Texas Exes November Dinner and Discussion Menu

Happy Option: Map’s Nacho Recipe   Ingredients 1-2 bags of tortilla chips  16 oz white Velveeta cheese   2 10-oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles  1 4-oz can Hatch green chiles  2 diced jalapeno peppers  Cooked sausage or ground beef (optional add-in)  Chives, bacon, and sour cream (optional toppings)  Slowly heat the Velveeta cheese and mix with the Rotel tomatoes, Hatch green chiles, and jalapenos. Blend together and pour over chips to serve. Add cooked sausage or ground beef and top with chives, bacon, and sour cream.   Healthy Options: Samantha’s Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe:  Ingredients 1 package frozen cauliflower florets (2 lbs.)   1 cup AP flour   2 tsp kosher salt   1 tsp ground black pepper   1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like it spicier)  1 cup soy milk    3 cups Panko breadcrumbs   Pour your cauliflower into a bowl and let it thaw.  Preheat the oven to 375*. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.   While your cauliflower is thawing, thoroughly mix the flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small mixing bowl. Place soy milk and Panko breadcrumbs in separate bowls.   Once your cauliflower is suitably thawed, dip it in the seasoned flour, then transfer it to the the soy milk and soak for at least 30 seconds. Roll the cauliflower in the breadcrumbs and transfer to the prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.   Slide the pan into the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until cauliflower is golden brown and crispy.   Healthy Option: Vivi’s Avocado Cilantro Lime Dip/Dressing   Ingredients   1/3 cup mayo or Greek yogurt  1 large avocado   1 handful cilantro (about 1/2 cup)   1 large garlic clove   2-4 tablespoons water (thin to taste)  lime juice from 1 lime or lemon   Sea salt and pepper to taste   Instructions: Using a blender or food processor, combine ingredients for dressing until smooth. Can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days. Serve with veggie straws or chips. 

Texas Exes November Dinner and Discussion Menu

Happy Option: Map’s Nacho Recipe   Ingredients 1-2 bags of tortilla chips  16 oz white Velveeta cheese   2 10-oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles  1 4-oz can Hatch green chiles  2 diced jalapeno peppers  Cooked sausage or ground beef (optional add-in)  Chives, bacon, and sour cream (optional toppings)  Slowly heat the Velveeta cheese and mix with the Rotel tomatoes, Hatch green chiles, and jalapenos. Blend together and pour over chips to serve. Add cooked sausage or ground beef and top with chives, bacon, and sour cream.   Healthy Options: Samantha’s Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe:  Ingredients 1 package frozen cauliflower florets (2 lbs.)   1 cup AP flour   2 tsp kosher salt   1 tsp ground black pepper   1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like it spicier)  1 cup soy milk    3 cups Panko breadcrumbs   Pour your cauliflower into a bowl and let it thaw.  Preheat the oven to 375*. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.   While your cauliflower is thawing, thoroughly mix the flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small mixing bowl. Place soy milk and Panko breadcrumbs in separate bowls.   Once your cauliflower is suitably thawed, dip it in the seasoned flour, then transfer it to the the soy milk and soak for at least 30 seconds. Roll the cauliflower in the breadcrumbs and transfer to the prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.   Slide the pan into the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until cauliflower is golden brown and crispy.   Healthy Option: Vivi’s Avocado Cilantro Lime Dip/Dressing   Ingredients   1/3 cup mayo or Greek yogurt  1 large avocado   1 handful cilantro (about 1/2 cup)   1 large garlic clove   2-4 tablespoons water (thin to taste)  lime juice from 1 lime or lemon   Sea salt and pepper to taste   Instructions: Using a blender or food processor, combine ingredients for dressing until smooth. Can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days. Serve with veggie straws or chips. 

Texas Exes November Dinner and Discussion Menu

Happy Option: Map’s Nacho Recipe   Ingredients 1-2 bags of tortilla chips  16 oz white Velveeta cheese   2 10-oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles  1 4-oz can Hatch green chiles  2 diced jalapeno peppers  Cooked sausage or ground beef (optional add-in)  Chives, bacon, and sour cream (optional toppings)  Slowly heat the Velveeta cheese and mix with the Rotel tomatoes, Hatch green chiles, and jalapenos. Blend together and pour over chips to serve. Add cooked sausage or ground beef and top with chives, bacon, and sour cream.   Healthy Options: Samantha’s Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe:  Ingredients 1 package frozen cauliflower florets (2 lbs.)   1 cup AP flour   2 tsp kosher salt   1 tsp ground black pepper   1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like it spicier)  1 cup soy milk    3 cups Panko breadcrumbs   Pour your cauliflower into a bowl and let it thaw.  Preheat the oven to 375*. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.   While your cauliflower is thawing, thoroughly mix the flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small mixing bowl. Place soy milk and Panko breadcrumbs in separate bowls.   Once your cauliflower is suitably thawed, dip it in the seasoned flour, then transfer it to the the soy milk and soak for at least 30 seconds. Roll the cauliflower in the breadcrumbs and transfer to the prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.   Slide the pan into the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until cauliflower is golden brown and crispy.   Healthy Option: Vivi’s Avocado Cilantro Lime Dip/Dressing   Ingredients   1/3 cup mayo or Greek yogurt  1 large avocado   1 handful cilantro (about 1/2 cup)   1 large garlic clove   2-4 tablespoons water (thin to taste)  lime juice from 1 lime or lemon   Sea salt and pepper to taste   Instructions: Using a blender or food processor, combine ingredients for dressing until smooth. Can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days. Serve with veggie straws or chips. 

Texas Exes October Dinner and Discussion Menu

Anika’s Favorite Chicken Wings Restaurant: Pluckers Same Baked Chicken Wings (Total time: 55 min) Makes 6 Servings Ingredients 3 pounds pre-cut chicken wings or whole chicken, cut into smaller pieces 1/3 cup BBQ Spice Rub (homemade or store-bought) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil cooking spray 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional) Instructions Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with foil and place an oven-safe rack on top of the foil. Coat the rack with cooking spray. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl along with the oil. Toss to coat evenly. Add the spice rub to the bowl. Toss the wings with the spice rub until they're coated. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on the rack. Bake for 45 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Top with parsley, then serve. Teresa’s Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe My name is Teresa, and I'm going to share with you one of my favorite alternative chicken recipes! Don't miss out on all the fun—vegetarians can enjoy this fave, too! (Total time: 55 minutes) Makes 4 servings Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3/4 cup milk or unsweetened alternative milk 1 head cauliflower 1/4 cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup Instructions Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and milk, and stir until well-combined. Break the head of cauliflower into florets, about 1.5 inches wide. Add the cauliflower florets to the batter, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Arrange the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, coconut oil, and honey or maple syrup, and stir until evenly combined. Brush the buffalo sauce mixture on the cauliflower and bake for another 20 minutes. Dip them in your favorite ranch dressing or make a buffalo bowl with rice and beans! Enjoy!

Texas Exes October Dinner and Discussion Menu

Anika’s Favorite Chicken Wings Restaurant: Pluckers Same Baked Chicken Wings (Total time: 55 min) Makes 6 Servings Ingredients 3 pounds pre-cut chicken wings or whole chicken, cut into smaller pieces 1/3 cup BBQ Spice Rub (homemade or store-bought) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil cooking spray 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional) Instructions Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with foil and place an oven-safe rack on top of the foil. Coat the rack with cooking spray. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl along with the oil. Toss to coat evenly. Add the spice rub to the bowl. Toss the wings with the spice rub until they're coated. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on the rack. Bake for 45 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Top with parsley, then serve. Teresa’s Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe My name is Teresa, and I'm going to share with you one of my favorite alternative chicken recipes! Don't miss out on all the fun—vegetarians can enjoy this fave, too! (Total time: 55 minutes) Makes 4 servings Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3/4 cup milk or unsweetened alternative milk 1 head cauliflower 1/4 cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup Instructions Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and milk, and stir until well-combined. Break the head of cauliflower into florets, about 1.5 inches wide. Add the cauliflower florets to the batter, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Arrange the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, coconut oil, and honey or maple syrup, and stir until evenly combined. Brush the buffalo sauce mixture on the cauliflower and bake for another 20 minutes. Dip them in your favorite ranch dressing or make a buffalo bowl with rice and beans! Enjoy!

Texas Exes October Dinner and Discussion Menu

Anika’s Favorite Chicken Wings Restaurant: Pluckers Same Baked Chicken Wings (Total time: 55 min) Makes 6 Servings Ingredients 3 pounds pre-cut chicken wings or whole chicken, cut into smaller pieces 1/3 cup BBQ Spice Rub (homemade or store-bought) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil cooking spray 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional) Instructions Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with foil and place an oven-safe rack on top of the foil. Coat the rack with cooking spray. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl along with the oil. Toss to coat evenly. Add the spice rub to the bowl. Toss the wings with the spice rub until they're coated. Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on the rack. Bake for 45 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Top with parsley, then serve. Teresa’s Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe My name is Teresa, and I'm going to share with you one of my favorite alternative chicken recipes! Don't miss out on all the fun—vegetarians can enjoy this fave, too! (Total time: 55 minutes) Makes 4 servings Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3/4 cup milk or unsweetened alternative milk 1 head cauliflower 1/4 cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup Instructions Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and milk, and stir until well-combined. Break the head of cauliflower into florets, about 1.5 inches wide. Add the cauliflower florets to the batter, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Arrange the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, coconut oil, and honey or maple syrup, and stir until evenly combined. Brush the buffalo sauce mixture on the cauliflower and bake for another 20 minutes. Dip them in your favorite ranch dressing or make a buffalo bowl with rice and beans! Enjoy!

FASP Community, Virtually Everywhere!

For those close to the Forty Acres Scholars Program, you are familiar with its endearing acronym: “FASP.” During this socially distanced semester, it can be difficult for students to make connections and find community—especially freshman students, as the opportunities for in-person extracurriculars through student organizations, intramural sports, dormitory events, and more have been eliminated. One of the three tenets of the Forty Acres Scholars Program is Community. We take this aspect of the Program very seriously and strive to create a family-like environment for our Scholars over their four years in the Program. Although nearly all of our programming has gone virtual this semester, it has been heartening to see the strength of our FASP community persisting among our Scholars.     Each semester, we kick off the semester with an All Scholar Meeting. Since our Program has nearly 70 current scholars, it wasn’t feasible to bring everyone together in person for a dinner and games, so we took the annual event virtual. Not only did we gather online—we had a costume party online! Scholars joined the meeting in their best DIY costumes, complete with props and costume makeup. We wanted them to have a fun, typical college experience, and offer a unique way to make an online event more interesting! Scholars have been busy this season planning cohort hangouts over Zoom and via outdoor picnics to help them stay connected and involved in each others’ lives. When they enter into this Program, they truly do join a family of Scholars who care about each other and enjoy spending time with each other.   The Scholar Buddy Program that we implemented this semester pairs every freshman Scholar with an upperclassman Scholar. The older Scholars act as a FASP mentor who can answer the freshmen’s questions, talk with them about concerns, and introduce them to their own favorite places on campus and around Austin!   Another aspect of the FASP programming includes Wellness Wednesdays, a midday Wednesday activity once a month designed to promote physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Recently, a handful of Scholars took part in a private online yoga session together led by Texas Exes’ Director of Creative Services and certified yoga instructor, Amber Byfield.   One fun fact about our community that many people don’t realize is that each year, many of our Scholars decide to live together as roommates, making their FASP community their home community as well. We believe this is a testament to the deep level of friendship (and trust!) our Scholars form with each other. We want to reassure all those who are part of our extended FASP family that despite the current circumstances, FASP community is “virtually everywhere!” Thank you to everyone involved who makes this Program possible. Your time, donations, and expertise have certainly helped our Scholars maintain some normalcy and continue to build community during this fall semester.

FASP Community, Virtually Everywhere!

For those close to the Forty Acres Scholars Program, you are familiar with its endearing acronym: “FASP.” During this socially distanced semester, it can be difficult for students to make connections and find community—especially freshman students, as the opportunities for in-person extracurriculars through student organizations, intramural sports, dormitory events, and more have been eliminated. One of the three tenets of the Forty Acres Scholars Program is Community. We take this aspect of the Program very seriously and strive to create a family-like environment for our Scholars over their four years in the Program. Although nearly all of our programming has gone virtual this semester, it has been heartening to see the strength of our FASP community persisting among our Scholars.     Each semester, we kick off the semester with an All Scholar Meeting. Since our Program has nearly 70 current scholars, it wasn’t feasible to bring everyone together in person for a dinner and games, so we took the annual event virtual. Not only did we gather online—we had a costume party online! Scholars joined the meeting in their best DIY costumes, complete with props and costume makeup. We wanted them to have a fun, typical college experience, and offer a unique way to make an online event more interesting! Scholars have been busy this season planning cohort hangouts over Zoom and via outdoor picnics to help them stay connected and involved in each others’ lives. When they enter into this Program, they truly do join a family of Scholars who care about each other and enjoy spending time with each other.   The Scholar Buddy Program that we implemented this semester pairs every freshman Scholar with an upperclassman Scholar. The older Scholars act as a FASP mentor who can answer the freshmen’s questions, talk with them about concerns, and introduce them to their own favorite places on campus and around Austin!   Another aspect of the FASP programming includes Wellness Wednesdays, a midday Wednesday activity once a month designed to promote physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Recently, a handful of Scholars took part in a private online yoga session together led by Texas Exes’ Director of Creative Services and certified yoga instructor, Amber Byfield.   One fun fact about our community that many people don’t realize is that each year, many of our Scholars decide to live together as roommates, making their FASP community their home community as well. We believe this is a testament to the deep level of friendship (and trust!) our Scholars form with each other. We want to reassure all those who are part of our extended FASP family that despite the current circumstances, FASP community is “virtually everywhere!” Thank you to everyone involved who makes this Program possible. Your time, donations, and expertise have certainly helped our Scholars maintain some normalcy and continue to build community during this fall semester.

FASP Community, Virtually Everywhere!

For those close to the Forty Acres Scholars Program, you are familiar with its endearing acronym: “FASP.” During this socially distanced semester, it can be difficult for students to make connections and find community—especially freshman students, as the opportunities for in-person extracurriculars through student organizations, intramural sports, dormitory events, and more have been eliminated. One of the three tenets of the Forty Acres Scholars Program is Community. We take this aspect of the Program very seriously and strive to create a family-like environment for our Scholars over their four years in the Program. Although nearly all of our programming has gone virtual this semester, it has been heartening to see the strength of our FASP community persisting among our Scholars.     Each semester, we kick off the semester with an All Scholar Meeting. Since our Program has nearly 70 current scholars, it wasn’t feasible to bring everyone together in person for a dinner and games, so we took the annual event virtual. Not only did we gather online—we had a costume party online! Scholars joined the meeting in their best DIY costumes, complete with props and costume makeup. We wanted them to have a fun, typical college experience, and offer a unique way to make an online event more interesting! Scholars have been busy this season planning cohort hangouts over Zoom and via outdoor picnics to help them stay connected and involved in each others’ lives. When they enter into this Program, they truly do join a family of Scholars who care about each other and enjoy spending time with each other.   The Scholar Buddy Program that we implemented this semester pairs every freshman Scholar with an upperclassman Scholar. The older Scholars act as a FASP mentor who can answer the freshmen’s questions, talk with them about concerns, and introduce them to their own favorite places on campus and around Austin!   Another aspect of the FASP programming includes Wellness Wednesdays, a midday Wednesday activity once a month designed to promote physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Recently, a handful of Scholars took part in a private online yoga session together led by Texas Exes’ Director of Creative Services and certified yoga instructor, Amber Byfield.   One fun fact about our community that many people don’t realize is that each year, many of our Scholars decide to live together as roommates, making their FASP community their home community as well. We believe this is a testament to the deep level of friendship (and trust!) our Scholars form with each other. We want to reassure all those who are part of our extended FASP family that despite the current circumstances, FASP community is “virtually everywhere!” Thank you to everyone involved who makes this Program possible. Your time, donations, and expertise have certainly helped our Scholars maintain some normalcy and continue to build community during this fall semester.