Name/Nickname: Tiff
Likes: Reading, writing, music, animals, photography, Greek mythology, rainbows, doodling, poetry, history, rainy days, tea, nature, sewing, baking, skiing, horse-riding, sleeping in, watching movies, Neopets.
Dislikes: Dishonesty and disloyalty.
Real Life Hobbies: Playing guitar, reading, writing, hiking, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, photography, dancing, sewing, baking, studying vintage fashion.
Favourite Things To Do On Neo: Chatting on the boards, lurking the PC, creating characters for my pets and adopting out pets.
Strengths: I am pretty creative, ambitious, and good at being a leader when need be. Having said that, though, I am also fine with following someone's orders and contributing to a group as simply a 'member'. :)
Weaknesses: Chocolate, definitely.

Music, writing and reading are my main three passions. I had guitar lessons for three years when I was younger, and I've self-taught myself since then. I can also play a bit of piano, though I don't know how to read the music, my sister has just taught me some little songs. :) I've been writing stories ever since I could write — but I've definitely grown out of the phase where every story I wrote ended in "and then I woke up". xD I've won four writing competitions to date over the past two years (I only recently started actually showing people my work), placing 1st, 3rd, 2nd and then 1st again. Reading is also something I do a lot in my spare time. Some of my favourite authors are Suzanne Collins, James Patterson, J.K Rowling, Nicholas Sparks, Maggie Steifvater, Ally Condie, and Philip Pullman, though there are many more! In the "Extras" section I've compiled a list of all the books I highly recommend, so feel free to check that out. (:
Lately I've begun to bake a lot with my little sister — anything from blueberry pie, chocolate cake and banana loaf to caramel slice, shortbread and rocky road. I also have some of my favourite recipes under the "Baking" section in my "Extras" that you can try if you'd like to. :3
Photography is another thing I love to do. There's something about capturing picturesque moments in the world on film that is just so ... addictive. I usually only take photos of nature, though I do stray from that topic sometimes and take photos of simple, blissful moments in the world.

Saturday 6th August 2011

Aren't I cool, suddenly up and leaving Neopets without even saying goodbye to anyone? Haha, I must say, it was quite an unexpected hiatus, but I think I'm ready to start rebuilding everything on here again! I've missed reviewing, and all the lovely people I've met, and trading pets ... It all seems so foreign and new now, so I'm definitely itching to get started doing those things I once loved so much. Firstly, I am creating a layout for my review site, and then I will be going on the boards to see what of what value my pets are now! I'm curious to see if the trolling is as bad as it was six months ago ... Goodbye for now. C:

Saturday 6th August 2011

Wow, August already! August is quite a busy month for me this year, because it's my little sister's birthday in a few days, and she wants a Harry Potter-themed party. So I have to help make all the decorations and everything like that. And then it's my birthday on the 21st, and I am going on holiday for 5 days from the 18th - 23rd, so I won't be able to come online for those days. Anyway, onto some exciting news: I have won the Portfolio Spotlight award for this month! I guess all my hard work really did pay off. :3 I have become the Welcoming person for the Guild Relations Committee, too, and I will be welcoming all new members to the guild when the join, etc. I have also begun planning for an event I'd like to host perhaps next month (a photography one), so I will add all my planning to this page. Now, I must go work on Ithdra's petpage, so ciao for now!

Sunday 17th July 2011

I have finally completed this new layout for my Portfolio! *throws confetti* I've been working on it for about two weeks (though I must confess I got distracted many, many times ...), so I hope my time was worth it! Anyhow, I have completely updated everything in my "Goals" section, given the fact that my goals have changed a bit and I have set them out neater. I also added all of my avatar goals, since I didn't have them up before. And there is now an "Extra's" section on my portfolio! As you can see, I have some neat extras like some baking recipes and books I highly recommend. I am super proud of myself for reaching Rank 6 in the Altador Cup, which was my goal right form the start — I wasn't sure I'd make it, but I am quite determined, so I suppose that trait helped me get there. :3 I don't expect my prize to be too big or anything, but that's the highest I've ever gotten, so. C: That's all for now; hopefully I will keep this updated often. Bye!

Snickers Rocky Road

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

4 x 60g Snickers bars, chopped coarsely
1 cup (35g) Rice Bubbles
150g toasted marshmallows, chopped coarsely
1 cup (150g) roasted unsalted peanuts
400g milk eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Method:

Grease 19cm x 29cm slice pan. Line base and two long sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above sides of pan.

Combine Snickers, Rice Bubbles, marshmallows and nuts in large bowl. Stir chocolate and oil in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. *

Pour chocolate mixture into Snickers mixture; mix until well combined. ** Spoon rocky road mixture into prepared pan; refrigerate, covered, about 30 minutes or until set. Remove from pan; cut into small, or however big you want them to be, squares. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

* - You can also put the chocolate and oil into a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in the microwave. Put it in for maybe a few minutes (it really depends on what setting you have your microwave on, though), but remember to check it often as you don't want the chocolate to burn!

** - You need to act fast, because the chocolate starts to set quite quickly. Also, make sure all of the Rice Bubbles aren't at the bottom of your bowl, because they tend to all gather there.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Difficulty: Easy

* Please note that almost everything in this recipe is measured in grams instead of cups like most of my other recipes. (:

Ingredients:

175 g plain flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
75 g butter or margarine
50 g soft light brown sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
125 g chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius 10 minutes before baking. Lightly oil or grease a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Cut the butter or margarine into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter or margarine until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the light brown sugar, golden syrup and chocolate chips, and then mix together until a smooth dough forms.

Shape the mixture into small balls and arrange them on the baking sheet, leaving enough space for them to expand. * Flatten each of them slightly with the fingertips or the heel of the hand.

Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Allow them to cool slightly, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack.

* - If you don't space them far enough apart, they will join together-blocked-s always expand quite a lot, so remember not to make them too big, either, unless you want giant cookies!

Banana Bread

Difficulty: Easy - medium

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 beaten eggs
1 ½ cups mashed banana
1 cup sugar
½ cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
¼ teaspoon salt
Optional: About 1 cup Chocolate Chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Grease bottom and sides of a loaf pan (size doesn't really matter as long as . Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs (remember, they must be beaten first!), bananas, sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture and stir until moistened. If you want to, add the chocolate chips in now. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake for about 55 - 60 minutes (or 40 - 45 minutes, makes sure to keep an eye on it!), or until a skewer comes out clean. If browned before the centre is cooked, cover the pan with foil for the remaining time.

Chocolate Cake

Difficulty: Medium - hard

Ingredients:

½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
½ cup (125ml) boiling water
185g butter, softened
1½ cups (330g) firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
½ cup (75g) plain flour
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¾ cup (180ml) milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
150g small milk chocolate Easter eggs

For the icing:

400g eating-quality milk chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (160ml) thickened cream

Method:

Combine cocoa and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Cool.

Preheat the oven to 160°C or 140°C fan-forced. Grease a deep 22cm round cake pan, line base with baking paper.

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well before adding the next. Transfer mixture to a larger bowl.

Stir in the sifted flours and soda, then the milk, vanilla extract and cocoa mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes or until cooked. Stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a rack to cool.

Milk chocolate frosting:

Combine chocolate and cream in a small saucepan, stir over a very low heat until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until a spreadable consistency.

Spread the icing over the cake * and then decorate it with the Easter eggs.

* - You must make sure the cake is completely cool before icing it, otherwise the icing will melt!