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Our Mission is to provide Central Texas with Our Mission is to provide Central Texas with a magazine that delivers community a magazine that delivers community
information, business resources, education, information, business resources, education, diverse articles, and creativity. Our goal is diverse articles, and creativity. Our goal is
to encompass the voice & essence of all our to encompass the voice & essence of all our readers through an all inclusive magazine readers through an all inclusive magazine where we can come together, learn from where we can come together, learn from one another and appreciate the diversity one another and appreciate the diversity
within our community. We strive to Connect within our community. We strive to Connect & Educate Central Texas through a & Educate Central Texas through a
magazine that focuses on magazine that focuses on ““The People of our Community” – The People of our Community” –
One Issue at a Time.One Issue at a Time.
““If we all work together, there is no limit to If we all work together, there is no limit to what we could overcome and achieve.”what we could overcome and achieve.”
Copyright © 2012 Connections Advertising. All Rights Reserved.All photographs, logos, articles & ads contained within this
publication are protected and may not be reproduced. Publisher reserves the right to decline any advertisement.
Deadline for July Issueis June 23rd
Editorial & Public Relations Director:Jessica Rivera
Vice President:Jose Rivera
Director of Graphics Design & Art:Jose A. Rivera
Office Manager/Credit Department:Mary Reyna
Sales:Melissa Hernandez
Editor:Sandra Y. Desjardins
Travis Riddle
Contributors:Cammi SanchezRichard Winland
Publishing & Sales Office:Connections Advertising
P.O. Box 2256Harker Heights, TX 76548
www.connectionspm.com
Find Us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr & Google+
We Strive to be the BESTEco-Friendly Digital Publication
in Central Texas
Our publication is primarily digital & we only print up enough magazinesfor readers on our mailing list & advertisers/locations that request
copies one month prior. We only charge for shipping and handling.
Albert "Chato" Gauna Jr. Endowed ScholarshipThe Albert “Chato” Gauna, Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship is given to a student who has an APPROVED DEGREE PLAN leading to an Associate Degree from Central Texas College. Financial need shall be the first consideration. A student who receives this award must take a minimum of six (6) credit hours and maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 an each semester receive a GPA of 2.0 or better. Class can be taken at Central Texas College District or Service Area campuses.
The passing of a loved one is probably one of the hardest things that anyone can deal with, but we all know that they live on in our hearts and minds. The love we have for them goes on always and forever.
Setting up a scholarship in memory of a loved one can be beneficial to their family as it helps preserve the memory of their loved one.
Albert "Chato" Gauna Jr. was a very loving and compassionate person that was taken from us way to soon. His hopes and dreams of attending college were shattered when he was taken at the age of 19. His legacy lives on through the Endowed Scholarship so that someone's dream may be fulfilled.
The Endowment Scholarship has been set-up and will provide a student with some financial support—but not much. This is where you can help. We are seeking assistance in hopes of raising a full-year’s tuition for the Scholarship recipient.
Contact Jessica Rivera at 254-423-5071 or [email protected] for information on how to donate to this scholarship.
Every little bit will help and will be greatly appreciated from both our family and the student that is awarded this wonderful Scholarship.
Connections +Plus+ Magazine www.connectionspm.com 254-423-5071 Page 3
STRESS AND YOUR HEALTHBy: Cammi Sanchez
The study of health psychology has indicated a strong correlation between psychological states and physical reactions. Stress is defined as the way we respond to events we find challenging or threatening.The mind has the ability to rule the body and stress is a prime example of this. Utilizing healthy, effective coping skills are imperative for managing stress appropriately. When there is a lack of healthy coping skills, stress can neagatively impact many aspects of our lives.
Stress causes changes in mental stability and often times, an individual's behavior will change in response to stress. The fight or flight response is triggered when we are under stress and the adrenal gland releases stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. When these hormones are being released, anxiety and depression, or other symptoms, may present themselves. Additionally, stress is a major cause of many physical health conditions, and has been linked to everything from high blood pressure to cancer.Coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and high levels of stress have shown to be responsible for increasing that risk.
Chronic stress especially is known to have extremely negative affects on our mental and physical health. The constant production of the stress hormones causes disruptions in our nervous and immune systems, which account for further depletion of health. Stress is virtually impossible to avoid, and even serves a purpose; therefore, it is critical to learn to practice positve coping skills.Breathing and relaxation exercises, self-hypnosis, meditation, yoga, and proper diet and exercise all assist in decreasing stress levels. Speak to your health care provider for more information on what practices are best for you.
Connections +Plus+ Magazine www.connectionspm.com 254-423-5071 Page 5
Connections +Plus+ Magazine www.connectionspm.com 254-423-5071 Page 7
Hypnotherapy & LearningBy: Cammi Sanchez
Hypnotherapy can be used for learning and memory enhancement. The success of hypnotherapy requires the willingness to be open to the power of suggestion.
The human brain is capable of remembering everything it has ever learned or experienced. Hypnotherapy can tap into the uncharted territory of the mind and widen the possibilities. Adults and children alike can benefit from hypnotherapy’s ability to “de-clutter” the mind and allow for new information to be absorbed more efficiently. Hypnosis is ideal for those looking to learn new skills and apply them on a more substantial level.
More specifically, hypnotherapy can help improve study habits and memory: promote self-reward, and self-esteem, which is a critical aspect of learning, and reduces the fears associated with learning.
Study habits are improved when hypnosis is used to help block out external distractions. It can increase one's ability to become centered, despite the interference. Hypnotherapy can give an individual the focus that is required to learn new material, especially when the material is perceived as difficult. Those who often have a hard time concentrating may benefit greatly from the tools hypnosis can provide.
The type of memory responsible for cognitive concepts, such as ideas and words (where academic learning especially, originates) is the most complex. The brain first organizes information into broadly defined categories and then adds the details. Hypnosis can help one to organize information in a more logical pattern.
Hypnotherapy has been used by many people to improve self-esteem by encouraging self-affirmation. The reward system that is applied during learning must be of a satisfactory level to the recipient. Hypnotherapy can promote self-esteem by coaching the subconscious to internally reward itself when something is learned and remembered accurately. By doing so, the individual will seek to learn, and will therefore have more confidence and motivation.
The fears and phobias surrounding learning can be diminished with hypnotherapy. Fear can be a barrier to experiencing anything new. It can prevent an individual from stepping outside of their comfort zone, and into unknown territory. A qualified hypnotherapist can provide the tools to teach someone how to relax themselves out of an anxious moment. Hypnotherapy can help turn a seemingly negative experience into a positive one and can give inner guidance and direction, which will manifest in the form of aspiration and the desire to learn.
Connections +Plus+ Magazine www.connectionspm.com 254-423-5071 Page 9
If you have just one chance to meet with an amazing business, then take your chance with The Cake Chiks. Their vision of wanting to offer “Beautiful Creations at Affordable Prices” is not one to be overlooked. They truly mean what they say. Owner, Teresa Lopez, is a warm-hearted and hard-working individual that takes pride in what she does. She caters to her customers’ needs like no other baker I have ever seen before. If quality cakes and outstanding customer service is what you look for, then contact The Cake Chiks today, because they meet both those needs for you. Teresa was a fun-loving person as we talked and her personality is bubbly, as well as sincere. These are qualities that most people lose while trying to juggle work and home, especially if under the same roof, but this business owner has shown me that she does manage both work and home with pride, love, and passion. There is nothing but wonderful things coming from The Cake Chiks. Here is how our interview went:
Connections Plus Magazine: How did The Cake Chiks start?
Teresa Lopez: The Cake Chiks started around 2009, when we were still in Alabama, and at that time the company was still very new. It was very hard starting out at first because I was still learning different techniques, learning more recipes, and looking at educational videos because I never went to school for bakery. As we were getting ready to move to Texas I told my husband, “You know what? I need a good name,” so I started to think of names. I didn’t want a cliché type name and the first name I thought of was “The Elegant Cake,” but then I started think about other cakes I wanted to do besides just elegant ones, so I decided to go with “The Cake Chiks” but without the “c” in Chicks; my husband told me he liked that name because it was kind of catchy. So it started to grow on me and I started to play with the font and colors that I wanted to use, so that is how it all began. It pretty much started coming together the first week I moved to this house here in Texas.
CPM: What made you finally decide to start your own home-based business?
TL: Well to be honest, when I lived in North Carolina I did work outside the home so I wasn’t focused on doing a home-based business until my third child. He had to have several surgeries and I had to stop working but I did not want to be a stay-at-home mom that did nothing but clean. That was not for me, so I decided to go into business for myself and work from my home.
CPM: So what made you decide to be a “baker”?
TL: I would see shows like “The Ace of Cakes” and “The Cake Boss,” and they made me think of how amazing it would be to do that. I would remember my mom baking cakes and doing very pretty stuff, but never at the level of the shows that I would watch. My mom never really did her baking as a business; she would do it for family and friends, but I knew I wanted to go all the way with baking. I did try to enter into a culinary school, but every time I tried there would be some things in my life that would stop me from entering. But that did not stop me from doing what I wanted to do; I was going to learn one way or another. I thought to myself, “I am going to do this and I will get it done.” However I must admit that I myself do not like to eat cake, unless it’s chocolate. I guess that is because my mother used to feed us cakes all the time when she was trying new recipes, so my taste has turned away from cakes. (laughs)
CPM: How did your daughter get involved with working with you? (Teresa’s daughter is pictured on her business cards with her as a baker as well.)
TL: Well, I never told her that she needed to help me. She has always liked to cook and she is always trying to invent different things. My daughter used to sit down with me as I watched the baking shows and she would tell me that it would be so cool to have a bakery of our own, so she wanted to be part of it from the beginning. I never forced her or implied that she had to help out. She is so very talented and has been ever since she was a little girl.
CPM: What are the plans for The Cake Chiks? Do you plan on getting an actual bakery set up outside the home?
TL: We would love to have an actual location outside the home bakery. However, for that to happen we do have to wait until my husband retires from the military. Even though it can be hard to be a military wife, we do appreciate all that the military does for us and we want to support that by staying with it for as long as he can. So for now our plans of having an outside bakery are on hold and we are okay with that.
CPM: Who are the bakers on or off TV that inspire you?
TL: There are two “professional” bakers that I admire. One of them is Ron Ben Israel, who is by far my idol. He makes the most wonderful flowers in sugar and his wedding cakes are beyond amazing. The second one is Buddy Valastro – he started from nothing and he had never taken classes or schooling, but look where he is at. He is really a great inspiration to me. Now, between local bakers I would say that I look up to Laura Varela, who lives in El Paso and is an amazing cake artist. She has helped me with great advice and given me wonderful tips for my pieces. I consider her a great friend. Another person that I look up to is Sharon Zambito, who lives in New Orleans and has been a fantastic person for me to learn from.
Page 10 254-423-5071 www.connectionspm.com Connections +Plus+ Magazine
CPM: How did you all feel about Texas passing the “Texas Cottage Food Law”?
TL: Wow, that was such a relief for us. Home based bakers want to grow as a business but we are worried that since we are working from home some people may not take you seriously. So, when they passed this law it was beyond amazing for us. I take pride in what I do and I make sure that everything is disinfected (several times) and I make sure that the cakes I make are in a nice clean environment. This law makes it easier for us home based bakers to be taken more serious. They even passed a law a few months ago that states that we must label all our baked goods to make the customer aware that the cake, cupcake, or cookie come from a home and it was not inspected. But if you are a good business then most people will know how clean your area is and how serious you take your business. Most people that know me know how much of a clean freak I am about my area. (laughs) Basically I take the SB 81 Law as a blessing.
CPM: How do you balance work and home?
TL: Now that is a tough one because I have four kids and am expecting one. Three of my kids are adolescents and they are in a completely different World, and the little one is always running around and needing this or that. But they all know that when I am baking I am in business mode. They know that they either have to wait until I am done with my current order(s) to eat or they have to help me out to be able to have me cook for them quickly. But I do manage it very well because I try to not take on too many orders per week and I am very exclusive as to what orders I choose to do. The reason I am exclusive about the orders I take on is because I want my customers to get a quality cake for a good price. If someone wants a very cheap cake without quality then they can get that from a grocery store. The Cake Chiks is about the Quality of orders, not Quantity of orders.
CPM: Does the fact that The Cake Chiks is about Quality, not Quantity, set you apart from other bakers in the area?
TL: Yes, I believe that it does. Our recipe has been in my family for over 100 years; my great grandmother used to bake this recipe over a pile of wood in a covered pan and then manually turn it over to cook the other side. My mother switched the recipe from an open fire to a stove when she got the recipe. So it is a secret recipe that I once got in trouble for, by mother, when I accidently shared it. (laughs) Even some members of our family have no idea what the secret recipe is. However, I do add a few little tricks of my own flavor to the family recipe to give it new styles for my customers.
CPM: Do you also make your own fondant?
TL: We used to make our own fondant, but because it is so time-consuming and it can get very temperamental I decided to buy our fondant. But I do not just buy the ones that you can get at a regular store. I go with the most professional kind because it gives you quality. It can be a bit more pricy, but it gives me the quality that I look for. It is much easier to work with, it is more manageable, and it is not as temperamental. CPM: How did it feel to win the Wilton-Hobby Lobby Award?
TL: That was an amazing feeling and experience. I was taking some Wilton courses at Hobby Lobby and our instructor told us that there would be a cake challenge. I was nervous about it and told our instructor that I didn’t think that I could do it, but she told me that I had the talent to do it and she encouraged me to enter. So I entered. On the day I won it was between me and another very talented cake artist, who was actually a friend, but we had a lot of people looking at our cakes thoroughly and in the end I was chosen as the best cake design. It was an experience I will not forget. Seeing all the votes that were in my favor was really exciting. It felt like I won the “The Cake Boss” Challenge.
CPM: Have you ever thought about entering a show like The Cake Boss?
TL: I have thought about it, but the thing with that is that you have to spend time away from your family. My family depends on me a lot and they mean the world to me so I don’t think I could be apart from them. If we were closer to New York then I probably would enter becausethen my family would be closer, but for now it’s on the back burner.
CPM: Well you all have accomplished so much, so what is the future for The Cake Chiks?
TL: We are going to keep striving to do more wedding cakes. We want to be known as the wedding cake designers in the area to go to for that perfect wedding cake. I also want us to be known as the best Sugar Flower Artist. But above all I want to be known as a great baker.
CPM: Is there anything you would like to tell our readers?
TL: They can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and at our website where they can check out the Page that shows you the slices per party and wedding servings for each cake. We would alsolike to let everyone know that if they are having a problem with their budget, then please let us know because we understand that families work on a budget and we can always work something out. They can always contact me. Winning Cake at the
“Wilton-Hobby Lobby Challenge“The Cake Chiks” won first place.
Mention this Ad & get a 10% Discount on your next order
CPM: If there is anything we can do to help you, we will. Our publishing company, Connections Advertising appreciates working with businesses such as yours.
TL: Well I am so pleased with Connections Advertising. You have done great with my signs, business cards, and ad space. You all make doing business so much easier and you all are so personable. Your company has a good working relationship with your customers and that is a great thing. It’s something you do not see with other companies.
CPM: We appreciate and thank you for your kind words, as well as doing business with us, but most importantly we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview and to let the community see how wonderful your company truly is.
TL: Thank you for interviewing us. When our interview ended I had no doubt in my mind that this company will be among one of the most well-respected companies in the area. With the dedication Teresa has, there is nowhere to go but to the top. There is one thing that Teresa said that stood out to me as we spoke: “You must put a lot of love in your work and a lot of love in your baking, otherwise it will become very frustrating and nothing will work out.” a very passionate quote from a very strong woman. I admire Teresa Lopez for all she does and I am looking forward to working more with The Cake Chiks on future endeavors. Central Texas needs to keep their eye on this company because before you know it, she will be like a star shining in the sky.
Connections +Plus+ Magazine www.connectionspm.com 254-423-5071 Page 11
Page 12 254-423-5071 www.connectionspm.com Connections +Plus+ Magazine
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Connections +Plus+ Magazine www.connectionspm.com 254-423-5071 Page 15
UFC's Dan Henderson vs. Jon Jones on September 1, 2012
by: Richard Winland
UFC commissioner Dana White recently announced, through his Twitter account, that Dan Henderson will challenge light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones in Las Vegas on Sept. 1.
The 41-year-old Henderson has performed at a high level in recent bouts, as demonstrated by his Fight-of-the-Year win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in November.
Jones is coming of a unanimous decision victory over Rashad Evans, in which he proved unable to knockout Evans. In his last seven bouts, Jones had either won by submission or technical knockout, with the exception of the Evans fight.
Jones had some weaknesses exposed in the Evans bout. One included Jones's inability to finish by strikes, who (Evans) is known to have one of the weaker chins in the light-heavyweight division.
Henderson is known to have one of the toughest chins in all of mixed martial arts, having never been knocked out in his professional career.
Henderson has momentum heading into the bout. Coming off victories over Rua and Fedor Emelianenko, Henderson should be a formidable challenge for Jones, at this point.
Jones has a four-inch height advantage, and will likely use his reach and athleticism to keep Henderson at bay. Jones's unorthodox style presents a significant challenge to most of his opponents, but Henderson is a wily veteran, who rarely backs down.
It should be noted that Jones has won three of his last five bouts by submission, and Henderson has lost by submission three times in his career; however, those losses occurred over the span of 15 years, and two of them were by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and one by Anderson "Spider" Silva.
Page 16 254-423-5071 www.connectionspm.com Connections +Plus+ Magazine
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Page 18 254-423-5071 www.connectionspm.com Connections +Plus+ Magazine
Creative Art Gallery
By: Heath Speakman
By: Robert Haugland
By: April Martin
We are still looking for moreCentral Texas Artists to Showcase
Contact us at:[email protected]
or call: 254-423-5071
Ingredient1 cup white sugar 5 egg yolks 5 egg whites 1/3 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk 1 pint heavy whipping cream 10 strawberries
InstructionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees & Spray non-stick coating on a 9 inch pan. Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until light in color and doubled in volume. Stir in milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft. Slowly add rest of sugar. Beat until firm but not dry. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen edge of cake with knife and let cake cool completely; place onto a plate that is deep (to prevent spillage). Using a fork pierce the surface of the cake. Mix together condensed milk, evaporated milk and 1/4 cup of the whipping cream. Pour milk mixture over cake slowly until absorbed, do not put to much on it (discard any remaining mixture). Whip the remaining whipping cream until it thickens and reaches spreading consistency. Frost cake with whipped cream and garnish with strawberries.
Tres Leches Cake
Connections +Plus+ Magazine www.connectionspm.com 254-423-5071 Page 19
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