The most delicious cream cheese dip ever. Said with utmost humbleness.

Over medium-low heat, combine the sour cream and cheddar until cheese has melted. Move to a large bowl. Add cream cheese, beat until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Serve with tortilla chips.

P.S. – there’s no refined sugar in either of these desserts.

First up, no-bake peanut butter cheesecake bites…

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
(Optional) Tempered chocolate, chopped peanuts or shredded coconut to coat

Combine until well blended, then chill 30 minutes. Form into bite-sized balls, coat with toppings if desired and chill for another 15 minutes.

Next, super rich, crustless strawberry cheesecake…

2 packets (16 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
(Optional) 1/2 cup sliced strawberries and homemade whipped cream for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Combine until well blended, pour into a greased round baking dish and cook for 40-50 minutes until edges are set. Cool for 2 hours on the counter. May refrigerate before serving if desired. Serve with sliced strawberries and/or whipped cream.

2 ripe bananas, mushed
1 cup of quick oats

Heat oven to 350. Combine ingredients. Bake on parchment paper or super greased baking sheet until lightly brown and firm to the touch.

Optional: Toast the oats on the stovetop for 5 minutes on medium-high or in the oven for 20 minutes before mixing with bananas.

Three ingredient cookies: add chocolate chips.

1-2 T. olive oil1/4 cup diced red onions or shallots
1 clove garlic, pressed
A head of kale, washed and broken into pieces with your hands

Preheat a large pot. Cook the onions and garlic in the oil for a minute. Add kale and cook until wilted, turning often — about 3 minutes. Turn off heat.

Toss in:

1 firm apple, sliced into strips
2 tsp. honey Dijon mustard
2 T. apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Serve!

The Darth Tater of Hash Browns

I’ve tried to make crispy restaurant-quality hash browns for years. I’ve tried soaking, rinsing, ricing, salting and draining the grated potatoes. I’ve squeezed them with a paper towel. I’ve run them through my salad spinner. Each time, my hash has come out tasty — but soggy, mushy, and at times (and quite inexplicably), purple. But not any more.

The secret, my friends, is to boil the potatoes before grating. It takes a little pre-planning, but for hash brown lovers, the taste and texture is pure genius on a plate.

Perfect hash browns

4 potatoes
1 small onion
Oil for frying
Salt
Pepper

Starting the night before, cook potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork. Drain and refrigerate. Go to sleep dreaming of tasty fried hash.

In the morning, pre-heat your largest skillet. Grate the potatoes. Note that most of the skin will rub off in your hands during this step, which you should then toss or compost. Grate the onion into the potatoes and toss to combine.

Pour oil into skillet. Add hash in a thin layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Brown for about 4-5 minutes. Flip. Add more salt and pepper. Brown for an additional 4-5 minutes. Serve piping hot, gold and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

I’m on a roll with these five ingredient dishes! We loooove us some macaroni and cheese in our household, and sour cream cheddar sauce has become our favorite. It just so happens to be the easiest to make, too! Creamy and dreamy, and unlike other varieties the leftovers reheat nicely, too. Serves 2.

1/2 lb. elbow or rotini pasta
2 T. butter
1/4 tsp. dry ground mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
5-8 ounces cheddar cheese (use the good stuff, it’s most of the taste of the recipe)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In the meantime, shred the cheese. When water is boiling, add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes to just under al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Return pot to stove. Under low heat, melt butter. Add mustard and sour cream, mix until combined. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted. Add pasta and cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.

Slice an onion into rings by cutting perpendicular to the roots.

2-3 medium onions
1 cup self-rising flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup liquid. You can use beer, milk, seltzer, almond milk, whatever you’d like.
Oil for frying
Salt

Preheat oil to 350 degrees. Combine flour, egg and liquid. Slice the onions and separate into rings. Throw the onions into the batter and stir gently to coat.

Fry in small batches for about 60 seconds, flipping once. Drain, salt and serve.

Corn chips from scratch? It’s simple, I tell you. Five ingredients, 20 minutes. Awesome.

Serves 2
2/3 cup masaca (corn flour)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 to 2/3 cup water

Mix ingredients by hand, starting with 1/2 cup water, adding more water if needed if dough feels is too crumbly to handle.

Take half the dough, place inside a silicone baking mat or between two layers of cling wrap and roll out about 1/8″ thick. Transfer to a cutting board. Slice into 1×2″ rectangles using a pizza cutter. Repeat with remaining dough.

The Really Delicious Method
Cook at 375 for 10-15 minutes until crunchy. Sprinkle with salt, cool and serve.

The FREAKING Delicious Method
Working in batches, fry in 350 degree oil for 30 seconds. Drain and sprinkle with a tiny bit more kosher salt before serving.

Sun ripened tomatoes, cubed
Cucumber, sliced thin
Watermelon, cubed
Goat cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh chopped basil
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Combine ingredients and serve. As far as proportions go, I would say equal parts cucumber and tomato, half as much watermelon, one-eighth part goat cheese and a drizzle of everything else. Don’t over-think it. Just enjoy.

1 can PBR
Orange juice

Combine.

Drink.

Drink some more.

Act classy.

~Minji Chung

Okay so my sister is having some hard times with people around her and I have advised her to tell my mother about the problem but she is scared that my mom and dad will get her in trouble instead. How do I make my sis understand that my parents will help her if she just tells the truth?
            -sis who needs help!

Dear Sis who needs help,

It seems to me like your sister has some trust issues. If you feel like your sister is in any type of situation that she can’t seem to handle herself then you should go to your parents directly. It’s not fair to you for her to tell you about these things and expect you to know what to do. Try explaining to her that she should tell your parents and that you know your parents will love her no matter what the situation is. It may also be a good idea to tell her that you will stick by her when she tells your parents. Knowing someone is going to be there for you is a wonderful thing when dealing with trust issues. I wish you the best!

Love,

Angie

EMHS holds the annual Junior/Senior Banquet, similar to prom night in public high schools. As a Christian school, it seems reasonable to censor anything that crosses the line of modesty, but why exactly are students refrained from dancing? 12th grader Samantha Rimer voices her opinion on why the school should have dances. “I feel like I’m missing out on crucial high school experiences that I would have if I went to public school.” 11th grader Caleb Townsend adds, “I think that not having dancing makes some events boring and awkward. Not everyone is Mennonite; we shouldn’t have to follow the strict Mennonite rules.” Many students seem perplexed as to why such a rule exists. Sherman Eberly answers, “Well technically, we do allow dancing. Although the school doesn’t host dances, the SCO parents provide an After Banquet at JMU where students are permitted to dance.” Mr. Eberly further clarified the school guidelines which state that “students are encouraged to follow parental and congregational guidelines on the matters of on-campus or off-campus dancing.” He explains that the school itself has no specific regulations restricting students from dancing. Rather, the matter is dependent on both the individual’s choice and consent from parent and church.

Times are changing, and it has certainly opened up different mindsets regarding dancing. Not all Mennonites are die-hard conservatives, and many Mennonite families today are becoming more liberal. In fact, some families permit and even encourage certain kinds of dancing. As family members become more involved in one another’s lives, parents are becoming more involved in what their kids are doing. Dancing at EMHS is still somewhat an issue to be debated, and it could garner major support as a lot of people would be in favor of it.

~Minji Chung

Caleb Townsend

Jake Lind

1. I have attended EMHS since 7th grade

2. Playing soccer

3. Plans for next year: work.

Daniel Martin

1. Since 9th grade

2. Discovery trip

3. Going to EMU, undecided, possibly education

Mark Mast

1. Have attended EMHS since his freshman year

2. Winning the state tournament in soccer

3. Going to EMU next year to study Biology

Joseph Nam

Parker Leap

1. Attended EMHS for 4 years

2. Puerto Rico!

3. Going to VCU, majoring in Psychology

Christopher Lehman

1. I have attended EMHS for two years.

2. My favorite memory was going to Europe with the touring choir

3. I will be attending EMU next year

Robert McConnel

1. I've been here since 6^th

 2. I will never forget biology class with Mr. Blosser and the awesome corny jokes he says. Or sports teams, like bus trips and all the laughs, but especially golf.

3. I will be going to The United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut where I will be majoring in marine and environmental sciences and hopefully be training for the search and rescue profession

Steven Mattichak

1. Ive been here since 6th grade.

2. Probably the E-term I went on last year to New York City and going to watch a play on Broadway while we were there and just touring the city.

3. I plan on taking the year off to work and think everything over and maybe take a few classes at Blue Ridge in the meantime.

Victoria Clymer

1. I have attended for 4 years

2. I remember all the "days out", school day out etc., Touring Choir definitely, music in the hallways, setting up Banquet that one night during the torrential storm :), phone-a-thon, lots of stuff.

3.  Next year, I'm going to EMU and majoring in Elementary Education.

Ryan Kline

1. He has attended since sophomore year.

2. His  favorite memory is Senior Trip.

3. He will attend Blue Ridge to study nursing and then plans to transfer to JMU for his BSN.

Christophe Langouet

1. Christophe has attended EMHS since 6th grade.

2. His favorite memory is touring choir.

3. Next year, he plans to attend JMU and major in biotechnology with a pre-med program and minor in statistics.

Kevin Leaman

1. Since 6th grade

2. Discovery/ Touring Choir trip to Puerto Rico

3. Going to EMU and majoring in biology, with a minor in Spanish

1. Has attended EMHS for 7 years

2. The E-term to Trinidad and Tobago, andthe myriad of friendships created here

3. Attending Emory, majoring in Economics and Math, and playing volleyball

Edward Wang

1. I have attended EMHS from 2008-2011

2. Chapel, God, Bible

3. College in Canada.

Al Vanegas

1. I've gone to EMHS since 6th grade.

2. My favorite memory here is being with my friends.

3. I'm going to EMU next year.

Marvel had a wild success with the character of Iron Man, this continues in “Iron Man 3″.

Okay, all of the sad girly stuff aside, Iron Man 3 was actually a really good movie. It starts off with a flashback, with Tony Stark (a.k.a Iron Man) at a party. He is approached by a crazy-looking man who has a radical idea about cell reproduction. He turns him down without a second thought. Predictably, the same man returns to talk to Stark’s girlfriend several years later, clean-shaven and handsome. He has started to try his research out on other people, with mildly disastrous effects.

Meanwhile, a terrorist has been sending messages to the president, who has asked Stark to assist him in the adventure. There are a ton of explosions.

I know. It’s a lot. Probably most of you didn’t even read that whole thing, and that’s the summary. That was my main problem with the movie. The plot was HUGE and had so many elements it was a little hard to keep track of who was good and bad or dead and alive. This, to say the least, made it a little bit confusing to watch, especially for someone who is not a superhero buff, which I definitely am not.

This isn’t to say I didn’t like it. As I already stated, I thought the movie was great. The shots were interesting and well-planned, and the effects were spot-on. Downey Jr. provides both comic relief and killer plot twists through his sarcastic way of playing Iron Man.

I wouldn’t recommend it for someone with a short attention span, to say the least. However, there are great effects, I think one car chase, and lots of action. It was fun, just maybe a little too engaging.

Worms. One of the reasons why Spring isn’t as awesome as it’s cracked up to be.

In no particular order, here are ten reasons why Spring isn’t all that it is cracked up to be:

1. You’re literally allergic to the season: It’s hard to enjoy the warm weather when your nose is a stuffed-up, runny mess and you can’t see out of puffy eyes. The sound of sneezing and sniffles echoes through the halls of school like an unsanitary concinnity and the teachers quickly resort to using toilet paper in lieu of actual kleenex because the tissues are literally flying out of the boxes and there never seem to be any reserves hiding in the supply closets.
2. “Spring has sprung”: If I hear somebody say this cliched phrase one more time, I’m going to lose my springin’ mind.
3. Daylight savings is still screwing me up: It was already difficult enough for me to wake up and arrive at school while the 7:40 warning bell rings. Now that the clocks are pushed back an hour, waking up and being places on time is an even greater struggle. Things won’t feel back to normal until summer vacation or about 2 am on November 3rd at the latest.
4. Lack of holidays: Unless you’re lucky enough to have a birthday smooshed in between spring break and the last day of school or have darling grandmothers who give you “I Love You” checks on the regular, the next few months will be bleak, dreary and uneventful. However, Mother’s and Father’s day is coming up soon if that makes you feel any better, but why a high schooler would be excited about a holiday that doesn’t result in monetary/material reward or self glorification, I don’t know. Kudos to your parents though.
5. Snow: The first few weeks of spring felt no different than the middle of winter did. We had more snow in the first few weeks of spring than we did throughout the course of the whole winter. I embrace snow whenever we can get it, because having a decent snowfall in Harrisonburg is about as likely as me becoming America’s next top model, aka not likely at all. But, there comes a point when you have to reevaluate what is and is not ridiculous, and a foot and a half of snow in the middle of March is a little ridiculous.
6. Rain: Spring showers may bring May flowers, but May flowers bring pollen, allergies (also see number 1) and bees who threaten to sting you as soon as you step outside. Spring rains also bring sticky, suffocating humidity whose only purpose is to completely destroy the perfectly sleek hair that I laboriously toiled to straighten. This is basically why I never look good at school. Or ever.
7. Worms: A byproduct of rain, these squidgy little suckers writhe around on sidewalks, driveways and walkways waiting for you to step on them. Their distinct swampy odor fills the outdoors after heavy rains and puts you on high alert to watch out for the horrid little pink annelids scattered underfoot. One should watch their step after times of rain, because the last thing anybody wants is to walk around with a worm corpse stuck to their shoe.
8. You can’t slip and blame it on the ice anymore: This might be the biggest downside of spring. I can no longer blame the elements of nature on my clumsiness and now my slips, spills and trips will be even more embarrassing due to the fact that I have no legitimate reason to be slipping, spilling or tripping.
9. No more jackets cuts down on the number of pockets you have to carry stuff: There are only so many things that can fit into your jeans pockets before you start looking like a definition goober. Now that warmer weather is rolling around, coats, jackets and sweaters are just a memory of colder days when we could stuff everything that we needed into our pockets and go.
10. Unstable weather makes it a struggle to get dressed every morning: Well, a bigger struggle than it already is anyway. Spring weather is seriously the weirdest of the weird: it’s chilly in the morning and sweltering in the afternoon. To wear or not to wear a jacket, that is the real question here. If I don’t wear a jacket, I’ll be cold in the morning and most likely throughout part of the school day. If I do wear a jacket, I’ll won’t be cold but I will look like a weather-confused loser carrying it around at the end of the day. It’s a difficult choice; choose wisely.

Help Wanted helps Interact lend a hand to those in need.

While looking for businesses to commit to donating money, Interact co-presidents, senior Jenny Kniss and senior Ellie Pruett-Fiederlein stumbled upon an interesting offer. Clementine’s in downtown Harrisonburg hosts benefit concerts on occasion. Help Wanted, a band made up of Harrisonburg High School students and other students from the area, was willing to play music for the event.

Freshman Michelle Eckstein had just finished dance class down the street at Dance and Company and stopped by Clementine’s because she was in the area and had nothing better to do.

“It was a fun, funky environment. My friends and I went up and danced for one song,” Eckstein said.

As for the music itself, Eckstein enjoyed it thoroughly.

“Some of the songs I recognized, which was cool, but I also learned some new ones,” Eckstein said.

Eckstein was previously involved with Interact, but due to other obligations, is not a part of the club anymore. However, she supports its goal wholeheartedly.

Assistant principal Michael Eye attended the event as well.

“[Help Wanted] was spot on as far the music went. I would’ve stayed longer, but 4:30 in the morning is an early start,” Eye said.

Eye believed the event to be a good way to raise funds for a project.

“It’s a great thing for a benefit. It could’ve done better if was not in the middle of the week, late on a school night,” Eye said.

Help Wanted’s professional sound, however made it a viable fundraiser according to Eye.

“The Great Gatsby” pulls out all the stops where Gatsby’s parties are concerned.

The Great Gatsby has been one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year and one of the movies I was most looking forward to seeing. I had high expectations, having loved the book and seen multiple preview that piqued my interest. I got what I bargained for; an entertaining, visually-appealing story that stayed pretty true to the original book.

I won’t go into too much plot detail since this is such a famous story, but here are the basics; The Great Gatsby is based on the classic 1925 book by F. Scott Fitzgerald and is set on Long Island during the Jazz Age. The movie features an impressive cast, lead by Leonardo Dicaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, and Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Aside from the actual movie, the soundtrack has been getting a lot of buzz. Jay-Z was heavily involved with the music, which was a highly eclectic mix of things. Most of the time I felt the music complemented the story, but at times it was distracting. It’s kind of odd to hear decidedly modern music float above a scene of New York City 90 years ago. In fact, there was very little of the music that I (and probably most people) associate with the 1920’s.

Other than that, I didn’t have too many complaints. I thought towards the end it got a little dialogue-heavy, but that was because it stayed so true to the book. One respect in which it deviated was having the narrator, Nick Carraway, tell his story from a sanitarium. I thought that was kind of unoriginal and unnecessary.

On a more positive note, I thought all the actors did a fantastic job. They really embodied all the characters for me. I also loved the scenes that showed Gatsby’s elaborate parties. No expense was spared in making the set larger than life.

The movie has been generating a lot of different opinions. While I can see why someone might not like it as much I as I did, my opinion is that it is worth seeing. I would also suggest reading the book first, because I’m that annoying person that tells their friends not to watch a movie until they’ve read the book. Either way, it’s a timeless story that’s worth experiencing.

Check out the link!

BlueTique also has an extensive jewelry selection to choose from.

However, now we have BlueTique, so named because they thought they would sell mostly blue jeans.

The new addition to the pool is a shop located where the old “Glen’s Fair Price” store used to be, and has proved that you don’t have to cost an entire paycheck to be cute and up-to-date. The items in the store range from $0.99 to $70.00, with a lot of wide berth in between. If that’s not enough of an incentive, the store gives out free pearl earrings to anyone who comes in, even if you don’t buy anything.

Their price range is one of the things that makes them comparable to the other stores, according to Manager Jacquie Patteson.

“We also carry different brands [than the other downtown stores],” Patteson said.

While many of their clothes are not big-name brands (you’ll find things with labels reading “Everly” and “Hug”) the clothes can definitely compete with those of the caliber like the Yellow Button’s. BlueTique gets new shipments of clothes in every day, in hopes of keeping up with the changes in weather and styles.

The shop has only recently opened their branch in Harrisonburg.

“The store started in Lexington, Kentucky and we also have branches in Charlottesville and Ohio,” Patteson said. They cater directly to college students, and believed that JMU would be the perfect profile of girls to buy their clothes. Proving true, while in the shop, college-age students came in and out several times.

“While we do cater to college students, high school students are in the same range. It’s a great place for homecoming dresses and things like that,” Patteson said. Dresses definitely dominate a good portion of the store, but they also have many other things. Shorts, flowy shirts, camisoles, bandeaus, jeans, hats, belts and shoes all find their place in the relatively small shop.

Not to mention the jewelry. It’s the first eye-catching thing when you walk in the door, which is an impressive feat considering the bright colors of the clothes. It all sits on a wooden table, with earrings covering every visible surface and two literal tree statues boasting the necklaces. According to Patteson, the jewelry is unique and one of the stores best deals.

You can find Bluetique on Facebook, and online at www.bluetiquecheapchic.com.

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The circus and the townspeople used opposing halves of the stage during the performance that created an effective separation.

Several months had passed since the HHS One Act won the VHSL AA State championship.  Naturally it came as a surprise to the cast when they were told they would be staging an encore performance of the show on April 21, over 4 months since their state victory.

“We were invited by Valley Arts to put on an encore performance after winning states. It was an honor to perform again,” co-director Phil Saunders said.

The play took place at downtown’s Court Square Theater, one of the central venues in Harrisonburg. Not only was it a chance for those who had missed the first performance to view the show, but the event also served as a fundraiser to buy commemorative rings for the cast and crew.

Senior Samantha Heitsch, who plays the part of the elephant trainer, was impressed by how easily they were able to pick up from where they had left off. Only one rehearsal took place, on Friday the 19th, two days before the performance.

“I was surprised by how well it went on Friday, our first rehearsal in months. Almost everyone remembered each inflection and nuance of their lines. Even the freezes, the blocking and everything in between. I guess it had sort of become a muscle memory for us,” Heitsch said.

Heitsch will not be at HHS to perform in next year’s one act, along with many other seniors in the cast. However, she was pleased to have been able to return.

“Getting back together was surreal; it felt like we were back to the beginning of the year, but it was nice. One Act has always been one of my favorite parts of the year, and I really enjoyed performing it one last time for the community,” Heitsch said.

The One Act won’t return until next year, but the members of the cast that haven’t yet graduated are keen on creating a performance of the same standard.

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Waligora, a member of the organization, wants to read more through the National English Honors society.

“I like books, and I’m excited about reading through the club,” Waligora said.

Byrd joined NEHS because of his longtime passion for reading.

“I enjoy reading a lot. [NEHS] is just a continuation of my study of the english language,” Byrd said.

Byrd was elected the treasurer and keeps an account of the clubs funds spent and earned throughout the year. He enjoyed the induction ceremony.

“Mr. Loughran and the other advisors gave good speeches,” Byrd said. “The food was also pretty good.”

Rose joined to help others who need a little ego boost within the context of the written word.

“[I joined NEHS] because I love english,” Rose said. “The english honors society has given me confidence in my writing and I want to help others who don’t have confidence.”

Rose was nominated for the vice presidency of the club. Her job is to communicate with other members.

“I’m excited for next year,” Rose said. “We’re hoping to join with the middle school and get people excited about the written word through book clubs.”

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Photos courtesy of Mary Strickler