Do you want a fruity pick me up after those hard days of exams and long classes? Try these light dishes that can be made quick and easy

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait- Serves 1
1 Macintosh Apple or ¼ cup of chopped Macintosh apples
1 whole banana or ¼ cup of chopped bananas
¼ cup of any kind of berry (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
¼ cup of granola or glazed tree nuts
2 cups of vanilla or plain yogurt

Wash the apple and berries to then dry for a minute. Cut the apple and banana into ¼ inch slices. Combine all the fruits into a separate bowl (can be used separate dish on its own.)In a cup place a spoonful of yogurt at the bottom of container, then layer with a spoonful of fruit mixture. Keep on layering the yogurt and fruit mixture until both run out. Pour granola on top of the last layer to complete the parfait.

Cranberry and Walnut Salad – Serves 3
2 full heads of Romaine Lettuce (about 12-16 leaves)
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of feta cheese
¾ cup of chopped walnuts
¾ cup of chilled Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing

Wash the Romaine in cold water. Dry the Romaine until the leaves no longer drip of water. Cut the leaves into 1 ½ inch pieces. Combine the lettuce, cranberries, feta cheese and walnuts into a bowl. Add dressing into the bowl and serve.

Roses are red, violets are blue, please shut your mouth before bile reaches my lips…

Valentine’s Day has long been scorned by those without love in their lives. It’s even been known by some as “Singles’ Awareness Day.” (Well, that’s what I called it.) In reality, it’s just another glorified, commercialized saint’s day. For those with romantic love in their lives, congratulations. Everyone should be loved in such a manner at one point or another. For those without this coveted intangible, fear not! I speak from experience when I say even someone as bitter as this here ice queen can be discovered and loved for who she is. I’m not even going to attempt to deceive you–on the surface, this article is all about me and my emotional evolution from nauseatingly melodramatic cynic to somewhat-tolerable-existentialist-angst-ridden young woman. As I reveal the differences in my perception of life, I’m hoping you can cut through the syrup and sap I’m about to relay, and see what lies beneath. I’m hoping, that just maybe, my experience resonates with one of you, and reminds you that there is so much more to the nature of romance than who you’re courting within the confines of a fine educational priso-er–establishment. Here are some thoughts from a recovering cynic.

Dani Price the cynic. Dani Price the pessimist. “Gloomskivich.” “Dani Darko.” The list of nicknames goes on and on. Some have been used affectionately, while others less so. Let’s just say I was wearing perpetual “gray glasses.” I’m not exactly a ray of sunshine today, but my way of thinking around this time last year greatly differs from the way it is now. The way in which I perceived life was so twisted, that I couldn’t find joy in anything–books, games, movies, exercise–nothing. This time last year, I was brooding as I usually did. “Another ‘Singles’ Awareness Day.’ Yippee.” Around February, so many of us focus on what we don’t possess, forgetting what we do. You can thank American media for that. Valentine’s Day has become the quintessential excuse for lovers to be self-indulgent, and the media monster sure knows how to make you feel you’re missing out on something swell. I’d be a hypocrite if I said I wasn’t going to partake in all of the sappiness this month, but last year’s outlook was a mite different. Everywhere I went, I resisted the urge to vomit. A couple intertwined in broad daylight? Bile-inducing. A stuffed frog that sings “Love Me Tender?” Sickening. A box of chocolates given to a lover? Revolting and cliché. Perhaps you can see where I got some of my endearing aliases. As I look back, it genuinely surprises me how much my friends dealt with this “Negative Nelly.” In reaction to all of these sights, I did what I always do: channel every feasible emotion I was feeling at the time into anger. As a result, I would walk around with my own personal storm cloud that even boxing sessions–where I was actually permitted to hit things–couldn’t blow away.

“Besides,” I thought, “how could a guy like a gal like me?” Here is where I doubted my credibility as a potential mate based on my lack of “normal” qualities. As I look back on this self-pitying person, I realize how sad this truly was. For someone who takes pride in her eccentricities and delights in others’, this thought was sacrilege. I don’t like fashion. I love heavy metal and classical music. I adore videogames and work at a GameStop. I refuse to style my hair like the newest pop queen. I read books for fun. I like boxing. God help me, I’m an actor. Let me just say this: there is someone out there for everyone. How many times have you choked on that pearl of wisdom? However, trust this ex-disgruntled youth when she says it’s true. I met my beau when I least expected it, and am still surprised that he finds me remotely attractive. There are days when I stop dead in my tracks. He loves me? It’s so surreal that I should be granted something so precious. I found someone who enjoys my quirks. I found someone who loves my knowledge of computers. I found someone who tolerates my philosophical rants. I found someone who both likes and loves me, and I can say the same for him with one-hundred percent certainty. Now I’m not saying a sweetheart cures all that ails you. No way. In addition to my significant other, the reason I can “see clearly” today is thanks to love from friends, family, and my dog. (Yes, pets count.)

Don’t go looking for love. Just keep doing what you enjoy, staying true to what you like, and the right person will find you. The more you look, the more likely it is you’ll be content to settle, and that’s a sure-fire guarantee that you’ll end up with someone wrong for you. The point of this rant wasn’t to proclaim my love from the mountaintops for all to hear, as awesome as that sounds. The point was to help shed some light on a nebulous subject. Romantic love is something that will happen when you’re ready–conscious or not.

It has only been a few weeks since we’ve returned from Winter Break and may of us are already stressed! It’s time to suit up for another semester. Follow these steps to get out of vacation mode and back into school mode!

1. Plan ahead. Take a look at all your assignments for the week. Make small goals that you will keep you on an efficient schedule. If you have a huge math test on Thursday, try to complete your homework before Wednesday.
2. Prioritize. Prioritizing is key. Know your schedule for the week. Make you are aware of doctor appointments, tutoring sessions, etc, and make sure they are scheduled on a day when your homework load is light.
3. Monday. Monday is the first day of the school week, which means it’s a fresh start. Use Mondays to get ahead in your homework for the rest of the week. The advantage on Monday is that the next day is a block day, so you don’t have to complete as much homework for the next day. Make the most out of Monday by either getting the small assignments out of the way or by getting a head start on the big assignments due later in the week.
4. Tuesday night. Use Tuesdays to either get more sleep (since Wednesday is a late start) or stay up later to get more work done.
5. Remember to…sleep! Even if you are up late because you’re trying to get ahead in your homework, sleep is still a priority. Don’t try to do so much work each night that you end up getting only 5 or 6 hours of sleep.

Use these tips to clear up your school week and avoid unnecessary stress and cramming. Remember, planning ahead and prioritizing are key. Good luck and happy studying!

Looking at modern cinema, you might think that the Western is dead, but the Coen brothers beg to differ. Much like most other contemporary additions to that once-revered, now mostly forgotten genre, True Grit is a remake that gives its subject a new spin, without the polish and shine of Westerns of old.
Hailee Steinfeld stars as Mattie Ross, the movie’s fourteen year-old protagonist on a quest for revenge. Her father has been shot and she is desperate to bring his murderer to justice, enlisting allies along the way. It sounds cliché, and Mattie herself could easily have been one of the fainting, flaccid damsels in distress that usually populated Westerns, but Steinfeld plays her as steely, determined and, despite the many people along her journey who suggest otherwise, entirely serious. Matt Damon accompanies her as LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger who provides much of the humor in the film, being more of a dandy than the worldly warrior he purports himself to be. And while Steinfeld may be the protagonist, Jeff Bridges is the real heart of the movie. He plays the roll of U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn beautifully, and makes filling the boots of John Wayne look easy. Josh Brolin doesn’t get as much screen time as you might expect for an actor of his caliber, but those handful of scenes he is in, he steals.

After more than a dozen movies, we know the Coen brothers, and we know what to expect. We know to look forward to breathtaking shots – this time of the beautiful, stark trees and terrain of Choctaw country – and the blackest of humor (Matt Damon nearly gets his tongue ripped out and it’s hilarious). And since these are the Coen brothers, they naturally find time to fit in a couple of bloody, brutal on-screen deaths. Not at all for the feint of heart or weak of stomach.
True Grit is one of the year’s best. With its sterling direction, casting and writing, it is certainly going to be a formidable contender come award-time. Definitely worth checking out for any fan of the Coen brothers, Westerns, or all-around excellent movies.

It started out not knowing if I should take off my shoes before I entered the house, or when I was over the threshold, and then progressed to wondering if he celebrated Christmas or New Years on the same day as my family did. Interracial relationships however, are common and very fun. The notions you may have had of a certain culture soon get dispelled and often a whole new world opens up.

Sometimes the racial differences between yourself and the person you care for seem daunting. Maybe you do not celebrate the same holidays or eat the same food. Maybe even the languages you speak at home are different. It can be really hard to connect with a person who has never experienced many of the things you grew up knowing, such as cultural cuisine or even just a favorite television show that only runs on Telemundo, and hence in Spanish. There are tons of other differences that can also crop up that are not initially noticeable. Saying ‘I love you’ openly and hugging someone in front of their parents could cause tension because it is unusual for your significant other, but not for you. The stress from having to bridge so many gaps in your cultural knowledge can feel overwhelming and as result the relationships fracture or stagnate.

Stress not though, because for every thing that seems to be a barrier, you will find something you have in common. The relationship is like a layer cake. Initially you were attracted because of some similarities, a common class or sport or club. This is a familiar, safe layer which leads you to flirt and perhaps even begin dating. The second layer down is the filling. You get to know the person better, their tastes, their family, differences between the pair of you become apparent. Personally, the filling of a cake is always a surprise, sometimes I end up loving it and sometimes I can not bear to eat it to get to the next layer. Both reactions are fine, but I have learned to give a new flavor a chance, savor it for a while, because snap decisions, rejection or acceptance, can be very misleading.

Below the first layer and below the filling, there is the final layer where deeper similarities some to light. If you have stuck together with someone, dealt with the aspects of your worlds that are different, and are still together then there are other, more powerful similarities that bind you and will keep you together. The meat of a story is in its plot and characters, not so much the setting. In the same way, a relationship is a story that takes place between you and your significant other; the differences between your races are just the setting, the background, and not the determining factors in your story. In this third cake layer there are continents of common ground, sometimes you just need to sail uncharted waters to find them.

Good luck with everything and may sunny skies find you, or the pair of you as it may be.

Rhiannon

Interracial relationships no longer elicit the gasps and screams to which former generations have become accustomed. Instead, most people find the concept commonplace, and embrace it freely. No, the real reluctance is often derived from the pressure exerted by friends and family. The magnificent Morrighan can relate. This is her experience.

Picture a household where rice cookers, chopsticks, and oriental tapestries catch you at every turn. (Considering the demographics of Mills High School, this shouldn’t be too difficult, I hope.) I enter the household, and am subjected to the removal of my shoes. I turn a corner, and the father of my significant other–a master of at least five different martial arts–is practicing his awesome sword techniques at a rather uncomfortable proximity. After a final cleave, he greets me with a handsome smile and  “hello” in his thick and choppy accent. Different ways of life have always fascinated me, but I can’t say the same for my family. I come from roots comprised of a WASP father and some very traditional Italians. (No, they are nothing like those fools on Jersey Shore.) Needless to say, this culture clash brings up some interesting… ”sentiments” from my mother’s side. My significant other is six-foot two and half Vietnamese. He currently resides with his very Vietnamese father. Ever since I introduced my love to my five-foot four, very Italian grandparents, the Italian Inquisition has been ceaseless–six months ceaseless. The first question they ask, of course? “E’ italiano?” Luckily, I could respond with the affirmative, but the fact that he had any Asian mixed into his genes raised eyebrows.

My grandparents are quite accepting considering their ascetic moral background, but other family members haven’t really “granted their approval” quite yet. My advice for those suffering the same affliction? Try explaining to them the nature of the twenty-first century, and the fact that just because your significant other isn’t, *insert heritage here*, he or she is still human. If that doesn’t work, I would highly recommend beating said family members senseless, or finding a gypsy to curse them for their ignorance and extreme mental retardation. As delightful as these sound, perhaps they aren’t the most humane solutions. So if there is neither a baseball bat or gypsy at your disposal, use diplomacy. Explain just how much your beloved means to you, and you to your beloved. Explain that, no matter the culture, race, or religion to which your significant other belongs, he or she is equally as capable of loving you as much as anyone else. If that doesn’t work, please let me know and I would be elated to arrange a very enlightening counseling session for the ignorant in your life–full of magic and wonder… and ritual sacrifice.

-Morrighan

Did you know that an apple can predict your future husband, or in your case, your future boyfriend? It’s silly and superstitious, but if you’re in for some Valentine’s Day fun, then try this out!

1. If you peel the apple skin in one piece and throw the skin over your shoulder, the apple skin will fall in the shape of a letter that might also be your future boyfriends first initial.
2. To find out what way your love will approach you from, squeeze an apple seed between two fingers until the seed flies out, and the direction it flies out is the direction your love will approach you from.
3. Give random name to a bunch of apple seeds and stick the all onto your face and wait for them to fall off one by one. The last one to fall off will be the one who will love you unconditionally forever and ever.

Now, if these methods are too silly for you or if you already know your destined one, here are some Valentine’s Day recipes for you to make for that special someone.

Heart Shaped Mini Apple Pie’s:

1 box pre-made pie crust

1 apple peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon cinnamon and lemon juice

½ tablespoon nutmeg

2 tablespoon flour+ extra for dusting the table with

3 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon milk

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Thaw the pre-made pie dough out on the dusted kitchen top.
3. While the pie crust is thawing, combine the sliced apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.
4. Roll out the dough to make a larger circle and cut the dough in half.
5. Divide the flour evenly between the two pie crusts and spread the flour in the middle of the pie crusts, making sure not to touch the sides.
6. Pile the apple mixture onto the center of the crust and fold the pie crust up to cover some of the apples and shape it into a heart shape.
7. Brush the pie with the egg and bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Raspberry Cupcakes with pink buttercream and chocolate drizzle:

1 box vanilla cake mix

½ cup raspberries pureed

1 can vanilla buttercream

2-3 drops red food coloring

12 ounce chocolate, melted

Instructions:

1. Mix the cake as directed on the box and mix in the pureed raspberries.
2. Bake the cake in cupcake pans according to the box and start to work on your buttercream.
3. Tint the store-bought buttercream with the red food coloring until your get your desired pink color.
4. When the cupcakes are done baking, take them out and place them to cool on a rack until they are cool enough to apply the frosting.
5. Put the icing buttercream into a pipping bag fitted with a star pipe, or just spread it onto the cupcake with a butter knife.
6. Melt the chocolate in a bowl and spoon it into a ziplock bag.
7. Cut a tiny hole on the bag and drizzle it on the cupcakes.

Chocolate Ganache Cake from Martha Stewarts:

• 3 tablespoons slivered blanched almonds
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 cups (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest, (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make dough in a food processor, and pulse almonds until finely ground. Add sugar, flour, zest (if desired), and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter, pulsing until coarse crumbs form with no large butter lumps (dough should clump together when squeezed with fingers).
2. Immediately transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a measuring cup, evenly press dough in bottom and up sides of pan.
3. Bake in center of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Make ganache: Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream, through a sieve, over chocolate. Stir until smooth and creamy in texture. Mix in vanilla.
5. Pour chocolate mixture into center of cooled tart shell (if chocolate is lumpy, pass through a sieve). Let stand until set, about 2 hours, or chill for 1 hour.

As couples around the world have a moonlit dinner and singles ladies share a box of chocolates while watching The Notebook, no one sees the realities of the pairs who cannot celebrate Valentine’s Day together.

As with all relationships, the future is unpredictable and sometimes couples have to be away from each for a while. In today’s standard society, people are expected to celebrate any special occasion with their loved one, but that is not always the case. Whether a significant other is studying in a different state, is drafted into the army, or has moved away from their beloved, long-distance relationships still manage from afar, even if it means no hand-delivered gifts or romantic dinner on the fourteenth of February.

Two couples volunteered to share their personal experiences in long-distance relationships. They have been through many hardships ranging from jealousy to not being able to visit on a special occasion due to work or family.

One pair that has not met in almost two years said, “The distance is tough, but if you want things to work out, then you both need to work for it. Constant communication is important.”

What the couples had in common was that no matter how hard things were or how much they missed each other, they never gave up trying to find a way to spend time with their significant other or stopped trying to work things out.

“Out of the five years we have been together, the distance actually made us a stronger couple at the end,” said another pair, recently engaged after five years together, two of which were spent in a bi-continental relationship.

Both couples were able to celebrate special occasions with their loved ones while apart with the help of today’s advanced technology. They spent long hours on conversations over the phone, webcamming, and online chatting. To add a twist to the usual form of communication, they shared webcam dinners and, in place of theaters, watched movies online in the dark at the same time.

Aside from maybe a higher phone and electricity bill, a long-distance couple can still enjoy the luxury of spending time with their significant other.

Roses are red, violets are blue, people all around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day, and those who don’t are few. Valentine’s Day is almost here, and it is a day for people to show how much they care about their friends and loved ones.

Valentine cards were flagged with patriotic or political motifs during the Civil War in America. Other early cards were beautifully hand-colored and intricately decorated with lace and ornaments such as beads and seeds. Some were even adorned with seaweed or moss! Today, children exchange valentines at school, while young people spend time with their sweethearts and adults go out for a romantic dinner.

Australia holds a week of festivals to celebrate this day. Men spend an extravagant amount of money as they buy gold-filled gifts and place them on satin cushions decorated with flowers and ribbons to please their loved ones.

In Great Britain, people send the standard cards, flowers, and chocolates to each other. However, different areas of England also have their own customs, such as baking Valentine buns.

People in Denmark send pressed white flowers called Snowdrops in place of the traditional roses. Instead of signing their name on cards, some men sign with dots to represent each letter in his name. This is called a gaekkebrev, which can be translated as a “joking letter”.

In Italy, Valentine’s Day was once celebrated as a Spring Festival where young people gathered outside in gardens to listen to music and read poetry. However, the tradition has ceased to exist. Today, only lovers celebrate exclusively by dining out.

In Japan, the female gives a gift to the male. Although chocolate can be found in shops there, women prefer to make it themselves because they believe store-bought sweets are not signs of true love. One month later, the men are expected to return the favor with white chocolate, making March 14th White Day.

Like Japan, Korea also holds the custom of reversing roles on Valentine’s Day. On White Day, many young men admit their love to women for the first time. It also has Black Day on April 14th for singles to get together and eat noodles with black soybean sauce.

Taiwan celebrates Valentine’s Day on both February 14th and July 7th. On July 7th, lovers travel to the temple to pray for love and happiness. Men buy expensive flowers for their loved ones, taking the color and number of roses into account. One red rose means “only love”, eleven signifies “favorite”, ninety-nine indicates “forever”, and 101 is a marriage proposal.

Although many countries recognize Valentine’s Day, there are some that do not. In fact, it is illegal in Saudi Arabia to celebrate it because it is considered Western culture and is, therefore, a corrupted day to encourage evil acts of love. Wealthy Saudi couples must fly to neighboring countries to celebrate this romantic day with roses, cards, and dinner.

Despite the fact that a few countries look down upon this day, it is heartwarming to know the various number of ways many people all around the world, from the Empire State Building to the cherry blossom trees of Japan, celebrate Valentine’s to fill their loved ones with love and happiness.

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