30 in 30 - check!

With this post, I can say "I did it!" I posted every day during the month of November, thereby succeeding at NaBloPoMo! Of course, I forgot to ever actually register at the NaBoPloMo site, so won't be getting any props there, but this was for my OWN satisfaction anyway.  Hopefully daily posting has become enough of an ingrained habit that I'll be able to continue.


~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Menus 11/29/10 - 12/5/10

Monday, 11/29/10: CrockPot Gravy Pork Chops with egg noodles, green salad, leftover Thanksgiving green beans and Grammie rolls.

Tuesday, 11/30/10: Beef and Barley Skillet (bumped from last week in favor of Shepherd's Pie to use up Thanksgiving mashed potatoes!), green salad.

Wednesday, 12/1/10:  In n' Out or Pollo Loco - Mr. Mamie has a class and I have some errands to do in the Big Town.  GrandmaT can have leftovers or one of our homemade freezer meals; if kids are here GrandmaT can do a casserole from the freezer.

Thursday, 12/2/10: North Dakota Beef Vegetable Soup, Grammie rolls (from the freezer), green salad.

Friday, 12/3/10: Eat at my school holiday party (Mr. Mamie too).

Saturday, 12/4/10: Cheesy Chicken Lasagna, Italian Cheese Bread, green salad.

Sunday, 12/5/10: Mom's Stuffed Bell Peppers (made with ground turkey), Oatmeal Rolls, green salad.

Recipes for Grammie Rolls and Mom's Stuffed Bell Peppers to come - check the "Recipes" tab soon.

See lots more meal plans at www.orgjunkie.com!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Leftover Nation

Leftover Nation - NYTimes.com

I read this in the Op-Ed section of the online edition of the New York Times today. It's an interesting overview of the role of leftovers through the history of the American diet, but the final two paragraphs gave me pause.


Though technology has eased the task of dealing with leftovers, Americans have come to depend on them less than ever. For many eaters, repurposing leftovers has become all but obsolete, thanks to processed foods with long shelf lives and countless venues for eating out. 

So if you find yourself struggling to turn Thursday’s turkey into yet another meal, remember that this was how Americans once ate day in and day out — and be grateful that there will probably be a new menu starting tomorrow. 


Growing up my parents (both of whom cooked) certainly made good use of leftovers - a roast served one night became French Dip sandwiches the next, soups and stews and chilis were made in quantities that allowed the leftovers to be frozen for another meal, etc. I have carried this practice into adult life, as an undergrad and grad student living on a student budget, as a young professional, and as middle-aged wife and fill-in parent.  I see no "shame" in making good use of resources - both the time it takes to prepare a meal, and the food that goes into creating it. The budget is eased and home-cooked food becomes available for lunches at work, etc. when the we purposefully plan for using leftovers.

Interestingly, the teachers who regularly sit down at the faculty room table at lunch time with leftovers in front of them are the ones who get the kindly envious comments about the contents of their Tupperware. I've noticed that those on the receiving end tend to be me and a couple of male teachers who have stay-at-home wives. It's become well-known since I returned to classroom teaching this year that my lunches are almost always homemade, and always enticing - and yes, I share!

So bring on the leftovers! And, it's time for me to go put the Thanksgiving turkey carcass on to simmer - looking forward to that leftover turkey soup!


~Mamie"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!"(Hunter S. Thompson)

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~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Six Word Saturday 11/27/20

Something old, something new, better snoozing!

We have been in desperate need of a new bed for quite some time, and have made a couple attempts to purchase a set. However, the cost of a good king-size box springs and mattress (and KING it must be!) is exorbitant, and we've been thwarted in our efforts.  

GolfDad recently upgraded to a super-fancy bed, and offered his not-very-old, not-very-used Sealy Posterpedic set to the Igors and us, with the Igors getting first dibs. Mrs Igor debated for a couple of weeks, but ultimately decided that moving the items in and out of the narrow hallways in their house was more than she wanted to take on at this time. Thus, we were next in line, and Mr. Mamie (with his sketchy back) was THRILLED!

Fortunately, GolfDad's house is only 2 miles away, and we can drive on a very deserted back road between our houses.  Mr. Mamie and I managed to go over, load the mattress, tie it down, get home, and make the switch in just over an hour. Our "new" bed awaits, dressed up in flannel sheets, a fleece blanket, and a fluffy comforter. 

Though the bed's not brand-new, it's close enough, and the price of "free-99" (as Mr. Igor likes to say) was definitely in our budget. I'm pretty sure we're going to be sleeping much better!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

My "Black Friday" plans...

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Happy Thanksgiving!

(All three of you who read this blog in an RSS feed will need to click through.)

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Nearly Wordless Wednesday 11/24/10

Something to be thankful for.... 

Grammie and Lily

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Ten Things Tuesday 11/23/10

Ten random things about today (last day of school before five days of Thanksgiving break!):

1. The news was all a-tizzy this morning with dire warnings of the impending blizzard.  I wondered (a) how many kids would be absent because they left early for Thanksgiving trips, and (b) how many kids would be at school because their families CANCELED trips. In the end it was a wash.

2. I love my SmartWool socks. I wish I had 20 pairs instead of three. Maybe Santa will bring some.

3. Playground duty at morning recess in penguin-friendly temperatures is made bearable only when slurping from a big travel mug o' Stephen's Gourmet Candy Cane Cocoa. YUM!

 

4.  130 first graders wearing Pilgrim and Indian hats while  noshing on turkey, rolls, corn, cranberries, pumpkin pie and apple juice is about the cutest thing you ever saw. Hooray, first grade Thanksgiving feast!

5. My colleague T.A. is absolutely amazing - her mental recall of first grade songs and her ability to teach 130 kids to actually sing and do cute actions is incredible!

6. We didn't do math today. We did clean out our pencil boxes and get new crayons, put together our Thanksgiving folders, scrub the tables, and read two more Thanksgiving books.

7. Costco and Walmart were both hell-on-Earth at 5 p.m. today. But, we are now stocked up and ready for the blizzard, Thanksgiving, and a long weekend AT HOME - no more shopping/stores!

8.  My husband's ability to manhandle a cart through crowded stores, pack the car, and haul everything into the house with tremendous efficiency is something to be grateful for (and I am!).

9. I'm eating Triscuits and pepperjack cheese for dinner, sitting on the couch in my jammies, watching lots of TV - a perfect ending to the day!

10.  Blogger's being a PITA and won't upload pictures, so no visual aids tonight. Photos of our feast and songfest to come!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Menus 11/22/10 - 11/28/10

Monday, 11/22: Creamy Mexican Chicken Soup (using leftovers from last night's Zesty CrockPot Whole Chicken), green salad.

Tuesday, 11/23: Mom's Swiss Steak, wild rice OR egg noodles (depending on what we feel like at the time), green salad.

Wednesday, 11/24: Spaghetti and Meatballs (using organic whole wheat spaghetti, Costco Italian Meatballs, and jarred sauce - it's all about the EASY when I'm busy doing Thanksgiving prep!), green salad, and possibly Italian Cheese Bread depending on how the Thanksgiving prep is going.

Thursday, 11/25 - Thanksgiving: Grilled turkey breast (GolfDad's masterpiece), Mrs. Igor's Cranberry Relish, CrockPot Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes (following the "make-ahead" directions), Basil Sesame Green Beans, Lucy's Dinner Rolls, stuffing (still deciding on a recipe),  gravy, green salad, Perfect Pumpkin Pie, and maybe Mom's Cherry Pie.

Friday, 11/26: Homemade pizza.

Saturday, 11/27: Tacos or enchiladas of some sort.

Sunday, 11/28: Beef and Barley Skillet Dinner, green salad.

Lunches on Friday - Sunday will be Thanksgiving leftovers!

See tons more meal plans at www.orgjunkie.com.

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Pie Crust, Pantries, Yadda Yadda Yadda

I had to laugh at the variety of comments on my Six Word Saturday post yesterday, which read:  Practicing pie crust, Thanksgiving preparatory precursor.  A few people wished me luck, but most others mentioned the availability of frozen pie crusts, pre-made graham cracker crusts, etc. Well yeah, I know, but...

Part of being able to cook (and bake) for me is the desire to be self-sufficient, to not have to rely the likelihood of having a certain pre-made item on hand. If I don't have a frozen pie crust on hand, but want to make a pie, I then have to (a) have money to purchase a frozen crust, and (b) have the time and willingness to drive to a store to obtain one. Whereas if I am capable of making my own, all I have to have are ingredients - in this case, Crisco, flour, and water. Guess what? Ingredients for MANY things (not just pie crust) are much more readily available and almost are less expensive than a single pre-made item.

I read something a while back that advised people who wanted to eat both less expensively and more healthily to "shop for ingredients, not 'food.'" I think this makes a lot of sense.  I have a well-stocked pantry, full of ingredients  that can be turned into a huge variety of meals and treats. Now, this is not an exhaustive list nor is it necessarily a blueprint for anyone else, but the ingredients that I try to keep stocked in the pantry, fridge, and freezer are:

• oils/fats - olive, canola, and sesame oils; butter and Crisco; nut butters (peanut and almond)
• vinegars - white, cider, red wine, white wine, rice
• baking soda and baking powder
• yeast
• beans - dried and canned: black, pinto, Great Northern
• rice - white jasmine, brown, wild
• whole wheat pasta in a variety of forms (including couscous)
• grains - unbleached white and whole wheat flours, oatmeal, cornmeal
• sweeteners - white and brown sugars, powdered sugar, molasses, honey, pure maple syrup, cocoa powder, a variety of chips (milk, dark and white chocolate; peanut butter, butterscotch)
• canned tomatoes - diced, sauce, paste
• spices - I have an extensive collection, but the ones I use the most are garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, ginger, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, turmeric
• onions, garlic, bell peppers, potatoes (sweet potatoes, red potatoes, Yukon Gold, russet)
• cheeses - sharp cheddar, jack, mozzarella, Parmesan, feta, cream cheese
• other dairy - milk (2% and whole), heavy cream, buttermilk, sour cream, plain yogurt
• meats, according to sales - ground beef, ground turkey, whole chicken, boneless/skinless chicken breast, flank steak or cube steak, stew meat, beef roast, pork roast
• vegetables/fruits, according to season and sales - canned, fresh, or frozen: corn, green beans, carrots, pumpkin, green onions, apples, bananas, pineapple (canned), olives (canned), broccoli, cauliflower, salad greens, spinach, berries (usually frozen)
• condiments - real mayo, ketchup (with no HFCS), Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon and lime juices, salsa
• tortillas - corn and flour

With the ingredients above, I can make almost ANYTHING that anyone in the family desires, and almost any meal that we would want. With a little planning (oh, how I love my weekly meal plans!), we can eat at home,less expensively, more healthily, and more deliciously, than we can eating out or buying prepared foods.

Back to the pie crust... I've seen a boatload of recipes and methods on blogs lately touting the "perfect" crust for Thanksgiving pies, but I decided to keep it simple and just follow my basic-but-trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. For a two-crust pie it was simply 2 cups flour, 2/3 cups shortening (I used butter flavored Crisco), and 6 - 7 tablespoons water. I followed the directions and everything came together just fine! I used a pastry cutter rather than the food processor, and it was very quick and easy. I was a little worried about over-working the dough as I formed it into two balls and then rolled them out, and they were a bit crumbly, so I added just a splash of water during the rolling.

I realized that I didn't have a "regular" pie tin, only a deep-dish ceramic one, so my pie was"rustic" - that is, no pretty edges! The deep-dish was the right choice in the sense that I had a bunch of apples that really needed to get used, so "rustic apple pie" is what I made. Really, it was all about the crust anyway.

GolfDad showed up around 6:00, having received my Google Calendar update for dinner. (Aside: In addition to filling out a little form that I created with the weekly meal plan and sticking it on the fridge, I also put each night's dinner on a Google Calendar which is shared with Mr. Mamie, GolfDad, and the Igor Family. That way, Mr. Mamie and I know what's for dinner when we're at work, GolfDad can show up when the mood strikes him, and the Igors can know what's being offered as well, since parts of their family are often eating dinner at our house.) I was glad that GolfDad appeared, becasue GrandmaT was still over at the Igors' dog-sitting while they were out of town for football, and Mr. Mamie was still at his sister's, fixing her virus-riddled computer. I was hungry but didn't want to eat alone, so GolfDad's arrival was a welcome surprise. We snarffled up shredded BBQ beef from the CrockPot (GREAT recipe, Mrs. Chili!) and some baked beans (Bush's from a can this time), and then sampled the apple pie... YUM! It tasted great and the crust was tender and flaky! I even got the seal of approval from GolfDad, which can be hard when it comes to baked goods.

The whole point of the crust-making practice was that I wanted to make Wombat's favorite pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving, and I wanted to make the CRUST, too. It seemed like a good idea to do a trial run on the crust, but I didn't want to make pumpkin pie this weekend AND for Thanksgiving. We had apples sitting around, so voila, apple pie! And now we get to nom nom nom that yummy pie
for a couple of days, yay!

If you made it to the end of this long, rambling post - congratulations! You are truly dedicated. :)

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Six Word Saturday 11/20/20

Practicing pie crust, Thanksgiving preparatory precursor.

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Random Thoughts

 

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I have nothing particularly witty or stimulating to offer, but if I am going to survive NaBloPoMo, I gotta post something. So here's my collection of random thoughts for the day.

A kid in my class has Scarlet fever, according to what her mom told the secretary when she called after school. OH, JOY! So is half my class going to fall victim to raging strep and miss the First Grade Thanksgiving Feast? I hope not!

I spent an hour after school at the dentist, getting my teeth power-washed and sand-blasted. I mean, cleaned and polished. It seems a shame to sully them now with food...

...but I am! I'm fixing Sweet, Sticky, Spicy Chicken (new recipe, highly anticipated) and Yellow Rice (well-loved favorite) for dinner, and them smells are making me delirious with desire!

My principal came in this afternoon to go over my observation/evaluation (which she did in the classroom on Wednesday). She marked me "distinguished" in practically every category, and was full of gushing praise.  Ha! She missed the part where I shrieked at the 20 little imps that they were on my LAST NERVE and that EVERYONE MUST PUT THEIR HEADS DOWN NOW, or else there would be a massive meltdown (mine).

We did the funnest thing today - we made "Noun Town," which I'm going to post about next week (with pictures!) and I'll link to the teacher blog where I got the idea. It was such a hit with the kids that I think we'll extend it next week by making "VerbVille."

The local high school football team played in the state championship today. They lost by a field goal, for the second year in a row, to the same team. There is weeping in the Village.

The Igor family is gone to a town in another state (but only about 40 miles away) in order for Nephew to participate in a weekend of football-ness. When HE'S on the high school team they WILL win the championship! GrandmaT has to dog-sit the Maniacal Igor Hounds, otherwise they will eat the whole house.

I know Harry Potter opens this weekend (duh), but I'm holding off seeing it for a couple of weeks... I don't want the experience ruined by hordes of noisy "fans."

Dinner's done, and so is this moment of randomness. Enjoy your Friday evening!


~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Read this book!

Many of you teacher-readers out there are familiar with this book:

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If you haven't read it, Go. Read. Now.

Today at the Scholastic Book Fair being held at school, I got one of the companion books from the series:

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HILARIOUS!!! Possibly even funnier than the original, though having read the first book provides some nice background. My favorite lines: Duck never wants to help. "No help, "said Farmer Brown, "no more special-order organic duck feed."  HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

This is a must-have for any kindergarten or first grade teacher - if you know one, show your love and buy him/her this book!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Ten Answers

Answers from the Naturalization test questions (see yesterday's post):

1. Twenty-seven (27)

2. Checks and balances, separation of powers

3. Four hundred thirty-five (435)

4. Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote). You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote. Any citizen can vote (women and men can vote), A male citizen of any race (can vote).

5. Apply for a federal job, vote, run for office, carry a U.S. passport

6. (James) Madison, (Alexander) Hamilton, (John) Jay, Publius

7. The Louisiana Territory/Louisiana

8. (Woodrow) Wilson

9. Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam

10. Because there were 13 original colonies/because the stripes represent the original colonies

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Ten Things Tuesday 11/16/10

Another blogger had this posted recently, but now I can't remember who it was! Sorry for the random steal-age.  The original was on a New York Times website, I believe. I did think it was very interesting to see how many/which ones I could - and couldn't - answer.  How about YOU?

10 Questions From the Redesigned Naturalization Test

Instructions: Read the following questions and write down your answers. The answers will be posted tomorrow!

1. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

2. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

3. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

4. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

5. What are two rights only for United States citizens?

6. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

7. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

8. Who was President during World War I?

9. Name one U.S. territory.

10. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?


~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Menus 11/15/10 - 11/21/10

I have parent conferences all next week at school, so the CrockPot and easy-prep meals will be my friends!

Monday 11/15: CrockPot Gravy Pork Chops, Never-Mushy Rice, green salad.

Tuesday, 11/16: Goulash, green salad.

Wednesday, 11/17: Chicken Tortilla Soup, cornbread, green salad.

Thursday, 11/18: Leftovers. We are having a potluck at school on Friday, so I will be prepping a CrockPot of Turkey/Black Bean/Corn Chili (recipe coming, sometime....).

Friday, 11/19: Sweet-Sticky-Spicy Chicken, Yellow Rice, green salad.

Saturday, 11/20: Mrs. Chili's BBQ Beef  as sandwiches (bumped yet again from a previous week!), green salad.

Sunday, 11/21: Zesty CrockPot Whole Chicken, oven-roasted red potatoes, green salad.

For many more meal plans visit www.orgjunkie.com. Happy eating!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Sunrise

 Taken at sunrise on November 8, 2010 looking at the sky to the southeast, over my backyard fence.

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

Wheeeee!

I can't help it, I think the little piggy from the Geico commercials is hilarious - so much so that I once again just snorted my drink into my sinuses laughing at him!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

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Six Word Saturday 11/13/20

Errands to do, house to clean!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

How this teacher felt today...

Maybe I'll have something more substantive to say tomorrow!

~Mamie "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!" (Hunter S. Thompson)

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