Tuesday, March 31, 2015

RECIPE OF CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Hello guys!! How have you been?? Let's practice, study and share our English doubts and ideas about cooking and recipes!!!
Hereeeee we goooooo!!

Have you ever heard about Chocolate Chips Cookies?? Last Wednesday I cooked it. AMAZING AND VERY EASY TO PREPARE IT!! I hope you guys enjoy it, try it and share it with your family and friends. This recipe is very easy and it's delicious!!


Recipe: CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 grams)of butter or margarine
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (330 grams)of bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup of walnuts, chopped

Preparation:

1- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, combine the butter, the sugars, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Beat in the eggs. Gradually add the flour mixture, mix well. Stir in the nuts and chocolate. Chill for an hour, or store in the refrigerator or freeze if you want.

2- Drop teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes in a moderately hot oven (190°C / 375°F).

Note: If chocolate chips are not available, make your own using a bar of bittersweet chocolate chopped into pieces about the size of peas.

Let's try it!!! It's delicious and very easy!! Now you can check the recipe in Portuguese(Brazil) too.

________________________________________________________________

Translation to Portuguese(Brazil)

Cookies com gotas de chocolate

Ingredientes:

2 1/4 xícaras de farinha de trigo
1 colher de chá de bicarbonato de sódio
1 colher de chá de sal
1 xícara (200 gramas) de manteiga ou margarina amolecida
1/2 xícara de açúcar
1/2 xícara de açúcar mascavo
1 colher de chá de essência de baunilha
2 ovos
2 xícaras (330 gramas) de chocolate meio amargo em gotas (vide nota)
1 xícara de nozes picadas

Modo de preparo:

1- Junte a farinha, o bicarbonato de sódio e o sal. Numa tigela grande, junte a manteiga, o açúcar branco, o açúcar mascavo e a baunilha. Bata até ficar cremoso. Acrescente os ovos e bata. Aos poucos, adicione a mistura de farinha, misturando bem. Junte as nozes e o chocolate, mexendo sempre. Deixe esfriar por uma hora e guarde na geladeira ou no freezer, se preferir.

2- Jogue colheres de chá da massa nos tabuleiros sem untar. Asse de 10 a 12 minutos em forno médio-quente (190°C / 375°F)


Nota: Se você não tiver gotas de chocolate, use chocolate meio amargo em barra, picando-o em pedaços do tamanho de uma ervilha.

THANKS GUYS!! I HOPE YOU CAN PREPARE IT AND ENJOY IT!!
=)

Monday, March 30, 2015

23 MOST USED PHRASAL VERBS


Hello guys!! How have you been? I hope you guys enjoy it!!

Have you ever heard about "PHRASAL VERBS"?


DEFINITION: A phrasal verb consists of a VERB  and a PREPOSITION  or ADVERB  that modifies or changes the meaning.


 Let's check, study, practice and share the 23 most used phrasal verbs!!!

1 -  Put down
a- To place (someone /something that you have been holding or carrying) on a table, on the floor, etc.
Example: “You can put the suitcases down in the bedroom”

b- To write (something) : to record (something) in writing
Example: “He put down his memories to write a book when he was older”

c- To give (an amount of money) as a first payment when you are buying something that costs a lot of money
Example: “My husband and I are going to put down some money to buy that house in the centre of town”

d- To kill (an animal) in a way that causes it little pain usually because it is injured or sick
Example: “Jessica had to have her rabbit put down; it was very sick”

2 -  Put off
a- To decide that (something) will happen at a later time : postpone.
Example: “Graham was so tired he put the shoppin off until next week”

b- To cause (someone) to dislike someone or something
Example: “You’re putting me off my food, stop talking about insects!”

3 -  Watch out
a- To be aware of something dangerous.
Example: “Watch out in the mountain, there are bears there!”

4 -  Hold on
a- To have or keep your hand, arms, etc., tightly around something.
Example: “Hold on to the railing, that way you won’t fall”

b- To succeed in keeping a position, condition, etc.
Example: “I will hold on to my job until May”

5 -  Look after -
a- To take care of (someone or something).
Example: “The nurse looked after the patient for months, until he was better”

6 -  Look forward to
a- To expect (something) with pleasure.
Example: “William is really looking forward to going on holiday”

7 - Look up
a- Improve.
Example: “The economy is finally looking up”
b- To search for (something) in a reference book, on the Internet, etc.
Example: “Let’s look up his number in the yellow pages”

8 -  Make out -
a- To write down the required information on (something, such as a check).
Example: “Who shall I make the check out to?”

b- To hear and understand (something)
Example: “I can’t make out what you’re saying, can you speak louder?”

c- To kiss and touch for a long time in a sexual way.
Example: “We made out in the back of his car”

9 -  Pass out
a- To fall asleep or become unconscious.
Example: “Lisa was so tired, she got home and passed out on the sofa”
b- to give (something) to several or many people.
Example: “I passed out leaflets with information on our course”

10 - Pull over -
a- To move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop.
Example: “That looks like a lovely restaurant, can you pull the car over and park?”

11 - Add up
a- To be added together and equal the expected or correct total.
Example: “We added up the apples: there were 12″

b-To make sense : to seem to be logical or true.
Example: “Her story didn’t add up, I think she was lying, it didn’t make sense”


12 - Blow up
a- To fill (something) with air or gas
Example: “Please could you blow up those balloons?”
b- To explode or to cause (something, such as a bomb) to explode.
Example: “The building was blown up by a bomb”
c- To become very angry.
Example: “When I said I couldn’t go to her party, she blew up”

13 - Bring up
a- To take care of and teach (a child who is growing up).
Example: “Their grandparents brought them up because their parents were always travelling”

b- To mention (something) when talking : to start to talk about (something).
Example: “Don’t bring up the fight again, please!”

14 - Call off
a- To stop doing or planning to do (something) .
Example: “Maria called off the wedding, she decided she didn’t love him”

b- To cause or tell (a person or animal) to stop attacking, chasing, etc.
Example: “Call off your dog! He’s attacking my cat”

15 - Carry on
a- To continue to do what you have been doing
Example: “Sorry I interrupted, carry on talking!”

b- To behave or speak in an excited or foolish way.
Example: “The little boy was carrying on: shouting and kicking all day long”

16 - Come across
a- To seem to have a particular quality or character : to make a particular impression.
Example: “Julia came across as a bit bossy”

b- To be expressed to someone.
Example: “I tried to sound happy but it came across as over-excited”

c- To meet or find (something or someone) by chance.
Example: “Luis was leaving the fruit shop and he came across Tom, what a coincidence”

17 - Come up with
a- To get or think of (something that is needed or wanted).
Example: “We finally came up with a solution to the problem!”

18 - Fall apart
a- To break into parts in usually a sudden and unexpected way,
Example: “My cake fell apart when I tried to cut it”

b- To become unable to live in a normal way because you are experiencing a lot of confusion or emotional pain
Example: “After the divorce, she fell apart”

19 - Get along
a- To be or remain friendly
Example: “We’re not together anymore, but we get along great”

b- To make progress while doing something.
Example: “How are you getting along at playing the guitar?”

c- To leave a place
Example: “It was lovely to see you, but my friend has to get along, she has class”

d- To become old.
Example: “Her grandma is getting along; she’s almost 99″

20 - Get away
a- To go away from a place.
Example: “I can0t wait to get away from the city”

b- To avoid being caught : to escape
Example: “The thieves managed to get away in a stolen car”

c- To not be criticized or punished for (something).
Example: “Yvonne is always lying, I can’t understand how she gets away with it”

21 - Get over
a- To stop being controlled or bothered by (something, such as a problem or feeling).
Example: “I got over my fear of flying”

b- To stop feeling unhappy about (something).
Example: “Finally, Kylie got over her ex-boyfriend”

c- To become healthy again after (an illness).
Example: “Have you heard? Dave has gotten over the flu”


22 - Give up -
a- To stop an activity or effort : to admit that you cannot do something and stop trying
Example: “We all gave up smoking on January 1st”

23 - Go on -
a- To continue.
Example: “They landed in Paris and then went on to Montpellier”

b- To go or travel to a place before another person or group that is with you.
Example: “You go on to the restaurant, I’ll come in 10 minutes”

c- To happen
Example: “What’s going on? What’s happening?”

d- Used in speech to urge someone to do something
Example: “Go on! Try it, it’s delicious”



I hope you guys enjoy it and practice!!!
Thanks.




EASTER

Hello guys!! How have you been? Let’s check a litlle bit about the Easter Tradition!


Have you ever heard about “Good Friday”?

Good Friday occurs two days before Easter. It is the day when Christians commemorate Jesus Christ's crucifixion, which plays an important part in the Christian faith.


And how about the Easter?

Many Christians celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. The date depends on the ecclesiastical approximation of the March equinox. Let’s celebrate 2015 Easter on April 5thAnd of courseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee we can’t forget about the Easter eggs and the Chocolate Bunnies!!!


What do you usually do on Easter Sunday?

How do you celebrate this important date?



Let’s practice, study and share ou English doubts and ideas!!

Happy Easter!!
Thanks.

Friday, March 27, 2015

TONGUE TWISTERS

Hello guys!! How are you doing?? Have you ever heard about "Tongue Twister"??? A tongue twister is a sequence of words that is difficult to pronounce quickly and correctly for even native speakers. Here we have some Tongue Twisters to practice!!

Let's have fun and try to speak quickly and correctly!


1- Ice Cream

  • I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
2- Woodchuck 
  • How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
3- Peter Piper 
  • Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? 
4- I Saw Susie
  • I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop.

5- Can you can a can 

  • Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?


And then?? Difficult?? Let's increase a little bit the level. 

6- Betty Botter 
  • Betty Botter had some butter, “But,” she said, “this butter's bitter. If I bake this bitter butter, it would make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter – that would make my batter better.” So she bought a bit of butter, better than her bitter butter, and she baked it in her batter, and the batter was not bitter. So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.

7- Doctor doctoring 

  • When a doctor doctors a doctor, does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as the doctor being doctored wants to be doctored or does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as he wants to doctor?
8- Fuzzy Wuzzy 
  • Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy, was he? The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick!
9- I have got a date

  • I have got a date at a quarter to eight, I'll see you at the gate, so don't be late.

10- This is the World's hardest Tongue Twister, according to the Guiness Book.
  • The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick!




So guys, did you enjoy?? Let's share and practice!!
Thanks!!
=)

Thursday, March 26, 2015

5 NOUNS AND 5 ADJECTIVES TO MAKE YOU SOUND SMART

Hello guys!! How have you been?? Last week I checked these kinds of NOUNS and ADJECTIVES , I watched some videos about it and I would like to share it with you guys!! So here we have 5 nouns and 5 adjectives to make you sound smart. Start including these nouns and adjectives in your conversation with your boss, teacher, friend or in a metting. You'll sound smarter in no time! Expand your vocabulary, and make a better impression on the people that you meet!! Let's check!!



NOUNS

1- RABLE = A mob of common people.
Ex: The police couldn't control the rable.

2- GALL = Refers to the nerve or the courage, the bold courage to do something.
Ex: He had the gall to call me fat.

3- BEDLAM = Refers to chaos and disorder.
Ex: The streets were in bedlam during the protests.

4- JUXTAPOSITIONis basically a comparison of two things that are next two each other.
Ex: A child next to an old man is a strong juxtaposition.

5- QUAGMIREis a situation that is difficult to escape from.
Ex: The war has created a quagmire.



ADJECTIVES

1- VISCERAL = Emotional + instinctual
Ex: Skydiving(which means jumping from a plane) is an incredibly visceral experience.

2- LACKADAISICAL = Lazy + careless.
Ex:His work has been very lackadaisical lately.

3- INTERMINABLE = Never ending + endless.
Ex: Her complaining is interminable.

4- MAUDLIN = Overly emotional + sentimental
Ex: Drinking makes me maudlin.

5- EGREGIOUS = very bad.
Ex: Sorry, but your logic is so egregious.




THANKS!! LET'S SHARE AND PRACTICE!!
=)

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

Hello guys, how are you doing? Now let's check some simple ways to improve your health and your life. Here we have some tips and activities that I'm sure they will help you!! Let's check:




1- DRINK MORE WATER: Our body is 90 percent water and needs water for almost every function.  Many of the aches and pains, headaches, and other symptoms we experience would lessen if we just drank more water.

LET'S DO IT!!






2- HUG SOMEONE YOU LOVE: When you hug someone you love (someone who actually wants to be hugged), your body releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin that ward off depression.



LET'S DO IT!!



3- MAKE YOUR BED
This isn't about being a clean freak. It's a small ritual that can help create a calm environment for you in your bedroom -- and a soothing bedroom is part of "sleep hygiene" -- little habits that can help you sleep better.  Do it first thing in the morning, and you've got one less thing to worry about for the rest of the day.




LET'S DO IT!!

4- HAVE A GOOD LAUGHLaughing can help to boost blood flow by more than 20 per cent, and researchers say it may reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Laughing can also help to fight infections, relieve hay fever, ease pain and control diabetes.




LET'S DO IT!!
5- SING IN THE SHOWER: The shower, with its cocoon of privacy and superlative acoustics, brings out the diva in us all. And we would be wise to let her take the steamy stage and croon away. Music therapists believe that singing boosts your mood. Bonus: singing also enhances immunity by increasing antibodies that fight sickness, according to one German study. So whether your style is Adele,Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Madonna or Chitãozinho & Xororó belt your heart out and soak in singing's mood and health benefits.



SO GUYS, LET'S PRACTICE AND SHARE THESE WAYS!!!!


Thanks!

WHAT KIND OF_______DO YOU LIKE?

Hello guys!! Let's practice our vocabulary about "LIKES & DISLIKES" and share with our friends.

What kind of_______do you like?

                  
MUSIC:  Jazz / Pop / Rap / Rock 'n' Roll / K-Pop / Techno / Folk /Samba / Reggae / Funk etc.
                                      
MOVIES: Horror / Adventure / Drama / Action /Comedy /Romance / Documentary etc.
SPORTS: Soccer / Golf / Basketball / Handball / Volleyball / Baseball / Tennis / etc.

LET'S PRACTICE!!!

  • I LOVE...
  • I HATE...
  • I DON'T LIKE...
  • I AM CRAZY ABOUT...
  • I CAN'T STAND...
  • I ENJOY...
  • I REALLY LIKE...
  • I DISLIKE...
  • I DON'T MIND...














SOME INTERNET LANGUAGE ABBREVIATIONS

When chating on the internet, you may use a faster way to communicate. You can use some abbreviations. Let's check and practice some abbreviations!!


  • ASAP = AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
  • OMG = OH MY GOD
  • TKS = THANKS
  • R = ARE
  • U = YOU
  • BTW = BY THE WAY
  • LOL = LAUGHING OUT LOUD
  • NP = NO PROBLEM
  • ADAD = ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DOLLAR
  • AFAP = AS FAR AS POSSIBLE
  • B4 = BEFORE
  • CU = SEE YOU
  • M8 = MATE
  • WB = WELCOME BACK
  • W8 = WAIT
Now you know some of the abbreviations to share and use with your friends!!!