What Food Science is (& Why You Should Major in it!)

So, food science. You want to be a professional chef… right? Wrong!

A nutritionist? Good try, but nope!

Food Science & Technology. According to the Institute of Food Technologists, food science is the physical, chemical, and microbial study of food and how it is made (IFT, 2021). Food scientists aren’t chefs, but they make the food/ beverage products and packaging that you find in grocery stores. Food scientists make sure food is safe, nutritious, delicious, economical, and sustainable (IFT, 2021). There are many different aspects of food science, and food scientists can do all sorts of jobs. The main pillars of food science are safety/ quality assurance, sensory, and product development.

Food safety is making sure food is safe – consumers (i.e., you) won’t get food poisoning or worse. Quality assurance is making sure food is good – the product meets expectations and consumers enjoy eating it. Quality assurance is a preventative system set up to promote high quality food and prevent defects, while quality control is actually identifying and correcting defects in what has already been made (ASQ, 2021). Regulatory/ compliance is a subset of these; It’s ensuring products and their labels are meeting legal specifications (Dolan, 2019). People who work in food safety/ quality assurance evaluate food materials (physically & microbially), statistically analyze data to ensure and improve quality/ safety and adhere to standards like GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices). And yes, I looked at LinkedIn Quality Assurance jobs to get those examples.

Sensory science involves food and consumer interaction. This pillar includes the evaluation of food products by consumers (such as taste testing). Sensory testing helps with product development and quality assurance. Do people like the product? Does it taste (and smell, feel, etc.) like it should? Sensory scientists set up and help run various consumer tests, analyze data, and make product recommendations (Civille, 2005). I think sensory science is fascinating!

Product development is the creation of new food products or line extensions (Fuller, 2011). Simply put, product developers figure out then make products consumers desire. I personally think this is the most fun and creative part of food science, and it’s the job I want to have eventually. 

Those are the main parts of food science. However, there are so many more food science jobs. A few examples are food engineering (making/ improving food equipment & the production process in general) and food packaging (making the packaging food comes in). 

I went to Michigan State University, where I majored in Food Science and double minored in Horticulture and Beverage Science. There were four different food science concentrations you could take at my school: Technology, Business and Industry, Packaging, and Basic Science (Michigan State University Office of the Registrar, 2021). I did the Technology major so I could complete both my minors. I’ll link more about my undergraduate program HERE! A decent number of large universities offer food science degrees (check out THIS list).

I truly enjoyed my time at Michigan State, both in and outside of class. I took a bunch of general science classes as well as specific Food Science classes. Some classes I took:

• Cellular & Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Food Microbiology
• Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Food Chemistry
• Calculus, Statistics
• Nutrition, Food & Nutrition Laboratory
• Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Dairy Foods Processing
• Quality Assurance
• Sensory Analysis & Consumer Research
• Product Development (our capstone class that most people take the last semester of senior year, as it uses knowledge from all previous classes)
• Fermented Beverages, Distilled Beverages, Winemaking (for my minor in Beverage Science)

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  French fries we made in Fruit & Vegetable Lab.

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Food Science is such a fun major because you get to a) learn about FOOD, and b) MAKE food in labs! My favorite classes were my food processing classes, Sensory Analysis, and Product Development. We literally got to make mozzarella cheese, chocolate milk, and ice cream in Dairy Processing. We got to make grape juice, pickles, ketchup, and french fries in Fruit & Vegetable Processing. We got to design and carry out a sensory test for Sensory Analysis. Finally, we got to develop and showcase our very own food product for Product Development. Plus, our classes were right next to the MSU Dairy Store (RIP).

I’ll go into further detail of food science subsets in upcoming posts. Hopefully this post helped you learn more about food science and what food scientists do! 

Sources for this post:

ASQ: Quality Resources – Quality Assurance vs Control [Internet]. Milwaukee, WI: American Society for Quality; c2021 [Accessed 2021 Jan 19]. Available from: https://asq.org/quality-resources/quality-assurance-vs-control

Civille, G. Carr, BT. (2005). Sensory Evaluation Techniques. 5th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 600 p.

Dolan, K. (2019). Michigan State University – FSC 420. Lecture 1: Quality Assurance. 

Fuller, G.  (2011). New Food Product Development: From Concept to Marketplace. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. 488 p. 

IFT: Learn About Food Science [Internet]. Chicago, IL: Institute of Food Technologists; c2021 [Accessed 2021 Jan 19]. Available from: https://www.ift.org/career-development/learn-about-food-science

Michigan State University Office of the Registrar: Undergraduate Degree – Food Science [Internet]. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University; c2021 [Accessed 2021 Jan 20]. Available from: https://reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/ProgramDetail.aspx?Program=0349

Honey Bunny Graham No-Bake Pie

Hi friends! I have a new recipe to share with you today – it’s the perfect summer treat for kids and adults alike.

I partnered with Annie’s Homegrown and The Feedfeed to make this yummy pie with honey bunny grahams and other ingredients from my local food co-op! I purchased most ingredients, including the bunny grahams (which are currently on sale!), from my local co-op. The Marquette Food Co-op is my local one – you can find yours on the store locator (click the link).

Both Annie’s and NCG are creating a healthier and happier world through a more sustainable food system & fair treatment of their farmers/ employees. I just graduated with a degree in Food Science – I went into the food industry to create more wholesome and environmentally friendly products. Annie’s does exactly that, using REAL ingredients to create fun & delicious organic products!

Buy Annie’s Honey Bunny Grahams from your local co-op, then go make this sweet treat! Hope you enjoy – let me know if you make it!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Serves 8

• 1 (7.5 ounce) package plus ½ cup Annie’s Honey Bunny Grahams, divided 
• 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted 
• 2 cups milk of choice, cold
• 2 (3.5 oz) containers vanilla pudding and pie filling mix 
• 1 (8 oz) tub whipped cream  

For the pie crust:

1. Pour package of Annie’s Honey Bunny Grahams into food processor or high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1 minute, or until ground into fine crumbs. 
2. Combine Honey Bunny Graham crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.
3. Add melted butter to bowl of dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Press mixture firmly into bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Use your fingers to press crumbs into the sides and a measuring cup to press crumbs into the bottom of the pan.
5. Chill pie crust in refrigerator for 1 hour before filling.

For the filling:

1. Combine milk and vanilla pudding mixes into a saucepan, stirring until mixes are dissolved. Cook on medium heat and stir while bringing to a boil. Let mixture boil for a minute, stirring constantly, before removing from heat. 
2. Pour pudding into pie crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Place plastic wrap on pudding surface to prevent film from forming. 
3. Top chilled pie with an even layer of whipped cream. Decorate top of pie with remaining bunny grahams. I made the bunny’s eyes out of blueberries, the nose out of a bunny graham, and the mouth out of honey!

xx Ellie

Pumpkin Spice Season isn’t over – this oatmeal is here to prove it.

Some of you think pumpkin spice season is OVER. Think again.

Yes, Starbucks already released their holiday drinks… but that does NOT mean pumpkin season is over. In fact, it’s not even Thanksgiving, which is what I would call peak pumpkin (or at least pumpkin pie) season! Pumpkin season isn’t over until the year is. You can keep your disgusting peppermint mochas (mint and chocolate do not belong together) and other holiday flavors. I’ll be enjoying pumpkin spice straight into January, because the season isn’t over until they take the limited edition pumpkin spice coffee creamer off the shelf.One of my favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin spice? This oatmeal. It’s a fall breakfast game changer (Yes, it’s still fall even though it’s snowing here in MI). Give it a try, then let me know your thoughts on pumpkin spice or (gag) peppermint mocha.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal 

makes 1 serving

• ½ cup quick oats
• 2 Tbsp milled flax seeds (for omega-3 fatty acids & fiber)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pumpkin (I use canned because I’m not fancy enough to roast and puree a whole pumpkin)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin spice beverage (I used Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Almond Beverage, but you can use a few Tbsps of your favorite pumpkin spice creamer instead)
• ½ cup water (add more if you like thinner oatmeal)

Toppings: apple slices, (vegan) plain yogurt, more cinnamon, flax seeds, etc.

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (oats through cinnamon).
2. Add in the wet ingredients (pumpkin though water).
3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to make sure the oatmeal is cooked thoroughly throughout.
4. Add your desired toppings, then dig in!

Brownie Bites

These are brownie bites. They are brownies made in a muffin tin, so they’re small enough to be eaten in a few bites. Or one huge, giant bite. Totally up to you. Baking them in a muffin tin gives them a crunchy edge on every side. I’m just looking out for those of you that prefer brownie ends. They’re all yours, as long as you give me the gooey middle of the brownie. 

Baking them in a muffin tin (or mini muffin tin) also allows for portion control, if that’s what you’re into. Or you can just be like me and eat like 5 brownie bites instead. 😉 

I based them off the brownie bites you can find at most superstores like Target or Costco. Except these bites have fewer ingredients and are vegan. They’re more cakey than fudgey, just like the original brownie bites. In all honesty, they’re like an unfrosted cupcake… but 20943 times better because they’re richer and more chocolate-y. 

These bites are easy to make, and they only use ingredients that you should already have on hand. You don’t need special ingredients like vegan butter or non-dairy milk. Plus, you really only need to mix ingredients together to make these. Hooray for easy recipes!

Vegan Brownie Bites

Makes 12-14 bites

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup (so 6 Tbsp) cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
2. Mix the wet ingredients in a bowl (oil, water, vanilla).
3. Mix the dry ingredients (minus chocolate chips) in a separate bowl. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then whisk until just combined.
5. Mix in chocolate chips. 
6. Prepare muffin pan tins with liners or cooking/ baking spray. Pour 2 big spoonfuls of batter into each tin (so it’s ½ full). 
7. Bake for around 15 minutes, until the tops have risen and are bouncy to the touch. Let them cool for like 10 minutes before enjoying!

Note: Less time makes the brownies more gooey, while more time makes them more cake-y!

These brownie bites are the perfect treat to bring to a party, to a girl’s night, to coworkers, etc. Give them a try, either in a muffin tin or a mini muffin tin. Let me know how you like them (take a picture and tag me @peanutbutterandellllie on Instagram), and if you prefer the middle or the end of a pan of brownies. 

Dancing in the Streets of Barcelona

There’s just something about Barcelona, Spain. There’s so much to eat, drink, and do in this vibrant city! I’m slowly posting about all the places I traveled to this semester. I ended up going to like 34 towns/ cities (!!!), and Barcelona remains one of my favorites. I went for a weekend and had the time of my life walking around the city and stuffing myself with tapas. Here’s a recap of what I accomplished during the two days I was in Barcelona!

Friday, Day 1

We arrived on Friday morning via Ryanair, my go-to European airline (because it’s the cheapest and I ball on a budget). We stayed at a pretty nice hostel close to the city center, called Pars Teatro. We rushed to Park Güell after dropping off our stuff. We bought tickets online for a designated time so we didn’t risk having to wait in line and possibly not getting tickets. According to the official park website, Park Güell was built in the Catalan Modernism style in the early 1900s by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. It’s one of the biggest tourist attractions in all of Spain, and it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That basically means the site is protected so it can be preserved for future generations to enjoy (I did my research so you don’t have to!). Anyway, the Park was cute and fun and I loved it. There were too many people there, but that’s the case with every tourist attraction. The entry fee is 10 euro — totally worth it in my opinion, if only for the great photos you’ll take! We then walked to El Carmel Park, above Park Güell, for jaw-dropping views of the city! It was about 3 pm at this point and we still hadn’t eaten lunch, so we needed to go find some grub. We ended up getting a jug of sangria and tortilla española, a spanish omelet with potato and onion on a piece of baguette, at a little corner café.

We spent the afternoon at Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Gaudi’s famous church that is still under construction 135 years after building began. Yes, the same Gaudi that designed Park Güell — he’s kind of a legend in Barcelona. I thought the Basilica was incredible!

The outside

The inside

It’s a good thing we had a late lunch, because people don’t eat dinner in Spain until late (like 10 pm). After walking around “El Poble Sec” neighborhood, we had dinner at L’Angolino De Blai, a choose-your-own tapas place. My favorite was a baguette slice topped with spiced mozzarella and roasted eggplant. It was a long but fun first day!

Saturday, Day 2

This morning’s quest: bountiful brunch. We found it at El Arbol, a cute spot with lots of windows and hanging chairs. We had to wait a while, but the food was worth it. I got a soya latte and the mushroom & feta scramble with crystal bread toast.

Breakfast!

Coffee!

We spent the rest of the day walking off our food babies. I walked almost 14 miles today and saw…

• A mime
• Casa Batllo: another Gaudi building, but it was under construction so we didn’t actually see much of it.
• Plaça de Catalunya: a vibrant space where people were taking a dance class and a man was blowing bubbles for children.

Catalonian square

Bubble man

• Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf 

• Parc de la Ciutadella: kind of like NYC’s Central Park, but better because it’s greener and the weather is usually better. 

You could rent rowboats and paddle around the park!

A fountain in the park.

• The Gothic quarter (“Barri Gotic”)
• Barcelona Cathedral

No clue what this is but it’s fun!

Ellie on a giant elephant statue!

All of our walking called for a snack break. We tried churros dipped in chocolate, a Spanish specialty, from Be Chocolat. Sweet, rich, and delicious. We changed our pace and went to the Catalan Art Museum to see art instead of sights. The museum has a beautiful park next door, Parc de Montuic, with views of the city and the Olympic Stadium. Plaça d’Espanya, a beautiful square, is also nearby.

Peep the Olympic Stadium.

The view from the front of the art museum. Beautiful!

The evening was spent at the famous Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. We finally got to try Spanish street food! My friend and I split a spinach & cheese empanada and a cone of patatas bravas. We drank sangria and ate some more food on Las Ramblas, the touristy pedestrian-only street next to the market. We witnessed lots of peddlers and some sort of parade on Las Ramblas as well! We ended the night at Dow Jones, a bar modeled after the New York Stock Exchange.

Empanada

Patatas Bravas

Sunday, Day 3

We didn’t do much today besides check out of our hostel and head to the airport. Another weekend trip = complete! This was one of my favorite trips of the whole semester.

Salzburg, Munich, & Hallstatt… Oh My!

I went to Austria for spring break. I started in Vienna, then bopped around other cities in Austria and Germany! I had a blast, ate some great food, met some new friends, and hiked up some small mountains. Here’s a recap of the rest of my adventure!

Day Three Highlights – Salzburg 

Salzburg‘s claim to fame is that The Sound of Music movie (with Julie Andrews) was filmed there. The town can be explored in a day or two, but I spent four nights there in order to do nearby day trips. I took the train from Vienna to Salzburg, arriving around lunchtime.

• I enjoyed lunch at The Heart of Joy Café. I ate a falafel wrap and salad that really hit the spot.

• Mirabell Palace & Gardens. The one room that was open inside the palace was magnificent, but the overall palace wasn’t my favorite. None of the flowers in the garden were blooming, so the whole area looked dreary.
  

  The one open room in Mirabell Palace.

  

  One of the gardens at Mirabell Palace.

 

• Salzburg Cathedral
• Residenzplatz Square & Karajan Square. I really wanted to see the fountains that were in The Sound of Music, but they were all covered because it’s cold outside and off-season for tourism.
• Hohensalzburg Fortress. Definitely my favorite part of Salzburg, as the views from the top of the fortress were unreal! I also met a friend here that I spent the rest of the day with!
• St. Peter’s Monastery & Catacombs. A pristine, peaceful graveyard led to catacombs that were slightly creepy to walk through.
• Kloster Mülln, a monastery converted into a brewery and beer hall that Delaney recommended. It was fun to see where all the locals go to socialize.
• Dinner at Die Weisse. I tried strange vegetable “dumplings” with vinegar dressing and red onion. This was definitely my least favorite meal of the trip, partially because my breath smelled bad for like the next 24 hours. At least I tried the local cuisine?

St. Peter’s Monastery grounds.

Dumpling dinner at Die Weisse.

Day Four Highlights – Munich

Remember how I said I made a friend that I spent the rest of the day with? Well, she was staying in Munich and invited me to visit her for the day!

• Dachau Concentration Camp. We spent the majority of the day here. I almost cried multiple times due to the fact that such terrible events happened where I was standing not that long ago. It was hard to see, but I’m glad I went as I learned a lot more about Dachau and World War II.

• Lunch at Augustiner Bräu brewery, Munich’s oldest independent brewery. I got a surprisingly good curry!

Curry lunch.

Old town, Munich.

• Strolling through through Munich’s old town and Marienplatz Square.
• Viktualienmarkt, a market where we tried traditional Bavarian pretzels and pickles! They were both delicious.

The market.

My friend & I tried the pretzels!

• The English Gardens. Because spring isn’t quite upon us, most of the garden was barren. However, we had a nice walk because the grass was green and the sun was shining.
• Lenbachhaus Art Museum. I was very underwhelmed by this museum. It was a random mixture of art, and most of it wasn’t great (in my amateur opinion). The one piece I was really excited to see was Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans!

Lenbachhaus museum.

Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans.

After a full day in Munich, I grabbed some food from the grocery store and took the train back to Salzburg for the night.

Day Five Highlights – Hallstatt

Hallstatt is a small lake town about two hours from Salzburg by bus. There’s not much to do there, but it’s worth going for the view!

• Market Square, a picturesque square in the center of Hallstatt.

The view of Hallstatt from the Cathedral.

The beautiful Lake Hallstatt.

The center of Market Square.

• St. Michael’s Chapel and the Charnel House. This Chapel was built all the way back in the 12th century, and sits above the city. The grounds contain a building full of painted SKULLS from the past few hundred years – apparently it’s the biggest skull collection in the world. Basically there wasn’t enough room to bury all their dead in the cemetery, so bones were put to rest in the Charnel House. Cute.

• Walking around Lake Hallstatt. There’s a reason this area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it’s insanely beautiful.
• Hiking the Hallstatt trail to the top of the mountain. It took me about an hour to hike up the snowy path (in Converse shoes no less – not my best decision). The view was 100% worth it.

I actually only spent about 3 hours in Hallstatt even though transportation to and from the town took about 4.5 hours. I arrived back to Salzburg for dinner at GustaV, where I had the best meal of my entire trip. I devoured their toasted flatbread sandwich with a crispy coleslaw-like salad. After dinner I checked out a Belgian bar Delaney recommended, and the bartender told me his favorite things to do in Salzburg.

Swans!

Me, chilling in Hallstatt.

 

Day Six Highlights – Back to Salzburg

• Schrannenmarkt. I loved walking around this cute farmer’s market that occurs every Thursday morning.

The schrannenmarkt.

Lunch at GustaV!

• Kapuzinerberg Hike. I walked 6 miles around the Salzburg Basin and Limestone Alps, running into an old monastery and guard wall. This was my favorite part of the day!

• I loved GustaV so much that I went there again for lunch and ordered another one of their flatbread sandwiches!
• Mozart’s Birthplace. I wasn’t interested enough in Mozart’s backstory to pay 11 euro to go inside, but saw the outside of where the famous composer was born!
• Hellbrunn Palace. Even though it wasn’t technically open yet for the season, it was a fun visit through gardens, statues, and an old rock quarry. Oh, and the gazebo from the “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” scene from The Sound of Music.
• Nonnberg Abbey. The abbey wasn’t open, but I walked through the courtyard where Maria (from The Sound of Music) was a nun many years ago.
• Museum der Moderne Monchsberg. This modern art museum was a letdown, as there were only two exhibits that were a bit too modern for me.
• Dinner at Escobar, where I chowed down on yummy chips and guacamole!
  

  Hellbrunn Palace.

  

  The gazebo from the sound of music!
  

  Hellbrunn Palace.

  

  The rock quarry at Hellbrunn.

I woke up way too early to head back to Vienna on day seven in order to eat some more falafel and see the famous Opera! Check it out HERE. I loved my time in Austria, but would recommend going in April through September instead (when everything is actually open).

Riding Solo in Vienna, Austria

Austria isn’t the first country that comes to mind when you think of “spring break,” but it’s actually a great spring destination! I spent a week in the land of mountains, lakes, palaces, opera houses, and so much more. I went by myself, but was so lucky to have friends that lived in Austria for a year give me recommendations for my trip (thank you Kristin & Delaney!).

I spent two days in the capital of Vienna, then took a train to Salzburg, did day trips from Salzburg to Hallstatt (Austria) and to Munich (Germany), then ended my trip back in Vienna. I’ll detail my time in Vienna below… then click HERE to read about the rest of my adventure!

Day One Highlights

• Ice cream at Veganista. There were so many flavors to choose from at this vegan ice cream parlor, but I ended up trying a scoop of cookie and a scoop of brownie. The ice cream was rich, creamy, and delectable. 

• Naschmarkt, a giant outdoor market that has been around since the sixteenth century (!!!). People from all over the world sell falafel sandwiches, different types of hummus, fresh meats, exotic fruits and vegetables, wines, baked goods, and souvenirs of sorts. Vendors hand out falafel samples left and right. I very much enjoyed the market as falafel is one of my favorite foods. 
• DIY District One Walking Tour. I saw the Museum Quarter, Hofburg Palace, St. Michael’s Church, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and Rathaus (the City Hall).

An art museum in the Museum Quarter.

Mozart Statue.

A woman was playing the harp in the middle of the street. It was beautiful!

Vienna Cathedral.

• Dinner at Veggiezz, a casual vegan restaurant I found on Happy Cow.* I ordered the “Smoky Burger,” a spelt burger topped with greens, balsamic onions, tomatoes, pickles, sautéed mushrooms, vegan cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce. It wasn’t my favorite, but I’m glad I tried it!

The inside of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Street art I stumbled upon.

The exterior of Rathaus.

*Happy Cow saves my stomach whenever I travel. It lists all the vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants in the area, along with their hours and customer reviews. Before I travel somewhere, I always make a list of the vegan-friendly restaurants nearby using Happy Cow and Yelp. 

Day Two Highlights

• Gota Café for breakfast. I drank an oat milk latte and ate the “Peruvian Breakfast” (a poached egg, salted veggies, roasted tomatoes, avocado, & a quinoa salad).

Peruvian breakfast from Gota Café.

Sacher-Torte from Demel.

• Schönbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Austrian royal family until 1916 (side note: I didn’t realize that Marie Antionette was part of this family!). The Palace and surrounding grounds were quite grand, but the gardens were not in bloom because it’s still winter.

The front of Schönbrunn Palace.

The back of the Palace.

• Sacher-Torte cake at Demel Café.
• Hofburg Palace, the main palace in Vienna containing the monarchy’s silver collection, the Empress Sisi museum, and the Imperial apartments.
• Coffee in a waffle cone at Fenster Coffee. A fun but messy food experience!

• Hundertwasser Village, a very cool block of architecture near the Danube river.

Hundertwasser Village.

The Danube River.

• I tried to go to the Opera but it was already sold out! Instead I had the BEST dinner at Swing Kitchen, a small vegan chain in Austria and Germany. I ordered fries and veggie chicken nuggets that actually tasted like chicken (the one meat I liked before becoming vegan).
• Watching an Austrian a cappella group at Tunnel Bar. This was a blast, especially since they sang almost every song in English!

Vienna Day Three (Day Seven Total)

• 3 euro Falafel sandwich at Naschmarkt (yes, I went again).
• Belvedere Museum. This palace-turned-museum houses Austrian art from the middle ages to now, including the largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings in the world.

The back of the Upper Belvedere.

• Seeing the Opera. I had to stand in line for three hours to get a ticket, but I finally got to see an opera at the famous Vienna Opera House! The show, Cavalleria Rusticana, was not my favorite… but Vienna was a great place for me to experience opera for the first time.
• Dinner at Swing Kitchen (again). I’m obsessed with their vegan chicken nuggets!

Street art for sale on the streets of Vienna.

The inside of the famous Opera House.

I was ready to head back to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day at the end of my week in Austria. I think a week was the perfect amount of time, as I accomplished everything I wanted to do and then some! Go to Austria if you’ve never been, as there is so much culture and history to explore (especially in Vienna!).

A Galway Girl for the Weekend

While I don’t fit Ed Sheeran’s definition of a Galway Girl, I was one for the weekend. My roommates and I spent the weekend in the coastal town of Galway, wandering the quaint streets and eating our way through the Latin Quarter.

Galway Girl boat.

Such a pretty city.

A street in Galway near the Salthill Promenade.

The weekend began at about 6 AM on Friday, when we took a two hour train from Dublin to Galway. We passed many lush fields and herds of sheep. Upon arrival, we traipsed along the harbor and saw a boat fittingly named “Galway Girl.” We met a nice old man who directed us toward the Salthill Promenade, a green walking path along the coast. We spent the morning at the Promenade and saw not one, not two, but THREE rainbows.

A gorgeous day in Galway.

Loving Galway!

We ordered lunch at The King’s Head, a medieval pub. I was chilly from the windy walk, so I ordered the vegetable soup with homemade brown bread. It was bowl-scraping good, and it made me realize that I adore Irish brown soda bread. Then we walked around Quay street, saw the Spanish Arch, walked along the river, looked at Claddagh Rings, went into the Galway Cathedral, and checked into our hostel. We had an awesome stay at Kinlay hostel: the staff was extremely friendly, breakfast was included, and the beds were comfortable. The night consisted of our own pub crawl to check out the plethora of bars in the area.

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Saturday morning started at 8 AM, with a two hour bus ride to the Cliffs of Moher. We stepped off the bus and into a foggy void. Cliffs of Moher is supposed to be beautiful… when you can see it. We couldn’t for about the first hour. Eventually the fog cleared enough for us to partially see some cliffs and a rainbow! We took the bus back to Galway in the afternoon, then met up with some friends for dinner. We actually ended up at The King’s Head again, as they were the only restaurant that had room for a group of eight on a Saturday night. I ordered carrot coriander soup because their other soup was so good.

Sunday morning consisted of breakfast, more walking around, and a traditional Irish teatime at Cupàn Tae. We took the afternoon train back, as we’d seen about all there was to see in Galway! It was a very fun getaway full of the most rainbows I’ve ever seen in a weekend.

Surprise! I Went to China for a Week!

I just did the most spontaneous thing of my whole life- I went to China for a week. 

If you had told me this time last month that I’d go to China in a few short weeks, I would have laughed at you. After all, I have school! I have classes and exams! Traveling is expensive!

Now why in the world would I be so spontaneous, especially since spontaneity is not really a trait I possess? How and why did I go to China?Well, my friend that’s studying abroad in Shanghai asked if I wanted to come visit him for a week in October. It sounded like an incredible experience, but I never thought of going at first for the reasons listed above (cost and school). But then my mom told me I had to go because this was a once in a lifetime opportunity… and moms always know best. I talked to my professors and, believe it or not, they said I should skip school and go to China. I can make up school, but I can’t easily make up a trip to China! The next hurdle was cost, and it turns out tickets to Shanghai in October are relatively cheap. I weighed my options of going versus not going, my overpowering thought being, “When else am I ever going to go to China if I don’t go now!?” With that in mind, I decided to go for it. I booked my ticket, got my (expedited) Visa, and got ready to TRAVEL TO CHINA.

Day 1-ish: Friday/ Saturday/ Sunday

My family drove to Chicago Friday evening and dropped me off at the airport for my 13.5 hour journey. Half a book, a nap, and three movies later I arrived on the other side of the world. It was late afternoon Sunday in the giant city of Shanghai, even though I left the USA early Saturday morning. My friend was waiting at the airport for me and it was lovely to see him. We stayed in the heart of Shanghai, at a hotel in the World Financial Center, for the first two nights (see above photo for the view). We had an early night the first night- we just dined at the hotel restaurant overlooking the city lights.

Day 2: Monday

We woke up around 9 and took the subway (just like NYC!) to the Jing’an Buddhist Temple, stopping for breakfast on the way. The menu was in Chinese but had pictures, so we basically just pointed at what looked good and hoped we got something we liked. I got veggie dumplings… which came with caviar on top (that I picked off). They were not my favorite, but I’m all about trying the local cuisine.

The temple was so ornate. We explored the many prayer rooms and fountains. Afterwards we subwayed to the “fake” market underneath the Museum of Science and Industry. We tired ourselves out with some walking, then went back to the hotel for a nap. We had an early dinner at a restaurant called The Blue Frog inside the Financial Center (“The Applebees of China,” according to a review). I had the veggie platter (are you surprised). Then we wandered around and saw the Oriental Pearl Tower, a crazy-looking radio tower built by a Chinese architect. I was amazed at the amount of greenery throughout the city: there are planters and trees everywhere!

Day 3: Tuesday

We woke up and taxied to the train station for an 11 am train to Beijing for a 2.5 day adventure there. I tried my first “hot Asian bun” in the station, a savory vegetable mixture inside a more-bready-than-I-thought bun. It was so much better than I thought it would be… like it was amazing. We finally arrived in Beijing after a 5 hour ride. It was colder there (55 degrees F) but the sky was blue and sunny. We taxied to our fancy hotel, the Rosewood, unpacked, and checked out the Sanlitun district for shopping and dinner.

We snagged some authentic Vietnamese cold noodles at Saigon Mama then stopped at a rooftop bar called Cantina Agave. I highly recommend checking Sanlitun out if you go to Beijing. You don’t really have to worry about food/ drink safety here as the area is geared toward Westerners. Plus great food and dope buildings.

Day 3: Wednesday

We woke up at 7 and gorged ourselves on the hotel breakfast bar. The food selection: fruit, fresh juices, walnut buns, fried potatoes, roasted tomatoes, sautéed rosemary mushrooms, pork buns, eggs Benedict, pastries, and more. Then we met a guide at 8 and took a car to the GREAT WALL OF CHINA (the Mutianyu section). It was a 2 hour ride; The wall itself was quite crowded because it was Golden Week (which celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic of China) and everyone was on vacation. We walked some steep steps up to the “walking part” of the Wall. The view was incredible, of both the Wall and the surrounding mountains. I can’t believe how long the wall is too- around 13,170 miles total!

We took a cable car down the mountainside, then the car back to Beijing. We spent Wednesday evening wandering around the streets of the Dongcheng(?) district, a maze of shops and eateries. We got dinner at a questionably sanitary spot, and I ate what I thought were noodles but turned out to be mushrooms. Definitely my least favorite food of the trip. Afterwards we went back to the Sanlitun district for dessert because we liked it so much.

Day 4: Thursday

We woke up around 9 and went to the convenient hotel breakfast. From there we traversed to the Temple of Heaven and walked around there for a few hours before heading to the Hongqiao Pearl Market to haggle for souvenirs.

The exploring continued after with a trip to Tian’anmen Square. We walked around the Square to Quianman Street, where we stumbled upon an ENTIRELY VEGAN restaurant! I had no idea before walking in that this would be my favorite food spot on the whole trip. We split the most incredible dumplings (green ones filled with some sort of coleslaw thing and white ones filled with veggies), a noodle stir fry (bottom left picture), a veggie eggplant curry, and “spare ribs” (veggie “meat” with peppers and sauce smothering FRENCH FRIES, bottom right picture). It was FANTASTIC.

We burned some of the calories we consumed by walking to and around the Wangfujing shopping district, which seems similar to the Times Square area of New York City with its bright lights and swarms of people. We went back to the hotel around 8:30 and I did homework (since I’m ditching class) before going to bed early.

Day 5: Friday

We had to wake up at 5:30 am for our 8 am train ride back to Shanghai. After the long ride, we checked into our new hotel and wandered around the “French Concession” area next door.

We stopped for lunch at Element Fresh, a chain of fresh food restaurants started by an American guy in China. I got a vegetarian Pad Thai which ended up coming with rice and a delightfully warming pumpkin soup. This was probably my second favorite meal of the trip behind the vegan place. We walked around some more then stopped for dinner at The Refinery, also in the French quarter. It was an enjoyable last night together.

Day 6: Saturday

My last day in China… SAD! We woke up and went to the breakfast buffet at the hotel. Then we subwayed to the Yuyuan Gardens, where we squeezed through the crowd to buy souvenirs. After bumping into too many people, we went back to the hotel and literally just sat around until I had to leave for my afternoon flight. I was sad to leave but happy to have been blessed with such a fun experience! I arrived home to my family around 10 pm Saturday night after a LONG day of traveling (12.5 hour flight from Shanghai to Chicago, 4 hour layover in Chicago, 1 hour flight home). What a week. Now it’s back to reality… and organic chemistry!

xx Ellie

Deceptively Decadent Brownies

Decadent healthy brownies. Which word does not belong? The answer is that they all belong, because there really is such thing as a decadent yet healthy brownie! Don’t believe me? Well, the proof is in the pudding… I mean batter.

It took many tries, but I finally perfected a recipe for the perfect brownies. I sacrificed myself as a brownie taste tester, and had to eat upwards of six different brownies and batters- what a rough life! It ended in triumph though, as this recipe was crowned the winner of the best brownie… possibly ever.

The best part about these brownies? They’re also secretly healthy, or at least healthier than most other brownie recipes floating around the inter web. How? Well first of all, they’re vegan so they’re not chock-full of artery-clogging, high calorie butter. Second of all, they have a healthy secret ingredient in them. Hint: it’s a ~trendy~ leafy green. If you guessed kale, you win a virtual brownie!

Yes, kale brownies. Am I crazy for creating these? Only slightly. I promise they don’t taste like kale though. Seriously. They just taste like gooey, cakey, chocolatey goodness. I got the idea of sticking veggies into dessert from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. The whole point of the cookbook is to encourage parents to sneak veggies into their kids’ diets, and you already know I love it. Anyone who likes desert but is trying to be a little healthier, or wants an excuse to eat more brownies, will love this recipe. They’re “healthy,” so you can eat more of them- right?!

FYI, these brownies are definitely more cakey than crunchy or chewy- they’re pretty tall and thick. That just means there’s more to love! But if you’re a fan of a very crunchy, chewy, crackly-topped brownie than these might not be for you. I encourage everyone to give them a try though, because why not be a little insane and sneak some vegetables into brownies?

Makes 16 brownies

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup oil (canola or vegetable)
• ½ cup applesauce
• 1 cup KALE WATER*
• ½ cup chocolate chips, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. First make the kale water* by combining ½ cup water and 1 cup raw kale in a blender and blending on high for a minute, or until the kale is completely blended.

3. Mix together the dry ingredients, from flour to baking powder.

4. Add in the wet ingredients, aka the rest of the ingredients including the kale water. Mix until just combined and add in a ½ cup of chocolate chips.

5. Pour into an 9″ X 9″ oiled brownie pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the brownies. Let cool for like 15 minutes, then cut and enjoy!

Give these a try and let me know how you like them! Take a picture and tag me @peanutbutterandle on Instagram or email it to me at peanutbutterandle@gmail.com.

And lastly, how do you feel about sneaking vegetables into desserts? Do you like it, or are you offended at even the idea of it?