Thursday of Thankfulness: Number 4

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Last night my parents picked me up directly after my last class of the day, and we traveled as far West as one can travel in Oregon, to my cousins and aunt and uncle in Lincoln City. Now, as I'm surrounded by wonderful family, stuffed with incredible food, on this terrific day of thanks, it is difficult to find a single thing that I am most thankful for today. I am thankful that I have a roof over my head, as I know that there are many people in this country who do not. I am thankful that I have food everyday, as I know that even more people don't have this luxury, either.
I think most of all, I am thankful for Thanksgiving day, itself. I am thankful for this day that includes both getting away and getting together, simultaneously. I am especially thankful for the traditions that we have. The turkey (though I'm not that fond of turkey), and sweet potatoes (with marshmallows on top), and mashed potatoes, and potato rolls (my mom's family's from Idaho, what can I say?), and oyster stuffing, and jello, and pumpkin pie are all wonderful traditions, but they are not the best of today's traditions. My favorite thing is waking up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with my sister (I like the Rockettes, she likes the bands). Then, at exactly noon every year (which typically coincides with reaching the Tacoma Dome on our way to my grandparents' house), my family listens to (and sing along to) Alice's Restaurant. These activities bring us together and remind us that no matter what happens, family is always there.
I'm so thankful for Thanksgiving. It provides me with a break in this, my first, very hectic semester. It also provides me with a chance to get together with my family (especially my cousins whom I very rarely get to see, since they moved away a few years ago).
So, today I am thankful for Thanksgiving.

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Thursday of Thankfulness: Number 3

Sorry I haven't posted all week. I am sick with a horrible cold (on top of my stupid stomach that refuses to play nicely). Anyone who's had a cold (which is everyone) understands, I'm sure, why I haven't been blogging. I'm super tired, my muscles hurt, and I can't even taste any of the food I've been eating. Still, despite this, I have something to be thankful for...
I am thankful for the internet. I know, I know. I grew up on the internet. I rely on it too much. But I also know (and oh boy do I ever know) that when there i no internet, I end up in awful places. See, last Thursday, my phone charger broke. And I didn't have a spare here at school. But my battery had died, which was why it was on the charger when I learned that the charger had broken. So, I was left phoneless for a couple days.
This put me in an awful position. How do I call home and explain that they cannot call my cell if they need to talk to me? This is where Google and all of its amazingness comes in handy. It turns out, my google account has the ability to make US phone calls for free (not that I've ever used this for prank calls or anything...). So, thanks to the internet, I was able to do just about everything my phone could do. Except text while I was in downtown Portland. Or give me the time while I was on my way to class. But everything else my phone could do, the internet could do as well.
I'm so thankful for the technology that I have been so blessed to grow up around. This technology has helped aided me in schoolwork, social interaction, and mindless entertainment. It also provides me with this blog, which is oh so much fun to create. I have no idea what I would do without the internet. Honestly. So, that is what I am thankful for: the internet.

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Thursday of Thankfulness: Number 2

Today, I am thankful for music.Be it instrumental or vocal, classical or pop, music is always there when I need it most. Creating music and listening to music are both actions of the soul, capable of altering a person's perception of the world for a lifetime.

Music is truly the love of my life. It is far more than a hobby or a past time, it is a way of living. It affects how I act, how I think, how I breath; music is in every part of my body and my soul at any given moment of any given day. And for me, there is no getting around it.

Music has been a part of my every day life since I was old enough to say the word "music." My dad, who is one of the best pianists I have ever met, instilled in me the idea that music is a gift we must share with the world. No matter what kind of day it is, we must sing or play our hearts out. At an early age I was taught the notes on the piano and how to match them in singing. I was taught to hold mallets and drum sticks; to beat rhythms on our many percussion instruments. I was taught to play chopsticks on the piano, the marimba, and the harp. I knew by the age of three what the difference was between a high note and a low note and began learning about everything found in between. In second grade, I began learning about the harp, which has been a passion of mine ever since. I also began to sing in choir when I was in fourth grade, and haven't missed an opportunity to sing since.
Music has been a constant throughout my life. It has been my form of expression as well as the way I have made the majority of my friends. When I have a bad day, music is what encourages me to keep on going. I now use practicing my harp as a reward for completing my homework assignments, a method which actually seems to work.
This week in particular has been a rather difficult week for me. Between writing and turning in major papers and studying for several tests, I have been a busy girl. And, between receiving a failing grade on a French test (I might have accidentally used the infinitive forms of verbs when they should have been conjugated in a particular tense...a huge mistake) and receiving no credit at all on my major history paper (which dropped my grade from an A to an F), it's also been a rather emotion-filled week. So, putting aside some homework assignments, I decided to hang out with my best friend, Pierre, my harp. I practiced past the point that my fingers were sore. I practiced past the point of pain and fatigue, until there was nothing else to feel but music. Then I stopped because I'd wasted too much time and needed to start working on my homework. After practicing, I felt rejuvenated. Yes, my fingers hurt, but my soul no longer hurt; I no longer felt pained about my grades and my performance in school. Music can alter the quality of life and I am tremendously grateful for the impact it has had on my life, especially during these difficult college times.

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Grilled Salami and Mozzarella Sandwiches

I finally got my own frying pan, which means no more borrowing from my roommate. I'm super in love with it because it's super cute (and cost less than a normal one). It's already been broken in (and I will post what I made the first time, after I make it again since I forgot to take photos), but I decided to use my money's worth out of it the other day when I was making myself lunch. So, I decided to make a grilled sandwich. Though I could have done a normal grilled cheese or used some other meat (since I also have ham in my fridge), I decided to be super creative with my sandwich. Thus, a grilled salami and mozzarella sandwich.

To make the sandwich, you will need bread of any kind (I used Franz multi grain because that's what sold at my school and that's also my favorite bread company), salami (mine was Lite salami, but any kind works so long as it is thinly sliced), 1 1/2 string cheese sticks (you can eat the other half if you want), some sort of cooking spray or butter (I used canola oil, since it was cheapest), a frying pan, and a spatula. You might also want some lettuce or mixed greens, mayo, or mustard.

First, place 6 pieces of salami along one piece of brea so that there are no gaps between the pieces (you may need more or less depending on how large your salami pieces are and how large your bread is).

Then, slice your mozzarella string cheese sticks so that they are round disks. Place these disks in even rows across your sandwich.

Heat your frying pan over a low to medium heat, with either butter or oil on the frying pan as it heats.

Then, place your bread with its toppings onto the heated frying pan, and place another piece of bread over this, so that it is now a sandwich.

Heat until golden brown and flip. Use extra caution while flipping because it is likely that your cheese will slide off. If this happens, take off the heat immediately and reorganize your sandwich.

Heat the other side until it, too, is golden brown. Then remove the frying pan from heat and place your sandwich on a plate.

From here, you can do as you please. You can add mustard, mayo, lettuce, whatever you want. I added mixed spring greens and spinach, which gave made it nice and earthy. But you can do whatever you feel like doing. Note that the mozzarella is likely not melted. Again (as I've said in previous posts), mozzarella cheese doesn't really like to melt. But do not fret over this. Your sandwich is still warm and your bread is crispy.

 I'm really fond of this sandwich. It was super delicious and took only slightly longer than a normal grilled cheese takes to make. I especially liked how earthy it tasted and looked. After reading so many blog posts from other people about pumpkin and squash recipes, I've been in a very earthy mood lately, so having this sandwich was a nice continuation of that mood. I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU TRY THIS RECIPE!

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White Chocolate Pretzels and Raspberries

Do you ever feel like eating a snack, but you just can't decide what snack to eat? Do I want something salty? Something sugary? Something tart? The other day I wanted all three of these, so I created a new snack. Yes, I know it's not a real recipe, but it was a unique combination of foods that any dorm-bound student can keep in their room (especially if they have a fridge).
The idea is simple: place a raspberry on top of a white chocolate covered pretzel.
Eat it,
Enjoy it,
And that's it. There's virtually no mess to these snacks. But man, oh man, are they delicious. And they look pretty fancy as well.

Here's some pictures I took while I was creating this delicious (and beautiful) snack:

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Thursday of Thankfulness: Number 1

Since it’s November and November is the month of thankfulness, I have decided to share what I’m most thankful for, every Thursday of November. The first thing I am thankful for: my school.

My original reasons to attend the University of Portland were selfish. I started out looking only at schools on the East Coast because, simply put, I wanted to escape. I felt trapped in my hometown: trapped by the fog, trapped by its smallness, trapped by its set-in-stone values. I wanted to get away from my family, my friends, and everything previous in my life. I wanted to start over.

As my junior year of high school came to a close, my world was shaken in a way I couldn’t understand. I was suddenly forced to come to terms with the fact that life doesn’t last forever. As I came to terms with this fact, I was supported by my wonderful friends and family, the same people I had previously decided to cast aside. This made me appreciate them more and helped me to realize that I needed to be closer to them. So, I began looking for schools that were close enough to my home that I could go home if I ever needed to without being burdened by the expense of airfare, while still being far enough away that I would discover that new environment I so desperately desired. This is how I found the University of Portland. It took one look at the website to make it my second choice school (my first choice was Oberlin College in Ohio, though it was a reach). Then, when I came for a visit, I realized that not only was it the school for me, but it was home. The University of Portland provides the sense of community support that I needed. I felt honored to have been chosen to join this close community, though being accepted to the school was a long and extraordinarily stressful process. The campus was pretty but completely different from my hometown: there were crosses scattered about the campus, everyone owned bicycles, and the trees all had leaves! I quickly found myself exploring the campus with confidence and I still have that feeling today.

My second reason for choosing the University of Portland is less selfish. The University of Portland will help me serve my community. The University of Portland (students and staff) volunteers more hours each year than any other college of a similar size. There are so many opportunities to volunteer that it seems almost strange not to. I haven’t volunteered as much as I originally intended to because I simply have too many time commitments. Still, I have been serving the community as much as possible. Through the School of Education, I have been visiting a classroom for a minimum of three hours every week (as a requirement for my major in Elementary Education). To do this as a freshman is simply astonishing. I not only observe the teacher as he teaches, but I actually get to work with the students. I get help them when they need it by answering questions, providing feedback, and guiding them in their studies. I do not teach them, I help them, but simply to be able to do this is so incredible and I appreciate it immensely.

So, I am thankful for my school. I am thankful for the fact that it feels like home. I am thankful for the sense of community. I am thankful for the friends that I have made. I am thankful for the lessons I have learned in and out of the classroom. I am thankful for the opportunities the University of Portland has offered me. I am thankful that I was accepted into this school so I could learn the scholastic lessons taught to me in class and the life lessons taught to me through the school’s emphasis on community and service. I am thankful for the chance to be and proud that I am indeed a Pilot.

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