Extra Crunchy Granola Guide

Recently I have been living mainly on a diet of granola. I probably ingest foods that contain oats and its nutty cousins 3 out of 5 meals a day; 60% of my daily intake of foodstuffs!

No, it is not to lose weight, and no I am not a picky eater, far from it actually. My life as a high school student has just been SO BUSY that it's all I have time for.

Granola is known for its simplicity and versatility.  You can eat it in so many different ways with so many different things, or by itself. With yogurt, with milk, or covered in ketchup! I'm kidding about the last one :)

To keep it interesting, I try to mix it up between breakfast, lunch, snack, and more snack.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peanut Butter, Fiber One Honey Clusters (of Oats)

Lunch: KIND Peanut Butter Granola with added almonds and seasonal pumpkin seeds and milk

Snack: I used to be obsessed with Kashi's Dark Mocha Almond Granola Bars (A.K.A Life in a bar), but they just released a new flavor called Chocolate Almond Sea Salt with Chia and I tried it and it is just YUM! I love the sweet and salty combo of chocolate and sea salt, almonds are the bomb, and chia is supposed to give you super powers, what's not to like? Plus, it is packaged in my favorite shade of purple, this bar was made for me!

More Snack: KIND Granola with Banilla Yogurt/Greek Yogurt with honey and frozen strawberries


My friend's mom makes these amazing homemade granola bars that I covet and need to get the recipe for. Or I can just pretend to make my own bars like in that Fiber One commercial.  Ya know, to add homemade appeal ;)

So basically, nuts, grains, and oats are my versions of potato chips, soda and other junk foods that a person would veg out on the couch with.

What is your guilty pleasure/food obsession?

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Amanda

P.P. Isn't it weird that the expression "veg out" has nothing to do with veggies, but rather is referring to eating junk food, which is kind-of the opposite?
P.P.P. I just realized- both of my favorite granola brands start with a K! Isn't that a strange coincidence?  Is there something about the letter K that sounds tasty or granola-y? Hmmm probably not. The Kardashians aren't very tasty.
P.P.P.P. I have my own different, blog-friendly version of P.S.  P.P. stands for Post Pondering, and after the first I add an extra "Post." So three P's would be Post Post Pondering, get it?

'Tis the Season!

Hello!!!!!!

I have a theory about my childish excitement that comes in 50 gallon buckets around this time of year. It is this: when Amanda has something to look forward to, a light at the end of the tunnel, she chugs on faster than ever before. (If this theory applies to you too, you can plug you name in for the variable "Amanda" and "she")

And guess what? There are so many things to look forward to! 

Although I do get enthusiastic about holidays, I wouldn't say that I'm holiday enthusiast, it is not my sole reason for living. But when the first snow comes, it's a gateway to holiday obsession. For me, today is that day. I woke up, went about my morning routine, and casually glanced out the window. I naturally did a double take, and then, as most siblings do, I burst into my brother's room woke him up and gave him a first-hand weather report, "IT'S SNOWING!"

Here are some common symptoms of Holiday Spirit: 

1. In the mail today you start to receive your magazine subscriptions holiday issues and you immediately take them up to your room, shut the door and binge read all of them. You can't help it!

2. You cut any available paper into snowflakes

3. You begin writing your gift lists

4. You start listening to Christmas or Hanukah or Kwanza or Thanksgiving music (if such a thing exists...)

5. You start daydreaming of Holiday food. hot crispy latkes with cold sour cream, roast turkey with sweet potatoes and gravy and grandma's stuffing...

My diagnosis: I have a serious case of Holiday Spirit

Of course I catch the bug the day right after Veteran's Day, the last holiday until Thanksgivikah. (Although one could argue that today is indeed a holiday: Today is National Wear Your Camp Shirt to School Day and 11.12.13, consecutive number day!)

What symptoms are you experiencing regarding the holidays? And are you taking any prescription medication? i.e. holiday sugar cookies?

Comment below!

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Amanda

A Journey Through the Blogosphere

HELLOOOO BLOGGER! 

Stay with me while I tell you about my journey through the blogosphere, a quest on a windy road toward self-expression.

It all started ten months ago when my parents urged me to start a blog. It was February break, and with time on my hands I decided it was a good idea since I love to write and wanted to openly and creatively express myself outside of school. I googled "blog websites" and Blogger instantly popped up. I thought, "Wow, that was easy," but I was innocent to the problems that would ensue. 

As it turned out, Blogger wasn't even an option for me because one, I did not have a Google account and did not see the necessity of one, and two, complicated technical difficulties prevented me from even visiting the website. 

So I went for the next blog platform, blog.com. The name was straightforward and simple, leading me to believe that my experience using it would be too. I got all excited, thought of a unique name and spent hours meticulously going through the set-up process. However, this was all for nothing when after just five months on the website, I gave up due to constant and incredibly frustrating crashes of the server making it impossible for me, or others, to even access the site.  So I packed up my posts, and like a single mother and her children, moved on in search of better Internet homes with more opportunities. 

Tumblr was the next stop and I was really hopeful that it would accommodate my aspirations and ambitions. My stay was, again, very short because before long I figured out that Tumblr was more for wannabe hipsters and attention-seeking teens (for which I am neither).  Once again I decided it was best that I relocate. 

Finally we come to the present. I spent 1 1/2 hours yesterday carefully resituating my babies (posts) and assimilating myself into this new culture.

Now, will this stay be short-lived as well? Will I have to sling my virtual rucksack over my shoulder and move on again? 

So far so good, so stay tuned folks because I have a lot of hopes and dreams to share. To quote Orphan Annie as she entered the Warbucks mansion, “I think I'm gonna like it here!"




More Posts Soon!

Amanda

Friday Funnies^^

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Amanda

My fav songs

I was just music surfing and I came across three great songs and videos.

The Wire by Haim 

Wildfire by John Mayer 

Safe and Sound by Capital Cities 

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AMANDA

"watch you thoughts; they become words. 

watch your words; they become actions. 

watch your actions; they become habits. 

watch your habits; they become character. 

watch your character; it becomes your destiny. "

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Amanda

Friday Funny #3

Doesn't this remind you of that short?

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Amanda

Friday Funny Numero Dos

I love this one

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Amanda

Monday Funny

Friday, ehemm, Monday Funny^

Sorry I’m late with this one. My mother tore her ACL and it’s been very busy around here!! This is a cartoon I love from the New Yorker in 2010. I especially like this one because it reminds me of my relationship with my little brother who just left for sleep away camp ):

Hope you like!

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Amanda

Friday Funnies

Hey guys!

I’m going to be starting something new called Friday Funnies. I will post a new cartoon every Friday from a selection of my favorite cartoons! And now I present to you, the first cartoon!

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Amanda

:)

The alphabet should really go:

I, L, O, V, E, N, Y,...

A Wise Piece of Advice

NEVER search "star nosed mole" in Google Images.

You will be scarred for life.

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Amanda

Wambach beats Hamm 

it sounds like wombat eats ham :D

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Amanda

iOS 7

Apple's new iOS 7 is incredible!!! I can't wait!!

Teenage Dream: When in Doubt Watch a John Hughes Film

Friday night I watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a movie I had heard about and seen parodied in Super Bowl commercials, but never actually seen. The movie literally made my day. If you have never seen it, go watch it right now before I completely spoil it for you.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a 1986 American coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes. The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller, who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago.
It is a genius movie for any teenager looking to watch something fun on a friday night. I’ve been singing Twist and Shout nonstop since I saw the movie. And replaying my favorite scenes in my head. I would list them but I wouldn't do them justice.
Matthew Broderick is just so lovable! And he has to be, how else could he get away with everything? And is it bad that just now I learned that he and Sarah Jessica Parker are married?
I have also seen the Breakfast Club, another fantastic movie by John Hughes, that has also been made fun of and quoted and put on “Best Movies of All Time” lists. After that one, I think I was left crying and the next day I asked my grandma if we are destined to be just like our parents. In comparison to my reaction to Ferris Bueller where I was left rolling on the floor saying "Again! Let's watch it again!" Maybe John Hughes wrote like Shakespeare; comedies and tragedies.
I think a good summarization of this post is John Hughes is brilliant. Why can’t they make coming-of-age movies like that anymore? Anyone? Anyone?

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Amanda

P.S. If anyone can find the song from the movie that goes “OH YEAH” in a really deep voice, there will be a reward.

"A person cannot fully appreciate something until they acknowledge its absence."

-Me

3D Printing!

Watch this. This is our future. Soon, people will be 3D printing spoons, spatulas, bowls, boxes, jewelry, vases, screwdrivers, clocks, even plastic surgery procedures are going to be done with 3D printers! 

Amehnda says:

Butterscotch
PSY
Fraternal Twins
Scented Hand Sanitizer
Graham Cracker Crust
Mini Umbrellas
White socks

Weekend Post-A-Rama

hEy GuYs! 


Haha sorry that's annoying, I wont type like that.
I just found this video of Christian Siriano's (hint, hint, Project Runway alum) Spring/Summer line and it is brilliant! The dresses were inspired by costumes worn by the American Ballet Theatre's Dream Ballet. I hope it's not too late to post this because I really want to show it to you guys. I guess I'm just fashionably late. BAH-dum chhh *forced laughter*

In other news... My soccer team won 5-0 today against a team that beat us last year and I (practically) scored the first goal off of an impeccable corner kick!

And today is the first day of Spirit Week at school! Woohoo! To give you a little insight, monday is pajama day (yes! I can sleep in for an extra hour!), tuesday is superhero day, wednesday is sports day, thursday is celebrity day (I'm still trying to figure out what to do for that...), and friday is, of course, school spirit day, Go Bulldogs!

I also saw the Jackie Robison film 42 yesterday with my grandma and I actually loved it. If you know me, you know I have zero interest in baseball, so this was somewhat groundbreaking. It is a must see!!

If I hadn't liked 42, at least I knew what good movies are coming soon to theaters. Here are some that look worthy of uncomfortable seats and $12 popcorn. 

1. The Great Gatsby

 I really should read the book before I go se
e it to keep up this good streak I have going with Harry Potter and Twilight, but that's probably not going to happen in a week and a half... 

2. Iron Man 3

 I looooove Robert Downey Jr. so that I am definitely seeing. 

And there are two more that I haven't heard of. The first is Internship and it's a movie starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaugn and they are interns at Google, that should be interesting, the other is Kings of Summer which will probably be a great teen flick and who isn't excited for Monsters University??!! Every year about this time I vow that I will be Boo for Halloween, but for some reason it never happens.

Whew, I think that's it. I'll try to post soon, but May is gonna be real busy!!

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Amanda

Oh yeah, P.S. PORTLANDIA is the most hysterical show on TV. My dad has been talking about it for a while, but I finally got a chance to see it. Four words: Pee. In. Your. Pants.

ameh list

It seems like this week went by so fast! Or is that every week...

AMeh List

1.White Chocolate


2. Movies about horses


3. Gingham


4. Store bought cards


5. Mariah Carey on American Idol


6. Tankinis

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A(meh)nda

P.S. Did you see Justin on Ellen?!

Playlist Party

Hello!

Here's a playlist of some fun songs, since it finally feels like spring. Take these with you on a ride on your bike, an outdoor party, a trip to the farmers market or ________ (fill the blank)! 

Ironic- Alanis Morisette 

Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap

Short Skirt, Long Jacket- Cake

Wildest Moments- Jessie Ware

Clocks- Coldplay

Cosmic Love- Florence and the Machine

Pusher Love Girl- Justin Timberlake

Here Comes Your Man- Meagan Smith

Zombie- The Cranberries

The Rain Will Come- Wooly and the Mammoth

Little Bird- Ed Sheeran

anything from the 500 days of Summer soundtrack

Hope you like!!

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Amanda

P.S. About the font colors- I don't know, I felt like it!

A Grandpa and a Ceremony

"Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friends." - "We Can Work it Out" The Beatles

This is the greatest gift you can give someone. To learn to take advantage of the now, because it passes way too quickly. My grandpa Irwin, my mother's father, just passed away this Thursday and now I fully grasp what this saying means.  He was such a mensch, which is Yiddish for a person who possesses admirable characteristics, such as fortitude, firmness of purpose and compassion towards others.  Just a couple months ago, we went to visit my grandpa in the hospital, he had been declining in health for a long time, and the nurse had brought him lunch; a chicken salad sandwich, water and chocolate ice cream. He had only eaten half of the sandwich and when my brother came to his bedside, my grandpa offered him the other half of the sandwich saying, "Here, you should have it." My brother said, "No, thank you grandpa, it's for you," but grandpa insisted. He was concerned about my brother, while meanwhile he was lying in hospital bed attached to an IV. Another story that I was too little to remember, but was relayed to me by my mom was when I was four or five I was watching my favorite Disney princess movie “Beauty and the Beast” and my grandparents were watching it with me. When the ballroom scene came and the teapot started singing “Tale as Old as Time,” I curtsied to my grandpa and he bowed and we danced together to the song. Even though I don’t remember this, it brings tears to my eyes. He was such a great man and I miss him very much.

That was the first significant event of the last week. The other was a ceremony I attended in honor of my Uncle Mike being promoted to Brigadier General in the Army Reserves! It was an amazing ceremony. It took place in Virginia at the Fort Myers Officer's Club (If you know where that is, great! If not, it is just outside of Washington DC) and there was a speech made by a Major General, he took the oath, was adorned with stars of a general and my brother and cousin presented him with a pistol and holster, and he made a lovely speech and thank yous at the end. The food was delicious and it was awesome seeing that side of my family for a second time that week. It was such a special week that someone at the Journal News found out about it and wrote a story about the weeks events.

You can read it here

More soon, 

Amanda

AMEH LIST

1. Skittles


2. Recreated fairy tale movies


3. Tap dancing shows


4. Popular brand name shoes


5. Disney Channel stars (doomed from the start)


6. Fake Cheese

More Later <3

Amanda

Beach Yoga, History, and Good Books

Hello Everybodyyy!

How was your spring break? Hopefully relaxing because we are not getting another one until June! I'll tell you about my spring break...

I went to Amagansett, the town neighboring Montauk, which was chilly, but not chilly enough to keep me and my mom from taking beach yoga pictures! (see below :) and I got a new hat! It's very british, don't you think?

I celebrated Passover with my family which was really in-depth Jewish learning and hysterically funny at the same time. My family does Passover like this; singing with ridiculous hand motions, term paper threats, heated debates, it doesn't get any better.

I also went to DC which was a little warmer and really fun! I went to the Newseum for the second time; it also happens to be my second favorite museum, the Museum of Modern Art being the first.  And I went to the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian and saw the First Ladies exhibit which was incredible.  They had dresses from almost every first lady in the history of the U.S. and sometimes the shoes and jewelry that they wore during that time. It was really cool to see the evolution of fashion as the title of first lady was passed through the centuries.  See below the dresses of Mary Todd Lincoln, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and, of course, Michelle Obama.

That night I went with my family to an awesome restaurant/bookstore called Busboys and Poets. The fact that it is a restaurant and a bookstore immediately makes it awesome. Picture a big space splashed with bright colors and comfy furniture amid high-stooled tables. The name, Busboys and Poets, comes from the story of how the African American poet, Langston Hughes supposedly got his start. Hughes was a waiter at a nearby hotel and one night he was serving a famous American poet. Langston slipped a few poems to him and the next day the famous American poet wrote about "The busboy poet" and Langston got his start. The environment of the restaurant was very down-to-earth and college town-y and even on the inside of the menu there was a tribal statement that insured the peaceful atmosphere.

I think the best thing about this Spring break was getting to see family. As George Burns, the famous writer, once said, "“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” These are words to hold on to.

"The Book Thief" is the best book I have read in a long time. Maybe forever. Here is an excerpt of the New York Times review of it: "Markus Zusak has not really written 'Harry Potter and the Holocaust.' It just feels that way. 'The Book Thief' is perched on the cusp between grown-up and young-adult fiction, and it is loaded with librarian appeal. It deplores human misery. It celebrates the power of language. It may encourage adolescents to read. It has an element of the fanciful. And it's a book that bestows a self-congratulatory glow upon anyone willing to grapple with it." See? SO GOOOOD! If you aren't reading another equally good book (trust me, you're probably not. But if you are, comment the title and author. I love book suggestions!) then start reading this one!!

I'm interviewing for a school job this week, so wish me good luck!!

I'm going to go eat some chocolate chip banana bread now, a great way to end a great spring break!

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Amanda

My Meh List

If you've  ever read The New York Times Magazine, you've read the "Meh List," the list that asserts "What's not hot, but not not, just Meh." I loved this idea so much that I created a "Meh List" of my own, and coined it the "A-meh List" as in A-meh-nda.  I will post my "A-meh List" every two weeks and it will state in six words what's not "uh huh", but not "nuh uh," just A-meh.

A-meh List

1. Pictures of feet (on Instagram)

2. Ruffled potato chips

3. Glee

4. Zombies

5. Zebra Print

6. Crackle Nail Polish

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Amanda

Goings On

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven’t written in a while! I’m really really sorry!!!! But I’ll make it up to you with a mega-post!

So Spring break is coming up which makes me super excited!! If I were yogurt, my expiration date is waaaay overdue (for a vacation that is). And that goes for warm weather too! I cant bear looking in magazines advertising shorts and bathing suits and t-shirts anymore! Okay I’m getting a little melodramatic.

How do I spend my Wednesday nights? Finishing homework and watching the ABC trifecta. A.k.a. the best night for TV, The Middle, Modern Family and Suburgatory. I look forward to Wednesday nights.

Oh and didn’t you love Sofia Vergara’s dress for the baby boy episode? Again with the warm weather clothes.

Do you get better at cooking as you get older? I was assigned a simple broccoli soup recipe and I ended up having to pour half of it in the garbage. BTW, soup in a garbage bag is the grossest thing ever. 

I may not be a great cook but I do love food, especially food that is grown locally. Check out my latest video on Taiim Falafel shack! *Spoiler Alert* I get to taste every kind of hummus under the sun. YUM

My friend, Akisa, told me about this really cool app today, Gifboom. It is kind of like instagram, but instead of pictures, you share Gifs. According to my mac’s dictionary: 
GIF |jif|
noun Computing
a popular format for image files, with built-in data compression.
ORIGIN late 20th century: acronym from graphic interchange format
Or my definition: A bunch of picture-thingys that move really fast together like a video. It looks like one of those flipbook things that you make with post-its when you’re bored. Anyway, it sounds like a really cool app that is destined to be ridiculously popular so I would check it out.

Ooh! I just came up with this realy cool theory that if you mix around the letters in your name, you will get a really cool name or a really stupid one that some celebrity will end up using. Exibit A: Amanda- Nadama, Madnaa, Danama, Adnama, Madana (that last one is cool).

Shoutout to my brother who is turning 12 tommorrow!! :D
 Click here for more shoutouts.

I will do a whole post about my spring break and passover which I am very excited about!!!!!

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Amanda

A Jumble of Things

This week has been CAH-RAY-ZAYYY. As Stephanie the quintessential made-up valley girl would say. One thing led to the next and lets just say it hasn't been cool runnings. (Get it? like the Jamaican bobsled movie? Haha). This is going to be a jumble-of-things post so bear with me. 

I just started a hip hop class that I LOVE, although I was just informed that it is not hip hop, but street jazz, a mix of hip hop and jazz, which makes it even more lovable and cool. I have never taken that kind of dance before and it is so swagilicious. Yeah, I said it.

I also found my dream pair of high-waisted shorts in the Delia*s catalog that I have been looking for ages! Yay!

Project Runway had their second unconventional challenge. Finally they did duck tape!!! I was disappointed though, they could have been much more creative! 

I am watching Disney's Earth movie and the visuals are spectacular! And the baby animals-adorable.

That's all for now! I need to go study for a gigantic science test! I will try to post more this week!

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Amanda