#64 Strawberry Banana Greek Yogurt Bread

It's been a month since you've last heard from me, I know. And it's been a whirlwind month of starting a new, real job, of getting completely lost in a sea of integral calculus problems, and of trying to maintain some semblance of a social life. Oh and trying not to lose my mind through all of it. Whatever happen to the days when summer meant doing absolutely nothing? Sitting on the couch and having your only stressor be the fact that nothing good is on TV at 2 o' clock in the afternoon even though you have thousands of channels? Unfortunately I think I've seen the end of those days, but I am happy to report that I'm almost finished with my Calculus II class. I'll admit, I spent several days digging my own grave because I thought for awhile there that I was going to die. But somehow I managed to pull myself out of said hole and pick up both my spirits and my grade in the class! I'm just so determined to finish the class that I want to go simply to get it over with! I know my blogging really has taken a backseat to school and work and everything, so I've decided to leave you with a post that should hopefully last through at least next Tuesday aka MY LAST DAY OF SUMMER SCHOOL. I'M SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY CONTAIN MYSELF!

It's another foodie post! Remember how I said I wasn't too good at baking? Well I've gotten loads better! I guess I've gotten good at following a recipe and not panicking when something doesn't go exactly right. About three weeks ago I made Strawberry Banana Greek Yogurt Bread because my family has been completely obsessed with greek yogurt lately (I mean really who hasn't gotten on trend with that these days?) and because I love banana bread so much. The strawberries just went in for fun! After I made it, I was very surprised with how moist it was--but I reasoned it was because of the Greek yogurt, of course. A couple days later, I was surprised at how moist it still was! I was very happy with how pleasantly my healthy dessert turned out! And with how well it kept!

I hope my sharing of this recipe will last you until I reach the end of my calculus class, because upon completion, I will finally be making a lasting return to the blog! But for now, I hope this lasts in your minds as long as my Greek yogurt bread did!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 large over-ripe bananas (mashed)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced

Directions

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Mix brown sugar, bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, yogurt, and strawberries in another large bowl.
3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until golden brown. About 60 minutes.

 And for the finished product!

Enjoy! I'll be back soon! :)

Morgan

#63 Monday Morning Musings

I truly believe in the power of writing as catharsis. It has made me feel better when nothing else could. I think there's something so powerful about being able to throw all of your thoughts onto a piece of paper and have them all out on the literal and metaphorical line right in front of you. There truly is no avoiding your thoughts when they're right in front of you in your very own scrawled, emotion-filled handwriting. I think that writing has the power to make you acknowledge your issues and simultaneously forces you to get them off your chest, which is something that I often struggle with. I've always thought I was better in writing than I am in person, and I think that holds true as far as talking about my problems, or rather, not talking about my problems. I would just prefer to write it all down. 

I was recently talking about all of this with my good friend Francis who I introduced you all to in my last post, Get Inspired (which I am so ridiculously proud of, it's insane!). She and I are that on-another-level kind of close so she knows an awful lot about me, and I've told her that many a times if I'm feeling frustrated, upset, or any emotion of that variety, I just write down what's going on. Like I said, it forces me to address my issues. I've never been one to broadcast what's going on in my life to the entire world. I tend to bottle things up until the point of explosion, which I'm aware isn't healthy at all. When I realized this, I started writing exactly what was going on in my head down in front of me, and that came with countless "ugh-" and "why me-" type ramblings. As I mentioned, I tell Francis pretty much everything, even though I would consider myself a fairly private person. And she does the same with me. In fact it's uncanny how similar we are--be it just as people or with life experiences or anything really. Because she's a lot like me, I thought maybe she could benefit from just writing down her thoughts like I do. I asked her if she would like to be a part of my "Things My Friends Are Doing" series, knowing full well that her piece would turn out to be something like one of my journal pages, and hoping that it would be the same kind of catharsis for her as it is for me. She doesn't know it, but that was my plan all along! Surprise Francis!

And as luck would have it, it did help her--or so I think! I'm going to share with you a bit of what she wrote. I won't share it all, because they are her private thoughts, but I think she'll be okay with me sharing some. 

It’s 8:23 a.m. on this Thursday May 23, 2013. I’m sitting on my dining room table, wearing an oversized T-shirt and pajama shorts, sipping coffee with hazelnut creamer, eating a banana and watching the sunlight seep through the window shades. I have music playing in the back. Not that the genre playing has anything to do with my mood, but more so because music in general makes me feel better.  Writing isn’t my typical release method. I dance. But because it’s now 8: 28 a.m. and I don’t have keys to a dance studio, it is highly unlikely I’ll be able to go dance my heart out. So I have to find another way to release this frustration. This is helping, or at least I think it is. Writing I mean.

 Morgan writes. I owe her a lot really. She’ll never admit it but she is such a beautiful person, inside and out. She is probably the reason I’m writing right now. She says it’s “what she’s good at”, and believe me when I say she’s not lying. 

I finished my banana. It’s now 8:35 a.m. This makes me realize how slowly I’m writing, but you can’t rush things like this, or at least I don’t think you can. It’s like if I went into the dance studio and started dancing the Queen of the Dryads variation from Don Quixote without properly warming up! I also attribute my leisureliness to the fact that I have a wondering mind. I’ll be thinking about how my coffee is getting cold and next thing I know I’m thinking about dance choreography.  But I like it. Keeps my mind off of the frustration I was feeling about fifteen minutes ago and all last night. But then again, that isn’t good either is it? Avoiding your problems… Well releases sure do help. 

The sun is shining brightly through the windows now. Beautiful reminder. I’m involved in my church’s youth group. Helps remind me of God, and where I am as a young Catholic in this stage of my life. So many blessings.

Thank you. I don’t know necessarily know who I’m thanking. I’m just thankful. Even though I’m a mere 17 year-old girl, I think I’m a bit mature for my age. It is now 9:12 a.m. and in the past 49 minutes that I’ve been sitting at my dining room table, eating a banana, sipping hazelnut coffee, writing, listening to music and watching the sun, I’ve come to the conclusion that every time an insignificant topic, anything insignificant, tries to bother me all I have to do is count my blessings. And getting in the dancing mood helps too.

Count your blessings. That’s a good motto to live by. I think laughing helps too. And dancing, but that’s my biased opinion.  Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once”.  (One of my personal favorites is the moment where no one is watching and you can be as funky as you want, like those special times in your room. You know what I’m talking about!).

It’s now 9: 26 a.m. and as I bring this little “release session” to a conclusion, I leave you with my honest testimony. I feel much better. Today is a new day. Something I can control. I can make it into whatever I want it to be. I want to smile today. I want to make someone else smile today. I want to be happy. And who’s going to stop me? 

See what I mean? I truly believe that words have a unique power of expression that few other things do. Writing is therapeutic. And no one ever said you had to be good at it! Next time you're feeling down, frustrated, or whatever it may be, write it down. Francis and I have tried it, and let us tell you, it works!

Morgan

#62 Get Inspired

I really think that today, with our access to the Internet and the world at large because of the Internet, we've become obsessed with the world outside of ourselves. We're obsessed with the fact that there's a huge world out there, full of inspirations and untapped potential, and there is, really. But I think we've forgotten that some of the most inspiring people in the world are those closest to us. We don't need complete access to the world to be inspired. For a long time I've cited Pierre-Auguste Renior for his beyond amazing artistry and ingenuity of style, of course, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy as inspirations of grace and poise, F. Scott Fitzgerald as the greatest American writer (in my humble opinion) of all time, and used more Eleanor Roosevelt quotes than I can even count, and while all of these are valid inspirations, I've learned that true inspiration comes from someone who makes you want to be a better version of yourself. I think that kind of inspiration especially comes from those you have a personal connection with.

Enter Carolina Villarreal, one of the most talented artists that I know. This post was originally going to revolve around her artwork--and probably turn out to be a product placement type thing--but I think (I hope) she'll like the direction I took this, because knowing her, this is exactly the kind of thing that resonates with her. Inspiration. Caro and I went to the same high school so I've been seeing her artwork in art shows, in cafes around town, and on Facebook for a long time now. I've always been impressed with her artistic ability in general and especially with her ability to create an image that encompasses her thoughts so perfectly. Caro has a beautiful outlook on life and the world around her, and it shows through her artwork. She truly is inspired by life, and I think that's an amazing thing. Before I wrote this, I asked her if she would make something for me that was inspired by my blog and this is what she came back with:

Amazing isn't it? She was able to capture me and everything I am so perfectly that it brought happy tears to my eyes. It meant the world that she was able to find inspiration in me and use me to create something wonderful that I will always cherish. I am constantly awed by her ability to see people and life and interpret the two in a way that is strictly hers. What takes me an entire blog post to say takes her one piece of art to say, and that inspires me. 

And then there's Francis Rodriguez. My soul sister, one of my biggest inspirations. Other than being a beautiful person and beautiful soul in general, Francis is one of the most beautiful dancers I know. For awhile I'd been thinking about writing about this concept of inspiration coming from the people closest to you strictly in relation to Caro, but when I went to Francis's dance recital last night, I knew I was exactly right and that's what I had to write about. Seeing her dance with such grace and beauty brought me to tears. If you know anything about me and Francis, you'll know she's like another little sister to me. Seeing her dance made me so proud and it makes me want to make her proud of me that same way.   I could honestly talk about how amazing of a person and dancer she is all day. In my life, she is one of the people who most make me want to be the best version of myself, and seeing her dance reminded me of that. 

Caro and Francis are just two examples of the many beautiful people I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by in my life who inspire me and make me want to hone my talents and wholeheartedly be who I am. While we all have the same Renior, Audrey, Jackie, F. Scott, and Eleanor, we all have our own Caros and Francises. They are the kinds of people who most inspire me, and I'm sure if you think about who you surround yourself with, you'll find several of them in your own life. And how lucky we are to have them.
Morgan

#61 Summer Kickoff

In honor of the beginning of summer, the completion of my first year of college, and the success of having not been overcome by the infamous Freshman Fifteen, it's time to celebrate! And what better way to do that then with food? I know, I know, why would I celebrate not gaining weight with food? Because what kind of celebration doesn't have food involved somehow? Yeah, I can't think of anything either. Today's recipe of Strawberry, Brie, Basil, and Honey Crostinis comes courtesy of one of my best friends Souther, the one who made these for me in the first place! No doubt it was a recipe she found on Pinterest (I mean isn't everything cool these days found on Pinterest?) and used me as a guinea pig to try.

Needless to say they were amazing and I am now completely obsessed with the strawberry and basil flavor combination. It is beyond perfect for the summer months in my humble opinion. And if you know me at all, you'll know that I am also completely obsessed with cheeses. But not the typical American, Swiss, colby jack. No, more like havarti, muenster, sharp cheddar, gorgonzola, goat, and brie. Especially brie. See I grew up in a household that loved strong cheeses. It was pretty much in my DNA to like different, obscure cheeses. Probably because my family is made up of wine aficionados, and, I mean, what else would you eat with wine? So of course when I heard there was brie in this, I knew I would love it. Then came the strawberries, and the love doubled. Then the baguette, love tripled. The basil, love quadrupled. Then came the honey, and I was shot over the edge.

They completely lived up to my palate's expecations and went even beyond when I saw the recipe and realized I could make it myself. You all know I'm not the best cook in the world by any means, but when I saw this recipe I knew that even I could do it, and I did! I have to say they look really pretty, but that's probably because of Olivia's photography skills! I would recommend this recipe to anyone, especially those who need to expand their cheese tastes! Now let's start summer with a good taste in our mouths--literally! Time to celebrate the completion of another school year. And if you're not in school, time to celebrate a really good snack!

Here's how you do it:

Ingredients: (makes 12)

• 12 thin slices of French baguette (sliced on diagonal)
• 4 oz. brie cheese (light if you're a freak like me!), cut into 12 slices
• 6 medium strawberries, sliced
• 1 to 2 tsbp honey 
• 4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 

Or, there's always the option to make as many as you can until your bread or brie runs out, which is what I've done whenever I make these!

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Lay the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Top each piece of baguette with a slice of brie cheese
3. Bake in oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, 5 to 6 minutes
4. Top each with 2 slices of strawberry, as much or little honey as you like, and a few slices of basil. Serve

Told you it was easy enough that I can handle it!

Big thanks to Souther for the recipe and Olivia for the ever-fabulous photos!

Cheers to the beginning of summer!

Morgan

#60 Quote for Your Thoughts?

I come to you today bearing only some of my favorite quotes. I'm currently studying for an Information Technology test, and as I went through my study guide, I came across the section about social media and blogs. Of course, this made me feel guilty for blatantly abandoning you all. I would give you a real post, but frankly, this is all I can handle right now as far as time--and I won't like, this post was pre-created for a day like this that I knew was coming! I know part of blogging is dedicating part of your time to, well, blogging, but I've been completely swamped lately. I hope y'all understand! I'll be back soon, hopefully in full swing! But for now, enjoy some words of wisdom from the greats.

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else."
-Charles Dickens

"I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
-Maya Angelou

"I am driven by two main philosophies: know more about the world today than I did yesterday and lessen the suffering of others along the way. You'd be surprised how far that gets you."
-Neil deGrassee Tyson 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Marianne Williamson

"You'll do it. Despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It is the only good fight there is." 
-Charles Bukowski

"A book can teach you, a conversation can assure you, a poem can seduce you, a genius can inspire you, but only you can save yourself."
-Anthony Anaxagorou

Also, I encourage you all to visit White Paper Quotes on Tumblr. It has been one of my favorites for awhile now and it has something for everyone! Read that while I'm being a negligent blogger! :)

Morgan

#59 Throwback Thursday

I know, I know, Throwback Thursday is an Instagram thing, but the name inspired me to do a little retrospective and come back to you with some of my favorite blogs I've written in the past. It's crazy to read back on some of them and see how far I've come. I think that's the best part about having a blog like this one. I'm sort of tracking my own growth. It's like a journal that I'm sharing with all of you. It's crazy how much a year can change a person, and that's really happened with me. Join me on a journey back in time, a Throwback Thursday!

Post #1: Started a Blog 

How could I not pick the post that started it all as a favorite? I think the best part about it is that I said that I hoped I could reach at least one person with this. I'd like to think I've achieved that goal and then some!

Post #5: Taken a Chance

This post marked my first input post, and to date, it is probably one of my favorites. Since I've read it, I've taken more chances than I can think of, which you kind of have to in college. But just in general, I've become more open and just jumped on opportunities when they've presented themselves. Really, you never know if you'll ever get the same opportunity again, so it's important to grab life by the horns. College has definitely taught me that. (See what I did there? With the horns and college? No? Alright) I have to say, I've surprised myself (and my friends) a few times over the past year, but aren't moments that what makes life interesting?

Post #24: Thanked You All

This one marked the official end of my high school career. Practically anyone you'll ask about high school graduation will tell you it's a bittersweet experience: one marked by happiness to be rid of school and sadness that you'll be leaving behind the people who meant so much to you over the years. I am no exception to this. I still cherish my days in high school and look back on them fondly. It's cool to see that a year ago I was saying the exact same thing I would say today. 

Post #31: New School Year, New Ideas

How could I not pick the post that started it all? .....again. I love this one because it marked a real turning point for me. Spending time in a new place made me begin to think about the things I'm doing in the present rather than the things I should've done in the past, which I definitely know now is a better way to approach things! I can't claim to not have regrets anymore, but my life has become more about doing things than thinking about them later, which is a great thing. 

Posts #44, : Things My Friends Are Doing: Elizabeth, Harrison, Amanda

This is definitely one of my favorite additions to my blog. I love giving you guys a perspective other than my own for a change. And it's also fun for me to read what they have to say. I have some talented friends, don't I? Don't worry, the series isn't over! Look out for more of my friends in the future!

Post #58: Frosting Fiasco

Yesterday's post is one of my favorites of all time, by far. Not just because of the fact that it had pretty pictures or had a wonderful message behind it. (As most all of my posts do, in case you haven't noticed. I'm practically an episode of Full House--you know, with a moral lesson at the end. But I digress.) I loved it so much because it shows the effort I'm putting into becoming a lifestyle blogger. I really am trying because that's what I want this to be more than anything. It's been a struggle, clearly, but I'll get there! 

So there are a few of my favorite posts of my own! I hope you enjoyed this Throwback Thursday. It was actually really fun for me to go back through my work. That's all I have for now!

Enjoy your weekend!

Morgan

#58 Frosting Fiasco

To continue with the whole food blogging thing, I figured I'd get in on the whole cupcake craze. As an avid watcher of Cupcake Wars (I watched all six seasons on Project Free TV in my dorm, I kid you not. Including the ones I'd already seen...), a frequent visitor of the famous Austin cupcake spots (Here's looking at you Hey Cupcake and Polkadots!), and just a general fan of the cupcake, I thought maybe I'd give baking cupcakes a shot. I decided to go with one of my favorite flavor combinations, chocolate and mint, and then I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best! 

It wasn't successful. Well I mean they turned out well and they were a somewhat of a hit with the birthday crowd I provided them for, but the baking process was pretty much a failure of epic proportions. Granted half of that was my fault because I decided to cut corners and use a cake mix instead of making one from scratch, but I stand by that decision because it would've yielded the same product--well actually it probably would've yielded a not-so-great product because something was bound to go wrong there!

But aside from the "I'm too lazy to make a cake from scratch" cake, the real failure was the frosting my friend Olivia (who takes all of the gorgeous food pictures on the blog for me!) and I attempted to make. I mean for starters, why would I have thought I could make frosting if I knew I couldn't make my own cake? Clearly logic went out the window here. Long story short, it was just not happening. And it only took us 20+ minutes with the mixer on, three sticks of butter, and six egg whites to figure that out. Like I said, it was a failure of epic proportions.

Around the halfway point of the frosting fiasco, I basically had a mental breakdown. My next door neighbor and great friend Bonnie came over in the midst of all the chaos and offered me a piece of wisdom that I feel is appropriate to share here. She saw my ugly butter frosting and said to me, "Morgan, you said you wanted to be a lifestyle blogger and failure is a part of life, so it's okay." Pretty spectacular, right? I thought so. Sometimes things just don't go the way we want them to, and that's perfectly okay. We just have to be able to take our mistakes and learn from them, careful not to repeat them again. Basically I learned to be extra careful when I attempt to make frosting next time and whenever you're freaking out, just talk to Bonnie!

And with her great lesson, I leave you with these pretty pictures of my cupcakes, but no recipe for them, because basically all you have to do to make them is buy a chocolate cake mix, bake that, and when your attempt to make homemade frosting fails, buy vanilla frosting and add some mint extract to it, but not too much because you don't want to be eating toothpaste. And if you're feeling really crazy you can add a little green food coloring to the frosting. Go wild! I only added a little because I didn't want it to be too wild, but that's up to you!

I really wish I were a better food blogger, but I guess I'll just take what I can get--in this case, a batch of pretty good cupcakes (considering everything was the opposite of "from scratch") and a life lesson!

Morgan

#57 Food for a Self-Doubting Thought

I think this pretty much speaks for itself, don't you?

Thanks to the lovely Caro Villarreal for sharing this wonderful quote that proves that even in our moments of self-doubt and loathing, we are beautiful. Remember that today and everyday.

#56 How to Make Someone Else's Day

Here's a fun fact about me that I would like to share with you all today. If I see a penny on the ground that's not face up, aka not on the lucky side, I will flip it over so that the next person who sees it will find a little luck for themselves. And another, I once folded someone's laundry in the laundry room on my floor rather than throwing it on top of the dryer for it to get all wrinkled until he came to find it. Needless to say he was very confused when he walked in and saw all of his clothes perfectly folded, but I just looked on with a smile. I also love giving presents more than anything. I'm one of those people would would rather give a present than receive one because the joy of seeing someone else get a present is present enough for me.

The point of all of these examples is that there is something to be said for doing good things for others. There is nothing that makes me happier than making someone else happy and feeling like I did a good thing. In fact, studies show that doing nice things for others boosts your serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that gives us the feeling of satisfaction and well-being. Most anti-depressants work by increasing the amount of serotonin available to your brain. What this means is that doing nice things for other people changes your brain in ways that make you feel better.

Every day, we have the opportunity to do a good deed for someone else. If we make a conscious decision to do so, we'll become more thoughtful, kind, and generally nice people. Any kind act, statement, or behavior that is about just doing something nice that impacts your family, friends, community at large, the environment, or even the world around us in a positive way, matters. It may not seem that way at first, but it does. More than that, kindness spreads. Someone who is shown kindness is more likely to pass it on than someone who isn't. So start the trend! Make someone's day...and your own!

Here are some small ways to make someone else's day:

• Turn over a penny to the face side to create good luck. Who doesn't need a little good luck?
• Leaving quarters and a note for someone in the laundry room at school. As a college student, I know every bit helps.
• Let someone cut in front of you in line at Starbucks. We've all been in that "I'm in a rush but I really want coffee" situation.
• Prevent a parking ticket. If you see a blinking meeter, feed it.
• Buy flowers for someone. Anyone! 
• Call a friend out of the blue to ask them what's new. And rhyme on said phone call if the mood strikes at all.
• Buy a stranger's drink at Starbucks. That is, if you didn't feel like letting them cut in line.
• Hold the door open for someone. And you don't have to be a boy to do it!
• Lend out a favorite book. What better to share than the gift of words?
• Give someone a compliment. And mean it. 

I strongly encourage all of you to try any and all of these! You'd be surprised what good they do for other people and for you as a person. Let's get that serotonin flowing!

In a humble attempt to make someone else's day today, I am going to take a second to recommend to all of you that you visit a blog called Peanut Butter Runner written by my friend Harrison's little sister Katherine. I am completely jealous of both her writing and cooking and general life abilities. She's a wonderful blogger who absolutely puts me to shame! I encourage you all to head on over to her site and marvel at it and her talent the way I have. Katherine, I hope this made your day! I am in constant admiration of your blogging skills and dedication to your readers--which includes me!