Ohhh...it's been a while.

Where to begin? It has been a very busy past few months and with everything going on, something had to go. Sadly, it was this blog. Grad school, second graders, tutoring, cupcakes, and well...my family took up every ounce of energy I had--and more! But, surprise! I'm back. Tonight is the first night in a long time that I can actually sit down and breathe. My "to-do" list is still long, but there are no paper deadlines looming so I am "treating" myself to an hour or two of quiet time. It's glorious! In fact, I am not quite sure what to do. Hence the reason I moseyed on over to ramble about life.

You would imagine with how busy I have been, that I have lots of exciting things to report...however, I've got nothing. Grad school is great. I am SO thankful I jumped in now and ended my year long "I'll wait until tomorrow" stint. Don't get my wrong, it's A LOT. I give those who have children and are taking classes so much credit. It is a nightly commitment that would be even more difficult to follow with a sweet little guy or gal vying for your attention. Err...well, I did have two sweet guys, but they were also pretty understanding. :) I have a break until April which should give me some time to recoup and prepare for three more classes. I am 1/3 of the way through!

My second graders are just adorable. This crew has me laughing and sometimes crying everyday. They are so sweet, sensitive, and loving. Guaranteed hug daily. Last year's class, although wonderful in their own way but was certainly trying. This year I feel a bit more relaxed. Plus, I work with some pretty incredible people. The other second grade teacher and I have started C&C Cupcakes. I realize I am one of the bakers, but seriously people, these cupcakes are to DIE for. Baking has become one of my favorite parts of the week. There is nothing like pouring a class of wine (Cupcake Wine of course), venting about life, and BAKING. We have had several jobs and are currently looking at 4 coming up in the next week or two!

There is nothing exciting, new, or different happening in my life since the summer, but there is one thing I am trying to remind myself everyday and and that is how truly blessed I am. There are so many things I struggle with (tight clothes, lack of self control, patience, money, needs, wants...), but really, the blessings out weigh any struggles I may have. The blessings of an understanding husband, a supportive family, a warm home, a steady job, reliable friends, an incredible church, financial stability...these things triumph over anything that may bring me down.

This week I am reading from James as suggested by our pastor. James 5-8 remind me of the importance of placing my faith in God and God alone. This requires me to release any type of human control I believe I have on the ways my life plays out. God will bless those who put their faith in God and God alone. As I continue to walk through this week, and this life, I pray for the ability to do this--and it is HARD! What great advice James has on Christ-like living.

There is a lot more rambling that could be done, but I am not getting too far and it's time to tackle James 2. There will be more...better organized and much more timely...posts and recipes coming soon!

Cupcakes?

I love to eat bake (bake and eat?). Either way--I just love it. I day dream about a time where I am a full time "baker", trying new recipes, tasting new foods, reviewing recipes and food...cooking, baking, eating, I can't get enough of it! Sadly, these day dreams do not, nor will not, pay the bills. For now, teaching is what pays the bills, so teaching is what I shall do. Fortunately, this glorious profession brings summer vacation! A good friend (and teaching colleague) and I share similar baking and food interests and have tried to make baking together a weekly get together. We both share a love for cupcakes so we have started there. We have some dreams about where to go with these cupcakes, but thats for a later post. Today I want to share these.

With the school year ending (and a limited budget) we decided the 20 or so parent volunteers we wanted to thank would be our first "customers". We decided on Chocolate Heath Bar Cupcakes. Equipped with all the ingredients, a take out pizza, an amazing 1 and a half year old, and a bottle of wine, we set to work. Four hours, a little sweat, great conversation, lots of laughs (and an empty wine bottle) later, we had created these...

..and yes, they tasted as good, if not better than they looked. We packaged them up in cute little boxes with this written on top...

We had parents asking what bakery we bought them at! ;-) No bakery here my friends. Although I may be bias, they were the to-die-for, can't-eat-just-one kind of cupcakes. Thanks to Making Baking Addition for introducing me to the world of delicious cupcakes. 

Heath Bar Cupcakes

24 cupcakes

courtesy of My Baking Addition

For the cupcakes

1 package of devil's food cake mix

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon instant expresso granules dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

1 cup Heath Toffee Bits

For the Buttercream

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 pounds confectioners sugar

4-6 tablespoons heavy cream

For the Ganache

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons vanilla

5 Heath Bars chopped

Cupcakes

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. (We love the pretty silver and gold ones!)

2. In stand mixer beat together cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla, and expresso and water mixture. Beat for about two minutes until well blended. Fold in Heath Toffee Bits.

3. Use cookie scoop to fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. (Should create about 34 cupcakes)

4. Bake in preheated over for 18-22 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.

5. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For the Buttercream

1. Cream butter until fluffy.

2. Slowly add confectioners sugar and blend until creamy.

3. Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Blend at a low speed until moistened. Add cream as needed. Beat at a high speed until frosting is smooth.

For the Ganache

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream until very hot but not boiling.

2. Place chocolate pieces in heat safe bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for five minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in honey, corn syrup, and vanilla. Allow it to cool for about 15 minutes, but not too long!

3. Spoon glaze on frosted cupcakes, allowing it to drip down the sides a bit.

4. Top each cupcake with a piece of Heath Bar.

Got self control?

Happy Birthday America!

We spent the fourth of July in one of my favorite places on earth, Piper Pond in Abbott, Maine. The camp on Piper means family, amazing food, sweet wine, magazines, canoe rides, great conversation, relaxation, peaceful evenings, rocking chairs, sunrises, sunsets--a break. As soon as I finished work on Thursday we packed the car and headed north praying for cooperative weather. Mr. Sunshine hid his face for the first few days but made it up to us the last few with cloud-less skies. The clouds however, did not stop us from making a pit stop at Abbott Bakery, home to the most delicious whoopie pies. YUM! We did plenty of relaxing giving me a chance to FINISH, yes, FINISH a book I was reading, catch up on the latest gossip in People, and even sneak in a quick nap. Amazing! As soon as the sun came out I grabbed a chair and a book and parked myself in all it's glory taking in every ounce of that Vitamin D. I was also able to soak in every ounce of my sweet niece enjoying the opportunity to spend two days with her! There couldn't have been a better way to spend the fourth!

...about an hour later...

...surgery? At camp? Sure!

Can you see how thrilled they are to be paddling me around the pond? Spoiled? Perhaps.

We finished off our week at camp with fireworks in Greenville. Perfect seats, perfect view, perfect company. Ahh...I love summer.

Too Long

It's been way too long since my last post. Let me just mention I have 14 started posts--and 14 unfinished posts. So, I will cut right to the chase and share an amazing mojito recipe I used Saturday night.

...can you say refreshing?! A little freshly squeezed lime juice, some fresh mint, white rum, and a little selttzer...perfect for a warm summer night. 

Disclaimer: I They tend to create quite a mess, but keep in mind I am no professional bartender!

Simple Mojito

(serves one)

Two limes

10-12 sprigs fresh mint

1.5 ounces white rum (anything will do!)

2 teaspoons sugar

seltzer water

crushed ice

1. Squeeze one lime to get about 2 ounces of juice. Pour into a tall glass.

2. Spoon two teaspoons of sugar into the class and stir until it dissolves.

3. Add enough crushed ice to reach halfway up the glass. Stir gently.

4. Choose 10 sprigs of fresh mint, stack them and rub the rim with the leaves. (Trust me!)

5. Break the mint leaves in half or thirds and drop into the glass. Gently stir.

6. Pour 1.5 ounces of rum into the glass. Gently stir again. (Be careful not to ruin any of the mint!)

7. Fill the rest of the glass with ice and top off with seltzer water.

8. Garnish with leftover mint and lime. (and a straw if you like that--like I do!) Enjoy!

Sawyer reaaaalllllyyyy wanted one. So sad.

...perfect summer drink. Betcha can't drink just one!

A Break from Reality

Amidst a very busy week, I still managed to have some fun...

...chocolate buttercream health bar cupcakes anyone? I spent Wednesday night with a great friend baking these cupcakes from scratch for our classroom parent volunteers. There was plenty of taste testing involved! A little yellow tail, chips and salsa, a take out pizza, and a great smelling kitchen brought fun conversation and a little time to forget about everything that needs to get done. Oh, and the Bruin's won the Stanley Cup! Can you say happy husband!? 

I will share the recipe later this weekend, but please know these were THE most delicious thing I have ever baked helped to bake. We brought the left overs to school and they were gone by 8:25 AM. Are you drooling? I still have four in the fridge for the weekend. 

PS. They are even more delicious (if that is possible) with a giant scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top. Just saying.

Where has my life gone?

Yes, I am incredibly guilty of a very large gap between postings. My life has become some type of relatively chaotic to put it nicely. Someone please remind me what I was thinking when I decided grad school on top of the end of year was a good idea? Most recently my life has revolved around reading, posting, reading, complaining, reading, writing papers, and more complaining. Minus the complaining I am learning quite a bit. I promise to start writing on here more, not just about school reform.

There has been a bit of humor in my life as well. Hence the photo below.

...poor guy got stuck under the bed. I can relate. Well, not to the stuck under the bed part, but the whole feeling like I have the weight of a bed (or in my case grad school, end of the year, etc.) on my shoulders. At least I am having fun. (Sort of.) 

Sweet Sunshine

Theres something about the sunshine that is just good for the soul. Yesterday's hazy sun, followed by today's perfect spring day surely gave me an extra spring in my step. Waking up to that beautiful sunshine peeking through the shades makes it much easier to hear the 5:15 alarm. I was actually a bit excited to set my alarm 15 minutes earlier so I could hang out laundry before I left for school! (Simple things...I know.)

After school I did not waste anytime writing my morning message, organizing tomorrow's morning work, and heading out the door to enjoy the beautiful afternoon. I came home to Matt putting up one of my favorite signs of summer...

I for see some summer mornings spent here with a cup of coffee and a great book. Perhaps even a glass of wine while watching the sunset in the evenings!

I spent some of my afternoon with these.

We have up to our ears in rhubarb. Would you like some? I picked just a little bit today in preparation for the pie I plan to make this weekend. Strawberry Rhubarb pie is my all time favorite pie, but I have yet to tackle one on my own. I am in the process of finding other ways to use rhubarb. Suggestions welcome. So far on the list...rhubarb margaritas! Anything with tequila has to be decent, right?

After tackling my rhubarb I tended to these...

...they make me smile. 

And these...I love pink.

My very first flower bed is holding it's own. Only a few of my snapdragons have fallen over and I planted the sunflower seeds today.

Most exciting of all...my rhododendron! Look how close it is to blooming!

My herbs are loving this sun too. I can't wait for TIME to actually use them while cooking. The yard work excitement has not allowed for much cooking time. Tonight's dinner consisted of kilbasa sandwiches on the grill, sunchips, and geary's summer on the deck. Delicious, yes, creative, no. Stay tuned for my kitchen "to do" list for this summer! Less than a month left! Here's to hoping tomorrow will bring the beautiful sunshine today did. I could use a few more productive, motivating days like today. Here's to opening windows and flip flops! 

Can It Be True?

The sun came out on Saturday. It was certainly a welcomed surprise. We didn't know what to do with ourselves. So, I took a nap. (This nap is a result of the following photo.)

This photo came as a text from a friend. It read, "Wine, cookies, and diaper bag...I'm ready!". Ready for a great night that is. Friday night was a much needed night filled with delicious wine, yummy food, the most well behaved little boy, a sweet pup--and above all, some incredible friends. Great conversation held strong all night. Before we knew it (and four bottles of wine later), it was 10:00. Although it may have been a little better one less glass of wine, Friday night was one of the best girls nights yet. 

However, as I mentioned before, the fun Friday night created a great need for a nap Saturday. Of course this was the day the sun decided to show it's face...after more than a week of rain and clouds! I managed to sleep for a bit and make the most of the sunshine left that afternoon. I awoke from my nap to this...

...bouquet of apple blossoms picked from our yard picked by my so very thoughtful husband. Beautiful! We also spent Saturday morning at the Hamilton House perennial plant sale. Completely beautiful place so close to home! I vowed to make a point to visit again this summer. The grounds are incredibly beautiful and well maintained. Of course I forgot my camera. We found some great perennials though!

Thats just a taste. I'll share more later. Just too exhausted now. A great weekend. Except for this sad picture.

My forsythia is on it's way out. :( While so very sad (and terrible looking!) it means summer is on it's wayyyyy! Stay tuned for more planting photos. Time for bed now. Second grade awaits way too soon.

Take Me Into the Beautiful

Have you ever head that song? If not, here it is. It's that song that sometimes makes me cry on the way to work. Not tears of sadness of course, just happiness. Reminds me of His glory. Especially this line, "Take me into the mystery, gently life me with your grace. Make the chaos a chorus, with Yourself come fill this place." He lifts me with his grace far more than I deserve. I am so grateful.

On another note, my Dad is the king of texts. Although he cannot ready the phone without his glasses on, he still manages to text my siblings and I several times a week. He uses text "lingo" too, like "ld" for "Love, Dad" or "db" for "Daily Bread", or "ttyl". He is so savvy. Anyway, in addition to being so up to date in the cell phone world, he is also great at timing his texts. 6 am texts usually include a bible verse to check out or reminders of our many blessings. Yesterday I got this one..."Highly recommend memorizing Phil: 6-7". This text was a blessing for many reasons. The first being...I have this one memorized and it is one of my favorites. The second is his timing. I needed to be reminded of this yesterday morning.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heats and your minds in Christ Jesus."


I need to be reminded to pray about everything. Without prayer, anxiety will eat away at me. I pray for the peace of God on my heart. Not because things are not going well or life is miserable because that is not the case at all. But rather because the peace of God will east any sense of anxiety. He reminded me of that again tonight while talking to a great, God loving girl friend. She reminded me that praying about everything and anything will bring peace that God is in control and not me! How liberating!

In thinking about His love, I am thankful for some wonderful things this week: an understanding and God fearing husband, fresh sunflowers from my sister, text message pictures of my niece, e-mails from great girl friends, getting mail, a delicious quiche lunch visit with a recovering coworker, great Bible verses, a fun Friday night to look forward to, a snuggly yellow lab, rain that helps our field lawn grow (I'm trying!), and homemade chocolate chip cookies. I could go on, but will end here tonight. 5:30 comes fast!

If only I could looks this adorable in rainbow stripped stretch pants...

Jillian, It's Been A While...

During the months of January, February, March, and even the first half of April, hearing Jillian Michaels yell at me through a workout was a daily affair. As much as I dreaded my hour spent with her almost everyday, I was feeling pretty great. I cruised sweat through Level 1 and 2, all the way to Level 3 of the 30 day Shred! I also found the Last Chance Workout and her Powerish Yoga. We had a love hate relationship. And then, one day in April, it ended. I can't exactly place when, but Jillian's voice has not been heard since in my house. Don't get me wrong, I think about her everyday...and some days almost have myself convinced to wipe the dust off her DVD, but something always convinces me otherwise.

In turn, my jeans are starting to get a little tight and my arms are not even closely ready for tank tops. Why do we do that to ourselves? Or maybe it's just me. But really, I work out and whip myself in shape, feeling great less guilty about what I am eating, and then one day, I just stop. I'm in desperate need of some motivation. Summer is a' coming (if the rain ever decides to stop) and I have a closet full of cute tank tops and shorts that are waiting to be worn.

I will give myself the rest of this week as a break, and then I HAVE to get back at it. If the sun decides to come out, maybe I can use the pup as an excuse to run outside. I M-U-S-T do something or I will be wearing sweaters all summer.

Things I Learned From My Mom

My mom's mother passed away when she was just fifteen. I have known this my whole life, but I am not sure I truly understood the magnitude of this until the past year or two. I never had the chance to meet my grandmother, but from what I hear, Mary Catherine Sasso was quite a woman. I can't wait to meet her in heaven someday. I have this picture of what she looks like in my head. I am pretty sure physically it may be all wrong, but the one thing I know to be true is how beautiful she is. Not just on the outside, but on the inside too. I picture her with short dark hair, quite often covered in a colorful, yet elegant scarf. I have one of her scarves in my room. It is blue and pink...I picture her wearing that. In my mind she a pretty small woman, thin, with strong hands and a soft face. You can tell from looking at her that she is Italian. I think. A mother to six amazing children, she had to have some serious patience and a sense of humor. If she is anything like her mother, Nana, she was strict and quick tempered, but gentle and loving. Every time I picture her, she is smiling. Like her children, I see a big, beautiful smile. I know she is in heaven, watching us, waiting for us, acting as our guardian angel and I know she is proud. Proud of her children and their careers and their families. She's probably sitting up their with Nana eating a big bowl of star pasta loaded of butter and shaker cheese. That was my favorite.

My mom lost her mom when she was fifteen. When I was fifteen I was full of raging hormones, one day yelling at my mom, the next day crying on her shoulder, and the next day laughing with her. I can look back now and admit I did not appreciate her the way I should have. I would have been lost without my mom when I was fifteen. How did she do it? Although I will never understand what she went through--so much of it helped make her such an amazing mom. I know her mom watches her everyday in awe of what a patient, loving, incredible mom she is.

When I was in high school I was convinced no matter what she said, my mother was never right. In fact, I was the one who always knew what was right and if he was not for her, I would have been the coolest, most popular kid in school. When I asked, "Why?", she would say, "Because I said so." Seriously, that was the LEAST favorite line. Ten years later, I can't WAIT to say that to my kids. I practice on my second graders sometimes. Ten years later, I have also realized that all those times I thought my mom was wrong...she was actually...right. I have learned more from my mom than I could ever write down, but in honor of Mother's Day I have compiled a list ten things she was totally right about--ten things I have learned from my Mother. (These are JUST ten, if I wrote all the things I learned from my Mother, you would fall out of your chair in boredom.)

1. You should always have a stash of candy in the car. My mom always had a bag of tootsie rolls, bullseyes, jellybeans...something, underneath the front passenger seat in the car. She would always say they were there in case of emergency, so I guess that means anytime we went anywhere there would be an emergency. We were quite often digging into whatever was hidden. Recently I was in the car with my mom and was very disappointed to find there was nothing hidden under the front seat. My disappointed was soon dissolved when she pointed to the bag of jellybeans sitting between the two seats. You can know almost always find some kind of treat in my glove compartment. You never know when you might need it!!

2. Never show up empty handed. I can remember going over to my high school boyfriends house for the first time and my mom handing my a plate of cookies to bring with me. How embarrassing! Sure enough, I took them and was instantly loved by his mother. She taught me that no matter where I went, I should always bring the host something--cookies, flowers, wine...something. I now have this guilt that hangs over me if I forget to bring something when I visit some place new. Thanks Mom! :)

3. You can never have too many pairs of shoes. My husband clearly disagrees--but my mom has always encouraged my shoe habit. She introduced Danskos and J-41's, and Keens...and then I bought them. And then I became obsessed. She taught me that it is ok to have more than one pair of Danskos--a black and a brown. (A side not to this one, is that my mom always made sure we had painted toes. The minute it was time for bare feet--we would paint our toes. My toes now feel naked without anything on them!)


4. Tylenol fixes everything. Can't sleep? Take two tylenol. Period cramps? Take two tylenol. Headache? Take two tylenol. Snoring husband? Take two tylenol. Sore throat. Take two tylenol. Get my drift? Sometimes I hear myself say it to Matt and laugh in my head. I am starting to sound like my mom! For the record...it almost always works. (Minus a snoring husband.)

5. Pain is beauty. I was eleven when my mom took me to get my eyebrows waxed. Yes folks, I have had a uni-brow. (Thank-you Dad.) To make matters worse, it was a black uni-brow. My sweet, thoughtful mother told me that we needed to take care of that and off we went to the hairdressers for my first (of many) eyebrow waxing. It hurt like HECK. I think I even cried. This is when she first told me that sometimes you have to suffer to be beautiful. The next day I felt like a million bucks and I never got made fun of for my uni-brow. I still wax my eyebrows and in some strange way, sort of enjoy it.

6. No boy is every worth tears. I am sure by my forth dramatic break up in high school (with the same boy!) my mother was quite annoyed. Fortunately I never knew it. Each time she would listen to me as I cried and said the same things over and over again. She would remind me that I was only 16--but she would also understand that my heart had been broken regardless of how old I was. We would sit in the living room until midnight or one o'clock talking about love, life, moving on, etc. She would agree with how terrible this boy was and how I deserved so much better...and then she would listen when two days later I would get back together with him and the cycle would continue. She was always patient and always understanding.

7. When you find "the one" you will just know. Of all of the things I learned from my mom, I think this one stumped me the most. I never knew what it meant to "just know". Would it be like getting struck by lightening? Would someone be holding a sign? Would someone hit me over the head? How would I "just know"??? I dated some great guys through high school and college, but I could never call my mom and say, "Yes Mom, I just know". I was beginning to think she had no idea what she was talking about--and maybe what she had with Dad was something that most people don't have...until Matt. I can honestly say, that after meeting Matt, I completely understood this idea. I "just knew". I just knew he was the one and that I would marry him. Thanks Mom for always reminding me that someday, I would "just know".

8. A greek pasta salad is the perfect go-to bring along dish. The original credit for this lesson should be given to my Aunt Rachel, my mom's sister. She introduced the most basic, but delicious pasta salad to my mom. This pasta salad is my go to dish whenever we attend a potluck, BBQ, book talk...or I even find myself making it for Matt and I! It is so simple...pasta, tomatoes, onions, greek olives, feta, and greek dressing--but it really can't be beat. Every time I bring it somewhere, someone wants the recipe. Thanks Aunt Rach...and Mom for this perfect pasta dish!

9. If you have period cramps, exercise. I have the hardest time admitting she is 100% right on this one. The first reason being I tend to struggle to get myself motivated to exercise and the second reason being it is almost impossible to pry myself up off the couch to exercise when I have my period! However, when I am able to do it--I usually feel a heck of a lot better. (I also follow lesson Number 4 and pop two tylenol.) When I am in a good exercise routine, my cramps are never half as bad as when the extent of my exercise is reaching my hand into a bag of chips. If only I could convince my body of this when I am stuck in bed with a heat pack on my ovaries!

10. I can do whatever I want. The last, and probably most important thing I learned from my mother, is that I can do anything and everything I put my mind to. There are countless times where I would break down telling her I could not do it, I was not good enough, I was not smart enough, I was not motivated enough--and she always told me, I could do it, I would do it, and it would be the best yet. It seems like such a simple thing, but it has taken me a very long time realized the full potential of this lesson. There are still times where I call my mom close to tears just to hear her tell me to snap out of it and to remind me, that if I really want it, I can do it.

While writing all of this down I have thought of so many other wonderful things my mother has taught me. She has taught me patience, given me a passion for children and learning, instilled in me a constant motivation to do better, given me a Godly role model, created for me a woman that I strive to someday be. My mother is a mother that her mother is proud of and other mothers look up to. Thank you Mom for being the most amazing, generous, understanding mother any girl could ask for. Happy Mother's Day! xoxoxox

PS. On a not so sappy note, my mother also taught me today that it is ok to buy half off wine from the middle of the grocery aisle in Hannaford. There is nothing wrong with cheap wine!

PPS. I did not proof read this, so please excuse any errors...I was tired.

Truth?

From my mouth of my sweet second grader (same one to call me out in this post)--> to the rest of the class, "Guys, it's true that the more you love God, the more presents you get at Christmas time. I love God so much and I got SO much Christmas presents. Try it!".

Just a peek into the world of a seven year old. Sometimes I wish I was in it. Mostly though, I am just thankful I get to be in their world 5 days a week. Being a teacher really is a blessing.

On another note, being a teacher helps you to really enjoy these. I am so excited to have 4 big huge rhubarb plants growing on our lawn. My all times favorite thing with rhubarb is over course my mother in-law's strawberry rhubarb pie, however...these could take a close second. They are first on my list to try as soon as our rhubarb can be picked!

It's Wednesday and I am tired. Not really a bad tired, just tired. When I signed up for this teaching gig, I was never told how tired I would be each night. (Said best by by husband while laying on the couch yesterday after a long day) I wake up in the morning so motivated. I tell myself as soon as I get home from school I will do the dishes, make dinner, pack lunches, do laundry, clean the house, check my e-mail, check my class, work out...and then I get home and I just want to pour a glass of wine and order a pizza. Luckily, my husband sense of guilt will not allow me to do this or we would be both broke and I'd be fired.

I see myself going in phases. I was doing so well coming home, working out, eating dinner, skipping dessert, and heading to bed. Lately, I just can't get out of my own way! I am starving when I walk through the door so I inhale the first thing I see, then decide I am too full to work out, follow this with starting to cook dinner, and then eat, and sit. I always end up convincing myself I can get it all done tomorrow<----There is no working out or getting housework done here by the way. It is getting a little frustrating. Why does this happen? Please tell me I am not alone. (Note to self: Figure out WHY this happens)

Although tonight I was successful in skipping the pizza, I did pour a glass of wine and decided I would not make granola bars, do laundry, work out, or clean the house. What is wrong with me? In my defense I did take 42 second graders on a field trip today. We went on a hike through the woods of Maine. Did I mention it was rainy and about 40 degrees? It really was a great field trip, but being responsible for 21 seven and eight year olds is probably one of the scariest things in the world. Try doing this in the rain, in the woods, with the idea that there are bats around--this is how I justified my glass of wine.

Grad school started Sunday. I finished week one last night. The kicker is that is it not due until...Sunday! If you know me you probably just fell out of your chair. I tend to procrastinate more than anyone you may know. Then I panic. And cry. And call my mom. Above all though, it always gets done. But yes, I am done four whole days early. I may eat my words by next week, but I am kind of enjoying it. It is pretty interesting talking to motivated teachers and books they have read and programs they have found to be successful in their classrooms. ((We shall see how long I feel this way.))

On the flip side though, this class and the funk I have been in have really cut into my baking schedule. In fact, I have not done any baking this week! I planned to make homemade granola bars tonight...but, well...you know, life laziness got in the way. I am not the worse wife in the world as I did cook dinner each night though--Monday: grilled (thank you hubby) trader joe chicken sausages with peppers and onions and corn on the cob, Tuesday: nachos with leftover chicken sausage and veggies, and tonight: chicken caesar salad with corn on the cob. Jealous? Thank goodness my meat and potatoes husband is a saint and lets the fact that all three of these meals are NOT well rounded meals go. Phew. Next week I will be better?

It is Teacher Appreciation Week this week. This means chinese food for lunch on Monday (thank you to our principal), the most amazing desserts--to die for chocolate chip cookies Tuesday, and a Mexican lunch Thursday. The way to a teachers tight pants heart is Teacher Appreciate Week. I am still drooling for the cookies but cursing whomever made them. I also am thankful for students that I had last year that bring me I love you cards. Seriously? Sometimes I am the meanest teacher in the WORLD.

How handsome is he?

This is getting so long and is the craziest combination of random thoughts yet. I will end it with a hope for SUMMER. These pictures were taken in our yard full of springtime blooms. Just looking at them makes me smile. (And cringe thinking about everything else I have to out there before the end of May!)

PS. The Bruins are up 4-0 in the second period, 2-0 in the series. Happy husband? I think yes. I am also strangely intrigued by it all. Celts on the other hand--not so happy husband. I decided I like when the Bruins play better. Second note to self, encourage children to play hockey.

A Tuesday List

1. My masters program starts in T-5 days. If the orientation work was any indication of the course work...yikes! The flashbacks of sleepless nights, stressful phone calls home with lots of tears, and last minute procrastination are becoming more and more vivid as the start date looms. The over thinking of every e-mail and assignment has begun and I am quickly starting to wonder what I have gotten myself into. I am committing now--before the program even starts to not let it consume me. It's school, it's work, and there are thousands of people out there who have completed it under much more difficult circumstances than my own. (I said that with the utmost confidence, can you tell?)


2. Reason Number 867 Why I am the Worst Teacher in the World: During a guided reading book today, I presented a small group of boys the new text we would be reading together. Horrible Harry! I imagined this book to be any second grade boys dream. Harry plays mean tricks like pulling snakes out in front of girls. Don't kids love that stuff? Anyway...here's how it went down...

Me: "I am SO excited to start reading this book with you guys. You are just going to love it."

Sweet Young Boy: "I can't read that book." (In a not so friendly voice)


Me: "Oh, my love, we do not use the word "can't" in this room! Instead we say, "I'll try", right?" (Smiling, batting my eyes, and talking in my most patient voice.)


Sweet Young Boy: "Seriously Mrs. Foster? All you do is say can't! We can't have an extra recess, we can't have a longer snack, we can't choose our own partners, we can't talk during morning work. And really, I know there are more, I just CAN'T think of them right now."


Second graders are truly delightful, don't you think?

3. This whole money saving, budget thing is really cutting into my wine consumption hobby.

4. I made these cookies last weekend. I did not have any robin's eggs so I used Easter peanut m&m's and regular m&m's. They were so delicious. On Easter I ate 5. Not all at once so that makes it a little better, right? Of course I did not take any pictures of these beautiful creations--and of course, they stand as one of the most delicious. I guess I will just have to make them again. Soon.

5. I made my own rendition of this to bring to 10-70 Bible Study tomorrow. I planned to follow the recipe, but did not have everything here, so I improvised. We won't be baking it until tomorrow, so I will try to remember my camera before we all dig in.

6. On Sunday I attended my first (that I can remember) Sunrise service at the church we have been attending. It was great! There was no sun, but His presence was so powerful as we celebrated that HE HAS RISEN! After sunrise service, we drove around enjoying the peace Sunday morning brought. It turned out to be a perfectly beautiful day filled with praising Him, family time, delicious food...so many blessings. I could not have asked for a better way to spend Easter Sunday.

7. I'm so excited for this....

Sunset over Piper

Life is Good.

My two boys after a long day of work. Need I say more?

What's in Your Baking Cupboard?

We are more than halfway through vacation and I have not done any baking. I am ashamed. So ashamed that at about 1:55 today I decided to do something about it. However, I ran into my first road block as soon as I started thinking about what I wanted to bake. My baking supplies are embarrassingly limited right now. Not enough chocolate chips to make my all time favorite chocolate chip cookies, not enough peanut butter to attempt these, and although my mouth was watering, I had nothing to create these. But I did have...

1/4 cup of chocolate chips,

1/4 cup of white chocolate chips,

 1/4 cup  of peanut butter chips, a little bit of oats, a few spoonfuls of peanut butter, a little sugar, an egg...so, I threw together these amazingly tasty peanut butter cookies based on the recipe from Brown Eyed Baker. I almost added m&m's too, but thought that might be a bit too much. Next time. 

(One bite of the batter and it's alllll over.)

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter-Lots of Chips Cookies (with salt!)

(adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

Makes about 20 cookies

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/ 2 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Sea salt

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Add egg and mix to combine. Slowly add flour and baking soda until combined. Mix in oatmeal and chips. 

Scoop cookies onto pan in small, round balls. (I like to make them big!) Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Top with sea salt. (Optional)

The only thing that might make this cookie even better would be a little ice cream and chocolate sauce. Oh, wait. We did that. And yes, it was AMAZING. 

Staycation?

It's school vacation week. 

My husband and I both teach.

 You may be thinking, "Wow, what a perfect week to go away somewhere warm together to relax and enjoy." 

HAHA. Here are the two reasons why we DO NOT get to do that. Number 1. If you can afford to fly during school vacation times, you clearly are NOT a teacher. Number 2. We did this last year (and drove!) and were more exhausted when we got home then when we left. These two reason in conjunction with trying to save a few pennies, helped us decide April vacation would be a little more of a "staycation" than a "vacation". We started the week with a big "to-do" list. Unfortunately so much of it was outside and this vacation's weather has been less than desirable. We managed to get one solid day of raking (for me) and clearing out our land (Matthew). We felt pretty accomplished and even feel a little better about looking out at our yard without snow. The days to follow however have been cold, rainy and a little lazy. We woke up to sunshine today--thanks MAINE, but much to our dismay, there was a chilling wind that kept us bundled up inside. I managed to get Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred in, followed by a walk...but other than that, today was just another lazy day. After an hour or so of grad school work, I decided what I was missing most of all during vacation was a good recipe. I was limited with supplies, but managed to pull of these amazingly delicious cookies. (recipe to follow later)

After taste testing a cooking and thinking about everything we should be doing, we decided to tackle something we wanted to do...brewing our next batch of home brew. 

We had just finished the last of our porter...

(...yep, there it is!)

So, we decided to pour ourselves a beer and start brewing. A few hours later, the sweet smell of barely and hops filled our kitchen. We are now waiting for fermentation and should be bottling next weekend. Then, the 3-4 week waiting period begins. The timing is perfect to kick off the sunny, warm, hopefully not disgustingly cold Maine weather. 

These bottles will soon be filled with delicious (we hope) Pale Ale. Someday this label might be famous. Just wait. Although the "to-do" list still awaits for tomorrow, our Thursday afternoon staycation turned out to be pretty successful. A home brew, burgers on the grill, and amazingly warm cookie sundaes (stay tuned)--could warm, sunny Florida really beat that?