Spring Break in St. Louis

I just finished Spring Break, and I had the pleasure of making a four-day trip to St. Louis, Missouri. I got to go to so many great restaurants and iconic locations. The only bad thing? The weather felt like fall in St. Louis!

We went to a restaurant called Bailey's Range, where I tried my first bison burger. I didn't know such a thing existed, but I'm always up for trying new food. To my untrained taste buds, the bison burger tasted very similar to a normal beef patty. It was delicious! Bailey's Range also makes homemade milkshakes and ice cream (I got coconut crunch ice cream) and carries a whole page full of sodas that I had never seen before.

Below: "Smoke bomb" burger with bison patty

I'm also excited that I got to see Walk the Moon! They played a great outdoor concert.

An awesomely nerdy (yet not really nerdy) restaurant we went to was called Pi Pizza. Everything was decked out in Pi and the pizzas were named after areas in St. Louis. They toppings were gourmet and the combinations very unique.

Twisted Ponytail Tutorial

Hi guys! Today I'm going to try something new--a hair tutorial! I usually don't have time to do my hair in any fancy way in the mornings, but I do love experimenting when I do have the time. Here's a tutorial for a twisted ponytail. A lot of people know another way to achieve a similar effect--tying your hair then flipping the ponytail into itself--but I think this way looks a lot better and is easier to keep. 

First, tie two strands of hair from the sides of your head together.

Next, take adjacent strands of hair from the sides of your head and tuck them into the small ponytail you just made. Make sure the new strands aren't sticking together--in other words, loosen those strands of hair. This creates the "twist" look.

Finally, create the ponytail! Tie the rest of your loose hair together, leaving a few loose strands on the sides. Finish the look off with a cute bow (I used an elastic I DIY'd awhile ago).

Here's what it looks like from the side

Enjoy this easy hair tutorial for casual events! And let me know if you want more hair tutorials :)

Day 5 of FSR: Cake Mix Cookies

Did you know that you could make cookies from cake mix? It seems like a relatively simple idea, yet it never crossed my mind. Here's a simple recipe shared by my friend Rayna for easy cake mix cookies.
Rayna is a talented musician and a jack-of-all-trades. She's marching band drum major, she plays four instruments, she knows how to juggle, and she can even sing! And being her friend means that she'll invite me to the school musical that she's playing pit orchestra for (we go to different schools) and I get to brag about her. I'm so lucky :) She's lots of fun to hang out with too, and we always have a good laugh.

Rayna says of this recipe: "I LOVE this cookie recipe! And it's super easy because you use cake mix." Here it is!

Ingredients (to make 12 cookies)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (half stick), softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1/8 cup any flavor cake mix (about 9 ounces, or half of an 18.25 ounce box of boxed cake mix)

Directions
1. Mix the softened butter, vanilla extract, and egg together with electric beater or by hand.
2. Add cake mix! If the mixture seems too watery, continue adding cake mix in increments.
3. If possible, chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to lessen the amount the mixture spreads in the oven.
4. Spoon the mixture in teaspoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined pan.
5. Cook the pan for 8-10 minutes at 350°F. Do not overbake! These should be super soft.

Mix it up with this new way to do cookies!

...And that's the end of Friends Share Recipes, folks. I hope you enjoyed these amazing recipes as much as I did :)

Day 4 of FSR: Buttered Cream Cheese Roll

Today's recipe is very unique. It's something my friend Jimmy completely made up and I wasn't sure if it would taste good. But when he made it for me, I was surprised that it actually did taste good...I guess I shouldn't have doubted his skills, since Jimmy is a great cook and dreams of opening his own restaurant when he gets older.
Jimmy is sweet, funny, and has great taste in music. :) We've been best friends for many years, and he's one of the only people I feel like I completely "click" with. He loves gaming, reviewing movies, and cooking. Here's his awesome recipe!

Ingredients (to make two rolls)
Two slices of bread
Sugar
Cinnamon
Water
Cream cheese (regular or flavored--I prefer strawberry-flavored cream cheese for this!)
Butter

Directions
1. Toast the two slices of bread.
2. Spread cream cheese on the slices of toast. Don't skimp on this part!
3. Sprinkle cinnamon onto the cream cheese.
4. Carefully roll up the toast tightly.
5. Drop a pat of butter into a cooking pan and let it melt.
6. Place the rolls into the pan and let cook, flipping once in a while.
7. While the rolls are cooking, make a thick glaze comprised of sugar, melted butter, and water.
8. When rolls are lightly browned, take them out and serve with glaze drizzled on top.

Enjoy this unique pastry treat!

Day 3 of FSR: Easy Vegetarian Microwave Quesadilla

Today's recipe is not a snack like the others have been, but can be eaten as a meal when you are hungry but busy. It only takes a few minutes to cook and voilà, you have a yummy vegetarian quesadilla.

I got this recipe from my friend Najeebah who is an artist like me. She is an enthusiastic, outgoing, and funny person. She makes the cutest comics for fun and for the school website, and even creates YouTube videos about makeup and beauty! I am definitely creatively inspired by her.

For your busy-person lunch/dinner, here's what you need:

Ingredients:

Soft tortillas

Shredded cheese

Various vegetables like diced mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and spinach

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Spread a layer of cheese onto half of your tortilla.

2. Spread a layer of vegetables on top of the cheese, then add another layer of cheese. Sprinkle some salt on top.

3. Fold the tortilla in half and make sure that it will not open up in the microwave.

4. Pop your uncooked quesadilla in the microwave for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until the cheese is well melted.

5. Cool the quesadilla, then cut it into slices and enjoy!

Hope this makes eating on a busy day easier for you!

Day 2 of FSR: Garlic Bagel Chips

This recipe was inspired by my friend Esther, who mentioned one day that making bagel chips out of stale bagels was a great way to avoid wasting food. Esther is a wonderful pianist who is creative, passionate, and always willing to try new things. We saw a True/False film together, and are planning to go to some concerts later this year. She's so much fun to hang out with!

Ingredients:

6 bagels (preferably unsliced) of any flavor or variety
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. Slice the bagels around the hole into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. 
2. Combine olive oil and garlic powder in a smaller bowl, then drizzle it over the bagel slices in a mixing bowl.
3. Toss the bagel slices or mix until oil is evenly distributed.
4. Sprinkle the salt over the mixture and toss again.
5. Bake in the oven at 325° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.
6. Cool, as the chips will get crunchy after cooling.

Hopefully you'll never have to waste another bagel again!

Day 1 of FSR: Two-ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

It's finally here, and just in time for Spring Break! I'm very pleased to present to you...

This recipe comes from Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, a friend (and teacher) who runs a blog of her own called Our Chateau. It's a great blog that is family-focused and also has great recipes and healthy living ideas. Mrs. Weaver is so inspirational to everyone at my school, and has made my high school experience very special by including me in some great projects she's done. We did an art research project together, she arranged for me to tutor a special education class in math, and she founded a volunteer organization at my school.

These two-ingredient pumpkin muffins are super simple and delicious. All you need to make 12 muffins is:

1 can (15 oz) of pumpkin

1 box of spiced cake mix

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Mix the pumpkin and cake mix in a bowl.

3. Line your muffin tin with papers or lightly coat with oil.

4. Spoon mixture evenly into 12 muffins.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The muffins come out somewhat dense, so if you prefer a lighter, fluffier muffin, just add 1 egg into the mixture. Eat warm with a pad of butter for maximum deliciousness!

Be sure to share these delicious muffins with your loved ones for a quick treat!

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Spring Has Sprung...and It's Beautiful

It's officially spring!

It was so warm outside today, at least for a little bit. I am so ready to leave the snow behind and start wearing shorts, dresses, and sandals.

I'm really into floral patterns and flowy shirts this season too. :)

I don't usually do this, but I'm really feeling this song today and want to share it:

Chinese Cong You Bing

In Chinese tradition, there is a great snack/dish called "cong you bing", or "scallion pancakes". We made it for a multicultural event at our school recently and my mother often makes it as breakfast. There are only a few easy steps!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 to 1 cup chopped green onions
1 egg (not required)

Salt

Sesame seeds (not required)

Water
Vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Beat egg, then add to flour.
2. Add water as needed to mixture, until the mixture has a consistency of cake batter.
3. Add green onions.
4. Add salt.
5. Heat up a small pan, adding some vegetable oil to it.
6. Pour mixture into the pan so it spreads evenly and thinly.
7. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Flip and sprinkle some on the other side.
8. Cook until whitish or slightly brown on some areas. Decide how well done you want it!
9. Serve on a plate and cut like a pizza.

Hope you enjoy this small taste of Chinese culture!

Happy Pi Day!

I'm the president of our school's Calculus Club, so of course when Pi Day rolled around we had to do something awesome. We had a pie walk, a pie recitation contest, and even a pie-a-teacher in the face event! What makes it even more awesome is that it benefits a special education program in our school district. Our club is going to buy math games using the profit we made from Pi Day t-shirts and raffle tickets from the pie-in-the-face event. We're even planning on going to the classroom and playing the games with them. I'm very excited!

The back of our shirts said "Would you like a slice of pi?"

Sitting at the raffle ticket booth

A pie in the face! I really appreciate all the teachers who volunteered.

Photo credit: Kathryn Fishman-Weaver

I hope your Pi Day was as delicious as mine was :)

Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Okay, maybe my obsession with avocado recipes has gotten a little bit out of hand. I just can't help it--avocados in any form are just so good! But when I mention that I made a "guacamole grilled cheese sandwich" to people, their first reaction is, that sounds gross. But it sounded super delicious to me and it certainly was after I made it. I found the recipe here.

Does this look great or what? It's basically a layering of shredded cheese, spinach, tomato, more cheese, and guacamole that contains onions and tomatoes, all in one big sandwich cooked in a frying pan. It was so good that I finished it in under 5 minutes, no joke! Next time I'm going to try adding meat so it's more filling.

I also learned the merits of toasting bread with olive oil in a pan--it makes it so much more delicious than normal toaster bread!

I hope you're not tired of avocados yet, because I sure am not :)

Avocado Fried Egg Recipe

I found a great recipe for something called "avocado fried egg", and because I love avocados, I couldn't resist trying it. Here's what you need to make this delicious dish, perfect for breakfast:

1 avocado (you really only need enough to make a 1/2" slice of avocado)
1 egg
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Slice your avocado the long way in half, then slice off a 1/2" thick piece.
2. You can keep the skin on or take it off; the website I found this on claims that keeping the skin on keeps the avocado together, but I didn't like the idea of eating it with the skin on.
3. Heat up your frying pan and put a bit of olive oil in it.
4. Place the avocado slice in the pan, then crack the egg onto it so the yolk is contained in the hole for the pit.
5. Cook the egg until the white is completely done, then flip it. You can keep your yolk a bit runny, or cook it through. I had to make sure my yolk was cooked, which is why the dish doesn't look quite that nice.
6. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy this nutritious breakfast option :)

My Favorite Snacks

I am a person who snacks throughout the day and brings food everywhere because I get hungry so often. I often bring a bag of goodies to munch on at school before and after lunch. Here are some of my favorite things to eat between meals.

Honey Wheat Pretzel Twists

I often buy these deliciously sweet and salty pretzels in 36-ounce jars at a time, and I go through them pretty quickly too. They are very filling and easy to carry around.

Raisins, Craisins, and other dried fruits

Great in fiber and without the hassle of undried fruit, dried fruit is easy to carry around and are a healthy alternative to junk food.

 Cream puffs

After thawing these, the cream inside is light and fluffy. I only eat these occasionally, and in small quantities. 

Clementines

These juicy and sweet fruits are great when they're in season. Citrus fruits are my favorite!

Greek yogurt

Sweet, creamy, fruity, and high in protein, this is a great snack and supplement to breakfast. Eat with granola for added fiber.

Comment to share your favorite snacks.

Happy snacking!