Sorry!!!!!

Hi everybody! Sorry I haven't written anything in AGES! I'm on vacation and I barely have access to the internet. I don't have much to tell, just letting you know I haven't disappeared off the face of the Earth (yet). I have a ton of reading and writing to do (even though my hand hurts like crazy) so I'm going to leave you know. I hope everyone's summers (or winters, depending on where you are) are going great!!!!!

BAKING!!! WOOHOO!!!

Hey everybody! Last day of school!!!!!! I just got all three of my middle school years over with! I have to admit though, I loved being an eighth grader, and I really enjoyed my three years in middle school. So anyway, I've got an update for ya'll. I'm into baking now!!! WOOHOO! Well, at least for a while. Yesterday I watched a baking competition, and I thought it was AWESOME and I decided I want to bake more. Now, this also means I'm going to have to exercise a LOT more, because you can go take a leap if you think I'm going to bake healthy stuff. When I bake, I eat half the batter before it's baked, and eat the rest after it's cooked. Well, no. That's a bit of an exxageration. I save a bit for my family. ANYWAY (sorry for all the caps, I'm excited), tomorrow I am making Pavlova. Now, I am probably going to fail. Utterly. But like my technology teacher always says, "That's why there is always tomorrow." So yeah, I'm going to be baking/cooking a lot this summer.

To cancel the effects of all the unhealthy eating, I am going to karate camp this summer! And when in Europe, I am going to run and work out with my mom, because she wants to. I will be fine (I'm not just trying to convince myself here...Of course I'm not!).

Oh and I'm quitting karate next year.... I think I'm going to try my hand at dance. Not sure how that is going to go, though. We'll find out!

Thanks for reading!!!!

A Big, Fat, Jumble of Things (Capitalizing Makes it Look So Professional, I Think I Will do This More Often)

Hey everyone!!!!!!!!! (Gosh I hope people actually read this, otherwise I'm sort of making a fool of myself...) I'ts been a long time since I updated; I haven't had much to talk about. But now I do! Rejoice!

So I have always known that I like Star Trek. However, I had seen only one movie (one of the older ones). My dad showed it to me, because he is a big sci-fi lover, especially Star Trek. I've never been a HUGE sci-fi fan, but it's growing on me. Yesterday I watched one of the New Generation movies of Star Trek, and it is official. I love Star Trek. Now, please don't hate me and say that I only like Star Trek because Chris Pine was in it (along with Chris Hemsworth for the tiniest amount of time), because thats not true. I just really enjoyed that movie. I'm not saying I have been a fan before Star Trek became popular in this day and age, 'cause that's not true. But that doesn't mean I can't like it! So yeah. Does anyone know where I can find a Star Trek poster (of the New Generation) that is not completely shrouded in darkness? I really want to find one.

Has anyone who is (perhaps) reading this ever been to the Netherlands? I used to live there. I absolutely love it. I know that was random but yeah. I'm really really really looking forward to the summer!!!!!!!!! I love the summer 'cause I get to go to Europe and see my family and friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just love going to the Nteherlands. While I'm there I think I will blog and upload some pictures of my beautiful home country. I'm also going to Maine again this year, where some friends of ours own a house on a lake. We go almost every summer, and this year will be no exception!

OK newparagraph. I do karate. Well, part of it. My dojo (karate school) is technically Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). We do kenpo (or kempo, not wuite sure), bow katas (forms with sticks), sparring (fighting), and grappling. So far I am only doing kenpo (excuse me if it's wrong) and bow katas. Grappling just makes me uncomfertable. But now I'm going to start sparring, too. However, my sensei only focuses on two of her students 90% of the time, and I don't know if I'll have a chance to actually do any sparring at all. She (my sensei) did this to one of my friends too. She (my friend) has been waiting for Sensei to work with her for two whole years. I think that even if Sensei doesn't train with me, I'm going to work on my sparring and kicking on my own. HOWEVER, I need to get a whole lot more flexible. I can't even touch my toes... Anyone have any strechting recommendations?


This is a really short post, sorry. I will be writing another post in the near future, most likely today. I have something I want to show.

THANKS!!!!!!!

(Please excuse any spelling mistakes!!!!!!!!!!)

OHMYFREAKINGOSH

Hey everybody!
I'm sort of freaking out here. Well, no, not sort of. I'm freaking out. I have my eighth grade dinner/dance (a way of saying prom) in a month and I actually have a date! I've never had a real date to a dance before. This is mostly because I don't dance... Oh well. Anyway, I need to look pretty, right? A.k.a. I need to get fit. Like, now. I actually wanted to go running today, but I'm not allowed to go running on my own :( (overprotective mom). So I'll have to wait untill I go to my friend's house.

I also need to find a dress. OHMYGOSH where do I buy a dress? I don't wear dresses! See, I'm really worried. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do as a date! Oh the perks of being a teenager (note the heavy sarcasm).

Does anybody have any ideas? What do I do?

Lethargic-ness (Is that a word???)

Hey everybody. Remember when I told you that I ate meatballs? (From IKEA!!!) Well, the next day I had to eat steak. Involuntarily. We went to have dinner at a friend's house, and my (genius) mother decided not to tell the host that I'm vegetarian. Or pescatarian. Whatever. So anyway, we get there, and it turns out we're eating steak with Orzo. Or Orso. I don't know how to spell it. And salad. So I just ate a lot of salad and orzo and a tiny piece of steak, because I felt like it would be offensive if I didn't eat any steak. (The host's husband had been smoking the meat, and it had taken him 5 hours. I felt bad not eating it. And I didn't want to tell the host that I was a veggie, because then she would get all flustered and make me something else, and I didn't want her to have to do that.)

So that was three days in a row of eating meat at some point in the day. And gosh was I tired on Monday! I can now confirm that not eating meat gives you more energy. I had gone to sleep pretty early on those three days, and I was still exhausted, and extremely lazy. I almost fell asleep in my cooking class! And that class is actually pretty interesting. I felt extremely lethargic, and so I'm not eating meat once again. My mom says I was probably tired because of lack of sleep, but I don't think so.

I'm going to Colorado today!!! I'm so excited. I haven't seen snow in 6 years! I seriously can't wait. But our flight is at the end of the day, so I have to wait for a really long time. We're going to go skiing. Has anyone ever gone cross-country skiing? I'm going to do it with my dad, cause I've never done it before. My brother recently broke his arm, so he definitely won't be skiing. This is the first time he is going to remember seeing snow. He can't wait  to make a snow man!

(Sorry for spelling mistakes!!!)

CHOCOLATE CAKE!

Well, as you can infer from the title of this entry, I wasn't very healthy today. I made chocolate cake. Devils Food Cake to be exact. It's so DELICIOUS! I had a ton of fun making it too. (I'll include a picture and recipe.) I think I will try to make a healthier version of this, and share it with people. The cake consists of two cake layers, sandwhiched together with delicious (and sugary) icing. I actualy messed up on the icing the first time. I used normal sugar rather than powdered/confectioners sugar, and it cam out all grainy and weird. But I did it right the second time! I'm not going to put on too much icing, 'cause that will just be way too sweet. I'm looking forward to eating it tonight at a small party we're going to!
 This cake has been described as sinfully chocolately, so if you don't like chocolate very much, don't make this!

This is how (part of) my cake turned out. The rest was eaten and enjoyed!

(I'm adding the recipe on another post, I got it from a newspaper, and I can't find it online.)

So today we went to my friend's house to discuss something VERY important, and I made the cake for that occasion. It was a Wine and Cheese dinner. I wasn't quite sure what that was, but it was really good. We had bread with Brie cheese, and grapes, and SWEDISH MEATBALLS from IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!! I indulged in meat today... But I don't feel bad about it, because I get to have Swedish meatballs from IKEA only every two years, and I wasn't going to pass on such a delectable opportunity. So I did have meat today. And it was yummy. So that's ok. (For those who haven't had Swedish meatballs from IKEA, you better haul a** over there!)

Nope, I'm STAYING!

Hey guys! So I read an aticle today that, I think, helped me with my journey. It sort of gave me the deterination I needed to keep going. I think. Oh well. It was an article written by a VEGAN (I could never be a vegan) scientist. It said that eating colorful fruits and vegetables (spinach, blueberries) could reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer's! Which is exciting to me. Which got me to thinking, it would suck to have such a terrible disease named after you! Imagine. You walk by a person and they go: "Ugh. I HATE Alzheimer's!" And you're just there, like, "Well, I'm sorry!!!" It woud be awkward, wouldn't it be? I feel sorry for whoever has diseases named after them. Though it is a scientific discovery, so I guess it's also rewarding... Well, anyway. The point of that rant was to tell you that I have a renewed determination and will (hopefully) stay vegetarian.

I've been doing karate, and I love doing it. I actually practice almost every day, which I've never done for anything! (Like, anything. EVER.) I really want to do some other exercise, too. HOWEVER, it's Daylight Saving Time, which means I wake up to darknss. I cannot, simply cannot, wake myself up before light! It's horrible. And I defiitely can't make myself work out in the dark of the morning, and I'm way too busy in the afternoon. And I'm worried about this summer, too. Over the summer I usually eat a TON, because we go out, and my grandmas cook delicous food for me, and I NEVER exercise in the summer. I need to establish some healthy habits! I'm hoping to start running. I'll have to think of a way to do that though. Does anybody have an suggestions (for summer or otherwise)?

(SORRY FOR ANY SPELLING MISTAKES!!!)

Long time no blog!

Well, hi everyone! It's been a while since I posted anything. How many weeks has it been since I started my veggie journey? It's been at least a month, I know that much. And you know what? I'm getting sort of bored with it... I'm craving a piece of steak right now, or maybe chicken. My friend said that I should let myself eat meat once a week, but if I do that, I just know I'm going to slip. Yesterday, my mom and I were watching Create TV, and it struck me that I will nver be able to try those delicious-looking noodles they were makng, because I'm vegetarian (I know that sounds a bit extreme). I don't know if I'm going to keep doing this or not. We'll see.

Something written

There are so many things people stress about. School, work, family, and most of all, health. And it all centers around the FUTURE. I put that in caps to emphasize how people think. When people think od the future, they think of flying cars, the solving of Global Warming, impending doom, and better days. For some reason, I think those thoughts clash a bit. I have seen friends stressing out about a due date that was not even in sight, and I have seen classmates not even think about homework and projects 'till the day of. (Notice how my friends are the ones who freak out unnecesarily. I honestly don't know who I surround myself with.) I personally like to be somewhere in the middle. I like to be calm, cool, and collected. Of course, I crack, just like anyone else. I remember one day when I just couldn't take it anymore, and I broke down. I screamed and cried and gave up. Then of course, my dad talked some sense into me, and we solved the issue. I got an A for my project. (Surprisingly. If you had seen me break down, you would have thought the world was going to end.)

So I'm writing this to tell you my views on stress, food, and the future. The three things that I believe people stress too much about. (Yes, people stress about having too much stress. It's just stupidly ironic.)

(I WROTE THIS A WHILE AGO ON VACATION, AND DECIDED TO SHARE IT. SORRY FOR ANY SPELLING MISTAKES!)

3 whole weeks!!!!

It's been a whole three weeks since I first became a veggie! People say the first week is the hardest, so I'm glad I got that over with. (I'm typing this with huge neon-orange fake nails, so please excuse any typing errors.) My mom is having some trouble with being a vegetarian, but my dad is going all the way, right along with me. Question: If I am a veggie, does that mean I'm not allowed to eat eggs? cause I really love eggs.

I know it's only been three weeks, but I feel strong. Not in the sense of, "I CAN CARRY 100 POUNDS ON MY SHOULDERS!!!" but in the sense that I think I can resist meat on my own now. I think if my mom decided to revert back to eating meat, I will be strong enough to resist it. That makes me proud.

(I would like to mention that this blog is not trying to make anyone a veggie like myself, it is simply about sharing my food journey)

My Veggie Journey

Well, that's what I'm calling this endeavor from now on. My Veggie Journey. Sounds rather magnificient don't you think? It's been exactly a week since I decided to be a veggie. It's been interesting. Hard at times, too. Yesterday we hung out with friends we only see once a year, and they had ribs!!!!! Ribs were the best things in my life (besides skirt steak) until last monday. And it was so terribel! The smell of barbecue sauce was in the air, and everyone around me was munching on delicious meat, while I had rice casserole with roasted veggies. Can you imagine how much that sucks? Well, enough self-pity for today. I hear the first week is the toughest, and then it should be smooth sailing. I'm really loving being a veggie, besides the occasional delicious food that I have to give up. I had a salad with nuts, dried cherries, and citrus vinnagraitte for dinner, and I feel like the healthiest person alive. Of course, I will have some of my dad's experimental spinach pie when I get home from chorus.

I'm signing off, I've got to get to chorus on time, even though i've got a pounding headache. Oh well. I'll survive. And I leave you with that wonderfully happy thought. :)

VEGGIES!!!!!

Ok, so here we go again. I actuallly sort of have a point to my blog now... If you can call just writing about stuff a point. So here it is:

I recently became a vegatarian! It's very different for me. I used to be such a meat eater, I swore I could never be a vegatarian. (There are miracles everyday) And mind you, I've only been a veggie for about a week, so there's no telling what might happen. But I like it so far. It helps that my parents are doing it with me. My mom cooks all sorts of new things now. It is sort of weird to consciously think about what I can and cannot eat. I wonder if this is what dieting is like? I like it though. I feel like I have more energy, but maybe I just wish it so. Now, let me tell you why I just made such a drastic change in my lifestyle:

Last weekend, I stayed at my friend's house, because my parents were out of town. On Saturday, it was Australian day (her mom is Australian), and so my friend's mom decided to cook something Australian for dinner. So we had lamb. And it was sooooooooooooooooo delicious. And for desert, we had what I think is Pablova, though I might be very wrong. Apparently its named after a ballerina, because she (and the desert) is light and airy. After our yummy dinner, my friend, her brother, her brother's friend, and I all sat on couch. We decided to watch a movie. And guess what movie it was? SuperSize Me. For those who don't know, it's about this guy who is trying to find out if fast food is really a major factor in the obesity of America. So for one month, he eats only Mc.Donalds for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (His gf is a vegan chef, which I find SO ironic.) So at the beginning of his journey, he weighs 185 pounds, has a low percentage in body fat, and is a very healthy man. (I think is is around 30ish) By the end of the journey, he weigs 220 pounds, and is way less healthy. His liver deteriates, and the doctors tell him that if he kept going, he would literally eat his liver into submission. The doctors didn't even know that could happen.

So of course, my first reaction was: I am never eating junk food again!!!!!!! (But that's sort of unrealistic for a teenager) So I came home, and I told my mom the story. She had seen it, and was just as disgusted as I was. That night, I said to my mom, "I think I want to go vegatarian. Or at least try to be." So apparently, my parents discussed it witout me knowing, and they decided the whole family will do it with me. I don't know how my brother feels about it, he's more of a carbohydratearian. And so here I am. Sitting next to  window looking out over a beautiful backyard in St.Petersburg. A vegatarian. Let's see where this journey takes me.