thursday's ten or so: a week off

we're out for "summer break" this week.
and here's what's been done so far


on the completed or in progress list
re-organized the closet in our room (it.was.insane. and it's not done yet.)
painted my nails in the spirit of the fourth of july

played a super competitive game of spoons with anthony, his two sisters and his sister's boyfriend (blood was drawn. more than once.)

cleaned the kitchen. and again.
finalized the menu for the month of july
baked cookies. was thankful that they tasted good.

attempted to catch up to the laundry monster that has taken over our entire upstairs (see first item and add 1000% to the insanity)
bought a new pair of toms that i LOVE (finally used my birthday money...yeah, from march.)

(they say "let love rule", which is pretty much me to a t) 

taught 3 piano lessons on a holiday
prayed for thunder rumbles to turn into rain. repeatedly.
thought about exercising
reached my first weight loss goal of the summer...and not stopped. (operation get healthier is in full swing around here!)
snuggled with emi

 watched (lots of) tv with the hubster
changed my facebook profile pic to this one 

still to do?
set up the hammock
hang out with one of my bff's tonight (yay!)
host our first night of movie lead-ins to dark knight rises...we're showing batman begins at our house friday night
more time with emi
and a whole lot more cleaning
and hopefully another blog or 5.


i've got to admit that being on an academic calendar (even though it's REALLY modified) is quite nice.  a free week off over the fourth of july? anthony and i are talking about trying to go somewhere for the fourth next year (like dc or boston, maybe san diego, even nyc) since it'll be "free" vacation for me and he gets more vacation days than i do!  and then we can still take an anniversary getaway later in the year.  just speculation for the moment...but how about it? anybody have a recommendation for the PERFECT place to spend the fourth?

recipe of the week: lora's ranch mix/dressing

i have several recipes that are lined up to post...but since this is one of the bases to several of them, i thought i'd go ahead and share my ranch seasoning mix and dressing recipe.


i stopped buying prepackaged seasoning once i realized how much sugar and chemical additives there are in the vast majority of them. this was probably about a year ago, and i have tried several combinations to get my seasoning just the way i like it.  a friend sent me a recipe (and i have no idea where she got it, so i can't give the credit) but it was a little too bland for me...however, playing around with ratios and a couple of added spices did the trick!


not only is this healthier than prepackaged mixes, it's WAY cheaper.  and it's not time consuming at all.  you can whip up a batch of the seasoning AND a container of ranch dressing in less than 10 minutes.


so, here's my recipe.

2 tsp parsley

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

4 tsp dill

4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp basil

mix and store in airtight container. i love the round spice tins for this, and they're less than $2

i love that this is truly a base recipe.  it's great on it's own, but it's also adaptable. if i want to make it a chipotle ranch, i just add a bit of chipotle along with the ranch mix when i make the dressing. i use a tablespoon of this mix in anything that calls for a packet of ranch seasoning. so far, that seems to be the correct ratio!

so for the dressing itself

1 tbsp dry ranch seasoning

approximately 1 cup each sour cream, olive oil mayo and skim milk

you know, mix together (i use an immersion blender). pictures are self-explanatory.

 

it'll keep in the fridge for a week or more, although it never (ever) lasts that long at our house.  enjoy!


(if you click on this picture, you're sure to find some tasty recipes. in fact, there's a lemon squares recipe that i'm salivating over at becky's blog!)

recipe of the week: creamy chicken taquitos

have i mentioned i love pinterest?
yeah, probably.
this is a recipe i originally found there.  as far as i can tell, this is the original source.


however, the first time i mixed up the recipe exactly as the original stated, i thought "there is no WAY that is creamy enough for us."


so...here's the adapted version for our house :-)


lora's creamy chicken taquitos

1 package (or more!) tortillas (we prefer the habañero lime from trader joe's or the red chile from whole foods)
2 cups shredded chicken* 
1 package cream cheese
1.5 cups shredded pepperjack or mexican blend cheese (this is one of the VERY FEW recipes i'll actually buy a blend for!)
1/2 cup salsa verde (plus more for dipping)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves of minced garlic
3 or 4 chopped green onions
juice from one lime
your ratio of the following spices...i'm putting approximates for what i use
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper




*this is roughly 1.5 pounds of raw chicken. i grill them up and then use my kitchenaid to shred (another pinterest tip, naturally!)  i usually use just under a pound of breast mixed with just under a pound of thigh, OR strictly chicken thighs. it's so.much.cheaper


preheat your oven to 425゜(that's hot people!)
if you happen to have parchment paper (NOT the same as wax...learned that the hard way once. rookie mistake!), line a baking sheet with it. if not, no worries.


if you have grilled your own chicken to shred, place it in a stand mixer and shred it. if not, just put your shredded chicken in a mixer and follow the next few steps.

add the cream cheese and shredded cheese, followed by the spice blend, salsa, lime juice, cilantro, green onion and garlic. keep mixing until it's blended quite well.

for each tortilla, spoon a generous amount onto the edge and then roll is up. place seam down on your baking sheet.

bake for 15 - 20 minutes (watch for your desired level of crispiness). serve with rice, guac, sour cream, salsa, and whatever else you desire :-)

enjoy!


you should get about 12 taquitos out of this.  per taquito, based on chicken thigh meat only, here's your nutrition info.

thursday's ten or so: a few new (to me) things

things i have done over the past 3 weeks that i never imagined i'd do

- fixed a hearing aid that had split in two (hard not to figure out when the child hands it to you and says 'my ear broke!')
- pulled an entire outfit out of my car at the last minute to participate in water day
- helped four 5 year old little boys get outfitted in princess dresses and shoes and watched them put on a dance show
- set the alarm later than i've done in recent memory and MADE myself stay in bed until it went off (twice)
- handed out veggie straws for a snack and didn't eat even one! (several times)
- wore surgical gloves to change a diaper. because it's required, not because it was that bad of a diaper.
- wished for a surgical mask because it WAS that bad of a diaper.
- successfully negotiated between teachers who didn't want to do what a parent had asked, and said parent. (for the record the request was NOT unreasonable, and the parent won. as they should have. tiny preview of what i'll be doing full-time in the fall...it seems that it will be necessary to remind others that we are here to serve and support families...)
- worn close-toed shoes every day for a week (because it's required to not wear sandals that have a strap between the toes...and i don't own any that don't...ick) {but bonus: i get to buy new toms!}
- laughed when a fellow teacher was surprised when i had only been there 2 weeks...she thought it had been at least 2 months. i think that's good? maybe?

so...that's why i haven't been around much lately.  lots of first, lots of exhaustion, not to mention the other random stuff happening.  90% of it is good though, so no worries. and i plan to be back more full-time here soon!

thursday's ten: in transition (again)

if you follow me on twitter or pinterest, you may have clued in that my job title is switching...again.
after 5 years of nannying full or part time (the last 3.5 being for AMAZING and wonderful families who have loved me and i have adored right back) i'm entering a full-time role in a school setting.


it's SO not what i would have ever seen myself doing.
but it's exciting and just...so unexpected!


so in the form of a list, here's a little bit about what i will (and will not) be doing


i will be working FULL-TIME in one place, while teaching lessons on the side. no more waking up each day and reminding myself which "work" i'm driving to!


i will be following a schedule more true to my body clock (for the first time since...ever).  no more 6:30 am start times...my day will begin at 11:30.


i will not be spending one on one (or two) time with children of just one family. that part makes me quite sad, as i'm quite attached to said families!


but i will be able to invest in the lives of multiple children and families.


i will be a bit out of my comfort zone...my job will be supervisory and i'll be second in command which feels like a huge promotion (that i didn't seek out at ALL)


i will be able to complete grocery shopping, lawn & garden work, and other errands/tasks (including pool time!) before i even go in to work most days.


and i will be able to do all those things and still "sleep in" until 8 am or so (most days)


i will be spending more time at home simply going from 45/50 hours weekly (better than the 60 i was working a couple of months ago!) to 32.


because of the above, i will be able to invest more in my friends and actually visit my girlfriends more often :-)


i will earn paid time off, which means that my husband and i can actually take a vacation and not have to worry about lost income 


so, what am i going to be doing?
well...a few weeks ago i interviewed (after being contacted by them initially) with a preschool that is full-inclusion to "just be a sub a couple of days a week".
a week or so after that interview (in which i was told that i would definitely be hired) they called me and asked me to stop by to "discuss my schedule"
when i went in the next day, i was told about this position and tentatively offered it (with the potential starting of it starting in august)
the next day, i contacted them and told them if they offer was extended it would be accepted
and the next day, i was called and formally offered the job (with the new starting time of JUNE)


i'll be the "afternoon coordinator" at this school, which is why i come it at 11:30 and leave at 6(:05).  i'll be making sure staff is supported and on target, troubleshooting anything that comes up, structuring activities to be learning play time, and popping in classrooms every once in awhile myself to interact with the kids. 


i'm totally excited, quite nervous about the responsibility, and quite overwhelmed that my Papa has once again just handed me a job without me looking for it at.all.


the families i am currently working for are thrilled for me, sad to see me go, but completely blessing this in my life. that has been SUCH a gift. i plan to babysit often and even just visit...clients who have become friends are so precious.


there is so much more to the story, regarding connections from a previous unhealthy work environment that i was placed in for a reason and all sorts of other things...but in the interest of remaining professional and honoring even those who i haven't felt honored by...those stories are just not for this blog.


let me encourage you if you are not in this place of "good news" on the job front or anywhere else...He is still faithful. my story isn't all neat, perfect and pretty (as anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows well)...but it is Glorious, because He has been the author of every page. this current page that looks so polished is a result of the smudges and dark blots on preceding ones...and i'm not naive enough to think that this page will remain as pretty as it is now :-) life is messy because humans are messy. and God chooses to work through us anyway? what an incredible honor, what lavish love He has for us.

recipe of the week: spanakopita quiche

spanakopita quiche

 

here’s the problem with this quiche. i usually just toss stuff in. so all measurements here are approximate, mmmkay?

here's our favorite (at the moment) quiche :-)

sprinkle of powdered (non-flavored) coffee creamer

olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 large handfuls of spinach leaves (this is approximately 4 cups loosely packed. i think. it'll come out to be about 1.5-2 cups when processed)

3 eggs

1 cup feta cheese (preferably with mediterranean herbs)

1 cup mozzarella

1 cup whipping cream

nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste

1 deep dish pie crust

secret to an awesome crust? poke holes in the bottom of your crust with a fork and sprinkle coffee creamer powder on it.  pop in the oven for 5-10 minutes. 

 meanwhile...

 heat oil on stove and saute onions for about 3 minutes.

throw spinach in the food processor and process into chopped spinach

mix with onions, add the spices, and saute until the spinach cooks down a bit. 3-5 minutes should do it.

 whisk eggs and then add cheeses.  

pour in the spinach-onion mixture and mix together.  

 pour entire mixture into pie crust.

 make whipped cream out of the whipping cream. once it’s ready, fold VERY carefully into the rest of the quiche.  you don’t want to mix too much just because the creaminess of the whipped cream is very important to the texture of this quiche.

 bake at 350 for as long as it takes…usually between 45 minutes to an hour.  you can tell it’s done with a toothpick comes out clean :-)

 enjoy!

thursday's ten or so: the summer bucket list

my friend angie posted on facebook the other day that she had created a summer bucket list. so being the amazing friend that i am, i decided to steal the idea :-)
(it's not REALLY stealing if i give you credit, right angie?!)


so here, in no particular order, are {some of} the things that i'd like to do at least once before summer is over!


go whitewater rafting
take a camping trip (i cannot believe this one is on here...i have NEVER been camping. but anthony loves it so i want to give it a try!)
visit holiday world (most likely with angie!)
see the ocean at least once...hopefully for a long weekend!
host a summer bash at our house just because
do at least one 5k even in the ridiculous tennessee summer heat
jump on a trampoline 
run through a sprinkler
harvest from the garden (hopefully this is ongoing...ha!)
set up the hammock and spend quality time there
hike radnor at least once a month
implement some fun summer pinterest ideas :-)


i'm sure the list will get longer as summer progresses.  but that's a good {fun} start :-)


what do you want to do this summer? anything i should add?

thursday's ten or so: in which i attempt to explain my absence

things i have been up to instead of blogging:

transitions. two jobs ending (one naturally because a child goes to school and another by choice to leave a very unhealthy environment) and two jobs beginning in place of them. the quite lovely thing is that i have been working at minimum 60 hours per week for the last...years? i totaled up the hours that i will be working now and it's almost normal--in the 40-50 hours range. i could cry with joy. for serious.

catching up on dvr'd shows. natasha and i have a weekly date to watch some of them, but the others are watched whenever a chance occurs.

pinning. like crazy!

paying it forward. we had so many people who were generous with time and resources during our wedding prep. i have two girlfriends getting married within a month of each other (last weekend and then in june) so i am trying to make myself as available to them as i can!

coming up with some jewelry design ideas. i would like to open my etsy store again, and am trying to come up with some new and different stuff. on that note, anything you would like to see?

organizing. from the pantry to my iPhoto libraries. i love it. but it is a bit time-consuming since, well, i'm me.  :-)

missing writing/blogging. i think about posts often.  they just never seem to materialize.  hopefully as transition continues to a more livable schedule, that will change. i miss this place!

working in the yard. since i actually enjoy mowing, that comes to me most weeks...plus i have a fledgling garden that i'm trying to protect from the neighborhood bunnies. anthony laughs at me constantly for being in battle with a bunny.  ha!

juicing.  i got a free juicer a few months ago and its definitely been appreciated and used! i'll post some of my favorites here soon.  :-)

monday's memory: april 366

366 project
my life in pictures, april