Quick update on the last passion blog post about banana bread. They infect do not have a banana bread flavored bagel, but you know what they do have? They have banana bread flavored english muffins! How did I find this out you may be wondering? Well, I did some intense googling and texting to my mom in Florida who found and sent me banana bread english muffins!

But, here’s my dilemma. An english muffin can never live up to being a bagel. There are bagel shops everywhere, in every restaurant or chain that sells breakfast, you can most likely get a bagel, but an english muffin is questionable. Here’s my analogy: chipotle is to bagels as taco bell is to english muffins. There is just no comparison.

Anyway, on another note, I have a confession.

I love beans. Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, great norther beans, and the list goes on.

First, beans are so filling because they are packed full of fiber and protein. Many do not like the texture of beans or you know the whole gas situation associated with beans. Hence, “Take beano before and there’ll be no gas.” I also feel like black beans are underrated and aren’t thought of as being that versatile. But this blog post is to prove all you bean haters wrong!

Did you know you can make brownies out of black beans!? Neither did I and the question is still out there whether or not they could be as good as a traditional brownie and I bet they can be, just different. Based on the texture of black beans I bet black bean brownies are more of a cake-like brownie. You know how you can substitute applesauce for oil? Well, that same principle is true with black beans, they can be substituted for flour!

How amazing do these look?! They even have a recipe on Pinterest if you search “black bean brownie pops” and they look even more delicious. Now, many people do not like beans because of either the taste or texture, but relatively they do not have much flavor and their dense and hearty texture is what makes them work really well in brownie recipes.

Black beans are one of the most underrated substitutes because they are also used as a sub for meat. Black bean burgers, black bean enchiladas and other hispanic dishes can always be made without the meat but with beans. They also have the capability to absorb any flavor you want to season them with.

I know how hard it is to change what you like and don’t like because I am the same way with tomatoes. No matter what, whether in a salad, taco, chunks of spaghetti sauce, or a sandwich, I either pick the tomatoes off or subconsciously eat around them. So, if you’re the same way with beans I totally understand! But this was my bean appreciation post and here are some fantastic looking bean recipes from Pinterest!

Ok, hold up, usually all my posts are about food, but this post is not. As a first year Penn State student who came from Florida, I was not as involved with the whole Sandusky scandal as many other die hard Penn Staters. Now, this past week, Penn State and specifically Penn State Greek Life is experiencing another scandal.

If you are not aware of the KDR (Kappa Delta Rho) Fraternity incident, just google Penn State and click on news and 300+ articles relating us to the SAE (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) Oklahoma Fraternity incident, the West Virginia Greek Life incident, and brining up the Sandusky allegations that we were just beginning to bounce back from.

Being in Greek Life, this absolutely disgusts me. Not because our social schedule may be affected by a fraternities actions, not because girls were put in compromising situations, not because men (not brothers, because Greek Life and Non-Greek Life are equal in my eyes) decided to post pictures that were not appropriate or legal, not because this gives further ammunition for the Greek hate.

I am disgusted with this, because coming to Penn State and college in general, we are told we can get involved with whatever we want. We are told the possibilities are endless. I support those who decide not to be involved with Greek life and I support those who decide to get involved. But, the actions of the men in this fraternity have forced a negative opinion on the whole entire community that is Penn State. People who have the right to want nothing to do with Greek Life, are now suffering from the actions of the 144 members of a Facebook page associated with KDR. A little over 95,000 students from all campuses have the image of Penn State to represent and because of the actions of 144 members, which is 0.15% NOT EVEN 1% of the total enrollment of Penn State, everybody is having to feel the repercussions of this situation.

There are already enough of negative images pinned to Greek Life and this incident is way different than the Sandusky scandal. In order to recover from this incident, it will take the support of the community, which already suffers from strained relationships.

My opinion on this goes both ways. When we pledge Greek Life, we choose to wear all of our letters and the idea of a sisterhood/brotherhood is strong. One of us mess up, we all mess up. We take the creeds and values of our chapter very seriously and I, personally, want to represent Delta Zeta in the most positive light possible. So, in a sense, I want to say the KDR Fraternity should be punished as a whole. On the other hand, your letters don’t make you better than everybody else, they make you a better you, and the 144 members of this page do not deserve to wear their letters, nor have the honor of the name Penn State. They individually chose to overlook and/or contribute to this situation and personal action shall be taken as well.

With the increase of sexual assault on this campus, this incident further stresses the fact many of us do not feel safe in what I call my home. I just attended a discussion about this issue with fellow women of Greek Life and is something I have become genuinely interested in and I’d like to hear some thoughts on this situation!

Let me just start off by saying how fortunate the Penn State campus is to have a Trader Joe’s about 2 miles away. For years, when my family would go out west we would pack an extra empty suitcase (or end up having to buy one before we flew back), in order to smuggle all of our Trader Joe’s goods back home to Florida. Then, about 3 years ago Sarasota, Florida got their own Trader Joe’s, and every single time I would try to go, the place would be crowded and you would end up playing bumper carts with the people around you. When I found out there was a Trader Joe’s close to Penn State, I was ecstatic. Not that I go there nearly ever, it is still nice to know when I get my own apartment there is a Trader Joe’s close.

After getting a care package from my mom, it inspired me to do a post on my favorite Trader Joe’s items. After some scrolling through Pinterest and thinking of my favorites, I’ve compiled list of my favorite Trader Joe’s items.

1.) Chocolate Coconut Almonds- I saw these in the flyer and had to try them! If you like Almond Joys then these have your name on them. They are essentially bite sized almond joys, with more almond than coconut. They are the perfect sweet snack and can definitely add some pizzaz to any trail mix.

2.) Trader Joe’s Reduced Guilt Guacamole- I am not a fan of chunks of tomatoes, but that could not stop me from eating this guacamole (even thought at the end I somehow managed to eat around every chuck of tomato and all that’s left is a pile of tomatoes in the bottom). But, the combination of the avocado with the greek yogurt adds the perfect amount of tang, making this my favorite guacamole. It goes perfectly with the Trader Joe’s organic blue corn tortilla chips!

3.) Trader Joe’s Madras Lentils- I always get this when I’m at Trader Joe’s. It reminds me of a grown up Spaghetti O’s or a meat and guilt free chili, but completely vegetarian and gluten free. It is basically lentils in a tomato base sauce with kidney beans. It is extremely filling and healthy. It is part of Trader Joe’s line of Indian foods, but it not spicy at all. If you like heat, I always add some Sriracha and even make a taco salad out of it. 

4.) Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde- Green salsa is kind of my thing. The green jalapeño Tabasco is a necessity for me, then the green salsa verde from TJ’s is a close second. It is a lot milder than the Tabasco, but pairs well with everything!. I put this stuff on omelets, salads, use it to dip chips and veggies it, and it is even better when you pour it on top of Trader Joe’s quesadillas or tamales.

5.) Trader Joe’s Guilt Free Mac and Cheese+ Trader Joe’s Chicken Quesadilla- I chose to put these two together, not because I eat them together, but because they are two of my favorite frozen goods from TJ’s. Especially when in a pinch for time, I would always grab one of these before heading out. Any other type of quesadilla or mac and cheese would not be a healthy choice, but TJ’s knows how to make these taste amazing, be filling, and they have everything you could want in a quesadilla and mac and cheese.

I’m currently over a thousand miles away from my best friend. My best friend is versatile and makes my life so much easier. My best friend whips, beats, stirs and so much more. At, this point you’re probably think I’m talking about a person. But, my long distance relationship is with my Kitchen Aid mixer. This appliance is every chef’s dream and ever since I was little, I would spend my summers watching Rachael Ray, Emril, and countless other chefs on Food Network, and I wanted (needed) one of those mixers.

A few years ago, my birthday present was no, not a red dress, but this hot little number, even seeing this picture now makes me miss home!

 Ever since I was little, two things were the picture of my passion for cooking. They were a red Kitchen Aid and Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that looks like this (I swear every person in my family owns like 2 copies of this cookbook)

With the help of my mixer and this cookbook, my passion for cooking and baking transformed. This mixer made, making whipped cream a breeze and to this day I could spend hours watching my Kitchen Aid (I know, seems pathetic right?) But some things are just so good at what they do. For example, how many people have iPhones, there’s just no knockoffs that can beat them out. Some may say the mixer is too contemporary and takes away the hard work associated with baking. To this day, I do not think my mom knows how to operate the mixer so while I’m away at college it just sits there collecting dust (poor thing). This post probably sounds like I need to go on the TLC show My Crazy Obsession, but seriously this thing is a necessity in any aspiring chef’s kitchen. This below is one of my creations and the first serious cake I’ve ever made (that didn’t fall apart). This may look difficult, but the Kitchen Aid made creating this a piece of cake…..(too far, I know). But, as I will get to go home in 14 days, I can’t wait to make banana bread, and cupcakes, and frosting!

So, what is a birthday without cake? Am I right ladies? Well, this past Saturday was my birthday and one of the hardest things about being away from home is how you don’t get cake, candles, and singing (but I had fried oreos and singing that night). Still, nothing beats a good birthday cake, so here I am living vicariously through my blog and sharing with you my favorite chocolate cake recipe. And if it wasn’t a Hershey’s recipe…would I even bother posting it?

If you’re looking for the best chocolate cake recipe, I found it, and I would do anything to be able to make it right now. This recipe is also so versatile. I often top it with whipped chocolate buttercream, or whipped peanut butter frosting, and I have even filled it with homemade raspberry filling. The cake is so most and chocolate, I think it is a necessity to pair it with a whipped frosting. The airiness in the frosting pairs perfectly with the dense cake. I also recommend making this recipe as cupcakes, because cutting cake is a pain in the a**.

P.S.A! Do not search whipped peanut butter frosting on Pinterest because sinfully delicious things appear* Like these…HEAVY BREATHING! And while most of what I post is in no manner healthy, it is a stress reliever to me to be able to post recipes to get my mind off academics for a hour, even if that involves dreaming of a piece of chocolate chip cookie dough brownie cake.

So, without further or do, is the chocolate cake recipe.

Ingredients

Directions

I have no shame in admitting Valentine’s Day is my all time, absolute, without a hands down, my favorite holiday. When you don’t have that special somebody it is so easy to feel bitter. But, I’m here to tell you all you need is a change in perspective. I may be slightly biased because Valentine’s Day is my birthday so either way I’ll get cake and presents. These past few days approaching Valentine’s Day I thought would be especially difficult being away from family because I am so used to coming home from school on Valentine’s Day to flowers and presents from my mom and this year is will be difficult not being able to have my favorite cake from Public, which by the way is an alternating chocolate and vanilla layer cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream frosting.

In fact, I think raspberries are the perfect fruit of Valentine’s Day. Anything with raspberry filling seems so much more special and elegant. I know, seems completely random for me to say that. So, this leads me to my favorite cookie recipe I found while on Pinterest a few weeks ago! While at Whole Foods, in the cookie section, I was on the quest for the perfect shortbread cookie with raspberry filling, and while they were good, they were not quite what I was looking for. Then….I stumbled upon this photo on Pinterest
These cookies were everything I had been searching for! I made them for a Christmas cookie platter and they were the first to go. On Pinterest they are called, “Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies” and they are divine and the perfect cookie for Valentine’s Day.

I modified the recipe a bit so it would fit exactly what I was looking for by cutting out the almond extract. I love almonds but the scent and flavor of almond extract I find to be too artificial and overpowering. So I completely cut out the amend extract from both the drizzle and the shortbread dough and replaced it with vanilla extract. I also think these cookies would be phenomal if you used blackberry or even blueberry jam. So behold, here is the recipe and let me say the chilling step of the shortbread dough is necessary or else the butter will not incorporate into the dough well enough and your cookies will melt in the oven, instead of bake to a light golden brown.

Source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/12/12/raspberry-almond-thumbprint-cookies/

Facebook may be in the lead for one of my most visited websites, but coming in at a close second is…Pinterest. I turn to Pinterest for everything! When I needed to make my big/little paddle for my sorority, I used Pinterest. When I need to cook something to take to a potluck, Pinterest is the answer. If I want to see the most popular snow boots, that’s on Pinterest too. Oh, and even if I want to know how to decorate my room, Pinterest is especially great for that.

I’m not going to lie, some of the recipes on there seem a little iffy. Like the whole bake a cake with a diet soda and box cake mix, I don’t know how that will turn out but I have always wanted to try it! But the topic for this post is KALE. I was never a fan of kale, but I have noticed in the past year or so, the craze for kale has been well…crazy. If Beyonce can wear a sweatshirt that has the word kale on it, I’m all for kale.

Kale is known as being a superfood because of its health benefits, but who can handle the bitter, raw, crunch of kale that you will spend a good amount of time chewing. After a few minutes of eating it, if you’re not tired of it I think you have probably turned into a rabbit. But, behold one of my favorite salads…it has kale.

Where I work back home, we sell out of this kale salad like crazy. It is so quick to make that when people come in and see we’re out, we have no problem making a whole new batch, and I even found some varieties of the recipe on Pinterest.

So, the ingredients are kale, equal parts lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, sliced onions to taste, shredded carrots, and liquid amino acids. Now, you’re probably thinking what the heck a liquid amino acid is. Well, it is a low sodium, gluten free version of soy sauce which miraculously cuts the bitter taste of the kale. Many customers even said they heat the salad up so it is warm and soft, more of a side vegetable than fresh salad. This salad is so versatile, even by adding a handful of dried cranberries or blueberries and sliced almond can really make this salad seem as if you have an exquisite culinary background, but really you just got it off of Pinterest. Another plus is this salad is so simple, and cheap! Kale is roughly $3 for a bag big enough for 2 salads. 

Everybody who tries this salad is amazed that kale could taste like this. Many tend to sauté kale, bake it in a over at high heat to make kale chips, or juice it if they can’t handle the bitter taste. But for those who can, adding it to a salad is a great alternative or addition to spinach or Romain. Just look up “kale salad” on Pinterest and the salads look amazing (if you like green that is) . 

Now is the time where pumpkin can be found everywhere! The famous pumpkin spice lattes have made their annual appearance in every possible coffee shop and pumpkin flavored bread, muffins, donuts, cookies, meat, and eggs have found there way to the special fall section of the grocery store. Ok, well maybe not eggs, but still everything you can imagine seems to have fallen into the trap of becoming seasonal.

Being from Florida, drinking a piping hot pumpkin spiced latte when it’s 80 degrees out at the end of October was never something I quite understood, so I have never had a pumpkin spiced latte. But, when Starbucks changes their seasonal menu from fall to winter, I’m all about that peppermint mocha (I can’t even). Within a month, everything pumpkin flavored seems to be swept away and out comes the peppermint scented and flavored products.

Here’s my dilemma, I can’t decide which I like more. Being able to get the pumpkin muffin from Dunkin Donuts or the peppermint mocha from Starbucks. Fall is a whole new experience for me here and I have found a greater appreciation for pumpkin and fall flavored stuff but as it keeps getting colder and colder out, I know there’s going to be a point where the peppermint flavors will soon reemerge.

The closest thing I got to seasons back home were my 10 Yankee Candles that ranged from, Apple Cider to The Night Before Christmas (which I stocked up on and ended up burning all through summer up until August when I left for college).

But wait, hold up, while trying to find a picture of a Pumpkin Spice Latte (and no, not off my instagram), I came across an article where Starbucks is releasing a new holiday drink……..drum roll…..unless you already know what it is…..

It is

the

Chestnut Praline Latte!

http://mashable.com/2014/10/22/starbucks-chestnut-praline-latte/

I personally don’t think this drink will give the PSL a rum for its money but who knows, it could be a great addition considering Starbucks has not added a new holiday drink in 5 years!

November 1st is quickly approaching and that means red Starbucks cups will be everywhere. So, what is your favorite holiday drink? Are you a fan of the fall and pumpkin or winter and peppermint?

The ultimate drink of a college student, to some it may be beer but to others it is coffee. I heard it all the time before in high school, if you don’t like coffee now, you’ll learn to live off of it in college. In fact, I bet most college students don’t even drink coffee in the morning, the majority probably drink it at night. Actually, that is what I am doing at this very moment. When I was shopping for my dorm room every place I looked they had the Keurig advertised as a dorm necessity. To me, $80 for a coffee maker seemed reasonable. I pictured myself using it all the time, waking up in the morning and brewing myself a cup of Brown Sugar Coffee Cake flavored coffee and actually enjoying my mornings not having to wake up at the crack of dawn….well that’s not exactly how it turned out.

To any of you who own a Keurig, it is the most awkward appliance to use in the morning as your roommate is sleeping. It spits and makes the most robotic noises I have ever heard. It’s buzzing is guaranteed to wake up your roommate and there is no practicality in having to go and get water to put in the Keurig! I am actually really curious to know how many people actually use their Keurig on a daily basis as opposed to simply grabbing a cup of coffee from Off the Ground or Starbucks. I also envisioned making hot chocolate and apple cider from the Keurig, but that also has yet to happen.

The amount of dust that managed to collect on the Keurig was insane! I am not sure if this is just true of the rooms in Simmons but by the end of a week I felt like if I were to make a cup of coffee from the Keurig I would be drinking more dust particles than coffee! I find the Keurig would be better suited for an apartment as opposed to a dorm. My roommate and I were so excited to have a Keurig but after 2 uses, the “dorm room essential” is now tucked away in the closet. LionCash has taken place of the K-Cups and cups of coffee are from Redifer and if I’m feeling adventurous Au Bon Pain or Starbucks. I much rather would have invested my money in a vacuum or duster instead of a Keurig. For some reason I bought a mini cutting board for college and have got more use out of that than the Keurig. Even though I don’t use my Keurig, I still find myself freaking out with all the K-Cup flavors and I think I have become a K-Cup hoarder. I have been eyeing up the Snapple, Apple Cider, and Khulua K-Cups for months now. What good is a bin full of K-Cups if I don’t even use the Keurig?! I’m going to be eighty years old showing my grandkids all the K-Cups I’ve collected and never used since college. If you have a Keurig, what is your favorite K-Cup so I can add to my collection? For now I will keep drinking my coffee way into the night to help me complete homework.