Video Games with a 5 Year Old ...

Xman has mastered a few video games.  Yesterday he became obsessed with creating new characters on the wii (miis). I think we have 30 characters.

Many of these characters have grey eyebrows and freckles...

Here are some of the names:

Ryokzx (Chelsea)

Xecvgyoknm

Rf 

Bvdfgnnhjm

Sxa

Ipokxczat

Fgy 

Rtxzag 

Nugwaazcfv

Hey Mom, what does this spell?"

"I blame his father :)

Funny Blogs I Read

Looking for something funny to read while I am slacking?  My favorite blog has been Love, Teach for a while now.  She tells the funny stories we all have, and I want to be her friend ... not in a creepy way, but I think she should sit by me at lunch.  Check out a few of my favorite posts 19 Things That Happen When You're a Teacher, Whisper Turtleneck and Things I Said Aloud Today: DEVOLSON Edition.

I found another education blog: Gatsby in LA.  I like this, some is funny, it is very true, my favorites so far are Why do Teachers Obsess That They Are Not Good Enough and here.

My sister-in-law texted me tonight with a new blog Sugar Free Ear Candy.  This is a mommy blog instead of a teaching blog.  She is so funny!  I have liked all the posts I have read, but 20 Good Reasons to Judge Me  inspires me.  You may see a post like this soon.

Kale Chips

Kale Chips?  Yes, Kale Chips!!

I have not eaten much kale.  I bought more than I needed for the detox salad and thought I would try kale chips.  I used a recipe I found via Advocare (we will be starting the Advocare 24 Day Challenge soon).

kale
salt & pepper
parchment paper (this is important)

Wash and dry kale.
Tear kale off of stems and into bite-able pieces.
In a bowl mix kale leaves with as little olive oil as it take to partially coat leaves - you can always add more, it's hard to take it away - mix and mix and mix - if you have a Pampered Chef Kitchen Spritzer it would help this process a lot!
And salt and pepper and mix some more.
Place kale on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper - don't overlap the leaves.
Bake at 375 7-10 minutes - watch them closely so they don't burn.

It took me about 5 sheets of leaves to finish 2/3 of a bundle of kale.  I just alternated between 2 parchment lined sheets.

The bowl at the top is most of a bundle of kale - is shrinks a lot. But is delicious!

Pesto Chicken

Chicken is my go to meal.  You can bet every week we are going to have chicken.  But with making it so often we get bored, so I have added another chicken dish to our rotation: Pesto Chicken.  (I have a couple of pesto chicken options, this one if the healthiest and easiest of my dishes.)

First I like to slice my chicken breasts in half, so they are half as thick as a hey were originally.  I have three reasons for this:

1) it gives you more seasoning per bite

2) the chicken cooks faster

3) it results in a more appropriate single portion.

2 chicken breasts, split in half (4 pieces)

2 T pesto

Place the chicken in a freezer bag.

Add 2 T pesto to the bag.

Mush it around (very technical term)

Make sure the bag is sealed and throw in the the fridge for a little while (up to 1 day).

I have made this on an electric griddle and in a ceramic skillet.  I preheated both, but neither needed and oil, butter or cooking spray - trust me there is enough oil in the pesto.  Whichever choice you make, cook chicken thoroughly. (I leave it on the first side a while to get good color on it.)

Enjoy.  

Detox Salad

Robert said this tasted healthy, he added a little maple syrup ... gross.

2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 carrots,cut into large chunks
1 small bunch of kale, stems removed
1/2 c parsley
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c almonds, chopped
1 c  craisins (or dried cherries or dried blueberries)
juice of 1 lemon
2 T rice vinegar (other other mild vinegar)
2 T honey (the original called for maple syrup, but ... no)
salt and pepper to taste

Put broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kale and parsley into the food processor - this will take multiple batches.
Mix up all ingredients. Eat.  Yummy.

Be Happier!

I have posted before about a very entertaining TED Talk  by Shawn Anchor called The Happy Secret to Better Work.  And based on that I have created a document to try to to stick with these ideas for 21 days.



Download and print the document and join be to try to have a more positive outlook in 2015.

In case you want to watch the video here it is again.

Stories from the dinner table

Family time at Christmas, including long car rides and all the stories that go along with this craziness make me want to start recording the stories I hear and the stories I tell.

I hope you heard a lot of good stories, and I hope you share them.