December 7: The Wreath

i havent had a real tree for years.  not since we had the incident where we all woke up to the house alarm, set off by the falling christmas tree.

but I love the fresh smell of a real tree.  and so we bought a wreath.

and we hung it inside so WE could enjoy it.

New Meal Monday: Sweet and Sour Chicken

for weeks I've been craving chinese food.  Apparently Nick was on the same page.

last time camping we made FANTASTIC sweet and sour foil dinners.  this week we decided to try our hand at the real stuff.

Nick said he'd make the batter if I'd do the frying.  He mixed, i fried, we did and we did good.

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Sweet and Sour Chicken
Servings: 8
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 egg
1 1/2 cups water
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
2 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

Combine flour, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and egg. Add 1 1/2 cups water gradually to make a thick batter. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add chicken pieces, and stir until chicken is well coated.
Heat oil in skillet or wok to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Fry chicken pieces in hot oil 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove chicken, and drain on paper towels.
When ready to serve, layer green peppers, pineapple chunks, and cooked chicken pieces on a platter. Pour hot sweet and sour sauce over top.

december 3: the penguin cake

when I want ridiculous baking accouterments, my mom and I have a system, she gives them to me as a gift...Nick can't complain when its a gift after all.  (and of course our cover is now blow...since nick will be reading this)

a few birthday's back, I received a pull apart penguin cake pan.  12 "cupcakes" that piece together to be a penguin.  I had big plans that year to rearrange the penguin parts to be a bunny for my birthday and later a turtle for nicks. on my b-day the cake got stuck in the pan, we had pen-gunny carcass for my bday, i didnt even try with nicks.

since they i have successfully made two penguins.  the first made me infamous with my teacher friend, the second was this year.  12 pieces 12 advisees.  PERFECT. i made the penguin, filling to the top like it suggested. it turned into the stay puff cake penguin man.  but then eventually because super cute. complete with magical rainbow snowflakes.

december 1: the mitten garland

While I am a true believer in Thanksgiving, and outright refuse to do anything christmas-y till after I do due justice to the turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie.  The day after t-giving I swing into full blown christmas mode.  last thanksgiving we moved.  our first trip....our bed.  our second trip...the christmas decoration.  we were sitting on couch cushions on the floor, ordering pizza because we had no dishes, but our tree was up and decorated. 

its is december 1st.  my trees (yes all 5) have been up for days. it takes me an extra 5 min to leave work (or go to bed at home) by the time I unplug all my light strands.  Christmas movie number 1 was been watched.  Christmas is in full swing. And so I give you a daily dose

Since august I have been a slave to the mittens.  I decided I was making an advent mitten garland.  this meant 24 knitted mittens.  I had 4 months. translation: a 6 mitten a month quota.  school was out for summer.  I thought I can do this.

Augusts were finished early,  and I started in on september's.  September 30 I put the last stitch in on mitten 5 for the month.  I got caught back up in october, then spent all of thanksgiving frantically knitting. completing the last stick of mitten number 24 at 11:30 pm on November 30th. 

but it is done.  and has been filled with our christmas treats. 12 for nick. 12 for me. 24 days of christmas joys.

this ain't rock and roll

it's been a long time since I've updated my "stuck in my head" list.  but my newest find demands that I do.

on Saturday we trekked to my FAVORITE concert venue to see Dave Barnes (one of my favorites) in concert and was pleasantly surprised with what awaited me in the opening act.

my new music love playing at my favorite music venue, and check out that shadow (clearly I've been grading too many physics projects lately)

When Steve Moakler took the stage the laughter and delight started.  As he continued to play the joy continued.  By the time he reached "this ain't rock and roll" I was hooked and already plotting my way through the crowd to the merch table for CD acquirement.  When Dave later said Steve would be back in December I was clearing my calendar.

Do yourself a favor. (or three)
1. read his lyrics below.  you'll laugh out loud
2. check out his website and stream (then buy) some music for yourself.  you'll soon be singing along
3. clear your calendar for the next time he's near you.  you'll be glad you did

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This Ain't Rock and Roll by Steve Moakler

I drive a compact SUV with a straight four engine inside.
I think the Union won the war, but I respect your pride.
I don’t chew tobacco, but man I’ll drink your beer.
I was born up above the Dixie-line, and I ended up down here.

I’m not country but I like it country.
I know where I’m from.
But when I hear your songs on the radio, I start having fun.
 I’m so down with deep-fried chicken. Jesus save my soul.
Yeah, I’m a northern city boy, but this ain’t rock and roll.

I don’t like watching NASCAR, but God bless the number three.
I cheer on the Pittsburgh Steelers, I don’t watch the SEC.
I don’t shoot guns or ride horses, but I’ll give ‘em both a try.
If Johnny Cash ever heard this song, I’ll bet he’d start to cry.
I like pretty southern belles, and I like to take things slow.
But my cousins are NYPDs and I can drive in the snow.
 I grew up playing in the dirt, up where it ain’t red.
And I’ve got one pair of cowboy boots but they ain’t gone to my head.

I’m not country but I like it country.
I’m not saying that I’m the real deal,
but when your songs come on the radio I like the way I feel.
I’m so down with deepfried chicken. Jesus save my soul.
Yeah, I’m a northern city boy, but this ain’t rock and roll.

New Meal Monday: Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni

October was rough.

there were no blogs.

many days there were barely meal much less new meals.

but then came November.

and here came Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni

I've been hanging onto this recipe for a long time because it has 2 of my favorites, italian sausage and sun dried tomatoes.  I havent made it because I didnt know if I could get nick on board. This week I made it.  This week nick was 100% on board.

This week's selection: Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni
This week's verdict: 100% DELISH add it to the recipe database, and is next week too soon to have it again?
This week's maybe next time:  I don't know that perfection can be improved upon.

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Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni
Servings: 4 2-cup servings
4 cups rigatoni pasta uncooked
1 lb italian sausage, cut into chunks
1 red onion
1/4 cup tomato Paste
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato dressing (I used Kraft sun-dried tomato vinaigrette)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I used about 1 tbsp dried)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta.  Brown sausage in large nonstick skillet.  Drain grease.  Stir in onions and tomato paste, cover.  Cook 15 minor until onions are tender and sausage is cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Stir in dressing, toss sausage mixture with pasta.  Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.

october recap

so apparently I haven't posted since September and a whole month has passed by.  who knew.

I have however written several posts in my head.  they somehow just didnt make it here.

there was the one about the 1000 mile project....which I finally completed...thanks to a 70 mile bike ride in the cold rain...stupid ILieAboutTheWeather.com.  but i did successfully complete my first metric century and then some.

There was the one about camping.  and how it was glorious.  3 fantastically glorious campsite lounging, mitten kitting, bags throwing, delicious food eating, dune climbing, days.

there was the new meal monday post about the pot roast that was meh but served with YUMMY cranberry orange couscous.  (make plain cous cous as directed, substitute orange juice for water, add cranberries, walnuts and enjoy)

There was the one about spirit week and how I rocked first the baby spice, then the faculty flash mob, and then minnie mouse.  (needless to say my costume mojo was about burnt out before halloween.)

and speaking of halloween, there was the one about how i turned out on halloween dressed as an atom, nick as wolverine, and piccolo as a pumpkin. 

Instead there is just this one...the quick october recap...and the promise to try and actually bring the occasional blog to the world this next month.

New Meal Monday: Salmon with lemon-cilantro vinaigrette

last week was stretch-that-food week.

yesterday we ate soup and french fries.

today we went to the store.

tonight was new meal monday---tuesday edition.

This week's selection: Real Simple's Salmon with lemon-cilantro vinaigrette.
This week's verdict: good .... worth repeating ... nick didn't like the vinaigrette....i thought it had a delightful zing.
This week's well-maybe-next-time: couscous for one.  couscous for two is still a TON. 

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Salmon with lemon-cilantro vinaigrette
servings: 4
1 10 ounce box couscous (1 1/2 cups)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 skinless salmon filet (1 1/4 pounds), cut into 4 portions
1/2 tsp paprika
kosher salt and black peper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 scallions, thinkly sliced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

cook the couscous according to teh package directions.
meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the salmon with the paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 3-4 minutes per side.  
In a bowl, combine the cilantro, scallions, lemon jice, remaining oi, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.  Drizzle over the salmon and couscous.  

New Meal Monday: Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes with Peas

Nick likes to make lists.  lots of lists.  one of his lists: the what-are-we-going-to-eat-all-week list.  which is nice on the day-to-day, when the decisions are already made, but a real pain on the we-want-to-go-shopping-quick-come-up-with-7-meals-Sunday.  And so Nick has created a data base of our meals for quick choosing, and we have instituted New Meal Monday (though it seldom happens on Monday, but alteration is cool)

the premise is simple....I spend a large chuck of change on subscriptions to 3 cooking magazines, because i  like to look at the pretty recipes...and so now we use them, and pick one new meal a week to try out.  sometimes they are keepers, often they require some notes to self for future attempts, and always are an adventure.

Our first endeavors, which unfortunately we failed to document, were a hit.  There was first Apple Honey Chicken courtesy of Food Network Magazine, which was DELISH, though our dark meat selections (as suggested) were more delightful then our chicken breast portions.  Next up was Chicken Flautas, also courtesy Food Network Magazine, and also a winner...though we learned small tortillas are key.

This week's selection: Classic Pot Roast with Garlic-Thyme Gravy and Mashed Potatoes with Peas from Cuisine at Home
This week's verdict:  Pot roast is a keeper, but maybe not this recipe.  it's just not the BEST pot roast EVER and there are lots of recipes out there
This week's well-maybe-next-time: dry white wine.  meh.  how 'bout a white wine we like instead.

This week's bonus: peas left over for Jamie Oliver's Minty Mushy Peas, the perfect side to our British meal.

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Classic Pot Roast with Garlic-Thyme Gravy
Servings: 6
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 boneless cuck roasst, trimmed, sesoned with salt and pepper (3-4 lbs)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups sliced onions
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
3 large celery ribs, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat.  sear roast on all sides, 10 minutes total.  Transfer roast to a 4-6 qt slow cooker.
Stir flour into saute pan; cool 1 minute.  Add tomato paste and cool 1 minute more.
Deglaze saute pan with wine. cooking until liquid evaporates, stir in broth and Worcestershire, bring mixture to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits.
Transfer broth mixture to the slow cooker; add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves.  Cover and cook until meat is fork tender, on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours or on low-heat setting 8-9 hours. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.

Camp Invention: the week where I'm reminded why I teach high school

my teaching certification is in middle school science and high school chemistry...while I've only taught high school...every spring I think about the life that my elementary school teaching college must be having...class parties, thank you gifts from students, day long recesses...while I am grading final exams just hoping I'm not going to have to call any parents to tell them that their daughter has failed.

but then just in the nick of time we host Camp Invention, a summer science camp for 1st through 6th graders. while the children are fantastic and the curriculum is top notch, the children and the days are exhausting, and i thank my lucky stars for my high schoolers.

but camp invention does give me the opportunity to be ridiculous as demonstrated below:

why i am a teacher (kinda)

a student once asked me "ok ms. becker. you went to NOTRE DAME. you graduated with a degree in CHEMISTRY. and now you want to be a TEACHER? WHY do you want to be a TEACHER?"

i looked him right in the face and replied "christmas break and summer vacation. who wouldn't want to be a teacher"

ok yes, so of course this isn't the REAL reason I became a teacher, and of course i followed my witty remark with a real answer, but right now. a week into my summer vacation it certainly seems like a pretty good reason.

by memorial day weekend my day to day work had finished...I had final exams to grade, but they hadnt been taken yet, and I had a classroom to clean up, but I can't get in there over the weekend, so I celebrated the rainy holiday weekend with a cooking extravaganza.

i made ribs, chili potatoes, and oven roasted corn for claires, nickface and I on our memorial day staycation

and then I made 130 bandit paw print cookies for my students to celebrate the completion of another successful year. (see my students are the REAL reason I am a teacher)

signs of spring

for some people it is the blooming flowers that signal spring. for others, it is the shining sun and warmer temperatures that herald the change of the seasons. for others, the onset of spring is marked by the onset of seasonal allergies.

For me, while yes, I appreciate those flowers, I love the sun and slightly warmer temperatures, and I am ready to gouge my eyes out to make them stop itching, the real sign that spring is here to stay is the great shave.

all year Nick's hair grows from the furry summer head to the fall's scruffy-ness to the flowing locks of winter, and each spring, as relaibly as the changing seasons, the start of spring begins with the great shave and the beginning of the spring buzz.

This year's cut was especially monumental, since the spring buzz has been accompiened by the half marathon mohawk. As it turns out, the half-marathon mohawk is a time marker itself. tall and straight at mile 0 and slightly reminiscent of Free Willy by mile 13.1.

Thank You Lake Michigan

work today was stiflingly hot.

so hot it made me love my normally frigidly cold classroom.

so hot you could feel the wall of hot as you exited my room into the non air conditioned hallway

so hot my car claimed it was 88 degrees when I left work.

and then I drove home.

and i watched the temperature drop

every half mile another degree

as i parked on my street the car read 73

and it was a delightful spring day

but we had bike class.

i don't often dream. or at least I don't often remember my dreams. (i didn't even have the promised vivid dreams when on antimalaria meds while in costa rica)

but saturday night I dreamt. Saturday night I dreamt and remembered. today I shared this dream with my students and they laughed. so now I share it with you.

Nick, claires and I are all loaded into the car going to Notre Dame. A frequent occurrence, but this time we were going to pick up a couch, from a graduating student that we didnt know. and this graduation coincided with freshman orientation weekend. We were also going to a bike class held on campus that same weekend.

we drove to campus, parked, ate in the dining hall, and were all ready to go to bike class. Nick and claires made it out. I got stuck by some guy who wouldnt let me by. when I finally got out nick and claires were no where to be found. I didnt have my phone since I had left it in the car, which apparently wasnt my car since I couldnt just go and get it.

so I walked around campus for 2 hours SEARCHING for them and realizing that I also forgot to print out the couch guys info, though apparently i had it stored on that phone that I couldnt get to. I finally went to the car, which had been moved, and went into panic, but finally rememberd that there were computers in la fortune for public use, and there probably was a pay phone somewhere and I did know nick's number.

so I walked back to la fortune via the dining hall and found nick and claires standing outside, acting all 'where have you been?'

my response 'walking around campus looking for YOU. you left with out me.'

nick: 'oh yeah I saw you get stuck by some guy who was being all mean to you.'

me: 'and so you left'

nick: 'yeah, we had bike class.'

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if you were one who analyzed dreams perhaps you could make something of this. my take away: make sure you always know where bike class is at, because your friends will leave you when its time for bike class.

Book Club: Little Women edition

I recently decided that I needed something more in my life than work and being a lump at home (though there is nothing wrong with lumpdom I support it 100%) and so Claires invited me to join her book club. She told me the book for next month. and then said "but you've read little women...you can join this month too."

and though yes I have read Little women (EONS ago) and though yes I do have a mind like a steel trap and though yes I do own the movie and watch it with some regularity I thought I can read this book in 5 days (even though I normally average a book a month if I'm lucky) and so I picked up a copy.

and then nickface decided that he wanted to be in book club too. and so we began our weekend. noses stuck in our books attempting to get through the 450 page book. and then gave up because we got antsy. and so downloaded the audiobook and began our weekend of silent working while listening to Little Women.

now let it be known that I love books on tape. this was how I got through the Hardy I had to read and despised in high school. and so my discovery of LibriVox a public domain audiobook library was magnificent. or so I thought.

as it turns out people volunteer to read these great literary classics for the enjoyment of others. but the problem with volunteers is you can't say no. so our weekend consisted of hours 11 hours of alternating voices reading chapter after chapter of our book of choice, some voices good, some voices leaving us diving for our books to read out loud ourselves so as to not have to bear yet another sentence of from the mumbly computer-reader-y voice, and longing for the opportunity to hear our own voices for the first time in hours.

this sets the stage for our monday afternoon as we were settling in for our required 3.5 hours of listening we had to get in that afternoon, when claires announces happily that she has finished the whole book during her bus ride back from cleveland, ready to inform us that in this book, (spoiler alert!) BETH DOESNT DIE! in fact all that stuff besides the first year isnt in this book...and so we decided that the movie must be combing several books.

but then I got to thinking...wait? WHAT? BETH DOESNT DIE? this book only has the first year? but then why have we fast forwarded for years, why has Meg had her babies, Amy gone to Europe, and Jo headed off to New York? all that has happened in part II of the book.

and then I got to mocking...summoning Claires back to video chat. to deliver the "good" news the the voracious reader on the other side. YOU ONLY READ PART 1! Beth does die. and Laurie settles for Amy after the rest of the March girls turn him down. all is right in the world. it just takes another 200 pages to get there.

when is a vault not a vault?

I am 26.

I have no kids.

I have no plans for kids in the relatively near future.

I have the diamond edition dvd/blu-ray combo pack Bambi.

we all are susceptible to marketing.

Nick sees the big dipper and Pizza Hut immediately goes on the dinner menu.

for me apparently it's the Disney Vault.

the thoughts went something like this:

• oh look bambi is coming out on dvd. I have bambi on VHS whatevs.
• for the first time on blu- ray, well that makes sense, blu-rays havent been out for very long
• but wait it's only out for a limited time, and then it could be gone for like 10 years once disney locks it away in the vault again.
• BUT in 10 years i'll be 36! maybe I'll have kids by the time I'm 36. I'll want them to see Bambi. my VHS tape and VCR probably wont be working in 10 years.
• I HAVE TO BUY BAMBI NOW OR MY FUTURE CURRENTLY NON-EXISTANT KIDS WONT GET TO EVER SEE BAMBI

so when is a vault not a vault? when it's the emotionally disturbing Disney vault where they lock up the movies of our childhoods.

blog neglect

I neglect my blog more often and not. and should probably have a label entitled blog neglect because I blog so often about my inabilities to find time to blog, or at least to find time in a timely fashion when something blog-worthy happens.

but I have this friend who has this blog which I read. and this blog has a list of blogs she reads. which is cool, share the b-log love. but the thing about this list, is you move down the list when you don't post.

every time I read her blog I check the list. what's my position on the cool kids club. have I been blog shamed enough in to blogging? even immediately following a post I have no hopes of staying at the top for long. these are unreal expectations. but I keep telling myself top half is TOTALLY doable. right?

wrong. current position: 4th from last.

current position till I hit "publish post"

happy valentine's day

piccolo and amy

my relationship with piccolo neatly parallels the story of Duncan and Dolores. This is the story of a little girl who gets a cat and loves the cat, and just wants the cat to play with her. but the cat, being a cat, does not want to play, and runs and hides or sits with the calm sister faye.

in fact replace a few key words (Dolores with Amy, Duncan with Piccolo, and Faye with Nick) and you are left with a book that could be our story.

in fact sometimes nick calls me Dolores.

just because piccolo cries when i snuggle her. just because she claws and scrambles to get free when i flip her on her back and squibble her tummy. just because she sometimes darts out of a room upon my entry, just because I like to pull her tail and poke at her feet.

in the story the little girl eventually gives up on the cat and then the cat comes to play. In real life I go to work, leaving piccolo alone, and upon my return the kitten wants to play. and here for a few minutes when we have the house to ourselves our lives diverge from the story. i just want to be left alone....and piccolo just wants love, poking with one little paw at my leg communicating "escuse me, ESCUSE ME! i am kitten. pet please. you cannot resist my kitten love eyes"

you had me at free beer.

when my brother started working here I'd lived here a month. and I was good at going to the pizza places that make chicago dining famous. this after all is what people want when they come to visit. when my brother lived here he ate out every night and I tagged along often on Papa Deloitte's dollar. through my brother I found my favorite breakfast place, yolk, where I am more that willing to wakw up at the crack of dawn and pay the chicago parking meters, just so I can enjoy their oversized, underpriced breakfasts, I also discovered my favorite mac and cheese at bijan's bistro.....where your cravings can be cured till 4 am. and I discovered by bimonthly hangout, rock bottom brewery.

we made the unfortunate mistake of stumbling into the RB grille the first time we frequented the establishment. delightful if you are willing to pay a premium for tablecloths and hostess seating. trip number 2 we hit up the cheaper and more delicious uncovered tables, seat yourself side of the joint and I was hooked.

the chicken waldorf salad...perhaps one of my favorite salads EVER.

add to this the addition of mug club membership - FREE card, 20 oz beers instead of pints, and PRIZES after increments of visits. ( my pint glass count it 4)

add to this more with $5 appetizers including FULL pizzas during happy hour and I am there. I am there twice a month (if not more)

the newest addition...FREE beer. - not so good the the RB crowd,,,but new to me and simply delighful - every 3rd Thursday of the month, when they tap their new seasonal brew. 2 hours of FREE beer. FREE GOOD beer. I am 100% there.

I am 100% there AND I blogged about it.