Culture Project - Ireland & USA

Hey guys :)

I went to see at least ten culture presentations and I have to say that there were lots of very interesting topics so that it was really difficult to decide upon five topics for the Komissionelle Gesamtprüfung. The first presentations I listened to had topics concerning the USA presented by students of Frank's class.
Although I'm not a big comic fan, the presentation Comic books and superheros was very interesting and had lots of really cool pictures.
Next I payed attention to Two Heroines of America Aviation: Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman which was worth hearing, as well.
Before changing the room to go to the Irish presentations I listened to Hurricane Preparedness and actually I was more interested than I had assumed.
The Irish presentations I watched were Hill of Tara - Historical and spiritual at the same time, This is Friz!, Languages of Irish Travellers, The ambivalent influence of King James II on the Irish, The Integration of Islam in Ireland, Witchcraft in Ireland, Homophobic Bullying in Irish schools, The history of ISL and The St. Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.

The five topics I chose for my KGP:
As my first topic I decided to take Witchcraft in Ireland by Sabrina Krassnig. I love stories and movies about witches, wizards and other magic and mythical beings. Therefore I had already been very curious about Sabi's presentation and I think she did it really well.
The second topic I chose is Homophobic Bullying in Irish schools by Shirin Mahrouzadeh. To be honest, I've been a victim of bullying myself for some time because I've never had the perfect body and I had to suffer quite a few times the comments of other people or even "friends". Besides being very interested in this topic, this is my personal reason for choosing it.
Next I chose The history of ISL by Lisa Moder. I have always been really into sign language because it fascinates me how people are able to communicate just with their hands. I thought about studying sign language at the beginning of university but finally I didn't. However, I'm sure that I will start to learn it at some time.
Another topic for my KGP is The St. Magdalene Laundries in Ireland by Teresa Brenner. I think she presented it very well and this is why she engaged my interest.The topic was quite touching but it also made me kind of angry and upset and therefore I chose it.
Finally I chose Abortion Law in Ireland - A Pro-Choice View. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to listen to the presentation but I've already gathered information about it and am sorry that I wasn't there. As abortion is always a current and controversial subject it is really worthwhile to learn more about it. 

These are my five chosen topics for the Kommissionelle Gesamtprüfung and I'm looking forward to dealing with them in a more intensive way. 

Pancakes :D

Good evening everyone :)

I was looking for almost an hour to find a food blog which I could write about because although I really love eating, I'm a very fussy eater!
There's just one section of food of which I would eat almost everything - the sweet section :D
I don't eat every vegetable, I don't eat every salad, I don't eat every kind of meat .. BUT I eat (let's say almost) every kind of sweet dessert!

Some people, like my mum and my sister, don't like sweet meals that much because it's just a dessert for them. I could eat pancakes, potato noodles with melted butter and poppy seeds, yeast dumpling filled with plum sauce, Kaiserschmarren (sugared pancakes) every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner :D Okay, I don't want to exaggerate but I think it's clear now - I LOVE SWEET THINGS

Maybe this is also the reason why I just want to cook something sweet. I don't like cooking at all. It wastes lots of time and after some minutes everything is eaten up and you have the honor to clean up the mess. ^^
However, I love making pancakes. This is the reason why I looked for a pancake blog.
And I found a really sweet one :)

http://www.marthastewart.com/338185/basic-pancakes           

I already liked this blog when I read the first words on it:

 >>   Nothing says "weekend" like pancakes for breakfast   <<

Isn't this sweet ?! <3

Of course there are lots of different kinds of pancakes but I decided to post you a recipe of Basic Pancakes. Who knows? Maybe other recipes will follow ;)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).
   
3. Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.
   
4. For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
   
5. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.