Nutella Pull Apart Bread… Because I love Chocolate:)

Today I made something special for my best friend and decided to share with you what it is. One of my favorite things in the world is chocolate, especially Nutella. Not only me but my best friend loves it too and we crave it almost every day.

I know, I am a cruel person. I posted a picture of my amazing Nutella pull apart bread and most likely made you crave some chocolate right now. This is why I decided to share with you the recipe to it so you can make it at home! Enjoy!

Nutella Pull Apart Bread
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

3 cups bread flour (or all purpose flour if that is all you have)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tbsp. instant yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. neutral flavoured oil
1/2-3/4 cup water
And lastly about 1 cup Nutella (more or less, depending on how Nutella-y you want the bread to be)

 

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients (except the Nutella) in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the dough hook attachment (start with 1/2 cup water).
2. Turn it on to low and mix until everything is incorporated. If the dough looks or feels dry, add more water. Then turn it up to medium and let it go for about 3-5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Feel free to knead it by hand if you do not have a mixer. You are looking for the same smooth final product, it might just take a bit longer.
3. Place the kneaded dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours or until double in bulk. I give that wide time range because depending on how cold or hot your kitchen is, it really varies.
4. Punch down the risen dough and stretch it out onto the counter. Use some flour as necessary to prevent it from sticking. You could use a rolling pin but I find it easier to simply stretch it until it is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
5. Time to smear the works with Nutella. Go to town, really use as much or as little as you want. You could even switch out the Nutella for peanut butter, sweetened cream cheese, or if you want something savoury, cheese.
6. Slice the Nutella smothered dough into 3 inch wide strips. Stack these on top of each other and then further slice the dough into 2 inch chunks (give or take). Grease a loaf tin and put the pieces of dough into it so that the layers are visible, like an accordion.
7. Cover and allow to rise for about 30-45 minutes, or until doubled again.
8. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. Cool slightly and proceed to devour immediately!!! Any leftovers should be cooled before wrapping tightly with plastic wrap and then placing in an airtight container.

 

Word Count: 495

SAVE A PAW, DON’T DECLAW!

Yesterday I was doing my hair in Orlando and I started to argue with a man. What was the discussion about?

I heard him say “I am so happy that my cats are getting declawed tomorrow”. And to be honest this is something I am strongly against. Declawing is completely cruel and unnecessary, while others are ignorant enough to think its harmless and beneficial… Like this man. If most of you don’t know what declawing is, it is an operation to surgically remove a cats claws by means of the amputation of all or part of the distal phalanges, or end bones, of the animal’s toes. Because the claw develops from germinal tissue within the third phalanx, amputation of the bone is necessary to fully remove the claw.

Declawing for cats is like you losing the entire tip of every finger at the first knuckle. It is so excruciatingly painful and recovery takes a few weeks, but even after the surgical wounds have healed, there may be other long-term physical and psychological effects.

I have a very strong opinion about this topic because it really applies to my life. I have a cat that is 7 months now and I LOVE HIM TO DEATH! He has destroyed almost my whole house… And still I WILL NEVER DECLAW HIS NAILS!

I dream of becoming a veterinarian so you can imagine how much I love animals. I’ve been working in a vet clinic where they are against declawing and that means a lot to me. I would never work somewhere they support it… Why? Because declawing is not necessary. It’s cruel and in order to be a vet and love animals… This act shouldn’t be present. You can do you can do many things to avoid this excruciating torture. You should all know that scratching is normal cat behavior. It isn’t done to destroy a favorite chair or to get even. Cats scratch to remove the dead husks from their claws, mark territory, and stretch their muscles. Many countries feel so strongly about the issue that they have banned the procedure. But you don’t have to let your cat destroy your house. Here’s what you can do:
*Keep his claws trimmed to minimize damage to household items.
*Provide stable scratching posts and boards around your home. Offer different materials like carpet, sisal, wood, and cardboard, as well as different styles (vertical and horizontal).

*Use toys and catnip to entice your cat to use the posts and boards.
*Ask your veterinarian about soft plastic caps (like Soft Paws®) that are glued to the cat’s nails. They need to be replaced about every six weeks.
*Use a special tape (like Sticky Paws®) on furniture to deter your cat from unwanted scratching.

and lastly, in my opinion, IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE A PET WITH CLAWS… BUT A FISH! Sorry if you wanted a cat but you can’t have everything you want in life. Go buy something without claws. I believe that this not only applies to me but to many other people who are also cat owners and some way it can affect the world. Nobody wants their pet hurt or unhappy.

So PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! People should know about this disgusting thing that owners do to their cats… Some like I said don’t know and some decide to declaw their cats nails and then realize –too late– that it is an amputation involving severe complications.

To end this I would like to show you my cat name Bori. This picture was taken in Halloween, he is with his costume. 🙂 I love my cat and you can see from this picture how happy he is with his claws! Thank you for taking your time to read this which is really important for me… And please start to think about it!

Word Count: 635

Blessed

          Something I’ve been realizing a lot lately is that I have the best family in the world! I can’t ask God for something better because my mom, dad and brother are perfect!. I believe that many kids wish to have a family as good as mine and that I’m blessed to have them. One of my closest friends from Miami has been a little sad with a situation she has. Currently, she is almost done with her career as a Vet tech. She’s graduating this year and I am very proud of her. Her mom lives in Puerto Rico and her dad is living with her since she decided to move here in Florida because she wanted to accomplish her dreams of being a Vet technician. Her dad hasn’t been the best with her in many ways and doesn’t support her as much as anyone wants to make her dreams come true. That’s were I realize that I do have the best parents in the world and I got be grateful every single day for that. She is one of my closest friends and everyday even though I’m far away I help her in any way possible. I have taken her to work when nobody can, listened to her, given her advice, been there every time she has needed me and been there supporting her because I know she can accomplish all those goals. Not only I’ve been helping her, but she has given me her trust and friendship which for me is something that is very special. I know that God has seen all those things I’ve done done for her and through my days he’ll give me good things. My family has also been there for her every single day, even more because they live close down in Miami. I told her that not always your biggest support system is your family and that’s why God put a great friend like me in her life. 

         Today I received the news that she will be visiting me this Wednesday and I also motivated her to check out Santa Fe and the University of Florida so she can get more than her associates. I believe in her and her dreams. In conclusion, I guess that everyone should be really grateful if they had the luck to have a family like mine and not only that but always be good to those you love because you’ll feel very good and most importantly, good things will come ahead. I love my family and friends.

 

Word Count: 437

A look into Kiss Land…

  Like a lot of people, I’m a pretty big fan of The Weeknd.  My friend Kialy introduced me to the Trilogy mixtapes, starting with “Gone”.  Initially, I didn’t like The Weeknd’s style of music. I quickly changed my mind however because I discovered how dark and atmospheric the Trilogy was.  You wouldn’t play most of The Weeknd’s songs at a party, but maybe in other situations you will.  So when I learned that Kiss Land was finally released, I couldn’t wait to give it a listen.

                Kiss Land is a good album.  I have no doubt after listening to it after a few days that it’s worth a purchase.  However, I’m not so sure if it’s better than The Weeknd’s mixtapes.  The lyrics are there, but the atmosphere is not.  Some songs have it, but most of the time the beat just is not as dark and thick as it used to be.  However, this is not exactly a bad change.  Some songs have taken on a slightly grander tone with the implementation of stringed instruments that add more depth to the song.  Also, Wanderlust was a surprising track that has an upbeat electric sound that I really like.  It was the first song that I really got into.  And like I said, the lyrics are still excellent. This is my own interpretation of the lyrics so I may be completely wrong.  In The Professional, Abel sings how the girl is happy because “[her] freedom was here in this cage all along”.  The cage refers to what she’s doing with her life, most likely being a prostitute.  The cage itself is her customers/the degrading things she must do to earn her money.  Initially she wanted to be released but Abel notes how she already, “made enough to quit a couple years ago” and prefers to be happy in her work (The Professional).   Most likely, her happiness is the fact that she realizes she enjoys her work.  She enjoys sex with different men and it makes her feel free because she can do what she wants.  This is further explored in Wanderlust when Abel sings that she “is in love with something bigger than love”.  To her, love and intimacy with one person is not enough.  She has wanderlust; she hungers for a different man every time, thus she wanders about from man to man (and maybe women too).  The Weeknd explores sexuality again in this album, but is the story of one woman, the woman who he lost and was most likely the one.  Multiple songs hint that Abel was in love with her, and one song outright declares that she was the one (See Adaptation and Belong to the World).  I haven’t carefully listened to the whole album yet so I don’t know if Abel continues the story with the same girl, but I think the story definitely exists.  Interestingly, I think the girl Abel sings about is the same girl inThe Zone; she is the one he thinks of when he says, “I’ll be making love to her through you”.  All other girls are just substitutes for her.

                I wouldn’t call this album a step down from The Trilogy; personally, I find the music not atmospheric enough to be The Weeknd, but he makes up for it with some interesting production, good lyrics, and when music does get darkit’s oh so satisfying.  Rather than a step down, I’d almost say this is a step sideways from The Weeknd.  He still is making dark R&B, but it’s a little different from his mixtapes.  Perhaps this is a small step sideways?  Either way, The Weeknd is growing up and thus his music changes.  He’s mentioned his age before in The Trilogy, and in Love in the Sky, he mentions how he is getting older and older.  This album is at least a 8.5/10 in my opinion.  I like it a lot and I recognize that Abel’s sound has to evolve and change, but I don’t think it has bested most of the songs in The Trilogy.  That said, I like the overall theme centering around this one girl, and just about every song has at least a moment that where I become absorbed in the music.   I don’t think I’ll listen to it as much as I did with The Trilogy, but it will see lots of play in the coming months.

 

Word Count: 443 words

Some advice for a friend

Yesterday at school a friend of mine went up to me and told me he was having problems with his girlfriend. He also told me that the situation wasn’t that bad but he was a little confused and he didn’t know what to do. They have been together for over a year already so it surprised me. I saw him worried so told him:

Want me to give you some advice? If you are confused do not ask for time or do not break up with her that fast… Have in mind that during that time you guys are separated, a million things can happen to that girl. She can meet other people, other guys who are interested in her and instead you will be thinking bout the whole situation. When you’re really decided on what you want to do with her, there’s a chance of you not being able to do something because she can think that you never loved or cared about her. Instead if you keep being with her, the fact that you guys are still together can let you know or realize what was really the reason. She maybe the one who made ​​you smile a thousand times when you were sad, she never refused to help or listen to you, think about the fact that she was always there when you needed her and always realized something every time you acted weird. And if there are people who want to interfere your relationship let them know you’re serious about this, that both of you are happy and love to be together. Do not be misled by the things people say about her or about how you guys look together, it does not matter… What really matters is that both of you are together and are happy, after all the people will later on understand. The only thing that is important is that you guys are together, love each other and care about each other. Remember that she could’ve helped you overcome a lot… Remember that if you want a girl in which you guys have recently ended, don’t doubt that she does not want to talk about it, so just tell her everything you need to say, and if you think you even have time to re-do it , you lose nothing if you try. As people say… “Better to try than say sorry”.

My friend looked a lot better and was grateful for me to dedicate some of my time and help him out. After all, what are friends for? Today he called me saying that he was doing great with his girlfriend and that he felt a lot better. I was happy for him and told him that if he needed anything else, I will be there for him.

 

Word count: 465

 

Owner of a MINI

          Very few people can say that they have their dream car already. I am luckily to be one of those today. Ever since I can remember the Mini Cooper has been my dream car. It can be funny to some people the fact that from the thousands of cars that the world has, that specific one is my favorite. It was April 6, 2013^th when my parents surprised me with my first car. Months ago from that date my parents had said they were going to start looking for cars because by that time I was planning to move to Gainesville for college. I was happy and really grateful that my parents were doing that for me. After days, weeks and months past, my parents took to me to Doral down in South Florida.

        On our way the only thing they were doing was giggling saying how my graduation present is going to make one of my dreams come true. I had no idea where we were going since my parents didn’t wanted to say anything. After an hour long drive, we stopped at a Mini Cooper dealership where I already knew what we were there for. There is was, a mint white, panoramic top Mini cooper waiting for my approval. Words couldn’t describe how happy I was at that moment. My dream had come true, I was an owner of a Mini Cooper. I always dedicate a part of my time to wash, modify and drive my car. I have taking care of my car in a way that few people have. Now my car has black stripes, new rims, light racks and next week I’m planning to lower the suspension. I guess I enjoy myself doing new things to it. For me the Mini Cooper is just the ideal car for me… It just fits me perfectly. I won’t change it for anything. The MINI is about more than just being a cool-looking car that’s fun to drive, I guarantee you that.

 

Word Count: 334

And you learn.

After a while, you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul. You learn that love does not mean leaning and company does not mean security, and you begin to learn that kisses are not contracts and gifts are not promises. You begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, and you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling in the middle. And after a while you learn that if it’s too much, even the heat of the burning sun will burn you. So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong, you really do have worth and you learn and learn… With every day you learn.

With time you learn to be with someone because it offers a good future, means that sooner or later you would want to return to your past. Eventually you realize that only someone able to love you with your flaws, without trying to change, can give you all the happiness you want. Over time you realize that if you’re next to that person only to accompany your loneliness, inevitably you’re going to end up not wanting to see her again. Eventually understand that true friends are counted and those who will not fight for them, sooner or later will be surrounded with only false friends. Eventually you learn that the words spoken in a moment of anger, can still hurt whom you’ve been hurting a lifetime. With time you learn to forgive anyone, but forgiveness is only for those who have great souls. Over time you realize that if you hurt a friend badly, most likely the friendship will never be the same. Eventually you realize that although you are happy with your friends, someday you’ll cry for those who you’ve let go. Eventually you realize that every experience lived by each person is unique. Eventually you realize that those who humiliates or despises a human being sooner or later suffers the same humiliation or scorn multiplied by a lot. Eventually you realize that if you rush things or force them to pass, causes false expectations. Over time you realize that, actually, maybe it was not the future but the time you were living right at that moment. Over time you will see that, although you are happy with those beside you, you’ll terribly miss those who yesterday were with you and today they are gone. With time you will learn to try to forgive or ask forgiveness, say you love, say that you miss, that you need, say you want to be friends, at a grave no longer has any meaning. But, unfortunately, you will only realize it through time.

Word count: 487

Yesterday was my first day volunteering at the Alachua County Humane Society here in Gainesville and ended up in love with the place. I mean, I’ve worked in numerous pet shelters down in Miami and a veterinarian but I’m happy I’m starting to keep up with my experiences with Animals again. I’ve been doing a great job as a veterinarian assistant,

why not keep up the good work?

Moving to Gainesville is not going to stop me from anything… I moved here because I want to get in the vet school here in the University of Florida. Ever since I can remember I’ve always had a huge love and interest in helping animals. Yesterday I started my shift in dog walking and caring. It turned out so good and hopefully tomorrow I’ll start my shift having to do with the cats. I love helping these animals and giving the affection their hoping to get one day. I consider these pet shelters my second home. I’ve had so much work these past weeks but I always dedicate more then 2 hours in helping animals or playing with my own pets. I just find it necessary. Yesterday after my shift I stayed an extra hour reading each dogs history just to have an idea with what I’m going to work every day. I’m planning to volunteer there 5 days a week and start working in an animal clinic at least when I get a little more acostumed to my schedule. I wanted to share a specific picture I took not to long ago in the Humane Society I used to work in down in South Florida. It’s actually one of my favorite pictures having to do with that place. I think it’s such a great picture to demonstrate how happy animals get when being adopted or finding other animals to play with and spend their time. It’s a very happy picture where you can actually feel numerous emotions… At least for me. They are just like us! It’s so sad how these animals got here and how people have the heart to treat them in a certain way.

I just want to adopt all of them!

Many people including myself feel so good and satisfied knowing your helping others and that the time you’re dedicating to these shelters are very important. it is so rewarding when someone goes up to you and says thank you for the things you’ve have done.

Today, September 5 2013, I received a phone call from my aunt and she was arguing about how I never told her how was my first day attending Santa Fe college as a freshman. Suddenly I had a huge flashback about that day.

I was entering my public speaking class from 12:00-12:50. This class was the ONLY one I was worried about… I actually already hated it before even entering for the first time. We sat down and we met the professor. A very nice, friendly and funny man! 5 minutes later he said we were going to be doing fun activities today. I was actually feeling relieved believing that as in fun he meant we weren’t going to be obligated to stand in front of the class and present what he wants. As you all know, public speaking is all about presentations, how well you express yourself and the energy you use while presenting which I… Totally… HATE.

My professor stood up and placed a paper in the podium where it’s located right in front of the class. He explained to us that we were going to stand up in front and say

“My name is… And when I was younger I remember…”.

I suddenly got nervous and for a second I didn’t even remember any childhood memories. I literally went blank. Was this even possible? My professor asked if anybody wanted to participate first which I was believing that there were going to be a few students raising their hands. Turns out it was the exact opposite, nobody participated and he decided to pick someone from his list.

In this moment I was not even worried… I mean, why would my name be called first? The probabilities are little I thought.

“Can I hear from Noelly please?”

Yes, apparently I was the first one to be picked. I stood up and walked in front of the class… I didn’t have any other choice. “Hi everyone, my name is Noelly Ibarra and when I was younger I remember…”
I had no idea what to say but I did remember something and so I presented.

I told the class that about 5-6 years ago I went on my first cruise to Alaska with my friends from Puerto Rico and my family. It was beautiful and a great experience. It was a 7 day cruise and about the 4th day around 8:00am I told my brother to go with me to check the basketball courts. I went with my brother and 3 of my friends. The basketball courts were considered the last deck and it was surrounded by a net so the balls wouldn’t get out. Besides the court, there was a small golf cage in the corner so people could practice Golf. My friend and I were shooting some hoops and my brother was in the golf cage. Suddenly I came up with a stupid idea and told my brother to get on the basketball court and try to hit the gold ball with the golf club and get it in the basket. Where did I get that idea? I don’t know… Don’t ask.
So that’s what my brother did for several minutes and he couldn’t get it in. It kept hitting the board and so said he’ll try one more time. We stopped playing basketball so we can watch him. He hit the ball and after a few seconds we didn’t hear the ball hit anywhere.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” screamed an old man about  6 seconds after hitting the ball. All of us got near the net and stared down. The ball had hit an old man in the forehead. He was in the adult Jacuzzi right outside. The ball appeared to pass through the net and hit him. I was scared so I looked behind me to see what my friend and brother wanted to do with this.
Those idiots ran away and guess who had the fault for this accident… ME.

I walked back to the podium in class and said thank you. My classmates were all laughing. When class ended I sprinted to the door and left… What am I going to do with the rest of the semester? This was pretty embarrassing… Even when it was my first day of class. Would the rest of our days in class going to get worst?