September, 2009
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Photo by Betterinpink.com
I loved Mucki’s posting on fall recipes so I thought I would contribute my favorite fall food. CIDER! Yum. I love it at my MSU tailgates, on cool evenings and cozy movie nights. There are a few different ways of making it but here is one of my favorite ways to try:
Cinnamon Cider: Super easy recipe, it can be doubled or tripled for large crowds. Take 6 cups of apple juice, 1/8 cup of cinnamon candies and heat until candies dissolve. Put in a crock pot to keep warm.
Carmel Apple Cider: Sooo yummy! A little bit more detailed to make, but completely worth it! Cider ingredients, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 3 cups apple cider, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Whipped cream, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
-To make the cider, combine sugar and 1/4 cup cream and boil in a saucepan then reduce to medium heat. Stir in cider and water. Continue to heat on medium-high until cider starts to steam. (About 4 minutes)
-Whipped topping, chill the remaining 1/2 cup of cream. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and whip until combined and the cream takes more of a solid form.
Serve the cider with 2 tablespoons of whipped topping for an extra treat. I find these recipes to be the perfect excuse to cuddle up with my roommates in my MSU apartment.
I hope you enjoy!
Posted By Katelyn Moore
Tags: Cider Recipes, Fall Cider, Michigan State Spartans, MSU Tailgate Recipe, Spartan Cider
Posted in how to | Leave a comments »
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Michigan State University has a great record for contributing some amazing athletes, Hollywood stars, business gurus, and politicians. You may not have known that all of them are Spartans, but there are some pretty recognizable names. We should be proud to have such amazing alumni influenced by their Spartan experience. Entertain your brain and learn something cool about East Lansing! Renew your Spartan Pride! Your name could be next on this list!
Photo by freewebs.com
BASEBALL
-Mark Mulder, Pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals
BASKETBALL
-Charlie Bell, basketball
-Mateen Cleaves, basketball
-Earvin “Magic” Johnson, LA Lakers
-Morris Peterson, New Orleans Hornets
-Zach Randolph, LA Clippers
-Shaw Respert, former pro basketball player
-Jason Richardson, Charlotte Bobcats
-Scott Skiles, former pro basketball player and former Chicago Bulls coach
-Steve Smith, NBA player
-Eric Snow, Cleveland Cavaliers
-Kevin Williams, former pro basketball player
FOOTBALL
-Flozell Adams, Dallas Cowboys
-Morten Andersen, former New Oreans Saints player, also the all time leading scorer in NFL history
-Tony Banks, Houston Texans
-Plaxico Burress, New York Giants
-T.J. Duckett, Seattle Seahawks
-Paul Edinger, Minnesota Vikings
-Mark Ingram, Philadelphia Eagles
-Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens
-Jim Miller, New York Giants
-Muhsin Muhammad, Chicago Bears
-Julian Peterson, Detroit Lions
-Jeff Smoker, Arizona Rattlers
-Drew Stanton, Detroit Lions
-Javon Ringer, Tennesee Titans
-Brian Hoyer, New England Patriots
HOCKEY
-Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
-Drew Miller, Anaheim Ducks
-John Michael Liles, Colorado Avalanche
-Adam Hall, Minnesota Wild
SOCCER
-Kevin Reiman, Real Salt Lake
MARTIAL ARTS
-Rashad Evans, Current UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
CINEMA/TELEVISION
-James Caan, actor in Las Vegas series, The Godfather, Mickey Blue Eyes
-Jim Cash, Hollywood writer, Top Gun, Legal Eagles, Dick Tracy
-Greg Harrison, film director of Groove
-Sam Raimi, director, producer, actor, Spider-Man and Evil Dead series
-David Magee, screenwriter, Academy Award Nominee for Finding Neverland
-Bob Guiney, The Bachelor, season four
-Chris Hansen, NBC news
BUSINESS/POLITICS
-Julie Aigner-Clark, founder of the Baby Einstein company
-Michael Cannon, President of Global Operations for Dell
-Kevin Farr, CFO for Mattel Inc.
-Brad Krutchen, Kodak Company President
-Mark Murray, President and CEO for Meijer, president for Grand Valley University
-Jane Warner, President of Plexus Systems
-James Blanchard, Former Michigan Governor and Ambassador to Canada
-Dennis Archer, Michigan Supreme Court, Detroit mayor and former president of American Bar Assoc.
-Geoffrey Fieger, Attorney for Jack Kevorkian, Michigan Governor candidate
-John Engler, former Michigan Governor
-Spencer Abraham, former Us. Secretary of Energy and U.S Senator
-Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Senator
*All data retrieved from en.wikipedia.org and The Michigan State Alumni Association
Did I forget someone? Please share! Congrats to all of our famous alumni!
By Katelyn Moore
Tags: east lansing, Famous Michigan State Alumni, Michigan State Spartans, MSU Athletics
Posted in FYI, MSU Sports | 13 Comments »
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Fall is in the air, I know you feel it too! Some mornings hint of the tailgate weather to come. As sad as I am to see summer ending, I always feel a certain sense of excitement for the beginning of fall. The leaves start changing, jeans and long sleeves become essential…
My favorite part of fall though is the food! Fresh apples, heartier meals and cider are just a few of the best things. With the change in weather we start to crave more substantial fare, so I thought what better way to start the season than with some yummy fall recipes? Here are just a few to get you started!
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon(s) margarine, substitute butter
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
clove(s) (2 cloves) garlic, minced
2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 carton(s) (32 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth
1 can(s) (29 ounces) pure pumpkin, not pumpkin-pie mix
1 can(s) (12 ounces) carrot juice
1/2 cup(s) pumpkin seeds (pepitas), roasted and shelled
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Directions
1.In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add carrot and onion, and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and cook 1 minute, stirring.
2.Add broth, pumpkin, and carrot juice to saucepan, stirring to combine. Cover saucepan and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, 15 minutes to blend flavors.
3.Stir soup just before serving. Pass pumpkin seeds to sprinkle over soup.
Spiced Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
3 tablespoon(s) mustard seeds
1 tablespoon(s) fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper
2 (14-ounce) pork tenderloins
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup(s) grainy Dijon mustard
1/4 cup(s) traditional Dijon mustard
1/4 cup(s) honey
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Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 375°. In a mortar, lightly crush the mustard and fennel seeds with the crushed red pepper. Set the pork tenderloins on a rimmed baking sheet and season them with salt and pepper. Spread the crushed spices on the baking sheet and roll the pork tenderloins in the crushed spices to coat them.
2.Roast the pork tenderloins for about 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each tenderloin registers 145°. Transfer the pork tenderloins to a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes.
3.In a small bowl, mix the mustards with the honey and season with salt and pepper. Slice the pork 1/2 inch thick and serve with the honey mustard.
Happy Cooking!
Mucki
Tags: Apartment Cooking, MSU Culinary Tips
Posted in how to | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
With the new school year started, I wanted to give you the updated info about brand new PDAs and smart-phones that have recently hit the market. Tmobile introduced it’s new smart-phone: the MyTouch 3G. This new item is Tmobile’s spin on competing with other devices such as Sprint’s Palm Pre and AT&T’s infamous iPhone. The reputable technology and product review source CNet has the inside scope on every device, but here are my thoughts:
After trying multiple brands of PDAs, the one I currently use is Apple’s iPhone. The iPhone far surpassed my expectations on compatibility and being user friendly. It makes everything I need to do for classes simple and easy when I don’t have access to a computer, in addition with being my iPod.
Though I haven’t tried out the new Tmobile phone, I have had an opportunity to take a look at the Palm Pre. This device simply feels good in your fingers (a feature I really enjoy considering my large gorilla like hands). The screen clarity is very good and also has the option of a touch screen. The only thing I am not keen on is it is a slider phone. It has a full key pad, but again due to my massive phalangies I can not type a text message to save my life. I would have even greater difficulty responding to emails consistently with this key pad like I do on my Apple iPhone. Overall, it is a quality phone new to the market which many students seem to enjoy.
Let us know your thoughts and experiences on all three phones!
-Jay Collie
Tags: apple, chandler, Chandler Crossings Websites, college phone, i phone, iphone, palm pre, sprint, tmoble
Posted in FYI | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
I love football. I love the game so much that I find myself watching ESPN highlights all day on occasion. Though I’ve watched the clip ten times already, I still love to watch it again. 
I am now entering my fourth year of Fantasy Football on ESPN, and with the season approaching, my excitement level is at an all-time high. My buddies and I watch the Sunday games at either Reno’s East or Buffalo Wild Wings, and then watch Monday Night Football at one of our apartments at The Club at Chandler Crossings. There’s nothing like friendly competition with friends, co-workers, family members, and class-mates.
If your anything like me, you’re always curious about different methods people have to draft players. This is my system that has worked well enough to earn four straight Championship Game appearances:
- -Look at what the player has done in the past
- -Look at what the player is projected to do this season
- -Look at the supporting cast the player has
- -Look to see what previous team members are not currently on active rosters
If you have a different system that has been effective, feel free to post it here as a comment! Please remember: When drafting your team, DO NOT draft solely on names alone. No team is ever exactly the same as they were the year before, and the slightest personnel change can effect that players role greatly for the upcoming year.
Wish me luck, and I hope you all have a fantastic fantasy football season. (Those of you who aren’t in my league!)
-Ernest Madison
Tags: Buffalo Wild Wings, Chandler Crossings Websites, ernest madison, ESPN, Fantasy Football, how to, Reno's, the club at chandler crossing
Posted in how to | Leave a comments »
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
It’s that time of year again in East Lansing. New classes, new roommates, and new apartments. Taking on the task of decorating for the first time can seem daunting, but if you follow some basic design guidelines you’ll have a great looking apartment in no time! A cool place to consider taking a road trip to is Ikea, as they have furniture that is less expensive and more modern than traditional stores. The closest one to East Lansing is located at 41640 Ford Road, Canton, MI 48187.
Here are some ways to really make your space your own:
- -Don’t be afraid to use color!
- -Try to place chairs in groups in order to encourage socializing when you have guests.
- -Decide on a color palette ahead of time. One way to do this is to choose a favorite piece of artwork and design your space around that.
- -Keep furniture to a minimum in small spaces.
- -Most of all have fun, and think outside the box!
My roommate and I just got finished decorating our apartment for this school year, and we were surprised how great we made it look with how little we spent.
Got some great tips you think others will enjoy? Feel free to leave a comment!
Happy decorating!
-Mucki Doezema
Tags: apartment decorating, decorating tips, east lansing apartment, Ikea, interior decorating
Posted in Apartment Tips | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Week 1 of college football in the Big 10 wasn’t exactly full of surprises. Every team that was supposed to win their first regular season game did, including the University of Michigan who beat their in state opponent Western Michigan. Every part of me wants to write an entire blog about how ridiculous it is that UofM fans are actually claiming, “We’re back!”, after beating what looked to be an average MAC team. Upon that writing process I am sure I would break out in to hysteric laughter, resulting in myself fainting in bewilderment. As my primary doctor is on vacation this week, I really shouldn’t take any chances.
What is blog worthy however was the play of both Michigan State University Quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol. Both showed the ability to throw the ball down field, which is something this team greatly lacked in the Brian Hoyer era. The players appeared confident in the pocket, with Nichol highlighting his ability to escape broken protection on several occasions. Overall, Cousins had the better afternoon at Spartan Stadium, but Mark Dantonio must be pleased with knowing he has two quarterbacks with the ability to not only not lose games for the team, but flat out win them.
Blair White had an All-Conference afternoon, catching 9 passes for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns. What amazes me is teams still haven’t figured out this guy is a big time reciever. The only logical conclusion I have is that Montana State simply couldn’t cover him due to lack of talent. MSU will have to keep planning ways to get White the ball, as I can promise he wont be a hidden talent for long.
Overall, it was a promising start for the Spartans in 2009, and will serve to be an excellent tune up game for both Central Michigan and Notre Dame.
-Ryan Shaul
Tags: Blair White, Keith Nichol, Kirk Cousins, Michigan, Michigan State Football, Michigan State University, Michigan State vs. Montanta State, MSU Football
Posted in MSU Sports, Uncategorized | Leave a comments »
Friday, September 4th, 2009
‘Tis the season for giving all year long! If you are a new student or resident in East Lansing, you might not be familiar with all of the great opportunities you have to make a difference. The Village at Chandler Crossings recently had a very successful Food Drive and Clothing Donation Drive, so THANK YOU to all of our great residents! With the struggling economy, many people are in desperate need for your help. If you missed out on this event, please take a look at these links to find your new mission.
- Charity-Charities is an amazing website that lists all sorts of charity events throughout East Lansing and has pretty much everything you can think of. Great job guys.
- The Greater Lansing Food Bank serves tens of thousands of people and families throughout the Lansing area and is an awesome non-profit organization that helps people in their time of need. There are many kitchens nearby that accept donations all year round. You can also visit their website to make donations by credit/debit card if you don’t have food to donate.
- Good Will is a great organization that takes in clothing and used housing items by donation for families in East Lansing as well. Our donations from The Village at Chandler Crossings helped many families that shop here.
- Become a mentor. This is a great opportunity for you to make a difference in the lives of young children and a great way to get service hours. Check out Michigan Mentor to find an assignment near you. Mentoring is empowering, it improves your leadership skills and is a fun way to really help someone in need. Many colleges also offer course credits.
- Check out The City of East Lansing Web site to find local events such as food drives, charity walks and fundraisers. Many places offer a monthly calendar of events for you to view. Plan an event and contact your community to make a difference!
Like Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ”
Created By-Katelyn Moore
Tags: City of East Lansing, Donating in East Lansing, East Lansing Charities, Food Banks in East Lansing
Posted in Job/Volunteer Board | 4 Comments »
