First off, Happy New Year! Whether you rang in the new year all dolled up to go out or stayed in wearing sweats, I hope you had fun while doing so. Last year, when 2014 rolled around I didn't make any resolutions. We all know that it's not as easy as we would like to stay true to our resolutions when we're knee deep in something called life. So instead of resolutions, I tried to keep a few simple ideas in mind and apply them day by day. Below is the picture of these ideas that I posted exactly a year ago: As much as I dislike the cliché "New year, new me" mentality, there is something exciting about a fresh year and we all like to imagine what we can do for ourselves to advance in some way or another. Here are the 5 goals that I'm jotting down in my journal this year... 1. Forget the numbers. As a college junior, I've been in school for now the majority of my existence where numbers are often stressed more than actually learning. Perhaps it's the way that America has resorted to standardized testing for even placing its children in elementary school programs (yes, little Grace was included in this) but somehow we are obsessed with scores and GPAs and curves. Education is … [Read more...]
Quick Greek Yogurt Mac & Cheese Recipe! (Under 30 min)
If you love cheesy dishes and don't have a lot of time to cook dinner, this is a great dinner to whip up in under 30 minutes with not a lot of ingredients! This will make about four servings (fewer if you like hearty portions, I guess). Ingredients: -2 cups elbow macaroni -2 cups shredded cheese (I used about a cup of sharp cheddar and some swiss, mostly because I forgot to stock up on more cheddar!) -1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used one regular container of Chobani) -Handfuls of fresh spinach (The recipe I based this off says 2 cups but I say more!! Spinach shrinks!) -Salt -Pepper -Onion Powder -Garlic Powder To make: Cook the elbow macaroni for about 8-10 minutes, until al dente. Place the fresh spinach in a strainer and pour the pasta water over it (wilting the spinach) and draining your pasta. Leave a bit of pasta water in the pot because you want some starchy water in the pot to help thicken the sauce. Return pasta and spinach to the pot and burner (now turned to a low heat setting.) Add all of the cheese and stir briskly so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add the Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and continue to … [Read more...]
50 Things I’ll Teach My Daughter
1. You are in charge of your happiness. Never let your happiness depend on someone or something. 2. It's okay to not be okay. 3. Life gets better. Awkward stages like middle school pass. 4. Having a bad day? Ice cream and/or tea. Guaranteed pick me up. 5. Quality not quantity - especially if we're talking friends. 6. Daydream. 7. Don't wish to be like someone else, it's a waste of who you were made to be. 8. It's okay to disagree with the majority. You do you. 9. I won't judge you if you eat peanut butter out of the jar because it's delicious. 10. Get your wisdom teeth pulled as early as possible. 11. Don't take the Oxy they give you. Ugh. 12. Don't stop reading. It's actually a cool thing. 13. Never settle. 14. It's perfectly okay to not have a plan for everything. In fact, your plans will get ruined and that will be the best thing to happen to you. 15. Cherish your time living under the same roof as your parents. 16. Wear sunscreen every day. 17. When in doubt, overdress. 18. Your grades do not define you nor will they make or break you. Just try your best. 19. Before you go to sleep each night, think about what you're … [Read more...]