The Honest Truth about Ice Cream

Posted on February 23, 2016 by briannavasquez

About a week ago, which was also one of the coldest weeks this winter, my family decided that it was the perfect time to get ice cream. Although it sounds insane, we enjoy eating ice cream all year long but mostly in the winter despite the frigid weather conditions. Anyway, my mother was sorely disappointed after we decided to purchase a few flavors from Breyer’s as there was a sale at our local supermarket. She began a huge dispute about how she didn’t like the flavor of the ice cream, she also complained about how her ice cream craving wasn’t satisfied by eating a bowl of this particular brand. This eventually led to my explaining the variance of ice cream to my mother and I began to wonder how many people do not know the true behind this frozen treat that many of us enjoy. I wanted to share my knowledge on ice cream to educate others on ice cream before they make their next purchase.

Before, I get started, I first need to tell you that not all ice cream is created equally especially with brands like Breyer’s which is sometimes advertised as frozen dairy dessert not ice cream. This begs the question, “What constitutes as ice cream?” because there are so many derivatives. But I’m getting ahead of myself; there is one word that should come to mind when hearing about ice cream, overrun. Overrun refers to the total volume of air incorporated in an ice cream base during the freezing process in which it is being churned. For the United States, the maximum amount of overrun allowed is 100% to be considered as ice cream but in other countries, it can be as high as 120%. An example of overrun is an ice cream base that is one gallon; if 100% of overrun is incorporated then the final frozen product will be two gallons. And for that reason, Breyer’s is listed as a frozen dairy dessert is because it exceeds the one hundred percent limit and because of this air the gallon weighs less than 4.5 pounds which also does not allow it to be labeled as ice cream. (“Did You Know? Why Some Ice Cream Is a “Frozen Dairy Dessert” | Brand Eating”, 2015) This will also affect the melting rates of ice cream based on brand as each company has their own precise percentage of overrun that they will use as a guide for each of their products.

This will usually affect the cost of ice cream as well; a pint of ice cream with a lower overrun will cost more than one with a higher overrun because you are paying extra for the additional ingredients use instead of the air incorporated into the cheaper one. It all comes down to quality so ice creams like Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs have lower overruns so it is considered premium ice cream. However, Edy’s Grand Vanilla has a 97 percent overrun, and Ben & Jerry’s which has the fewest additives and the lowest overrun percentage of 24 percent. (Osborne, “The Real Scoop on How to Choose Quality Ice Cream”, 2012)

What are your favorite ice cream brands and/or flavors? What makes it so delicious to you? Comment below about your experience.

Timing is Everything – 5 Steps To Be On Time

Posted on February 22, 2016 by AmoniB

You are told that unless you arrive at a location by 6:00 am on the dot, and not a minute more, your favorite person will be slaughtered. You arrive at 6:01 running in to find a pool of blood and no one in sight. Is it your fault?image credit

I know the scenario is dramatic, but timing can be sensitive. I’ve had my times where I double booked, cut things close, or arrived late due to outside sources. How ever, I still consider it my fault. Maybe blogging can help me outline some problems. There must be a way to assure timing. Let’s see…

When setting appointments make room for any occurrences. You never know if the train will mess up, which usually happens because the universe is messing with you for not being prepared.
Yes, being prepared will definitely aid to timing. Days before figure out your route and possible complications, know your attire, set out prepped clothing, add the appointment to your agenda, and what ever else.
Maybe it’s timing on when telling someone something, like a giving a heads up to your life partner about coming home late or going out. If that’s the case don’t wait till the last-minute or after the event happens. This will cause the other person to feel duped or unimportant. This also goes for being a no-show at work or school.
When you have little time and a group project must get done, for example two cousins preparing for an event, remembering TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK. Having someone to help means you can be two places at ones and divide tasks. Looking back on a recent event, while Indiyah, my sister-cousin, was getting her makeup done I could have gotten the shoes to save time.
And always understand “Early is on time and on time is late.” A saying I learned while in my NEW training. Which means, if you have to be somewhere at 6:00 am, act like you really have to be there 5:45 or earlier. Sometimes I trick myself when setting appointments and alarms by putting an earlier time.

QUESTIONS TO THE AUDIENCE: how do you stay on time/ early? | How does it make you feel when someone tell you news in an untimely fashion? | As an employer how do you feel about lateness and absences?

I post every Monday. In the meantime check out these post:

5 Steps to Start A Business

7 Steps to Run a Marathon

8 Steps Towards a Happy Life

Five Key Principles of Successful Connection

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Pamela

Image Credit

“Any message you try to convey must contain a piece of you. You can’t just deliver words. You can’t merely convey information. You need to be more than just a messenger. You must be the message you want to deliver. Otherwise, you won’t have credibility and you won’t connect.”

John Maxwell

The first key principle is the spoken word. I‘ve heard many people say that they’re an introvert and don’t like to talk much. While that may be true, if you want to get ahead and be influential as a leader, you will have to communicate with others. You don’t need to be a great communicator to be influential—just sincere and genuine. In fact, some of the most influential people are not good speakers, but they show that they really care.

The second key principle is giving your point of view. You have to believe what you are saying is important to be said. If you believe it, then others will also believe it. But you have to know what that is. Ask yourself, “What is it that I am saying and why am I saying it?” I had a professor who would always ask, “So what?” Only we can answer that question.

The third key principle is how you deliver your message. Communication goes beyond mere words. By this I mean your physical demeanor. This ranges from paying attention while communicating and eliminating distractions to wearing appropriate clothing and being well groomed. This may seem simple, but so many people, unintentionally, let these issues get in the way of their connection with others. Even your facial expressions matter.

The fourth key principle is to be authentic and have integrity. Don’t just say things because you want to appear in a certain likeness. People can often read though that and see when you are not being real. To make sincere connections, you have to be trustworthy because it not just what you say but it’s how you say it. If you speak with passion and energy, people will remember it.

The fifth key principle is to always find a connection with others. This is more of a learned skill and comes from your ability to find a way to connect with the subject. You don’t have to be a genius or have experience but just find common ground.

Image Credit

Experiment and Practice:

A good idea is to videotape yourself having a conversation and play it back to see how you perform. It may seem strange but it can help to see how others see you.

Also it is important to observe others. Who do you feel has good communication skills and what do they do? Try to identify some of the things that they do and then try doing those things yourself.

Next Post: How you can be a leader

What are the Most Important Soft Skills?

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Pamela

“If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.” – Gerald Ford, 38th president of the United States

“The number one criteria for advancement and promotion for professionals is an ability to communicate effectively.” – Harvard Business Review

“Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is the one thing above all others – the ability to get and keep enough of the right people.” – Jim Collins, author, Good to Great

Quote Credits

With so many soft skills, it’s hard to determine which one is the most important. But I think that communication skills is a good place to start. To employers, good communication is essential. When the lines are clear, it builds trust and can even increase productivity. We all know communication is a multi-way process taking place between two or more people and we communicate all the time. But how do we really know that communication has taken place? One of my biggest pet peeves is when people ask how are you but then don’t wait for an answer. I know we spend a lot of time rushing around, but by definition, that is non-communication. There is no real exchange of information.

A challenge of communication is how and when to share thoughts and concerns. I think it depends on the context of the situation. There are times when you should give your opinion and times when you should hold your peace. How do you determine when the time is right and how should you communicate? As the saying goes, “know your audience”. Good communication is never about us—it is always about those we are communicating with. So we should ask ourselves, “what will it take for me to clearly deliver my message?” Once we have the answer, communication becomes easier. Understand what you want to achieve through the communication. By making the right judgment we will know what to say and what not to say. Though it may not be an easy way for us to communicate, it will be easier for others to understand us.

Image Credit

Finding a way to develop our communication skills is essential and the best way is to practice it daily. Whether it is oral or written, communication is about connecting and applying communication strategies will help us to overcome the barriers.

Practice:

Ask your friends, colleagues, professors, parents etc. for their honest feedback about your communication skills. Make a note of the positive and negative feedback to see what you need work on.

Introduction: The Softer Side

In my next blog, I will continue the discussion on communication with the five key principles of connection.

The Art of Inexpensive Fine Dining

Posted on February 9, 2016 by briannavasquez

Image by: Simon Pielow

In the hustle and bustle of our tedious schedules with school, work, or personal responsibilities, we sometimes forget to treat ourselves to a splurge every now and then. We probably have all dreamt of having the chance to eat at a fine dining restaurant especially as New Yorkers as New York is prospering in terms of the culinary scene. But with holidays such as Valentine’s Day approaching, it puts an impending pressure to impress by way of expensive outings or gifts. But as Restaurant Week has now come to an end and is over before the Valentine’s festivities. Restaurant Week began January 18 and concluded on February 5, 2016. This week is devoted to reducing the normal pricing of fine dining restaurant for about three weeks to purchase a prix-fixe menu which varies in prices. Lunch costs only twenty-five dollars while dinners costs thirty-eight dollars, reservations are highly recommended as many restaurants will receive a high demand of customers. The best days to reserve is between Monday thru Wednesday as there is lower demand and will have more available reservations rather than Thursday and into the weekend.

A prix-fixe menu, literally means a fixed priced menu, which is a three-course meal that consists of an appetizer, entrée, and dessert as beverages, tip or tax are not included in that price. These menus have fewer options but are more cost efficient in the end. So even if you miss restaurant week, you can still choose this option to save on restaurant all year long but there will be another restaurant week in the summer. Although, the dates have not been released yet, it will most likely be in mid-July to the beginning of August.

The Chicken Kiev at Gotham Bar & Grill
(Image by: Brianna Vasquez)

I understand that with the financial struggles of college or other financial burdens, it can be difficult to find not only the time but money to contribute to splurging on a culinary outing. Personally, I struggle with this notion as I never like to spend money only save it to eventually have plenty of savings. But recently, I was talking with my mom who explained to me that while savings are important to afford certain debts that need to be paid accordingly. It is also important to put some savings just for yourself to splurge on whether it be a CD you’ve been obsessed with or a candy bar you’ve been craving. You have to splurge on yourself every now and then because after all the hard work you endured, you deserve it. I am still trying to abide by this concept although it is hard, I find that I am more motivated and dedicated to completing certain tasks as I set personal goals for myself to achieve in order to be rewarded by way of something as simple as watching a movie on opening day.

Comment below to share items that you like to reward yourself with in the hectic madness of our lives.

The Softer Side

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Pamela

Image Credit

A recent study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities reported that long-term career success comes from demonstrated proficiency in skills and knowledge that cut across all majors. Yet one of the major complaints by employers is that graduates do not have the soft skills needed to keep the job. Employers also say the skills that are lacking are more important to an individual’s success at their company than his or her undergraduate major. A Career Builder Survey supports the claim that companies are looking for employees with people-oriented soft skills and are becoming more and more concerned about the “skills gap” in today’s workplace.

The fact is, far too many graduates do not know what soft skills are. Although it’s a common term, very few students have heard of it. I am not saying that colleges don’t teach any soft skills but there seems to be a void (or rather, a disconnect) between academic performance and job performance. While it is important to have knowledge and skills for specific fields, skills in critical thinking, writing and communication, and analytical reasoning are just as, if not more, important. Think about it! The most crucial skills needed for success and most graduates have never heard of them. But how can students develop and practice something that they have not been taught?

Well there is good news and all is not lost. In fact, there is so much opportunity to gain the skills we need and it starts with us. Instead of waiting for someone else to teach us, we can teach ourselves. The best place to start is by reading and engaging in professional learning activities that will result in long-term benefits. Whether you like e-books or paper books, its usefulness cannot be understated and will allow us to internalize and practice what we learn and advance our knowledge and soft skills.

I know that many of you will not have time to read beyond the required reading for school and it can be quite overwhelming with so much to do. Also being “creatures of habit”, we are used to having someone teach us. But, if we start by taking responsibility to change the way we think, our actions will also change. That’s why I am writing this blog. This will be my way of bringing to you just some of what’s available out there to help you stand out from the crowd and give you the competitive advantage.Image Credit

What are the Most Important Soft Skills?

Why I Love to Cook

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Jessica

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and was able to eat lots of good food! I know I did. If you’ve been following my blog posts than you know that I normally like to write about restaurants, lists of foods I like, and etc. Today I would like to share with you why I love to cook, because even though I don’t have time to do it as much as I’d like to I still love it! So here’s five reasons why I love to cook –

1. Cooking allows me to let out the creative side of me. Cooking is an art and masterpiece. When I am in the kitchen cooking away, it just feels nice to be away from everything else and everyone else for a little while. It feels peaceful, yet fun. The creativity kicks in when I am plating my dishes and making a decision of how I want it to look or appear to the eye. I also feel the most creative in cooking when it comes to deciding what herbs, spices, seasonings, ingredients to add.

2. While cooking can be fun and easy, it can also be hard and challenging. However, if you don’t face the difficulties or challenges that comes with cooking, you won’t be fearless and you won’t ever know how far you can take something. I have gave myself challenges to learn how to make certain dishes/recipes and some have been a failure, but with more practice and effort they have become successes. I was never really good at folding dumplings in the crescent fold, but after learning from my boyfriend and more practice I became good at it.

3. Another reason why I love cooking is because I have the opportunity and ability to learn from foods I’ve eaten and restaurants I’ve been to on how to plate food just by looking at it. Some of the foods I’ve seen presented have been incredibly amazing and just so artistic that I almost don’t want to eat it or touch it.

4. I like to control what goes into the food. There are times when I go to restaurants and I do like to pick out certain foods that I don’t like such as raw peppers, raw onions, ginger, and etc. When I cook, I am able to control how well I want certain ingredients to be cooked and whether if I want to add them or not. I also don’t like to add too much sugar to the food/dishes if I don’t need to. I also don’t like to add too much oil if I don’t need to either.

5. I love to cook because cooking has opened my eyes, heart, and stomach up to a lot of different foods that I thought I would never like or make. I never thought I would like Brussel sprouts, kale, and arugula , but I do! Cooking and food has motivated me to try different cuisines, foods, ingredients, and just be a little more opened and less picky.

There’s so much about the experience of cooking I enjoy. It’s everything behind-the-scenes as well – the scent of fresh basil, the fragrance of cilantro, the taste of butter, the crackle from the skillet, and the sight of a perfectly roasted chicken hanging up by the window at a Chinese restaurant. Cooking speaks to all of my senses.

Do you cook or bake? If you do, what do you like most about it?

The Dedication

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Konyca

I love sleeping in late on a weekends when I don’t have work or school. I mean like who doesn’t right? However I do get up quite early most weekend mornings to photograph the sunrise. Its no easy task for me since I tend to silence my alarm, suck my teeth and grumble to myself but believe it or not within a few minutes my feet are planted flat on the floor and I’m wide awake. Only dedication gets me out of that bed and the results are always worth it.

“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” Lenox Hill Manhattan, NY 6:49am

-Buddha

“True love is like ghost, which everyone talks about and few have seen.” Lenox Hill Manhattan, NY 7:00am

“Your location doesnt change your identity.” Fort Tilden Queens, NY 7:31am

-Joel Osteen

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creatig yourself.” Fort Tilden Queens, NY 7:37am

-George Bernard Shaw

“One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” Dover St Manhattan, NY 7:52am

-Unknown

“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.” Dover St Manhattan, NY 7:55am

-Unknown

My Favorite Places For…

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Jessica

So I’ve been discussing a lot about my favorite food blogs, my favorite places to eat, my favorite foods to eat and hopefully you’ve enjoyed that. However, I haven’t told you where’s my favorite place for dessert, my favorite place for brunch, my favorite place for pizza, my favorite place for a burger, and the list can go on and on and on.

Today I want to share with you my favorite places for:

Burger

I’ve been going to STOUT since I was about 21 years old and it’s never failed to disappoint. STOUT is an Irish pub and it’s original location is on West 33rd Street and Avenue of the Americas. They have an array of menu items I enjoy, but I always enjoy their burgers and you can different toppings to it. The burgers are massive, juicy, and delicious and their sweet potato fries are amazingly delicious so I guess that’s a +1 for me.

Sushi

I really like the ambiance, service, but most of the all the sushi from Samurai Fusion Sushi. They are beautifully plated and neat. They also come in a variety of sushi rolls. Their rolls are always made to order and absolutely fresh. I can’t seem to find any other sushi that is as good as the ones from Samurai Fusion Sushi.

Ramen

So it’s pretty apparent that I love ramen especially in this chilly weather now. I’ve been to a lot of Japanese and ramen restaurants in the past four years, but the one place I will always love to go for ramen no matter how crazy it can be is: Santouka at Mitsuwa. It’s the first place I’ve ever been to have real and authentic ramen. They don’t have that many broth/varieties to choose from, but the ramen and broth here are full of flavor, deliciousness, and hearty!

Ice Cream

One of my favorite places for ice cream is Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. It’s been around for a long, long, long time and their service and ice cream never disappoints. I always enjoy coming here during the warm weather and it is always packed here! My favorite flavors here are: almond cookie, lychee, pumpkin pie, and green tea! So good, rich, and tasty!

Brunch

I absolutely adore doing brunch with my boyfriend, friends, and family. One of my favorite places for brunch so far is: Cafe Luluc which isn’t so far from City Tech actually. I found out about this little French restaurant on Yelp last year and have been here a few times so far. The food here are rustic, classic, simple yet so delicious and irresistible. They sure know how to make some good Eggs Benedict!

So these are just some of my favorite places to go for certain foods and I do have a lot more I can list, but you can always ask me yourself what do I like and where would I go for it.

Where do you like to go for a good burger, pizza, sushi, brunch, coffee and etc?

Leading Lines

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Konyca

I often think of life as a mathematical sequence, there is calculation in everything we do. Even so there is maths in photography. I know it, sounds weird but its true. Like finding out the ISO value or the Aperture.

Symmetry; there is something amazing about it in photography. Like looking at trees that are parallel or standing in the middle of a train and allow your eyes to lead you along the lines.

“The world is like a grand staircase, some are going up and some are going down.” Franklin ave Brooklyn, NY 1:02pm

-Samuel Johnson

“Our past is like a footprint, it only confirms we were there. No burden on our future does it bear. Bring the rain, clear the pane of clutter.” Franklin ave Brooklyn, NY 1:10pm

-Jeb Dickerson

“Learn to trust your gut. It knows what your head hasn’t yet figured out.” Brooklyn Army Terminal Brooklyn, NY 3:30pm

-Skull Segment

“Symmetry is what we see at a glance; based on the fact that there is no reason for any difference.” East NY Brooklyn, NY 7:39pm

-Blaise Pascal

The Buzz Archive

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Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Honest Truth about Ice Cream

Five Key Principles of Successful Connection

What are the Most Important Soft Skills?

The Art of Inexpensive Fine Dining

The Softer Side

Why I Love to Cook

The Dedication

My Favorite Places For…

Leading Lines

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