Brussel Sprout Salad (?)

"Brussel sprouts, Katie?  Really?!"  I know, I know!  If you had told me to eat brussel sprouts a year ago I would have called you crazy, but I've discovered they can be pretty tasty when you prepare them correctly.  So indulge me for a minute.

We bought some brussel sprouts the other day for a dinner side and ended up forgetting to make them.  We also had some leftover grilled chicken and Sean was going to be gone for dinner, so I was on my own that night.  I absolutely love salads for meals because I pack A LOT in my salads.  So when I got this idea to use the brussel sprouts to make a salad, I knew I had to try it!  When I ended up staying at work until 5:30 cooking for one just did not sound inviting.  So I waited until today to do my experiment.

Now there is a question mark at the end of that title because I'm not sure exactly what category this dish falls into.  It has a salad dressing, but no lettuce.  Something green but also grains... so we'll end it with a question mark and you can decide if it's a salad, side dish, or other food term.

One last note before we get to the recipe:
You could use any type of grain for this recipe, but I chose Trader Joe's Harvest Grains.  I LOVE this stuff!  Whenever we go shopping for the week and see it on the shelf, we buy a bag because we know we'll use it eventually... and by eventually I mean we'll change our menu for the week just to fit it in.  If you haven't tried it yet GO GET SOME!  You won't regret it.




Brussel Sprout Salad with Grains and Chicken

10 brussel sprouts (quartered)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
salt and pepper
1/2 package Harvest Grains from Trader Joe's (or other grain such as quinoa or couscous)
1 grilled or baked chicken breast (cubed)
honey mustard dressing (store bought or just follow the recipe at the bottom of this post)

Mix the brussel sprouts, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet and place in a 450 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the sprouts are browned.

If you're going to make the honey mustard dressing, make it now and set it in the fridge.

Cook your grains according to the instructions.  The Harvest Grains will take about 10 minutes.  (I like using chicken broth rather than water to add more flavor.)

Once the brussel sprouts and grains are finished, mix them together with the cubed chicken in a bowl.  Drizzle the honey mustard dressing on top and enjoy!

Honey Mustard Dressing
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp mustard
1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
small pinch of paprika

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Refrigerate until you need it.   (Makes enough dressing for 2-3 servings.)


Afterthoughts:  I ate this dish for lunch and didn't have time to finish, so I stuck it in the fridge and went to meet a friend for coffee.  When I came back I finished the rest and it was even BETTER cold!  Put the dressing on, toss, and let that salad marinate in the fridge for even more flavor.

While prepping this I thought, "I really want to add cheese to this."  Cue the point where I kick myself for being out of feta!  If you love cheese like me, you could add some feta or gorgonzola.  Because let's be honest... everything is better with cheese.  I think I would trade out the honey mustard dressing with a balsamic for that route. If you do, comment below and let me know how it tastes.

Happy eating!

Katie

Stop the Cleaning!

We're moving!  Have I mentioned that?  Sean's uncle fixed up a duplex in the university area and we'll be moving in to one side of the duplex at the end of the month.  As many of you know, once I know something is happening I want to get it DONE.  I've been resisting the urge to pack everything for a month now and it is killing me!  I started the process by going through my clothes and getting rid of things that don't fit anymore or items I don't wear very often.  Is there anything better than that feeling of cleaning and organizing?

I love the satisfaction of cleaning as much as the next OCD person.  A clean house is like heaven to me!  But if you're like me, cleaning the apartment/house means a massive cleaning day on Saturday.  As much as I love getting it all done at once, it kills my Saturday and takes away time Sean and I have to relax on the weekend.  Since both teach and Sean coaches during the week, the weekend is the time we have to really invest in each other.

As the school year begins to approach I've been thinking about being more intentional with my time and especially my weekends.  In order for that to happen, I need to stop the cleaning frenzies on Saturday!  I've come up with a few ideas to help me make the most of my time throughout the week and I'm going to share them with you as the school year approaches.   So here we go!

Have you seen those beautiful cleaning schedules on Pinterest? The ones that look like the women have hours in the day to clean?  I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do after teaching children all day is come home and do five huge cleaning items.  As I looked through the cleaning schedules I noticed that some had daily, weekly, and monthly items.  I figured I could alter them to create on that fits my schedule and is a bit simpler.

To start, I wanted to use a morning/evening routine to help lower the number of items I would be doing when I came home.  Luckily Sean and I already clean up the dishes and wipe down the counter each day, which helps keep the kitchen clean.  I also LOVE to make my bed in the morning, which makes the room look instantly better...at least in my eyes.  The idea of picking up items every night seemed a bit daunting until I realized that if I did follow through it wouldn't be a huge hassle!

Then I wrote down other items and split them into weekly and monthly.  I was able to organize it all so that I have only one or two items during the week.  That meant I could do one monthly item each Saturday, but still have plenty of time to spend with Sean.  Plus, if I'm feeling extra ambitious I can knock out my Saturday item during the week. (But I'm not banking on that happening too often!)

Here's the schedule!

Not too bad!  This list actually looks realistic for me which is exciting.  And it will help me to free up my Saturdays which will be very helpful during the school year.  Unfortunately between being mid-move and planning the Craft Fair for Sanctuary of Hope our apartment is a bit of a disaster so this schedule might have to wait a bit.  But I hope this might help you, too!

Home Sweet Home

Announcement: The Facebook events for the Craft Fair are up!!  Yay!!!  Check them out!
   Crafting Day: https://www.facebook.com/events/676391922444998/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
   Crafting Fair: https://www.facebook.com/events/1442889259295505/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Why is it that we are so excited to travel places, but once we've been away from home we are so eager to get back to our comfy bed and squishy pillow?  I don't know about you, but I do this ALL the time.  It's not that I don't enjoy the vacation.  This past week I went to Clovis to visit my family.  Since mom had shoulder surgery on Monday and Sunday was Father's Day it was perfect timing!  I love going back to see my family and get caught up with everyone.  I even got to visit with my friend Rachel whom I haven't seen in years.  As much as I loved being in Clovis, I was happy to get back to my bed and see Sean.

On the way back I had some time to kill in the airport.  I took the opportunity to have some quiet time (which I wasn't too good about over my vacation).  I read the story in Mark 9:14-29 where a father comes to Jesus and asks him to help his son who has been possessed by an evil spirit.  The man ends his request by adding "if you can".  Jesus tells the father that anything is possible if a person believes.

"The father instantly cried out, 'I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.'" (Mark 9:24)

I don't know about you, but I have difficulty processing the idea of believing and having unbelief at the same time.  I think we're taught to think that everything is black and white.  Either you agree, or don't.  You believe, or you don't.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am like the father in this story.  Especially when I am confronting something big or something that I cannot do on my own.  I had this conflict when I went to Kenya.  The idea of raising funds for the trip was daunting.  I believed God could help because I had seen Him do it before (for myself and countless others), but I also struggled with unbelief that God could work in this situation.  It's the age old struggle.  I know God is able and has done things like this for others, but would He really do it for this?  For me?  How many times have I had this debate in my head?

I've even been having this struggle with the Craft Fair.  I have never put on anything like this.  This is something completely new to me.  I believe that God can make this a success because it is something that is important and I believe that He can do anything.  But then that little voice starts again.  Are you sure He's going to do this?  I mean, how many other things does God have to deal with?  

The truth is my unbelief doesn't limit God.  I do.  When I approach these instances of doubt, I can respond in one of two ways.

1.  I can give in to that doubt and turn away from where I feel God is leading.

2.  I can respond like the father in the story.  "Lord I believe, but help me overcome my unbelief."  


It's amazing what God can do when we respond with the second sentence.  So take a second this week to see what God's calling you to and ask Him to work in spite of the unbelief you feel.

Crafting Hope

Life has been so busy lately!  Since Sean and I both teach, we decided that we want to take full advantage of summers and travel as much as we can.  After school got out, Sean went to a swim meet in Phoenix before we went to London and Ireland.  My dad has students in London for a study abroad program and Sean has family in Ireland so it worked out perfectly!  Then we came back and had one night in our own bed before we went to Phoenix to be in our friends' wedding.  It was such a beautiful wedding and we were so grateful to be a part of it!

Needless to say, we are a bit exhausted now that we're back home.  It's back to normal life, which means I am now on my millionth load of laundry and our apartment needs some cleaning.  BUT I am so excited to tell you all about a project I am working on this summer!  First a little background...

In 2012 I went to Kenya on a mission trip with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  I was blown away by everything, but one particular part of the trip has stuck in the front of my mind.  We visited Sanctuary of Hope, an orphanage that cares for over 20 children.  As I sat there listening to small children leading a worship service, I was moved by what God had done in their lives.  Pastor Karau and his wife, the founders of Sanctuary of Hope, opened these homes to give children from the Mathare Valley slum a safe home, an education, and a family.

So now, two years later, I still can't get that picture of those children out of my head.  I've been trying to think of how to respond and I've finally decided.  Introducing...

I'm putting together a craft fair called "Crafting Hope" to benefit Sanctuary of Hope!  I am so excited about it...and nervous.  I've never put together anything like this before and am so grateful that my good friends Kassily and Liz have agreed to help me out!  So here's the plan:

Open Crafting and Donation Day

Friday, July 18th 9am - 7pm

Hope Evangelical Free Church

On this day, people can come to the church and make crafts to donate to the sale on Saturday.  We are working on getting some craft items donated, but participants should bring their own crafting supplies.  If you cannot make the open crafting time but want to donate an item to be sold on Saturday, this is the time you can drop it off.  

Crafting Hope Craft Fair

Saturday, July 19th 9:30am - 3:30pm

Hope Evangelical Free Church

All donated craft items will be sold on Saturday and all proceeds will go to Sanctuary of Hope.

I am so excited about this event and cannot wait to see how it plays out!  If you are interested in helping out in any way (advertising the event, donating crafted items, etc.) please let me know.  And above all, please pray for this event!

Nearing the End

3 days.  That is all I have left in my first year of teaching.  It amazes me every time I think about it.  Items are coming off the wall, desks and cupboards are being cleaned out, and the natives are growing restless.  Today was board game day in our classroom and tomorrow we have a busy day with the Talent Show and Movie & Popcorn Day.  I've been trying to think of a few special things to do for my students as the year ends.  I went to Pinterest (as always) and came up with these gems!

Today I put all my students' names in a hat and had every student choose one name.  Then they had to create an award for that person.

They turned out pretty cute!  And some of them got more creative than others with the award names.  On Wednesday we will roll out the red carpet (also know as the red butcher paper) and have them walk down to receive their awards!

Throughout the past week and a half I have been doing this little activity with the kids. To start out I wrote every child's name at the top of a paper and placed it at their desk.  Then the kids rotated through to write 1-3 words that described that child.  Positive words, I reminded them. Throughout the past few days I put the background up on my Promethean Board, have a child sit in the chair, and write the traits from the paper before taking a picture.

I love how they turned out!  Although the board makes it a little bit fuzzy.  I might just use the whiteboard or chalkboard next year.  I printed them at Walgreens (which has a 40% deal on prints right now!) and pasted them onto a blue piece of paper big enough for a 1" border.  The front has our school's name at the top and 2013-2014 on the bottom.  On the back I wrote "In the eyes of Room 44 I am..." in purple marker.  Tomorrow I will add the compliments onto the back so they can see what everyone said!  I think they'll be a cute little keepsake as well as a great confidence booster as they end the year.

Lesson Plan Books and Forts

Well, it's 8 school days until the end of the school year and the husband is out for a boys' night.  As much as I enjoy time with him, I try to enjoy time when I get to relax at home by myself.  Tonight, that means building myself a fort to sit in while I watch Criminal Minds, blog, and *possibly* do school work.  I am addicted to crime shows!

Today I wanted to show you my latest creation!  I wrote last time to share about how I'm trying to focus on my time with the kiddos I have and not channel all my energy into preparing for next year.  It's been a struggle, but I'm getting better.  I don't want to miss any time with my students this year.  However, I do want to come back prepared in August so that the beginning of the year can be a million time less stressful!  Remember that first year?  Walking into an empty classroom with about one sixteenth the supplies you need and NO idea what you're doing?  Yeah.  Been there, done that.  And I am so glad that I know a bit more about what I am doing!  (Notice I didn't say I know everything!  I'm still a work in progress.)

In preparation for next year, I was looking at lesson plans online.  I've had difficulty finding anything I really like, and my lesson plans this year were a pain!  They tore out of the binder, and I typed them on my computer which seemed like a good plan but ended up being double the work because I wrote them up first!  I kept looking at different lesson plans and decided to take all the aspects I liked to create my own!  Then I looked at lesson plan books that had a variety of sections and came up with this beauty!

The front of my book!

 

I decided not to put specific times in my lesson plan book.  It just took up lots of space and made them more difficult to alter.  This way I just have the specific subjects!  I'll put a schedule at the front of my lesson plan book, but it might change depending on the day.

I created a calendar section as well.  This year my calendar was separate from my lesson plans and I kept losing it!  Having it all in one place will *hopefully* help me keep everything together.

 

Okay, I know this will show my OCD side... but I color coded my gradebook pages.  I was WAY more excited about this than I should have been.  It gave me such joy to see those pages matching!

Since we do reading and math tests three times a year (DRA for reading, Math ADDvantage for math) I made a records sheet for the gradebook section.  This way I won't lose that sheet when it falls out of my binder!  All my grade pages look the same, but have a different heading and a different color depending on the grading term.  My gradebook was VERY sad this year, so I'm excited to change it up this semester.

Lastly, I created a meeting notes section at the end.  This way I can keep track of everything we discuss at staff meetings, PLCs, and Goal Teams.  PLUS, I have my calendar in the same book, which means I can easily add events while I'm at meetings!  I also put a page in the back to keep track of my Professional Development and training as well.  Since I'm a new teacher, I have to do a lot of these and will have to turn in documentation.  That page will let me keep track of the date, training, and where the certificate is stored.  I took the section title pages and laminated them, then bound them with a comb binding at my school.  This will let me easily add things if I realized I forgot them.  

Well that's it!  I am SO excited about this lesson plan book and can't wait to try it out next year!  My next project is a Sub Tub so that I don't keep typing up and losing all those papers.  It will hold a binder with important information, 2 emergency sub plans in case I have to call in unexpectedly, and extra activities just in case.  The nice thing about being a new teacher is I don't have much so it makes organizing everything for next year much easier!  

I hope you all are having a happy end of the year!  

I Have a Confession...

My mind is completely, 120% in summer mode.  It is taking everything I have in me to peel myself out of bed, put on clothes, and go to school.  Is anyone else with me?  Then when you add all the testing, final concepts I need to teach, paperwork to fill out, final IEP meetings... it all seems to be piling up as the days go on!  The end of the year is becoming a massive monster that's towering over me and casting a shadow on every day.

With all that stress, exhaustion, testing, and paperwork I find myself continually counting down.  "Only 3 more weeks!"  Just ask me any day, and I can tell you how many school days left. *It's 15 and a half.*  Whenever my kids start to get on my nerves I find myself thinking, "I can't wait to finish this year and move on to the next!"  And from talking to the other teachers, this seems to be a theme as the end of the year draws closer.

A few days ago I was listening to the radio and heard something that was definitely meant for me.  A teacher called in to the station and said that a friend called her out on this attitude that she had been experiencing.  When she posted the number of school days left on Facebook, a friend commented and reminded her that her 25 days until freedom were also the only days she had left to minister to her students.  Wow!  Talk about a shot to the heart.  Isn't that one of the main reasons we become teachers?  To change lives and make an impact?

Now don't get me wrong, I am still looking forward to summer.  Lord knows I need it after this crazy, stressful year.  And there are a million things I want to do differently next year.  But what would the rest of my year look like if I adjusted my attitude to cherish every single second (yes, the good and the bad) with my students?  What could I do with those 15 days I have left?  

Throughout my first year of teaching I have found it is easy to constantly look ahead.  From next week to next year, we are always planning for the future.  I need to constantly remind myself to not let my planning make me miss the opportunities I have today.  So my challenge to myself (and my fellow teachers) is to spend a little time every morning asking God to change our attitude so that we look at our day as a chance to be His hands and feet.  And hopefully I can enter next year with this attitude.  If I do, I think next year will look very different.

Date Nights!!

Happy Monday!  I am so glad the first day of the week is over.  This is the only day of the week I don't have a pull-out so the day always seems to go on forever!  Doesn't it seem you NEVER get as much done as you think you can?  I planned to stay at work a little late to get some work done, and the next thing I knew someone had stopped by to chat and I was leaving school at 5:30 with half the amount accomplished I wanted to get done.  But that is life.  We get up, we work, then we do it all over again the next day.  It's a crazy circle.

I thought I'd share a little something with you that I made a few months ago.  Sean's birthday was approaching and I was searching high and low for an idea.  When I turned to my trusty friend Pinterest, I found the idea for a Date Night box.  I knew I had hit the jackpot!  Sean and I try to make sure we have date nights, but many times we end up simply staying at home and watching a movie or favorite show.  Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love our nights in and impromptu plans.  But I thought I could mix it up a bit and plan some unique nights for us.

Introducing the Date Box!  Inside the box are 12 envelopes, each with a pre-planned and pre-paid date night.

The first explained what the box was and how it all would work.  At the beginning of each month we get to open up the envelope and see what's in store.  It's so much fun!  So far we've had a Harry Potter movie night and this past weekend we made a fort and watched Lord of the Rings while planning our London trip this summer.  So far it's been a success!  It's lots of fun waiting to open the envelopes, and I've already forgotten which date is in each month so it's a surprise for me too!

To shift gears for a quick moment, I've been thinking a lot lately about an orphanage I got to visit in Kenya.  Several things have been bringing the experience to my mind, and I've been feeling God leading me to do something about that experience.  Later this week I'll be writing about something I'm going to be planning for this summer.  For now, please pray for me!

Delicious Desserts and Seussical Support

I made the most delicious dessert on Sunday!  Really.  It was delicious.  Lick your plate delicious.  What was it you ask?  Mini Pear Pies with ice cream and caramel.  I found this recipe on Pinterest that made the pear pies with blue cheese and walnuts.  I altered it by taking out the cheese, adding caramel, and substituting toasted almonds for the walnuts.  And voila!  This is what we got:

As I said, it was delicious and deceptively easy. 


This week our 3rd-5th graders are beginning testing.  I am SO glad my poor little children don't have to deal with this.  At our school the administration assigned each lower grade class a buddy class to encourage during the testing period.  On the first day of the week we decorate their door and deliver letters from our class to encourage the kids.  Then we deliver candy for the kid each day.  I don't have to decorate my buddy's door until next week, but I wanted to get it ready tonight so it's one less thing to deal with next week.  I was racking my brain for an idea and decided to draw inspiration from our Dr. Seuss week.

It turned out so cute!  And I love the trufulla trees and the color they add.  My kids are going to write notes and we'll attach them to the door the first day.  Yay for Dr. Seuss!

It's Been Awhile...

It's been awhile since my last post!  Ok... more than awhile... but this girl has been busy!  With a new job teaching, moving, and being newly married I haven't had much time to blog.  Or exercise, but that's another matter.  So today, I have a special treat!  In celebration of having all my observations done and being (almost) finished with conferences, I decided to take some time and show off my room.

It has hit that point in the year where we're all feeling DONE.  The kids are feeling it.  I'm feeling it.  Even Paka is feeling it!  As much as I hate to admit it, we still have another 2 and a half months of school left.  So I decided I needed some change.  The way my room was set up was not working.  Our library was growing and we didn't have it very neatly organized.  I've been wanting to create a reading area for awhile, and when my Promethean Board was threatening to not work last week I realized I had NO empty board space if it ever decided to die on me.  So I took advantage of my free time during conferences to change up my room and I am so excited about it!

 

I forgot to take a before picture!  Here is my classroom mid-move. 

My library was in that bookshelf by the door and was always a MESS!  Kids would stack books on top of the others instead of putting them in sideways.  They were falling out all the time.

So I completely moved everything around.  Library went to the back of the room, desk to the front.  And voila!  Here's my new desk area and library/reading area!  A parent came in today, saw what I was doing and said, "We have a beanbag that would perfect for that area!"  Yay for supportive parents that love to help me build my room!

Library/Book Area

Teacher's Desk Area

Labels

 I put labels on my bins to help my kids know where to put everything back.  They have color dots that will match the ones I put on the front of the books.  I know, I know... wishful thinking to hope they will put everything back perfectly.  But a girl can try!

Small Group Area

I also moved my small group table to the middle of the window.  I put a bookshelf with my manipulatives behind it so I have easy access when doing math small groups.  Moving my room around made it look a lot more open and makes me feel like I have a fresh start!  Now tomorrow it's time to buckle down and plan the next few units.  Have a happy Friday everyone!