Category: Uncategorized

5 Places to Visit in Chicago

There were many wonderful things in Chicago and I loved visiting all of them. 5 of them were really great places and I enjoyed them a lot. These are my top 5 places in Chicago.

  1. The Science and Industry Museum
    This museum is filled with all the types of science- from physics to patterns (Fibonacci, Golden Ratio, etc.). There were so many cool experiments and it was a really fun place. Some of my favorite parts were the Physics section, the Mirror Maze, the Model Railroad, and the Science Storms section.
  2. The American Writer’s Museum
    This Museum is filled with information about famous writers in America. The way that the information is presented was spectacular and I loved the way that we got interactive and fun exhibits while still learning. Some of my favorite parts were the typewriters, the games (fill in the blanks and write a story), and the Children’s Gallery.
  3. Shedd Aquarium
    The aquarium is a fun place with so many animals. I usually love aquariums and this one wasn’t any different. It was amazing to see so many marine animals close up. Some of my favorites were the penguins, the otters, the Color Exhibit, and the beluga whales.
  4. The Art Institute of Chicago
    The Art Institute has many wonderful artworks. They’re all very varied and diverse and are really amazing to look at. At the time we went, we could see the Obama Portraits, which were amazing. Some of my favorites included the Greek Mythology section and the Indian Mythology section (every place represents the gods differently and it was interesting to see the different representations).
  5. Tribune Tower
    I really liked Tribune Tower because of the outside. There are pieces of stone from all over the world- from Egypt to China. There are 149 rocks on the wall, which I found super cool. Each rock has a different texture and shape, so you can compare them. Some of the rocks are from famous landmarks while others are not.

Have you been to Chicago? If so, what’s your favorite place there?

5 Books on my TBR

I recently did a post on the book series that I have in my To Be Read, so I thought that I’d also do one on the stand-alones that I want to read. Some of these series are YA (young adult) and some of them are Mg (Middle Grade). They’re all books which seem really good and I can’t wait to read them (hopefully soon).

  1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
  2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
  3. Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
  4. Lore by Alexandra Bracken
  5. The Stepmom Shake-up by Niki Lenz

Have you read any of these books?

Recipe: Ninja Foodi Mac and Cheese

This is a recipe I recently made. It came out really well and I enjoyed it a lot. I did it on a Ninja Foodi Instapot.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup small shell pasta
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (any type)
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 butter
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • Panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

  1. Add the chicken broth, heavy whipping cream and pasta into the pot and stir.
  2. Close the pressure cooker lid and make sure that it’s set at seal. Set to high for 3 minutes. Let it release pressure, then release the rest of steam.
  3. Lift the lid carefully and stir in 3 Tbsp of butter, then stir so it can melt. Then add in the cheese and stir until melted. Add whipping cream if needed (for a less sticky consistency). Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir.
  4. Sprinkle some cheese and breadcrumbs on top of cooked mac and cheese.
  5. Close the air crisp lid and air crisp at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
  6. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy!

My Trip

I went to Chicago recently. From Chicago, we also went on a mini road trip to Milwaukee.

The trip was fun and we stopped at a few interesting areas along the way. These are some of my favorite stops.

  1. Mars Cheese Castle
    This is a shop filled with cheese and cheese related items. The selection of cheese is wide and everything is locally made in Wisconsin. There’s also a bakery and some other local products, like jam and jelly beans (there’s a factory close by). There’s also postcards and cheese decorations. It’s a fun place and I enjoyed the trip there.

  2. Wind Point Lighthouse
    The lighthouse is a nice and beautiful area. It overlooks Lake Michigan and is a great photo spot. There are many rocks around the lake, so you can’t go down to the edge unfortunately, but the rocks are good places to sit. When we went, it was raining, not letting us see the full magnificence of the lighthouse, but I’m glad I was at least able to see some of it.
  3. Wingspread house
    This is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (a famous architect). The house is shaped like a pinwheel and covers 14,000 square feet. We didn’t get to go inside the house, but it seemed like an amazing creation from the outside!
  4. La Merenda
    La Merenda is a really great restaurant with food from all over the world. The patio has many plants, like mint, thyme, kale, and so much more. The food is served in a tapas style (small sharable plates) and is delicious. Each dish is different and I really enjoyed them.
  5. Boswell Book Company
    This is a great bookshop! I always love bookshops and this was no exception. There were some really great books and I loved the way recommendations were also included. I saw a few super cool posters and magnets. Overall, this place is great!

June’s Top Books

Here are my top books for June!

June’s Best Books:

  1. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
    This is a book about Ariadne, a figure in Greek mythology. This tells her story, from a young girl to an older mother. I loved reading about her feelings and the way that she grew, both in personality and in her knowledge. She’s such a true character and I love the way that we also get Phaedra’s (Ariadne’s sister) view as well.
  2. The Cursed Carnival and other Calamities by Rick Riordan
    This is a series of short stories from the Rick Riordan Presents authors as well as Rick Riordan. Each character faces a problem and they work together to solve them. There are also little mentions of other stories in some of them and that just makes it so much more fun. I also really love the diversity in the books.
  3. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
    This is the first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the first series in the Grishaverse. Alina is such a brave character and I love the way she faces her problems. The fantasy element is perfect and I really like the way everything plays together. All the characters are well shaped and I can’t wait to read more about all of them in the next two books.
  4. Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
    This is a book about family and finding your voice. I love how Melly navigates throughout the confusions of her life and the ways she overcomes her challenges. I also love the LGBT+ content and how it adds to the story. This is such a great book!
  5. The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty
    This is part of a series, but you can read each book like standalones. This book is about Esther, an often-forgotten middle child. I love the way the story is conveyed and how we get a great sense of who Esther is. I also really like the connections to the other previous stories. This book is so fun and I really enjoyed the humor and liveliness of the book.

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April: click here
Top Books of May: click here

The Stolen Colors

This year, I participated in a WITS writing camp. For the camp, we wrote a short story and talked about the other elements along the way. This is the story which I wrote. I hope you enjoy!

Imagine a world where color is stolen. The world is naturally grey, so colors are taken from other planets that are both willing and unwilling to give their source of brightness away. Now imagine what would happen if all the colors suddenly went out. 

“Why are you making such a fuss?” I asked tiredly, “It’s not that big of a deal,” I rolled my eyes, much to the annoyance of my best friend, Jadelyn. 

“Yes it is!” Jadelyn insisted, “Don’t you think it’s weird that we steal colors, Edith?” 

I shrugged, “That’s the way it’s always been on Arcus. Stop thinking about it too much and let’s just go home,” 

Jadelyn sighed before nodding with a pasted-on grin. I smiled thinly, relieved that a conflict had been avoided. We hurried to my house, excited for our sleepover. Jadelyn trailed behind slightly, but I knew that she would forgive me and I would forgive her. We always made up after our arguments, usually about the same topic that we had fought about today. 

We got home and my eyes lit up when my cat, Rosa, came to greet me. I chuckled, relenting to Rosa’s indignant purrs to be petted. When I finally stood up, I realized that Jadelyn had gone inside. I smirked, knowing that my best friend couldn’t resist the special cookies my mom made when she came over. Petting Rosa one more time, I stepped inside to the warm and familiar smell of freshly baked cookies. Jadelyn was climbing up the stairs, a tray in each hand, beckoning me to go with her. I raced up the stairs, eager for us to get to my room. 

We played a lot of games and talked about everything. I picked up the TV remote and had just opened Netflix, when something flickered. We looked around, scared and trying to figure out what it was. There was another flicker and I looked at Jadelyn wide-eyed. I could tell that she had also figured out what it was. “The colors,” I murmured, frightened. They flickered one more time, then stopped at grey. Jadelyn and I both made the decision simultaneously. We dashed downstairs to check if it was just our room or the whole world. 

As we biked through our neighborhood, my stomach sank lower and lower. When we reached the normally red party lanterns emitting a faint grey light, about a mile from our house, we realized the truth. I checked my government-given watch frantically for an update. There was none. I stared at my usually bright clothes in despair. Jadelyn looked down, biting her lip. It was official. There was no color anymore on Arcus. 

Jadelyn’s eyes glimmered, but not from tears, “The Rebellion- they’ve done it”.

6 Book Series on my TBR

It’s officially summer!

I have many, many book series that I want to read over my 2 month long break. There are series and standalones, trilogies and duologies. There are some books I can’t wait to read and some books I’m reluctant about. I have a bunch of books on my TBR (to be read). These are just six of the series I am looking forward to reading.

  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
  3. The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
  4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  5. The Selection by Kiera Cass
  6. The Storm Runner series by J.C Cervantes

My Favorite Brownie Recipe

I’ve made brownies many times, but there is one recipe which I consider the best. Everyone loves the recipe, which is a perfect combination of fudgy and crispy.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 3 cups sugar  (white)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a deep baking dish (9×13 is the preferred size).
  2. Combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat in the eggs until blended.
  3. Gradually stir the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into the egg mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan.
  4. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool pan on rack before cutting.
  5. Enjoy!

Do you have any go-to brownie recipes?

Traveling in San Antonio

I went to San Antonio recently and I enjoyed all of the marvelous and wonderful sights, so I decided to share my favorites with you. I hope you enjoy!

  1. The Japanese/Chinese Tea Garden
    The Japanese Tea Gardens, were a crowded, but beautiful place. It was lush, green, and filled with nature. There were a few koi ponds, a waterfall, and beautiful bridges. We also saw koi and 2 ducklings. I really loved the scenery and the breath-taking views.
  2. The Pearl (neighborhood)
    The Pearl is a neighborhood with many restaurants and other fun shops. It borders the San Antonio River and is a big open area. There are many picturesque views, with the buildings and the field areas. Two of my favorite places in the Pearl are Lick Ice-cream and Twig Bookstore.
  3. The Mercado
    The Mercado is the largest Mexican market in the US, with 32 specialty stores/booths. It is full of vibrant colors, like the papel picado overhead, or the fun colors of the booths. There’s food, drinks, toys, and more. Sadly, we went at a time before the market has opened, so we didn’t get to see everything.

Have you been to San Antonio? If so, what are your favorite parts of the city?

My Peace Poem

For my English class, I made a poem about peace and how I would describe it. I hope you like it!

Describing Peace

Peace is a view
One for everyone to see
Maybe it’s when the sun dips
Over and out, on the beaches of Hawaii

Peace is a sound
To be heard everywhere
A bunch of friends, perhaps,
Laughing without a care

Peace is a taste
Let everyone try
Like ice cream dripping down the side of your cone
While you join your friends nearby

Peace is a smell
Candles all lined up in a row
Quick, come and take a sniff
Before we start to blow

Or maybe peace is a feeling
For both you and me
The familiarity of chlorine infused water
Or swimming in the sea

A warm blanket, snuggle in
With your friends and family close
Because peace is a feeling
Much better than most