Greek Cucumber Canapés

The finished product!

I stumbled across this recipe while figuring out a fresh, healthier appetizer for a family function.  It looked like a great concept, so I decided to "roll" with it.  But I found two problems.  First, most of my family members don't like olives, and I hate red peppers.  Second, in order to make the rolls you have to have a mandoline with certain features.  Woops.  I decided to do something different.


I bought a double amount for the base ingredients:  lemon, plain greek yogurt, feta, dill.  I bought the ingredients for the original recipe, but I also decided to try a different bent with ingredients that I like.  I love spinach and shallots, so I picked up those, and added in garlic.  Instead of lemon juice, I used a microplane to zest a whole lemon into the mixture.  My hubby, in a moment of inspiration, suggested that I slice the cucumbers to make a "cracker."  It was great!  I'm going to put in my version of the recipe below because my family members have been going nuts over it.

Ingredients

• 2-3 firm cucumbers, sliced 1/4" 
• 10 oz feta
• 1 ~5 oz. container of plain greek yogurt
• 1 lemon
• fresh dill
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 decent sized shallot
• 1 bag baby spinach
•  salt and pepper

Utensils Needed

• Chef knife
• Cutting board
• Microplane or zester
• Garlic Press (optional)
• Bowl
• Serving tray
• Spoon
• Plate
• Paper towels

Procedure

1. After washing your cucumbers, slice them into 1/4" slices.  They should be thick enough not to bend easily.  Lay them flat on a paper towel-covered plate, add a pinch of salt, and put another paper towel on top.  You may layer the slices.
2. Take your bag of baby spinach and par-cook it in the microwave in your bowl.  This means that you heat it for about 30 seconds.  Then strain out the excess water from the spinach.  I squeeze the spinach wrapped in a paper towel over the sink.  Then chop up your spinach before putting it back in the bowl.  
3. Chop up your fresh dill and garlic and put in bowl.  
4. Finely chop your shallot and add it.
5. In the bowl, dump in your cup of yogurt.  
6. Zest one whole lemon over the mixture.  
7. Mix it all together, and then add your feta, with pepper to taste.
8. Spoon it on top of your cucumbers and serve!

Serving Size: About 40 canapés.

Welcome Back to Another Summer with the +1!

Hello everyone!  I'm back, on summer vacation, and already having a blast with E.  We are now arrived back from Rehoboth Beach and Lewes Beach, Delaware.  This is a vaycay that met us up with Trav's family, and Trav was able to join us for the entirety.  Let me reminisce about the highlights of the trip.

Catching a ride on Grandpa's shoulders

At the Beach/Boardwalk!

Ellie did much better this year with the ocean and sand.  Even though she took about 30-45 minutes to warm up, she started getting braver and braver as time went by, and soon was all about sitting and letting the waves splash her.  She absolutely got over-stimulated by the sand and after about an hour would just lay face first, running her hands through the sand.  By the third day, she was asking to go to the beach and play in the sand.

Girls' Day Out!




I have to say, I have a super girly-girl.  Us ladies went out for mani-pedis and shopping.  Even though E didn't get to go to the salon, she still got her nails painted by grandma, and took her first pedi picture with us. (This is an annual tradition.)  We also hit up shopping a few times.  I was able to snag a jean jacket, some new jeans, and a very cute maxi dress.  Overall, I'm very happy with my finds, and I was finally able to procure an item at Downtown Cowgirl :).  I always love the stuff in that place, and I finally found something that was different but looked good for me.  Eleanor was a natural at shopping at the outlet mall.  I don't know if you knew this, but Delaware has no sales tax, so the shopping is great, and they have some great, affordable boutiques along with a monster outlet mall.  It's so big, it takes up three sections.  E went bonkers on jewelry everywhere she went, and we got photo evidence.  Afterwards, we had lunch at the nastiest Applebee's ever.  It smelled, was dirty, and really kind of gross, but E enjoyed playing on cell phones.

Funland!
Over all the years that we've been going to Rehoboth, we've never realized there was a tiny amusement park.  Now that we have a kid, we now know.  We took Ellie on the carasol, the swings, and a plethora of other rides.  Us older family members rode some the more intense rides, including one that had some interesting vomit patterns on the ground below (omg).  Now we have some tickets to burn, and therefore a reason to go back :)


Overall, this was a wonderful trip with the family, and I'm very glad we got to go.

Chillin’

Ellie had three teeth break through (two molars included) this last week, and I got to experience a new teething side effect:  diarrhea!  Therefore, we were a lot more housebound than normal, since she was needing frequent diaper changes.  Poor E!  Poor me!  One of the side effects of diarrhea, other than insane diaper rash, is the temporary loss of lactose tolerance, which exacerbates the problem.  By Thursday, E was seeming back to normal, so I gave her a cup of milk, and she rewarded us with the return of the D.  In Target.  After half of my shopping was done.  Therefore, I had a choice.  Should I abandon the cart (and have to possibly start over in my shopping which would risk an irritated baby) to change her, or should I just let her have “spa time” and wait for Trav to meet me?  I waited and smelled.  I bought a bunch of pedialyte and white grape juice for E, and she was on a sugar rush this weekend.  To top off my trip, I managed to break a bottle of wine in the checkout lane by catching it on the handle of my shopping bag (we use reusable bags to reduce our trash and prevent paying a bag tax).  That was kind of embarrassing. 

I was super productive on Friday, since I was mostly housebound.  I vacuumed, did the dishes, fixed my printer by myself, watered the plants, cleaned the bathroom, and put away all clean laundry.  I have also been in high gear with researching World History curriculum for the upcoming year.  I have a bunch of books  ordered from the Library of Congress (Trav is a member), and I spent too much money on Amazon for resources.  On Sat, we all went to the National Museum of the American Indian. They have a toddler-friendly play area, and E had fun. Sunday, I took advantage of some alone time, and met up with a former coworker/friend for brunch.   Today, I have already vacuumed and watered the plants.  Once E goes down for a nap, I will mop the floors and I am hoping to do some kitchen projects like making toddy (cold-brew coffee), Travis’ spicy pickles, etc.  My plan is to make one more stop at my new school to work on the room this week, and pick up some stuff to start developing my syllabi for my classes.  My M-i-L will be out for a hot second on Thursday, so that day will be fun with everyone, and I would like to take E to Trav’s work one last time.  Yes last time, because this is my last week as a SAHM. 

Next Thursday, I will be a working mom yet again.  E will be getting her babysitter back.

My goals for improving my profession this year:

• Stay on top of grading and data DAILY.  My hope is to spend every afternoon grading my students’ work and putting it into the gradebook.  Over the years, I begun to struggle with this not because of the amount, but the different amount of assignments and preps I was dealing with.  With less to plan and prep, I should have more time to be an efficient teacher.
• Give regular, meaningful homework.  Now that I am teaching a different population of student, I would like to start exploring and developing a “flipped classroom” where the reading and notetaking is done at home, and the HOT and critical thinking skills are done in the classroom.  I doubt I will be able to have an effective “flipped classroom” in one year, but I can start by experimenting with it.
• Take two PD classes for my licensure renewal.  I think I will look around for a Soc St class and a SpEd class to take for my renewal which is coming up in a year for one of my licenses.  I think an online class will be the way to go.
• Maintain a clean classroom.  This shouldn’t be as hard, since students will no longer be eating breakfast and lunch in the room (no more fridge, microwave, and hot sauce in my room!), and I will try to integrate organizational skills into the classroom routine since I will be teaching students that will probably have goals such as them in their IEPs.

Two Weeks Left

This week, I moved my teaching supplies into my new classroom.  Yesterday, we actually arranged for a babysitter so that I could unpack and start arranging my classroom without Eleanor destroying everything or being completely distracting.  So yesterday, I finished bringing in my stuff, and then the school director had her student workers drop off all the textbooks and resources . . .

OMG.

Yes, this is a picture of just the supplies.  I didn’t take a picture of the closet, which was packed with Geometry and Careers supplies.  I was there from 9-1 just working on organizing and separating the possibly useful stuff from the useless stuff.  I also found a textbook from 1994 that I used when I was in high school.  Yes, a book almost 20 years old was among the stuff, and that I used.  God, I’m starting to feel old.

If you look closely, you will see that I am to teach World History I and II this year.  Now, I haven’t taught these courses in five years, but I guess that’s ok.  It just means I have a lot of planning to do, but it’s only two classes instead of the five I had to prep for at my old job.  I just need to research how I would like to teach World History.  I’ve got to review the standards, the textbooks, and then I can look up some other resources to purchase.  I need to start searching for some good materials that work well with teenagers, such as graphic novels, etc.  I’ll also trade info with one of my former colleagues. 

I will also have to come up with some good projects for the students.  I will have some computers in the classroom, and will also have access to computer labs, so I think it won’t be so hard to figure out some interesting projects.  I have a lot to prep for

Since I had the babysitter, I took the opportunity to get my nails done, of which I think they look quite nice.  As I was getting primped, one of my old students saw me from the window and stopped in to say hi.  Turns out she lives about three blocks from me, is doing well at college, and seems pretty happy.  We chatted for a few minutes and then she was on her way.  I have to say, I see my students A LOT.  You’d think I lived in a small town and not a large city.

I then went home to see my girl, and was finally able to crank out a picture of her smiling:

It is super hard to get a good picture of E because she mostly saves her smiles and grins for strangers and neighbors.  She was super happy yesterday though, and also super adventurous:  She managed to fall into the litter box.  I heard her say, “Oh, boy” which is my cue for her needing help, so I go into the hallway to find the closet door opened, and her feet sticking out of the box.  She was playing with a washcloth and dropped it in the litter, and then when she went to retrieve it, she fell in.  Let me tell you, litter is not fun to clean up on a toddler.  She had a bunch in her hand, and first she shook some of it on the floor, and then she put it up to her face, so then she was shoulder and face deep in soap and running water to try to clean herself up, and then I was sweeping and vacuuming as quickly as possible to prevent her from getting into her mess on the floor.  Why can’t my girl just want to play dolls or take everything out of her play-box?!

Today, I finally washed all of the clothes (E was wearing her last clean outfit), and so now I have 2 baskets and a laundry bag of items to put away.  I can hear E playing, so she’s awake from her nap, so adios!

Breakfast Hashbrown Casserole—feeds 12 or more

I developed this recipe because I wanted a bread-free casserole.  It reminds me a little of spanish tortillas (eggs and potatoes), but it definitely is tasty!  This was a family hit.

Ingredients
10 Eggs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese (I recommend pepperjack, but sharp cheddar works well too)
1 bag frozen hashbrowns
breakfast meat (I used bacon, but ham or sausage would work well)
oil spray
onion powder
garlic powder
black pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the breakfast meat, if necessary.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a casserole pan, spray the bottom and sides.
4. Layer in the hashbrowns.
5. Sprinkle onion and garlic powder over potatoes.
6. In a bowl,whisk eggs, milk, mushroom soup, and pepper well.
7. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese to mixture and combine ingredients.
8. Pour the mixture over the hashbrowns.
9. Add your meat over top.
10. Top with remaining cheese.
11. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
12. Take cover off and bake for another 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
13. Take out and let it rest for 10 minutes.
14. Eat it!

Recent new things

Projects

I finally tackled my pile of bills and documents!

Along the way, I fixed my Verizon bill, adjudicated my parking tickets, registered the car, and got started on my next project:  budgeting for the next few months and into the rest of the year.  My other project that I’m working on finishing tomorrow is fixing my printer.  The print nozzle isn’t working, so I called up Kodak, and they sent me a new nozzle yesterday.  Wish me luck, I hope this works so that I can use my printer again!

Another project I have been working on, well it’s not really a project, but rather a reason to not do laundry:  I want Ellie to every single 18 month outfit at least once.  When was the last time I washed her clothes?  Almost a month ago!  Ridiculous, yes.  How many of those outfits did Trav and I buy?  One, MAYBE two.  Yes, Ellie has over-excited family members who have filled her closet to the hilt.  I have 4 more outfits, so alas I shall be doing a ton of laundry this week.  It’s not to say Trav and I don’t create a lot of laundry…heck, Ellie has created plenty of laundry herself.  Just this last week we had to wash the high chair cover, AND the stroller fabric (that was interesting to figure out how to take apart the stroller). 

Ellie News

What are these pictures, you say?  Why, Ellie got her first haircut this weekend!  Trav found an old-school barbershop that specialized in kid haircuts.  Ellie was enjoying the place until the hairdresser put the white cape on, and oh boy, did the frown come on!  OMG, Ellie was not about this experience at all.  In the end, we said good riddance to her mullet look, and we got her some bangs.  It really makes her look like a little girl, and not a baby.  In other Ellie news, Trav noticed today that two bottom molars came through, and so now we’re up to 12 teeth. 

 

 

New things

New things ellie says: 

• oh, boy!
• anna (babysitter), nini (aunt nicole)
• amen
• mine
• oh, wow!
• yummy, mmmm
• cookie
• puppy, woof woof
• mama, dada
• please
• up
• thank you
• hi
• hey
• bye
• bubbles
• no
• pee pee
• shoe

I have to say, a verbal baby is a nice thing to have.  I now don’t have to go through the rounds to guess E’s needs (diaper, food, drink, cuddle, entertainment, repeat)

Well, things have changed…

I am officially quitting my job tomorrow.  Am I going to be a stay-at-home mom, you ask?  No.  I am the modern woman and I am the clear breadwinner in my family.  I like owning my home, so that means I will be going back to work in August.  So, why am I quitting my job?  Because I got an offer I can’t refuse.  I, for the last five years, have been teaching social studies in schools that specialize in emotional disturbance and multiple disabilities.  This means that for the last four years, I have been teaching public school students in a private school setting because the public school setting couldn’t meet the needs defined by the students’ IEPs.  Yes, this is a really hard job.  Yes, a lot of my current/former students are in jail or mental facilities.  Yes, I know that I’ve lost one former student to violence, and I know that I have developed a bit of an obsession with the news to fulfill a need to know that none of my students are involved in violence.

I’m sure that you’re saying, “Jenn, you are crazy for staying five years!”  Maybe, but then, I found my job to be fulfilling.  I have also come to the realization that my job was negatively affecting my mental health, my relationship with my husband, and my overall quality of life.  Since having E, I have found myself to be more unwittingly open to emotion and more compassionate.  This isn’t a bad thing, but when I was having signs of depression this last winter and spring (I know the signs—it is a part of my job, you know!), I knew I was in need of a re-evaluation of my life choices. 

As some may know, I don’t apply to jobs willy-nilly.  Since being at High Road, I have applied for 3 jobs; I could afford to be picky because I liked the school I was at, and they liked me.  This summer, a job posting came across that caught my intrigue.  This school was also a school for special education students, but for students that had learning disabilities AND who were talented and gifted.  I had read good things about this program in the newspaper.  I applied.  I went through an interview, model teaching, and meeting with the executive director of the entire school.  They offered me the job, and today I called my (former) boss.

My favorite cleaning items

	Baking soda!  This stuff is awesome.  I recommend buying this stuff in bulk or at least in the big 4 pound boxes.  I use this stuff for: the diaper pail cleaning surfaces with grime cleaning stains cleaning the drains This stuff works great with . . .
	Vinegar!!!!! This stuff is even better.  Vinegar is stinky, I know.  It is awesome though.  I use this stuff for shining windows and mirrors cleaning surfaces with grime combine with dawn soap to make a concoction to spray on soap scum (and not dry out) for easy bathroom cleaning dissolving baking soda residue cooking (my hubby is making fresh pickles as we speak) cleaning sinks with baking soda
	Yes, this is my stick vac. Cordless-CHECK Lithium Battery to run well until BAM it’s dead-CHECK Carpet cleaning function-CHECK Easy to use-CHECK Bagless-CHECK Here is the link to find one: Click! Is it pricy?  Yes.  Did I pay that much?  HELL NO.  I managed to snag one 1/2 off at target because they were on clearance…why?  Because they changed the packaging.  KACHING!  It’s so nice, my in-laws bought one, too.
	Dr. Bronner’s Magic SoapWe have two types—the citrus one pictured and peppermint.  We use this for: Bathing ourselves (peppermint soap in the summer is great) Mopping.  I recently mopped my house with about two tablespoons of this stuff and 2-3 gallons of water, and it made everything look wonderful.  I also didn’t worry so much about my wandering daughter managing to play in the water and exposing herself to chemicals.  Nice.
	Magic EraserI buy the off brand, but this stuff is great.  I use this for: removing paint off tiles cleaning marks off walls removing soap scum off the glass shower door cleaning surfaces at work (teenagers are FILTHY)

There you go!  These items are baby/toddler safe, and not only will save you money in cleaning products, some are cheaper to begin with!

Jenn’s Fresh Salsa Verde

Hey all!  So, the other day, I decided to walk down to the neighborhood bodega and get the ingredients to make steak fajitas.  I don’t frequently make fajitas because when I do, I make homemade salsa verde. 
What is salsa verde?  Well, it’s green salsa.  It’s also fresh, so there is very little salt, and it tastes better in my opinion.  Here are the things you can do with salsa verde:

• Condiment for chips, quesadillas, tacos, fajitas
• Marinade for meat (the acid will make meat tender and will help infuse the meat with flavor)

Here are the ingredients: (for a large batch—you can easily cut this in half and have plenty for one meal)

4-5 Tomatillos                   What are tomatillos?                        They look like green tomatoes wrapped in a  husk                        Peel the husk off and you get this: 3 jalapeños 1 bunch of cilantro 2 tomatoes 5-6 nice sized garlic cloves (If you like garlic, I recommend buying the fresh peeled whole cloves) 1.5 red onions 1 tbsp of kosher salt (or 1/2 tbsp table salt) 1/2 lime-juice squeezed out                                             PREP Wash your veggies!  The tomatillos will be sticky under the husk, and always wash your leafy items, such as cilantro. Prep the following:  Cut the tomatillos into 8 chunks De-rib/seed the jalapenos and cut into chunks—leave the seeds and ribs in if you want heat—I took them out for family members Cut each garlic clove in half Cut your onions into 1” chunks De-seed your tomatoes—You want to do this to reduce the amount of water you’re going to have to strain out later! Put it all in your blender Squeeze 1/2 a lime over the veggies Using the pulse button, blend your veggies.  I know, I know, it doesn’t look green, and it doesn’t look pretty!  It will though! Cut your bunch of cilantro into eigths—discard below the tie.  Do this to prevent “strings” of cilantro stems Add to your blender with the salt and blend it together. Much better! Now is time for the blah part of the recipe—straining out the excess liquid.  I used a small cup, but you could probably use a fine mesh strainer.  As you can see from the picture to the right, I was able to pull a full cup of liquid, easily! Last thing before eating (unless you’re marinating):  Put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Now eat it up! (As seen on my fajita )

Cheers…

To my last day in the cast, to typing one-handed, and being unable to write for two weeks!

Some Ellie Pics

Since the previous post didn’t really show off the little one, here you go!'

Oh, to be a 16 month old . . . VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Long Weekend

Hey all!  I just wrapped up a weekend with the grandparents, and it's back to routine for us.  Yes, I'm still typing with one hand, Ellie is honing her toddler skills (new words, being demanding, climbing stuff, and practicing temper tantrums), and Trav is off to long work weeks for the next month.  That means it's just us girls for 11+ hours a day.  For instance, today Trav didn’t get home until almost 8.  Boo.
On the 5th, I started tackling the bathroom closet.  I didn't get to take pre-cleaning pics for the entire closet, but I did for some shelves, so you can get the idea.  To sum it up, it was a disaster.  And I'm not done yet!  I do have some of the worst finished up though.

Closet Project—Before VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Closet Project—After VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I also got a cleaning bug in me, and I took it to the stove-top.  Do know what works amazingly?  Baking soda.  Pour a bunch on, add a little water, spread it around, and then take a 15 minute break.  While I was doing that, I did the baking soda and vinegar trick down the kitchen sink (Pour baking soda down the drain and then add vinegar...rinse after 30 minutes).  After letting the soda work for 15 minutes, I used a sponge to rub it around the tough spots, and then I used paper towels to wipe up the soda.  Soda stuck?  A little vinegar dissolved it right up.  Speaking of vinegar, after I got the soda up, I poured on some vinegar and polished it.  My stove looked great!

Friday, Trav took the day off, so we did fun stuff all day.  Trav took Ellie to the park while I showered with the bag over the cast, and then we went out to lunch.  After a trip to Target for milk and supplies, we went to the pool for a while.  I put a bag over the cast, and we relaxed in the kiddie pool while Ellie flirted with the other babies.  It was a nice, but excruciatingly hot day.  Did I mention it's been in the 100s for the last 2 weeks?  Blah!
This weekend, we went to PA to see my grandparents.  My grandma, Ellie, and I went to a ladies' tea at the church on Saturday, where Ellie socialized her little heart out.  She had a blast.  Other than a visit from my aunt and her family, it was another low-key weekend in Chambersburg.

Look at the clutter! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Today, here were my goals:  completely unpack and declutter from the long weekend, vacuum, play with ellie, and tackle the bills pile. I also need to vacuum the furniture and I would like to work on E's room or continue working on the bathroom.

Much nicer! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL