ECU Alumni Get Engaged in Creative Way

Two ECU Alumni got engaged in a creative way that was all planned out by Andrew Stoker ’11.  This couple went to East Carolina University main campus, and they both graduated in 2011.   They were both student athletes and loved being Pirates.  Check out this creative proposal and find out more at ECU.

5 Things to Have in Every Apartment You Own

Is this your first apartment?  There are always a few things that you will want to have in every apartment.  Check out this list of five objects to keep with you through out all of your apartments that you will rent and own.  Keep reading to learn more.  There are more great apartment tips on apartment therapy.

If you're in the market for your first apartment, chances are you don't have a lot of cash to throw around. But remember, kids, buying the cheapest version of what you need isn't always the smartest budgeting strategy. Investing in quality classics that will last you through many moves is worth more than all the Lack dressers you'll abandon over the years.


1. Key rack — Congrats, you're officially an adult. From now on, you'll never be keyless again so do yourself a favor and get a system in place right now for keeping track of those pesky little buggers.

2. Good tools — Just ask your dad! You'll never regret money spent on basic, good quality, long lasting tools.

3. At least one good pot and one good knife — Go for classic, useful and portable. Owning a few great kitchen basics is better than a whole drawer of plastic gadgets. Take care of them and they'll outlive you.

4. Noise Machine — As you'll soon discover, apartment living gets noisy. The sooner you find a solution, the easier your transitions to each subsequent apartment will be. A soothing noise machine can go a long way toward solid mental health, not an area worth skimping on.

5. A piece of art you love — When you find something that you just have to have, go for it. Art grows with you; the longer you keep it, the more it reminds you of all the places you've been and how far you've come.

Let's Go Pirates

Let's Go Pirates! Were you at the game on the 5th? East Carolina won against Florida Atlantic in the first game of the season! Keep reading to learn more about this year's Pirates, and what will be ahead of them for the 2013 year. You can read more at ECU.

Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium was painted black on Thursday night, and the color scheme worked out just fine for East Carolina's football team.

The Pirates wore all- black uniforms for the time in program history and the fans came dressed in black. Florida Atlantic was on the other end of the spectrum, wearing white, and also on the wrong end of a methodical 31-13 ECU victory.

East Carolina picked up its second victory in five days to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2010, winning its Conference USA opener against FAU - which was playing its first game as a C-USA member.

"(The short week) was a great challenge for our team," East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill said. "We had planned on it since June, from practice, from fall camp, anticipating this short week. It was really a man-up effort by our group to face a team like Old Dominion that stretched the field on us and come back with a short window."

There was a different feel on Thursday night than in the opener against ODU, which featured the FCS Player-of-the-Year from 2012 in quarterback Taylor Heinicke and ran a fast-break offense that stretched the ECU defense.

Forced to match that tempo, Pirates quarterback Shane Carden threw the ball 54 times for a school-record 447 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-38 victory. Against FAU, the running game and defense both played a big part in the victory.

Vintavious Cooper rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown, and also was the Pirates' leading receiver with five catches for 49 yards. Carden was nearly as efficient as he was in the opener (when he was 48-for-54), completing 17 of 25 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. For the second-straight week, Carden did not throw an interception.

"I just want to do what this team needs me to do," Carden said. "That is what it is all about, doing whatever it takes to win. I'm not out there trying to get stats, trying to throw the ball around. If I don't have to throw it 50 times, I won't."

Defensively, the difference was obvious. East Carolina came up with three turnovers - two interceptions and a fumble recovery. And the swarming Pirates had six sacks, keeping the Owls (0-2) out of the end zone until the final four minutes of the game.

"(FAU) was a really athletic group and I thought we played well on defense, offense and special teams," McNeill said. "I'm really proud of our group."

East Carolina led 21-6 at halftime, getting a big lift from kick returner Lance Ray. After FAU kicked its second field goal to cut the Pirates' lead to 7-6 early in the second quarter, Ray took the ensuing kickoff at the three-yard line and raced 85 yards to the Owls' 12.

Carden hit Justin Hardy from a yard out for a touchdown giving ECU a 14-6 advantage.

Then the defense got into the act.

FAU quarterback Greg Hankerson's pass glanced off a receiver's hands and Maurice Falls snatched it out of the air and returned it to the Owls' 12. Cooper covered the distance in three carries, bursting over from the 7-yard line for a touchdown. The Pirates were up 21-6 and smelling victory.

"Turnovers were big," McNeill said. "If we can give our offense two or three extra possessions, and that is what we did tonight, it's big. All the turnovers were valuable.

"The defense just did a good job. I was very proud of them."

In the second half, ECU dominated.

Josh Hawkins' interception set up a 22-yard field goal that made it 24-6. The field goal came after an acrobatic play by Hardy was ruled an incomplete pass on second-and-goal from the five. Hardy went high to pull in a Carden pass with one hand in the end zone. He appeared to have possession when he came down, but as he stood up, the ball came loose. The official ruled it incomplete and the ruling stood after a review.

East Carolina's final touchdown came after the Pirates stopped FAU on a fourth-and-9 from the ECU 33.

The Pirates drove the 67 yards in nine plays, Chris Hairston going over from the four-yard line to cap the drive with 46 seconds left in the quarter.

It wasn't an artistic victory. The Pirates lost two fumbles and had seven penalties for 44 yards.

"It's great when you can learn some things and still win the game," Carden said. "We definitely left a lot of points out there. This offense has got to be a lot better about taking care of the ball and (eliminating) the penalties, the overall negative plays. We just kept hurting ourselves on drives. We just never could get that flow going."

Carden enjoyed the atmosphere. Black was just fine with him, cool in fact.

"When I first saw the black uniforms, I thought they were cool," Carden said. "I love wearing them. And I loved the black-out by the fans. Everyone bought into it. It was a very cool atmosphere."

Cooper, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, got more opportunities than he did in the opener and he took advantage, both on the ground and as a receiver.

"It felt great to be able to contribute and come out with the `W,' "Cooper said. "If you can catch the ball in open space, you can pick up a lot of yards and help your team. One of the keys to being a good running back is having good hands."

For McNeill, the penalties were a concern. But he was also pleased with the improvement his team made, particularly on defense, as the Pirates won their seventh consecutive C-USA home game.

"Any time we have penalties, I am not happy with that. We were one of the best teams in the country last year (in limiting penalties). The first thing I worry about is wins. If I have to correct one thing, it is penalties.

"But there is no such thing as an ugly win." Especially one painted in black.

5 Easy to Make and Freeze Meals

Sometimes there's just no extra time to cook up a complicated meal, so having ones already prepared to eat can be incredibly convenient in a pinch. Check out "​5 Great Meals to Make Ahead and Freeze" to make sure that you'll always have something to chow down on even if you're in a time pinch.

Soups

While I grew up eating canned soup, that’s not been the case for my kids. The canned variety is generally oversalted, oversweetened, and overpriced. Since it’s so easy to make my own, there’s really no reason not to.

I regularly prepare our favorite soups, sometimes two or three varieties at a time, and freeze them in family- and individually-sized portions. It’s super easy to grab a few different pints of soup from the freezer for a quick lunch or supper. They pack well to work as well to reheat in the microwave.

Soups are great to pack on vacation, send to college with your child, or fill the freezer of a new mom or aging parent. Soup is good food. Particularly if you make it ahead of time and stash it in the freezer.

Favorite recipes:

• Cheddar Cheese Soup with Zucchini, Broccoli, and Carrots
• Jalapeño Chili
• Roasted Vegetable Soup with Fresh Oregano

Casseroles

Casseroles are an ultimate comfort food. It speaks my husband’s love language to pull a pan of enchiladas out of the oven. For my kids, it’s my famous Chicken Pot Pie or Lawnmower Taco. It’s even easier to treat their tastebuds when I’ve made a bulk batch of these and stashed them in the deep freeze.

Consider your favorite lasagna, enchilada, quiche, egg bake, or other casserole. Next time you prep it, make two (or more) and freeze the extras. It really doesn't take that much more time, but you'll reap the rewards later.

Favorite recipes:

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Cheese Enchiladas
• Lawnmower Taco

Marinated or Cooked Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breast is one of the most economical proteins here on the West Coast where it’s regularly less than $2/pound. I snatch up big flats of chicken and do one of two things: I package trimmed breast fillets with marinade in a ziptop freezer bag, or I cook it up by poaching or grilling and then I freeze the cooked results.

The fruit of my labor is an easy, ready-to go protein. I can thaw the marinated chicken in the fridge overnight and have it ready to throw on the grill at dinnertime. I can thaw the cooked chicken and toss it into salads, stir it into soups, or tuck it into sandwiches.

Favorite recipes:

• Salsa Verde Chicken
• Dijon Chicken
• Pulled Chicken

Taco and Burrito Fillings

We’ve always been big taco and burrito fans, so it makes sense to keep the fillings on hand for quick and easy suppers. By cooking up bulk batches of seasoned taco meat, pinto beans, or carnitas, I’ve got the makings of many a great dinner. Since these items are already cooked, I can quickly thaw and reheat, lay out tortillas, taco shells, chips, rice or even fried potatoes, and an array of toppings, and dinner is served before I can make a run for the border.

Favorite recipes:

• Salsa Verde Beef
• Seasoned Taco Meat
• Slowcooker Carnitas

Apple Pie

Apple pie is a meal, right? Well, at our house it is, at least on the first day of school when I serve apple pie for breakfast. While it may not be your typical "meal," it sure is nice to have a stash of pies in the freezer.

Every fall, I prep as many pies as I can and store them in our big freezer. This allows me to surprise my family with a fresh-baked pie on cold fall evenings. It takes the load off my Thanksgiving Day prep work since I only need to slide them into the oven on Wednesday night. And it brings a comfort and a touch of sweetness to savor the flavors of fall throughout the cold winter months.

Favorite recipes:

• Slab Apple Pie
• Nanna’s Apple Pie

When I’ve got my freezer stocked with these five of my favorite things, all’s right with the world. I can surprise my family with their favorite foods. I can pull a quick dinner off in less time than it would take me to find my car keys and latch some car seats. I can rest a little easier, knowing that if other plans don’t go my way, at least dinner will.

Check out Jessica's book on freezer meals

→ Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook

Visit Jessica's family cooking blog:

→ Good Cheap Eats

(Images: Jessica Fisher)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-great-meals-to-make-ahead-and-freeze-193994