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Youtube Therapy

Youtube has to be right up there as one of the bestest things on the internet, don’t you think? Who doesn’t like watching funny videos. It’s so therapeutic.

Most days I come home and make everyone gather around while I share the funny shit I have found. So now I am going to share them with you too!

(embeded videos, so you might need to click-through from your reader to see them)

How can you NOT love french cats, srsly!

This one has done the rounds this week so you’ve probably seen it. It has been seen nearly 29million times! But it’s too good not to share

Of course there is going to be a high cat/animal content.

Saved the best for last. I think this just gets funnier the more you watch it.

Seen any funny vids this week?

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Filed Under: Internet

How To Take Better Pictures In Lowlight With Your Smartphone

I’ve always loved taking pictures. I am not all that good at it, but I used to make a bit of an effort to get half decent pics. Trying to get good lighting, using bits of tissue and cardboard to improve dark pictures . But since the introduction of smartphones, there isn’t all that much effort these days.

My DSLR can go untouched for months, although hoping that will change after this weekend. Looking forward to going along to the Love Your Camera workshop this weekend, I may actually learn how to drive it properly.

But smartphones are easy. They are always there, and often to get that quick snap you don’t have time to go hunting for the big camera, turn it on, set up the shot. Aint nobody got time fo dat!

It’s no secret I am a bit of a crazy cat and dog lady, so they appear in 90% of my pictures. I do sometimes take pics of the kids :P

Being that they are most often in the house, which is a little dark. Getting decent pictures of them without the flash that aren’t super dark, grainy/noisy and just plain crap is a little difficult.

Hate the built in flash on phones and try to avoid it where possible, especially with the animals. It is such a harsh light and you have very little control,  hello demon eyes!

That is until I can across this fabulous idea! It is the best $5 I have spent in a long time. And have been busy blinding the family/animals with it since it arrived.

The idea of a ring flash is shine soft even light over the subject from all around the end of the lens with very little shadow. It’s best for close up macro and portrait type pictures. It is not as harsh as the phones flash and allows a lot more control. You are able to set the shot up a lot easier with the light always shining, even in a pitch black room.

What you will need for this little project is a UFO LED camping light. I got 2 on eBay posted for under $10. Also a cheap case/cover for your phone that is easily removable.

I have just attached my light to the cover with Velcro dots. Trying to get the light in the right position can be tricky, and I like that I can easily take the light of to use it for different lighting other than just as a ring flash.

Smartphone ring flash

I am lucky that my phone’s camera is bang in the middle of the back of my phone. I am sure it will work just as well with one that is off centre but may take some more fiddling to get your light attached to your case.

lightcase

This is a good example of a before an after. The picture on the left taken a few months back of my yummy cupcake quiche in my dark kitchen at night with my phone, no flash. The right is a recent picture taken with the ring flash.

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Best use of all though I think, is taking super spooky pictures of the cats.

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I have also discovered that if held just right, I can use this on my dslr which is nifty.

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Wordless Wednesday – Busted

Naughty french Bulldog

 

Linking up for Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys

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Filed Under: Eric, Fur Family Tagged With: ,

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Frosting

Best Banana Cupcakes
I’ve had a bunch of ugly black bananas staring at me every time I opened the freezer for weeks. I’ve planned to make a banana cake but hadn’t really had the motivation.

An article from Martha popped up on my Flipboard a month ago that I filled away for later (do you use flipboard? LOVE IT! you should totes check it out) Anyway, the article, Top 10 Dessert Recipes of 2012 had a few recipes that I wanted to try. First of where these banana cupcakes, wanted to try something other than cream cheese frosting.

So here is the original recipe. The one I have used, below, features some tweaks as suggested by the commentors on the recipe. Despite the name, it seems the original yields a more muffin like cake which I wasn’t wanting.

I am glad I followed their tweaks, because these cupcakes are a.mazing! So light and fluffy. I’d have to say these are the best cupcakes I have ever made!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana, for garnish (optional)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

  • 1 1/4 cup icing sugar
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar.
  4. Separate eggs.
  5. Beat the bananas and egg yolks into the butter, mix well.
  6. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  7. Mix 1/3 of the whites with the wet mix.
  8. Fold the wet mix into the dry until mostly mixed.
  9. Then gently fold in the last 2/3 of the egg whites.
  10. Spoon into the cups, and bake for 15-20 mins.

Icing

  1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat confectioners’ sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
NOM!
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Filed Under: Nomnom

Zombie Cats And 9 Other Reasons Cats Are Awesome

1. Zombie Cat by Leigh Sundstrom

(embedded flash sound, you might need to click through to hear it)

Hearing this sound coming from under your bed in the middle of the night after watching Walking Dead, you could easily be mistaken that the zombie apocalypse is upon us. Zombies are all the rage now, who DOESN’T want zombies under their bed!

2. They are great with computers, and can help you with your work.

cats

3. They make great baby sitters. Sometimes, literally.

catsandbabies

4. Everything is cat when you own cats. I wonder if anyone has done a study on how much cat hair the average owner consumes each year. If we apparently eat 8 spiders each year, I’m not sure we want to know.

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5. The internet is made of cats. It is estimated* the internet is 80% cat. Cat pictures out number porn. In my expert opinion, if you take away the cats. The internet would crash and burn. And no body wants that, right?

6. Having to dash out at all hours to replace the butter. Someone has left it on the bench and a lovely cat has come along and prised the lid of and had a buttery feast (and it is too far gone that you can’t just scrap the licked bits out and tell no one) Helps keep your butter fresh.

7. Looking forward to falling into bed after a hard day, only to find a wet patch and turn the light on and discover a lovely cat has vomited all over your quilt and pillow. You don’t need that much sleep anyway.

8. Scars. Special tattoos given to you by your cat as a lasting memory of their hurty love.

9. They help with important purchases. No, we cannot buy this lounge, the cat hair will stick to it and the vomit won’t clean off too well. The children are all well educated in the types of fabric to avoid for the hair retention. Indeed an important life skill to have

10. Because HELLO, CATS!

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Happy Caturday. Tell me, why is your cat awesome?

* By Me

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Caramel Cornflake Cookies

cornflakecookies2

Looking to make an effort, get out and try new things this year (it’s only January, I am sure the urge will pass) One thing I’d like to do is bake more.

Just before Christmas I was craving cornflake cookies. I used to love those things. Haven’t had one in years (didn’t Woolies used to make them?) Anyway, found this recipe  and I am at the shop looking at the sultanas, raisins and currants. What the hell is the difference between those things?! Standing in the baking isle trying to Google, I gave up and thought screw it we’ll just add chocolate chips.

I am not a huge fan of regular chocolate, so I grabbed some white ones. Spotted the caramel bits, thought why the hell not, we’ll add those too. But damn those things are expensive aren’t they?

I have lost count of how many batches of these we have made since Christmas. They would have to be the best cookies ever. And so easy to make, even the kids have made themselves a batch when they have had friends over. I’ve had a few people ask for the recipe. So, here it is.

Print
Caramel Cornflake Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Makes: ~24 depending on how much batter you eat

Caramel Cornflake Cookies

Ingredients

  • 250g softened butter
  • 2 cups self raising flour
  • 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups Cornflakes
  • Toss in a bunch of caramel and white choc bits..shh no one will know, go on throw in some more!

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven 170°C fanforced and line 2 trays with baking paper or cookie mats (love my cookie mats!)
  2. Cream together sugar, butter and vanilla until pale and creamy.
  3. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition until combined.
  4. Mix in your flour, choc bits and smashed cornflakes until just combined.
  5. Use your hands to roll a tablespoon of mixture into balls. Roll in the smashed cornflakes and place on the baking tray.
  6. Eat the batter that has unfortunately stuck to your fingers.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool on tray for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Apparently you can store them for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Pfft, as if they will last that long!

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Filed Under: Eric, Nomnom Tagged With: ,