The One With The Break From Positive Psyc.

I decided I needed a more personal blog, because I'm kind of sick of all this positive psychology mumbo jumbo. I'll update you guys on my life. :) For those of you interested, that is...if you aren't then just stop reading now

Alright, so I don't remember what the last thing was about my future plans that I wrote about. But I'm like 99.9% positive it's changed. I was pretty excited about possibly moving out of the state after I graduate. While I'm still thinking that sounds really fun...I've thought about it all and here are a few points in relation to that idea:

1. If I go out of state, I want to do so with a friend. I don't want to move to some place I've never been for more than a few days or ever been all by myself. I don't want to have to figure out an entire life without ANYONE. That just freaks me out and doesn't sound like a lot of fun. So I'm taking applications for any friends who want to move with me somewhere in the next few years, because I do still think it should be something I experience eventually. 
2. I love Texas. I've come to realize just how much I love Texas. I mean I always loved it, and knew how awesome it was, but for some reason, the minute I started thinking of moving, I started realizing I would be leaving country music, cowboy boots, guns, etc. Now I know I can find these things in other states, but Texas is just too amazing...and it makes me sad to think I would leave that. So I can say, that it is likely that if I move away, I'll end up back in Austin.
3. My sister and brother in law have been married for 3+ years, and will eventually have a baby. (No they aren't preggo right now). And I want to be there for that. I don't want to be out of the state when my neice/nephew is born and then grows up. I mean, I want to be the #1 babysitter! So that's definitely made me re-think this move. 
4. Finally, I've realized how much I just want to BE for a little bit. I'd like to just have a job, not a lot of stress, and just live. Hang out with friends. Be social. Have a place of my own. Love on Noah. So, I'm really considering keeping the job I have for like a year after I graduate, so that I can just be and maybe try and save up some more money, and then consider either going to culinary school either here in Austin, or some other state. I just kind of want some time to think. I don't feel like I have that time because right now I'm in school, and I'm just focused on graduating and I want to be able to enjoy these last couple months without having to worry about what my next step is. And that will give me a year to figure out what I want to do for real. I don't want to make a decision I'm not sure of. 

I will say that last point kind of scares me, because some people have brought up the worry that I will just get comfortable and then not do what I actually want to do. And while I understand where that worry comes from, I feel like I shouldn't make a decision until I'm 100% sure what I want. I feel like I made this decision to be a Psychology major so quickly and then I couldn't change it since I got so deep into school, and not that I really wanted to ever change it, but now I don't really know what to do with it since I don't want to go to graduate school. I just feel like I make one decision, and then immediately have to think about what my next decision is. And I feel like I deserve some down time where I just enjoy my life and live and then worry about culinary school or moving or changing jobs, etc. Hopefully that makes sense. Because I do worry that I won't end up where I should, but I just have to trust in God, and trust that even if I do seem to be "taking the easy way out" that it's where I'm supposed to be. I also just pray that if He wants me somewhere else He will make it clear to me.  So if all of my readers could pray for that too, I'd really appreciate it.

Ok so there's that update/rant. Next up, I graduate 10 DAYS before I'm actually done with my finals. I'm pretty upset about that. I want for me to feel the moment that I walk across the stage and shake hands with whomever, that I'm done. But instead I walk across the stage, and then start thinking about all of the studying I have to do...so I can make sure I actually get the diploma in the mail (not that that is a true worry). It's really more about the principle. Walking across the stage is supposed to be that final moment of pride. And it just won't be that for me. Instead I get to celebrate by myself after I walk out of my last final. It's just not the same. But oh well, nothing I can do about it.

My sister is going to make my graduation announcements though. I'm excited about that. Instead of sending out the generic announcements, I get to design my own. I'm even gonna start with a consultation. So I'll be able to say I've been through the whole process, and let everyone know how it is. By the way, if you are wanting any invitations, business cards, Christmas cards, etc. you REALLY should check out my sister and her company DetailsAustin. She really is talented. www.detailsaustin.com

Ok, how is the iPhone 4S? I have the 3GS and I have been waiting for the 4S to come out to upgrade to the 4, but I'm contemplating how worth it it is to spend the money for the 4S. So people who have it, tell me, is it worth it? I need to figure out how much the 4 will be for me and see what the price difference is. I'm hoping I can get the 4 for cheap since I should be up for an upgrade. Anyways, please let me know what you all think.

Finally an update on Noah. He's still just as precious as always. For his birthday I took him to lunch at the domain and then to a dog store and got him a new UT jersey and a big bone. He was a happy boy. I recently got him a shirt that is orange and has a jack-o-lantern face on it. I think I need to buy the one with a ghost on it that says BOO, as well. 

Here he is  - "Mom, this is really getting old."

Joey: (enters the room) Hey, you guys, what are you doing tomorrow night?
Chandler: (browsing through a ) Well, let me see... I-I believe I'm... yes, falling asleep in front of the TV.
Joey: Look, my agent hooked me up with six tickets to a great play.
Chandler: I could fall asleep at a play.
Phoebe: What is it?
Joey: It's a one-woman play called "Why don't you like me: a bitter woman's journey through life".
Monica: It sounds interesting!
Ross: Yeah, it does sound interesting, I mean, to listen to a woman complain for two hours, I don't think it gets bett... (Ross starts snoring, faking to fall asleep)
Phoebe: I know, I know, we can drive, we can vote, we can work, what more do these broads want?

The One With The Follow-Up.

Alright, I decided I needed a follow-up to my last blog post. Because someone made me realize I didn't address some things that I find important.

I am not saying that you should never be unhappy or negative. There are going to be times in your life that you will feel sad, negative, sorrow, devastation. And I find those times to be VERY important in your life. God definitely doesn't just send positive events to positive people, and I'm sorry if I implied that. I understand that even the most positive people will have negative events happen to them, because God always has a lesson for you to learn in any situation. And sometimes you just NEED to feel sorrow. I know that I go through a couple days almost every month, where I just need to be sad. Or I have something that I'm going through or things from my past pop up that I need to deal with. So, again, I'm sorry for implying that negative things are only happening to negative people. I don't agree 100% with the theory, and think that you can't have only positive things in your life. My main point is that you can turn any situation around, but sometimes, in some situations, it may be better for you to not be positive, and to deal with the pain and sorrow you need to go through to grow. I also think you need to go through hard times and go through pain if you want to become closer to God. If everything in your life was amazing and positive, then why would you ever need God? It'd be easy to forget about him. And I think sometimes, that's the exact reason you are feeling the way you are. God is saying, "Hey, remember me? I'm here for you, and you're forgetting about me." I know I find myself doing it all the time. There is always things to be thankful for in your life, and it will help the situation if you focus on them, but sometimes it's not enough, and that means you just have to deal with the pain and sorrow and ask God for help, and try and figure out why you are going through what you are and trust that God has a plan and is taking care of you.

Ok I think I'm done with my rant. I just felt bad for not addressing that side of things in my last post.

Stephney and I went to Gateway church on Sunday. We've decided we want to branch out and find a church that we love to go to, and maybe get connected in a small group together or something. So, we went, and I really liked it, as I think Steph did too. We will probably try other churches just to see what they are about, but I think Gateway is in the running. I just love churches like that. My main thing I want in a church is the preacher keeping my attention the entire time. Not boring me. and he did just that. I think he even talked for like 45 min or so, and I may have wandered off a couple times, but overall he was wonderful. So I will keep you updated on our church adventures. :)

By the way, I don't know what I would do without Stephney right now. She's just been an amazing blessing in my life the past 6 months. And I hope she knows that.

Rachel: Mon... Okay... I've gotta... just say what it is I'm gonna say... None of the amazing things that have happened to me in the last ten years, would have happened if it wasn't for you. No-one has been more like a sister to me...
Monica: I know what you mean. You're like a sister to me too.
Rachel: (starts crying and speaking at the same time, making it almost impossible to understand what she's saying) I wouldn't know what I'm gonna do without you...
Monica: (having the same problem) You're the best friend I ever had.
Rachel: (says something that cannot be understood)
Monica: What?
Rachel: I... I... I... (again saying something that cannot be understood)
Monica: That is so sweet. (they hug)

The One With The Magic Beans.

Alright, so I did my 10-12 minute presentation on gratitude in Positive Psychology this past week, and I was first. I am so happy I got it out of the way, and it actually went really well. I may have talked too fast, but such is life. So I'm going to break down my presentation for you.

I began by showing a clip from Friends. I just went to search for the video to post on here...and apparently it was deleted. So I'll just have to explain it to you guys. It's in the episode - The One With George Stephanopoulos. Rachel has recently run out on her wedding to Barry and is trying to figure out what she will do with her life now that she has to be an independent woman. Her old best friends came to visit her and she found out they were all either getting married, having a baby, or getting promoted. Rachel then walks into the apartment to Monica and Phoebe, and she begins freaking out about her life. Phoebe and Monica try and calm her down and tell her she has all these opportunities ahead of her. and Phoebe then says...

PHOEBE: You are just like Jack.
RACHEL: ...Jack from downstairs?
PHOEBE: No, Jack and the Beanstalk.
MONICA: Ah, the other Jack.
PHOEBE: Yeah, right! See, he gave up something, but then he got those magic beans. And then he woke up, and there was this, this big plant outside his window, full of possibilities and stuff.. And he lived in a village, and you live in the Village..
RACHEL: Okay, but Pheebs, Pheebs, Jack gave up a cow, I gave up an orthodontist. Okay, I-I-I know, I know I didn't love him-
PHOEBE: Oh, see, Jack did love the cow.
RACHEL: But see, it was a plan. Y'know, it was clear. It was figured out, and now everything's just kinda like-
PHOEBE: Floopy?
RACHEL: Yeah.
MONICA: So what, you're not the only one. I mean, half the time we don't know where we're going. You've just gotta figure at some point it's all gonna come together, and it's just gonna be... un-floopy.
PHOEBE: Oh, like that's a word.
RACHEL: Okay, but Monica, what if- what if it doesn't come together?
MONICA: ...Pheebs?
PHOEBE: Oh, well... 'cause.... you just... I don't like this question.
RACHEL: Okay, see, see, you guys, what if we don't get magic beans? I mean, what if all we've got are.. beans?

I then go into my presentation. I begin by sharing a personal story about a hard time I went through and how I also thought many times I didn't have magic beans in my life - honestly, I usually wouldn't mind sharing the personal story on my blog, but I just don't really want certain people to know some things, whether or not they read this blog.

Then I start with the main idea of my presentation. I came across this concept that intrigued me. It begins with the law of bivration, which says that everything in the universe, if broke down into it's purest and most basic form, is a vibrating mass of atoms and subatomic particles. This then leads us to the law of attraction, which says that this energy (vibrations) that you resonate and project based on your thoughts, feelings, and emotions determines your indivudally projected vibrational frequency, which broadcasts out into the world and attracts energy that harmonizes with it and determines the events, situations, and circumstances that you eventually see manifest into tangible forms in your life. This relates to gratitude because when you are in a sincere state of gratitude, your energy is one of acceptance and harmony. You then project a vibrational frequency that attracts you to the events, conditions, and circumstances that you desire. One way the theory is broke down even further is by using an analogy. Imagine you are a giant magnet. Whatever you are feeling, whether it be love, fear, anger, happiness, joy, or gratitude, you are creating a magnetic force that attracts events that are in direct correlation to what you are feeling. It is inevitably saying you are responsible for attracting and creating undesirable situations in your life. This may not be encouraging, but think again. If this is true, then it is also true that you are responsible for creating desirable situations in your life. You have the power and can consciously create better circumstances by expressing more gratitude.

I then explain how in my hard time, by focusing on all of the wonderful blessings in my life that GOD has given me and by thanking Him more, the hard time was made a lot easier and I was able to be happier. There is so much research out there that actually proves that by making gratitude more important in your life, you can actually raise your happiness set-point (if you remember this is the level of happiness that you either come back up to or come back down to after a negative or positive event in your life). And I think that's something we all thrive for in life. Who doesn't want to be happy?

I ended my presentation by bringing back the Friends reference. I told them that Rachel, by the end of the episode, realizes that she does have these magic beans in her life and they are her wonderful friends she now has. And she started counting her blessing or her magic beans and she calmed down and realized she was going to be ok. So I then had made everyone a little bag of "magic beans' which were just bags of jelly beans, but I wanted them to be reminded to count the magic beans in their life.

Therefore, I encourage all of you reading this to start looking at all of the things in your life you are blessed with. There is ALWAYS something you can be grateful for, even i a difficult or horrible situation. And I promise, you will start realizing you are a happier person.

ROSS: (Doing the spinning) Ok, Monica, right foot red.
MONICA: Could've played Monopoly, but noooo.
ROSS: Ok, Pheebs, right hand blue. (Pheobe has to bed over) Good. (Joey stares at her butt appreciatively)
(Phone rings, Chandler answers)
CHANDLER: Hello? Oh, uh, Rachel, it's the Visa card people
RACHEL: Oh, Ok. Will you take my place?
CHANDLER: Alright (to phone) Yes, this is Rachel
RACHEL: Nooo! (Takes the phone; Chandler takes her place) Hello? Oh, yeah, no, I know, I-I haven't been using it much. Oh, well, thanks, but, I'm ok, really.
ROSS: Green. To the green.
RACHEL: I've got magic beans. Never-nevermind.
CHANDLER: To the left, to the left-awww!
(They collapse)
RACHEL: Ohhh...I'm fine.

The One With The Amazing Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread.

Ok, here is the blog post for the AMAZING pumpkin bread. It seriously is one of the best things I've ever made. It's SUPER moist, and of course, anything with cream cheese is absolutely delicious (at least that's how I see it). I will definitely be making this again...possibly soon. It's perfect to bring to some fall parties. I'm also considering putting this in muffin tins and making muffins. I really can't rave enough about how much I love this recipe. (By the way, I can't wait for the new iphone to come out so that I can get the 4 to have better pics - I know mine aren't great especially because I have a scratch on my lens)

Here are the ingredients -

FILLING:

• 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want the filling to be)
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

BREAD:

• 1  2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 to 1 1/4 cup(s) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1  1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional - I actually completely forgot about these when I put it in the oven, but I think I prefer it without, but I may try it with the next go around) 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pans. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg, and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

In a large bowl, blend 1  2/3 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, canola oil, eggs and sugar; beat well.

Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the chopped pecans or walnuts.

 *
Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin batter layers in each loaf pan and then spoon or pour  on the remaining pumpkin batter (if you don’t have enough pumpkin batter to cover the cream cheese layer entirely, that’s okay, because you’ll be swirling them together anyway). Take a knife and stick straight down into the top pumpkin batter layer and middle cream cheese layer; swirl the knife around in these two layers, creating a marble effect; this will give the cream cheese filling a nice swirly shape as it bakes.

*
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes; remove to a rack to cool completely.

 

The One With The Visit To Cru.

Alright everyone! It's the second week of Austin Restaurant Week. Something my mom and I loved to go to. We actually went to Siena off 360 last week, and it was a huge disappointment...The appetizer was pretty good, but the salmon they served us, I couldn't even finish eating, and the dessert was only ok. SO, my mom and I knew we had to try out a different place so we wouldn't leave ARW with a bad taste in our mouths...no pun intended. So we decided on Cru, and we chose right this time. Cru is located in the Domain (there is one downtown as well), and if you haven't tried it, you need to. We actually went there on Saturday afternoon for brunch and we took the pups to celebrate Noah turning 3. I can't believe he's that old, but that's beside the point. Our lunch was so good that we decided to try out the ARW menu. So here is a low-down on what all we ate. First, here's a pic of my wonderful lunch there on Saturday. I had the tomato basil soup and grilled cheese. SO DELICIOUS. One of the best tomato soups I've ever had.

 

Ok so now for both my mom and my meal from tonight. (By the way, my dad came, but he eats a tic-tac and is full, so all he had was the caprese salad, which was like 3 slices of tomato and 2 slices of mozzarella - but it was delicious as well). My mom got a flight of wine so she could try 3 different wines. They were all red wines. I don't know enough about them to write about them, but her favorite was one that had hints of bacon taste. I had the coffee, and let me tell you, this is some of the best coffee I've had. I don't know why, but I feel like they infuse cinnamon or something in it. It was delicious.

 

For our appetizers: I had the ricotta ravioli with a lemon butter sauce and chorizo, and my mom had the mussels. They were both very good. If I had to choose, the mussels would take it. It was actually the first time I'd even tried mussels, so I guess I don't know what I'm comparing it to, but they were very tasty. They had white wine, parsley, garlic, shallots, and lemongrass brother.

 

On to the entrees. I had the Salmon with couscous, haricot vert (which is just a fancy way (french) of saying green beans) with a basil-citrus sauce. It was so good. It was perfectly cooked on the outside with a little crunch but still piping hot and moist in the middle (much better than the Salmon at Siena). My mom got the beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola, tomato gratin, and creamy potatoes. This was also delicious. I don't think I could choose a winner in this category. They are both so different and equally good. Although, I do love me some potatoes...starches are my vice.

 

And finally we come dessert. We both got the vanilla napoleon, which was pound cake with a warm berry compote. This was also delicious. I didn't put it in my mouth and think, "Oh, my goodness, this is absolutely wonderful," but it was very good. It was almost the perfect amount of sweet, with homemade whipped cream, and I'm a big fruit lover. :) 

 

So, until next Austin Restaurant Week...unless I randomly decide to go another time this week, which I wouldn't be against...

"Tartlet, Tarlet, Tarlet...word's lost all meaning."