Sun and Moon: Yin and Yang

Dark Mark - Drawing

I drew a picture of the Dark Mark from Harry Potter. The quote is from Sirius Black.

Copyright © 2020 Jasmine’s Not-so-secret Journal

Melanie Martinez - Drawing

I drew a picture of the singer Melanie Martinez...

Copyright © 2020 Jasmine’s Not-so-secret Journal

Birthday Spa Day and Picnic!

Special Birthday day for my mum - isolation edition. So today I spent the whole day pampering my hardworking loving mum for her birthday, which was unfortunately during self-isolation (due to coronavirus). But that didn’t make her special day any less special. For breakfast, my mum woke to a breakfast-in-bed of french toast and fresh fruit with some hot chocolate sauce and a coffee. (see previous post for photos). Then when she left her bedroom, she saw our lounge room all ‘dressed up’ as a day spa. I covered the couch in soft blankets and throw pillows, the tv stand with deliciously scented candles and had other spa-like knickknacks around the place (e.g, dream catchers, a salt lamp etc.). I found a youtube video of 3 hours of an image of a beautiful cascading waterfall with tranquil music and water noises and put it on the tv. She then rested her feet in a heated foot spa and using my homemade sugar cookie foot scrub, I gave her a foot massage. Then using my homemade coconut hand lotion, I also massaged her hands. She then relaxed with puzzle books and mindful colouring in whilst I prepared lunch. I blew up a few balloons and hung up a bunting saying ‘It’s Your Day!’ on it in our backyard, where I had laid out a picnic blanket in the sunlight for us to have lunch on. For lunch I made zucchini slice, crumbed chicken and veggie sticks (with some homemade hummus). Then came the long-anticipated birthday cake. I made a New York Lemon baked cheesecake - my mum’s favourite - and put three candles on top (one for each member of our immediate family). Then we all drove to a local park and went for a walk amongst the beautiful Aussie wildlife until the sun started to set. Then for dinner I made us some butter chicken with coconut rice. All in all it was a lovely day - especially for the birthday girl I’m sure 😊

Day 34 of Isolation - and it’s someone’s Birthday

26th of April, 2020
Day 34 of Isolation. Today is my mum’s birthday. Unfortunately, her birthday is during self-isolation, so we can’t go anywhere and we can’t visit family and friends. Fortunately for her, this means I spend the whole day pampering her. Starting off with a delicious gluten free and dairy free (but certainly not taste free) breakfast-in-bed and then a foot spa and hand massage, then a delicious backyard picnic - complete with a birthday cake. So far I’ve only gotten to the breakfast part (it’s only 10am) but I’ll keep updating later on in the day.

^ Gluten and dairy free French Toast with fresh fruit and homemade chocolate sauce 😋 

Day 31 of Isolation

23rd April, 2020.
Day 31 of Isolation. Hey I haven’t posted in a while so I thought I’d post a simple but delicious recipe for a healthy breakfast/lunch dish I made...

Ingredients:
2 slices of fruit bread
1 apple (green or red, doesn’t matter - I used green)
Butter or margarine (to spread on toast)
Cinnamon (for dusting)

Method:
1. Toast fruit bread to liking (I may have accidentally burnt mine slightly...don’t do that)
2. Remove core from apple and cut into thin slices (I cut mine into 24ths but it depends on how big the apple is)
3. Butter toasted bread
4. Layer the sliced apple pieces on the bread
5. Dust with cinnamon and enjoy! 😋

Btw, I used gluten free bread, which is why it looks so small.

Day 15 of Isolation

7th April 2020
Day 15 of isolation. Last Friday (3rd of April) was the last day of my school term (I was doing my schooling online at home anyway), so today was the second day of my school holidays (I don’t count the weekend). However, I’m in isolation so there’s a lot I can’t do. But there’s also a lot I can do. Today I utilised my free time by properly organising my bathroom cupboards. I feel much better having everything organised. I then decided to complete a 500 piece Harry Potter puzzle. It took me a while but I got there...

Apple Strudel

This afternoon my mum and I decided to pass the time by making some delicious Apple Strudel!

I also made my own Vanilla Ice-cream, it’s so deliciously creamy 😋 

Book List - 2019

As I mentioned in a previous post, I set myself a new goal for reading each year. Last year’s goal was 50. Since most people are in isolation, I though I’d post all the books I read last year for people looking for good books to read. I can assure you that I loved every single book on this list! Enjoy 🤗


1. Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan
2. Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
3. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
4. The Crown of Ptolemy - Rick Riordan
5. Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan
6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the Original Screenplay) - J.K.Rowling
7. Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan
8. The Crimes of Grindelwald (the Original Screenplay) - J.K.Rowling
9. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
10. Switched - Amanda Hocking
11. Heroes of Olympus: The House of Hades - Rick Riordan
12. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone - J.K.Rowling
13. Heroes of Olympus: The Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan
14. The Giver - Lois Lowry
15. Notes From the Midnight Driver - Jordan Sonnenblick
16. The Babysitter - Sheryl Browne
17. Trash - Andy Mulligan
18. The Pearl - John Steinbeck
19. The Happiest Refugee - Anh Do
20. Drums, Girls + Dangerous Pie - Jordan Sonnenblick
21. All Good Children - Catherine Austen
22. Cookie - Jacqueline Wilson
23. Torn - Amanda Hocking
24. Legally Blonde - Amanda Brown
25. Ascend - Amanda Hocking
26. Déjà Dead - Kathy Reichs
27. Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder
28. Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor - Rick Riordan
29. Night of the Living Dummy - R.L.Stine
30. Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder
31. Welcome to Dead House - R.L.Stine
32. Falling Over Sideways - Jordan Sonnenblick
33. Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead - Rick Riordan
34. The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle - Rick Riordan
35. milk and honey - Rupi Kaur
36. The Store - James Patterson
37. Assassin Study - Maria V. Snyder
38. Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder
39. The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy - Rick Riordan
40. Power Study - Maria V. Snyder
41. The Trials of Apollo: The Burning Maze - Rick Riordan
42. Storm Glass - Maria V. Snyder
43. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K.Rowling
44. Stay Out of the Basement - R.L.Stine
45. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
46. Mouthful of Forevers - Clementine von Radics
47. Haunted Schools: True Ghost Stories - Allan Zullo
48. the princess saves herself in this one - Amanda Lovelace
49. My Sister Jodie - Jacqueline Wilson
50. Once Upon a Dream - Liz Braswell
51. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

Self-Isolation Due to Coronavirus (Day 9)

1st April 2020
Day 9 of isolation. It’s always important to keep healthy. Even if you’re in isolation, in fact, especially if you’re in isolation. A healthy body = a healthy mind. Even with people panic buying things such as pasta, rice, tinned foods and....toilet paper, there’s still plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables available. Today I made myself a delicious yet healthy breakfast consisting of a combination of fresh fruit (rockmelon, strawberries and blueberries), Greek yoghurt, honey and toasted muesli.

Yum! 😋 

Self-Isolation Due to the Coronavirus (Day 8)

31st March 2020
Day 8 of isolation. If you’re reading this then you may have noticed that I didn’t post anything the last two days (Days 6 & 7). I won’t post everyday but I’ll post as often as I can. Today I had mostly school work to do again, but after that I decided to do some more cooking. I made some Maple Bacon Scrolls and they are delicious 😋 Although I’m still not quite sure if they’re supposed to be sweet or savoury. Maybe a bit of both.
The Karate club I attend has closed classes due to the coronavirus, which is no surprise. Luckily the club is using the platform Zoom to continue classes online via live video meetings. Today I had my first proper class (there was a few before today but then I wasn’t training because I was helping out since my parents run the club) and it ran mostly the same as a normal class, save a few technical difficulties with my internet connection. I’m really glad that I’m still able to do karate so I have something to do during isolation and also so I can maintain a somewhat regular routine.
Also to pass the time, I’ve mainly been doing lots of reading. At the moment I’m reading a book called ‘Specials’ by Scott Westerfeld. It’s the third in an amazing series, I even got my dad reading them, although he’s only on the second book.
I’ll hopefully be posting some more this week, until then stay safe, stay positive and remember to wash your hands.

Self-Isolation Due to Coronavirus (Day 5)

28th March, 2020
Day 5 of isolation. Today is a Saturday, the first day of isolation where I haven’t had school work to keep myself occupied. To pass the time, I’ve decided to start learning a new language. I’ve already spent a good hour of today trying to learn Greek on the app Duolingo. It’s actually not as hard as I thought it would be, but it’ll definitely be a while before I’m speaking it fluently. I’m using today as an opportunity to do some tidying of my room. After that I might try and learn a new song on the guitar. I started learning (online) how to play acoustic guitar about a year ago but I haven’t really had very much time to play. I know a few songs and basic chords, hopefully I’ll learn a lot more whilst isolated.  I’ll also get to catch up on some reading. I have plenty of books in my bookshelves that I’ve yet to read. Last year I had a goal to read 50 books. It’s not much, considering how fast I read, I just find it difficult to find the time. I’m happy to say that last year I achieved my goal. This year I have a new goal to read 75 books. Each year I plan to slowly increase my goal, to push myself to find more time to read. Although...so far this year I’ve only read 6 books, I’ve got quite a while before I reach my goal. But whilst isolated, I have plenty of time to read, which is good because I love reading. At the moment I’m reading a book called ‘Raelia’ by Lynette Noni. It’s the second book in a series that my friend recommended to me. She has a blog too, you should check it out...
http://maddiebookworm.blogspot.com
Anyway, I’ll be updating my blog with more on what I’m doing. And remember: stay positive!

Aussie Bacon Potato Salad Recipe

Aussie Bacon Potato Salad:

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4-5 Slices of bacon 

1/2 Brown onion

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

500mL Water

1000g Potatoes (about 10-11 small potatoes - when I made it my potatoes only weighed about 100g each)

6 Eggs

200g Mayonnaise

20g Whole grain mustard

2 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar 

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Dice bacon (2-3cm) and onion
2. Heat frying pan with olive oil
3. Fry bacon and onion on medium heat until lightly browned (stir constantly so the food doesn’t stick to the pan). Once cooked, set aside
4. Cut potatoes into 3-4cm cubes (they do not have to be perfect cubes), you can peel the potatoes if you wish, however I personally prefer the skin on. 
5. Fill a pot with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil
6. Add potatoes, keep heat on medium-high until potatoes are soft. You can test how soft they are by piercing them with a fork. Set aside to cool
7. Using the same water from the potatoes, place whole eggs (with shells on) in the still-boiling water. Cook until hard-boiled, this should only take 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
8. Once cooked, peel and cut eggs into quarters 
9. To make the dressing, place mayonnaise, mustard and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and stir to combine. Add cooked bacon and onion.
10. Once eggs and potatoes have cooled down for at least 15 mins, put them in a bowl together with the dressing mixture. Toss to combine (do this gently so the egg doesn’t completely fall apart). Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the top (optional)
11. Refrigerate/freeze for later or serve immediately. Best warm but can be had cold. Enjoy 🤗 

Self-Isolation due to Coronavirus (Day 4)

27th of March, 2020
It’s day 4 of self-isolation due to COVID-19. I do not have the virus but I am staying home to prevent getting it. I am currently in year 11 and am having to do all of my schooling at home. I’ve decided to post regular updates on my blog to let those very few who read my blog see what I’m doing to keep myself occupied during this time of isolation. It’s a good idea to find activities to do to keep your spirits up whilst unfortunately being unable to catch up with friends and family. I’ve decided to have a positive outlook on this whole situation. I see it as an opportunity to learn how to adapt and to be able to do my school work at my own pace. I also get to spend more time with my immediate family. Aside from the school work I had to complete today, to keep myself entertained, I decided to make some gluten free bread rolls because I love to cook. I used a Thermomix recipe and they turned out great, I’m using them as burger buns for the ‘Mexican Style Burgers’ I’m making my family for dinner tonight. If the burgers (and the potato salad I’m making on the side) turn out well I might post the recipe on here. Look out for more updates on what I’m doing during isolation 🤗