My Wonderful Land

Fantastic Cake Chess

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:44:00 +0000

It is a delicious recipe of a dessert that is easy to make and a creative addition to your table.

You will need:

6 egg whites
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
vanilla extract
salt

For decoration:

grated chocolate
sour cream
caramel topping
sugar

- Preheat oven on 400F.
- Butter a cake pan.
- To make the batter;
-Beat egg whites till they start to foam.
-Add sugar and beat the ingredients together until they become firm.
-Carefully fold in flour into the mix.
-Add salt and vanilla.
- Pour the batter into the pan and put it into the oven.
- Bake for about half an hour or until the top of the cake will become brown.
- Check if cake is baked with the toothpick.
- Take it out and let it cool.
- To make the decoration mix together sour cream and sugar until the desired sweetness is reached.
- Pour the mix on top of the cake.

The make a decoration of chess with caramel. Sprinkle grated chocolate every other cell.

Enjoy!!!

Cat-Musician

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:04:00 +0000

Here is a YouTube video of cat Nora who can play piano quite well. The cat-musician is definitely enjoying the process of playing and doesn't feel modest in front of a camera. Even thought the composition is not very challenging, Nora could probably try out for the conservatory.

Historical Saga of XVI century England

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:45:00 +0000

Movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age, that was recently released on DVD, tells a fascinating story of one of the most glorious events of Elizabethian times, the defeat of Great Spanish Armada. The plot is intriguing and as good as the plot of previous Elizabethian saga. The movie is very entertaining and amzing in costume and settings. One of the most beautiful movies. Director Shekhar Kapur truly mastered the art of historical movie. Great cast of Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Clive Owen clearly define a movie as a masterpeice. The tension of royal intrigues and wars is superb, it gives you the feel of that time. The glotious moment of the history.

Romantic and Bit Sad Love Story

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:55:00 +0000

"No Reservations" movie, that was recently released on DVD, is a fine love story and nice cast. Even though the beginning of the movie is a bit sad, the story unwrapes into the happily-ever-after story. Despite all those critics who say that this movie lack originality and has nothing special in it, I think that there can never be too much of happy endings to the love story movies. As to the originality, this movie has plenty to offer. A story of a top chef in prestige French restaurant in Manhattan who doesn't trust anyone in her life and an opera-loving sous-chef who is free-spirited. Love for those two something they have to work hard, but the chef's little niece is going to help them. In addition to great cast of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart, "No Reservations" is full of great mouth-watering recipes that I wouldn't mind try out myself.

Easy Lasagna Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:10:00 +0000

You will need:

-1/2 lbs minced meat (beef or beef/pork mix)
-1 whole egg
-1/2 cup minced onion
-1/2 cup carrots finely minced
-Salt and pepper to taste, Italian herb mix (species to your taste)
-Oil for frying
-3 sheets of lasagna.
-1 cup broth or salted water

How to make them:
1. Boil the sheets of lasagna
2. Preheat oven to 350F
3. Combine the beef & pork mix, part of minced onion, egg, species and salt.
4. Now, mix well with your hand until they become sticky and very well combined.
5. Take one sheet, and arrange the mix all over the sheet.
6. Make a roll, than cut the prepared roll into the small rolls.
7. Put in the pan
8. Fry the minced carrot and left onion
9. Put them on rolls, pour into pan some broth or salted water.
10. Bake rolls for 45 minutes
11. Serve warm

Have a good dinnertime!

St Valentine's Day is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:48:00 +0000

The day of love and everyone who loves. Don't forget to say "Love you" or "You are the best" or "I appreciate you in my life." Tell your special person about your love.
That's what this holiday is about LOVE.

Here are some ways to do it.
Send a card or bouquet of roses.
Or you can do something nice on-line. There are some very nice e-cards that will sing to you and bring a special message.

Go for some cute smiles and cupids that will turn your email into love message.

Remember, the ultimate gift on St Valentine is roses and chocolate.

Alicia Keys' New Hit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 01:10:00 +0000

A young talented singer Alicia Keys again came up with a song that is a definitely a hit. The song No One has been a favorite for many weeks now. It is a new one from the Alicia's album, As I Am, that is coming out soon. Amazing voice and beautiful looks are what distinguish her from all the rest performers. Here is a video of her song. Enjoy!

The Cute Kitten

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:20:00 +0000

Here is a video from YouTube of a kitten who is falling asleep. I bet he is very tired and it's is hard for him to keep his head up. Nonetheless, the scene is cute and endearing. It's a shame they won't this kitten sleep.

The Story Behind Blood Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:03:00 +0000

The movie Blood Diamond, which was released in 2006 and was nominated for 5 Academy awards, was directed by Edward Zwick who had already proved that he could deliver powerful story like he did in Glory and The Last Samurai. The movie was based on the events that happened in Sierra Leone in 1999 in the midst of civil war.

RUF and government forces tear the country apart and the ordinary people are caught in between. The revolutionary powers took over diamond mines and used found diamonds to fuel the rebellion in the country. The export of diamonds was prohibited from Sierra Leaone to stop the flow of money to the rebels, however, the business of smuggling diamonds from the country flourished at that time. Leonardo Dicaprio plays one of those smugglers that get the diamonds out.

Also the movie depicts the problem of child-soldiers that were recruited in rebel as well as government forces during the armed conflicts. This not only happened in Sierra Leone but also happens all over Africa and other 3rd world countries across the globe. It is not a small problem of using children as soldiers at war. Even though the scenes of violence in today's movies are common and don't receive shocked reaction, the scenes of children bearing guns and shooting people struck me and shocked enormously.

The movie raised many important questions as the origin of diamonds: blood and sufferings are high enough price for the pretty ring, and the question of child-soldiers that remains an actual problem in modern world.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounson deliver great acting that stung the heart. This movie is one of those worth watching that brings you the awareness of real world beyond the pretty fences and safe walls.

What You Need to Know About Parfume

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 01:02:00 +0000

The history of perfume is very long and interesting. The name perfume originated in Latin “per fume”, which means through smoke.The first perfume was made in Egypt from different oils. Than Arabs and Romans discovered the process. The first perfume in Europe was made in Hungary in 14th century and was called across the Europe as Hungarian water. The flowers used to create the perfume were grown in southern regions of Europe, in Italy and France. In 16th century France became a leading producer of perfume and its creation is still popular today.

The creators of fragrance always kept the formulas in secret, but despite this a professional can always detect the origin and mane components of the perfume. There are 5 basic families of scent in modern production: categories: the Fougere family, Floral, Woody, Oriental and Fresh. They determine the theme of a particular fragrance.

There are some basic distinctions in perfumes: Pure Perfume, Eau de Perfume, Eau de Toilette, and Eau de Cologne. Pure perfume contains the highest percentage of fragrance oils. Also the perfume is known for its top, middle, and base notes that give you the taste of a perfume. Top note is what you smell the first moments. Middle note is the smell as the perfume evaporates. Base note is the main theme of the perfume and it is very important to pick the right one for yourself.

Light Romantic Comedy: 27 Dresses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 03:55:00 +0000

Yesterday I saw a comedy 27 Dresses that just came out in the theaters. I enjoyed it greatly. It is fun, light, and romantic. What else would you want in a comedy.

It is a story of a girl who loves weddings so much that she has been to 27 of them. And each time she was a bridesmaid. Her closet is full of 27 aweful bridesmaid's dresses that she had to wear to the weddings. She dreams about having her own perfect wedding day sometime. She just did not meet the right man yet. It is a great love story that will lighten your mood.

You can start dreaming about your wedding!

Dog with Balloons

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Here is a hilarious video of a dog popping the ballons.
It looks like that dog is training to win a competition of some kind. I hope he wins it. I will sure cheer for him because his enthusiasm and desire to pop all the baloons.

The Oscar Nomination List

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:41:00 +0000

On January 22nd, the Oscar Nomination list was released. The names of people who is going to have a chance to receive an Oscar are out.

For the best picture Atonement, Juno, No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, and There Will Be No Blood are the movies nominated.

George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Viggo Mortensen were nominate in Best Actor category.

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie, Marion Cotillard, Laura Linney, and Ellen Page.

For animated feature film Persepolis, Ratatouille, and Surf's Up were nominated.

You can look up the whole nomination list at Yahoo!Movies page.

Delicious Doughnut Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:03:00 +0000

These doughnut holes are cute and delicious. They are perfect for tea party with friend. The recipe is easy.

You will need:

- 1 egg
- 1/2 lb of cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

How to make them:

Mix all the ingredients. Make dough and put it on cutting board and make a long roll and cut into little pieces. Shape these pieces into the doughnut holes. Deep fry them in boiling oil until golden. Sprinkle confectioners sugar on top. Best served when warm.

Winter is Finally Here

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:52:00 +0000

It is mid January and we still did not had snow here in Maryland. On Thursday, however, it snowed. Even though the snow melted faster than it fell, the winter mood
caught up. i and several pictures to capture the wonderful world of snowflakes. It is amazing how snow can transform an ordinary view to breathtaking magical fairy tale.

A Bit About History and Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:39:00 +0000

I finally received the movie 300 about which I wrote earlier.
I was pleased by the movie very much because many of my friends watched it and said that is was a bit too gory and tough. But what would you expect of Frank Miller who made Sin City. I was not surprised to see a lot of blood and to graphic details.Half animated and half exaggerated the movie was still pretty good. Beyond the phrases "This is Sparta!" and "Tonight we dine in hell!" which already became famous, there is a real historical event that is described in the movie. The battle of Thermopylae that happened in 480 BC between Spartan King Leonidas and Persian Emperor Xerxes I.
The 300 brave Spartans stood up to the numerous army of Persian tyrant to save their city-state from destruction. Historian Herodotus wrote about this battle in his Histories of Herodotus in 5th century BC. The battle of Thermopylae was going on for 3 days. Soon the battle became a legend not as a defeat of Greek forces, but as a battle of glory and honor and sacrifice of Spartan soldiers to save their city.
Sparta was a very unusual city and differed a lot from other Greek city-state. To read more about Sparta, its history , and traditions refer to the following books:
On Sparta by Plutarch
The Spartans by Nicholas Sekunda
Sparta and Lakonia: A Regional History 1300-362 BC by Paul Cartledge

Mascara and All Things Cute

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:09:00 +0000

For a perfect and flawless make-up right mascara plays an huge role. To finish your eyes apply mascara in one light layer and comb through eye lashes with little comb. For a more daring or evening-out look apply the secong coat of mascara.

The right choice of mascara is also very important.
You don't want to have you mascara to run down on your eyes, waterproof mascara is great choice, however, you don't want to apply mascara that would stick to your eyelashes for ever.

For everyday use Cover Girl Volume Exact is my favorite. It has a nice brush that separates eyelashes and doesn't create lumps on them. Also it is very light and you won't feel it at all. Even though it is not waterproof, it won't run down even in rain (it was tested by me).

For an evening look I prefer Maybelline Full Volume XXL. It has both conditioner and mascara. It's waterproof and it will define your eyes nicely. It is not hard to wash off with a bit of eye make-up remover.

Also you can try new Cover Girl LashBlast. It looks cute and works wonder.

Thus, without spending a lot of bucks, you can buy very nice mascara.

Another tip from me: don't trow away the brushes from old mascaras. You can wash them and then use as a comb for future mascara application.

3:10 to Yuma -- The Era of Westerns Comes Back

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:28:00 +0000

The recently release of DVD movie 3:10 To Yuma gets an applause. The movie is really great. It grabs you from the first minutes and holds on you till the end. Before watching the movies I read some reviews for it from other people who have seen it. Instantly I heard about some unpredictable ending of the movie. I was intrigued. Whole movie I was guessing how it would end, but still did not expect what was coming.
Russell Crowe delivers an amazing performance. He played stunningly. Robber Ben Wade came out a charismatic and curious character. That's one of the best roles for Russell. Christian Bale was great too. it was indeed a delightful movie. I think it deserves a couple of Oscars. The style for westerns, that was forgotten for a while, id coming back with astounding triumph.

Dramatic Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:50:00 +0000

The dramatic event happened with me today. The big hit of 2007 was 300 movie with amazing graphics and storyline. All of my friends just loved the movie. I could not wait to see it. However, I missed the time in movie theater, and then I was waiting for the DVD release, and then I waited for some sale on it. Long story short, I was anxious to get the movie and watch it. Finally I ordered it from the store. It came today. Here is where the drama starts.
The plastic on the DVD was torn a bit, the box was too light, and it was a bit open. I disregarded all the warning signs and opened it. The box was empty!!!! That's quite a puzzle. To say I was disappointed is to say nothing. The very idea of someone taking out the DVD from the box that is to ship to a customer is appalling.
This whole event sounds almost like a detective story. I am onto uncovering the mystery!!!!

Easy Made French Peach Tarts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:09:00 +0000

I found this recipe in pone french cookbook and instantly fell in love with it because it is so easy and quick to bake. This recipe is perfect for the occasion when you don't have a lot of time for making a dessert. For example, your boyfriend's parents coming for a tea in 20 minutes and your cookie jar is absolutely empty. Here comes peach tarts to your rescue. They look cute and taste delicious.

You will just need pre-made puff pastry sheets (you can buy them in every supermarket; I always have them at hand in my freezer), three to four peaches, and sugar.
Preheat oven on 375F.
Defrost pastry and cut into rectangular pieces and sprinkle some sugar on it.
Cut peaches into thin moon-like slices and put on the top of the pastry.
Sprinkle some more sugar on them.
Put in the oven and bake for 12-15 min until the pastry around the fruits will rise and golden. The tarts are done!
Take them out and serve with drinks.
They are best when they are still warm.

Funny Dog Sonoring.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:40:00 +0000

I found this video on YouTube. The cute dog Maggie is sleeping and snoring almost like a human. I think it's very funny and sweet. I have never heard dogs snore!

Yahoo!'s 10 Most Popular Movie Trailers of 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:37:00 +0000

Yahoo! drew the chart of most popular movie trailers in 2007 among Yahoo! visitors and users. At the top is the trailer for Transformers (Jul 4), the movie about Autobots based on the popular cartoon of 1980s. After that goes trailer for Spider-man 3 (May 4) and Pirates of the Caribbean:At the World's End (May 24). Then come Harry Potter and Order of Phoenix (Jul 11), 300 (Mar 9), Simpsons Movie (Jul 27), Resident Evil: Extinction (Sep 21), Fantastic Four: The Rise of Silver Surfer(Jun 15),and Saw IV(Oct 26). The 10th place takes the upcoming movie Dark Knight (Jul 18, 2008)which is the sequel to Batman epic. To see the full chart of most-watched movie trailers go to Yahoo! Movies.

Let's Talk Some Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:03:00 +0000

When it comes to shopping, every girl gets the feeling of excitement because of all the nice-y things out there availablefor money. Cloth shopping is the most fun. You go to the stores and tryout every cute piece they have there. Of all the excitement and thescreams from the gorgeous skirts "Buy me! Buy me!" it is hard to keep your wits. As a result, you usually end up buying a tonneof the beautiful and expensive stuff which you don't really need, won't every wear, and which will hang in your closet as a dead weight tillthe doom comes. This story is very familiar to me as well. I repeat this mistake over and over again despite the fact that I had experienced this before. This happens to everybody. So, how to keep the straight mind while you're shopping and no to waste money on useless things? How to keep your wardrobe neat and how to find the things that will fit you and your style? How to resist the temptations in the stores and how to get the pieces that will be useful for every occasions and will complement you? To this and many other questions I found the answers in The Lucky Shopping Manual.
According to Kim France and Andrea Linett, editor in chief and creative director of Lucky magazine, their manual it to help us,poor girls, to shop.This book gives advice on how to buy every piece from skirts and pants to shoes and outwear. It has very detailed descriptions for every style and the cloth fit for every occasion.
For example, it gave me a nice advice that some pieces such as dress or some skirt could be worn whole year round, winter and summer, with appropriate accessories.Also very nice suggestions on what kind of tops to wear with my shape: a stretchy top with gathering at the bust will enhance small breasts. Now every time I go shopping, I takeaookintheManual for a consultations on what to buy. Now I know that it is not wise to buy something justbecause the salesperson thought that I looked fabulous in it.Manual helps to build the wardrobe from scratch. I am Lucky to stumble upon it during one of my buy-everything-cute-around-you shopping sprees.
Lucky shopping to you!

Cooking Lasagna for Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 23:06:00 +0000

Preparation of lasagna is difficult and time-consuming work. Therefore, I used easy recipe to prepare lasagna for the dinner.

What you will be need:
- 4 Semi-cooked lasagna sheets
- 1 lb. Beef Stuffing
- Minced Onion and Carrot
- Canned Tomatoes
- A lot of Cheese
- Heavy Cream
- Basil, Oregano, Salt and Pepper

How to prepare:

- Fry minced 1 onion and 2 carrots in olive oil until they golden;
- Add beef stuffing and continue to fry 7-10 minutes;
- Add oregano, basil, salt and pepper;
- Cut tomatoes from can and add to the stuffing;
- Pour some tomato sauce and let the stuffing simmer for about 15 minutes;
- Boil lasagna sheets in salted water 2-3 minutes each;
- Lay the first sheet in the deep pan, put some stuffing, pour some heavy cream and top with cheese;
- Repeat for other layers;
- Put the last lasagna sheet, pure some heavy cream and put a lot of cheese;
- Cover the pan with foil and put it into the preheated oven at 400F;
- Cook for 40 minutes;
- Dismiss the foil and cook for another 10-15 minutes for crispy top.
- Serve at dinner with side vegetables and enjoy.

Delicious dinner is ready without wasting a lot of time.

Pirates of the Caribbean Ahoy!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:28:00 +0000

Since the 3rd Pirates of the Caribbean came out last spring I was on the lookout for the DVD release for my collection. The movies was so astounding that I could not wait to see it again. Finally, it came out at the end of December and I quickly got my copy of the movie. Now it proudly stands on my shelf after first two parts of the trilogy.
The movie amazes not only with its wonderful special visual effects and great shooting, but also with very tangled plot and beautiful actor work. My absolutely favorite, Johnny Deep, as always did an outstanding job. Other great actors as Geoffrey Rush and Chow Yun-Fat added a very nice touch to the story. The portrayal of the pirates was magnificent.
Many critics found a fault in the movie with its too tangled plot because it was hard to follow all its turns and sometimes even hard to understand. I think that the plot was great and its unpredictable turns just added charm to the story. Intrigues, betrayal, and covered motives all were in there. Love story between Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan took an unexpected turn at the end and that did not leave me disappointed.
Royal intrigues by Captain Jack Sparrow were brilliant as always.
Movie should be unpredictable to catch my attention, because I like unconventional ways to lead the story.Even though the movie was long (almost 3 hrs), I enjoyed every minute of it.It was a great diversion from real world.

Pirates Life For Me!!!