your life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWjNFC-FinU&ob=av2e

My younger sister posted this video on my facebook & said it was my song. As I listened to the lyrics I kept thinking "oh no, I would not wished that." I know majority of the people around me knows that I do not wish to "tie-the-knot" until I'm about 30yrs old. Even my mom is a little worry (hahaha). So the poet inside of me wrote a little something (to my sister)...

Is happy to say life at 30 will only be a new beginning

There’s so much to do it seems endless

There’s no time to stop for my dreams are unending

I don’t need society to tell me when my life is over

As I care not regarding the status quo

No need for a man to come along

Picks me up and puts me over his shoulder

(I’m afraid of heights!!!)
It is very probable at this day and age

That I can live exceptionally well on my own

When I’m nearly 30 and out on the weekends (maybe)

You will see that beaming smile

With eyes that sparkle like a thousand charms

And become an admirer

Then you will be thinking

MAN how did she get there

You will know I did not let society stop me

For my life at 30 will be exhilarating
I’m going to have an awesome career

Whenever I think about it
It will bring me happy tears (not really, but it rhymes!)

I will be able to reflect on wonderful life

Wondering what other ways I can impact the world

I forgot how much I used to write until now. Definitely still have a little creativity inside of me. I just wanted to say to all of you, do not let society control you. You are a part of what makes up this whole society! Do what you want & never settle. Take control of your own life.

by His grace

ran a 5k in 30mins without preparation? I'll take it!

By the grace of God I was able to run the whole 5k on Saturday, October 15th...without hardly training. To run for the many people who has fought/is fighting against breast cancer. It was a wonderful experience & He showed that to me.

I would also like to ask you all to pray for this lady that came into the pharmacy. Her name is Tammy. She was recently told that she is not cancer free & she does not have any family here. It breaks my heart to hear this while she was balling her eyes out & all I can do is tell her I will pray for her. Please just give her the strength and courage as she is going through this alone.

Everything this past weekend has been an eye opening for me. I also had Big/Little revealing (it's sorority related) & I learned that I can be very creative/crafty! I made these for my sorority family & one of my sister actually offer to buy one from me. An idea came...I can make and sell these & with the profits I can donate it to Make a Wish Foundation and the Sunflower Mission. Two of the many MANY organizations that I love to donate my time and money. I love how God knew & pointed me in this directions.

made this for my Phi Lamb fam

made this for my little sister

snack away

Last night I had this strong craving for banana nut muffins...and by the time I finished baking it was 1am! This is what happen when I get in a baking frenzy.One good thing about these muffins is...your mind thinks it healthy but the ingredients say NO. Here's the original recipe & I, again, used it as a guidance to make my own.

Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 large bananas, mashed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

- Preheat oven 375

- In small bowl: whisk together flour, salt, baking soda & baking powder

- In large bowl: mash the bananas with a fork. Add the sugar, slightly beaten egg & melted butter.

- Combine dry & wet ingredients. Stir it all with the fork until moistened

- Lightly mix in chocolate chips

- Scoop the batter into muffin cups about 3/4 of the way

- Bake for about 15-20mins until golden brown on top

That is the original recipe I found. What I did was I bought super ripe bananas & I used about half a stick of butter & 1/2 cup of sugars (the ripe bananas should already be sweet enough). After I combined the ingredients, I divided the batter into two bowls...one for the chocolate chips & the other one for nuts to make my banana nut muffins. So feel free to add anything you like...maybe blueberry banana muffins?? Use your imaginations! Also, when I realized my muffins weren't as big as I like it to be...on my next batch I fill the muffin cups almost full. What can I say, I do love big fluffy muffins! It looks more appetizing. Here's how mine turned out...

Banana Nut Muffins

baking craze

One thing I like to do to distract myself from unnecessary drama is baking. When I bake, I don't have a care in the world...everything is pink and peachy. And the BEST thing about Internet is Googling. Yes. You can find about anything! And this is what I came across...

Lemon-berry Cheesecake Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cup flour
1 cup blueberries

1/2 pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 tsp cubes

Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

- In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Blend in the lemon zest, juice and eggs.

- In a separate bowl whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour then mix it into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in the blueberries so as not to burst any. Refrigerate the dough for about 15 – 20 minutes to make it stiff enough to roll.

- For each cookie, roll 1 heaping tbsp of dough into a ball then flatten it slightly into a disc shape. Place a 1 tsp cream cheese cube into the center and form the dough around it creating a ball again. Bake them for about 10 - 14 minutes until the edges brown slightly. 

That was the recipe I found on Pinterest! Easy right? Yes. Possibility of having a heart attack with the amount of butter used etc? Most definitely. As all bakers are, we like to guesstimate and put in what WE feel is the "right amount"...I did. If I feel that an ingredient might be too much, I cut back on it. I most certainly did not use the amount of sugar & butter that was suggested.  That's the point of baking right? We like to look for guidance but we always end up creating our own flavor. Just like life. We have role models but we do not want to be their replica. So use your own imagination & judgment and make it your cookie! Life is too short to be living someone else's life. This is how mine turned out....

Lemon-berry Cheesecake Cookies

Small Signs

I love how God gives you small signs when you are not looking. I'm not a big fan of packing and moving and I did not realized how many things I have obtained over the years! I have been thinking about what I should do with all my shoes, since the new place won't have a lot of spaces. Today when I left the house, there was a leaflet and a bag stapled together asking for shoes donation for the shoeless people in Africa! What a great sign from God! I love how He just showed me the way. He knew I didn't need all those unwanted shoes sitting there collecting dust. He knew there were people out there that needed them. Now I can't wait to pack my things and give away my clothes that I don't wear. I believe anything that you haven't touched in a year, you will most likely won't miss if you give it away.

That was then...this is now.

It really is true...your sisters are your best friends. I can't imagine my life without these two. Sisters do fight and bicker but blood is thicker than water...forgive and forget. I remember when I was little my younger sister (in the middle) and I could not be put in the same room. We fight constantly and I don't even recall why but now, we text each other almost every day! Funny how things play out. My younger sister's graduation party just brought back memories. I can't believe she is about to embark on this new journey as a college student. My older sister (left side) looks like she is ready for a new chapter in her life also. She'll be done with college and I have an inkling she will want to start a family? (hopefully far far FAR in the future). I'm so blessed to have two amazing sisters, both beautiful inside and out.

Look at "little one" getting her sorority pose in check. (Bleeding the Crimson & Cream...Boomer Sooner!)

Forever Loved

"life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only the horizon, and the horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." Praying that my aunt & cousins will overcome the loss and pain they now feel. I know my uncle is in a better place now. Please help his family get through this.