Double Chocolate Brownies

My first time making brownies and I didn't fail. This just proves that the recipe I'm presenting to you guys below is essentially... fool-proof. I found this recipe online a long time ago, unfortunately, I don't have a source, just know that someone else out there came up with these brownies haha :P So let's get started!

Ingredients

1. 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

2. 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

3. 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

4. 1/3 Teaspoon Table Salt (If you're going to use unsalted butter.)

5. 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter

6. 6 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate

7. 1 Cup Sugar

8. 2 Large Eggs

9. 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

1. In a medium container, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

2. Whisk the contents together until you obtain an even mixture.

3. In a separate and microwavable container, combine your chocolate and butter.

4. Heat the chocolate and butter in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.

Final melted chocolate mixture.

5. Add your sugar, vanilla extract and eggs to the chocolate and stir until evenly mixed.

6. Add the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture and fold it in without overmixing.

Final mixture.

7. Spread a small piece of butter across the pan to keep the brownies from sticking.

8. Cross two strips of parchment paper along the bottom of the pan. Leave a slight overhang which you will later use to transfer the brownies from the pan to a cutting board.

9. Pour your mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly.

10. Heat your oven to 350°F.

11. Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes.

12. Set the pan over a cooling rack to cool, then transfer the brownies to a cutting board and cut into 16 pieces.

There we have it, double chocolate brownies! I always like to reword the recipes I post on here so I hope it still makes some sense. Once again, it's super easy to make and tastes amazing. I'll see you soon with a... HUGE summer haul. Oops.

June Favourites 2014

It has been ages since I published my last favourites post. I hope it isn't too late into July for this post to be coming out... either way, most of these items were used near the end of June and beginning of July, so the list is recent and up to date. So without further ado, let's see if I can still make a proper favourites post!

❀ Fashion ❀

Black Skater Skirt from H&M

I've been wearing super often since spring arrived. I have a bunch of black skirts in my closet simply because they are so  easy to pair with any shirt. I particularly like this skirt because it fits super nicely around my waist and the black belt with gold rings gives a perfect touch to the otherwise neutral skirt.

Grey Baggy T-Shirt from H&M

Before this shirt was even mine, it had its own spot reserved in my closet. I had been hunting so long for a comfortable loose grey shirt to wear over leggings, tuck into jeans, etc. and this one from H&M has been the perfect find. I believe that I found this t-shirt in their basics section and immediately fell in love with it because of the cute accent the little chest pocket added to the plain shirt.

Brown Sandals from Skechers

If any of you have been around for long enough, then you'll remember the pair of sandals I wore practically every day. When I took them out of the box for this summer, I was devastated to find that the glue had worn off. I found this pair of sandals at Globo shoes and even from the first time I tried them on, I could tell that they would be extremely comfortable. Unlike most of the sandals these days, this pair actually has a slightly elevated heel for more support, not to mention that the whole shoe is very well padded. I'm painfully admitting that these shoes are better than my last pair.

XOXO Snapback from Taobao.com

As I mentioned before in my China Haul, I had been looking for a snapback to block out some sun during the summer. Needless to say, I have been wearing this snapback very frequently since a sort of heat wave hit Ottawa near the end of June and the sun here is always very strong in the summer.

❀ Beauty ❀

Cupcake Face Mask from Lush

After hearing my mom rave about the Sacred Truth face mask my sister and I bought her for Mother's Day, we decided to go out and buy another kind to try for ourselves. This supposedly helps clear your skin and take away some oil, and it does every one of those things. Surprisingly, even with the small container, the face mask lasts for many uses. I love using it on nights where I've had to apply some light makeup during the day, or when I've just spent a lot of time in the sun.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen

Yep, you heard right. Dry touch. I can actually apply sunscreen now without feeling disgusting and greasy. That pretty much sells this sunscreen right there, haha... 

Moisture Shampoo by Kirkland

After trying out multiple different kinds of shampoo and conditioners trying to repair the damage my hair received from colour treatment, I was extremely surprised to find that Costco's own brand of shampoo worked best for my hair. I find that it provides enough volume after washing you hair with it, yet it doesn't dry out your hair in the process. The one downside is that they do not have a conditioner to go with this yet.

CC Cream by Clinique

Makeup?!?!? Jenny's actually using makeup? Yep, I finally found the need to put on some makeup in the month of June. With my sister's graduation and prom, my whole family found the opportunity to dress up a little and have some fun. At home, we have three foundation type products. After experimenting with my sister's prom makeup, she settled for a Clinique foundation, but since I was just going to be the photographer for the day, I found that their CC cream almost gave just the same amount of coverage, but was much lighter on the skin.

❀ Food ❀

Organic Cranberry Lemonade

As some of you may know, I love everything citrus... meaning that in the summer, I may as well drown myself in lemonade. So far, I'm really loving the little twist to lemonade by adding some cranberries, and I probably will for the rest of the summer.

Berries

Not just strawberries, but I just love berries in general. That is all.

Sour Candy

Sour candy is my Achilles Heel. Okay, it might not be that severe, but I tend to hoard sour candies. I've specifically been loving the sour keys that you can buy in huge tubs from Costco, I've eaten more than I should in the past year.. but there's no stopping yet.

Desserts

With so much more time on my hands with summer vacation, I have been baking up a storm. So far, I've made more batches of the chocolate chip cookie recipe I posted here and I just tried to make my first ever batch of brownies last night. I think they actually turned out amazing, and I'll be posting the recipe I followed very soon, so keep an eye out for that!

❀ Random ❀

2048

I have an unhealthy habit of playing this game. It isn't even an addiction, it's just that if I'm waiting in line somewhere and have to kill some time, my fingers naturally click on this app. With the new android update including Practice Mode which gives you unlimited undos, I have reached 131 072 after playing it leisurely for the past two months... So I've technically beaten the game.

Sherlock

The perfection is real. I have never watched anything better than Sherlock. I never want this series to end. I might even have to save the very last episode to the day I'm 80 just to make it last. I'm watching it very very  slowly. I'm on episode 2 of season 2 simply because I don't want to join the rest of the fandom in waiting for years  until the next season comes out.

The Fault in Our Stars

I'm sorry that I ever thought this book was overrated. I'm still reading my way through the book, however, I'm taking my time since my heart still needs to recover from watching the movie, lol.

Canon 60D

I HAVE A NEW CAMERA! It's definitely a huge upgrade from what I used to use and it also films videos so I'm super excited to use it to film my short film. I've already been using it a lot for random bits of photography and the photos have turned out amazing. I can't wait to be able to post some more of my photography on this blog with the new camera!

So there's my long overdue favourites post! I hope I still have the touch and I'll see you all soon with a little brownie recipe! :)

What have you been loving in the month of June?

Monthly Mixtape #2

Hello, readers... I'm back with a little updated playlist of songs I've been listening to for these past two months. Once again, I'm hoping that all of you will be able to find a new song to listen to amongst the different genres of music you will find below.

1. All I Want by Kodaline

I've recommended this song in a previous post, but I have recently been listening to it very, very frequently, so I thought that it deserved a spot on this playlist. To those of you who have watched The Fault in Our Stars in theatres this past month, I'll have you know that I almost jumped out of my seat in excitement when this song came up in the background during Hazel and Augustus' visit to Amsterdam.

2. All Of The Stars by Ed Sheeran

Speaking of The Fault in Our Stars, we need to talk about this song. I'm going to be completely honest, and haters can hate. I originally thought The Fault in Our Stars was extremely overrated and had no interest in reading the book or watching the movie. Then Ed Sheeran's new music video for this song appeared on my YouTube subscription list and after listening to the song and hearing the lyrics, I was a goner. I have now joined the TFIOS fandom (is there a name?).

3. A Sky Full Of Stars by Coldplay

It seems as though I have a link between every song haha, and it is actually completely unintentional. Okay, so now, another moment of honesty. Though I admit that Coldplay is beyond  talented, their music has never been my absolute favourite. When Ellen posted their performance on Facebook, I saw that the title sounded promising... and I'll admit that I played the video because their stage setup was really pretty... don't judge. Anyways, I love the song now. That is all.

4. Moonlight by EXO

One of my favourite exotic (haha, punny) bands came out with a new mini album in May. They adopted a more R&B style and I love love love  every new song on this album. Moonlight, in particular, gets me everytime with all the amazing falsettos. This is the Chinese version I posted, though there is also a Korean one. I simply posted this one because my favourite member is the vocalist in this version, don't judge me...

5. Boomerang by The Summer Set

This is my go-to jam out song. I will never not dance and lip synch to the song. Yes, I've gotten some pretty crazy looks from strangers on the bus and looks of exasperation and embarrassment from friends sitting next to me. No shame though, I dare you to listen to this and not want to spontaneously dance.

6. Don't Stop by 5 Seconds of Summer

I cannot wait to see 5SOS in August. Their new songs are amazing and I'm so happy that they've finally been able to put together an album. I highly recommend finding the music video on YouTube if you don't already know this band. It actually represents them perfectly.

7. Butterfly by G-Dragon

I normally wouldn't post more than one non-English song on each of these playlists, however, this is an exception. This song has a super spooky(?) and ambiguous atmosphere and the music itself is enough to make you forget that it's in an entirely different language. Before you judge, listen to the perfection.

8. Cough Syrup by Young the Giant

It seems as though my music playlist has taken an ambiguous turn. I heard this song first on Glee when I used to watch it and I fell in love with it. The topic of the song is darker and much more serious, however, isn't art supposed to touch on all aspects of life? (So deep, I need to stop) Anyway, go click that play button.

I only have 8 songs for all of you this time. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to look for 10 worthy songs! Anyways, I hope I was able to open some of your eyes to a new songs you'll love, or even a new band/artist entirely.

What are the songs you're currently loving?

| Monthly Mixtape #1 |

Summer Bucketlist | #2014BloggerChallenge

It turns out, I'm horrible at keeping the promises I make on this blog, haha. After promising twice  in my last two posts that I would be coming out the next day with a Blogger Challenge post, I am proud to say that it has finally happened. So without further ado, here is what I would love to do this summer!

1. Spend a day downtown with my friends.

Source

2. Have a barbecue party at home. 

Source

3. Go down to the beach. (If it can count as one... Canadian Problems)

Source

4. Read five books.

Source

5. Get my driver's license.

Source

6. Redecorate my room.

Source

7. Go to a concert.

Source

8. Work on the short film my friend and I are making.

Source

9. Catch up on all the TV shows and movies that I've missed.

Source

10. Blog more often.

I'm hoping I'll be able to accomplish this list in the next two months of summer vacation! We'll have to see about that driver's license though....... So this is a relatively short post, but I'll see you soon with a favourites post perhaps? (I've learned not to make promises, haha)

Canada D'eh 2014

Happy Canada Day everyone! One of the biggest advantages of living in the nation's capital is being able to attend the biggest celebration in the country on its birthday. There's nothing like being pushed along by a giant crowd of tourists and citizens dressed in red when its 32°C and very, very  humid. All sarcasm aside, it really is such a unique experience. So, here are some photos I took throughout the few hours I spent downtown, but they really do not do the hype and overall atmosphere any justice.

Walk to the bus station where all rides are free for the day.

Lemonade Stand on the streets downtown.

Sparks Street sign.

Sparks Street

We should be celebrating, but the Argentina vs. Switzerland match was being broadcasted...

Clever advertising technique, CIBC... well played.

Flags of the teams left in FIFA.

Canadian flags everywhere.

Huge crowd in front of Parliament hill.

Stage set up in front of Parliament Hill for performances all day long.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police escorting the Governor General to Parliament Hill.

Traditional flight of the Snowbirds after 21 cannon sounds.

Byward Market sign.

Byward Market crowd.

Red Bull's amazing advertising.

OC Transpo buses all over the city.

Lunch at a hidden, but amazing Korean restaurant, Arirang.

So those are the photos I managed to take while being pushed around by crowds! I'll see you tomorrow with a little 2014 Blogger Challenge post, and Happy Canada Day!!!