A positive approach to end bullying.

Bullying seems to be the topic of conversation lately, and for good reason. It really makes me sad to hear all these horrifying stories of how cruel young people can be to one another.

But instead of focusing on how awful it is, I wanted to share this article I came across. A 17-year old from Minnesota created a Twitter account that he uses to tweet positive messages about his classmates. The article says he "wanted to change the conversation in his school by highlighting the nice instead of the nasty."

One example of a tweet: "Is going to be a famous musician one day. Katie Ray Murray."

Apparently, the bullying at his high school has diminished and this Twitter trend has spread to other schools in the area.

To most in high school, whether you're the popular kid or the geek, when things go bad, it can feel like the world is crumbling down around you. Getting picked on and bullied is the last thing young people need added to their already full plate of learning how to grow up. So whether it's your about your math skills, pretty smile, or ability to make others laugh, having a classmate randomly point out something great about you would probably be a pretty wonderful feeling.

Kudos to the student that started this because it takes a lot of courage to step outside of the box, do something different, and to make it a point to include everyone. Also, it's exciting to see social media being used in a positive way instead of negative. We can only hope that anti-bullying efforts like this spread across the country!

Homemade Noodles & Co...sort of.

I have been meaning to blog this yummy recipe for weeks now, as two of my coworkers have confirmed that it is indeed, quite tasty. I originally found it on Pinterest (when don't I preface my sentences with that these days?), as a DIY Penne Rosa from Noodles & Company (Mom - if you're reading, "The Noodle").

Now, do I confirm this allegation? Meh. It's really good but I don't know if the first thing I would have thought of was, "Mmmm! Penne Rosa!" But I can see where the girl was coming from, it is similar. I will say upfront, I made two changes that may have had an effect on whether or not it was a Penne Rosa twinsie. I decided to omit the shrimp, and instead of using whole wheat pasta, use gluten-free, brown rice pasta.

Am I suddenly adding "gluten-free," to my already limited vegetarian title? Nah. But...I've been hearing all the hot gossip for about a year now about how wonderful adapting a gluten-free (omitting wheat, barley and rye) diet is.

•  Overall feeling of health; less migraines, stomachaches, etc. 
• Weight-loss (because gluten is frequently found in high-calorie, processed foods, so eating gluten-free would limit those as you're adding lots of fruits and veggies).
• Better digestion - yay to healthy poop! 
• Boosts energy, enhances quality of sleep.
• Clearer skin.

In my expert average person opinion, there are too many fads out there when it comes to diet; I simply cannot keep up nor do I really believe that there's a hard and fast "right" way to eat. I more so have come to the conclusion that moderation is key, and if you want to try limiting certain things from your diet here and there to see if your body takes a liking to it, go for it! So for me, all those perks to a gluten-free diet I mentioned above, are reason enough to take a break from purchasing foods with gluten.

So, without further adieu, let's get to the food!

You will need:
12-14 oz. pasta of your choice (try the brown rice, it's good I swear!)
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic (I use the convenient jarred garlic)
Pinch red pepper flakes (use more if you like spicy!)
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes
4 cups spinach
1/2 cup of your fave tomato sauce
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Sprinkle of salt & pepper 

1. First cook your spaghetti, drain and set aside. 
2. Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic and red pepper flakes for 2-3 mintues.
3. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, S & P; occasionally stirring for about 6 to 7 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, cover, and remove from heat until the spinach starts to get wilty. 
5. Place back over low heat and add pasta, tomato sauce, and greek yogurt. Stir until everything is mixed and coated evenly. *I added a little extra marinara sauce because I love it and could eat it by the spoonful. 
6. Before serving, sprinkle a little parm (I also tried feta on my leftovers and that was delish!) and enjoy!