Who's dat Girl?

Meet the future doctor of America!

Dr. Rachel Redfield.

Go ahead.

Meet her!

If you're lucky you already have.
If you haven't, don't worry.
She's the type to come up to you first.

Shes my role model.
My guidance.
The one I cry to
and laugh hardest with.
The one who isn't afraid to tell it to me straight.
She gets me and loves me better than anyone else.
She is my best friend.
And I'm so dang lucky to call her my sister.

There was such a time (^as in the time above) she bossed me around.
She wouldn't let me be in her made-up plays or dances in the living room.
And when she did...
my role was to be a standing lamp in the corner.

She took the best beanie babies and barbies.

And hogged the computer game Oregon Trail 
while I had to sit by her side and watch.

We wrote in diaries together
and she forced me to tell her what I wrote,
yet never told me what she did.

At an early age, 

Rachel spoke an entirely made-up language before learning English.
It was weird. 
(we have home footage)

She sang.

She was sassy.
And there is no denying she stole the show

Today she continued to take spotlight on stage
for her induction into Medical School.
University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio, that is.
BIG DEAL.

(Her "White Coat Ceremony^) 

Until you witness the journey 

of a student trying to get into Medical School,

 you just do NOT realize how hard it is.

After standing by my sister's side through the process...

I would like to compare her journey's mental struggle 
to the physical struggle of climbing Mt. Everest.
The last & coldest mile would be the MCAT.

But she did it.

And I'm not naming grades BUT
she finished strong might I add. 

So there's no denying she's hardworking. 

You just cannot get into Medical School and not be.

But "hardworking" is only half the character requirement to be a good doctor.

Rachel has the heart,
the compassion
and strong faith in The Lord.

All great qualities wrapped up into one,

Rachel is the most caring person I know.

Prestige and paychecks have never been her reason for choosing the medical route.

She finds her life in investing into the lives of others,

she specializes in her compassion for them.

Saving lives is her calling.

It didn't even take her bachelors degree or M.D to start saving lives.
She's been on countless mission trips,
volunteered an entire summer in Costa Rica,
and has made dreams to start a clinic in this place.

During the rockiest points of my own life,

Rachel was always by my side.

Maybe she couldn't prescribe me medicine.

But she gave me the support,

the advice

& slap in the face (figuratively) I always needed.

Most of all, she helped me find my way back to God

and taught me that He is bigger than the problems I face.

And I owe her so much for that.

Rachel and I share special/weird bonds.

We can be SO anti-social...when we are together.

We are attracted to the nerdier guys.

We enjoy an oddly large spectrum of the exact same music.
Oh, and if we like a song...we will wear that sucker out fast.

We are ALWAYS that girl with the camera.

Digestion is our favorite topic of conversation.

We would choose to be the weirdest girl over the hottest girl in a room...any day.

Especially Halloween.

As she once said in a letter to me before I left for college,

Rachel...you have the power to CHANGE THE WORLD...and you will :)

The story that God has written for you

is more beautiful than you could ever have written for yourself.

I will always have you, Rachel,

And I couldn't love you more than I already do!

Yet...

perhaps my love for you grew a little more today 

now that you have become an official, fellow Longhorn.

Going forward,

the simplest advice I can give to you, Rachel...

Don't strive to be perfect,

remember to still be silly,

and never forget that God is with you always!

& I am only an hour away :)

And from a man we both admire,

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others"

-Mahatma Ghandi

I love you, Rachel.

I've never been more proud 

than that moment they put the white coat on you.

And most of all...

Go Longhorns!

Is French Toast Really from France?

My question is...

Why do  the french claim everything good in life?

Fries.

Toast.

Kissing.

I mean...do the French even eat fries?

Some part of me believes they are too sophisticated for that.

Anyways.

This morning's menu called for French Toast.

Why is this the perfect meal before my run, you ask?

Because its carbs (bread) plus protein (eggs).

Instead of having plain ole toast and eggs,

you combine the two to make the magic. 

Just a little fun history about this French cuisine...

It's real name is "lost toast"

Medieval french cooks had to be creative with what they had...

aka: stale toast and eggs and water.

Cooks used the eggs & water to moisten the stale bread.

Sounds good, right?

Of course when this dish entered our borders,

Americans said "Heck with the water!! We'll moisten our toast with milk, sugar & a slab of butter!"

So there's that.

Now on to my version.

Recipe: French Toast

Makes 1 serving

2 egg whites

2 slices Ezekial Bread (I use cinnamon raisin & i HIGHLY recommend it)

1/2 teaspoon of extract (I use almond. Vanilla is also great)

1/8 cup almond milk (regular can be used if necessary)

cinnamon 

oil spray 

Fruit to top

Let's begin.

Get a small bowl and combined the egg whites & milk

Whisk away.

Add in the extract as well. 

Pour half of the egg/milky mixture on a plate.

Let both sides of the 1st piece of toast soak for 30 sec. in it.

Repeat.

I use paper plates.

(Sometimes I feel like I am stating the obvious?

It's like, there is a picture Kelly, they can see it.)

Take note: 

I have NO idea why my pan has turned blackish brown over the course of this year. (picture below)

It may be time for a new one?

Anyways, spray your pan and let both pieces grill.

About 1-2 minutes on each side.

Feel free to add cinnamon to both sides if you enjoy cinnamon as much as I do.

Cut up the fruit

(again, it's just too obvious)

And enjoy!

Also feel free to defy the original Medieval version 

and eat this with peanut butter (or almond butter).

Fun fact: there really is not many breakfast foods I won't eat with this stuff 

Chocolate Protein Pancakes

By request of my best friend, Brooke**
I decided to dedicate my first recipe post to my Chocolate Protein Pancakes!

It only makes sense to do this recipe seeing that I eat them every other (if not every) day.

They are just SO DANG GOOD, 

as well as good for you.

That is my favorite way of cooking.

Cooking the good stuff that is also good for you.

A win-win situation, I say.

When I started working on this recipe,

they were horrible.

Dry.

Burnt.

Bland.

But one more egg white and a little baking soda later...

They were perfect. 

And I eat them all the time! 

They especially hit the spot after a hard workout. 

Sometimes dreaming about them gets me through that last mile of a run.

I obviously need some sort of man.

Anywayyyys.

Here's the recipe & instructions.

The more you make them, the better they turn out.

**Brooke is a dime-piece with a bad-A skill at blogging. So check hers out...HERE

Recipe: Chocolate Protein Pancakes
Makes 1 serving: 3 pancakes

3 egg whites

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup almond milk (regular can be used if necessary)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I recommend Elite Gourmet French Vanilla)

1 tablespoon flaxseed

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)

1 teaspoon of baking powder 

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

1 large mashed banana

any fruit and/or peanut butter for topping. I use both. 

BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THE INGREDIENTS BELOW...

Set a medium sized pan on your oven top and start heating it on medium heat.

Okay here we go!

Step numero uno would be to mix the wet ingredients (left picture)

This means combine the three egg whites, one egg yolk and milk and whisk away!

Step numero dos would be to mix in the dry ingredients (right picture)

This means add in the protein powder, cocoa powder, flaxseed, baking powder & cinnamon

Next come banana mashing time.

Cut the banana about 3/4th of the way

(I save the 1/4th portion for a fruit topping)

I'm unsure if there is an actual fruit masher device out their on the market,

but I just use a knife.

Literally attack the fruit with the knife to make it as mashed as possible,

As I demonstrated below...

Once you have killed the banana

Mix it in and your ready to begin cooking

Before you pour each 1/3rd of the batter

make sure you spray the pan with some type of oil.

I recommend coconut spray oil.

At some point I will do a nutritional post about coconut oil.

But for now just know it is the best EVER oil out there for you.

So don't be scared to put down your veggie & canola oils for a change and try it out.

Trust me,

It'll taste the exact same.

It actually takes some practice to eyeball 1/3rd of the batter for each pancake.

So don't be too hard on yourself if you get two small and one GIANT pancake the first time.

I let the pancake sit for about 2 minutes on each side before flipping.

Make sure the edges of the pancake look cooked before you flip

If there is something I love 

It is fruit.

Therefore, while pancakes are cooking, I cut fruit up to top them with.

Wahla.

The pancakes are done and topped.

An extra ingredient I LOVE to eat with this is peanut butter.

More specifically almond butter.

But whatever butter you like better is best.

So there you have it.

Now eat it.

Like I said before, these are super filling if you eat the whole serving,

which I always do.

Also like I said before, these are actually very healthy.
HIGH in protein and low carbs.

Not that we don't need carbs (because we do)
But after working out or working hard in general, it is super important to fill up on the protein.

Another plus is the flax seed!
"Flax WHAT?" you may ask.
No this is not bird food.

Flax seed is high in B Vitamins
and helps in all things digestion (necessary).
another topic for another time.

ENJOY <3

The Obsessed: Part 1

On a run yesterday, my songs were shuffling and

 "Why You So Obsessed with Me?" by Mariah Carey came on.

Did you know she's actually talking to a specific person in the song?

Who, might you ask?

Eminem.

Yes.
Mariah Carey is attempting to bash Eminem for liking her too much.

Personally, 
I think she's the crazy one.

I wouldn't mess with Eminem with pepper spray and frying pan in hand.

He's scary.

And a lyrical genius.

Naturally, he retaliated with a song, The Warning, which very nondiscretly rips Mariah apart. 

So Eminem and Mariah were in a fight about who was more obsessed with the other.
That's cool.

Naturally, I thought this was a perfect intro to my devotional this morning...

Being Obsessed with God.

Disclaimer: God will not retaliate or be upset by your obsession.

He will not stick a hymn in the bible telling the world you are a madman.

In Crazy Love, Francis Chan describes the profile of the Obsessed.

Who are they?

Lovers

Risk Takers

Friends of all.

I'll talk about "Lovers" today.

LOVERS

Sometimes I encounter a really friendly person and assume they are Christian.

False.

Some of the friendliest people I have met aren't believers at all.

Some are even friendlier than strong believers I know.

"Friendliness and politeness" don't make you a Lover. 

No,what makes us a lover of Christ is when we are obsessed with loving and investing ourselves in everyone.
All His people.

Why?
Simple.
Because we have recognized God's love for us and know it is good.
Therefore, we must become lovers who desire showing others the same love
our Father shows us. 

So who does everyone really include, God?
Because there is this one girl, this one guy, this one teacher, this one adult...
who I really just can't.

Everyone is not limited to people you want to love.

Everyone is not limited to those who will repay you back.

Everyone includes your enemies,

those who do you wrong,

those who don't give back,

those who you may never see again.

Everyone includes that one girl.
The girl whose sins against me I've counted,
who I have gossiped about with my friends
who I have cast out because I felt righteous...

God doesn't count all my sins (thank you Jesus).
So why do I think it is right to count hers?
God doesn't complain about my faults to all the angels.
So why do I think I can talk about hers?

Maybe instead of the time I spend counting & gossiping, I could be...idk...more loving?

So we can't just love the people we want to love?
who treat us nicely?
who love us back?

No, because that would be ridiculously easy.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?...love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful"

-Luke 6:32-36

Did you hear that?

God is loving us when we are wicked.

God is merciful when we are ungrateful.

So why don't we do the same?

And since when does loving people feel like a burden?
When has it really reallyyyy hurt you to do it?
Made you feel bad?
Made you regret?
Think about it.
It doesn't.

Being mean, 
loathing, 
gossiping, 
ignoring,
 ripping apart people...
Those are the things that hurt us in the end.
Those are things that slowly knot our heart in uncomfortable ways,
the things that result in regret.

I've never looked back on a conversation and thought,
"Wow, I really am so glad I brought that girl down today with my friends!!!"

I bet you for a time, even Mariah and Eminem felt an ounce of grief for their actions.

When I began a relationship with God,
He really deep-set it in my heart to end the crap I commit against my peers.
To stop all the mad gossiping.
To stop the ignorance of my self-righteousness.
And to start replacing it with intentional love.

Am I perfect at this?
No.
Am I better at this?
Slowly but steadily...yes.

And when I make the right choice,
between a day of hate and love,
I know how I will feel.

I will be happier,
more satisfied with the day,
and I will feel more love for myself as a result.

The weight of hate will be lifted off my shoulders.

Hate is heavy.
You may not realize it now,
but it can truly weight you down,

Loving everyone may not seem easy,
but I can assure you it is light.

Smiling, 
investing,
 listening, 
lifting up, 
and comforting those around you
 Unties all the hate-created knots of your own heart.

And this love is an infinite thing.

You don't have some limited amount that must be rationed to a select few.

You can spread it around. 

I've been dying to do one of those intense, incredible faith-based analogies they give in church to compare a sermon to everyday life...
Therefore...prepare yourselves.

Your life (including the people in it) is a piece of toast.

Your love is peanut butter.

Don't spread it on just half of the bread?

Then the other half is plain, stale and unappetizing.

Spread it everywhere on it.

That's a more satisfying piece of toast (life).

My Better Halves

If there was a reason to blog it would definitely be this.

What an incredibly fun weekend!

And I am NOT biased when I say...

I have some of the best friends in the world. 
Through high school and college, together and apart, I've kept some pretty amazing friendships.

It's funny.

It doesn't matter the 8 or more months that college separates us,

We always get back together and everything is the same.  

We could be on a grand city adventure, driving around or sitting in my room doing nothing,

yet we we're always content and probably crying of laughter at some point.

There really is nothing like getting back together.

THURSDAY

The weekend began on Thursday when Brooke and I drove from Dallas to Austin together.

And thank the Lord I-35 never disappoints me;

Always traffic.

After a super long & childish game of I-SPY, 
the roads cleared and we hit home base. 

That night, 
we thought "Why not?!" 
and I took Brooke downtown for her first 6th Street experience. 

To NO surprise, 

we traveled all 19 blocks to the crowded, crazy street of 6th only to talk & laugh with each other. 

                  

FRIDAY

The next day

 Tara and Caroline arrived!

I gave them little time to settle into Austin before forcing them out the door to go paddle boarding.

So we get to Barton Springs...

Of course none but Tara even think to bring screen screen for the 101 degree weather.

Granted, it was only SPF 6.

Good enough.

Wanna know what is extremely difficult?

Taking a group picture on stand up paddle boards. 

The picture below was the only one we could manage.

Take note, only Caroline and I could make it in the picture.

The wind, current and Loch Ness monster of seaweed made it quite a challenge.

As always, paddle boarding was SO fun.

Sometimes (every time) I like to pretend I am Pocahontas paddling down the river bend. 

Sometimes (every time) I sing "Just Around the River Bend" to myself.

After a snow cone, fruit popsicle and a ton of water jugging later, we left Barton Springs.

I took them to my FAVORITE all-natural juice place, JuiceLand. 

I got something new, Vegetable Kingdom.

Sounds like a good juice, right?

Well it was.

And either Tara and Brooke were lying to appease me or they were serious,

But they said they really loved it too!

When we got back to the apartment,

I introduced them to my favorite new pastime...

watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S

But seriously?

How did I think I was experiencing a fulfilling life before watching this show?

Who decided to not tell me about this show till this year?

IDK. 

All I know is that I have 9 more seasons to catch up on before school starts.

(an episode is currently playing as I write this)

That night I wanted to take them to the BEST barbecue I've had since eating meat again.

Saltlick <3

Literally so good.

HOWEVER....

Good thing I waited till the LAST possible day to order my football tickets for the year,

so we were delayed about an hour while I tried to figure out how to buy them.

Minor tears were involved in the process.

I am #blessed for my VERY chill friends.

We were suppose to leave the apartment at 8 for dinner

We left (very hungry) around 9

Dear University of Texas,

YOUR SYSTEM TO BUY FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS IS CONFUSING AND STUPID.

Sincerely, Kelly.

Excuse that rant^.

Anyway here is a picture.

We met up with Maggie and Nicole.

Yes, we did dress up and wear wedges to go to a very casual BBQ place.

Yes people stared in confusion.

Sorry, it was necessary for a good picture.

SATURDAY.

Such a great day.

I made it my mission to show them some good, stereotypical Austin murals.

And by golly we saw them.

We walked along South Congress street before lunch.

I took them to one of my favorite stores, Lucy in Disguise.

It is actually the world's best costume store.

Literally, ANY COSTUME you want,

they have.

You want to be an elephant?

Austin Powers?

Elmo?

Jesus Christ?

a bottle of toothpaste?

They've got your back.

Naturally Caroline had to buy this $40 shirt.

Worth every penny, I say.

We also took a quick trip to the planet Kamino to visit some old friends

oh and did I forget to mention I found my long lost twin, Miley?

After coming back to reality...

We went to a great mexican restaurant on S. Congress to meet Tara's best friend from college, Ana. 

She is an actual gem.

So sweet and genuine, just like Tara herself. 

And she has/pulls off a lip ring.

WHO CAN DO THAT?

She can.

One of my favorite things about college is when friends meet friends.

There is nothing like your high school and college friends getting along.

Worlds colliding.

Small worlds.

I love it.

After lunch,

Brooke casually decided she wanted to get her nose pierced again.

Leave it to Brooke to be completely impulsive.

But we supported her decision none the less.

You only live once, right?

You're only young once, correct?

It doesn't hurt too bad, RIGHT?!?!

So why not. 

An hour later, her nose was re-pierced and the world kept spinning. 

However, it may stop once she calls her mom to tell her the news.

Stay tuned for further updates on the situation.

That night we went to meet Nicole at Abel's on the Lake.

I introduced my friends to Texas Teas.

What an amazingly overpriced creation they are.

But very delicious.

Best surprise of the night:

our good friend from high school, Maddison McKinley, joined us for dinner.

Now here is THE MOST authentic, joyful girl you could meet.

Not an exaggeration.

She made me laugh for two years straight in our High School hell of a Spanish class,

and continues to make me smile to this day every time I see her.

It was such a great surprise to see her that night.

We ended the night by simply hanging out back at the apartment.

Like I said before, we could have done anything that night and been happy.

That's when you know you've found THE friends.

When you don't have to entertain them with fireworks, 

a circus,

 and Vegas show every night to have fun.

No pressure.

Just company.

SUNDAY

So, you would think after a long weekend of hosting friends that part of me would want them gone?

I mean, heck, hosting friends is a hard business to run.

But this wasn't the case.

If it wasn't for rush meetings and school, I'd keep them around all week.

I don't like thinking that the next time we will all be together is Thanksgiving :(

But that is life.

That is college.

And I'm just thankful for the sweet memories of the weekend.

I love you guys & thanks for the visit :)