Eat Like a Queen

“What do you eat when you’re preparing for Miss America?”

Before I learned how to cook, the prospect of a Miss America “diet” terrified me. Although I am not a picky eater, I do appreciate it when my food tastes good. 

Luckily, after living on my own in NYC, I’m a pretty creative cooker. I make sure that I have fun cooking at least two of my six meals a day. The four meals above are: chicken enchilada “pasta,” chicken primavera “pasta,” Greek yogurt with toasted oats, and a ground turkey burger with a Mediterranean salad and sweet potato chips. Below are my top five tips for adding excitement to an extremely healthy diet! 

1. Onions and garlic make boring chicken taste gourmet. 

2. Find your wild side and experiment with spices. 

3. Satisfy your carb craving with “zoodles,” vegetable noodles, and riced veggies.

4. Use vanilla protein powder as a sweetener for coffee, tea, or plain Greek yogurt. 

5. Cook five chicken breasts and put them in the freezer to add to dinners and snacks. 

If you have any fun and healthy recipes you would like to share, please let me know!

How I Mastered the "Finals Fluster"

For most students, this week is every college student’s favorite time of year… Final Exam Season. 

After four years of undergrad and one year of grad school, I am proud to say that I have mastered the “Finals Fluster.” 

“How?!” You ask. 

Below are my “Top Five Final Exam Tips.”

1. Pump oxygen to your brain. 

Take your books and hit the gym! In order to keep your body healthy and rejuvenated during final exams, ride the bike while you study flash cards or read articles and books. Exercising will make more oxygen flow to your brain and help you retain more information. 

2. Highlight with crayons. 

There is an extremely scientific debate regarding which color highlighter helps you remember the most information. My solution? Use the whole rainbow! One box of crayons not only costs much less than one highlighter, but you can use the different colors to code different types of information. 

3. Schedule your snacks.

Before you hit the books, make a snack schedule to keep you energized and looking forward to taking breaks. You can also alternate food and drinks to make your breaks more frequent. Below is a sample “snack schedule.” 

5:00 PM - Apple with Peanut Butter

6:00 PM - Cup of Tea

7:00 PM - Chicken Pita 

8:00 PM - Cup of Coffee (if you are planning on staying up to at least 1:00 AM)

9:00 PM - Carrots and Ranch Dressing

10:00 PM - Cup of Coffee (if you are planning on staying up to at least 3:00 AM)

11:00 PM - Cucumbers with Hummus

12:00 PM - Cup of Hot Chocolate

1:00 AM - Chocolate Covered Almonds 

2:00 AM - Cup of Tea

3:00 AM - GO TO BED (you will probably not learn anything after 3:00 AM)

4. Study with your buddies. 

Even if you do not study in the same place all night, having someone to connect with in the early hours of the morning will help you stay motivated. You can even post on Facebook, “Who is staying up past 2:00 AM tonight to study?” Remind yourself… You are all in this together. 

5. Get up and take a shower.

No matter how hard it may be to wake up at a decent hour the day of your test, try to make a point to wake up a half hour before you normally do and take a shower. You will feel proud of yourself for getting up and refreshed from your shower. Eat a power breakfast and hit the classroom! 

My thoughts are with you over the next week! Whenever you feel like giving up, just remind yourself that you are earning, hour by hour, a college degree. 

Go rock it!

Cheers,

Lauren 

~Thank You~

A week ago, I met with my “management team” for the first time as an employee of the most amazing group of people to work for - New Hampshire citizens. The night before, I was blessed by the HR Gods who hired me for my dream job.

This hiring process took a village. I am beyond blessed that the love and support from my village tripled the amount of my own sense of ambition. 

First, I want to thank the women that taught me about the Miss America Organization. From Hannah Manley, my first love and Miss Vermont 2000, I learned what a Miss America woman was - strong, confident, and intelligent. Angela Conklin and her family introduced me to the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program, and I could not be more thankful. Without Hannah and Angela, I would not be Miss New Hampshire. I would not be spending the next year promoting what I am passionate about most - college access and equal opportunity. 

Second, I thank my Mom and Dad. Thank you for loving me and believing in me since my first breath. Thank you for your patience and unwavering support. You let me fly my “freak flag” high, and be whoever I wanted to be. My happiest memories are with you - singing, snuggling, laughing, and dancing. Also, thank you for giving me the coolest bud anyone could ever imagine... Just Chris. I adore our little family. We are our strongest and happiest when we are together. 

Third, thank you to my family. Nanny, Boppa, Grandma, Bruce, Grammy and Grandpa Percy, my family in Vermont, my family in South Carolina, and my family in Ohio - thank you for teaching me the power of a loving village. I credit so much of who I am from my experiences of growing up in a family of teachers. 

Fourth, I want to thank my teachers, friends and co-workers for challenging me and supporting me. Whether we met when we were little, in high school, college, graduate school, or at work - please know that I am thankful for our interactions and friendship. 

Fifth, thank you to my family in the Miss America Organization - especially my 2017 Team - Adria, Jen, Natalie, Jay, and Chris, for seeing something in me I did not see this past Fall. Caroline - you and your family have been one of the greatest blessings of this organization. I am so thankful for our friendship. Thank you to my directors, friends, and sisters through the Miss America Organization for making this fabulous organization a wonderful place to call “home.” 

Sixth, I thank our fantastic team of Miss New Hampshire volunteers. Thank you for making us shine all week - whether choreographing group numbers, dancing in group numbers, helping us backstage, feeding us, or making the 2017 production the best one yet. 

Seventh, thank you to the Miss New Hampshire 2017 judges for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I will work my hardest to make you proud. 

Finally, thank you to the leadership team of the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program. Brenda, Bill, Claudette, Cindi, Paula, Eric, Pattie, and Megan - thank you for dedicating so much of your life to making higher education possible for young women in New Hampshire. Through your involvement, you empower us to be leaders in our community and across the country. 

It is my goal to put the love of everyone who has made a difference in my life into my service to New Hampshire. I promise to show everyone I meet the same genuine interest, compassion, and dedication that you showed me. 

With love,

Lauren