Blueberry & Strawberry Cheesecake Danishes

Happy Monday, everyone! I apologize for my absence over the weekend, but I really didn't do anything of major excitement. I just lounged around on Saturday, and I worked all day on Sunday, so as I said, nothing much to report on that front!

That being said, I do have a book recommendation for you, as well as a delicious breakfast/dessert recipe to share with you guys. I absolutely cannot take credit for it, as I adapted my recipe via the recipe found on this blog. These Danishes are extremely easy to make, require very few ingredients, and, if I do say so myself, make a very nice presentation. I brought these to work this morning to in honor of Mary's, the wonderful administrator at SRD, 20th year at the dorm.

Blueberry & Strawberry Cheesecake Danishes

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls (I used Pillsbury)
• 1 8 oz. container Philadelphia Indulgences Blueberry Cream Cheese
• 1 8 oz. container Philadelphia Indulgences Strawberry Cream Cheese
• 1/2 can blueberry pie filling
• 1/2 can strawberry pie filling
• Blueberries (for decoration)
• Sliced strawberries (for decoration)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Unroll one package of crescent rolls and separate into four large rectangles, sealing together the diagonals
3. Cut each rectangle into half (giving you eight squares)
4. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet
5. Spoon 1 tsp (+a little more) cream cheese onto the center of the square
6. Spoon 1 tsp (+ a little more) pie filling onto the center of the square (blueberry with blueberry; strawberry with strawberry)
7. Fold the four corners of the roll into the center
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes
9. Garnish with sliced strawberries and blueberries (optional, I just had some left over from my Fourth of July layer cake) and enjoy!

If you are making these the night before like I did, these Danishes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheated for 8-10 seconds in the microwave just prior to eating. I've been assured that they are delicious, and, like I said, very easy to make. These can be eaten for breakfast, or for dessert, so they are very versatile. So, if you want to make your friends and/or co-workers ooh and aah, give these a shot!

And as for the book recommendation, I am currently reading The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and though I am constantly having to go back and make sense of what I just read, I am really loving it. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses such eloquent and beautiful language, and it makes me remember how I fell in love with words. I love a book that challenges me, and what's even more fascinating is the fact that this book is said to be largely based on his relationship with Zelda Fitzgerald. Dylan informed me of that just last night (we're both reading this book right now - isn't that cute?), and while I can tell that it is going to be very sad, in many senses of the word, and it is also a very heavy read, it's also a great read, and one that I plan on finishing up in the next few days.

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And with that, I'm going to get back to work (aka reading). Have a great Monday!

Fourth of July

And I am back with another post today! I hope your Fourth of July has started out beautifully - mine has been very low-key, yet productive. I have a lot to share with you guys in one little blog post, so I'll go ahead and get started with the basics.

Workout

Today's workout was a very new-to-me workout. One of my roommates is a huge advocate for Pure Barre, and after looking for a workout that would challenge me in a different way than running or cycling, I came across a newcomer deal that consisted of four classes for only $40. While $10/class may seem like a lot, I didn't want to commit to an entire month of classes just in case I didn't enjoy the workout. I didn't think that would be the case, but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

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Anyway, I absolutely loved the class. It challenged my muscles in a way that I don't challenge them myself, and I was certainly humbled when all of these mom-aged women were showing me up throughout much of the class. I considered myself to have strong legs, but my thighs were absolutely shaking during much of the class.

What I loved about this 55-minute class is that it is a low-impact class that works your entire body. And while I could certainly tell that I was lagging behind some of the regulars a bit, it was very easy to follow, though I had to laugh at myself when we were stretching at the end of class and I watched many of my classmates easily slide into a split. I'm one of the least flexible people on this planet, so I'm really hoping that Pure Barre will help with my flexibility.

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I look forward to using my remaining three passes, and I might even purchase more once I've used those up. It was certainly a challenging workout, but I loved it, and the 55 minutes absolutely flew by.

Breakfast

Immediately after the class, I dug into two cuties as I made the short drive over to Town Lake to complete a run/walk loop around the lake. There were so many people in line to rent either a paddleboard or kayak, and the lake was already so full of people doing those activities. There were many families out there taking advantage of this sunny holiday, and I am sure this is one of the few days every member of the family has off of work. Better take advantage of it while you can!

After my walk, I was more than hungry, so I stopped by JuiceLand for a breakfast that was the perfect trifecta - healthy, delicious, and refreshing. I went with a regular Peachy Green, which consists of spinach, kale, apple, and peach. It was the perfect post-workout drink, and it fueled me for the crossing of another item off of my list -

Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library

I could not leave Austin without having taken advantage of the fact that there is a presidential library located a hop, skip, and a jump away from campus. It is free for UT students, after all, so I really couldn't pass up that opportunity.

I wouldn't consider myself to be the biggest history buff around - that title would go to my roommate, Jamie Lynn - but the lives of presidents really fascinates me. As weird as this sounds, I love all of the presidential conspiracy theories, and fun presidential facts interest me far more than the things I was supposed to have learned via my history textbooks.

I could go on and on about everything this library has to offer, but I'll just highlight some of my favorites. What really appealed to me was the current exhibit: Sixty From the '60s. It has been on display since March, and will be on display until January. It features "iconic photographs, historic objects and documents, books, clothing, posters, and artwork related to sixty Americans who made an impact on this seminal era and whose work continues to be relevant today." I got to read about LBJ (duh), the Kennedy's, MLK Jr., Harper Lee, Charles Schulz, Bob Dylan, Bill Cosby, and so many more.

I got to reminiscence on my childhood with Dr. Suess books, P.D. Eastman's Go, Dog, Go, Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are, Barbie, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, the Operation board game, and so many more.

Actual dresses worn by Jackie Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson were on display, and I even got to see the inside of LBJ's Oval Office. The visit was absolutely worth my time, and probably the little LBJ tidbit that has stuck the most in my mind is the fact that he was a "close-talker," in that he liked to get very close to people when he was talking to them. I value my personal space, so that would have been a pain, though I highly doubt LBJ and I would have had any sort of conversation, so it doesn't much matter what I think about it, does it?

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Overall, my visit to the LBJ library was well worth my time, and I even convinced my roommate Natalie to tag along with me. She is also quite the history buff, so though she had been there before, she said she thoroughly enjoyed it.

Four great Presidents and their First Ladies [Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush]

Layer Cake

I crossed yet another item off of my Summer 2014 To-Do List today - making a layer cake. And this might be the first and last layer cake I make. It's not that it was particularly difficult, but it just took quite a bit of time. It's not like I was doing much of anything else, so I had all the time in the world, but it sure took quite a bit of work. And I even used a box cake mix!

Anyway, today seemed like the perfect day to make a layer cake, because the Fourth of July provides the perfect layer cake theme. It really was very easy to do, in the fact that I simply prepared the batter according to the directions on the box, and then added some Betty Crocker Gel Food Colors to it (red and blue, obviously). But, I'll get a little bit more specific for those of you who might be interested in tackling this project.

I started out with three boxes of Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix. I only used about 2 3/4 cups of each, so I mixed all of the remaining batter in one pan so that I could bake it into a cake to make cake balls. Said cake balls have not yet been created, but just give it some time.

Anyway, I preheated my oven to 350 degrees, prepared the first box of batter according to the directions on the box, and added almost the entire tube of red color gel. I beat it well, and then put 2 3/4 cups of batter into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. My tip for greasing the pan so that getting the cake out in one piece is easy as pie is to spray the pan down with cooking spray, and then putting one spoonful of flour in the pan. Shake the pan around, and then get rid of any excess flour by pouring it into a sink. Trust me, it works.

I baked it in the oven for 19 minutes, and I repeated for the remaining two layers - substituting blue gel for the red, and adding nothing to the white layer.

Assembling each layer is also pretty easy. I started out with the red layer, and put a layer of Funfetti frosting all over it. I'm the worlds worst froster, so it took quite a bit of frosting for me to completing cover it without any crumbs showing. I placed the white layer on top of the red layer, and proceeded to put frosting all over it. The frosting in between the layers acts as the "glue." Once that layer was completely frosted, I placed the final layer, the blue layer, on top, and opened a whole new can of frosting to finish off the cake.

Easy frosting tip from my mom: Be PATIENT (something I absolutely don't have while baking), and let the frosting sit out before spreading it. It will be so much easier to spread once it's softened out, and it will prevent the crumb situation that I always seem to have.

And I originally planned on topping my cake with red and blue sprinkles, but in talking to Gram on Wednesday night and telling her about my grand Fourth of July cake plans, she suggested topping my cake with blueberries and sliced strawberries. I decided to do just that, and I think it made it look a bit more sophisticated. Because that's what people are concerned with when eating a cake, right?

All in all, a great Fourth of July, and the night's not over yet. Fingers crossed that it doesn't rain so that we can see some fireworks tonight, but I've definitely been hearing a few claps of thunder. But I don't need fireworks to remind me what a privilege it is to live in this country, so regardless of whether I get to see them or not, it's been a great day celebrating America's 238th birthday!

Things I'm Loving Friday X

Happy Fourth of July!!! I am thankful every day that I live in America, but I am especially thankful today, on the day of our country's independence. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave, and I am truly so proud to be an American.

SRD is decked out for the Fourth

I hope this holiday treats you very well - I have quite the full schedule ahead of me, crossing a few things off of my list - and I hope to round off the day watching fireworks in the great city of Austin. It occurred to me just last week that I have yet to spend a Fourth of July in Austin. The summer after my freshman year I was in Colorado at Crooked Creek Ranch; the summer after my sophomore year I was in Barcelona with Sarah (singing songs about America); and last summer Dylan and I went to Houston so that he could meet my parents. Crazy how time flies!

That makes this my first Fourth of July in Austin, and I am hoping to go to my very favorite spot in Austin - Mt. Bonnell - to watch the fireworks. I'm not one for crowds (mainly it's the traffic that gets to me), and I tend to prefer the more low-key watch-spots, so I'm hoping this spot won't disappoint.

Anyway, I'm off to get in a workout for the day - I'm sure to report back on that one - before beginning to cross things off of my to-do list! But, before I go, let's end this post with my tenth edition of Things I'm Loving. Enjoy!

Things I'm Loving

Shakespeare

My roommate Jamie Lynn surprised me with some Shakespearean Insult Gum the other night, which contains a different insult in each pack from Macbeth, Hamlet, Henry V, King Lear, Romeo & Juliet, Othello, and Richard III. I received this fabulous poster for my classroom that is filled with phrases coined by Shakespeare in the mail just this past week, and finally, I treated myself to this Shakespeare action figure from BookPeople here in Austin. Do I need it? No. But it was just too good to pass up!

Lululemon Fly Away Tamer Headbands

If you guys haven't figured it out by now, I love to workout. Or more accurately, I love the feeling I get after a good workout. And there is nothing worse than having your hair get in your face in the middle of said workout, which is why I rely on headbands to tame my somewhat unruly curly hair. I have a fairly small head, and many headbands won't stay put on my head. Lululemon Fly Away Tamer Headbands, along with these Nike and Under Armour Mini headbands, are about the only headbands I have found that manage to do their job.

Should I even admit that I have more of these headbands than this?

25 Movies From the 90s That Taught Us Life's Most Important Lessons

You guys know by now that BuzzFeed is one of my guilty pleasures. I should probably be ashamed to admit that I can easily get sucked into reading article after article for over an hour. Some of them are dumb, some of them are interesting, and some of them bring back sweet memories. This was one of those articles, and though I haven't seen every movie on this list, I have seen quite a few of them, and I loved being reminded that there is always more to something than what is on the surface.

The Sandlot (Source)

Castle Hill Graffiti

As I mentioned yesterday, I decided to get a little bit more specific with my goal of seeing all of the Austin Murals that I wrote down on my Summer 2014 To-Do List. Castle Hill - also known as the Hope Outdoor Gallery - was one of the items on my sublist, and Hanna and I crossed that one off just the other night. We vowed to come back before the end of the summer with our own bottle of spray paint, but for the time being, we enjoyed admiring what was currently on this constantly changing educational art project.

And with that, I'm off to begin my Fourth of July. I have lots of fun on the agenda, so I will certainly be back with a full report. Have a GREAT (and safe) holiday weekend!

Getting Specific

Happy Thursday (that's really a Friday)! Hopefully you are lucky enough to have tomorrow off so that you can enjoy a long weekend. I know I'll be more than ready for a couple days off of work after working eight hours tonight. Though I can't complain about having the afternoon and evening shift, especially on the Thursday before the Fourth of July, because it is so incredibly quiet around here. I plan on blogging, reading, and maybe watching a movie while painting my nails. Not too bad for being at work!

Asti

Let's start off this post with yet another item that has been crossed off of the list - Asti Trattoria. Dylan finished his test at the exact time I got off work, so we decided to grab a quick lunch before he left town for YoungLife camp. Asti is right in the Hyde Park neighborhood, so it was extremely easy to get to. And on top of that, there was approximately one other person in the restaurant when we were there, allowing us to be seated and tended to immediately.

Our waitress was extremely personable, and I really liked the feel of this restaurant. It was quiet (which was obviously contributed to by the lack of restaurant patrons), and had a very welcoming feel to it. We were well taken care of while we were here, and I found this to be a stellar lunch spot. Dylan and I don't typically get to go to lunch together because of our overlapping schedules, so this was a nice change of pace.

We started out with the Asti fries, seasoned with garlic and parsley, and they certainly didn't last very long. They were thin and crisp, which made it very easy to keep popping them into my mouth.

For my entree, I ordered the Grilled Salmon Salad. Dylan was disappointed in me for this, because I tend to gravitate toward salmon whenever we go out to eat, but one, I really like it, and two, if I ate a bowl of pasta in the middle of the day, that would be the end of my day. Plus, I just wanted something that was both healthy and refreshing, and this salad satisfied both of those requirements.

I was even too full for gelato at Dolce Vita, which was really too bad because they had a chocolate sorbet flavor. If you read this blog with any regularity, you know I'm a sucker for anything chocolate. I guess this means I'll have to go back!

Workout + Breakfast

I hung around at home for a little bit, watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with two of my roommates, before dragging my tired self up to the gym for a 5:45pm cycling class. For once, it wasn't that my body was tired, it was more that I was just worn out, and felt as though I could have gone to sleep for the night right then and there. I knew I would regain some energy if I got a little exercise, so I did just that. I started out with a little incline treadmill walking, and then worked hard for 50 minutes in spin class.

The instructor last night was the same instructor I had on Saturday, so I knew this would be a good class. We did the same pyramid interval exercise, but we did it backwards this time. Meaning, we started out with four minutes of work, had one minute of rest, did three minutes of work, and so on. In my opinion, this pyramid interval was a little bit tougher than the one on Saturday:

• Seated flat
• Standing climb
• Jumps (10 seconds sprint, 10 seconds rest)
• Standing to seated sprint (15 seconds --> 20 seconds --> 25 seconds)

And we finished the pyramid interval with a 30-second sprint that left my legs feeling like jelly. I'd call that a successful class!

Today my workout happened bright and early in the morning, but this it was of the water variety. I forget how much I love early morning swims, probably because I don't get to do them enough. I love watching the sun come up over the water, and it was the perfect way to start this Thursday.

I was more than hungry by this point, so I headed home to fix myself my usual egg whites and spinach.

I decided to brave the heat and go for a walk at Town Lake, but the sun absolutely drained me, and I downed every ounce of water in my CamelBak once I got back to my car.

After both a swim and a sweaty walk at Town Lake, I was more than ready for a shower and a snack. I ate half of a Honeycrisp apple before dropping a friend off at her house in Westlake and then running a few errands.

Not long after I returned home, I headed over to SRD for work, which is where I will be for many, many hours. As I said earlier, though, I can't complain too much.

Austin Murals

As you guys may have noticed when I posted about my Summer 2014 To-Do List, one of the items on this list was "Austin Murals." That isn't very specific, and obviously it is not very plausible to visit every single mural in Austin, so I made a list of the ones that I want to see most. Granted, I have seen almost every mural on this list, and I've even taken pictures of a few of them, but I am starting over with the goal of taking pictures of every single one in these next three weeks. It seems like a lot, but many of them are located near one another, so it really shouldn't be too difficult.

And on that note, I'm off to do a little bit of reading. Catch y'all later!

Three Films

It seems that I have taken quite the hiatus from this Ten Day You Challenge. I am so close to being done, so I might as well finish it off strong, right? I think the reason I have been putting it off is because two out of the last three are incredibly difficult. In my opinion, at least. Three films, out of a million and one incredible movies out there? So, to make it a little bit easier on myself, I am going to split this into categories - one movie I will never get tired of watching, one movie series, and one movie I want to see.

One Movie I Will Never Get Tired of Watching

Remember the Titans

After AP tests my junior and senior year, this was a popular movie to play. I think I watched this movie no less than five times in the span of a week and a half my senior year of high school, but I never stopped watching. Not only is it an inspirational sports movie, it deals with the very real theme of racial segregation, and how the students at T.C. Williams High School overcome it. Based on actual events from 1971, the football team learns that before they can win, they have to become one, and both the players as well as the adults learn how come together by depending on and trusting one another.

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One Movie Series

Harry Potter

I am sure this one comes as no surprise to you guys, as both the Harry Potter book and movie series are some of my absolute favorites. I attended many of the midnight premieres, and Harry Potter Weekends on ABC Family are some of my favorites. Even though I own every single DVD (and a few of them on VHS), there is nothing better than an entire weekend dedicated to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 

One Movie I Want To See

The Giver

Gone Girl

Okay, I cheated with this one. There are quite a few good movies coming out in the next couple of months, and two of them are of books that I recently read and loved. The Giver, by Lois Lowry, tells the story of a perfect world, that Jonas soon realizes is not really so perfect. Memories may be painful, but there can be no pleasure without pain, and no pain without pleasure. 

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Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn is truly one of the more twisted novels I have read, but it was impossible for me to put it down. I was a bit frustrated with the ending of the book, but I was just informed yesterday that the movie is going to have a different ending, which made me that much more excited for the October movie release.

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There are so many other movies I wish I could have included - The Parent Trap, She's The Man, How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Breakfast Club, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Titanic, Up, Never Been Kissed, and so many more! But, I guess picking just a few is part of the challenge, right?

And to end this post, I have officially signed up for the 2014 TXU Energy Houston Turkey Trot 10K race taking place on Thanksgiving morning. This will be my fourth year to run the race, and though last year's race was absolutely freezing, I do look forward to it every year. It's the best way to start out one of my favorite holidays!

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CandyCots

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Who believes that we will win today? Of course, the one day that I work the 2-6pm shift is the day of the US soccer game, but I plan on streaming the game while I sit at the desk, so no real worries there. I may not be the world's biggest soccer fan, but I am a big fan of America, so, that's that.

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Workout

Let's get this post started with some of our regularly scheduled events, shall we? Today's workout started a little bit later than I thought it would as I went to bed last night. I must have been more tired than I originally thought, because I slept pretty hard from about midnight to 9:30am, and I still didn't really want to get up, but I knew it was probably time to start my day. 

I started my day off with a walk at Town Lake, and the sun was already beating down on me at that time. It was still a beautiful morning, and there were already people out on the lake kayaking and paddleboarding.

Breakfast

I hurried home at the conclusion of my walk so that I could hurry and make breakfast with enough time to get over to Gregory for a late morning swim. I made my traditional egg whites and spinach, and quickly ate them before changing and driving over to SRD before walking to Gregory.

I was nervous about cutting it too close to make it to work on time, but I made it back to my house just before 1:00pm. That gave me plenty of time to shower, get ready, fold my laundry, and start taking decorations off of my wall (say it ain't so).

Lunch

I got to SRD a little bit early today, because I knew there was a delicious meal on the menu for today - beef and veggie kabobs. I dropped my backpack off in the office before heading down to the dining hall and loading up my plate with kabobs.

I opted for one beef and two veggie, with a few pineapple pieces on the side. I rarely buy pineapple for myself these days, so this was a nice surprise. It fueled me for a very enthusiastic tour, and, of course, to cheer on Team USA!

CandyCots

And before I sign off on you guys, I have to tell you about the deliciousness that are CandyCots. I saw them while doing a little grocery shopping at Central Market over the weekend, and though I was initially hesitant about them, the tagline "The Sweetest Thing on Earth" convinced me to make the purchase.

By the name alone I figured they were in the Apricot family, and they are - CandyCots are a uniquely sweet group of apricot varieties that are high in Vitamin A, C, E, potassium, and iron - quite the versatile fruit! Dark orange CandyCots are a good source of beta carotene, and foods that are high in this antioxidant are linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cataracts, and some forms of cancer. And finally, CandyCots contain no fat, making these the perfect summer snack. They are easy to carry and easy to eat. Plus, CandyCots are always grown in a wholesome manner, and farmed with methods and materials that protect the environment, your health, and are in harmony with nature.

CandyCots are absolutely delicious, and just the right amount of sweet, so for all of my Texas readers, head to your local Central Market or HEB and pick up this sweet treat. I don't think they're in season for much longer, so take advantage of them while you still can!

*All of the nutritional information is courtesy of the CandyCots website.