Category Archives: Travel/Food

Science/Nature, Travel/Food

According to science these 8 foods make you happy

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By: Jasmine Williams

I don’t think you would say diets make you happy, but they actually can, and play crucial roles in our happiness. Whether we know it or not, they affect how we feel. Here are the top eight food favorites that make you happy, according to ‘CNET’.

1. Dark chocolate
This is personally not my favorite, or really anyone’s, but it is more healthy for the body because it has half the sugar than any other chocolate. Here are three components that correlate with feelings of happiness in chocolate. Serotonin is a messenger that brings satisfaction, happiness, and optimism. Theobromine is not as strong, but can boost your mood like phenylethylalanine. Phenylethylalanine is another amino acid but it creates dopamine, which acts like an antidepressant.

2. Bananas
Bananas are not everyone’s favorite fruit but they can maintain your mood. Bananas are rich in B6, a vitamin that creates serotonin. One medium size banana has around 0.4 mg.

3. Coconut
Many people have not tried coconut, I’m one of them, but it’s scientifically proven that coconuts can boost your energy. It is known to have medium-chain triglycerides, which are a type of fat.

4. Coffee
A lot of people drink coffee. About 1 million people, and a 2016 meta-analysis says that coffee can lower the risk of depression.

5. Avocado
Avocado has nutrients including choline, a component that is used to maintain your nervous system and mood. Avocados are rich in vitamin B. Vitamin B has shown to lower stress levels.

6. Berries
A 2016 study showed that eating fruits and vegetables in general can improve mental health. But berries are plentiful in flavonoids (antioxidants). They can reduce depression symptoms.

7. Fermented food
Foods like kimchi, kombucha and yogurt, go through the fermentation process. They create probiotics that lead to a healthy gut. Important because 90% of serotonin comes from healthy guts.

8. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are full of vitamin D which has been known to have qualities of stimulants that can increase your mood. To get the full effect, let your mushrooms get some sunlight before cooking.

For more information, please visit:

● https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449495/

Travel/Food

‘Empanadas De Arroz Con Leche’ recipe

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By: Pablo Contreras

Empanadas is a dessert that I have only made once and there’re many different variations of empanadas; you can add in any filling that you want. For example, the first ever empanadas that I’ve ever made had yams as the filling, the second time that I made empanadas was with arroz con leche as the filling.

For those of you who don’t know what arroz con leche is, its English name is rice pudding.

Now, when I was little I absolutely hated rice pudding but when I made these empanadas I slightly (but not too much) liked the flavor. The rice pudding empanadas were definitely better than the yam empanadas.

There are many different variations of empanadas, I believe that the dough is made the same but the filling changes. You can add in meat like beef and chicken inside or cheese, but this recipe focuses on rice pudding empanadas.

Before we start, just to let you all know, this recipe is not mine, it belongs to La Cocinita De Lorena Marin. Now that that’s out of the way, here is how to make the empanadas.

Empanadas de arroz con leche

Here is what you are going to need to make the empanada dough:

  1. 2 cups of flour
  2. 1 teaspoon of Baking powder
  3. 1/4 cup of Butter (room temperature)
  4. 1egg
  5. Half a cup of water
  6. 2 tablespoons of sugar
  7. 1/4 of Water
  8. A pinch of salt

Here are the steps to make the dough:

  1. In a big bowl add in 2 cups of flour
  2. Then in the middle of the flour make a little hole in the middle and add the 2 tablespoons of sugar
  3. Next add in the 1 egg, the room temperature butter, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder and mix
  4. When it starts to be a dough texture, start to add in the 1/4 cup of water and mix
  5. On a flat surface you are going to start to knead the dough
  6. When it starts to get sticky, add in a little bit of flour (the dough needs to be smooth and not sticky)
  7. Once it’s done leave it in the same bowl and use plastic to cover the top and leave it to rest inside the fridge for 30 minutes

Now, while we wait for the dough here is what you are going to need to make the arroz con leche

  1. 1 cup of rice already rinsed and drained
  2. 2 cups of milk
  3. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  4. 2 mini cans of condensed milk
  5. A few drops of lime
  6. A stick of cinnamon
  1. First, in a pot put in both cups of milk, then place in two mini cans of condensed milk and mix
  2. Next add in the rice, leave the stove on medium-high and put in the cinnamon stick
  3. Now you are going to add in 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice inside and let it boil for a little bit and then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  4. Let this cook for 10-15 minutes
  5. Once the ten minutes are up, and if it’s dry, turn it off and take out the cinnamon stick and let the rice cool (if the rice is not dry leave it on for another 5 minutes until its dry)

Now while we wait for the rice to cool down, here is what to do next with the dough:

  1. Once the 30 minutes are up, you are going to use a rolling pin to roll the dough out
  2. Once it’s all flat use a circular cookie cutter to cut out the shape for the empanadas
  3. Now, once more roll out the small dough

Once the rice pudding is completely cooled down:

  1. Add a spoonful onto the empanada in the center
  2. Then fold the empanada in half to cover the filling and press the edges together
  3. Bake the empanadas for 15 minutes at 380
  4. Once the 15 minutes are up take the empanadas out and let them cool down
  5. To add more flavor, mix cinnamon with sugar on a plate and when the empanadas are no longer hot, mix the empanadas in the sugar and enjoy 🙂

To find the original recipe, and to learn more, here is the link to the recipe, and beware the video is in Spanish:

Travel/Food

European hotel review

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By: Sophie Johnson

Over spring break, I stayed in three different hotels in Europe. The first one I stayed in was in Massa, Italy, called the Illy Hotel. This hotel had a very homey feel and I really enjoyed staying there. Not only was it just a block away from a beautiful beach, but it also had plenty of shops and attractions within walking distance including gift stores and gelato.

The rooms were equipped with two twin beds and a twin bunk bed fitting a total of four people. The views out the window were unreal with towering mountains, intricate buildings and delicious lemon trees outside. The meals at this hotel were good for the most part ranging from seafood salad to spaghetti. Overall, this hotel was a 9/10.

The next hotel I stayed in was called Hôtel Cannes MontFleury in France. This hotel was definitely bigger than the first one, but was not as enjoyable as the other two I stayed in.

The first night I was there, we were looking around for the pool. Not only was the pool empty, which was disappointing, but we found rats running around in the kitchen. Other than that, their breakfast bar had good food and I had two nights of relaxing sleep.

The group I was with didn’t get as much time to explore this neighborhood as we did at the other hotels, but there was a really good pizza place a few minutes away. I rate this hotel a 7/10.

The last place we stayed at was the Guitart Hotel just outside of Barcelona, Spain. I loved staying here so much. Once again, the beach was about a 10 minute walk away. I got to go swimming for the first time at this beach which was super fun too. They also had a nice pool and a game room which was cool.

Their all you can eat buffet was some of the best food I had on the whole vacation. For breakfast there were churros, eggs, sausage, fruit, everything you can imagine. For dinner, there were options of pasta, ribs, and so much more. They also had desserts including tiramisu, jello, ice cream, and pudding. The rooms were very comfortable at this hotel and they even had a walkout balcony. I rate this hotel was a 10/10.

Advice/How To, Travel/Food

Best airlines to fly

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By: Sophie Johnson

The best airline that I have flown on is Delta. The reason why this one is the best is because the environment feels very clean and organized. I have had many good experiences with Delta in the past, and they have never let me down. I love that they have free entertainment like movies and games as well as their delicious Biscoff cookies.

Delta planes seem to always be on time and have everything under control. I feel very safe and comfortable on these flights and always find something good to watch on TV.

One airline that I do not love as much is Sun Country. I have had several bad experiences with Sun Country in the past, and it always makes me nervous to fly that airline now.

One of those experiences was when I got stranded in the Newark Airport in New Jersey for upwards of five hours because of a delay. Not only did they make us all wait that long, but after five hours of hoping to get home, they announced that we had to spend another night at a nearby hotel. They could have avoided such a long wait by rescheduling the flight earlier.

One positive thing about Sun Country is that they have the internet and a website with many TV shows and games to play to entertain yourself and others on the plane. Overall, Sun Country is not my favorite but it did have some factors that redeemed it.

The last airline is Southwest. I have flown on Southwest 2 times and both have been good. Both of these flights were on time and I had an enjoyable experience.

Although this airline does not provide televisions on the back of the headrests, I still had an above average time on the flights. I always get great views out the windows and have a fun trip in the plane.

Travel/Food

Sambusa recipe

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By: Mushtaq Yonis

Sambusa is a fried snack that is eaten across the world. From India to Somalia you can find different versions of this delicious snack depending on the country. Sambusa is typically a stuffed triangular pastry that’s especially popular during Ramadan.

You can fill the sambusa however you like but I’m showing you one of the ways I like to make sambusas.

Making sambusas for a large number of people is quite time consuming so make sure you have these ingredients ready.

For the filing:

  • 1 pound ground beef or lamb
  • 2 tablespoons of oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 green onion
  • 1 green chili

Spices:

  • 2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

You would also need a paste to hold the shape of the sambusa and for the filling to not fall out.

Paste:

  • 1⁄4 cup flour
  • 1⁄4 cup water

For the wrapper:
You can use tortillas if you’re in a rush or you can buy sambusa wrappers.

But if you would like to make your own, you need:

  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoon of oil
  • 1 cup of water
  • Salt

Now that you have your ingredients, it’s time to assemble your sambusa!

  1. Cook the meat on medium heat with oil
  2. Add the onions and the green chilis
  3. Add spices
  4. Set the filling ingredients aside
  1. Mix the paste ingredients
  2. Take one sambusa wrapper and fold it into a cone and seal it with the paste (make sure to leave 1 side open)
  3. Fill the cone with the filling
  4. Seal the rest of the sambusa with the paste
  1. Add oil to your pan and fry the sambusas until a golden brown color
  2. Take the sambusa and set it down on a paper towel or plate
  3. Repeat the process!

And that is how you make Sambusas.
It’s best when it’s warm so make sure you eat it before it turns cold!

Travel/Food

Siren tour guide

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By: Mae Skold

Siren, Wisconsin is a small town in northern Wisconsin, perfect for cabin stays and outdoor activities. The small town has a small population of 800 where everybody knows everybody. The town full of friendly Wisconsinites should not be overlooked for its size and they would love for you to stop by. Here’s what you should do!

Wisconsin is known for its lakes, so stopping by Siren’s Crooked Lake is a must. The lake has a fun park with live music, a nice beach, a playground, and good people. Children can safely swim and enjoy the water while adults can relax at the nice shoreline. There are lively fish that are a joy to feed and fish for. In the summer, Crooked Lake is a great place to visit.

If you’re more of an in-door person, Siren has many great stores and restaurants to stop into. One town favorite is the candy store Chipmunks Cheeks. The cute candy store has great ice cream, boba, and of course candy. Not only do they have sweet treats, but they also have fun toys and a kitchen supply store on the other side of the building. Another great place to visit is the coffee shop Chattering Squirrel. Chattering Squirrel and Chipmunks Cheeks are owned by the same family so you can be guaranteed great service every time. The coffee shop is perfect for a refreshing drink or a lunch in a cool, new renovated setting.

One of the busiest days of the year in Siren is the 4th of July. This day is a must for when you are planning when to visit the town. The town hosts a fun parade in the morning with floats, bands, and candy for the kids. After the parade, the lakes are bustling with boaters and families enjoying the water. If you are deciding when to visit, the 4th of July won’t disappoint.

This summer, I hope you consider keeping Siren on your list for a day trip or cabin vacation spot. When you decide to visit Siren we’ll be there to welcome you!

Travel/Food

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe

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By: Makenzie Malek

Chocolate chip cookies, my favorite, and it comes to no surprise that according to CBS news, it’s technically the U.S’s favorite cookie too.

There have become many variations of this one particular cookie, such as: adding oats and dried fruits, or filling the middle with brownie, and even adding fun candies like m&ms to the dough. Although those are fun and something different, today I’m going to share with you the best classic chocolate chip cookie recipe.

This recipe comes from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10813/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Total time: 30 mins

Servings: 48

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons hot water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3-cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Step 1: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2: beat softened butter, white sugar and brown sugar in an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth.

Step 3: beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and beat until combined.

Step 4: dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt.

Step 5: stir in flour and chocolate chips.

Step 6: drop spoonfuls of dough on ungreased baking sheets.

Step 7: bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned.

Step 8: cool for at least 2 mins and enjoy!

These are great to share with friends and family, and you can freeze the dough and the baked cookies for up to two months.

Like I said earlier, people often add different ingredients to the cookie, feel free to add a twist to this classic recipe to make it your own. Some mix-ins that I have added in my cookies that I recommend are m&m’s, white chocolate chips, and if you like your cookies more sweet, add dried cranberries. Some I haven’t tried but I have seen are things like mini marshmallows, and more uniquely, people have added bacon or crushed up potato chips.

This simple yet delicious recipe will have you wishing you made more than the serving size, and I hope you decide to try this if you haven’t already.

News, Travel/Food

The healthy cereal lawsuit

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By: Joseph Nelson

We all remember the sugar coated cereal we would eat before school started, or while watching our morning Saturday TV. But we all know that the “best way to start your morning” slogan that would appeal to kids and parents was completely fabricated right? Well, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) feel’s as though the marketing for these cereal should not have any saying of how it’s “healthy” or “good for you”. Now, I’ve loved cereal when I was a kid (when my mom would let me have them of course) but I feel like I knew this wasn’t healthy at all, so would this change much? The answer to that is yes!

With this new rule, the FDA will mandate that foods labeled as “healthy” must contain food groups like fruits, whole grain, dairy, and other added ingredients that must now fit a certain criteria in order to be approved as a “healthy” cereal. Now, what are the actual stats of this rule? Well, the rule will limit all cereal to no more than 2.5 grams of sugar per serving. This would restrict multiple food brands from being on the store shelf with what now would be false advertising.

To put it into perspective, Fruit Loops are 12 grams of sugar per serving, Lucky Charms are 10 grams, and Cocoa Puffs are also 10 grams. This means that these “healthy” foods are now 4x-5x over the maximum amount of sugar, per serving, that is allowed within these cereals.

Now, large cereal companies like General Mills and Kellogg’s, decried the proposed nutritional criteria and threatened legal action against what they say is a “violation of their first amendment rights”. The companies are going on to say that the healthy labeling requirements are an unconstitutional reach from the government power over the food industry. But the FDA says otherwise.

The FDA goes on to counter the claim of “lack of free speech” with a brief but thorough statement “cannot explain why consumers cannot make their own healthy decisions based on [nutrition labeling] data”. Rather, it seeks to limit the food companies’ ‘speech'” effectively saying that with this new proposal, the product’s ingredients will be completely transparent to the consumer and will give them a completely unbiased choice of whether or not they put that candy bar in their cart.

Now, how will this change for the consumer? Well, we know that the average day Fruit Loop consumer will probably still be filling the pockets of the big corporations. But the new single mom walking down the aisle, looking for a healthy cereal for her kid, will now see all these cereals around her and will be able to accurately choose the best healthy option for her and her kid.

That isn’t stopping me though, Cocoa Puffs will forever be my childhood favorite.

For more information, please visit:

Travel/Food

Canjeero and shaax recipe

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By: Ajmal Abdirahman

Canjeero is a breakfast staple in Somalia. Both my mom and dad would eat it almost every morning when they lived in Somalia. It’s one of my favorites from Somali food. I grew up eating it almost everyday just like my parents. My mom would get up very early in the morning and make a big batch of Canjeero and alongside she would also make her signature Somali shaax!

Canjeero can be eaten in many different ways. Like with shaax (which is Somali tea), with sugar and sesame oil, with goat or camel liver (which is called “beer” in Somali), with oodkaac (which is a Somali dish of preserved jerky style beef cubes), or my favorite way, with honey!

Somali tea (Shaax), was first introduced to Somalia through ancient trade with the Indians and Arabs. It’s typical for Somalis to drink this throughout the day but mostly at breakfast or late at night. Tea is widely preferred in Somalia over coffee. If you add milk to your tea then it is called Shaax Bigaysi.

I asked my mother for her recipes; here they are!

Canjeero Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 cup of self rising flour
  • 1 cup of corn flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3-4 cups of water
  • 1 teaspoon of yeast
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

Instructions on how to make Canjeero:

  1. First combine all the flours in one large bowl along with the salt, sugar, and yeast and whisk well
  2. Add the water slowly until you get the right consistency (thick and smooth)
  3. Then let the batter sit for an hour or overnight
  4. Enjoy!

Shaax Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Cold water (amount is how much tea you want to make)
  • 1⁄2 cup of sugar
  • Cardamom (add desired amount)
  • Cinnamon sticks (add desired amount)
  • Cloves (add desired amount)
  • Ginger (you can use powdered ginger but fresh is best, also add desired amount)
  • Black tea bags or black tea leaves (add desired amount)

Instructions on how to make Shaax:

  1. First grab a kettle and pour your cold water into it
  2. Either boil the water first or boil when all ingredients are added
  3. Add your sugar
  4. Then add all your spices, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and ginger, then let that all boil together
  5. When that all boils together nicely add your tea bags or tea leaves
  6. Boil for a couple of minutes until it gets to a dark brown color
  7. Strain the tea and pour it into your thermos or tea pot
  8. Enjoy!

For more information, please visit:

Travel/Food

Attractions to do in the Twin Cities

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By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

CanCan Wonderland

This attraction is an amusement built in a historical building.
CanCan Wonderland has many attractions for all ages. Kids and adults can play an 18 hole mini golf course made by 18 different artists. All 18 holes are different and provide different skills. CanCan also has a ping ball arcade and many other retro arcade games. They provide many necessities to have an amazing evening.

Here is a link to find CanCan Wonderland: https://goo.gl/maps/FMmT32SeT7U2

Mall Of America

The Mall Of America has many attractions to choose from! They have an escape room with 12 different room choices from prison escape to a mansion escape. This attraction involves a lot of critical thinking so if you’re good at, that I suggest that you try it out!

The mall also has an indoor theme park with many coasters for all ages from thrill rides like the rock bottom plunge, to zip lining and many kid coasters for the little ones. I recommend the park to younger kids because the thrill rides aren’t as thrilling compared to other places, but overall, it’s a great place to spend an evening out.

If you ever get hungry while shopping, the 3rd and 4th floor have so many restaurants and fast food places and so many varieties of food you can choose from.

One thing that MOA is known for, is the biggest Sea Life in Minnesota; it has more than 10,000 underwater creatures plus the 11 breathtaking exhibits that are filled with 1.3 million gallons of water.

The Mall of America is located at: 60 E Broadway, Bloomington, MN 55425

WhirlyBall

WhirlyBall is a fun place to go out with family and friends! There are so many activities to do such as WhirlyBall, a lot of people don’t know what it is or never heard of it. WhirlyBall is a team sport that is up to 2-4 people per team. You have a bumper car and a scoop with a ball. What you have to do is make sure the ball doesn’t hit the floor and score on the opposite team’s goal.

Some other activities they have are laser tag, arcades, bowling, escape rooms, and if you really enjoy WhirlyBall you can join a Whirly League. You get a lot of benefits if you’re on the team such as exclusive food and drinks, 50% off walk-in Whirly anytime all season. It’s $5 per person for 3 games per night, which will be $75 per week. You need to have 5 players on each team and must be 18 years old to play. They are also known for how many good food options they have.

You can find WhirlyBall at: 2405 East Old Shakopee  Road,
Bloomington MN 55425