OVER 100 POSTS!

Hey peeps.
I JUST REALIZED that I've written over one hundred posts on this blog!!!
This post is number #105, in case you're wondering.

It feels surreal to me, and although 105 posts might not seem like a lot to you, it feels like a lot to ME, me who is on a quest to being a writer.
I'd like to thank all of my followers and supporters for reading my blog, following, and commenting!
Somebody once said that writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised every day, or else it will seize up (remind me who said this? It's brilliant).
I believe this is true and although I don't write every day, I come close to doing so, not only on my blog but in my homework agenda, my diary, sticky notes, and letters. Writing truly is a passion and this blog has helped me in so many ways to become a better writer.

Speaking of passions, most of you haven't ACTUALLY met me PHYSICALLY, which means you probably don't know that I play guitar... I don't blog about it much. The reason for that is, I have way too many activities going on in my life and I feel I can't consecrate time to practicing guitar outside of my one-hour class each Wednesday... so I'm thinking of giving up on it.
But thinking of GIVING UP on something makes me feel terrible about myself and I am overwhelmed with a deep sense of guilt. I feel that my dad, with his "it's your choice, I guess..." is extremely disappointed in me, that my guitar teacher is extremely disappointed in me, and, most importantly, I am disappointed in me.
This question, whether I should continue guitar or not, has brought on a lot of stress to my thoughts lately and therefore, I ask you, do you have any insight to offer?

Any piece of advice will help.

Love you all. :)



MATH CLASS


I believe it's important to keep a sense of humour in life. Although I might not always remember to, when I'm in an uncomfortable or stressful situation I try to look at it through a stranger's eyes and see what could be funny about it.
An example where this applies is...  in math class.

I am definitely not a math person. I prefer english, history, and geography let's say, a thousand times more?
Despite the fact that I have an awesome-math-genius neighbor in my math class who helps me out whenever I don't understand something, I often am on the verge of a mental breakdown because I find math so. complicated. And most of the time I don't get just WHAT is the point of learning all these complex theorems and properties.
Anyway, I try to see the humour in those moments... I think the image above pretty much sums up what I look like in math class.

If I had all the time in the world...


A day, to me, is just too short.
Sometimes I feel like with school and homework I have almost no time left to myself, and to do all the things I love.



If I had all the time in the world;


I would bury my soul in books,

spend hours at the bookstore,

contemplate life over a cup of tea,

write until the tips of my fingers hurt,

run until my list of favorite music exhausted,

travel to India, Thailand and Canada,

take long walks under the early morning sun when the air is crisp,

snuggle for hours on my bed with my two darling cats,

spend hours at starbucks or outside with my friends,

go out and practice taking pictures of anything interesting I find,

dance and  dance and dance with my Irish Dancing club until my toes are numb,

create and try new recipes to share with those I love,

and finally, do all of this while getting  the sleep my body longs for.



Do you relate?

Sunday is a baking day

Hey guys!
Just wanted to post some pics of what I baked last weekend.
To me, a perfect Sunday afternoon means getting together with friends and baking while listening to all styles of music.

We listened to metal while baking these absolutely divine Maple Pecan Shortbread Squares...





...And to hits from the 80's while baking these totally scrumptious vanilla cupcakes.










Oh, and by the way, one of the friends I was baking with owns this totally awesome baking blog. Please check it out (warning: her food is very tempting):

Don't you just love baking?

Liebster Award #2!!!

Around Christmas, I was nominated for my second Liebster award. :D
I know, I know, we're in FEBRUARY now, but at least I'm participating, alright?!
I am super honored to be part of Ayesha's nominees. Thank you, Ayesha! <3




Here are the rules of the Liebster award:
  • Link back to the nominator 
  • State 11 Facts about yourself
  • Answer the 11 questions given to you
  • Nominate 5-10 New Bloggers with less than 200 followers
  • Give those nominated 11 new questions
Eleven facts about me:
1. I started Irish Dance and Modern Jazz (which I used to dance when I was seven until ten years old) this year; and I love them both!
2. I want my career to involve writing. Recently I've been thinking about script writing.
3. I have two little kitties who snuggle with me at night <3
4. I want to travel the world.
5.I ride my bike to and from school every day, even if it's raining, snowing, and if it's super windy!
6. I have a needle phobia.
7. Cleaning and organizing makes me feel very calm and in control.
8. I'm an overachiever and overthinker. It gets bad, sometimes.
9. I read. A lot.
10. I like debating. I recently learned this about myself.
11. Friends are one of  the things I value most in life. I love my friends! But I do cherish "alone" time; just being by myself to sort out my thoughts when things get too hectic.


Ayesha's questions:


1.When and why did you start blogging?

I started blogging in September, 2012 and why? There are so many reasons! First of all, I want to be a writer and journalist so I thought it would be good practice and second of all, I feel that there is always so much I want to say to the world and never enough ways or time to say it... I thought blogging might be a unique opportunity to do so. And it has! Lastly, it's because I'm vegetarian and I LOVE baking and cooking so I wanted to teach people how easy and important it is to respect animals all while eating fabulous food!


2.Who is in your family?


This question would normally have a very long answer, but I'm going to make it as short as I can.
In my immediate family there are my parents, my little brother, Lorenzo, and my baby kitties, Olive and Gaspy. The rest of my big, big family lives in the US (my mom's side of the family) and in Argentina (my dad's side). Then there is my non-blood-related family: my friends. I could not live without them. They are such a big part of my life; that's why I feel I can consider them as "family".


3.What is your favorite food?

My favorite food? Only ONE?! You need to know I am pretty much obsessed with food. There is an endless number of  taste combinations out there, and I just love trying them all! 
I guess I would say my favorite foods are chocolate, peanut butter... watermelon, apples...
OH, and how could I forget? I ABSOLUTELY ADORE INDIAN FOOD. 



4. 5 things that make you happy?

Your questions are killing me, Ayesha. 5 things that make me happy:


reading and writing;
running;
dancing;
baking;
chilling with my friends!


5. What is your favorite piece of jewelry?


Earrings, definitely. I wear them every day. 


6. If you had to wear only one color all your life, which would it be?

Hmmm... I wear a lot of black and gray, but I find  bordeaux red just beautiful. But you can't go wrong with black. So I'd choose black.


7. Whats in your handbag?

Besides the obvious items (phone, wallet, keys) I always, always, always carry a hairbrush. Otherwise my hair would constantly be a total mess! I also carry a pocket mirror, lip balm, a little pen and notebook, a guitar pick (yes, I play guitar) and... a snack (nuts, or dried seaweed...)!


8. What is your favorite beverage?

Tea. Tea. Tea. Always tea. 


9. Who is your role model?

Ayesha. I cannot have one role model. It's simply not possible. I admire Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Taylor Swift, Gary Yourofsky, John Green... and many, many more!

10. Which do you pick? Comfort or glamour?

I'm not sure I can answer that. Comfort is much more important; I know that. But how fun it is to be glamourous! 


11. One thing you can't live without?

Ummmm books? Tea? Friends? Physical movement? My laptop? ;)
Probably optimism. A negative mind will never bring you a positive life.



My nominees:
1. Beth Claire @ bethiquette
2. Mindy @ ~Broken Eggshells~
3. Crap Teenager @ Crap Teenager
4. Mathilde Mounier @ La Saison des Gâteaux
5. Laura @ Laura Plus Books
6. Emily Beth @ oh, how {sweet} it is
7. Ajeng Adianti @ Basic X Classic

I realize, my dear nominees, that you might not all be interested in participating, but if you are, here are my questions to you!

1. If you were of the opposite sex, what would you want your name to be?
2. What is your favorite season?
3. What meal do you like the most in a day?
4. How many hours do you sleep at night?
5. Books or movies?
6. A skill you wish you had but don't?
7. What is your favorite social media?
8. Your favorite type of vacation?
9. What is it you like the best about blogging?
10. Do you have any siblings?
11. Your most cherished possession at the moment?


I hope you enjoyed reading this! Thank you again, Ayesha!

African Chickpea Coconut Curried Stew

I've got some good news for you.

You don't have to spend hours searching for what you're going to serve your friends. You've got your answer right here.

This African Chickpea Coconut Curried Stew will blow. your. mind. It has all the qualities you expect from a winter dish: it's comforting, flavorful, soupy, stewy, carby, and spicy.






It's perfect over rice or wheat.

Oh, and it's vegan.

I got this recipe from a friend about two years ago. Since then I've made it what, ten times? And you should know this about me: no matter how good a recipe is, I usually use it only once or twice because there are just too many recipes out there and not enough time to try them all.

Okay. Enough blabbering. Here's the recipe:




AFRICAN CHICKPEA COCONUT CURRIED STEW

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), chopped
  • 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and peeled, fresh or canned 
  • 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
  •  On the side, prepare a pot of rice or wheat to serve the stew over.


Directions:
  • In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. 
  • Add the bell pepper, onion, and chili. Cook, stirring, until softened, for about 5 minutes. 
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. 
  • Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. 
  • Add the remaining ingredients and cook, again stirring occasionally, until heated through, for about 5 minutes. 
  • Serve warm over rice or wheat and enjoy!