Lazy evenings with a book

The weather outside doesn't encourge us to go out and hang out with someone. Maybe it's a little bit depressing, but I like to use such opportunities to spend this time with my favourite book. I would like to present you 'The vanished man', the book, which is one of the most addictive books I've ever read. I love to return to this book many times. And it never makes me bored. Every time I notice something new. This was my first Jeffrey Deaver book and I absolutely adored every word of it. It is quite possibly the cleverest and most suspenful book I have ever read. I am normally not too bad at guessing the endings of these books. This had so many changes ( both costume, places and people), it was difficult to keep track. The best twist is at very end though. If you like/love magic you will enjoy the tricks of the trade revealed here. 

It begins at a prestigious music school in New York City. A killer flees the scene of a homicide and locks himself in a classroom. Within minutes, the police have him surrounded. When a scream rings out, followed by a gunshot, they break down the door. The room is empty...

I truly recommend this book and I promise that you won't be disapointed!

Be active, it's SPRING

The best season of the year has already started :) Everything starts growing and becomes more colorful. Also I can finally back to my favourite activities! One of them is roller skating. I found it really difficult to learn it, but now I think that is one of the most enjoyable moments of spending my time. Even standing can be scary at first. When you will learn how to keep the balance, the rest will be only a pleasure :) I have ridden on rollers for 9 years and I am truly convinced that practise makes better, I didn't need the teacher, the only thing that I had to remember is never-ending patience ;) For the beginners, follow few simple rules, how to be better and better: The most important:

• Being nervous or shaky will increase your chance of falling so have confidence!
• Try to stay near the wall so you have some guidance and support. (veery helpful :D)
• Make sure your skates fit well. If you wear the wrong size you'll have trouble keeping your balance.
• Check the wheels of the skates often, beware of threads, cloths, oil, rope, pipes or other hard or slippery materials on the floor.( you really don't want to loose any of wheels, like me recently, ups :D)
• Don’t let yourself try to walk normally in rollers. It won’t work. In skating, you propel forward by pushing to the side. Learn proper form right from the beginning.
• Keep practicing! Go very slowly, and get the feel of moving. Keep practicing knee falls. They are your safest and surest stop.
• Try to skate every day, or at least every other day in the beginning. Roller skating is new way of moving, and the more frequently you skate, the sooner it will feel natural.

Don't give up and good luck :)

The strawberry cloud for today

I am trying to stick to my New Year's resolutions, but of corse, I can't be more happier without the sweets which can improve even the saddest days. Moreover, one of things that makes me cheerful is baking, so there is no other way, sometimes I let myself to do a cheat day :)

I wanted to bake something that looks exquisite and delicious and finally I found the best recipe. It takes long to do it but I promise that you won't regret!

Ingredients for the dough:

• 3 egg yolks  
• 30 g of icing sugar
• half a teaspoon of baking powder
• 150 g of flour
• 100 g of butter

Quickly mix the ingredients in the blender. Shape it into a ball, then wrap in foil. Put the dough in the fridge for 60 minutes. Prepare a baking tray. Next grease it with butter and put into baking paper. Take the dough from the fridge, tear off a piece of dough and place it into the tray (you can easily roll out the dough earlier). Again put the dough into fridge for about 30 minutes. Before baking, prick with a fork. Bake at 190 - 200 ° C for about 15 - 20 minutes or less. Than let it cool.

Jelly with raspberries:

• 600 g of strawberries
• 3 strawberry jellies (if you want more take 4 :)
• 3 cups of boiling water

Unfreeze the strawberries, 3 jellies melt in 3 cups of boiling water. Cool, stir with the strawberries. Put into fridge. Than put the jelly on the dough, cool again.

The cream:

• 500 ml of cream 36%
• 250 g of mascarpone
• 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar

Place all ingredients in the bowl of the mixer and beat down.

Meringue with almonds:

• 3 egg whites
• 150 g of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of potato flour
• 40 - 50 g of almond flakes

Whites put in the bowl of the mixer. Beat, increasing speed mixer, to obtain a foam. Add the sugar, spoon after spoon, until all sugar obtain a thick, shiny foam. At the very end of beating add potato flour. The another tray turn upside down, grease with butter and put into it a baking paper. Spread the mass on the paper and sprinkle with almond flakes. Bake at 140 ° C for about 1 hour. The meringue should be crunchy and baked, slightly cracked. Let it cool. 

Take the dought from the frigde, put the cream on the jelly. On the top of put the meringue. Cool into a fridge for 2 hours. Slice, serve and eat :)

Bon appétit and good luck!

Here you can see my little piece of art:

Being optimistic

I always try to be, feel and think optimistic, even writing this post :) Many people are really surprised when they find out that in every case I'm thinking optimistically. 

Of course, sometimes is difficult, but I believe that after unpleasant moments will come the better ones. I chose being an optimist, day after day I know that It is the best decision in my life. I want you to start being optimistic right now! You have to follow these simple rules: 

Firstly, smile! Easy, don't you think? :) It could make you happier, I promise! Charles Darwin first posed the idea that emotional responses influence our feelings in 1872. “The free expression by outward signs of an emotion intensi­fies it,” he wrote. Emotions involve more than just a brain. The face appears to play a big role. Try to do this little experiment: smile to every person you will met, strangers, family and observe their reactions. It gives you a lot of self-confidence and happiness, when people smile to you. 

Secondly, don't think about the future because the past is the history and today is a gift :) Remember and focus on the good things of your life, no matter how small they are. We are only humans so when you feel stressed just take three, four, five (as many as you need!) deep breaths and relax. 

Follow my blog to discover what kind of things make ME happy :)

Optimists look for the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Start being one of them. 

Good luck.