30 Day Challenge

Hey guys,

I've been having a really had time keeping up a posting schedule this year. I've been totally swamped with school work. In 2 weeks, I'll be done with my last fall quarter of college. That's terrifying. I feel like the time is flying by, and my personality is being a little swallowed up by 15 hours of lab work a week.

 I've been trying to do 30 day challenges. This was sparked by this TED talk. It helps me feel like I have more control over my life, gives me daily goals that make me feel more accomplished, and forces me to have some fun.

http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

The last 30 days, Code Boyfriend and I tried a modified Paleo diet. It went really well, I felt like I had a lot more energy, but it's really hard to keep up while eating on a college campus. We've decided to keep a lot of the Paleo principles, more fruits and veggies, more protein, and less carbs, but I feel like living without bread for too long makes me sad.

MMM... cheeseburgers.

Anyways, for our next 30 day challenge, we wanted to do something that didn't involve restricting the way we eat. It's just too difficult when we spend a ton of time on campus during the last 2 weeks of a quarter.

So, in honor of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to be blogging every day, for the next 30 days. Code Boyfriend, is going to attempt to write an Android app, from scratch.

While these aren't 50,000 word novels, I think they are still fitting goals for the month of November.

 I'll leave you with a picture of my tiger pumpkin that I carved last night.

Go Tigers! I hope everyone had a great Halloween.

Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Granola

Hello world!

 I'm sorry about my absence, but if you just give me a moment to explain, I think you'll understand. I had a massive yarn bombing project that was exhibited on May 5th. That Saturday, my Daddy also graduated with a Masters degree... on the other side of the country. Very bittersweet day for me not being able to be home with my family. My sister graduated from the University of Colorado on May 11th, so I took 3 days to fly to Colorado to see that. But since my school is on the quarter system, I had to go back, finish up a week of school, then finals, then move out of my house. Which I thought I had under control... Why don't you guess how wrong I was.

 We had a crisis in my school family. There is a difficult balance you have to strike in college. You need a support system that is not from your parents, you need to transition into being an adult. Total reliance on my parents is not longer an option. But I still don't feel like I'm fully grown yet. I don't work during the school year, and most of my days are still filled with homework and friends. The Wednesday before finals week, I needed to be an adult.

One of my school family members stopped being able to breathe and spent the night in the Trauma unit of a local hospital. Someone needed to be there until her mom could fly into town. 6 days later she was still in the hospital, now in stable condition. Nothing in life seems important when someone you care for is struggling for every breath. I did what I needed to do, I re-prioritized my life. I had to take a C in a class I should have earned a B in because I was too tired to study. I had to take a B in a class I should have gotten an A in because I still needed to pack.

 I'm figuring out that the reason I can't get straight A's is because life gets in the way. Sometimes, sleep is more important than Organic Chem. In 20 years, it won't matter that I got a C instead of a B in Organic Chem 3, but hopefully it will still matter that I commit to being a good friend. I am the type of person to call at 2 AM. I'm more proud of that than I would be of a 4.0.

 Luckily, this whole mess is over. My friend is out of the hospital and luckily still got to put on her robes, and walk across the stage at graduation. And, after a 3 day drive, I am now home. Here, I don't really need to be the adult in the room. I can take a day off. Sit in the sun and drink my coffee. Pet and dog and watch TV. It's a nice break.

Awe.. Aren't they cute?

Moving on. I find granola to be the perfect summer breakfast. I mean, add some nice cool yogurt, and some berries, what could be better? But, I don't know anyone who makes their own granola who hasn't burnt a batch on the stove or in the oven. I make mine in a slow cooker to take away some of the granola burning risks. I can throw everything into the slow cooker and leave it on all afternoon, stirring when I feel like it, or can smell the granola.

 Peanut Butter Slow Cooker Granola 
makes about 7 cups

• 5 cups of Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup of Sweetened Coconut
• 1 cup of Chopped Peanuts
•  1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 cup of Peanut Butter 

 Place the oats, coconut, and peanuts in the slow cooker.

I like to chop my peanuts so they incorporate into the granola. But to each their own.

Mix oil

 

 and peanut butter in a separate container. I usually microwave these two for about 20 seconds. It will make combining them much easier.

Mix the peanut butter mixture into the oats.

 Now is when I add about 2 tablespoons of honey. Since I just got back to Colorado and my allergies are killing me, I am using raw, local honey. Hopefully this internet lore makes my allergies better. I'm willing to try anything at this point.

I don't measure this. Measuring honey is too much of a pain for me to waste time on. Feel free to eyeball this.

Turn the slow cooker on low, mixing every 30 minutes or so for 5 hours. Leave the lid off to prevent steam from building up. You want the granola crispy, not soggy.

After a couple hours, the granola starts to brown up very nicely. You can turn the cooker up to high, but the granola will need to be stirred more frequently to prevent burning.

When the granola gets all toasty and dry, let it cool in the slow cooker. MMM... granola.

 

Very Pinteresting...

Well, it's been a very busy couple of weeks. I know that's no excuse and that if I want a following for my blog I should update.

I'm sorry. School happens. Life happens. And now I am sick. Which, while stops me from being able to completely focus on my Biochemistry of Plants studying.

In my daily travels, I have found a new addiction. Pinterest.

Pinterest is a wonderful place to find dinner ideas, at least that's mostly what I use it for. I frequent the Food and Drink category, on the look out for tasty things. Do be warned. Everything looks tasty. Pinterest has lead me to some very amazing blogs, which I will now show you.

English Muffin Bread : onegoodthingbyjillee - I have a loaf sitting on my counter as we speak. It will not be there for long.

Chicken Gyros : The Girl Who Ate Everything - These were so wonderful we made them twice in 2 weeks. I have a very picky college crowd on my hands. That rarely happens for anything that isn't pizza.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole : Eat Better America - This did not turn out pretty, but boy was it tasty. I used a can of Rotel instead of chopping up tomatos and threw in some frozen corn. Very good.

I feel like Pinterest gives everyone a unique oppurtunity to share the awesome things they find on the internet with people who are looking to do the same sort of awesome things. Let's face it, all of my facebook friends could care less what cool recipe I found online, but I feel like the people at Pinterest do. I hope you check out some of the links as well as Pinterest.

You Can't See an Elephant in the Dark

Spring Break is almost over now and I feel like I haven't stopped moving since I left my apartment in Rochester last Friday.

I'm talking insane amounts of travel people! BF and I drove to Phili, then flew to Pheonix, AZ, where we met my parent.

Then Flagstaff -- where we met up with many of my old friends from before I transferred away from NAU (Northern Arizona University for those who don't know). 

 Plus we saw the Grand Canyon...

All in 2 days. Then we drove down to Tuscon, to meet up with some of my parents old friends and my extended family. Poor BF. He spent the whole time we were in Tuscon being left out of conversations because he wasn't in Tuscon 20 years ago.

 Luckily he got to spend these long car rides watching me make knit roses for the people we are seeing. This is some of them in the door to the car. I'll have a tutorial for them up soon.


BF survived the scrutiny of many family members of mine during this trip, much thanks to the help of a wonderful frosty beverage called an Eegee. Eegee's are a magical substance, like a fruit based Icee, but a bit thicker. 

 

BF had never had one before, but after going from a chilly Rochester March to a 85 degree Tuscon spring, he has been converted.

If you haven't noticed the title of this blog, it happens to be a quote from my dear Aunt Paula. This woman is amazing. After she turned 50, she spent 5 years in Botswana, Africa with the Peace Core, fulfilling a life-long dream she had. When talking to her about her travels, she said something so sincerly it was adorable, but it is a quote that continually helps me with my anxiety.


"You can't see an elephant in the dark."

So everytime I'm worried about something, panicking about something I believe no one else can see, I turn on the light to see if it is really an elephant. 

Maybe that makes me a little nuts, but so is my Aunt Paula, and she's the happiest person I know. Maybe accepting your little bits of crazy that allows you to be happy.


All I know, is that you can't see an elephant in the dark.

Biscuit Donuts

Biscuits.. You know, the ones that come in the blue pop can? Well, that thing scares the bejeezus out of me.

It is a loud pressurized pop.. I feel like I'm about to die every time I hear one. Luckily enough for me, loving BF volunteers to open the cans while I cower in the corner.

So this Friday, the gang came over for Fry-Day. It was the end of the quarter, give us a break. We were looking for an excuse to party.

And one of my friends brought over my new favorite card game. I'll review it for you once I get my copy.. It will be here tomorrow..

I digress. Donuts. This post is about donuts. But I have space to ramble because this may be the easiest way to make donuts ever. Yes, I would reckon, the only easier way is to make somebody else do it. But where is the fun in that?

Tube of biscuits and oil. The new Boyfriend in the group thinks that's all you need. He doesn't like sweets... at all.

For those humans reading, I will also suggest you have powdered sugar and milk for a glaze.

Biscuit Donuts

•  Store bought biscuit dough
• Some form of oil for frying
• 1/4 cup of Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons or more of Milk

 Now, cut the dough into donut shapes. I used a lid to a soda bottle and a knife to cut out the centers, but for those of you who may actually have a small round cookie cutter, I'd use that. My method was effective but sticky.

Save the centers to make donut holes. Trust me.

Then, carefully place the dough in some hot oil, I used my snazzy new Christmas present - my FryDaddy.

Flip after about 45 seconds. These cook up fast, so keep an eye on them and flip sooner if they are a nice golden brown.

Drain on some paper towels, and mix the powdered sugar and milk to create your glaze.

Once the donuts are cool enough to touch, dip the tops into a bowl of the glaze. When you flip them back over, the glaze will run down the donut.

Try not to eat them all before the party starts! When I did this, people were standing behind me while I fried, stealing the donut holes before I was done.

Such a hit and so easy! I would have more pictures if there weren't 3 hungry college guys in my kitchen.