Blue and the Brownies

Howdy Blue here and what an adventure I’ve had.

When 84 told me that we would soon be enjoying some Brownies I thought wow, Beavers and Scouts weren’t enough each week and that she was volunteering to do Brownies as well. Well that couldn’t have been further from the truth when I realised that she wasn’t taking about the ones who wear yellow and brown uniforms but the gooey yummy delicious ones baked by Sam at The Sugar Rose Kitchen.

Valentine Brownie Selection

My taste buds are now on high alert, I’ve had them before and they are the best brownies north of Brownsea Island.

The Christmas selection was divine with a true mixture of flavours – Mince Pie, Mint Chocolate and Cranberry and Orange Tiffin, my bear senses are now in overload at the thought of trying the valentine selection.

First up from 84 was the hot stuff chilli chocolate brownie, oh my that tangled my taste buds, a brownie that tasted of chilli con carne!

Next up was triple chocolate, a smooth tasting gooey delight which calmed my senses after the hot stuff one.

Following on from the first two 84 gave me the raspberry ripple blondie. Sweet sticky raspberry goodness in a light golden brownie.

After a brief break to enjoy a cuppa I settled down to try the rest, sweetheart rocky road – a rocky road with mini marshmallows and gummy hearts ❤️

Eating a Brownie (look how big it is!!)

Turkish delight came next a gooey brownie containing Turkish delight pieces and topped with edible flower petals.

Lastly was the Oreo brownie, two of my favourite things Oreos and brownies. Large pieces of crushed Oreos in gooey rich chocolate brownie, what’s not to like. This one sent my taste buds out of this world and I ended up sneaking most of the slice much to the disappointment of 84.

In conclusion (pulling out the big words now, go me) brownies from The Sugar Rose Kitchen are divine. I can’t wait to taste the next one’s or I might switch it up a bit and have cupcakes or cookie sandwiches.

Ranking TGTATBO

On the 15th of January, Why Don’t We released their new album called ‘The Good Times and The Bad Ones’. Here is my review of each song on their album.

1) Fallin’ – 7/10. This song would receive a higher ranking except I have been listening to it since it’s release in September non stop. It is an upbeat song with live percussion.

2) Slow Down – 10/10. I could listen to this song on repeat all day long. It is really addicting and the tune is inspired by samples from The Smashing Pumpkins January 1996 track ‘1979’ where in the music video, Why Don’t We have included Easter eggs.

3) Lotus Inn – 8/10. The whole concept of this song is about turning back time to ‘do it all over again’ due to them staying at the Lotus Inn. The Lotus Inn reminds me of the Lotus Hotel and Casino in the Percy Jackson series. Why Don’t We teased this song by creating a website for their song as promo.

4) Be Myself – 10000/10. This song speaks for itself by just listening to the lyrics. It discusses anxiety and the feelings you may get. I find this song really beautiful to listen to as mental health is important to speak about. Whilst I am now in a 3rd national lockdown, it is important to remember to speak out about our feelings and we are never alone.

5) Love Song – 9/10. Every good album needs a love song and this one fits perfectly with the whole albums aesthetic. It is very upbeat and the chorus is really simple but effective as a whole.

6) Grey – 8/10. When I say this song is simple but beautiful, it really is. I love how thought out the melody is with the lyrics. It fits perfectly together and is completely different to the other songs on their album. I can imagine a really nice, solemn lyrical dance being choreographed to this song.

7) For you – 7/10. It is another amazing song on the album with lots of layers throughout. The pre-chorus really reminds me of one song though I cannot pinpoint which song yet.

8) I’ll be okay – 11/10. Imagine the movie credits rolling and this song will fit perfectly. Within the song, the lyrics mostly represent the albums name. I have given this song a bonus point for the line “But once you light a fire, it’s gonna burn” as it reminds me of Scout camps.

9) Look at me – 6/10. The lyrics are not my cup of tea but the tune is really cool and gives off groovy vibes.

10) Stay – 8/10. It is a lovely song to finish the whole album together and wraps up the whole albums vibes perfectly.

BLOGMAS – Christmas food rankings

In today’s blog I will be ranking my typical Christmas dinner giving a my views on each item.

Pigs in blankets – 100/10 these are a stable to a British Christmas dinner where they only appear upon the 25th of December. For anyone who does not live in Britain, this dish is sausages wrapped in bacon.

Roast potatoes – 10/10 when made perfectly they are crispy on the outside being fluffy in the centre.

Cranberry sauce – 9/10 game changing to add a new flavour onto your plate.

Roasted parsnips – 9/10 parsnips are just below roasties due to being just as tasty but never as elite as roast potatoes.

Sage and Onion Stuffing – 9/10 stuffing brings the plate together and is my job to make on Christmas. The secret is to add butter to make it 10x better.

Gravy – 8/10 it is standard for a Sunday roast and adds a good flavour however, sometimes it can be too watery of too thick.

Turkey – 8/10 without this, you cannot consider this dish to be a Christmas dinner. Turkey is the pinnacle of the dish being the base of the other items.

Swede and carrot mash – 8/10 a lot better than normal mash but is more elite.

Brussels sprouts – 7/10 they are average. Could be better, could be worse but I’m not complaining.

Broccoli and cauliflower – 7/10 similar to sprouts, they are average but are needed for a Christmas dinner to be complete.

Bread sauce – 6/10 it’s good but sometimes I am not a big fan if it is cold.

What are your rankings? Leave your opinions in the comments below.

Among Us 101

among us drawn game profile picture

Over the past few months there has been a game which has rapidly risen called Among Us. Compared to the release of the family friendly, calming Animal Crossing New Horizons game early this year, Among Us is the complete opposite relying on betrayal and sacrifice to win. Recently, I have been playing Among Us in some of my study periods doing a ‘live’ meeting whenever the button was called or a dead body reported yet first I will briefly explain the game.

What is the difference between a crewmate and an imposter?

A crewmate completes tasks and tries to figure out who the imposter is by gathering information like a detective. Crewmates can win if they vote out the imposter or complete all of their tasks. If someone spots a dead body (as the imposter has killed), they are able to report the body and discuss any suspicious activity they have seen during meetings where at the end of the meeting they can vote someone off or skip there vote. The crewmates work together in a team to find the imposter among them.

An imposters task is to fake tasks and avoid suspicion whilst trying to kill the other crewmates and sabotage different areas. The imposters are able to ‘vent’ around the map in order to move quickly around and are able to report dead bodies – this is called a self report. Mostly an imposter has to avoid suspicion to avoid being voted out and they win the game when there is only one crewmate left alive.

If anyone dies or is voted off, they become ghosts. Crewmate ghosts can finish their tasks whilst Imposter ghosts can still sabotage.

What are the three maps you can play on?

  1. SKELD
    • Looks like a spaceship which is one giant loop
    • 14 rooms
    • 5 visual tasks (which can be turned off)
    • Security system allows for 4 corridors to be viewed at the same time
    • contains 5 vents systems
    • reactor, electrical, communications and O2 can all be sabotaged by the imposters
    • imposters can also sabotage doors which have an automatic reopening countdown
  2. MIRA HQ
    • Looks like an office building with a triangular design
    • 12 rooms
    • 1 visual task
    • Security system is a ‘doorlog’ which allows three sensors to pick up the movement of the players
    • contains 11 vents which are all connected via one system
    • reactor, O2 an electrical can all be sabotaged by the imposters
    • imposters cannot sabotage doors
  3. POLUS
    • Looks like a snowy planet and has quite a large layout
    • 15 rooms
    • 2 visual tasks
    • Security system allows for six areas to be viewed individually
    • reactor, O2 and electrical can all be sabotaged by the imposter
    • imposters can sabotage doors which can be reopened using switches
    • contains vitals which allows you to see who is alive or dead

What is 84’s favourite map?

I am a big fan of the SKELD but it may be due to this map being the simplest to follow and play in online lobbies. However, the other maps are more fun to play ‘live’ talking to your friends during meetings as you are able to explain where you are and our story a lot more clearer compared to typing it during the meetings box.

If you have not played Among Us, I highly recommend playing it during the Christmas season as a virtual game. My overall rating is 9/10.

Christmas Adverts

Throughout this week, many brands have been releasing their Christmas adverts. Usually I would consider the Christmas season to start as soon as the infamous John Lewis Christmas Advert is released which gets better each year. This year however, I was not a big fan of the John Lewis Christmas advert yet, I thought it was very clever how it was made. Below is a list of my favourite Christmas adverts from this year with a mini review. So, in no particular order:

  1. Coca Cola
    • Delivering a letter to Santa should be fairly easy however, for the Dad staring in this advert he has to go on a very long journey to deliver the letter as he missed the post. It was very adventurous and enjoyable to watch.
  2. SuperValu
    • This advert had a really cute twist at the end which made my happy. I may or may not have started to tear up but it was so sweet, that I went ‘awww’.
  3. Aldi
    • Kevin and his carrot gang were back this year but there were no evil parsnips in sight, instead Kevin was waiting for his dad to return home. A very cute advert with Kevin once again.
  4. Don’t let me go (John Lewis parody)
    • I cried at this so I highly recommend watching it. It was about an elderly man and his dog where from the beginning, I knew it would be very emotional. The music was also very beautiful.
  5. Walkers
    • This was very joyful and all about sausage rolls featuring LADBABY who have produced the last two Christmas chart no. 1 with ‘we built this city’ and ‘I love sausage rolls’. LADBABY were featured singing Christmas carols about sausage rolls to promote Walker’s festive sausage roll flavoured crisps.
  6. Sainsbury’s
    • I felt very heart warmed watching this as it showed family around Christmas whilst sharing the message of love, family and festivity (plus Christmas traditions such as who makes the best dish within the Christmas Dinners – I make good stuffing balls).

In conclusion, it is now the start of Christmas! I can rock to Christmas music and start to put festive decorations up around the house. I have already started watching Christmas movies and shows to get into the festive spirit!

If you have any other good Christmas adverts or Christmas movies and shows I should review, let me know in the comments below.

SAAL Design Photo book

I was recently offered a voucher by Saal Digital for a substantial discount to use on one of their “Professional Line” Photobooks. I thought this would be a great way to showcase some of the photos I have enjoyed taking over the last few years, including my experiences going to the World Scout Jamboree last year.

I chose the 21 x 21 Photobook Professional Line book and chose glossy paper with a leather titanium cover surface. This photobook came with a gorgeous acrylic cover.

I found it very easy to design the inside of my photobook and used the free design software they provided – “Saal Design Software UK” – however, you were able to upload a PDF or use their app instead. I downloaded the software and was greeted with a screen to select your chosen photobook design – I believe you could change the photobook design later if you changed your mind. Once I chose the Design Professional Line Photobook, I selected the 21 x 21 size before opting for the leather titanium cover surface and the glossy paper.

From here, I was given the option to use the software completely from scratch, use the One Minute function or to use their Auto Layout function. I opted for the One Minute function as I was able to add photos, use the auto layout feature and still make changes to my photo layouts: comparatively, the auto layout function was mostly automated with not as much customisation.

I then started to add my different photos into the software making sure to frequently save my photo book. It was very easy and simple to use – I could drag photos onto the page or select images from my folders. The software told me the quality of each image which ranged from poor to very good as I zoomed in and out of different images. Overall, my photo book used multiple designs; from one double page containing 1 single photo, to a gallery of 18 images, to 3/4 images per a page. On the more crowded pages, the images were still clear and of high quality.

In the end, it took me around 6 hours to design and sort. I spend a few hours over the course of a few days sorting and designing each page – if I were to create a similar photo book again, I would definitely recommend having all your selected photos in one selected folder to make it easier to add your photos. Once you have used one photo, the software shows a tick in it’s top right corner to show that you have inserted that image.

Once I was happy with my finalised photo book, I added in some text before uploading my book and pressing ‘save and pay’. This led me to a screen confirming I was happy with everything before it prompted me with payment and shipping options. I got free shipping and it came in just over a week. Below are some photos of my photo book:

As you can see from the images, the photo book is beautiful. The quality is stunning and the images are of very high quality. The 21 x 21 size is perfect to have placed on a coffee table or showcased on a shelf. I would highly recommend purchasing one of these books to be used as a holiday album, wedding album, as a birthday gift or just as a simple photo book.

Overall, my ratings are as follows:

SAAL Design Software UK: 9/10 – this was very efficient and easy to use however, to improve I would add a few more different auto layout designs for 5+ photos

Shipping: 10/10 – this was quick and it was not damaged when it arrived

Quality of photo book: 10/10 – it was breath taking to look at and flip through each page

Price: 8/10 – it can be a bit expensive however, it is definitely worth the price (I got a £100 off voucher but they are frequently doing £15 off vouchers to decrease the price of purchase)

In conclusion, I am sure I will purchase more products from them again. Let me know in the comments what you think and if you would like more reviews from me.

If you would like to check out their products visit:

https://www.saal-digital.co.uk/

Goldfish Ratings

Goldfish are one of my favourite American snacks (not real goldfish!). Since it has now been over a year since I returned home from America and Canada, I am reminiscing this snack so today’s blog, I will rate each goldfish flavour.

Goldfish flavours I have tried:

Cheddar – 9/10 a classic snack which I always 100% will go to

Colours – 10/10 these are the cheddar flavour but in colours of red, blue, green and the classic orange: what’s not more to love

Baby Cheddar – 99/10 these are so so cute and are a smaller version of the Cheddar snack (by the way they don’t taste of babies)

Extra Cheddar – 5/10 these did not live to the high standard of the classic cheddar flavour

Pizza – -4/10 my dad84 first brought me these back from the states and I can still imagine the horror of them

Goldfish flavours I have not tried (once Pepperidge Farm sponsor me I will be able to give better ratings – please sponsor me):

Original – I have heard these are just plain goldfish and do not know what to do with this information 7/10?

Whole Grain Cheddar – the thought of whole grain sounds too healthy 2/10

Whole Grain Pretzel – similar to the above they sound healthy but may taste better than the Cheddar version so 4/10

Parmesan – a mix on the classic cheddar 3/10

Cheese Trio – a pic a mix but with cheese goldfish sounds funky 7/10

Pretzel – dad84 has tried and gives them a 7/10, “nice and pretzely but weird cause they were goldfish”

Ranch – I do not like ranch so I do not have high hopes but will give them a shot 2/10

Grahams (inc. honey, cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, s’mores, hot cocoa, vanilla cupcake, cookie ‘n cream, chocolate chip, french toast, strawberry cheesecake and honey bun) – some of these flavours sound amazing, the next time I spot some of these flavours I will give them a try 9/10

Nacho – Similar to ranch, I am not entirely sure what these will taste like so 6/10

Queso Fiesta – I think these are cheesy and spicy so if there is a good balance they should be nice 7/10

White Cheddar – I have tried white cheddar popcorn and did not really like the flavour 3/10

Sour Cream and Onion & the Salt and Vinegar flavours – I do not like these flavour normally so, I do not think I will like this as goldfish 1/10

BBQ – all BBQ flavour snack taste good so I expect good expectations from Pepperidge Farm in this goldfish variation 8/10

Cupcake and Fudge Brownie flavours – these sound amazing to try 10/10

mixed versions (inc. pretzel & xtra cheddar, pretzel &honey mustard,. chocolate mint pretzel~) – due to these being a mix they all sound fairly nice 7/10

puffs (inc. cheddar bacon, mega cheese, salsa con queso, buffalo wing, twisted grilled cheese, sizzlin’ hot wings, BBQ) – some of these flavours sound really good and others not as much so on average a 6/10

Cheeseburger, Seasme & Mac and Cheese flavours – these sound interesting to try and might be similar to the pizza flavor I’ve tried 7/10

x-treme zingy chilli lime and x-treme screamin’ hot flavors – these both also sound interesting and spicy hot with the zingy chilli lime flavour reminding me of a sauce which might be a Nandos so 8/10

Christmas, Co-world Treasures, Space Adventures, Beach Ball, Princess, Cars 3 and Mickey Mouse – these area all different shapes and colours of the cheddar flavour (I believe) so a 12/10 as different shapes are really cute