Social Media and the Web: The Good and the Bad

In the past 10 years or so, the internet has grown larger and larger in size, in relevance to how many users there are now. It's become a revelation and now, it seems that everyone is becoming more dependent on the web. 

First, came search engines. Then, came the creation of myspace and facebook. Soon after, twitter became popular. It seems like we depend on search engines for research and we depend on the social media sites to stay or become connected to others. 

In the past, people had to go to the library and check out books to do research. In the past, people depended on the phone or random chance to keep in touch. What the heck. People even sent snail mail back then. 

What affect does this have on society? A lot of things. Here are three things I've noticed.  

1. People are having a harder time communicating in person. Have you noticed that a few of your 'friends' on facebook constantly update their facebooks and have hundreds of friends? Most likely, those are the ones that are depressed and lonely. They don't know how to connect with other people but yet want human interaction. It's become harder for people to have a normal conversation in person now that there's the internet. There's this one case I heard of when two people met online through instant messaging. They agreed to meet in person one day. They tried talking but were unable to. They got on their computers and were able to talk that way. 
2. The use of search engines, twitter and other social networking sites have an affect on the writing skills of the younger generation.
1.  One writing skill that is greatly affected is something as simple as spelling and punctuation. There are things called spell check and grammar check that people can use to look for errors in their papers. People are starting to forget how to spell and punctuate! 
2. Another reason why there are spelling and punctuation errors is the use of internet language, especially in twitter and instant messaging. The younger generation is generally used to typing things such as "lol", "wat", "how r u?", and "y?". Those are just a few examples but you guys get the gist of it. It shows up in their papers and writing and it gets mixed up. 
3. Twitter's 140 character limit is limiting the user's cognitive function. Instead of expressing themselves with how many words they want, they are limited to 140 characters. How can one express their whole thoughts in such a small space. 
4. The use of search engines make it easier for students to plagiarize other people's works. There have been cases in which students are A students and graduate with honors while taking AP classes. But, their work was not their own. 
5. The use of the kindle and search engines make it harder for students to synthesize information. Before, students could have many books spread out on a topic they are researching and read what the authors have said. They could think and synthesize the information to make sense of it. If they want to go back to remember what the author has said, they can go back and forth between the books. With the kindle, it's harder. 
6. As evidence, my history professor says that he has seen the writing abilities of his students go down as the years have passed. That's saying something, when he's been a professor for at least 15 years. 
3. The social media and the web has an impact on our health. Many of us are now sitting in front of computers instead of going out and exercising. We're becoming more sedentary. It'll impact our heart health and our weight. However, there is evidence that suggests that reading health articles, calorie counter apps, support groups, pininterest (pinning healthy recipes and fun exercises) can motivate others to move more. It depends on the individual but most likely, people are sitting in front of the computer all day. 

The social media and the web is like a double edged sword. It's a curse and a blessing. It makes our lives easier but it can also have an impact on your relationships and health. 

Now, here's two questions for you. 

How often do you go online?

What do you mainly use the web for?

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Hey hey everyone. How are you guys today?
I'm sorry about my previous post if it had any negative feelings or anything. I just felt like I had to say that. The number on the scale is not important. As long as you are healthy and living a healthy lifestyle, you should be happy with yourself.
Anyway, this week has been really busy. I'll talk about it later in the post. For right now, I'm going to give you guys my chicken salad sandwich recipe. It is actually a Southern inspired recipe. I hope you guys enjoy it!


Ingredients:

• 12.5 oz can chicken breast, drained
• 1/3 cup chow chow (a Southern picked relish dish)
• 2 tablespoon mayo
• slices of bread 

Directions:

1. Mix the chicken, chow chow, and mayo together. 
2. Spread the mixture onto one slice of bread. 
3. Place another slice of bread on top of the mixture. Enjoy! 

I know, this may seem like such a simple recipe. However, it's delicious! You can use store bought chow chow or homemade ones. 

Now, let's talk about my week. 

Monday was relatively a slow day. Nothing really happened that day. Tuesday was the same thing. All I did those two days were attend class and do homework. However, at the gym, FOX40 was there. They wanted to talk about the calories to kilowatts thing at the gym. I'm in the background of that recording! Score. haha. I got to be on TV.

Wednesday, I showed my cousins around campus. It was pretty fun. I didn't really do much that day though.

Thursday was pretty fun and busy. Talking to professors, doing homework, going to class, working out, you get what I mean. It was my night class day and my group finally got something together for our debate. I also finally got some Panda Express. They added a brown rice option and I just had to try it. I got the brown rice, honey walnut shrimp and the mushroom chicken. It was yummy! I love honey walnut shrimp.

Also on Thursday, there was a Farmer's Market in front of my school's bookstore. I bought two freshly made granola bars from a local bakery. They were so good! Chocolate Chip Granola Bars and Harvest Granola Bars. The chocolate chip one also had coconut in it. The harvest one had some raisins. It didn't have chocolate chips though. It was more like a cake than a granola bar. Still yummy! I so wanted to buy the strawberries but I didn't want to carry them around school all day and night (because of my night class).

Yesterday was a pretty chill day. I ran 6 miles! I rarely have the time to run 6 miles. It feels so good running! I walked a mile after. I also talked on the phone to a friend who's been so busy. It was nice.

Today was dentist day. Meaning, teeth cleaning. I guess everyone has to see their dentist at least once or twice a year, right? I would say so.

Anyway, I guess that's it for now!

Do you like going to the dentist?
Have you ever been on TV?

Body Image

Mirror mirror on the wall, why do you always lie to me?

Looking in the mirror, I am dissatisfied with my body. I admit it. I've always been. But, I know that I need to change that. 

It all started when I was overweight in middle school. I was always jealous of the "skinny" girls that got all the guys. I finally lost 30 lbs by my freshman year of high school and you know what? I still saw myself as fat. My family, on the other hand, was worried about me. My bones were sticking out and they said I was too thin. 

I had severely restricted my eating to 1200 calories a day while switching unhealthy foods to healthy foods and exercising about an hour a day. That was a big change from not exercising and eating fast food a lot. My parents say that I didn't grow taller because I wasn't eating enough during that time. Now that I look back at it, they were right. 

Finally, during my sophomore year of high school. I gained some muscle and fat. I was at a healthy yet skinny weight. I even started yoga. My grandparents from Canada, who visit once a year, told me that I looked so much better and healthier. I was happiest with my body then. Sure, I didn't like that my face was fuller but I was eating enough for my body and I was still exercising. However, all of my workouts were cardio based (running). 

Sure, I did videos like the 30 day shred, jump-roping, yoga, pilates, hula-hoop, swimming and circuit training. But, I wasn't lifting weights. Real weights. I didn't have much muscle. And, I still saw myself as fat. I still wanted to lose weight, so, I increased my exercise time to about an hour and a half. 

I gained about 10 lbs near the end of my junior year of high school. I guess it made sense since I stopped counting calories during that time and I was really stressed out with AP tests and everything. I was also running an hour a day, which was bulking up my thighs (which I did not like). I used to only run 20 to 30 minutes. I did not like the number on the scale and it made me depressed and angry at myself. How did I gain the weight? I was running every single day for an hour! I was getting so frustrated. 

Finally, I started counting calories again and I lost those 10 lbs by the beginning of senior year. But, I also had increased my exercise too. I was exercising everyday and I wasn't taking any rest days. And, as you know, rest days are important as exercise days. My weight fluctuated a few pounds the rest of senior year.

Then, came my trip to China and instead of a rest day, I took a rest month. And, you know what? It felt bad to not exercise like I was at home. I didn't exercise at China, except for all the walking we had to do. However, I realized that my body needed the rest. After coming back, I started exercising again and eating more healthy. I lost a few pounds and I became more satisfied with my body. That is, until I learned about weight training. I felt and looked weak since I wasn't that strong.

I finally started weight lifting earlier this year. Sure, I have gained weight. But, I also grew stronger because of it. The body needs weight/resistance training as well as cardio. I think that now, I have found a balance with my exercise. I may not be happy with the numbers on the scale but I am now finally more satisfied with how my body looks. It's healthier now. I shouldn't compare myself to others. We're all different. I also learned that the numbers on the scale doesn't translate to how you actually look. 

Quinoa Pancakes

Hey hey everyone. How are you guys doing today? I'm doing fine, thank you very much. I'm just here to pop in and give you guys my quinoa pancake recipe.
I've been wanting to make pancakes for a while and finally, I decided to make them.
I assure you that you won't regret making it. This recipe is yummy and healthy. Enjoy!
It can be made vegan if you use an egg substitute such as a banana or some flax seeds mixed with water.



Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 packets stevia
• 2 tablespoon agave
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients.
2. Heat up a non-stick skillet or a non-stick pan to cook your pancakes in. 
3. Spray with non-stick spray. 
4. Pour 1/4 cup mixture for one pancake. Wait until it bubbles and then flip. Cook for another minute on the other side. 
5. Continue doing this with the rest of the batter. 
6. Enjoy with whatever toppings you want. I love eating pancake with either sugar free chocolate syrup, peanut butter, bananas, or recently, Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. 

I hope you guys enjoy these. =) 

I know I will be enjoying these with Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. I'm totally addicted to it. 

So, do you guys like pancakes?

Have you guys tried Cookie Butter before?

What do you like to eat your pancakes with?

Fun Picnic Day

Yes. This cow was at the U.C. Davis Picnic Day. Don't worry. It was either painted or a suit. I don't remember which. But, that sure did catch you attention, right?

tomato plant

And, yes. I went to Picnic Day yesterday. I think it was their 99th Annual Picnic Day. And, to tell you the truth, it was my first time going. I mean, my cousin and friends attend (or have already graduated  from there, but I never attended their picnic day until yesterday. I'm happy to say that I'm glad that I went. It was so much fun. Everyone that attends Davis (and their friends and family) come. I even saw a car with a license plate from Texas.
Anyway, back to Picnic Day. I went with a few friends and we got a lot of stuff from there. The first thing we did was get a sample of the nitrogen ice cream they made. Nitrogen is much cooler than ice so, it freezes the ice cream mixture a lot faster. Then, the gas evaporates. It was so good. We also watched cockroaches race. It was pretty interesting (I hate cockroaches!).
We then watched part of the parade. There was so much to do. There were exhibits about entomology (the studying of plant diseases) and things about animals too. I wanted to learn more about the entomology part since where I work, it's part of what they do. It was pretty interesting. We got a free tomato plant and a free strawberry plant. I can't wait until they grow. I want my strawberries! Here's how they look planted in my backyard. You can't even see the strawberry plant since it's so small!

strawberry plant

We also did some honey tasting and it was pretty tasty. I thought that I would like the pomegranate honey but it was the least of my favorite.
My friend,  Amanda, was brave enough to do some maggot art. I was creeped out. They put maggots in paint and we'd use tweezers and place the maggots on paper. They would move around. leaving the paint there.
We also got to hold baby chicks, which was fun. The chick didn't like me though and jumped out of my hand a couple times. They're so cute!
There were other animals too. My friends pet a horse and they held a rat. I didn't though. I'm not really an animal person. I do think animals are cute but I wouldn't want to touch them. There was also a cow there that kept mooing really loud. That's another reason why I want to be a vegetarian again...
Anyway, there was also an exhibit of how to separate DNA. I did this experiment in my AP Biology class in high school and it was fun. We separated strawberry DNA.
We wanted to play Laser Maze but they sold out of tickets once we got there.
There were also a lot of samples that we got. I got pens, pencils, a calender, post it notes and that stuff. There were some venders there that were giving out free samples. Here's a picture of the samples:

The coffee sample is suppose to be easy on the stomach. The LundBerg Sante Fe Barbeque Rice Chips and the Short Grain Brown Rice are gluten free, organic, and GMO free. They're healthy and environmentally friendly, which was the main point of the picnic day. It had a lot of things about the environment.

Anyway, that was basically what we did at picnic day. Oh yea. My friends kept taking pictures of dogs since the dogs looked so cute.

After walking around for 4 hours, we finally decided to sit down and eat lunch. We decided to go off campus to eat. But, while driving there, we saw my cousin crossing the street. He saw us and he called me, asking where we were going. Of course, we were going to In-N-Out to eat. He actually joined us later on. But, he had to leave early since had another event to go to. I ordered the protein style hamburger at In-N-Out and it was pretty good. It was a bit messy though....

After eating and that stuff, me and my friends went to Trader Joe's. Apparently, their bananas are really cheap. I haven't been to Trader Joe's in so long! Here's what I got, but I wish I bought some bananas too.

I got all Trader Joe Brand items. I got the Smooth Unsweetened almond milk, the Spicy Black Bean dip, the Dark Chocolate with Raisins and Pecan, and of course, the Trader Joe's Cookie Butter! I've heard reviews about the cookie butter and the spicy black bean dip. I actually ate the cookie butter this morning by making a sandwich with it. It was so good. It tastes like a cookie! I drank coffee along with it.I'm also excited to try the dark chocolate bar. The combination sounds pretty interesting.

After Trader Joe's, we drove back home. Then, my family went shopping. I bought a cool new creamed colored lace t-shirt. Then, we went to a grocery store and we bought honey-glazed turkey breast to make sandwiches with, and some all natural skippy chunky peanut butter. We bought a lot of other things too for the week.

And, that's about it. My next post will be quinoa pancakes. Be on the lookout for it! Then, the post after that will be about body image.

How was your weekend?
Have you tried Trader Joe's Cookie Butter?

Cinnamon Agave Roasted Chickpeas

Hey hey everyone!

How are you guys doing today?

I'm just here to pop in and share a recipe. It's cinnamon agave roasted chickpeas. They're delicious! I eat snack on them and I eat them with my salads too.

But, before I give you guys the recipe, I would like to say a huge thank you to Marie from the blog RA RA Runners. I interviewed Tyler Church, her son, who happens to be the lead singer and guitarist in the band Revolt With Reason. She supports her son's band and wrote a quick blog post about the interview. (click on the link)
What's amazing is that she still runs even though she has Rheumatoid Arthritis. She writes about her life and running experience with it. Check out her blog.

Now, here's the recipe for the Cinnamon Agave Roasted Chickpeas. By the way, another name for chickpeas is garbanzo beans. I remember that I made cookies that were made out of garbanzo beans for my public speaking class (which Tyler was in) and everyone was surprised they had garbanzo beans in them. I kept the ingredient a secret until the next class meeting.


Ingredients:

•  two cans garbanzo beans (15 oz each), drained
• 1/4 cup agave
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt (optional, I didn't use it)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Drain the can of garbanzo beans if you haven't already. Dry them really well and soak out most of the water that you can. 
3. Pour the beans into a bowl . Place all the ingredients in and mix. 
4. Pour and spread out evenly all the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) onto a baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on how crispy or soft you like your beans. 
6. Let it cool and enjoy. I do warn you though, watch the beans. They may burn. 

I love eating these with salads or just eating them plain as a snack. Enjoy! 

Now. let's get back to my week.

This week has been alright at school. Well, it hasn't really been alright but it's been okay. I had to take 3 exams this week. I'm happy to say that I aced my biology exam and that I passed one of my chemistry exams. I'm so happy about that. I'm still waiting for the results for my other exam.

Lately, my workouts have been mainly weight lifting, HIIT and the elliptical. I have ran once so far this week. I'm happy to say that I am getting stronger! But, I will talk more about my workouts in another post. 

Another thing is that yesterday was my night class. Well, we have a debate, as I think I've mentioned before. Our debate topic is really hard to argue. I will not say the topic since it is controversial but what I can say is that it has been debated in the US Supreme Court (which gives you a HUGE hint of what it is). My group has been researching like crazy but it's hard to come up with at least 3 good reasons. We have only one good, valid reason. By the way, this is for my sociology class. 

I also have a lot of papers and or projects due all pretty soon. It's so stressful! But, I will work on it. I have to write a response paper for my history class, revise my group debate outline, finish writing my book critique (that I'm 3/4 done with), and revise the introduction for my group psychology research project. It's all due in a couple weeks. Wish me luck! For my book critique, I may post it on here after I turn it in to my professor. I think it'll be an interesting read BUT it will be long. And, no copying once I post it. The book is: A Country for All: An Immigrant Manifesto by Jorge Ramos.

I also bought the Morning Star Chipotle Black Bean Burger from Costco.

It's delicious and it smells so good.

But, yea. I was busy studying for exams all this week. Sorry for not posting as often as I want to.

How have you guys been?

Do you like black bean burgers?

What's your favorite school subject?

Revolt With Reason: Interview With Tyler Church

Let me go ahead and introduce Tyler Church, the lead singer and guitarist of the band Revolt With Reason.

Tyler Church is a 19 year old student that attends Sac State University, where I also attend.  He's from Palmdale, California, which is in the SoCal area.  He's studying nursing at Sac State. I admire those that want to become a nurse. The actual job is a lot of work, physically and mentally. Sorry that I got off topic, but yea. He's also the lead singer and guitarist for Revolt With Reason (as I've mentioned already). 

He started learning to play guitar at 13 years old and as you can see, his skills have come a long way. He was more than happy to be interviewed for my blog. Gracias, amigo. =)

So, here's the interview. Enjoy. =)

Did you learn something new about Tyler or about the band?

Do you have any questions you want to ask about him or the band?

Life

Life has been quite hectic this week. It had its good and bad.

Let's start with Tuesday, since I'm being a rebel and I decide to not start the week on a Sunday or Monday.

So, on Tuesday, the bad thing was that I had my psychology exam. I thought that it was hard. I studied for it though. However, the good thing is that, I passed the exam! The other upside on Tuesday is that I learned more about proteins and mutations that can happen in my biology class. It was pretty interesting.

On Wednesday, the bad thing was that I had my history exam. I had to write two essays and respond to five terms, 1 paragraph each. The bright side? I went out and got some froyo with my friend.

We went out to celebrate because on Monday, I passed my driver's test, on the first try. I got my license! I'm so happy. The test instructor said that he likes the way I drive. He says it's safe but aggressive. I don't now if that's good or not but I passed! That day on Monday, I bought myself a Vegan Sesame Almond Cookie from my school bookstore just because I passed.

Also on Wednesday, I tried the bookstore's Cranberry Scone. I know. My diet's been bad, but at least the ingredients were all organic! My school bookstore's cafe sells only organic things. But, yea. I ate this while studying for my history exam since I was so nervous!

The scone was pretty good but I didn't like the cranberries. It gave the scone a weird flavor. I don't know. That's just me though. It's weird because I like craisins. Anyway...

Thursday was my night class day. I went on the elliptical that day after completing This Fit Chick's Summer Slim Down Workout. Her workout plans are mainly weight lifting. However, I wanted to utilize my school's gym's Calories to Kilowatts program. The elliptical I use to exercise will generate electricity for the whole campus to use. It's more environmentally friendly. I just had to use it.

My night class was my sociology class and it was pretty fun. We played a game and each time a team wins 3 points, they get candy! You know I love chocolate. The professor would say a sentence or a few sentences and we would have to say which reasoning fallacy it uses. It was pretty fun and entertaining. Sad thing is that, the class is 3 hours long. I got some chocolate though! ;)

Another good thing about Thursday, which was yesterday, is that I interviewed Tyler Church. He's the lead singer and guitarist for the band Revolt With Reason. I'm sure you guys know I've mentioned the band before. They're awesome. It was nice chatting with him and catching up. We both have been so busy! Anyway, the interview will be up sometime during the weekend. Here's a picture of me and him while I was interviewing him. It's a bad picture, but at least you get to see how we look. The interview took place on campus.

And today, Friday, was okay. On the lightrail, some old creepy dude started talking to me. A guy around my age went on the lightrail at the next stop and I tried to signal to him that I needed help. He just smiled and listened to his music. Gee, thanks dude (sarcasm). But then, a girl around my age noticed and helped me out. Thank you so much for helping me. It's like, the 3rd time a guy has tried talking to me and trying to get my number and that stuff on the lightrail. Ugh. I hate the lightrail.

Then, I went to Fluid to buy an iced black and white mocha (semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate). I ordered it with soymilk. It was so good! I also tried their gluten free oatmeal cookie and it wasn't that bad. I actually liked it.  I ate it while I was working. I was working on making charts and that stuff to be used for notes and presentations.

Anyway, that was my week. I started weight lifting and I feel so intimated by others. I've also never heard guys grunt like that before while lifting. Now, I understand why! My muscles are so sore now. Also, my new breakfast staple is a cup of coffee with oatmeal cooked with almond milk, cinnamon, stevia and pb.

Do you have any friends that are part of a band?
What are your thoughts on public transportation?
How was your week?

Stress, Life, and Epicure Restaurant Review

Life is always stressful. Life isn't easy. That's part of life.

Things don't always go as you plan. 

There's always work that has to be done.

Problems come up and it causes more problems. 

But, how does one deal with it? Does it deteriorate our health?

Stress is the body's natural way of reacting to danger. But how we deal with it really affects our health. I say this because this week, I was really stressed and for the first time, I cried because I was so stressed. I'm embarrassed to say that but then again, crying is natural. It helped relieved some tension. 

But, there are other ways that I believe you can relieve stress. Yes, crying can help. But, some people are embarrassed to cry in front of others (but you can cry in private too). Another way is to:

•  Exercise, such as doing yoga or going out for a walk/run. 
• Get a massage, which  is another good way to relieve stress and tension in the muscle. Stress can affect you physically too.
•  Write things down can help relieve some stress. 

I say this because stress is part of life and it's good to do know how to react to it and what to do to reduce it. 

Crying because of stress build up opened my eyes and now, I know that also just talking to someone that you trust about your stresses in life can help too. 

Now, let's get back to some other parts of life. One cool thing is that this week, I started This Fit Chick's Summer Slim Down Workout Program. My trainer's name is Carrie. I haven't been really following her nutrition plan much but I've been following her workouts.

Her workouts are so hard! I thought that I was in pretty decent shape myself but I was wrong. I'm a cardio person but this program mainly focuses on weight lifting. I feel so intimated at the weight room by those guys that lift so much heavier than me. But, I learned that they don't really care about your workout. They're focusing on their own workouts. I'm so sore from her workouts. I really hope I do see a change. It's a 4 week program!

Anyway, in my other aspects of life, I had no school on Monday since it was Cesar Chavez Day.

On Tuesday, we learned about DNA replication in my biology class. That was fun. Then, that day, I also went grocery shopping. Here's what I bought:

Spring Mix Salad, Truvia, Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup, Gardein Teriyaki Chick'n, Jif Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, Smart Balance PB, Almond Breeze Milk and the sweet potato chips. I actually tried the Chick'n thing in my salad with asian sesame dressing and it's pretty good. The texture tries to mimic actual chicken and it did a pretty decent job. But, it was still off. The taste was good though.

I've also been eating oatmeal made with almond milk, pb, ground cinnamon, truvia, and pb. It's so good and I've been drinking a cup of coffee with it. It's so good and filling. It's a must! It's also pretty much healthy. I'll post a picture next time.

On Wednesday, so many stressful things happened all in one day. Then, I found out that we have an essay exam for my history class on Wednesday (the next one).  Now, my history professor's exams is not just writing one essay. It's writing TWO essays and responding with a paragraph response to 5 terms he chooses. At least he gives us a study guide beforehand. I'd rather not talk about the rest of that stress day  but trust me, a lot of things happened. But, I did manage to eat somewhat healthy and somewhat along with Carrie's nutrition program that day. Here's a little of what I ate:

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Kind Bar Plus and Fruit & Nut Delight Kind bar. The bars were so good!

At the hospital, I bought a chicken salad sandwich without the bread. It was so good. It had craisins in it too.

Then, on Thursday, it was my night class day. We learned about Protein Synthesis in biology. In psychology, we learned about factorial designs. We have a test on Tuesday in my psychology class. Anyway, I also went to the Epicure restaurant to eat for lunch. The food was so good.

All the food is organic and the chicken on the salad was freshly made that day. I ordered the sweet potato fries and the Apple-Cranberry Harvest Salad. It came with slices of apples, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and gorgonzola cheese crumbles on a bed of mixed organic spring greens, tossed with raspberry vinaigrette (description came from the menu). Both were so good! The salad was delicious and the fries were just right. Not overly seasoned but still good. Mi pimo y yo agree that the sweet potato fries are the best!

Anyway, my night class ended early since there was a blackout that happened one hour into our 3 hour class. We were discussing an article we had to read and then, boom, the lights went out. Everyone on campus had to go outside. The power came back like 30 minutes later.

Friday, nothing really happened. I ran outside along the creek and I also played basketball. I have to say, my basketball skills are improving! It went through the hoop almost every single time I threw the ball. I got skills (not). I think it's just luck. Then, we went shopping later that day. I got the Triscuit Brown Rice made with Sweet Potato Roasted Sweet Onion. It's new and I actually like it. It tastes so good. It's crunchy, crispy, and the flavor is good. It looks a little bit oily but it's yummy and the nutrition is actually pretty good for packaged foods. I Just don't like how the serving size is just 6 crackers!

I also got the mayo made with olive oil (I rarely eat mayo, but my family eats it and I want them to eat a bit healthier) and I got the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Sugar Raspberry Vinaigrette for my salad. It's only 5 calories a serving!

My mom also bought this cool smoothie juice thing. It's Bolthouse Farms Strawberry Banana juice. It says that it's all natural and uses real fruit. Based on the nutrition and the ingredients, it is better than other juices that are made with high fructose corn syrup. 

Anyway, I guess that ends my post. I'm taking a rest day today since my muscles are so sore. Also, I've been working on my history study guide so that I can prepare for my exam. 

How was your week?

What do you think is the best way to deal with stress?

Survey: 11 Questions

Hey everyone! How was your April Fool's Day yesterday? Mines was fine, thank you very much. I didn't have any classes yesterday since it was Cesar Chavez Day.

Anyway, I decided that today, I'll answer a survey, just so that you guys can know more about me. I've been posting recipes and about life. But, this will be different. Here it goes.

1.  What’s your favorite holiday? I don't know what my favorite holiday is. I guess it's the 4th of July or Christmas. For Chinese holidays, it's different. I don't know. Each holiday is special and important in some way. 

2.  If money wasn’t a factor and you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I would travel to Spain! I've been wanting to go there for a couple years!

3.  How many pets do you have? None. 

4.  Dark or milk chocolate? Definitely dark chocolate!

5.  What would you choose as your last meal? I really don't know. I'd rather not think about lasts. It makes me sad. 

6.  If you could dine with a celebrity, who would you choose? Jennifer Lawrence or Zac Efron! If you're talking about celebrities from Asia, I would have to say Gloria Tang or LeeHom Wang.

7.  What’s your dream job and are you currently doing it? My dream job is being a Registered Dietitian or a singer. Right now, I'm studying to become a Registered Dietitian. 

8.  What’s your favorite workout song? I have so many favorite workout songs. I guess it would have to be uhhh..I don't know. I just put my mp3 on shuffle.

9.  If you could relive one moment, what would it be? It would probably be my China trip.

10.  What’s your favorite springtime activity? I don't know. I have a lot. I guess it would have to be swimming or going out for a walk.

11.  Apple, blueberry, or cherry pie? Apple or blueberry pie! haha. I love apple pie but I also love blueberries!

Now, let's hear more about you.

What's your favorite spring time activity?

Where would you like to travel?

Foodie Pen Pals

This is my first time doing Lindsay's Foodie Pen Pal program. Here's a little information about the program before I reveal what I received this month. Here's the link to more information about the program. 

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 

I was so happy to have received my box from Dawn. Here's a link to her blog. 

Dawn is from North Carolina. She sent me some great local food as well as foods I like. She also  took the time to look through my blog to get a feel of what foods I would like. Thanks so much, because I loved all of the foods I've tried so far. 

• I'm a peanut butter fan, so she sent me some peanut butter. I've never tried the Peter Pan brand before and it's delicious! I love that it's all natural too. I love how it's creamy. 
• As for the Kashi Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars, I've finished the box already. I love dark chocolate. I love granola bars too. Thanks! 
• I love hot sauce but I've yet to try this. 
• The Mrs. Campbell's Chow Chow is a southern food item. She suggested that I try it on hot dogs or hamburgers. I've tried it with my veggie burger and it's so good! 
• I've yet to try the gluten free fusilli. 
• The tea is pretty good too. I love drinking tea (and coffee). 
• As for the hush puppies, I've yet to make it. I've never tried hush puppies but I know they're a southern favorite. I can't wait to try it. 

It's nice how she kept in mind that I'm trying to eat healthy. Thanks Dawn! 

So, what's your favorite type of food?

Are you interested in joining this program?