Halloween Treat: Chocolate Truffles

I may be in college, but I will forever be a little 8 year old girl deep in my heart. Besides the "horror" factor of Halloween, I absolutely love everything about the holiday. The costumes, the innocent, family-friendly movies (Halloweentown, anyone?!), the brisk trick-or-treating nights. And most of all...the candy!

Like many people, I have a terrible sweet tooth. I love sugary snacks the same way I did when I was younger, and quite possibly even more so!

Though I must say, as I much as I love candy, I like to switch it up every so often. And the Halloween candy available in stores starts becoming a bit...repetitive. How many chewy-fruity-juicy-explosions of tropical flavors and nougaty-caramel-peanut-butter-coconut chocolate sensations can we possibly have?!

Sure, they are all delicious, timeless, and I certainly will still munch on them even in the post-Halloween season. But there's certainly nothing wrong with bringing sweets to a higher level than those shiny wrapper-concealed candies you got for Halloween.

And thus I present...truffles! These rich, decadent chocolate concoctions are named after the wild mushrooms that they bear a resemblance to, and although they might look like simple chocolates, it's so easy to jazz them up and make them even more appetizing than they already are.

Here are some truffle recipes with added pizzazz and fun that I think would be incredibly simple and delicious. I wish I had the resources to make these chocolates when I'm at school, but I definitely plan on making these in the near future! If you have a quiet Halloween night planned but still want some indulgence, these will easily satisfy your palate.

{{Classic chocolate truffles}}

{{Oreo truffles}}

{{Pumpkin cheesecake truffles}}

Thankful Friday

TGIF everyone! I tried to blog consistently this week...but that didn't work out. It has been a hectic past few days, and all the craziness paid off when I had the honor to meet author, blogger and overall amazing woman Demetria Lucas when she visited my university and spoke to the many students in attendance. After intense planning, we pulled off a successful event and I can't be any happier about it!

My weekend will, as usual, consist of lots of homework, studying, and soccer watching. Not only will I have to keep myself motivated throughout the weekend, but I have to be sure to stay extra toasty and warm. According to the weather forecast, Philadelphia is supposed to get a modest amount of snow with a high temperature of 43ºF. Say what?!

I love that the weather is getting cooler, and this wouldn't be the first time that we get snow in October. But I'm a bit apprehensive about the possibility of snowfall. We'll see, I suppose. Until then, I have to check off the myriad of things that are on my "to-do" list today.

As I stated last week, I will write about something I'm thankful for in my life once a week until Thanksgiving. And after this very long week, I can sit back and realize that I am incredibly grateful that I have an abundance of opportunities given to me, and that I am in school and enjoying my experience in college.

I may complain about the workload, the stress, and the annoyances. I may be lazy, and I may have no control over my emotions and unintentionally let out my anger on people. But deep down I love college and I love being here. I constantly think to myself: "thank God I didn't go to school somewhere else!" for many reasons. And I would not have met the amazing people that I work with and am friends with here if I went to school elsewhere. Times may get tough, but I love learning and I love my school. Philadelphia is a great city and it's nice to be able to experience this place in a new and more mature way.

I've never been a big "school spirit" type of person, but I have no shame in showing my college pride here.

I Can Do It!: Halloween Edition

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a relaxing and fun weekend. My weekend at home was much needed. Even though I spent my time doing homework, I somehow found some time to get lots of naps and many hours of sleep in that I totally missed out on during the week.

Halloween is coming up in a week, and I may be too old to go trick-or-treating, but I still enjoy the idea of getting dressed up and eating lots of sweets. I must confess: I haven't actually dressed up for Halloween since...8th grade. I remember I was Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's that Halloween, and it was probably my favorite costume ever. Since then, I haven't had much time to think about putting together a costume.

I probably don't have time for Halloween fun this year either. But I'd like to think that I could have a little costume idea anyways. I went to the Rally for Insanity and/or Fear last October and I remember seeing several girls dressed up as Rosie the Riveter and a light bulb went off in my head. I just knew that this would be a future Halloween costume. Why didn't I think of this before?!

I may have the red lipstick and the dark hair all set, but I still need the iconic red polka dot scarf, and possibly a denim button-down shirt. To my dismay, there's no way for me to actually get some arm muscles for this costume. Such a shame! And with my super busy schedule, I don't know if I have time to pick out any costume pieces. Even if I'm not able to actually dress up as Rosie this year, I still think it's a lot of fun to think up of costume ideas and shop for fun accessories. No matter how old I am, I will always enjoy some Halloween fun.

And plus, who can say no to free candy?

Happy Weekend!

Another busy week basically finished! Although I have a lot of work to do over the weekend (and still some work I need to finish from last week...oops), I will be productive in the comforts of home. I love living in the city, but I need a break from the craziness that I have to deal with at school and just spend time with my family. Not to mention, I get to enjoy a flat screen HDTV and mom's homecooking...can't complain!

Since Thanksgiving is coming up in a month, I've decided to dedicate one post every week until Thanksgiving to something that I am most appreciative of in my life. And I can't think of a great way to begin this than with my own family!

Last year, I rarely ever went home on weekends. I was super busy with school-related obligations on campus to have time to go home, and I also didn't really want to. I just wanted to be an independent girl on my own in college. But this year, with many changes happening with my family, I feel like now is the best time to be with them and catch up on lost time, so to speak.

I may fight with my parents a lot, they may be so irritated with me often, and I may threaten to leave my house plenty of times, but they are still my family. More than ever, I realize how lucky I am to have parents who care so much and have siblings who I can inspire and guide throughout life. We may not see eye-to-eye on many things, but they are such a big part of me, and I truly feel blessed that I have a family that loves me and keeps me grounded. Sure, they have a tendency to be harsh on me in some aspects (a reason why I never felt "good enough" throughout my whole life), but it makes me stronger and I know better now that I am control in my own life. And if anything, my family has taught me that no one is perfect. They're human too. They have their flaws. No family is "perfect." That in itself is really comforting.

Without my family (the good and the bad), I'd be nothing. And I can't be more thankful for them.

Bottoms Up! ...with H2O

{{photo}}

Today, for some reason, the skin on my face felt a bit taut and uncomfortable. Mixed with my exhaustion and lightheadedness, I eventually realized that it could only be one thing: dehydration.

I'll admit, I never really drank enough water daily. Since I also drink coffee every day (and the occasional soft drink), I definitely need to be hydrated more often. I know that the "8 (ounces) x 8 rule" (a cup of water eight times a day) is a standard that has been reiterated multiple times. But in middle school health class, I actually learned that the proper way of determining how much water you need to drink is to take your weight, divide it in half, and that would be roughly the number of ounces of water you need to drink daily.

So I did that little calculation (and no, I won't share my weight...tsk tsk), and I do not drink nearly as many ounces of water that I should. So how to remedy this dehydration? Plan and simple....have water on me at all times!

I have an aluminum reusable water bottle that I used on a regular basis, but unfortunately its use has only been dwindled down to the times I go to Zumba class (which, also unfortunately, has dwindled as well). Making a habit of carrying water with me will ensure that I will not be dehydrated throughout the day. Plus, it's eco-friendly and super convenient, how could you beat that?

Also, having the water bottle will prevent me from getting sugary drinks when I'm picking up lunch, since I have a drink with me anyways. Not only am I staying hydrated, but I'm also cutting out a lot of unnecessary sugars and calories that are in sweet drinks.

So if you are feeling parched, load up on the water! Even though hot chocolate may feel nice during the dry, cold days of fall and winter, be sure to have some water on the side to keep your body properly hydrated.

Don't be a slouch!

I was flipping through my pictures of my time in Paris, and I came across one photo of myself that made me feel a bit uneasy, more so than I usually am whenever I look at pictures of myself. This particular photo annoyed me especially so much because...I was slouching horribly. My body looked like a stump sitting at the Luxembourg Gardens, and though I seemed happy, my posture didn't look it.

I know, I know...everyone slouches. Well, maybe not everyone, but it's pretty common and I'm not the only person who does it. But I can't help but feel a bit bothered at my horrible posture.

So for a week I've been trying to snap out of this slouching stance. Slouching has never been something that I take notice of when I'm sitting down, but I made sure that took note of it this past week. Whenever I caught myself slouching in my seat, I would snap out of it very quickly and straighten up my back and slightly drop my shoulders down to a relaxed but poised level. At first it felt a bit weird, but gradually I made a habit to straighten up and it didn't take me long to notice whether I was slouching or not.

And I must say...not only am I saving my back from developing a hunch in the future, but I also am lifting my psyche when I sit with better posture. It's as if I feel stronger and more in control whenever I sit up straight. This all may sound silly, but simply sitting upright can shape my mood significantly. Besides that, I felt like I looked better. From the outside, I might even look like I have some confidence in me!

Even a friend pointed out that I had "superb" posture the other day when I was sitting on an outdoor bench. People take notice!

So remember: to get out of that slump, don't be a slouch! If you need to find your inner Duchess of Cambridge to do so, then so be it.

Guilty.

I'm guilty of a lot of things. Eating too much ice cream, washing my colors and darks together, forgetting to floss...and avoiding my blog.

Time hasn't been my best friend lately. And I've been going through the same humdrums of college life, but with a little emotional "quarter-life crisis" kick.

Times are a-changin' and I need to change myself. No more whining! No more crying! It's time for me to pick myself up from these rocky few weeks and start creating positive constants in my life. Which will include bringing this blog back again. And hopefully as I enjoy this academic year, I will have lots of life to give this little site.

P.S. I will eventually finish my travel writings! I'll be darned if I don't!