with cupcakes and love

NEW BLOG!!!

2011-01-16T19:48:00.003-06:00

Click here to go to my new blog:
http://homemadeandhappy.tumblr.com/

Student quotes

2011-01-03T20:16:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, I used the word "retired," for some reason, and a boy raised his hand and couldn't wait for me to call on him before shouting out, "I heard on the news that Larry King is also retired!" I asked if he knew who that was, but he did not. Kids pick up on everything!

Today, I referenced the story of Rumpelstiltskin, and someone said, "when you said Rumpelstiltskin, did you really mean Shrek the 3rd?"

I'm reading and loving Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I'll post some about that when things settle down a little.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T14:16:00.002-06:00

For unto us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

One More Christmas Writing

2010-12-24T10:19:00.000-06:00

The class writes about their favorite part of the Christmas story...

Christmas List

2010-12-24T09:54:00.000-06:00

For fun, and as a lesson in writing complete sentences and reasoning, I had the kids choose one or two or more things they want for Christmas and explain WHY they want it. I have an animal loving class, I'm finding. I apologize for the fuzzy photos.

A substitute for me so I can learn. ?? :)

Oh my! How sweet. I remember wanting my teachers to come to my house too.

A projector, of course.

World War II DVD

Dog, Unicorn, Dolphin

16 puppies! So! Fun!

I love the "that's why" ending.

These two are a little oddly similar...hmmm.

Very practical!

Student Quotes

2010-12-20T20:11:00.000-06:00

I mentioned that someone was retired, and a boy raised his hand right away to say: "I heard on the news that Larry King is retired!"

Today my future brother in law visited the class to talk about his home country, Australia. There were some pretty good questions, but my favorite was, "Is Lego Land in Australia?"

I cannot believe we're almost halfway through the year! I love the second semester of first grade. They are so into the routine that they can basically survive the day without me. :) Tomorrow I'll be posting some Christmas writings that we've been working on.

Penny and Snow

2010-12-19T08:23:00.001-06:00

Penny doesn't like the snow at all. I think it's just too cold for her little body. She shivers and jumps up to be picked up. She's trying to like it, I think.

She prefers to be held inside where it's warm...

and to just gaze at the snow from a distance.

Christmas is THIS week! eeeee! I can't wait.

Penny and Christmas

2010-12-13T18:22:00.000-06:00

Penny had a grooming appointment last week. She's still only six pounds! She looks even tinier now that they cut a lot of her hair. She's so fun and lovable, even though she barks a lot and steals receipts and mittens from my purse, if I'm not careful.
She did really well with the Christmas tree! Considering that she goes nuts when I get my hair straightener out or a bag of chips or something. She didn't bark a single time while we put up the tree! While I was decorating, she checked out each ornament she could reach. :)

Holy Guacamole

2010-12-13T18:06:00.000-06:00

I posted about guacamole awhile ago, but I liked this version better. I am bad about winging recipes and not writing them down, so I'm writing this one down.

1 avocado
1 tsp salsa (I used Pace Picante mild)
1 tbsp chopped white onion (Do I like onion now??? I think so.)
1/2 tsp lime juice
Salt to taste

Taylor's ever-evolving work schedule has just changed again. Now he'll be working til 8:45 (with an hour drive) two nights of the week, so I'm excited to try out some recipes that can be kept warm all evening until he's home. Soups and that kind of stuff.

Twenty-five

2010-12-12T08:43:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday, Taylor Baylor! I love celebrating your birthday with you.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2010-11-28T17:17:00.000-06:00

Sweet potatoes are the healthiest vegetable in quite a few categories, I just read. I also found out that a town in Tennessee called Gleason (which is my maiden name!!) has a Tater Town day and festival which celebrates the sweet potato. How awesome is that? I usually have them baked at Taylor's family's house for dinner, and this Thanksgiving, his mom made really good sweet potatoes in a buttery, brown sugar sauce. Yum! I made some "fries" by tossing a sliced sweet potato in olive oil with a little salt and pepper. Then I baked them for 15 minutes, flipped them over a little and baked them another 15 minutes, at 350. Super easy! They were just a l i t t l e crisp on the outside and hot and soft on the inside. Not really like fries, but very good still!

Also, I like more strawberries than spinach in my strawberry spinach salad :)

Christmas Decorating!

2010-11-28T16:57:00.001-06:00

This weekend we started decorating the apartment for Christmas. Penny is so bad about handling new things and so she barked angrily the whole time. I don't know how we'll put up the tree. But, this little grouping was a fun project to do. I printed Christmas song lyrics and titles (in some of my favie fonts like Futura and Helvetica Neue Ultra Light) on the left; I found the silver Merry Christmas at Hobby Lobby; the paper with antique furniture is just scrapbooking paper from my stash; the Merry Merry Merry is a Christmas card; Santa Claus is coming is a favorite Sufjan Stevens lyric that Taylor picked out and we framed; and the mirror is something I've had forever but never actually hung up! In January, I'll just switch out the Christmasy things and leave it up.

How to Cook a Turkey According to 1st Graders

2010-11-25T00:05:00.000-06:00

We just learned about degrees and measuring temperature, and this assignment introduced using transitional words like first, next, then, and last. This topic was a lot of fun to talk about because it's interesting to see which ones know anything about cooking from watching or helping their families. Enjoy!

Turkey mix!

Love the pictures!

Sprinkles and get rid of the fat.

Veggies.

Look at her drawings! How cute.

Get ready and wait and wait for all the people to come until they're here.

Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving Fruit Pizza

2010-11-24T21:02:00.000-06:00

Taylor and I are bringing this to Thanksgiving tomorrow for dessert...

Letters to Pastors

2010-11-22T20:59:00.000-06:00

This is something we did in October at school. I LOVE LOVE LOVE writing in first grade. They change so much over the course of the year. This was an assignment where I gave free reign; I just helped with some spelling and told them that a letter starts with Dear. These letters are pretty sweet.

He forgot the word about, so I told him it's okay and to just draw an arrow this time, showing where about should go. :)

Next up: How to Cook a Turkey! (according to 1st graders)

Creamy Tomato Pasta

2010-11-22T20:35:00.000-06:00

I made a recipe similar to this a few weeks ago, but this one I just made up as I went along. I had 1 cup of cream to use up from the mac and cheese I made a few days ago. This was so warm and filling for a cold, rainy day!

Boil 1/2 lb. mostaccoili pasta.
Meanwhile, heat 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.) and stir in 1 cup cream.
Sprinkle in a little garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I didn't measure!
Pour the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir it up. I served this with a Caesar salad. (Did you know Panera salad dressing is available at the grocery story now? It's yummy.)

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-11-22T20:29:00.000-06:00


Not the most glamorous of photos...or foods.

Last week I had a craving for Mexican, so I tried to make chicken enchiladas. They turned out very messy, but good! I couldn't get it out of the pan very well...that's why this one is very sad looking. But, they were really simple to make and Taylor loved them.

Cook chopped chicken in a frying pan with taco seasoning. Add a small can of green chillies. Preheat the oven to 350.
Scoop some of the chicken mixture into a tortilla. Add a little cheese and roll it up. Do this until the chicken is gone. I made 6, and had used about 1 lb. of chicken.
Place the enchiladas in a baking dish and pour enchilada sauce from a can over the top. Add a little bit of shredded cheese and bake for as long as you want, probably about 15 minutes. I kept them in the oven on low until Taylor got home for around 30 minutes. I served them with lettuce, sour cream, taco rice, and beans. Super easy!

Kinda Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

2010-11-21T14:13:00.002-06:00

(Photo from here.)
I just realized it's been two weeks since I've last posted...eee! This is one of our favorite recipes. It's very easy to make and can be very inexpensive if you buy cheese when it's on sale. I didn't take a picture because I forgot! I got the recipe from here, but I usually change it each time I've made it. Here is the recipe toned down a bit, how I make it. It's not as spicy, and it uses a whole cup less of cheese!

Boil 1/2 box of pasta. I like elbow pasta for this. Preheat the oven to 350.
Combine the spices. I keep these the same as what's in the above link.
Put the pasta into the baking dish. Add the creams, spices, cheese. Here's where I make some changes... You can do all half and half for less fat and it still tastes fine! Also, an egg isn't really necessary. At least, I've forgotten it and thought it turned out the same. Cheeses---I use a bag of Kraft (because I haven't seen another brand that has this combo.) shredded cheddar/monterrey jack cheese. Save just a little for the topping. Pepper jack is what they recommend, but that just makes it more spicy. This recipe calls for 24 ounces of cheese...that's crazy. I use maybe 16 ounces, if that.
Skip the topping! I'm sure it's good, but it's just butter and breadcrumbs...not really needed with something as delicious and rich as creamy mac and cheese!
Bake it for about 20-30 minutes until it's all warm and gooey.

Hipster Puppy

2010-11-07T16:27:00.000-06:00

Penny has been writing a book in her spare time. She also enjoys running away with socks, taste testing things, and eating things. She likes to wear a fashionable scarf on these crisp, fall afternoons.

Penny meets Princess

2010-11-06T10:29:00.003-05:00

Taylor's grandparents from Texas are here (along with his mom's parents from New Mexico, also!), and they brought their new puppy, Princess. She's adorable and loves to play with Penny. Here's a quick video of them playing...

Baked Potato Soup

2010-11-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite soup ever! Most of my favorite foods are ones my mom makes, and this recipe came from her. This soup is especially easy if you do the first two steps way ahead of time. After those steps, it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Enjoy!

1. Bake 6 small-medium potatoes with the skin on. I microwave them until they're cooked thoroughly.
2. Cook 12 slices of bacon. I like to bake it in the oven until it's really, really crisp and done.
3. Melt 2/3 cup of butter in a big stock pot.
4. Add 2/3 cup of flour and continually stir until a paste is made, over low heat. Be careful not to burn it.
5. Bring up the heat and begin adding 6 cups of milk. I add two cups at a time, stirring constantly, as it heats, to keep the temperature hot, but not boiling.
6. Once all of the milk is added and is mixed with the butter/flour, add all the stuff: diced potatoes, chopped bacon, about 4 green onions chopped, 1 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese shredded, 8 oz. sour cream, 1 tbsp chicken soup flavoring (I use Better than Boullion), 1/2 tsp. salt, and1/2 tsp. pepper.
7. Keep it on medium to low heat until it's heated thoroughly and seems ready to eat (maybe 15-20 minutes.) Keep stirring and watch that it doesn't burn at the bottom. Add some more milk (up to two cups even!) until it's the thickness you like. The next day, it will be very thick, so I may wait to add milk then.

Swing your partner round and round...

2010-11-06T10:03:00.000-05:00

I wish we had taken more pictures! This is the only one. We went to the youth square dance and hot dog roast at church a few days ago. It was so fun!

O, How I love fall!

2010-11-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

A few more from Tanner's with Jamie and Teejay...

Acting cool in the pumpkin patch.

Some friendly apple throwing competitions. ((Only old apples on the ground, though!))

Pennysaurus! Roar!

2010-11-01T19:49:00.000-05:00

I haven't been cooking lately...school is crazy right now...but, Penny is pretty darling!

Trying to round up the pirate and the dinosaur for a picture

Penny loves my new purse!

2010-10-31T15:05:00.001-05:00

She's been such a good little puppy today.

Tanner's Tanner's Bo Banner's.

2010-10-25T23:01:00.000-05:00

More to come! I can't think because I'm tres sleepy.

Oh, Penny Pen.

2010-10-20T22:49:00.000-05:00

She likes to lick the screen.

Smooooothies

2010-10-16T21:44:00.001-05:00

I was overambitious with the bunch of bananas I bought this week and we decided we needed to get them finished up quick, because they were becoming brown. I love alliteration. Taylor was overly excited to hear that I thought of a way to eat the browning bananas for dinner!! ;)
The first smoothie I made was from the blender recipes pamphlet.

2 cups fruit (I used 2 smallish bananas and 2 clementines, a little more than 2 cups)
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sugar (this seemed like a lot, but it was really good and sweet that way)
1-2 cups ice

Taylor loved this one so much and drank mine too. He thought it was so much better than Smoothie King, which is such a funny and overwhelming place. I didn't enjoy the texture because of the clementine white parts, and they were very prevalent. (Speaking of this, I eat lunch with two students every week in my classroom and we just sit and eat and have a fun lunchtime together. I had a clementine in my lunch and one of the girls loved them, so I shared it with her, but the other girl wouldn't eat it because she doesn't like the white parts of oranges/clementines. What is that white part called?)

The next one we tried was a Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie. I read several recipes and then I just put this together in the blender:

2 frozen smallish bananas
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp chocolate syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter

This one was really, really good. It was a little rich, so I'd go easier on the peanut butter and chocolate next time. Taylor liked it so much he accidentally drank most of mine, too! (He said I said it was okay, but I wasn't listening apparently. It was kind of hilarious and I didn't mind because it was so chocolatey.)

Yumms!

Sushi Gawa

2010-10-15T21:53:00.000-05:00

Taylor and I had a sushi date tonight that was so much fun. I am trying to like sushi, but it just doesn't appeal to me so much. I do like a California roll, but that's about all that I've tried and enjoyed. We went to Sushi Gawa and then walked around a board game store and Fresh Market afterward. Now Taylor's doing internet things (and I suppose I am too!) and soon we'll watch a movie. I haven't cooked in a long time! We've been living on a batch of fajitas and sandwiches for a quite few days. Maybe this weekend I'll get to do some cooking!

School news: Today was grandparent's day and also parent/teacher conference scheduling day. I can't believe we're almost done with the first nine weeks! I love this time of year at school...fall stuff...new good books from the book order...and the kids are in the routine of being at school now!

Student Quote

2010-10-06T22:06:00.000-05:00

"I feel like I'm at home," she said peacefully and contentedly.
:) I love that she feels so comfortable at school. She also has told me this week everyday how much she missed me last week. I love these kids so much. I'm almost worried that I won't have another class this good!

Pumpkin Cake

2010-10-02T21:17:00.000-05:00

I made pumpkin bars last week, but I put them in a different sized pan and they turned out a little taller and fluffier than they should have, so I'm calling it pumpkin cake instead. This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, which my mom gave to me for Valentine's Day once. What a perfect gift! (She also gave me the pretty antique plates in this picture!) Also, this recipe has a little less sugar than most pumpkin bars and tastes just perfect--moist and not overly sweet!

In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. (Recipe also calls for 1/4 tsp ground cloves but I didn't have this.)
Stir in 4 beaten eggs, 1 15oz can of pumpkin, and 1 cup of veg. oil until well combined.
Spread into a 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Use a toothpick in the center to check for doneness.
Spread cream cheese frosting after cooling for two hours. There is a recipe for frosting, but I really think a can of cream cheese frosting is easier and tastes just fine. I used Duncan Hines whipped cream cheese frosting and only used about 3/4 of the can.

ACSI Educator's Convention

2010-10-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

This week I went to South Bend, IN with a bunch of awesome coworkers and just learned learned learned. I went to 8 awesome sessions, plus keynote speakers, and revived and refreshed my teaching brain. I found so many awesome ideas that I can begin on MONDAY and so many others to store away for later use. I feel incredibly blessed by the brilliant speakers and presenters and so I'm just unbelievably thankful for this conference! Plus, it was so much fun staying up late and chatting with the other teachers. There are some amazing women who work at PCS. We had a great week! But...I came home to a messy, messy apartment, tons of first grade work to check, some interesting and funny notes from the substitute, fleas on Penny (I knew I had seen one before and found two last night), dozens of emails to respond to--regarding school and youth group, and I missed Taylor. Plus, in all of the busyness of last week, I didn't get any of my planning done for next week, so I'll be going in sometime today or tomorrow. I have some setbacks, but I am still loving that we went! Here's an overview of the sessions I attended...

All Created Unique, Now What? This session was put on by an energetic and funny kindergarten teacher, named Vonda Morgan, who studies the Multiple Intelligences theory by Howard Gardner. She develops lessons that reach all of the different kinds of learners and gave us some great ideas to use right away in the classroom. I learned that I'm a Word smart person, but I have all different kinds of learners in my classroom, so I need to be sure I don't always teach in this way. I have taken so many classes that cover this info in college, so I wish I had picked something a little different, but I did get some great practical ideas.
Have You Got Faith in Your Class? Another one that I could have possibly skipped. This session was put on by Jon Bauer, a Canadian Christian artist, who also used to teach. He was enjoyable to listen to, but PCS does such an awesome job of working on integrating our relationships with Christ throughout the day, in every subject even, that I felt like I had learned all of this before and already do this.
Fifty Tools for Teaching in Fifty Minutes Oh WOW! This session was awesome. It was put on by Barbara Newman, an author of books on autism and disabilities and also a school consultant for students with exceptional needs, with the CLC Network. She quickly and excitingly (not a word maybe?) gave us 50 great ideas to help students with reading, behavior, sensory, etc problems. She showed us products we could buy to make adaptions for them, or how to make them on our own. I love the tools she has added to my teaching toolbox!
The Skill and Will of Complimenting and Correcting Students Dr. Kathy Koch (my new favorite speaker of all time) is such a great speaker. She works with kids and is so right on about everything she spoke on this week. This session gave information on having a classroom culture of fear or apathy or a positive environment. She gave usable formulas for complimenting and correcting students in a manner that makes them understand what they did right or wrong, what to do next time, and why they have to face consequences. She also talked about focusing on the character of the students when complimenting and what the Bible says about that character. This sounds really bland now that I'm writing this, but it was incredible. I can't wait to see my students next week to try her ideas out.
Meeting the Needs of Millennial Students (2 parts) These sessions were eye openers, by Kathy Koch again. She taught us how and why millennial (this generation which I'm actually included in!) are different and why they need so so so much help being successful. She showed us research on electronic devices and how they've changed the character, decisions, academic performance and behavior of students of all ages. She talked about how this generation is the drop down menu (needs and craves choices and options), control-alt-delete (can drop or delete anything they don't like in their lives), instant everything, relationship-based beliefs, competitive, multitasking (actually semi-tasking), change is constant, and entitled generation. Some of it was depressing, but that wasn't the message. The message also wasn't that kids are bad or that technology is bad. The message was just that this is the culture that we've been forced to live and believe in. She showed us this so we can make changes immediately and be aware on Monday morning of what our kids NEED at school. I felt ashamed that I fit into so many of these categories and I'm so glad I've been made aware of this now.
Tracking and Assessing Sensory Issues in the Early Education Classroom Candace Meyer, with Minds in Motion, Inc., taught us about how unbalanced some of our students inner ears are. This causes a myriad of problems...including improper eye movement, inability to focus, sensory issues, reading problems, and more. She gave us ways to work on fixing this. This session was the last part of a three part session, and it was just okay. I talked with another teacher who went to the earlier sessions, so I understood what we learned, but I'm not completely sold on using all of this.
Why Do They Do That? Discover Roots of Problems so Solutions Fit This was my final session of the trip. Kathy Koch spoke on the hierarchy of needs and how when a need, such as security isn't met, the student isn't ready to learn or behave. She gave us ways to help identify and meet the students needs at school, even if they're not met at home, so our students will be ready to grow in the classroom.

I will need several weeks to process all of this!

Curious about my desk and fairness

2010-09-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

From a student who talks and talks and talks: "That's your name tag and that's your desk, right, Mrs. Johnston? You have a big desk and that's fair. Because you're the teacher and you have to have a computer. Right, Mrs. Johnston?"

Grilled Chicken Panini

2010-09-20T21:31:00.000-05:00

I love this seasoning...I put it on chicken, hamburgers, salmon, pita chips, etc. It's just garlic, coarse black pepper, and salt.

Tonight I made Taylor a grilled panini with the George Foreman grill with all the fixins...

And I had mine a little plainer...wah wahhh...

Just kidding, I put on an extra piece of bacon after this picture.

Another Penny Bath Post

2010-09-20T21:19:00.000-05:00

Because she's just too cute. She looks pretty not-terrified in these.

Her little ears are always half up.

Good Bye Old Church

2010-09-20T20:30:00.001-05:00

Next Sunday will be our first Sunday in the new church, so Taylor took this with the panoramic setting on his phone. This past Sunday, there was a really awesome video with scenes from Grace way back when it started. I just love seeing old fashioned church clothes and hair and styles! There was also a quick clip of our wedding in it at the very end! Dad had everyone stand who had been married, baptized, or met God for the first time in this building. It was an emotional moment to see so many people stand. I've only been going to Grace for a few years, but I do have some good memories in that church...getting married, getting to know my in-law fam, hearing moving sermons from my father in law, watching the splendor of Grace Family Christmas, the amazing bagpipes, the Revival, great moments and laughs with my jr. high girls small group in the Dunn Center, and so much more. I am someone who gets very attached to physical things and places, and change can be really tough on me on the inside. We were reminded that the church building is JUST a building. We can worship and praise God wherever we want. We will continue to do that in the new building, and everywhere. I am so thankful for this great blessing God has given us and I hope we use it according to His will!

Pumpkin Festival Weekend

2010-09-19T21:10:00.002-05:00

Friday after school, I hurried through all of my grading and lesson plans and gym workout so I could have a weekend full of fun. We spent Friday night at the fest, with two friends, Dave and Megan....

We had Uncle Bud's cider slushes and pumpkin ice cream. Taylor and Dave rode the Zipper, and we just walked around for a couple hours enjoying the sights and such. The weather was chilly and perfect!

Saturday morning, we attempted pumpkin pancakes in the tent, but the line was way too long and we weren't sure if Taylor could get to work on time. So...we went to a little breakfast restaurant (which used to be called Penny's! But now is called Sidwell's.) Their pumpkin pancakes were pretty delish...

Taylor left for work, then my family and I went to see the craft booths and found our spot for the parade. My mom's brother and his wonderful family were in town for their first pumpkin festival experience. The parade started out pretty good.....

Jessica (13), Paige (4), and me sitting on the curb waiting for the floats!

Mom, Uncle Chris, and Aunt Jean

But, we didn't get to see any of it because of this quickly moving thunderstorm. Bummer!!

Because of the festival, my best friends, Jamie and Emily were home from Chicago and we went out to dinner at Noir. A fabulous tapas restaurant in Peoria Heights. Go there! Here's the website to see the menu and such.

These pictures are from the website...

We talked about Jamie's wedding, Emily's future plans for owning and operating an orchard (so awesome), and having our babies together someday. We're in our 12th year of friendship, me and those girls.

Oh, and we got this new delightful coffee maker...

LOVE IT!

Fetuccini with Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-09-14T22:17:00.001-05:00

Yummm! I found this recipe at Pioneer Woman, the best blog ever. Mine doesn't quite look the same because I didn't use heavy cream, I used whipping cream instead (because it has a little less fat.) I also didn't put in as much cheese, but it was still so good. Taylor had thirds even! On the top is grated Parmesan cheese and basil. I don't think I like basil so much, so next time, I'll just skip that.

Veggie Pizza

2010-09-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

This is one of my family's favorite foods. We have it on Christmas Eve with other finger food appetizers, but I made it this weekend for a cookout with friends. Everyone loves this.

You'll need:

2 rolls of crescent rolls
16 oz. sour cream
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (not dip mix)
about 1 cup of cheese
about 1/2 cup of any cold vegetables chopped finely (or chopped roughly...however you like it!) I used carrots, green pepper, radishes, broccoli, and cauliflower

Grease a cookie sheet and lay out the crescent rolls. You probably won't use all of the second container. Press the seams together, so it's like one big sheet. Bake this according to the package.

While this is baking, mix the sour cream and mix together and refrigerate this. Also, chop up your veggies. I used a chef's chopper because I like when they are really finely chopped.

After the crust is cooled, spread on the sour cream mixture. I think you'll only use about 3/4 of it and the rest can be used to dip carrots or chips. Sprinkle the cheese first, and then the veggies. Cut it up and serve!

See how festive it is? How cute would it be to make the crust in the shape of a Christmas tree or a wreath perhaps...ehhh?

Chicken Broccoli Bake

2010-09-14T21:06:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe in this Gooseberry Patch recipe book, which Christine gave me for my birthday this year. There are some good recipes in that book! I should note that Taylor had TJ over for tv watching this week while I was at Back to School night, and they loved this as leftovers. (I also just think it's a funny scenario that they were in the kitchen cheffing this up while I was gone. :))
Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken (or a few cooked chicken breasts)
3 stalks of broccoli
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box of Stove Top stuffing
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup mayonaisse

Steam the broccoli for a few minutes so it's bright green, and lay this on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Chop up the chicken and layer it next. Mix the soup and mayo together and pour them on top. Add the cheese next. Mix the butter and stuffing and sprinkle over the top. You may not need all of the box of stuffing, but I put it on anyway just to use it. Bake this at 350 for about 20 minutes. I served it with microwaved Bob Evans mashed potatoes. Very easy and very good! It was great on a cool fall night.

Penny

2010-09-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

I tried to take an adorable picture of Penny with a pumpkin, but she just about had a heart attack when she saw this. :)

Psalm 19

2010-09-12T16:10:00.002-05:00

We studied this Psalm at church today...

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
       the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
       night after night they display knowledge.
³ There is no speech or language
       where their voice is not heard.
⁴ Their voice goes out into all the earth,
       their words to the ends of the world.
       In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
⁵ which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
       like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
       and makes its circuit to the other;
       nothing is hidden from its heat.
⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect,
       reviving the soul.
       The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
       making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the LORD are right,
       giving joy to the heart.
       The commands of the LORD are radiant,
       giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure,
       enduring forever.
       The ordinances of the LORD are sure
       and altogether righteous.
¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
       than much pure gold;
       they are sweeter than honey,
       than honey from the comb.
¹¹ By them is your servant warned;
       in keeping them there is great reward.
¹² Who can discern his errors?
       Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
       may they not rule over me.
       Then will I be blameless,
       innocent of great transgression.
¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
       be pleasing in your sight,
       O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Mr. Sketch Smelly Markers

2010-09-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

How much do you love these markers? I love them a lot. I use them for everything at school...making charts, grading, putting stars or smilies on little hands......I could really love these for any Christmas/birthday gift givings in the future. ;) They smell so good and are so fun for the kids. Just one of my favorite things that helps make the day more fun.

A Few of My Favorite Things on this Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T21:33:00.002-05:00

Grandview Drive picnic and walk for dinner on Saturday...

Then we visited Bed Bath and Beyond to look at Keurig coffee makers. We decided on the Platinum QuietBrew. Yay! I think we'll get it this week.

Next, we went to find the Tricentennial Tree, a 300+ year old Bur Oak Tree. They think it was planted around 1499, but there are a few opinions. It is so huge! These pictures are from the Park District and Journal Star.

We also got Starbucks and went to the record store for Taylor. Then we went home and watched Amelie and played with our sweet puppy! Sunday, we went to church, ate at our favorite pizza restaurant, Firehouse Pizza, and then we were pretty lazy for the rest of the day.

Monday morning, we attempted to find a farmer's market, but everything was closed. We tried Apple Blossom Farm, but it was kind of disappointing as far as fresh produce. They didn't have any trees that we could pick from. We got a few apples and we shared an apple cider slush and an apple cider doughnut. The highlight of this trip was the bunnies......

Jail Bunny and Teacher Bunny.

Next, we had lunch and went to the Peoria Zoo. My favorite animal was the Red Hog in the Africa exhibit. Piglets had just been born and they were too cute.

Can you see the four little piggies? They were playful and snuggly.

We came home and Taylor watched a movie while I baked cookies, in preparation for Meet the Teacher Night coming up next week.

Last, we went to the Johnston's house for burgers and we played a fun game of Countdown. What a great weekend!

Some Baby Penny & Mama Pictures

2010-08-29T19:34:00.000-05:00

She's looking so much older! I need to take some new pictures. Here are a few from a couple months ago.

She loves to cuddle.

More time for crafts

2010-08-28T08:15:00.000-05:00

This week I handed in a paper that has been in the works for two years. What a relief! I am so excited to start quilting on the weekends! I love these prints.

Miss Honey

2010-08-25T15:19:00.000-05:00

Today a parent told me her daughter (in my class and new to the school and area) said I reminded her of Miss Honey from Matilda. Best compliment ever. I always loved that teacher. I taught my best ever lesson today on general ways to act in our classroom I wore an apron and brought in my red smiley spoon and we mixed together a fruit salad. I added each fruit and talked about what each one represents (like good attitudes, nice words, helpfulness, etc.) and then I almost put in a rotten banana, but they all yelled "GROOOSSS!" just like I hoped they would and we talked about how one rotten banana will spoil the mix! It was amazing. They were so engaged and listened so well. They just loved it. It's going to be a great year!

Cuban Pork Sandwiches

2010-08-24T20:12:00.002-05:00

Two meals in my first two days of school! And even with plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week. We went to One World last weekend and Taylor ordered and loved the Cuban Pork. After searching around for a little while, I came across an article about the One World Cuban Pork Sandwich and derived a recipe from the article. I found a pork roast from Kroger's on Manager's Special (meat that's about to expire, I think) that was only $3.75. It was small, about 1 3/4 lb., but it was great for us! This makes about 7 sandwiches, so again, this is a pretty cheap meal.

Put the pork roast in the crock pot with enough liquid to cover it. I used 1 qt of chicken stock and 1 qt of water. Season well with garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook all day, depending on your crock pot. I had it on low from 7am-5pm, and then I put it on warm until we came home at 7pm. Shred it with forks a little.
Use ciabatta rolls (I couldn't find them at the store I was, so I used sub bread.) and swiss cheese. I should have toasted them, but I didn't think of it.
Mix 2 parts mayo, 2 parts barbeque sauce, and 1 part something spicy. I used spicy mayo for my something spicy. Spread this on the bread.

I haven't really had this meal at One World, so I don't actually know how close it was, but I'd make this again for sure. :)

Baked Penne Rigate

2010-08-24T16:10:00.001-05:00

I usually call this Baked Ziti, but I've never actually used ziti. I like this kind of pasta better for this dish, plus I like to tell Penny that we're making her pasta and so and so. This is a very easy dish and very frugal. It costs about $6 for the three ingredients and serves about 6!

Boil 1 lb. of pasta. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour half of the pasta (with just a little bit of the water left in it) into a 9x13 baking dish. I usually use a ceramic dish.
Pour half of a big jar of pasta sauce over the pasta.
Pour half of a bag of mozzarella cheese (4 cup bag or 2 cup bag...the more cheese the better) over the sauce.
Repeat steps 2-4.
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or longer. The cheese will get melty and the pasta will absorb some of the sauce and water, making it pipping hot and delish.

My Favorite Meal: Snacks for Dinner!

2010-08-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe it's not my favorite. But sometimes it is! Here are my favorite quick and cold finger food snacks.

Smoked turkey, marbled cheddar, and apple on toothpicks. Toothpicks are so fun.
Peanut butter on Pepperidge Farm sesame wheat crackers.
Hummus with carrot sticks (real carrot sticks, not the nubs) and flat bread triangles seasoned with olive oil, salt, and Italian herbs.
Apple and marbled cheddar
Crispy, crunchy grapes

This kind of food reminds me of spending the night at my good pal Jamie's house one night in high school? or college perhaps. We went to the kitchen late in the night for a snack. I think it all started with wondering what a certain kind of salad dressing tasted like. I hadn't ever had it and Jamie insisted that I should try it. Her parents were sleeping and we tried not to wake them up, but we were also dancing, running, fist pumping, and giving major thumbs up of approval while we ate delicious snack combos like this. Things like Monical's French with carrots, peanut butter or honey on ev-er-y-thing, and chocolate and butterscotch chips. We were also hysterically silent laughing the whole time. So fun. (Smorgee's Team Cafe!)

Expect More Posts Like This...

2010-08-21T18:27:00.000-05:00

Starting Monday!

This was from my first class (two years ago now!), from an absolutely adorable little girl who decided she loved tigers more than any other animal. She made this book about them. On the first page (this is the title page pictured), she drew the momma tiger with four little blue eggs about to hatch.

I can't believe I'm going into my third year of teaching on Monday morning with 21 new boys and girls. The time flies! I'm so thankful for this big job that God has given me. He is so good.

When in Rome...

2010-08-15T12:58:00.004-05:00

Saturday we went to a Roman themed engagement party for Heather and Lance. They were engaged in Rome, so Lance's parents threw an awesome toga party while he was home from Afghanistan. It was so fun!

That's Katie and her fiance, Justin, and Elisha with her bf, Pat.

Us with the engaged couple!

More Classroom Pictures

2010-08-10T23:37:00.002-05:00

http://s787.photobucket.com/albums/yy155/cupcakesandlove/Classroom%202010/

Classroom Tour

2010-08-06T21:50:00.000-05:00

I really do have a big amount of work still to do on my classroom this year. A lot of things I have ready but I can't put up until they are done being laminated...which is not going to be for awhile. It's kind of frustrating that I can't just do that myself. But. Here are the areas that are done! I love it!

This is my new desk! I am so excited about it. I got a few lamps this year to make my room more homey like, and I'm incorporating black and white polka dots with my ocean theme. Much of the ocean theme isn't pictured in this post.

I got this board at Hobby Lobby and I painted the wooden letters, also found at Hobby Lobby.

This area will be jazzed up a bit.

Chicken Strips

2010-08-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

These were pretty good. I used panko bread crumbs again and followed this recipe almost. I read the comments and changed the oil to butter, and added several seasonings: seasoned salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Mine really didn't look like the pictures, but they tasted good still!

Maple-Glazed Salmon

2010-08-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

We like to pronounce the L in salmon. Try it!

This was so delicious. Here's where I found the recipe. This was super easy and only took a few minutes to cook on my George Foreman grill. Even better...while looking at this recipe, I solved the fish scale/skin problem! You take it off after the fish is cooked and it comes off soo easily. I don't know how I didn't think of that. Do you see those brown crunchy looking things on the salad? They are crispy onion things and they are really interesting in a good way. You can find them in the salad topping area of the grocery store.

Paninis--George Foreman Grill Alert!

2010-08-06T21:21:00.000-05:00

I forgot that I had a little George Foreman Grill! My brother gave it to me for Christmas when I was in college and I just used it for the first time this week. This meal was Taylor's Ultimate Favorite Meal of All Time. Too bad I didn't take the best picture (actually Taylor took this with his fancy new iPhone)...you can't even see all the goodness in this grilled Panini. I used Panini bread (I don't know what it's really called, I guess it was Sourdough.) from Panera, bacon, turkey, salami, provolone, cheddar, spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato, and red onion. Anyway...I realized how much fun a GF grill is. I used it for another dinner the next night. I love it!

Creamy Veggies and Chicken

2010-08-01T18:56:00.000-05:00

This was a clean out the cupboards kind of meal. I started searching for something to cook. We had no raw meat, we had already eaten wraps for lunch, and I almost made pancakes. Then I saw a can of cream of celery soup and looked on the back to see if there was a recipe. There was! And it looked good! So I tried it...and it was good! The recipe was for "Creamy Stir-fry," but I didn't have any soy sauce on hand and really it didn't taste like stir fry at all, so I renamed it. Taylor didn't love this, but I thought it was warm and comforting and great for using up a lot of ingredients we actually had.

Boil a half of a box of noodles. I had radiatore.You could also use rice, or none at all.
Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, throw in cooked (because that's what I had, use raw though to make it better) chicken and cook.
Chop up veggies and add. I had a bag of stir fry veggies (broccoli, carrots, and snow peas), but then I also added water chestnuts and celery. Add 1 tsp. minced garlic.
Stir it around until the veggies are crisp and tender.
Add a can of cream of celery soup and about 1/2 cup of milk. Reduce heat after the soup and milk have mixed together well.

Mahi Mahi

2010-08-01T18:44:00.001-05:00

For dinner a couple of nights ago, I broiled Mahi Mahi after sprinkling on some seasoned salt. I followed the cooking directions on the back of the package...I think it took about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, I cooked couscous on the stove and made a little garden salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, glazed walnuts, and Parmesan cheese. Yum!

A Peek into my Classroom

2010-07-28T10:05:00.000-05:00

This is our school's spiritual theme for the year. We have to display it in our classroom and here's my display. I think it turned out pretty cute. I had made the fish and ocean stuff for something else last year and threw it all together. See how good the blue paint looks?! I'll be posting more as my room continues to come together.

Mexican Pizzas

2010-07-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

This is Taylor's new favorite meal. We ate these three out of five nights I think! I made up my own recipe for this and really anyone could...

Brown ground turkey, add taco seasoning. I like to put this in the food processor to make the meat consistently ground.
Use whole wheat tortillas for extra healthy benefits. Poke them with a fork because they tend to raise up in the oven. Sandwich a little cheese between and bake this for about 5 minutes at 400 degrees.
Take it out and spread taco sauce on top. Add the ground turkey, cheese, tomatoes, green peppers.
Again, bake for about 5 minutes until the cheese is gooey.
Top with green onion, guacamole (not pictured), sour cream, tomatoes, etc.

Oven "Fried" Chicken

2010-07-28T09:54:00.000-05:00

This recipe was really quick, yummy, and versatile. I had mine plain and Taylor ate his on a sandwich. I used chicken fillets and panko bread crumbs instead of what the recipe calls for. I also baked it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes on each side. I would make it again because the spices and the crunchy panko bread crumbs were just right. It's spiced with thyme...which I think I really liked. I think I should have let it bake a few minutes longer to make the outside a little crisper.

Just a few pictures of us...

2010-07-20T20:22:00.001-05:00

I love Penny's little smiley mouth! Look at her blinking, too! How cute!

Two Years

2010-07-19T14:23:00.001-05:00

Today is our two year wedding anniversary. Here's a picture of us on our honeymoon in Destin, FL. We were walking and enjoying the sunset that day and soon after, the ocean swallowed up Taylor's camera. I would love to be at the beach right now!

We spent the weekend at Pitchfork and got home really early this morning, so we're just relaxing on this rainy day. We're going to try a new restaurant tonight called 309 and maybe go see Despicable Me. I love being married.

Family Pictures

2010-07-07T20:54:00.001-05:00

We took some Christmas card pictures in Colorado on a windy evening during sunset.

Now and Then

2010-07-01T15:49:00.001-05:00

And us about 24 years ago...

A classic Chuck E. Cheese birthday party, with Heather's wonderful parents in the background. But more from Wednesday...

Penny's first people accessories pictures.

Sidenote: I wish pictures would post as colorful as the originals are. Hmm...

Great Sand Dunes National Park

2010-07-01T12:30:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, we drove a couple of hours (on a looong windy gravel road through the mountains) to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Taylor had looked at this place online before we went to Colorado and he was so excited to see it in person. There were great reviews of this park and it looked like a lot of fun. I rated it a 3 out of 10 overall, but Taylor gave it a 10 out of 10. :) It was so beautiful!

There was a stream that ran through the park where families were playing. This also meant CRAZY mosquitos at dusk!

Penny loved it:)

There was a forest fire here, too.

On the way home, we stopped here for really good pizza. We tried to hide Penny coming in, but she was too squirrelly. She was obviously seen by our waiter, who called her my seeing eye dog:)

Also, on the way home, we saw a black bear, enjoying his time in a meadow on the side of the road!

Big Horn Sheep Canyon of the Arkansas River

2010-06-29T22:40:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, we drove a little while to get to the Arkansas River and saw helicopters putting out large forest fires. Because of the fires, the part of the river we were supposed to go rafting on, the Royal Gorge, was closed. Instead we had to go on the milder course, Big Horn Sheep Canyon, but it was still perfect for our day. We suited up in wet suits, life jackets, and helmets, and listened to a lot of instructions for being in the rafts. Our group went in two boats. The guide of our boat was K2, the first woman to climb the north face of K2 mountain. She's also a Kindergarten teacher! She was very serious about getting us to paddle right (which was harder than it looked!) By the end of the trip, we all had it down and we had a lot of fun. The water was so clear and cool and refreshing and there were little portions of rapids between calm water. I would love to go white water rafting again after this.

Parents' Boat:

Aren't these pictures awesome? There was a photographer who drove along the river snapping shots. We had no idea...our faces and expressions are real! This is called a paddle high five. We did this after correctly steering through rapids or doing something like singing "Happy Birthday" to David.

So here, we did know there was someone taking our picture:

The rafting company also included a few pictures of the forest fires and the helicopters putting out the fires.

The two helicopters dipped down to the river and sucked up water, then flew to the hills and let it go. They did this constantly all day, probably for several days. There were many forest fires around. I thought we had one picture of open flames, but all I see now are smoke pictures.

Broccoli & Potato Cheddar Soup--Best Soup Ever

2010-06-29T18:57:00.002-05:00

On Sunday morning we were both hungry for soup, so I went to the store to get ingredients for this soup. While I was making it, I tweaked it quite a bit, so I'm going to write down what I did here (from what I remember.) In person, the soup wasn't that yellow actually.

Use a chef's chopper (small food processor) to finely chop about 3/4 of a medium onion. Put this in a soup pot with a couple of tablespoons of marg. to saute. Add 1 tsp. minced garlic.
Cut up 3/4 lb. of potatoes (any kind, but I used tiny golden potatoes) and add to the onion.
Add 5 cups of hot water & bouillon combo./stock (whatever you like to use for soups.) Bring to a boil for about 15 minutes and then reduce to a simmer.
Meanwhile, finely chop carrots and broccoli in a chef's chopper. I used a handful of baby carrots and one whole stalk of broccoli for this step.
Add the veggies, plus some larger pieces of broccoli.
Pour in one cup of half and half.
Pour in about 2 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste, stir until it's ready to eat.

I also baked a take and bake french loaf from Kroger's bakery...fresh, pipping hot bread is amazing. :)

Westcliffe, CO

2010-06-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

We stayed in rental houses on the other side of town, but Rene and Buddy's house was where we went most nights for meals. They live on a small ranch in a gorgeous house with a beautiful view, and here are a few pictures of the view. We took family pictures here too, but I don't have them yet.

Westcliffe has an adorable downtown with cute shops and places to stop and eat. We spent one afternoon getting coffee, ice cream, and walking around here.

Whitewater Rafting

2010-06-27T19:46:00.000-05:00

Here is one of the great pictures taken of us on our river adventure. A guide drove along the river taking pictures, but we didn't know that until the end. We were in the Arkansas River in Colorado. We were supposed to go in the Royal Gorge, but we couldn't because of forest fires blocking some of the river. Instead we went on a milder course before the gorge. This was soo much fun! I'll post more later.

Emack and Bolio's

2010-06-16T19:49:00.000-05:00

Wow. I had no idea we have been missing out on such good ice cream! Today Jamie and Jody and I had lunch together and then went here for ice cream. We were in such a daze trying to order and listen to the man explain what was in everything. We were mystified by all of the interesting flavors and fun waffle cones. This was a great day!

Ranch Chicken and Smashed Red Potatoes

2010-06-16T19:42:00.001-05:00

SMASHED RED POTATOES! These were so yummy and pipping hot...and so filled with butter and good things. (That's okay sometimes!) I also added just a little bit of garlic to the mix. The recipe was found here and was, of course, very easy. Easy is a major requirement for me. The chicken seemed great because I had everything on hand, but it was just meh, okay. I think it was one of the high rated chicken recipes from AllRecipes.com, so I'm sure it was good, but it wasn't my favorite. Here's the link. I served these dishes with a plain baby spinach salad with dressing, which was a welcomed change from ice berg. Baby spinach is so delicious. We'll be eating leftovers for awhile, so I doubt I'll have a recipe post for a bit...however, I do feel like baking something!

Bath

2010-06-15T12:38:00.000-05:00

Clinging to me and shaking

All dry and happy again!

Penny likes Taylor!

2010-06-12T10:20:00.001-05:00

I want to let you know that Penny has bonded with Taylor. It's partly related to his fort building, his beard, and his play with the bunny toy skills. It's difficult to take a good picture of a playful puppy, but I try. Here are a couple of pictures after her bath this week. She doesn't know it, but she's having another bath today! :)

Pan Seared Red Snapper and Baked Asparagus

2010-06-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

This was a funny dinner because during the first two minutes, I was choking on my drink and Penny was using the floor as her bathroom. But the food was so delicious!
I can't believe how easy and fast it is to make warm, good, and healthy food. This dinner took maybe 20 minutes from start to finish...there was a lot of multitasking and a little chaos, especially with the puppy at my feet, but the end result was very much worth it. The asparagus recipe can be found here...and it was awesome. I think I put a little too much olive oil and that caused them to be not as crispy as they were supposed to be, but I would definitely make this again. Even Taylor liked it! The red snapper I found frozen at Schnuck's for a pretty good price. The most difficult process was taking the skin or scales off of the fish, and the fillets turned into smaller pieces than they originally were. I'm not sure if you're supposed to eat that or not...but from what I read, you're not. So why do they sell it like that? I don't understand. This recipe was from AllRecipes.com, here. I had everything on hand except for the green onions, so I omitted them. I also was afraid of burning the fish, so my pan wasn't as hot as it was supposed to be. As a side, I made a box of garlic couscous. This was the first time I've had this and thought it was delightful. It's similar to pasta or rice, but the texture and flavor is a little more interesting. It has more protein than rice, way more vitamins than pasta, and it has less fat than both. So it's just great.

Thoughts on the first week with Penny

2010-06-05T10:56:00.002-05:00

Eating DQ on Grandview Drive with my favorite person and favorite pup!

We have had Penny home for one week now. It has been a whirlwind! I'm glad I have this blog to document our experience with getting a dog. Here are a few things about our first week with our little 12 week old puppy:

The first night was the worst. She cried so loud and it was so sad. But we didn't come to her at all and just reassured her with words from a distance. I am so glad we stuck it out the first couple of nights because now she sleeps on her own without whining or scratching. (There is a little little bit at first, but then she sleeps.) She even goes into her kennel sometimes on her own to take a rest.
About sleeping...I had no idea baby puppies sleep as much as she does! I love when she's sleeping though. It's a nice break and she's so sweet and cute when she sleeps. She loves sleeping on my lap or arms or shoulders. I love when she dreams. She twitches and her paws run a little! Right now she's sleeping so soundly on my lap with her little paws folded up under her chin.
Housebreaking is going okay. It's a big and constant job though. I know it will only get better as she gets older and has the ability to hold it more. She's doing a great job for her first week here.
She loves me the most and really only feels comfortable with me. This is a frustrating thing because I wish she was more willing to go to other people. Hopefully with time she'll grow out of this. We work on it whenever there are other people around, too. Even with Taylor.
She barks at funny things. She always barks at her reflection or anything that looks out of place to her. It has been really hard teaching her not to bark. We say no and hold her mouth (when it's unnecessary or annoying) but she keeps doing it. We let her bark when she plays, but we're trying to discourage barking at people or things. I hope she gets it!
She did a good job from the start eating dry dog food. She eats one little kibble at a time and has yet to eat her full day's ration. It takes her so long to eat and her attention is very easily distracted. We give her some soft food because she gobbles it up and we give her Nutri-Cal so she is getting all she needs. The vet said she could gain a little weight. She weighs 2 1/2 pounds this week.
Playing with her is so fun. She loves her toys and loves to chase them and chew on them. When she's running she is clumsy. I don't know how many times a day she runs through her water and food or knocks it over. She likes to roll around on her back and tummy when she has a toy in her mouth.
Chewing on things that don't belong to her....also a constant and big job. We have to be very diligent and consistent with telling her no because she likes to put anything soft in her mouth. Rugs, clothes, blankets, no cords yet though! Anytime she runs out of eyesight she is probably doing something she's not supposed to be doing. She has to be watched all the time!
We love her so so much. When we go somewhere and leave her home we (or at least I think this!) want to get back home soon to make sure she's okay. I really don't like leaving her alone:( I know this will get easier, too. Sometimes we look at her sitting on the floor and can't believe we have such a cute little puppy. I guess it feels a little surreal still. I will write again after we've had her for 1 month to see what's changed!

Okay just one more post tonight :)

2010-06-02T20:02:00.002-05:00

I love Taylor and Penny.

Playtime!

2010-06-02T19:50:00.000-05:00

Penny's Favorite Pastime: Napping

2010-06-02T19:46:00.001-05:00

Penny had a rough day today getting a vaccine at the vet, so she's been napping a lot today. Hopefully she will sleep just as well as she did last night!

Boxed Dinner: Chicken Piccata

2010-06-02T19:42:00.002-05:00

I haven't cooked in so long! For the last three weeks, I've been crazy busy with end of school things and Taylor has been training for a new position at work. He wasn't getting home until 9pm, so I just didn't make anything for dinner usually. I'll get back into cooking soon though, with not much else to do! This dinner was from a box, but it didn't taste like it. I bought one at the store after my in-laws recommended them. These kits have everything except butter, chicken, and water. The directions were so easy and the end product tasted really good. It was a little pricey, but worth it for the convenience. Tidbit: (I like that word.) I was wondering what piccata meant, and Wikipedia tells me it means, "sliced, sauteed, and served with a lemon, butter, and parsley sauce." There you go!

Penny Playing

2010-05-31T16:29:00.002-05:00

Last Day of School Thoughts

2010-05-28T17:18:00.000-05:00

Today was the last day of school. It was bittersweet. (Everyone says that.) We had a lot of fun and did some cleaning and talked about our favorite things and memories of first grade. I made a slideshow of pictures for the class and I am so blown away by their reaction to it. They loved it and it made them sad and hug me and say they would miss me. Some said they even cried when they watched it! I love that reaction from 6-7 year olds. I was surprised. I got so many big hugs and i love yous and smiles today. I'm going to miss them, but I'm very much ready for a break. While I was packing up some flash cards and charts today, I felt a strange feeling that I didn't feel last year. I felt comfortable knowing in August I would begin teaching the beginning of the curriculum and that I knew it really well. I felt like I was very comfortable in the cycle of year to year. I like that my job is predictable in that I will teach the same thing each year. I know that in August I'll get a group of kids who make letters backwards and who don't know subtraction facts and who can read slowly. They'll tell me that clouds are made of milk or cotton balls. At the end of the school year...those things won't be true. They'll form letters correctly and be able to smile at their handwriting on the first day of school. They'll take subtraction timed tests and they can (try to) read chapter books. They'll know that clouds are made of water. While my job is predictable in that way, it's also very unpredictable day to day. Every student is different. Every situation is different. I love first grade.

I don't love that I have to go to the high school graduation right now. UGH...I don't like graduation ceremonies for many reasons. I don't like to use the word boring very often, but I think it applies to graduations. Penny is coming home tomorrow morning! I'll be secretly thinking about her during the graduation to pass the time.

Habitats and some otter things

2010-05-19T17:07:00.002-05:00

Today a student said, "Habitats!? I thought you said 'too many cats,' or 'lotsa hats.'"

And then another said, "Oh, Mrs. Johnston lo-o-o-o-o-o-oves otters."

Do you see how punny this post's title is now?

Only 6 and 1/2 more days with my precious class! It's bittersweet. Today I could not stop blubbering during our last chapel while a teacher prayed over the 4th graders and we sang for the last time together. It was too much emotion! I love hearing the kids praise God so sincerely. We are so blessed to be at a school where we can openly praise Him together.

And now.... a picture of Penny.

Student Quote

2010-05-17T17:37:00.000-05:00

Last week, this boy in my class came in talking about a movie he had seen the night before. He went on and on and on about this movie! He said "I saw a movie where Indiana Jones was the president. It's awesome. It was on TNT and it had Indiana Jones as the president. I couldn't watch it all, so I had to record it. Indiana Jones was the president in this movie...."

(I personally can't imagine letting a 7 year old watch a movie like that, mostly because of the violence, but everyone's different.)

Little Penny

2010-05-16T17:42:00.001-05:00

Penny is 2 months old today! We will be taking her home in 2 weeks. Today she was so cute and she's only 2 pounds. I'm not sure if you can see how small she is just from the pictures. She wanted to just sit or lay down and she wouldn't walk at all, or even stand. She was a little nervous and would tremble anytime she was moved to a new lap. We think she really liked us though! We heard her funny little "bark" and she stuck out her tongue a lot. Here are a few pictures from our visit:

Mother's Day Foodsies

2010-05-10T20:17:00.012-05:00

We had such a great weekend with our families. On Sunday, we went to church and Sunday School and then we went to Taylor's parents' house first for lunch and then to my parents' house for dinner. We were tired and stuffed from all of the food at the end of the day. We love living close to family! Here are the selections I made for the weekend...

This salad is so unbelievably delicious. It's from a family friend named Cassidy, so we call it Cassidy's Sweet Salad. Here's the recipe:
Red leaf lettuce
Romaine (I actually used just green leaf lettuce in this one...whatever you have is fine.)
Slivered Almonds
Fresh Shredded Parmesan
Bacon bits
Shredded Mozzarella
Dried Cranberries
Thinly sliced red onions
Dressing:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp dried mustard powder
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup canola oil
Make the dressing ahead of time and then add it just before serving. Or, serve it on the side. It gets wilted pretty quick.

Then....for my parents' house...I made this salad from allrecipes.com. Except, I made a huge oops and the salad turned out not so great! I think the salad probably is good, but we really wouldn't know. I forgot to add vinegar to the dressing. While we were eating it, my mom suggested that maybe it needed vinegar and offered to mix some in. I was positive that I followed the recipe and so we just kept eating it. I looked up the recipe when we got home and realized that I DID KNOW it needed vinegar because I remembered then that I even checked the kitchen to see if we had enough red wine vinegar for two salads. Have you ever done that? I completely and totally forgot something that I had just known a few hours before. Like when you ask what time it is and then you need to ask again in five minutes because you weren't listening to the answer. Ok, anyway...also I used feta cheese instead of bleu. Not because the flavors are the same, but because the textures are similar. Here's a picture of this adventure:

And for desserts, I made two very simple pies, both from allrecipes.com. A fresh strawberry pie:

And this rich chocolate Oreo pie:

More Student Writing about Moms

2010-05-06T17:45:00.004-05:00

Moms are funny...

I love the illustration on this one:

Moms are pretty, too!

This mom has very, very dark hair...but her son thinks she is blonde?

Moms are good at everything...

Student Writing about Moms

2010-05-06T17:32:00.002-05:00

Writing is my favorite part of first grade. They're figuring out how words they hear and say look on paper and they write the funniest and most truthful things. This week we prepared for Mother's Day by making books all about our moms. I picked out some of the cute or funny ones that the class wrote and took pictures. And...don't you love moms? They are so great.

Moms are the best cooks...

I love the veggies!

Moms like to do lots of mom things, like...

And, there's no way this mom is mean, by the way. (Also, this girl has just learned about parenthesis!)

Our New Car!

2010-05-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

We bought our new CRV on Tuesday and took it out to drive on Grandview Drive. It's so fun! We love the space it offers and how it rides. It also smells so good right now. We found that it was so comfy to sit in the back and look at the trees and the river. I loved this day.

Beef and Broccoli and Car Shopping

2010-04-28T18:46:00.001-05:00

Today I made beef and broccoli that was almost as good as restaurant beef and broccoli. I think it was healthier though, so I'll take that. It was lighter and had a lot less sodium. This recipe uses round steak, which is an inexpensive way to eat red meat instead of hamburger. It's a little tough, but marinating helps. I found this recipe here at allrecipes.com. I love that the website has comments and pictures, especially when 500 people have given a recipe a 4 star review. It is so helpful! Here are just a few suggestions from the comments that I followed when making mine:

Marinate the beef overnight in 2 tbs soy sauce, a little ginger (I used the paste found in the produce aisle by the herbs and fresh ginger. This is just much easier I think.), a little garlic, and a little oil. I'm really not into measuring apparently. Slicing meat the night before also really saves on prep time when you're hungry.
I made extra sauce because I had extra beef broth and I was glad I did. I probably made 1/4 more.
I added carrots and water chestnuts because I had them on hand.

In other news...we are car shopping right now. It's expensive, but exciting! I think we're getting a small SUV, like a Toyota Rav 4 or a Ford Escape. I'm so happy about that! I'm done with regular ol cars.

Student quote

2010-04-27T19:34:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things is overhearing my students talking about me. It's so funny...they act like I'm not in the room or I can't hear. Today I was untangling a mass of headphone wires from the listening center so I had a bunch of cords in my hands and around me. I heard a student say, "is she sewing?" Then another replied seriously, "yes, Mrs. Johnston has to do her sewing." Sewing?! ok...

I love taking care of those kids.

Marinated Salmon with Mango Kiwi Salsa

2010-04-26T18:14:00.001-05:00

Yumm...Tonight I tried this recipe from Cooking Light, found here and we had mixed reviews. We loved the way the salmon was cooked. It was perfect! But, the salsa wasn't our favorite. I don't get mango. I've never liked it. Even when I've had my class try it during our Social Studies World Trip, and I try to make them try it. It's messy, too. How do you cut a mango? I had mango slipping and sliding all over the place. It seems to have a pine-y taste to it that's not my favorite. If you make the salsa, I didn't completely measure the ingredients. I used 2 kiwis, 1 mango, a few sprigs of cilantro (1/4 cup seemed like a lot!), and enough orange juice to cover it. On the side, I served cinnamon and sugar pita chips! They were delicious. Just use anything like pita bread, tortilla, or flat bread (which is what I had) and butter them and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and then broil them until they are warm and golden. They went really well with the fruit.

To conclude: Great salmon, few ingredients, 20 minutes from start to finish, someone else would probably like the salsa.

Also on the menu this week: BBQ Chicken Pizza, Broccoli Beef Stir Fry

Student quote and a Penny update

2010-04-25T12:58:00.001-05:00

First off, I'm typing this on my iPad...woah!!

Student A was going to be spending the night at student B's house. Both are boys.
Student A: I don't even know what your dad looks like! Is he bald?
Stuent B: no he has hair! It smells so good! It smells like chocolate milk! Let's have chocolate milk at 11:00!!

And last week, Penny's family sent me a picture of her currently. Here's Penny now:

A few more Penny pictures

2010-04-20T06:43:00.000-05:00

She's Ours!

2010-04-18T17:31:00.000-05:00

Here is our sweet puppy (maybe named Penny) at one month old. She doesn't have teeth and she just mostly sits and sometimes makes a little noise or licks your hand. We'll be able to take her home around May 29th. We are so excited to announce her arrival to our family!

Penny

2010-04-18T08:58:00.001-05:00

This is her now!
Today I will be going to a really small town in Illinois to meet my baby puppy! I don't want to post a picture until it's for sure...but she's so tiny and light brown with little white paws and some black on her face. We're tentatively calling her Penny, but we'll decide when we get her if that name will stick. Naming a dog is a big deal! I can't imagine what it's like to name a person! Anyway, right now she is only 1 month old and we can bring her home when she's a little over 2 months old. She will probably weigh 6 or 7 pounds full grown, so when we bring her home she will be 3 pounds or less. We'll get a little bell for her. I'm so excited to take care of her!

T.J. and Jamie!

2010-04-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping a big secret for over a month! On Monday, TJ and Jamie became engaged! I could not be more excited and happy for them. They are a perfect couple. Taylor and I introduced them to each other after Jamie caught T.J.'s eye in Barnes and Noble one winter evening. The next summer, Taylor and I were married and they began to date. T.J.'s proposal was so sweet and thoughtful. It involved rose petals, Christmas lights, 600+ cards telling their story, and a complete surprise that T.J. was in Peoria instead of Phoenix! Do you know how hard it is to talk to your best friend, knowing that their boyfriend is planning this monumental event? Very hard! I'm glad that stage of this is done. I'm so looking forward to seeing what they plan to do with their lives over the next few years. I love you guys!!

And here is one of the beautiful bride to be, reading to my class on Monday, just a few hours before the engagement. She's so cute!

I'll have a hug instead

2010-04-14T16:37:00.000-05:00

Just when my class couldn't get any more wild and loud and in that state where I hope the principal doesn't walk in...they really surprised me. Today I said if we can take out our math workbooks and tear out the page with world record quietness and quickness, I would pass around the candy and sticker bag. Then this boy who generally wants to make me pull my hair out says, "How about hugs!? I want a hug instead!" So I laughed and said okay, we'll do both! So I gave everyone a hug and a candy. Oh goodness, it was a day.

Two Dinners

2010-04-13T19:31:00.000-05:00

I didn't take a picture of last night's dinner, but here's what I made: I marinated chicken breasts in teriyaki sauce, sprinkled red pepper flakes on them, and then broiled them in a pyrex 9x13 pan for 5 minutes. Flipped them and broiled again for another 5 minutes. Then I took them out and drizzled them with honey because honey is so good and broiled them for another minute and repeated that last step for the other side. I served this with a side of low mein noodles from a packet. This was very tasty--a little sweet and spicy and very tender. I've been buying chicken from Schnuck's and have been getting their brand of chicken breasts. They are so so much better than any other chicken breasts that I've tried. But this recipe got even better the next night....

For this salad, you'll need the above chicken, strawberries, grapes, lettuce, and some kind of fruity vinaigrette. I tried T. Martzetti's Strawberry Chardonney vinaigrette.