Monthly Archives: November 2014

Talk Nerdy To Me

Going into the one button studio I was very nervous since to say the least, I blew it on my first studio. When I pushed the button and the clock stocked zero my body pretty much went numb and I just began talking about how the connotation of the word has changed throughout the years, and it surprisingly went well.

My introduction was my favorite part of my entire talk since it came very natural to me. I began talking about my childhood favorite book and a lot of people could relate to it, which I thought was pretty cool. I also felt really accomplished when people actually giggled when I tried to be humorous by pointing out what was probably going on through their minds.

After watching my video I felt really sad since I actually requested “If I Ran The Zoo” and was going to use it during my talk in order to make my introductory claim stronger, but it did not arrive on time and watching the video just made me notice how much better and powerful it would have been if I had the book.

However, I did choke in some parts and that just made me somewhat panic and thereby certain words where off. Yet, I think that that was normal since we were all very nervous and at some point probably experienced this same feeling. Thus, in the end, I am very pleased with my work and know that I did well both, hiding my nerves and explaining my points clearly and slowly

Feel free to watch my video, but please don’t laugh; understand I was nervous and I’m no expert when it comes to talking about nerds.

A Big Debut for Starbucks

I absolutely LOVE to go to Starbucks when its decorated for winter since it pretty much looks like Christmas threw up in the store because of all the decorations, music and change in menu Starbucks makes. However, this holiday season Starbucks debuted a new drink to their winter collection, which is something they had not done in five long years. This beverage is the Chestnut Praline Latte, and it is now being served next to the Starbucks winter famous drinks like the Peppermint Mocha and the Caramel Brulee. I tried the Chestnut Praline Latte tonight when I was coming back from a project field trip for my EGEE 102H class, and let me tell you guys, this beverage is AMAZING! However, it doesn’t just taste amazingly sweet and yummy, but it smells SO GOOD! I am not kidding, but if this where in a perfume bottle I would seriously purchase it and use it everyday.

 

The Chestnut Praline Latte is different than the rest of the Starbucks winter drinks since its taste is so soft and smooth compared to the rest of the winter drinks. For instance, this beverage does not have a bold after taste like the Peppermint Mocha that will take you by surprise 10 seconds after you take a sip, instead the Chestnut Praline Latte will sweeten your mouth and smoothly go down giving you a nice warm sensation in your mouth similar to the sensation oven fresh baked cookies leave you with. Additionally, the Chestnut Praline Latte has crunchy-spiced praline crumbs that give you a nice little something to bite on after you indulge your drink. Nevertheless, the best part about this drink is that it is not fatting at all, in comparison to the other Starbucks winter beverages. A short (7 oz.) Chestnut Praline Latte only has 190 calories from which 70 are from fat. A tall (12 oz.) Chestnut Praline Latte has 270 calories from which 100 are from fat. The grande (16 oz.)Chestnut Praline Latte has 330 calories from which 120 are form fat. The venti (20 oz.) has 440 calories from which 140 are from fat.

 

Recreating this beverage is a little bit more complicated but if your culinary techniques are good, or if you simply want to give it a try, fallow this is the recipe:

  1. Boil milk of your choice and stir it until it begins to bubble.
  2. On a separate pan, begin caramelizing some crumbled chestnut, by slowly adding honey to the pan.
  3. After the milk has been boiled add 1 to 2 shots of espresso and mix it all together before adding it to a mug.
  4. Add 1-2 pumps of spiced caramel syrup

5.Once your coffee is in a mug top it with whipped cream and add the caramelized chestnut

 

 

 

 

 

 

TED Talk

For my TED talk I’m trying to give an overview of how the idea of nerds has changed over time, mainly how our reactions towards nerds has completely shifted in a span of time that seems like a blink of an eye. My main goal is to highlight how nerds went from being pushed in the hallways and shoved into lockers, to being the most valuable members of society. Through this main idea, I want to guide my talk into the belief that today we all want to be nerds. In other words, I want to emphasize on the fact that we are striving to become this person that we used to loathe.

Originally I was planning to support my evidence mainly with scholarly information I used on my paper, but as I think more about my TED Talk I want to use some fashion traits that prove how today being a nerd is considered cool. For instance, I was thinking about holding up pictures of what a typical nerd would use back in the 1990’s and society would perceive it as unfashionable, but how today the exact same accessories are viewed as hipster and fashionable.

I decided to concentrate my TED Talk on these aspects because it is something that I think our generation has seen at first hand. In other words, our generation is the one living through this drastic change. For instance, we grew up seeing this stereotypical idea of a nerd guy or girl as awkward, but today we see the same style and trend on other boys and girls (celebrities or not) and consider them cute, trendy and hipster looking.

Even though I think one of my favorite parts of the paper is when I begin to talk about how the way we perceive nerd hobbies, like being passionate towards comic books and superheroes, has also shifted radically and the creation of the word “geek”, I don’t think I will be able to cover this material on my TED Talk since it doesn’t fall under my main goal.

 

 

The Fair Has Arrived

So yesterday, November 4, 2014, was relatively hot compared to the past days. So I decided to order a Frappuccino from the secret menu that tastes like one of my favorite carnival treats, COTTON CANDY. The Cotton Candy Frappuccino has the perfect balance between a sweet beverage and refreshing beverage, since you are able to taste a mouth full of sweetness in your mouth without having an overwhelmingly sugar taste that will make you thirsty after every sip. Unfortunately, like most if not all of Starbucks secret menu items, aren’t available just by name. In other words, there is no such thing as a cotton candy Frappuccino. Therefore, if you wished to purchase this beverage, you will have to instruct your barista what you want inside your Starbies Cup.

The Cotton Candy Frappuccino is extremely easy to order, all you have to do is order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, this will be the “base” of your drink, and add raspberry syrup. However, the pumps of raspberry syrup will increase by ½ every time you order a larger cup. Just remember that a tall, or small, cup is 1 pump and then every cup has ½ pump more (this balances the flavor between the vanilla and raspberry in order to give you a sweet yet refreshing taste). For example, a venti, or large, cup has 2 pumps of raspberry syrup.

In order to recreate the Cotton Candy Frappuccino all you have to do is blend for about 20 seconds ¼ of a cup of ice, between 1-2 ½ pups of raspberry syrup (depending on the size of your cup), about 2/3 of a cup of milk and 2 spoons of vanilla powder. After you finish blending your ingredients you should be left with a bold and creamy drink that taste exactly like Cotton Candy that you could top with whipped cream and sprinkles (preferably chocolate sprinkles) for an even sweeter taste.

The Cotton Candy Frappuccino is available in the tall, grande, venti and trenta Starbucks cups, which are equivalent to any small, medium, large or extra-large cup, and ranges its calories between 300-550. For this specific beverage it is hard to find out specifically the nutrition facts since its ingredients may vary for more factors, like how your barista measures the ½ pumps, than just the cup seizing like most Starbucks beverages. The Cotton Candy Frappuccino may contain even more calories when added whipped cream, which is, at times, something tempting to do.

Even though the Cotton Candy Frappuccino is innutritious, the Cotton Candy Frappuccino is the “it” beverage from the secret menu. The beverage’s popularity is based on its unique, bold and sweet taste & texture. The texture of this beverage is like a rough-Slurpee, but the taste is very smooth and soft. One of the baby-ish and more real way to describe the taste is by saying that this drink is like if a tough boy meets sweet girl thing. This might not be the best description in the world, but when my taste buds feel this beverage I literally feel a thick texture bursting into my mouth with an extremely sweet ad delightful taste.

CF

Work Cited: “Starbucks Secret Menu: Cotton Candy Frappuccino” Starbucks Secret Menu. Starbucks Coorporation, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.