I don't know about any of you readers out there, but I, Anji Cooper, am an extremely competitive human being. In my mind, almost everything is a competition, and almost nothing motivates me more than competition. An easy example of this is an exercise competition my friend Ursula and I had back in... February?  Here's the little story behind it. Back in December, I got a Fitbit Charge for Christmas. Since then, I have found that I quite enjoy the product, it helps motivate me to get more exercise, because really, it's almost shameful to look down at my wrist and see I only got 3,000 steps in a day. I have to at least get to 6-7k. 
Anyway, this isn't a product review (though, I highly recommend fitbits, because in my humble opinion, I see them as making exercise more fun). Back to the competition. On the fitbit app, there are several challenges you can challenge yourself and your fitbit friends to. One of these challenges is called the Workweek Hustle. You can challenge up to ten people, I believe. The point of it is to see who can get the most steps inbetween Monday and Friday. So, let's just put this out there. I wasn't doing a sport at the time, and Ursula, was doing ice hockey for ANC as well as for the Lady Patriots. I knew that if I even wanted any chance of winning, I was really going to have to step up my game. (pun intended) 
Monday, Ursula and I were really into it. Staring each other down as we paced across the classroom before each class began (on mondays we have all the same classes.) By the end of the first day, I had over 20,000 steps. Only once before had I gotten 20k steps, and that was when I'd been walking around in the woods all day. And this time, it had been a school day. That whole week, I had the minimal of 20k steps. Reaching even 30k and on Thursday evening, I even got to 35k. How did I do this? I would get on the treadmill as soon as I got home, running for a while, and then walking. Stopping only to eat dinner and do homework for a short time. 
This challenge was pretty even. Ursula didn't have time in the evenings to run/walk, so she literally got up at five in the morning every morning to go on a run. I thought it was a little bit insane, but then again, I was saying up late on my treadmill, so I guess you could say that we were both going a little crazy. By Wednesday, both Ursula and I were tired out, and decided that we would never, ever, do this again on a school week. It just took up too much of our time. I actually was eating lunch at 10, in class, so during our lunch period I could go on a walk. It was a crazy week. By Friday we were both so tired out that we decided no walking past nine. We would both take out fitbits off after nine and be done with it. 
At the beginning of the week, we were both very into the competition, taunting each other and everything. By Friday we were both so tired by the extremes we had taken it to that we were so ready to be done. It came rather close. I won with 140,174 steps, but Ursula was quite close on my heels with 137,737. And that week, I dusted my dad and Zia in the step competition with over double their step amount. 
This shows that yes, Anji Cooper is highly competitive and competition motivates me to work harder. I guess you could say for the fitbit, that it was in a good sense because well, I was getting a lot of exercise and  I ate so much food- like 1,600 calories worth- and I could because of all the calories I burned! Very satisfying. 
Now, Ursula is rather competitive, but Ellie Taylor, my sophomore friend, and I get very competitive with each other. About almost everything. It's rather entertaining, actually. We compliment each other as we're throwing insults at the other. Yeah, we're competitive about a lot of things but the one thing that we're the most competitive over is the dumbest thing in the world. Super Smash Brothers. Yeah. a video game. Now, you may be thinking, wow, a video game, that's the dumbest thing in the world. I agree with you. It's seriously so dumb. Both Ellie and I acknowledge that it's seriously idiotic, but does that end the vicious competitive aura when we play? Nope. Not one bit. 
If one were to listen to a conversation between the two of us as we fight on the video game, it'd probably sound like we're mortal enemies, that is, until we both burst into laughter at one misplaced comment. It's fun. Like seeing who will break the comeback streak first. (It's usually not me.) 
I do believe the highly competitive aura stems from two things. One, we're both seriously competitive people, and two, we've been playing this game since when we were eight or nine. Ellie taught me to play it on her Gamecube back when I was in third or fourth grade. And then we got it for my wii. We played that game almost every day in my fourth grade year. It was an interesting year, let me tell you that. And then it kind of faded out. We'd occasionally play it, but usually chose to play Legend of Zelda over Smash. But recently, our obsession has risen up again. 
This time, it's even more intense. One, because we're older and two, because we're equally matched now. Slash, it is my personal opinion that I have now surpassed her skills in the video game, but she'd probably kill me if I said that for sure, so, haha, I leave it at 'personal opinion.' The thing is, Ellie is very used to beating me easy when it's just me against her, but now, I have beaten her countless times in the game. And given, she's beaten me as well (not as many times recently.) And it just gets very heated and intense between us when we're playing, especially lately. 
Now, I do strongly believe that having a bit of a competitive edge in a friendship is a good thing. But last week, instead of being a fun competitive thing, I feel like we were both about to punch each other in the face. Haha. (not actually) We've since then decided that maybe instead of facing off against each other, we should, instead be on the same team, to avoid situations like that for just a short while. I think that things were getting actually heated between the two of us because neither of us like losing much. Since then, both Ellie and I have acknowledged that it's the stupidest thing ever, arguing over a video game. Not that this hasn't happened in the past, there was quite a grumpy experience that occurred when playing Skyword Sword, but Ellie would legit kill me if I actually told that story. It might've been one of the low points in her life story, haha. 
Basically, I just want to say that competitive friendships are often good and they provide a good spice in friendships. I personally find more competitive relationships more entertaining and fun, because of it. I just thought it was funny to bring up- how competitive my friends and I could be. 
Anyway, thanks for reading, 
-Anj
P.S. I realize that I am a supreme geek for playing things like Legend of Zelda as a child, and know I am a ultra supreme geek for playing Smash now. I accept the title with pride. 

This quick and easy one pot recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It’s creamy with just the perfect amount of garlic flavor. I really enjoyed making this pasta and am definitely planning on doing it again. 
​
Recipe originated from DamnDeclicious.net

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes depending on the pot used
Yield: 4-6 servings 
(my family of four couldn’t finish it but it really depends on the people you’re serving) 
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced, actually if you just slice the garlic, the flavor seeps into the pasta just as well. 
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk, or more, as needed (I’ve found that yes, more is needed so make sure you have extra ready)
2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine or linguine or any noodle pasta, really
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves- optional, it tastes delicious without, possibly because I don’t really like the taste of fresh parsley sprigs
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, milk, butter and fettuccine; Note: MAKE SURE THE PASTA IS FULLY SUBMERGED- season with salt and pepper, to taste. Which is kinda hard since you can’t taste it yet. Use it sparingly and then add more when you can taste the pasta. 
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 18-20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

A while ago I posted a picture of my cookies ‘n cream cupcakes and said I’d post the recipe I used, and here it is. I found this recipe on Pinterest, I’m not sure which pin exactly but I didn’t make up the recipe, I just added and changed a few things. I’m just sharing the fantastical recipe I used with all y’all. 
The actual recipe calls for putting oreo in the icing, the only reason I didn’t was because I ran out of oreos. You’re going to need a lot of oreo cookies for this recipe. Two family sized boxes would be the best, to be safe. I made these cupcakes again about a week later and did use crushed cookies in the icing- it was delicious but the icing is just as good without the cookies in it. My only warning about putting crushed cookies in the icing is CRUSH THEM VERY WELL if you plan on using an icing bag. I ended up accidentally breaking three icing bags (RIP) because the oreo bits were too big. It was rather frustrating. 
While I was growing up, everyone always said making cakes from scratch is very difficult - which is why my family always used the box mix. Now that I’ve started baking myself, I don’t believe that. Making cakes from scratch is easy (for me, at least) as long as you don’t overtax and you follow the basic directions. 
Anyway here’s what you’ll need:
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter at room temperature (salted or unsalted, both work, I personally prefer salted)
1 ½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups milk
1 cup of crushed Oreo Cookies  You can use 1 cup, but I prefer to just use a row and a half to two rows. To crush them just stick ‘em in a plastic ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to smash them up. Make the pieces big and small so there’ll be some variety in the cupcakes. 
30 whole oreos
Mini Oreo Cookies for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pan with liners; set aside. 
Note: When filling these with about a quarter cup of batter each, it makes about 27-30 cupcakes
 In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time,  mixing until incorporated.  Scrape down sides of bowl and mix in vanilla.
Add flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour.  
Fold in crushed cookie bits.  Scrape down sides of bowl. 
Spoon a small amount of batter into the bottom of each liner.  Put a regular size Oreo Cookie on top.  Continue to divide batter evenly among liners on top of the cookies, filling each about 2/3 full.  (use about ¼ of a cup)
Bake until cake springs back, approximately 18-20 minutes. Until they spring back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean. (I use both methods but remember the toothpick might get some of that oreo cookie on it) Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.  When cooled, top with buttercream icing and garnish with mini Oreo Cookie.


Vanilla Buttercream Icing
​2 sticks of butter (I used salted)
4 cups of confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup of crushed Oreo Cookies One and a half rows of crushed oreo cookies
3-5 tablespoons half and half fat free milk depending on how thick you want the icing to be
Crush oreos, except this time make sure the pieces all small enough to get through an icing tip. 
Using a mixer, beat butter until it is fluffy.  Add 3 cups of sugar - one cup at a time - mixing until it’s completely incorporated.  Add vanilla, milk, and cookie bits along with the last cup of sugar and mix together, adding more milk until the icing is the desired consistency.  Pipe icing onto cupcakes and garnish with an Oreo Mini.

Delicious, healthy, and easy to make, what's not to love about Chia Seed Pudding? Last summer I was dying to try to make some of this stuff, but my sister convinced me not to. This time, I was not so easily persuaded, and I'm glad I wasn't, because this stuff is spectacular.
Let's talk ingredients, shall we? First of all you'll need chia seeds. Here are only a few health benefits of these little things. 
(Information on Chia seeds from authority nutrition)
1. Chia Seeds Deliver a Massive Amount of Nutrients With Very Few Calories
A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains:

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.
• They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.

Despite their tiny size, chia seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They are loaded with fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients.
2. Chia Seeds Are Loaded With AntioxidantsChia seeds are high in antioxidants that help to protect the delicate fats in the seeds. They also have various benefits for health.
3. Almost All The Carbs in Them Are FiberAlmost all of the carbohydrates in chia seeds are fiber. This gives them the ability to absorb 10-12 times their weight in water. Fiber also has various beneficial effects on health.
4. Chia Seeds Are High in Quality ProteinChia seeds are high in quality protein, much higher than most plant foods. Protein is the most weight loss friendly macronutrient and can drastically reduce appetite and cravings.
5. Due to The High Fiber and Protein Content, Chia Seeds Should be Able to Help You Lose WeightChia seeds are high in protein and fiber, both of which have been shown to aid weight loss. However, the studies on chia seeds have not noted any effects on weight.
6. Chia Seeds Are High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids7. Chia Seeds May Improve Certain Blood Markers, Which Should Lower The Risk of Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes8. They Are High in Many Important Bone Nutrients9. Chia Seeds Can Cause Major Improvements in Type 2 Diabetics10. Chia Seeds Can Improve Exercise Performance as Much as a Sports Drink11. Chia Seeds Are Easy to Incorporate Into Your DietGreat stuff, huh? Yeah. And the next thing you will need is almond milk. Almond milk is great for improvement of vision, weight loss, stronger bones and a strong, healthy heart. It aids in building strong muscles, maintaining a good blood pressure as well as maintaining a properly-functioning kidney.

Honey, which is also a great sweetener because it 

• Helps with allergies 
• is great for boosting energy
• Boosts Memory
• helps to cure coughing
• aids in sleep
• Treats Dandruff.
• Treats Wounds And Burns.

And then, adding vanilla is optional. And that's all you need! Sounds amazing, right? It tastes even more amazing. 
I really love having a quarter or so cup of this stuff for breakfast. The best part is, it's hard to get tired of this recipe because you can top it with anything. The toppings make a difference in the taste! But any way you top this, it will still be delicious. 
This recipe is taken from here. 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups almond milk (I recommend the homemade recipe I posted a bit ago)
6 Tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon honey
Toppings (coconut, honey, almonds, fresh fruit, etc.)

Instructions:
1. In a sealable jar, mix together all the ingredients save for the topping. Mix by shaking the jar, and then proceed to whisk together the ingredients. The whisking ensures no chia clumps will form.

2. Refrigerate overnight

3. Top and serve 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do,
Anj

Exciting news, guys! Weebly has just added a new feature. This feature makes it so that y'all can subscribe to my blog. If you were unaware, that means that it will notify you when I make a new blog post. That means if you subscribe to my channel here, you won't have to miss any of my (random and weird) blog posts :) 

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A delightful, healthy and fairly easy dinner that’ll impress your entire family. I simply love making these- they’re perfect for a dinner and all the leftovers I freeze for lunches to take to school. (I usually make a double batch) I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. The thing says 2 rolls is a serving, but honestly, one is filling enough for me. 
Taken from thekitchn.com
Makes 4 2-roll servings
8 lasagna noodles 
2 cups finely chopped baby spinach, from about 3 ounces
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2/3 cup shredded cheese, such as mozzarella, Romano, or a blend, divided
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper 
1 cup spaghetti sauce
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-x9-inch baking dish.
Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of salted boiling water according to package directions. Remove when they are al dente and lay out on a clean towel to dry and cool.
Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, 1/3 cup shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and a generous quantity of black pepper.
Divide the spinach and cheese mixture evenly between the noodles, spreading the mixture over the entire length of each noodle. Roll up the noodles from bottom to top, and place in pan, side by side, touching. Pour the tomato sauce over the rolls, and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup shredded cheese over top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and the sauce is bubbling.

Enjoy! 

Thanks for reading, 
Anji 


OH AND HUGE UPDATE: Y'all can now subscribe for updates when I post! Just add your emails to the subscribe bar to the right (or on the bottom, if you're on a mobile device) 

UPRecently, my sister and I have gone on a little bit of a health craze. I blame the up and coming spring break. Anyway, this health craze has brought quite the large quantity of almond milk into our fridge. (For smoothies, healthy desserts and my most recent craze- Chia Seed Pudding, but more on that later.) Anyway, I've looked at the nutrition labels and the store bought almond milk has a lot of stuff added to make it sweeter and last longer. 
Me, being me, decided it might be fun to try out making my own almond milk. Personally, I think this attempt was rather successful. My only issue with this homemade almond milk are that there are still tiny tiny bits of almond in it. Never the less, it's a lot healthier than store bought almond milk and I'm sure I wouldn't notice these almond bits in a homemade ice cream, smoothie or in my chia seed pudding. If you drink almond milk, you may want to get a jam strainer or something. The reason there are still little almond bits in my almond milk is because I only have a fine mesh strainer, and it's not quite fine enough. maybe a cheese cloth or something would be more effective. 

UPDATE 4/13/16: I used a cheesecloth over my mesh strainer. It was a little hard to get all the moisture out, you'll have to squeeze it, but after about two strains the homemade almond milk will be silky smooth! I love it! This is great because it's only really two needed ingredients and there is no sugar added and no preservatives or anything. You know exactly what's in it.

Otherwise, I highly recommend this recipe. It will go great with the chia seed pudding recipe that I will be posting in the near future. (GUYS, CHIA SEED PUDDING IS SO SO GOOD.) 
(FYI, I did not create this recipe, I got it offline, enjoyed it and decided to share it with y'all) 
Anyway here's what you'll need: 
1 cup of whole almonds 
3 1/2 cups of filtered water plus more for soaking 
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (optional) 
Sweetener (Honey, Stevia etc.) 
Instructions: 
Take one cup of almonds and fully submerge them in water for a minimum of eight hours. (I left mine in the water for about a day) 
After the almonds have been soaking in the water for at least a day, strain and add them to a blender along with your filtered water.
Now just mix the almonds and water together on high speed until there are only little bits of almond remaining. About two minutes. (This is the time to add the vanilla and sweetener. Add it until the taste suits you.) 
All that's needed now is to strain the almond bits out. In my opinion, this was the hardest part, probably due to the fact that I didn't have the proper equipment, but whatever. It still works. Anyway, you just need to strain your milk and then you're done! Yay. It was that simple.
(Tip, I strained my almond milk about five different times, and it has considerably less almond bits in it :)
Store in the fridge. 
Thanks for reading and wish me luck in exams, aha, 
-Anj