Manny's Biscochitos

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit
Recipe with Oatmeal

This peanut butter dog biscuit recipe is what you're looking for if you want easy dog treat recipes. With only four ingredients, one of which is water, you're likely to have all of the ingredients on hand in your pantry.

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (you can use another type of flour if your dog is sensitive to wheat) All we had was regular
• 1 cup rolled oats>I substituted apple cinnamon instant oatmeal
• 1/3 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
• 1 1/4 cups hot water

Additional flour for rolling

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Mix dry ingredients together.



3. Mix in the peanut butter and hot water. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.





4. Knead the dough well.
5. Roll out the dough into 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes with dog cookie cutters.



Note - This recipe doesn't call for it, but I put an egg wash (one egg whisked with a fork and then brushed on with a pastry brush) on the treats before I baked them. It gives them a nice sheen once they're baked. Here's how they look before baking.




6. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them cool overnight.

If you and your dog can't wait that long, cool them completely on a wire rack before serving.

Instead of cutting out more shapes with the left over peanut butter and oatmeal dough, I rolled it into balls. Then I made a cross hatch fork mark on the dog cookies. This is the same way you would do for human peanut butter cookies.

After: The cookies get very hard, just the way dogs like them!

Storing: This peanut butter dog biscuit recipe makes biscuits that will last in a sealed air tight container at room temperature for one week. You can store them in therefrigerator for 3 weeks and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

The story of my life..Sh*t Student Affairs Professionals say

But seriously, this is the story of my life...

Sh*t Student Affairs Professionals Say

June 14, 2012 by francesva

If any meme experienced overkill this year, it was the “Sh*t People Say” videos. What started with an abundantly clever “Sh*t Girls Say” exploded into videos that explored what everybody (or nobody) says. The great thing about these videos is that they sparked conversation: “I definitely say that!” “I never say that!” “Do I say that?” One of my favorite iterations was “Sh*t Nobody Says,” which was completed by Tyler Stanton and Tripp Crosby (great comedians!).

The “Sh*t Student Affairs Professionals Say” contains so much of the jargon and buzzwords that we incorporate into our everyday work lives – yet spoken in such a monotone that it makes them much funnier.

• “I’m going to have a developmental conversation…with a barista.”
• “I started a blog. That pretty much makes me a social media expert.”
• “I assessed your work-life balance against your learning outcomes. You fail.”

And then, an even better response: “Sh*t Student Affairs Professionals Wish They Could Say“

• “Oh, your dad is going to call me? Unless your dad is Chuck Norris, I don’t really care.”
• “You’re not busy. You’re lazy. Those things are different.”
• “Let me get this straight: You did what I asked in the deadline I asked you to do it, and you expect to be recognized. Boy, you crazy!”

(I wish I could embed the videos, but clearly, I’m no social media expert.)

Brrr...it's getting chili in here...

So fall is here, well...sort of. At least it was last weekend so I decided to make my mom's famous turkey chili to encourage the cooler weather to stick around. This recipe is the perfect combination of spicy, savory, and completely comforting without cracking open the caloric bank account. Sound good?

This is what you'll need:
1 box of Carol Shelley's White Chicken Chili mix
2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes
2 cans of Bush's White Northern beans
1 countainer Light Sour Cream
1 Spanish Onion
1 pound Jennie-O lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
Fresh parsely
Olive oil

First, in olive oil sautee together the chopped parsely (how little or much as you want), onion, and the (drained) fire roasted tomatoes.

Next, brown the turkey in the pan with a dash of salt and pepper

Once the meat is browned add in the sauteed veggies, the drained beans, 2 cups of water, and the packets in the chili mix

In the box there is also a cayenne pepper packet, you can add a small dash like me, since I'm a wimp or A LOT if you like it spicy

Once everything is mixed together cover the pot and let it simmer on medium for 15 minutes

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot and let it cook until the majority of the liquid is absorbed

Once it's ready add a dollop of Light Sour Cream and share it with someone you love!

Harry Potter And The Sorting Of The American Nominees

Oct. 15, 2012

By Alexandra Silverman

 

WARNING: spoilers, libel (this is fake). FAKE!

To the delight of her fans, particularly those across the pond, J.K. Rowling has announced she’ll be adding to her much loved Harry Potter series. A new chapter, “The Horserace,” will appear as an insert in a rerelease of book six, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, available in the U.K. and U.S. later this month.

The new material features a Muggle Studies (the study of non-magic peoples) lesson with professor Charity Burbage, first named in the opening chapter of book seven. Students, including Harry and Ron, (Hermione, raised by Muggle parents, having declined to take the course in favor of more scholastic pursuits), will be required to go over the political records and historical contexts of American presidential nominees and, based on their understanding, classify the gentlemen into the houses of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.

“Puritanical, New World superpowers don’t have magical communities,” Professor Burbage explains. “Making them ideal regions for Muggle settlement and the perfect theatre for the observation and codification of their behaviour. Remember,” she says, “Politics is calculation, not magic.”
The insert is aimed at adult fans, offering a balance of sophisticated, tongue-in-cheek comedy and topical social commentary, pulling them, perhaps unwillingly, into an adult context, both in time to bear on the November U.S. election and boost the sales of her freshly released adult novel, The Casual Vacancy.

“Kakis.” Professor Burbage instructs, conjuring a demonstrative projection from her wand. “Spangled signage.” Another image. “Power neck ties. Indirect Election.” — This one requires an extended explanation. “Money. Lots of money made of paper with former leaders printed on it — similar to chocolate frog cards.” The conjured data on this horrify the class.
The addition also provides a better introduction to Burbage, who spends her time in the Deathly Hallows suspended in mortal peril above a table before being killed and eaten by a snake. According to most informed, dedicated fans, what’s missing, and dearly missed, in book seven is seeing the kids at school, daily life at Hogwarts. With this move Rowling gives fans more of what they crave, enriches a character with a very dramatic death (and no life) and cracks wise at American politics with a bit of enterprising cheek.

Harry and Ron work together to compile the list of nominees they must sort:

Originally, their answers differ slightly:

Seeing that Ron labeled every candidate: Slytherin and forgot to classify George W. Bush entirely, the boys get into a pretty good row. Ron is adamant. Harry is concerned that they’ll be marked down for failing to include a Gryffindor. Neither believes there’s a Gryffindor – someone who could belong to their own house — in the bunch. Spoilers: Ron hangs onto most of his Slytherin responses, “squib” (a magical person with no magical ability) is used as a prefix and there’s a hilarious passage concerning the “house status” of Al Gore.

As a cross-cultural literary mogul enjoying a mixed demographic support seen only by the likes of Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Rowling neither needs nor has the time to tweet cutting burns following nominee gaffs, but she seems to notice, astutely, that this current election has remarkable similarities to the election that immediately preceded the publication of Half Blood Prince in 2004: an incumbent with desperately low approval ratings, having disappointed his base and royally enraged contrarians, up against an un-ideal, somewhat unacceptable alternative figure.

An unexpected turn from Rowling but, predictably, asking more of her audience than contemporary easy-reach fiction: condoning curiosity outside of existing paradigms and casting light on received, supremacist ideology, oft vilified in her work. Intelligent, as always, she avoids tossing her hat into the fray and offending partisan readers by tackling only the politics of the past and, more importantly, offering substantive content to her hungry, worshipful public. Fairly irresistible.

Read more at http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/harry-potter-and-the-sorting-of-the-american-nominees/#XQVhMyYv7HsOoLkf.99

Friday funnies...

In honor of the weekend...

Happy versary to me!!

It's hard to believe it but two years today I came to work for the MSC. The past two years have been filled with laughs, some tears, great relationships, successes, mistakes, disappointments, celebrations, and lots of lessons learned... I thank my friends at the MSC (as well as other departments on campus) and my incredible students for making the past two years incredibly unforgettable. I also want to thank my amazingly phenomenal husband for putting up with my insane schedule, ocassional grumpiness, and for supporting me and my job that I love. I love you all.

Falling in love with fall

Long time no blog, so I thought I would share my favorite things about this time of year. For those of you who have known me for awhile you know how much I love fall.

The changing color of the leaves (in some parts of TX), the air becoming more crisp and breezy, the sound of leaves crunching under your feet, pulling my boots out of retirement (which they have been really excited about let me tell you), transitioning my wardrobe, and most importantly, not being so damn hot all of the time makes me reminiscent of my days at KU (where there are 4 full seasons...imagine that).

This time of year always takes me back to walking around campus and seeing the leaves changing colors, feeling the temperature shift right before, or on, Halloween, and turning off the AC and keeping the windows open all the time. Now granted, I'm not saying that I loved all of it, winter pretty much kicked my ass, so I'm not complaining about our mild winters here...Plus I get to finally pull back out my gamma gear!!!!

Now get out there and take advantage of this amazing time of year!!

Get Out Of My Facebook, Politics

Given our climate and the recent downpour of politco updates on my newsfeed, I thought I'd share this addition to thought catalog...

Get Out Of My Facebook, Politics

Sep. 14, 2012

By Megan Bailey 

“Facebook is the perfect platform for constructive political discourse,” said no one ever. Like, EVER. Even Taylor Swift agrees. But really, the only political thinking Facebook was made for is the kind you do when wondering whether or not to de-friend someone. The only thing I really want to know from your Facebook is who you’re dating, where you went to school, and whether or not you got fat. I’m not interested in your paraphrased version of some article you read in The Atlantic last week… because Facebook is just not the place for it.

It was literally not made for it.

Facebook originally started as a website to make snap judgements… like whether or not someone was hot based on a single photo. It’s come a long way since then, but I still don’t think it’s any esteemed forum for political change. “Liking” a political figure or someone’s comment is not the same as voting or forming an opinion about something like healthcare in real life. Facebook was made for broadcasting and disseminating likes and generalities… not discussing them at length. Everything from the small size of the status box to the caption under your photos is meant for brevity. Facebook is meant for generalties, not specifics. And unfortunately, politics is nothing but messy specifics. Facebook just isn’t the place to spout long-winded arguments and opinions. Logistically, it’s almost a  misuse of the site, and aesthetically, it just looks bad to the eyeballs.

Facebook encourages extremes.

In this same respect, Facebook reduces peoples’ opinions to dichotomies. Left or Right. Liberal or Conservative. Care or Don’t Care. With such limited space, it’s difficult NOT to sound politically extreme on Facebook. And to me, this is dangerous. Because, in real life, is anyone really 100% Left or Right? I think people and ideas are too dynamic. Not that we should all become moderates, or that I want to make a statement about party politics, but in terms of Facebook, this extremism makes it difficult to respect others’ opinions (especially those on the opposite end of the spectrum). Rather than emphasizing commonalities, I think Facebook highlights our differences with very little room for real conversation and explanation. And this makes it hard to have the kind of discussions necessary for positive change and improvement.

Fairweather Politicos.

Around election time, Facebook suddenly becomes ripe with political minded stati, links, pictures and comments. And unless you hide half of your “friends,” it can be exhausting to just look at. So herein lies another problem… the Fairweather Politicos. And Facebook encourages them. No need for months of prior election interest or doing anything other than catching bits of news by flipping past CNN or watching 15 min of The Colbert Report. You need not explain your thoughts on the Democratic Convention any further than 1-2 sentences idly crafted on your iPhone or typed behind the safety of your computer screen. While it can be hard not to chime in on something everyone else seems to be talking about, I don’t think one more lazy voice in a din of garbage will do much good. Facebook just makes it easy to spit anything out, and in terms of politics, this isn’t good. Politics is often about choosing your words carefully, and on Facebook, it’s a chaotic free-for-all… which doesn’t foster any serious discussion, political or not.

It’s not that we can’t have politcial opinions or express them virtually, but I would hazard a guess that most of us are not experts. Or even moderately so. And Facebook leaves a lot of room for thoughtless comments and remarks that you can’t really take back. It’s this spread of thoughtless politics, not politics in general, that I’m not a fan of. I just think there are better avenues to express them, and we should utilize these rather than leaving a string of provocative comments on someone’s ultra conservative status. Because I have yet to change my vote based on a comment… but maybe that’s just me?

Read more at http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/get-out-of-my-facebook-politics/#0zEH60ZTEw2piYzw.99

Shrimp Burgers? Say What?

So, as many of you know, I currently have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. For those of you not aware of its power, it has the charm of the Lotus Eaters in it's ability to entertain and inspire while taking up colossal amounts of lost time. However, Pinterest and my new favorite blog, introduced me to a recipe that has completely blown me away and will, not surprisingly, take over your taste buds...

Forewarning, I know that the words shrimp and burger don't necessarily sound like they go well together, but once you try these babies, you'll agree that they're a match made in heaven.

Ok!  To start off, whisk together the mayo (the recipe calls for light, but I just used regular), green onions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Process a slice or two of whole wheat bread in the food processor to form crumbs.  You’ll need 3/4 cup of crumbs, but the number of slices needed to produce this amount will vary depending on the type of bread you use.  You could use white bread to make your crumbs too. Instead, I stumbled upon this delicious gem while shopping at the HEB. Same effect, twice the flavor!

Next process the shrimp until there’s a mixture of finely chopped pieces and larger chunks. Be careful and don't pulse them too much or they'll turn to mush.

Gently fold the bread crumbs and shrimp into the mayo mixture.

Gently form the mixture into patties. You may want to make them a little on the thin side so they don't fall apart or burn too easily. 

Cover the patties and refrigerate them for 30 minutes.  I ended up leaving them in for closer to 45, so they were more firm and easier to handle. 

A nonstick skillet is really useful for this recipe.  You can use a regular skillet, but you’ll need more oil or butter, and your burgers might stick even then. I used olive oil and added a small amount just to cover the bottom of the pan and to make sure that they didn't stick too much. 

Gently place the shrimp patties into the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  The cooking time will depend on how thick your patties are, of course.

Serve as-is, with lemon wedges on the side, or on buns with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce. I used homemade herb mayo (basil, italian seasoning, dill, parsley, and mayo)

Shrimp Burgers

Serves 4
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
Lemon wedges (for serving)
1/2 cup of Goya Breadcrumbs
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined 
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 scallions, sliced thin

1. Add the shrimp to the food processor, pulse the shrimp until there is an even mix of finely minced and coarsely chopped pieces, about 7 pulses.

2. Whisk the mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and garlic together in a large bowl until uniform. Gently fold into the processed shrimp and breadcrumbs until just combined.

3. Scrape the shrimp mixture onto a small baking sheet, divide it into 4 equal portions, and loosely pack each into a 1 inch-thick patty. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

4. Heat the oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Gently place the shrimp patties into the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  The cooking time will depend on how thick your patties are, of course.

5. When plated, gently squeeze lemon on all patties and serve on a toasted wheat bun. Then enjoy it with someone you love :)

The Joys of Home Ownership

Brad and I can't deny that we love having a place of our own but sometimes being a homeowner has it's trials and in our case, a hole in our roof.

On Friday, we had all intentions of coming home after work, throwing our stuff together, grabbing the little one, and hitting the road to spend the weekend in Dallas with the familia. Our house, however, had other plans for us.

I was about 5 minutes from the house when I'm on the phone with Brad and he says, "Shit, I think we have a hole in the roof. It's raining inside the house." I get off the phone with him so he can expect the situation and speed home.

I come to find out that we not only have a slight hole in our roof, it has been unbeknownst to us, been raining on our poor baby. Manny was minding his own business in his crate when the water from the ceiling started falling on his head. Luckily, it wasn't a gusher, otherwise, Manny would have been even more upset than he already was.

We called our friends asking for suggestions for roofers and left countless messages with no avail. After looking at the forecast and the sky, we then had to make the difficult decision to postpone our trip. Rain was definitely in the forecast and we just didn't feel safe leaving our holey roof alone for the whole weekend. We're sad that we didn't get to see our family, especially my baby brother who was visiting from Iowa, but we'll try another weekend soon.

Thankfully, Rocky the Roofer, is back from vacation and is on the case! Hopefully we'll have a diagnosis soon and estimate that won't annihilate our bank account.

10 Terrible Life Lessons Super Mario Taught Us

This was too good not to share :)

10 Terrible Life Lessons Super Mario Taught Us

Aug. 29, 2012

By Ben Howard

The following are 10 terrible but arguably true life lessons that I’ve gleaned from the classic video game Super Mario Brothers (and a little from its sequels).

1. The more money you make, the longer you get to live. Every time you get 100 coins in Super Mario, you literally get another life. That meansthat the richer you are, the more times you can fail miserably with the comfort of knowing you have the safety net of reincarnation.

2. Drugs make life easier. If you take the red mushroom, you get become bigger and mildly invincible. The green mushroom gives you an extra life. If you eat the psychedelic glowing flower, you can SHOOT FIREBALLS OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. I’m convinced there is a direct correlation between this game and the 1960s.

3. Whenever you meet something different than you, kill it. In the original Super Mario Brothers, there are only two characters you don’t kill. Mario and Princess Peach. Everyone else must die in order for you to live happily ever after.

4. Destroy everything you can; you might make money. I can’t count the number of headaches and near-fractured skulls I’ve had because I head-butt bricks floating in the sky above me hoping that money falls out of them.

5. Women always need you to save them. This is not a world for Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Katniss Everdeen. Unless we’re talking Super Mario Brothers 2, because Peach is awesome in that one. And Mario Kart. Long live Mario Kart.

6. When you’re a star, nothing can hurt you. This is my favorite one. When, out of a mixture of luck and skill, you become a flashing, magnificent form of yourself, you can literally run over anything, kill anything, and do whatever you want with no repercussions. Except fly. You can’t fly.

7. You’ll be rewarded for running through life as fast as you can. Were you aware that there are “points” in Super Mario Brothers? Well, there are, and you get more points if you finish the level as fast as possible. Because speed makes everything better. Who needs to slow down or take a look around?

8. Nature only exists so you can exploit it. Or it means to kill you. You can either use nature (mushrooms, flowers, Yoshi, big vines, clouds) or it can kill you (every animal that isn’t Yoshi, those spooky flowers coming up out of drainpipes).

9. Turn your animal best friend into your slave so your life will be easier. I’m firmly opposed to Yoshi’s oppression. He was just a baby, right out of the egg, when you took away his free will. Note that every time you accidentally touch something dangerous, he runs away in fear. I’m sorry Yoshi, I love you.

10. Occasionally, there are shortcuts so you don’t have to deal with life. If you’ve played Super Mario enough, you’ve learned that there are places in the game where you can skip entire levels or take secret passage ways to the end of whatever level you’re currently playing. Basically, you learn that whenever there’s something difficult in life, there’s always a chance you can avoid it by cheating.

I know this is all ridiculous and I’m not actually claiming that Super Mario Brothers is dangerous or destructive for children. At the same time, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that mundane actions do mean something. Or at least, the constant routine of a mundane action might mean something.

For instance, when I drive to work in the morning in MY car by MYSELF that does something to me. It makes me think that I’m in charge and it makes me think that I’m alone. And I do that day after day after day after day. Do you really think it doesn’t affect me? Do you really think it doesn’t affect you?

This isn’t a call to deconstruct every mundane action in your life, every movie you watch, every meal you eat, or every mile you drive, but maybe we do need to think about it a little. Be mindful about what our lives are doing to us.

Read more at http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/10-terrible-life-lessons-super-mario-taught-us/#keTvTG7VdPX6rzKx.99

They're back!! Tips for surviving the first day/semester of classes for Student Affairs Professionals

So, that time of the year has come to pass and well, They're back!! You can say goodbye to quiet summer streets, quasi regular traffic, short lines (if any at all) wherever you go, and just a general sense of peace and quiet. Now don't get me wrong, I love my students and I love my job, but some of my students' fellow Aggies just tend to complicate things here in Aggieland. Hence, without further ado, here are some tools and tips of the trade for surviving the first day/semester of classes: *Disclaimer, I know that not all of these may apply to you, but they've been helpful for me in the past...

Tip # 1: Depending on where you’re coming from in College Station or Bryan, you’ll probably have to add an extra 15-20 minutes to your morning drive (thanks to lovely traffic and school zones)

Tip # 2: Do your grocery shopping at odd hours (if possible) to avoid the crowds. We've actually started shopping late at night or early in the morning depending on what we're buying.

Tip # 3: Be prepared for potentially exceedingly long waits at restaurants

Tip # 4: Take caution when driving (especially on Texas and University) as we have a bunch of students whom either have no idea where they are going because they are experiencing Aggieland driving for the first time or they’ve been here before and just forgot where everything is over the summer. Be aware that many of them have never heard of a turn signal or choose not to use it, so it's not uncommon to see them cross 4 lanes of traffic in one foul swoop.

Tip #5: If you are working odd/late hours like me, make sure to have the conversation with your boyfriend/girlfriend, significant other, roomate(s), and family, and if you're anything like me, you'll have to remind them that you love them even if you become a crazed, over tired and stressed newer version of yourself for a few months.

Tip # 6: Work/Life Balance: Very appropriate in regards to #6, make sure to take time for you and talk to your supervisor about finding balance in your schedule. Burn out does happen before you know it and the last thing you want is to make yourself sick and/or allow your relationships to suffer.

Tip #7: Know when to say No and don't be afraid to say it

Tip #8: Make sure to set expectations with your students so that they know what you expect and how to work with you best

Tip #9: Make the most of the time with your students and just be you! They may drive us crazy sometimes but they mean well!

and Finally, Tip # 10: Just remember, Only 255 days 13 hours 39 minutes and 15 seconds until summer!!

Have an amazing first week of classes!!!

Sigue Pa Lante Mujer, Pa Lante!

Thanks to my new favorite blog and as many of you may have noticed in my last few posts, I've become recently addicted to Thought Catalog. For those of you whom haven't paid a visit it's an incredible resource for random ramblings, funny quips about life and relationships, and some incredible gems like this one below. While she and I haven't had the exact same experiences I echo her words of frustration and hope. Being a triple minority isn't always easy but we must never give up the fight because one day we will change the world. Como dice mi Alle, "Pa'lante, pa'lante, pa'tras ni pa' coger impulso"

Overcoming The Hispanic Stereotype

Jun. 7, 2012

By Analda Muy

I attend University in pursuit of a degree in Communications and Media studies. My dream is to become editor of ...

Read more »

I am a Hispanic college student and naturally that means that I must have lived a difficult life to get here. My mom must have debuted on Dr. Phil (or some other drama-filled daytime talk show) screaming at her “baby daddy” for child support. I’m Hispanic so I must be an illegal immigrant from Cuba or Mexico. I’m Puerto Rican so I must have friends in a gang. I’m Hispanic so when there’s an increase in poverty, crime, and teen pregnancies, I must have something to do with it. And of course, when applying to a scholarship for being Hispanic, the essay topic would be to write about the challenges in my life and how I overcame them, because you know, I am Hispanic and therefore my life has to be complicated. I must have had a set of obstacles that others don’t and risen above. Right?

Wrong. And yet, as a person of Hispanic heritage, all of the above are stereotypes that I have to deal with on a daily basis. At school, I am a minority within a minority. In high school, walking around the halls, so many of the students acted as our ethnic group is portrayed in mass media. They very well may be part of the troublemakers, the loud ones, the uneducated ones, the ones wearing clothes two sizes too small — the stereotypical Hispanic — and we get the labels that come with it. But really, that’s how most of the school acted, so why is it that my ethnicity is the one targeted and blamed for this behavior? Everyone seems blissfully unaware that our generation is the one who could shape the image of our minority. Of course there are people who look like me that fulfill these traits, but these characteristics exist in all races. It is not centered on one demographic.

I didn’t grow up in a broken home, a poor home, or an uneducated home. My childhood is filled with pleasant memories because my parents wanted better for me. They wanted more from me than to be that stereotypical “chonga” that got very little out of life. I am an honors student and I graduated at the top of my high school class. I took AP courses, I was Vice President of the BETA club and a member of the National Honor Society. I attend a good university and am in the honors program. I play the violin and am an active member of the community through Girl Scouts. I did everything right, the good way, the “normal” way. So why is it that in all of my accomplishments, I only ever get the question “How did you face cultural challenges to get to where you are today?” Why does the fact that I am Hispanic mean I’m not a normal candidate to be successful?

If I have overcome anything in life brought on by my culture, it would be the stereotypes waiting for me to prove I am a failure. When taking standardized tests where we have to fill in our racial group, why is it that they take the scores and categorize the means by ethnicity? And why are Hispanics always one of the lowest? Perhaps it’s because of the stereotypes we carry every day, that live within us. We all know that people expect us Hispanics to be poorly educated, so there are many who just live up to that standard — expect nothing, they give nothing. Well, that standard is not enough for me. I work at raising the standards for my minority everyday. I maintain my grades so when I graduate and become successful in life, I can say “I proved you wrong.”

I can only speak for one group, and maybe all of us don’t even face these challenges, maybe it’s where I am, who I’m with. You could very well ask the same question to Native Americans, Indians, Asians, Europeans, Africans, and everyone else we see every day. What do they live with? But for me, for today, I see the stereotype I am forced to carry — that we are forced to carry. This is my challenge and how I overcome it. This is what I am doing instead of following the ugly stereotype, instead of dressing like Chiquita Banana and practicing carrying a basket over my head.

Read more at http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/overcoming-the-hispanic-stereotype/#44dVkUDHCfctX6JA.99

Crushworthy cooking: Chocolate covered bananas

Unless you live under a rock or don't have a TV you have to have heard about this ridiculous heat wave that has taken over. While I'm a beach baby and love to play in the water and sun, I'm also very well aware of my half Polaca skin, thanks to my dad's side of the family, and it's unfondness of all things hot (at least related to the temperature). With all of this, I've been searching for cool summer snacks that won't break the bank or my weight watchers points, so thanks to my guilty pleasure Pinterest, I've discovered my new go to snack. Drum roll please...

Milk Chocolate Covered Banana Bites

Here we go…

The ingredients:  Chocolate Candy melts (or Chocolate Chips), a Banana, Plate covered in wax paper.

Slice banana into even slices, unlike I did here.  Again, do as I say, not as I do.  Kidding. Although I wouldn’t slice them too thin or they’ll break during the Chocolate covering process.

Melt Chocolate Candy Melts according to package directions.  Usually you nuke them for 30 seconds, then stir, then another 30 seconds.  If using Chocolate Chips, melt in a saucepan in medium low, stirring often.

Melted Chocolate should look like this.  I usually add a tablespoon or so of Crisco to thin the Chocolate a bit for easier coverage. I added a little non fat milk to mine

Place one sliced banana at a time into the melted Chocolate.

Use a spoon to pour the Chocolate on the banana slice, then gently stir around to cover entirely.

Lift out the banana slice.

Shake or tap off the excess Chocolate.  It’s OK, you can eat it left over Chocolate later!  :)

Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more or until set. (I put mine in the freezer)

Voila!  Chocolate Covered Bananas!

Once done the bananas will be silky smooth and delicious! Not only are they amazing, they're relatively healthy too! You can even try dark chocolate instead or add nuts for an extra kick!

Stay hungry my friends!