Mini Pizzas

Did someone say healthy pizza??

Thats right! I have the solution to all of your "I want pizza but I'm also on a diet" problems!
I have to credit the idea of this to my friend, registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, Angie Albers. I put my own twist on it and have to say it is now my favorite "cheat" meal!

I was extra hungry after my workout today so I had three, but this recipe is for two!

Directions:

• Split a 100 calorie whole wheat bread thin in half
• Top with marinara 
• Add any veggies you want (I added spinach and kale) 
• Add half of a chicken breast, cut into small pieces 
• Top with mozzarella cheese
• Bake for 6 minutes on 400

And you're finished! So easy and both add up to less than 350 calories! If you go without the chicken, it is less than 250 calories! Talk about a dream come true for pizza lovers everywhere! 

Just for a comparison, if I were to have two slices of my favorite pizza, cheese from Pizza Hut, it would be around 560 calories and have absolutely no benefits! 

Over and out,

Amanda 

SideLine Chic Jersey

Just wanted to write a quick post about my custom SideLine Chic jersey! I have gotten SO many compliments on it, so I just wanted to share some details. Aly Klinzing, a former Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013 helped me design it, and did a wonderful job! She helped me pick out exactly all of the things I wanted it to have, and make it personal to me!
I of course had to make it "Husker" red! I picked the number "14" for the year of my Miss Nebraska USA title. All of the small details I credit to Aly, like the black behind the number, and the white stripe on the sleeves. If you like the jersey, I encourage you to check out SideLine Chic's Facebook page to see all of the other jerseys they have designed and made!

Thank you, SideLine Chic and Aly Klinzing! 

Super Fun Run 5K

Hi Everyone!

It's a rainy Tuesday here in Lincoln, I'm in the middle of my finals week and thought I would take a break to blog about my latest appearance.
On Saturday, I got to do an appearance with my friend, Sammy! Willard Sorority at Wesleyan University put on a 5K called "Super Fun Run," where all of the proceeds went to Sammy's Superheroes. Everyone was to dress up like a superhero and support the fight against childhood cancer!
Sammy was of course in great spirits, even after a really tough week in Chicago. Sammy underwent a radiation treatment which required him to be isolated from even his parents for 4-5 days in a small hospital room. He was actually radioactive, and couldn't interact with his parents for more than 40 minutes a day, combined. Talk about a 6 year old superhero! He was featured on the front page of the Chicago Tribune where they told his story beautifully.

You can read the article HERE. 

Love you, Sammy!

Operation: That's My Dress!

It's Hump Day!

I have a little break in my day so I thought I would post about my amazing weekend!
Last Friday I headed back to New York City for an event called, Operation: That's My Dress! with the USO. It was the fourth Operation: That's My Dress, which is where military families and daughters can pick out a prom dress of their dreams! The dresses were donated by Sherri Hill and amounted to over a million dollars! How awesome is that?!
Over 40 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA titleholders participated in a fashion show to show off all of the gowns, then we paired off with families to help find their perfect dress! It was such a rewarding experience and I had a smile on my face the entire time, as did the girls receiving their Sherri Hill dresses.
Thank you to all of our military and what they do for our country! We would not live the way we do without you.

(The beautiful stage for the runway show)

(The woman behind it all, Sherri Hill!)

(I helped Carlie pick out this gorgeous prom dress! Her dad is currently employed and I am so thankful for his services!) 

(Miss Mississippi USA, Chelsea Reardon and I backstage at the fashion show! Can't forget Brooklynne creeping in the background ;))

(With some of the Robertson family from Duck Dynasty. Sadie walked in the show with us!) 

(I also got to meet the current Miss USA, Erin Brady. She was so genuine and even let me film her sending a messaging to Sammy wishing him well! She has a huge heart.) 

(At the beautiful Chelsea Piers before the event got started with Miss Oklahoma USA, Brooklynne Young and Miss Utah USA, Angie Layton.)

(I roomed with Miss Maryland USA, Taylor Burton for the weekend. The second we met I knew we would have so much fun together. We laughed so hard all weekend. I can't wait for her to come visit Nebraska, and to spend Miss USA with her!) 

(Miss Kansas Teen USA, Claire Lee,  Miss Missouri Teen USA, Samantha Bowers and I went to visit our boss Donald Trump at Trump Tower.) 

(Brooklynne and I during rehearsals)

Here's a quick video showing what the event was like! You might see a familiar face :) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsLnatDJncs

xoxo,

Amanda 

Kandice Pelletier Swimwear

Hi Readers!

I'm so excited to share with you the official swimsuit sponsor of Miss USA this year!

Meet Kandice Pelletier :)

Kandice is a former Miss New York, she was a Radio City Rockette, was on TWO seasons of The Amazing Race, and was a coach on MTV's show Made! Talk about cool experiences! She knows exactly what it takes it make a girl feel beautiful and comfortable on stage in a bikini. I am thrilled to have her be the swimsuit sponsor and I can't wait to rock one of her suits on stage! I know her design is going to be amazing. 

Here are some samples!

For more on what you might see on the Miss USA stage, check out this article! 

Also, you can take a look at her website! 

Don't forget to follow her on Twitter! 

Summer can't come soon enough,

Amanda

UMUGANDA

It's Friday, Friday... gotta get down on Friday!

Ok, I'll stop.
I'm home sick today so I thought I would catch up on some blog posts! Which, by the way, if anyone has any quick cold remedies... send them my way!

Last Saturday was a day called, "Umuganda." It was in remembrance of the Rwandan Genocide 20 years ago. Every year, Rwandans get together to do some sort of act of kindness to better their community. This year, the Miss Universe Organization, along with Same Sky, asked if each contestant would support this effort to show them that we care. Why? Because we all live under the same sky! Pretty cool if you ask me.

I spent my morning baking 70+ cookies to bring to the People's City Mission in Lincoln. If you aren't familiar with the People's City Mission, they are a witness for Christ among the poor and homeless around Lincoln. If you are homeless, or just need a place to stay for awhile, they will welcome you with open arms and provide shelter, food, and good company. 
They were very grateful to receive the cookies and I was so grateful I could do something for them, no matter how small!

After I did my act of kindness, I challenged my friends and family to do something too! I was so happy with the way you all responded to my challenge and how you Tweeted or Facebooked me to show me what you did. Here are some of the pictures you sent! 

(Debbie Huber sent this picture via Facebook and said she cleaned her neighbors gutter AND paid for someone's coffee! Way to go Debbie!)

(Alexis Vercher "paid it forward" by paying for the coffee of the couple in the car behind her! Great idea! She sent this picture via Twitter.) 

(Angie Albers tweeted this picture to me. She chose to give away some pieces of clothing she doesn't wear anymore to her city's mission! I'm sure they were thrilled! Thanks Angie!)

(Emily Poeschl sent this photo via Twitter. She dropped off NINE bags of clothing to Goodwill in Omaha. Wow! That was so nice of you!) 

(My little sister, Savannah, decided to write letter to soldiers to thank them for their services, and give them her support! You have a big heart! She sent this to me on Facebook.)

(Jasmine Fuelberth, who is a former Miss Nebraska Teen USA 2013, wrote this nice message to the cleaning staff at the hotel she was staying at! Something so simple probably meant a lot to them! She sent this to me via Twitter.) 

(Jessica Soto tweeted this picture to me. She gave these people a nice surprise when she picked up their tabs in California! I bet they were so thankful! Good job Jess!)

(Megan Bresson sent me this picture via Twitter. She picked up some doggy toys to take the the Humane Society! Her dog, Nix, went along to give the items to his furry friends! So cute.) 

(Last but not least, Natalie Threlkeld sent this to me on Twitter. She left a very generous tip for her waitress after her meal! What a great act of kindness!)

THANK YOU everyone who participated and made this event such a success! I loved seeing all of the creative things you did, and what the other titleholders did to show we care! We may not all have the same circumstances going on in our lives, but we are all connected because... we all live under the SAME SKY. 

XOXO,

Amanda 

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Hey Everyone!

I just spent the most amazing 3 days in Las Vegas! It was great to be in the warm weather and get away from freezing Nebraska!
My mom had a work trip, so my best friend, Natalie, and I went along so that I could do a photo shoot with Georgina Vaughan. I have admired her work for awhile now and jumped at the opportunity to shoot with her! The experience was everything I thought it would be... and more! We had such a blast and she truly made me feel fabulous. I can't wait to see the pictures!

Here are some behind the scenes photos: 

 (I got to put on my state dress from Sherri Hill again!) 

 (Um, how do I get this in my closet?! Amazing) 

(Swimsuit from Forever 21) 

 (With the absolutely talented, Georgina Vaughan) 

(And, what would I have done without Ashley's help and Panera run?!) 

Thank you Georgina for such a great day! Also, thank you for you advice and our many laughs. I'm so glad I made the trip out to meet and work with you. I hope to do it again someday! Xoxo <3

After my shoot, I was able to get together with the beautiful Miss Nevada USA, Nia Sanchez. It was so kind of her to set up a great dinner at Rockhouse at the Palazzo Hotel. A huge thank you to Rockhouse for the comped meal and amazing service, food, and drinks! Nia has such a huge heart and such a positive outlook on life. We laughed so hard throughout dinner! I can't wait to stand next to each other in the line up at Miss USA and keep making memories and laughing even more! Can't wait to see her again. 

(Nia and I inside Rockhouse) 

(How cute were our drinks?! Our straws are from StrawEnvy!) 

(What a nice view of the Vegas Strip! Romper from ANGL) 

XOXO,

   Amanda 

Best Buddies Talent Show

Happy Sunday!

Today, I had the opportunity to be a "celebrity" judge at the Best Buddies Talent Show at Creighton University! There were 14 acts who performed either solo or with a partner. There was everything from singing, guitar playing, dancing, basketball tricks, reading, and piano playing! I had a blast watching the contestants show off their best skills up on the stage! You couldn't help but clap along and smile from ear to ear the whole time :) 

Here are some pictures from the event! 

(The whole group) 

 (The first place winners! They performed a dance number together.) 

(Justin got third place for his piano rendition of the Star Spangled Banner) 

Thank you, Creighton, for having me!

Sammy's Superheroes

I thought I would do one more post for the night, explaining exactly why pediatric cancer research and funding is so important to me... 

Meet Sammy Nahorny!

Sammy is a 6-year-old family friend of mine, who is currently battling Neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor of the adrenal system. Sammy has done multiple rounds of chemotherapy and has had multiple surgeries since 2012. In August of 2012, some of the Nahorny's closest friends started a non-profit organization, called Sammy's Superheroes, to raise funding for all kinds of childhood cancer research. In the process of looking at organizations to donate to, they were shocked by some of the statistics they found. 

For example: 

One thing I've noticed as I've gotten more involved with pediatric cancer research awareness is that unless you know someone personally going through it, you don't really realize it's going on, and what it entails. Those statistics are shocking, and you CAN make a difference! 

Sammy's Superheroes continues to get bigger and bigger. In fact, they recently donated their first big check to a research project at the University of Chicago! 

$50,000! 

Many of my appearances have dealt with how I can help in the fight against cancer and childhood cancer. Every interview I have done, I've added in Sammy's Superheroes however I can. Getting the word out is key! Here are a few of the interviews that are accessible online. 

Critical Beauty  and Inspirational Ladies: Click in to read! 

I wear my Sammy's Superheroes bracelet every single day, if I can't wear it, I put it in my pocket. I've even put in in my high heels!

I have multiple Sammy's Superheroes shirts, that I wear often. When I went to Chicago with my pageant sisters, I brought them all shirts and sent a picture to Sammy, showing him our support in his fight! It meant the world to me to see them care so much about someone they have never met. Brooklynne, Miss Oklahoma USA, has posted pictures of her wearing her shirt even after the trip. That is amazing to me. Spreading the word across the country is great! 

If you are interested in learning more about Sammy's Superheroes, you can head to their website, www.sammyssuperheroes.org or their Facebook page. If you want to buy a shirt, bracelet, or any other apparel, PLEASE don't hesitate to contact me! The easiest way is by emailing: missneusa2014@gmail.com

I have some cool events coming up that I will get to do WITH Sammy. Be on the look out for them! 

I hope after reading this, you will be motivated to make a difference and stand up to cancer! Join the fight and GO GOLD!