Breakfast is served

               Imagine this: You are out with some friends or family members at a restaurant either for lunch or late in the evening. Your waiter comes and starts taking everybody’s orders. By listening to your friends’ orders, you notice that they’re all getting food that you would find at a typical lunch or dinner meal. Standing right by your chair with a pad of paper and a pencil in her hand she asks you what you would like to eat. And instead of ordering a food that all your peers ordered, you order breakfast food like maybe some French toast and hash browns with some eggs on the side. All your friends look over and start to question why you wanted breakfast food at a dinner meal. You tell them why and everybody ends up laughing it off.

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               One of my favorite meals to get at any restaurant would have to be a fresh, steaming plate of something off of their breakfast menu. Getting a stack of pancakes topped with whip cream and blueberries on a cold and windy night is always better than getting just your regular old chicken salad. Breakfast foods just have this thing where they taste good no matter what time of day it is. I remember when I was younger; my family would go on lots of vacations all the time. And, it was always a tradition to stop at Cracker Barrel while returning back home. One thing about my family is that we usually don’t go out to eat, and so when we do, we like to get a plate of food that we can’t just buy from the store. That was all except for my younger sister and I. As soon as we got seated, my family knew instantly what our order was; a nice small bowl of cereal. We didn’t care what time of day it was or if there was other options to choose from; we wanted our bowl of cereal.

               Breakfast can be served with anything at any time. Maybe you’re just having one of those nights where you’re really craving pancakes at 7 at night. Or maybe, if you’re having a brunch at someone’s house; you might have a mixture of lunch AND breakfast food. You can never turn down your grandmother’s famous freshly cooked French toast. I think having breakfast be an option for lunch or dinner also opens up a broader selection with choosing what to have. You know what they say: breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Filled with Juiciness and Deliciousness

               Think about this: What do you prefer more: snow or the pool? Are you more about the light jacket weather or the sweatshirt, jeans, and fancy scarf kind of weather? One of my favorite time of year would have to be the season of fall. Seeing all the leaves turn into a beautiful, unique reddish orange color is always one of the highlights of fall. You also know when it’s the season of fall because you see more of the leggings, sweatshirts, a scarf, with some boots kind of look. The fashion continuously amazes me as we get further into the season.

My bucket filled with apples.

               With going to an apple orchard almost every year when I was younger, I learned all about apples and how there is a big selection to choose from when it comes to what kind you want. Some apples are extremely juicy, some may have no taste at all, while others may be too sour. A favorite that I always have to pick at least 5 to 6 are the red Honeycrisp or the green Golden Delicious. Those two are always a MUST whenever I go apple picking. They just have this really sweet, juicy taste to them that makes you want to have just one more bite. Trying new and different flavors of apples can be such a joy to do, but just make sure there’s no worm popping out as well as a poison within it; you don’t want to end up like Snow White.

               After we gather up all the apples that we picked, we always go home and make so many apple recipes. It’s like our whole refrigerator is filled with apple filling meals. One of my favorite things to make with freshly picked apples is homemade applesauce. The little chunks of cut up apples mixed with cinnamon always makes my taste buds tingle. Another thing that I love to make with my apples is a delicious apple crisp pie. Using homemade crust as well as the juiciness on top definitely deserves an award for best homemade pie. Apples can make anything have a sweeter taste to it, but the best are always the newly ripe ones that you get from an apple tree.



provided by Google.

               Next time you want to hang with friends, go to an apple orchard and pick some delicious apples. Not only do you get to hang with friends and have a great time, but you also can take home some of the tastiest apples out there. Don’t be ashamed if you end up bringing home 4-5 full buckets of apples!

Jiggly Jell-O

Provided by Google

                Think about this: Think of one food that you can find in a variety of flavors, can be cut up into tiny little cubes, and jiggles like crazy whenever movement is involved. I know for sure the first thing that comes to my mind is Jello; it fits all of those categories that are listed above! Not only is it a great food but also a unique word just to say out loud: J-E-L-L-O!



provided by Google

             These enjoyable little cubes can be used in several different occasions including celebrations. Whenever there is a big get together going on at my grandma’s house, my mom usually makes finger jello for the party; it’s such a great appetizer to munch on before or after a meal. Depending on what time of year it is, my mom will make jello into creatures. You’re probably thinking, “What is she talking about? Did I read that correctly?” Yes, my mom does make them into special little images. When she’s making the jello and it’s still in a liquid form, she pours them into containers that can form 3D images when they harden. Some of the common ones that she loves using especially around the holidays are themed ones like Halloween decorations (cat, pumpkins, mummies, etc.), Christmas (Christmas trees, snowmen, snowflakes, Christmas light bulbs, etc.), Valentine’s Day (plain hearts, hearts with an arrow), St. Patrick’s Day (shamrocks), Easter (Easter Eggs, bunnies), and 4^th of July (flags, stars). You name a holiday, and I bet there are containers out there that can make you even more festive for the holiday. Although there are so many different styles to choose from, sometimes the best ones to go with are the mixture of different colors but in the original rectangular form.

            Not only is jello quick and easy to pack when in a hurry, but it’s always pretty slick when it comes to making it. I would say it takes about 5 minutes to mix everything altogether, but then wait about 3 hours for it to get just right. You obviously don’t want your jello to get as hard as a rock, but you also don’t want a slushy either. You want to make sure that it’s just right so you can get the full effects of it.

              One of my favorite things to do with the jiggly piece of delight is throw it up in the air and catch it with my mouth. (It’s a great opportunity to impress your friends your amazing talents) It’s the perfect size to do it with and if you do end up swallowing it whole (which I don’t really recommend) then it’ll just slide down nice and easy; it won’t leave any scratches against your throat. What can I say, if you’re going to munch on some jello cubes, you have to do it in style!

Tasty but Chalky

Did you know the name “Puppy Chow” came from the Midwest, but going even deeper into that, it originated from Iowa? Even though the snack itself is all over the nation, the name for it came from Iowa! How cool is that? That probably makes Iowans want to eat it even more. I bet you now can picture it as well as taste it within your mouth. Just think: the freshly warm, sweet, powdery, chocolate covered cereal melting your tongue away!

               You never know what delicious is until you‘ve had Puppy Chow; even better your own homemade Puppy Chow. This chalky snack can be taken on the go whenever you need a snack for the ride. Just remember your napkins! Puppy Chow works great with events going on like a show choir event (it makes great money at a competition) or even a team snack after you have gotten done playing a hard game. Puppy chow is such an award winning snack! It deserves the best!

               Even when the powder gets all over your hands, it’s still pretty tasty. The leftovers on your finger tips are the best part because you can lick it all off when you are done. Sometimes though you may get lucky and not have that much powder left behind because of the amount you poured into the bag to mix with.

               If you want to be creative, you could add different kinds of chocolate or peanut butter. Instead of using peanut butter, Nutella would make a perfect combination with it. Or even using white chocolate chips instead of using the milk kind. I even know a recipe that adds a couple drops of lemon juice in it to give it that sweet lemon flavor. Puppy chow is great for experimenting new things.

               Puppy Chow has been around for a while and it just keeps getting better and better. You’re probably craving Puppy Chow now! Go now and make it and even maybe add your own little taste to it!

B-A-N-A-N-A It's Banana!

Imagine this: You come home only for enough time to put your backpack in your room and then you need to head out to your practice. Another situation would be you have to babysit one night and you know it’s going to be a late night. You want to bring a snack along that you can have in the car but you have so many options to choose from. Well, one of the best things to take is fruit (you can bring it in a baggie and everything), but even better a banana.

                Bananas come in all sizes and are easy to pack in any situation. They can be miniature as in the size smaller than the palm of your hand, or they can be jumbo as in the size bigger than two hands combined. Usually you find the medium size ones that is about a hand and a half.

                One of the good things about a banana is that it is a healthy option to eat as well as it gives us the energy and protein to get through the day. Bananas contain carbohydrates which helps the body and brain fully focus and process during the day. You may see athletes eating an average size banana right before their meet or game because they need the energy for their physical activity.

                Not only do bananas provide energy and protein, they also help with any sort of cramps. The banana has nutrients in it that triggers the brain to release a chemical throughout the body telling the body part that is cramping up to relax and not be so tense. We wish though that we could say the same thing for any kind of pain from the body, but thankfully bananas are the place to go when cramps occur.

                Bananas can be mixed in a verity of different foods. One of the most common ones is in a yogurt parfait. Banana slices mix great with yogurt and other berries. It’s a great breakfast to have to start off your morning.

                Another food that goes good with banana slices would have to be peanut butter.  You could cut them into small slices and put peanut butter on them, or what I like to do is split the banana into halves both ways so you have fourths. Then I spread peanut butter (sometimes Nutella) on the banana quarters. And to top that all off, I put some mini chocolate chips on top of the peanut butter. Now that is what I call a delicious breakfast!

                Even though bananas could be mixed with a lot of things, the flavor itself takes place with lots of sweets. A couple examples would be in Laughy Taffy’s, smoothies, drinks, other candies, and even some scented candles. The banana flavor and smell is everywhere. But, if you really want the full taste of bananas, the best place to get that is by just going to the grocery store and buying some bright yellow bananas. What can I say, bananas even have the shape of a smile!

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

“Snap. Crackle. Pop.” You can’t hear it? Come closer. “Snap. Crackle. Pop.” Did you hear it this time? The best time to hear the snap, crackle, and pop would be when it’s dead silent with your ear leaning in towards the bowl to be able to hear the dazzling sounds from the milk and Rice Krispies mixing together. When I was little, I always believed that the noises you hear from the cereal are just the tiny little elves from the box whispering into your ear. The voices of the cereal never failed to stop the whispering that goes through our ears. The voices were always the thing that got us excited to eat a bowl of Rice Krispies.

               One of the best toppings to add to the bowl of the original kind would have to be a scoop of sugar; the sugar just gives it the taste and makes you want to have more. Too much sugar though can cause it to be too sweet while too little sugar can cause it to be too bitter. You have to find the perfect amount that sets you.

               One of my favorite Rice Krispy flavors would have to be the chocolate kind. I have always had a sweet tooth for any type of chocolate especially when I was younger. Growing up, one of my favorite kinds of cereal was the Chocolate Rice Krispies. I remember when my mom wasn’t looking, I would sometimes even pour a whole another bowl because I liked them so much. It made the milk in the bowl taste like chocolate milk which was always a delight to have. The only bummer part about the chocolate brand was that you couldn’t really hear the voices speaking to you.

               For holiday parties at my school, my mom would always make Rice Krispy treats for them. It would always vary with the kind that she would make. When it was for Halloween, she would use the regular kind with orange food coloring within it. For Christmas they would usually be the chocolate ones with red and green sprinkles as the topping. For Valentine’s Day, you called it; they would be the original with red food coloring mixed in with it. My mom was all about treats and making them be perfect for the right holiday.

               Snap. Crackle. Pop. Can you hear it this time? The voices are calling your name! You can never turn down the innocent little voices within your bowl!

Double Stuffed or Just One Big Lie

              Are double stuffed Oreos’ really double stuffed? I’m guessing this question has crossed everybody’s mind at least once in their life time. Well, I have the answer for you and it’s a big fat NO. Back when I was in 7^th grade, we had to do a project for math class to see if they were truly double stuffed or not. It turns out that it’s the same amount of fluff on the inside, but the crackers are thinner making you believe that there’s more fluff. I bet I know what you’re thinking now: My whole life I’ve been living off of a lie!

               Did you know that on top of an Oreo cracker, there is a little symbol that the creators wanted to add so everybody knew that they invented them? Even with the different amount of flavors there are, that symbol is on every single cookie. If not, then it’s not a 100% original Oreo cookie.

               Speaking of different flavors, it surprises me with how many flavors there are out there today being made. I bet there are over 100 different flavors that people could use from just within the Oreo brand. Some of my personal favorite would have to include original, mint, red velvet, birthday cake, strawberry, and peanut butter. I can honestly say that I’ve never actually tried all the kinds but with that I would never want to try them all. The company takes everyday food that people love and put it between two chocolate cookies that makes it not as good anymore. Some examples would be a buffalo wing flavor, ramen noodles, bacon, fried chicken, broccoli, cheeseburger, root beer, cotton candy, candy corn, and lots more all as stuffing flavors. Just reading those doesn’t even sound pleasant. I guess the company will do whatever it takes for people to try them!

               One of my favorite things to do with the Oreos is to take out the white fluff and dip the cracker in some milk. It becomes a little on the soft sound but not too soft for it to break; it’s just right with snacking. Then once I’m done with all the crackers, I roll up all the stuffing into a giant ball and take bites of it. Somedays I might actually leave the whole cookie together and dip with that but rarely I do that (it last longer if you take it apart).

               Oreos are such a yummy after school snack to have; they definitely set the mood. If you can’t decide what flavor to get, go with the old fashion ones. The original ones are always the way to go!

Lets Dig In

The cake my mom made for my sister's birthday.

             Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to (insert name)! Happy birthday to you! I love celebrating birthdays especially mine. It’s such an exciting celebration to have with friends and families. Every year on my birthday, it’s a tradition that we spend a night in a hotel with the relatives just to hang out and have fun. It’s just perfect timing because it’s held over Christmas break and all the family is around to celebrate. We have been doing this tradition for about 10 years now. And every year it gets better and better.

               It’s not a party without a birthday cake! Whenever we have a family gathering and a birthday is included, either my grandma or my mom will make an angel food cake to help celebrate. I’ve lost count of the number of cakes my mom has made just for family celebrations. When we’re all together for Christmas, we take time to celebrate all the December birthdays by having all of the 14 December birthdays sit around a cake while the others sing happy birthday to us.

               Not only do we celebrate our birthdays with family, but we also celebrate with friends. Throughout the past years of my friend birthday parties, we would try different styles of cakes to find the perfect one. It first started with my mom making a cake herself, then to an ice cream cake, next would be a regular store bought cake, then back to my mom’s baking, and now it’s at a cookie cake. Cookie cake is my absolute favorite kind of cake especially when the cookie is doughy on the inside. I finally found a type of cake that I can’t get enough of.

               Another thing that makes a cake special is the icing or design on it especially when it comes to younger kids. Children have a bigger creativity and imagination which includes princesses, cartoons, etc. Kids tend to remember birthdays with a little extra design to the cake. For an example, I remember some of the designs I’ve had on my cake before including a Hannah Montana, Chicken Little, a soccer ball, flowers, and a SpongeBob. Themes make it 10 times better!

               And finally, what’s a cake with no candles! With no candles, that means the birthday girl/boy doesn’t have anything to blow out and make a wish with. The most common ones you could use are the original candles, the ones that are numbers, or even the tricksters’ one that takes forever to blow out. No matter what the age is, you always need at least one candle to top it all off so you have a chance of your wish coming true.

               From an ice cream cake, to a cookie cake, or even to your mom’s own homemade cake, the cake is one of the best parts of a celebration. So next time you’re at a big party or celebration, make sure you get a piece of that delicious cake!

Wanna Chill

             You never know how thankful and reliable we are to the new technology we have now a days until something happens that we no longer have any access to it. One invention that everybody around the world uses today is the invention of the light bulb and electricity. Today we couldn’t even last a whole day, not even 5 hours without both of them.

A handful of my town got affected by a power outage early one morning. At least for me, my house was without power for about 3 hours. It was such bad timing because my family needed to get ready for school or work, my dad was trying to leave the house but couldn’t because our garage door couldn’t open, and it wasn’t like the sun was up and providing some light; it was pitch black throughout the house. We had to turn to the old fashion method; using flashlights and candles and having them be scattered everywhere to be able to see.

Not having any sort of power is extremely hard to live off of even with the 3 hours that it was out. Our internet was disconnected so we couldn’t go on social media, there was no source of news especially that early in the morning, but mainly it was a challenge to find something to eat for breakfast. On a typical day, I have either oatmeal, a pancake, scramble eggs, toast, or a shake. But, with no running electricity, my breakfast options were extremely limited.

One of the more important problems with a power outage is keeping your refrigerator food cold. Because the power is out, the food within the fridge or the freezer has no way of keeping it cold. The best solution is by trying your best to keep the refrigerator doors closed as much as possible to keep the cold temperature inside, and not letting it escape.

Foods that are supposed to be chilled become very moist and soggy if it is not being refrigerated for a certain amount of time. Foods with a little extra moist, for starters won’t taste as good as it would with being kept at the proper temperature, but as well as you might get a little “upset stomach” after eating something that is warmed and mushy. Take string cheese for an example: It’s the best when it just came out of the fridge, but if you have it laying out on the table for a tailgating party, it becomes extremely soggy and no one’s going to want to eat it. After being out for maybe an hour or so, you usually put it back in the cheese drawer to gain back its coldness and texture. If you can imagine how cheese tastes after 1 hour of being out in room temperature, just think about the taste of it after being at a little under room temperature for 3-4 hours. NASTY right!

Yes, all the food in the cupboard didn’t get affected by the power outage, but there were also a handful of foods from the fridge that wasn’t affected as much including the breads and some of the jams and sauces. Having the sauces and the breads be exposed to room temperature doesn’t really cause any mushiness. The foods are actually in perfect condition to use. Because they have a sealed cap on top, it prevents anything from going in and coming out. So when you do have a power outage, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is the way to go.

Power outages could happen at any time so always be prepared when it comes to keeping the food cooled as well as thinking a head to what you can eat with no help of electricity.

Challenge Accepted

             You know when it’s fall season when more and more recipes call for cinnamon. Even though cinnamon is used all year round, the most common time of year is the fall. It just fits perfect with carving pumpkins, the leaves changing and falling, and sweatshirt weather. Typically around this time of year, you start to notice cinnamon and pumpkin spice meals/recipes throughout your town.

               So many people love putting cinnamon in their drinks or meals to be able to add a little spice to it. Cinnamon’s taste isn’t too spicy but isn’t too dull; it’s just perfect! I know I sometimes add just a pinch of cinnamon to a cup of coffee or sometimes to my ice cream.

               While some are mixing it within their hot coco, there are others on the other side of the spectrum that can’t even have some because they are allergic to it. I know someone who can’t even be around the smell or they start to have a serious allergic reaction. Some people that aren’t allergic to it could just simply not like the taste of it; may think that it’s too spicy for them. It all just depends on your taste buds especially when it comes to something that has a kick to it like cinnamon.

             One of the most common things that cinnamon was known for was the “Cinnamon Challenge” back in 2012. It has been viral sense 2001 but became extremely popular 3 years ago. So many people would accept that challenge and post a video of them trying it. For those of you that don’t know what the cinnamon challenge is, it’s when they swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking any sort of liquid. I personally have never done this challenge and plan to never do it because for starters it’s kind of a stupid challenge and second there’s lots of health risks involved in it. Because the cinnamon is a dry substance, it makes the throat extremely dry and could cause you to gag, cough, and sometimes even to vomit. Inhaling cinnamon is such a terrible idea that could cause so much damage to your inner organs and maybe even your future. I bet you’re now thinking why so many people would do such a thing that could cause so much damage. Well, over 12,000 videos were posted because other people want to see their reactions from the challenge; more towards the entertainment side. They try it so they can say and tell everybody “Oh yeah. I’ve done that challenge before. I’m a pro at it. Super easy.” In my opinion, not only does it show a little stupidity but a lot of bravery. It takes guts to be able to do such a challenge that has several health risks to it. I know for a fact I could never be able to do that; I would chicken out.

               Anyways, here’s a new saying that goes perfect with this interesting challenge: “It takes guts to be able to do something that could risk your own guts.”

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What's Brown and Sticky?

               If you ever had braces, you could totally relate to this situation: Right after you got your braces on, your orthodontist tells you all the things you can and can’t have while these new train tracks are on your teeth. You try to stick to the guidelines, but after the first couple days you give up and eat things that they don’t really recommend. For me when I had braces 3 years ago, I was one of THOSE kids that bended the rules and had things that were on the “NOT” list. The only exception would be when it came to the “No caramel” rule. I had heard so many terrible experiences dealing with chewing caramel and tearing out bracelets. I was terrified to have caramel with my braces because of how sticky they really all and what they could do to my braces. Trust me, it killed me how I couldn’t have any type of caramel because of my braces. That included regular cubed caramel candies (or any other caramel candies), any type of caramel dip, and my favorite Caramel Apples.

               One of the most common dips for a party appetizer is any type of a caramel dip. Caramel makes a great topping for anything that has a “sweet” taste to it. Not only in appetizers, but you can find caramel with anything now a days. From caramel apples, to different types of caramel candies, to caramel dips, even to an ice cream topping; caramel goes good with everything. Caramel has expanded their use from the past few years.

               Every year around the holidays, my grandma’s side gets to together for a little holiday/ reunion party. I remember when I was younger; it has always been a tradition for someone in the family to bring these candies that were called “Caramel Wrapped Marshmallows”. They were the best thing ever! They were little cubed caramels with a marshmallow filling on the inside. They were such a big hit in the family that now; it wouldn’t be a reunion without them.

               One of the best combinations with caramel is mixing it with treats that could be used as desserts. You can mix it with any brownie or cake batter to make in even more delicious. Some of the most common candy bars have caramel in them including Milky Wars, Twix, Snickers, a small thing of caramel is in 3 Musketeers, and so many more. A lot of bakeries are adding caramel to their cookies either by mixing it in with the rest of the ingredients, or drizzling it overtop as a topping.

               Caramel is such a sweet and delicious little treat that can make anything else even tastier. You know what they say: 1 delicious thing plus another delicious thing equals an unforgettable treat!

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