Christmas Cookies

Cookies. Need I say more? I spent the whole day with my kooky sister, Sharri, and Natalie, a ninth grade girlie who can keep you entertained for hours on end, baking cookies and making peppermint bark (my first time). Something about baking is extremely soothing, my stress-reliever of choice during the school period, however, being a perfectionist, trying out new recipes today had the opposite effect. While some recipes turned out delicious, others had to be thrown out. It was an experimenting day, and with every experiment, there are some good and some bad, but, thankfully, there was more good today. We successfully made classic chocolate chip, peppermint chocolate, and peppermint bark. Checkerboard cookies will have to be made next time with a few changes to the recipe, today was not a success. Maybe checkerboard was a bust, but peppermint bark is literally the easiest classic Christmas treat. I included the recipe at the bottom! :) 

I have finally mastered the art of the Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate (morsels or chips)

12 oz White Chocolate (morsels or chips)

1 1/2 cups Crushed Peppermint Candies

Directions

Prepare a cookie sheet lined with a nonstick mat or parchment paper.

Crush the peppermint candies using a food processor, or put the candies in a freezer bag and use a rolling pin to smash it up (release that anger... it's what I did)

Put the Semi-Sweet Chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on 30 second intervals until melted. Once melted, pour onto the prepared pan and spread the chocolate using a knife or a spatula until about 1/8th inch thick. Cool inside of the refrigerator for 5 min.

While the Semi-Sweet is cooling in the fridge, repeat the second step using white chocolate. Once melted, take out the semi-sweet from the refrigerator and spread the white on top of the semi-sweet using a knife or spatula until even. 

Before putting it in the fridge to cool, sprinkle all of the peppermint candy pieces evenly onto the chocolate. 

Cool for 30 min.

Once completely hardened, break the pieces by hand. 

The finished masterpiece (excuse the iPhone 4 quality)

-S.Park

Am I Famous Yet?

So... my friend/roommate, Shaina, and I have a tradition in which we make crazy videos of ourselves throughout the year. Two weeks ago, during the dreaded dead week, marked the official one year anniversary for our first set of videos! Oh, you're expecting something Beyoncé worthy? Well, let me tell you, you are in for a surprise. In honor of the Christmas season, we decided to keep it classy with a Christmas medley. You're welcome.

You thought that was good? Well, revealing the more serious, but not really that serious, side of me, I did a cover of J.Bieb's Mistletoe with my apartment mate, Lena. We may or may not be sitting on the toilet... In honor of the commencement of Christmas season and all things holly jolly, I present the video.

-S.Park

Final Frenzy

Gosh, this week has been absolutely crazy! I know this may sound a bit surprising for a college student, but I have never had four finals in a week before. Therefore, I feel like all I've been doing is either studying or sitting in front of my books pretending to study whilst browsing the internet. To be honest, when I started this post I should've be studying for español, but sólo vive una vida, sí? Amidst all of the final craziness, my roommates and I went to the weekly farmer's market in Downtown SLO. Though it was completely freezing, not to mention empty considering normal people wouldn't even think to walk around in the winter weather, we managed to gather the ingredients for some fresh guacamole, peruse the aisles of Urban Outfitters (extra 50% off sale items? Uh duh!),

 and take some pictures by a Christmas tree in a location of downtown we did not know existed. That's the thing about SLO; you think you know all there is to know about the city, but realize that there is always something else that pops out at you. Have I mentioned that I absolutely L.O.V.E. this time of year?! No matter what or who gets me down, one look at the sparkling lights, and I'm a goner. My heart absolutely melts at the sight of anything festive. To close off my time in SLO before winter break, a couple of friends and I went to Cambria spontaneously to walk through a field of Christmas lights upon Christmas lights. Though I was initially reluctant to go, considering I wanted to lay around and roll up and down my household to celebrate the end of finals season, I am so glad I did. It was simply beautiful, magical, and I was completely wonderstruck. It's crazy how you think you know how your day is going to end, but it turns out to be opposite of what you were planning. Isn't that always the case?

Ain't she a beaut?

- S.Park

New Beginning

Hello all,
If you haven't noticed, I took quite a break on this blog. The reason for this isn't anything specific, I just put it on the back burner, however, after a long talk with a friend about our need for creativity, I feel a new sense of excitement for this blog. Throughout the course of this new school year, I have been constantly reading and writing for that "A" I so desired. As an English major, I felt, and still feel, as though I had to prove myself to my classmates, parents, professors, and, most importantly, those who think being an English major is a waste of time. A lust for perfection overtook my original passion for my major. This past week I was studying for my seemingly never-ending, still not over, finals, and I thought to myself "Why did I choose English? Why didn't I choose something that people would respect? If I'm going to work hard anyways, I might as well have chosen something that would gain some respect." Sure I had an easy time telling people that English was the best decision I have ever made, and that I didn't care what people thought of me, but let's just be honest for a second. Talk is cheap. The approval of people was far greater than, not only the confidence I felt in myself, but confidence and satisfaction God has in me. Why am I seeking the respect of people, when the God of all things already loves and approves of me? This got me thinking. Of course, letting go of my need for approval isn't going to go away in one night, but I honestly trust that God is going to lead me in the path that I have chosen. Everyday, I'm learning about the ways in which God has been working in my life, and, though it is a continuous process, I long to do all things for the glory of God. Anyways, I want to continue writing on this blog to document my growth as a person, while including some other knick knacks here and there. Why? Because I can. Also, who wants to read a blog that's all deep and emotional all the time? That is so not me... at all. I'm going to be doing lots of baking recipes, as well as, some light hearted posts about random events that just so happen to frolic into my life. I'm so excited to start this again... can you tell? Lates homies, see ya on da flip side. <-- I have dishonored the language that is English. It's fun to rebel sometimes.
-S.Park