Stuff I've Been Up To Lately

It has been a while since I've had any time to be on my laptop since school has started back!  So here are some things that I've wanted to share that I saved as drafts until I had a chance to tell all about it.

This was our first day back to school.  We had a 2 hour delay, so I ran with Dad before cleaning up and getting ready for school!  It was about 27 degrees at 5:45 when we started.

I've been loving some Pieces candies lately!  I got my mom some York Pieces for Christmas, and I've been eating them, too!  York, Heath, and Reeses Pieces make fantastic pancakes!

One Friday after school my friend Katlyn came home with me, and we went for a run from my house and back.  Then we each made our own half of a pizza and baked it! 

Yum, yum, and fun, fun

The next day, Saturday, I went over to the country club to help decorate for the Sub-Deb hosted formal.  It looked like Christmas in there!

AP Psychology is one of the two AP classes I am in this semester.  I think it is going to be very interesting!

Dad takes me to Cataloochee almost every weekend during the winter so we can get the use out of our snow ski season passes.  The town of Maggie Valley is small, but cute!  I love little areas like that.  They have a shopping strip down the main road that has almost every store having ice cream.  I spotted one with a Blue Bell Ice Cream sign next to its own sign, so I got Dad to take me on our way home one Sunday afternoon.  This store had all kinds of treats and goodies, and of course the ice cream.  It was also next to a coffee shop I hope to go into one day!

This picture is a little blurry, but in person, it looked amazing!  From my driveway Friday morning, you could see the moon through the trees so pretty.

Tonight on BET the movie Glory Road was just on.  I love that movie; it is such a great true story.  I thought this was a fantastic quote from the coach of the Texas Western Championship team.

There's also my Twitter if anyone wants to follow!

@makenzie_jones

 

At 9:00 tonight on ABC Family another fantastic movie is coming on-The Blind Side!

 

Gingerbread House of the Day #2

Here it is!  The other gingerbread house I was inspired to make during second period yesterday.

I had all this stuff at home that goes great with graham crackers, so I decided to to do a Christmas craft with it...then eat it of course.  This was an addition to my dinner and dessert last night.

I used almond butter to connect the house

vanilla bean cheesecake cream cheese to hold the "doors and windows" (Recees Pieces) in place

more of the vbccc to be snow on the rooftop

light brown Heath Pieces as "shingles"

and cool whip as snow!

 

To the side I made a nut tree

pumpkin spice cream cheese

pumpkin

and pumpkin butter make the ground layers

then cool whip and cinnamon make the snow

the "tree" is a skinny graham cracker with more pscc and pumpkin

with pistachios and peanuts stuck all around and on top

 

Before I ate it, I drizzeled some honey on top, becuase a little honey makes everthing tastier!

The cool whip added an amazing flavor to it, also.

 I was thrilled with how yummy this fun project turned out.

A healthy, happy, festive treat for the Christmas season!

The Art of Self Serve Frozen Yogurt

My favorite thing on this earth is frozen yogurt.

Especially the self serve kind.  I consider it an art.

If there is a froyo shop around, you best bet I'm gonna ask if we can go!  It is expensive (especially if you overflow your cup like I do), so I only get it on special occasions.  My absolute favorite time to have it is on our way home from a race.  Since it is yogurt, these places have healthy choices!  They are filled with probiotics and live and active cultures.  The protein, little sugar, and toppings and fruit that can be added are great for recovery.  Saturday I went to Menchie's.  That's where the pictures below are from.  I also love Yogli Mogli, Sweet Frog, Cameez (which I have only seen in Frisco, Colorado; they also have self-serve oatmeal and coffee).  Our mall has also recently gotten a Red Mango.  I've never been to the Orange Leaf, but I have heard it is good as well.  Some TCBYs are also becoming self-serve.

 

Information on these health benefits and store locations can be found on these websites:

Orange Leaf

TCBY

Red Mango

Menchie's

Sweet Frog

Yogli Mogli

Cameez

Sometimes there are toppings that go really well with certain flavors, so why put toppings only on top?  I layered mine up!

Layer one:  Pumpkin topped with cheesecake bites

Layer two:  Cake batter topped with Recees Pieces, carob chips, dark chocolate chips, and espresso beans

Layer three:  Peanut Butter topped with more Recees Pieces, caramel turtles, and Heath

Layer four:  Praline

Below is the finished product!  I swirled the Cake Batter and Pumpkin on top and added some more cheesecake and candy corn pieces for the finishing touches, because if it looks good, it will always taste better! 

I was reading an interview yesterday from Running Times on their high school athlete of the week, who is a repeat in this category.  Aaron Templeton from Hardin Valley just an hour or so down the road is one of the nation's top runners!  I agree with him on the last thing they quoted from him:  "It's not such a bad thing to have ice cream after a race."