Category Archives: Entertainment

Travel/Food

Top 5 places to travel: These are some of the best places to travel and here is why

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By: Isabel Strack

Image taken from: https://www.vecteezy.com/

Paris

Paris is one of the best places to travel because it is a major European city and a global center for finance, diplomacy, commerce, art, fashion, gastronomy, and culture.

Paris has many great stores to shop at. The shopping experiences in Paris make it worth the visit.

Paris has leading roles in science and arts, as well as its early and expensive system of street lighting. In the 19th century Paris became known as the city of light.

And lastly, from many bucket list attractions like the Eiffel Tower, your first visit may feel magical, but even if you return dozens of times you will never run out of new things to see and do.

Hawaii

Hawaii is one of the most popular places to visit. Hawaii has very beautiful scenery like their gorgeous beaches. They are very well known for their famous beaches as well. From the idyllic shorelines of Waikiki to the wild black sand on Hawaii’s big island.

Hawaii has amazing wildlife whether it is whale watching season or seeing the tropical birds, to dolphins. You can watch the green sea turtles and how they behave in their natural habitat as well.

And lastly, you may want to visit because they have beautiful volcanoes. You are able to go on many tourist helicopter rides to see these mountains up close. The Hawaiian islands were formed by the volcanic eruptions deep under the ocean.

Bali

Many people like to travel to Bali because they have amazing beaches. They have big collections of gorgeous beaches. These beaches can range from white sandy coastlines to limestone cliffs.

Another big reason people like to visit is because they always have beautiful weather. Bali is always nice and warm because it is 8 degrees south of the equator which is why Bali is a top option for beach lovers.

And lastly, another reason to visit is because they have great restaurant options. Some of Indonesia’s best restaurants are right in Bali; some of them are even in the “World’s 50 best restaurants.” Those are just some of the many reasons why Bali is an amazing place to visit.

Greece

Greece is a very popular place to travel and here is why. Greece has great hiking spots. They have many hills and mountains that have beautiful views and are perfect for people who love to hike.

Greece has very nice beaches. Greece has over 6,000 islands which means that they have a lot of beaches. The sand is alway very soft and clean and the ocean is always clear and clean.

They also have amazing Greek food. They are very well known for their olive oil; they’re even in the top 3 olive oils. They also make amazing dairy products, like their Greek yogurt.

Rome

Many people enjoy visiting Rome and here are some of the reasons why. Rome is the capital of Italy and is a beautiful place.

Rome also has very beautiful weather. Temperatures in spring hover around 65 degrees but can occasionally reach to 80 degrees. Which means it can never be too hot or too cold.

Rome also has amazing Italian food. They have many different dishes but are most known for their spaghetti or Alfredo. They also make amazing pizzas in their stone ovens that can cook the pizzas to perfection. There are many different reasons why Rome is amazing to visit. These are just some of the main reasons.

Tech/Games

‘A Hat in Time’ review

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By: Persephone Pond

‘A Hat in Time’ is a 3D platformer game released in 2017 and developed by an indie studio called Gears for Breakfast, and published by Humble Bumble. In this game, the player plays as a young girl called Hat Kid, who loses her fuel for her spaceship and needs to collect all the pieces to get home.

There are 4 different areas of the planet that these fuel pieces land on. Each area consists of 4-7 different levels plus a boss fight; each level gaining a lost piece of fuel until the player eventually collects all 40 missing pieces and are able to get back home.

The first area is a large town built around a volcano called Mafia Town. The enemies in this area are caricatures of stereotypical Italian mafia members, and while fighting through each level, the player gains more information about their backstory and how Mafia Town came to be.

The second area is a movie studio, where the player meets 2 rival directors fighting for an annual movie award. The first director, The Conductor, is a Scottish murder mystery director with a tendency to direct all his movies on trains. The second director is a disco themed penguin who strives for fame and only fame. Both characters recruit the player to act in their movies, so the levels in this area are more story driven.

The third area is the Subcon Forest, where the player is introduced to an evil spirit who is known by the name The Snatcher. When he steals the player’s soul, he offers contracts to do his dirty work around the forest for the soul to be returned. The forest is spooky and there are a few horror-esque levels in this area.

The final area is the Alpine Skyline. This is a beautiful landscape inhabited by giant goat creatures, who are cared for by smaller, humanoid goat creatures. The player must retrieve pieces of fuel from different areas that all require different skills, and through these levels the player is introduced to the dark lore of the land.

All of the levels in this game are creative and very well thought out, and the level of detail in each individual character’s story is wonderfully fleshed out. The author of this article fully recommends the game and on a scale of 10 stars, easily rates it a 10.

‘A Hat in Time’ is available on consoles such as Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows. In addition to the vanilla game, there are 2 DLCs available on all the same platforms. These DLCs add 14 total more fuel pieces to collect, and add a higher difficulty to the game if desired, and add 2 new areas to the planet with wonderful stories and characters.

Entertainment

Slime reviews

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By: Seng Yang & Christine Yang

Thick Glossy Slime:

Thick glossy slime is one of the most known/common types of slime and it’s g\the “original”. It’s really stretchy and makes nice popping noises, but if the slime is under activated then it can be really sticky. In our opinion, we give this 9/10, because the slime makes satisfying noises and it is stretchy but it can melt in your hands if it’s too warm and it easily sticks onto things (ex. hair, carpet, clothing, etc).

Recipe:

  • Elmer’s liquid glue
  • Color of your choice (food coloring, paint, or markers)
  • Activator – detergent: Tide, Borax, or eye contact solution (w/Baking soda)

Water Slime:

Water slime is also one of the well known slimes, it’s known for it being jiggly and water-like which is where the name came from. In our opinion, we rate this 3.5/10 because you can’t really stretch the slime due to it not having a stretching consistency, and it gets boring when you play with it for awhile. The slime can also leave watery residue on your hands, it dries out easily, and the slime can separate after awhile without touching it (the slime is hard on the bottom and the water floats at the top) which can smell bad. But the slime isn’t as sticky as the thick glossy slime which can be the positive side to it.

Recipe:

  • Elmer’s liquid glue
  • Color of your choice (food coloring, paint, or markers)
  • Activator – detergent: Tide, Borax, or eye contact solution (w/Baking soda)
  • Water

Butter Slime:

Butter slime is also a well known type of slime. It’s known for a smooth and butter-like base due to the clay that’s added into it. Unlike the thick glossy slime it doesn’t make popping noises, and isn’t jiggly like watery slime either. When you spread the butter slime it stays in its shape unlike thick glossy slime that slowly goes back to its original shape. In our opinion, we rate this slime 6/10 because it also gets boring after playing with it for awhile due to the limitation of noises and more, but it’s really stretchy and not sticky. 

Recipe:

  • Elmer’s liquid glue
  • Color of your choice (food coloring, paint, or markers)
  • Activator – detergent: Tide, Borax, or eye contact solution (w/Baking soda)
  • Air dry clay

Crunchy Slime:

Crunchy slime is also a common type of slime and it has the same base as the thick glossy slime but instead it has beads or styrofoam balls. It’s really stretchy and makes a lot of popping noises due to the beads/styrofoam balls. It can also be sticky if it’s not well activated, and adding too many beads/styrofoam balls can make the slime not as stretchy and hard to play with since it takes up space. We rate this slime a 7.5/10 because the beads/styrofoam balls can fall out while playing which can cause a mess, but overall it’s a good slime since it’s basically like the thick glossy slime.

Recipe:

  • Elmer’s liquid glue
  • Color of your choice (food coloring, paint, or markers)
  • Activator – detergent: Tide, Borax, or eye contact solution (w/Baking soda)
  • Beads of your choice or styrofoam
Music/Concerts

‘When Wind Meets Fire’

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By: Yohan Lee

Elevation Worship is a Christian band and it began in 2007 at Elevation Church. They are some of the most well known churches and worship groups. One of the most popular songs is “Praise” from the album ‘Can You Imagine?’

‘When Wind Meets Fire’ by Elevation Worship music list:

  1. New Thing Coming
  2. What A Miracle
  3. Sure Been Good
  4. Faithful Now
  5. God Is Not Against Me
  6. Owe You Praise
  7. When Wind Meets Fire
  8. Always On Time
  9. Another One
  10. Great Is
  11. Easy
  12. All Of The Sudden

For “New Things Coming” it gives like motivation because in the lyrics it says “Darkness bow down to the day. Mountains get up out of my way. Breaking out of yesterday. I got a new thing coming.” It says even though the enemy is going to come down and try to attack you, and even when you’re being attacked, you always know that tomorrow is going to be a better day and not going to be the same as yesterday.

Also in “New Things Coming”, when the lyrics say “[T]ell this giant in my face. You’re no greater than my faith.” It’s implying that even though your enemy could be bigger than you, it can’t beat your faith. If you just know that your faith is much stronger than your enemy then your enemy can’t do anything.

I think this song is pretty good. It has a lot of meaning behind it. Some of the stuff I said is not half of it.

For “What A Miracle” this song is implying that our savior is always going to love us. The lyrics that stuck out to me are “You called me from the grave and pulled me from the dirt. I love how you love me first.” For me, it says that even if you’re at your lowest point he will always somehow pull you from your lowest point to your highest point. Our savior will always love us even when we are lost.

I believe that this song is really good because it shows how our savior can still love us forever even when we did a bad deed.

For “Sure Been Good”, when the lyrics are saying “You took the mess that I was in and you have done some incredible things.” I believe that this is saying that our savior can just turn our mess and flip it to make our life better.

For “Faithful Now”, the whole song is basically you putting your faith in God and once you do he’ll do the task that is impossible for someone: like moving a mountain. If he wants that mountain to move he’ll start an earthquake. In my opinion, I really like this song because it’s catchy.

For “God Is Not Against Me”, the song is saying God will never go against us even when we make the biggest mistake. He is never going to betray you because he created us. I think this song is pretty good.

“Owe You Praise” is basically talking about how our savior has done a lot for us and he deserves our praise. Our savior will get tired but from afar it will always watch over us. I think this song is speaking the truth because after all the stuff he did for us I think he should deserve all the praise.

The “When Wind Meets Fire” song means bringing something that’s stuck in one place to another. Like imagine if the fire is all of us and we’re all stuck, but once our savior comes and touches us then we can quickly spread and move far apart. This is an opinion, but I think this is one of the best songs on this list.

“Always On Time”. This song basically is telling that our savior will always be there at our lowest and his timing is always going to be right. I like this song because it’s true. His timing is always going to be right. It could take a few minutes, a few weeks or even years, but during those times you can always learn more about him which can work or improve yourself.

“Another One” is a very good song. In the introduction it says “You do everything on purpose” which of course everything he does to us he does on purpose. It could be a test to see your faith in him or it’s just a life lesson. And in the next line it says “I’ve been praying and you’ve been working” which is saying he is working on that prayer but like again, it’s on his timing, and if he tells you about something it will happen.

“Great Is”, is another good song. This song shows how our savior can simply make something that seems impossible and just flip it. You might not know it but like everything else he does it’s on his timing. And if you have faith in him then you can trust the process.

“Easy” is a great song to show how powerful he is. Some of the lyrics are saying he can move a mountain, part seas, fight ten-thousand battles and still win and take down giants. In this song, a good lyric is “What I call impossible is easy for you”; nothing is impossible for him.

And finally, for the last song “All Of The Sudden” it tells if you just breathe him in, as in knowing or letting him in your life just a little bit, at your lowest point you’re going to feel strong all of the sudden. The strength just rushes through you and just overflows your soul.

I hope you guys will listen to one of these songs. You could even listen to a glimpse of it and it could somehow change your life. But if you do like this kind of music, I strongly recommend listening to ‘Praise’ by Elevation Worship or ‘Wake’ by Hillsong United.

Travel/Food

Favorite places in our hometown

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By: Priya Anderson and Ruby Anderson

Growing up in Rochester, MN is different from St. Paul in various ways: from the size of the city, to the activities you can do and the type of people you meet. We moved in October of 2021, so a majority of our life was spent in Rochester. For people unfamiliar with the Mayo Clinic’s birth place, we’d like to share some of our favorite places to get readers acquainted.

Apache Mall:

Apache Mall is like the centerpiece of Rochester. It is located in the SW portion of the city and has 114 stores. we’d say it’s the place teens and young adults hang out the most. The relatively small size is great for an impromptu shopping day, but sadly it is not as popular to actually shop as it was before COVID. When we visit Rochester, we mainly like to go to the food court and get Caribou coffee, since a large number of the stores that drew people in had to close. It is still a great place for teenagers to safely chill out and relax.

Soldiers Field pool:

If you’re looking for a place to cool down and have fun with your friends during the summer, Soldiers Field pool is the perfect place to go. We have had so many great memories at this pool from when we were toddlers to when we were teens. A lot has changed around Soldiers Field, but the pool remains open every season. We actually consider it to be nicer than the Highland Pool near Highland Park High School due to its larger children’s area and the length/number of slides. The pool is also located very close to downtown Rochester, so after you are done swimming you can go see any of the “tourist” stores and restaurants it has to offer.

Downtown Rochester/Peace Plaza:

The Mayo Clinic brings all walks of life to Rochester, which means it can be a source of “tourism”, if that word works. Things like restaurants, clothing stores, U of M merch stores, and countless hotels are due to the patients staying at The Clinic. The restaurants located here are very good in our opinion. For example, Chesters, which serves ‘upscale’ American food, Canadian Honker, a great family breakfast place (great for birthday brunch) and Victorias, an Italian style restaurant Mayo employees love, are some of our family favorites.

The Peace Plaza is in this same area, and is right in the center of all of the hotels. We highly recommend staying at one of these a couple times, even if you aren’t staying for the Clinic. Mayo Clinic history is also all over downtown, and you can walk through all the artwork/statues made for the hospital. Overall, this might be the second most popular place for anyone to spend time in Rochester.

Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo:

Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo is a campground and zoo that holds previously injured animals that have been inhibited from living in the wild. It houses 30 species of animals, from bobcats, black bears, foxes, porcupines, turkeys, chickens, bald eagles, insects like tarantulas, and amphibians and lizards. This was a lot of fun to go to as a young child and we still really enjoy it. It really is fun for all ages because of how diverse the animal selection is, and the walkable outdoors. Events also take place there, like holiday light shows and animal shows. Oxbow pPark also has great hiking trails, and forestry all around.

Quarry Hill:

Rochester Public Schools used to take us here the most out of any destination for field trips. Quarry Hill is a nature center with outdoor and indoor activities, and is primarily for younger children and elementary school events. Personally, the best part of any Quarry Hill trip was finally coming inside out of the cold and the forest, and seeing the T-Rex skull on display. In this room, they also had several large fish in a long tank, turtles, bees that lived inside of a hive within a see-through wall (and their queen which you would always try to find and when we were there for school, we used to get raw honey comb from the bees as well), snakes and lizards, and more large bugs. They also had things like animal pelts, antlers, bones, and fossils to put under microscopes and observe. There’s also a bird watch room behind the beehive. As said before, the T-Rex skull was always the most exciting, and being a little kid, it looked unbelievable. In the quarry there are more fun secrets like caves, rock climbing, trails, and rivers.

Even with the limited things we could do in Rochester compared to St. Paul, great memories were made and the connection Rochester has to nature is also evident. From the Apache Mall to Quarry Hill there are a variety of places to hang out and make memories with friends and family. We miss it a lot, and hope to go back soon!

Advice/How To, Books/Art, Fashion/Make-Up

HOW TO MAKE A FASHION BOOK/TEMPLATE

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By: Charlotte Bistodeau

Many people want to get into fashion designing but don’t know where to start. You might think you need fabric, special notebooks, special pencils (which is all true eventually but not in the beginning). Here I’ll take you through some of the simple things that will make getting into fashion design easier overall.

The first thing you’ll want is a fashion book. Any notebook can be a fashion book, but there are many things I’ll suggest here that will make things simple.

  1. I suggest a notebook that has blank pages (think sketch books). Having lines on your paper may distract you from the final product.
  2. When choosing your sketch book you want to think about what art supplies you’re going to use most. Example, If you are going to be using a lot of watercolor then choose a sketchbook with watercolor paper.
  3. Your sketchbook does not have to be fancy, in fact you can purchase one at Five Below and you’ll be fine.
  4. Small sketchbooks are a great starting point especially if you have no clue what to do or design. Less space means less stress on the line and makes it seem like you’ve done more.
  5. A bigger sketchbook might feel like a nice idea (not filling it up as fast, having more room) but it can make you feel threatened by how little you seem to have drawn or how much you still have to draw.
  6. Don’t pick out your sketchbook for ascetic purposes. Just because it looks nice doesn’t mean you’ll like the feel of it. You should check to see if you like the feel of the grain and if it works with the main art supplies you choose to use. If you really are worried about it looking nice, you can always decorate the cover yourself with paint, paper, stickers, etc. and make it your own.

The second thing you might want to do is create a stencil to make it easier to draw your design. So, here are the steps to make a stencil.

First, you’ll want to sketch out a picture of a model template. After you finish your drawing and are happy with it, you should take a photo for a later step.

Second, you’ll want to glue your drawing down on a piece of cardstock or thin flat cardboard. Example, I used a side from a box of ice cream (taken out of recycling).

Third, you’ll want to use an exacto knife or box cutter to cut out the drawing from your template; make sure if you have extra pieces (example, for me it was the gaps between the body and arm) that you find a way to keep them connected to the rest of the stencil. Also make sure to have an extra piece of cardboard, cutting mat, etc, to make sure you don’t scrape whatever surface you’re cutting on.

Now you can take a pencil and trace it. Notice I drew on a lined sheet of paper; I did this as an example and if I am actually going to use the template I’ll draw it on a blank sheet. Going back to the first step, look at the photo you took of the original drawing and add anything you may have missed with just the basic stencil (Red is what I added to make it look better).

Now you have your fashion book and stencil and can start your fashion drawing experience!

Movies/TV/Theaters

‘Downtown Owl’ movie review

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By: Sophia Elmstrom & Lily Sheldon

(Warning: Rated R)

As many may know, in April of 2022, the students at Highland would end their school day and see cameras and trailers outside everywhere. Out of all the schools to film a movie, why would they choose ours? Well, that’s because the movie was based out of the 80’s, and our school hasn’t changed much since the 80’s. It was exciting knowing that a film was being created in our town and our school. Getting to see the classrooms we sit in and halls we walk in every day on a big screen was something pretty special. They even used our football field for a lot of scenes. The movie came out, called ‘Downtown Owl’, and we wanted to give our thoughts on it.

First, here is a quick rundown on the movie. ‘Downtown Owl’, it was based on the novel by Chuck Klosterman. It is set in the isolated, fictional town of Owl, North Dakota in the 1980’s and there are 3 main characters that the story follows: Horace, Mitch, and Julia. Horace is an old man who spends most of his days at the local coffee shop in town, Mitch is a depressed high school back up quarterback, and Julia is the new English teacher at Owl High School, who moved to the town for a semester so she could be out of the way while her husband gets his PhD. The story follows their lives in Owl and how they all become connected and a part of each other’s lives. Julia begins to make friendships, and a possible romance, as she tries to escape her home life with her husband by going to the small town. The movie leads up to the massive whiteout blizzard (based on the one in Minnesota) that enters the town towards the end of the movie.

After watching this film, here are our thoughts: The movie had a very small town, nostalgic feel, which made you feel like you really got to know the characters. The trailers to the movie got you very captivated and interested in watching the movie. But honestly, the trailer was better than the film. The plot was very confusing and vague, it quickly became hard to understand what was going on. It seemed like the whole time you were waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did. There were also some points in the movie that felt just a little bit off. For example, there was a teacher student relationship, but it didn’t seem a huge issue to the characters, it also seemed normal or like they weren’t concerned about this at all.

The film also seemed low-budget, as the bell would ring for the students to go to class, you would only ever see 2 or 3 students walking in the halls. There were also a couple scenes with the football team, and they only ever showed around 5-7 players, even when the whole “team” was gathered in the locker room during halftime of a game. It seemed like they should have had a few more extras in the movie to just make it feel like a more realistic high school experience.

Overall, we felt like this movie had a cozy small midwestern town feel to it but it had no clear plot. It felt like the movie was put together quickly with no conflict or resolution of anything. On many other people’s ratings they agree with our take on this movie; many thought there was no clear plot. Many other reviews also said that the trailer looked very captivating but when they finally got to watching the movie they were let down. This movie got a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 4.9/10 on IMDb. We agree with these ratings and it really shows how much the plot needed to be thickened. We believe that the idea of this movie was a very good idea though.

We rate this movie a 4/10 because of the fact that there is no clear plot.

Travel/Food

Top 5 things to do during fall in Minnesota

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By: Kumari Mia Wijetunge

Highway 61 in Fall, Minnesota by: Sharon Mollerus courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Fall is a very colorful and festive time of  year in Minnesota. Whether you enjoy the local festivals, hiking through the vibrant landscapes, or picking pumpkins, Minnesota offers something for everybody!

  1. Seeing the colorful leaves by the North Shore

One of the best ways to experience Minnesota’s fall scenery is to go up to the North Shore of Lake Superior. The scenic drive across Highway 61 offers breathtaking views of the colorful trees against the sparkling lake. Popular spots like Split Rock Lighthouse and Tettegouche State Park provide many hiking trails and lookout points, perfect for spotting all of the beautiful colored trees and the wildlife Minnesota has to offer.

2. Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Fall in Minnesota wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a pumpkin patch. Many farms in Minnesota open their fields for pumpkin picking and offer a fun experience for the whole family to enjoy. Places like Afton Apple Orchard and the more northern, charming Pine Tree Apple Orchard not only provide pumpkins but also corn mazes, hayrides, and plenty of freshly baked goods.

3. Explore State Parks

Minnesota is home to many state parks that come alive with fall colors. Parks like Gooseberry Falls and Itasca State Park offer amazing views, animal sightings, and hiking trails. If you’re looking to hike, bike, or enjoy a picnic surrounded by the colorful leaves, these parks can provide the perfect day to experience the fall weather.

4. Attend a Fall Festival

Fall festivals in Minnesota are an awesome way to take in the fall season, celebrating everything from harvests to the local arts. The Minnesota Harvest Festival & Ghost Stories, in the Twin Cities, is a highlight, varying from farm activities to crafts and live music. Other festivals, like Applefest, in La Cresent, which mainly focuses is apples, also has everything from arts and crafts to pie eating contests. These events are a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture.

5. Experience State Fair’s Fall Activities

Though the Minnesota State Fair is mostly known for its end of summer fun, many of its attractions and vendors continue to celebrate during  fall. Keep and eye out for events at the fairgrounds, like apple and pumpkin-themed dishes to local crafts. The fair’s iconic food vendors often showcase seasonal flavors.

Books/Art

Donna Tartt’s ‘The Secret History’

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By: Baarika Suresh

Donna Tartt is an absolute genius. Her use of the English language is absolutely extraordinary. She can write about the most profane subjects without the reader even realizing as her diction blooms over the darkness of her writing. Reading one of her books such as ‘The Goldfinch’ or ‘The Secret History’ is like entering into a world of its own.

She published her first and most famous book, ‘The Secret History’ in September of 1992. It is told from the perspective of Richard Papen, a transfer college student to a liberal arts college in Vermont. He befriends Bunny, Camilla, Charles, Henry and Francis, the only others in his classics class as well as the teacher, Julian, and finds out that they are more than meets the eye.

Henry and his gang live in a world in their heads away from the mundaneness of their lives. Richard is a shell of a man who, like a chameleon, fits in with his surroundings yet he struggles to fit in with this group. He tries to prove himself, but in the end falls into their trap.

‘The Secret History’ is 544 pages divided into only 8 chapters. I think this makes the story flow more smoothly. The characters develop so beautifully and are described so realistically that I could tell you all about my good friend Richard. Tartt gives her characters such humanistic characteristics, and they are so easy to empathize with.

The book is a masterpiece and you should definitely read it. To really understand Tartt’s mastermind, you must read at least one of her books. My first recommendation is obviously ‘The Secret History’ but ‘The Goldfinch’ is also a gem. ‘The Goldfinch’ was also scheduled to become a movie but never became one because the producer Tartt was working with passed away. It is about a boy who comes into possession of a painting after a terrorist attack in an art museum that killed his mum.

I would give ‘The Secret History’ a 10/10.

Travel/Food

Double chocolate cookies

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By: Norah Hoglund & Max Cahoon

Image created with Ai Generator

Are you looking for a delicious treat to bake? Check out this recipe for double chocolate chip cookies:

https://www.ihearteating.com/easy-chocolate-chocolate-chip-cookies/. These cookies are soft, chewy, and extremely chocolatey. But this recipe is not only delicious, it’s extremely easy to make. It only takes about 23 minutes to make!

You could make this for a family gathering, friend hangout, or just for a little treat for yourself when you’re feeling snacky. So next time you are craving a sweet treat, check out this recipe and enjoy!

Review:

Taste

Starting off with the taste of the cookies, the first thing to note is that they were very rich. They are basically like a brownie in cookie form. When they bake, they puff up and the top becomes crispy like a brownie. They were just the right amount of sweetness, and the chocolate chips added a change in texture that was very good. The melted chocolate chips in the middle was like a gooey mess but the crispy top added so much good texture that made every bite delicious.

Ease of baking

These cookies were relatively easy and quick to make compared to cookie recipes that have very specific and detailed instructions that can take longer. This recipe only took about 23 minutes, including baking time. It is a pretty standard recipe for cookies. One thing that was different was the recipe used melted butter instead of softened butter, which is sometimes more convenient because it’s hard to remember to leave butter out to soften. So, if you decide you are going to bake some cookies and don’t have much time, choose this recipe, it will save you loads of time!

What we would change

If we were to make this recipe of cookies again we would probably cook them for a little longer as we don’t like super super gooey cookies, but that’s just preference of course! If you like them to be a little bit extra crispy we would say bake them for 25 minutes instead of 23. Another thing we would change is adding ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt instead of ½ because these cookies were a little bit salty for our liking and if you like your cookies more sweet rather than salty you could do the same!

Overall rating

Our overall rating of these cookies would be a 9/10. The creator of this recipe did a great job with the measurements and the estimated times in the instructions are extremely helpful. We would 100% make these again and we also recommend that you try making them!

Recipe:

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Microwave the butter in a large, microwave safe bowl for about 40 seconds. Butter should be about 90% melted.
  3. Whisk the butter until it is completely melted
  4. Add both the sugars; mix until well combined.
  5. Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.
  6. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
  7. Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.
  8. Stir in chocolate chips.
  9. Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough (medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
  10. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. They will be puffy and still look a little underbaked in the middle.