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How do you make your Facebook famous scones? (Guest blogger!!)

"dear mum I like how you cook.                
whot  ingrideents do you ned 4 your scons. from karina
love your dortr karina"

Dear Karina,


Remind me to take you to school on Tuesday so you don't miss out on vital lessons like spelling and punctuation.


As you have the class Junior Masterchef apron and hat this weekend and need to write your own blog post on the class blog AND I need to take something to Grandmere and Grandpere's house on Sunday, why don't we make the scones together?


And why don't I just copy and paste your blog post into my blog?


Sweet!


Karina's blog post about my scone recipe - 


On Sunday I cooked scones because it was my grandpa's birthday.


First, I had to wash my hands.

Next, I turned the oven on to 180 degrees.

After that, I sifted 4 cups of self-raising flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt.

Then, I added 300ml of sour cream and I rubbed it with my hands so that it would look like crumbs.

Next, I whisked 2 small eggs in 300ml of full fat milk and added it to the mixture.

                                     

It felt yukky!

Then I put lots of flour on the bench and very gently kneaded it until it made a dough.

     

After that, I cut out the scones and cooked them for 25 minutes.

Lastly, I served them at the party with jam and cream.

They tasted very good!




By Guest blogger Karina and her mum, Monique Kowalczyk

So what do you want to know?
MoniqueWillKnow@gmail.com

*Disclaimer*
Please don't go basing your PhD Thesis on anything I write here.
The information I provide comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and I'm just as likely to provide the most entertaining answer, as I am the factually correct answer.

Do you know any bloggers in Alaska that could do a guest post for me about the state?

Vivienne of Serendipity Reviews types - 

Hi MoniqueWillKnow, 

Do you know any bloggers in Alaska that could do a guest post for me about the state?


Vivienne



Hi Viv!

My place is a mess. Can I come over to yours to discuss this?

Um, ok, but I live on the other side of the world in foppish Hugh Grant Land.

No silly! Your BLOG.

Ohhhhh. Yes, of course! Do you know the address?

*Monique flips through the Rolodex she always wished she had, but never did*

Got it! See you in a minute.

******

My guest post on Serendipity Reviews - http://www.serendipityreviews.co.uk/2012/02/guest-post-monique-gives-us-her-unique.html

My follow-up guest post on Serendipity Reviews - http://www.serendipityreviews.co.uk/2012/02/monques-six-most-memorable-things-about.html

By Monique Kowalczyk

So what do you want to know?
MoniqueWillKnow@gmail.com

*Disclaimer*
Please don't go basing your PhD Thesis on anything I write here.
The information I provide comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and I'm just as likely to provide the most entertaining answer, as I am the factually correct answer.

What's wrong with Tom Clempson's book One Seriously Messed Up Week?

I write "What's wrong with Tom Clempson's book One Seriously Messed Up Week in the Otherwise Mundane & Uneventful Life of Sam Taylor Jack Samsonite?"

Hi Me, and thanks for being narcissistic enough to ask yourself a question on your own blog! Welcome.



Thanks. You so pwetty.


Aw shucks. And you're very observant.

For clarity's sake, would you mind being green and in italics, while I stick with black?

Sure.


Great!

Let's move on though, shall we?

Having read this book more than a few times, I have some opinions up the sleeve of my dust-jacket that answer your question. They're quite straight forward, so bullet points would probably be the best approach, BUT as you're the non-paying customer, I'll defer to your judgement. Bullet points? Yay or nay?

Ummm, yay. 

As in "yes", not yay as in "Yay! I'm a dag who gets excited over typography".

Oh, Mon-IQUE! As if you could ever be considered a dag!

In the interest of preventing RSI in my typing finger, from this point on I shall refer to the book by a condensed title - Week In The Otherwise.


Wouldn't "One Seriously Messed Up Week" or even just "Jack Samsonite" make more sense?


OoooooOOOOooooh. Who's the bossy one now?
Fine. Jack Samsonite it is.

Ok, so here we go. The 5 things wrong with Week In the Otherwise Jack Samsonite, in bullet points.

• It's hard to get through;
• The things I learned from the book are not useful;
• I can't relate to the two main characters;
• It hurt and embarrassed my husband;
• I knew exactly what was going to happen in the story from page 1.

Whoa. That's a pretty harsh list. You must have really hated it then?

On the contrary; I loved it. I loved it because of all the things wrong with it.

Huh?

Are you sure we're the same person? 'Cause you seem kinda dim...

Huh?

Yeah...so anyway.

Let me explain my bullet points a bit more. Please try to keep up, Monique.

• It's hard to get through;

I'm always out and about and like to carry a book or my e-reader (Justin BeBook) with me so I have something to do while my daughter is drowning at swimming lessons, or I'm in a cafe with The Boring Friends, or sitting in my car at the pedestrian crossing outside the retirement village up the road.

I could not do this with Jack Samsonite. It was just too firetrucking funny and I got sick of explaining to people that I was not crying tears of joy at Karina's side-breathing technique in the pool, I was actually laughing (which doesn't go down very well in parent circles). I was not showing off for attention; my latte nostril spurt was unintentional etc.

So it took me longer than usual to read because I could only do it at home, sans child, behind closed doors, after a toilet trip, with no hot liquids within reach. Very rare conditions in my life and it was hard to co-ordinate it all.

• The things I learned from the book are not useful;

The things I learned from Jack all relate to teenage boy behaviour and despite photographic evidence of a disastrous pixie haircut-fail, I was never a teenage boy. I also don't have a son to impart this new wisdom on, so all-in-all it has rather gone to waste. When I explained the social etiquette of public urinal selection and the best fabric choice in trousers for disguising sneaky erections, Karina just looked at me blankly, then continued spinning around in her tutu to Katy Perry.

Jack also taught me how to make up a whole new set of swear words, but I'm too old to get away with using them now. Bloody cock-nuggets <------ see. It just seems creepy.

• I can't relate to the two main characters;

Jack Samsonite is so much cooler than I ever was. Not in an unrealistic, 90210 way, but as a flawed hero - he's self-conscious, but only enough to ensure playground survival. He still manages to mostly be himself and fly under the radar.

When I was his age I had the flawed bit down pat, but I didn't have any coolness to plonk on the other end of the personality see-saw to balance it out. 

As for the love interest Eleanor, without giving too much of the plot away, SHE IS BAT CRAP CRAZY! From about the fifth page I was in love with Jack (in a non-creepy way. Mostly.), yet she, after years of being in the same school every day, was only just getting an inkling of how cool he was. I can't relate to dim people like that.

Huh?

Go back to sleep Monique.

• It hurt and embarrassed my husband;

As I mentioned previously, I was never a teenage boy, so a lot of Jack's thinking and interactions with his friends were eye-opening to say the least. In lieu of Jack sitting next to me to girly-slap on the arm and say "That's DISGUSTING!", my poor husband copped the brunt of my disbelief, with bruises to show for it. He also put up with my constant questioning about the day-to-day logistics of having something between his legs that I do not have, which lead to much blushing and leg crossing from him.

• I knew exactly what was going to happen in the story from page 1.

A good writer gives the gift of smugness to a reader by making them feel like they are one step ahead of the hero in the plot. I like spotting the seeds planted in a story as early as possible so I can pat myself on the back (metaphorically) and reward myself (literally, with chocolate) when my mad psychic powers and deductive logic merge and I correctly predict the outcome of a story.

I learned quite early on in life that when I flicked to the last page of a book and read that page first, I didn't enjoy the story and usually gave up at the halfway mark.

The first page of Jack Samsonite told me exactly how the story was going to finish as clearly as flipping to the back of the book would have done. But (um-ah, I started a sentence with a conjunction) much like my own teenage years, it wasn't the ending that was important or even satisfying, it was the journey that got me there. The true genius of the story is that there were still twists and surprises to keep me hooked despite knowing the conclusion.

So, Monique, those are the 5 things wrong with One Seriously Messed Up Week in the Otherwise Mundane & Uneventful Life of Sam Taylor Jack Samsonite, according to me. You may disagree with them - 

I don't.

- but nonetheless, there they are. 

We all know that two wrongs don't make a right. Jack Samsonite and I have proven you need at least 5.

Is that it? Are you finished?


Piss off and go read the book.

By Monique Kowalczyk

So what do you want to know?
MoniqueWillKnow@gmail.com

*Disclaimer*
Please don't go basing your PhD Thesis on anything I write here.
The information I provide comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and I'm just as likely to provide the most entertaining answer, as I am the factually correct answer.

Die For Me by Amy Plum

Insert Name writes:

"Is the book Die For Me by Amy Plum worth reading? I like Vampires, but they're a bit passe now. Werewolves? Well, they're really just fancy dogs aren't they. Will I find something different in this book?"

Thank you Insert Name for not sending me this question. I hope I can help!

You're in luck. It just so happens that I have read Die For Me by Amy Plum (cute name, eh? Fruity) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. As a professional book addict, I promise you that my recommendation is genuine and not influenced by the fact I was eating chocolate and lying in a hammock for most of the book.

I posted this review on Goodreads, which hopefully gives you your answer.


Die for Me by Amy Plum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**No spoilers** **No long rewrites of the blurb/synopsis**


Thank the faeries, someone has come up with something other than Werewolves and Vampires to keep us YA Paranormal fans happy.

The concept of Revenants (Angel-Zombie type people, mostly smoking-hot sexy) is a BRILLIANT one and provides so much scope for Amy's debut novel Die For Me. Romance, mystery, the all important I-love-you-but-I'm-no-good-for-you-so-you-should-run reason.


That would have been enough to keep me happy as a pig in jelly, but Ms Plum has piled on the reading goodness by setting the book in Paris!  C’est vrai!


How could you not want to read it? As the poet Kylie Minogue sang "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi"


View all my reviews

However, one bit of information I omitted in my review may influence your opinion of Amy Plum.

Amy lives in France. In the pretty countryside in a rambling farmhouse . And is married to a Frenchman.

Hopefully you too can set aside your feminine instincts (to claw her lucky-bitch eyes out with a stale, sharpened croissant) and still read her book. It's worth it.

http://www.amyplumbooks.com/

***PS***
The sequel Until I Die is out the first half of 2012, but in the meantime here is a sneak peak at the sexy cover!

http://library.risingshadow.net/images/books/35501.jpg


By Monique Kowalczyk

So what do you want to know?
MoniqueWillKnow@gmail.com

*Disclaimer*
Please don't go basing your PhD Thesis on anything I write here.
The information I provide comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and I'm just as likely to provide the most entertaining answer, as I am the factually correct answer.

Frantic Frock Find

Kellie types -

"Now you're the only person I feel I can turn to....the weather girl on Channel 7 news (Sarah Cumming) was wearing a really pretty red 50's style dress on Wednesday night. I NEED to find out where I can get the dress. Any ideas where to start?"

Hi Kellie!

Thanks for your question and your faith in me and my Googling skills. Thank you also for allowing me to post your question on my blog without your permission.

Firstly, I must apologise, but I don't know who Sarah Cumming is as I don't watch the news much and my religious beliefs forbid me from acknowledging the dark art of weather forecasting. Luckily for you and your dilemma, Google searches are kosher.

However, Google search results for "Sarah" and "Cumming" are NOT kosher. In fact, they are quite shocking and rather on the messy side. So let's try it again, this time with the additional search term "news".

Much better!

Ooooooh, yes, yes, yes, I know who you mean now. Pretty. Blond. Has teeth. Fond of red dresses.

Further delving reveals that Sarah has a tribute page dedicated to her and her wardrobe.

Unfortunately it's a dead end for us on the trail of the red 50's dress she wore last week, as the page hasn't been updated since December 2010 when Neil Mitchell from 3AW Radio complained about Sarah's flirty cleavage being "very un-television".

In my experience, radio hosts are generally suited to this faceless medium because they are "very un-television".

Anyway, I think it's time to consider employing some professional methods to track down the outfit and ask ourselves - what would Scotland Yard do?

And so, after a milky cup of tea and a biscuit in a greasy spoon cafe, I'm back on the case, no closer to an answer for you.

At this point (10 minutes in), I'm finding myself off-task, Googling the etymology of "greasy spoon" (fast-service diners in the US served food cooked in lard and the high turnover of customers meant cutlery wasn't always cleaned thoroughly enough before being passed on to the next fat-bastard) and this lapse in concentration is given the freedom to run wild and free. Inevitably I find myself on Facebook and Twitter, getting my hourly fix of friends' status updates and minor celebrity self-promotion.

Minor Celebrity.

Sarah Cumming.

By George Negus, I think I've got it!

Yes, just as I had hoped, Sarah has a Twitter account. Even more perfect is that she created it only 2 days ago which means she'll be desperate to reach out to her fledgling Twitter followers to show them she cares about them and their regional climate trends.

A few hours later...

Result!

Well, will you look at that! To escalate the joy, we now also hold the honour of being the addressees of Sarah's second ever Tweet! And they said a Bachelor of Arts* would get me nowhere. Ha!

Using the search terms "dress flare" on the ASOS website, I think I have managed to find your coveted frock.

Like a retro card-trick magician, to the sound of a snare drum roll, I now ask you -

Kellie, is this your dress?

"Yes Monique, that's it! But I've decided I don't really need another dress. Thanks anyway"

Bitch.

* I don't have a Bachelor of Arts

By Monique Kowalczyk

So what do you want to know?
MoniqueWillKnow@gmail.com

*Disclaimer*
Please don't go basing your PhD Thesis on anything I write here.The information I provide comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and I'm just as likely to provide the most entertaining answer, as I am the factually correct answer.

Why was Frankie Boyle's joke about Katie Price's disabled son Harvey funny?

It wasn't.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read this, watch the video if you have time, and get up to speed before reading on. Click here to read the Mamamia article about it, which also has a video imbedded.

In short, a UK comedian made a premeditated  "joke" on television that suggested the profoundly disabled son of glamour model Katie Price a.k.a. Jordan, wants to rape her. Nice.

First - I love irreverent humour and there is very little that offends me. Even if it is a touchy subject for me, I can still "get" the joke or pun, although I may not laugh. Some things however, do not contain a joke; they're just shocking and crass. Saying it's a joke, doesn't make it one.

Second - I think Frankie Boyle is funny and witty. That doesn't mean all his jokes are though.

Third - For the most part, I believe adult celebrities who make money by putting themselves in the spotlight, as opposed to their talent, are open to being the butt of jokes and need to take it on the chin. Harvey is not an adult, or a celebrity in his own right and he doesn't put himself in the spotlight; so he doesn't qualify for this.

So let's start.

While I think making a joke about a disabled boy is low, there is an even lower base to Frankie Boyle's comment that most seem to have overlooked. 

People have been angered by this "joke", and rightly so, because they believe it's wrong to make fun of an innocent boy who suffers a multitude of disabilities.

But I think it goes even further into the offensive waters, by making the crux of the "joke" about a 9 year old boy raping his mother.

Jokes, even inappropriate or offensive ones, are only funny if there is an element of truth in them. Which means Frankie Boyle must believe, consciously or unconsciously, that there must be some truth in the possibility that Harvey would rape his mother.

If Frankie had said that about her other, non-disabled son Junior, no one would have laughed because it’s not funny or clever. It’s inappropriate, disgusting, paedophillic and has only one purpose – to anger or disgust people. Neither of which comes under the banner of “comedy” or “joke”. It couldn’t even be considered a cheap gag, because there is nothing funny about it at all. Something being shocking or going-too-far, doesn’t automatically make it a joke. It’s just weird and wrong.

If he believes his comment was just an attack against Katie Price, and not against Harvey, then why didn't he make the joke about Junior, her other son?

Because he doesn’t believe there is any truth in the possibility of Junior raping his mother.

Ergo, the only conclusion you can draw is that Frankie, and the audience members who laughed at the joke, believe the joke to be funny based purely on the unique attribute of Harvey – which is his disability. I'd like to think that the audience members went along with the joke in a group-think manner. I often get into a rhythm of laughing at something and giggle in anticipation of the joke, only to realise after my loud guffaw that it actually wasn't funny. While the audience can be forgiven for being put on the spot, Frankie can not. This was a scripted, practised and premeditated stand-up routine.

Therefore, Frankie must believe that disabled people are more capable and inclined to rape than non-disabled people.

That has to be the most ignorant, ridiculously pathetic idea I have ever heard and I defy anyone to successfully explain to me where the joke is. And trust me, while I may not always admit to it, I can find humour in some of the lowest, dirtiest and most obscure places possible. Not this time. All I can see is filth.

By Monique Kowalczyk

So what do you want to know?
MoniqueWillKnow@gmail.com

*Disclaimer*
Please don't go basing your PhD Thesis on anything I write here.
The information I provide comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and I'm just as likely to provide the most entertaining answer, as I am the factually correct answer.