The Basement
by Sofia
The basement is a scary place.
That’s what I think.
My older sister Jasmine thinks it is not scary in the slightest bit, but then again, Jasmine was probably born on Venus. She’s weird.
The basement is dark and drippy, and full of strange and eery noises.
One time I was in the basement trying to find a tennis ball when A blobby creature started to make odd noises!
Turns out the blobby creature was actually a squeaky chair with an old jacket on it. Mum says I act like a big baby, and that there is no monsters in the basement, but I am determined to prove her wrong.
I HATE the basement.
I always get sent to get something from the basement, no matter how long I hold onto mums leg and have a tantrum. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I go down there about 75 times a WEEK!
It’s so unfair.
I am in the basement right now, because mum told me to get her old make up mirror.
“THUNK!”
Oh No!
Jasmine locked the basement doors!
This is bad, very bad.
By Sofia,
Tasmania, 2020
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4 Delicious Ways to Eat Strawberries 🍓
by Sofia
Strawberries are wonderful to eat by them self, but what do you do when you want to change the way you eat them? Here are a few ways how you can use this delicious berry.
1. Strawberry Butter🍓
Strawberry butter might sound like something ridiculously difficult to make, but really it’s quite simple. All you have to do is put softened butter and strawberries in a blender and blend them until their combined! How simple is that?!
2. Strawberry Icy poles🍓
Don’t we all like a cold, icy treat on a hot day? Well, it really is that simple to make icy poles with out a big fuss. Here is one mouth watering recipe. Put strawberries and a little bit of honey in a blender, and blend until smooth. Mix in some yoghurt and freeze overnight in icy pole moulds. Next time you feel like your a scrambled egg, treat yourself to this frosty delight!❄️
3. Lightly Infused Strawberry Water💧🍓
Infused water is a great way to use leftover berry’s and fruits. It’s super simple to make, and very refreshing. Just cut a handful of strawberry’s into slices and put into a jug of water. If you like you can add other things to the mix, in fact, you don’t need to use strawberries if you don’t want to. Leave it in the fridge for a few hours. If you like, you can add ice cubes, but it is not necessary. Enjoy!
4. Summer Salads🥗
Strawberry’s taste incredible in salads! Juicy strawberries paired with crunchy salad leaves; Yum😋! Even a really bad chef can pull together a strawberry salad!
(Pictures might look different on real life, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t look like the photos:)
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How To Clean Your Microwave With Lemons!🍋
by Sofia
Alas, one of the many annoying things you have to do is cleaning your microwave. When I say clean your microwave, I don’t mean attempting to wipe it down with a tissue.
I mean disinfecting it so that nothing really nasty gets stuck to it. It may be a job that you absolutely HATE, but in reality it is super simple and will only take you minutes.
All you have to do is cut some lemons into slices and place them into a bowl of water. Add a few tablespoons of white vinegar. Put the bowl into the microwave and turn it on for 5-10 mins.
Once the microwave beeps, turn it off but don’t open the microwave door. Leave the lemon mix in the microwave for another 5 mins, so that the warmth can stay in the microwave. The heat will steam the inside and soften the grime and food stains.
After the 5 mins is up, remove the bowl of lemon mix and wipe out the food stains and grime with a damp cloth. Done!
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Simple Sponge Cake Recipe
by Sofia
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs (room temperature)
- 2/3 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup plain flour
Steps:
1. Line a 22cm cake pan with aluminium foil and set aside.
2. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer for about 10 mins, or until mixture is thick and pale. Pour into a large bowl.
3. Sift flour two times onto a sheet of baking paper. Sift again over the egg and sugar mix. Using a balloon whisk, gently fold to combine. (Remember not to stir.) Pour in to prepared cake pan.
4. Cook in a moderate oven at 180C for around 25 mins, or until the edges of the sponge have slightly shrunk away from the pan.
5. When done, leave in pan for 5 mins. Put on a wire rack to cool down.
6. If desired, decorate.
7. Enjoy!
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The Fairy Tree Poem
by Sofia
In a tree, not far from me, lives many tiny pixies.
They are small, and no where near the height of a bathroom stall.
In their tree they whisper and chatter, but none of them bothering to tell me the matter.
If only I knew, what they did and what they do, I would be able to gladly tell you.
I wish I could see, what they do in their tree, but I do not, so for my writing, I shall stop.
For no one has any business sticking their nose, into places they do not know, like the tree near me, with many tiny pixies.
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The House Next Door
by Sofia
In the house next door lives a wrinkly, grumpy old man.
He has a cat who looks a lot like him.
Well, if he was covered in mangled orange fluff.
The house next door is frail and wobbly, and whoever built it must of had very bad eyesight, because the it looks more like a rubbish dump than somewhere a person lives.
There are rumours that at night, he dances to classical music with a broom.
Some times I fell sorry for him, it must get very lonely in his house with only a cat to comfort him.
But my sympathy is normally broken when he yells at me for squishing an ant.
Maybe he was once an ant; well, a very grumpy one.
He also is constantly throwing his old junk out of his upstairs window!
One time I was late for school because I nearly got crushed by a BATHTUB!
That guy sure is crazy.
The bad thing is that I have to walk past his house to get to the school bus.
But one day, I walked on to the bus, expecting to see the regular bus driver, but I saw something much worse.
IT WAS MY CRAZY NEIGHBOUR!
There he was.
Evil glint in his eye, cat fur all over his ancient cardigan, yellow teeth, and wispy, grey hair.
“All aboard!” He croaked in a raspy voice.
This was going to be a bad day.
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My Sisters Room
by Sofia
When my big sister is at home, I am not allowed to go in her room, but when she is at the shops, or somewhere else, I always go in and take a good look around.
My big sister Emily has a HUGE bed that I like to bounce on, with enormous fluffy pillows that I take naps on when she is out.
She also has some seriously creepy ceramic dolls that I try to steer clear of. Some times it feels like they are staring into my soul.
Mum does not let my wear lipstick for dress ups, but Emily has tons of makeup that I put on in front of her dresser mirror.
One thing that I love to do in Emily’s room, is to put on her clothes and pretend to be a grown up!
But the best thing of all, is when I pretend to be a hunter, and hunt down her cuddly stuffed toys, which she guards as if they were made of gold!
I am in Emily’s room right now, wearing her clothes and lipstick.
Oh oh.
I think she is coming….
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The Chocolate Snatcher
by Sofia
I am a chocolate snatcher.
Well, not exactly me, but my hands.
My hands cannot resist chocolate.
I always tell them not to steal it, but they won’t listen to me!
And I always get in trouble when my hands sneak chocolate!
Is it really my fault that my hands always share what they steal with me?
The day my evil hands stole the most chocolate, was probably Easter last year, when they stole 3 BIG milk chocolate eggs, and my hands didn’t get in trouble!
Guess who got blamed; ME!
Even though I did eat all the eggs my hands brought, I wasn’t the one who brought them!
Sort of.
Any way, mum just got back from the shops a few minutes ago, and she bought CHOCOLATE!
The thing is, I am not a patient boy; at all.
I do not think I will be able to wait for my chocolate.
“CHOMP!”
That chocolate tasted so good, but now I have to pretend I did not eat it.
Well, I had better go hide now.
Goodbye!
By Sofia
New South Wales, 2020
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The Counteville Fair
by Sofia
It was a sunny day at the Counterville fair.
Family’s with beaming children were every were; eating fairy floss, going on rides, buying ice cream, winning prizes, and so on.
Every child had a grin on their faces; all but one.
Violet Vilson was not a normal child.
Most kids laugh, and smile, and have heaps of fun at fairs, but not Violet.
In one way or another, she was different.
Nothing could make her smile; let alone laugh!
Violet was wandering around the fair, without the slightest hint of excitement, staring at her house.
From the fair, you could get a good look at Violet’s dreary house, that resembled Dracula’s lair.
It was an enormous building, tall and rickety, as if it might collapse at any moment.
A few people had even knocked on the door, thinking it was a haunted house ride!
Violet’s peace was broken when a large woman let out a shriek of horror!
“AHHHHH!”
Oh no. Not again.
Muttered Violet under her breath.
She started to run.
By Sofia
New South Wales, 2020
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Slip, Slop, Slap
by Sofia
SLIP= Slip on hand sanatiser
SLOP= Slop on soap
SLAP= Slap your friend for not doing the same!
By Sofia
New South Wales, 2020
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Bubblegum Sand
by Sofia
It had been hours since the dreary man had seen any life forms, perhaps days.
Stranded in the desert, equipped with nothing but scuffy sand covered clothes and an empty water flask, was not what Henry had bargained for when he went on a airplane trip to Egypt.
Sure, he thought he would love to see the desert; but not like this!
Every time Henry took a step, his worn out shoe would sink in to the sand; meaning it was not very easy to walk.
Some time Henry’s vision would blur, and he would stagger around in circles, waiting till he could see enough to walk in the right direction.
It was quite obvious that Henry was suffering from dehydration; and maybe even desperation.
Henry was about to take another step, when something stopped him.
He looked down at his feet, and realized that something was stuck to them.
It was sand, but it had the consistency of chewed bubble gum.
What in the world is this?
Thought Henry.
Slowly, bit by bit, the sludge was sucking the man underneath the surface of the sand!
When Henry realized what was happening, it was too late.
The sand had already sucked in the majority of his legs; and even though Henry was very good at determining many different substances, he had never come across one like this.
There was no stopping it.
By Sofia
New South Wales, 2020
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Lest We Forget
by Sofia
Many people can live their lives freely and joyfully, but some can’t.
They live in fear, trembling at the mercy of others.
But we don’t have to live in fear; we can live in happiness, all thanks to the brave and noble soldiers who went to war for us.
A lot of the time, we barley even think about the reason our lives are the way they are.
Sometimes we take the effort of soldiers for granted, but we shouldn’t act like what they did was a piece of cake, because it wasn’t.
If you would even put aside a few minutes to remember what the ANZACS did for us, you’ll be more grateful than ever.
Lest We Forget.
By Sofia
New South Wales, 2020
