~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Vote for my hometown zoo ~ 10/31/10
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
So I wrote this book...: Expert Interview: Chief Warrant Officer Al Dupre
My sister (former Army soldier and about as far-from "right wing" as a person can get, a fascinating dichotomy!) is doing a series on her blog, and it's fascinating. Go check it out!
So I wrote this book...: Expert Interview: Chief Warrant Officer Al Dupre: "
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
So I wrote this book...: Expert Interview: Chief Warrant Officer Al Dupre: "
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Weekend
The Igor Family's Pumpkins
Halloween at school on Friday was... tolerable. I've experienced worse, though having my most challenging little boy toss a full, fortunately-closed carton of milk at some older kids and thus REALLY pissing off the head custodian did NOT add to the joy of the day. I'll post some pictures later - not of the milk projectile, but rather, of cute kids in costumes.
Being that Friday was the last business day of the month, it was also payday. That afternoon/evening we took GrandmaT out on a little adventure, beginning with Red Robin for dinner where we all ate entirely too much. We were planning to go to a movie, but as it was rather early, had some time to fill beforehand. First we hit up Albertsons where we scored 10 bags of assorted baking chips (semi-sweet and milk chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch) for a mere $1.50/bag - an excellent deal. We purchased some other sale items, including two MASSIVE bags of Halloween candy. The irony is that we don't actually turn the light on for trick-or-treaters, as it stresses the dogs out, among other reasons. But we have candy for Niece and Nephew and the cute family across the street, and most importantly, FOR MR. MAMIE. He keeps marveling at the "perfect combo" of Heath, KitKat, Reese's cups, Almond Joy, Hershey bars, and Whoppers. After Albertsons there was still some time before the movie, so we went to Barnsie (of course) where Mr. Mamie polished off a gift card a lovely friend sent us by buying a THRILLING tome on HTML-5 (from which he reads tidbits aloud approximately every 5 minutes). GrandmaT and I both picked up some light reading for cash. I guess I should mention that I had used slightly over half the gift card the day before on... yes, books for the classroom. Touche.
Finally it was time to go to the movie, which was Red starring Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren. Hilarious! Definitely worth a couple hours and a few bucks. GrandmaT had seen the ads and expressed interest, so we thought it would be fun to take her. She liked it, though her first comment was that it was "awfully damn loud!" Too true! But that's an ongoing issue at that particular cinema.
We did have a really nice evening though. Where we live Halloween activities took place on Saturday. GrandmaT went over to the Igors' to make Halloween Casserole (still gotta post that recipe!) and man the front door while Mrs. Igor took Niece and Nephew to "trunk or treat" events at the Village grocery store and the local church. They then hit up our neighborhood and their own for some door-to-door action. Meanwhile, Mr. Mamie and I enjoyed a nice evening at home eating a Costco take-and-bake pizza (and Halloween candy) and watching streaming Netflix - first Lady Jane, one of my favorites, and then The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I really wanted to see the Swedish scenery and hear the Swedish language, and was not disappointed in this regard. I did have to explain a lot to Mr. Mamie in terms of back-story and that seemingly-random events will connect to things in future books. Once he resigned himself to the subtitles, he got into the mystery. We didn't actually quite finish, as sugar-comas overtook us. Perhaps tonight.
Sunday has been pleasant. Did our Maverik run for morning caffeine and newspapers, then pondered how to accommodate Mr. Mamie's desire to have chili for dinner (yes, deviating from menu plan!) when the enormous quantities of ground beast and ground gobble purchased at Costco yesterday are already in the freezer. However, the 5 pounds of stew meat was still in the fridge, as the butchers at Costco apparently think we have mouths the size of a T-Rex, and the stew chunks needed to be cut down to human size. So, we came up with a chunky beef chili and the house currently smells fabulous! Can't wait to eat it.
Amazingly, I created another recipe today as well: Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chip Bars. Usually I am a follower of recipes, not a creator of them. I am really happy with both my efforts today!
And now I must stop procrastinating and return to lesson planning.
Amazingly, I created another recipe today as well: Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chip Bars. Usually I am a follower of recipes, not a creator of them. I am really happy with both my efforts today!
And now I must stop procrastinating and return to lesson planning.
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chip Bars
The basis for the recipe came from the bag of the bag of sugar we purchased yesterday at the grocery store in the Village. It's an Intermountain West regional brand of sugar, so don't know if the recipe is published anywhere. I modified it somewhat to suit our tastes.
Ingredients:
This post is linked to Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight: Brown Sugar post.
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Kirkland [Costco] organic all-natural)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (I used Coach's Oats, our fave!)
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cream butter and sugars.
- Add egg and peanut butter; mix well.
- Stir in baking soda, salt, flours, and oatmeal until combined.
- Press dough into a greased (ideally with butter - use the wrapper from the stick you used to make the dough!) 13"x9" cake pan.
- Sprinkle chocolate and peanut butter chips on top; make sure they are intermingled.
- Bake 20 - 25 minutes until light golden brown.
- Cool; cut into squares to serve.
This post is linked to Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight: Brown Sugar post.
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Crockpot Chunky Chili
Mr. Mamie and I created our own chunky chili recipe today, and the house is smelling sooooooo good! It is based on my "standard" chili, which in turn is derived from GolfDad's "old" chili recipe (which he has modified a number of times over the years). Photo will be added later!
Anyway, here's what we came up with:
Ingredients:
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Anyway, here's what we came up with:
Ingredients:
- 1 small onion, or 1/2 of a medium/large onion, chopped.
- 4 cloves garlic, minced.
- 1-1/2 pounds stew meat, cut into fairly small chunk-lets
- 6 oz. beef stock or broth
- 2 cans (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 8 oz. hot salsa
- 1 (4-oz) can diced green chilies (undrained)
- 1 can beans, rinsed and drained. You could use pinto, kidney, whatever... I am not a fan of kidney beans, so we used pinto. You can add a second can if you want your chili to be more beany.
- 1-1/2 T. chili powder
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 1/2 t. paprika
- 1/4 t. dried basil
- 1/4 t. dried oregano
- 1/4 t. dried thyme
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
- olive oil
- Combine beef stock, tomatoes, salsa, green chilies, beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and cayenne pepper in Crockpot; stir well. Turn Crockpot on to low.
- Saute onion and garlic in pan with olive oil until just softened.
- Add stew meat to pan and cook with onion and garlic until lightly browned.
- Transfer stew meat/onions/garlic to Crockpot with other ingredients; stir well.
- Cook until "done" - which varies greatly from Crockpot to Crockpot! We cooked ours for about 6 hours. Our "low" is pretty hot/fast though, so you may need more time.
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Seems about right!
My Political Views
I am a left social libertarian
Left: 3.12, Libertarian: 4.74
Political Spectrum Quiz
I am a left social libertarian
Left: 3.12, Libertarian: 4.74
Political Spectrum Quiz
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ten Things Tuesday 10/26/10
10 Classroom Scenes
(plus some extras!)
1. Working with patterns.
2. Animal masks - made in an art center that tied in to our weekly reading theme.
3. Some "Connect Four" action - great for learning strategy and fair play.
4. Measuring the chair with linker cubes.
5. Working together to measure a table with linker cubes.
6. Recording data.
7. Our measurement lists. The Halloween countdown is above.
8. Data display. Apparently we have some long arms!
9. Working with pattern blocks.
10. Hanging out, listening to a book.
11. Play-Doh - also known as "fine motor development."
12. Playing a math card game.
13. Partner reading.
14. Measuring the rug by the door with inch tiles.
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday Meme: A Big Ol' List
1. What is the color of your toothbrush? Purple, of course!
2. Name one person who made you smile today. Mr. Mamie, of course! And the doggies.
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Sleeping ('cause I'm writing this on a Sunday).
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Eating a quesadilla for breakfast.
5. What is your favorite candy bar? Depends… Snickers, if they are frozen; Reese’s cups are perennially popular; Skor or Heath bars have a place in my heart.
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Um, no.
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Can you back the TV up - I missed that!" (LOVE the ability to pause/rewind live TV - yay DVR!)
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Any flavor that we make ourselves! Coffee/cocoa/chocolate chip has been the top flavor recently.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? DietCoke, of course!
10. Do you like your wallet? Yes, it is purple.
11. What was the last thing you ate? Quesadilla.
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No.
13. The last sporting event you watched? Currently watching Redskins at Bears on FOX NFL Sunday. Last night it was Sooners at Mizzou
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Mmmmm, butter and salt! No funny stuff. We pop it ourselves the old-fashioned way: On the stove, in a pan with oil.
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? Mrs. Igor.
16. Ever go camping? Yep, lots as a child, though not too recently.
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Yes, and also fish oil and niacin.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Church of the NFL, Baby!
19. Do you have a tan? Kinda. I don’t seek it, but it builds over the summer here.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza No. Pizza rules, especially my homemade pizza! Zachary’s in Oakland/Berkeley is a close second. I don’t like most Chinese restaurants, though I make good Kung Pao chicken, curry chicken, cashew chicken, and Szechuan beef at home.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? From fast food and convenience stores, yes. At home, not usually.
22. What did your last text message say? Me: "Am taking Gma and kids to your house." Mrs. Igor: "OK." Scintillating, I know.
23. What are you doing tomorrow? Teaching first grade.
24. Favorite color? Purple, of course!
25. Look to your left; what do you see? A chair at my dining room table with my "teacher bag" on it.
26. What color is your watch? Titanium (like my car, see #46).
27. What do you think of when you hear “Australia”? That I would like to visit… and “The Thorn Birds!”
28. Would you strip for money? Um, no.
29.Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Depends on the place, time, mood, etc.
30. What is your favorite number? The one on my paycheck! (Though it could be bigger.)
31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone? Mrs. Igor.
32. Any plans today? Lesson planning, laundry, ironing, fix breakfast-for-dinner.
33. In how many states have you lived? 3
34. Biggest annoyance right now? Never feeling like I have enough time!
35. Last song listened to? "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" on YouTube (downloading for school).
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Yes. In two languages.
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? In my very rich fantasy life!
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? A couple of pairs of Nikes, my black “Simple” slides, my raspberry Terra-Soles Mary Jane flats, my purple Crocs, my red Old Navy felt slippers, my brown North Face down slippers, my black Nine West boots....
39. Are you jealous of anyone? Not specifically.
40. Is anyone jealous of you? Highly unlikely.
41. Do you love anyone? Most definitely. Many people!
42. Do any of your friends have children? Yes, many. And some don’t. It takes all kinds!
43. What do you usually do during the day? Teach first graders, which is akin to herding house cats.
44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? I try not to hate. There are people who disappoint me, anger me, hurt me… but these are temporary.
45. Do you use the word ‘hello’ daily? Yes.
46. What color is your car? Toyota calls it "Titanium."
47. What size wedding ring do you wear? Fat fingers – I think a 9 or so.
48. Are you thinking about someone right now? My students - took a break from planning for next week to write this, but am still thinking about school.
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA (north of Los Angeles).
50. How did you get your worst scar? No scars! Weird, huh?
Okay, break’s over. Back to work! ☺
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
2. Name one person who made you smile today. Mr. Mamie, of course! And the doggies.
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Sleeping ('cause I'm writing this on a Sunday).
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Eating a quesadilla for breakfast.
5. What is your favorite candy bar? Depends… Snickers, if they are frozen; Reese’s cups are perennially popular; Skor or Heath bars have a place in my heart.
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Um, no.
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Can you back the TV up - I missed that!" (LOVE the ability to pause/rewind live TV - yay DVR!)
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Any flavor that we make ourselves! Coffee/cocoa/chocolate chip has been the top flavor recently.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? DietCoke, of course!
10. Do you like your wallet? Yes, it is purple.
11. What was the last thing you ate? Quesadilla.
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No.
13. The last sporting event you watched? Currently watching Redskins at Bears on FOX NFL Sunday. Last night it was Sooners at Mizzou
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Mmmmm, butter and salt! No funny stuff. We pop it ourselves the old-fashioned way: On the stove, in a pan with oil.
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? Mrs. Igor.
16. Ever go camping? Yep, lots as a child, though not too recently.
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Yes, and also fish oil and niacin.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Church of the NFL, Baby!
19. Do you have a tan? Kinda. I don’t seek it, but it builds over the summer here.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza No. Pizza rules, especially my homemade pizza! Zachary’s in Oakland/Berkeley is a close second. I don’t like most Chinese restaurants, though I make good Kung Pao chicken, curry chicken, cashew chicken, and Szechuan beef at home.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? From fast food and convenience stores, yes. At home, not usually.
22. What did your last text message say? Me: "Am taking Gma and kids to your house." Mrs. Igor: "OK." Scintillating, I know.
23. What are you doing tomorrow? Teaching first grade.
24. Favorite color? Purple, of course!
25. Look to your left; what do you see? A chair at my dining room table with my "teacher bag" on it.
26. What color is your watch? Titanium (like my car, see #46).
27. What do you think of when you hear “Australia”? That I would like to visit… and “The Thorn Birds!”
28. Would you strip for money? Um, no.
29.Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Depends on the place, time, mood, etc.
30. What is your favorite number? The one on my paycheck! (Though it could be bigger.)
31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone? Mrs. Igor.
32. Any plans today? Lesson planning, laundry, ironing, fix breakfast-for-dinner.
33. In how many states have you lived? 3
34. Biggest annoyance right now? Never feeling like I have enough time!
35. Last song listened to? "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" on YouTube (downloading for school).
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Yes. In two languages.
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? In my very rich fantasy life!
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? A couple of pairs of Nikes, my black “Simple” slides, my raspberry Terra-Soles Mary Jane flats, my purple Crocs, my red Old Navy felt slippers, my brown North Face down slippers, my black Nine West boots....
39. Are you jealous of anyone? Not specifically.
40. Is anyone jealous of you? Highly unlikely.
41. Do you love anyone? Most definitely. Many people!
42. Do any of your friends have children? Yes, many. And some don’t. It takes all kinds!
43. What do you usually do during the day? Teach first graders, which is akin to herding house cats.
44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? I try not to hate. There are people who disappoint me, anger me, hurt me… but these are temporary.
45. Do you use the word ‘hello’ daily? Yes.
46. What color is your car? Toyota calls it "Titanium."
47. What size wedding ring do you wear? Fat fingers – I think a 9 or so.
48. Are you thinking about someone right now? My students - took a break from planning for next week to write this, but am still thinking about school.
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA (north of Los Angeles).
50. How did you get your worst scar? No scars! Weird, huh?
Okay, break’s over. Back to work! ☺
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Listen up, kids! Or not....
Lately I've been lamenting my class's TOTAL inability to follow directions, and this seems to be a common theme among primary grade bloggers.
I'm sitting here on Saturday night, geeking away with the Mizzou-Oklahoma game on the TV. The stadium officials made an announcement to the fans/students about NOT coming onto the field at the end of the game.
Mizzou just won, and you guessed it - the field was FLOODED with fans and the goalposts were down within 10 seconds.
I guess college kids are as bad as first graders when it comes to following directions!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
Image credit
Menus 10/25/10 - 10/31/10 + Re-cap of Last Week
(Of course, I do my menu planning on Sunday, but....)
The Chicken Indonesian, was so-so, mostly because there just wasn't enough cooking liquid. if I tried it again I would double or triple the amount of liquid that goes into the Crock-Pot.
Ruby Tuesday Potato-Cheese Soup got skipped because we had so much yummy taco soup left from the night before that there was no need to make a whole new dinner. People at school were ogling my taco soup at lunch!
Niece helped me make the Shepherd's Pie,which was a huge hit. We've had it before, but not for quite some time. I love that fast the she actually likes to do scut-work like potato peeling!
GolfDad showed up to have some Pumpkin Chipotle Chili with us, and we all agreed that it was pretty good. We have versions of chili that we like better, but this was a nice change, seasonal, and a good way to add in some fiber and vitamins (from the pumpkin). There's plenty left, and the kids, Mr. Mamie, and I all said we'd be happy to have it for lunch. To my surprise I was out of my pre-made bag o' mix for Sinfully Sweet Cornbread, and even worse, also out of corn meal! GolfDad drove home and returned with a bag of Marie Calendar's cornbread mix, which was fine. Niece made some chocolate pudding for dessert... and dropped one (plastic) bowl of it down the leg of her jeans and onto the kitchen floor - quite hilarious!
Menu this week:
Monday, 10/25: Shredded beef tacos, using a chuck roast from the freezer. I'll drop it in the Crock-Pot with some salsa and a can of diced green chilies. We cook out corn tortillas on the electric griddle, which I highly recommend!
Tuesday, 10/26: Football play-off game for Nephew, so something easy like sloppy joes. I have a Ziploc bag of already-cooked sloppy joe meat in the freezer, yay!
Wednesday, 10/27: Pork Scallopini, stuffing (from a box mix), green salad. Mr. Mamie's class is canceled tonight, so no need to do a soup/Crock-Pot meal.
Thursday, 10/28: Kids are here tonight, and Mr. Mamie has class, so it's going to be a casserole that will keep warm. I have a recipe for Turkey Tetrazini that my stepmom (CrochetMom) used to make when we were kids - I wrote a note written on it that I got it from her when she and Travellin'Dad (and BuffSister) lived in Eugene, OR in 1991. I've made it plenty of times in the last almost-20 years, and I'll have to do something about posting the recipe here.
Friday, 10/29: The kids are here again, and it's Halloween at school I'll be wiped out - seems like a good night for our trusty Zesty Crock-Pot Roasted Chicken, with a side of rice or couscous and a green salad.
Saturday, 10/30: This will be *the* trick-or-treat night in our community (being that Halloween falls on a Sunday). Thus, we'll have our traditional "Halloween Ham Casserole" - which we did NOT have last year because everything was topsy-turvy with my mom (turns out October 31, 2009 was her last day on Earth, dammit). We DID have it for GrandmaT's birthday in January, and at the time I said that I would post the recipe. After scouring the blog, it looks like I never did. OK, add that to the to-do list....
Sunday, 10/31: I have another chuck roast in the freezer, so I am thinking of doing Mrs. Chili's BBQ beef on homemade whole wheat hamburger buns. I've got two butternut squash (squashes?) sitting on the counter, so I might also try this butternut squash gratin.
Baking, etc:
Last weekend Niece and I made this Paula Deen fresh apple cake recipe from Food Network, and it was a hit! Not hard to make, either. The peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were delicious and decadent, and much-enjoyed in my school lunches. There are 3 or 4 left in the jar, but knowing Mr. Mamie, those won;t last much longer....
Today (Saturday 10/23) Niece helped me make some caramel dip, into which she, Nephew, Mr. Mamie, and I dunked NUMEROUS slices of Granny Smith apples. There's quite a bit left, so no doubt we'll be "dipping" into it again tomorrow! I think I'll go with a plain, simple cookie this week - I have some "heart-healthy" oatmeal cookie baking mix that we picked up at Lehi Roller Mills while on a trip a while back, and that's sounding good to me right now after all that rich caramel dip.
I imagine that since I didn't bake bread last week, it will be time to do it again this week - a loaf of our usual Amish White and one of wheat bread.
Happy cooking and eating!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!
Six Word Saturday 10/23/20
Rainy Saturday, ready for fall now!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
Friday, October 22, 2010
Potato Dreams
Niece was helping me make our Shepherd's Pie for dinner. Her first task was to peel potatoes. While doing so, she asked me if "potatoes and onions make a good side dish." I of course responded affirmatively, and described the various renditions of "potato and onion side dishes" we have eaten.
She then told me" "I had a dream that I was a cook show host, and I did a feature on potatoes and onions."
What an awesome dream!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
Image credit
Happy Feet Friday!
Black "Simple" brand clogs and Halloween socks!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Nearly Wordless Wednesday 10/21/10
Reading rocks!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Ten Things Tuesday 10/19/10
Ten phrases I might as well record because I say them at least ten times a day:
1. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
2. Your pencil's broken? OK fine, what do we do. That's right, put it in the "bad pencil" can and get a new one from the "good pencil" can. [It's 47 days into the school year and this still seems complicated.]
3. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
4. Lunch is not for another 47 minutes. It's not that long. You do not have to eat your pencil while waiting.
5. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
6. Please keep your hands/feet/tongue to yourself.
7. Don't forget to write your name, number, and date at the top. NAME, then number, then date... look at the board for the date.... NAME first.... then number.... then date.
8. One, two, three - eyes on me!
9. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
10. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
1. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
2. Your pencil's broken? OK fine, what do we do. That's right, put it in the "bad pencil" can and get a new one from the "good pencil" can. [It's 47 days into the school year and this still seems complicated.]
3. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
4. Lunch is not for another 47 minutes. It's not that long. You do not have to eat your pencil while waiting.
5. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
6. Please keep your hands/feet/tongue to yourself.
7. Don't forget to write your name, number, and date at the top. NAME, then number, then date... look at the board for the date.... NAME first.... then number.... then date.
8. One, two, three - eyes on me!
9. Really? You have to go to the bathroom? We just came in from recess. Try to wait.
10. Sit on your pockets! Criss-cross apple sauce!
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday Meme
It's a good thing Mrs. Chili always has something to offer, otherwise I'd have nothing!
1. What is the closest item near you that is blue? A bottle of Crabtree and Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy lotion that my wonderful aunt aunt gave me for Christmas.
2. What is your favorite color? Purple all they way!
3. When is your birthday? April 2, which is also Favorite Uncle's birthday.
4. When did you last go to the mall? I was about to say SO LONG AGO I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER! - but then I remembered that Barnsie is technically connected to the mall, so I guess about two weeks ago. But I ONLY go to Barnes and Noble; NEVER into the rest of the mall.
5. When was the last time you bought a pair of pants? I can't really remember! Probably last winter.
6. What do you want for your birthday? Birthday's a long time away... ask me closer. But the default answer is an iPad.
7. Who will be your next kiss? Mr. Mamie for sure!
8. What was the last candy you ate? A Nerds Rope that Nephew carelessly left here last night. Hope he doesn't think he's getting it back!
9. Are you wearing socks right now? Nope.
10. When was the last time you went out of the state? June, when we took The Little Mermaid to the closest major airport after her visit.
11. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? Nope! And probably won't go until the next Harry Potter comes out in November.
12. What was the last thing you had to drink? Iced water, yum, in a big lime-green plastic cup emblazoned with the crest of my grad school.
13. What are you wearing right now? Plaid mens "lounge shorts" and a black t-shirt. It's the last day of fall break and I am home lounging!
14. What was your last purchase? A giant, cold, delicious dietCoke (for me) and a giant, hot, sweet coffee (for Mr. Mamie) at Maverik at 9 this morning.
15. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Um... actually talked? Maybe GolfDad on Saturday? Texting is more likely, and that would be my brother, Igor, this morning.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Nope.
17. Do you have a pet? Beagle and Laprador, woof!
18. What’s the last sporting event you watched? Broncos/Jets yesterday afternoon.
19. What’s the most played song on your iTunes? A kids' song we use in the classroom almost daily - "Clap Your Hands" by They Might Be Giants.
Clap Your Hands - They Might Be Giants from They Might Be Giants on Vimeo.
20. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? Exactly where I am, in my chair in the living room! Except maybe I would rather be at Grammie's house in Kansas, 'cause I miss her.
21. What is the last thing you purchased online? Books from Scholastic.
22. One thing you hate about yourself? My tendency to procrastinate, like I am doing right now... I have SMARTBoard files to build for school this week, cookie dough in the fridge to get baked, bread drying on the counter to make into croutons, both the washer and the dryer have finished their cycles, and I have ironing to finish. But here I am answering a long meme!
23. What’s your favorite soup? Many! Here are a few: Spicy Cheeseburger Soup, Ruby Tuesday Potato-Cheese Soup, Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup (works great with chicken).
24. Do you miss anyone? My mom, endlessly. Family who are far away, like Travellin'Dad, Grammie, and Favorite Uncle.
25. Last play you saw? Hmmmm, probably something at my state's Shakespearean Festival. Or, "Man of La Mancha" put on by a local musical theater company.
26. What are your plans for the day? Refer back to #22.
27. Last person you messaged? Igor. The Maverik manager wondered when he'd be back in town so he could clean the windows (of the Maverik).
28. What do you know about the future? That no one can predict it.
29. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Nope.
30. Where are your best friends located? The bestest one is in this room! Other than that, they're all over - here locally; in Berkeley, CA; in Portland, OR; in NYC....
31. How old do you want to be when you have kids? That ship has sailed!
32. Who was the last person who made you cry? Someone from #30.
33. Do you have any tattoos or piercings? Ears pierced; no ink.
34. How do you like your soda? Very cold! And diet.
35. Do you like hot sauce? YES!!!
36. Next time you’ll take a shower? Later today.
37. What was the last movie you watched at home? A short movie that Mr. Mamie downloaded from the Interwebz.
38. What is your mood? Mellow. Yay, fall break!
39. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota RAV-4. 160,000 miles and going strong! We also have a Nissan Pathfinder with 100,000+ on it.
40. Have you ever been to Virginia? Yes, early '90s as part of a trip to D.C. I can still hear the voice on the metro: "Orange train to Vienna!"
41. What are you doing right now? Answering these questions, and them returning to the list in #22!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
1. What is the closest item near you that is blue? A bottle of Crabtree and Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy lotion that my wonderful aunt aunt gave me for Christmas.
2. What is your favorite color? Purple all they way!
3. When is your birthday? April 2, which is also Favorite Uncle's birthday.
4. When did you last go to the mall? I was about to say SO LONG AGO I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER! - but then I remembered that Barnsie is technically connected to the mall, so I guess about two weeks ago. But I ONLY go to Barnes and Noble; NEVER into the rest of the mall.
5. When was the last time you bought a pair of pants? I can't really remember! Probably last winter.
6. What do you want for your birthday? Birthday's a long time away... ask me closer. But the default answer is an iPad.
7. Who will be your next kiss? Mr. Mamie for sure!
8. What was the last candy you ate? A Nerds Rope that Nephew carelessly left here last night. Hope he doesn't think he's getting it back!
9. Are you wearing socks right now? Nope.
10. When was the last time you went out of the state? June, when we took The Little Mermaid to the closest major airport after her visit.
11. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? Nope! And probably won't go until the next Harry Potter comes out in November.
12. What was the last thing you had to drink? Iced water, yum, in a big lime-green plastic cup emblazoned with the crest of my grad school.
13. What are you wearing right now? Plaid mens "lounge shorts" and a black t-shirt. It's the last day of fall break and I am home lounging!
14. What was your last purchase? A giant, cold, delicious dietCoke (for me) and a giant, hot, sweet coffee (for Mr. Mamie) at Maverik at 9 this morning.
15. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Um... actually talked? Maybe GolfDad on Saturday? Texting is more likely, and that would be my brother, Igor, this morning.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? Nope.
17. Do you have a pet? Beagle and Laprador, woof!
18. What’s the last sporting event you watched? Broncos/Jets yesterday afternoon.
19. What’s the most played song on your iTunes? A kids' song we use in the classroom almost daily - "Clap Your Hands" by They Might Be Giants.
Clap Your Hands - They Might Be Giants from They Might Be Giants on Vimeo.
20. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? Exactly where I am, in my chair in the living room! Except maybe I would rather be at Grammie's house in Kansas, 'cause I miss her.
21. What is the last thing you purchased online? Books from Scholastic.
22. One thing you hate about yourself? My tendency to procrastinate, like I am doing right now... I have SMARTBoard files to build for school this week, cookie dough in the fridge to get baked, bread drying on the counter to make into croutons, both the washer and the dryer have finished their cycles, and I have ironing to finish. But here I am answering a long meme!
23. What’s your favorite soup? Many! Here are a few: Spicy Cheeseburger Soup, Ruby Tuesday Potato-Cheese Soup, Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup (works great with chicken).
24. Do you miss anyone? My mom, endlessly. Family who are far away, like Travellin'Dad, Grammie, and Favorite Uncle.
25. Last play you saw? Hmmmm, probably something at my state's Shakespearean Festival. Or, "Man of La Mancha" put on by a local musical theater company.
26. What are your plans for the day? Refer back to #22.
27. Last person you messaged? Igor. The Maverik manager wondered when he'd be back in town so he could clean the windows (of the Maverik).
28. What do you know about the future? That no one can predict it.
29. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Nope.
30. Where are your best friends located? The bestest one is in this room! Other than that, they're all over - here locally; in Berkeley, CA; in Portland, OR; in NYC....
31. How old do you want to be when you have kids? That ship has sailed!
32. Who was the last person who made you cry? Someone from #30.
33. Do you have any tattoos or piercings? Ears pierced; no ink.
34. How do you like your soda? Very cold! And diet.
35. Do you like hot sauce? YES!!!
36. Next time you’ll take a shower? Later today.
37. What was the last movie you watched at home? A short movie that Mr. Mamie downloaded from the Interwebz.
38. What is your mood? Mellow. Yay, fall break!
39. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota RAV-4. 160,000 miles and going strong! We also have a Nissan Pathfinder with 100,000+ on it.
40. Have you ever been to Virginia? Yes, early '90s as part of a trip to D.C. I can still hear the voice on the metro: "Orange train to Vienna!"
41. What are you doing right now? Answering these questions, and them returning to the list in #22!
~Mamie
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"
(Hunter S. Thompson)
Cool!
Your results:
You are Spider-Man
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
You are Spider-Man
|
You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.  |
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz
~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)
Funny
I just read this joke, and it made me laugh. No, my sense of humor is not very sophisticated!
"Last night I dreamed I ate a 10-pound marshmallow. This morning I woke up and the pillow was gone!"
Image credit
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Menus 10/18/10 - 10/23/10 + Re-cap of Last Week
(Of course, I do my menu planning on Sunday, but....)
The Goulash was a new recipe, and it was excellent! Very flavorful and filling. It worked great as left-overs in my school lunch.
I thought that the new Crockpot Orange Beef was so-so, though Mr. Mamie proclaimed it to be "very good." GrandmaT liked it as well, though we all agreed the the previous night's new recipe (Goulash) was better.
Bacon Ranch Slow Cooked Chicken got skipped... for some reason I just didn't feel like making this. I've been fighting a head/chest cold for days, and wanted something soupy and spicy. So we had this White Bean Chicken Chili instead, and it was GREAT!
The Spicy Lentil Soup got skipped also; I decided that it would be a good one to make together with Niece, so we'll do it on a weekend sometime. Instead, we had grilled hot links for Mr. and Mrs. Mamie, hot dogs for the kids, and a veggie burger for GrandmaT with oven roasted white/sweet potatoes. I use the seasoning mix from this recipe, which I make by the large jar-full (a re-purposed seasoning jar from something else, with a sprinkle top). It was time to make new fry sauce (which is just a 3:1 mayo/ketchup mix), and I added a healthy dose of the seasoning to it - awesome!
Black Bean and Brown Rice Bowls/Tacos with corn tortillas and taco toppings are always a hit around here, and there was plenty to serve as weekend left-over lunches.
Homemade Pizza! We love it. 'Nuff said. It's a great breakfast, too! I want to add a recipe tab to my blog, and the sauce and dough recipes will be the first ones I put on there whenever I get to it.
BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, and green salad will be happening tonight. Niece is going to help cook.
Menu this week:
Monday, 10/18: There's no school today, and Nephew has a football game this evening (in the college stadium!), so I think it's going to be a C.O.R.N. (clean out the refrigerator night) dinner.
Tuesday, 10/19: Chicken Indonesian, whole-wheat linguini, green salad.
Wednesday, 10/20: Mr. Mamie has class on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, so I try to do Crock-Pot meals or soups that "hold" well. Tonight it's taco soup, and while I clearly got the recipe from somewhere, it doesn't have a citation/link on it. Oh well, if you need a recipe, Google it - there are a million variations on "taco soup" out there! I'll probably make garlic muffins to go with it.
Thursday, 10/21: Kids are here tonight, and Mr. Mamie has class, so it's going to be soup again. That's okay though, 'cause we love soup! The kids don't seem to mind participating in the "meatless meals" project, so tonight it will be Ruby Tuesday Potato-Cheese Soup, which is our favorite of my many collected potato soup recipes. We'll have green salad too, of course.
Friday, 10/22: The kids are here again, and I get home a little earlier on Fridays (early-out day at school). I'm planning to make this Shepherd's Pie, which again, is a favorite from our collection. Green salad as usual.
Saturday, 10/23: Kids here, and I'm springing something new and very different on everyone: Pumpkin Chipotle Chili. I personally am very excited to try this! We'll have green salad and Sinfully Sweet Cornbread with the chili. BTW, this cornbread is one of the "homemade baking mixes" I keep on hand - every few months I fill several Ziploc bags with the dry ingredients for cornbread, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and basic muffins (to which many things can be added) so they're handy for grabbing and making with dinners. I made labels with the wet ingredients and directions listed and stuck them on each bag. Definitely cheaper and yummier (and possibly healthier) than store-bought
mixes!
Sunday, 10/24: Kids here, and we often have "breakfast for dinner" on Sundays with some variation on pancakes/waffles, eggs, potatoes, and maybe sausage/bacon (depends on if we happen to have any; meat is optional). Typically I make smoothies also. I don't usually decide which kind of pancakes/waffles until the day of; depends on mood and available ingredients. For the eggs, either Mr. Mamie makes omlettes or Niece makes scrambled.
Baking, etc. this week:
For whatever reason, we didn't go through bread as rapidly as usual last week, so GrandmaT froze half of each loaf to use this week. So no bread making. Niece is here, and as soon as I finish this blog post, we're going to start on this Paula Deen fresh apple cake recipe from Food Network, and then move on to some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. YUM!!!
Happy cooking and eating!
Sunday Morning
One thing that's annoying me at the moment are the colors of the links on my blog. I have changed them over and over, and they will not switch from the blue/purple. So, sorry for the ugliness! I will keep trying.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I love a deal! And, some "food politics"
There's some interesting discussions that have happened on various food/frugality blogs about "cheap food." Many of the writers are looking at the issue from the perspective of cheap food = often unhealthy food. They say that food is something we should NOT skimp on. After all, it goes into our bodies and has a lasting impact on our health. Also, our "food dollars" are pretty powerful, and we make value statements buy what and how we purchase food.
I pretty much agree that too much emphasis has been placed on trying to get food costs as low as possible in a family. The media will run a story on someone who got two full carts of food for $4.00 becasue he/she used piles of coupons, and it's like OH WOW, ISN'T THIS GREAT?! The thing is, most (not all) coupons are for processed foods like Hamburger Helper, refrigerated biscuits, sugary cereals, and the like.
We've tried to change our eating habits so that we are eating more FRESH, WHOLE foods - organic when possible, but we're not militant about it. We don't buy commercial breads, or cookies (well, once in a while, if it's like Halloween Oreos!), or frozen pizza, or "dinner mixes/bases" because those are things that I can make much less expensively and and at least slightly more healthfully at home. We've chosen to try to avoid processed, chemical-laden "foods" to the extent that is reasonable, given various budget and time restraints.
Here's an example Mr. Mamie and I were discussing when we were out doing errands this morning. In the last couple years I have discovered the fun of making homemade ice cream. GolfDad long-term loaned me his Cuisinart ice cream maker, and about once a month (probably less) I've made homemade ice cream using real cream, whole milk, sugar, and fruits or coffee or whatever sounded good. The ice cream is delicious, of course, but also not especially healthy, given the fat-laden dairy products and the white sugar that are involved. It's definitely something that's a once-in-a-while treat.
A few weeks ago we were in a grocery store, and they had Dreyer's brand ice cream "specialty flavors" on sale - 2 gallons for $6. Except, they're not gallons anymore, didja know? The grocery shrink ray has hit the ice cream! Nevertheless, it sounded appealing so we bought one each of the special flavors Pecan Praline and Apple Pie. We tried each flavor once on two consecutive nights, and guess what? I thought they were pretty awful! They tasted so artificial, and just like they were full of fillers and chemicals and air. And this is supposed to be "premium" ice cream. Well, they've sat in the freezer ever since, and I guess at some point I'll end up tossing them because they'll be frost-bitten and totally inedible. So, did we get out $6 worth? No, I don;t think so, and I could have made two - maybe more - batches of homemade ice cream with REAL ingredients for the same price.
So anyway, I'm wandering, but the point is we've been willing to spend a little more if needed to get better food. It's not all about getting the cheapest deal. I have come to believe, though, that you CAN buy real food for a decent price, if you are willing to cook it yourself.
Today at Albertson's I think we did a pretty good job. Now mind you, we weren't buying organic (because Albertson's just doesn't have that many organic options), and when organic is available and in our budget, it's what we prefer, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.
For $19.50 we got:
In other deal news, I usually buy printer ink for my HP printer that I use at here at home at OfficeMax. I have a teacher rewards card, and I always take the empty ink cartridges back to OfficeMax for the recycling credit. I go through a LOT of ink (when I need something in color, like various school items and recipes, and both these type things get printed frequently) so I buy a lot and have empty cartridges to take in every time. Yesterday in my email there was an OfficeMax rewards certificate for $46. I took it in today and got an extra large black cartridge and one each of the regular size color cartridges, and only had to pay 47 cents - YAHOO!!!
I pretty much agree that too much emphasis has been placed on trying to get food costs as low as possible in a family. The media will run a story on someone who got two full carts of food for $4.00 becasue he/she used piles of coupons, and it's like OH WOW, ISN'T THIS GREAT?! The thing is, most (not all) coupons are for processed foods like Hamburger Helper, refrigerated biscuits, sugary cereals, and the like.
We've tried to change our eating habits so that we are eating more FRESH, WHOLE foods - organic when possible, but we're not militant about it. We don't buy commercial breads, or cookies (well, once in a while, if it's like Halloween Oreos!), or frozen pizza, or "dinner mixes/bases" because those are things that I can make much less expensively and and at least slightly more healthfully at home. We've chosen to try to avoid processed, chemical-laden "foods" to the extent that is reasonable, given various budget and time restraints.
Here's an example Mr. Mamie and I were discussing when we were out doing errands this morning. In the last couple years I have discovered the fun of making homemade ice cream. GolfDad long-term loaned me his Cuisinart ice cream maker, and about once a month (probably less) I've made homemade ice cream using real cream, whole milk, sugar, and fruits or coffee or whatever sounded good. The ice cream is delicious, of course, but also not especially healthy, given the fat-laden dairy products and the white sugar that are involved. It's definitely something that's a once-in-a-while treat.
A few weeks ago we were in a grocery store, and they had Dreyer's brand ice cream "specialty flavors" on sale - 2 gallons for $6. Except, they're not gallons anymore, didja know? The grocery shrink ray has hit the ice cream! Nevertheless, it sounded appealing so we bought one each of the special flavors Pecan Praline and Apple Pie. We tried each flavor once on two consecutive nights, and guess what? I thought they were pretty awful! They tasted so artificial, and just like they were full of fillers and chemicals and air. And this is supposed to be "premium" ice cream. Well, they've sat in the freezer ever since, and I guess at some point I'll end up tossing them because they'll be frost-bitten and totally inedible. So, did we get out $6 worth? No, I don;t think so, and I could have made two - maybe more - batches of homemade ice cream with REAL ingredients for the same price.
So anyway, I'm wandering, but the point is we've been willing to spend a little more if needed to get better food. It's not all about getting the cheapest deal. I have come to believe, though, that you CAN buy real food for a decent price, if you are willing to cook it yourself.
Today at Albertson's I think we did a pretty good job. Now mind you, we weren't buying organic (because Albertson's just doesn't have that many organic options), and when organic is available and in our budget, it's what we prefer, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.
For $19.50 we got:
- 10 pounds of russet potatoes
- 2 bags of salad mix (we typically by whole heads of lettuce, but these were on an extreme sale; they'll be mixed with whole romaine leaves and fresh spinach)
- 3 dozen eggs
- 2 pounds of frozen corn
- 3 pounds of chicken breasts
- A big bag of fish sticks - which was the only "processed" food, and probably not coincidentally, the most expensive item. But, Mr. Mamie had a craving, and who am I to deny a man is crunchy processed fish bits?
In other deal news, I usually buy printer ink for my HP printer that I use at here at home at OfficeMax. I have a teacher rewards card, and I always take the empty ink cartridges back to OfficeMax for the recycling credit. I go through a LOT of ink (when I need something in color, like various school items and recipes, and both these type things get printed frequently) so I buy a lot and have empty cartridges to take in every time. Yesterday in my email there was an OfficeMax rewards certificate for $46. I took it in today and got an extra large black cartridge and one each of the regular size color cartridges, and only had to pay 47 cents - YAHOO!!!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday Meme
As usual, this came from Mrs. Chili.
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? You should still be in bed....
2. How much cash do you have on you? There's about $4 in my purse, I think, if I am lucky.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? SNORE!
4. Favorite planet? I'm partial to Pluto.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? A parent, who left a voicemail saying that she would not be able to come in for her volunteer time in the classroom.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? Monday Night Football theme song.
7. What shirt are you wearing? An old black T-shirt from Tar-jay - I'm in comfy couch-sitting clothes at the moment.
8. Do you label yourself? Yes, but the labels will not be publicly displayed.
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? Barefoot - for reason see #7. For school today I wore a pair of black and charcoal gray Mootsies Tootsies flats.
10. Bright or dark room? Lots of natural light in the day, nice and dark for sleepytime.
11. Did you do anything to celebrate John Lennon’s 70th Saturday? Played with the Google logo!
12. What does your watch look like? The one I usually wear to school is a light gray Timex Ironaman. All the little alarm noises are helpful!
13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Tossing and turning and coughing and groaning.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? From Mrs. Igor about her changing work schedule.
15. Where is your nearest 7-11? 300 miles away. But Maverik is only 1/4 mile. :)
16. What’s a word that you say a lot? "Shhhhhhhhh" - it IS a word, at least the way I say it!
17. Who told you he/she loved you last? Mr. Mamie - he's the bestest!
18. Last furry thing you touched? BeagleDog, who's sharing the couch with me.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? LOTS of DayQuil and NyQuil!
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? Like, ZERO! Hello, digital!
21. Favorite age you have been so far? Many have been good... how can I pick among them? Someone's feelings might get hurt.
22. Your worst enemy? Piles of papers.
23. What is your current desktop picture (extra points if you post it.)? At home, a fall leaf covered in raindrops; at school, a stormy sea. Time to change to Halloween pix!
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "I told you it was that guy!" - to Mr. Mamie, we're watching "24" on streaming Netflix as I write.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? Couldn't I use the money to buy flying lessons?
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? You should still be in bed....
2. How much cash do you have on you? There's about $4 in my purse, I think, if I am lucky.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? SNORE!
4. Favorite planet? I'm partial to Pluto.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? A parent, who left a voicemail saying that she would not be able to come in for her volunteer time in the classroom.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? Monday Night Football theme song.
7. What shirt are you wearing? An old black T-shirt from Tar-jay - I'm in comfy couch-sitting clothes at the moment.
8. Do you label yourself? Yes, but the labels will not be publicly displayed.
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? Barefoot - for reason see #7. For school today I wore a pair of black and charcoal gray Mootsies Tootsies flats.
10. Bright or dark room? Lots of natural light in the day, nice and dark for sleepytime.
11. Did you do anything to celebrate John Lennon’s 70th Saturday? Played with the Google logo!
12. What does your watch look like? The one I usually wear to school is a light gray Timex Ironaman. All the little alarm noises are helpful!
13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Tossing and turning and coughing and groaning.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? From Mrs. Igor about her changing work schedule.
15. Where is your nearest 7-11? 300 miles away. But Maverik is only 1/4 mile. :)
16. What’s a word that you say a lot? "Shhhhhhhhh" - it IS a word, at least the way I say it!
17. Who told you he/she loved you last? Mr. Mamie - he's the bestest!
18. Last furry thing you touched? BeagleDog, who's sharing the couch with me.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? LOTS of DayQuil and NyQuil!
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? Like, ZERO! Hello, digital!
21. Favorite age you have been so far? Many have been good... how can I pick among them? Someone's feelings might get hurt.
22. Your worst enemy? Piles of papers.
23. What is your current desktop picture (extra points if you post it.)? At home, a fall leaf covered in raindrops; at school, a stormy sea. Time to change to Halloween pix!
24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "I told you it was that guy!" - to Mr. Mamie, we're watching "24" on streaming Netflix as I write.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? Couldn't I use the money to buy flying lessons?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Menus 10/11/10 - 10/17/10
I know, it's been like forever, RIGHT? All I can say is that the first 42 days of school have been kickin' my you-know-what! And being that I'm 7 years older than the last time I taught first grade, lemme tell ya that the more aged you are, the harder it is to keep up with them!
Nevertheless, people still have to eat, and both the menu planning and cooking have continued as usual. Now that I'm back in the classroom I realize the incredible benefits of having a PLAN for meals more than ever! Since the beginning of August, school has started, GolfDad had hip replacement surgery, we've had multiple birthdays, Nephew's football season has started again plus he's had Scout activities and a more "teen-age" social life, Igor has been on the road in the big rig, Mrs. Igor has been working two jobs (yes, 7 days a week), Mr. Mamie has started working from home which actually means a more irregular schedule, etc. I realize that this is just LIFE, but hey - it's a busy life! So yeah, YAY for having SOMETHING that can follow a plan.
Menu this week:
Monday, 10/11: Goulash, green beans, green salad. This a new recipe, and it sounds REALLY yummy!
Tuesday, 10/12: Crockpot Orange Beef, brown rice, green salad. Another new recipe that I think will be super good.
Wednesday, 10/13: Bacon Ranch Slow Cooked Chicken, egg noodles, Italian Cheese Bread, green salad. I've had this recipe for a while, but don't remember ever making it. I picked it because it's very "Mr. Mamie-ish." The Italian Cheese Bread is one of our absolute favorites, and makes frequent appearances on the table here!
Thursday, 10/14: Spicy Lentil Soup, Garlic Muffins, green salad. The soup is a new recipe and sounds good; also, it's meatless and we try to have one or two meatless meals weekly. I'm hoping the kids will like this! We have made the garlic muffins many times and love them.
Friday, 10/15: Black Bean and Brown Rice Bowls/Tacos with corn tortillas and taco toppings. Another meatless meal, and one we've made lots of times - everyone (including the kids) really likes this combo.
Saturday, 10/16: Homemade Pizza! Yep, homemade dough (from my bread machine recipe book), homemade sauce (I wrote a post on that a long time ago....), and a buffet of toppings. This is usually something we do two or three times monthly, and the kids LOVE it.
Sunday, 10/17: BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, green salad. Mr. Mamie, GrandmaT, and I all love this version of meatloaf. Niece made disparaging comments about meatloaf recently, so I decided that she ought to try this! The cheddar cheese biscuits are a perennial favorite.
Baking, etc. this week:
Salad dressing - I often make our own, as the store-bought kind is either full of HFCS (the cheaper kinds), or rather expensive (the good ones, like Annie's or OrganicVille). I'm making two of our favorites today: Julia Child's Vinaigrette and Cafe Rio Style Cream Tomatillo. Be warned... the second one is ADDICTING!!! It's also really good as a sauce/salsa on tacos, quesadillas, etc. I've even used it as sandwich spread!
Buttermilk Waffles, which I made this morning for breakfast with enough for the freezer (weekday breakfasts, yay!)
Amish White Bread and Whole Wheat Bread - we go through a loaf of each weekly. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I let the bread machine do the mixing and first rise, then I put the dough in the bread pan for a second rise. It's then baked in the oven, which I much prefer to baking in the bread machine itself.
My Grammie's recipe for oatmeal cookies, which I call "Kansas Oatmeal Cookies." I'll post the recipe later today. Niece and I are making these this afternoon.
Pumpkin Muffins, which I plan to make Tuesday evening to take to a meeting Wednesday morning. I have a huge box of the Krustez brand mix from Costco, which I LOVE! However, my mom had a really yummy "scratch" pumpkin bread/muffin recipe, which I'll also be making soon. I'll share the recipe when I do.
Funfetti Halloween Cupcakes - I bought the mix and frosting for cheap at The Walmartz, because it's the kind of thing Niece loves to bake... in fact, she's getting everything out right now (including the way cute Halloween cupcake liners), so I better go supervise!
Nevertheless, people still have to eat, and both the menu planning and cooking have continued as usual. Now that I'm back in the classroom I realize the incredible benefits of having a PLAN for meals more than ever! Since the beginning of August, school has started, GolfDad had hip replacement surgery, we've had multiple birthdays, Nephew's football season has started again plus he's had Scout activities and a more "teen-age" social life, Igor has been on the road in the big rig, Mrs. Igor has been working two jobs (yes, 7 days a week), Mr. Mamie has started working from home which actually means a more irregular schedule, etc. I realize that this is just LIFE, but hey - it's a busy life! So yeah, YAY for having SOMETHING that can follow a plan.
Menu this week:
Monday, 10/11: Goulash, green beans, green salad. This a new recipe, and it sounds REALLY yummy!
Tuesday, 10/12: Crockpot Orange Beef, brown rice, green salad. Another new recipe that I think will be super good.
Wednesday, 10/13: Bacon Ranch Slow Cooked Chicken, egg noodles, Italian Cheese Bread, green salad. I've had this recipe for a while, but don't remember ever making it. I picked it because it's very "Mr. Mamie-ish." The Italian Cheese Bread is one of our absolute favorites, and makes frequent appearances on the table here!
Thursday, 10/14: Spicy Lentil Soup, Garlic Muffins, green salad. The soup is a new recipe and sounds good; also, it's meatless and we try to have one or two meatless meals weekly. I'm hoping the kids will like this! We have made the garlic muffins many times and love them.
Friday, 10/15: Black Bean and Brown Rice Bowls/Tacos with corn tortillas and taco toppings. Another meatless meal, and one we've made lots of times - everyone (including the kids) really likes this combo.
Saturday, 10/16: Homemade Pizza! Yep, homemade dough (from my bread machine recipe book), homemade sauce (I wrote a post on that a long time ago....), and a buffet of toppings. This is usually something we do two or three times monthly, and the kids LOVE it.
Sunday, 10/17: BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, green salad. Mr. Mamie, GrandmaT, and I all love this version of meatloaf. Niece made disparaging comments about meatloaf recently, so I decided that she ought to try this! The cheddar cheese biscuits are a perennial favorite.
Baking, etc. this week:
Salad dressing - I often make our own, as the store-bought kind is either full of HFCS (the cheaper kinds), or rather expensive (the good ones, like Annie's or OrganicVille). I'm making two of our favorites today: Julia Child's Vinaigrette and Cafe Rio Style Cream Tomatillo. Be warned... the second one is ADDICTING!!! It's also really good as a sauce/salsa on tacos, quesadillas, etc. I've even used it as sandwich spread!
Buttermilk Waffles, which I made this morning for breakfast with enough for the freezer (weekday breakfasts, yay!)
Amish White Bread and Whole Wheat Bread - we go through a loaf of each weekly. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I let the bread machine do the mixing and first rise, then I put the dough in the bread pan for a second rise. It's then baked in the oven, which I much prefer to baking in the bread machine itself.
My Grammie's recipe for oatmeal cookies, which I call "Kansas Oatmeal Cookies." I'll post the recipe later today. Niece and I are making these this afternoon.
Pumpkin Muffins, which I plan to make Tuesday evening to take to a meeting Wednesday morning. I have a huge box of the Krustez brand mix from Costco, which I LOVE! However, my mom had a really yummy "scratch" pumpkin bread/muffin recipe, which I'll also be making soon. I'll share the recipe when I do.
Funfetti Halloween Cupcakes - I bought the mix and frosting for cheap at The Walmartz, because it's the kind of thing Niece loves to bake... in fact, she's getting everything out right now (including the way cute Halloween cupcake liners), so I better go supervise!
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