Us vs. Them

With taking a Chinese Language class, you would think that we would have Chinese food and learn about different eating manners for a different culture a lot throughout the course of the year.  We honestly talked about different table manners and what to expect more than eating Chinese food throughout the course.

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               Did you know that there are two types of Chinese food? The first kind is American style Chinese food and the second kind is actual Chinese food that China serves. Let me tell you this; they are not the same. American style has all these different types of chicken you can choose from plus the noodles while China’s original food has different options for chicken, but more of rice and beef as well as not so much on the noodles side.

               One thing that China serves completely differently than America are the animals. Here in America, we tend to eat more from cows and pigs and look at dogs and cats as our lovable pets. In China, they do the complete opposite. Even though they kill and eat whatever animal is around, the main common ones are dogs, cats, and horses. Just imagine one morning you decide to eat your pet dog or cat for breakfast; GROSS right?

               As most of us know, the Chinese typically don’t have any silverware like forks or spoons when they eat. They use their famous wooden chopsticks to pick up everything they eat including small things like rice. I know if I ever try using chopsticks, I have to use to kid version because I can never hold them properly. What can I say; years of practice can really pay off.

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               Another difference between the cultures and eating manners is the fact that Chinese typically sit on the floor when they eat. Rarely will they use chairs, but instead use a mat to sit on. See, us Americans could never do that. I know for me at least I would feel extremely claustrophobic and feel the need to stretch out.

               That’s just one unique thing about our world is that we have so many different cultures and it’s pretty cool to see the differences amongst all of them. We probably think some of Chinese eating habits are odd, but I can bet you that they probably are thinking the exact same thing towards the Americans. Our cultures may be two completely different things, but one thing will always remain the same and that is the fortunes within the fortune cookie!

Raw Fish wrapped in Deliciousness

Every time I say “I’ll have one order of sushi please.” I always get strange looks from my peers. “I can’t believe you like sushi” or “How can you like that stuff? Raw fish is so nasty” are usually the comments that I hear all the time from my friends and classmates. Sushi may not have the best smell, but it definitely has a unique and amazing taste that I could definitely never pass up!

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               My family has always been fish lovers. Especially during the Lenten season, we would have fish all the time! It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school where I actually didn’t mind the taste of sushi. I actually tried it before in like 6^th or 7^th grade, but I clearly remember I HATED it; it was just nasty! But then my family had it one night again, but this time I actually liked. My taste buds had to probably change because I never tasted something so delicious! I didn’t just like it; I LOVED IT!!

               Sushi is just basically rice, seaweed, sometimes veggies, and raw fish! The raw fish is the part that freaks everybody out, but actually you can barely taste it when it’s completely wrapped around with the rice. The rice as its outside layer, gives it that moist-texture layer. It may seem really gross and slim, but as a whole you barely notice it.

               Lots of people don’t know, but sushi does actually come in tons of different flavors. The kind that I usually get from the store is California Roll; the Spicy addition. You can ask for spicy or non-spicy, tuna or regular fish, one filled with mostly veggie, you can decide which veggies you want in there, or you could make it your own. There’s always something new to try if you are up for the adventure!



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               One thing that people use as a dipping sauce is Soy Sauce. I’m personally not a fan or Soy Sauce in general, but for those who are; it makes a great dipping sauce. People say it gives an extra taste to the raw fish and helps it become more enjoyable to have!

               If you were like me and always hated sushi, I challenge you to go out of your comfort zone and just try once again. You never know you might actually surprise yourself and end up really loving it, and become addicted just like how I am!

Sing, Dance, and EAT



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As the New Year starts, the next month and a half is filled with business! Every weekend my family has something going on that it would be a miracle for us to find a weekend where we can just relax. The one thing that takes over our weekends is Showchoir. Throughout the whole season, we only have like one or two weeks that are bye weeks.

               Because showchoir is a fifteen to twenty hour thing (from 6:45 in the morning to like 2:00 the next morning), we typically need food to give us energy throughout the day. I have never been to a competition where they don’t serve food. I do have to say that the food that they serve at any competition isn’t always the healthiest for you.

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               Typically competitions have at least two to three concession stands throughout the school for people to buys things at. Usually they will have stand or a table that is more of the snacky options which include your candy bars, bottle of pop or water, bags of puppy chow or popcorn, or even cookies or brownies wrapped in plastic wrap. These types of foods can really come in handy when you are waiting in such a long line to get into the performing area. Not only are they nice and easy to munch on, but they are also great to sneak into your purse and save for later. Or, even take with you into the auditorium or gym so you can have a snack later on while you are watching other performances.

               The other type of concession stand that is held within the school is typically the main one that holds all the meals and the more filling things. There are so many options to choose from when it comes to eating lunch or dinner there. Depending on the school, there could so many options to choose from that it’s hard just to choose one. Usually sub, chicken, pulled pork sandwiches and pizza are a must when it comes to some of the food options. Sometimes they will even have things like walking tacos, taco wrap, and even spaghetti for the night hours.

               Not only are there so many options to choose from just for a meal, but there are also so many things to get as a side with your meal. I usually get a main meal with a tray of veggies as my side and a scotcharoo as my dessert. Recently schools have been doing a better job at providing foods that are healthy for us including the trays of veggies and fruits as well as healthier drink options like ICE drinks, protein shakes, and Gatorade.

               Throughout an extremely busy day of showchoir, we don’t want anyone to feel sick and pass out, so everybody is constantly being reminded to make sure they are getting enough food in them as well as drinking plenty of water to keep them hydrated. Even though the food isn’t always the healthiest, it’s still the best way to keep ourselves filled with energy to perform!

Bringing all the Boys the Yard

            When you hear the word shake, what do you think of? Do you think of the song lyrics, “Shake, Shake, Shake. Shake your booty”? Let me tell you that it’s definitely the wrong kind of shake that I’m talking about. The kind that I’m talking about brings all the boys to the yard!

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               Milkshakes, smoothies, and just regular old shakes can be a great way to start off your morning. Typically smoothies and energy shakes are drank throughout the morning to get a kick start and enough nutrients for the day. There are hundreds of different possible energy, protein, or breakfast shakes that someone could have in one morning. Some of my favorite brands include anything from the Special K, Starbucks, and Quest. They just all have a delicious taste to them to things that you thought would taste bad in liquid form.

               The best kind of drink to get on a hot summer day are smoothies! Not only do they cool you off with their coldness, but they also provide some of the best nutrients out there; at least the fruit ones do. I absolutely love getting any type of fruit smoothie, but my all-time favorite are either the strawberry kiwi or the fruity berry flavor. Any kind of fruit mixed with some milk, sugar, and ice equals a yummy refreshment to slurp down.



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               If you’re not one of those people who often go out and by drinks, one way to solve that problem is by blending it all together yourself. From shakes, to smoothies, to even milkshakes; you can make it all just within your own household. Just add the ingredients that you want to mix together, a cup or two of cup milk, sugar, and ice. And BAM! You just made yourself a delicious shake for you to enjoy.

               One awesome thing about shakes are that you can always take them to go wherever you’re at. Even if you make them on your own, just grab a cup with a handle and straw, and you got yourself a perfect snack to take on the go.

               Next time you want a drink that will cool you down, mix up a shake or a smoothie, and give your throat a break with the easy-to-slide down treat!

Squares of Pure Sugar

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When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast were Pop Tarts. Even though they were filled with lots of sugar, they were still pretty tasty to have. I remember when my sisters and I first started eating pop tarts, we thought that just one was so big, and we could never finish a whole package let alone just one of them. Now a days, the two in one package will be gone as quickly as you say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

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One of the great things about Pop Tarts is that there are so many kinds to choose from. Some of my favorites include the strawberry/blueberry, cherry, cookie n’ cream, cookie dough, and pumpkin pie. Stores have so many flavors sitting on the shelf to choose from that it’s hard to only choose one. Usually when my mom goes grocery shopping, she buys either one of the bigger boxes or two different smaller boxes. Last time I was at the store, the ones that really caught my eye that got me interested to try were the PB&J and the Strawberry Milk Shake. Yum!!

As we get older, the more food we need to have enough energy to make it through the day. Back then as kids, our energy would come from sweets and foods that contain lots of sugar. Don’t get me wrong; pop tarts have lots of sugar, but even still today they can give us some of the energy that we need to get through the day. Pop Tarts are quick and easy snacks to take for on the go when in a hurry for any activity. They’re great to have at any time of day. From breakfast, to an after school snack, to even a midnight craving; pop tarts can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

           Even though they can be pretty crumbly at times, they still can be such a delicious treat at times. Especially with all those different Pop Tart commercials we all see, it’s hard to get those cravings to go away. The best way to handle them are by going to your kitchen cupboard, pull out a silky package, and let yourself enjoy the sweet and tastiness of the one and only Pop Tarts!

Drizzled in Stickiness

            Even though the Christmas season is over and January has like a week left in it, one of my favorite traditions over the holidays is when my uncle takes part in is helping make breakfast on almost every day at my grandma’s house. He’ll wake up around 7ish almost every day and help my grandma make breakfast. He knows where everything is including all the silverware, the butter, the salt and pepper, and all the ingredients for a proper breakfast meal. One of my all-time favorite meals that he helps make are his freshly baked pancakes from the griddle.

They’re not just any old pancakes; they are pancakes that are lightly golden with either blueberries or chocolate chips mixed in with them. I remember one time my uncle let the kids put the amount of chocolate chips in their pancake. Let’s just say that wasn’t the best idea; they practically dumped the whole bag just for their one pancake!

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               This circular food of joy can be eaten at any time of day. Typically, pancakes are mostly made right when you wake up. The smell of a freshly baked stack of pancakes drizzled with syrup on top is such a great way to start off your morning. Sometimes on special occasions pancakes make a great dinner meal. I know in my family, it’s always a tradition to have pancakes for dinner on Valentine’s Day. We sometimes even mix red dye into the mixture to give it that true red look.

               Not only do we use dye for the pancakes, but people also use cookie cutters to make fun and unique shapes. On Valentine’s Day, of course the main cutter are different sizes of hearts, but on other occasions; people could use any cutter and it would still be fun. What’s the point of pancakes if you can’t have a little fun while you’re eating them?

               Some of the best pancakes are when the cooks at a restaurant drench the stack with warm maple syrup with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and a cherry on top. Restaurants know the perfect way to please the guest. If you ever get the chance, I would really recommend IHOP or Cracker Barrel; they have some of the best pancakes ever! Well of course IHOP is known for their delicious pancakes, but Cracker Barrel is just as good. Depending on what you order and the size of them, you get up to four pancakes within your stack of deliciousness.

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               Next time you have the opportunity to stay at any sort of Disney Park, for breakfast don’t even hesitate to ask to have pancakes. Not only is it filled with tastiness, but it’s also served in the cutest way possible. They make the pancakes into Disney characters and sometimes even that character will serve you the plate. Got to love the magic that takes place at Disney!

               Talking about how delicious and tasty pancakes truly are, I think I’m starting to crave them. There’s no wrong time to mix up some pancakes for yourself!

Red and White Strips can Always be Found

            Every Christmas my family spends practically the entire break at my grandma’s house. This year, about an hour or so after we got there my sister noticed something was missing from my grandma’s Christmas tree; her candy canes. She always hangs at least ten to fifteen up for people (mostly the cousins) to grab during the season. Her tree just felt so boring and naked without all the different kinds of candy canes hanging from it. From blue ones, to green ones, to even the original ones, it seems like there are always more candy canes on her tree than ornaments. This year, there was definitely more decorations than candy canes.

               Candy canes are a huge part of the Christmas season. I see them wherever I go; not just the candies itself but also the plastic ones for decorations only. Every year when my family goes to visit and get a picture with Santa in the mall, we always see these giant plastic candy canes near the front of the line just to give “Santa’s Workshop area” more of a Christmas feeling. You see people all the time putting up decorations with something to do with candy canes or even the colors red and white. At my house we have these window stickers that we put up every year, and let me just tell you; we have at least two candy canes for the windows. They are everywhere especially during the holiday season.

               The things candy canes are mostly known for are its peppermint taste! The taste of the strong candy gives me the chills every time I take a bite of one. Now days, they are making more candy canes that have different flavors including a Starbursts and Sour Patch Kids. I’m not saying that those kinds aren’t any good (trust me they’re really good); I’m just saying that they should stick to the peppermint kind because that’s what it’s known for is the strong peppermint flavor.

               One thing that goes good with candy canes are dipping or even crushing them into your coffee or hot chocolate. Not only does it give it a strong kick to it, but it also gets you ready for the winter months. Whenever I have the chance, I always let a candy cane melt in my hot coco until the entire flavor is gone.

               Candy canes have been around for several decades, and they just continue to get better and better as the days go by. I challenge you to try to find one house or even one Christmas without seeing or using candy canes! It’s incredibly impossible!

Stringy Cheesy Pizza

             A quick and easy thing to order when you are desperately in need of a meal is pizza. Over the Christmas break, I swear I had some sort of pizza for either lunch or dinner (sometimes even both) at least for half of a week consistently. We would have pizza leftovers making us continuing to have some, but right when we thought we were done with pizza; more pizza was ordered later that night. You could probably say that I’m pizzaed out!

               From all the pizza that my family and I had over break, it typically was a different kind every day. Because my family contains so many relatives, we have to order at least three to four pizzas just so we can feed everyone. With ordering four pizzas for so many people, not everyone likes the same kind. So we have to order a variety of kinds. Some of the most popular kinds are cheese, taco, meet lovers, and pepperoni. Those four are the ones that I’ve been eating the past week.

               When it comes to ordering pizzas, choosing the kind you want is always the hardest part of it all. If you go into your local pizza store and ask for all the pizza combinations they have, you would be there for a very long time. There are so many different types to order, and they all sound so good. But, you can’t get them all and eventually have to narrow it down to your top two or three choices. Depending on the person, certain pizzas will taste better than others so you want to make sure you have the right kind. If you’re like me, taco and meat lovers are the place to go. But, if you’re a vegetarian, I highly doubt you will want to buy those kinds of pizza. You probably would lean more towards the all vegetables or even just the plain cheese pizza. I, personally, love any kind of pizza; just some more than others.

               Not only do you have to decide what you all want on it, but you also have to decide the type of crust. There’s the really thin crust, the normal crust, the crunchy crust, to even the Chicago style crust (which is like two to three inches high). I always believe that the bigger and thicker the crust, the doughier and more delicious it’ll be. Some even say that the crust is a bigger role than the toppings. I think that’s mostly true because the crust not just takes up the end of the pizza but it’s also what the sauce and toppings are land on as well. The crust takes up the majority of the pizza.

               When you hear the word pizza, I bet you think of the ones filled with your favorite toppings, crust, and pizza sauce, right? Well, pizzas aren’t always like that. Now days, pizzas don’t just come in meal style but they also come in snack or dessert styles.  What I mean by that is that you can find or even make fruit pizzas, different kinds of veggie pizzas that go good with a dip, and lots of different dessert kinds of pizza. My favorite is the S’mores topping with melted chocolate as the base layer.

               Not only do pizzas come in different shapes and sizes, but as well as different kinds you can order. Who knew that ordering a pizza would take a lot of thinking?

Chocolates Chips Ahoy!

          During the holidays, families get together and have a grand old time with one another. Usually (at least in my family) all the relatives bring some sort of dish to share with everyone else. Typically it is side dishes or things to munch on while waiting for the meal to be served. Sometimes some families even pitch in with the main meal and bring the roast beef or a casserole. One thing that every usually brings at least one container of are the chocolatey desserts. The desserts range from caramel filled brownies, to cake balls, to even three different kinds of pies. But the ones that my grandma always has laying out are her chocolate chip cookies. They always sit near the window sill towards the corner of the counter. We always know where to find her famous chocolate chip cookies!

               Even though there are so many different choices to choose from when it comes to the dessert bar, Grandma’s cookies are sometimes the first to go out. They are not exactly the doughiest, but their also not like rock hard. The edge of the cookie has a little stiffness to it, but once you get past that; it’s all pure joy. The chocolate chips on the inside are melted just perfectly that they don’t create a mess while eating them. The dough on the inside is soft and tender and leaves you speechless. She never fails to burn the bottoms of them. And if she does (which rarely happens), you could never tell because they are still so delicious. Her cookies could also be a week old and you could never tell because of how fresh they always are. Let’s just say that if anything happened to her cookies, no one would ever know and think they still just came out of the oven.

               My grandma has always loved to bake but ever sense my grandpa died soon to be six years ago, she bakes even more especially when she has guest coming over (which is like always). I’m pretty sure her favorite thing to bake are her home made from scratch chocolate chip cookies. They are quick and easy to bake. There’s never a time where I visit my grandma and there aren’t cookies sealed in a container laying on the counter. Even if it was one cookie to even twenty cookies, there are always some her chocolate chips cookies calling my name right when I walk in the front door of my grandma’s house!