Life Update: San Fransisco

Last week was Exploration Week at my school, and I got to travel to San Fransisco. I'm not sure if anyone read my post from last year's explo week, but basically once a year my school organizes a week in the spring called Exploration Week. It is a week full of trips to places in the US (along with a few local Boston trips) that are supposed to give students a chance to travel and learn things about the world that they might not otherwise learn in school. There are trips such as 'The South Trip' where they get to travel through the south and learn about the Civil Rights Movement, or the 'NOLA' trip where they travel to New Orleans and help rebuild homes that were struck by Hurricane Katrina. The trip that I went on this year was 'Bay Area Protest Movement', which traveled to San Fransisco, California to learn about activism during the time of the AIDS epidemic.

Not only was it a lot of fun going to the Bay Area and being in a warmer climate, but it was also one of the most educational trips I could have gone on. We met with a handful of speakers who lived through the epidemic and lost their friends and partners, and they told us about their struggles and how they overcame. We learnt about what AIDS really is, how it is received, and how to prevent from getting the disease. 

If you ever get the chance to travel somewhere, I really suggest learning about the history of where you are and meeting with locals. It made the trip even more amazing than if we were just there as tourists. Also, I got a lot of great photos from the trip and I thought you might enjoy them!

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Schools Out For Summer by Alice Cooper

Healthy Habits: Grain-Free Brownies and Blondies

Moist Chocolate Brownies (Made w/ Beans)

Now I know what your thinking, "beans in a dessert?!" I also thought that this notion seemed too good to be true. How is it possible that a chocolate brownie made with beans would taste good? But believe me, they do. If I didn't tell you what they were made of, you would never know. My brother (being one of the pickiest eaters out there) even enjoyed the treat. It tastes like a classic fudgey brownie, and its healthy too. If you are grain-free or just looking to add more nutrients to your diet, these brownies are the most delicious way to do that.

Recipe

Ingredients:

15 ounce can black beans (or 1½ cups cooked beans), thoroughly rinsed and drained.

¼ cup melted coconut oil or other oil/melted fat of choice

⅔ cup sugar or more to suit your taste

2 tablespoons chia meal or flax meal, or one egg

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor bowl, add the beans, oil, sugar, and chia meal. Puree until smooth           and beans are indiscernible.

3. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour/spread into a greased or parchment lined 8 x 8 inch pan. The batter will not be             deep.

5. Bake in a preheated oven 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes         out clean.

6. Cool before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container.

source: http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/black-bean-brownies-grain-free-vegan/#_a5y_p=1440616

Chocolate Chip Blondies

This dessert is a less kooky recipe for an equally delicious treat. For you chocolate chip cookie lovers, these blondies share the same great taste in the form of a brownie. Made with almond flour, these blondies have the perfect consistency while still being grain free. They are super easy too make, but since they are grain-free if they are under-baked then the cake itself falls apart really easily and crumbles a lot. Best eaten warm, and a really good addition to a bowl of ice cream!

Recipe

Ingredients:

2½ cup blanched, extra-fine almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

½ cup grade B maple syrup

½ cup coconut oil (melted)

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup enjoy life chocolate chips or a combination of chips and chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix the almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. This will get thick and almost         feel like an eggy consistency.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mix to combine.

5. Add the chocolate chips and spread the batter into a greased pan.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

source: http://unbageled.com/paleo-chocolate-chip-blondies/

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Star Spangled Banner (lol)