This Month's Edition of Listen, Learn, Read, Eat

We are in full-on summer mode, friends. What better time to listen to, learn, read, and eat new things? Here’s my powerlist from May!

Listen: The Greatest Showman: Reimagined

I will be the first to tell you I usually don’t get hyped for new musicals featuring pop stars pretending to be actors (and vise-versa). So when The Greatest Showman came out at the end of my first semester of college I was not at all interested in the film. In fact, I’ve never even seen the movie. Fast-forward to December of 2018: I was listing to the Kesha station on Pandora when “This is Me” came on, and I would be lying to you if I didn’t listen to the song over, and over, and over again. “There’s no way the rest of the album is this good,” I thought to myself. When our local Shopko Hometown store (which is basically like a cross between Walmart and Dollar General) went out of business, I was able to buy a copy of the album The Greatest Showman: Reimagined for like $4 and I have not been able to stop listening to it since. The cool part of the “Reimagined” version is that all the songs are sung by other popular artists. When singers and bands like Panic! At The Disco, P!nk, Ty Dolla $ign, and Zac Brown Band perform the tunes none of them feel like cheesy, over-exaggerated show numbers. Plus, the lyrics pump you up to get sh*t done! (If you don’t feel ready to purchase the album quite yet, it can also be found on Spotify.)

Learn: Managerial Accounting

One of my favorite college classes has been my Financial Accounting class, ACCT 284, with Dr. Anne Clem. Call me crazy, but to me there’s nothing more interesting and empowering than understanding the inner workings of your own finances. After absolutely loving every minute of our Enron Scandal discussions and analysis of managerial accounting topics, I decided I just couldn’t help myself and signed up for a managerial accounting class over the summer. While I only started the class yesterday, I am really excited to build on my knowledge and skills in this area!

Read: The America We Deserve by Donald Trump

Okay, before you say anything more just hear me out. Our current political climate is brutal. Even as someone who agrees with our president on some policies and topics, I am finding myself becoming increasingly frustrated with our government, our administration, and President Trump himself. A week ago I picked up Trump's 2000 book, The America We Deserve, with hopes of gaining more insight to why our president thinks and acts the way he does today. With just a few chapters left, I can confidently recommend this book to anyone who is frustrated with our president, and here is why: As you read this book, you will find that Trump has articulated what he thinks will bring about the change he wants to see in America and how. Do I agree with every sentence in the book? No. However, Trump's The America We Deserve might give us a better picture of who our president is trying to be without the noise of parties, media, and our own government.

Eat: Pressure Cooker Mongolian Beef

I am a HUGE fan of any kind of Asian cuisine. Sweet, spicy, savory, they do it all and they do it well. I am also a big proponent of using a pressure cooker (or Instapot, as the kids call it) in the kitchen. This Pressure Cooker Mongolian Beef recipe is something my mom found in a pressure cooker Facebook group a few years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. It’s super delicious and easy, too! Wanna make it even tastier? Throw in some broccoli or carrots, water chestnuts or bamboo shoots, serve over rice, and top with chow mein noodles.

Here’s to a new playlist, skill, book, and recipe this week! Feeling motivated to try something from the list? Let us know in the comments!