New Dish

So on my walk home I started stewing about what I was going to have for dinner.
You know I could go the boring route and have noodles and marinara or a grilled cheese sandwich but I wanted to see what I could throw together.
I hit my little 2x4x3 pantry to see what my options were.
I wanted something sweet and I wanted to use some of my many spices.
Result:
Chicken Fruit Alfredo
1/2 can of chicken chunks
A handful of almonds
Sprinkles of nutmeg throughout
Almond extract
Milk
Flour
1/4 bag of frozen mixed berries
Noodles of your choice

Boil noodles. Set aside. Fry the chicken and almonds. Sprinkle in some nutmeg. Make creme sauce with the milk and flour and pour over the chicken and almonds. Sprinkle in some nutmeg. Add almond extract to bring out taste of almonds In another frying pan put half of your fruit. Cook on high until the only detectable fruit are the strawberries and then add to your sauce. Your sauce is complete. Mix with your noodles and then put the last of your berries on top as a garnish.

Bon appetite!
It actually wasn't as good as I would have hoped it would be but I think it has potential.
Suggestions?

Hypoglycemia for dummies

I went into the doctors office today for my mission physical. I finally remembered to ask about my shakes (I've been meaning to ask a doctor about this for at least two years). He diagnosed it as hypoglycemia. While there the doctor told me a little bit about it. Of course if I were a responsible person I would make sure that I was completely educated on the matter, so I went home and Googled it.

From what I have gathered Hypoglycemia is when your body does not break down glucose correctly. The pancreas fails to shut off the insulin quickly enough and as a result your blood sugar gets low.
Symptoms I have include(I know it just sounds like I am a normal person who is just not fun to be around):
-Feeling cranky or agressive
-Hunger (I have the appetite of a starving hyena)
-Shaking or Trembling
-Trouble sleeping
-Unclear thinking/Inability to concentrate
-Fatigue
-Migraines

Food to avoid:
Processed foods
Fried foods
MSG
Soft drinks
Artificial sweeteners
Hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats (I find this one strange)

Dealing with Cravings(Their word for my appetite):
Toss it. Any food on the "to avoid" list. If it is more inconvenient to get to you are less likely to eat it.
Breathe. Take deep belly breathes till the cravings go away. Preferably for 5 min.
Bathe. Helps clear stagnant energy.
Drink. Drink water before you eat something. Wait 15 min to see if you still feel hungry.
Meditate. Figure out why you want what you do. Comfort? Love? Security? Fill it in a different form (Call your Mom. Find a time you felt loved and feel it again. Etc.)
Visualize. Imagine yourself healthy and happy-- when you finally have self control.
Pause before Caving. Bargain with yourself. 'I'll wait 10 min and then eat it.' and then follow through.
Switch to something similar. Want sorbet? Make a smoothie.

*Food to avoid and Dealing with Cravings are thanks to Hypoglycemia for dummies.

A few words on gratitude

Today I decided to go back and look at some old posts of mine. I only read a couple but it was enough.

At the beginning of this year I was thinking that time couldn't pass any slower. I was so stressed and I was a wreck. I was missing Natalie and I was having a hard time handling it... I was reminded of this when I read this post.

In church many times I have heard stories of saints in the Book of Mormon and also in these latter days who, when going through hard times, draw close to the Lord. As life begins to get better they drift away. I feel as if I have done this in my own way. Not to an extremity where I've stopped praying at night or lacked in my church attendance but concerning my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

The beginning of this year was hard. As I look back I feel as if my life is much better. I live in a cheaper apartment. I still have wonderful roommates. I have a job that gives me the hours I want. I don't live too far away from campus. But I have not shown any gratitude.

We were sent here to this earth to learn and grow. God understands that we aren't going to be perfect while we live but the important thing is that we are living and we are keeping God apart of it the whole time.

I'm grateful for my challenges. I have definitely learned from them. I am grateful for a sister who has faith enough to sacrifice a small bit of her life to serve the Lord. Her example has given me strength as I made the decision to do the same. In the Lord I am ready for anything that is to come. I pray that as I continue to live that I don't forget to live without gratitude.

The problem with roommates.

If you fart you are at risk of her walking in right after... Embarrassing.



On a more serious note, the reality of adding more time to when I can see Natalie again just hit.
Missing her isn't hard to medicaid but there are those few days when I start thinking about time and it all seems like it's going to last an eternity.

Smile

Throughout the decades music has adapted quite a bit.

I love how far we've come but too many people have forgotten how to appreciate music throughout history.

Growing up I listened to/played all kinds of music.

When I was super little I would sneak my mom's ABBA CD into the player and just sit and listen to it.

I'm not quite sure why it had to be ABBA but I loved it.

Whenever in the car my mom would play her country and although I decided I hated it for a while there in Junior high I came to accept that I do love it... And for some reason country helps me relax.

I would jam out to Backstreet boys and N'Sync with my best friend.

I don't know how long we spent day dreaming that Nick would come walking down our street and knock on her door... It was great :}

I listened and loved all the music my brothers listened to. Five Iron Frenzy. Aquabats. They Might Be Giants. Mainly because I thought they were so cool.

Around 3rd grade I began playing violin and gained an appreciation for a new sound.

In 7th grade I started playing trombone and what we played wasn't mainly Bach or Beethoven...

It was better. 

And then I was introduced to Jazz. 

I had a harder time grasping everything that came with Jazz

but I did gain a love for it.

Recently my roommate introduced to Korean Pop. It's growing on me.

Now, there will be days when I won't want to hear 'Firework' one more time or else I might go crazy.

When all I want to hear Ingrid Michaelson's wonderful tones.

Or movie sountracks.

But lately I have noticed that I've had more of an itch for smooth jazz...

Oooh baby their voices flow like honey and it just gets me...

If you've never heard it, shame. If you have, we can be friends.

Here's one that I just found and already love.

 Enjoy a Charlie and a sound that makes you melt.

Stadium Terrace #18

Fall 2012 semester starts tomorrow. I'm so nervous. Besides the classes that I have to audition for I shouldn't be nervous. All we'll be doing is reading syllabuses. I guess what I am nervous for is what is to come in a month or two. Lots of homework. Blowing it off to sleep. Break downs in my bedroom. Getting bad grades in *pre-reqs.

I just really want to do a good job this year. And of course I know it's all up to me. 

On the upside I moved into my new apartment. I'm really loving it. I picked my roommate according to what pictures she had hanging up in her room. Ended up being an excellent method. She loves Asians, Lord of the Rings, and old classic movies. She's her own kind of weird :) I know we're going to be great friends.

Hey so do you remember Pete... So update. He went out of state for the summer and informed me he wasn't planning on getting in any relationships before then. Well the last guy that I liked as much as Pete I scared off. So this time I decided that I would avoid that. I tried to distract myself. I saw the boy from my American Heritage class. The one I thought I was leading. I saw John. We hung out a couple of times and I could have made it  work. I was reminded of a crush I've had on one of my best friends. He was concerned for my making out well being and gave me the option of a NCMO. I knew it wouldn't fix anything but it would definitely distract. That didn't happened... Well it might have if I hadn't been kicked out of my own neighborhood.

Point being I tried to get myself over Pete. Or at least stop thinking about him. I went a whole month without talking to him.

Side note. For some reason I feel the need to tell the guy that I'm interested in everything that is happening in my life. When I asked friends to take a look at our conversations, my friends said that he seemed too much like my shoulder to cry on... I'm screwed because I don't know how to flirt with guys so that was my only form of getting to know him. Ah nuts. 

Anyway I saw him yesterday to practice dancing and of course he had to be such a stinkin sweetie. Pretty much everything I did during the summer failed. I want to call him and just talk. I want to go to his apartment and tell him everything that has happened to me this summer. I want to ask him about a high school friend of his that he might possibly be interested in. I'm supposed to give it time but I don't want to.

Please tell me I'm not the only girl whose ever felt like this in their life.

*I'm looking into switching from the dance major to a dietetics major. You have to apply to the program after taking all the pre-reqs. For me that's looking at being February 2014. We'll see how that goes.