Tag: #Latina

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Daily Dose Law School Recipes

Things to Avoid Eating in Law School

You should probably avoid pretty much anything I stress bake.

That’s right, I stress bake. Here’s a quick little reminder for you guys who are not aware of my sordid love affair with decadent chocolate cake and anything bathed in a creme.

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I mean, come ON! How are you not salivating?  You see, I have a real love and passion for food. I wouldn’t say I’m as adventurous as Andrew Zimmern, but I do enjoy tasting new and interesting foods – especially when they both smell and look delish!

During midterms, I baked double dark chocolate brownies, some with a hearty layer or mint chocolate; plus there were chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, waffles, and capellini with homemade marinara! Should I have been studying? Probably. Did I need the brain-break? YES.

Once I got through the thick of exams, though, my brain kept re-thinking the exam questions and trying to remember my answers. I re-lived new hypos (hypothetical questions and scenarios on the exam), trying to see if I could apply the law to my own ideas.

  • Note: You should really avoid this kind of cyclical and tedious behavior. It’s not good for you and ends in tears. Trust me. 

 

I ended up getting myself worked up and decided I needed something to focus on, so I dug deep into my belly and decided that what my little heart craved most was capirotada. 

I know – what in the ever-loving tort law is capirotada?

Capirotada is a Mexican Bread pudding that is traditionally eaten during the lenten season. One of my Tias (Aunts) is an absolute expert at all things Capirotada and I decided to make my own recipe, inspired by her yummy treats and hilarious jokes.

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I guess you can say law school has me feeling all sorts of ways and I needed to re-ground myself. Clean the slate. And, erm..avoid studying for contracts just a bit longer.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Vanilla (I used Mexican vanilla, but I’m not convinced that another form of liquid vanilla would taste too different)
  • 6-7 bolillos (small french bread like loaves, usually found in the bakery of your local supermarket)
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 piloncillo chunks (piloncillo is a Mexican Brown sugar, packed tightly and in a small cone-like shape about the length of your hand)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 eggs
  • 4 star anise flowers
  • 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 cup of raisins
  • 1 cup of cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup of pecans (I picked up some candied pecans, and will not justify this delectable choice)

Steps: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease (use butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray) a 9 1/2″ x 13″ pan. Set aside.
  3. On the stove, place the piloncillo, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, and water into a pot and simmer the ingredients until the piloncillo is completely dissolved and reduces by about a quarter. [This is the step where your house starts to smell like Christmas and all things wonderful and warm!] Set aside for about 20 minutes to cool.
  4. Cut the bolillos into bite sized cubes. Set them in a large mixing bowl.
  5. Take the star anise and cinnamon sticks out of the syrup.
  6. Scramble the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Carefully and slowly, add the cooled syrup into the egg mixture. Scramble again. [You should add the syrup a couple of ladel-fulls at a time.]
  7. Once the eggs and syrup are combined, pour half the mixture over the bread.
  8. Add half a cup of cheese, half a cup of raisins, and a 1/4 cup of pecans. Toss gently to combine the ingredients. Transfer them to the pan.
  9. Repeat step 8 with the rest of the raisins, pecans, cheese, and syrup.
  10. Now you place the casserole dish into the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 – 30 minutes, until the top is slightly brown.
  11. While you’re waiting, you can make the glaze!
  12. Whisk the condensed milk and half a cup of milk in a small bowl. You can use less milk if you want a thicker, creamy glaze.

Once the capirotada is done, pull it out of the oven and pour the glaze over it.
Feel free to serve yourself a heaping slice with a nice glass of milk. You can eat capirotada cold or warm, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be gone before it has time to cool off.

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If you’re feeling like a daredevil and not counting any calories at all…you should try this with a small mound of vanilla bean ice cream. Oooooh!

Categories
Daily Dose Law School

5 Things No One Tells You about Law School

 

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I started law school one month ago and, despite having a full week of orientation where I ended up with more questions than answers, I have finally figured out a few things. However, I am still basically riding a bicycle that’s on fire, while I’m trying not to fan the flames.  Here’s the good, weird, and shitty things I’ve come to realize this semester:

  1. To your friends and family – you’re a lawyer, even if you’re not actually one yet! Before you even start school, friends and family (and even rando-acquaintances) will start asking you for legal advice. Honestly, why would anyone want advice from someone who basically is 1/18th of the way through law school and knows nothing about the system? Because you know more than they do! Remind these folks that you have no clue what you’re doing, but welcome them to keep you on retainer once you pass the bar!
  2. The DRAMA is real. Law school is said to be like high school, which is true. There’s way more drama than there should be with people who spend so much time together, they may as well be related. What no one talks about is how quickly your perception of people will flip-flop. Some students come in and impress the pants off of you with their ability to spew about Federal Question Jurisdiction and Contract Defenses before classes have even started. If you meet this person…RUN!really-gif_2
    You need to be on par with your study mates, otherwise, you’ll start to feel less than and it could lead to tanking your study methods, which could lead to lower grades.
  3. Food is LIFE – remember that! Studying is an all-consuming activity when school is your job. You forget to eat and start considering coffee as a major food group. Every professor tells you to “remember to eat healthy foods” and then follow that up with “I lived off of caffeine and the occasional Ramen cup…” So you start to think that it is physically acceptable to subsist on chai lattes and the occasional Kind bar. Now, not to throw shade on Kind bars (because really, they’re amazing and everyone should carry an extra on their person) but one of these delicious granola sticks is not sufficient enough to meet your caloric needs. I know it is a huge imposition to pre-pack a lunch and microwave it before heading to the library in order to silently fight someone over a study room – but your brilliant self will thank you for doing so.
  4.  Everyone feels like they’re drowning. EVERYONE. What you need to remember is that your legal education is a marathon, not a sprint. Sure, it sounds cliche, but this is the stone cold truth. You simply cannot read, brief, and interpret every case, for every class for the semester in 1 week, plus sleep and feed yourself. You are not a robot, nor are you capable of condensing and understanding the information you’re being water-boarded with unless it’s explained to you. Everyone in your class feels like the amount juggled is not sustainable – and everyone is right! So take a beat. Make some time for yourself and work on self-care, because it is completely possible to feel like you’re drowning and not actually drown. Pull up your big girl panties and straighten that crown. You’ve got this!tumblr_inline_n45dmohxog1r73ga0
  5. You are a sucky writer, crummy reader, and you have no clue what’s going on.
    Law school is a trial-by-fire situation. What you need to remember is – one day, when you’ve graduated and can look back on this experience – you are the sum of your parts. Everything you learn can be applied to cases you will soon argue. You will be counted on more times than you can possibly imagine. You will be the knight slaying the dragon. But you have to start somewhere. Unfortunately, you can’t drink Lawyerade and know all the things. However, you will get better. Aim for progress, not perfection.

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Law school professors aim to break you down, and then they build you back up. You need to know what it feels like to fail – because you will…often. As a former teacher, let me tell you – this is just one step on your way to greatness. Try not to be the Debbie Downer, because no one will want to be around you. In the same token, don’t be the class know-it-all either. In my short experience, it’s best to be honest and straightforward with everyone, especially when you’re not understanding a concept.

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Finally, share your struggle! Your legal education will be an uphill battle, but you’re certainly not alone. Dedicate time to study, focus on attainable daily goals, and carefully consider your dedicated study group peers, because you need to be surrounded by those who want you to succeed and can add value to your situation.

Kick Ass!

Categories
Daily Dose

What to Do After You Get Accepted to Law School

Yep, you read that right – I got in to Law School! ::happydance::

Thankfully, I had the choice of a few – which made my decision quite difficult.
For me, the decision came down to location.

Stay in Dallas? Move to San Antonio?

I chose to take a leap of faith, stay in Dallas, and begin school at The UNT Dallas College of Law.

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Here’s what you need to know –

  1. This school of law is NOT YET Accredited.
  2. They have applied for Accreditation and will hear back from the ABA this summer.
  3. After hours of research, and speaking to multiple Law School Advisors (even one of my own at Baylor) – there is a great deal of positivity surrounding the approval of this fledgling school.
  4. There are only LOANS and SCHOLARSHIPS available for graduate programs. Yes, you may qualify for a school grant, but there are no federal ones available. Be smart when you research your borrowing options. I’ll post another update on this soon.
  5. If you have a full-time job (like me) and are switching gears to attend law school full time, it is completely acceptable to be freaking out (if you say you’re not, you should be).
  6. I was admitted to the 3rd graduating class for UNT Law.
  7. Tuition at this public institution sits right around $15k, which is just about the nicest figure I could present to my wallet.

 

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Pick your school. Research your options. Make a Pros & Cons list for each school you gained admission for – and be downright honest with everything they are offering, as well as what potential the city it resides in can give you.
  2. Double-Check your FAFSA Submission. Yes, you worked on one for your undergrad, so you should be used to this dog and pony show. Make sure your school has your FAFSA information, and that your enrollment hours are submitted as well. This is important, because your school may not start assessing your financial need until it has been submitted. Every school is different, so be sure to reach out to the Financial Aid office. 
  3. Sign your Letter of Intent & Pay your Seat Deposit. Technically, you cannot reserve multiple seats across law schools. First off – that’s just a jerk move. However, you can pay for a seat if you are unsure you’ll gain admission elsewhere. This year’s admissions cycle was wicked long, so the wait was nearly unbearable. Think proactively. If you get admitted to your second choice school, and the seat deadline is fast approaching – you may want to wait until the day it is due to pay it. This decision is, of course, completely yours. I just want you to know that holding a seat in the hopes that you have a backup is downright mean, especially when you know there’s a waitlist and people (some of my friends) are anxiously waiting in the wings.
  4. Log Into Your Student Account. Monitor your emails, and make sure you have an open correspondence with those on campus. There will likely be Student Mixers, IT Meetings, and Enrollment Dates for you to participate in. Get involved!

 

Get ready for the ride of your life, ladies and gents! This summer will be full of 0L posts, and then we’ll start our 1L year!
This will be challenging, but you’ve got this!

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Cerebellumchef is off to Law School! Getting healthy-fit, and maintaining a study schedule is going to be an intense adventure. Good luck to you!