Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sarah Phelan grew up in the small town of Mossyrock, nestled in the mountains of western Washington. She came to Pullman as a scholarship recipient to attend WSU. She graduated in 2015 with a BS in psychology and thoroughly enjoyed her anthropology classes the most.
Following graduation, Sarah was happy to accept a job offer right here on the Palouse, where she is currently employed by Whitman County Library and serves as the public services librarian. She loves her job and smiles as she states that "waking up in the morning to go to work is a pleasure and something that she looks forward to."
Some hobbies that Sarah enjoys are playing volleyball, spending time with her dog at the dog park, playing board games, reading books and listening to as many audio books as possible. Every year, usually in August, Sarah tries to go to a different national park. It is her favorite time of the year. She enjoys hiking and camping. This year she traveled to Glacier National Park with her boyfriend, Cody. Sarah has also been to the North Cascades, Yellowstone, Denali, Mt. Rainier, Zion and the Grand Canyon. She looks forward to adding to that list.
While attending college, Sarah took the opportunity to study abroad and went to the Netherlands. While there, she studied cultural psychology, among other classes, where she was exposed to a completely different method of teaching which required a lot more independent work and a new set of study skills. Sarah spent six months in Amsterdam and enjoyed the active lifestyle, including bike riding and visiting a vast array of museums, including the home of Anne Frank. When Sarah wasn't studying, she spent her spare time traveling by Megabus to Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece and Bulgaria. She enjoyed amenities that were offered in Europe such as hostels that were priced at $7 a night that made traveling possible for a college student.
Since graduating, Sarah has grown to love the Palouse even more. She loves the combination of rolling hills, farm lands, beautiful mountains and scenery within reach. Sarah said that she would advise students who are just starting out at WSU to get familiar with the outlying communities and take part in activities like Haunted Palouse, hiking Kamiak Butte, exploring Elk River Falls and enjoying the variety of small towns. She would also counsel college students to start searching job boards in the areas they are interested in living after graduating and seeing what jobs and requirements are in those areas. Sarah said she has personally learned the value of researching those employment opportunities and can see how studying those things prior to or during college years can help guide educational pursuits.
Recipes
Peanut Butter Pie
1 package Oreo cookies
1 stick butter, melted
1 stick butter, softened
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
Finely crush an entire package of whole Oreos in a food processor or blender. Don't scrape out the middle! You could also do this in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Combine the crushed Oreos with melted butter. Stir well to coat all the crumbs. Pour the crumbs into the bottom of a pie pan and firmly press into the bottom and sides. You can even make it in an 8x8 inch baking dish, making it easier to cut into squares and serve at a party. If you're making it in an 8x8 dish, line the pan with foil (so it will come out easier) and press the crumbs only into a bottom layer. Use a glass to make pressing the crust into the bottom and sides of the pie plate easier. Once done with the crust, pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add peanut butter, powdered sugar and softened butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until smooth and creamy. Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the crust into a smooth layer and place back in the freezer.
Now, if you just want a perfect peanut butter pie, you could stop right here. This easy peanut butter pie is amazing. But, if you want to send it over the top and make it a chocolate peanut butter pie, here's what you do. (continue to Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Recipe adapted from KevinandAmanda.com
Place one cup chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate) and two tablespoons of peanut butter in a large glass (or heat-proof) bowl. In a saucepan, bring a half-cup of heavy whipping cream to a rolling simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and peanut butter and let sit for five minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate layer over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate, covered, at least one hour until ready to serve. Optionally, freeze for 15-20 minutes to speed up the process.
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