As hungry as a bear

This week our theme was food. We started by watching a clip from the British TV series Jamie’s School Dinners where star chef Jamie Oliver is trying to change the unhealthy school lunches in the United Kingdom. The episode we watched is the very first one in the series, so we saw the huge challenges that Jamie had to face.

We continued by talking about the differences between British and Finnish school food, and most of the pupils said they prefer Finnish school food. We certainly agreed that even though hamburgers and pizza can be delicious, Finnish school food is healthier and more balanced than so-called junk food. We also talked about stuff like breakfast, favourite foods and weirdest experiences with food. Even snails were mentioned, although I’m not sure why! Below you can see a poll on our favourite foods and favourite school foods.

Favourite food top 3:
1. Lasagne (4 votes)
2. Fish soup (3 votes)
3. Pizza (2 votes)

Favourite school food top 3:
1. Spaghetti (Bolognese) (9 votes)
2. Sausage and mashed potato (6 votes)
2. Chicken noodle casserole (2 votes)

At the beginning of the second lesson we listened to the song of the week, this time chosen by Eltz Viper. The song was called Only Human and performed by Dub FX & Stamina MC. Check out the music video below. Before that, however, we collected some of our favourite recipes for your reading (and eating!) pleasure. Enjoy!


Easy Cheesecake (by Sophie Desert)

Ingredients:
200 g cream cheese, softened
2 dl sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons sugar
200 g sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:
1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, 3 eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with mixer until they become smooth. Pour into well greased 25 cm pie plate.

2. Bake 22 to 25 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius. Turn oven off. Remove cheesecake and cool for 5 minutes.

3. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar, sour cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread over warm cheesecake and return to oven for 5 minutes.

4. Cool and refrigerate.

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Salmon soup (by Kate Ronnie)

Ingredients (4 portions):
1 salmon fillet (500 – 600 gr)
1 ½ liters water
1 kg potatoes
2 onions
2 dl cream
1 – 2 teaspoons salt
10 white / black peppers
3 tablespoons shredded dill
50 g butter

Method:
1. Peel and cube the potatoes.
2. Cut each onion into 4 pieces.
3. Pour water into a saucepan and add the salt, peppers, onions and cubed potatoes.
4. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer at a low heat for approximately 15 minutes.
5. Cut the salmon fillet into 5 - 6 slices.
6. Add the cream and shredded dill to the saucepan.
7. Place the salmon fillet slices in the soup and boil for approximately 5 more minutes.
8. Add the butter and decorate the soup with some shredded dill.


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Bacon And Noodles (by Mary Rabine)

1. First start by chopping the bacon.
2. Then put the bacon slices on the skillet and fry them.
3. Meanwhile the beacon slices get ready, put the noodles in the kettle and boil noodles about 2-3 minutes.
4. When the bacons and noodles are ready, mix them.
5. Eat it!


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Kebab with french fries (by Pete Rusky)

Ingredients:
6 euros, an appetite

Walk into Verona in Kangasala, say "kebab ranskalaiset", go wait in the table, and in 5-15 minutes, you will get your kebab.

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Easy Grilled Chicken Teriyaki (by Eltz Viper)

Ingredients (4 portions):
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 dl teriyaki sauce
½ dl lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Ready in: 1 day and 30 min

Method :
1. Place chicken, teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and sesame oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours, turning every so often.

2. Preheat grill for high heat.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Remove chicken from bag. Throw away the remaining marinade. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes each side, or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.

4. And it's ready!


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Meatballs (by Wayne Teller)

Ingredients:
400 g ground beef
1 egg
½ dl milk
1 dl breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
½ fresh ground pepper
1/4 grated parmesan cheese

Method
1. Mix the ingredients with hand in a bowl. (Hands=best results)
2. Roll the meatballs to about a size of a golf ball.
3. Drop them in to a big stock pot of sauce.
4. Simmer the meatballs for about 3 hours.
5. Then eat the TASTY MEATBALLS OF EPICNESS!


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Mozzarella pizza (by Thomas Walt)

Dough:
1 package active-dry yeast
1,5 dl very warm water
8 dl all-purpose flour
1,5 tespoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Topping:
One 400 g can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, rained
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 dl coarsely shredded mozzarella

Bake in a very hot oven (up to 225 degrees Celcius) for about 20 minutes.


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These recipes should keep you satisfied until next week!

The best place in Pikkola

Hello again, it's time for our weekly blog entry! This week we started the lessons with a little warm-up exercise. First we had to write the following "random" words or things. We didn't yet know why but we found out soon enough.

(1) A name (a celebrity or a friend, for example)
(2) A verb in the -ing form
(3) An adjective
(4) An adjective
(5) A food
(6) A place name
(7) A name for a game, sport or instrument
(8) An adjective

Then we put these words into an already written story that was missing eight words. The stories ended up being interesting or just plain silly. Try to write your own eight words! You can read some of our stories at the end of this post.

Most of the pupils chose to work on verb tenses while three of our courageous bloggers wrote on this week's topic: The best place in Pikkola.

The famous Pikkola stadium

I think the best place in Pikkola is the big field behind the bus stop. It’s large, smooth and it is perfect for running, playing Football or playing American football. I’ve had a few sports lessons there and I find it to be great! But if I would think about a place to hang out, then it would be anywhere where it’s quiet. Because I don’t like too public places and lots of crowd. You see... I’m the quiet one.
Eltz Viper

 

 

We think that the best place in Pikkola is chilling outside. We are there almost every break. There are lots of benches where to sit. We like to sit in the sun, because it's warming. If you want to be in shady place, there are those too. When the break starts we go outside almost right away. Except sometimes we have to get our books from the locker. But if it is raining, we chill in hallway or we go around the school inside. It is possible because our school is shaped like the H-letter inside. Outside that is different, it is like a box. There are many nice places where to be in breaks, but our favourites are absolutely benches outside.
Paulina Rock and Marie Rivers

Benches in the sun and in the shade.

The fabulous new Lukio building and some nice benches. And the place where we chill if it rains.

Eltz, Paulina and Marie - thanks for the brilliant texts and photos! As promised, below you can read some of our warm-up texts and also check out this week's song, A Little Piece of Heaven by Avenged Sevenfold. It was chosen by Ida Cole.

"Eight random words make a crazy story":

This morning (1) _________ and I went (2) ____________. The weather was (3)___________. We had a (4) _________ time. After we had had (5) __________ for lunch, we went to (6) ___________. We played (7) ___________. It was (8) ___________.


This morning Kata H and I went skating. The weather was cool. We had a funny time. After we had had a pizza for lunch, we went to London. We played Angry Birds. It was cute.
Ida Cole

This morning Kim Hyun Joong and I went sleeping. The weather was warm. We had a soft time. After we had had sushi for lunch, we went to Japan. We played twister. It was short.
Jane Lauper

This morning Britney Spears and I went singing. The weather was strange. We had a fun time. After we had had ice cream for lunch, we went to London. We played Monopoly. It was nice.
Elisabeth Jenkins

This morning Jared Leto and I went drawing. The weather was cute. We had a handsome time. After we had had hamburger for lunch, we went to Paris. We played hide-and-seek. It was lovely.
Mary Rabine

This morning Joy Grass and I went running. The weather was happy. We had a nice time. After we had had pizza for lunch, we played hide and seek. It was angry.
Iris Hill

This morning Jennifer Lopez and I went running. The weather was mad. We had a happy time. After we had had hamburger for lunch, we went to restaurant. We played Monopoly. It was funny.
Kate Ronney

This morning Justin Bieber and I went talking. The weather was good. We had an excellent time. After we had had pizza for lunch we went shopping. We played Alias. It was great.
Kathy Spoon

This morning Brandon and I went to wear Pepe Jeans. The weather was tall. We had Pepe Jeans wearer time. After we had gourmet for lunch we went to the Sami Hedberg show. We played icehockey. It was very much like Brandon.
Nicklas Gaustad

This morning Brandon and I went to wear Pepe Jeans. The weather was tall. We had a muscular time. After we had had gourmet food for lunch, we went to Sami Hedberg show. We played ice hockey. It was the best hockey player.
Max Corvin

This morning Iris Hill and I went singing. We had a mean time and the weather was the best. After we had hamburgers for lunch, we went to Helsinki. We played hide and seek. It was awesome!
Joy Grass

On a very stormy night, I and Captain Blackbeard began sworfighting. He was very quick and agile, but in the end my skills exceeded his. After that I sailed to Paris on Queen Anne's Revenge to eat a cheese of victory. A Rat managed to steal my cheese and I had to play hide and seek with it, but I was victorious and ate the cheese of victory.
Wayne Teller

Ok, so, Wayne improvised a bit but I think you agree that his story is just awesome! Until next week, folks!

This time last year

Our theme this week was school. First we all had to tell, for example, about our favourite subjects and think who are the most demanding teachers in Pikkola. The answers varied quite a bit, of course. Our song of the week, Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts, was chosen by Elisabeth Jenkins. At the end of the double lesson we also did some verb tense exercises. Anyway, below you can read what kind of memories we have from autumn 2011 when we all (including the teacher) started at Pikkola.



Last year I started the Finnish course at Tampere. There was alot of foreign people in there and alot of different cultures. The first 3-4 months I was very shy because I did’nt know a word in Finnish!  So I tried to hold my mouth shut as much as I could. I thought it was amazing to see all of these different people in front of you, and yes, I do think I’ve changed from last year because I learned alot of things about different people from different countries all around the world and that has changed my opinion about them. 
Eltz Viper
 
When I started in Pikkola at last year, it was nicer than in primary school and more relaxed.
My impression of my classmates was quite nice and we have the best homeroom teacher in the school. I have chanced my hairstyle from August 2011. And maybe I’m a little bit taller and I have new friends now. The autumn 2011 was very nice. The new school was very nice and tidy. New friends were nice and friendly and I learned to know some old friends better too. I didn’t have any fears and dreams… I don’t remember, but some memories are good and some of these are not so good. But Pikkola is nice school.
Mary Rabine

When I came in Pikkola August 2011, I thought that Pikkola is nice and cosy junior high shool. There are really good teachers. I didn´t have any fears when I started studying here. My first impression of our class was okay. Our homeroom teacher was okay, too, but she left at christmas 2011, because she was pregnant, so we have now a new homeroom teacher Satu. Satu is really nice and friendly. I haven´t changed a lot. I only have new hair color, brown.
Paulina Rock

It was very exciting to start shcool in Pikkola. My first reaction was really good. It was bigger, better and it's much more relaxed than primary school. First I tought that I don’t like my class but then we got to know each other and we got along better. I guess I have changed pretty much from August 2011. 
Joy Grass

When I started at Pikkola’s school I was little nervous and excited because it was a new school. My class was pretty nice. I think I haven’t changed much from August 2011. 
Iris Hill

I think that it was pretty scary to start in Pikkola, but I was relaxed almost after the first hour. At first I thought that my class is wild and it is, but not so wild. I am more clever and older in physical and spiritual way after that year. I think school’s more important. I hope that when I end in Pikkola I have a good certificate.
Thomas Walt

When I started in Pikkola, I wasn’t scared at all, I was quite excited. It helped that I already knew some of the people in our class. I thought our class was nice. We don't have the same homeroom teacher anymore. I haven’t changed a lot. I have a new best friend and blonder hair.
Kate Ronney 

Last autumn was the second time I started school in Pikkola. The first time was in 1997, and since then the school has changed quite a bit: lots of new teachers and a lot of renovation done in the building itself. In 1997 I remember being quite excited and a bit scared as well, but this time I was just thrilled to start at Pikkola. I knew that I was coming to a very nice school. Last autumn brought many new things for me, too, because it was the first time I started as a homeroom teacher. After one year I think my class knows each other a lot better and we usually have a good time learning new things together.
Andy Gordon
 
I started in Pikkola last year. It was fun. I was happy to get away from my old primary school. I thought that Pikkola was good school and this is nice and cosy place. My first impression of our class was okay. We have a nice class, sometimes we are a bit noisy. I made new friends very quickly. I didn’t have any fears, I was here in good thoughts. In a year I haven’t changed a lot, but I have brown hair nowadays.
Marie Rivers

Last year was quite exciting. We were lost last year because we were the first time in Pikkola. The couple first days were quite annoying because some people was bullying but some get over it. My class were is nice because I get some friends in my class too. I got some new friends in other classes too and I think that’s very nice. So the autumn was very nice first year in Pikkola.
Jack Parkin

When I first came to Pikkola my expectations were correct, because my expectations were quite simple (huge and lots of pupils). First impression of my class was calm, but nowadays it’s not quite the same. The teachers seemed nice and they haven’t changed. In the start I feared I couldn’t keep my good numbers up, but turns out that I got even better numbers. I was a bit upset when none of the friends that I hoped to be on the same class as me were not on the same class as me. On the bright side many of my childhood friends were on the same class.
Wayne Teller

Ready, set, go - My sports day

Our subject this week was sports. First we did a listening comprehension exercise that was about the Olympics. There was information on the history of the Olympics as well as this year’s Games in London. Then we started writing about our own Games, the Pikkola Olympics that were held on Wednesday, September 5^th. We saw many fine performances by our talented, young pupils - but most importantly the day was about being outdoors and enjoying good weather and the company of friends - about having fun! But enough of the teacher’s blabber, here’s what some of the BigCola athletes thought about the day. (A huge thank you to Eerika Majalainen for the photos!)

Our school had sports day on Wednesday. I was in relay race and team games. The weather was good, but it became little bit cold in the afternoon. I enjoyed the day, we had a good team and we won the tug of war! We also saw the final of relay and exciting pupils vs. teachers elephant ball match in Kyötikkälä! If I could decide, my ideal sports day would have more sports, football for example, and more freetime.
Nora Lakeside

I was in athletic sports on sportsday. I think that the weather was pretty good. There was not rain but it was cold. I enjoy it and I think that the run was maybe the best part and it was a good day. I didn't see or do anything special for the rest of day. I think that the ideal sports day is warm and there is maybe a little more exercises.

Thomas Walt

We were on the Kyötikkälä’s field. I took part in team games. There was blindfold race, woodleg running and roadpulling. In one team there are three girls and three boys and every class has one team. The weather was cloudy and cool, but it didin’t matter that much. The whole day was nice.

Joy Grass

The tug of war extravaganza (pic by Eerika Majalainen)

I was in javelin and shot put on Wednesday. The weather was great and it didn’t rain. The day was good because we didn’t have to do any school things like on normal schooldays. After the sports day I went out with my friends to have fun.

Max Corvin

On the sports day I ran 100 m and took part in shot put. I also ran in relay race. It was cloudy for a little while but then it was quite sunny. I did enjoy seeing how much can I run or compete in some sports after a long time. The other thing I liked was this game that looked like football but all the players were wearing funny clothes and fake hair, unfortunately I could’nt take part of it. My ideal sports day would be a day where I would become 1st in something. And yeah... that’s pretty much it!

Eltz Viper

I got put to the team games because we have such a small class and no one else wanted to join. The weather was a bit cold but not freezing. At the start of the day I didn’t feel cold. I didn’t enjoy it because my team didn’t win anything. I think that the fact that we only had 4 players on our team because 2 of them were sick, raised the difficulty especially in rope pull. I watched the game between pupils and teachers. The ball they played with was huge. No wonder they call it elephant ball. When the game ended they had tied. On my ideal sports day I would win every sport I join.

Wayne Teller

I was in triathlon and the weather was pretty good and cloudy. I think the day was really boring, because I’m not good at sports, but it was better than a normal school day. I bought a cup of coffee and I watched when my friends jumped and ran. I also watched an elephant ball match. If I could decide, the sports day will be sunny and warm day, and everyone is allowed to do what they want to do.
Ida Cole

One of the highlights: Elephant ball (pic by Eerika Majalainen)

On my sports day we first walked to Kyötikkälä. I sat on the bench and listened when Marika screamed in the radio. After that I walked around the field. I went to buy a coffee.  The weather was very nice. It wasn’t raining so it was good. I did go to sports that I chose but they sucked. I did go to buy coffee and that day was very very nice.

Jack Parkin

In Kyötikkälä I took part in “triathlon”. It includes boot throwing, bucket carrying and accuracy throwing. Weather was cloydy but warm. I enjoyed cream donut and high jump. I watched athletics and rope pulling. The day was nice.

Niclas Gaustad

On Wednesday I was in “triathlon” and relay race. My class was second at relay. After relay we went to Kyötikkälä. Luckily the weather was good. It was a little windy, but it didn’t rain. The “triathlon” was quite boring because I was there last year. After “triathlon” my friends and I went to the kiosk. I didn’t have any money so I didn’t buy anything, but my friend gave me half of a cream doughnut. At the end of the day there was an elephant ball match, students vs. teachers. The day was fun because there weren’t any school subjects.

Jane Lauper

So that was our sports day. Oh yeah, one more thing. Our song of the week, Everytime by Britney Spears was chosen by Paulina Rock. We'll be back next week!