Making it from Scratch!

Like most busy college students, I find it particularly easy to purchase already prepared and frozen foods, pop them in the oven or microwave for a couple of minutes and enjoy! I love this approach! It's convenient, easy and most of all stress free!  Since I've started my last year of college I've been thinking a lot about the future.  I thought of how awesome it would be to make whatever I want from scratch, in my kitchen, while using all appliances except for the microwave. 

While I was in Maryland visiting my Grandparents for the holidays, I figured it would be fun to try out some recipes. As a Food Network fan, I decided that their website would be the best place to look up some modern, tasty recipes. I started with Funnel Cake.

(See recipe at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/funnel-cakes-recipe/index.html) 

Paula Deen's recipe read easily and although I followed the directions and measurements accurately, my batter still turned out watery. I added about 1 addition  cup of flour to the batter making it thick enough to fry, but too thick to strain through a funnel. I poured the mixture into a Ziplock bag and cut one of the bottom corners off at an angle and used it to strain the batter into the pan. Using the bag made it easier to make swirls in the pan and control the flow and direction of the batter. 

After tasting the first cake I realized it tasted more like a pancake than a funnel cake (probably due to the added amount of flour) so I added a bit more sugar to the mix and kept frying. 

The girls loved the finish product and I had a blast using my hands and my brain to make something tasty. I couldn't wait to do it again. I give Paula Deen's Funnel Cakes a high grade and I deem project number 1 a success! 

(Special thanks to Mema for allowing me to use her kitchen and ingredients, Kelley for being the best sous chef in the world and Kimie and Tierra for enjoying my creations) 

-Krystal Nicole 

Weddings & Events 2011

Happy New Year!!!

I'm really super excited about 2011. With the new year comes a whole new slate of programs and events to look forward to. First up is The Snowball.

Myself along with the Formal Dance Committee of UNCW have been working around the clock on The Snowball (a formal/semi-formal dance for all UNCW students). In the past, The Snowball has been really successful so we're hoping this year will be the best one yet!

The dance starts at 9pm on January 15, and will go until midnight. We hope to take the Burney Center's ballroom to its full capacity:)

I'm excited for a lot of things pertaining to this dance but I think the most mouth watering aspect of the event will be the food! Two words: Chocolate Fondue. Yes people! We will be serving "delightful dippers"(fresh fruit and pound cake slices) with chocolate fondue..... Mmm mmm yummy!

We also have some amazing raffle prizes to give out to attendees who live on campus AND two lucky people will be crowned the 2011 Snowball King and Queen!!! (Who's it gonna be??)

The most rewarding part of the dance will be the philanthropic aspect of the night. The Snowball hosts a canned drive every year and over the past 2 years we have collected over 400 cans!! How did we get such an amazing contribution? We gave out TV's of course. The person who brings the most canned foods to the dance will walk away with a Brand New Flat Screen TV! Yep, you heard me.

The dancing, the food, the music, the King and Queen crowing, the flat screen, the prizes and the canned food drive....Yeah, it's gonna be a good night:)


-Krystal Nicole 


****THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR ALL UNCW STUDENTS 
****UNCW STUDENTS MAY BRING ONE (NON STUDENT) GUEST FOR FREE 
**** THE FLAT SCREEN TV CONTEST AND RAFFLE PRIZES MAY ONLY BE WON BY AN ON-CAMPUS RESIDENT OF UNCW


100% of the canned foods donated will go to Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard of Wilmington 
Sponsored by RHA, Housing Staff and Area Chapter 

Why Three Seventeen?

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the LORD Jesus,  giving thanks to God the Father through him."
-Colossians 3:17 [NIV]


The day I received my acceptance letter from UNC-Wilmington was probably the most emotionally charged day of my life. Initially I was relieved to have been accepted to my top school, but after that rush wore off, reality set in.

I realized that in a matter of weeks, I would be on my own, 3 1/2 hours away from my hero (daddy) my other half (twin sister) and my best friend (little sister). What scared me the most though, was the idea of growing apart from the most important person in my life, God.

Throughout high school, I developed a personal relationship with God. I got involved in church, co-founded a christian organization at school and even started having regular quiet times (prayer time) by myself at home. I was afraid that when I got to college, all that religious stuff would fly out the window, along with my self control, self respect and my seemingly good reputation.

That night I sat on my bed, with my letter sitting on top of my Bible, and I prayed. I thanked God for the new chapter of my life, and for the opportunity to do what many from my "neck-of-the-woods" only dreamed of. I prayed he would give me a word that would guide me through every semester, every situation and every assignment I would soon face. I flipped opened my Bible and read the first passage that caught my eye. Colossians 3:17. (I remember this scripture, not just because of it's relevance but because it was also the day I received my acceptance letter; March 17, 2007).  

As I enter my senior year at UNCW, I look back over the past 3 years and I can't help but to smile big. Because of that scripture and how I applied it to my college life, I'm now proud of the decisions I've made and of the promises I've kept but most of all, I'm humbled by the grace God has shown me as I've strived to make him just as proud.

I started this Blog to showcase some of my passions: planning events, learning American Sign Language (ASL) and dance. Through my deeds and in these words...I give him thanks.

-Krystal Nicole