Pictures This Week & Some :-)

Well, I have to tell you that I am WAY behind on my posting. Here are my pictures from the last two weeks to get myself updated.

Day 23 - Day 29

Day 23 - Jera's Art Supplies!!
Jera loves to do art; painting, drawing and coloring. She decided it was time to clean out her supplies and organize them (Oh how I love my daughter for organizing :-)


Day 24 - Yearbook Deadline!!
Today was my first yearbook deadline. I will admit, it was REALLY hard to hit the submit button. People keep yearbooks forever, show them to their kids and then to their grandkids. It was VERY important for me to have every page perfect, but I can not tell you if very page was perfect. Because my husband told me stop obsessing about it and just hit the submit button. I guess we will see in June when they arrive.


Day 27 - Day 29 BEACH TRIP!!!
I spent 4 night at the beach with four of the most amazing ladies (Tricia, Sarah, Jodi and Kelly). My next few pictures are just a tiny glimpse of our scrapbook beach get away. There was scrapbooking, shopping, amazing food, fellowship, prayers, crafts, exercise, talking, personality test and a lot of laughing.
OUR HOUSE

GIFTS AND FOOD


SATURDAY


Day 30 - Day 36

Day 30-31
My beach trip continued for the next two days :-)
CRAFTS

THE GIRLS

Sarah and I had a basketball game to go to during our trip. Really I can not explain this picture, but it is pretty funny if you were there.


Day 32
Jera received her 2nd quarter report card today. She was very proud of it and I was also very proud of her!!!



Day 33
Today, being the beginning of the new semester, I have new students in my publications class and a couple have left. I am excited for this group, adding a few students makes the workload easier on everyone.


Day 34 - My 6th Grade January Student of the Month: Taris Krutsch


Day 35 - CCS Homecoming 2011

It's Not Your Grandma's Cookbook

BAKED SPAGHETTI servings: 8

This is a yummy spaghetti casserole!

Ingredients:
16 oz. package spaghetti noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
26 oz. jar meatless spaghetti sauce
½ t. seasoned salt
2 eggs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
5 T. butter, malted
2 c. small curd cottage cheese
4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and season with salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.
Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

It's Not Your Grandma's Cookbook

TERIYAKI CHICKEN STIR-FRY servings: 4

Yes, this is an easy one and I really should not be adding it here, but sometimes in life you need simplicity.

Ingredients:
1 lb. pre-cook teriyaki chicken (Costco brand is my favorite.)
16 oz. bag frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 c. of your favorite teriyaki sauce
4 servings of couscous, rice or noodles
sesame seeds
Directions:
Cook chicken according to package, than cut into 1 inch cubes. In a large skillet, add cooked chicken, frozen vegetables and ½ cup of your teriyaki sauce; cook on medium heat covered. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until heated all the way through, stirring occasional. Meanwhile, prepare couscous, rice or noodle according of package.
To serve, divide couscous onto four plates, top with stir-fry; then add the remaining sauce; prinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Pictures This Week

I am really behind here, but here are my pictures from last week.

DAY 16 - DAY 22

My Life

I have neglected my blog during the last week. I could give you many excuses and reasons, but the real reason was a phone call I received from a relative that felt I was revealing too much of my personal life. So tonight I am going to explain why I started this blog.

First, it is a way for my old friends and family to stay current on my life. To see pictures of what’s going on in my life and the different things I am involved in. I am not good at staying in contact with old friends and my family. I am very much a “what is in front of me right now is what I am focused on and thinking about” person. Being far away from my family is difficult for me, and this was a way to communicate with them.

SIDE BAR, just a little family history. I come from a small family. My mom lives in western Washington with her amazing husband. My dad lives in eastern Washington with his amazing wife. My sister is in Nebraska with my niece. I am also lucky enough to still have grandparents. My Grandma Pauline lives in eastern Washington but is at my mom’s house a lot throughout the year. And last my Grandma & Grandpa Rinker live in eastern Washington during the summer and Arizona in the winter.

Second, this blog was a way for my new friends and family to learn more about whom I am and were I came from. Yes, some of it is very personal and revealing. I felt like I was in a place in my life where I was hiding from my past and making sure nobody would know anything about me.

So going forward, I am not going to hold back. I will apologize in advance to anyone who may pick up an offense to what I say but the reality of it is, this is My life.

It's Not Your Grandma's Cookbook

LAST NIGHT’S BREAKFAST

This is a great breakfast casserole that I got from my mother-in-law. This recipe is made the night before and is super easy. The side column is a more health version.

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread, cubed (use whole wheat bread)
2 lb. ground sausage or bacon (use low fat ground sausage)
2 ¼ c. milk (use fat free milk)
¾ t. dry mustard
¾ lb. grated cheddar cheese (use low fat mozzarella cheese)
5 eggs (use 3 eggs & 2 servings of egg beaters)
1 t. salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup (use low fat cream of mushroom soup)
Directions:
Night Before:
Crumble sausage and brown. Divide cubed bread, browned sausage and cheese into half. In a large casserole dish, place the first layer (bread, cheese, sausage); then repeat another layer with the remaining bread, cheese and sausage. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat eggs, than add milk, salt, mustard and soup. Pour over the layers of bread, cheese and sausage. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.

She Shoots, She Scores!!!

This last Saturday I had the parental privilege of watching my daughter play her first basketball game of the season. Let me start by saying that the last two years have not really been basketball, more of a lets chase each other on the court and throw a ball around. This year she is on the 3rd & 4th grade team and has real basketball rules to follow.

Watching her line up against the other team (they still have to play man to man), I was signaling (moms you know what this means) to her to stop biting her nails. Then it hit me, she is really nervous for this game. I decided to have the talk about how it’s just for fun and it really doesn’t matter. Just learn the game and have fun. She was good then.

I was not good however. I always told myself I would not be one of those moms yelling on the side at their child to do this and do that. Well people I was and it was BAD. Jay happened to be videotaping the game, after listening to myself I was horrified, and poor Jera. She was probably very confused, here is her mom yelling at her and just a moment ago I told her it was all about having fun. We were sitting by Russell Halverson, whom has a daughter on the team. I kept asking him questions about her skills and abilities. What she should know and be doing. Please remember that he is also the varsity girls coach. He would politely answer me; now after looking back I can only image what he was thinking about me.

One thing he did say will stick with me on my journey through the next many years of competitive sports. “Don’t say anything during that game, just cheer her on.” From now on I will be reminding myself if this quote and that it is just for fun!!!

PS. She did make one basket and was very proud and excited!!!