September 11, 2013

September 11, 2013 By 1 Comment

september112013Yesterday, I read a CNN article about one of my sorority sisters at Pepperdine titled A Child of War, With a Sense of Purpose. Alison was the daughter of Johnny Michael Spann, the first American killed in the war in Afghanistan. Just before leaving on his deployment, he explained to 9-year-old Alison that in order for the terrorists to never come back here, he had to take the fight over there. It is the people like Johnny Michael Spann, who bravely and selflessly put their lives on the line in order to keep our country safe, the passengers on the plane who charged the cockpit, and the people (police, firefighters, volunteers, etc) that ran towards the Twin Towers on this day twelve years ago that make me so proud to be an American.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Alison and all those around the world remembering 9/11, twelve years ago today.

Filed Under: Caroline 1 Comment

Bircher Muesli

September 9, 2013 By 2 Comments

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I’m not exactly sure how Bircher Muesli was introduced to our family, but it is one of our favorite breakfasts. We used to have it in our fridge all the time, but for another reason I’m not so sure of, it had been a while since we had made it. Luckily, my adventure to Switzerland reminded us of the dish because it is in fact a Swiss dish! So, right before I left on my journey abroad, we made muesli and I was reminded just how delicious and refreshing it is.

When I got to Lausanne, I saw that we have it in our kitchen every morning for breakfast. Or so I thought – they don’t make it on Saturdays and Sundays! Today is Monday though, and that means as soon as I hit “publish” on this post, I’m making a beeline straight downstairs to get some muesli!

Here is the recipe if you would like to bring a taste of Switzerland into your own home:

2 cups of rolled oats (not the quick-cooking oats)

1 cup of apple juice

(It is always a 2:1 ratio)

Put the oats and apple juice into a container and put in the fridge to soak over night.

And in the morning you put it into a bowl and doctor it up with your favorite toppings! Yes, it’s that easy!

My favorite way of doctoring it up is adding berries, nuts, and a couple drops of honey! Other toppings you may like are cinnamon, peaches, and toasted coconut. It is also common to add it to your yogurt. Really there isn’t a wrong way to doctor it up!

If you try it out, let me know what you think!

Filed Under: Caroline, Food, Recipes 2 Comments

A Cathedral and Chocolate

September 7, 2013 By 1 Comment

We have a full week of orientation before class starts and that makes me so happy for a few reasons. 1. I don’t have school for another week. (I sometimes keep forgetting that I’m here for school…but don’t worry it will slap me square in the face on Thursday morning.) 2. It gives us time to get to know our city a bit and settle in. And 3. We have all really been getting to know each other well and we are sort of already becoming a family. I just really love it. It’s only been one day and I can only imagine how much closer we will all become. Ah, it makes me so excited!

On our first day we were introduced to the staff, we filled out forms, and we discussed some of the Swiss culture (like it’s best not to smile at people passing you on the sidewalk unless you have the intention to talk to them – they interpret it as invading their personal space, and therefore find it rude). After that, we all walked through town to the cathedral, where our history professor gave us a tour. It was such a beautiful day outside, so all of the light pouring in through the windows made it even more stunning. The architecture is just to die for.

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And on the way back through town, we stopped at a little café to get hot chocolate (In case you didn’t know, the Swiss are known for their chocolate. So, I knew it was going to be good!) The hot chocolate was basically a consistency of melted chocolate! Doesn’t that just sound to die for? I heard it was amazing from those brave souls who ordered the hot version when it was about 80 degrees outside. I chose to go with the cold chocolate, which was quite refreshing! I know I’ll be back there lots for some of their hot chocolate when it gets cold outside. And I am so ready for the day that it starts to get cold…bring it on, Switzerland!!

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So far, I am loving every minute of being here! I’ve been told it’s likely that I will face some serious culture shock in the near future…but I’m really enjoying the fact that I love it here. So, pretty please, cross your fingers for me that I don’t suffer too badly from it!

Filed Under: Caroline, Travel 1 Comment