Portabella and Spinach Quesadillas

This recipe is a fantastic dinner idea to make for your family or friends any day of the week. Using the ingredients you have in your home, you can make this recipe in under 45 minutes, changing the simple cheese quesadilla to a tasty mushroom and spinach goodness wrapped inside a golden brown quesadilla. This quesadilla recipe was taken from the book, Cooking In Style The Costco Way & under "Appetizers."

Recipe:

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach

4 10inch flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or any cheese you prefer)

2 tablespoons butter

6 ounces Monterey Portabella Mushrooms, cut in 1/2-inch slices

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Guacamole (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare spinach according to package directions. Squeeze out liquid.
3. Place tortillas on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until cheese has melted, approximately 4 minutes.
4. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook.
*Cook mushrooms for 7 minutes until tender then add in spinach, cooking for 3 minutes* (Casey 30).
5. Divide the mixture among the tortillas and then fold tortillas in half.
6. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. To ensure you're quesadillas are crispy and fully cooked, "fry the quesadillas until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side" (30).
7. Cut into wedges and serve with guacamole and sour cream if desired. Make 4-6 servings.

Have you ever made or seen something similar to this mushroom and spinach quesadilla before, perhaps with different ingredients? If so, what ingredients were used and if you were to recreate this version what ingredients would you add? 

The Theater Audition

 - - - (Powell 204-5)

This past month I had auditions for the spring production at our school, Hairspray. The section helped me prepare for this audition, although I still wish I did a few things differently.

The first thing this section starts off saying is that an audition is a job interview. Your chances can be ruined if you are unprepared, or even if you're having a off day. The first thing suggested to prepare for your audition is to do background research about your chosen monolog. For this audition we didn't have monologs. Instead, we had to sing a cut from a song, so I did background research on my song instead. The song I chose, My Strongest Suit, was from the musical Aida, and was sung by Princess Amneris of Egypt. At the beginning of the musical, there were a man and woman touring the Egyptian wing of a museum, when they were transported back in time to Ancient Egypt, where the story takes place. All of this gave me perspective on the song, and some of the lyrics popped out as making more sense. For example, the lyric "I ensure that every stitch is stitched in time" is not just saying that everything needs to be done on time, but is also a reference to how the characters went back in time.

This section of my book also advises to avoid dressing up on costumes or bringing a bunch of props, because that seems amateur. Instead, it advises to dress like yourself in order to express your personality. However, you have to make an effort. Don't dress in sloppy clothes or anything that shows you're unprofessional. Dress like yourself, only the best version of yourself.

Finally, this section reminds you that even if you do an amazing job, there are many factors that go into whether or not you get a part besides your skill as an actor. A director might just not be able to imagine you playing the part that they're looking for. It reminds the reader that the more audition opportunities you get, the greater the chance is that you'll be cast!

For those of you reading this who auditioned for Hairspray, how was your audition? What do you think you could've improved on?

Whipped Cream

Ever wanted to top your snacks off but you don't have anything in your storages? Well, now you can make this easy whipped cream topping for your food satisfaction! It is a very simple task, and your do not need very many ingredients and tools for this.

The ingredients that you will need are:

• Heavy Cream
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• A hand or electronic mixer
• Items like sugar or vanilla to add flavor to the cream

• Before you start creating your cream, you should put your mixing bowl into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will chill the bowl, and make the mixing process go a lot faster.
• The time taken depends on how fast you are mixing the cream. Using an electronic mixer, it will take about 4-7 minutes. Using a hand mixer, it will be about double the time (8-14 minutes). Keep track of the time however. "If the cream whips for too long, it will become butter." (Pinkwater 214)

First, you want to add your heavy cream into the bowl.

Next, you want to get your hand or electronic mixer and start beating the cream.

If you are using an electronic mixer, check the consistency of the cream every minute or two.

After a few minutes, and your cream starts to look thicker and less liquid-like, it is the best time to add your flavors in. You don't want to use the finished whipped cream by itself, because the cream itself does not really have any taste to it. By adding things like sugar or honey, you give the cream more sweetness and taste to it.

You'll know that your cream is done when it keeps its shape (does not fall and sticks to the mixer), and is fluffy. Once you have finished, you can put the whipped cream into a air-tight container, and stick it in the refrigerator for future uses.
This was definitely a great learning experience, and now I can create simple cream toppings in just a few minutes! This has made me more motivated to try and create more desserts.
If you were to create whipped cream, what flavors beside sugar and honey would you add to the cream?

Pinkwater, Jill. The Natural Snack Cookbook: 151 Good Things to Eat. New York: Four Winds, 1975. Print.

Christmas Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Around the holidays one of my favorite things todo is bake and bake and bake. I would make every recipie from the book if I had the time. One that recipie that I make every year is the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book sugar cookie recipie.

Recipie:
1/3 cupe margine or butter (I use butter)
1/3 cup shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
powdered sugar icing (optional - I used this and some left over cream cheese frosting)

When making these cookies I found that the dough was very sticky. It was on my fingers and spatulas, along with refusing to leave the sides of the bowl. When this happens the best thing to do is to chill the dough before rolling the cookies. Personally, I hate to wait for the dough to chill, it takes too long and sometimes I forget about it... But if you don't chill the dough it stays sticky and doesn't roll out nicely. Causing your cut-outs to stick and become deformed.

One way to avoid this is to "chill the dough before rolling it, or freeze it just until it's firm enough to roll" (Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 104). If you freeze the dough it can cut your chilling time down from 3 hours, as the recipie calls for, to as little as half an hour. The only downside of freezing the dough is that if you forget about it you then have to wait even longer for the dough to defrost.

Overall, the end result is worth the time and sticky fingers. But be for warned, it makes a mess frosting...

Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book. Des Moines: Merdith, 1989. Print.

The Winter Wonderland Effect

Chocolate Chip Cookies are always an easy go-to cookie. Almost everyone likes them and they are usually simple to make.  Chocolate Chip is perfect "for any occasion, from after-school snacks to holiday-dinner deserts" (Better Home and Gardens New Cook Book 104). Normally I would use an old for family recipie but for this assignment I used my IRP book.

One thing that all Chocolate Chip recipies have in common is the amount of flour used - lots. When baking with lots of flour something I call the 'Winter Wonderland Effect' usually occurs. This is when you put all the flour in the mixer, turn it on, and poof! The flour is no longer in mixing bowl, it is all over the counter, floor and everything inbetween.

To solve this problem there are many options, one being buying a fancy sheild thing that attactches to the mixing bowl. I find this bulky and they never seem to work properly. The best way to keep the flour from turning your kitchen into a 'Winter Wonderland' is to take a medium size dish towel and drape it over the mixer and bowl.

This keeps the flour in the bowl while minimizing the amount of dishes you have to wash when you're finished.

Recipie:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine (I always use butter)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 12-ounce package of chocolate pieces (I used chocolate chips)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

After trying these cookies, it was determined by my many taste testers that old family recipes are always the best, but this was a good and fun alternative.

Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book. Des Moines: Merdith, 1989. Print.

Volleyball Conditioning - Quickness and Agility

Hi everyone! This is my second blog post regarding Complete Conditioning for Volleyball by Steve Oldenburg. This post will be focused on quickness and agility. The exercise I will mention today is called the "Crossover Step" and will help improve my quickness and agility in volleyball. Although this book centers on volleyball, you can use this exercise simply for yourself, or any sport you may do. The crossover step will help improve your lateral sprint acceleration while learning proper mechanics and posture (Oldenburg 149).


You will begin by standing in "Go" posture. This position allows you to be ready to move in any direction. (see figure d)


You will perform what is called a single crossover step to the right on the coach's demand and then sink back into go posture (Oldenburg 149).


When you start the movement, you want to "focus on pushing the inside of the left forefoot into the floor to propel the body to the right," (Oldenburg 150). As your body moves to the right, your right foot must also lift off the floor and take a step to the right, says Oldenburg (figure a).




Figure A

Next, you will "drive the left knee across the body to the right," seen in figure b (Oldenburg 151) .

Figure B

Then, "drive the left forefoot down into the floor just past the right foot," seen in figure c (Oldenburg 151).

Figure C

Lastly, square your hips back and slightly bend your knees back into go posture, seen in figure d(Oldenburg 151).

Figure D

Be sure to do the same and go to the left!

This exercise is helpful to me because it works on the same skills required while playing volleyball. When playing back row, it is very important to be able to react quickly and efficiently to the ball. I hope this post helps the volleyball players reading this and anyone whose sport requires quick acceleration and reflexes.

Oldenburg, Steve. "Quickness and Agility." Complete Conditioning for Volleyball. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2015. 149-51. Print.

Common Sense Defending

More often then not players will favor their strong feet. Identifying a players strong foot is key for tackling and keeping her from using her strong foot. Blank says that he wants his defenders and even center mids to figure out a players strong foot within the first five minutes of the game. (Blank, 71) We want to make a player wit her weak foot which will hopefully lead to her messing up and you gaining possession of the ball. You want to identify the strong foot and push your player to his/her weak foot. (Blank, 72) If you can eliminate a players strong foot you can turn the game your way.

As I have been playing center defender since I can remember, figuring out whether a player has a dominant right foot or left foot if key. To be efficient in your defending it is important to identify this quickly. Many players are right dominant, but sometimes you will defend a lefty. After figuring this out you want to force a players to play with their weak foot to minimize their success.(Blank, 72) This is shown below in the pictures with defending a players with a strong right foot.


1. Identify what foot is stronger, you can see this because often their strong foot will be the one with the ball.

2. When defending approach the players in a curved motion (like a half of circle) if you are facing the player curve you defending stance with more pressure on their right foot.

3. Guide your players to the their left and keep maintaining high pressure and when the moment is right time your attack and gain possession.

What is your strong foot and how do you train your weak foot to be just as good?

Enhancing Textures

This sign is one of the most photogenic features of Seattle, yet it is not taken into consideration at different angles. As you walk across the street light and approach the top of the steep hill leading to Pike Place Market, you will see this sign straight on with shops and the water behind it. Many will stop about halfway down the hill to take a picture and then never look at the sign again. Tom Ang tells how it is possible to enhance the appearance of a piece of architecture by contrasting it with deep blue skies.

My first image was taken with the flash on an aperture priority setting (aperture is the hole that exposes light through a camera, so aperture priority values the light of an image). This caused the gloomy, rainy sky to come out very bright. Ang suggested to "use a long exposure to maximize depth of field for overall sharpness" (Ang 241). For the second image, I took the aperture priority off and switched to the shutter priority (how fast the picture is taken or for how long it is exposed). This gave the picture much more depth and texture within the clouds. It made the tone and overall feel of the image more dark, representing the weather that day. Also, if you look closely you can see a bird at the top of the sign. In the first image it's not clear, but in the second it stands out within the sky and creates a silhouette.

Overall, when capturing pieces of architecture and signs, it's important to incorporate parts of the sky and nature. It creates a dramatic effect around the object and separates a typical picture from a unique picture.

Dislocations and Fractures

In Eric Weiss's Wilderness and Travel Medicine he covers a wide variety of emergency medical treatments with limited supplies. In this, post we're gonna cover dislocations and fractures. Dislocations and fractures of bones often come from falls, car accidents, and repetitive impact/movement. When they occur it is very important to act immediately to prevent further injury and to let the wound heal properly.

Dislocated shoulders occur when the upper arm bone pops out of its socket at the end of your shoulder blade.

To treat it assistance is recommended. Bend over the victim until their back is somewhat parallel to the ground.

"Use the thumb of his other hand to push the scapula (shoulder blade) toward the backbone (inward). This scapular manipulation maneuver helps position the socket so the are can slip back easier." (Weiss, 76)

Broken arms are very common and often come from sports injuries, car accidents and it is very important to keep the victim calm, relocating the arm is a very painful process and it is important they do not jerk or make any sudden movements.

To put the bone back into place you begin by pulling the arm back to straighten out the bone

Then gently let the bone fall into place and always seek medical assistance afterwards.

Responding immediately is very important in emergency situations and the techniques used in the handbook show us proper responses to these injuries on the field. Have you ever been put in a situation where you needed emergency medical response?

Kanzashi in Bloom: Petals

Round Kanzashi Petal


The round petal has a lovely teardrop shape that lends itself well to all kinds of flower designs. The book states, "It is the simplest petal design in the book" (22). For beginners who want something easier to start off with, I would suggest making this petal. It is easy to make in large and small sizes, and this particular petal can be crafted with thicker materials such as leather and vinyl.

1. Begin with a square of fabric of your choice.

2. Fold the square diagonally, with the right and left side of the fabric hanging out.

3.  Take both the right and left corners and fold them down to meet the bottom corner.

 

4. Flip over the whole piece so you're now looking at the back.

5. Fold the left corner to meet the center. Repeat with the right corner. The two corners should meet, but not overlap.

6. Fold the whole piece in half towards you. (This will be the back of your petal)

7. Turn the Petal over and this will be the front of your petal.

8. When you're ready to incorporate this petal into a flower, you will need to trim the base of the excess fabric.


There are many uses for these petals. The book states, "When you mix and match this petal design with the Pointed or Pleated petals, you can create an endless array of flowers" (22). There are many shape and sizes of petals you can make. Which ones will you make? What fabrics do you prefer to use?

The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart

Practicing the Piano also requires a good posture and a comfortable position for me to practice. Having a good posture and a comfortable position will help me to practice with more freedom and use my full potential. Also won't have any muscle cramps or strains. "Good posture allows free movement of all the breathing muscles, including the diaphragm, the thoracic muscles, and all the abdominal. Collapsing the spine and chest constricts these muscles" (Bruser, 81).

1. Sitting in an upright position to prevent any strain during your practice

2. having your wrist level with the arch of your hand would be able to hit the keys more comfortably and easily and to able to having more weight of the arm to drop into the keys.

Famous Fudge

Need to bake a quick and easy holiday treat for your family and friends? No need to worry, fudge is always a delicious and fun holiday treat to make that'll leave you're guests wanting more! Although it is a simple recipe that you can do by yourself, it can also be a family activity. Let's get started with this scrumptious fudge recipe from the book, Cooking In Style The Costco Way & under "Desserts."

Recipe:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 ounce can) Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows (optional)
1 1/2 cup (9 ounces) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract




Steps:
1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil.
2. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt in a medium heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil stirring constantly, for 45 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. "Stir in marshmallows, morsels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute, or until marshmallows are melted." (Casey 184).
4. Pour into prepared baking pan and refrigerate.
*Remember to leave it in the fridge for two hours or longer, even overnight, until it is firm* (184).
5. Lift fudge from the pan and remove foil. Cut into pieces. Makes 49 pieces.


I left my fudge in the fridge overnight and it turned out perfectly and very delicious.

If you were to remake this recipe, would you choose to add pecans, walnuts, marshmallows? What other ingredients will you substitute or include that make this recipe better?

Strength and Balance Pose

Arms, Core, and Balance: Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)

Gymnastics and cheer have given me the strength I needed in my arms, core, and legs to achieve skills beyond what I've never imagined doing. Both sports have taught me many workouts and techniques, although I've never tried combining my strength and balance to have a stress relieving outcome. "Handstands help you build strength and balance, but it's important to remember... We are here to cultivate peace and focus while calming the mind and body. Everyone's body is different; we all have different shapes, sizes, and muscle!" (Brathen 130). Try this pose a few times and figure out what small adjustments you have to make in order to hold this pose.

Step 1) Begin in the Downward-Facing Dog. Come into a tabletop position with your hands placed shoulder distance apart. Line the shoulders up with the wrists and the hips with the knees. Tuck your toes under and send your hips up and back. Adjust the space between your hands and feet if needed. Draw your heels as far as you can to the ground. Relax the neck and engage the inner thighs (Brathen 94).

Step 2) Take a step forward and lift one leg up. You want the shoulders to be align with the wrists and the thumbs pressing down on the ground. Bring the triceps back, keep the hips squared, and engage the lifted leg.

Step 3) Bend the bottom knee and kick up off the floor, bringing your heels together. Try this a couple of times, soft kicks off the floor without too much expectation of what your handstand kicks should look like. In the beginning, focus on simply lifting the leg off the floor! If you're worried about falling over, use a wall. Ones you find your balance with the hips stacked over the shoulders, extend both legs straight up toward the sky. Pull the lower belly in; you want to feel your core engaged! Actively press the floor away from you and breathe! (Brathen 136).

I love this pose because once you learn how to hold it for a while, you never want to stop doing it! Doing this pose with these techniques help me take a break from my busy life to have fun. Sometimes during breaks at gymnastics or cheer practice, we like to do handstand competitions. This is also a great way to bond with teammates and friends!

Brathen, Rachel. Yoga Girl. New York: Touchstone, 2014. Print.

Like I mentioned earlier, everyone's body is different. What adjustments did you make in order to hold this pose (pressing certain fingers down, back arching, engaging different muscles, etc)?

Fifth Post: Express Lane Meals

Cowboy Spaghetti


You can eat this meal for lunch or dinner. You really cant go wrong with a good bowl of noodles with this western vibe to it.


Ingredients: (4 Servings)


-1 pound of spaghetti
-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
-1 pound ground sirloin
-1 medium onion
-3 garlic cloves chopped
-2 teaspoons hot sauce
-1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
-1 14-ounce can chopped or crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
-1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
-8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
-4 scallions, trimmed, and chopped

A Lesson on Lipstick

A Lipstick Lesson

It’s no secret what a bold-colored lipstick can do for your look, but it doesn’t come without a price. A dramatic lip color is arguably the most high-maintenance look a girl can wear on her face, which means it should be reserved for special occasions. Fortunately, even just a subtle pop of color can elevate your look. When you’re picking out a lipstick, you can choose between matte or satin, and each gives a different effect. Same goes for lip gloss. You can pick one in a bold color or something more sheer. And don’t feel like you need to spend a fortune on just one single kind of lip product. Drugstore lipsticks and other products are as good as the pricey ones and come in so many colors and finishes. Buy many different kinds of lip products so you have a wide variety to choose from when you are experimenting with different looks!

3 Lipstick Application Tips from Lauren Conrad

1. Make sure your lips are moisturized. Chapped lips are not the place for lipstick. If your lips are too dry, you’re better off with tinted lip balm or lip gloss. (Conrad 103)
2. If you want to use liner to define the shape of your lips, pick a color that either matches your lips or if you’re using lipstick then choose a lip liner similar to the lipstick shade that you have chosen. (Conrad 106)
3. If you need your lipstick to last, apply one coat, follow that with a dusting of translucent powder, then apply another coat of color on top of that. (Conrad 110)

A Message from Me

Remembering that less is more has probably been one of the most beneficial pieces of advice I have learned over the years that I always keep in the back of my mind when doing makeup; especially when dealing with bold lipstick. You want to be sure that in your makeup look, everything is kept balanced. If you are using a nude or more natural lip color, then feel free to side with a bolder eye look. If you want the lips to be the focal point of the look, then keep everything else pretty minimal. One of the biggest mistakes made by women when applying makeup is simply putting on too much. Nobody can pull of the classic red lip and a bold blue eye shadow look.

Two Looks Showing the Importance of Lipstick

Look 1: A neutral lipstick with a subtle brown smoky shadow swept across both upper and lower lash lines.

Look 2: A soft, light pink lip with a sweep of baby pink blush on the apples of the cheeks and a light pink eyeshadow swept across the lid.

Hopefully these tips and tricks will be simple reminders to keep in the back of your mind the next time you’re experimenting with a lipstick! Let me know what your favorite beauty tip is and who you received it from, I would love to hear! Have fun playing with the many wonders an amazing lipstick has to offer!

Conrad, Lauren, and Elise Loehnen. Lauren Conrad Beauty. New York: HarperCollins, 2012. Print.

The Eyeliner Effect

The Eyeliner Effect

Never underestimate the importance of a quality eyeliner. Eyeliner accentuates the natural shape of the eye and can add instant definition and drama. If you’re feeling slightly tired, eyeliner can be the perfect product to wake up your eyes by opening them up and giving them more attention in the overall look. The abundance of ways to line your eyes is absolutely endless and the different kinds of eyeliners (liquid, pencil, eye shadow, wet/dry brush) is also incredible massive. The wonderful thing about eyeliner is there are no rules, so feel free to experiment with as many techniques, products and styles as you want!

3 Eyeliner Application Tips from Lauren Conrad:

1. Don’t go straight at your eye with the pencil or wand-hold it at an angle and drag it across the lid to create the smoothest line possible. (Conrad 93)
2. Keep your liner right up against your lashes, just at the lash line to avoid awkward gaps between you liner and eyelid. (Conrad 95)
3. If your eyeliner tends to smudge easily, it could be because your lids are oily. Sweep some light-colored eye shadow or powder across your lids for a drier surface before you apply liner. (Conrad 97)

The Eyeliner Impact:

To help in demonstrating how different eyeliner styles can impact the shape of one’s eye, my little sister Lexi modeled for me. The eyeliner I chose to use was a liquid liner from Stila. It is their award-winning stay all day liquid liner in the shade blackest black.

No eyeliner.

Clean line on upper lash line.

Slight wing extended from clean line on upper lash line.

In addition to wing and clean line on upper lash line, a slight sweep of liner is added to the lower lash line.

The primary observation I made after analyzing and comparing the three different eyeliner looks, I noticed that the more eyeliner that was applied, the smaller Lexi’s eye looked.

My final question for you: What did you notice about the different eyeliner looks? In other words, what was something that specifically stood out to you about the three styles after comparing each of them?

Conrad, Lauren, and Elise Loehnen. Lauren Conrad Beauty. New York: HarperCollins, 2012. Print.