Making Brownies... the Heathly Way?!

     Over the years I have come to the realization that I really like chocolate. If you make a pan of brownies, I can devour them easily. As I have grown up though, I have tried to make my obsession
into a healthier way. I recently found my love for dark chocolate, and it is proven that dark chocolate is not bad for you at all, in moderation of course. I have also learned to use new ways to make a healthier version of a chocolate brownie that doesn't taste bad if you make it right.

 

     There are many ingredients that you can easily substitute out. In brownies you need some sort of fat and the usual go to is butter, but instead you can use one avocado. You are probably thinking, ew no gross, but you can't actually taste it. The next substitute you can do is take out vegetable oil, and switch it for coconut oil. Over the past year or two, I have noticed a great increase of people using coconut oil and I can't believe I didn't switch to it sooner because it tastes just the same as vegetable oil or olive oil, and it is so much better for your body. Another substitute is sugar, instead you can use coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is a bit more grainy so if you don't like that kind of texture you can just use regular sugar. This is not a substitute but it does give your brownie more crunch and flavor, you can add walnuts, pecans, or any nut that you think would taste the best in your brownie and trust me, it makes a difference. Last substitute, is instead of using milk or semi sweet chocolate chips, try dark chocolate, it gives the taste of your brownie a deeper flavor.

 

 
     I made these brownies a couple of days ago and personally they did not turn out right for me because my avocado was not very ripe, and it made it very hard to get it to a mashed creamy consistency. Another thing that went wrong was you need to make sure the coconut oil is completely melted before you add the chocolate and then you mix the coconut sugar when the chocolate is creamy and still warm, that will decrease the amount of graininess, practice makes perfect though! Overall I think this recipe is great for people who really love brownies and don't want to give them up and you can add a cheeky scoop of vanilla ice cream.

**you can get the complete recipe from; Love Tanya by Tanya Burr, or you can google 'Tanya Burr Healthy Chocolate Brownies'**
**picture provided by Tanya Burr

Having a Job in High School

     Growing up, I have always been the baby of the family because I have three older sisters and they have all graduated high school and two of them have already started their adult hood by having children. Basically for me growing up, I have always tried to do what my sisters did when they were in high school so that includes, what classes they took, sports they played, jobs, etc.

     After my sister turned sixteen, Shelby, she took a job at our local grocery store, so I always knew that I was going to get a job when I am sixteen and try to balance sports and school with it. A job has always been in the plan because that is what I grew up with. As I am going through high school though, I have noticed different ways people look at jobs. Some of my friends have been working since they were fifteen because they want to get a jump start on saving for college or they just want money. Other people I know, do not have a job because the sport they are interested in and committed to does not give them any free time to work. Then there are the kids who focus solely on school and have no time. At work I sometimes get questioned why I am working at young age, but it is because I want experience, and I want to show future employers that I can stay committed to one job for a long period of time, also I need money for college.

     Getting a job in high school has given many good experiences and has shown me what I do well at in the real world and what I do not do so well at. For my job I am a cashier and a floor worker, and to be a cashier you have to be very friendly and patient. I have learned I am not friendly to people who are not friendly to me, and I am not a patient person, I thought I was but after doing this job for over a year I know I am far from it. I have also found out that I do better with hands on things, like getting a list of things to do for the night throughout the store and that could be stocking shelves, cleaning, making sure everything looks neat, etc. When you get a job, you are not just earning money, you are learning new things about people, about how things work in the real world, and how to follow rules so you don't get fired.

     Personally I believe that if you have the time and you balance many things at one time, a job is something you should do in your high school time. At times you feel like quitting because your  friends are hanging out and you never can because your free time is spent at work or school is becoming too difficult to balance, but in the long run you will look back and be happy that you had a job. Here is a tip, make sure you get a job in a place where you know you will be somewhat sort of happy doing because you don't want to look back on high school and have horrible memories from your job.

Making a Murderer

     There is always that one show or movie that maybe a couple a times a year, something big will come out that everyone is talking about. For example, when the first Hunger Games came out, that movie was what everyone was talking about. Sometimes a word or saying becomes popular that everyone uses, for example, the whip, when the whip became popular you saw people on TV shows doing it, random people around town doing it and saying it. Right as 2016 hit, though a certain Netflix show became very popular. Making a Murderer, as soon as it hit Netflix, everyone was saying "Have you seen that new show?", "You need to watch Making a Murderer!", "It is so addicting.", and not just in America is this show popular, it has gone global.

     There are many reasons why everyone is so interested in this show, but there is one reason that stands out from the rest. The man who this show is based on, was sent to prison for 18 years because he was assumed guilty for raping a woman. The reason his sentence is so long because the man would not say he did it. Steven Avery, the man sent to prison, knew he did not rape that woman so he was not going to lie, no matter what happens to him and he stayed in prison for 18 years for something he did not do.

     Steven Avery comes from a small town, and everyone in that town knows who the Avery's are, and not in a good way. The sheriff and local police, especially do not like the Avery's and they find reasons to give them tickets, or arrest them. As soon as Steven Avery, gets accused for rape, one man in particular really made sure that Steven would get convicted guilty and his plan ended up working.


     The success of this show is because no one can understand how a man who is not guilty, stay in prison for 18 years of his life, and have no one find actual biological evidence that he did not rape that woman. The twist is, since he was in prison for so long, that can do things to your mind that you would have never thought of doing in your life, but prison changes you. Many things were manipulated, in order to make sure Steven Avery would be convicted guilty, not only physical evidence, but people's minds. This show is a must watch because you get to see how one man who was starting to turn his life around, get it taken away in a matter of days for no solid reasons. This one mistake from the police force, made an innocent man into someone no would ever recognize again.

Book Review: Saint Anything

     After Christmas, I had received a few gift cards to Barnes and Noble, so I decided to just go through Barnes and Noble website and search for some books. When I came across "Saint Anything" by Sarah Dessen, I was really pleased with the summary of the book. When it comes to the author, Sarah Dessen, I usually put her into the drama romance section and when I read the summary for this book I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The description said that the book was about a girl whose brother has always been the better sibling in terms of popularity, she is used to being invisible. But when her brother gets into serious trouble, all the attention is put on her to not end up like her brother, but yes there is a twist of romance in there.

     Throughout the book, Sarah Dessen, will have the main character, Sydney, look back on memories to help us readers understand why she is. Sydney is used to being invisible because her brother gained the most attention from their parents, peers, and even teachers. After her brother gets into an accident that ends up to him going to jail, Sydney becomes the prodigy because her parents have always had high standards for their children. The two siblings have lived the privileged life with the perfect house, private school, best cars, etc. Even though Sydney and her brother have all of that, their life is not as perfect for them as it seems.

Here is where the romance kicks in that Sarah Dessen, is known for. After everyone finds out about the accident with her brother going to jail, Sydney feels she should switch from private to public school. Sydney couldn't face the people at school because it felt like people were treating her as if she had killed someone instead of her brother. When Sydney switches schools, she instantly finds a best friend that becomes very important throughout the book, and through this best friend she finds her first love.



Sarah Dessen

     The book has many turns in it, from family issues, to friend issues. I feel like this book is Sarah's best because it showed more of how a friendship can really help you life instead of she found the love of her life and her life is complete kind of thing. It also shows how a girl who has everything, really has nothing until she finds the right people who help show her the beauty of life. I recommend this book to anyone because it does give you good life lessons on how to open up and how to go through life in the best way possible.

**pictures provided by Google

Recent Deaths in 2016

     When the new year rolls around, we have the ideas of new things we want to start doing and all of the things we want to change. For some people though, they didn't even get to start anything in their new year. Recently we found out about the death of David Bowie, Alan Rickman, and Glenn Frey. Those deaths shocked the world and what's crazy is, they still had a lot left to do in their lives, so many projects that won't ever be touched by them again, and so many records and movies that they will not grace us with their presence in.

     David Bowie was a very talented man. We knew him best for his voice and ability to make amazing music and not only that, he was very successful for his acting ability too. David Bowie had so much more to do, and actually two days before he died, he had released his album; "Blackstar". The success this album has had is incredible, and the sad thing is, he doesn't get to be here to witness the success and to be congratulated like he should be. The loss of David Bowie hit harder to the 60's-80's generation because they were able to really appreciate all of the talents. David Bowie died at the age of 69 from cancer, and hopefully some day there will be a cure because cancer really sucks.

  

  Alan Rickman or better known as "Snape" from Harry Potter, also died at the age of 69, four days after David Bowie died and also because of cancer. Alan Rickman was very famous for his role in Harry Potter, we saw his dark side and in some very rare, soft sides in the movie. Not only did he act in that movie, Alan Rickman, acted in other very successful movies, and he was a director. The death of this man was closer to my heart because I grew up watching Harry Potter, and Professor Snape was definitely a character to watch, he did such an amazing job coming off as the man who has no emotion and loves no one, when in real life, this man is so caring and so loving.

    
  
Glenn Frey was an absolute legend, this man was in the band "The Eagles", and boy did he not stop for anything. Glenn Frey was still very present in the music industry when he died, this one was a huge shock. Glenn Frey had been not only a guitarist in his band, he could play the keyboard and the piano. This death also hit the hardest for the 60's-80's generation as well when he first founded the band "the Eagles". Glenn Frey died four days after Alan Rickman, from intestinal problems at the age of 67.

    


     As when every year starts that is when people think that they can leave their problems in 2016, but in all reality you can't. 2016 has started as a wakeup call really, the people you used to look up to is dead because of things that we have not found a good cure to. Hopefully as the year goes on we can find good ways to pay tribute to these amazing people.

**pictures provided by Google
    

Why January is the Worst Month of the Year

     It is a new year so there is a new me ! How about no. Everyone knows that whatever goals you set, they will go down the drain as soon as January 2nd hits. The less goals you know you won't meet,
the more depressed you will become. Also yes, December 31st-January 1st, are all about partying and celebrating new things, but as soon as that wears off you start to realize there is nothing to look forward to in the near future. No holidays no nothing.

     January is probably the worst month because there is that huge build up to Christmas with all of the gift giving, eating lots of good food, and just relaxing because hey, Christmas is coming. There is so much joy and celebration in the months of October, November and December with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas to all look forward to. Once January hits, that is when you get the cold bucket of water dumped on you telling you it is time to get back to work or school. You also become very sad because the next thing that is coming up is Valentines Day, and lets face it, not many people really look forward to that, unless you are a chocolate lover.

     If you are going back to school or work, January is your wake up call. Holiday is over, no more sitting around doing nothing and no more staying up into the late hours of the night binge watching Netflix. You have to go back and maybe face finals at school, or huge work projects that are going to be put into action over the year. January feels like when you just wake up and realize you have to go back to school, dread.

     On the other side, January could be the month where you extend your holiday vacation time. You could have a job that pays you well, or you worked very hard leading up to Christmas so you could relax for most of January. January could be the month where you just sit back and think about what you accomplished last year and what you want to accomplish this year.

     This post has turned into more of a rant on the why I strongly dislike January, but there has to be other people who agree with me. Personally, January is just a lost month. January is like a belly button, they are pointless and you don't get excited over belly buttons, unless you pierce it but I don't like needles, so that is not happening. My point is, January has nothing to look forward to and it brings disappointment for many people, not all but many.
   
**pictures provided by Google