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“The soccer team tryouts will begin soon.”  I have to get to the school’s field as fast as I can! The fastest way to go down the main staircase. Oh no, there’s the principal!”

“Oh hey, Mr. Potuy.”

“My day is going good.”

“No, I’m just on my way to the soccer field for the tryouts.”

“Thank you I will try my best.”

“Have a good day.”

(Mr. Potuy leaves.)

“Dang it, because of that talk I can’t get their on time by using the staircase,”

“Wait, the second floor window in the Chem-lab.”

(Runs to Chem-Lab)

“I’m finally here and have two minutes to spare.”

(Panting)

“The lights are out.”

(Open Door)

“Whoo, No one's in here.”

“Now I just got to find the unlocked window.”

(Checking windows)

“There you go.”

(Looks out window)

“Wow, that is high.”

“Next time, I’m just going to get ready an hour earlier.”

(Climbs out of the window)

“Just one foot at a time.”

“Don’t look down, Don’t look down, aww man I looked down.”

“Just keep going,”

“I guess I can drop from here.”

“Whoo, I made it.”

(Runs to the field)

“Hello, Coach.”

“Made it just in time.”

“What I’m late.”

“I thought it started at 7:00am.”

“What, it's 8:00?”

“But, my watch says, oh yeah daylight savings time.”

“I forgot to change my alarm. It won’t happen again.”

“What do I have to do.”

“Okay I got it.”

(Walks away from coach)

“Wow that was a rough start for the new year.”

“I have to start to catch up to the other guys,”

“They are already halfway done.”

“I start with the 100 lunges.”

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…. 100.”

“Oh... (pant) wow (pant) I never wor(pant)ked my legs (pant) so much.”

“Now, the 75 pushups.”

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10….75.”

“Wow, everyone is leaving and I’m only on Jumping Jacks.

“Um, coach are you staying.”

“Thanks I won’t take so long.”

“How many jumping jacks do I need to do?”

“175!”

“I guess that I’ll should start now.”

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…. 175.”

“I’m (pant) beat (pant) what’s next.”

“Goalie kicks, but everyone left coach.”

“You can be the goalie.”

“I don’t think so since you're so ol…. I mean you're very experienced, but your body may not be able to keep up anymore.”

“Um, let’s start.”

“I’ll just do 80 kicks.”

“What only 40.”

“What about 50.”

“Fine, Fine, I’ll settle for 45.”

“Are you ready because I‘m not going to go easy on you.”

(Kicks soccer ball)

“How do you like that shot.”

(Kicks another soccer ball)

“Score!”

“Um, sorry I got too excited.”

“Hey coach, what position did you play on your team.”

“Wow, I wouldn't have taken you as a striker type of guy.”

“Well, you just that you seem like a defense guy.”

“What, you were a star player.”

“What were your total score count.”

“473!!!!!!”

“Oh, wow, it’s late,”

“I have to get home coach.”

“I did not expect it to take that long.”

“Thank you for staying late just to watch me finish.”

“Oh, coach when is our first game.”
“September 9.”

“Um, coach.”

“Do you have any people in mind that would make the team.”

“Because Zack is really good and also Rick.”

“You already made a list”

“Who are the starters.”

“I can’t believe I make the starter list as striker.”

“OMG, I can't believe this is happening.”

“I will show lots of determination and improvement.”

“I won’t let you down.”

“Thank you coach i'll keep working hard.”

“Have a good night.”

!Hola¡ Somos… (we all introduce ourselves). Somos del primer año en la escuela. SLA está en Filadelfia. Está cerca de Arch Gourmet, Franklin Institute, y Trader Joe’s. SLA es la escuela pequeña y brillante. Hay quinientos (500) estudiantes, treinta profesores, y hay cinco pisos. Nosotros tenemos Spirit Week, bailes de escuela, consejerías, y hay ultimate frisbee. Ofrecemos deportes, poetry club, cine, ingeniería, y comida deliciosa.

En la clases, nosotros aprendemos. Nosotros leemos, tomamos apuntes y prestamos atención. En SLA, tenemos muchas clases. Por ejemplo, inglés, historia, español, tecnología, ingeniería, arte, algebra/ geometria, bioquímica, consejería. Para tener éxito en esta clase, necesitamos hacer la tarea. Es importante tomar apuntes En la clases hacemos tarea con computadoras. La clase de inglés muy fácil.

¡En SLA las estudiantes están muy contentas! ¡Los profesores están muy inteligentes! ¡Los profesores les gustan los estudiantes mucho! Vamos a ver los estudiantes y profesores. (show teacher looks at kid and head explodes).

SLA es muy interesante. Me encanta bioquímica y ingeniería porque es fácil. Lo que más nos gusta de SLA es consejería. SLA es chévere, tranquilo, e inspirante. Para más información, ve a www.scienceleadership.org. !Ven a visitarnos!

Baked Mac and Cheese

Recipe:

• Boil four cups of noodles until just softened (they’ll cook more in the oven)

• Prepare three cups of grated cheese. I prefer mozzarella and some kind of cheddar, but maybe you prefer something with more heat or a different texture. The choice of cheese is up to you.

• Whisk together two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of flour in a large saucepan over heat. Continue whisking for at least three minutes.

• Whisk in two cups of milk (any kind will do but whole milk is prefered), a bay leaf, and a couple sprinkles of paprika. Bring this mixture to a simmer and continue whisking and simmering for fifteen minutes until it’s reduced, and remove it from heat. For a less saucy and more reduced mixture, simmer for eighteen minutes. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Whisk in about two thirds of your cheese and continue whisking until the mixture is as chunky/smooth as you would like. Remember that this will continue to cook as it sits and as it cooks in the oven.

• Pour your noodles into the saucepan and mix until thoroughly combined. The noodles should be coated in the cheesey saucey mixture. Move half of these noodles to a pan or bowl (one that is oven-proof).

• Pour the rest of your grated cheese into the pan or bowl, over the noodles, to serve as a cheesey center for your mac and cheese dish. Then pour the rest of your noodles on top. All of your grated cheese and noodle/cheese mixture should be in the pan or bowl now.

• Extra tip: if you feel like you didn’t get enough cheese in there, you can grate more cheese into the mixture at any time. This recipe is very forgiving and the amount of cheese won’t damage the final product; the amount of cheese is really to taste.

• Finish by combining a cup of breadcrumbs with two tablespoons of butter in a pan or skillet, and combine and toast until the breadcrumbs are warm and buttery. Spread this mixture on top of your mac and cheese.

• Put your entire pan or bowl of mac and cheese into the oven at 350 degrees (you could preheat the oven if you liked, but again the recipe is forgiving). The meal is done after half an hour or until the top is as golden brown as you would like.

• Extra tip: you can remove the mac and cheese from the oven and serve it immediately, but you can also mix it together, or add more grated cheese. If at any point in the process you don’t like it, just adjust the amounts of cheese/breadcrumbs/milk/butter/whatever to taste.

• Extra tip: This mac and cheese isn’t as strong as I like it, but I prefer to season it once it’s on my plate and not in the bowl with everyone else’s. Some hot sauce, coarse kosher salt, and ground pepper can really improve the strength of the recipe and also bring out the other flavors. In addition to seasoning, you can also add grated cheese to your own plate to give a little bit of chunk to your saucey mac.

• The final step is to enjoy!

This dish is a home cooked, hearty, comfort food. I use this dish to serve in large portions, because small portions of mac and cheese just make me sad that I don’t have more, so I will be analyzing this from the perspective of two to four people served per bowl (when this could easily create twenty small appetizer dishes).

In the context of other comfort foods, this dish holds its own. It has a lot of variation, but if you use the right ingredients this dish can be all whole food. Using whole milk is, obviously, the first step, but also make sure you’re using organic AND all natural cheese (placing far more emphasis on the organic on the label than the all natural). The other key is to use the proper seasoning; fresh salt, pepper, bay leaves, and paprika (and hot sauce if you’re interested in that feature of the recipe) are much less likely to be processed. These small pieces of the recipe are what create the taste, whereas the noodles and cheese create the bulk of the meal, so investing in organic, fresh, and unprocessed seasonings is critical. The real issue with processed foods arises with the bulk of the meal. The noodles are the biggest problem, because they’re grains and not digestible by our bodies, so they have to be processed. You could use veggie noodles, or even actual vegetables cut into the shapes of noodles (zucchini is a popular choice), or whole grain noodles as a whole food alternative to the most processed brands of noodle. You can even find out about these noodle choices on the Whole Foods website, ironically enough. Cheeses are also a difficult option. Spend some time choosing the right cheese (both in taste and in ingredients) and make sure it isn’t just the cheese at the closest corner store. Farmer’s markets are a great way to find little to no process cheese, and you can even make your own at home with a fraction of the “processing” that even the most local of farmers uses. In the end, if you want a little to no process mac and cheese recipe, you can get it, but you can’t use the Kraft box that’s sitting in your cabinet.

I began to touch upon this in your choice of ingredients, but having a healthy whole food option isn’t the only benefit of purchasing from local and organically grown farms. Cheese, especially the homemade or farmmade and whole food kind, is very difficult to make. The process is arduous and time consuming, but in the end rewards the consumer with an amazing and deep flavor. Investing in farmer’s market cheese is good for the consumer, but more importantly is good for the farmer. Supporting local farmers is what keeps unprocessed food on people’s plates, so this mac and cheese recipe is a great opportunity to support farmers.

In my preparation of this food I admittedly didn’t use farmer’s market ingredients. I used relatively fresh seasoning bought from Trader Joe’s and my mozzarella cheddar blend was created using their cheese as well. Trader Joe’s in particular is a happy medium between corporations like Kraft which crank out low quality mac and cheese at a low price and a farmer’s market with high quality ingredients but equally high costs. Trader Joe’s also uses the profits from their foods for good causes and are reliably healthy and organic. My preparation of this meal was free, but the combined prices of the ingredients were $15, I would estimate. This amount of fast food mac and cheese, however, say from Wawa or Panera, would cost me even more (two family sized mac and cheese sides from Wawa cost the same $15 but wouldn’t fill the bowl that I filled). The fast food option of this meal would also be much less healthy, even if you opted for store bought cheese and processed pasta.

• Cassava leaves, pounded

• Beef (or other meat), wash and cut

• 200 ml palm oil

• 1 fish, if preferred

• 2 onions, chopped

• Chilli or hot Peppers

• 4 cups water (1l)

• Salt, for taste

1. In a cooking pot, add your  meat or fish, salt and 2 cups of water.  

2. Then bring it to boil for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked. When the fish is done, remove it from the pot. Let it cool down and remove the bones from fish and set aside.

3. Add the cassava leaves in the pot. Let it simmer for 5 minutes and add another cup of water

4. Pour the palm oil in the sauce and add onion, and chili pepper .

5. Then simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat.You will need to stir the sauce occasionally to prevent it from burning

6. Return the fish  in the pot and salt to taste.

7. Stir well and cook for 15 minutes.

8. When your soup is done, serve it with rice

I would say that about 65 percent of this meal is whole food and the rest is processed. The greens are are grown and then pounded and put into a sealed bag which is then frozen. I at first that the green were fine but then my mom brought back cassava leaves from Liberia and it tastes a lot different from the greens that are grown here. The animals that were used in this meal, I don't know how they were killed, but most usually we get our meat from markets and other areas like that. The same goes for our seasoning that we use for the soup

When it comes to the cassava leaves, they are grown here, but they originated from my mother’s homeland, Liberia. For the ones that are grown here, I’m sure that they are mostly organically grown. When we have the time we even pick our own greens from farms in New Jersey. For the meat that we use, I am not sure if they contains pesticides and how commercially grown they really are, we get majority of it from markets so I think that it’s mostly organic.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• Two eggs

• Two slices of bread

• Two pieces of cheese

• Unsalted margarine

• ¼ cup milk

• Cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Crack two eggs into a bowl and scramble until all of the egg is one color.

2. Mix milk into the eggs.

3. Heat a flat pan and melt a piece of margarine in the pan to coat the bottom.

4. Place a piece of bread into the bowl so one side is completely covered in egg. Then flip, and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

5. Lift bread out of bowl. Take bread out before it can get very soggy and start falling apart.

6. Put the slice of bread into the pan cinnamon side down. Then, sprinkle cinnamon over the other side.

7. Flip the bread once the side that is faced down no longer looks like raw egg.

8. Once other side is cooked, place the slice onto a plate.

9. Put one piece of cheese in the corner of the slice of bread. Then, rip the other slice of cheese in areas of the top of the bread the first piece of cheese did not cover.

10. Coat the second slice of bread in the remaining egg and cook like the first one.

11. Place the second slice on top of the cheese.

12. Let the sandwich cool for a moment, and then cut it in half if you desire.

Analysis

50% of the ingredients in this recipe are processed food while the rest is whole food. Eggs are a whole food since they come directly from chickens with little done to them except cleaning and packaging. Cinnamon,  type of tree bark that is just grated, is another whole food. Milk is almost a whole food, except it is pasteurized and sometimes has added vitamins.  Meanwhile, bread, margarine, and cheese are highly processed. It is possible to get cheese that is more of a whole food, but I tend to use cheese from Kraft.

This meal is unhealthy to eat everyday. Margarine almost only has fat, which is not healthy. Eating eggs too often causes high cholesterol, but it is a good source of protein, which the body does need. Cheese has calcium, but Kraft has added dyes and other unnatural ingredients. Arnold Whole Grain Oat Nut bread, which I use, gives protein, fiber, and whole grains, but also has added vitamins. Added vitamins are not as good as eating naturally occurring vitamins.

This meal is inexpensive. A dozen eggs, gallon of milk, jar of cinnamon, package of cheese, and box of margarine cost a few dollars each, and of each ingredient, only cents’ worth is being used. This meal only costs $1-2 approximately. This is about the same price as a burger on a fast food value menu, but with more whole grains than the rolls used in fast food. Both still are cooked with fat though.

Throughout this quarter we have all been working with colored pencils and as a result I have improved my technique and come to enjoy the medium. We started with blind contour drawings which I found pretty difficult. It was probably my least favorite assignment of the quarter but I also realize that it was an important assignment. I wish I had practiced blind contour drawing a little more; my drawings aren’t very good. However, the process was useful and made me more aware when drawing a subject. The next assignment, colored pencil techniques, taught me three new techniques. I enjoyed this assignment very much and I am proud of the finished product. This assignment taught me how to add perspective and color gradation using color pencils. The last assignment that builded on technique was the color wheel assignment. This involved using three colored pencils to create a color wheel. This assignment taught me how to blend colored pencils and better create gradation in color. The circle itself is a little lopsided and some of the colors aren’t blended as well as I hoped but overall I am proud of my work.

Once we learned basic techniques we worked on a colored pencil portrait. I had trouble with layering colored pencils to create realistic and complex skin. I tried different combinations but most of the time the subject just looked sickly. I wish I had worked more on this and used more layers to build up the skin. My favorite assignment of the quarter was the colored pencil fruit basket. I chose to draw an apple, peach, cantaloupe slice, and pear sitting on a table. I spent a lot of time layering colors and creating smooth gradients. I also worked hard on the shadows and highlights and tried to make the fruit look as realistic and three dimensional as I could. I am very proud of the final product and I especially love the color gradient in the pear. Through this assignment I learned how much I enjoyed blending colored pencils.

Note exact quantities are not used to make this recipe. I explained what to look for instead as that is how I actually prepare this dish.  

Ingredients  

About 5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken

McCormick Roasted Garlic & Herb

Virgin Olive OIl

Steps

• Unwrap Chicken and place on a plate.

• Brush Olive Virgin Oil onto Chicken until it is fully coated.

• Cover chicken in McCormick Roasted Garlic & Herb Mix until about half the chicken’s surface area is about ½ covered.

• Grill Chicken to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

• Place chicken on plate and enjoy!

Lens

This dish is a relatively affordable dish as chicken is one of the least expensive proteins that one can buy.  The average cost of a pound of chicken, according to a quick google search, is 3 about dollars and one can often find it for much cheaper on sale. The other ingredients in the dish are a bit more expensive per purchase, however, one McCormick Roasted Garlic & Herb and a bottle of virgin olive oil can last for tens of times making this recipe.  

This dish is also a relatively healthy dish. Boneless skinless chicken only has 165 calories per serving. In addition to that, it offers an amazing 31 grams of protein. I ate this dish frequently when I was lifting as it was a great source of protein at a low cost. Protein helps us build and replenish muscle and people who are actively training must eat more than the average individual. While olive oil is high in calories it consists of monounsaturated fat as it is thus considered good fat by many nutritionists, rather than trans fats and saturated fats, which are generally considered bad for you.  

This meal is not very processed as the chicken is a natural ingredient. Using virgin olive olive olive oil means that the olives were only turned into oil using a machine but no chemicals or additives.

A) Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• Pinch of Salt

• Pepper

• 1 tortilla

• 1/2 cup shredded hard goat cheese

• 1/2 large sliced tomato

• fresh basil or sage

B)Directions to make Vegetable and Goat cheese quesadilla.

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. You can add toppings such as unions and sauté until translucent for around 5 minutes. After season it with salt, and pepper. Remove onions from pan and set aside.

• Using the same pan, lay the tortilla flat on the pan in medium heat. Sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Top half the cheese with cooked onions, tomato, and herbs. When cheese begins to melt, fold cheese-only side of tortilla over. Cook for another minute. You can repeat this process for larger crowds of people such as a whole classroom. Each person will want more than one, but it is healthy and taste very good and is also quick.

c) Analysis

Goat cheese is easy to digest for people who are lactose intolerant. You can use a whole wheat tortilla which has fiber. You can also use veggies for toppings which are extremely healthy and have antioxidants.

This is the beautiful thing about making a meal that is from a country like Mexico. In Mexico, most of the ingredients you will find are grown locally and are very fresh. What this means is that the food that you will be eating will most likely not be processed. Goat cheese also contains whey which contains protein. If you are going to the gym a lot, you might want to think about creating one of these healthy quesadillas because you can fuel your gains. Furthermore, you can also eat the veggies from locally grown markets, or you can buy bad veggies. Either way, you know that it will be much better for you than a processed meal.

Vegetarian Antipasto (Serves 6 entree salads)

Ingredients for Salad:

1 bag romaine lettuce

1 bag spring mix

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1½ cups cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 cup red onions, chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

½ cup artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained, rinsed and quartered

Dressing:

½ cup Light Balsamic Vinaigrette (optional)

Topping:

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese -1 tbsp. per salad (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the lettuces.  Next, add all the remaining salad ingredients. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

2. When ready to serve, add the dressing and toss well.  Divide salad on each plate.  Top each salad with 1 tablespoon cheese.

This vegetarian antipasto is the healthiest meal that you can find in an Italian and Irish family that likes their meats, cheeses, and breads. Normally, my mom will make this as a side salad for a meal but she told me that it can be served as an entree for dinner. For its nutritional content, the meal totals to about 236 calories per serving (including the cheese and dressing) and each serving consists of about to cups of the salad which is very filling. There is about 10 grams of fat which is not a lot of fat from a dinner meal since you are supposed to have 44 to 78 grams of fat per day in your diet. However if you eat too many salads, you will most likely become constipated since leafy green vegetables like lettuce are high in insoluble fiber.

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are not processed or could be found in a not processed form. For example, the recipe calls for bagged romaine lettuce and spring mix which means that there was a small amount of processing that the food went through. The person making this dish could always use normal lettuce instead of bagged lettuce. Other than these items that could be found non-processed the only processed ingredients are the cheese, vinaigrette, and the canned garbanzo beans. Most of the ingredients for this recipe are not processed foods.

Depending on whether you buy these items organic or nonorganic is a factor for the price of this meal. Also this dish includes many ingredients, especially vegetables when bought out of season can be expensive. Depending on the time of year and the preference of the customer, this meal could be more expensive than some dinners. Changes can be made to this recipe to make it more affordable for all incomes and it is still less expensive than buying fast food for dinner.

(Serves 8-10 guests)

4 ripe avocados

1 jalapeno pepper

½ red onion

½ lime

¼  teaspoon sea salt  

(how ever much, I personally like a lot) cilantro

Directions:

1. Chop jalapenos, red onions and cilantro into small pieces (finely chop)

2. Seed avocados and place avocados in a mixing bowl.

3. Start to smash avocados to your preference consistency. (I like mine chunky where there there are still chunks of avocados)

4. Juice/ squeeze lime

5. Mix altogether

6. Done! You can serve it as a dip, with lime chips or plain tortilla chips. My preference would be the Tostitos lime chips or for a healthier right of way, get tortilla chips and squirt some lime on top and a dash of sea salt and mix together.

Christian McCormac

Intro:

I’ve wanted to write an essay like this for a while. I think what I discussed in the essay kind of pushed me to finally get around to it. The whole concept of what identity and wealth has to do with immigrants and how it affects there lives is what is important.  Equity, equality and patriotism have a big part in the essay too.

In the US the gap between rich and poor is growing. As an immigrant coming from a different country to america, you have to realize that other  people have different perspectives of you. "It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others" - W.E.B. Dubois Traditions that they leave back in there country, a personality they leave at home, acting more american at work to relate to others and be more successful. “Most people don’t, for two reasons: They have no idea that their identity is affecting how much they earn. Even if they do know, they don’t know what they can do to change their identity.” Traditions that immigrants leave behind in their country, a personality that they leave at home with their families, and a mask they put on at work to relate more to others and act more American to be more successful.

Patriotism and pride have a huge role in traditions that American immigrants participate in. "Patriotism, sir, is the last resort of scoundrels," There are two sides of patriotism, the good side, where patriotism is the quality of being patriotic and supporting the country you’re from, and then there's a bad side of patriotism, where everyone is so patriotic that the only country they support is there own. Personally I support every country, I also believe that this world should have more equity. Equity is giving everyone what they need to be successful. Equality is treating everyone the same. Equality aims to promote fairness, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same help. Immigrants that come from different countries also have to adapt to the American lifestyle, the way Americans live, and portray themselves.

As far as traditions, there are many different traditions, and having money, gets you more places in life. In addition to cultural pressures, many immigrants face outright racism, which can hurt their careers. “In fact, race alone cost Asian, black, and Latino immigrants an average of between $2,000 to $2,700 in net worth, compared to that of white immigrants with similar educational backgrounds, periods of residency, and fluency in English.” This quotes ties back into identity and how identity affects how much they earn. That’s why many immigrants wear mask so they can be more successful. It’s always good to ask yourself the central question in what ways does wealth tied together in immigrants is a assimilation?

In conclusion the whole concept of everything this essay's states, humans have to learn how to love and treat everyone as they would want to be treated. Everyone needs to learn self control, self motivation, and how to value what is really important in life.

Lily and Rifah

Our dish is a tomato and mozzarella salad.

Ingredients:  

1. 15 grape tomatoes.

2. 1⁄2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese

3. 1⁄2 cup torn basil leaves.

4. 3 tablespoons olive oil.

5. 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.

6. kosher salt or sea salt, to taste.

Steps:

Step 1:Place grape tomatoes , alternating with mozzarella slices, in a large bowl.

Step 2: Combine oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Drizzle over tomatoes and mozzarella

Step 3: Mix everything together

Step 4: Sprinkle in basil and mix

Step 5: Sprinkle basil on top

Step 6: Serve and enjoy

This meal is traditionally eaten by Italians on holidays and with cold sandwiches like hoagies. In our meal, two out of the six ingredients are whole foods while the rest are processed. Most of the ingredients are found in your own home like salt, pepper, and olive oil but if not they are affordable just as much as the tomatoes and mozzarella. These items are found at any local grocery store. If you would like to support small businesses or your local farmer’s market, then tomatoes and basil leaves can be bought there. This promotes sustainable farming, use of less pesticides and fertilizers and also helps them expand their business so their foods can reach more people in the community. However, all the other ingredients are usually mass produced and benefit bigger companies and corporations than anyone else. You could also grow the tomatoes and basil yourself, to save more money and also be more environmentally friendly!

Overall, this recipe is relatively cheap since most of the ingredients can be found in every home. Altogether it would take about $10-15 to purchase the ingredients. All of the ingredients are healthy, so it wouldn’t be too big of a deal if you ate it every day. However, if you did decide to eat it every day, it would be important to lay off on the cheese because it could cause high cholesterol. However, if the levels are maintained and eaten along with a relatively healthy diet, it should not be a big deal. Hope you try this dish at home and enjoy it!

Lily and Rifah

Our dish is a tomato and mozzarella salad.

Ingredients:  

1. 15 grape tomatoes.

2. 1⁄2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese

3. 1⁄2 cup torn basil leaves.

4. 3 tablespoons olive oil.

5. 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.

6. kosher salt or sea salt, to taste.

Steps:

Step 1:Place grape tomatoes , alternating with mozzarella slices, in a large bowl.

Step 2: Combine oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Drizzle over tomatoes and mozzarella

Step 3: Mix everything together

Step 4: Sprinkle in basil and mix

Step 5: Sprinkle basil on top

Step 6: Serve and enjoy

This meal is traditionally eaten by Italians on holidays and with cold sandwiches like hoagies. In our meal, two out of the six ingredients are whole foods while the rest are processed. Most of the ingredients are found in your own home like salt, pepper, and olive oil but if not they are affordable just as much as the tomatoes and mozzarella. These items are found at any local grocery store. If you would like to support small businesses or your local farmer’s market, then tomatoes and basil leaves can be bought there. This promotes sustainable farming, use of less pesticides and fertilizers and also helps them expand their business so their foods can reach more people in the community. However, all the other ingredients are usually mass produced and benefit bigger companies and corporations than anyone else. You could also grow the tomatoes and basil yourself, to save more money and also be more environmentally friendly!

When speaking about race or ethnic background in any conversation, the room always seems to sit still. It is as if an imaginary piece of tape forces lips to shut and ones’ task is to find the strength and courage to break the seal. Race is one of those topics that holds back another's’ thoughts and opinions, filling the room with an uptight vibe. In most cases when specifically speaking about black and white races, they are their own quantity. It seems as though people with biracial backgrounds that origin from African American and Caucasian parents are forced to choose to be identify as either an African American or Caucasian individual and such being that there is no in between.

A prime example comes from the forty-fourth President of the United States, Barack Obama. Obama’s parents comes from array of ethnic backgrounds. Being that his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, is an Irish-American and his father, Barack Obama Sr., born African, that makes President Obama equally half Irish-American and African. Though, society says otherwise. Barack Obama is not identified as “the first biracial President of the United States” he is said to be “the first black President of the United States”.  

Coming from a biracial home myself with a black father and white mother, I was told that when you have a black father and white mother then the children are considered black, so with that being said I am an African American. Growing up I would always struggle telling people my race. It is not that I did not feel comfortable, it was that their reaction would shock me in a way.  If a person asked what race do I identify as, I would simply say, “I am black,” with no hesitation. And in an instant, that person’s expression would change.  They would either respond with, “No you are not, you are a white boy. ” or “...if you are black why is  your skin so white?” Yet hearing their responses, I come to my senses to automatically compare myself to someone who is known with the same struggle. Steph Curry, for instance. With Steph Curry having both his parents African American, he just has light skin. Therefore, it is possible for African Americans to have very light skin.

So growing up and being biracial I would not say it was hard for me but I definitely felt different.  My neighborhood is mixed with black and white people.  I went to a mostly black school, there were maybe eight or nine white kids in the entire school that I went to.  So coming from a biracial family I feel like that set me apart from the other kids I went to school with.  My physical appearance has stood out as well.  Going to a mostly black school and having light skin and reddish hair immediately set me apart.  Difference doesn’t bother me its something that i have gotten use to through my life, I just wish society could embrace different the same way I do.

Mac and Cheese Recipe

• 1 box of macaroni

• 1 stick of butter

• 1 can of Carnations evaporated milk

• 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese

• 2 cups of shredded 4-state cheddar blend

• 2 cups of shredded colby jack cheese blend

• ¼ tsp of salt

• ⅛ tsp of pepper

• ⅛ tsp of mustard powder

• Lawry’s season salt

• ½ cup of whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook 1 box of macaroni and drain.

3. Add 1 stick of butter and let it begin to melt.

4. Pour in one can of Carnations evaporated milk.  Stir.

5. Add two cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir.

6. Add  1/4 tsp of salt.  

7. Add 1/8 tsp of pepper.

8. Add 1/8 tsp mustard powder.

9. Add two shakes of Lawry's season salt.

10. Add 2 cups of mild cheddar cheese.  Stir.

11. Add 2 cups of a Colby Jack blend cheese. Continue to stir while cheese melts

12. Add 2 cups of 4 State Cheddar blend

13. Add 1/2 cup of whole milk.  Stir.

14. Pour mixture into a glass bowl and cover the top with another cup of cheddar cheese.

15. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the mac and cheese begins to bubble and the cheese too begins to brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

For this project, I decided to do my mothers famous Mac and Cheese.  Macaroni and Cheese is a staple in soul food in the United States.  Macaroni, cheese, and butter are fused together to make a dish that seems to be brought down from the heavens.  While everyone says that there mac and cheese recipe is the best, I truly believe that my mother perfected the recipe.  All of the indigirants complement each other so nice that it creates a dish that is one of a kind.

This meal is not that cheap.  You will need about 5 bags of cheese to make this recipe.  If each bag of cheese goes for about 4 dollars then you will be spending about 20 dollars on cheese alone.  A box of pasta for this recipe will go for a little over 1 dollar.  A box of butter will cost you 5 dollars.  Evaporated milk should cost about 5 dollars.  Assuming you have everything else, you will be spending about 35 dollars on this dish.  

We are living in a world where almost every kind of food you get is processed in some kind of way.  Every ingredient in this recipe is processed.  These cheese, the butter, the macaroni.  Even whole milk is processed.  From the cheese alone you are look at almost 500 calories.  If you are someone who likes to watch their calories then you should only eat mac and cheese on special occasions but if you are someone like me who can afford eating something like this then you should.