Empty Chairs

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.....

Well, next to MY birthday which I think should be a national holiday! :)  Thanksgiving has always been special to me.  Mostly because there is no expectation.  There is no stress of if someone would like the gift I had chosen for them or if I forgot anyone.  It always was just a great time to hang with my family.  Though my family is far from perfect, my sisters are amazing people and I absolutely love visiting with them, and my brother keeps us laughing.

My earliest Thanksgiving memories were those at my grandmother's house.  She would let me sit on a stool by the stove or on the cabinet and watch her cook.  She rarely had a recipe and was one of the most amazing cooks ever!  There were 2 tables in her kitchen and a buffet (which is now at my house).  The tables were full of food and the buffet filled with desserts; more desserts than we could ever eat at one meal.  Once my grandfather passed away and my grandmother moved in with my parents, Thanksgiving was celebrated at my parent's house.  My grandmother was aging and sat a lot and did much of the prep work because she had to be involved in making the meal.  My mom took over and was an equally a fantastic cook.  Looking across the tables, it was evident the chairs that were empty.  My grandfather's chair, my uncle's chair who had died years earlier in a car accident and my dad's parents were not there.  We learned to make new memories.  At that time I never realized how those empty chairs effected my parents and how heavy their hearts must have been missing parents.  Then, 3 years ago my dad passed away.  My sister hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas the next two years.  Through forced smiles and making the day special for my nieces and nephews, the realization that we were growing up and our parents growing older and passing on was hit in our faces.  My dad's empty chair continues to be the most difficult to see.  Someone very close and special wrote me an email that year that my dad passed away and told me he was praying for my family and me.  He said that he knew that holiday season would be different but that God could work in the differences too.  Everything was different that year.  Along with the empty chairs of those who had passed on, my middle sister's family was in Germany and couldn't come home.  We Skyped them, but it wasn't the same.... more empty chairs.  We made it through and continued to make new memories.  Last year, I met the most wonderful man who offered to have my whole clan over for the holiday.  It was my first Thanksgiving to host and cook.  I have to say I was more than a little nervous.  I had a lot to live up to with the feasts that had been prepared in the past.  This helped my oldest sister out too so she only hosted 1 dinner (Christmas) and not 2.  It was successful and I think it's a new tradition now.

I will never forget those that I love whose chairs now sit empty at our table.  Yet, I am so thankful for the added chairs that have come to our table.  This year Steve's parents live close by and were able to join us and Steve's step-dad's parents joined us as well.  

The holidays bring such mixed emotions for people.  There was a time when I absolutely wanted to pull the covers over my head the months of November/December.  I am thankful for every person that fills a chair around the family feast.  I am grateful for the unconditional love they have for me.  I am overjoyed that I have an awesome man who loves me and helps make my holidays merry and bright.  Everyone has empty chairs at their tables.  We could all focus on that and forever be heartbroken.  For me, it's the added chairs that teach that life continues on.  This year, may you fondly remember those whose chairs are now empty but moreover, celebrate those added chairs to your holiday table.
 

Hamburger Steak ---- so good!

This is a recipe from "Allrecipes.com".  I found it browsing Pinterest - of course.  I make it regularly.  It is very flavorful and rarely do I have leftovers of this meal.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon cooking sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
  
  
  
  
  1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into 8 balls, and flatten into patties.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties and onion in the oil until patties are nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the beef patties to a plate, and keep warm.
  3. Sprinkle flour over the onions and drippings in the skillet. Stir in flour with a fork, scraping bits of beef off of the bottom as you stir. Gradually mix in the beef broth and sherry. Season with seasoned salt. Simmer and stir over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Turn heat to low, return patties to the gravy, cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Toffee, Tea or Me? :)

In the summer and early fall there is a Farmer's Market on our town's square.

   It has great vendors and I love it because it is all locally grown veges.  It totally reminds me of my childhood when my parents and grandparents had gardens.  We had fresh vegetables all the time.  So Steve and I are wondering around and came upon a toffee vendor.  Steve loved it and I thought, I bet I can make it.  I haven't totally mastered just the perfect texture - it's just a LITTLE too chewy but I'm no the right track. :)

I found this recipe and it is awesome.  I only use almonds and not walnuts.  I'm thinking I should try cashews one of these days.

Fuji Nana’s Deadly Chocolate Almond Toffee

http://www.lafujimama.com/2008/11/fuji-nanas-deadly-chocolate-almond/

Fuji Nana

1 c. unblanched whole almonds

1 c. butter

1 c. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. real milk-chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 to 1 c. finely chopped or ground walnuts

1. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet over an area measuring 12×7 inches; set aside.

2. Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a clean, dry, wooden spoon until butter is melted. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 to 7 minutes or until candy is color of unblanched almonds. Immediately pour candy, without scraping pan, over almonds, covering all nuts. Cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat or in the microwave oven for 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is soft enough to stir smooth. Make sure to stir often so it does not burn. Spread chocolate mixture over cooled toffee and sprinkled with walnuts. Let cool until chocolate has hardened, then break into serving-size pieces. 

             Truly DELICIOUS!!!

Three Meat and Cabbage Dish

I truly was looking to see what in the world I could cook for dinner.  I just pulled some things out and this is what I came up with.  It was good, and  I will make it again!

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cabbage (or more if you prefer)

6 slices bacon

1 package of Eckridge Sausage

1 lb. hamburger meat

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 onion sliced

pepper

seasoning salt

velveeta

Directions:

Cook hamburger meat.  Add sausage until warmed.  Drain meat and clean skillet.  Set aside.  Cook bacon in large skillet. Remove and sit aside.   Keep generous amount of bacon grease in the skillet.  Cook onion slices, cabbage and mushrooms in bacon grease until soft.Use a generous amount of pepper and seasoning salt to taste.  Add hamburger and sausage back to skillet and mix together.  Pour mixture into a baking dish.  Add velveeta to top and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until cheese is well melted.   It was a hit!

Option:  If you like more of a casserole - add a can of cream of mushroom soup to the meat and cabbage mixture before pouring it into the baking dish.

Lemon Berry Sweet Rolls

Thanks the Pioneer Woman, I mixed part of her recipe with part of mine to make this delicious breakfast treat.  I poured a basic powered sugar glaze on top for complete perfection.

Yeast Rolls

3/4 cup Shortening
1 cup scalded mild
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 cup cold water
2 eggs- beaten- add to 1 cup cold water
6-7 cups flour (all purpose)
3 pkg dry yeast - dissolved in 1/2 cup lukewarm water
(see my previous post with cinnamon rolls for tips for making sure yeast is active)

I mixed all the other ingredients together and added the yeast mixture.  Put in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours(covered).  I took 1/2 the dough and rolled it out on a lightly floured service.
 
Filling:
 1 stick Butter 
 3/4 cups Sugar 
 2 whole Lemons, Zested 
 2 cups (Heaping) Fresh Blueberries

Melt butter and pour over dough.  Mix sugar and lemon zest together and sprinkle over melted butter.  Sprinkle blueberries evenly over dough.  Using the farthest side from you, bring start rolling the dough and sealing the seams. Cut into slices and add to a buttered dish.  Let rise for about 30 more minutes.  I didn't bake mine until morning so I let them rise in the refrigerator (covered) and let set out for 30 minutes before cooking in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until nice and golden brown.

Glaze:

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk (more if needed)

(you can add 1 tsp vanilla or lemon juice for a little extra something)

Mix milk into sugar, 1 Tbs at a time, if needed to achieve desired consistency.
Add flavoring if desired.
Drizzle on desired product.

ENJOY!!!

Why yes!!! I did make HOMEMADE BREAD!!!

I have tried several times over the years to make bread and it was an epic FAIL each time.  Of course I knew why!  I always killed the yeast because I would get the water too hot.  Finally, I gave up and just resigned myself to never making the delicious homemade rolls that a dear lady always served on her Sunday night family dinners.  I woke up this past week-end and thought, "I'm going to try to make some rolls."  Now, I did a little reading this time and tried to get some "expert's" tips on being a successful bread maker and I can FINALLY say that I made bread and it was GOOD!! I made rolls with 1/2 of the recipe (froze some of them) and then made cinnamon rolls for my fellow 4th grade teachers.  It was a TOTAL hit!  Below is the recipe for the bread and the filling and icing for the cinnamon rolls.

Yeast Rolls

3/4 cup Shortening
1 cup scalded mild
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 cup cold water
2 eggs- beaten- add to 1 cup cold water
6-7 cups flour (all purpose)
3 pkg dry yeast - dissolved in 1/2 cup lukewarm water

The first thing I did was to dissolve the yeast into cold water.  I then added 3 tsp. sugar to activate the yeast and let sit for 10 minutes (per what I learned while reading online)

This is what the yeast mixture looks like when it is active--- frothy and bubbly

Since I knew my problem was always killing the yeast, I did this first before I wasted any of the other ingredients.

I mixed all the other ingredients together and added the yeast mixture.  Put in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours(covered).  Pinch off amount you want to serve.  Make into rolls- then cover- Let rise 3-4 hours.  Bake at 400 degrees until brown.

**Dough will keep well up to one week in the refrigerator well covered.

 For Cinnamon Rolls:

After leaving in the refrigerator for 3 hours, I took 1/2 of the dough mixture and rolled out on a lightly floured surface.  Melt 1/2 stick of butter.  Brush butter onto rolled out dough.  Mix the filling together and spread on top of the butter. (save a little butter to brush the top of the roll and bottom of the pan)

FILLING:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon (or more based on taste)
1 tsp vanilla (I never usually measure because I LOVE vanilla in recipes)

Roll up the dough and pinch seams together.

Put a little of the melted on the bottom of the pan or whatever you are baking the rolls in.

Arrange your cinnamon rolls for baking.  If you aren't going to bake immediately.  You can refrigerate. Brush rolls lightly on top of each with the butter. When ready to bake, take out of refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

**Picture before baked

For extra YUMMINESS (and calories) I added Cream Cheese icing on top.

ICING:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Enjoy --- then go run! :)

STUFFED BANANA PEPPERS

This is a recipe that I tweaked from my stuffed bell pepper recipe.  I have made these 2 times this summer and it has been a HIT with the man!  I hope you enjoy!

 STUFFED BANANA PEPPERS

INGREDIENTS:
2 large boneless,skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. Italian Dressing
salt
pepper
oregano
4-5 large banana peppers
1/2 cup cooked rice
2- 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 TB olive oil
diced onion (1/3 cup approx)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Cut chicken breast into strips.  Put in a container and add salt, pepper, oregano, and Italian dressing.  Cover and marinate in refrigerator for an hour.  If you don't have time to marinate, it will be fine.  I just like the flavors to sit for a while.

 

 2.  Once chicken is ready to cook, add olive oil to skillet and saute diced onion and minced garlic cloves.  Add chicken and cook fully.  While chicken is cooking I begin cooking the rice.

 

3.  Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from pan to cool enough to handle, then shred.

4.  Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan (more if needed).  Add banana peppers and boil for about 15 minutes or until tender.

5.  Add cooked rice, tomato sauce and water to skillet and cook on medium heat.(The onion and garlic should remain in skillet)  I add a little oregano, salt, and pepper to this mixture as well.  When mixture gets warm, add chicken back in and let mixture heat thoroughly.

6.  Cut off tops of peppers and then cut in half.  Remove seeds.  The peppers are hot (heat) so be careful.  Line the bottom of a baking dish with the pepper halves.

7.  Pour chicken mixture on top of peppers.  (I used to actually fill each pepper, but it became too tedious so it was easier to pour it on more like a casserole)

8.  Top with desired amount of cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I usually serve with green beans or a green salad.  It's de-lish!!!

Enjoying the Summer

I haven't even had one second to catch up on my blog this past month.  I have been busy directing our annual summer children's musical at Rockwall Community Playhouse.  Our production was Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel.  It was such a cute show and a talented cast!  I was so proud of them.

I also taught summer school and even though it was only 11 days - it was LOOOOOOONNNNNGGG!  But now everything ended and July has been back to cooking (which I will post later) and relaxing at the pool --- when I'm not working at the theatre (volunteer).  I am training for a 10K.  The theatre is hosting a fundraiser 5K fun run.  I am so excited and will post pictures!  If you are in my area and reading this - just go to www.rockwallcommunityplayhouse.org to register.  It's GLOWING to be great!!!

Sweet Sesame Chicken

 Sweet Sesame Chicken

I thought this was a really good recipe and pretty easy as well!  Happy Cooking!!!

 

 

 (Don't look at the scratched up plate I put it on.... I just wanted to post the final product and didn't pay attention to the plate! LOL)

 

 

* Adapted from the Food Network recipe

Ingredients

3 large raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into nuggets
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
4 tablespoon cornstarch
6 tablespoons pancake syrup
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
4 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon reduced-sodium or lite soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon crushed garlic
4 teaspoon sesame seeds

2 cups broccoli florets (or more if desired)
 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set it aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in a bowl with egg substitute. Toss to coat and set aside.

Put flour in another bowl. One at a time, use a fork or tongs to transfer chicken "nuggets" to the flour bowl, allowing excess egg substitute to drain back into the egg bowl. Thoroughly coat the chicken with flour and then transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining flour and chicken.

Bake the chicken in the oven until fully cooked. I lightly sprayed the top of the chicken with oil to "crisp" up the chicken a bit.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine broth with cornstarch in a nonstick skillet and whisk to dissolve. Set stove to medium-low heat. Add syrup, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Add broccoli.  Mix well. I also added a little more salt and pepper to taste here.  Stirring often, cook until it's thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat. Add chicken and toss to coat.

Plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Serve over rice.  This recipe would serve 5-6.

Who's In Control???

Well, I am officially embarking in changes to my life.  I have received my certification for Education Administration and have started sending my resume out.  I had an interview at a great school with great leadership for an assistant principal position.  Due to testing and the principal being out of town I have had to wait about 3 weeks for a decision.  It's been a great experience for me.  I should start by saying that I am NOT a patient person and waiting absolutely kills me.  I think God took this as a great "teachable moment" as we educators like to call them. :)  I had a little meltdown a week or so ago because I felt totally out of control in the plans of my life.  I felt like my boyfriend has my marital status in his control and my interviewers have my career future in their control.  It wasn't pretty and I was having a little tantrum with God.  It was kind of funny, because it just took a moment of me getting quiet and to quit stomping my feet that I heard that little "whisper".  I felt like God was saying, "Stacey, that is so cute that you think you are EVER in control!" (with a little pat on the back).  In that moment, I gave it all back to HIM knowing that his plans were far greater than anything I could plan for myself.  My heart was still and at peace knowing it's already taken care of.  I'm not sure what it is but HE does and that's enough.  So tomorrow I should find out if I got the job that I interviewed for.  The boyfriend---- it will be a little longer but he is definitely worth waiting for.  No matter how any of those things turn out, what I do know is that my heavenly father has got me in his hands and will provide.  I may not understand sometimes and I can guarantee that I won't always be patient but I do know who is in control--- and it's NOT me! :)

I will update on the job search.  IT'S ALL GOOD - no matter the outcome!!

Matthew 6:34 

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Proverbs 19:21 

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Improving the Poolside View.....

My love has a wonderful pool in his backyard.  The yard needed some love!I saw this on Pinterest months ago and was saving it knowing this would definitely be my first project to making his backyard a little more picturesque.

 

 This was the beginning.  I used 15 cinder blocks that we bought at Lowes for $1.34 each.  I used 11 plants which I purchased at various places.  We used a sheet of pavers (rubber) and Steve cut them to fit in the blocks for a bottom.

 I tried to use a variety of colors plus I planted some basil, cilantro, and mint because I love fresh herbs!  This is the top blocks.

The final product after watering!  I was so happy with the outcome.  There is a small flower bed to the right of this that I added 2 rose bushes to the elephant ears that are randomly blooming and some monkey grass along the edges.  I added some river rocks to form a border.  Also added some other touches of love around the yard.  There is still quite a bit to do but we have made a good start! :)

Serving Up Idioms.....

Idioms can be difficult for my students.  It was funny to hear their discussions over all the sayings and thoughts as to what they meant.  It amazed me how many idioms the kids had never heard before.  Once we started studying them - they were on a scavenger hunt and during lessons they would say, "That was an idiom" or when they were reading a book, they would bring me an idiom that was in their book.  I love to see them excited over learning and finding what they are learning in their real every day worlds.

This was one of our assignments.  I think they did great!

I got the idea from another "Pinterest" user.  Students had the idiom on the back of the plate and wrote what it meant.  Then on the front of the plate, they drew their version of the literal meaning.  They  used the "napkin" to write a scenario using the idiom in context so that anyone reading it could use the clues to come up with the correct meaning.  On the front of the folded 1/2 sheet of paper was an image of a fork and knife as you can see in the first picture!

Lightening Up....

Well, Steve says that my cooking is so good that he has gained too much weight.  I don't cook totally high calorie but he says it's the portion control he has issue with! LOL  I personally would like to lose this last 10 pounds so we are making some simple changes first.  I am cutting out my sweet tea (my vice) and he is cutting back on sodas (which he drinks WAY too much of) and replacing with water.  We also started "Meatless Mondays" for dinner. Tonight I made a simple vege stir fry with brown rice.  I bought frozen stir fry but only with veges - no other ingredients.  I did use a bottled teriyaki sauce instead of making my own because I didn't have all of the ingredients to make it tonight but that will be something I make up for future use.  I am also using my "Lose It" app on my phone to track my calorie intake.  I was a little over budget today but I thought I needed to get rid of the remainder of the Girl Scout cookies in the box that was already open! hehe.....

Next week I  am going to make cheese & onion enchiladas.  I had to do a lot of searching on Pinterest trying to come up with great "meatless" recipes.  I'll keep you posted on the progress of our small changes.  We may have to step it up.  I am trying to get back into my running and prepare for a 10K!!  Steve is in the middle of a show right now and is having a hard time getting to the gym so we shall see if the food intake makes a difference.  I am also trying to cook my other week-day meals a lot lighter and then I plan to make a favorite dish on the week-end.  My "Lose It" app says I am to lose 2 lbs per week and have a goal of May 20th to have this accomplished.  It's a goal..... it's now written down for anyone to see...... so now I feel really accountable to get it done!  I will keep the posting on the progress! :)

Cheeseburger Casserole - TASTES JUST LIKE MCDONALD'S CHEESEBURGERS!

As you may know I love to try new recipes.  For the most part I have been successful.  Very few I have just put in the trash!  Typically I can tell by the ingredients of a recipe if it would be my cup of tea or not.  When I saw this post on Pinterest fromhttp://asimplelifeinspired.blogspot.com/ I was curious and wondered if this recipe REALLY was like a McD's cheeseburger and it SO was and super easy too!  This is what it looked like piping hot out of the oven.

Here's the Recipe:

Cheeseburger Casserole:

1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 - 1.5 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cups Cheddar cheese, sliced or grated (more if you want)
1 can 8 oz can Crescent Roll
1 Tbsp Milk
1 - 2  tablespoon sesame seeds

Brown beef with onion.  I always drain my meat - then add chopped dill pickles.  I added a little salt and pepper too.  Then add water, ketchup, mustard.  Mix together well and then put mixture in a 9x9 casserole dish. Make a single layer of cheese over the meat mixture.  Then unroll the tube of crescent rolls and pinch seams together and form over cheese or you can use a rolling pin and roll it out.  I left a little opening on the side for steam to escape or you can make a few slices across the top.  Brush milk on top of crescent roll and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown.  I let mine sit for just a few minutes out of the oven.

It was a total hit with the boyfriend and his son - who hates McDonald's food by the way - said this dish was "seriously good"!  Of course I just told him it was a cheeseburger casserole and didn't mention that it tasted just like McD's or maybe he wouldn't have even tried it! LOL

 

Can You Paint With All the Colors of the Wind.....

Yesterday (4/6/13) my sister, Donna and I met up with some of her co-workers to participate in the COLOR RUN at Fair Park, Dallas.  It started out to be a bit chilly but was perfect once the run started.  We decided to park downtown where my sister works - free parking after all! Then we would catch the train and ride to Fair Park.  Well, this was my first adventure on the train and apparently a few other people had our brilliant idea too because the train was packed and so were the stations along the way.

The official start time for the race was 8 a.m. but there were so many people (and we were close to the front) that we didn't even get started until close to 8:30 and there were people behind us as far as we could see.
We had to take some before shots while waiting for the train to arive:

There was a homeless man that was entertaining everyone by giving a play by play of the group of girls that were standing beside us and what they were doing while waiting for the train.  It was pretty funny.

The run was great.  It was hard to tell exactly what my time was because when you got to the mile and 1/2 mile markers is where you would get "colored".  There was a lot of congestion at these stops but everyone was having the best time - you didn't even care how long it was taking (and really not long at all - just a matter of walking instead of running at those points)

So we all met up at the finish line to look like this:

We were all given a packet of "paint" to throw at the finish line but I saved mine until Donna got there and the wind kind of carried it away but it was fun. 

As I was running, I was so overwhelmed that I was actually doing this.  I had said for about 3 years, I was going to run and never stuck with it.  It's so amazing to accomplish a goal!  Now, I will be training for a 10K and working toward that.  I told Donna that I can't imagine running for an hour at a time, but there was a time not so long ago that I couldn't imagine running 30 minutes at a time and I'm DOING IT!!!  I want to always keep challenging myself - just as I teach my 4th graders.  It's not enough JUST to reach a goal - no matter how sweet - it's about "WOW- what can I do next?"

Greatest Failures Are My Greatest Lessons

This is my 10th school year in the classroom.  It's amazing to think of the students that have entered my classroom and how I have kept in touch with many of them.  The seeds that are planted and then irrigated with tears  (both mine and theirs) have made me and hopefully those kids better people today.  I love teaching because of the artistry of the craft that completely engulfs all of my creative juices.  I also love teaching because everyday is an opportunity to make a difference in some one's life.  Teaching is a career that more times than not, you don't get to witness the full growth of the work you put in.  I teach 4th grade so there is a lot of growing and other influences for my students until they graduate.  I have been so very honored to be chosen as a "Most Influential Teacher" to one of my students in 2011.  Kortney was a student of mine my very first year in the classroom.  Even though I thought (and still do) that my college program prepared me well -- what I learned is nothing can truly prepare you for all that is the classroom! :)  I joked with her and told her that I hoped I taught her well since I was so GREEN in my career when I had her.  She told me that she didn't remember anything in particular that she learned in 5th grade, but she remembered that I made her feel special everyday.  I'm getting chills just typing this and thinking about her.  This year another one of my former students (who is a junior this year) has chosen me as a teacher to be recognized at her softball banquet.  I am so honored that through all the wonderful teachers and coaches that these students have encountered that somehow I  made a lasting impact on their lives.

I feel like I do a great job at connecting and building relationships with my students though I realize it is hard to make a connection with every student for various reasons, but I still try.  The greatest lesson has been the 1 student I KNOW that I didn't capture his heart and it still haunts me today.  His name was Charlie.  My first year of teaching I finished my student teaching being a long term sub for a teacher in 5th grade math (where I taught Kortney) and then graduated in December.  There was an opening in the same building in 4th grade so I took that job. (I love how God works things out)  That was a harder semester because those kids had bonded with the teacher that was there the first semester and my classroom was structured very differently from hers. It was a hard adjustment, but I think we managed pretty well----except for Charlie.  Well, first let me say that I am a red head with the stereotypical hot headed attitude.  I hadn't taught long enough to learn to NOT let the kids push my buttons and if they did you certainly don't let them see it!  Charlie found out quickly how to push them and did on a daily basis.  No matter how much I thought, "I am going to get along with Charlie today,"  typically that was a fleeting thought for it was a matter of walking in the door and it was on - for both of us.  The next year a student asked if I knew Charlie and I said yes.  The student said laughing - he didn't like you, did he?  AND... continued on to say, "and you didn't like him either, did you?"

It was that moment that my heart was broken.  We all know that there are people (of all ages) that are harder to love than others but I made it obvious to this child that I was not invested in him. Now that I have had more experiences, I wonder what made Charlie defy authority so much?  What was going on at home?  Could I have made a difference?  These are questions that will forever swim around in my head and never have the answers to.  Charlie has taught me to stop and look at my students when they are constantly trying to push my buttons.  I have learned to react less and observe more. 

So, my greatest failure with Charlie has probably become my greatest victory to many other "Charlies" I have encountered over the years.  As you can see, I often wonder about Charlie.  He would have graduated in 2012.  I wonder what he will make out of his life.  I hope he has the brightest of futures but most of all I hope that another teacher - at least one- captured Charlie's heart in a way that I didn't.  To Charlie - I am sorry but I also say thank you for making me a better teacher and person.

Run like the wind....or more of a light breeze in my case!

I went through my blog to see what all I had posted since I started in the summer and really didn't pick it up again until recently.  I loved reading my first post about training for my first 5K.  My friend, Angelee, and I worked 4 sometimes 5 days a week training to run an entire 5K.  I remember the first week of interval runs where we thought we could never run for 3 straight minutes, then 5, then 8 and then 20?  Are you kidding?  But the most amazing thing happened.....WE DID IT!!!

My first run was the Glow Run in Dallas in August.  The fear was how hot it is even at 8 p.m. in Texas but the park had a nice breeze that kept the heat down somewhat.  Angelee was unable to make the run but some other co-workers ran and the best part was my niece ran with me and encouraged me the entire time to keep running and NOT stop or walk.  It was also cool to see everyone "glowing".  We finished and was so excited until Taren said her ap calculated only 2.3 miles!  MAN!  But we went for snacks and a margarita afterwards so it was fine! :)

I was determined to run a full 5K!  So, Mary, Crystal and I signed up for the 9/11 Heroes Run at the same spot as my first run.  This time is was a full 5K and I ran every bit of it.  The men and women that serve our country every day were my inspiration to keep going when I felt like my legs could not take one more stride.  There were moments I slowed down but I was determined to run (and I use that term loosely) the entire way and you can see my excitement as I came up to the finish line.  The was a little more special because my sister's brother in law lost his life while serving in Afghanistan.  I am wearing a shirt with his picture on it.

I didn't have a run in October but was signed up for our city's Turkey Trot to benefit our DI (Destination Imagination) teams in the district.  It was a good run but I had to do a lot of self talk and turn up the radio to keep going.  I find the first mile and the last 1/2 mile the toughest and I know it is all mental!!  I try to make sure my playlist has the most upbeat songs during that time to keep my mind occupied on anything other than running! :)  Of course we treated ourselves to Mimosas and brunch after the early morning COLD run.

I had to leave my headband on because my friend, Morgan Power, said my hair looked bad for pictures! LOL.

I HATE running in cold weather so I didn't run much in December - February and every so smartly, I signed up for a run in Rockwall in Feburary.  It was for a great cause so I can't be upset about that but.... having not run for consistently for a couple of months and hardly EVER (if ever) running on inclines.... OH.MY.WORD.  About mile 2 my butt was cramping so bad.  I refused to stop but my pace was considerably slower than ever.  My wonderful Steve was at the finish line to cheer me on.  I saw him and told him that I was struggling.  He ran the last tenth of a mile with me. :)  He's a keeper.  So.... needless to say - there are NO pictures of that race.

The next race I am signed up for is the Color Run in Dallas.  I'll be doing that with my sister and the other hundreds of people in the DFW area on April 6th.  I will have pictures of that event to post!

If nothing else, this journey of running has showed me that I can do anything when I put my mind to it.  The end result may seem daunting but taking it step by step keeps the ultimate goal from seeming so overwhelming.  This has been a great life lesson for me.  And my legs have gotten pretty shapely to boot!!

Wine Tasting - Grapevine, TX

Since I am always the planner, I looked at the list of wineries that we (Whitney, Rob, Steve & I) didn't get to on our last trip. There are 7 and we STILL have not visited them all.  I should preface this whole wine tasting thing to say that I know nothing about REAL wine tasting and all the things a true wine connoisseur would know.  I just know what I like - which is usually white and sweet. :)

Our first stop was Delaney Vineyards.    http://www.delaneyvineyards.com/

The fellas were ready to go but Whit and I wanted to take pictures!  There are vineyards to the left of the entrance and inside is beautiful.  We did the tasting which was $10 per person for 5 tastings of which were predetermined.  It was a nice variety and there were a couple I enjoyed.

The lady that was helping us with our tasting was so funny and personable.  It made the experience perfect.

I was glad we arrived when we did because (if you can tell in the background) they were getting ready for a wedding in a few hours.  It was simple yet lovely.  I tried to have Steve take his picture with me under the lighted archway in the middle of the wedding scene but he said he would need more wine! LOL!  Someday..... so we just took one at the bar!

We didn't stay for the tour but that comes with the tasting fee.  I'm sure we will visit again and do the tour as well.

Next, on the agenda was to hit La Buena Vida.  I didn't see on their website if they had tastings but their snacks looked good and we were getting a little hungry.  They usually have live music from 2-5 on Saturdays and close at 7.  We got there about 4:20 and unfortunately for us they were closing because they were having a wedding too.  I did see that there was a tasting room and it had a lovely patio where a lot of people were enjoying the beautiful day.  We will return and I will give you my thoughts then. :)

As we were driving to La Buena Vida, we passed Cross Timbers Winery.  They closed at 5 so we knew we wouldn't make that one either.  Again, on the list for next time.

We decided to go back down Main St. and get wines we liked from our last visit and then do a little window shopping as well.  May I just say here, that I love Grapevine's Main St. district.  It is thriving and has some really unique shops.  Some are a little to pricey in my opinion but it is so cozy and quaint.  It gives you that small town feel inside a BIG town.

We stopped at Su Vino.  http://www.suvinowinery.com/
We did a tasting there before and Steve loved their "Samba" wine.  Of course when we went back, they were out but we did find something similar that he liked.  We were just going to have a glass of wine and some snacks but a glass cost about the same as a tasting so we figured we would try some things we didn't get to try last time.  The people that work there are very friendly.  It's a very laid back and relaxed atmosphere so don't go if you are in a hurry! :)  They also have some great gift ideas for the wine lovers in your circles.

We then were going to walk down to the Homestead Winery and then eat at Esparza's Mexican Food.  We made a quick stop into D'Vine Wine. http://grapevine.dvinewineusa.com/
for my VERY most favorite peach wine.  I was introduced to D'Vine Wine when my best friend, Shelley and I went to Fredericksburg last summer.  The Grapevine store actually had some of the Fredericksburg bottling "Fredericksburg Gold".  I think the Grapevine label of the same is called "Sunset".  Remember I said I like white and sweet!  This is the PERFECT wine for me :)

When we turned the corner and saw the floods of people at the restaurant, we thought we better get on the wait list.  It was 6 and the crowds were not going to get any smaller.  It was a long wait for the patio but only had to wait about 10 minutes for indoor seating so we took it.  We had heard RAVE reviews about this place.  I wouldn't say it's the best Mexican food I've ever had, but definitely worth going to if you haven't tried it.   http://www.esparzastexas.com/

At that point we were so full, we didn't even try to make it to the last winery.  Oh, well - we just decided that we would make a trip in a couple of months to finish out the wineries we haven't yet visited and then of course run by our favorites again as well! :)

Open House 3/5/13

Open House is always a challenge because the parents want to see something cute and you want the kids to get excited as well.  So of course I went to Pinterest searching for ideas for a jumping off point.  I also found a blog that had the "lucky" tags but I'm sorry I printed it and didn't pin the site to give credit to the originator but it wasn't me! :)

We were studying the end of the Indian Wars and the Open Cattle Ranges in Texas so we took white butcher paper and traced around each student to decorate his/her cowboy or cowgirl.  I had so many cute and original ideas.  This is one of my favorites.  Students also added his/her autobiography to attach to the cowboy/girl but my Molly wanted hers to sit on the desk so we could see her outfit! It was definitely a hit! :)

Herb Crusted Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

OH MY GOODNESS!!  That's all I can say about this recipe.  It's by far my favorite pinterest recipe that I have found and it will become a staple dish for me!  I am copying the recipe from http://hopeandjohnbasher.blogspot.com/2012/05/herb-crusted-chicken-in-basil-cream.html

This is the picture of my dish.  I decided to serve over noodles with a salad and bread sticks.  YUMMMMM!!!  Try it - I'm sure you will love it too!!!

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15mins

~496/cal per serving

** I did cut the chicken breasts in half after pounding to go a little further.**



Ingredients:

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded thin
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Progresso Garlic & Herb Bread Crumbs
• 2 teaspoons 'Perfect Pinch' Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freeze dried chives
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/4 can of Italian diced tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese blend
• 2 Tablespoons freeze dried (or fresh) basil
• dash of fresh ground black pepper

Procedure:

• Place bread crumbs, Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning and freeze dried chives in a shallow bowl; mix thoroughly.
• Place milk in a separate shallow bowl.
• In a skillet, heat butter on medium heat. Meanwhile, pound chicken flat and thin for even cooking (if you haven't done so already).
• Dip the chicken in the milk, then coat with crumb mixture.
• Cook chicken in butter until browned and cooked through (about ten minutes). Remove and keep warm
• In the same skillet, add garlic and saute for approximately 1 minute. 
• Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally to loosen browned parts from the pan.
• Stir in cream and tomatoes; bring to a boil and stir for one minute.
• Reduce heat to low; add Parmesan cheese, basil and a dash of pepper, stir sauce and cook until heated through and thickened. (about 5 minutes)
• Serve by pouring the sauce over the chicken. For added flair, serve the chicken and sauce over cooked pasta. 

Enjoy!

Steve's Favorite Turkey Pot Pie

What to do with left over Thanksgiving turkey?  That's always a dilemma so this year after Thanksgiving I decided to make a pot pie.  It was a HIT!  I tried it later and used the already cooked turkey breast and cubed it and it was not a hit with the man.  He said it tasted "too processed" so... we bought a small turkey breast that needed to be cooked (just like at Thanksgiving - only on a smaller scale).  I did that over the week-end and shredded it to have it when I needed.

I looked at a recipe from All Recipe and then adapted to my taste! :)

Ingredients:
2 pie shells
4 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

(Actually - I use all spices "to taste"  I probably use less parsley and a little more oregano.  I never measure but if you do - this will be great!)
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups water
3 small potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 small package of mixed vegetables (picsweet has a mixed vegetables for soup that I LOVE - I probably use 1/2 of the bag - again you can add as much or little veges as you like)
2 cups shredded turkey (or as much or little as you would like)
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Roll out bottom pie crust in 10" pie plate.

Add 2 Tablespoons butter and melt in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and spices until soft.  Stir in bouillon and water.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in frozen vegetables and add potatoes.  Cook until potatoes are tender but firm.

In medium saucepan melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter.  Stir in flour and milk.  When slightly thickened, add turkey and coat with mixture.  If mixture gets too thick just add a little water.  Stir mixture into skillet until thickens.  Sometimes I have to add a little more water depending on how much veges I add.

Pour into pie shell and cover with 2nd pie shell.  *** Because I add a lot of vegetables, I always have enough for 2 pies.  I put the remainder in a freezer bag and pour it in pie crusts when I am ready for another one****

 Cut slits in the top.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then at 325 for 20 minutes.  I let my pie sit about 5 minutes before I cut and serve!

I love "Copy- Cat" recipes!!

My best friend, Shelley, introduced me to P.F. Chang's years ago and I fell in love with their Mongolian Beef (among other dishes).  I bought a cookbook that has copycat recipes from restaurants and ummmm ummmm!  Chang's Mongolian Beef was included.  It has become one of Steve and Camryn's (his son) favorite dishes as well as mine.  Steve also loves the ginger dressing at our local hibachi restaurant so I found a copy cat recipe for that too.  We love it and make it often.  We went back to the hibachi grill and thought the copy cat recipe was better than theirs now! :)  I am including both recipes for you to try!  The ginger dressing cam from All Recipes.  NOW.... if I could find a copy cat recipe for LeMadeline's Lemon Tart!  If anyone out there has it, help a sista out! :)

I know it may seem like a lot of steps but it really is simple and totally delish!!!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
• 1 lb flank steak
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large green onions

Directions

1. Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.
2. Don't get the oil too hot.
3. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
4. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
5. Remove it from the heat.
6. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.
7. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
8. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.
9. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
10. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
11. Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
12. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.
13. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
14. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
15. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
16. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
17. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.
18. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
19. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.
20. Next is the Fabulous Copy Cat Ginger Dressing 
21. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 2 Tablespoons minced celery
• 2 Tablespoons ketchup
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

 In a blender, combine the minced onion, peanut oil, rice vinegar, water, ginger, celery, ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper . Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ingredients are well-pureed.