WOAH! Brownies so Fast You’ll Flip! July 19, 2011

MMMMM, Brownies.

Who doesn’t love a little choc-lately, gooey, fresh-from-the-oven treat now and then? I’m all about the brownies… but most days I don’t even have the time to turn on the oven at m apartment.

When you’re a busy little bee with no time for snack with long prep… The internet comes to the rescue.

By using the (amazing) Firefox toolbar for StumbleUpon when I ‘stumbled’ on a cooking infographic that has changed my life forever.

Ha, you guessed it. Brownies. Fast. 3-minutes-fast.

CHECK IT OUT:

I found the beautiful recipe here and here, because the original I stumbled upon was not available.  Take a look and note there are many ways to alter the recipe slightly for better results.

FOR EXAMPLE: Many people have complained the 3-minute-brownies are too dry or bland.

To compensate I added a little extra milk and a little more sugar.

—-+> THE NO MILK ALLOWED SECTION <+—-

As many of you know, I’m not a big milk drinker. Through proboitics I’ve gotten to the point where I can have dairy product now and then but once you’ve switched over to soy milk it’s tough to change back.

SO here is where I mention how when I subbed in Silk Vanilla soy milk for the milk in the recipe it was WAY BETTER! I think it’s because Silk is a little sweeter than most milks.

Let me know what you find out for your recipe twists on the 3-minute-brownie!

PEACE & LOVE

-superkait

Experience Spirituality: Question Everything! August 25, 2010

Religion. Spirituality. With so many different feelings, beliefs, morals, and opinions pushing and pulling on your conscious every day, it’s tough to find even a small spark of individualistic thinking in today’s “religious” society.

I was brought up religiously by my mom, but with encouragement to question things, too. Neither of my parents ever said: This is our religion, and we follow it without question or complaint.

Just take a look at my Plinky profile picture (left): What do you see? Myself, looking religiously committed, almost to an ironic fault. Religion isn’t all Praying Angels and Hymns, you know.

Which is probably why I’ve developed the idea that Spirituality is not just an aspect of following a religion, it’s about bringing your own experiences and beliefs into your religion and making it personal.

Don’t hesitate to question your beliefs, and when you find suitable answers or theories, stick to them. Own your spiritual life, don’t let long-standing religious beliefs influence your own beliefs too much.

One has to simply be perceptive and receptive of their environment and pick up on the spiritual ideas that are important to them.

Maybe if everyone explored their own spirituality a little more, there wouldn’t be so much religious conflict in the world.

It’s a nice thought anyway…

♥ Kaitlin Tow
Self-Taught Spirituality Guru

Thunder And Lightning Aren't So Frightening August 3, 2010

“A Thunderstorm arrives, power outage! How do you occupy your time?”

….

…

…What about time? Sorry, I ran outside at the mention of “thunderstorm”…

For some (crazy) people I know, their reaction to a thunderstorm is “Aw man, the power’s out… Hey, let’s watch a movie!… Wait… Okay well, why don’t you Google when the storm’s supposed to pass? …Oh yeah… Okay well… Umm…Where’s that flashlight?”

It’s sad to watch my peers fumble around blindly in the dark, bantering about what they could possibly occupy their time with while they’re deprived of technology for a short while.

But for me, it’s a different story. As soon as the first clap of thunder is heard and the rain begins to pitter-patter on my roof, I am the one to grab my little Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd and dart outside. Depending on the intensity of the storm I may bring my obnoxiously pink Victoria’s Secret umbrella out with me to protect my camera, but if the winds are too high I abandon all precautions and jump right into the madness.

I am the girl who Briar Cliff University witnesses dancing in the rain out in the parking lot. I am the girl hiding under a dry ledge for hours to capture the perfect shot of lightning. I am the girl who would rather sit out and watch the beauty and power of a brutal storm than stay inside pondering what to do.

So… What were you saying about a power outage? Did you find that flashlight?

Kaitlin Tow
Thunderstorm Enthusiast

Bust A Move, Blow Some Minds: Music Videos July 30, 2010

One of the perks of possessing an imagination is that you get to think about weird stuff that no one else thinks about. One of the things I am constantly thinking about is music videos.

“Pffft” I hear you scoff. “Music videos don’t need imagination!” But wait! Hold that thought…

What if you could make a music video? One for a song that’s never been put to video before. What would it be like?

Crazy dance routines?

Hot chicks everywhere?

A bit of a plot?

Animation or live action?

These are all things I’d include in making a video for some of my favorite songs. But I owe it all to inspiration. Some of the music videos I’ve seen in the past have blown my mind, and been a cause for me to think of many of my musical tastes in video format.

I’ve added a couple of my favorite music videos to the blog, hoping that they will inspire you as they have me.

Lights… Camera… Action!

Less Than Jake – The Science of Selling Yourself Short

This video has been at the top of my list for day one, and was unofficially dubbed “The video of Freshman Year at Briar Cliff University”. Less Than Jake can do no wrong, and this video combines animation, good music, sex, and band images into a fizzy mixture that tastes remarkably like rum and coke. Everything I watch this video, I notice something new going on in the background.

Ke$ha – Your Love is My Drug

Up until this video came out, I was part of the group of anti-conformist teenagers that were saying “Ke$ha sucks!!!” But now, through the powers of creative expression and animated fish, Ke$ha has won me over. She’s obviously a zonked-out hippie with a love for Love (whether or not that’s drug slang is unknown).

Kylie Minogue – Come Into My World

While it’s not super high quality, this video stole my attention awhile back when my friend Spenny linked it to me. “Watch this,” He said “and just think about how much work went into film it.” I’ll leave the rest to you, viewer.

The Bravery – Honest Mistake

Ah, the glory of Rube-Goldberg Machines. I loved The Bravery from the moment I caught a glimpse of this video on MTV. Something about the dark lighting and yellow color filter gives this video a retro, intense feel.
As you watch the video, imagine how much planning and effort went into getting the video shot and to and the machine to work just right.
…And wait for it, there’s a twist at the end.

YELLE – A CAUSE DES GARCONS

Note the skinny jeans. These guys are from Europe, and I was so completely awed by their amazing dance moves that this video made my list. I can’t understand the lyrics, but the choreography in this is just too good to pass up, and I really enjoy the music as well.

The things my friends said about this video were mostly “LOL NOODLE ARMS”, which is understandable, considering their arms are all over the place. But I would love to try to dance like that at parties, and not get beat up. Bust a move!!!

Even though most of these videos and songs are close to my heart, I’m always open to trying new things; so please feel free to post music videos that have inspired you or are just cool to watch. I’ll be on the look out for more cool videos to post for you.

Kaitlin Tow
(Dreadful) Dancin’ Fool

Adventures in Cheap Snacking July 28, 2010

Plinky, every time you prompt me about food, I always have to try not to dwell on the thought of it, especially in light of my dairy allergy.

I was once a typical adolescent girl; ice creams and chocolate were my comfort foods. Been there, done that. Now I can’t have milk products AND I’m a broke college student. What’s a girl to do?

Well since I’m rather smart and cunning, I’ve devised a few clever recipes for comfort foods for the non-dairy and cost-conscience.

First on my list of cheap treats is the latest favorite among my colleagues: Graham crackers and frosting.

Graham crackers run about $3 a box (because you can’t buy the generic brands – they don’t taste as good and get stale more quickly) and you can get almost any kind of cake frosting for about $1.50 (I usually go for the Pillsbury kind with the sprinkles to satisfy my inner child). And this is a treat that will last you a while too (depending on how much of it you eat!)

Another twist on this treat is to try graham crackers with peanut butter, which is another of my favorites.

Second on my comfort food list is all about the fruit, which tends to be a lot more expensive when it’s not in season (like it is here now). My friends and I take a couple nights a week to create a fruit bowl smorgasbord , complete with chocolate syrup, powdered sugar and peanut butter for toppings.

The fruits I’d recommend are strawberries, apples, and bananas, but you can choose whatever your favorites are to add into the mix.

The last food on my list of comfort might surprise you, until you take notice that I work in a bakery-cafe (Panera Bread Co)… Baguettes and butter! For me, there’s nothing like the taste of fresh bread. Plain or with butter, dipped in soups, with coffee on the side, or even a little peanut butter on top if I’m feeling crazy.

I’m still young and in the midst of my journey to find delicious non-dairy snacks, but hopefully this will get you off to a good start.

Stay yummy!

Kaitlin Tow
Recovering Milk Addict

Eureka! The Answer Was “Trees” All Along! July 9, 2010

As those who have glimpsed my Plinky account know already; I was so overwhelmed by my “Freshly Pressed” feature, that I didn’t know what to try next. I love using Plinky for inspiration, but I don’t want my blog to rely on prompts.

I want my blog to be as passionate as I am, and let’s face it; I can’t be passionate about everything Plinky prompts me to write on.

But no fear! For today I came up with a wonderful solution to my blogger-block… StumbleUpon!

As a tool that conforms to my preferences and interests, it’s great for finding internet content that I am passionate about, no hassle! Plus it’s just fun. We all know the StumbleUpon jokes… “Just ONE more click before I go to sleep…”

But despite its sleep-depriving difficulties, StumbleUpon is one of my favorite ways to get inspired — both in ways of artistic creation and in writing.

My scheme was this:  I was going to StumbleUpon a suitable page and allow it to inspire me. Unfortunately it took several clicks to find something blog-able but this list snagged my attention:

10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World

I just finished taking a Botany class, but my fascination with trees goes back much further. I have my own little list of favorite trees, be sure to check out the interesting facts I’ve collected about them too.

Tree-lovers, unite!

SUPERKAIT’S FAVORITE TREES:

Maple Tree

I grew up with two Sugar Maples growing in my front lawn. Despite its seemingly commonplace abundancy in the Midwest and New England states, the maple tree is one of my favorites for a couple of reasons.

First of all if you have never tried real maple syrup, then you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s nothing like store-bought syrup and is absolutely to die for when served on pancakes.

Another reason I like the Maple so much is because of how beautiful they are in autumn. Fall is my all-time favorite season, and there’s nothing like a pile of red-orange Maple leaves for playing in and stuffing into big plastic pumpkin bags for Halloween.

Drive through Minnesota in fall and you’ll see why people love them: They really add to the atmosphere with their vibrant fall colors.

Birch Tree

Back home in the great state of Minnesota, a birch tree grew outside my bedroom window. It used to blow against the house and knock on my window at night, sometimes scaring the shit out of me, but it was generally a great tree to have around.

I love birches for more nostalgic reasons than practical or aesthetic reasons, but I used to like peeling the paper-thin bark off of birch trees and writing messages to my friends on it.

Giant Sequoia

So majestic, as noted in the aforementioned “10 Maginifecent Trees” post.  However, as one of the worlds largest trees, the Giant Sequoias made my list for one cool reason: they’re so big they can be made into car tunnels!

That itself just blows my mind. I can’t wait for a chance to drive out west and find a place that I can drive under one of the worlds most majestic trees.

Weeping Willow

Another tree that I grew up around in my Minnesota home and grew to love dearly was the willow. While it was not necessarily in my backyard, our neighbor had one and it was one of my favorite places to play growing up. In Botany class I learned how the bark of the willow trees (Salix) gave rise to modern aspirin. A very important tree, no doubt!

They are a graceful, fast growing tree that is very good for landscaping. The only downside to having a willow tree on the lake in Minnesota is that it attracts all sorts of bugs when it’s muggy out.

But that’s small price to pay for beautiful tree as this. Also: did you know that Shakespeare made regular allusions to willow trees in his plays and poems?

Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree

As the most beautiful tree I have ever heard of, but have yet to see in person, the Rainbow Eucalyptus is one of my favorite trees to look at pictures of.

Isn’t it beautiful?

The tree’s bark sheds at different times of year, revealing the bright-green inner bark. as layers get old, this then darkens and matures to give blue, purple, orange and then maroon hues on the trunk.

Pretty nifty, eh?

Apparently the Rainbow Eucalyptus tree is a major pulp wood tree for making paper in the Philippines.  Man, what I wouldn’t give to see a whole grove of these in season!

…So there you have it, folks! I love trees. Also, I highly recommend looking up more pictures of the Rainbow Gum/Eucalyptus tree to get the full experience. (:

Happy surfing!

Kaitlin Tow ♥
Amatuer Botanist & Tree Hugger

Ex-Milk Drinker Awaiting the Chance to Relapse July 6, 2010

Plinky‘s gone and come up with a new prompt that snagged my attention… “What I Lost and Want Back”.

E.J. tells me that prompts are for suckers, but I beg to differ. My views on prompts is formed thus: Every once in a while, you get prompted with something that really makes you think.

I saw lots of people respond to this prompt on Plinky with “my mind” or “my sanity” but since I never had anything like that (sanity – now that’s what’s really for suckers) I was a little stuck. What is missing in my life that I’ve had and want again?

Ex-boyfriend? Nah.
Innocence? Pshh, I didn’t lose that! (Didn’t you read my first blog?)
My old car? I upgraded.

So in my simplistic and well-rounded life of little-lost, I’ve decided that the one thing that I’ve lost and would like a chance to reclaim is… MILK!

I hope that won some quizzical expressions from some readers, because very few of you know about my ailment: I’m allergic to cow’s milk!

I found out last summer via blood tests (almost a full year to date, actually) that I had a moderate allergy to cow’s milk and certain cheeses, particularly American cheese & cheddar.

A little strange, a little out of the ordinary, but bothersome nonetheless. For those who’ve experienced the food culture of the Midwest, you are already mourning for me. For those that haven’t, let me clue you in…

…Almost every typical homemade dish of the Midwest includes dairy products in the form of either milk or cheese and therefore I have sat sulking in the corner at all of our recent family dinners in Minnesota. If you’re interested in learning a little extra about the food of the Midwest, I’d recommend this article I stumbled upon earlier today:

Food in United State Midwest Region

I have many colleagues in the chemistry & medical departments of various colleges that have already resolved to “Fix” me before I die — but you’re welcome to join in the search of a cure to food allergies.

While that’s happening, I’ll just be sitting here by the river, waiting for the day that I’ll get to drink one more cold glass of milk, eat another ice cream cone, or taste the richness of homemade lasagna again.

Happy Belated 4th of July, everyone!
- Kaitlin Tow ♥