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)

Look Book: What is Black, White, and Red All-over?

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Love Yourself - Justin Bieber

Blog Update: 100

Today marks a milestone. This is the 100th post on Sixteen Once since I began the blog two years ago, and I have reached over 100 followers within the past two weeks. Its such a weird feeling to see that number pop up all over the blog. It has taken a while to really get this blog going, but I feel like today is really the start of something big.
For those of you who read my blog weekly, I am so thankful for your support and I would also like to apologize for those weeks that I didn't post. I had many reasons for missing some Fridays, but it was mostly due to laziness. Keeping up a weekly blog is one of the hardest time commitments I have ever made. I have never been able to keep up journal writing, so this platform has made me work really hard to come up with content that is worth publishing each and every week. It is much harder than I thought. But, after two years of blogging I have finally reached a point where I know what I'm doing, and I'm proud of what I'm publishing.
Something else crazy about reaching over 100 followers is that people have begun commenting on my posts. beforehand I had one friend who commented a few times, but now there are people I have never met before telling me about themselves and what they think of Sixteen Once. It is such a good feeling hearing what real people think, and I would love to hear from more people so that I can learn how to make this a blog that they really want to read. This blog is as much for me as it is for my readers, and there is no better feeling than knowing that there are more and more people out there taking their time to visit this page (and I don't have to force them to do it).

I just wanted to take this week to thank everyone for supporting me. This is the first week where I really feel like Sixteen Once might be going somewhere, and it is all thanks to you. It took some time to hit the ground running, but now that I know that there are people out there, who I have never met, who care about me and what I have to say, It is only going to make me and Sixteen Once stronger and better. I do this for myself, but I also do this for anyone out there who will listen.

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Out of the Woods - Taylor Swift

Healthy Habits: Valentines's Day Treats

Yogurt Dipped Ombre Strawberries

1 lb. strawberries
22 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt (or any plain yogurt)
Red food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

Divide yogurt into 4 small bowls; one bowl with no coloring, one bowl with 2 drops of coloring, another bowl with 4 drops and the last bowl with 6 drops. Mix colors well and set aside.

Dip the strawberries into bowls of colored yogurt and place them on a baking sheet to set, freezing for one hour. Remove strawberries from the freezer and re-dip each into the colored yogurt. Place them back into the freezer for another hour or two until ready to serve.


- See more at: http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2016/02/yogurt-dipped-ombre-strawberries.html#sthash.oHvteTv8.dpuf

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pomegranate Candies

- fresh pomegranate seeds
- chocolate chips
- cupcake tray lined with cupcake wrappers

If you choose to do so, you should lightly oil the wrappers before placing anything in them. This ensures that the paper will come off easily, but this step may not be necessary. Melt chocolate chips to make a sauce in either the microwave for about 1 minute or on the stove in a double boiler (You can also add about 1 tsp oil per cup of chocolate chips before melting to achieve a smoother sauce). Set aside. Place some pomegranate seeds inside the pre-oiled cupcake wrappers—about 2 tbsp but depends on size. Finally, cover the seeds completely in melted chocolate and be sure to touch the sides of the wrapper to get the jagged edge effect. 

Freeze to set the chocolate covered pomegranate candies. They can be kept in either the fridge or freezer, and can stay out at room temperature for a few hours if your home is not very hot.


Read more at http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2015/02/05/heart-healthy-homemade-chocolate-candies/#2pQYRxzBpM5OKY1D.99

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Summer Lovin' - Grease

Life Update: Making the Most of a Snow Day

I woke up this morning, and received the best news ever. School was canceled due to snow! So then I had to decide what to do all day.

I started off by going to the gym, and yes I walked there. Then after an awesome Zumba class I came back home and ate a light breakfast while watching Netflix (I just started Glee from the beginning). Then I took a relaxing bubble bath along with a cup of coffee. Exactly what I needed after a stressful week of school. And finally, I painted my nails and took some fun shots in front of the mirror. It wasn't very eventful, but there is nothing more rejuvenating than a calm day at home.

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: The Only Exception - Paramore

Helpful Tips: 7 Ways to Truly Enjoy Winter

The winter is cold, and I'm not really a cold weather person. But there are ways to make this season more enjoyable. Tricks for healthier and brighter skin, sweet treats, and tricks for rejuvenation on snow days. 
Whatever it is you need more of in your life lately, long winter days are the perfect time to restart and begin new routines and habits. 
I did my research, and found some bloggers with expert tips for this winter season. I will definitely be trying these out, and you should too. 
Even if you start with one thing, your winter is bound to be the most enjoyable yet.

1. How To Take Care of Your Hands During Winter: Best Lotions and Masks

2. Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and Homemade Salted Caramel Marshmallows

3. 5 Things You Should Do Before Bed

4. 7 Ways to Add Coconut Oil to Your Beauty Routine

5. Nutella Hot Chocolate With Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows

6. Winter Hair Problems, Solved

7. The Sweet Life Part 5, Winter Warming Bath

xoxoxo

Nina

Song stuck in my head right now: Everybody Dance Now - C&C Music Factory