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Thanksgiving Prep - Day 2

So, yesterday I chopped, and chopped and chopped ... it was a great day! I love chopping. I made refrigerator rolls, sweet potato casserole, and half-way prepped everything I could. I also made cake balls for Arlene. My plan is to post as many recipes as pictures as I can ... But not right this second! I am still cooking.

Cranberry Salsa

I am not a fan of cranberry sauce ... not that I have actually tried it. I just can't get over that it stays in the shape of the can. But I saw this recipe in a magazine (Southern Living or Cooking Light) and the picture with the recipe was a left over turkey sandwich with this salsa on it. It looked so good that I took a chance on it. And it was a big hit.

The next year I took it to a potluck at work, and got called to the office and told that I couldn't leave for the day until I shared the recipe. Then the school secretary started requesting it for her birthday and Thanksgiving every year.

Most people at work were eating it with chips, I like it on turkey (or a turkey sandwich). It is sweet, even though there are two jalapeños the salsa is not really spicy.

The first year I made this, I didn't have a food processor. So I took my time and diced everything up really small ... and that is the year I found out that I am allergic to jalapeño juice (on my skin). I had to eat dinner holding a glass of water, then went home and looked on WebMD and soaked my hand in oil for an hour and then called poison control. That resulted in the hubby making a trip to the store for milk of magnesia to soak in next, but I fell asleep(with my hand in the oil) while he was gone. That Christmas I got a food processor!

3 c cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c honey
1/2 c cilantro
1/2 med red onion
2 jalapeños (seeds and ribs removed)
2 T lime juice
1 T orange zest

Pulse onion and jalapeño in food processor and pulse in food processor until fine.

Add remaining ingredients into food processor with onion and jalapeño and pulse until well combined. Refrigerate.

Best 2-4 days after making!

Thanksgiving prep day 1 recap

So, yesterday I started prepping for thanksgiving. I made cakes for Arlene's cake balls ... actually Xander actually made the dark chocolate cake. He dumped in the eggs, buttered & floured the pan, and helped me pour the batter into the pan.

Then I made cornbread for the dressings. And cranberry salsa, of course! Recipe. For cranberry salsa is coming up next!!!

CAST 2011

CAST is the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching, or as I call it science-teacher-nerd-convention.

I think every science teacher should be forced to go to this every year. I do not think real force would have to be applied. But I think there is a lot of districts who don't allow teachers to go, or limit their attendance. I understand that we are not cool like the math teacher who have their conference in the summer where subs are not required, but really?

There is more ideas and free lab supplies here than anywhere else I have been. This year I went to 10 really good workshops, got several free labs, lessons, videos, not to mention the ideas I got from talking to other teachers in my workshops.

What does it take to get schools to send teachers to CAST?

Unexpected joy

I had a student who ended up pregnant late in her senior year if high school. I heard rumors and dismissed them, but kept hearing them, do I finally asked at the beginning of her first semester of college. She said yes, she was pregnant but didn't want to tell me because she was afraid I was be disappointed in her. As someone who struggled with infertility and knows the risk of waiting to long to start a family,, I offered her encouragement. I told her I would rather her have this unexpected joy than to ever know the disappointment of the possibility young not be able to have kids.

(I may have shared that part earlier, but what is next is new.)

So the same girl's best friend came to see me and when I mentioned the pregnant girl this student said "we haven't talked since the summer, the whole thing is disappointing.". I didn't push the subject, but it sounds like they are not linger friends because her friend is having a baby. I am so disappointed for the pregnant girl - it sucks having crappy friends. But I am looking forward to seeing that unexpected joy!

Using the crock pot: Pork Tenderloin, Chili, & Lemon Chicken

I decided I wanted to try a week of crock pot meals ... but I am picky. I am not really a picky eater, but I prefer my food not to look like vomit. (The word vomit makes me think of a particular year of AP Biology.)

What was I talking about? Okay, crock pot meals. Well, the week started off rough because I couldn't prep the meals this weekend. So I made meatloaf Monday ... not in the crock pot ... so the experiment started on Tuesday. (To go with the meatloaf I slaved over boxed mac-n-cheese and roasted squash and zucchini.)

Tuesday's recipe was for brown sugar glazed port tenderloin (I will try to add the link to the recipes next time I am on a real computer - its too much to think about when I am writing posts on my phone!). It was good, but I had to work on the glaze when I got home and ended up spending more time in the kitchen than I wanted.

Wednesday's dinner was chili and salad ... (okay, I have to admit that the chili smelled do good that I forgot we were supposed to have a salad and instead we each had more chili ... confessions are good for the soul.). The chili was easy. I browned the meat the night before (I used deer) and the next morning added the deer, 2 cans of ranch style beans, a can of black beans, a can of Rotel and a packet of taco seasoning. It was very yummy, and quick, but I forgot to wash the crock pot thingy, which complicated my morning this morning.

This morning I prepared lemon chicken in the crockpot. When I got home it just tasted like chicken ... so I got busty trying to fix it. I added a little broth to my big skillet and then sautéed 3 huge cloves of garlic (sliced) in the broth. Then added the rest of the broth and chicken to the skillet (yep, that is another dish I need to wash tonight), and then I added about and ounce of cream cheese and I added garlic powder (I love garlic). Once I topped this yummy garlicky goodness with Parmesan we could finally call it dinner. I mixed in a box of pasta and served it with broccoli and a salad. This could easily serve 6 big portions. (I have included a pic of the chicken pasta even though you can't see much in the pic.)

No what am I going to make tomorrow?

Oh the possibilities

I posted this to the wrong blog on Sunday! The blogger app is pretty good, but sometimes switches blogs on me ...

A pile of scrap fleece and felt = Christmas crafts!

Lack of sleep

"how many different colors of dinosaurs ..". "no I meant how many colors of pumpkins..". So I put on an episode of dinosaur train that involved a trip to the pumpkin patch

Quotes of the night

From Delilah: I puked.

From Stacy's tv show: trying to get help around here is like trying to get bird poop from a cuckoo clock! (but they didn't say poop)

Why do I bother?

I have seen a sign with the following quote,"cleaning house while kids are home is like shoveling the snow while it is snowing.". This is what my living room looks like almost every night ... did I mention I have a 20-month old?