Myth Debunked: Pageant Girls LOVE Food

Hey y'all, so if you haven't been fortunate enough to try my baking yet, I apologize. I make some mean cake balls and my red velvet cupcakes have been known to contain rainbows and sunshine dust. Clearly, as a competitor in the Miss Delaware Organization, I often can't enjoy too many of my baked goods. This is why I wanted to hit 3 main points in my blog. 

1) Contrary to popular belief, girls who compete in pageants eat. In fact, we eat a lot. We're not always in hardcore swimsuit training mode, and we cheat every now and then too. Shhh! Don't tell my trainer!

McKenzie from Toddlers and Tiaras knows what's up.

2) You need to cheat every so often. If you deprive yourself of everything delicious, you're going to be absolutely miserable, and no one will want to be around you no matter how good you look. I'm not saying cheat often, but once a week give in and let yourself have a cookie or two...or twelve. Okay not twelve, but one or  two won't kill you!


3) There are healthier versions of your favorite deserts! All you need to get your hands on these recipes is google!


Here's a perfect example of a desert I've made the lightened up version of and absolutely loved it! It's from oxygenmag.com. I promise you can't taste the black beans, and at 90 calories a pop you can afford to have 2! Every girl needs her chocolate fix once in a while  ;)

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup Sucanat 

Wet:

• 1 cup canned or boiled black beans, drained and mashed 
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8"x8" baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3. In another smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
4. Add the bean mixture to dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are well combined. Pour batter into pan.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Insert a knife into the center – if it comes out clean, your brownies are ready.

Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 90, Total Fats: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 20 mg, Sodium: 55 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 10 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 3 g, Iron: 1 mg

TIP: Instead of mashing the boiled beans, blend them in a food processer to get a smoother consistency for the batter – and keep them inconspicuous in the final product.

FIT FACT: Sucanat is pure dried sugar cane juice. It undergoes less processing and is slightly more nutritious than white or brown sugar, as it retains the mineral-rich molasses, which is normally stripped from refined sweeteners. It’s a bit pricier than white sugar, but it’s worth the splurge for producing clean baked treats.

There you have it: simple, healthy, and delicious! Enjoy!

Peace & Blessings

XOXOXOXO

Alyssa

What If?

This picture on my lovely Director, Jen Hayward's wall inspired me the other day, and it really got me thinking. What if every day I was thankful for every single thing? The fact that I am lucky enough to:

1) Wake up
2) Get out of bed and stand up
3) Go to the classes I generally complain about
4) The ability I have to exercise and work out
5) The responsibilities I have through my schoolwork and extracurricular activities
6) Having food to eat and the means to have everything I need for survival
7) A roof over my head
8) Supportive friends and family members
9) The opportunity to be competing for the title of Miss Delaware
10) Being the me that God created

Here's a little food for thought:

Crazy, right?

When I think about things this way, I have a whole lot to be thankful for. It's crazy to think of the amount of people who will not wake up tomorrow morning; those who cannot get out of bed; those who do not have enough food for nourishment; those who are not fortunate enough to attend college; those who do not have a stable home; and how I usually take all of these seemingly simple things for granted. What if every single day, I sent my thanks to the Lord for all the things he has given me in my life. I have always realized that my family and I are incredibly blessed, but some days, especially days like today where I'm feeling very under the weather and busy beyond belief, I tend to complain about the responsibilities I have. This is my new personal pledge to myself.

Each day I will
1) Thank the Lord for everything I have, no matter how small or trivial
2) Not take anything for granted
3) Live each day by His word, to make myself a faithful servant to Him
4) Do at least one thing that will make me a better person, and a better candidate for Miss Delaware 2012

What if you were grateful for everything one day, or every day? Try it out sometime, it could change your perspective on life.

XOXOXOX,

Alyssa

Psalm 107:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

90 Days Out

Today it really hit me how quickly Miss Delaware 2012 week is creeping up on me.  There are now 19 beautiful and incredible contestants competing for the title (big shout out to the newly crowned girls, especially my friends Renee Bull and Melissa Caltabiano!), and 90 days until one of us will be crowned! It's unreal to think that in less than 3 months I will be packing up my pageant necessities (about 4 suitcases) and heading to Dover Downs Hotel and Casino to have another chance at my dream. I figure now is as good of a time as any to write about why I decided to get involved in this program anyway!

My junior year of high school I started realizing how close college and adulthood were approaching. It was time to stop depending on my wonderful, loving, and supportive parents, and try to do something to help them out. I stopped by my friendly guidance counselor's office and picked up a book full of every scholarship available in the state of Delaware. I took 2 highlighter colors and highlighted the scholarships I was eligible for my junior year, and those I had to wait for senior year to apply for. Junior year my options were limited. I applied for The Challenge Program, a community service based one, and ended up receiving it for having the most community service hours in my high school. The second one involved much more effort than just an essay and transcript, but I was in no position to turn down an opportunity for scholarship money. The other highlighted opportunity was the Delaware's Junior Miss (Now Distinguished Young Women of Delaware Program), a scholarship opportunity which involves a talent portion, academics, self-expression, and physical fitness. I entered on a whim because of the incredible prize package, including personal training sessions, many scholarships to colleges around the country, and an expense paid trip to Mobile, Alabama for nationals. All told, I almost dropped out of the program the night before it began, ended up winning the self-expression category, and to my shock I was awarded the title of Delaware's Junior Miss 2010. At America's Junior Miss, I was humbled to win an interview award for placing in the top 5 interviews of the whole competition, and definitely met some of my bridesmaids (shout out to Hannah McMillan (NC), Katherine Voo (KS), and Alex Morgan (NY), love you girls). After Junior Miss and receiving about 19 more scholarships that I applied for (most based on academic merit), I had officially received enough scholarship money to pay for my undergraduate education at the University of Delaware. It feels amazing to be able to say my tuition is covered by my achievements and my dedication throughout high school, and I think my parents are pretty happy about that too.

I've never been the type to settle for anything. I don't just want to graduate college, it has always been my dream to go on to law school and set up my own practice. Please don't ask me what type of law I want to pursue, I wish I knew the answer! I have been extremely active on campus, joining an incredible group of young women in the Theta Gamma chapter of Alpha Xi Delta here at UD, studying abroad, being involved in Baptist Student Ministry, UDance, and many other activities. Living off campus and being in greek life have their costs though, and impending LSATS remind me how pricey law school will be in just a few short years. When I was first contacted and asked if I would like to compete in a local for Miss Delaware, I laughed it off, and said I was done being involved in scholarship pageants. Once I began to think about the scholarship money available, however, I changed my tune. Once I won Miss Sussex County, and headed off to Miss Delaware, I had received enough scholarship money to pay for my housing on campus. This year though, it occurred to me that there is so much more to being Miss Delaware than receiving money to further my education, and these aspects of Miss Delaware are much more valuable than any amount of prize money I could win.

I have developed my own reasons for competing this year that extend far and wide beyond scholarship money. In the 2 short years I have been involved with MDSO, I have grown into a much improved, more mature, poised, and confidant woman. I feel that these years have changed me in ways that no amount of classes or schoolwork ever could. I am more prepared for the real world, and more ready to face things independently, without calling my mom for help every single step of the way. This year making a change to my eating and exercise habits has been a huge part of making myself into the best Alyssa I can be. Last year at Miss Delaware I was in a size 6, which is by no means "fat" and I was fairly confident with myself. After watching the videos of myself in a swimsuit, I decided to try to improve upon myself. I didn't want to change for the judges, directors, audience, or anyone else but myself. This year my self-improvements have been just that, "self'-improvements. I realized that I was not living up to my full potential, and that I wasn't being my best self. I ditched the junk food, picked up some dumbbells, and found a new hobby and a new confidence in myself I have never encountered before. Now somewhere in the awkward void between a 0-2, I cannot believe the transformation I've seen in my looks, and my attitude. (Huge huge thank you to Marcellus Beasly, AKA Big Dog for helping me look and feel my best!)

I also ditched that little voice in my head telling me I couldn't ever achieve my dream of becoming Miss Delaware, and replaced it with a more encouraging thought process. Instead of saying "I'll never be as great at _____ as ______" I say to myself "Maybe if I work more on ______ I will be better at _____" or something to that effect. I now put things into perspective. I will never be anyone but Alyssa, but I'm really liking this Alyssa person now. 

I've heard attitude is half of the battle, and I think the other half must be faith. To put your future and your dreams in the hands of 5 judges who will only speak to you in person for 10 minutes before deciding your fate takes a lot of trust in the Big Guy upstairs. You hear it all the time, but it's so true. God has a plan for each and every one of us. God's plan may or may not be for me to be Miss Delaware, but I am so glad it was in his plan for me to become involved in this organization. I have met so many people who have forever touched my life, as mentors, as friends, and as sisters, and I have seen a change for the better in myself. Looking back on when I first entered the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization, it's amazing for me to be able to see how much I have grown (and shrunk) as a person, and to feel my confidence soaring to new heights.

XOXOXOXO

Alyssa

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

UDance 2012!

This blog is long overdue, but I've been so swamped with exams lately, and I do NOT let myself blog when there is school work to be done! Luckily I got a 106% on my COMM200 exam (oh yeahhh) and I haven't received my Spanish Literature grade, but I felt extremely confident when I walked out of that test. I love both of these classes and they are my favorite professors so I genuinely enjoy studying for them. Anyway, Sunday was a big day for the University of Delaware, as we held our annual UDance fundraiser for the B+ Organization. 

For those of you who don't know what B+ is, it was started by a Delaware family, the McDonoughs, after they lost their 14-year old son, Andrew, to leukemia. I am always amazed by people who can take an experience that could truly have destroyed ever fiber of their moral beings, and turn it into something positive that changes millions of lives, and B+ has done exactly that. They raise funds for families dealing with pediatric cancer, and have helped in countless ways to save lives, and raise spirits. 

When Joe McDonough, Andrew's father, came to speak to my sorority last year, I was touched by the message he shared, and I knew I wanted to be a part of this fundraiser. Unfortunately, last year I was unable to be there for the full 12 hours due to prior greek life commitments, but this year I cleared my schedule in advance to be a part of the fun. I signed on to be a moraler, and be there for the full 12 hours. I arrived at the Bob Carpenter Center at 10:30 in the morning, well rested, early, and ready to dance! For being a moraler, I got an AWESOME UDance t-shirt, and free food vouchers, and free drinks. It's a good thing, because I drank at least 12 bottles of water to keep replenishing what I was losing while dancing! I had so much fun spending time with my sorority, especially the new girls whom I haven't had much time with, as well as friends from other greek chapters, and from different organizations on campus. I can't say that I was on my best Miss Delaware behavior as far as my diet goes, there aren't many healthy options at UDance, but I sure burned it off dancing all day. There were free zumba classes offered to us throughout the day and I made sure I was there for all of them! 12 hours is a long time to keep dancing, so it's a good thing I've been dancing since I could walk.

It's nice to have sisters to lean on after a long day.

 By 11:00pm we were ready to know how much money we had raised for UDance and the B+ Organization. In the past 4 years, UDance has raised a total of about $450,000. Last year we hit $260,000 which was a huge accomplishment. We wanted to top that this year so we went into fundraising overdrive. This year alone we raised...drumroll please...

$455,982.16 FOR OUR HEROES!!!!!!!!!

Each group that participates in UDance is given a "hero" that they hang out with throughout the year. A hero is a child who is either battling, or who has survived cancer, and who serves as inspiration for us. Alpha Xi Delta has an amazing hero named Molly, who is in remission and is cancer free! We love spending time with Molly, and we have various events with her. This year we took her to Kappa Sigma Fraternity's annual haunted house in October, we had an ice cream social with her, and many other fun events. Spending time with our heroes makes us even more motivated to help out with UDance, and having a hero like Molly makes the whole experience that much better.

Even though I was just a small part of UDance's success, (a very very small, tiny, miniscule, part), I am so proud of what we accomplished. The students that organize, plan, and run this event are truly amazing, and I can't believe the impact a group of young 18-22 year olds can have on the lives of so many children with forms pediatric cancer and their families. To check out more about UDance and see how you can become involved, check out udancedelaware.org. To learn more about the McDonoughs and their organization, visit the B+ website at bepositive.org

XOXOXO,
Alyssa

Melanoma: Facts and Prevention

Hey everyone, I thought this post was very important today especially. On the radio this morning I heard an advertisement for Hollywood Tans, apparently they are offering free tanning as a beginning of the season promo. I was extremely disheartened when I saw the lines of young women wanting a free pass to damage their skin and put themselves at risk for skin cancer. I figured I would lecture everyone on the dangers of artificial UV rays. My platform as a competitor in the Miss America Organization, is "Mela-No-More: Skin Cancer Advocacy and Awareness."I lost my cousin to skin cancer, and it is my hope that no other children have to grow up without a father or mother, due to melanoma. Kent didn't catch his cancer until it was already stage 4, and had spread throughout his body. Even experimental treatments couldn't save him. Since our loss, my Godparents, Kent's parents, and our family have become very involved in spreading melanoma awareness, and raising funds for research and treatment. This link will take you to our website, Mela-no-more.org where you can learn more about melanoma, my cousin Kent, and how we work to end melanoma.

Here are a few facts about melanoma that you might not know.

• Melanoma cases are increasing at an epidemic rate of 3% a year
• In the U.S. there are as many new cases of melanoma each year than there are of AIDS.
• Melanoma is the most common cancer in men and women ages 20-29.
• In women 25-29, melanoma is the primary cause of cancer death, and in women 30-34 it is the second most common cause of cancer death
• The projected numbers of melanoma diagnosis and death (according to the National Cancer Institute) for 2012 are even higher with 76,250 diagnosis and 9,180 deaths.
• Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and worldwide.
• The incidence of people under 30 developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other demographic group, soaring by 50 percent in young women since 1980
• Tanning beds are no healthier than sitting in the sun. Actually, the UVA radiation used in tanning beds is three times the amount of harmful radiation emitted by the sun.
• Tanning beds are a Level 1 carcinogen, along with cigarettes and plutonium. This means that these substances are directly responsible for causing cancer. If you wouldn't smoke on a "cancer stick" or roll around in toxic waste for fun, why on Earth would you enter a tanning bed?

Don't put yourself at risk, go with your own glow!

It's scary that a cancer that is this dangerous and deadly, is often tossed aside as only being something as a minor cosmetic problem, and something that is often brushed off. Here are a few facts you'll be happy to hear:

• If caught in the earliest stages, melanoma is entirely treatable with a survival rate of nearly 100%. 
• 90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to the sun.

Melanoma is a preventable type of cancer, and it is also easy to cure when it is caught early. 

I'm not here to preach to everyone and tell you to all become vampires. I'm a huge fan of being outdoors, I live and work on the beach, I'm Miss Coastal Bay for crying out loud! My job title is officially, a Skin Protection Speciailist with Steen's Beach Service, where I work on Campbell Place in Bethany Beach, DE.

Me, hard at work!

I'm here to tell you all to protect yourselves from UV rays and enjoy the sunlight in a healthy way! Here are some tips on how to lower your risk of developing melanoma.

• Protect yourself during any outdoor activity with a sunscreen that has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) rating of 15 or higher. I wear moisturizer and make-up with SPF 15 every day!
• Apply sunscreen about ½ hour before you go into the sun. This allows the sunscreen to seep into the upper skin layers, giving you better protection. I wear SPF 100 while I work since it's a long day! 
• Reapply sunscreen (even waterproof sunscreen) every 2 hours, especially if you're swimming or sweating. I reapply about every hour since at work I'm usually a sweaty mess!
• Wear a hat with a broad brim (4 inches wide). Sun hats are adorable and I'll use any excuse to be able to wear one all the time! ;)
• Wear sunglasses with UV-protective lenses. The label should say that the lenses block at least 99% of UV-A and UV-B radiation. Sunglasses can protect both your eyes and the skin around your eyes.
• Rent an unbrella! Find your friendly neighborhood umbrella boy/girl and tip them well! (Shameless plug for Steen's Beach Service!)
• Get regular check-ups, and know your skin. Routinely check out spots on your skin so you know when something changes. It is so important to catch melanoma early!
• Know the ABCDE's of melanoma! 

This video is one of the first I've seen promoting skin cancer awareness. It shows you what it's like to lose someone too soon due to melanoma, and I hope you all send it to anyone you love who is 16, or even younger or older. If you can watch this video and still say "Oh, I'd rather die tan than pale" or "I'm going to die from something anyway" then I fear you're not human. Share this video; tweet it, blog it, facebook it, and if for some reason you still have a Myspace, do that too.Get the word out.

I'm not asking you to become a vampire and never venture where sunlight may be, my intentions are to make everyone aware of the dangers of melanoma. Too many girls my age were lined up today in Hollywood Tans for me to stay silent about this. Protect yourselves, healthy skin is in.

XOXOXOXO

Alyssa

Busy Busy Busy

Hey there! I apologize for my lack of blogging, I've been so so busy lately! I'm taking twin littles in my sorority, so getting ready/executing big/little week has been crazy! I'm spoiling both of them completely rotten (obviously) and I can't wait for big/little reveal when they find out who they are! It's my favorite day again, Wednesday, and I'm getting ready to go see Big Dog at B Fit Enterprises. I woke up feeling a little yucky and I was afraid I would have to miss out on my favorite part of the day! I hydrated with about 2 bottles of water and got a little bit of protein in my system and I'm feeling 100% better thank goodness! I've found that generally when I wake up a little nauseated, a lot of it is due to dehydration, so as soon as I rehydrate I feel much better!


XOXOXO
Alyssa

You Gotta Have Friends

I'm going to be honest, yesterday was not my finest. I had a rough day and it felt like absolutely nothing was going my way. Sometimes, it's days like this when you find out how many amazing friends you have to fall back on. 

Marcellus Beasley, my trainer for Miss Delaware, and I have become close friends through working out together. He is not only my trainer, but my friend, and my motivator. Big Dog is one of the most understanding people ever, and I could not have gotten through yesterday without his help and words of encouragement. 

Shelby Collins, my best friend since 2nd grade and current roommate is one of those friends that comes along one time in your life. We share everything and we know everything about each other. She is always there for me and I always have someone to go to when I need a therapy session. Marykate Mulhern is one of my sorority sisters, and one of the most beautiful people in the world. Last night we were both a little down, so we got frozen yogurt, and Marykate, Shelby and I just put everything else on hold and had a girls' night. It was so nice to not worry about homework or studying or Miss Delaware and just hang out.

Kaylin Matchoca is my girl. We competed together for Delaware's Junior Miss and she is one of the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful people I've ever met and I love her to death. Kaylin knew I was having a terrible day when I had to cancel on our study date to take a mental break. Today in class, she surprised me with my favorite coffee from Dunkin Donuts before our quiz. 

Basically, what I'm saying is that when you're having a bad day, like I was yesterday, it's perfectly okay to cry, complain, turn to friends, and just take a break. Each day is a new day, and with the help of some special people, I am back on track.

XOXOXO

Alyssa

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a sister. Proverbs 18:24