A Simple Sparkle

Sorry I was gone for the entire month of November, which is one of my favorite months! My school schedule got a little hectic and Thanksgiving break was a bit of an ordeal. Now the semester is winding down and everyone's getting ready for Christmas break. Everything on campus has been decorated within an inch of life. Even those of us who work at the front desks of the dorms... The end of the semester means that my departure to Ireland is fast approaching! I don't think I've ever been so excited! We don't actually leave until February, but time's been passing so quickly I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up tomorrow and it was time to go. But I'm getting ahead of myself, there's still Christmas and New Years to be concerned with and I'm planning on taking full advantage of my time at home. Last year I was only home for two weeks at Christmas. This year I'll be back for over a month and I can't help but feel like that might be a litt

Happy Halloween! I love celebrating Halloween on campus. There's just so much fun to be had!  I live on one of the few wings that get insanely enthusiastic about costumes. This year my friend, Arianne, went as Agnes from Despicable Me  and I was Max from Where the Wild Things Are . The most interesting part of the night was going to dinner in this huge group of costumed people... we made quite the scene. Then a few girls acted as judges and gave awards fro the top 5 best costumes, or group costumes. And guess what.... I won some giraffe socks!  Bountiful! Also, you can't tell from this picture, but I borrowed my friends shoes (which are a men's 11) so I kinds looked like a clown. Personally, I thought it was hilarious and added to effect of me being dressed up like a little kid. Anyway, I hope everyone had a fun night! -Elyse

I miss cooking so much. This summer I took on the chef role at home and now that I'm back living in the dorm I just don't know what to do with myself. I'm learning to get creative in the dining hall, but there's nothing quite like chopping up your own veggies and stir frying them yourself.  A while back I made these awesome tuna burgers and I thought I'd share them here. The original recipe is from  Can You Stay for Dinner?  but I altered it a little and I think they turned out quite well.  For four burgers you need: 2, 6 oz cans tuna fish, drained and flaked 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper juice of half a lemon 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt  1 egg 4 whole wheat buns  All you have to do is mix up all the ingredients, form them into four patties, bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees and Ta-daa! You can add l

Welcome to A Simple Sparkle. This is my very first blog post and I'm  still working out the kinks. I'm hoping to use this blog to document the things in my life from cooking and music to school and travel. I'll being going study abroad in Ireland next semester and I'd like to keep my family and friends updated while I'm there. My name is Elyse and I am a Sophomore in college. I currently have no set major yet, but I am working on it. I was born and raised in Texas, but now I live in Indiana. I love coffee, folk music, and bearded men. I hope you like it here! I'm planning to fill this blog with recipes, rants, photos, fashion, and stories about the funny little things that happen to me. Come back soon! :) -Elyse