Catching Up: September Edition

I didn't want this to happen, but it was inevitable. And it's really not even school that made me fall so far behind on blogging this time. Friday evening was the start of the Hills YoungLife area retreat, and we met up at a park in Tarrytown, where we enjoyed a delicious Chick-Fil-A dinner, and engaged in a friendly game of kickball. We intermixed teams, so I was reunited with some of my Murchison teammates, while at the same time getting to know my new Anderson teammates. 

After an hour or so of kickball, we were told that the next part of our retreat would be going to The Friendly Savages and Penny & Sparrow concert at Stubb's. All the girls went back to the house of one of our area director's friends and changed, and we all re-met up outside of Stubb's. The concert was incredible, though I honestly don't know if I ever stopped sweating. At least until I escaped the packed-in crowd and made my way to the back of the room and talked with some of my Murchison teammates for the remainder of the evening.

After the concert, Team Anderson went back to a house in Northwest Austin and half of the team went to Whataburger for a 1:00am Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit run, while the other half of us went to sleep. Just guess which category I fell under. The next morning we had our big area meeting where we talked about the calendar and hopes and dreams for this semester in YoungLife, and it was honestly probably the first time I left that meeting feeling encouraged and excited for the year as opposed to feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Our area director is incredible and I am so excited for this year to get going. And while it is hard to jump onto an established team as a new member, I think this year is going to be great. My new team is full of incredible people who are goofy and full of big ideas to get new kids to experience the gospel.

On Sunday, after a 9:15am church service and a little bit of homework, Taylor, one of my best friends from high school, picked me up and we drove to campus to go watch the Nike Big 4 Volleyball Tournament. The tournament featured the Texas Longhorns, the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Stanford Cardinal, and the Florida Gators. Mary Ellen, one of our other best friends from high school, plays for Stanford, so we rearranged our schedules when we found out she was coming to Austin to play. 

Because she goes to Stanford, and her family moved to West Virginia, we don't get to see her very often, and we jumped at the chance to see her, even if for ten minutes after the game. Lindsay also drove in for the game from Houston, and it was such a great start to my week being reunited with the Stratford volleyball dream team. 

Taylor, Mary Ellen, Lindsay, and I

And though I was wearing my burnt orange (as hard as it was to put on after the abysmal performance in our football game on Saturday), Lindsay, Taylor, and I went crazy when Mary Ellen took the court. We may have gotten a few stares, but it was well worth it.

Stratford America

After the game I went on a relaxing walk around Town Lake, where I was met with a beautiful sunset to end my weekend.

And now it's back to the books. School is really starting to pick up speed, and it's only going to get busier once I start going to the high school (hopefully next week). Have a great Monday! And GO TEXANS!

P.S. Here's a very special shout out to a great roommate - Natalie - for holding me accountable and posting this blog post. Once I get too far behind, there is no hope for me to catch up. Thanks, Nat! Hopefully some new workouts and recipes will be making an appearance on the blog soon!

Return To Sophomore Year

The excitement of finally getting your drivers license, and anticipating all of the freedom (or not) that comes along with it, the chance to host the big Sweet Sixteen dance, the much-talked about sophomore research project, the no-longer-a-freshman, but not-yet-an-uppeclassman feeling. At least, that's what sophomore year was all about at my high school. In a way, it was the most "lost" year, because, like I said, you've lost that freshman feeling of "Oh, I'm in high school and I'm so excited!", but you have not yet hit the big junior year, which is consumed with standardized test preparation and college visits. And of course, you are nowhere near being the big man on campus. 

Race For The Cure

In all honesty, my sophomore year didn't really have any "stand out" moments. I was in the usual algebra II, chemistry, world history (easily my least favorite class of my high school career), Spanish, English II, the required technology class, and of course, volleyball. Volleyball was fairly mediocre that year, in both high school and club. I will never forget the day we gave our coach her first district loss ever as either a coach or a player. So that happened.

Spirit Sisters

But I did get my drivers license on my 16th birthday, and though my mom wouldn't let me drive on the freeway by myself for months, it was so nice knowing that if I needed a new tube of Burt's Bees, I could drive myself on up to Walgreen's and get it. That's the definition of freedom right there. And speaking of 16th birthdays, sophomore year was the year Stratford girls got to choose to become a host of the annual dance called Sweet Sixteen. Basically, it's a formal dance hosted by the sophomore class, and each girl is allowed to invite one freshman girl, the junior girl who invited you, and one extra invitation (that usually goes to a senior). Each invitation is good for a girl plus her date, and the sophomores who host get to have professional photos done, get to wear beautiful long dresses, get to arrive to the hotel hours early to have a sit-down dinner, and get to leave with the satisfaction that you got to be such a big part of such a fun night. 

Volleyball

Long live the MATH journal

This dance, because it is an off-campus dance, is traditionally a little bit more fun than the on-campus dances, mainly because there is no real restriction on the music that gets played. I remember loving my Sweet Sixteen experience my sophomore year, despite the fact that I had to leave to go to San Antonio at 4:30am the next morning for a volleyball tournament.

And the whole point of this post? To tell you guys that I will be interning in a sophomore English II classroom at Westwood High School this semester. I could not be more excited, because ideally, that would be the level I would want to teach. I remember really liking the course content (despite having to read Animal Farm, and unfortunately, they still read that book), and it is really such a fun age to be around. My cooperating teacher (CT) is also a UT grad, and I cannot wait to meet her. Both my UTeach professor and my observer have told me that they think I'll just love her. And I really can't ask for much more than that. I am so excited for the opportunity to learn from her and work alongside her.

Spring Game

Fun fact: He was drafted to the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round

Football games at Tully Stadium

So, here's to my return to sophomore year. I can't wait to share this journey with you guys.

The Nicest Thing Your Parents Ever Did For You

I saw this title while scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed yesterday morning after class, and it was posted by Tina over at Carrots 'n' Cake, another healthy living blogger. She got this question from the September issue of Real Simple, and dedicated a blog post to her mom and how grateful she is for all that her mom did for her. I thought I'd take a page from her book and do a similar post about my parents.

I am very close to both of my parents, and that is probably the number one thing I am most thankful for. They will always answer the phone when I call, and they will always welcome me home with open arms. Sure, I went through those unfortunate middle school and high school years when I acted quite the brat, but now that I'm so much older and so more mature (note the sarcasm), I have learned how to have a functional relationship with both of my parents. This post is going to sound a lot like my Mother's and Father's Day posts, but maybe there will be a little bit of difference to it. I'll let you guys be the judge of that.

My parents have been my biggest supporters since day one - coming to every soccer, softball, and basketball game, every swim meet, and every single one of my volleyball games and tournaments, even when they had to take time off of work to do so. Just the other day in my UTeach class my professor was talking about how her son did cross country at the school at which she taught, so she frequently was at school over two hours before the first bell rang. That made me think back to my morning basketball practices in middle school, and how my dad got me to every single one on time and without one single complaint. When I didn't yet have my license, but I still had volleyball practices three times a week at a facility located 30 minutes away, my mom was happy to drive me and sit in the main area going through mail and other things while I had training and conditioning, setter practice, and regular practice from 6pm to 9:30pm.

And not only did they support me in everything I did (and do), but they always, always, always fought for me, and continue to do so to this very day. It is obvious to me that they love my brother and I unconditionally, and for that, we are both very blessed. I've made my fair share of poor decisions, and while they may question my motives, they always take my side, jumping in right away to figure out how to help me fix the situation.

2002

2013

They encourage me to chase my dreams, constantly telling me that nothing I could ever think up to do is too big. They pay for my college education, they give me money for groceries and Anthropologie trips, and they have showed me what it means to love other people well. 

So, while that was not one specific thing, it was a summary of how very, very thankful I am for my two sweet parents, and all that they have done for me in their lives. You guys are the best, and I love y'all so much!

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I have a delicious and veggie-packed new recipe for you guys today, so let's get to it. Not only was it my first time making burgers, it was my first time using a George Foreman grill. My mom and I purchased one last Black Friday on a two-for-one deal, and my dad uses his all the time, but I had yet to give it a shot. Until today, that is. I was browsing through my recipes board on Pinterest, and I came across a pin that took me to a link with eight recipes for homemade veggie burgers. I had a few of the ingredients already on hand for a couple of different burgers, so I threw together my own recipe, unsure of how it would turn out. My George Foreman experience and the burgers both were excellent, and chances are, you probably have a majority of these ingredients already on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans 
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat grill or stovetop to medium

2. Place half of the black beans into a food processor, along with the other ingredients (you can do this in phases, ie, process a few of the ingredients until smooth, then add in the remaining)

Does that look appetizing, or what?

3. Process until smooth, then add in the remaining black beans

4. Process until smooth and using either a spoon or your bare hands, form into patties and place onto grill or frying pan (which has been sprayed down with cooking spray)

5. Grill for three to four minutes per side (or until browned), remove, and enjoy with whatever condiments and toppings you prefer!

Makes: six

I used a FlatOut Foldit Flatbread, spread some red roasted pepper hummus on it, placed the burger on one side, pickles on another, and topped the burger with a pinch of spicy brown mustard. I had a side of cantaloupe to go with it, and my stomach is currently very satisfied.

And now I'm off to shower from my 12:00pm spin class (gross that I still haven't showered, I know), and finally get to work on some homework. Have a great rest of your afternoon!

Egg White Scramble

Another day, another new and healthy breakfast. I'm really taking this switch-up-my-breakfast thing seriously. Which makes for some fun Instagram pictures, and a very happy stomach. And my stomach was more than ready for a filling breakfast after a mile and a half swim at Gregory Gym this morning.

The star of this breakfast dish is my usual scrambled egg whites, but it looks a little different than usual. This recipe was inspired by this recipe, but because I can't have cheese, and I don't really like cheese with my eggs anyway, I substituted spinach for cheese.

Ingredients

• 3 liquid egg whites
• 1/4 cup black beans
• 1 cup spinach
• 3 tbsp salsa
• Pepper

Directions

1. Rinse and drain black beans

2. Scramble egg whites and black beans in a frying pan over medium heat, adding in the spinach when the egg whites start to form a solid

3. Top with salsa and pepper (if desired)

4. Enjoy!

And it's really as easy as that. A healthy and delicious breakfast to fuel a non-stop four and a half hour school day. Which doesn't seem like much, until you take into account that one of my classes is three hours in length, and after that's over, I have to high-tail it all the way across campus, making it to my 12:30pm class just in the nick of time.

And I am now officially introducing Tennis Skirt Tuesday to you guys. When Katie and I were at the Domain a couple of weeks ago, we wandered into Dick's Sporting Goods and couldn't help but notice just how cute the sporty tennis skirts were. It doesn't take much for me to be talked into buying something sporty and athletic, so here we are, on a Tuesday, sporting our tennis skirts with our actual tennis playing roommate, Jamie Lynn. Tennis Skirt Tuesday - join in on the trend!

Tennis Skirt Tuesday and Tower Tuesday 

Chocolate For Breakfast + A Giveaway

Chocolate for breakfast is always a good idea. Even better if you can put a healthy twist to it. Remember how yesterday I posted about how September is National Healthy Breakfast Month? Well, shortly after I posted that yesterday, I perused my Pinterest boards for some inspiring healthy breakfast recipes. When I saw this recipe for a "healthy" breakfast quesadilla, I decided to use it as my inspiration, except I tried to make it just a little bit healthier. I don't like to brag, but this recipe is easily one of my best. Healthy and delicious - you just can't ask for much more than that!

Breakfast Quesadilla

Ingredients

• 1 Flatout Light Original Flatbread
• 2 tbsp almond butter (or any kind of nut butter)
• 1/2 sliced banana
• 4 sliced strawberries
• Sprinkle of coconut flakes
• Sprinkle of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (about 1 tbsp)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit

2. Spread almond butter onto the entire area of the flatbread

3. Place banana slices on top of the almond butter

4. Place strawberry slices on top of the banana slices

5. Sprinkle coconut flakes and chocolate chips on top and close flatbread

6. Baste olive oil on both sides of the flatbread, placing it on a foil-lined baking sheet

7. Bake for 15 minutes - flipping after seven

Workout

Before creating (and devouring) this absolutely delicious breakfast, I went to the gym to get in a good workout. I completed a treadmill workout inspired by this PBFingers treadmill workout.

I covered 2.5 miles in 20 minutes, plus .35 miles of walking. Not bad for only 25 minutes! After my time on the treadmill, I went over to the free weights and completed three rounds of this tank top arms workout.

I really like the up/down plank, as well as the slow burn bicep curls. They are both very Body Pump-esque, and they challenge me in a way that I don't usually think to challenge myself. My arms are officially dead, however, and I am anticipating some problems tomorrow morning when I try and put my hair up in a ponytail.

Giveaway

And now it's finally time for a giveaway! Remember the reviews I completed for Best Price Nutrition and My Supplement Store? Well, I have some very similar products for one lucky reader to sample. The following products will be mailed to the winner of this giveaway:

• Raw Meal Beyond Organic Meal Replacement Formula - Vanilla (vegan, gluten-, and dairy-free)
• Raw Protein Beyond Organic Protein Formula - Vanilla (vegan, gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free)
• Cyto Greens Acai Berry Green Tea
• Alive! Once Daily Women's Ultra Potency Multi-Vitamin and Whole Food Energizer

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post with the product you are most excited to try. A winner will be selected sometime on Friday.

And with my blog post done and all of the necessary reading out of the way, I'm thinking of taking a little afternoon walk before I get ready for dinner with my new YoungLife team. Though I already know some people on the team, this is my first time to actually get to meet everyone on the team. I am not going to lie, I'm a little bit nervous, but they all seem like fun people, so I am sure it will be great! I hope you all are enjoying a great day off! Happy Labor Day!

National Healthy Breakfast Month

Another month come and gone. September is one of my favorite months, and though you probably feel as though I say this about every month, it really is one of my favorites because September brings us the official start of fall. It may not feel like fall in Texas until, well, ever, but I love fall because not only does it mean the return of football season, it also means fall recipes and (maybe) cooler weather and pretty leaves and the excitement of the upcoming Christmas season. What could be better?

Going off of our September theme, I got an email the other day saying that September is National Healthy Breakfast Month, so I am hoping this will inspire me to actually try out some new healthy breakfast recipes. As I've mentioned before, breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day, and as interesting as egg whites are, I could definitely spice things up a bit with some new recipes.

Breakfast

And today I did just that. Sunday mornings are for pancakes, right? Carrots 'n' Cake 3-Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, that is.

I used a Perfect Pancake Pan to make these pancakes, because I have a bit of a pancake flipping problem. I shouldn't have this problem, because my dad is a pro pancake flipper, and he has tried to teach me the art of pancake flipping multiple times, but my pancakes never end up being very picture worthy, and as that is obviously a very important part of my meals, the Perfect Pancake Maker was a necessary investment. I thought the Perfect Pancake Pan did an excellent job with the pancakes, and I absolutely recommend it. There was minimal spillage, and it was really easy to clean up. Plus, it made some pretty near perfect pancakes. What more can you ask for in a kitchen appliance?

The pancakes tasted delicious, and I topped them with a little bit of peanut butter and sliced strawberries. It was a very filling breakfast, though these pancakes did take a little bit of work. You have to chop up the apple and put it through the food processor before you even think about putting them on the pan. I would only recommend making these if you have a lot of time in the morning - definitely a weekend breakfast!

Workout

After finishing off my pancakes and cleaning up around the kitchen a little bit, I changed and headed down to join the rest of Austin at Town Lake. I walked my favorite three-mile loop, and because I got back to my car at exactly 11:18am, and I was parked in the Austin High School parking lot anyway, I decided to attend the 11:15am church service at Austin Stone. Maybe not my best decision in terms of presentability, but I managed to snag a seat in the back of the gym, and I didn't run into anyone I know. Phew!

After coming home from church, I ate a little snack of carrots and hummus while waiting for Dylan to come over to, one, put the finishing touches on one of my kitchen decorations, and two, make another journey to Home Depot so he could make this really cool cinderblock bench for his room. It may not match the decor in Suite 1, but the color scheme works well in his.

(Source)

After the construction of his bench, and a little trip to Thundercloud Subs for a sandwich, I biked over to Gregory to get in a good swim. I managed to snag a lane all to myself for a majority of the swim, and I had myself a really great workout. After two days of pretty intense running, a relaxing swim was just what my body was craving. Plus, I don't think I could have asked for a more beautiful afternoon.

And now I'm off to cook some dinner. Have a great Labor Day if you are lucky enough to have it off. I know that I'm pretty thankful for a three-day weekend to ease myself back into the swing of the whole school thing. Now there's no excuse for falling behind! And, how about them Longhorns?

Shout out to Dylan for this photo