oh, happy day.

It is a happy day because I have two KILLER recipes to share! We are so excited we are finding good, healthy, and affordable ones. So excited, I MUST share!!

Grilled Flank Steak with Fresh Mango Salsa



1 teaspoon garam masala (I couldn''t find this at HEB, so we made our own http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/easy-garam-masala/Detail.aspx)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) flank steak
1 cup diced peeled fresh mango (about 1)
1/4 cup diced seeded cucumber
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
Dash of salt
Cooking spray

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine first 4 ingredients; rub evenly over both sides of steak. Let steak stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Combine mango and next 5 ingredients (through dash of salt); cover and chill.

Lightly coat both sides of steak with cooking spray. Place steak on grill rack; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness (I'm a fan of well-done. My husband hates that). Remove steak from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with salsa.

Let me just say...DELICIOUS. I never knew I thought I would be a fan of veggie-fruit salad combos like this (see NEXT recipe too!), but I am a total sucker now. We also used grilled Naan bread and brushed some EVOO and minced garlic on it. So easy. So delsh.

Numero dos.

Chili-Rubbed Pork Kebabs with Pineapple Salsa.



1 pineapple, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 6-ounce boneless pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes

Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the pineapple slices (I should write an ode to our fab grill pan) for 2 minutes per side. Cut into a small dice, discarding the pieces of core.

In a bowl, combine the pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.

Combine the chili powder and the remaining teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Add the pork and the remaining tablespoon of oil and toss to coat.

Thread the pork onto four 12-inch skewers. Grill the kebabs, turning every 2 minutes, until cooked through, about 15 minutes total.

Serve the kebabs alongside the pineapple salsa. Again with the fruit/veg salsa. Pineapple and jalapeno? 1 year ago I would throw up in my mouth thinking about the two together. Now my mouth waters. You've GOT to try this!

Love.

chocolate cherry walnut bread and shrimp and grilled corn salad with manchego-black pepper breadsticks.

Can't wait. Must start with recipes.

Chocolate Cherry Walnut Bread (thanks, Real Simple!)



3 cups all-purpose flour (half white, half wheat)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda (make sure this is fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into thin slices
grated rind from 1 orange (don't despair, this MAKES the bread!)
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a fabulous KitchenAid mixer, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the orange rind, cherries, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Stir in the milk, eggs, and vanilla until well blended.

Pour into pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack.

After this beauty came out of the oven, I decided it was finally time to clean the house. I can't complain. I can vacuum the entire house without unplugging the vacuum. Hello heaven. There are just those days when you just HAVE to clean something. It's good for your soul. This weekend held none of those days. This task was a daunting one on my To-Do list and saved for the very last - when the excuses ran out. I felt so silly cleaning because my heart was so ungrateful for this great house, hair-shedding puppy, and cleanly husband who, after mowing the yard, came in to help me. Gutted. (That's what they say in New Zealand when they mean, well I don't know exactly what the American equivalent would be. It just fits at the end of that sentence.)

November Half Marathon. I ran for the first time in like 3 weeks on Sunday evening. It brought me back to the one month deadline before my very first one in which a heated moment I decided to sign up. Sidenote: Colin and I were not dating at this point. My freshman year roommate brought it up when we were at dinner with a group of friends and Colin immediately challenged me and signed up the next day. So brought a sweet second beginning to our new relationship and 13.1 mile runs. Did you know that we cannot play on opposing basketball teams? Although my husband has yet to beat me in a game of street ball, he can kick my butt at pretty much anything else. We are so competitive. Sometimes it's dangerous.

It was actually cold this morning. My husband only laughed when my teeth wouldn't stop chattering when I stepped outside to leave this morning. I am such a "coldie" though. I always have a jacket. I even tested my heater on the way to work. It works very well FYI.

Recipe numero dos.

[[Shrimp]] and Grilled Corn Salad with Manchego-Black Pepper Breadsticks. (thanks, Cooking Light)



[[shrimp]] is written like [[shrimp]] because it was supposed to be crab. I guess ignorance is bliss because the recipe looked great up until we saw the $24 price tag on the lump crab meat. HEB brand. Negative. Shrimp started to look fabulous. Especially since I have a husband that can devein and peel them.

6 ears shucked corn (we also grilled ours for extra flavor)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 lb. shrimp
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
12 Boston lettuce leaves

Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Place corn in pan; cook 8 minutes or until slightly charred, turning frequently. Cool slightly. Cut kernels from ears of corn; place in a large bowl. Add celery and next 4 ingredients (through shrimp) to corn; toss gently to combine.

Combine lime juice, mayonnaise, black pepper, salt, and ground red pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour dressing over crab mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve salad over lettuce leaves.

Manchego-Black Pepper Breadsticks (easy, peasy)

Preheat oven to 375. Separate 11 oz can refrigerated breadstick dough to form 12 dough pieces. Twist each dough piece and press ends down on a ungreased baking sheet. Combine 1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese and 1 tsp cracked pepper. Gently press cheese mixture onto tops of breadsticks. Bake at 375 for 13 minutes or until breadsticks are browned.

It even look delicious to Onesie. He had a hard time stopping his sniffer.



My husband made this all by himself. It was waiting for me when I got home. In love.

rainy day and BBQ chicken pizza.

I love Saturdays. Rainy ones are even better. Jackpot!

We got to "sleep in".....well, past normal weekly waking hours which are usually 4:45am if we decide to shoot for a run.

One of my kids and I's butterflies hatched. I can't remember if it was Lele or RJ (named by 3rd graders, can't you tell?)



Colin and I had lunch and graded papers at The Village Cafe. No brainer. Spelling tests and Ocean Engineering papers. Oh, and someone came by who was looking for inspiration for a poem and was asking people what they would do if they had one minute to live. My husband said that he would kiss his wife and then Tweet about it. Naturally, I said I would kiss my husband back. And then read his Tweet.

It started pouring so we came home to Onesie and sat on the back porch. One refused to go out in the rain (despite his LOVE for water), our lime tree bore 2 limes, and we went for a family walk in the rain.









We topped the night off with semi-homemade BBQ chicken pizza. We had the help of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free pizza crust and added some cooked chicken, red onions, jalapenos, cheese, and green onions and followed the directions on the back. I'll let you read them should you choose to use this crust. It's a great alternative to regular pizza crust and doesn't hurt my tummy. Did you know Lance Armstrong doesn't eat gluten? By choice? I thought that was interesting (fun fact from my husband).



Stay dry.

ode to faja.

Happy birthday to my Dad!

Although this picture describes us pretty well....


((italy 2009))

THIS one does even better.



To the man who taught me that it was okay for my food to touch, coffee snobbery is legit, letting your hair down is beautiful, savoring a glass of wine is priceless, that being "alone" doesn't mean being "lonely", finishing those last 5 miles of a marathon ("I'd do it for you, but you see, I can't run...") is something you'll remember forever, travelling the world opens so many doors, and that loving people and loving the Lord is what life is all about...

Thank you.

<3 Daja

pork tenderloin stir fry with bok choy, tangerines, and chili sauce.

Hands down all time favorite meal of all time. If you decide to make one of our humble meals, THIS is it. And it's so affordable. We use half of the pork tenderloin, throw the rest in the freezer, and use it again for the same meal in 2 weeks-ish. (Or the next week if my husband will let me...)

Pork Tenderloin Stir-Fry with Bok Choy, Tangerines, and Chili Sauce. (Thanks, Epicurious.)



**Traditionally, we don't serve tortillas with this dish, but it was a little spicy (see note about Sriracha sauce later), so Col decided to add tortillas to his plate.**

1 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 small peeled tangerines or clementines, cut (with peel) into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (look in the Asian foods section)
6 baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick ribbons, tough bases discarded
5 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal, divided
A few squirts of Sriracha sauce (this stuff is LETHAL. but delish.)

Place pork tenderloin strips in medium bowl; sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss with cornstarch to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger; stir 30 seconds. Add pork tenderloin strips; stir-fry until pork is beginning to brown and is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and Chinese five-spice powder; boil until sauce in skillet thickens slightly, tossing to blend, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, bok choy, a few squirts of Sriracha sauce, and half of sliced green onions. Add tangerine pieces; toss 30 seconds. Stir-fry just until bok choy is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with remaining sliced green onions and serve.

For a little chuckle:

1. My kids are doing the "Cupid Shuffle" in front of the whole school during our Friday morning assembly. We have had to practice appropriate dance moves in class.

2. "Mrs. Dismuke, you look like you're the age of my uncle. He's like 43, I think..."

3. "Mrs. D, your face is red (I just had a coughing spell). Just like when [[insert a boy in my class with a temper's name here]] gets mad."

TGI(almost)F.

twofer.

Happy hump day, all. I have two of my absolute favorite recipes to share tonight and some random tidbits as usual. So, like last Wednesday, I'll start off with recipe #1, have an intermission, and finish with recipe #2. Like in all good elementary school lessons, a clear beginning, middle, and end. Allow us to begin.

Pan Seared Salmon on Baby Arugula (thank you Epicurious)



2 center-cut salmon fillets (6 oz. each)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:
3 cups baby arugula leaves
2/3 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly slivered red onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red-wine vinegar

Place the salmon fillets in a shallow bowl. Toss well with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Cook the salmon, skinside down in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan and carefully lifting the salmon with a spatula to loosen it from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook until the salmon is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. The skin should be crisp and the flesh medium rare. Annnnddd at this point, I let it go a little longer. I like my salmon (and meat) to be cooked all of the way. And my husband hates it. Your pref.

Meanwhile, combine the arugula, tomatoes and onion in a bowl. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil and vinegar. Toss well. Delish.

The simplicity of this recipe is what I really love about it. You taste the salmon, the arugula, the rice, the tomatoes, and the onions. Pure, unadulterated yumminess.

Intermission. This is the part during the Nutcracker Ballet that my Daddy would always sneak in Peanut M&Ms because I would starve during the second half. The closest thing I have is a piece of gum and Law and Order SVU. That'll do.

I have realized lately how refining marriage is. And when I step aside and see it for what the Lord exactly intended it to be, I am so thankful. In the midst of my husband gently calling me out on something, or the Lord using him to show me things, I, like many "children" I so joyfully see daily, rebel. They back away, they get awkward, and they get defiant. Refinement is not an overnight thing. It takes time, fire, patience, and willingness. However, when you are looking into the spousal mirror that is my husband, the discouragement doesn't last long. I want to be a better person. I want the diligence to work hard at things. He makes me love my Savior more. My husband is such a servant. Not only is he absolute and utter brilliant engineer in graduate school, he loves on me with such fervor. I have lunches made, breakfast served, laundry done, vet visits taken care of, dinner prepared, dishes done, and almost anything else he sees that needs to be done. He astounds me.

It is comical to see how the Lord puts 2 people together. I have become so thankful for the BIG reasons, but lately the little things have just made me smile to myself. Like how I suck with directions. Like big time. My kids know North, South, East, and West better than I do. They can tell me where to go. The streets to travel on to get to their house. Me? No way. Google maps app or I'm toast. And if a road is closed. Forget it, I'll call my husband and have him translate for me. Or how before I met Colin I thought that when you put Cruise Control on you didn't use any gas. Marriage is a whole new world, people.

Back to the kitchen. Thank you, Cooking Light.

Pepper Jack, Chicken, and Peach Quesadillas. (okay, so the presentation isn't that great, but it's about taste)



1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
1 cup chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cooking spray


Combine honey and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir sour cream into honey mixture; cover and chill until ready to serve. (This stuff is to DIE for. I could eat it by the bowl like yogurt. Just wait and see.)

Heat up your grill pan. (Come on, I know you've already bought one....) Cook your chicken breasts. (You could also buy the pre-cooked rotisserie chickens, but they aren't nearly as good as fresh, organic ones....)



Place tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup peaches, and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Fold tortillas in half.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan, and top quesadillas with a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned (leave cast-iron skillet on quesadillas as they cook). Remove quesadillas from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with sauce.

If you cook one recipe so far, cook this one. Hands down it'll make you fall in love with me.

xoxo

the pink medicine. and stir-fry chicken salad.

Oh, the weekend. Unfortunately, I spent most of the weekend being sick. Hence the lack of pretty pictures of meals and recipes. Fortunately, it was quite the adventure. And I realized all over again how thankful I am for my husband. It brought me back to the gold ol' days (well, um, 3 months ago) of having a bladder infection on our honeymoon. But that's an entirely different story. Moving on.



[[start drooling. recipe coming soon.]]

I used to enjoy being "sick" growing up. I was/still am very healthy, but when I was little and would catch the school bug or whatever came around, I coveted the times that I would get my own drink at a restaurant. My parents would usually let my sister, Caitlin, and I share a soft drink, but I got to drink that whole thing myself at the sight of a cough or sniffly nose. With 4 kids, I know that my parents eventually had to give up with quarantining one of us at a time. I mean, we WERE taught to share everything.

Another thing I always looked forward to when being sick was the delicious pink, bubble gum-tasting medicine that even I, yes I, would fake an ear infection for. However, I think I had maybe 3 infections growing up. My sister had like 7 a year. Jealous. I could drink that stuff by the bottle. If only I would have been able to get past that child-proof cap. I tried explaining this obsession to my husband at one point and he remembered hating that stuff. He was never sick enough to have medicine. He is a carrier for all things sickly. Since I've known him, I don't think he has ever been sick. I mean it. He is superman. Fingers crossed our kids will get THAT gene. And the one for his great legs. I'm good with that.

McDonalds. Well, THAT is a place I haven't frequented in 9 years. Yes, count them. NINE. Personal preference. My body just can't handle fast food and expect to pump out long mileage on the pavement. Not that I've been running for the past month. Anyways, in the deliriousness of my fever starting into Pneumonia this weekend, all I wanted to eat was McDonalds. My husband said I was so adamant, he didn't even question me. Apparently, every American (spelling word this week) needs their McD's. So we pulled up to the drive-through (which I think is spelled, "drive-thru".....like I didn't even get my butt out of the car to at least WALK and get this food), and Colin ordered me a Quarter Pounder with cheese, fries, and a Dr. Pepper. Yes, a regular Dr. Pepper. Yes, bread and all on the burger. Yes, the greasier the fries the better. You can go ahead and tape those straight to my thighs. Please and thank you. It was all gone in a matter of 4 minutes. Which totaled out to be about 1,000 calories (good thing they have the "nutritional content" posted on the sides of everything now). Which totaled out to be 250 calories a minute. Kill me. Literally. I watched "Supersize Me" people, I am not ignorant of the consequences of my actions. I clearly reaped the benefits later. And those we will not explore into further detail.

Speaking of not running and eating less than wonderful lately, the Lord has really shown me my insecurities and dependence on running or being physically active. Let's be honest, I love running. There is something so therapeutic about hitting the pavement in the cool dark air at 4:45am before heading off to school. It gets my mind going, heart still, and body physically warmed up for a day where sitting down is like the heavens opening up. Anyways, Psalm 73:26 has just been resonating in my mind over the past month.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

The second part has been so close to my heart. He is my portion. And He is more than enough. In all circumstances, in all trials, in all victories. He is it. I have been so discouraged (and selfish) lately about not having that time in the morning to get out and go. To be honest, even walking at night with Colin and One has been a struggle since the coughing and aching really set in. The Lord is so close, though, and is so sovereign. I am so thankful for the "new song" (Psalm 40:3) that He has put in my heart since school has started. I have a whole new job, 19 little ones to love on, a puppy to take care of, and a husband to love. How blessed I am. Physically this past month has been tough, but He is so faithful in remaining our strength and portion.

Even though I was under the weather, we still met Chuck and Alicia to take some maternity shots. Alicia and I worked together for the past few years during the summers when I would come home from school, and we became friends. I was so excited when she told us that she was expecting and that she and her husband would love to have us take some pictures of this sweet time in their lives. Here are a few of our favorites.








Well, this week for dinner, we have some of our favorite meals that we have discovered since being married. Tonight's meal was the Stir-Fry Chicken Salad. Delish. So healthy.


Stir-Fry Chicken Salad (thanks, Cooking Light)

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon bottled chopped garlic (this stuff is a LIFESAVER!!)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
Lime wedges


Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to broth mixture, stirring to coat. Let stand 3 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to the pan; cook 4 minutes or until done, stirring frequently. Stir in the reserved marinade. Reduce heat; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat.

Combine greens in a large bowl. Add chicken mixture, tossing to coat. Place 1 1/4 cups salad mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts. Serve immediately.

I squeeze lots of lime on top of my salad to serve as the "dressing". It has a very light and fresh flavor with the organic greens and I don't like my salad drenched in dressing. However, Colin likes more of a "dressing", so Newman's Own makes a Light Lime Vinaigrette which preserves the limey flavor, but is more of a "dressing". Totally your pref.

Enjoy.

oatmeal pancakes.

Although these little monsters look like turkey burger patties, they are absolutely DELICIOUS. And healthy. But mostly delicious. Thank you, Cooking Light, and my sweet husband's inspiration for this recipe.



Oatmeal Pancakes. NOT turkey burger patties.
(we TRIPLED this recipe for our guest list tonight)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (we used wheat flour)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 Tbsp butter, melted (which we did in the stove because we so have a microwave, so what?)
1 large (brown) egg (personal pref)
cooking spray

(and you shouldn't even have to ask if I added flax seed or chopped pecans. because the answer is DUH.)

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine buttermilk, butter, and egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Heat a nonstick griddle (we used a cast iron skilled. Love.) over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon however much pancake batter you want (there is just no eloquent way of putting a measurement) for your pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles; cook until bottoms are lightly browned.

This recipe makes 4 pancakes. I ate 2.

Oh, and we made bacon and sliced up some peaches. You don't see bacon in the picture because I don't like bacon. You do see paper plates and plastic cups because we had some company over (sister, brother, and one of my little ones), and it's a school night. No me gusta dishes.

Colin wanted Spoon's yogurt afterwards, so we went and picked some up. One was mesmerized. He LOVES ice cream. These pictures are priceless.

"Daddy, can I have some?"



"Mommy, can you make daddy give me some?!"



Oh, HAPPY DAY, look what came in the mail! Hello my pretty. Except I have no time to read you until this weekend. Sad. I might try to escape into the bathtub.



Selfishly, I covet your prayers for health right now. I am on week 4 of a brutal cold, and can't even shake it after a week of antibiotics. In fact, I feel much worse. My sweet little ones were FABULOUS today (best day yet), and are so considerate of my coughing spells and raspy voice. Even through feeling like gum on the bottom of a shoe, I cherish and am so thankful for those moments where I am seeing the faint light at the "end" of the tunnel. They are learning so much and blow me away everyday with what they are capable. Just if they are given the tools and a chance.

My sister (Hannah) uses the phrase "Roots and Wings" a lot, and I have fallen in love with it. I pray everyday that I can give my kids roots - the tools to do everything that want to do, to show them the great things they are capable of, and to give them morals and "un-negotiables" (as we call them in our classroom) which reminds them to NEVER settle for anything less than they are worth. I also want to give them wings, to actually GO do those things. To let them have these responsibilities I am certain they are MORE than capable of having. It is good to see them soar on days like today. Taking initiatives, deeply caring about you and others, encouraging "the pack" to work as one (we got a GREEN card in lunch today, MAJOR!!).

I am a proud "Mama Lion" of 19.

double dipping.

So tonight, I'm double dipping. On account of Open House last night (1 parent showed up), I didn't get home until after 7. Which pushed dinnertime until close to 8:15, which totally threw my night off. Anywho, tonight is a "twofer". Last night AND tonight with some funny stories in between.

Numero uno. Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto.



2 tsp grated lemon rind
4 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tsp bottled, minced garlic (this stuff saves my LIFE since I abhor chopping garlic and the smell that lingers..)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 (1-inch) pieces yellow bell pepper
8 cherry tomatoes
1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut into 8-10 wedges
cooking spray
2 Tbsp plain low-fat yogurt (we usually use Greek yogurt for the texture)
2 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tbsp commercial pesto

Preheat broiler.

Combine rind, 1 Tbsp juice, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with bell pepper, tomatoes, chicken and onion. Thread veggies and chicken onto 4 metal skewers. Places skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray (or foil to avoid clean-up). Broil 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally.

Combine 1 tsp juice, yogurt, sour cream, and pesto. Serve sauce with kebabs.


Intermission:
I tell you, kids say the funniest things when you just spend time with them outside of "school". Like one of my students being an Uncle to another student in my class. Yeah, his brother is the other girl's daddy. It's not that I don't believe it is possible - few things shock me these days with my little ones - it's just, wow. The immature person I've had you sitting next to because I thought you were a positive influence on is your UNCLE.

Oh, I thought about getting my eyebrows waxed today. It is a fabulous little nail place that charges $6. Colin knows that if I could just have one "indulgence" a week, it would be getting my eyebrows waxed. However, the thought of anything molten being ripped off my tense, sore, fever-ridden face was not appealing to me. Erego, the bushy caterpillars above my eyes. Which one of my sweet, unashamed little girls pointed out to me today.


Bison Pita Burgers with Tahini Sauce and Tomato Cucumber Salad



Burgers:
1/4 cup red onion
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
16 oz. ground bison (it's really healthy and lean. and GOOD!!)
cooking spray
8 small green lettuce leaves
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, halved

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain 2% Greek-style yogurt
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste) -- I won't give you the recipe we used because it wasn't as "pasty" as expected.
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced (I use the bottled stuff. I'm a cheater. Fine.)

To prepare burgers, combine onion and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide portion, shaping each into a 1/3-inch-thick oval patty. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until well-marked and done. Arrange 1 lettuce leaf, 1 patty, and about 1 1/2 tsp sauce in each pita half.

For the tomato-cucumber salad: combine 2 cups thinly sliced cucumber and 1/4 tsp salt in a colander; let stand 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture. Combine cucumber, 2 cups thin tomato wedges, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, and 2 tsp EVOO.

To prepare sauce, make tahini paste (again, find your own recipe, ours wasn't the best) and combine the other ingredients. BAM!

Cookies and tea with friends, walking the pups, writing lesson plans, and taking a bath. Is it Friday yet?

maple-glazed salmon and tomato-dill brown rice

This recipe has made it into my cute little Anthropologie recipe book. Not only was it quick to prepare and cook (35 minutes because we used non-instant organic brown rice), it is GOOD. Enjoy.

Maple-Glazed Salmon

1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 lb. Alaskan salmon filets (I'm weird about seafood, so we get the Alaskan sockeye salmon even though it is a bit pricey)
Cooking spray
2 Tbsp. maple syrup

Preheat broiler (come on, how EASY is this?!).

Combine the first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over the flesh side of the fillets. Place fish on a broiler pan (or baking sheet) coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness (we went about 8)

Brush fillets evenly with syrup; broil 1 minute.


Tomato-Dill Brown Rice
(It originally calls for couscous and couscous is usually quicker, but it has a lot of wheat in it which bothers me, so we just use our beloved Central Market Organic Brown Rice. Delish.)

Oh yeah, we pretty much changed the entire recipe. Except for the dill and tomatoes.

Cook the rice as directed on the package. Substitute low-sodium chicken broth in for some of the water if you want a little something-something more. When the rice is done, add about a Tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 2 Tbsp of chopped dill, some Kosher salt, and pepper. Easy peasy.

I'm usually weird when it comes to dill - I HATE pickles and that sour-ey taste. However, the dill marries perfectly with the red onion and I LOVE it. I just can't explain it. You'll have to try it for yourself, I guess. And most of this stuff is all around your house anyways!

Here's how the wonderful meal turned out....



Time for dishes, a walk with One, finishing my glass of favorite New Zealand white wine, and a bath.

warm shrimp pasta salad and sauteed brussel sprouts and shallots.

Although I was often afraid of these green bushels growing up and only tried them as of last year, I have become a fan. If you cook them right (i.e. don't completely drench them in butter or bacon fat), they are fabulous and pack quite the nutritional punch.



Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sugar
3/4 lb. brussel sprouts, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add shallots; saute 3 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add sugar and brussel sprouts; saute 5 minutes or until brown, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt (we use Kosher salt for the flavor) and pepper; toss.

Warm Shrimp Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
cooking spray
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (this totally grosses me out, so Colin does this, but if you don't have a "Colin", you can buy them already deveined..)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup minced red onion

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Combine juice, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skilled over medium high heat (we don't have a nonstick skillet, so we used olive oil). Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until well done. Stir in spinach, cannellini beans, red onion, toss to combine. Add the pasta and juice mixture to shrimp mixture; toss.

I am not a HUGE fan of mustard or pasta (but Colin is), but if you really don't like mustard, I would stay away from this dish. The dijon mustard is wonderful with the shrimp and a great alternative to the mayonaise-y pasta salad that you grew up with. We enjoyed this dish and had quite a bit leftover, but it did not make it to our favorites list.


(This was Colin's plate!! haha)

Goodluck.

real simple.

Well, it has been quite the time since I have had the time to sit down and blog, but this Sunday afternoon brings in the smells of a freshly clean house, homemade bread, grilled chicken for my salads for the week, and a clean puppy - some of the things that usually nag at my free time. The lists are slowly (and thankfully) dwindling, whilst still remaining. In fact, one of my "lists" is the one on my iPhone - telling me what I'm going to blog about. What I couldn't do without that thing.

These first three weeks of school have brought on many new challenges in the classroom and out of it. I am learning how to be a teacher. One that is tough, expects much, but one that also "does life" with her students. That, I believe is why my sweet 3rd graders will work for me. I sit cross cross apple sauce on the floor with them taking turns asking about their weekends, share my small anxieties about our puppy or how I still can't tell you what 7+5 is right off the bat, and how I am still learning with them.

I am learning even more of what it looks like to be a wife - faithfully loving and taking care of my sweet husband, who is doing most of the "taking care of" these days, and a child of the Most High - savoring the time that I have with Him and learning what being diligent and cautious of where my time goes really looks like. Some of the times I cherish most are the times that seem the most mundane - those in which at first you wouldn't give thought to worshipping or waiting. When I am alone in a dark bathroom taking a bath just listening and waiting for Him, or when I am passing out warm-ups first thing in the morning waiting for my little ones and I can just have the music on my iHome praying over each of their spots - for the words to say when they want to fight, for the energy to learn and retain the information, for the Band-Aids that need to cover their hurts.

I love my job. Not a day goes by that I don't leave feeling humbled and brokenly thankful. I learned what having "shoes that talk" meant this last week as a boy opened up about how he felt being teased about his "shoes talking". "You know, Mrs. D.," he said, "like when your shoes come apart so your toes show and you're so poor you can't get new ones yet? That's what I'm sayin' when your shoes be talking."

I frequently bring this "job" home with me. While I do bring pocketfuls of beads home with me (I use a bead reward system which rocks), to which I usually discover as they spill all over the floor when I change clothes, I bring papers to grade, phone numbers of parents to call, and a list of things to gather from home for the next day, I usually bring so much more than just the physical things. And I thank the Lord every time I pull in the driveway that I have a husband whose loving arms I can run to and just remain - without words, until things seem to sort themselves out. How Colin can hear my struggles, my frustrations, my burdens and still love me, love my kids, and want to help. Oh, and we are both grading papers these days. Colin is grading for an Ocean Engineering class, and I'm grading spelling tests. Oh the irony....

My dad used to tell me that there is no such thing as having a 50%-50% marriage. That those will fail. Unless you are willing to go 100%-100%, forget about it. There are times when you can't bring 50% to the table, when you can't even bring 20. So always bring your best to your spouse. There will be times they are so broken, busy, and finding their way, and if you aren't "bringing it" (as I tell my kids), you won't make it. So to our sweet married couples: Bring it. 100%.

Now for the lighter side of my blog (and THIS is where my list starts). I'm keeping it short and sweet people, I have dinner to cook. Speaking of cooking. Check out our kitchen. Now, the green paint on the walls is not our first choice, but we are renting and are making do. What you can't see is the extreme lack of cabinet space, to which you will notice our pans hanging from hooks on the wall. My husband is ingenious.



One was excited I was taking pictures. Clearly.



And apparently since Lean Cuisine's are outlawed once you get married, we have this nifty meal planner (I am so OCD organizational sometimes) that lets us plan out our dinners. Oh, and it's dry-erase just in case plans change. Which they do. My goal this week is to photograph our meals and give the recipes on the blog. We are going for inexpensive, healthy, semi-quick meals, which I think pertains to most of the population. So, you will at least have 5 new recipes. Unless you cheat and read Cooking Light. Which in that case, BYE.

NOTE: This was our menu LAST week. I'll be posting the updated one tomorrow. The lighting was bad for picture taking in the kitchen and I couldn't wait to post.



Annnnddd we have a nifty way of keeping track of our recipes. Dang, I just LOVE our Scrabble magnets. Make you some. They are easy, cheap, and cute!



Oh, and Sundays are sweet too. Literally. My other goal is to bake something new every Sunday. Not only will my husband stay with me (kidding, Colin), it will help my become more bake-y. More pastry chef-ey. I love cooking, but am so not skilled in the baking department. Anyways, we had this bizarre bunch of bananas that stayed green for like 6 days and then started to have brown spots. Like passed yellow and collected $200 without us even knowing. I kept those and some of our other old ones, intrigued at what the issue was and decided to make banana bread. The last banana bread was meeehhhhh, but what do you know.....it just so happens REAL SIMPLE sent me an emailed recipe for Banana Bread with Apricots, so we put our two culinary brains together and came up with this beauty!



Banana Pecan Apricot Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour (I used half white, half wheat to appease my original taste-loving husband while keeping him healthy)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup apricots, chopped (traditionally I wouldn't be jumping to bake with apricots, but Colin convinced my after trying some organic Turkish apricots at the grocery store. They were so sweet and when chopped up, were FABULOUS in the bread.)
2 large VERY RIPE bananas, peeled and mashed
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten

Head oven to 350. Lightly coat a 5x9" loaf pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using your fingertips (come on, it's fun), work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the pecans and apricots. And add some flax seed people. It is SO good for you and you don't even know it's there!! Stir in the bananas, buttermilk, and eggs until well blended.

Pour into pan. Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn onto wire rack and cool.

I'm telling you. Make this. Now. Thank me later.

Obsession. Alphabet wall. This might just be a teacher thing, but let the world know that our child WILL have one of these. Somewhere in our house. Thanks Ohdeedoh.



If you are in the Bryan-College Station area, get yourself over to The Village Cafe in Bryan. Colin has been talking about this place for the past 4 years we have been here, but I've recently fallen headfirst onto the "bandwagon" and love this place. 2 dates with friends in the past 2 weeks here. I think we pinky-promised each other we would start to come here every Saturday.



Second to last on the list. Mini-diaries. I'm all about short and efficient, and when I was going through the daily grind of my blogs I follow I found these! Not only are they so cute on the outside....



They are PRECIOUS on the inside. They let you just write short phrases of your "favorites" from the day. I'm all about this. And they are such a good price. She only has a few left so get on over to marta writes and get you some!!

http://minimart.bigcartel.com/product/mini-diary



And last, but not least. The best of the best quotes from my kids from this past week. (These are just the ones I actually remembered and had time to write down!)

Every morning I pick my kids up at 7:30 in the gym. There were 3 girls finished eating breakfast when I got there and they all had some type of glitter/bling/sparkly-ness on their shirts, so I commented them. Duh.
"Girls, I love all of your sparkles today!"
At the same time I said that, one of my boys came up next to me and heard me say that.
"Mrs. D, I've got sparkles too!" (referring to the "bling" on his shirt)
Sure enough. He was correct.

We are starting to write personal narratives in class. I wanted the kids to brainstorm a list of 5 things they would like to write about and then circle three of those things to narrow it down. I gave a few examples: watching fireworks, taking my puppy to the park, getting married, getting a bad haircut, etc. As I was walking around I asked a little girl to read me hers. (Remember I teach 3rd grade....) Her first one was "getting a new boyfriend".

Since my classroom is jungle-themed, I frequently refer to us as being a pack. I remind them that the pack sticks together, and when we are strong together, no one will mess with us, especially Mama Lion (me). The kids love that, but apparently forgot our Pack Pact, as 5 of them got in a pretty escalated fight last week. I whistled for them to line up and get away from each other, but eventually had to run over and pull them away. As I was walking them back up to the building, I was telling the other kids to line up on our line. Out of breath and upset, a little girl reminded the others, "Ooooooooooo y'all best get in line. Mama Lion's face is turning red. I think she is about to growl." Indeed I did. After I turned around and laughed to myself.

Patiently.