Good News Break | March 2016

March 1, 2016

Good News Break

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Days To Remember

March 27th: Easter – This holiday is coming early this year! As one of the most important holidays of the Christian faith, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead following his death on Good Friday. The Easter bunny has became a leading symbol of the holiday. Origins of the symbol came from are unclear, but rabbits are known to be prolific animals and are a symbol of new life and fertility!

March 25th: Good Friday – This holiday celebrates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and is the most solemn day on the Christian calendar. The holiday always falls on the last Friday before Easter. Good Friday celebrates the spirit of humility and admiration.

March 17th: St. Patricks Day – Every year, the Irish and other nationalities come together across the globe to celebrate the holiday. This holiday began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland and is now a holiday that is celebrated across the world with dances, parades, food and a whole lot of green celebrating this Irish culture.

March 2nd: Read Across America Day – Don’t forget Dr. Seuss’s birthday! Celebrate by promoting the importance of reading to children and young adults by buying a book in Dr. Seuss’ honor!

20 years after surgery, a full life with half a brain

Christina Santhouse started suffering from a rare brain cancer called Rasmussen’s encephalitis. When she was 8-years-old, she had a life saving surgery of removing the right side of her brain. Her teachers believed that she would only be able to answer phones and do nothing else. Contrary to belief, she ended up completing all of her schooling, and just recieved her Master’s in Speech Pathology.

Bride Holds Wedding at 35,000ft For Mother With Cancer Who Has One Flight Left

Kristy Stratton, a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines, and her husband wanted to surprise her sickly mother on their wedding day. Kristy’s adventurous mom, Billie, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, leaving her to give up her globetrotting ways. Her mother decided she wanted to take one more trip to see where her daughter worked, lived and get married , so the couple made their wedding day most memorable by getting married on the same flight as her mother at 35,000 feet during her flight.

THIS MONTH’S RECIPE

Warm-Spiced Roasted Chicken Over Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces by your butcher
¼ cup olive oil plus more for coating sweet potatoes
¼ cup butter, melted half of a stick of butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder, mild
1 tsp cumin
4-6 whole sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into cubes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp fresh thyme
2 tbsp fresh parsley for garnishing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Add diced sweet potatoes, sliced onions, garlic, and thyme to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat all of the potatoes, tossing with your hands to combine. Spread the potato mixture evenly on the pan, making sure that it is in a single layer for even baking.
Lay each piece of chicken directly on top of the sweet potato mixture.
In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup olive oil, melted butter, garlic powder, salt, paprika, curry powder and cumin. Whisk until uniform. Brush the sauce liberally onto the chicken pieces. It will run down into the potatoes. No worries – this is a good thing!
Move the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165 degrees at the thickest part of the meat.
Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

This will be an excellent addition to your Easter dinner!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi there! My name is Bethany Stout. I am a junior at Middle Tennessee State University, majoring in Public Relations with an emphasis in the Recording Industry, and minoring in Marketing. I am also PLA Media’s new publicity intern.

At school, I am the VP of Communications of CMA EDU of MTSU, which is the educational branch of the Country Music Organization. I distribute messages over three social media accounts, create monthly newsletters, and encourage students to become members of the organization as well. Holding this position has really helped me understand the importance of communication and has helped me gain an understanding of how to market events and the importance of social media in the music industry.

A few fun facts about me are that I am a major dog lover. My Shih Tzu, Zoe Kate is like a 5-year-old child of mine instead of a dog. I have also been a dancer for fifteen years! I have been trained in all genres, but my favorite type of dancing is tap because it can really get a crowd’s attention. So, if you need a new dance partner, you’ll know where to find me!

Hope you all have an amazing month, and see you next time!