Category Archives: Uncategorized

Photo taken from elanaspantry.com

Even though spring is almost here (on or around March 21) it is still officially winter. Initially, I was not a big fan of soup but I found myself wanting more and more soup during the winter months. This caused me to make a hearty soup to satisfy these cravings and boy-oh-boy was it good! Here is my very own recipe for a beef soup that is sure to warm the soul.

Ingredients:

Fresh Pumpkin (you don’t need a whole pumpkin. A couple of hearty pieces will do) Tip: The richer you want the soup the more pumpkin you will need

1-2 packs of beef chuck (try to get the pieces with some bone it in; I believe this adds to the flavor of the soup)

5 Carrots chopped

4-5 Potatoes (with or without skin)

2-3 Cups of white flour and water for dumplings (you cannot have this soup without it)

A handful of Spaghetti

Garlic Powder

Black Pepper

Salt

Paprika

Hot Sauce

Photo taken from Caribbeanpot.com

Directions:
1. Fill a  pot with water. And boil the water. The size of the pot will depend on the amount of soup you want to make. Peel and cut the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin into square chunks and boil the pumpkin in the pot of water. The pumpkin will eventually melt and become a delicious base for the soup.

2. Next, wash your meat. You can use vinegar, lime, lemon, etc. to wash your meat. After you have washed your meat season your meat with your salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika and add it to the pot that you have boiling with pumpkin. Because the meat is cooked for so long in this recipe it will become tender and will flavor the soup nicely.

Tip :You want to make sure you turn down the heat because you don’t want the soup to burn. Remember as you add more ingredients stir the pot to prevent food from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

3. Wash, peel and chop your carrots. Add them to your boiling pot.

4. Wash, peel (if you desire) and cut your potatoes into thick chunks and add them to your boiling pot.

5. Make the dumplings and add them to your boiling pot. See how to make dumplings below.

6. Grab a handful of spaghetti break it in half and add it to the boiling pot.

7. Add more seasoning; salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce to get the flavor of the soup to your liking.

Note: Because pumpkin is so thick it can tend to soak up the water (liquid) in the soup after and sometimes before the soup has been refrigerated. If this is the case no need to worry; just add more water to your soup and add more seasoning to retain the flavor. Enjoy! 🙂

How to make dumplings:
Dumplings is a simple food that uses flour (we will use white flour) and water.

1. Take your 2-3 cups of white flour and put it in a bowl. Slowly add water (you want to have enough water to make the flour stick together.) The flour and water mixture should begin to look like dough.

2. Once you’ve added enough water, kneed the dough into a big ball.

3.  Next take little pieces of the dough and shape them into dumplings. You can shape them into little pancakes, balls, or logs. I usually do a combination of pancake dumplings and log dumplings.

Total Cost: Estimated at $22
Cost Per Serving: Estimated at $3.14 per serving

If you are like me you need a little help with organization. Okay, okay I admit it. I need more than a little help with organization. Give me a break you know I’m not the only one. Anyhow since this is an area I need improvement in I’ve decided to look up articles/blogs that will help me and hopefully you get everything in its place.

Photo taken from www.families.com

The first article I want to highlight is found on a young adult website called Boundless.Org. In his article, “The Slob Reform” George Halitzka recalls his unorganized and haphazard college days. He was the self-proclaimed “Heavyweight Champion of All-Nighters.” He encourages others that organization is a learned skill; a skill which he learned and you can too. He gives readers several organizational tips that will help them get organized over time. One of my favorite tips: give everything a home. I know what you’re thinking: I already know that its commonsense. Yes I know, but do you actually do it? If you give things a home for example, keys or important documents, it will save you time and energy when you need to retrieve these things in the future.

The second blog I want to highlight “7 Keys to Letting Go of Clutter” comes from simplify101.com; a websight which specializes in organization. The blog mentions that there are no set rules to organization; in other words you have to find what works for you. I like this idea because it gives individuals the opportunity to be flexible and avoid unnecessary pressure. Lets face it the process of organization can be stressful. Why add the unnecessary stress of trying to do what doesn’t work for you? The blog list several organizational tips; one I would even call genius: “Anticipate and remove your obstacles.”

“7 Keys to Letting Go of Clutter”
www.simplify101.com

For example, some of us have a difficult time parting with items that we know we need to get rid of because we paid good money for it.  The fact that you paid good money would be your obstacle. However, what you paid for the item is already a sunk cost. Holding on to the item won’t give you your money back but getting rid of something that you don’t need will get you one step closer to getting the space that you want to see. Think about it. Now does throwing away that expensive item seem so bad?

‘The “Gift” of Beautiful Storage’ by Courtney

The third blog I want to highlight comes from the IHeart Organizing Blog spot. In the blog ‘U Heart Organizing: The “Gift” of Beautiful Storage’ by Courtney, the blogger and mother of two shares how she organized her gift wrapping room. While you may not be all that interested in gift wrapping reading the article can steer you in the right direction of organizational success. Simple things like a rod and plastic bucket system or removable hooks that you can attach to the wall are inexpensive but can create a world of difference when it comes to organizing.

Remember organization is only going to happen one step at a time so please don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve success in a day! If you do fall off the organizational wagon pick yourself up and get back on again. Try to be consistent and have fun. Following some of the advice from the blogs/articles that I have mentioned above should have you on the way to creating a space you are proud of in no time!

Happy Organizing,
Gelayne

So Valentine’s Day is coming up and we know love is in the air! There are many people offering opinions and suggestions on how to make that day special with that special someone. But how do you spend Valentine’s Day if you’re not married, dating, or in a committed relationship? That my dear single friend is the dozen rose question? No worries. I’ve done some research and I’ve got you covered. Here are a list of three blogs/articles that think of singles on February 14. Who knows this may be your last Valentine’s Day solo :o).

6 Valentine’s Day Do’s and Don’ts! by Cheyenne Bostock
Huffingtonpost.com

The first blog I wanted to highlight is “6 Valentine’s Day Do’s and Don’ts!” by Cheyenne Bostock. In his blog Bostock encourages singles to “date themselves” and let singles know they don’t need a man to make them happy (and I’m assuming that a man doesn’t need a women to be happy either). He warns and advises people not to get caught in the Valentine’s Day trap. You know the drill: chocolate, candy, gifts. His sentiments are that you shouldn’t have to wait one day out of the year to let someone know you care about them. I agree. If you love somebody you need to show it more than once per year.

Hey, Single Ladies! 7 Ways To OWN Valentine’s Day This Year By Stephanie Castillo

My second blog highlight is “Hey, Single Ladies! 7 Ways To OWN Valentine’s Day This Year” by Stephanie Castillo. In this blog Castillo suggests that instead of feeling sorry for  themselves, single ladies and gents should get up and do something. Things like: spending time with your friends, throwing a party, or spending time showing love to someone else, or simply loving you. I love this notion of loving you for Valentine’s Day. We can get so caught up in the trap of having someone to love that we forget to love one of the most important people in our lives: ourselves. Castillo suggests doing something for you, and if you do want that special someone to come your way, then decide what you want and take steps in that direction.

Being Single on Valentine’s Day
A Survival Guide
Advice from Professor Laura S. Brown
Chiff.com

Lastly, I wanted to highlight “Being Single on Valentine’s Day A Survival Guide” posted on the website Chiff.com. In this post Dr. Laura S. Brown a professor of psychology at Argosy University/Seattle offers advice on how singles can enjoy Valentine’s Day. She reminds and encourages singles that we (yes I’m in this category) do have an identity outside of a romantic relationship. Dr.Brown reminds us that Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday and of all the money you’ll be saving yourself if you don’t buy into it –and who doesn’t love saving cash! She also says that if you are single and you enjoy being single, it is OK. If this is you nothing is wrong with you and you are not weird. Again, your relationship status does not define you.

I’m wishing you a Happy Feb 14. By the way: I think I will take Bostock’s advice and date myself this year. Who’s with me?
Signing Off,
Gelayne

Photo taken from https://www.rubylane.com

Who doesn’t love peach cobbler? This decadent dessert is a southern treat; talk about southern hospitality! I had my shot at preparing my first ever peach cobbler last Christmas Eve. How did it turn out you ask? Let’s just say my sisters and I fought each other for the last piece. Sort of, well not really. The recipe has simple and readily accessible ingredients plus a secret special ingredient! Even if peaches aren’t in season, frozen peaches will do. The recipe is not my own. I retrieved it online from Allrecipes.com and the recipe is from Aeposey. So here is what you will need:

For the Filling:
8 fresh peaches- peeled, pitted, and sliced into thin wedges – if you don’t have fresh peaches frozen will do plus it will save you the grunt work of peeling and pitting peaches
¼ cup of white sugar
¼ cup of brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup of white sugar
¼ cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
¼ cup of boiling water

Photo taken from http://www.gettyimages.es

For the Sprinkle Topping:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Special Ingredient: Love (food always tastes better when you cook it from your heart)

Directions:
1. So the first thing you would need to do is preheat your oven to 425 degrees F or (220 degrees C).

 
2. The next step is for you to combine all of your filling ingredients in a large bowl. This is your ¼ cup of white sugar, ¼ cup of brown sugar, peaches, cinnamon, lemon juice, nutmeg, cornstarch and peaches. Make sure that the peaches are coated evenly put this in a baking dish (a 2 quart one is recommended) and bake it in the oven and your preheated temperature for 10 minutes.

3. While the peaches are baking you are going to work your crust: you are going to combine all of your crust ingredients except the water. This is your flour, baking powder, salt, ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, and butter. Press in butter with your fingers until the mixture texture resembles coarse meal. Add water until combined.

4. Remove your peaches from the oven and add the topping over it with a spoon. (If you don’t have enough toppings to cover your peaches repeat step three and add the additional topping to your peaches). Sprinkle the entire cobbler with white sugar and cinnamon mixture (again if you need more sprinkles make another mixture and add it to the top). Bake until mixture is golden brown or about 30 minutes.

5. Enjoy! (or eat and repeat if you prefer).

Total Cost: Estimated at $30
Total Calories :Estimated at 318 per serving

The Beauty of Niagara Falls

By Giselle Lojano

If you are looking for a beautiful place to travel this spring break, then Niagara Falls might just be the place you’ve been searching for.  Located at the border of Canada and the U.S, these three enormous waterfalls will surely take your breath away with their majestic beauty.

This last summer I visited Niagara Falls with my family, it was an unforgettable experience, the place was beautiful and there were plenty of activities available to people for all ages.

Niagara Falls
Photo Caption: Giselle Lojano

The first step to make sure you have a fun experience is to be prepared. Making reservations on time is crucial, since a lot of people visit this place it’s not likely to find a good hotel room at the last minute. My family and I had to settle for an overly expensive room with little amenities because we thought making reservations in advance was not necessary.  We ended up looking for a hotel room for more than two hours.

It’s also essential to take all your travel documents with you if you plan on visiting the falls located in Canada as well. In my opinion, Canada had many more activities for children and adults. Restaurants, stores and parks full of flowers were everywhere.

Niagara Falls, Canadian View
Photo caption: Giselle Lojano

On the other hand, although New York didn’t have as many restaurants and parks, there were more activities regarding the exploration of Niagara Falls. One of them was named Maid of the Mist, which basically takes you on a boat to see the Niagara Falls up close.  Even if it’s warm, try to wear warm clothing since water will splash all over you once the boat is in front of the falls. As the girl who wore shorts and a tank top, trust me you will definitely get cold if you don’t.

Last, but not least, don’t forget to visit the falls at night; light projectors are placed on each side of New York and Canada, projecting light to the water as it falls. The lights change from blue to purple and from purple to red, every color is reflected and it gives the falls a mystic type of beauty.

Niagara Falls at nighttime
photo caption: Giselle Lojano

Niagara Falls, is one of those unforgettable places you will not regret visiting. Whether traveling with friends or with family, you are sure to have a good time.

Are women attempting a balancing act not meant for stilettos as we carry babies on our backs and brief cases on our arms in an attempt to juggle being both a mother and a professional?

Photo curtsey: Rose Joy Kivellote/ Alternavox Magazine

Over the last few years, working-moms find themselves back in the lion’s den with spectators accusing them of playing a dangerous game by trying to “have it all,” when the focus should be more on men, who haven’t increased their responsibilities in making the family circus more successful.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) have provided women with the job protection to start families at their leisure but the opportunity costs of playing both roles have not been alleviated. In fact they’ve been intensified. Working-moms are now expected to portray the role of The Cosby Show’s gorgeous Claire Huxtable who maintained her position as a high-powered attorney while still managing to make it home every night to have dinner with her family and help her children with their homework.

Phylicia Rashad as Claire Huxtable
Photo curtsey: okayplayer.com

This unreasonable expectation is only further encouraging preservation of gender roles.  The duties of women are constantly expanding now include the responsibility of assisting in economically contributing to the household in addition to cooking, cleaning, ironing, and nurturing children.  Yet, there have been no supplementary responsibilities added to the role of men.

Photo Curtsey Domestic Disturbia

In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was passed. In 1973 woman gained the right to choose. In 1988 the Equal Employment Opportunities Law was passed. Despite these accomplishments many women are too shy to say their spouse “you too can do it all.”   Instead of rushing home to cook dinner after working 9 hours and spending their weekends cleaning their house, more women have to ask their husbands to pull their weight.  As a new generation of women begins to raise children, we should be managing our sons’ expectations so that they understand that Claire Huxtable is just a fictional character and that one can only perform trapeze acts if they have an amazing partner to catch them.

By: Miguel Sanchez

College midterms, finals, research papers,can be stressful
Courtesy: Newtoteaching.blogspot.com

The looming long hours of studying and lengthy research papers are enough to drive any college student over the edge in their academic career. This is what a student may call stress.

Stress is the body’s reaction to any outside anomaly. Once the person undergoes stress, the brain sends a wave of signals throughout the body to trigger a response.

A stressor is any physical, psychological, or social force that puts real or perceived demands on the body, emotions, mind, or spirit of an individual. When the body senses a stressor, it immediately goes to a fight-or-flight mode and some of the side effects include profuse sweating, lack of attention, lack of sleep, and even weight-gain, to name a few.

When approached with this kind of stressor, it is always important that a person responds immediately to treat that kind of stress. If not, it can lead to health risks, such as strokes and heart attacks.

Common ways to combat stress

Many people become victims of stress because they have a strong urgency to meet certain deadlines, whether it is a paper for school, or getting to a meeting on time. One way to fix this is to manage your time accordingly.

Courtesy: campaignlive.com.uk

Don’t drink alcohol! Although it is often called liquid courage, it is actually unhealthy and can cause long term health risks like addiction and liver problems. Also cut caffeine from your diet.  Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, soda, and energy drinks. High levels of caffeine can cause an abnormal rise in blood pressure.

An alternative is to drink club soda or green tea (that’s been lightly sweetened), this has a dual function. Now you can sip and remove those negative toxins from your body. For a source of energy, you can also go the organic route. Drink organic orange juice and take b vitamins supplements (known for its supply in energy.)

Smoking your stress away is the wrong way of handling stress. Courtesy: Whatcomhorizon.com

Quit smoking. There are number of health risks that come with smoking, the body becomes more prone to these risks once it is under pressure.

Staying in shape is the best method to fighting stress.
Courtesy: Glamour.com

And lastly, one of the greatest ways to combat stress is to stay away from greasy foods and overeating. Although a healthy diet can lead to a better synergy, overeating can cause bloating and fatigue. This writer knows only too well. If anything have a balance diet and workout.  Working out and having a daily exercise regimen is proven the best and most effective way to solve any stressor related issues.

(Consult with your primary health physician before actually committing to these changes mentioned above.)

I’m a hopeless romantic, I like to blame it on the fact that I was born on Valentine’s Day but honestly it’s just my gender. Woman LOVE love. The idea of it, the act of it, and the songs and movies about. It gets us all giddy and weak in the knees and we become non functioning drones that believe we are Belle and are male counter parts are the Beasts. You all know the story…Beautiful sweet girl, bursting with love and effeminacy takes a mean ole man and turn him into a prince. And us women, so gullible and thirsty for love, believe every single bit and apply it to real life. Damn you Disney!

Infidelity                                                                                Photo by Istockphoto

But if a man sees how much I love him, if he sees how much I have to give he will be a good man for me and for us right? Wrong.

Women have the misconceived notion that all the love they have to give is enough to change an unfaithful into a faithful one. That the potency of their “I love you” can move mountains and change mankind. In reality is it moves nothing but possibly a man’s anxiety level.

Beauty and the Beast                                                            Photo by fanpop

Society tells us how to get a man, how to make a man marry you, how to get a man to open up, how to give a man the best orgasm, how to cook for a man, how to be the perfect best friend, girlfriend, lover, wife, and mother of his children, and they tell us that all of this will show a man how amazing we are and has the power to change any asshole into a prince.

Young boy                                                                             Photo by Sofia Mogliazzi

Women must stop this silly notion that their ‘everlasting love’ can do so, because while a woman’s head is generally influenced by her heart, a man’s heart is always influenced by his head, and not the one on his shoulders. I’m not saying not to trust all men…Just the ones over the age of ten.

Farah Angsana’s Spring 2013 collection introduced an exotic array of fabrics and colors to bring out the Brazilian hawt bitch in all of us.

Tribal Beaded Cocktail Dress           Photo by Sofia Mogliazzi

Inspired by Brazil and the re-invention of life, the collection titled ‘The Glamazon’ was one of the most vivid collections I’ve seen this year, with floral patterns, royal blue, lime green and eccentric orange as some of many colors the designer chose to work with.

Royal Blue Chiffon Gown                   Photo by Sofia Mogliazzi

The theme of picturesque and vibrant glamour continued with the display of fabrics used to make the cocktail dresses and gowns. Silk wore many of the floral patterns on the cocktail dress, while draping chiffon covered most of the gowns. I was blown away by the pleated evening gowns donned with embellished necklines and the empire waisted gowns with silk trains. Truly a collection meant for an island princess.

I must say the most impressive pieces however were the beaded cocktail dresses which displayed some of the most intricate beading and embellishing I’ve seen this season. The collection definitely told a story. One of discovery, mystery and the blossoming of a woman.

The Designer Farah Angsana                                             Photo by Zimbio

Which must hit home for the designer seeing she’s the only Indonesian fashion designer to receive international recognition for her intricate quality of work and magnificent creations.

Air Jordan: All Aboard!

By: Jeanette Knotts

            Whether it’s a blizzard, raining, hail or a heat wave, you can expect to find hundreds of people anxiously lined up in front of the most popular sneaker stores on Friday nights waiting to snag a pair of Air Jordans.

People gathered on line at midnight, just before the release of the Air Jordan XI “Concords”
Courtesy of: Allan Brettman for The Oregonian

What makes these sneakers so popular? Well for starters, the creator of this famous footwear is Michael Jeffrey Jordan  (also known as MJ), 6x basketball playoff champion, and probably the most talked about and well-known NBA players.

Currently, there have been over 70 different styles and color-ways of Air Jordan sneaker released. With effective marketing surrounding the first release of the shoe in 1985, it immediately became Nike’s most sought after footwear. During each game MJ played, he graced the court wearing a pair of his legendary sneakers, often defeating the opposing team with his extraordinary basketball skills.

The most sought after Air Jordan in the “Cool Grey” colorway
Photo By: Jeanette Knotts

Nike then marketed these sneakers by saying they were a key component to Michael’s outstanding performance.

The Air Jordan sneakers are released every other Saturday, attracting over 300 sneaker heads eagerly waiting to buy a pair. The lines for these shoes are usually formed the night before; with people literally camping out, spending hours overnight waiting for the store doors to open and deal with the demand of the crowd. Believe it or not, within minutes, the popular sneaker usually sells out, creating an eruption in the crowd of people who waited hours in line but failed to cop a pair of sneakers because it sold out in a matter of minutes.

The Air Jordan IX sold out in under 2 days
Photo By: Jeanette Knotts

Some people opt to stay home in hopes of trying to purchase a pair online, but these too are sold out in a matter of seconds.

The fact that these sneakers were created by one of the most successful NBA players in history makes these shoes the most wanted above all others. Not only are they stylish, they are marketed to make people think as though they can mimic Michael Jordan’s superlative basketball moves. After all, everyone wants to be like Mike!