 2 tbsp in the morning. You can solve them in any liquid. I won't recommend you to put them on your morning tea or in water, because the taste is not exactly great, and It would bitter your drink. I usually put them on a glass with a little bit of cranberry juice. I found it on a supermarket, and I guess that it will be easy to find it for you.