Heath Cake

1 (18.25 oz) pckg devil’s food cake

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

¾ caramel ice cream topping

3 (1.4 oz) Chocolate covered toffee bars,

            Coarsely chopped

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping,

            thawed

1.       Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 min.  Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.

2.      In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended.  Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; sprinkle the crushed toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm.

3.      Let cake cool in pan completely.  Top each slice with whipped topping, more chocolate toffee bar chunks, and swirls of caramel topping, if desired.  Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

Chocolate cake, caramel, toffee and whipped topping=delicious heath cake!  Since my mom randomly found this recipe, it has become a popular choice in our family for birthday cakes, and other celebratory occasions, and even on some Sundays.  I was a little skeptical the first time she made it because toffee is not my favorite candy.  The minute I took a bite of the heavenly cake though, I realized I had been wrong to be wary of it.  Heath cake is pure deliciousness.

Final section of Lyric Essay

No way!  This is SO not happening!  I have finally reached mile 25 and there it is staring me in the face:  a giant, deathly hill.  At this point I’m barely putting one foot in front of the other and I seriously doubt I can make it up the hill.  I can’t believe they would put a hill right here!  Are they just trying to kill me!?  Figuring the answer to that question is yes, I glance over at my sister with a look of despair.  With a “we can do it!” cheer, we start trudging up.  My hamstrings are burning and I want to walk SO bad.  Then another small miracle occurs; my I-pod begins to play “Chelsea runs”.  I try to fight it as my eyes start to well up with tears.  I quickly wipe the tears and refocus my energies.  In 1.2 miles I will finish Chelsea’s run.  I can do it!

 

“Oh the places I’ll go, I know certainly not.

I know though, I know, that wherever I go I’ll learn a

Great many things not just about history or math, but in

Fact, about the Great Balancing Act.

I’ll travel great distance.  I’ll live far from home. 

I might just find myself all alone.

But nevertheless find myself I will and thus, I will go and

Continue to grow.

For I am myself, and this will not change

Today is MY day!

My mountain is waiting, and I am on my way”

            -Chelsea King (part of one of her college application essays)

 

            After making it up the miniature mountain, I turn the corner and I see the most beautiful sight:  the finish line!  With crowds along both sides cheering me on, I push with all my might and sprint the last quarter mile.  As I reach the finish line, I can’t help the emotions that bubble up.  Almost immediately, tears are streaming down my face.  I actually did it!  I finished 26.2 miles!  I can’t describe the mixture of joy, pain, excitement, and exhaustion I’m feeling.  I take one last glance at my orange bracelet and say to myself, “We did it Chels, we finished your run.”           

Part of Lyric Essay

During the run, I continually glance down at my watch to make sure I’m staying at a good pace.  The quicker I finish, the quicker I can take a shower and crash.  Running is not my favorite thing in the world.  Oh no, now my thoughts are starting to turn negative.  If they continue in that direction, I’ll never survive this run.  As my arms pump back and forth I see a flash of my orange bracelet and slowly, I inch my way down Brown Road trying to focus on the random businesses I pass by or the few cars that drives by at 6:00 on a Saturday morning.  Crazy people!  They should be sleeping!  My thoughts turn to other ideas and the negativity disappears.  Though, my knee is beginning to ache and the sun has officially come up, warming the temperature by 10 degrees, I stay focused on my goal.  Two and a half hours later I exhaustedly walk through the front door of my house.   

“Missing Teen’s body Found?”

“Remains Likely Those of Missing California Teen”

            The rest of the week drug on.  Questions constantly swirled around in my head.  Why did she have to go running alone?  It had been the middle of the afternoon but still, she shouldn’t have gone!  And how could any human rape and kill an innocent 17 year-old girl?  I just couldn’t understand. 

            The day I had been waiting for was finally here.  I had survived the training, the injuries, and the mental breakdowns.  I stood in the lobby of the hotel running clothes on, adrenaline pumping through my veins.  The lobby was packed with anxious runners waiting for the bus to take us all to the start of the Top of Utah Marathon.  I huddled next to my sister and dad who decided to run with me in my first marathon.  The cold air rushed in through the sliding doors as another bus driver entered and told the masses to load the bus.  We all crowded through the doorway trying to push our way onto the bus to avoid standing out in the cold Logan air.  We made it!  It’s 5 A.M. and I just want to sleep on the ride to the start, but I’m so nervous!  I have no idea what to expect.  The most I have trained for is 19 miles and it’s going to be 7.2 miles longer than that…

Happy Thought: Nature

I cautiously dip my toes into the cool, clear water of the small stream and feel the pressures of the world lift off my shoulders.  I breathe in deeply and the fresh smell of the woods enters my nostrils and fills my soul.  With my eyes shut I hear the song of the birds calling back and forth to one another.  Not the harsh call of the crows but the soft chirping of a lark.  All around me, giant green trees reach toward the sky.  I look up to see rays of the sun shining through the leaves and onto the calm water.  Nature is beauty.

Happy Thought: Memes

This is HILARIOUS!  How can you not love this??  Tonight as I was sitting on my couch watching "The Voice" (of course avoiding doing homework) My roommate, who was being equally as productive, began perusing Pinterest, the ultimate distracter.  A crazy rendition of "Dream On" was interrupted by a loud guffaw exploding from my roommate.  My attention turned from the show to this beauty of a picture and immediately I understood her guffaw.  Before I knew it, I reacted exactly the same.   Only unlike her, I couldn't stop.  Soon the tears were flowing and my stomach ached from laughing so hard.  Honestly the picture is funny, but not THAT funny and I had no idea why I was laughing.  That's what was so great! So yeah, I love memes.

Happy Thought: Alpackas!

Heading to the Riverwoods on Friday after class, I expected it to be the same usual trip where I spent money I didn't have and bought things I didn't need.  And yes, this did still happen BUT a little surprise distracted me before my mind filled with regret at what I had just bought.  My roommate and I stopped in Bath and Body Works to visit a friend who was working there and as we stood there talking, my eyes quickly glanced out the glass doors and rested upon what I thought was a llama.  A LLAMA!  I had never seen one in real life before then.  Suddenly, I found myself getting a little too excited;  I may have even jumped up and down at first.  I know, a little immature...I couldn't stand there talking for much longer when all I wanted to do was pet the llama.  A couple minutes later, I was timidly walking up to the animals.  I saw the sign next to them, saying they were actually alpackas, not llamas.  Good thing I knew before I started talking to the owners, that could have been embarrassing.  I quickly made 2 new friends in Rocky and Max.  We bonded quickly.  I ran my hands through their incredibly soft wool? fur? outer layer? (whatever it's called)  and I fell in love.  I wanted so badly to take them home with me.  They would make great pets but my roommate disagreed...At least she let me give them a hug and was kind enough to document this momentous occassion :)  By far, this was my favorite trip to the Riverwoods.  I mean how many people can say they've pet an alpacka?

Intro Paragraph for Place Essay

 

“Moooooom!  I finished my song!  Can I please go play now!?”

“Alyssa, you can’t just practice your song once.  I said thirty minutes.  Show me you can practice 20 more minutes, then you can go outside.”

“But I don’t wanna!”

“You’ll thank me for it one day.”

            I began plunking away at the piano keys again, realizing there was no way out of it.  Looking out the window to my left, I could see freedom.  My brother and sisters were raking up the fallen autumn leaves in our front yard.  But before shoving them into the large plastic garbage bag, each would take a turn running and jumping into the giant pile of leaves.  And I was stuck in the fancy living room with no dirt, leaves, or fun, practicing the piano.  None of my siblings or I liked the living room.  It was filled with the nice furniture with a weird dark maroon carpet covering the ground.  The only reasons we went in there was for our forced half hour piano practice or when our parents attempted to gather us all for family home evening.  All of us would much rather be playing outside in the yellowing, prickly grass.