Teva "Mush" flip-flops, with pink and aqua straps. Toes are still polka-dot! I am wearing aqua pants and a black shirt today, making me ever-so color coordinated.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Dinner Tonight - 5/13/10
Dinner tonight was fabulous on so many levels! It was "Mexican Black Bean and Rice Bowls", and here's what made it so good:
- The bean mixture (green peppers, garlic, spices, etc.) smelled heavenly while it cooked.
- It was a way to eat brown rice without the "meh" factor.
- We were able to use many organic elements - the black beans, corn, brown rice, salsa, corn chips, lettuce, tomatoes, and cumin were all organic.
- It's a meatless meal, which we're trying to include in our menu plan at least once per week. The production and transportation of meat products uses tremendous resources (and has a large "carbon footprint"), so even one fewer meal involving meat makes a difference.
- It's a relatively inexpensive meal, as beans and rice tend to be.
- IT WAS DANG YUMMY!!! Definitely a hit with everyone!
Niece compiles her black bean and brown rice taco creation.
My bowl and tortillas, before I made it into tacos with lettuce and MORE cheese.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dinner Tonight - 5/11/10
Excellent lemon-themed dinner tonight! We had grilled lemon chicken made with organic chicken breasts from Costco. I will NEVER go back to rubbery, hormone-pumped, factory chicken after having switched to organic - the taste and texture of the organic/free-range is incredible! Mr. Mamie did an excellent job of grilling the chicken breasts.
To complete the theme: Annie's Naturals Lemon and Chive dressing on green salad - perfect!
With the chicken we had baked lemon pasta, made with organic, whole wheat spaghetti -also very yummy. The parsley on top is from our own garden!
Ten Things Tuesday 5/11/10
Ten things I have done in order to prepare for my return to the classroom (in August):
1. Receive my “contract change notice” from the school district. The GREAT thing about this is that it means I’ll be an actual classroom teacher again! The not-so-great thing is that as of July 31st I’ll leave the administrative salary schedule and return to teacher pay… ouch.
2. Start relabeling my stuff with my new married name. THAT feels a little weird!
3. Download TONS of new clip art, and use the clip art to make new schedule signs, posters, alphabet charts, table signs, etc.
4. Clear out old binders and start re-labeling and numbering them for class records. I was removing some name labels from an assessment binder I had for a class back in 2002-03. Here are the names from that binder:
5. Move my hard drive from a MacBook owned by the program I currently run to one owned by the district’s Title I program, which I can take with me to my new (old) school.
6. Get on the school’s email listservs. It has been a good way to ease in to the current culture and goings-on at school by reading the emails that shoot around.
7. Meet with my grade level team on the day the new core reading program was introduced. That was helpful for meeting a couple of new people (who have been hired since I was at the school three years ago).
8. Buy a bunch of books at the recent Scholastic Warehouse Sale! For a picture see this post.
9. Work on building my class website on Google sites. It’s slow going.
10. Tell everyone in my program that I am resigning as Director… that was hard, but there was a lot of understanding and positive feedback regarding my decision to return to the classroom. I know it’s the right one!
1. Receive my “contract change notice” from the school district. The GREAT thing about this is that it means I’ll be an actual classroom teacher again! The not-so-great thing is that as of July 31st I’ll leave the administrative salary schedule and return to teacher pay… ouch.
2. Start relabeling my stuff with my new married name. THAT feels a little weird!
3. Download TONS of new clip art, and use the clip art to make new schedule signs, posters, alphabet charts, table signs, etc.
4. Clear out old binders and start re-labeling and numbering them for class records. I was removing some name labels from an assessment binder I had for a class back in 2002-03. Here are the names from that binder:
I’m proud to say that I could put a FACE to every name in that pile!
5. Move my hard drive from a MacBook owned by the program I currently run to one owned by the district’s Title I program, which I can take with me to my new (old) school.
6. Get on the school’s email listservs. It has been a good way to ease in to the current culture and goings-on at school by reading the emails that shoot around.
7. Meet with my grade level team on the day the new core reading program was introduced. That was helpful for meeting a couple of new people (who have been hired since I was at the school three years ago).
8. Buy a bunch of books at the recent Scholastic Warehouse Sale! For a picture see this post.
9. Work on building my class website on Google sites. It’s slow going.
10. Tell everyone in my program that I am resigning as Director… that was hard, but there was a lot of understanding and positive feedback regarding my decision to return to the classroom. I know it’s the right one!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Foot-grater
On our way to The Walmartz to pick up a prescription for Mr. Mamie, I told him that I thought I might buy one of these:
I tried to describe it, but maybe didn't do such a great job. When we got to the store and The Mister saw it, he said, "Oh, so it's pretty much a cheese grater for your feet!"
Um, yeah. Pretty much.
A Meme for Monday
I got this from Mrs. Chili. Happy Monday everyone!
1. What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
The Lorax and The Sneetches - it's really hard to pick between them!
2. If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be?
Oooh, I've been fond of many... the Ingalls' home on Little House on the Prairie; the Bradfords' Sacramento home on Eight is Enough; and I kinda like Sheriff Taylor's house on The Andy Griffith Show, except the kitchen is cut off from everywhere else.
3. What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep?
On a road trip in college a friend and I drove from Eugene, OR to Seattle during the day; once I got to Seattle I met up with another friend and we stayed up all of that night; the next day he and I drove to Canada and took the ferry to Victoria and stayed all day; driving back to Seattle that night - after around 48 hours without sleep - I truly thought we were gonna DIE on I-5!
4. What’s your favorite Barry Manilow song?
Pretty much NONE.
5. Who’s your favorite Muppet?
Oscar the Grouch, no contest!
6. What’s the habit you’re proudest of breaking?
If I could ever break one I would tell you!
7. What’s your favorite website?
So many to choose from... maybe Facebook? Or Post Secret? Or People of Walmart? Or RecipeeZaar?
8. What’s your favorite school supply?
Oh, you’re KIDDING me, RIGHT?! I love them ALL! Pens, sticky notes, binder clips, folders and tabs and poster tack and… [that was Chili's response, and it was PERFECT for me as well!]
9. Who’s your favorite TV attorney?
I really used to love Michael Kusack and Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law.
Yesterday we went to the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort on the eastern side of Zion National Park.
11. What’s the best bargain you’ve ever found at a garage sale or junk shop?
Not my usual shopping milleau, so I don't really have an answer. Best I can come up with is some purple fleece fabric (AKA "fetish material") I got at the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse about 13 years ago.
12. Where were you on September 11, 2001?
At a staff retreat (for my old school in Oakland) in a cabin on the Russian River in Guerneville, CA.
13. What’s your favorite tree?
The tree in my Grammie's front patio! (That's a picture of both the tree and Grammie below.)
14. What’s the most interesting biography you’ve read?
Perhaps Sylvia Plath...?
15. What do you order when you eat Chinese food?
Spicy beef, such as Hunan Beef from King Yen on College Blvd. in Berkeley.
16. What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn?
Either the Bubble Yum box that Mom and Ron made me in 3rd grade, or the bee suit my mom sewed for me the first year I taught.
17. What’s your least favorite word?
Hate.
18. If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
I would like to say Montana, but I don't want to be associated with that Hannah character. So maybe Kansas.
19. Who’s your favorite bear?
The Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle polar bear.
20. Describe something that’s happened to you for which you have no explanation.
Hmmmmm, can't really think of one....
21. If you could travel anywhere in Africa, where would it be?
All over!
22. What did you have for lunch yesterday?
Organic corn chips, an organic apple, and water from my newest stainless steel Camelback bottle. It was a snacky-lunch, becasue we'd had a big breakfast prior to heading to Zion Ponderosa, and anticipated a nice dinner at the ranch, so no need for major lunching.
23. Where do you go for advice?
Mom used to be my main source; KathyP fills in pretty well. And of course - Mr. Mamie!
24. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Thesaurus.
25. Have you ever been snorkeling? Scuba diving?
Neither. I would love to snorkel but not so sure about scuba.
1. What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
The Lorax and The Sneetches - it's really hard to pick between them!
2. If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be?
Oooh, I've been fond of many... the Ingalls' home on Little House on the Prairie; the Bradfords' Sacramento home on Eight is Enough; and I kinda like Sheriff Taylor's house on The Andy Griffith Show, except the kitchen is cut off from everywhere else.
3. What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep?
On a road trip in college a friend and I drove from Eugene, OR to Seattle during the day; once I got to Seattle I met up with another friend and we stayed up all of that night; the next day he and I drove to Canada and took the ferry to Victoria and stayed all day; driving back to Seattle that night - after around 48 hours without sleep - I truly thought we were gonna DIE on I-5!
4. What’s your favorite Barry Manilow song?
Pretty much NONE.
5. Who’s your favorite Muppet?
Oscar the Grouch, no contest!
6. What’s the habit you’re proudest of breaking?
If I could ever break one I would tell you!
7. What’s your favorite website?
So many to choose from... maybe Facebook? Or Post Secret? Or People of Walmart? Or RecipeeZaar?
8. What’s your favorite school supply?
Oh, you’re KIDDING me, RIGHT?! I love them ALL! Pens, sticky notes, binder clips, folders and tabs and poster tack and… [that was Chili's response, and it was PERFECT for me as well!]
9. Who’s your favorite TV attorney?
I really used to love Michael Kusack and Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law.
10. What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles?
Yesterday we went to the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort on the eastern side of Zion National Park.
11. What’s the best bargain you’ve ever found at a garage sale or junk shop?
Not my usual shopping milleau, so I don't really have an answer. Best I can come up with is some purple fleece fabric (AKA "fetish material") I got at the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse about 13 years ago.
12. Where were you on September 11, 2001?
At a staff retreat (for my old school in Oakland) in a cabin on the Russian River in Guerneville, CA.
13. What’s your favorite tree?
The tree in my Grammie's front patio! (That's a picture of both the tree and Grammie below.)
14. What’s the most interesting biography you’ve read?
Perhaps Sylvia Plath...?
15. What do you order when you eat Chinese food?
Spicy beef, such as Hunan Beef from King Yen on College Blvd. in Berkeley.
16. What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn?
Either the Bubble Yum box that Mom and Ron made me in 3rd grade, or the bee suit my mom sewed for me the first year I taught.
17. What’s your least favorite word?
Hate.
18. If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
I would like to say Montana, but I don't want to be associated with that Hannah character. So maybe Kansas.
19. Who’s your favorite bear?
The Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle polar bear.
Hmmmmm, can't really think of one....
21. If you could travel anywhere in Africa, where would it be?
All over!
22. What did you have for lunch yesterday?
Organic corn chips, an organic apple, and water from my newest stainless steel Camelback bottle. It was a snacky-lunch, becasue we'd had a big breakfast prior to heading to Zion Ponderosa, and anticipated a nice dinner at the ranch, so no need for major lunching.
23. Where do you go for advice?
Mom used to be my main source; KathyP fills in pretty well. And of course - Mr. Mamie!
24. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Thesaurus.
25. Have you ever been snorkeling? Scuba diving?
Neither. I would love to snorkel but not so sure about scuba.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Menus 5/10/10 - 5/16/10
Our dinners this week:
- Marinated, grilled London broil (held over from Sunday, becasue we ate at Zion Ponderosa Ranch), roasted potatoes with garlic and Parmesan, Costco demi-baugette, green salad.
- Lemon grilled chicken (using organic chicken breasts), baked lemon pasta (using whole-wheat spaghetti), green salad.
- Black bean/corn/brown rice bowls with toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc.)
- Creamy turkey taco mac (with whole-wheat rotini), green salad.
- Anti-oxident burgers and toppings, CrockPot mac and cheese, green salad.
- Zesty CrockPot roasted chicken (using organic whole chicken), lentil pilaf (NO mushrooms!), green salad, cheddar cheese biscuits
Friday, May 7, 2010
Lunchboxes
Everybody took "cold lunch" today, which equates to:
NIECE (back left, the black and grey one): 1/2 pita pocket filled with spring mix greens, shredded cheese, chopped ham, and a spray of balsamic dressing; 1/2 apple; Horizon organic yogurt "tube", small baggie of low-fat kettle chips; low-sugar granola bar; Honest Kids organic tropical flavored juice pouch.
NEPHEW (back right, light blue with stripes): two halves of pita pocket filled with spring mix greens, shredded cheese, chopped ham, and a smear of non-soybean oil mayonnaise; an apple; Horizon organic yogurt "tube", small baggie of low-fat kettle chips; low-sugar granola bar; Honest Kids organic grape flavored juice pouch.
MR. MAMIE (front right, navy blue and black): Container of spring mix salad; container of salad toppings that includes marinated artichoke hearts, banana peppers, chopped ham, and feta cheese; 1/2 apple; Camelback bottle with lemon water. He also has a stash of Kashi bars at work, along with a couple of hard-boiled eggs from earlier this week and some pomegranate salad dressing in the mini-fridge.
MAMIE (front left, red): Baggie of spring mix salad and container of feta cheese; container of grilled chicken and sweet chili linguine left-overs from dinner earlier this week; an apple; a Luna bar (vanilla-almond flavor); a cheddar cheese stick and one large organic multi-grain flat-bread cracker; two stainless-steel bottles, one with lemon water and one with iced Tazo black tea. I have a microwave at work to heat up food, and I keep a bottle of Annie's organic Goddess salad dressing on the fridge. I also transfer my food to "real" dishes before eating - a purple Fiestaware bowl and plate, plus real utensils.
Everybody gets a cloth napkin and a blue ice in their lunch, plus silverware as needed, all of which they are expected to bring home at the end of the day.
These are pretty good examples of the kinds of things we usually have in our lunch boxes. Sometimes there are homemade brownies, cookies, or muffins; sometimes it's homemade bread for sandwiches. I am the only one with access to heating food at work/school.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Welcome, new friend...
Meet the newest member of the Geek Family:
This is the tablet PC we recently acquired. I have been a little jealous of the diminutiveness and portability of Mr. Mamie's netbook. Now, don't get me wrong... I ADORE my 15" MacBookPro - it is a FABULOUS production machine, and I love the Mac operating system. I have thousands of photos, videos, songs, etc. on my MacBook, not to mention all my work and personal files. But sometimes all I want is a little machine to cruise the Interwebz, ya know? Something small, easy to take out to the patio.... hence, this little refurbished tablet. It's a fun addition to our collection of computers and gadgets!
Books!
Returning to the classroom in the fall means I need BOOKS! Returning to first grade after six years away from it means I need BOOKS! Being a nerd, and a teacher, means I need BOOKS! Scholastic warehouse sale at the District Office today means I BOUGHT BOOKS!
Menus 5/3/10 - 5/9/10
I'm going to start publishing the weekly menu items over in the sidebar, for quick-reference. However, I realized that by doing that and not having a post, there isn't a way to have an on-going record, nor a way to search the blog for a specific recipe link. So, I'll do both. I'm not going to put specific days/dates, 'cause sometimes things get moved around. We'll try this new format/procedure and see how it goes....
Our dinners:
For the IT Building lunch on Cinco de Mayo:
Southwestern Shredded Beef Tacos
Corn and Black Bean Salad
White Texas Sheet Cake
Our dinners:
- Grilled Chicken and Sweet Chili Linguini with green salad and (Costco) French bread
- Beef and Barley Skillet Dinner with steamed broccoli, corn bread, and green salad
- Potluck Pita Pockets with green salad
- Mixed Grill (burgers, sausages, hot links, hot dogs - everyone can choose their own) with Cheddar Potato Strips and green salad
- Mexican Pizza for Mr. and Mrs. Mamie, make-your-own pizza for the kids and GrandmaT
- Marinated, Grilled London Broil with baked potatoes, Orzo Salad w/ Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil and (Costco) French bread
For the IT Building lunch on Cinco de Mayo:
Southwestern Shredded Beef Tacos
Corn and Black Bean Salad
White Texas Sheet Cake
Corn and Black Bean Salad
Every Wednesday (almost, that is), someone in the school district IT Building where I currently work provides lunch for everyone else. This is kind of my fault, because when we moved into this building I was so excited about the nice kitchen/break room that I told the IT Director that if he would get a CrockPot, I would make lunch once a week or so. TechBoss immediately purchased a nice CrockPot, toaster oven, and a number of other kitchen accouterments. I panicked slightly, but then an email went 'round for everyone to sign up to provide an occasional lunch. I took the first Wednesday of each month, which meant that I ended up with Cinco de Mayo as one of my days - awesome!
Yesterday I hauled in a whole bunch of yuuuuuuuummy shredded Southwestern beef for tacos, 50 corn tortillas, my electric griddle for cooking the tortillas, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and the Corn and Black Bean Salad that is the title of the post, and a huge White Texas Sheet Cake. My good friend and colleague KP (aka "Best Person" from our wedding!) provided the lettuce and tomatoes, though she ended up missing out on lunch. :( Overall, I'd say this festive lunch was a hit!
Here's the recipe for Corn and Black Bean Salad (my mom has a yummy corn salad recipe - no beans - which I'll share soon as well). This recipe can straight off the back of a can of Bush's black beans. I used Westbrae organic black beans and organic peppers (peppers are on the "Dirty Dozen" list of produce that ought to be purchased organically). Sorry, I failed to take a photo of this! I'm trying to have a "printable recipe" link, but am having a problem with Google docs... check back, hopefully I'll get this solved!
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 can (15.25 ounce) corn, drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon cilantro
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 – 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained
• lettuce leaves (optional)
• tortilla chips (optional)
1. In a salad bowl, combine diced peppers and onion, corn kernels, garlic, and cilantro Toss to mix.
2. Add olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste and toss again.
3. Add black beans and mix well.
4. Can be served over a bed of lettuce with tortilla chips on the side.
Yesterday I hauled in a whole bunch of yuuuuuuuummy shredded Southwestern beef for tacos, 50 corn tortillas, my electric griddle for cooking the tortillas, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and the Corn and Black Bean Salad that is the title of the post, and a huge White Texas Sheet Cake. My good friend and colleague KP (aka "Best Person" from our wedding!) provided the lettuce and tomatoes, though she ended up missing out on lunch. :( Overall, I'd say this festive lunch was a hit!
Here's the recipe for Corn and Black Bean Salad (my mom has a yummy corn salad recipe - no beans - which I'll share soon as well). This recipe can straight off the back of a can of Bush's black beans. I used Westbrae organic black beans and organic peppers (peppers are on the "Dirty Dozen" list of produce that ought to be purchased organically). Sorry, I failed to take a photo of this! I'm trying to have a "printable recipe" link, but am having a problem with Google docs... check back, hopefully I'll get this solved!
Black Bean Salad
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 can (15.25 ounce) corn, drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon cilantro
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 – 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained
• lettuce leaves (optional)
• tortilla chips (optional)
1. In a salad bowl, combine diced peppers and onion, corn kernels, garlic, and cilantro Toss to mix.
2. Add olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste and toss again.
3. Add black beans and mix well.
4. Can be served over a bed of lettuce with tortilla chips on the side.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Maybe, perhaps...
I might revive the blog. I have missed it. I stopped in January because after losing the Wombat and dragging through the holidays, I just didn't have the energy or motivation. Some things happened that made me feel the need to password-protect the blog, and then it wasn't fun anymore (too hard for people to read it). So a few months have passed, and I have realized that I really DO miss it. So no promises or anything, but maybe... perhaps... I might be able to sustain it again. I am un-protecting it in the hope that the formers problems will not re-occur, and that readers will return.
We'll start with a couple of photos from a hike we went on this weekend:
We'll start with a couple of photos from a hike we went on this weekend:
View of the desert and mountains.
Orange desert flowers.
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