THE BIGGEST SURPRISE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE + Brown Rice Pudding

I still can’t believe that I’m an adult. Turning 18 is a huge age change – I’ve gone from childhood to an official adult. I felt like an adult before, but for some reason today I feel even more like one. I celebrated this weekend with some fun:

I saw PianoGuys LIVE at their concert at my college!

I went to the thrift store and got some new clothes! A pair of jeans, 3 shirts/blouses, 3 skirts, a dress, a pair of pajama pants, 4 plates, and a bowl for less than $40!

I bought 9lbs of strawberries Saturday night.

And I’ve already finished them. It’s been quite a delicious weekend.

(Because I ate my strawberries so quickly before I got a picture of them, I’m borrowing this picture from Google. They looked just like these though – absolutely red and gorgeous.)

Monday I went and got my hair done. They trimmed it and added more layers (since I love layers – they really bring out the curl in my hair when I scrunch it instead of blow-drying it).

Today I also got to talk with my beloved Nutrition Instructor about life and how I’m doing in college. I am so grateful to have someone I feel comfortable going to and can talk with. Yes I cried (I always seem to do that…), but it really helped me today. I needed it. (Do you feel that same way sometimes?)

AND, I JUST GOT THE BIGGEST SURPRISE IN MY LIFE! MY ROOMMATES AND FRIENDS GOT TOGETHER AND MADE ME AN EDIBLE ARRANGEMENT CAKE!!!!!

IT ABSOLUTELY MADE MY DAY!!!!! <3

Today I also wanted to share with you a new favorite recipe.

My Brown Rice Pudding!

Combine the rice,

cornstarch, cinnamon, and stevia

in the bottom of the crock-pot.

Add the soymilk and vanilla.

Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours.

Top with desired toppings and dig in!

Brown Rice Pudding

Great for breakfast or dessert. Makes 2 cups worth (4 servings with add-ins)

Ingredients

• 1 ¹/₂ cups milk of choice (I used fortified vanilla soymilk)
  
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (or quinoa if you have it on hand)
  
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• Stevia to taste (I use 2-3 packets)
  

Plus add-ins/toppings of choice – see below

Directions

Combine the rice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and stevia in the bottom of the crock-pot. Add the soymilk and vanilla. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. Serve warm or cold.

Print This!

Add-in ideas:

• Chocolate chips + cherries + vanilla extract
  
• Bananas + walnuts +cinnamon
  
• Raisins + apples + dash of nutmeg
  
• Coconut flakes + sliced almonds + chocolate chips
  
• Strawberries + vanilla extract + “cream” (I used vanilla soymilk)
  

There are a lot more than this, but these are just a few on the top of my head. If you try any other flavor experimentations I’d love to hear about them!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! <3

With lots of hugs,

Btw, Reese’s PB Cups are the BEST!

23 and 1/2 Hours + College

Hey my Wonderful Spring Flowers!

I just got home from my classes and I have so much to share about college! These past few weeks have been full of classes, learning, studying, and craziness. I’m having a lot of fun with my classes, even though the volume can seem a little overwhelming at times. I’m adapting to the workload though and it’s getting easier to handle. I ADORE my Nutrition in the Life Cycle class. I always enjoy my nutrition classes — doing the work for them actually stress-relieving for me. I love how we’re digging deeper into each of the life stages and learning why certain things happen the way they do, when certain nutrients need to be particularly stressed at certain times of life, and how to make recommendations for optimal health. My Anatomy class is also a lot of fun. (This last week I learned WHY saturated fats are solids and unsaturated fats of liquid! It absolutely MADE my day I was so excited!) It is the most intense class I’ve ever taken. At least it makes my other classes seem easy. We’re just finishing up histology (have two exams on it this weekend) and then we’ll dig deep into the skull and start learning bones. In my Developing World class I’ve been “adopted” into the country of Swaziland (in South Africa) and I’m excited that I get to learn more about this country and its people. My Bio-statistics class is also very informative — I love how it talks about how to evaluate data and studies to make sure it’s reliable information. My scripture studies have been amazing recently. (Why is it that the times in my life that are the most hectic, the most crazy, I get the most amazing feelings of comfort and strength?! I can see His hand in my life every single day and I know the only reason I’ve been doing well is because of Him.) My religion teacher is actually in Jerusalem right now; he’s promised to bring us pictures and stories when he comes back in a little over a week. 

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As a part of my preparation for my Nutrition class today I watched this video that really impressed me. I’ve linked it right here and would love to hear your thoughts on it. 

What are your thoughts from this video? 

Do you agree with him?

Would you recommend this treatment for health and well-being?

with lots of hugs,

P.S. I’ll be back soon with some deliciousness… since I’ll be an official adult this next Tuesday.

What Kat Ate #20

Hey my Spectacular Morning Rays of Sunshine! <3

I’m back for another What Kat Ate — #20!

Thanks to Jenn for hosting this awesome party!

BREAKFAST: 6:00am

Reese’s PB Cup Oatmeal: Oats, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon (optional), and Vanilla extract, cooked with either milk of choice or water and topped with a big dollop of Peanut Butter to melt on top. (I have seriously had this every morning for a long time…. Heheh.)

SNACK: 10:00am

A batch of my Reese’s PB Cup treat and a baked spiced apple, alongside a glass of unpictured soymilk.

LUNCH: 2:00pm

A bowl of lentil soup with black beans and spinach, alongside a bowl of French style green beans (topped with smart balance lite buttery spread) and a sliced orange.

DINNER: 6:00pm

Whole wheat pasta with a mixture of beans (I cooked a bag of 15-bean soup beans in my crock pot and love to eat them just like that), a steamed broccoli and cauliflower, topped (or pretty much drenched) with lots of chunky vegetable spaghetti sauce.

SNACK: 8-9:00-ish

If I’m hungry (or had a really intense workout that day), I’ll have a snack in the evening, i.e., a frozen banana topped with cinnamon alongside a glass of soymilk. (Unpictured.)

My meals really vary depending on the day. My last one is an example of a 5-6 meals a day, while this one is a 4-5 meals a day. It really just depends on my schedule that day and where everything fits. It might also change this next semester since I’ll have different classes at different times and places.

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Btw, Katherine is holding another 7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge – 2013 Spring Cleaning Edition. 

What do you do? Just add one green smoothie to your daily eats each day for a week!

I think this will be fun and a great way to start off my next semester of classes — in a vibrant, energizing green way. Since my classes are starting back up this next week I won’t be able to post about my smoothie every day, but I hope you’ll join me in a little green party action.

With lots of hugs,