New Food Friday: Chicken Apple Salad

This salad is one of the most delicious cold salads I have ever had. It has a lot of veggies and some fruit so you expect it to be sweet but the seasoning makes it taste like it has been grilled. I did not use the chipotle chili pepper in my batch because I did not want that much of a bite in it but I can imagine it would only make the salad better.  

 Makes 4 Servings

What you Need:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 canned chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup diced unpeeled red or green apple
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper or roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup diced red onions
• 1 1/2 ounces pecan pieces, toasted

What to Do:

1. Stir mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle pepper, cumin, salt and black pepper in medium bowl until smooth and well blended.
2. Add chicken, apple, bell pepper, celery, raisins and red onions; toss to coat. Stir in pecans just before serving. 

Recipe From: Gluten-Free Bible by Publications International Staff

 Find me HERE

30 Things I will Teach my Future Children

1) Not everyone has the blessing to understand sadness
2) It's okay to miss the people who were bullets to you
3) Never be afraid to say "no" even after you said "yes"
4) If you want a tattoo, don't let anyone tell you not to get it
5) If you find yourself at the graveyard, read the names
6) Chocolate is only a temporary fix
7) Your happiness is your happiness and yours alone
8) Wear what makes you feel gracefully at ease
9) Love the world unconditionally
10) Seek beauty in all things
11) Your GPA is not a confession of your character
12) There is strength in breaking down
13) Like what you like
14) Don't smile if you don't mean it
15) Mean your anger.
16) Mean your sadness.
17) Mean your pain
18) I am always, always listening
19) Travel
20) People will let you down
21) If it's worth fighting for, fight fiercely
22) No one is going to save you
23) You will have to save yourself and you will be okay.
24) Take plenty of pictures. That way when you scroll through them later, you'll remember everything about that day.
25) You can never over pack.
26) Drink plenty of water
27) There will always be someone prettier, smarter, funnier or more popular than you. The beauty of it is that it is not a competition.
28) People will promise to never leave you. They will and it is perfectly ok to be sad when they do.
29) Never pretend to be someone you're not.
30) Enjoy being young. As you get older things get more and more scheduled out, embrace that you are not there yet.

What's in my Bag

I have wanted to do a "What's in my Bag" post for a while now. I don't like to carry a small purse around everyday because I carry around a lot of things as you will find out.

1. My Wallet. I obviously need to carry my wallet around with me otherwise I couldn't really do much. 
2. Medication. You never know when a headache is going to come on and I seem to be allergic to a lot of things that I am not aware of so I keep allergy medication everywhere. 
3. Pens/Pencils. For obvious signage reasons and who knows what kind of things you might need to write down. 
4. Notebook(s). Depending on the bag I always have some sort of notebook/journal on me for when inspiration hits and I need to write, or sometimes you just need a piece of paper. 
5. Hand Sanitizer.  Some places just aren't as clean as you would like them to be.
6. Kleenex. I sneeze a lot. Gotta make sure I keep my sleeves clean.
7. Lotion. I have super dry skin so I will always keep a little travel size lotion on me.
8. Chapstick. A long with dry skin I also have super dry lips. Chapstick is my savior.
9. Lipstick. If you know me you know that I am an avid lipstick user/lover. This means that my bag will end up with multiple shades of lipstick hoarded at the bottom that I will find weeks after I actually used it. 
10. Tampons. I am female. Once a month tampons are a lifesaver. 
11. Post it Notes. I like to write myself reminders and when I'm on the go I will definitely forget what I wanted to remember by the time I get home to write a reminder. So basically post it notes are my go to.
12. Gum. It keeps your breath fresh. It distracts you from hunger when you are busy and can't get food. It tastes good.
13. Healing Crystals/Stones. A few years ago my mom brought me to a little store and bought me some healing crystals that I have been carrying around with me in a small bag everyday since.
14. A Book. You never know when you will have a few minutes of waiting somewhere and need something to do. 
15. Headphones. To make myself look like I am busy so no one else will talk to me.
16. Sunnies. You never know when it will suddenly get extremely sunny out. Always keep a nice pair of sunnies on you. 

Places on My "To Go" List

I am a huge fan of traveling and the world in general.  The idea of traveling the world and seeing different cultures amazes me. There are so many people all over the world who have different customs and cultures that if you have the opportunity to go out and see and learn about them why would you pass up that opportunity. There is only so much you can learn from a book and being able to witness the cultures first hand is the easiest way to learn about their society.

So I have compiled a list of some places on my "To Go" list. These are places that I have been wanting to visit for a while now or would like to see the history in the city.

In no specific order:

Tokyo, Japan

The Great Wall of China

Italy (The Roman Colosseum)

Monte Carlo, Monaco, France

Paris, France

Peru (Machu Picchu)

Greece

India (The Taj Mahal)

Iceland

All 50 US States

South Africa

Mexico (Chichen Itza)

Jordan (Petra)

Ireland

London, England

Manchester, England

Australia

Brazil (Christ Redeemer)

Coming Out: 6 Months Later

I have been out for 6 months now. It seems crazy. It feels like just yesterday that I was trying to convince myself there was no way I could be attracted to multiple genders let alone be multiple genders. I spent most of my life denying my sexuality and gender. I went along with what people wanted me to be and what wouldn't get me bullied. I have always had thoughts about other genders and they would always send me into panic moments because there could be no way that I could be bisexual. I was never taught anything about bisexuals. If I was taught anything about the LGBTQA+ community it was very minimum and it was about gays and lesbians. The only information I got about any other sexuality was from my peer group, which you can imagine was not the best. The one thing that sticks in my mind the most is I was always told that bisexuals are "greedy and just need to make up their minds". This really affected me as I was internally having thoughts about girls and boys like what am I? I'm not greedy, I can't be. As I got older I realized there was a lot more to the LGBTQA+ community and that it isn't what I heard about. I still didn't think about the possibility of me being gay but I stopped rejecting it. After awhile I was forced (by congress) into realizing that I am bisexual and I need to think about my sexuality. It was the day that congress passed the law that gay marriage is legal in all 50 states that I finally openly admitted to myself that I am bisexual. Now fast forward a few months and I have started to think about my gender more and more. One day I was thinking and it just came into my head. I am fluid. I don't have one gender and I don't have to. And it was within that same weekend that I came out to my family, friends and the world on this blog explaining my sexuality and gender. I have come such a far way from the scared teenager that followed what everyone wanted me to be into a very independent person. 

  

Late Night Thoughts

Is flirting cheating? If you are in a committed relationship with another person is it considered cheating to flirt with someone else? To call someone else beautiful? To tell someone else you like them? To make up cute nicknames for someone who is not your significant other? Even if you do nothing physical with them, is this cheating? When the other person finds out your are in a relationship is it moral to say that it is just your personality and how you treat everyone? Is it alright for your significant other to get angry at you for flirting with other people? What happens if you don't think flirting is cheating but your significant other does? Would you still flirt with other people or respect your significant others beliefs? If you are flirting with other people while you are in a relationship does that mean you are not happy in your relationship? These are questions that are very controversial and a lot of people disagree on what constitutes as cheating. The biggest question I have is where is the line from not cheating to cheating? A lot of people say it is physical contact. If you aren't doing anything physical you aren't cheating, but some other people believe that if you compliment someone in the same way you would compliment your significant other that is cheating. So where is the line?

Mosh Pits and Crowd Surfing

This weekend I went to see one of my favorite bands in concert, Bring Me The Horizon. I have been waiting for years to see them live and I had finally gotten the chance to see them. I have listened to their music since I was in high school and I was really excited when they were coming for their That’s The Spirit Tour. So me and my cousin bought our tickets and made our plans months in advance.

As the week of the concert came up we started to finalize our plans. The concert was on a Friday night so after I got off of work on Thursday I went over to my cousins house to spend the night so we could get ready in the morning and leave together.

We got to the venue before the doors open so we would get a good spot in the pit. We waited out in the line for two hours before we were let in. Once we were in we got really good spots about four rows from the barricade center stage. Everyone around us were really nice and very talkative. We waited another two hours until the opening band started playing and we definitely had no idea what was about to happen. As the opening band started to play the whole crowd pushed forward and we were all smashed together like cord wood; and that’s when the mosh pit started. For the next half an hour while the opener played the crowd pushed left and right and back and forth. At this point we were having fun and enjoying the new experience that was unlike anything we had ever experienced before. After the first opener was done we waited another half an hour until the second opener came on stage. Throughout this time the crowd became more and more rowdy and the pushing became more and more harder and rough. We pushed through it and were lucky enough to be around some super nice people who were looking out for us and would help to steady us and ask is we were doing okay. As the second opener came on stage the crowd was insane. The pushing was crazy and we found ourselves in the dead middle of the mosh pit being pushed and pulled in every direction. It wasn’t that bad except that we were so much shorter than everyone else so there was basically no air and we were getting elbowed and hit in every direction. After the second opener was done I couldn’t stand being in the mosh pit anymore. I was right next to a guy I recognized from the line outside and I told him that I needed help leaving so he helped lift me onto his shoulders and push me on top of the crowd while his girlfriend yelled “she needs to get out” and that’s when the crowd literally crowd surfed me from the middle of the mosh pit to the front of the stage so the security guard could lift me out of the crowd. I ran out of the front of the pit and immediately to the bathroom. My cousin followed me out so we wouldn’t get separated and it was the most intense thing we had both ever experienced.

We sat out on the side until Bring Me The Horizon started and that is when we stood up on a ledge in the back to watch the rest of the concert from there. The concert was so intense and insane. They played all of my favorite songs and we still sang and jumped around the same as if we would have if we were in the front row. I had never voluntarily sat in the back of a concert before so that was definitely a first for me but after being in the mosh pit and watching the pit get bigger and stronger I am so glad I got out when I did and that I took the time to take care of myself. I am also so thankful for the amazing people that I met who helped me throughout the concert. Whether they just asked me if I was okay, apologized for pushing or elbowing me, or helped me to get out or stabilizing me; there were so many amazing people that I met who could’ve just focused on themselves and their friends but instead decided to help others and that is purely amazing.

Bring Me The Horizon has been one of my favorite bands for years because their music has helped me to get through different things in my life and I find that their music is so powerful in the most beautiful way but after seeing them live I now have a more grateful respect for their whole fandom and them as a band. This was definitely an experience I will never forget.