I Made a Website!!!

The past two weeks have been crazy!!! I’m often a little shocked at how quickly we move in my programming school. It’s been almost three months and we have already built multiple projects from the ground up.

We started with a bunch of back-end projects that weren’t very fun to share because they weren’t visually gratifying. I mean, they worked; but when all you get for your hard work is a string that says “#<Order:0x007feec15c95d8>” and you’re stuck trying to explain to your non-tech friends how you swear it means something!

But we’re finally at the point where we’re making things that other people can see! I think it started with a database site we made about farmers markets, followed by my media ranker, but it all culminated in a project that took twice as long and 2-4 times as many people….bEtsy! Or, the one my team built, Not Yetsy! Holy cow was this one a doozy!

 

In other news, I’m having a little bit of an internal struggle when it comes to this blog. When I started it I really wanted to just connect with people. It’s the only way I like to do life. I’ve always felt like I enjoy watching videos much more than reading and have made more connections via YouTube than here. I also feel like it’s easier for me to be more myself in videos than worrying that a joke doesn’t come across as well on paper. I’m starting to wonder if I should make a more definite switch over. Just thinking “out loud” 😊

I hope you have a great Monday and a Happy Halloween! Here’s a picture of me as a mermaid accidentally cutting off Ned Stark’s head…

Week 7 at Ada Developers Academy

It’s typical Fall weather in Seattle which means I’m starting to forget what the sun looks like. It was seriously taking a toll on my mood so I’m glad I sat down and edited this video. It brought a smile to my face and I hope it does the same to you!

Here’s another inside-look at what it’s like to be a student at Ada Developers Academy. It’s so much more that just learning programming and it’s the people that make that culture happen.

Happy Monday!

Battle of the Volumizers

I should let you know I’m typically a non-picky person when it comes to hair products. But I am always desperate for Texas style hair: “the higher the hair, the closer to God”…right? I decided I that the volume boosting products I had at home needed a head-to-head battle. 

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Tis the season for pumpkin flavored everything! (or, so I’m told)

Here’s an easy video recipe for my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.

I like to top these with cream cheese frosting because it’s my favorite! But feel free to top with your favorite frosting!

A Vlog!

It’s been four weeks since I started at Ada Developers Academy and I can’t believe that they’ve already opened the application window for the next cohort! I remember being so nervous while filling everything out and I felt like I couldn’t find enough information from a student’s perspective so I thought I’d start changing that.

It’s one of the most stressful and rewarding experiences that I’ve been a part of. If you’re thinking about applying I hope this video helps give you a glimpse of what a typical week is like!

My Tio Nick’s Corn Salsa

I can’t tell you how much I love this salsa! What pushes it over the edge is how easy it is to make, just make it the night before so all the flavors have a chance to sit and meld with each other.

 

Tio Nick’s Corn Salsa

Easy Chik’n & Steak Enchiladas

Typically if a recipe requires too much prep, it’s just not for me. And, “too much prep” can be as little as having to finish a dish in the oven after doing a bunch of stuff over the stove. I don’t even have kids and I don’t have the energy for that!

Then I found this recipe for Ingrid Hoffman’s Fastest-Ever Enchiladas. While it requires a good amount of prep work, she uses store-bought rotisserie chicken so there’s no combination over the stove and baking required. It cuts your prep time in half!

I’m still trying to eat mainly vegetarian so I thought I’d change it up using some chik’n strips and steak strips from Morning Star Farms. I love these because they really satisfy my craving for the texture and flavor of meat. When you mix them into a has-style dish like these enchiladas I’m willing to bet even the pickiest of meat eaters would barely notice!

French Onion Soup- Vegetarian Style

I realize that having a soup post is totally out of season, but French Onion Soup is my favorite! I think it was the melty cheese on top that did me in. It’s definitely one many meals I miss about eating meat, which was why I knew I had to create a vegetarian-friendly version.

I tried filming the process and learned many things not to do when making French Onion soup…it was a little disastrous. I figured that’s life- sometimes it works out great the first time around and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and try something new. A recipe that imitated life imitating art? Wow.

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Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Vegetarian Picadillo (ground beef hash)

Here’s another vegetarian-ified meal for ya! This one is a remake of one of my favorite meals my grandmother used to make, Picadillo, which is like a ground beef hash mixture. We always paired it with white rice and my dad likes topping it with catsup, but that’s never appealed to me.

This meat-free version is made from Morning Star Farms’ Grillers Crumbles, which I found in the frozen food section of my grocery store. I’ve made this before using a mixture of the crumbles as well as some crumbled tofu, which came out quite tasty also and would be a great option if you couldn’t find these crumbles. I like that the crumbles give meat-eaters the mental ease of their dinner still looking like something that’s not too far from their comfort zone. Great for a Meatless Monday!

 Vegetarian Picadillo

Butternut Squash Soup

I’ve recently been inspired by Leanne Brown, who wrote a cookbook with recipes that are affordable and specifically geared for those who are on the SNAP/Food Stamps benefit. The pdf version of her book is available for free on her website or you can donate to her Kickstarter campaign and make sure that a family in need also gets a copy (much like Toms shoes).