All I Really Want for Christmas

is this...

Is it not gorgeous?  Does it come in duel-voltage?

Baking cookies is my peace

When I'm in a kitchen, doing what I love, for the people whom I love,

everything makes sense.

Today was a very good day.

Cocoa Cookies: The Short Film

In my blogging class, I gave the kids an assignment to make a DIY video.  They're so great!  There's a few on how to do nail designs, how to make a duct tape wallet, and even how to play "The Entertainer" on clarinet!

I needed to make one myself before all these tech-savvy 11-year-olds showed me up.

DIY: How to make cocoa cookies

Spiced Pear Cookies

Recipe from Judy Daudt

This has been a very good week at school.  All my classes are going well, kids are staying out of trouble and being as entertaining as ever, and there are only three days of classes!  For the kids anyway- I have teacher in-service to learn how to UbD-ize my units.  But today felt like a Friday, so I came home, watched a movie, slept for an hour, and decided to bake something.  I have guests coming over Friday and I think I'm going to try for a pear cake since we have so many pears we need to eat.  But I didn't want to bake a cake and have it sit for two days, so I decided to start small with a batch of spiced pear cookies.  One of my dear friends and mentors from university gave me a cookbook she had compiled and it's full of Midwestern deliciousness.  While I'm quite experienced baking apples, I've never tried pears.  So here are the results:

 Absolute success!

Giving the house a nice, spicy aroma

So without further adieu, here is the secret recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar (I used white sugar for the half cup- brown sugar is a precious commodity here!)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 pear- peeled, cored and diced
Suggested: 1/2 cup raisins or Crasins
I omitted the walnuts, because I don't believe in infecting baked goods with nuts, but whatever floats your boat.  I have similar feelings, though not as strong, to raisins.  Crasins I might have tried if only for the festive color.

Preheat oven to 350*F/175*C.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger.
Stir in chopped pears, and others.
Bake 15 mins (more like 12 in my oven)
Cool

Optional:
Frost with 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.  I don't think they need it though.  They're sweet enough!

Very sticky to put on the baking sheet.  I was worried, but they turned out just fine!

Recent Baking Victories

Caramel Popcorn- the easiest recipe you've never tried

My friend, Jenna, put this recipe on her scrumptious blog, Elegant Domesticity.  I get very excited when I find a recipe that not only can I find all the ingredients to, but that could see myself making.  It is an added bonus when the family will like it too (or are giving up chocolate for Lent).  I'll let you go to Jenna's blog for the recipe, but here is documentation of my delicious success.  Thanks to Val for suggesting the LomoLomo iPhone app, which I would also recommend because it's awesome and free!

 Magic happens when you add the baking soda...

 Waiting, waiting... oh it smells delicious...

All done!  Yum!

Nom nom nom

If you're ever in Durham, NC, be sure to check out Cosmic Cantina!

Their burritos are delicious!

 And they have great decor!

(this post is basically just for Jake)

"Hello to Snow!" Party

Nothing makes me happier than a successful party.

And before I forget for two months, here is the (not so) secret soup recipe I made for dinner.

Tortellini Soup
This recipe makes 8-10 quarts (but I changed it up to feed 22 people!)

Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet Italian sausage
2 48oz cans beef broth (or bouillon cubes with water)
3 15 oz cans diced tomatoes/5.5 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes
3 15oz cans tomato sauce/ whatever you can get that's close (I used tomato paste)
1 cup red wine
1 medium chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
6 zucchini squash, chopped
6-8 carrots, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 large bag frozen tortellini/ 3-4 8 oz packages dry tortellini

Directions:
1. Fry and drain fat from sausage
2. In a large pot add beef and broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, onion, garlic and herbs
3. Cook over low heat for 1-3 hours
4. Bring to a boil and add tortellini and vegetables
5. Cook for 45 minutes, adding extra salt or spices to taste
6. Watch the tortellini to make sure it is completely cooked but not too soft
7. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese and crusty bread

I did not take this picture. It is from google images.  But mine looked just as delicious.

Pumpkin Soup

This is looooong overdue... a few people asked me for the pumpkin soup recipe I used at the All Things Fall Party in October.  So here it is...

Note: I use basic recipes and adapt them based on how many people I'm cooking for and what ingredients I have or don't have (ie which country I'm in), and usually put in a lot more spices

This recipe is for 12-16 servings, but when I made it for the party I think it fed 18 people, so I made a bunch of adjustments here and there

Ingredients:
Half a chopped onion
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
(I also usually add a tsp of pumpkin pie spice if I have it)
2 Tbsp butter
2 30oz cans pumpkin (or fresh pumpkin.  I usually have some of both)
2 28oz cans chicken broth (or bouillon cubes w/water), plus a bit more if your cooking for a lot of people
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cups milk or cream (go for the cream!)
Fresh sage leaves or dried bread cubes for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large pot cook onion, curry powder, cumin, coriander, and salt in hot butter until the onion is tender.
2. Whisk in the pumpkin, chicken broth, brown sugar and maple syrup, until well combined.  Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat.
3. At this point, I use a minipimer which is my new favorite kitchen appliance.  This step isn't necessary though; your soup will just be a little chunkier.
4. Stir in the milk/cream and heat through. You may have to taste and add some extra spices (I think I quadrupled what this recipe asks for haha)
5. Serve with garnish

 I obviously need to make taking photos of my baking victories more of a priority...

Teaching Day Therapy

Today it was Tortilla Soup.  And it was delicious. Usually I make cookies after a long day at work, but I think I'm going to do another run next weekend.

Speaking of running, I ran 10 whole kilometers one week and two days ago!  It was completely voluntarily- no bears were chasing me.  Well, I guess technically I was "voluntold" because one Friday I came home and my dad said, "I signed us up to run the 10K this Sunday!" and that was that.  I had wanted to do it- when I was actually running on a regular basis waaaaay back in the first part of the summer.  The Moscow Peace Marathon, of which I ran 10 kilometers, began at St. Basil's Cathedral and went along the Moscow river, so it's pretty cool just to say I did it.

The Dadster and me before the run.  I should send this to the Taylor Alumni.

Fact: I had never run 10 kilometers at one time in my life.

Booooyah.  Yeah, I just ran a 10K AND I got a picture next to the most iconic symbol of Russia.  And my mom rang a cowbell in my honor.

Tonight I didn't go to my Young Adults Bible Study (I like to call it Yabs in my head...).  Some icky sickness is going around and I couldn't muster the energy to get there, which is sad, because sometimes in Moscow you don't get to do what you want just because it takes so stinkin' long to get places.  Like, if I had a car and there wasn't the crazy traffic, I totally would have been there.  I drove half an hour to get to church (and everywhere else) the whole time I was in college, but it was through peaceful country back roads and not no-left-turns-allowed-ever Moscow.  So I stayed home and made soup.

Tangent: why are Tuesdays the hardest?  Mondays always take more energy than you think but there's a residual relaxation from Saturday and Sunday, so it's not so bad.  And by Wednesday it's already Hump Day, so you can start looking forward to the next weekend.  Thursdays are my favorite day, because the next day is Friday and after school I can see my friends.  But then there are Tuesdays, and they're packed and exhausting.  I had some crazy insomnia Sunday night and only got about an hour of sleep total.  My kiddos turned in a big project yesterday, and I need to grade it.  Whew, so yes, this Tuesday I am tired.

I kind of wondered if I'd feel a skipping-church-guilt for missing Yabs.  I don't really, though.  I more have the sleep-is-my-biggest-spiritual-need feeling where I just want to sit in silence and remember that God is still there and loves me when I'm running on empty.

If you have not heard Dancing in the Minefields, you simply must.  The bridge is the part that really gets me.  It's so good and the video is perfect.

Okay, okay, yeah!

In a school year, there is only one first day of school and I'm pretty sure this is a good thing for everyone.  As one friend once put it, "You know, you come home, have a good cry, and then it gets better."

I came home, had a glass of wine and made cookies.

I also wrote notes on my class lists, made a plan for tomorrow being mindful of the messes of today, jotted down some ideas for my elective, and worked on the online graduate course I'm taking.  Yeah, I signed up for that before the madness of first year teaching ("the grind" as one professor tactfully put it) was an option.  So far, so good, but I'm foreseeing a decline in my social life in the near future... (this is also my public apology for not replying to emails lately). 

I'm still so so excited to be a teacher this fall and I know it'll get better.  I've got some cool kids in my classes and I like my subject.  If I can just make it through this week...

I could go over everything again, and wonder why but
I don’t think that’ll give an answer to me anymore, cause
Now I’ve learned some things just refuse to come to the light, and
It’s okay, okay, yeah
I said okay, okay, yeah

~Waterdeep

Productivity

Despite what you may think, 4:30am is a great time of the day.  Especially if you're involuntarily waking up due to a condition that I just learned is also known as desynchronosis. 

So besides looking up different ways to say "jet lag," yesterday and today I have done the following things between the hours of 4:30am and 10:00am:

- Learned how to make delicious scrambled eggs (the key is heating the pan with butter and  sour cream, keep them moving with a rubber spatula, and don't add salt & pepper till almost the end)
- Cooked Tommy fried rice
- Played poker with oatmeal cream pies
- Listened to podcasts
- Downloaded new music
- Took my dog for a walk
- Uploaded and edited photos
- Took a nap
- Got a job
- Dyed Tommy's hair

10 things to do at the Iowa State Fair

1. Eat pizza from Leimon's Pizzeria

2. Get inked by everyone, from politicians to universities to Creationists

3. Watch the Homeschool Tumblers

 4. Eat a giant Turkey Leg

5. Ride the double farris wheel

6. Eat some delicious CinnieSmiths from the wonderful Smith family

7. Get your picture with the Orange Bowl

8. Try a fried Oreo (or don't...)

9. Get a free massage in the Varied Industries building

10. Visit the fair's largest pig, Tiny (1,166 lbs!)

weddings.food.friends.

I wrote this 9 days ago: The month of May was lovely.  I'm in the US now, but I'm spending the day on the couch to try to recover from a little chest cold.  My head feels like someone slugged it with a bat and I sound like a smoker.  Not the greatest thing before I'm supposed to drive 9 hours to be in a wedding.  Pray for fast recovery!  It's a good thing to be at Grandma Norma's when feeling like this.

The following day I drove to Indiana and listened to the audiobook of Blink.   I wish I could say that I read minds now, but all I really learned is that I'm very selfish and don't focus on other people enough.  It wasn't a bad drive and I ended up meeting the wedding party in Indianapolis for Mongolian bbq.  We went back up to Taylor that night and worked on wedding stuffs the next few days.

 

The wedding essentials: manicure, pedicure, hair trim, flower arrangements for the church, bachelorette party, lingerie.
Even funner: thunderstorm warnings, 8 girls living in an near empty apartment, an extra-large wedding party, firemen groomsmen, candy table, The Marriage of Jon and Alana!

Saturday night took me to the Harrisons of Indianapolis, a dear family who took me in last spring while I was student-teaching.  They make the best food.  And tea.  And conversation. Several firsts: playing Settlers of Catan, watching Doctor Who, mud tea.  They were also very patient with me as I went through second week culture shock ("The roads are so big here!  Where are all the trees?  In Moscow we have prettier buildings.  In Moscow it's harder to get around.  In Moscow everyone speaks Russian." and other nonsense).  I always leave a little of my heart there and hope to return soon.

The next stop was Chicago to the lovely, talented RB living in a house full of girls.  These three days I've been living in the "hostage room" in the basement behind the washing machine.  It has been so nice to finally get to sleep in and spend a day catching up on all the internet-ish things I've been avoiding for the last week.  Tuesday, I spent the day with Babson while RB was at work.  We breakfasted at an amazing little cafe, saw her apartment, went to the mall and bought shoes and underwear, and drove around, reminiscing and speculating about the future.  Too many tasty conversation bits to go into detail.

It's impossible to remember everything we say, but maybe God made us forgetful so we could savor discoveries over and over again.

RB and I have enjoyed many delicious moments on this visit: frozen yogurt, chili and cornbread with a house full of people, mimosas on the back swing.  (I love food.)  We watched Amanda Seyfried's gorgeous hair in two movies; the former was a laughable and ridiculous dvd, the latter was pure girl entertainment in a cinema. 

Unfortunately through it all, I've been in poor health (voiceless, coughing, allergic to Indiana).  I'd like to say I'm on the mend, but I really have no basis for that judgment. I cough through the night, so I apologize for any germs I may be trailing behind. 

I'm heading Out West again today into the big unknown.  I am so blessed.

Chinese food + Mothers = VICTORY

So this weekend was Victory Day which means the entire country of Russia went on vacation and had picnics.  I went on my first Russian picnic today, with shashlik in Sereberyanyy Bor. Sunday there was pretty awesome parade, which I watched on TV, glancing out the window to see airplanes on their way to Red Square.  Since the city was going to be crowded, we celebrated Mother's Day Saturday night.  We went to a Chinese restaurant called Дружба (Friendship) and had authentic cuisine- way more so than what you get in the US (ie no florescent sweet & sour pork or General Tsao (whoever he is)).  It was DELICIOUS. As for Moscow prices, quantity, and quality you really can't beat this.  We ordered 5 dishes (with rice and tea) and each could have fed 2.  Chinese style, of course, which means sharing everything. 

Here are some pictures to make you jealous:

Look how much we had left over!

Thoughts on vitamins

Call me a hypochondriac, but I understand my life better when I think of my body in terms of vitamins, water, and the amount of sleep I'm getting. I recently discovered I have low hemoglobin, which results in being slightly anemic. This means I need more Iron. I also have symptoms that suggest I'm also not getting enough vitamin A. Internet research has informed me that having an iron deficiency can affect the metabolism of vitamin A. See, it's all linked? Symtoms of VAD include unhealthy cells around the eyes, poor night vision, and dry skin, all of which I have. I'm going to try to eat more beef and leafy greens here in Indy. I didn't cook meet much in my apartment, besides chicken. I don't know if I'm ready to cook a liver though, even though that's the best source of everything. I liked being vegetarian because I felt like I was more conscious about what I ate, but eventually I got too tired. And anemic. I've been taking grown up daily vitamins, but they taste so gross I'm switching to chewable kiddie vitamins. They're basically the same as the big ones, but less of a few things. I'll be packing lunch for school and I'm going to try to eat more fruit, which I've been serverely lacking since leaving the Philippines. Oh mangos, how I miss the... (an excellent source of A, btw)

Isn't it cool that God created us to enjoy getting the things our body needs? Water is just the most amazing thing. I love milk. Yay, calcium. I love orange juice (always with pulp). Mmmm vitamin C. Also, sushi anyone? :-)