400 follower Q&A part 2 | all about food, tv, and books (also, I’m actually at 500+ followers now??)

Hey everyone!! I hope you’re all doing well. Today, I am finally doing part 2 of the 400 follower Q&A. I hit 400 followers back in the summer (July/August I think?) and I asked you guys to ask me some questions to celebrate. I got a bunch of questions, so I decided to split them into 2 posts, the first of which I did at the start of September and is all about blogging.

Now, part 2 is finally here and is going to answer the rest of the questions which are an assortment related to food, TV, and books.

The funny thing is, I actually passed 500 followers a few weeks ago so this is already kind of outdated (lol) but I am so happy to have reached yet another milestone this year. Thank y’all so much, especially since I’ve been a pretty terrible blogger since August so I really appreciate you following and sticking around anyway.

I’m going to break this post up into three sections just so it’s organized. Some of these questions are going to have pretty short answers and others are going to be more long winded, so we’ll see how long this ends up being.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Do you rate a lot of books 5 stars & what makes you rate a book 5 stars?

According to Goodreads, I’ve rated 35 books 5 stars out of 192, which is less than 20%, so I guess I would say no. I don’t really rate a lot of books 5 stars.

For a book to get 5 stars, it needs to emotionally impact me, or be a genius book with a great plot. I have a tendency to give books that make me cry, books that are very funny, books with characters that are so perfectly flawed (morally grey characters really help make a 5 star), or thrillers/spy books that actually leave me feeling excited and scared and all that.

I guess I’m an emotional reader, so the more emotions I feel while reading, the more likely it will become a 5 star.

What’s your most anticipated release of 2020/21 that you wish you had an ARC of?

Haha, I don’t know. I’ve kind of stopped looking for books and I’m very behind on all the newest favorites/anticipated releases in the community so I have no idea what to be most excited for.

But there are two books that I found earlier this year that I’m kind of still excited for:

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles & The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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First of all, the cover of The Paris Library is gorgeous, and it’s historical fiction which is right now my favorite genre. And the premise is so interesting! It’s about a teenager and an old Frenchy lady who witnessed WWII being drawn together by their love of words and becoming close friends. It also explores betrayal, the war, and the consequences of being failed by someone that you love thank you GR. I don’t know about you, but it sounds like the kind of heartbreaking book that would be a 5 star for me.

The Inheritance Games is the other book I’m excited for though it was released back in September. I have yet to read it, but JLB is one of my favorite authors. I have been disappointed by her last two books that I read, but this one sounds awesome and I can’t wait to read it.

Book I’m grateful for Reading

I don’t think there is a book that I’m grateful for reading. I kind of read just for escapism and the thrill that comes with certain books, not to learn a lesson or something. So, I don’t know a book that I’m necessarily grateful for reading.

What are you currently reading?

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• Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz (6%): Horowitz has been making it super hard for me to connect with Alex, but I did feel sorry for him at the end of the last book, so maybe that will carry into this. I just finished the prologue and am halfway through the first chapter, but there’s already been an assassination and a huge black widow spider. I hate spiders. A lot. It’s not a very nice way to start a book.
• Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan (40%): I’m actually buddy reading this with two friends and so far it’s been okay. I don’t particularly care about any characters, and of course Ia is so awesome and fearsome, and it’s just really eh. Hopefully it gets better soon. I’m kind of ahead (by a lot lol) so I’m putting this on a semi hold for now.
• Exile by Shannon Messenger (6%): The first book was pretty cool, and I liked it, so here I am with the second. So far I’ve not been drawn in all that much but I’ve only read 6% so I still haven’t given it much of a chance.
• The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson (3%): I’ve finally finally gotten the next book in the Mistborn series and I’m so lost lol. I’m not sure what exactly is going on in the prologue, and I’ve forgotten what some terms mean and what powers people can have, so it’s going to be fun to relearn it all over again.

all of this is as of dec 24

Rate the last book you read on a scale of 1 to 5

The last book I read at the time I drafted this was Supernova by Marissa Meyer and I’d give it a 5. It was pretty good, though I did feel like skipping to the end because I was so tense and nervous to know what happened. It’s such a satisfying end to the Renegades series, and I love how everything tied together.

What’s your least favorite vegetable and why?

This is a tie between zucchinis and carrots.

Zucchini’s story: So, my family gets these mixed vegetable packs that we use to cook. One day, my dad accidentally got a box of mixed vegetables, but didn’t realize it’s not the type we usually get. That was the first time I tasted zucchini and I grew to hate it. I avoided eating the vegetables as much as I could and I’m so glad we finally finished it. Maybe it wasn’t the best introduction, or I’m just bad at cooking it, but I hate it now.

Carrot’s story: Sadly, Carrot doesn’t have much of a story. I just don’t like soft carrots, and I hate mushy ones even more. They make me feel sick. There was one time when we had this vegetable mix that like two thirds of it was different types of carrot and it was a nightmare to eat. Seriously, soft carrots are the worst unless they are tiny pieces. I don’t even like raw carrots much…they don’t have much flavor. lol

Rate Mac & Cheese on a scale of 1 to 10

I give it a 0. I’m sorry, but I hate mac and cheese. I don’t like cheese in food except if it’s on pizza or in lasagna. So any pasta with cheese is a no. Burger with cheese is a no. Bread stuffed with cheese is a no. And cheese, just plain cheese? Big No. I just really don’t like it, and I know the hating mac and cheese is appalling to a lot of people, but I just can’t stand it.

What is your favorite dessert?

Photo from Add a Pinch

Finally something I do love to talk about! My favorite dessert has to be a properly made chocolate cake.

And when I say properly made, I mean like bakery style (even though I don’t think I’ve had a bakery chocolate cake before?) or homemade, fresh, rich, decadent, chocolatey filled goodness kind of properly made. A boxed Betty Croker mix? No thanks; it’s not on the same level, though, I will still eat it.

It has to be rich, it has to be moist, it has to be like a melt in your mouth kind of chocolate cake. That’s just personally the way I love it. I don’t have any good pictures of the one I made some months ago, but here is the recipe that I followed and the picture from it.

Isn’t it so beautiful?

Your Most Favorite Pastries/Baked Goods

naan

#1 Most Favorite Baked Good is bread. I love everything about bread. Making it, eating it, and watching endless videos and recipes about it. It can be sweet, it can be savory, it can be French, it can be Turkish, it can be the result of a random mix of ingredients that I put together and don’t have a written recipe of (which I should write down before I forget).

Bread is such a staple, and so many cultures have their own way of making it, and there are so many types, I could go on for forever about it.

It also happens to be the first baked good that I’ve been passionate about making. I still remember a much younger me’s first attempts that were very dense and burnt on the bottom. Now I’m making my own dough randomly with no strict recipe. It’s such a change and I really love how it’s helped me grow as a baker.

pizza

#2 Most Favorite Baked Good is pizza. I don’t think I even have to explain this because it’s pizza. How can you not love pizza? My favorite toppings are green peppers, mushrooms, olives, and pineapples. And yes, I do put pineapples on my pizza. I don’t think it’s a bad thing; it adds more flavor and some juice to it.

I’ve recently perfected my dough recipe, and it’s been so great being able to make it from home since we haven’t had delivery pizza in a long time. Maybe I can share the recipe and a book recommendation in a future post. Would you like to see that?

cinnamon rolls

#3 Most Favorite Baked Good is cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls are just so beautiful and delicious. I love the swirly look, the cinnamon inside, the soft dough itself, the glaze that pools everywhere, and the feelings that the rolls in general evoke.

It makes the house smell great, it’s warm, it’s inviting, and it’s a really sugar laden dessert that is perfect for indulging that sweet craving. I haven’t made cinnamon rolls in a long time, but just thinking about it gives me so many happy memories. Hopefully I’ll make some some time soon.

donuts

Another of my favorite desserts which is neither baked nor is it a pastry is donuts. I love donuts. A lot. I love the glaze, I love the texture, and I love the airiness but still soft and fulfilling little rings. It’s just so amazing, and fluffy, and sweet, and it makes me so happy. Donuts never last more than 2 days in my house even though I make a lot for that very reason. It’s perfect for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for a snack, or for no reason at all. I found the perfect recipe for it at Immaculate Bites if you want to give it a try!

If you could create a dessert from multiple desserts, what would it be?

I love this question!!

First of all, I think what I would combine would be chocolate, cinnamon rolls, donuts, strawberry jam, and a glaze.

So it would be like a cinnamon roll dough, with a chocolate spread instead of cinnamon. And then a strawberry layer on top of the chocolate. Roll it up, cut it up, and then use extra dough to cover the top and bottom. Make a fancy design on it so it’s not boring. Then fry it like a donut, cover the top in glaze, and sprinkle a brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top. And voila, you’ve got a cinnamon chocolate strawberry donut roll.

That sounds really good actually, and I think I’m going to try and make that. I’ll probably have to go without strawberries since we don’t have that, but I think it’ll be good with just chocolate anyway.

Dark, Milk, Or White?

I’m guessing that this is in reference to chocolate, so, I would say milk. I don’t like dark chocolate because it’s not as sweet, and I don’t like white chocolate just because. However, I also don’t love milk chocolate unless it’s in something, like chocolate milk, or a spread, or a cake or something. Chocolate on it’s own is not that great. But if it’s in candy or something else, I prefer it to be milk chocolate.

How did you get into baking & whats your favorite thing to bake?

So, I think I’ve already answered the favorite thing to bake question above, so I’m just going to focus on how I got into baking.

I’ve been obsessed with the olden days/victorian era for a loooong time. The idea of having to make things from scratch, especially with food, was so fascinating to me. Back then, you could walk into a store and buy bread, but most people made it at home every single day.

That’s what made me want to make bread the first time: it looked so cool, and it was a little thing from the past that I could bring to my current life. My first attempts were not all that great, and it took years for me to really learn the tricks that come with baking. But that’s how I first started.

From there, I moved on to making boxed cake mixes, then to cakes from scratch, then cinnamon rolls, other kinds of bread, etc. I kept making things, making mistakes, and torturing my family sorry! with dense and burnt food, but it all helped me become the better baker that I am today.

The question didn’t ask for tips, but I’m going to give some anyway because giving unasked for advice is wonderful 🙂

If you’re new to baking or cooking, and it seems intimidating, don’t give up before you start. It takes a while to learn all the tricks, but you won’t get better unless you practice. The saying “practice makes perfect” is arguably the most true when it comes to the kitchen. How do you think grandmothers/fathers are pretty much the best chefs ever? They’ve been cooking for years and years and years. They’ve developed their skills, made all the mistakes, and have come out with their best way for making that dish. You can also reach that level, but you’ve got to try and persevere. It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to always be fun, but trust me, it will really help you in the future.

Second advice is to watch and read a lot of recipes. Seeing other people cook can help you to find the best way for you to cook. Maybe the way you’re kneading the dough is wrong and that’s why it won’t reach that tacky stage. Maybe the reason why your crepes aren’t thin is because your batter isn’t thin enough and you aren’t swirling it properly. Maybe you need to add more spices even though the recipe doesn’t call for it to make the dish taste better.

There are so many food bloggers and youtubers out there so seize the opportunity and learn from them. It’ll really help you become better at whatever it is you’re trying to master.

The rest of the questions are more random, so I’ll just put them together under this section.

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When was the last time you went on a plane?

Wow, I think it was 9, maybe 8 years ago? I haven’t traveled outside the US since then, and going between states is always done with road trips, so yeah, I think the last time was 9 or 8 years ago. That makes me feel so old lol.

TV shows / Movies people should watch

Take a guess at what I’m going to say.

Need a hint? Okay.

It has the most phenomenal redemption arc of all time. It has the best group of friends of all time. It has arguably the best legend and funniest character of all time. It has one of the saddest episodes that breaks my heart every time. It has a cunning, smart, and ambitious little villain who I feel sorry for and hate at the same time. It has the sweetest and kindest uncle of all time. It has the coolest adventure of all time.

It is the best show of all time.

Did that help? It really should have helped.

This show is no other than the magnificent Avatar: The Last Airbender. The characters. The story. The redemption. I love it. A lot. So if you haven’t guessed yet, I really really suggest you watch it.

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My favorite movie would be Big Hero 6.

I liked Hiro, the main character, and his grief was so real and sad. The movie also has a found family kind of trope with a close knit team and I love how they were all there for each other, even when Hiro pushed them away. Also, Baymax is so sweet, and I loved how he was so faithful to Hiro. Besides the emotions and characters, the plot was pretty cool, and I loved the futuristic high tech that was incorporated. Also, San Frosokyo sounds like a really cool place to live in.

Overall, it was a great movie, and I highly recommend it!

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One Major Pet peeve

Slime. That’s my biggest pet peeve. Everything about it I find really annoying. Playing with it, getting it stuck in the carpet, leaving it on my desk, finding it everywhere, and just the look of it makes me so annoyed. It also makes me want to puke. I really just hate slime.

Marvel or DC?

Neither? I haven’t watched or read any Marvel/DC movies or comics, so I don’t really prefer one over the other.

and last but not least, Favorite animal?

Lions. I’ve loved lions since I was a kid because I had this toy lion that I always played with. I think they’re such majestic creatures, and I kind of think of them as the “kings” of their habitats.

That doesn’t mean I want to meet one personally in real life though.

This post is now over 3,000 words long, which I’m pretty sure is an all time high for me. But it was super fun to answer all of these questions, even if I have been drafting this post for about a month and a half now.

What would you rate the last book you read? What’s your favorite dessert? Does pineapple belong on pizza? Should I try to make the cinnamon chocolate strawberry donut roll? What books are you grateful for? Have you watched Big Hero 6? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!!