Vivian Vana Stevens
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I'm Vana, and this is my blog.


A Few of My Favorite Things

9/27/2019

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So, yesterday was my birthday, and I thought it would be fun to do a “few of my favorite things” post. I have a lot of favorite things, but the more I thought about it the less I wanted to talk about material possessions. I thought about my true favorite things and my favorite parts of yesterday, this past year, and my life as a whole. Realizing I’ve been alive for a quarter of a century is a little surreal and gave me time to contemplate what I’ve found to be important. Warning: this will get a little sappy. Here are a few of my favorite things:

1. Quality time with my friends and family.

Whether it is an evening hanging out with my husband or watching Bachelor in Paradise with my friends, a weekend with my parents or extended family, my wedding and seeing a lot of Adam and I’s friends and family in one place, the skype chats with my close friends from graduate school, or a phone call from my high school friends, they all mean so much to me. Quality time is my number one love language and I’ve found that I really cherish the company of others. I hope I can get better at reaching out on my own to keep better communication with all of my family and friends, but I'm grateful for the talks that I have and have had.

2. Thoughtfulness.

Yesterday my sweet friends decorated my office, a coworker bought me my first maple bacon donut, and I had so many kind and thoughtful messages from texts and social media that made me realize how lucky I am to have so many great people in my life. No one had to message me or get me anything, but they all thought about me enough to reach out and it meant a lot.

3. My sweet pets.

Almost 2 years ago we took in sweet Leo, and now 2 months have passed since Ace came into our lives. I am so grateful for those fur babies and the love they bring to our household. 
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4. My faith.

Something that constantly helps me push through good and bad days is my faith. My faith that rough times will pass. My faith that I am growing and learning every day and that I am not who I used to be and that is ok. My faith in God and his plan. My faith that giving back to our community and to others is a worthy investment of time. My faith in that you reap what you sow, and that the work we put in today will reflect in what happens in the future (for most things).

5. Strength.

The past 3 years have shown me a lot about myself. Some of it my own, but I’ve always known I could be a strong person. Mostly it is the strength in others. Learning to rely on my peers, my team members, my supervisees, my supervisors, my friends, and my family’s strength. I heard in a presentation recently that a bad team member or supervisor can sometimes have the “superhero” complex that they have to do everything on their own for it to be done right, and that it is faster to get it done than to teach others. It is a toxic mindset that does not allow growth for others, but also puts a lot of pressure on an individual. It is a mindset I used to live in. I’ve found that I work with and have worked with incredibly talented and capable people who are valuable and can contribute if they are given the autonomy to. It is one of my favorite things. I’ve learned to see the strengths in others and to trust them and rely on them, and hope that they also know they can rely on me.
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Adventures of Ace: Corgi Puppy Weeks 14-17

9/24/2019

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Here we area gain catching up on the past few weeks of Ace's life! I had a small typo as it will actually be the weeks 14-17 since we have already talked about week 13. If you are raising a corgi pup or maybe just love dogs in general I hope this is a fun and helpful read.
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Age: 14 Weeks Old
Ace has really adjusted to us at this point and is becoming very open. We noticed that he only barks when he wants attention whether that be from us, strangers walking by, or other dogs. We had our first visit to the Three Dog Bakery and he had a blast! He loved all the fun smells, and we got him a new harness, collar, and adorable OSU bow-tie. At this point Ace is 95% bell trained. He rings the bell whenever he wants to go outside and has not had any accidents. Sometimes he even takes naps by his potty bell so he can ring it when he wakes up. Ace had another round of shots and another de-wormer, but we are on the right track. Ace can consistently sit and is better at "down" or "lie down". He weight about 10lbs at the vet's office so he has almost doubled in size since the first week we had him (wow!) and his coat has thickened out into a beautiful and shiny black.

Age: 15 Weeks Old
We started off this week with Ace's first day of obedience school! We went to K-9 Kinetics in Stillwater, OK and Ace did pretty well. He was not the only pup there, there were about 8 dogs and 16 people in total. We were very proud because for the first time Ace was surrounded by dogs and people in close proximity but he did not bark at anyone! He really showed us how well he can "lie down" and even learned how to get on and off of objects. There were several other things covered in the class, but these were some fun ones he really started to master. We went to the Three Dog Bakery again as a reward which was great! Ace has been having a lot of energy in the evenings when we get home from work so we've started to be more intentional with play time and taking longer walks. It has really shown because he is back to sleeping almost all the way through the night. 

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Age: 16 Weeks Old
Ace had his second week of school this week and he worked on "drop it", "leave it", and "bed". He is doing really well with his training and seems to have a lot of fun doing it. Adam and I have started waking up earlier to take Ace on a 20-30 minute walk every morning and it has helped Ace and us alike. We feel more active and motivated but it also gives Ace a chance to stretch his legs and run out some energy. He also has slept through the night every single night since we started doing it and I think it is because we wake up earlier so he is not waiting quite as long (who knew 30 minutes would be the difference). Instead of using treats for all of our training we've started taking some of his dinner and using the pieces as treats to do training before feeding him the rest, that way he is not overdoing the calories. We also have started trying different bones to help with his chewing habits. We are steering clear of raw hide for now but have been trying some natural fruit and meat bones. He chews through them really quickly but when he gets restless they can really make a difference! During week 16 we also took Ace on his first stay at a hotel. The power went out in our apartment for about 7 hours so at 9pm we decided to get a hotel for the night. Ace did not respond to it well at first, but after about a half hour in his crate he adjusted and went back to sleep. The new bones really helped with this.

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Age: 17 Weeks Old
While school was canceled for this week it did not stop us from learning many new tricks! We worked on "be sad", coming when called (even in busy places),  and "heel"-ing. He has this really cute habit of sitting with Adam and I in the restroom whether it is to go or to take a shower. It feels like he is guarding us but I think it is just because he likes to be around us. We did have to discontinue giving Ace rope toys because he chews them to the point of eating them and they are rough on his stomach, but he does really well with rubber toys. His favorite game is still tug of war or "chase" with the cat. We switched up his diet (the slow integrating way) to the Hills Scientific Puppy formula and his bathroom breaks have become more consistent. We went in to the vet for more hook worm medication and to get Ace's weight and he is up to almost 14 pounds! He has over doubled in size and is now half the size he will be in less than a year. We are shocked our sweet pup has grown so much but he still has quite a bit more to go. Stay tuned for more updates next month!

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Classic Country Rum Cake

9/23/2019

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Last Christmas was the first one spent without my grandmother, Connie Otto (or CiCi to us grand-kids). My grandmother was a phenomenal chef. She could cook almost anything, and she could bake too. She was the type of person who always had a dessert or appetizer on hand for when company came over, and we couldn’t visit without gaining 5+ pounds in a week from all of the delicious treats. A classic one I remember her making is her Rum Cake. It is very simple, with a glaze to match, and reminds me of the sliced pound cakes served in coffee shops. This weekend I felt inspired to pull from her recipes (courtesy of the book my Aunt Becky made with all of CiCi’s favorites) and I found myself fixated on the Rum Cake recipe. After making it I realized there was no way I could keep it in the house, Adam and I would eat the whole thing if we did! So I brought it to work where it was devoured by lunch. Check out the recipe below: 
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Classic Country Rum Cake

Cake Ingredients:
- 5 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1 & 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp rum extract/flavoring
Directions:
- Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another (I melted and cooled the butter before starting)
- Slowly mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until smooth.
​- Pre-grease a cake pan (i chose a bundt cake pan) and pour in mixture.
​- Bake at 300F for an hour. When done make glaze:
Glaze Ingredients:
​- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp rum extract/flavoring
- 1/2 cup water

Glaze Instructions:
- Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook at high heat until it begins to boil.
- Once the boiling mixture looks clear bring the heat down.
- While the cake is still hot, pour over the top and let it drip down onto and into the cake. (I used a bundt pan for the cake so I removed it from the bundt pan before glazing it).


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At home my husband and I enjoyed it with some chocolate ice cream, but we brought most of the cake to work after letting it refrigerate over night and it was a hit!
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Pumpkin Spice Protein Shakes

9/19/2019

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Leo is also a fan!
It is fall ya'll, and that means that pumpkin and pumpkin spice are pretty much everywhere. Whether that is good or bad for you, it is unavoidable at a point. For me, it is one of my favorite times of year and I go full force with all things pumpkin, so it seemed only natural to come up with a healthier alternative than the oh-so-coveted Pumpkin Spice Lattes or Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew coffees at Starbucks. Here is the shake that has become a staple in my home this fall, I hope you enjoy!
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Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake (Serves 1)

Ingredients (1 Serving): 
¼ can Pumpkin Puree (no added sugar)
¼ Cup Vanilla Yogurt
½ Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I have Sprouts’ Brand)
¾ Frozen Sliced Banana (or 1 cup ice)
1 Cup Coffee or Milk of Choice
1 tsp Pumpkin Ppice
(Some pumpkin spice to sprinkle on top for aesthetic)
(If needed, add additional ice for thicker consistency)

Directions:
Add it all to a blender and blend on high until smooth. It helps to put the liquids and powder in first, the pumpkin puree and yogurt second, then adding the pumpkin spice and frozen banana last.

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A Night Out in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

9/17/2019

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This past weekend I went out for a friend’s birthday and it was a blast! I have been to Bricktown in OKC a few times but have never truly explored Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. My first trip to the Outlet malls was just a few weeks ago, so Saturday night in Downtown OKC was a real treat. If you are ever wanting to get out and go to the city, or maybe you are in Oklahoma City visiting friends/family or on business and need tips on cool places to stop by, check out the list below!

1. Empire Pizza

We started our night out at Empire Pizza, a truly magical place. I ordered a slice of the Figgy Stardust, a delicious combo of Basil & almond pesto, marinated mozzarella, roasted chicken, baked ham, and figs. My friend ordered the Fat Tony, a slice including Ricotta, house Italian sausage, and red onion. We both concurred that the pizza was amazing, the environment was fun, and while it was pretty crowded because we came before the main festivities as just a party of two we were able to snag a table immediately. 
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2. The Bleu Garten

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The Bleu Garten is a beer garden that is outdoors featuring three bars (with almost identical menus), 2 food trucks, corn hole, a ton of outdoor seating, and approximately twenty TVs playing various sporting events. When we went I realized how close to sooner territory we were because all but one TV had the OU game on, but out of our group 10/12 attended OU for undergrad or graduate school so it was pretty expected. The Bleu Garten has a very laid back kind of vibe and is great if you want to play corn hole, a board game, watch sports, and just hang out. I had a blast getting to meet some of the friends in the group and the drinks were really tasty!

3. Fassler Hall

Fassler Hall was awesome! My friend and I both agreed we need to bring our other friends there. It is really nice on the inside with a huge indoor and outdoor seating area, good food, and a delicious grapefruit drink I don’t know the name of. Three of us agreed that we’d leave early to get seats at The Boom, so we were only there for a hot 15 minutes, but I liked what I saw and will absolutely be going back to see what it is about!

4. The Boom

The Boom is known for their incredible drag shows, something I was surprised to find at such a high quality in Oklahoma. The girls were amazing, and the host was so charismatic and fun! It was one of the best drag shows I’ve ever been to, and I really want to bring my husband and some of our other friends along to go see it some time. 11pm at The Boom is when it starts, but get there early if you want a seat! By 10:45 the bar was already pretty packed, and as the show began the room just continued to fill. They are doing a Rocky Horror Picture Show and serving meatloaf throughout October and the rest of September, so if you are interested you should definitely check it out.



​Personally, I am also a big fan of Bricktown’s dueling piano bar and other attractions, but for a fun-filled Saturday night this was a blast! If you are looking for something to do any of these places would be fun, and Empire Pizza is surrounded by a fun artsy community with live music and other restaurants and bars I’m hoping to check out. If you have any favorites let me know and I’ll try them!
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Cheesy Alfredo Crock-pot Meat Balls

9/16/2019

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Italian meatballs are a staple in Adam’s family and there is a recipe that has been passed down by his Gram for years. While this is not her exact recipe, after a fun phone call with her yesterday we were inspired to make some meatballs for the week! 

I am not a big tomato person; I’ve never cared for marinara sauce or ketchup or anything of that nature (I’ve actually built up an allergic intolerance to them) so these are not super “traditional” since they are made in a completely different sauce altogether. We combined a pound of lean ground beef (because it was already in the freezer) and a pound of lean ground turkey (because it sounded healthy) and added in our jar of Italian seasonings, minced garlic, and half a package of bread crumbs. All seeming pretty typical, but we also added in mozzarella pearls we found at Walmart! 

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​After rolling the balls we placed them in a crock-pot and filled it up with Alfredo sauce until the balls were coated. Then we let them cook in the crock-pot on high for 5&½ hours. We made some bow-tie pasta to layer the Alfredo sauce and meatballs on top of the pasta and viola! They were absolutely delicious! The creamy Alfredo sauce is very rich and filling, and it was great to make them in a way even I could enjoy them.

​Crock-pot Cheese Stuffed Alfredo Meatballs




​Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb lean ground turkey
12oz bread crumbs
3 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (or to taste)
2 Tbsp minced garlic
44 - 66oz of alfredo sauce (dependent on the size of your crock pot)
1 box pasta of choice
1 package of mozzarella pearls
5 eggs beaten

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Directions:
  1. Place de-thawed ground beef, ground turkey, and beaten eggs in a large mixing bowl. With hands, knead the meat together and slowly add in seasonings. 
  2. Add and knead in bread crumbs, you can add more if your balls are not holding together as the bread crumbs are your binder.
  3. Once your mix is good to go, pick up a small handful and a mozzarella pearl. Roll the pearl in the center and make into a 1.5in ball.
  4. Repeat, placing the balls in the crockpot as you finish each one. 
  5. After all of the balls are made, add minced garlic and pour in alfredo sauce until it covers the balls. We used a jar of regular Prego Alfredo Sauce and a jar of Artisan 4 Cheese Alfredo Sauce.
  6. Cook on high in the crockpot for 5&½-6 hours, or until meat is fully cooked through.
  7. With 15 minutes remaining, make the pasta of your choice to have it hot and ready to enjoy with your meatballs.
  8. This is a recipe that can be kept in the fridge and reheated beautifully, making delicious left overs!
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Ace and the Three Dog Bakery

9/11/2019

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Recently the Three Dog Bakery chain opened a shop in Stillwater, OK, and I could not wait to take Ace. The idea of a bakery just for him was too exciting to pass up, and he is even allowed to walk around inside. We first went last Sunday, and then again this past Sunday on our way back from his obedience class and I was truly blown away. 

The Three Dog Bakery is a bakery that sells dog accessories, dog treats, dog food, cat treats, and bakery items made specifically for dogs. They come in all different colors, shapes and sizes, but are made with ingredients safe for dogs. Both times we’ve visited the staff have been very helpful, warm, and welcoming to us and our pup! Through these two visits we’ve been able to try a few treats so far including: dog biscuits, a "woofie" pie, a "puptart", and marshmallow flavored minis. All of which Ace loved and devoured as soon as he was offered some! 

Ace has been known to have a sensitive tummy (some dog bones and treats can give him bad gas) but he didn’t have any trouble after eating the biscuits or baked goods from the Three Dog Bakery. We did choose to give them to him outside in the grass as to avoid making a big mess on the carpet in our apartment, but that is really dependent on treat and owner preference! If you have a Three Dog Bakery location near you and a pupper at home I would absolutely recommend checking it out, if it is anything like the one in Stillwater it is bound to be a positive experience. 
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Traditional Carbonara & KETO Carbonara

9/10/2019

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​A delicious and surprisingly easy dish to make that I found to be almost equally delicious as leftovers, carbonara is a classic Italian dish I just recently discovered. I have 2 versions of it I will include, one is very traditional that is based off of Basics with Babish and the other is Adam and I’s own healthier spin on it that is equally delicious.

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Carbonara
Ingredients:
Spaghetti Noodles
Guanciale (or thick bacon)
4oz (or 8oz) shredded parmesan cheese
3 (or 4) eggs
1 egg yolk
Ground black pepper

Directions:
  1. In a bowl, mix and beat your 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk (we ended up adding a 4th egg when doing this), add ground pepper and 4oz of parmesan cheese (we used 8oz on accident). This is your sauce.
  2. Set the sauce bowl aside post mixing and begin cooking your guanciale (or bacon if you didn’t have guanciale) on medium heat in a skillet, moving it around with tongs to keep it from burning.
    1. Start the bacon in a cold pan and bring to heat, as this will render out more fat.
  3. Once the meat is fully cooked but not too crispy cut the heat and focus on the pasta.
  4. Strain out the guanciale or bacon, keeping only about 1-2 Tbsp of fat in the pan with the guanciale or bacon.
  5. After cooking your pasta (we used spaghetti) put it into the pan with the meat so it can absorb all of the remaining fats. Make sure to mix them well together with the tongs.
    1. Keep about a ¼ cup of the pasta water in to help make everything smoother, and help prevent the eggs from scrambling.   
  6. *Quickly* pour in and rapidly mix together your egg and cheese sauce with the pasta.
    1. You have to work quickly because the only thing cooking the eggs is the heat of the pasta. Stir quickly to avoid accidental scrambled eggs!
  7. Then plate it and Voila! You have delicious pasta carbonara.


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This next version of Carbonara we did not make KETO intentionally; Adam and I just wanted to make the dish again to have less calories but to still have the original flavor. We were skeptical at first, and when the noodles came out a little to runny we were nervous we'd wasted our time. After thinking of the idea to bake it we realized that that was the answer, and the dish was absolutely fantastic! My only regret - not taking more pictures of it.
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Carbonara Casserole (Keto Friendly) 
Ingredients:
1 pre-baked Spaghetti Squash
1 11oz bag frozen zucchini noodles
1 package of thick bacon, cut into chunks
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
8oz shredded parmesan 
Ground black pepper

Directions:
  1. To bake your spaghetti squash you’ll want to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the squash in half, scoop out all of the seeds, then place it face down on a greased pan to bake for 30-40 minutes.
  2. Once fully cooked scoop out the insides of the squash into a bowl with a fork and cover to keep it warm. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Cook the thick bacon chunks in a skillet at medium heat until fully cooked, but not crispy.
    1. Start the bacon in a cold pan and bring to heat, as this will render out more fat.
  4. While cooking, beat together your egg/egg yolk-cheese mixture in a bowl until fully combined. Add black pepper to taste.
  5. Cook/heat your zucchini squash as directed on the package and add it to the skillet with the bacon. Add in the spaghetti squash as well and stir together quickly to assure everything stays warm.
  6. Cut the heat and add in your egg sauce mixture, continuing to stir and avoiding a scrambled egg situation (as it is meant to be a sauce). One fully stirred pour all of it into a baking dish of your choice (we chose a pretty small 10inx8in dish).
  7. Bake the dish for 25-30 minutes, or until firm when shaken, remove from the oven and let cool before plating. Enjoy!

If we were to do this dish again, I think we would cook 2 spaghetti squash and leave out the zucchini noodles, but they did add a very mild flavor and the dish itself was fantastic! Plus it is Keto friendly which for some is a win-win.

As far as both dishes go, the traditional carbonara left overs do not keep quite as well as the casserole in reference to being re-heated, but both still taste delicious even a few days after! 
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Best Coffee in Stillwater, Oklahoma

9/9/2019

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I have lived in Stillwater, Oklahoma since July 1, 2017 and I can honestly say that I have been to almost every coffee shop in Stillwater. With friends, on my own, or on mini-dates with my husband I’ve had the opportunity to try coffee (and other beverages) at a ton of different places. I will start with my top 5 in no particular order because I love each one for its’ own uniqueness. 

1. Balanced Coffee Co.

Balanced Coffee Co. is a place I found with my husband. We were drawn in by the chairs that float/hang from the ceiling and kept coming back for the incredible coffee. We love the classics just as much as the fancy lattes, and I see us continuing to indulge ourselves there. It is also a place I love to show friends coming in from out of town. The shop is so hipster-y and modern industrial that it is hard to believe it stems from Stillwater, Oklahoma! The lavender latte is a must try, as well as the s’mores! ​
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2. Aspen Coffee Co.

Aspen Coffee Co. is a Stillwater staple for a lot of people. When I first moved to Stillwater my coworkers raved about it and how great it was, and to be honest, on my first encounter I was not super impressed. Aspen has 4 locations and I’ve been to 3 of them, the first time being the one in the strip center next to Petco. At the time I was still new to coffee and really liked places with lots of flavors. Aspen does a great job at having different flavors, but based on this location you’d never know. The drive-through Aspen and the Aspen in the same parking lot as Sushi House better display the variety of beverages Aspen Coffee has to offer. I will say my opinion of Aspen has changed and I have come to love it, especially the last year of graduate school. I’d come in on a Sunday with my laptop, buy a latte and a cortando, put in my headphones and bunker down for 4+ hours at a time. It has a great atmosphere for studying, group projects, and writing papers. While my favorite drink there is the cortado, I have come to love their iced mocha lattes with coconut (yum!). ​
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3. Blue Spruce

Known for its’ amazing gelato, Blue Spruce has some great pour over and drip coffee! One of my favorite things is to come here with a friend or my husband and split a drip coffee over gelato or chocolate from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory down the street. The coffee quality is astounding if you like a traditional pour over with a strong flavor. Note though - this is not a place that does crazy coffee flavors or even your typical lattes. It is a place I go when I need a bitter, rich, black coffee that will really hit the spot with something sweet.
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4. The Coffee House

I have only been to The Coffee House  once, and it was delicious! What is great about this home-grown business is that it is a nonprofit, volunteer-run coffee shop that gives back to the Stillwater community. I love the purpose and the message behind it, and hope I can get in as a volunteer next spring to be on their regular schedule.

5. Tea Box

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TeaBox was a wonderful place where my graduate school friends and I could all find something we liked. Bitter teas, sweet teas, milk shakes, and most importantly, coffee! Sometimes we would get 2 drinks a person to get us through a long class, or we’d pick some up for our whole friend group on a rough day. It was a small business that seemed to pop up out of nowhere and we adored it. Quickly and without much notice TeaBox closed in June. There was a post on their social media explaining their summer hours one day, I came in to get tea on that same day and everything seemed great. The business appeared to really be growing! Then not a week or two later I came by and was told by the new owners of the building that it is closed (booooo). My friends and I are still pretty heartbroken and have hopes that it will resurface in a new location one day.

Other places to get an average to good cup of coffee:
  1. Ranchers Club
  2. The Daily Grind
  3. Granny’s 
  4. Good Little Eatery
  5. Just Wafflin
  6. Old School Bagel Cafe
  7. Red Rock
  8. Everyman
  9. Cafe Libro in OSU’s Student Union (They serve Seattle’s Best and it is awesome!)
  10. Simplicity Tea Co. (not coffee, but WOW their teas are amazing)
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Chains that we still love:
  1. Starbucks
  2. Caribou Coffee
  3. Panera Bread
  4. IHOP (ok, not “known” for coffee, but how do you pass up unlimited free refills with 24/7 service during finals week?)

Places I’d still like to try:
  1. The Daily Grind
  2. The Perk Beverage Co
  3. Roots
  4. Cafe 88 (ok, I have been, but I’ve never gotten coffee there)

Did I miss any? Let me know what your Stillwater favorites are and I'll go try them! 

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Our Take on Bokksu's Dango

9/6/2019

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Happy September everyone! I don’t know if everyone knows about it, but there is a subscription service called Bokksu that my husband and I adore. We learned about it through ProZD, a YouTuber who does Bokksu unboxing almost once a month. Bokksu is a subscription box that sends Japanese snacks and candy set to a theme each month with a tea to pair. My husband and I have enjoyed the subscription off and on for over a year or two now, and have consistently received boxes since last February. This month the box was themed around the Japanese moon festival and included more items than my husband and I could have ever imagined!

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​One fun twist about this box is that it came with a recipe to make tsukimi dango with a brief history on how dango is a staple item at the moon festival. While the snacks and tea included in the Bokksu were delicious, Adam and I could not resist the chance to try cooking something new. We researched the rice flour
, ordered some, and made dango the exact same day they came in! ​

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​To make the dango, the recipe called for a 1-to-1 ratio, but I quickly found that this was not correct. After slowly adding in water the dough became too runny, so I had to add more and more flour. I would say start with a 2 to 1 ratio (double flour to water) and then continue to add water if necessary until you can get an ear-lobe-y consistency.

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 Once the dough was ready, we decided to get experimental and add drops of strawberry extract to some, rum extract to others, almond extract to a few more, and then to leave the rest plain. To differentiate we used purple, pink, and orange food coloring gel to rub into the dough with the extract. While the dango boiled, we made a sauce (that was AMAZING). After boiling we dipped the balls in ice water, then set them on a paper towel to dry. 

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Once complete we enjoyed the dango with the sauce drizzled over alongside our Bokksu treats. It was really fun! Unfortunately, we had so much it made a ton of leftovers and the sauce becomes very gelatin-like after being refrigerated. It was a little funky for Adam, so he hasn’t had any other than the fresh ones, but the taste is the same so I really didn’t mind. ​If you'd like to make some for yourself, the ingredient lists are included below!

Dango Ingredients:
  • 1-2 cups room temperature water
  • 2 cups non-glutinous rice flour
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Sauce Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 cup White Sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 & 1/2 Tbs corn starch
(Mix in a small pot until it boils, then keep it on low heat and continue to stir)
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Why I Blog

9/5/2019

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So, as you can tell based on this webpage I am pretty new to blogging. I’ve moved from posting once a month (if that) to 3-5 times per week and covering more topics than I was before. There are actually a lot of reasons for that, the main one being that writing these posts has been a wonderful creative outlet for me. When the school year started, I was going through my academic/professional portfolio website and I just kept feeling like I could do so much more with it. I want to add more academic work and continue to build what is essentially a curriculum vitae. 

With no actual school work to complete, I thought about continuing to post on my blog. I tossed around ideas of what I’d post about, read some “blog advice” posts, and considered various themes. The only issue I ran into was that I don’t have a specific theme or area I have enough focus/knowledge on to solely post on that. It also just seemed like a lot less fun. To overcome that, I decided to keep my blog more general and to direct my blogging towards sharing ideas and experiences overall. It has allowed me to research things I’m interested in, share my favorite recipes, and so much more!
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Blogging has also provided an outlet for stress relief. Writing gives me a new focus and provided motivation to try new things I may not have otherwise. I used it as a tool to plan out a new mini-trip, to try new local restaurants, and to get more involved in local politics. I’ve also looked up a ton of new recipes I’d like to try, as well as have reached out to friends and family for a few more unique recipes I could try and post about. ​

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Lastly, I’m hoping writing consistently in this blog will slowly improve my writing skills. I have not been confident in my own writing abilities throughout my college career, and am always one to critique myself. I’ve never felt as though I have a “voice” or “writing style” per se, and I hope that I can use this to build those skills and find that “voice”. For anyone who takes the time to read this blog and grow with me, thank you. I appreciate you more than you could ever know. ​

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Dance Party at Okstate Colvin Center

9/4/2019

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This past Thursday I completed Bucket List Goal #21 by attending the “Dance Party” workout class at the Oklahoma State University Colvin center. I’ve been wanting to branch out and attend more classes, and while this one was not completely “new” to me because I attended it once a year ago, it was new to two of my friends that attended as well. Three of us have been wanting to find a work out class to attend together and decided to try three different ones for three weeks in a row. Last week we tried Dance Party at 7:30pm, and the goal was to try Barre at 5:30 pm this week and Pop Pilates at 6:30pm the week after. 
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The thing is, Dance Party was amazing. It was a really intense workout that included cardio, abs, and legs; it was fun and encouraged us to be silly, and we loved it so much I think we will end up going to this class from now on. The timing is not great, as all three of us would prefer the 5:30pm class right after work, but the class is worth the inconvenience. It was a packed room with fun hip hop music, fun moves, and some sneakily incorporated squats and lunges. Within that class I logged over 4,000 steps on my fitbit, and increased my heart rate significantly! It also made for a good excuse to stretch and hit the sauna afterwards. As someone trying to get a consistent workout routine down, I am excited to see where this class (and other exercise classes) take us!
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Tres Leches to Write Home About

9/3/2019

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One dessert I’d never made before last week includes a traditional Tres Leches Cake. A Tres Leches Cake can be translated to “three milk” cake, and is known for its’ heavy moisture and sweet flavor. The cake itself is a tasty combo of a cake batter mixed with a tasty meringue, which after baking is soaked in evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk mixed together. It is a treat my husband and I had a couple of times a year in Texas, but realized that we had not had it more than maybe once since moving to Oklahoma. Below is a recipe we used from watching Basics with Babish’s video that turned out phenomenally! We are huge fans of both Binging with Babish and Basics with Babish and refer to a lot of his videos when meal planning.

An additional thing we tried was crushing Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets and using them as a topping for the Tres Leches to add as sweet flavor and satisfying crunch to the dish and WOW! It was amazing!

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​Once we finished and iced the Tres Leches our cat Leo came to check it out. We noticed a trail of whipped cream on the counter and the culprit (in the top left of the photo) licking the left overs off of his tail. While we had a good laugh, we decided that it would be best not to take that cake to work and to just bring the other one. 

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Ingredients:
Cake:
10 eggs, separated by whites and yolks
2 cup white sugar
1&1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Pam/cooking spray
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
4 ounces whole milk
Strawberries, thinly sliced for garnish

Whipped Cream:
16 ounces heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp sugar 
2 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment:
Stand mixer
Parchment paper
2 round cake pans (10 inches)


For Fun:
Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets crunched up as a topping

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Directions:
Cake:
  • Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • First, separate your 10 eggs, putting the egg whites in one mixing bowl and the egg yolks in another. 
  • Begin beating the 10 egg whites on high in your mixer while slowly adding in one cup of sugar. Once the mixture is well beaten check to see if you have what is known as a "white peak" from your meringue. If you do, remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and start on the next phase.
  • Begin beating the egg yolks in your mixer while slowly adding the other cup of sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until it is thin and pale.
  • In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, mix it and set it aside.
  • In the mixing bowl with the egg yolks add vanilla and milk while mixing, then slowly add in the bowl of dry ingredients listed above. 
  • After mixture is well mixed and there are no lumps, remove from under mixer and add in the meringue. Hand stir the meringue in until you can no longer see white within the mixture.
  • In the two pans, spray cooking spray on the bottom of the pans. Then, cut out/fold parchment paper to best fit on the bottom of the pans, and spray the parchment paper with cooking spray as well.
  • Fill each pan about half way with cake batter (we filled it up a little over that and it was fine).
  • Then place pans in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes. 30 minutes was perfect for our oven, but it is good to have a range.
  • Check to make sure cakes are fully cooked through, then let sit to cool for at least one hour.
  • After cooling, use a knife to go around the edges of the cake and then carefully flip the pans over to remove the cake (temporarily) from its' pan. Remove the parchment paper, then place the cake back inside its' pan (repeat).
  • If your cake is taller than the pan, carefully slice off the top to make it even or lower than the pan. If your cake is a perfect height, poke holes throughout the cake with a stray or coffee stir or chopstick. 
  • In a separate bowl, add whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk together in a bowl. It should be very runny!
  • Evenly pour the milk mixture over the tops of the cakes until all of the mixture has been poured into them.
  • Place cakes in the fridge, covered with tin foil or plastic wrap, overnight (or for at least 8 hours).

Whipped Cream:
  • Once the cakes have set overnight (or at least 8 hours), you can start working on your whipped cream!
  • Beat heavy whipping cream on high with your mixer, slowly adding in the sugar and vanilla.
  • Continue to whip on high until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and spreadable.
  • Once complete you should remove your cakes from their pans by flipping them out onto the serving dish of your choice.
  • You can then coat your cakes with the thick whipped cream, making sure to get even coverage on both cakes. 
  • Then you are done! Add toppings of your choice, cut, serve, and enjoy!
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Meringue/egg white mixture for cake batter
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Freshly baked cakes
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Cakes with the tops cut off to create an even surface with wholes for the milk mixture
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    I am a student affairs professional, an amateur chef, and an adventurer at heart.

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