Do you like cooking?

I'm a very weird (rara) person...I can't cook, but I love watching Arguiñano's programme and reading recipes (recetas) on magazines and books...I don't know why...Maybe I was a very good cook (cocinera) in other life, hehehe...I've thought we could write in here some easy recipes we know...Of course,you must write them in English!! Thanks in advance...

Cookies are my speciality (it's a joke)...

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

½ tsp (teaspoon) baking soda

¾ tsp salt
½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg

1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

How to cook?

1. Sift (tamiza) together flour, baking soda (bicarbonato) and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, cream (bate) together butter and sugars.
3. Beat in (bate) egg and vanilla until fluffy (suave).
4. Stir in (remueve) dry ingredients.
5. Fold in (mézclalo con) chocolate chips (láminas).
6.Spread (extiende) butter out onto a pizza pan or similar sized heart-shaped cake or cookie pan.
7. Bake in preheated (precalentado) 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

To my favourite bloggers

The story behind the idioms

Do you remember the post called ¨The story behind the words¨?
This is a similar post. Here, there are stories about some expressions:

THE BLACK SHEEP

Somebody is called the black sheep of the family when he/she is regarded as the odd one out (el bicho raro) , the one who brings disgrace to the rest. This expression comes from the fact that a black sheep is considered the outcast (marginado) of any flock (del resto del rebaño) , perhaps because its dark colour frightens the white sheep, but also because the black fleece (lana) cannot be sold, so the black sheep isn´t useful.

CROCODILE TEARS

In the past, it was often believed that crocodiles shed (derramaban) tears that slid down (deslizaban) into their mouths to moisten (humedecer) the food, making it easier to chew (masticar) and swallow(tragar). Nowadays, this expression is used when someone pretends to cry to manipulate the situation. If someone sheds crocodile tears, it means they look sad or upset but in fact they are not.

TO BURY THE HATCHET
This comes from the American custom of burying weapons (enterrar las armas) as a sign that hostilities between the American Indians and the White had ended. Nowadays, this idiom is used to refer to coming to peaceful terms with an opponent.

I hope you like it!

Don´t forget to write a comment!

Conditional sentences (4th ESO/1st Bach.)

Dear students:

We are always thinking of you and we want to see you happy, that is why we've prepared some exercises on Conditional sentences, hehehe...You know you're going to do an exam in a short time...We hope they'll be useful for you!! If you want, you can do it!! This is a conditional sentence, isn't it?

First Conditional:

http://www.autoenglish.org/freeexercises.htm

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.con1.2.i.htm

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.con1.3.i.htm
http://www.tmc.ac.kr/~esl/grammar/if-then1.html

Second Conditional:

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.con2.1.i.htm

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.con2.2.i.htm

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.con2.3.i.htm

Third Conditional:

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.con3.i.htm

http://www.ieslosremedios.org/~josefina/english_exercises/third_conditional.jcl.htm

http://users.fulladsl.be/spb9193/cond3.htm

Mixed Conditionals:

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_conditionals1.htm

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-conditional_quiz.htm

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/activities/mixed_conditionals.html

http://wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/anglais/exercises/condit3.htm

http://www.english-4u.de/cond_clauses_ex5.htm

The lost knowledge

Making questions is the only possible way to find out if a person has knowledge about something. Furthermore when we don't know anything, we usually make questions. This video shows the reality of the statement: "I only know that I don't know anything at all".

Here you can watch several people from USA giving wrong answers to very simple questions. Warning: It's important to laugh not only at people's mistakes but also at ours.


The following test consists of 10 questions which appear on the video. You have to post your answers in "Comments". Thanks a lot!!

Give it a try!!
1. What is the religion of Israel?
a. Islamism
b. Judaism
c. Catholicism

2. Who is Fidel Castro?
a. A singer
b. A businessman
c. A political leader

3. How many sides does a triangle have?
a. Three
b. Four
c. One

4. What is the currency (moneda) used in United Kingdom?
a. The pound sterling
b. The dollar
c. Queen Elisabeth's money

5. Who is Tony Blair?
a. A skater
b. An actor
c. A politician

6. Who was the first man on the moon?
a. Neil Armstrong
b. Yuri Gagarin
c. John Glen

7. What is a mosque?
a. An animal
b. A plant
c. A building

8. How many kidneys does a person have?
a. Two
b. One
c.Three

9. Where was the Berlin Wall?
a. In Berlin
b. In Moscow
c. In Poland

10. How many World Wars have there been?
a. One
b. Two
c. Three

Thanks to El Tinglado

New links for you!!

We have created a new space in this blog so that you get information about the topics you are worried about. Its name is: "Interesting webs" and it is placed on the right of the screen under the poll(encuesta)box.

The first link is: "Sexo con seso" a web where you can find all kind of information about sex and health. The second one is "Anorexia y Bulimia" a web which shows different aspects of these both terrible diseases.

In this case, don't worry about your English level because they are Spanish webs...Learn a lot!!

Our blog's hymn

Do you remember the song Gema and I chose to post on the voicemail? (If you don't, you can listen to it clicking "Susana & Gema" in the voicemail box placed on the right of the screen).

Taking a look at the blogosphere, I've found an amazing online exercise which works prepositions and verbs and shows a fun flash clip with the song.

In my opinion, it's a different way to practise English and improve our artistic skills by singing as if we were in a Karaoke...I hope you'll enjoy it!!

Please, don't forget to post your opinion!! You are very important for this blog!!

Thanks to Isabel again!!

Do you usually complain about traffic jams??

Daytona beach, in Florida (USA), is one of the few places in the world where a family car can be driven on an ocean beach.

Today, cars can access to the beach.

Authorities have delivered traffic signs with speed limits or indicating the lanes (carriles) .
Of the 23 miles of beach, 16 miles allow driving and parking during the day and when the tide (marea) permits.

The sand becomes softer as one moves further inland from the waterline (a medida que nos alejamos de la orilla).

Unfortunately, some days the amount of people and cars is so high, that there's finally a real traffic jam (atasco) on the beach.


This is awesome, isn't it? After seeing this picture we should think twice before complaining about traffic jams in our cities!


*More pictures and information here