New Teacher Orientation

The past few days have been quite a whirlwind. I have come home exhausted and feeling a little overloaded with information. Each day was different, so I'll give you a short rundown of what they looked like.

Wednesday was our first day and it was meant for teachers new to the county without any experience teaching (beyond students teaching or subbing). So we came in, had a light breakfast (we all looked like the new kids at school in the cafeteria trying to figure out where to go and who to sit with), and then went and sat in the auditorium. We listened to a few speakers talk about the mentor program that the county has for us and then we met in groups with a bunch of the lead mentors in our schools. This was nice because we were able to at least meet one person in our school who we will work with and it lead to us meeting the other new teachers in our school. We spent about 2 hours in these groups talking about general procedures within the program. Then we had lunch, and about half an hour question and answer time with a panel of second year teachers. I really like this panel time. They answered the questions well and were able to ease some of our concerns since they were all close to our situation. After that the new teachers from each school went and met with their lead mentor again individually at their school. Since our school was a ways away (30 minutes) and we all lived closer to where we actually were, we decided to just go to Starbucks and talk there. So we went over more procedures and she was able to answer a lot of our questions about our school specifically. It was a really informal conversation which was nice.

By the time I got home around 3:45 I was exhausted! I had been awake since 6am and talking to people  or listening to them since 7:40. It was a lot of good information and there was a lot that I needed to know. It made me feel better to start to ease into things.

Thursday was another day just for new teachers without experience. This was a little more content and classroom based than the day before. We had a small group session in the more about delivery of instruction where we were "re-taught" different strategies of instruction and teaching. Some of them were helpful to review, some of it was just a lot of review of "book-work" from college. After lunch we had a really great session on classroom management. The three women that led that session had some great ideas and just kept us engaged the whole time. Not to mention they put us at ease about the first few days of school and gave us some concrete ways to make them go smoother.

It was another long day and I was definitely tired by the end of it but I was encouraged after it. I had a positive outlook and despite information overload, most of it was good.

Friday was crazy! This was for all employees new to the county, whether they've been teaching for twenty years or just started. There had to be a couple hundred people, it was nuts! Anyway, when we showed up, there was a red carpet rolled out, all of the administrators from the most of the schools, and the cheerleaders from that specific high school were outside cheering for all of us as we entered the building. It was kind of awkward to say the least, but at the same time it was nice to feel appreciated. We spent the morning listening to presentations from different vendors and sponsors. They gave away a lot of door prizes and raffles which was kind of cool. After walking around the gym talking to some of the sponsors, the group from my school went to lunch. Then we headed back to our school and met with our assistant principals. We then went over the handbook quickly and talked about specific school procedures in more depth and got a tour of the school. I will be in three different classrooms for my three different classes at that school. It should be rather interesting.

I finally got home around 4:45 and was truly exhausted. We had gotten so much information in the afternoon that I know I won't remember when the time comes. Physically I was fine, although I did find out my b12 level is dangerously low to the lowest end of the "normal" range even with the monthly injections which is not fun. That might be accounting for why I'm feeling as tired as I am recently. Mentally I really was just feeling a bit overloaded, it's the only way to explain it. I just felt like I needed to shut down.

Today I took a little time to rejuvenate. I slept in until 8:30. It wasn't much but it was all my body would let me do. I had a lazy morning, just watched a few tv shows online and then I ran a bunch of errands and got things for the apartment that I needed and went grocery shopping. Then I made a delicious risotto for dinner because the recipe looked delicious and it seemed like a good idea to have real food around the house, even as left overs. Not to mention cooking felt good. The recipe is below.

Emotionally I'm in a weird spot. It's been nice to start meeting people who I'll be working with, at least some of the other new people in the school who are in the same boat as me. I also met another new teacher who lives close by to me and we are planning to get drinks sometime soon which will be nice if it happens. I'm trying to stay occupied because I've never been good at being alone and not over-thinking everything. I'm hoping that once I get into school I'll have more to do, or at least more to do with people. I'll be able to start planning lessons in a few days, I haven't been able to much because we do a lot of common planning and I need to talk to the other teachers that are teaching the same classes as me to see what is being taught when and how certain things are going to be taught so it has limited what I could do at night and on the weekends. I'm trying really hard not to miss home (Rochester), and everyone there, and the life I had built there but sometimes that is just really difficult.

Tomorrow I'm planning on going to a different church and seeing what it is like. Then I'm going shopping with my friend from high school. I need to get some more teacher clothes before the year starts. I'm hoping between retail therapy and being out with a good friend it should be a very good time! The rest of the week I'll be off and running with more orientation and training. The next two days are still for new hires and then the end of the week is for everyone. It will be a lot of professional development, curriculum, technology, and planning. I've got 2 weeks to get ready for kids!

Tomato and Sausage Risotto (Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food)
Ingredients:
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 Tbls olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic chopped (not in original recipe but I added it and enjoyed it)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio Rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4-6 oz. flat lead spinach (the recipe called for 10-14 oz. I used significantly less and liked it a lot better) wash well, removed touch stems, chop
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls butter

Directions:

1.) In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (With their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

2.) In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. 

3.) Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

4.) Add about 2 cups of the hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomator mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid). 

5.) Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired).

A few lasts

Well, the "lasts" are starting. My last day at Old Navy was Sunday. Both Saturday and Sunday went well. They were easy shifts, nothing too out of the ordinary. I've spent almost 3 years working there. It would have been 3 years in October, and while it never had any relation to my real career goals, it was a fun place to work, and I enjoyed it. Most of the time it was the job I knew I could go to, turn half my mind off and work on auto-pilot and just enjoy the company of my co-workers and occasionally the customers. It was a little bittersweet to leave.

Last night was probably the last dinner part I'll be able to host here in Rochester. Luckily it was easy prep for me. I just made Sloppy Joe's (recipe below), cole slaw, and french fries. And then we enjoyed the delicious sides everyone else brought as well. It was an interesting group of people, and watching the interactions happen was quite intriguing for me. I enjoyed sitting back for a few minutes and just watching everything around me happen. But once I was reminded that I needed to be social I snapped back to reality and did my best to actually engage with people, which for some reason was really difficult for me. You'd think knowing it was the last time this would happen would make it easier for me, but given the situation itself I felt more and more like I was window shopping on my life, for multiple reasons. It was kind of a weird experience. Overall a good night, people were well fed, and they seemed to enjoy themselves which is the goal to the whole thing.

Today is my last day working at Sylvan. This is a little harder for me. I've really enjoyed working there. It's not even necessarily about the specific kids or my specific coworkers, it's just that the environment itself is comfortable to work and teach in. After working at Mathnasium, which was similar but so unhealthy and towards the end I was so unhappy there, and then coming to Sylvan it was such a breath of fresh air to be treated with respect and given opportunities to just teach and not be expected to do more just because I was capable. As much as I do enjoy the job itself, I think it also marks the one of the first times I stood up for myself and made a decision for my own benefit that had such drastic effects on my life. I haven't looked back since making that choice and while it was difficult at the time it has been one of the best decisions ever!

The fact that I won't be working for the rest of the month makes me a little anxious. I have spent the past 3 years working either 2 or 3 years pretty much non-stop. While it has made me a little crazy at times, it's been what I've gotten "good" at. Balancing a schedule, working a lot, and just doing what needs to get done. While I will still be busy, it's a different kind of busy, I need to be self-motivated, and it's not something that is necessarily scheduled which is a learning curve. I have a few days off this week, then I'm going to Virginia for a week to sign my paperwork and look for an apartment and meet with a few people I'll be working with, and the week after that I'll be in Schoharie, NY working at another day camp! Then I'll be back home in Rochester for a week or two (depending on when I end up moving to Virginia) to pack up my life and then actually move it all down there. There is a lot going on and things are happening quickly, but I am excited about it.

Sloppy Joe's
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 bottle ketchup
1/4 bottle bbq sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)

Directions:
1) Brown ground beef and onion together. Once browned, drain fat.
2.) Add seasonings and simmer 5 minutes.
3.) Add ketchup, bbq sauce, and  Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 10 minutes.

So Much Change!

This is the week I've been dreading for about a month now. Knowing that it was coming just meant that I tried to pack more into the week, which helped to some extent, but also made the transition harder.

Monday was a typical day, work at school and at Sylvan in the afternoon. And then I hung out with a friend after work which lead to plenty of thinking. Not being able to sleep afterwards was quite frustrating. I went into Tuesday running on about 5 hours of sleep, which made for a very interesting day. Tuesday was my last day at school. Then I went to Goodwill and donated 3 large bags worth of clothes, and bought a pair of capris and a super cute dress for only $12 total (both from Gap too)!! Then I started laundry and went grocery shopping because I cooked dinner for people. Then I started cooking, around 3:30. People came over around 6:30, and I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen. As much as I enjoy cooking and feeding people, when I don't prepare enough ahead of time it stresses me out. This was one of those days. Had I started an hour earlier I would have felt significantly better about the whole day, but nothing seemed to be going right. I mean everything worked out fine in the end and people enjoyed the food, but I felt tense the whole night. But nevertheless here are the recipes I made:

Porcupine Meatballs:
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup uncooked rice
2 tsp. oil
2-3 cups V8

Directions:
1.) Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, onion, and rice together in a bowl. Use your hands to make sure everything is incorporated together well.
2.) Form into 6-8 balls.
3.) Heat oil in a pan and brown meatballs on all sides.
4.) Once meatballs are browned at V8, cover pan and simmer 45 minutes.

Brown Rice Herb Salad (Similar to Tabouleh but Gluten Free)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown rice
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1/2 seedless cucumber cubed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Direction:
1.) Cook rice as directed on package. Let cool at least 1 hour.
2.) Chop herbs and vegetables. Mix together with the rice.
3.) Wish oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together. Mix into salad and refrigerate at least one hour before serving to let flavors marry.

I also served apple crisp, and that recipe can be found on a different blog post, if you search under the recipe tab.

Wednesday was the start of my summer, which isn't too different from regular "school year" life. I did get to sleep in a bit which was nice. I didn't have to wake up to an alarm which was wonderful! I relaxed a little and finished cleaning up from the night before. And then I tutored for an hour and went to work at Sylvan. After work I dropped leftovers off at a friends place and ended up staying and talking for a while. It was definitely a good thing to do, I needed to relax and actually feel safe and be able to be myself, which doesn't happen often at all.

Thursday was wonderful and long and busy and stressful. I woke up, started to get a few things ready for the day, and then tutored for 2 hours, and then packed and drove to Schoharie, NY about 3 1/2 hours away from here. The drive was easy, nothing to worry about. The reason I was going was to meet with people there to work on planning for a day camp that I'm helping to lead there in mid-July. I was also going to have the chance to see some people from camp who I hadn't seen in close to a year and plan with them about the day camp that I will be helping to lead here in Rochester in a week. It was wonderful to see people and I got more hugs in a few hours than I had gotten in a few months of being here. Real hugs too, the kind that mean something! It was so good! I miss these people and it made me really wish I could be working at camp all summer, despite how illogical I know it is. The stress camp from talking to the people who are coming to work at the Rochester day camp. They are new to doing camp/day camp so its putting a lot on me to plan and organize. I have a lot to get done! Luckily I know what I'm doing, it's still terrifying to think that it starts in a week and I don't have a lot planned yet.

I did spend Thursday night catching up with a great friend that I met working at the Schoharie day camp the past few summers. She was in charge of it for the 4 summers I worked there and she is just an amazing person. It was wonderful to spend the night talking with her. Despite the age difference and the differences in our lives in general, I can honestly say we are friends and that there is genuine caring behind our conversations. We gossiped like school girls about some things, and had serious conversations about others. It was beautiful and amazing in every way possible and I feel truly blessed to have people like this in my life, even if they are hours away from me.

Friday I drove home, stopped at the outlet mall and found a few cute things for me, and for my brother that he asked for. Then came home, had an interesting conversation with a friend, and then grabbed dinner with my brother. I hadn't seen him in close to a month and a half or so. It was good to catch up with him. Then I worked 6:30-10:30 at Old Navy. I am not a fan of that shift at all. Closing just gets boring and its late!

Saturday was busy in the morning but the afternoon and evening were quite nice. I had to tutor in the morning and then I ran a bunch of errands and made basil lemonade. It was a productive morning/early afternoon but ran much later than I planned. One of my friends was having us over to her parents cottage for a day out on the lake to go tubing and just to relax. It was a beautiful day, highs in the mid 80's and sunny and I wanted to get out there as soon as possible but nothing was working as I planned. Things always work out in the end. I had a good time out on the lake! We had great weather and a delicious meal. Good times all around!

I've been spending a lot of time listening to various people talk about different things in their life. I love listening and it's reminded me of how different all of our lives are. Each of us has a very different set of circumstances facing us. Not to mention that at any given time things can change very drastically, making life significantly more difficult to deal with. Listening has reminded me how self-centered I can be. I don't know if it shows outwardly, I hope it doesn't, but if it doesn't someone please tell me. I feel as if I tend to worry about all of the things going on in my life, or all of the problems I'm having, on repeat in my head, and feel as if they are just as "bad" as everyone else's but that I shouldn't talk about them because it isn't my place. Maybe it is the people in my life, or just the situations I'm in, but in most cases I feel guilty for even wanting to talk, bringing me back the being self-centered. I spend plenty of time listening to my friends because it makes me happy and I like to think that in some little way I can help, or at least make whatever it is they are dealing with a little easier. But maybe that is just my selfish way of justifying it.

Today was spent sleeping in, teaching my last algebra 2/trig boot camp class and then cleaning my room and apartment up a bit and just relaxing. I'm hoping to spend tonight relaxing and not doing much of anything so that the rest of the week can be productive between work, planning day camp, more work, and a visit to the neurologist.

Chicken Wing Dip, Meatballs, and Apple Crisp

So this past Sunday I had 10 or so people over for dinner and games. It went a lot better than I expected which was surprising. I wasn't sure what to expect really and I wanted to try a new recipe that I had seen when I was watching the Food Network with my Mom over February break so I decided to go the multiple appetizers for dinner route. So my plan was hummus, chicken wing dip, bbq (comfort) meatballs, and apple crisp (gluten free of course) for dessert. The meatball recipe was new to me and I got the apple crisp recipe from my mom but had never actually made it for myself.

The hummus was store bought because I was lazy. I just served it with carrots, celery and tortilla chips since I can't eat pita.

Chicken Wing Dip (courtesy of Meghan)
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese
3/4 cup Red Hot (hot sauce)
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked dices/shredded chicken (I get a rotisserie chicken and just pick it apart because it is cheap and the left overs are great and then I don't have to do the cooking!)

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.) Soften cream cheese in the microwave, 30 seconds is usually enough, just so that it breaks up with a spoon.
3.) Mix everything together in a bowl so that it is incorporated evenly.
4.) Put in either a 9x13 baking disk or a round casserole dish (this is what I use- I think its a 2 qt. size) and bake 30 minutes.

BBQ (Comfort) Meatballs (Courtesy of Ree Drummond Food Network)
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup quick oats
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons very finely minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
plenty of ground black pepper
4 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup flour (if gluten free use white rice flour)
Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
4 to 6 tablespoons minced onion
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce (I used Red Hot because it's what I had)

Directions:
1.) In a bowl combine beef and oats. Pour in the milk then add the onions, salt and pepper. Stir to combine (I just used my hands because it's easier).
2.) Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and refrigerate them for 30-45 minutes to set firm.
3.) Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together in a bowl and combine well.
4.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5.) Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
6.) Dredge the meatballs in the flour and then brown the meatballs in batches until light brown. As they brown place them into a 9 x 13 baking pan.
7.) Pour the bbq sauce over them and mix evenly.
8.) Bake until bubbly and hot, about 45 minutes.

Apple Crisp (Gluten Free, Easy, and Delicious!)
Ingredients:
Filling:
4-6 apples depending on size (I used 5 apples total- 3 Fuji and 2 Golden Delicious)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
Topping:
1 cup oats (I used the quick oats that I had and they worked fine)
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons white rice flour (if you aren't gluten free just use normal flour)
8 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.) Peel and cube/chunk apples.
3.) Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl (using your hands works well) then pour them into a 9x13 pan.
4.) Depending on how much topping you like you have two options. When I made this for friends I doubled the topping recipe. I like a decent amount of crunch and crisp to go with my apples, if you are like that I suggest doubling it as well. You can always make one batch and if it doesn't look like enough go back and make another one.
5.) Mix the the oats, brown sugar, rice flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until well blended. Then cut the butter into small cubed and mix in with your hands until you have a good consistency. It will all come together pretty well.
6.) Top the apple mixture and cover completely.
7.) Bake 30-40 minutes until bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Learning to be flexible

It’s been another whirlwind of a week. Lots of work, some time with friends mixed in, homework, plus dealing with car stuff made for a decent amount of stress but overall things seemed to go alright.

Bouncing between different tutoring centers is definitely something that will take some getting used to. Instead of showing up at one place every day at a specific time my schedule changes depending on the day (and the week). Beyond that, one day I’m in Pittsford another I’m in Greece. And half the time I’m coming from another job to get there. It’s a continual reminder to be flexible and be thankful for what I have. I really do enjoy the job itself, don’t get me wrong! The schedule is just a little crazy!

I was reminded how different some of the students I work with are from the ones I have at the high school. I work with kids in an inner city elementary school that have a lot to deal with at a young age. I work with the third grade reading level group, I have five students and they range from third through fifth grade. One of them was in a fight recently and was suspended from school; she’s only in fifth grade! It just made me pause and reflect on the fact that I can’t truly comprehend what these kids are dealing with and that most of the kids I’ve taught up to this point haven’t been in situations like this. They are good kids and most of the time they seem to want to learn. I just hope that they continue to learn beyond elementary school.They keep me on my toes for sure. Trying to teach reading and talk about ocean creatures with kids who have never seen the ocean before makes for a lot of quick thinking and adapting of lesson. It's wonderful experience for me and I'm learning a lot, I just hope that they are able to get something out of it as well. 

My headaches have been hit or miss lately which is more annoying that I'd like it to be. I can handle the constant pain, but when one day isn't bad and the next is excruciating pain, I'd prefer a constant of some sort instead of back and forth. I know a lot of it is tied to my stress level, and to the amount of sleep I'm getting (or the lack of it). Plus the random changes in weather are not helping either. School break will hopefully help with the sleep aspect. I'm still in less pain than I was before trying this medication so I shouldn't be complaining, but some days are still really hard to get through, especially with a smile on my face, pretending everything is fine. 

Even though I wasn’t working at night this weekend, I ended up having a pretty lame weekend. Friday night I just did some reading for school and then tried to relax. It was probably something I needed and was healthy in the long run. Saturday I just did homework. I had to work early Sunday morning and didn’t hear about plans so I spent the night writing a paper. I had the attention span of a small child which made it very difficult to get through but eventually I got a rough draft done.

Sunday I was quite productive. I had to work at Old Navy 7-11, and after driving home slowly in the snow I got through my massive to do list! I ate lunch, did my laundry, made beef stew for my friends for dinner (recipe below), made brownies for dessert and for grad class on Tuesday, finished proof reading my paper for class, and started to clean my room. A few friends came over for dinner and then to play games and we just hung out. It was a nice night.

This week I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, but February break (for high school) is next week so then I’ll have time to relax and recuperate then.

Hearty Beef Stew – Modified from Women’s Day Magazine January 16^th 1990

Ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour (If gluten free use rice flour and it works just as well)
2 teaspoons salt

4 pounds well-trimmed boneless beef chuck or round roast cut in 1” pieces (I just used stew meat)

¼ cup vegetable oil

5 cups beef broth

1 cup dry red wine or water

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 large bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

1 ½ pounds carrot peeled and cut into bite size chunks

1 ¼ pounds parsnips peeled and cut into bite size chunks

1 pound onions cut into wedges

1 pound small mushrooms, halved

1 pound frozen cut green beans

3 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into ½ to ¾” cubes

Directions:

Mix flour and salt. Coat meat, shaking off excess.

Heat oil in a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven over medium high heat until it looks thin and rippling but not smoking. Add and brown the meat in two or more batches being careful not to crowd the pot. Remove the meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon. When all the beef is browned, pour off any drippings remaining in the pot.

Return the meat to the pot. Stir in beef broth, wine, tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer one-two hours ( I went about an hour and a half and the meat turned out to be very tender.)

Add carrots, parsnips, and onions. Simmer covered 45 minutes until the carrots are almost tender.

At this point we add the potatoes and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Sir in mushrooms and green beans, cover and simmer 45 minutes more until vegetables and meat are tender, stirring occasionally.

Make 10 to 12 good sized portions- This recipe fed 6 people with lots of left overs to share. My family would make a half batch at it would feed all 4 of us with a little bit of left overs. 

Long week, Fun Weekend!!

There was always a lot going on this week. Each day had its own challenges as always.For some reason my headache pain was worse than normal Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which made functioning more difficult than I'd like to admit. I got through the days but getting through work at night was a challenge for sure.

Work at school was as always the bright spot. Even with kids giving me a hard time it was enjoyable. I had to write a few referrals because kids were breaking the rules and I needed to show them I was serious, but for the most part it was an easy week. The math and the kids are enjoyable so I really can't complain!

Work was less than pleasant. With my coworker leaving soon we need to fill the position which means we need to get someone hired and trained. So I had a lot of phone interviews to do and then we had a lot of in-person interviews to do throughout the week. This is of course on top of my already long to do list and teaching responsibilities. Let's just say it made for a stressful week. We might be closer to filling the position but I'm not really sure.

Friday was interesting for sure, but fun. Winter finally showed up. I woke up and didn't think to look outside until 2 minutes before I had to leave, and then realized my car was covered in snow. Luckily I had planned to leave a few minutes early anyways so I still got to school on time but wow do people forget how to drive the minute it starts to snow!! After school I ran a few errands (carefully), did some laundry, and then got ready for friends to come over for dinner. When I came home over Christmas break my parents had given me some of the pulled pork that my Dad made in the smoker they have. It's super good so I figured I would share with a few friends. I didn't have a lot so I had to limit my numbers which was hard, but probably good for my sanity in the long wrong. It was an interesting night because I ended up with 6 friends coming over for dinner, we had the pulled pork with homemade bbq sauce (the recipe is bellow) and pan fried potatoes and then a few friends brought dessert to share. The friends that came are wonderful people many of whom I hadn't seen since before Christmas so it was wonderful to see them again and catch up. I just kind of felt out of the loop and had one of those nights where you are surrounded by people and yet feel alone. It was odd to be in my head. Don't get me wrong I had a lot of fun playing a game, eating good food, and just hanging out with friends, but it was an odd feeling.

Saturday was a long day but the night was quite enjoyable :) I tried to sleep in, meaning my alarm was set for 8:30, but my body is so used to getting up that I woke up at 5:30 and dozed until 7:20 when I finally gave up and just got out of bed. I went into work, which should have just been 10-2 but I didn't leave until 3:30 because there was a bunch of office work that my boss needed done but doesn't know how to do so I had to do it after we closed since I had to teach the whole time we were actually open. By the time I got home I was actually hungry (which doesn't usually happen because of these meds) so I took advantage of it and ate a real meal and tried to relax for a little while. That basically meant that I was a bum and didn't do anything, which felt great. Then I got ready for the winter beach party!! Yes, my friends are slightly crazy and threw a beach party, indoors of course! So most of us were in bathing suits and skirts and dresses and fun summer attire pretending it wasn't 12 degrees outside. It helped that the heat was turned up and we were enjoying some adult beverages. It was another nice night of just hanging out with friends I hadn't seen in a long time and talking with them. Played a game called Pounce which I had never played before and talked with new people and people I just hadn't seen in a while. It was really hard to leave early but I left around 11 so that I could get home and get to bed so that I'd be able to get up for work in the morning. But then I ended up talking to one of my friends on the phone for a while, which meant that I didn't get quite as much sleep as I was hoping for. Either way, it was still a good night.

Today was just 4 hours of work and time to relax. So far it has been rather enjoyable.

This week I have Monday totally off, first day since Christmas break (13 days straight I believe) and then Tuesday my next grad class starts at night and I'll be off and running with work as always. It should be another busy week as always.

Grandma's BBQ Sauce
Ingredients: 
1/4 cup finely diced onions
1 bottle chili sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs. A-1 sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika

Directions:
1.) Brown the onions
2.) Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20-40 minutes until desired consistency is reached.

It's a super easy recipe and a sweeter, delicious bbq sauce!

Life, Pain, Stress, Happiness, and a Day Off!!

I will preface this whole post with this statement: it will be long, full of lots of stories, and lots of emotions.

Last weekend was very stressful for a variety of reasons, some of which I will outline and some of which I won't. Most importantly between Friday, Saturday and Sunday I worked a total of 23 hours, which doesn't sound horrible, but I also had to write a paper, that ended up being 25 pages long (with appendices). The paper had to be about a misconception in math that students face, that has been researched, that I could interview a couple students about, and then relate it to the research I had done. I chose division of fractions.

Friday was mainly working, and the time that wasn't spent working was spent prepping for the next job. Saturday was supposed to be split between working, then writing, and then working again. It did not work out that way for a variety of reasons. Writing a paper about division of fractions while emotional doesn't work, so nothing was written on Saturday.

Sunday was an interesting day. I woke up and there was water leaking out of the bottom of the baseboards underneath my sink in the kitchen, so I cleaned it up and ran to work. I came home from work 5 hours later to a full sink, water all over the counters and the floor. Now neither my roommate nor I had been home in that period to use the water. So I called the emergency number for our apartment building and within an hour a maintenance person was looking at it. Writing a paper while there is someone running stuff through your drains is a lot of fun, let me tell you!! I left for an hour to tutor, came home to what was still a mess but there was no one in my apartment. 20 minutes later an actual plumber shows up and finally fixes the problem within 45 minutes. Yay working sink!! By that point I needed a break so I went to a friends house and had a lovely pizza dinner! They were wonderful enough to make a gluten free crust and everything :) I seriously have some awesome friends! Sadly I only stayed for an hour or so and then came back to face the daunting paper. I wrote until 10:45, (45 minutes past my bedtime) at which point the words I was typing and the words in my head weren't making any sense and I gave up and just went to bed. At that point I only had 12 pages of substance, meaning 22 with all the appendices.

Monday rolled around and I headed into school on about 6 1/2 hours of sleep. The students were relatively good, nothing too out of the ordinary. I went straight home and continued working on my paper. Class started at 6pm so the paper had to be done before then. I got home from school at 1, had lunch and typed. I was done writing around 3:30, took a short break and then edited it once and sent it to my professor around 5. In the end it was 16 pages of substance, 25 total. I'm alright with how it turned out and we'll see what kind of grade I get. The class itself went alright, more interesting than normal. Plus we got out 40 minutes early which was a plus for sure. I even got 7 hours of sleep that night!!

The rest of the week had a few long days but for the most part they were worth it. Tuesday included coffee with a good friend between jobs. It was a much needed conversation that reminded me that things will get better and they could always be worse. It also showed me that I can handle most of the things going on in my life but that it's okay to ask for help and talk it out.

Wednesday night a few friends had people over to make gingerbread houses. I couldn't get over there until 9pm (after working and tutoring), and only stayed for about an hour but it was so good to see people! Just to get hugs and be reminded of the true kindness of people made it worth the lack of sleep.

Thursday was a pretty typical day that left me emotionally conflicted for a variety of reasons. I was physically exhausted because of work and was starting to stress out about the fact that I was going to be cooking for 15 people the next day.

Friday was intense! Let's just say that when I planned to make food for friends once a month I wasn't planning on feeding this many people. It was a lot of fun and totally worth it but I hadn't really thought it through when I invited everyone. As of Friday morning I was planning for about 15 people. So after school I went to BJ's to get a ham and then went to Wegman's to get everything I needed to make macaroni and cheese. I spent the next 4 hours making brownies, doing laundry, cleaning the apartment, and cooking ham and mac and cheese. The recipe for the mac and cheese is at the end of the post. The ham was just a pre-cooked one that you had to stick in the oven and put the glaze on top of so it was super easy. I'm slightly amazed it all turned out well. I didn't stop moving all day! People started coming over around 6:15 and we were off running! Almost all of the food was gone! People brought salad and bread and wine and desserts. We had a great time, playing games and talking. It was a wonderful night, I couldn't have asked for anything more! I'm honestly shocked by how many people fit into my apartment, ate food, and had fun. What a wonderful reminder of the power of friends. Most people left around 9:30 to go to a show, but a few friends stayed to help me clean and play games and just hang out which was perfect!

Saturday was another long day. 4 hours of work at one job, then a quick break, a 4 hour shift which was kindly cut down to a 3 hour shift. I got home, finished cleaning from the night before and then went to a friends place to watch the debate and relax. I wasn't too interested in the debate, although there were some interesting topics discussed, I really just wanted to be social and spend some time with friends. It was a good night. I've been reminded lately how important it is for me to be out of my bubble and not stuck in work.

Today I was off!! It was my first day off in 20 days. Since I went to Boston I've worked at least a 4 hour shift everyday, most days at least 8 hours. So today, I slept until 7 and laid in bed dozing until 9. My body hasn't been letting me fully sleep in but it let's me sort of sleep after it wakes me up initially so I'll take it. I got up and tutored for an hour, which I'm not counting as really working. I ran a few errands and then came home. I wrapped Christmas presents, watched a few tv shows online and tried to sort of clean my room up a little bit. Basically I did nothing. It was so nice to not have to be places at specific times! Let's just say 20 days straight was too long and hopefully that won't happen again.

The title of this post includes a lot of things and most of them have been touched upon. The one that hasn't is pain. There has been some emotional pain/conflict within the past week, which I'm not going to get into. It seems to be working itself out and I'm handling it the way I know best. Physically today has been good for me. My body was definitely attacking me for working a lot. By the end of the week I was physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. I'm feeling better. My headaches have been holding steady for the most part. Last week was worse because of the stress and lack of sleep for sure. The past few days have been a little better. I'm hoping they continue to lessen in intensity, or at least stay at this level. There are always bad days but if I can avoid them I'd like to.

I know this is a long post and there is a lot of randomness going into it. Somehow it is all connected in my head and it all makes sense. Hopefully it isn't too boring to anyone who is reading this. If it is feel free to stop reading.

I've been listening to a lot of Christmas music lately and the lyrics are so powerful! One song by Relient K has been sticking with me. It's called "Merry Christmas, Here's to Many More." The first verse and chorus is copied below because it is the part that just hits me. Lately the feelings expressed in the beginning of this song are exactly how I've been feeling. And you get to the chorus and it's just the reminder I've had each time I've been with friends lately. Even if they've been different groups of friends, and not situations I'd normally put myself into, it's been enough to remind me that I'm not totally alone and that things aren't that bad. They've added to the happiness factor in my life for sure.

I made it through the year and I did not even collapse 
Gotta say, "Thank God, for that" 
I'm torn between what keeps me whole and what tears me in half 
I'll fall apart or stay intact 

With tired eyes I stumble back to bed 
I need to realize my sorry life's not hanging by a thread 
At least not yet 

So look at me now 
Its finally Christmas and I'm home 
Head indoors, to get out of this weather 
And I don't know how 
But the closest friends I've ever known are all inside 
Singing together 
Singing merry Christmas, here's to many more

Ok here is the Mac and Cheese recipe as promised
Mac and Cheese (can be multiplied easily- I quadrupled the recipe)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour (if gluten free use white rice flour)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup Velvetta

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. paprika

few grains cayenne pepper

1/2 box elbow noodles (1/2 pound- if using gluten free I used brown rice noodles)

Directions: 

Cook noodles as directed. If using gluten free noodles cook for about half the time because they will soak up liquid as it bakes and will become mushy otherwise. If using regular noodles slightly under cook noodles. 

Melt butter and add flour whisking together to thicken. Stir in the milk slowly (it helps if you have microwaved the milk so it is at least room temperature already) and allow it to boil momentarily. Reduce heat slightly and add cheese. Once melted completely add seasoning. 

Mix noodles and sauce together and add to a baking dish. I use a large foil pan (for lots of people) or a small casserole dish for only a single batch. For a single batch-bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered and then 10 minutes uncovered. For a very large batch-bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered.  

Party, Rest, Soup

What a weekend! I knew it was going to be an interesting weekend just based on the fact that I had work, a Halloween party to go to, and a day off.

Friday was busier than I planned. School went well but Old Navy was having a crazy sale so when I got to work we were really busy. It felt like it was one of the holiday sales. The shift went quickly which was a blessing, but it was a long night.

Saturday was just an interesting day. Work at Mathnasium was interesting, difficult, and perplexing to say the least. I ended up staying an extra hour and a half just to get a little bit of office work done, and even then I wasn't able to get much done. It was a very long shift. The kids were pretty good but my cold made my voice sound like a man when I spoke so talking was a little difficult. Overall it went alright. After work I went home and just relaxed for a few hours before going to a friends Halloween party. I was cheap this year and made my own costume. I was a page out of an "I Spy" book. I took an old tie-dye shirt and printed out different pictures on iron-on transfer paper and ironed them on and then painted a list of what needed to be found. It was kind of lame, but the tie-dye shirt looked kind of cool under black light! My friends went all out and decorated their whole house for the party! It was sweet! We all had a lot of fun! I ended up feeling like crap and being super tired by 12:30 so I left, which I hated doing but I knew I wouldn't be able to stay up as late as everyone else and figured I might as well try to get healthy and get some sleep.

This morning my body decided 6 was a good time to wake up... so I laid in bed until 8:30 and forced myself to try to sleep a little longer which resulted in restless sleep. Then I gave up and read in bed and just relaxed until a little after 10. I still felt like crap and besides being congested I felt as if everything was draining into my chest. Really, having this cold is a blast! I decided that I was going to lay low all day and around noon I figured that I wanted to make soup, and then it seemed logical to invite other people to share it with. Most of the people I invited couldn't come, but a few were able to make it. The recipe for the Baked Potato Soup is below. It turned out alright despite a gluten free substitution.

I'm personally dealing with a lot right now. I'm ready to give up but at the same time know that I can't.

Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour (if gluten free use white rice flour)
7 cups milk
4 potatoes (bakes, cooled, and cubed)
4 green onions, chopped (I used a little less than 4 because mine were really strong)
12 slices of bacon
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:
1.) Place bacon in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2.) In a large stock pot melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3.) Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes (this gets thick fast so keep an eye on it). Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

A busy week and another dinner with friends!

It feels as if so much has happened since Monday. I apologize for not updating more often but somehow this week just flew by.

Tuesday was spent running tests at school and teaching in the math lab for 7 hours and then going straight to work at Mathnasium. I was there until 7:15 or so and then I met up with a good friend for a quick shopping trip before "watching" part of the Republican debate with friends. While the debate wasn't the real reason I was there it was wonderful to see friends and get a few hugs. I really needed it. 

Wednesday turned out differently that I planned but in a good way. I worked at school until 12:30 and then got lunch with a friend before working until 7:30. Then I grabbed dinner and drinks with a few good friends and just hung out with them. After the night I had I needed to be with good friends, mainly to take my mind off of things, but also to be reminded that I am cared about and that I have people in my life that are wonderful!

Thursday was long!! 7 hours at school leading to a migraine by mid-day. I made it through most of work at Mathnasium but left around 6:15 since I was done teaching. I made copies at the library for homework stuff and then came home, did a few more things and passed out before 10. I actually got 8 1/2 hours of sleep on a school night, it was glorious!

Friday was 7 hours at school, most of which was in the library giving tests on the computers, then running a few errands before working at Old Navy 4-8. I was home by 8:30 and super lazy. I should have done homework but had no energy, so instead I watched a few tv shows online and then went to bed before 11.

Saturday I woke up before my alarm (still got 8 1/2 hours of sleep) and felt like I could do homework but didn't really have enough time to get anything done, so instead I just got ready and grabbed some coffee and headed into work. Oh how I wish I could have done anything but gone to work. Work started by getting yelled at by my boss on the phone for something that wasn't even my fault, which I couldn't bring to her attention. It just wasn't a good time. After work I did a little shopping with a friend, and then ran into an old friend from high school randomly in the mall! I got home, ate dinner and then changed for work. Somehow within the hour I was home I hurt my lower back. I think I just pulled a muscle but it hurts to bend down and walk! But of course I had to go to work at Old Navy 6-10. Luckily we got out at 9! I was on register for the majority of the time which was easy enough but standing was not comfortable. After work I came home, talked to my parents on the phone, and then tried to sleep which wasn't easy to do.

Today was productive! I didn't sleep great because of the back pain but I made it to about 7:40. I got up and jumped straight into homework. I had to write a 5-7 page literature review, which I had no idea how to do. I had done a good amount of research and knew what I wanted to write about, but didn't really know how to go about doing it. Long story short, I finished a first draft by 2:30. So I hopped in the shower, went to Wegmans, and then cleaned my apartment and made dinner and dessert for my friends! Dessert was just a gluten free boxes cake mix turned cupcakes (not great but did the trick). Dinner was Chicken Paprika, recipe follows. We had a good time eating together and catching up. It was a lot of fun and quite nice.

Chicken Paprika

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. oil

2 1/2-3 lbs chicken (I use legs/thighs- it's better with bones and skin on)

1/2 cup dices onion

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1 tbsp paprika

1 1/2 tbsp. white rice flour (if you are not gluten free just use normal flour)

1 tbsp ketchup

3/4 tsp salt

pinch of pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat butter and oil in a dutch over. Brown chicken a few pieces at a time, until golden brown. Remove chicken as it browns.

2. Saute onions, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes.

3. Add paprika. Cook 1 minute.

4. Remove from heat, stir in flour, ketchup, salt and pepper.

5. Gradually add broth, place on heat and bring to boil, stirring. 

6. Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes covered.

7. Add browned chicken; simmer, covered 35 minutes or until chicken is tender.

8. Remove chicken and stir in sour cream, heating through. Stir gently- do not let boil! Serve over egg noodles! 

We are it before I had the chance to take a picture but everyone seemed to enjoy it!

This week should be slightly less chaotic compared to last week, at least a few less hours at school. Hopefully things go alright at work and I don't end up too angry or frustrated. If I'm really lucky I'll be able to see friends and be happy at least once or twice too!

A day to relax and bake!

Yay Columbus Day!! Or as some of my friends call it "Invasion Day"! I was just grateful for an extra day off. This weekend was a bit busy despite having some time off.

Friday and Saturday I worked 8 hours each. Sunday I was off, but had a lot of homework to do for class, so I spent 5 hours in the library and another 2 or 3 at home working on it. I got it all done before going to bed so that I'd be able to enjoy my Monday off!

Today I slept in until 8, which gave me a little over 8 hours of sleep which felt wonderful! I read for a while and just relaxed. Then I looked up recipes online and went grocery shopping before lunch with a friend. It was a productive morning.

This afternoon was even more productive! I made Zucchini Muffins, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Chicken Alfredo! The recipes are all below along with pictures of the final products. I have class tonight and then my long week starts. Since they are doing a special algebra test at school I have to be there full days this week (except for Wednesday) which means I'll have 12 hour days plus trying to find time to get homework done. I will be working about 65-ish hours this week so it'll be interesting to say the least. Baking has always been one of the best stress relievers for me, so today gave me a good dose of mental health. Plus I used my new stand mixer that my parents gave me for my birthday! My head has been bothering me all day but I was determined not to let that get in the way. It felt good to be productive and make things I enjoy.

Zucchini Muffins (gluten free of course):
Ingredients:
2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix (one of the best g-f baking mixes I've found)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and either grease muffin tins or use paper liners
-Whisk together the baking mix, cinnamon (I added 2 1/2 tsp because I like the flavor), salt, and nutmeg.
-In a separate bowl beat eggs, oil, and sugar together for 1 minutes on medium speed. Then stir in vanilla.
-Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in zucchini.
-Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350.

Peanut Butter Cookies (gluten free and delicious)

Ingredients:

1 large egg

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

-Beat together egg, sugar, baking soda, and vanilla in a mixer.

-Beat in peanut butter and then carefully stir in chocolate chips. 

-Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet, pressing lightly with the back of a fork. Bake 10 minutes. Let rest 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I baked half of the batch without chocolate chips and added a handful of chips to the rest of the dough. Both versions turned out really well. This recipe is super easy and doesn't have any flour so there is no need for substitutions. 

Chicken Alfredo:
This was just a random dish I put together for dinner. It should be easy to reheat later in the week.
Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts
pasta (1 box)
alfredo sauce (1 jar)
seasonings- I used garlic powder, salt, pepper, and basil.

Directions:
-Boil water and cook pasta as directed.
-Cut chicken into bite size pieces and season with whatever seasonings you desire, I used those listed above.
-Cook chicken in a little olive oil on the stove.
-Add sauce to the chicken once it is fully cooked and then mix together with the pasta.

The first two recipes were new for me, which is counting as my new things for the month! I'm glad they turned out well! I'm so glad to be finding gluten free recipes that taste good.

A meal full of friends!

Well today was enjoyable. Last night was difficult, I'm not still not back to a normal pain level or a relatively tolerable frustration level. Really I'm still trying to get over things, and not think about it but that is harder than I'd like to admit.

So instead I spent my day surrounded by food of some sort or another.

I woke up this morning and made a chocolate swirl cheesecake. The recipe is below. I have spent a few years making this cheesecake, and I learned the recipe from my Dad. My parents have admitted that I now make it better than he does which was quite flattering because my Dad is an amazing cook and I love almost everything he makes.

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 pack cinnamon graham crackers (you can get gluten free ones but they aren't very good. I just don't eat the crust)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
6-8 tsp. melted butter

Filling:
3 packs cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour (I use white rice flour to make it gluten free)
3 eggs (at room temperature)
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla.
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate melted (1 cup if you want just a chocolate cheesecake)

Topping:
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:
Crust:
Crush the graham crackers finely. Mix with sugar and cinnamon. Add butter and work together with hands to form a semi-moist consistency that will stick together. Press into a spring form pan, going half an inch up the sides.

Filling:
-Preheat over to 300 degrees with a water bath (9x13 pan half filled with water) on the lower level of the oven (this helps prevent cracking).
-Beat cream cheese until smooth.
-Add sugar and flour. Beat until fluffy.
-Add eggs, one at a time mixing well in between.
-Beat in vanilla and cream.
- If making without chocolate just pour it into the crust now. If doing a chocolate swirl: melt chocolate and add half of the batter into the chocolate and mix well. Now layer each type on the pan. I usually just put a cup or two of each type in and make layers. Occasionally evening it out with a spatula. If you want to just make it a chocolate cheesecake add the melted chocolate with the sugar and flour step.
- Bake 60-65 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack 10 minutes.
- Run a small spatula or knife between the sides of the cake and the pan to loosen.
- Put topping on the cheesecake (see below) while it is still hot (within 15 minutes of when it comes out of the oven).

Topping:
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Spread over the top of the cheesecake while it is hot. Chill the cheesecake before serving (best done in the morning for the evening or over night).

As you can see it goes quickly!!!

After finishing the cheesecake I actually got ready for the rest of my day. Every little actions really ended up having to do with food. I got lunch with my lovely friend Meghan. It's her birthday today and she wanted Chipotle for lunch so we went there and talked for a while. It was quite nice to be out of the house and seeing her.

When I got home I had to start cooking dinner. Tonight was my first of what will be monthly dinner parties with friends. As part of my 25 before 25 list I will be hosting dinner for my friends once a month. Since I will be moving soon this had to be done this weekend if it was going to happen in September. I wanted to make something that I could also eat for left overs this week. It's been kind of cold lately and I was a bit homesick so I made Khorese Lubia, an Iranian stew that my Dad always makes, and rice cooked the Iranian way. We also had salad, bread, and wine! It was quite enjoyable. It felt good to cook for people and welcome them into my house. Plus it finally gave me a way to see friends despite being in pain (which was almost as bad as last night). I spent a good deal of time in the kitchen but it was relaxing and a total labor of love! So here are the recipes. Sorry no pictures. We dove right in once it was done and I forgot to take any. I will try to get some of my leftovers later this week.

Iranian Style Rice
Directions:
-Take 2-4 cups of long grain, parboiled rice, not instant!!! (I used 4 cups of rice and fed 10 people with it and had a little left over). Rinse it 3-5 times in warm water. This helps to get some of the extra starch out.
-Soak the rice in cold, salted water for at least 3 hours.
-Drain the rice and add it to boiling water (it needs to be a hard rolling boil).
-Cook 10 minutes in the boiling water (until a grain of rice is squeezed between your fingers will flatten but stay together).
-Drain the rice, and rinse it with cold water to cool it down.
-Add 6 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of cold water to the pan and let it melt.
-Add the rice, making a mound. Put a double layer of paper towel between the top and the pot. This makes sure the moisture stays in. Don't open the lid once you've done this until the rice is done.
-Cook 8-10 minutes on medium-high and then rotate the pan 180 degrees and cook another 8-10 minutes. This will form what is called Tadig (pronounced ta-deek). It is a crunchy layer of rice! During this time you will hear popping and crackling but that is normal.
-Lower the heat to med-low and cook for an hour. This steams the rice and makes it really moist!!

Khorese Lubia:
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp butter
1 lb. Stew meat
1 large onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups water
3-4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 small can of tomato paste
2- 15 1/2 oz cans of french style green beans

Directions:
-Brown meat, onions, salt, pepper, and cinnamon in the butter. Cook thoroughly.
-Add water and lemon juice (Start with 3 tsp. of lemon juice and check for flavor towards the end of cooking).
-Simmer for 2 hours.
-About 30 minutes before serving add the tomato paste. Bring back to a boil in order to break up the tomato paste. Reduce back to a simmer.
-10 minutes before serving add the green beans (drain the water out of the can first) and heat until everything is warmed through.
-Serve over rice and enjoy!

It was a long day and a lot of time spent in the kitchen but it was totally worth it. My friends came over and we enjoyed a good meal, played a game, and just talked for a while. I felt good knowing that I could give something back to my friends, and they seemed to enjoy it as well. I'm looking forward to next month. Not sure what I will make, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Tomorrow I'm back to school to work, and to grad school. I'm only working 5 hours a day at school now so that will hopefully be a good change. We are still waiting to hear from the apartment complex we applied to but hopefully all will go through there and I will be moving this coming weekend. With that being said I need to clean my room and pack up my life this week!!

A new meal for the week

I had today off from all of my jobs which meant that I was able to go grocery shopping and cook a meal that I can eat all week. I really hate cooking for just one person but I'm finding that having left overs can be worth it. Cooking one large meal a week and I have enough food for 4 or 5 meals.

This was a new recipe for me (one new thing for this month!) and it turned out to be pretty good. I got it from a friends cookbook that was put out by Philadelphia Cream Cheese, so the cookbook itself was mainly cheesecakes but a few dinners as well.

South of the Border Chicken and Pasta Skillet
Ingredients:
2 cups rotini or any "shape" pasta (I used Schar gluten free fusili)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 jar salsa
1 package (10oz.) frozen corn
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese

Directions:
- Cook pasta as directed and drain.
- At the same time, cook the chicken in a large skillet that is either non-stick or has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook approximately 6 minutes or until chicken is cook thoroughly.
- Add salsa, corn, cream cheese, cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes until cream cheese is melted.
- Add pasta and shredded cheese. Mix and let cook 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted and everything comes together.
- Enjoy!!

It doesn't look like much but it taste good and is relatively healthy. It was super easy to make and should last me all week, or would easily feed 4-6 people. If I make it again I will probably add more seasonings of some sort. It had a good flavor but seemed to be missing something. 

A Wonderful Birthday Celebration!

I have wonderful friends and feel truly blessed to have such amazing people in my life! After a busy day of work and running errands yesterday I went over to a friends place and relaxed and had fun all night long! We made a delicious punch that I found the recipe for on the Woodchuck cider website. It is as follows:

Woodchuck Cider Punch
2 Quarts lemon sherbet
1 large (2 liter) bottle of ginger ale
11 bottles of woodchuck cider (we used 12 of the raspberry variety)
Lemon slices (to garnish)

Mix it all together and enjoy! We split it between two different containers and in one we added pomegranate vodka. It made it just a tad fruitier but both versions were really good!

We also had a nice bonfire outside. It was cool enough outside that we were able to sit and enjoy the warmth and just hang out and talk. Two of my friends found a pretty sweet bush that was dead somewhere (I think on a neighbors curb) and told me that they were giving it to me as a gift. So I had a special birthday stick/bush. And I got to burn it which looked pretty cool.

It was a very fun night! I sadly had to work this morning despite trying to get it off. It was a stressful 4 hour shift, which turned into a 5 1/4 hour shift. I was technically in charge since my boss was gone and it was just a busy and frustrating morning for me. But I will say it again, I have amazing friends!! One of my coworkers Katlyn dropped by and brought me a plate full of delicious gluten free cupcakes! I mean these were amazing! They have chocolate chips inside of them and made the fact that I was working significantly better. Just look at them, you will want some too!

I have had a few hours to relax and will head into work at Old Navy tonight for 4 hours. The rest of my weekend is up in the air. Hopefully I'll be able to see friends again, and relax a bit before work starts again on Monday. I'm slowly adjusting back into my crazy work schedule and hopefully my body won't rebel against me too much. 

Meat Sauce and Baked Ziti

Well on my third day off in a row I decided to make food for the rest of the week. Since I will be working 7:30am-2:30pm and then again 3pm-7/7:30pm for the next few months I am on the hunt for meals that I can make on the weekend and then enjoy all week long by just reheating it.

It's a cool and rainy day here in Rochester and this meal just hit the spot. I made a double batch of the Meat Sauce my parents made and turned half of it into Baked Ziti and then split the other half up between my fridge and my freezer so I'll have sauce for another week worth of food some other time. So here are the recipes, and a few pictures of the final products.

Meat Sauce (single batch)
Ingredients: 
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 Italian sausage (I use sweet or mild- it can be the patties or in the casing.)
1 small onion- diced
2 cloves garlic- minced (I used 1 tsp. minced garlic in olive oil that comes in a jar for convenience.)
salt and pepper to taste
12 oz. tomato paste
24 oz. water
1/2 Tbsp. basil
1/2 Tbsp. oregano

Directions:
1.) Brown ground beef and sausage together. If you get sausage in the casing just split it open and remove it. As you brown it make sure to break it into bite size pieces. Once everything is browned drain the fat from the pan.
2.) Add onions, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent.
3.) Add tomato paste and water. I usually add the water by putting it into the tomato paste cans so that I can get an accurate measurement as well as all of the tomato paste out of the can. Once all of the tomato paste is thoroughly mixed in add the basil and oregano. This is also to taste. I usually add a little extra basil.
4.) Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Baked Ziti:

Ingredients:

Meat Sauce- I used a little under a full batch.

3/4 pound gluten free pasta- I used Schar gluten free fusilli. (It's the best g-f pasta I've found.)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Grated Parmesan & Romano cheese 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13 pan, cooking spray works well. 

2.) Whatever pasta you choose to use, cook 2 minutes less than what is directed on the package. During the baking process it will finish cooking.

3.) After draining the pasta add the sauce to it until you are happy with the consistency. 

4.) Add 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese and then a good sprinkling of the grated cheese.

5.) Add the pasta mixture to the greased pan.

6.) Top with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.

7.) Bake 15-20 minutes.

Finished meal:

To finish my meal off I added some garlic bread and a chicken patty with extra sauce and cheese on it. I didn't have time to make Chicken Parmesan for real so I cooked up a gluten free chicken patty, added extra sauce and some shredded mozzarella cheese on top. I also toasted a few pieces of Udi's gluten free white sandwich bread (best g-f bread I've found) and put butter, garlic powder, and basil on top. Turned out to be a great meal. Take a look!

I'm looking forward to reheating the baked ziti all week! The nice thing about this meal is it is easy to make gluten free, just a pasta substitution. Enjoy the recipe and the outcome!