Month: October 2012

Halloween Pinterest Reviews!

Halloween Pinterest Reviews!

In preparation for Halloween, the Stance for the Family blog staffers decided to have a holiday review night! Each staffer selected one or two crafts or recipes that had caught their eye on Pinterest and brought their creations along to share at our review night! Here 

Review: Hotel Transylvania

Review: Hotel Transylvania

by Jaden Anderson In the new animated film Hotel Transylvania, Adam Sandler plays the role of Count Dracula, an overprotective dad who builds a lavish five-star hotel/castle where monsters can get away from the world of “dangerous” humans. Dracula hopes to protect his daughter, Mavis 

Healthy Recipes in College

Healthy Recipes in College

by Amanda Ricks

As a follow-up to my last blog post on eating healthy in college, the following are a few recipes that are both healthy and cheap!

 

Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

½ cup steel-cut oats
1 ½ cups vanilla-flavored nondairy milk (coconut, almond, rice, soy, etc.)
1 small carrot, grated
¼ small zucchini, grated
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. brown sugar or maple syrup
¼ cup chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. The night before, oil the crock of your slow cooker. Combine all ingredients, except pecans. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
  2. In the morning, stir the oatmeal, taste and adjust the seasonings, and add more milk if needed. Top with the chopped pecans.

 

This recipe is absolutely delicious. Whenever I make it, I find myself so excited to go to bed at night because I know I will wake up to the delicious smell of oatmeal.

 

Fruit Trifle (from chefintraining.com)

Fruit:

Fresh pineapple
Fresh strawberries
Seedless green grapes
Seedless red grapes
Bananas

Topping:
1 ¼ cups milk
½ cup sour cream
8oz. crushed pineapple
1 (3.25 oz) package instant banana cream pudding

 

Directions:

  1. Layer fruit in a large bowl or trifle bowl.
  2. For the topping, whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Spread over the top of trifle.
  3. Arrange any extra fruit on top for a pretty presentation.

 

This fruit trifle is delicious. When I made this, I used sugar-free pudding. Not a good idea. Stick with the regular pudding and trust the fruit to keep it healthy.

 

 

BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad

1 bag Spring Mix lettuce
½ can black beans, drained
½ can corn, drained
½ red pepper, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 lime
1 bag corn chips
4 chicken breasts
½ cup BBQ sauce

Dressing:

1 ½ cup ranch dressing (not buttermilk ranch, just regular)
¾ cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s is my favorite)

Note: For smaller amounts, use 2 parts ranch to 1 part BBQ sauce.

 

Directions:

  1. Put the chicken into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the BBQ sauce over the top. Bake at 400°F for about 25–30 minutes. Once it has cooled, chop or shred chicken into 1-inch pieces.
  2. Chop up the lettuce and place in a large bowl.
  3. Add the corn, beans, and chopped red pepper to the salad greens. Add the chicken, chips, and cheese, and squirt the lime all over the top.

 

I use this recipe all the time. It’s a big crowd pleaser and tastes like it would be a lot harder to make than it actually is.

 

2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins (from www.food.com)

18 ounces spice cake mix
15 ounces pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Directions:

  1. Simply mix the pumpkin and the spice cake mix together with electric mixer until well combined.
  2. Spoon into small, paper-lined muffin/cupcake tins, 2/3 full. (The batter is very thick and doesn’t “settle,” so you may wish to smooth the tops if you care what the finished product looks like!)
  3. Bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

 

What kind of recipe collection would this be without a dessert? When I made these muffins, I substituted devil’s food cake for the spice cake mix. I also added in chocolate chips and peanut butter dollops because I was making them for company. They are delicious with or without these things added in.

Sharing the Science that Connects Families: An Interview with Dr. Justin Coulson from Happy Families

Sharing the Science that Connects Families: An Interview with Dr. Justin Coulson from Happy Families

by Alissa Strong Stance for the Family eagerly supports other organizations that strengthen and develop the family. This week Stance had the opportunity to interview Dr. Justin Coulson, owner and founder of Happy Families. Dr. Coulson, a PhD in psychology from Wollongong, Australia, presents workshops 

What I Wish I Would Have Known (Part One): Marriage

What I Wish I Would Have Known (Part One): Marriage

by Alissa Holm The experience of marrying another person is likely the biggest transition a person will ever make in their life. Each person goes into a marriage with their own set of values, beliefs, traditions, experiences, and testimony, and is expected to join with 

Internet-use Disorder: Compulsive Addiction or Society’s New Direction?

Internet-use Disorder: Compulsive Addiction or Society’s New Direction?

by Mandy Teerlink

Image courtesy of Gamesingear.
The inside of a gaming trailer, a vehicle where gamers can pay to go game together.

Psychologists are now categorizing addictions to internet gaming and gambling as a psychological disorder. They are focusing most of their research on the rising generation, as they are more prone to this kind of disorder which can be detrimental to health. However, the disorder still requires much more research before psychologists will be able to fully understand the phenomenon or treat it.

 

Some symptoms that have been established so far are:

  • Obsession with internet gaming
  • Withdrawal symptoms when not using the internet
  • Necessity of using the internet more and more to achieve the same high
  • Lack of interests/hobbies
  • Internet replaces human relationships
  • Internet becomes a tool to escape sadness/depression
  • Failed attempts to quit using the internet as often

(List courtesy of care2.com)

 

The effects of internet-use disorder still require heavy research, but some studies have revealed that the effects can be similar to drug addiction.

 

Meanwhile, the necessity of declaring internet addiction an actual disorder has come under fire. The web is a relatively new addition to our society, and we are still learning how to apply its many uses. Internet usage that may seem excessive to adults is commonplace for many children. With the increasing advances in technology, it may be that internet junkies are the way of the future.

Infertility: Do You Have a Story?

Infertility: Do You Have a Story?

by Alissa Strong   Today by chance, I came across a blog. The author is a girl totally unknown to me, although we attend the same university. Her story piqued my interest specifically because it involves a topic that is almost the elephant-in-the-room in not 

Adaptive Aquatics: A Fun Way to Serve

Adaptive Aquatics: A Fun Way to Serve

by Jaden Anderson  Looking for a new and unique way to serve right here on the BYU campus? How does splashing around in the pool and singing Disney music with goggle-eyed kids sound? Well, that’s what you’ll find every Thursday and Friday morning from 11am 

Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest—A Traditional Fall Activity for Everyone!

Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest—A Traditional Fall Activity for Everyone!

by Danielle Cronquist

Enjoy classic fall activities and head up to Thanksgiving Point’s Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest, open from October 5th to November 3rd. A perfect outing for families, couples, or even a group of friends. You can get lost in the corn maze, let the little ones navigate their way through the kiddie maze, or for thrill seekers, venture into the haunted maze (age 12+). But you don’t have to spend your whole time wandering through mazes; there are tons of other fall activities to enjoy when there. . .

-pick out the perfect pumpkin for carving

-hang out around one of the campfires

-take a ride on the cow train

-leap around on the “jumping pillow”

-watch some pig races

-slide down “Cornbelly Mountain”

-and so many more!

Here are a few tips and tricks for having the best time possible when there:

1. Buy your tickets ahead of time or go on a weekday to save some money!

2. Check out the “activity age gauge” on the website beforehand to find out which activities would be best for you and your group.

3. Bring your camera for some fun picture opportunities with face-cutouts, in the pumpkin patches, and in the mazes.

4. Wear closed-toed shoes and bring a jacket. The walkways there are not paved, and we are moving into some chillier weather this month, so you want to be comfortable.

5. Some of the activities like the zip-line and rock climbing wall will cost you a little, so bring some extra cash if you want to try these out.

6. Bring snacks if you don’t want to shell out the extra money for food once you are there. Maybe even bring some s’mores supplies for the campfires!

7. The haunted festivities begin at 8 p.m. so if you think you or your kids will get a little freaked out, plan accordingly.

 

Taking a visit to Cornbelly’s is a perfect way to ring in the fall! Open from October 5th to November 3rd. Monday–Thursday 4–10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 10 a.m.–11 p.m.; closed Sundays and Halloween.

“30 Strangers” Project Exhibiting at BYU’s Harold B. Lee Library

“30 Strangers” Project Exhibiting at BYU’s Harold B. Lee Library

Justin Hackworth‘s photographic exhibit “30 Strangers: Portraits of Mothers and Daughters” is currently showing at BYU’s Harold B. Lee Library. The exhibit features photos of thirty mother/daughter pairs, capturing their histories and their stories. The story behind the project is beautifully captured in Kale Fitch’s