Birthday dinner; Cookie cookbook

Mmm, I just got done munching on a fajita bowl with refried beans, spanish rice, shredded cheddar cheese, and chicken fajita. Last night I made fajitas but I think I like combining everything in a bowl better! Less mess to deal with, and just as delicious.


My birthday dinner at Olive Garden was a success. Mostly. The waitstaff was nice but slightly incompetent. Two different people broke glasses. One server brought out to go boxes halfway through our meal. And no one remembered the mints! I was overall very happy though because I did get a nice glass of wine with my meal and they brought out a complimentary dessert for me.


Afterward some of us drove to San Marcos to hang out with another October birthday friend at his party. We drank a little and generally had a good time. Until my point and shoot digital camera was stolen :(

What did I do? Take more shots, try to forget it, and dance the night away! And now I can bake tons of cookies, thanks to my friend Brian. He got me the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. This thing is like an encyclopedia! It has about 500 pages of tips, tricks, recipes, and variations. I'm very excited to start trying some out.

Expect many cookie posts in the future ^^

It's Fall :)

Thursday night really felt like Fall for two reasons. The weather was very chilly and I made pumpkin cookies! I flung open the front door and proceeded to follow this recipe from Peanut Butter Fingers for two ingredient pumpkin spice cookies.

It is past 11 pm. Abruptly stop studying biology.

Assemble the ingredients.

Clean the pan you found under the oven when you moved in.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Check out how old my oven is, it has an analog clock on it!

Mix ingredients.

Spoon onto oiled or silicon-mat covered pan and bake for 12 minutes. I got about two dozen cookies out of the dough.

Lick bowl and spoons clean :)

Cover in cream cheese frosting, sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice, and enjoy.

These tasted good, however they didn't seem appropriate as cookies. They aren't very sweet so baking them in a muffin tin makes more sense to me.

Make sure to store in an airtight container.

Happy Fall!

The meat industry

It's gross. I don't want to support it. I am going to give up fast food again. Hopefully it will be easy- I can just imagine acres of cows, crowded together in huge pens, standing in feces, eating corn hauled in by trucks.

I don't want to eat cows pumped with steroids and antibiotics.

If you want sources, try PETA or the references or external links on this Wikipedia page.

I won't miss taco bell. Their beef was nasty anyway. What I will miss is Chipotle, but thankfully I don't have to. Most carry meat from supposedly naturally raised sources. Not all the meat is natural. At the Chipotle by my parent's there is a sign telling me the everything except the beef is natural. The one close to my apartment says everything is natural. The website even notes which locations carry what natural choices.

Other places in Austin, like Elevation Burger and TerraBurger, are also good sources of convenient food with a conscience.

I'm off to watch Old Boy and Gattaca with the Boy. Ciao.

Happy birthday to me, Bevo Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Kombuchaaaaa

My 20th birthday is this Tuesday, the twelfth!

Also known as the real Columbus Day. I don't know why, but sometime during my childhood the government decided to have a Columbus Day observed on the Monday before the twelfth instead (actually I probably just grew up and realized what had been there all along). But I know in my heart that the twelfth is the TRUE day. Anyway.

I decided to buy myself my first DSLR! It's a used Nikon D70 from a friend of mine. I've been wanting a DSLR forever, so this makes me very happy. Now I can take high quality photos of everything I eat!!!


JK. Hopefully this camera will witness the hilarity of my little brother, the funny faces of my boyfriend, amazing concerts, birthdays I won't remember (that's next year though), and everything in between. Of course the first thing I did was change my profile pic. Now you can actually see my face (and nothing but haha).

I am having a birthday dinner this weekend. I really wanted to have it at Eastside Cafe, but they will be booked. Now I can't make up my mind as to where to go!

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Don't know Bevo? He has been the mascot for the UT football team since 1917, and ever since there has been an excellent, show worthy white and burnt orange steer named Bevo serving as our official longhorn.

What I've been pleased to find out is that some local Wendy's have been serving the Bevo Spicy Chicken sandwich. When I saw it, I had to try it. And I did. And then I died and went to fast food heaven. It's better than the bacon deluxe (my former favorite Wendy's burger).

The sandwich features a huge piece of spicy chicken, a slice of colby jack cheese, three slices of bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and chipotle mayonnaise all piled on a bun. I ate it with a ceasar side salad (sans dressing and croutons. I like to taste my veggies n_____n) and a cup of water.


Look at that beauty, just waiting to be eaten by a UT student. If you live in Austin and eat fast food (I tried to give it up for a while but I eventually caved in with the help of some drunchies), try this sandwich. It won't let you down. (Unlike the football team this year -_____-)

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This is my after dinner treat. It's my first time trying kombucha, tea with probiotics. It tastes like unsweetened tea, with a hint of the peach mango flavoring, and a very tart aftertaste. I wish it was a little less tangy, but overall I like it. I paired it with my guilty pleasure, almond joy. I can never resist buying one at the grocery store check out line.

I am off to wash the dishes and read some British lit. Have a great Monday!

Friday Brunch

Currently listening to: Tighten up - The Black Keys
The whole Brothers albums is ridiculously good. Their previous album is also worth checking out. They have an essence of the White Stripes, Raconteours, and a little bit of the Kills and Broken Bells. If you even recognize any of these names, you should listen to the Black Keys.

When I wake up in the afternoon I disguise my laziness by calling my breakfast brunch, as if I chose to eat my breakfast later than usual. It usually works. On rare occasions, usually on a Saturday after a hoppin' Friday evening, I'll wake up at 4 pm and try to call my first meal brunch. But it doesn't cut it anymore. Everyone knows I'm just lazy :)

But today, I am actually eating brunch!


I enjoyed an egg sandwich (turkey, sunny-side up egg, pepper, and a dab of mayo on whole wheat bread), quinoa, and string beans. OK- I lied. I used THREE dabs of mayo, honey wheat bread, and I didn't finish my quinoa or string beans. I actually only had two bites of each before I decided I didn't want them anymore. They just don't taste as good when they're microwaved leftovers.


Doesn't that in-action shot of the sandwich look amazing? The bread soaks up that runny egg yolk and mayo mixture and it is just mouthwatering. My mom used to make me sandwiches like this with egg, sliced cheese, and mayo for breakfast on the first day of classes in elementary school. I took her idea and beefed it up a little with turkey to fuel my college days!

In my first picture you also see a little green pack and some blue pills. The blue pills are my UC medication. I have to take 4 everyday. I don't mind them because I can take them on an empty stomach and not feel nauseous, unlike the green pack...

The green pack has my vitamins. It's designed specifically for women by Nutrilite. Nutrilite carries a wide range of dietary supplements that are organic and all natural. Because they are derived from natural sources and not synthesized, they are supposed to be easier for the body to digest. My pack has 4 pills:

- Daily Multivitamin/Multimineral: Pretty obvious, the basic assortment of vitamins and minerals.
- Ocean Essentials: Fish oil rich in EPA and DHA omega 3's for brain function and blood flow.
- Cal Mag D: This one is specifically in the women's pack. It has calcium for strong bones, copper to promote collagen growth, zinc for bone maturation, and magnesium and vitamin D to aid in absorption.
- Hair, Skin, Nails: Also specifically for women, this pill has vitamin C, biotin, collagen, omega 3's, acerola concentrate, alfalfa dehydrate, glycine, grapeseed extract, horsetail, and l-cysteine. These antioxidants, amino acids, and proteins are the ones found in keratin, which makes up the skin, hair, and nails.

I've found this specific assortment of dietary supplements has really helped me. Before I was diagnosed with UC, I lost a lot of nutrients and experienced bad acne and brittle nails. The multivitamin and HSN pill help with that. The fish oil is good in general for everyone, but also specifically helps those with UC heal and stay in remission. Lastly, the cal mag D is great for me because I find I don't drink milk like I used to. Women need their calcium!

You can read more about the woman's pack, their line of vitamins (for men, weight loss, and sports nutrition), their other products (earth-friendly cleaning products, make up, etc.), and the company's principles at the link above.

The link goes through my Mom's portal-- she's a seller. The company (Amway) works a lot like Mary Kay. If you are interested in anything let me know, my mom will probably be able to hook you up with a discount.

The rest of this lovely Friday I'm going to help my friend unpack at her new apartment. Have a great weekend!

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

I would like to start out this post by saying that today I FINALLY went to the grocery store. I loaded my cart up with all sorts of veggies-- broccoli, string beans, corn, carrots, romaine hearts, celery, cucumber, and grape tomatoes. Not very adventurous in my choices but it didn't matter to me, I just needed some green in my life again. When I got home I ate a huuuuge salad for dinner. I am satisfied once again :)

I almost want to profess my love for veggies in a tattoo. Our names enclosed in a sketched heart, like you see scratched in on trees. SKP + Veggies 4 Ever.

On to Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap, which I use for body wash. I bought the almond scent and it is just heavenly. I seriously want to take a shower right now just so I can smell the soap. Here's what else I like about it:

- the ingredients list is nice and natural. No sodium laurel/laureth sulfate (SLS) here!

- I have read a few blogs where people use Dr. Bronner's to make laundry and even dishwasher detergent with it. That tells me people trust it both as gentle enough to not irritate skin when wearing the clothes, and as safe enough to clean the plate they eat off of. Another plus!

- For the past two or three weeks I've had a strange rash (or persistent bug bites) behind my knees. For at least two weeks I had bright red bumps. They were so gross looking I didn't want to wear shorts. After using the soap, I found that the following day the rash/bite was no longer red and completely flat. It is not completely gone but I feel like the soap has helped calm whatever irritation it is.

I even used it to wash my hair! I don't really recommend this... Haha. I only did so once because my current shampoo really irritates my scalp-- it gives me the itchies and every now and then flakes. Ew.

What I don't like about the soap holds true for all bars I've experienced; although lathery and lubricant at first, the soap leaves a weird film of almost sticky, water repellent material. The oil in the soap, perhaps?

I was previously using Pure & Natural's Almond Oil and Cherry Blossom scented body wash. I don't like it for two reasons; it has SLS and the scent wasn't so great. If you haven't already, I urge you to watch Annie Leonard's The Story of Cosmetics, where she talks about SLS a little. It's in the same format as The Story of Stuff. If you haven't seen that then definitely watch it also. You can find it at the same site. Leonard goes through US and global problems that we rarely think about day to day, but that we impact (and are affected by) through almost every choice we make.

I would definitely recommend Bronner's for people with sensitive skin or anyone who just wants to live life with less chemicals infused into their skin.

Whole Foods Gift Card

Sing the title to "Ice Cream Paint Job."

Clean on the inside green on the outside
Clean on the inside green on the outside
Clean on the inside green on the outside
Clean on the inside green on the outside
Whole foods gift card.

Hehe. :)

My dad gave me a Whole Foods gift card while I was attending UTSA last spring. I never got a chance to use it because the closest Whole Foods was about 30 minutes away, and I *extremely* dislike driving in San Antonio ( I ALWAYS get lost somehow).

Recently I stumbled upon the gift card hidden in my wallet. I felt kind of like Sméagol when he discovered the ring.

I was so excited to go, I even dressed the part.

I bought a shirt with this design from Threadless back in the day, and what do you know they still sell them. Just an FYI, my Threadless shirts did shrink a bit more than I anticipated. Luckily this one shrunk perfectly. I look hot in it. Just sayin'.

Here is my haul. Can you believe this little bit of food cost me $34.26!? Well, I did buy some "superfoods," that are supposed to be dense in their nutritional values. I've had about half of these items before-- the other half I'm trying for my First Time. I'm denoting them with an asterisk here.

*Kaia Foods Chili Lime Kale Chips $4.99 - I've been wanting to try kale chips but was too scared to make them on my own. These tasted funky but I'm willing to try another brand before I swear off kale chips forever.
Two organic gala apples $1.39 - I'll probably have one of these with breakfast tomorrow.
Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness $3.99 - Probably the best value in the whole store. This is basically your green smoothie, premade. It's great because I don't have a blender. It also has spirulina and algae in it, stuff I wouldn't have put in my smoothies anyway.
Kashi GoLean Crunch! $2.99 - I used to eat nothing but cereal during my early HS days, and this was one of my favs. Watch out though, some of the granola nuggets are Really Crunchy.
*MaraNatha Crunchy Almond Butter $5.99 - Yummmm. Is the Whole Foods brand almond butter REALLY $13.99?
*Navitas Goji Berries $5.99 - These tangy little dried berries are yummy on top of my cereal or yogurt bowls. I will be buying these antioxidant powerhouses again.
*Navitas Raw Cocoa Nibs $5.99 - These taste great - at first. They have a very bitter aftertaste, something that probably has to do with the chocolate liqueur in the ingredients list. Next time I will try another brand.
Almond Dream Enriched Original $2.69 - No one can deny the smooth creaminess of almond milk.

You will definitely be seeing some future posts about how I incorporate some of these into my diet!

Have you had any of these items before? What's your favorite brand?