Easy Acai Smoothie Bowl (Video)

One of the smoothies that I make most often is an acai bowl smoothie. So when I realized I really only had one recipe for an acai bowl here on the blog, from four years ago, I knew I wanted to add one just in time for summer! My original How-to Make an Acai Bowl recipe post is here. And it contains a ton of great tips and anecdotes on choosing acai packs and blending a bowl. But today, I share my current go-to recipe. I will be making this more than a few times this summer! Hope you love it as much as I do..Read more »

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Bridge Financing: What You Need to Know

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Can you focus on the recruiting process and the football season at the same time?

If you read about any of the athletes throughout the country that have made their college decision within the last few weeks, a major thing that stands out when they talk about it is that they wanted to be able to focus on their senior season of football.  And in many cases, the high school coaches actually prefer athletes coming to a decision so that their focus can be on the high school season.

The problem is that for many athletes, not all of them are 100% sure where they want to continue their football career in college.  And if the coach is rushing them to a decision, it could actually lead to a decommit later in the fall and open up a difficult process for the athlete.  So the question is can you as an athlete be able to focus on both the football season and the recruiting process at the same time during the fall?

My answer is that you can but it can be extremely difficult.  If you are confident about your decision and know where you want to go, it really may be worth it to end the recruiting process before the season gets underway.  The reason is that it alleviates the stress and burden that you have from answering calls, practicing, doing homework, and trying to lead a normal life of a high school senior.

If you decide to put the football season in front of the recruiting process, there may be areas that you can hurt yourself when it comes to recruiting.  For example, you may decide to skip the game visits on Saturday so that you can watch game tape with your teammates.  While going to these games unofficially will not get you a scholarship offer, it will give you a great feel for what the atmosphere of game day is all about.  No matter who you talk to or what you see on television, actually being there is vital to get a feel for what it is like on those wild Saturdays at the school.

The second thing to talk about is your numbers.  This may sound selfish but if you put the team before the recruiting process, you may agree with your coach about playing out of position.  Not only will this hurt your numbers, it may be harder to get college coaches to watch your early game tapes when you are playing a position they are not recruiting you at.  This makes it difficult for even the best evaluators to get a feel for your future position.  And watching it on tape is not going to be easy.

Dedicating yourself to the season and putting recruiting in the background will also help you with nerves.  For example, most recruits send out game film from the first two or three games of their senior season.  If you are focused on the season and helping your team win, then you won’t be nervous about how you played in a certain portion of the tape.  You just have to worry about going out, giving it 100%, and going from there.  The recruiting will take care of itself later on.

If you decide to put the recruiting process in front of the football season, there is a good chance that you are going to get some teammates not happy with you as a person.  The majority of high school football players are not good enough to go on to the college level and want to make the most of every prep game they have left in their career.  And if you are focusing on yourself instead of the team, and they realize that, I can promise you they are not going to be thrilled.

Putting the recruiting process on top of everything may make you a ball of nerves and someone who cannot relax.  Your biggest concern is impressing college coaches and getting a scholarship offer/offers that you don’t worry about how the team does.  If you can rush for 150 yards and three touchdowns and the team losses, does it make that much of a difference to you?  In my opinion, no.

What you need to do is find a balance between the two.  You need to help your team win ball games first.  The better the team does, the better it makes you look and gives you the potential to showcase your skills in front of college coaches at State.  You also need to speak with your coach that you want to do everything you can to help the team win but you are also worried about recruiting.  Be honest and open with him about it (And try not to sound selfish while doing it).

To help yourself in the recruiting process during that final year of prep football, you really do need to make it clear what you hope to get out of it.  But at the same time, you want to make sure you are not putting recruiting ahead of helping your team win ball games.  Balance is the key here.

 

 

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Baked Alaska-Inspired Tofu Pudding

This post is sponsored by House Foods Tofu. Today is my final post for the 50 Plates of Tofu Series! It has been a lot of fun collaborating with House Foods on this creative recipe challenge. I whipped up ten state-inspired, vegan tofu recipes. And today's final recipe was inspired by Alaska. This was a tricky state! But I chose to make a pudding inspired by "Baked Alaska" because 1) it was a great excuse to use roast vegan marshmallows and 2) because one of my favorite things is a chocolate and vanilla layered pudding. This recipe has a hint of nut butter in it as well. So, peanut butter and chocolate pudding parfaits with toasted marshmallows on top it was! Plus, I chat about dessert styles and my dessert-everyday-is-good state of mind..Read more »

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Part 2 – What role should your high school coach play in the athletic recruiting process?

One thing that you will definitely want to speak to your high school coach about is sending game tapes and highlight tapes.  Honestly, not all coaches have the time to keep track of where to send highlight tapes and where to send game tapes.  That is why it is vital for you to talk to your coach about it.

The first area to discuss is regarding the creation of your highlight video.  Some coaches are willing to produce them for the athlete and doing that would help save them a great deal of money during the process.  You must make sure that they are able to product a quality highlight video in order to send out to colleges.  If the coach does one that is not very good, it is worth investing a few hundred dollars into getting one professionally made.

If the plan is to handle the highlight video yourself, you must also speak with the coach about getting your hands on copies of the game tape.  Some coaches burn all games on DVD and have great organization of their videos.  Others will have a pile of tapes in a number of different spots that has no organization whatsoever.  Hopefully having a conversation with the coach beforehand will help them remember that you need a few game tapes.

If the quality of the tape is poor, you need to look into having your parents video tape the games themselves or hiring it out.  At the very least, you need to make sure that there is good footage to be able to work with on the highlight video.  Even the most expensive video production teams can only do so much about a poor game video.

Once you have the highlight video planned out, you also need to speak with the coach about who is going to forward them to college coaches.  If you feel better doing it yourself, than you may want to ask your high school coach to forward all requests for tapes.  That means if you are organized, you can handle it yourself.  I myself have requested many tapes from coaches but usually only see a few come my way just because how busy the coach is.

You will also need to talk to your prep coach about what he or she has done in the past about preparing athletes for playing college at a high level.  They may recommend extra workouts and doing different things to make you better.  And again, if you want to play at that level, this extra workload is something that you must be excited about it.  If you are going to go through the motions during it, don’t waste everyone’s time.

Another important thing a high school coach can do about you is follow up after sending video highlights.  For example, Division I coaches will take the word of a high school coach because they don’t want to burn that bridge.  If you personally sent a highlight tape two weeks ago, see if your high school coach will call an assistant coach at the school and see if they have watched it yet.

Your high school coach can also call college coaches or email them about you as a player.  This sometimes just depends on their connections and if they have sent any previous players to the Division I level.

If you have your prep coach on your side during the recruiting process, it can be a huge advantage for you.  While it does not mean a scholarship is in the bag, it does put someone else in your corner that could help you in the eyes of college coaches.  Most coaches at the next level do believe what a prep coach has to say and will take that into account during the recruiting process.

 

 

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Football camp invites, calls, and Division I interest

As I have mentioned before in a number of articles, summer football camps provide two purposes.  The first is to help the college coaches figure out who they want to extend their scholarships to.  It is never an easy question but working with the athletes on campus does help further things along in the recruiting process.  And the second is to help the coaches supplement their income.  While many are making big bucks, the camps help a graduate assistant who may only be making $10,000 per year.

While all schools send out a lot of camp invites, one school that may honestly send out the most that I have heard is Kansas State.  I have spoken with many athletes who have told me about their recruiting and for whatever reason, the Wildcats are the only Division I-A school recruiting them.  The athlete doesn’t think much about it being strange.  One had limited college interest but mentioned to me how bad Kansas State wanted to evaluate him at their camp.  And while I don’t want to pick on Kansas State because I know a lot of other schools across the country send out camp invites to a lot of athletes, you really need to realize how serious that they are about you in recruiting.

A parent recently asked me about a school that had been recruiting him and wanted him to go to their camp.  The reason why it was a difficult situation was because the family was unsure how serious the school was about him and if it was worth it to attend the camp.  My thoughts are unless you receive a phone call from them during the May evaluation period, then chances are slim that you will receive much of a look from the coaches at camp.  Now that doesn’t mean coaches from other schools won’t start recruiting you after the camp.

To me, a school like Kansas State is doing whatever they can to have the biggest camp possible.  I have been amazed at some of the names of athletes that have been “invited” to their camp.  It seems as if you played varsity football last year, the Wildcats want to bring you to camp so that they can evaluate you.  As they mentioned to a recruit last year, if you are the best quarterback there, then you will get a scholarship.  That quarterback ended up going to a non scholarship I-AA program that was just starting.  I guess they will say whatever they can to get recruits to their camps.

At this time of year as many top football recruits head off to camps throughout the country, think seriously about the schools that have sent you camp invites.  Have they called you?  Did they invite you to a Junior Day?  Are they sending hand written letters?  Have they really been showing the type of interest that makes this camp invite truly real?

As I talked about earlier in the article, the athlete that I spoke with did not find it strange at all that Kansas State was the only Division I-A school recruiting him.  My guess is that when everything is said and done, he ends up at a small Division II or III school.  And while it was not my place to say anything to him about what camps he does and doesn’t go to, I think it is important to really think about the schools that have invited you to camps.

The reason that you put up the money to go to these camps is because you want a fair shot to be evaluated.  Getting that evaluation may not lead to a scholarship but getting that chance is something that everyone looks for.  But if you have not gotten any interest outside of a minimal camp invite, then it may not be worth your money and time to make the trip.

Note: I know this article talks a lot about Kansas State but many other colleges send out camp invites to a lot of recruits as well.  It just seemed that in the Midwest, the Wildcats do it the most to pad their numbers.  While it is legal by all means, I question it ethically to try and get non-Division I kids to your camp so you can evaluate them. 

 

 

 

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Part 1 – What role should your high school coach play in the athletic recruiting process?

Love them or hate them, your high school coaches will play a very important role during the athletic recruiting process.  It doesn’t matter much what sport you play but if you want to play at the college level, you will need them on your side to help you achieve your goals of playing athletics past high school.

The first thing that you need to do as an athlete is tell them what you want to do early on.  For example, say that you just finished up your sophomore season playing at the varsity level.  You had a solid year and were named second team All Conference.  Because you have that experience for playing under that coach, now is a great time to tell them your goals at the next level.

While every situation is different, the coach may have helped other players play at the Division I level.  He may know what it takes during the football recruiting process to help you get to the college level.  The coach may also know what specific areas you need to work on to get to that high of a level.  Trust me in saying that it is not going to be a walk in the park by any means.

It is important not to come up to the head varsity coach following your freshman year or basketball where you were the sixth man and tell him that you want to play at Duke.  You first have to be realistic as there are some God given limitations that cause athletes who have the talent and work ethic but not the size to make it.

In the football example I mentioned, doing it early gives you plenty of time because it allows the coach to really push you to become the best player that you can be.  There are going to be ups and downs during the process but talking to your coach about it early will help you in the long run.

Your college coach must be on your side as well because he or she is going to be the one talking to college coaches.  These coaches call asking for more information on certain athletes.  If you have an attitude, most coaches are going to be honest and tell the college coach the truth.  Why would your coach want to lie in this situation?

As mentioned here before, college coaches will talk to just about anyone when they are trying to find more information about a recruit.  It doesn’t matter if it is your Math or Biology teach, you need have few enemies.  But the person that will hear the most from college coaches is your high school coach.

A Division I basketball coach told me a few years back about a player that they ended up offering a scholarship to.  It was a small school player who was a big man at 6-foot-10.  While his prep competition was not very high, the coaches scoured the school to learn more information about the athlete.  They found out that he was just a good kid who worked hard.  He would come in at 5:30 AM everyday to lift weights because there were no other times.  It showed that he was dedicated early on to become a better athlete and he ended up getting a scholarship.  It should come as no surprise that the athlete had a fantastic career and ended up really making a name for himself at the school.

You will need your high school coach to forward letters onto you.  While I assume it doesn’t happen that often, there are some high school coaches who may have a grudge with certain college programs.  The coach may then make sure that their letters are not forwarded onto you, which eventually becomes a problem.  I would hope that happens at least a very small amount of the time overall.

 

 

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I got a verbal scholarship offer at a summer college football camp. Is that scholarship really on the table?

College football coaches love getting athletes that they recruit on campus during the summer for at least one day of camp.  The reason is that it allows them to work with you, evaluate your skills, determine your level of coachability, and just get a general feel for what you can bring to the table.  If I were to ask college coaches, there is no doubt that they would love to see all prospects in camp before offering them.  The problem is that is not always possible.

But what happens if you go to a camp and just blow up?  The coaches end up loving you and taking you aside multiple times while you are there.  Then after the camp, the head coach tells you that there is a scholarship offer waiting for you at the school.  He just offered you verbally, but the question is, do you really have an offer on the table?

The answer to that question is it seriously depends on the school.  Some programs throw out verbal offers like they are nothing and others make sure that you are not confused where you sit in the football recruiting process.  Another set of college coaches may make it seem like they want you to play for their program but you have no clue as to if there is an offer actually on the table.

The true answer to this question should come within two weeks of you attending the camp (this is of course if you are in the summer before your senior year.  Otherwise, it is a different answer).  If the coaches were serious about the offer, your abilities, and the hope that they can sign you in February, then a written offer should be coming in the mail.

While summer camps for college coaches are an extremely busy time, if they think highly enough about you, they can take the ten minutes to send out a written offer.  While this scholarship could actually be pulled at anytime, seeing it in writing shows their true interest in you and their intention to make sure you know there is an offer on the table.

A few years back I spoke with a quarterback prospect who went to a Division I-AA (FCS) school for their summer camp and did really well.  The athlete claimed that the coaches had extended a verbal offer but for whatever reason, the coaches at this top tier program never ended up sending the scholarship in the mail.

In the end, despite what they told him, there was no offer and he signed with a Division II program.  One of two things likely happened.  The coaches told the athlete that they liked him a great deal and made it seem like there was an actual offer on the table.  But they never said that there is a scholarship waiting for you and there was an issue in communication between the athlete and the coaches.

The other thing that may have happened is the coaches extended a verbal offer after the camp but ended up not being impressed during the fall by what he did with his high school team.  So their response was to just stop recruiting him and not say anything.  While I do believe this is an upstanding coaching staff, college coaches do stuff like this all the time so I am not out of line in saying that this really could happen.

I think the answer to the original question, like in all situations, is to wait until the offer paperwork has arrived until you can get really excited.  I have heard plenty of stories where there is a verbal offer made but the paperwork never arrives.  If you want to commit to that school, is there even an offer on the table?  You don’t really know.  So until that letter comes saying State University wants to offer a scholarship, I wouldn’t mark it down as on the table just yet.

 

 

 

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51 Things to Do This Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend has a special place in my heart. Why? Not because my husband and I go on epic quickie beach vacations or attend the most amazing Memorial Day parties or festivals ever - but because we spend time together. We have an extra day to do anything we want. From cool adventures, to brainstorming ideas and talking about life plans/dreams to embracing completely lazy days at home, binge watching shows or napping in sunbeams. This holiday weekend is three things to me: 1. Summer. The silent welcoming to the summer season. (Aka, the "you can now wear white pants" wknd. Haha, does anyone still follow that?) 2. Remembrance. A time to remember and have gratitude for those who fought and died in active military service. (It is always good to remember the true point of...

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The importance of communication with your high school coach regarding the college athletic recruiting process

I have talked before how there are a variety of different kinds of high school coaches that you will be dealing without throughout the athletic recruiting process.  Some are extremely helpful, others push your name when it is convenient, and some unfortunately don’t do anything.

And while the type of high school coach that you have does vary from athlete to athlete and school to school, one thing that you must have between you, your family, and the high school coach is communication.  You may be able to get attention on your own in the recruiting process but without communication, things may be lost in terms of calls and letters before they even reach you.

When I talk about communication, the first thing that you must do is inform your coach of your intentions to play college athletics.  It could be for soccer, lacrosse, football, basketball, softball, or any other sport, you must let your high school coach know.  The coach can sabotage even the best efforts throughout the athletic recruiting process.

Before the spring evaluation period for football recruiting, college football coaches are limited in the amount of contact that they have with recruits.  Because of this, the college coach relies heavily on information provided by the prep coach.  If your coach isn’t calling back, forwarding your letters, and following your on tape requests, it may be tough to get much consistent interest in the recruiting process.

In that first talk that you and your family may have with the high school coach about your college dreams, it is important to get feedback and listen to what the coach has to say and what he or she can bring to the table.  Some coaches have contacts at the college level that could really help you get a foot in the door at some programs.  Other coaches won’t do a damn thing.  Again, it varies from coach to coach.

After you make it clear of your intentions, talk to the coach first about what you need to do athletically to get to that level.  Most head football coaches will help you because this shows that you want to make yourself a better player.  That initiative is a great step in the right direction that you have what it takes to play college athletics.

Once that is done, speak with the coach about an honest evaluation as too what level you can play at in college.  Tell them that you want to start marketing yourself to college coaches and a fair eval will give you a better feel of what level you should do it at.  I hate to say this but expect your coach to over evaluate your ability.  You may be a Division I-AA (FCS) type player but they think you are a Division I-A (BCS) player.  I feel that most coaches will do this not to hurt your feelings or dash your dreams.

This should give you a better feel for where your coach thinks you can play.  After that, speak with them about any connections that they have within the college coaching ranks and see what it available via those connections.  Some things may work out better than others so know that you can and should be marketing yourself to other schools as well.  When you follow The Five Steps to a Scholarship Offer, you are focusing more on what you want and need in a college rather than which programs your high school coach is familiar with.

I would then try to speak to your coach specifically about recruiting and their contact with coaches about every two weeks.  In most situations, the high school coach is likely a teacher at the school so he should be around.  If not, try to catch up with them on the phone.  I have found that coaches who are out of the building are also harder for college coaches to get in touch with.  The reason these talks should come is to tell them what you are receiving in terms of mail, attention, and visits while also picking his brain to see who is calling and requesting tape.  If a school did request tape, make sure that your coach has it taken care of.

Like just about every situation known to man, communication is vital here.  Speaking openly and honest to your high school coach can give you a better feel for what they think about you and where you stand in the athletic recruiting process.  Taking the time to do it is well worth it.

 

 

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Report: General Motors is under fire for accusations of diesel-emissions test cheating

It seems the crackdown on cheating diesel emissions tests isn’t over and moves on to General Motors.

What’s going on?

Just when you thought the dust (soot?) was beginning to settle in the wake of Volkswagen’s TDI diesel-emissions cheating scandal, aka “dieselgate,” a class-action lawsuit was just filed against General Motors for similar accusations.

Like rubbing salt in the wound, this adds another layer of legal troubles for General Motors, following its largest recall for faulty ignition switches. So far, GM paid out roughly $2.5 billion in penalties and settlements.

What’s the suit about?

According to AutoBlog, the lawsuit alleges that more than 705,000 Duramax diesel-powered Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups from 2011 to 2016 model years produced two to five times more NOx pollutants than legally allowed. The lawsuit itself is seeking refunds or reimbursement for lost vehicle values and punitive damages.

GM spokesman, Dan Flores, declared the accusations as “baseless,” citing the trucks’ compliance with US Environmental Protection Agency emissions requirements. Flores also emphasized the trucks’ ability to meet California’s strict diesel standards.

It should also be noted that the Duramax trucks come equipped with urea-injection systems. Those system inject Diesel Exhaust Fluid into the catalytic converter to significantly reduce NOx emissions.

The never-ending story

General Motors is the fifth automaker to undergo scrutiny for its diesel passenger vehicles. They join Volkswagen, Daimler, Peugeot, Renault, and FCA. The latest lawsuit against GM is not much different.  Further detailed allegations point to the use of emissions test “defeat devices.” That forces the truck’s engine computer to run at a different state than in real-world conditions under testing, thus falsifying results.

More as it develops…

– By: Chris Chin

Source: AutoBlog

 

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BREAKING: The new BMW 8-Series is back after a 17-year hiatus and this is it in concept form

After many rumors and teasers, BMW finally revealed its hotly anticipated 8-Series coupe revival in concept form….and just look at it!

What’s going?

The BMW 8-Series is back baby and Munich’s finest just unveiled a concept for the world to see on the Interwebs. Set for a debut at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este show, the new 8-Concept previews a new large, grand tourer luxury coupe from Bavaria. And we couldn’t be any more excited.

The original BMW 8-Series ended production in 1999. Since then, the BMW 6-Series revival took the role of providing buyers with a large, 2+2 grand touring coupe option. But the 6-Series just wasn’t enough and it wasn’t the same, especially with competitors from Mercedes-Benz, like the S-Class Coupe. Lexus also has the new LC500, which laid even more pressure on BMW to make a larger, grand tourer.

“The BMW Concept 8 Series is our take on a full-blooded high-end driving machine,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group Design’s senior vice president. “It is a luxurious sports car which embodies both unadulterated dynamics and modern luxury like arguably no other. For me, it’s a slice of pure automotive fascination.”

BMW’s new flagship

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Due for a full launch in 2018, the BMW 8-Series Concept is in near-production form, meaning what you see here is what you’ll likely get when it hits showrooms. There will be some changes to meet regulatory and safety requirements.

Overall, the new BMW 8-Series takes inspiration from the Vision Future Luxury Concept showcased at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show. Other tidbits also resemble styling cues from the Pininfarina-styled Grand Lusso Coupe Concept. There are also some hints of BMW i8 in the 8-Series Concept, particularly with the rear three-quarter panel and shoulder line. Altogether, it is very pleasant for the eyes.

The same sentiments carry over for the insides. Both suave and contemporary, the complete interior comes jam-packed with technology. A total of three massive digital screens are visible, hinting at the use of gesture and touchscreen interfaces. We can’t imagine the steering wheel will pass safety requirements. But the rest of the interior appears to also be nearly production ready.

Spearheading razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury

BMW didn’t specify what powers the new 8-Series Concept. But we imagine it involves some sort of internal combustion engine, mated to some transmission, driving the rear or all four wheels.

It might be a while until we learn of such details. So stay tuned for that.

– By: Chris Chin

Source: BMW

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2017 BMW Concept 8 Gallery

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Green Fuel Protein Shake, inspired by Disney's Cars 3 and DOLE!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by DOLE, but all opinions are my own. If you are an avid reader of my blog you probably know how much I adore all things Disney. So when another favorite of mine, DOLE, asked me to develop a recipe inspired by the upcoming Disney/Pixar film Cars 3, I was fueled up and ready to go!! When I think of food as fuel, I think of smoothies. Especially green smoothies! But it can be challenging to craft a green smoothie that you CRAVE. Luckily, I have one for you today. My Green Fuel Protein Shake is a citrus-infused, creamy and protein-boosted green smoothie. It is so tasty that you will totally forget how many greens and other healthy things are in here! The recipe serves two, but I always drink it all myself. Proper green smoothies should leave you...

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