Good News Break!

Is it just us, or does the prospect of opening a newspaper or watching the news sound depressing? With bad news dominating headlines, we at PLA want to remind our friends that good news still happens everyday! We have compiled our own newsletter dedicated to upbeat stories and blurbs. Hopefully you’ll take a minute for yourself to read through and brighten your day.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

– Helen Keller

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

– Harriet Tubman

***

Super Bowl XLVI is fast approaching! Are you ready?

Look below for some healthy recipes for your Super Bowl party!

Creamy Spinach Dip

Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, non-fat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese. It will save you 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving. Serve it with pita chips, vegetables or spread it on a sandwich.

Ingredients:

-1 small shallot, peeled

-1 5-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed

-1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese

– 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

-1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

-1 tablespoon lemon juice

-1/2 teaspoon salt

– Freshly ground pepper

-6 ounces baby spinach

– 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation:

1. Pulse shallot and water chestnuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

2. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper and pulse until just combined

3. Add spinach and chives and pulse until incorporated

4. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Stir before stirring.

Nutrition Facts:

(per 1/4-cup serving) Calories 45; Total Fat 3 g; Cholesterol 10mg; Carbohydrates 4g; Protein 4g; Sodium 22 mg; Potassium 102 mg.

(Source and Photo: Eating Well)

Whole Wheat Pizza

This is a great pizza dough recipe to make ahead of time. You can store the dough in the fridge for up to three days or freeze it for later use. Get creative with healthy toppings!

Ingredients:

-1 packet of dry yeast

-2 cups whole wheat flour

-1 cup all-purpose flour

-dash of kosher salt

-1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:

1 . Preheat oven to 500 degrees

2. Add dry yeast to water in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside until the mixture gets foamy. This should take about 5 minutes

3. Add flour and salt in stand mixer bowl. Attach dough hook to the stand mixer and run on low to combine, then slowly add the yeast mixture. Knead until smooth, abut 7to 10 minutes. During the last 20 seconds of kneading, add olive oil.

4. Form dough into a ball and place back into the stand mixer bowl. Cover bowl with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap. Set aside until dough rises to double its size, about 45 minutes to an hour. Once the dough has risen, punch down and form into shape and size of desired pizza crust.

5. Once your dough is topped and ready to go, brush it with a little olive oil and pop it into a 500-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.

(Source and Photo: fitsugar.com)

Abandoned Pit Bull Finds Life-Long Friend in Chihuahua

They lost their home, and simply left Arnold behind. For almost a month the pit bull wandered his neighborhood streets and deserted home looking for them while slowly starving. He was finally brought to the Bill Foundation —which takes in dogs from Los Angeles county shelters to place in permanent homes — by a concerned neighbor.

He trembled with fear all the time. He did not seek affection or know how to enjoy it. He did not know how to relax and feel safe. The first time his foster mom left him alone he went into a state of panic and terror and tore the drywall off the hallway.

Then along came Dearheart. Frightened and uncertain, the diminutive Chihuahua was saved from death row by the Bill Foundation. He was brought into a foster home to help with socialization and confidence building. It just so happened that this foster home was also Arnold’s, and when the two met, they became fast friends.

Previously, if Arnold was in a crate at adoption events he would shiver, whimper and cry. Now Arnold and Dearheart share a crate and a life together, leaning on each other for support.

The Bill Foundation has made it abundantly clear that the dogs will not be separated under any circumstances.

(Source and Photo: The Today Show)

Woman’s Facebook Journey Documented by Filmmaker

At the start of 2010, ArLynn Presser from Winnetka, Illinois made a New Year’s resolution to meet all of her 325 Facebook friends before the year was out.

Suffering from agoraphobia, she had hardly been outside her home in 30 years. However, she was determined to take on the self-imposed challenge and travel the world to meet people she had only ever communicated with online.

Halfway through the year, she met Facebook friend 140, filmmaker Ben Gonzales. He immediately thought ArLynn’s adventure would make a compelling documentary and proposed the idea to her. She agreed.

ArLynn’s challenging journey has taken her to 13 countries, including South Korea, India and England, and so far she’s met 288 of her Facebook friends.

Looking at the footage he’s gathered so far, the filmmaker is confident he’s captured something special. Gonzales hopes the movie will be completed in the coming months.

(Source and Photo: WSMV Channel 4)

(Photo credit: www.google.com)

Amanda Says: Happy To Be Here

I am a senior at MTSU and accepted an internship position here at PLA Media. Originally from Cookeville, TN, I am majoring in Public Relations-Recording Industry with minors in English and Marketing. I love the atmosphere at PLA and the team is amazing to work with and it makes coming in every day enjoyable. With a passion for music and also one for writing, interning here allows me to combine both of these together.

Caitlin Says: Excited for the Future

New to the PR world, I am very excited to be a part of the PLA family for my final internship. I will be graduating from Belmont University in May from the Music Business program and I am both nervous and excited for what the future holds! A native Jersey girl, I found my way to Nashville almost four years ago and have been loving every moment in this crazy town! Being at PLA Media has been an amazing experience so far. The entire staff is warm and welcoming and makes me feel like an integral part of the team. I have loved coming into the office these past few weeks and cannot wait to see what PLA has in store for me for the next few months!

A Brief History of Valentine’s Day

The history of Valentine’s Day is shrouded in mystery. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

Some believe Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome who continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret after Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage. Another story claims Valentine fell in love with a young girl while imprisoned. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, the first “valentine” greeting, and signed “From your Valentine,” an expression still used today.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages. The first commercial Valentine’s Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by

Esther A. Howland.