| How to Make Chocolate Vanilla Cake Posted: 04 Apr 2022 05:00 PM PDT Many people love baking. So why not learn how to make a chocolate vanilla cake? It's tasty, it's yummy! You'll just love it. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Vanilla Cake - 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
[Edit]Chocolate Frosting - 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla.
- 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
[Edit]The Vanilla Cake - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally, stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back to the touch.
[Edit]Chocolate Frosting - In a medium bowl, beat powdered sugar and butter with a spoon or electric mixer on low speed until blended. Stir in vanilla and chocolate.
- Gradually beat in just enough milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If the frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If the frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar. Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.
[Edit]Combining and Decoration - Cut the cake in half to fill the chocolate frosting inside. This step is optional.
- Cover the whole cake with frosting. Use a spatula.
- You can make the borders of the cake the way you like. You can also make roses by moving the frosting bag in a spiral direction.
[Edit]Warnings - Don't put too much frosting, otherwise, it will taste too sweet.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Vanilla Cake - Cake pan or muffin pan and paper liners
- Pastry brush
- Mixing bowl
- Oven
[Edit]Chocolate Frosting - Mixing bowl
- Spoon or electric mixer
[Edit]Combining and Decoration - Knife (optional)
- Frosting spatula
- Frosting bag (optional)
- Cake stand
[Edit]Related wikiHows |
| How to Make Close Friends Posted: 04 Apr 2022 09:00 AM PDT Friendships are some of the most important and beneficial relationships you can have in life. Unlike family, who you don't get to choose, you can make friends from a variety of backgrounds and with a range of interests. In addition to companionship, good friends provide you with validation and a sense of belonging. They also offer support during stressful times, improve your self-confidence, and influence your lifestyle.[1] Learn how to develop and maintain close friendships by opening yourself up to meeting new people. [Edit]Meeting New People - Accept invitations, and extend them. If you are a shy person, you may frequently say "no" to invites to social events due to worry that you will embarrass yourself or not know anyone there. However, saying "no" may inadvertently cause others to stop asking you over time. Start saying "yes" to invitations, and you might just make a new friend.[2]
- If you notice someone at work or in a class and you believe the two of you might hit it off, ask her out for coffee or for ice cream. Or, when someone asks you out to an activity, return the favor by inviting her to something next time.
- Even online invitations to be friends can lead to lasting and fulfilling relationships. Opening yourself up to virtual friendships can be just as rewarding as face-to-face connections. What's more, if your virtual friends are local, once you feel ready, you can always arrange to meet up and move an online relationship off-line.[3] Just use good judgment when sharing personal information.
- Explore a new interest. When you sign up for something in which everyone is learning a new thing the pressure to perform is off. Learning a new skill – whether pottery or golf – might be intimidating, but learning with others may help you to forge new connections.
- Get active. Walk the dog. Play Frisbee or kickball with your kids. Go running in your neighborhood. Join a gym and participate in group fitness classes. Embracing regular physical activity is a wonderful way to improve your physical health and establish new friendships.
- For example, if you are walking your dog through the park, let your dog lead. If he or she shows interest in another pup, you can use this interest to strike up a connection with the other dog's owner. Ask whether this person's dog is friendly, what it likes to do for fun, or the weirdest thing it ever ate. Think about it, you already know of at least one mutual interest you have with this individual - a love of animals.
- Participate in community service. Of course, one of the greatest impacts of volunteering is positively benefiting your local community. Just spending an hour or so of your time each week can help make your area a better place to live in. Volunteering is also a two-way street - as you give, you also receive. It helps strengthen your ties to the community, connects you with others through a shared activity, and can even deepen an existing relationship.[4]
- Take part in spiritual activities. Understanding your purpose and role in the universe or with a higher power naturally makes you feel less alone. Additionally, getting in touch with your spiritual side can lead to new friendships. Visit a church, prayer center, retreat, or meditation or yoga class built around the spiritual principles you value.
- Start a conversation with someone you see regularly about his spiritual beliefs and see where it goes.
- Invite members of your spiritual or religious group to join a book club devoted to spirituality or personal development.[5]
- Take advantage of interactions wherever you go. Sometimes, friends find each other by coincidence. You might bump into a great potential friend at the pet store or in line at the coffee shop. Open your eyes to all the possibilities of developing new relationships that are in front of you on a daily basis.
- Ask yourself what a close friendship means to you. The answer to this question may differ from person to person, and there is no wrong or right choice. It's based on your personal preferences. Some people covet friendships with people who have shared similar situations or struggles. Others long for friends who have the same core values as them.[6] In general, there are four elements that usually draw people together and form close friendships.[7]
- Common interests- hobbies, shared activities, passions, etc.
- History- shared pasts and circumstances
- Common values- ideals for how to live life
- Equality- a balance of give and take
- Decide which combination of elements is most important to you. By doing so, you can learn what places or situations might help you foster new friendships. For example, if you care about history and you are struggling with social anxiety, you might connect well with a person in your support group who has overcome this condition in the past.
[Edit]Evaluating Potential Friendships - Think about how this person makes you feel. If you are hoping to build close friendships, don't worry yourself with external characteristics, such as how the person looks or how much money he has. Instead, dig deeper and pay attention to internal signs of a healthy connection.[8] Ask yourself the following about a potential friend:[9]
- Do I feel safe around this person?
- Can I be myself around him or her, or do I have to tiptoe around eggshells when we're together?
- Does this person treat me with respect?
- Is he or she supportive of my ideas and goals?
- Can I trust this person?
- Is this person overly critical of me?
- Does this person take my kindness for granted?
- Consider the habits of new friends. Good friends may discourage your participation in unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking.[10] However, the reverse is also true. Friends can impact our choices and even unconsciously sway us to pick up unhealthy habits.
- In University of Liverpool study, when one friend ordered an alcoholic beverage, 80% of the time, the other friend followed suit. Friends even matched how heavy the other friend drank, without even knowing.[11]
- If a potential friend has unhealthy habits or negatively influences your life, you may need to assess the value of that friendship. While drinking may not be a make or break for a new friendship, drug addiction or criminal activity might be red flags for you to stay away from a fledgling relationship.
- Determine if the other person is committed to the friendship. Deepening and maintaining a relationship requires continuous nurturing and attention.[12]Therefore, a successful friendship must exhibit both giving and receiving of time, attention, and effort.[13]
- The give and take in a friendship may not always be equal. For example, your friend might be really stressed over her parents' divorce and require more support for a time.
- However, if the friendship is always one-sided, and you are constantly giving of yourself or acting against your own needs or values, this may not be a friendship you choose to continue.[14]
[Edit]Maintaining Friendships - Call or hang out regularly. A good way to deepen a connection with someone is to keep in touch. Show interest in your potential friends' lives by calling, visiting, or checking in on them throughout the week, especially during the first few months of a friendship.[15]
- Although you should make an effort to spend time with your friends, recognize that not every relationship will be the same. With some friends, you may fall into the habit of meeting up every Thursday night. With others, such as long-distance friendships, you may only get together every other month or so. Find a balance for each of your friendships.
- Simply take out the time to let your friends know you are thinking about them and interested in their lives.
- Listen. There are few attributes as important as being a good listener when it comes to friendships, and all relationships, really. Typically, when a person is feeling down or stressed out, the first person you go to is your closest friend. Adopt the habit of being an active listener so that potential friends know that they can count on you for non-judgmental support.[16] Show that you are listening by:[17]
- being comfortable with silence
- orienting towards the person, making eye contact, exhibiting open body language (i.e. arms and legs uncrossed)
- offering validation (e.g. "I understand this is a hard topic for you to discuss…"
- prompting the person to continue talking (e.g. "I see…" or "Umm hmm")
- restating the message in your own words (e.g. "If I understand you correctly, you're saying…")
- reflecting what feelings you are perceiving (e.g. "It sounds like you're really angry")
- using "I" messages (e.g. "I can see that you're sad, but have you considered…")
- refraining from giving advice unless it is expressly requested
- Share. A clear sign of a close friendship is feeling like you can confide in the other person. Talking to a friend about something that is bothering you - or exciting to you - can help you sort through your feelings, put things into perspective, and even release tension.[18] Sharing with a friend who is empathetic and emotionally validating can even increase the bond that you share.[19]
- If you are uncomfortable with self-disclosure, start small.[20] Tell the friend something a little more personal that you have never shared, like a quirky career aspiration, and gauge her reaction. If your friend ask questions, seems interested, refrains from judging, and discloses personal information to you as well, you might move forward to sharing more intimate details about yourself.
- Only do this if you feel 100% comfortable with the other person, and believe that she is loyal.
- Respect boundaries. A healthy and long-lasting relationship is built on boundaries. Although your friends may be the closest people to you, you should still respect their boundaries, and vice versa. Setting boundaries outlines what each person in a friendship is comfortable with. Nurture your friendships by closely observing what boundaries your friends express, and respecting them.
- Examples of boundaries in friendships might be respecting one another's privacy, refraining from sharing confidential information, not expecting to be a person's one and only friend, being able to participate in hobbies and activities that you find pleasurable individually, and acknowledging one another's likes and dislikes. [21]
- Be a positive influence. Look at the bright side of every situation. Show gratitude and appreciation for your friendships. Find healthy ways of coping with stress. Lift up your friends when they are feeling down. Becoming a more positive person can have amazing effects on your friendships, leading to your friends becoming more positive, too.
- Positive people live longer and have more friends than their negative counterparts.
- You can't be friends with everyone. Aim to be friendly to everyone, but recognize that you are not meant to have a close friendship with all you meet.
- Don't feel like you need to have a ton of friendships. Quality is more important than quantity.[22]
[Edit]Warnings - Beware of people who use friendship as a way to use, manipulate, or exploit you. Go back to how this person makes you feel. If the person causes you to feel uncomfortable, afraid, or in danger, steer clear.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Fold a Traditional Origami Swan Posted: 04 Apr 2022 01:00 AM PDT The origami swan is a very traditional structure. This swan is very simple to make. Requiring only several mountain and valley folds, this origami swan is very well suited for beginners. The results of this swan may look a bit shabby at first, but soon, your swan will look very elegant and beautiful after only a few minutes of practice. - Get a square piece of paper, turn it over so that the colored side is at the bottom.
- Fold the piece of paper in half diagonally, so that it looks like a triangle.
- Unfold your triangle so that it looks like a square again.
- Take the two edges across from the center crease and fold them to that crease. It should make a kite shape.
- Turn your paper over.
- Take the sides of your kite shape and fold those into the middle crease again. The kite should be thinner with triangular designs on one side.
- Without turning the paper over, take the bottom point of the kite (the thinnest part) and fold it up to the top point of your kite shape, with the thin point along the middle crease.
- Take the tip of the thin point and fold down a small portion of the point down, the portion should look like a triangle that is only about tall. The triangle formed by the previous step that was a triangle, should now look like a very tall trapezoid.
- Remember that middle crease at the very first step? Fold the crease in half again. Except with the design side on the top.
- Tightly holding the base of the triangle, pull up the thin point of the triangle to a desired height. It could be straight up, or at a sharp angle.
- Pull the little part out to resemble a beak.
- Decorate as desired.
- Finished.
- Make sure the creases are very crisp and smooth. The more smooth, the more elegant the swan will look.
- If the paper is getting too difficult to fold, due to over-folding, start over. Or the swan will look crummy.
- At step one, the white side can be at the bottom. At the end, the swan would be mostly white.
- Using decorative paper will make it especially beautiful!
- Just go though slowly and read it when no one is around.
[Edit]Warnings - Try not to get frustrated; just try again.
- Watch out for the edges of the paper, they are sharp. You don't want to get a paper cut.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make an Electromagnet Posted: 03 Apr 2022 05:00 PM PDT In an electromagnet, an electric current runs through a piece of metal and creates a magnetic field. To create a simple electromagnet, you'll need a source of electricity, a conductor, and metal. Wrap insulated copper wire tightly around an iron screw or nail before connecting the wire to a battery, and watch as your new electromagnet picks up small metal objects. Remember that you're creating electricity, so be careful when working with the electromagnet to ensure you don't hurt yourself. [Edit]Wrapping the Iron with Wire - Choose an iron nail or screw as the core. Pick out a piece of iron that you have around your home, such as a nail, screw, or bolt. Choose an iron item in length so that there's plenty of room to wrap the wire around the iron object.[1]
- Pull a strand of copper wire loose from the spool. Since you won't know the exact length you'll need until you wrap the iron completely, don't cut the strand of wire from the spool yet. Position the wire so that it's perpendicular to the iron core, making it easy to wrap the wire around it many times.
- Leave of copper wire loose at the end. Before you start wrapping the wire, leave a strand of wire loose from the iron that will attach to the battery that's about long.[2]
- Position the wire so that it's perpendicular to the iron core and at one end.
- Wrap insulated copper wire around the iron going in one direction. Create an ongoing spiral around the piece of iron to conduct the electricity. Wrap the wire in one continuous strand, going in one direction, so that there's a strong electrical current.[3]
- It's essential that the wire is wrapped in the same direction so the electricity flows in one direction. If you wrap the wire in different directions, the electricity will flow in different directions, and you won't create a magnetic field.
- Push the wire close together as you're wrapping it. Wrap the wire tightly around the iron, forming as many spirals as possible to create the best current. As you're wrapping, use your fingers to push the loops close together. Continue wrapping and pushing the wire until you get to the end of the iron.[4]
- The more wire you use, the stronger the electrical current, so be careful and use caution when creating your magnet.
- Wrap the entire nail in wire. There is no certain number of wraps that you need; just be sure to wrap the entire piece of iron with wire, with the strands of wire pushed right up against each other. Once you've reached the end of the iron, you're finished wrapping.
- Cut the wire so that the end is roughly long. Once you reach the opposite end of the iron core, use wire cutters or sharp scissors to cut off the wire from the rest of the spindle. Cut the second end so that it's as long as the first end, helping the wire tips reach the battery equally.[5]
[Edit]Creating Conductible Ends - Remove of insulation from the ends of the wires. Use wire strippers, sandpaper, or a razor to carefully scrape off the insulation from each end. This will help the wires conduct energy more easily.[6]
- As you remove the insulation, the wire will turn from the copper color of the insulation to the natural silver color of the wire.
- Curl the ends of the wire to create a small circle. Use your fingers to bend the ends of the wire into a very small circle, about in diameter. These circles will touch the center of each end of the battery.[7]
- Curling the ends of the wires helps the battery maintain good contact with the wire.
- Position the ends of the wires to each end of a D battery. Find a D battery, or a 1.5 volt battery, and place each end of the wire on an end of the battery so they're touching. Place pieces of electrical tape or duct tape over each wire end to hold them in place.[8]
- Position one wire end at the negative end of the battery and the other wire end at the positive end of the battery.
- Test out the magnet while holding the wire onto ends of the battery. Once you have a good grip on the battery with the wires, test it out! Hold the battery and iron close to a small metal object, such as a paperclip or safety pin. If the nail, screw, or bolt picks up the metal object, the magnet is working.[9]
- If the battery becomes hot, use a small towel to hold the wires to the battery.
- When you're finished using the magnet, detach the wire ends from the battery.
[Edit]Increasing the Magnet's Power - Use a power pack instead of a single battery for more power. Power packs last longer and create a stronger electric current than a single battery. They're available at hardware stores and battery shops, and can be used just like a normal battery.[10]
- Do a little research before picking out a larger battery pack to be sure you're picking one that's safe and will work.
- The wire ends go where the positive and negative terminals are, and you can use tape to attach the wires to each end.
- Find a larger piece of metal to create a stronger magnetic field. Instead of using a nail, try using a metal rod that's about long and in diameter. Be sure to use it with a power pack to create a stronger magnet. It'll take a lot more copper wire to go around the entire piece of metal, so start with a full spindle.[11]
- Wrap the wire tightly around the metal so that the electrical current conducts well.
- If you're using a larger piece of metal, it's only necessary to wrap the strand of metal with one layer of wire for safety reasons.
- Use electrical tape to connect the wires to each end of the battery.
- Add more wraps of wire to form a stronger magnet. The more coils you create, the stronger the electric current. Get a large spindle of wire and make as many wraps as you can around an iron nail or screw to create a very powerful magnet, adding several layers of wire on top of one another, if desired.[12]
- Use the small piece of iron for this, such as a nail, screw, or bolt.
- Wrap the wire in a single direction going around the piece of iron.
- Tape the ends of the wires to the battery using duct tape or electrical tape.
[Edit]Warnings - Never use high voltage electricity with a large amount of current, as it can electrocute you.
- Don't try to insert the wire into a plug. This will conduct the electricity, making it at a high voltage and giving it a large current, which can produce a shock.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Iron screw, bolt, or nail
- Insulated copper wire
- D-cell battery
- Wire cutters
- Sandpaper or razor
- Metal objects (safety pins, paper clips, etc.)
- Battery power pack (optional)
- Larger piece of metal (optional)
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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