I'm Pretty Sneaky - Black Bean Brownies

What can I say?

I've begun to earn the reputation at school of always adding some vegetable or another to baked goods. Zucchini bread; carrots to applesauce cake, etc. Well, this time, I made Black Bean Brownies!!

Let's be honest - who doesn't get so caught up on balancing life, work, family, chores that we make mistakes w/ our diet - or providing for our families in that arena. This way, you don't have to worry or feel guilty about missing some component. Making these this evening also followed on the tail end of a trying virus that had Syd eating almost nothing, so getting protein and roughage in him while he ate chocolate is worth it all!

The best part? My boys like them!!

1/2 can (of 16 oz cans) of black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
4 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp oil
vanilla
nuts - which I woefully left out - but here's hoping Syd continues to outgrow his allergy!

Blend it all (except the nuts) in a food processor and pour into a greased baking pan. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes. The top should be set and the edges should be starting to pull away from the sides of the dish.

Happy Veggie Baking! Let me know how your recipes turn out!

Two of My Favorite Things - Zucchini Fritters & Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

I've developed quite a friendship via Twitter with a seemingly random group. We are pediatricians, SAHMs, librarians, writers, and, I believe, a lawyer. One thing we all have in common, the ties that bind, are that we all have children of all age ranges, and we all love food - cultural, natural, tricking-the-kids-into-eating-veggies, cleaning-out-the-pantry food.

Smiles may be one universal language, but so is food, and my tweeps make me smile as well as indulge my love of food.

That being said, and in efforts to utilize more veggies in life, I promised them I'd share two recipes I have that I thought would be too difficult to type out in 140 characters, especially once I got all the twitter handles into the message.

The first I promised is for Zucchini Fritters. These lovelies are truly divine when they're fresh. I thought they got a little soggy after chilling, but I would recommend trying to reheat them in the oven to crisp them up again, if you have leftovers. The recipe is courtesy of a parenting magazine.

Prep Time: 15 minutes plus 2+ hours draining and chilling time

Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 lbs zucchini, cleaned & grated

2 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

2 large eggs, beaten

3 Tbs freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other hard Italian cheese

1 Tbs flour

1 Tbs fine breadcrumbs

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Olive Oil for frying

1. Put shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with sea salt. Then, place a plate and weight on top of the zucchini to press out excess water for 2+ hours (put colander in the sink)

2. Transfer zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove any remaining moisture. In medium bowl, mix the zucchini w/ the beaten eggs, cheese, flour, breadcrumbs, and pepper. (For gluten-intolerance, the flour and breadcrumbs can be substituted). Chill for 1 hour. (Mixture should be soft but not watery.)

3. Fill a deep skillet w/ 1 1/2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat until it sizzles. Add rounded spoonfuls of zucchini mixture, taking care not to crowd the pan (remember, adding the mixture cools the oil, so add slowly and carefully). Fry until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes, turning once halfway through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle while hot with sea salt. Repeat with the remaining zucchini mixture. Serve immediately.

SO YUMMY! I could easily have eaten the entire batch. I ate them plain, though I could easily see this  being dipped into a tzatziki or some other tangy dip.

The other recipe, a fantastic Veggie Spaghetti Sauce, I posted in May of 2011. The only notes I would like to add to this are that it definitely is too watery as it stands. I would recommend either reducing or eliminating the extra 2 cups of water at the end. It requires watching so it doesn't burn as it cooks down, but I think that would make a huge difference in the viscosity. My goals now are to try this w/ spaghetti squash and see how the boys like it. I did begin adding frozen spinach, and that added some interesting issues to the immersion blender - the fibers in the frozen were rather stringy and clogged the blade. I would like to keep the spinach, but I need to determine how to keep the fibers out - perhaps fresh spinach would be better. I also reduced the red pepper and celery and increased the leek, but the beauty of recipes is that they are meant to be tweaked to your own tastes. 

I hope this is helpful to anyone who stumbles upon this page. Happy cooking, all, and Hail to Veggies!

Bittersweet Weekend

 This weekend was long and bittersweet, for several reasons.

The Sweet:

We finally got a decent snow. My school system is desperate to get a minimum of 10 inclement weather days this year, or we are required by the state to start after Labor Day next year. Now, anyone who is familiar with the Murphy's Law knows that if we start after Labor Day next year, we will lose all our teacher work days and carry school into July because that is when we'll get our 10+ days. 

We were closed with Hurricane Sandy. And now with the remnants of Storm Iago. Apparently, this is a year for the 'named' weather.

That being said, the snow was welcome for 3 reasons: 

1. Simply put, it offered us a day at home.
2. It is much better timing than hitting this upcoming week (our first round of SoLs is the 30th). 
3. We're closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Thus, we have a 4-day weekend.

 Syd snoozes. He sure knows how to sleep hard! I only included this because, well, it's cute.

 We got out of school early on Thursday. I had just enough time to get to the grocery store and get home before the sleet started. By 3pm, it was snowing. Here, Syd and Daddy play in the snow after dinner. It is an excellent way to use of the last vestiges of energy! It also offered excellent Daddy-son time, as Steve had to go out of town the next day for the entire extended weekend for business.

What isn't shown above is that this was a beautiful, wet snow. This took me back to my days in Wisconsin when our lake-effect snow would come. It was perfect and wet and heavy and made the best snowmen. Knowing the area in which I live, I knew the packing ability would diminish by dawn, so in the half-light after dinner, we made Sydney's first snowman. The next morning, Syd and I went back to take pictures before the sun did its damage.

 Not bad! Mommy did most of the work on the base of the body, but Syd and Daddy helped with the middle ball and the head. Syd placed every piece of accessory himself.

The Bitter:

Unfortunately, while we were gearing up for the weekend and Daddy's business trip, I was awaiting news from my sister about Pop pop. He passed away Thursday. 

Yours was a beautiful life, Pop pop. You are loved, and you are missed. I only wish I could be there in person to give Grandma a huge hug and say goodbye to you.

In addition to all that was going on this weekend, Skye had been quite ill. 

Kitty Skye died on Saturday. 

This was difficult to handle solo because Syd was witness to everything that occurred with her.

Skye, you were a wonderful kitty. I still wait to hear your soft padding coming down the stairs and your squeak hello. I love you.

The Lesson:

Life, and all it entails - it's joys and sorrows, ebbs and flows. It brings to mind the song by The Byrds:

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!

It's Testing Season, Again

The Reading SoL is in less than 3 weeks. It isn't even mid-January yet.

The test is harder.

It is harder to pass.

We've only just begun to discover what the new test questions are like.

It's earlier in the year.

I'm a little frazzled. A bit concerned. A skoch worried. 

I, and my 11th grade cohorts, have restructured our entire curriculum this year in order to attempt to prepare our students. There is nothing more we can teach; now, we wait and see what sank in.

Forgive me my brevity. I've had a lot on my plate.

But the effulgent lining?

After January 30th, after the scores come back and students know whether they've passed or failed, after the weight is lifted...

...I have no idea what to do or how to do it because I've never had this much time to actually ENJOY teaching without the threat of stormy SoLs hanging over my head. I look forward to navigating these new waters and discovering hidden gems to which I've long since said 'adieu,' since they weren't aligned with the State of Virginia's Standards of Learning. This shall be fun.

Oh, and Mother Nature may then storm all she wants and I won't stress. At least, not over my juniors... My seniors still need to prepare for their AP Exam in May. But one worry at a time... :-)

Traditions - Established and Growing

Tradition! Tradition.

What is it about Tradition that helps make the holidays so special? Tevye sang of it in his opening sequence from Fiddler on the Roof. Obviously, there are the non-secular traditions many people follow. But what I'm more interested in is the secular ones. The personal ones. The ones you carry from your childhood and will (or are) passing down to your family.

From the time we found out we were pregnant to now, I've heard arguments on both sides regarding Santa. Both Steve and I grew up with Santa, and I remember fondly getting presents not only from Santa, but also from Rudolph, Mrs. Claus, and various elves. We've pondered the arguments against the use of Santa but find ourselves having a lot of fun with the concept. Syd isn't a huge fan of the "sitting on the lap" aspect, so instead, we've begun writing letters and mailing them. This is one concept has started several traditions for us:

1. The writing of the letter to Santa (this year, Mommy wrote the letter and Syd decorated it with his drawings) and the subsequent mailing of it in the Macy's mailbox, so we can also help the Make a Wish Foundation.
2. The special plate and mug that we only use one night a year, to set out snacks for Santa and his reindeer.
3. The use of completely separate wrapping paper to indicate which presents were from Santa and which were from Mommy and Daddy.
4. Of course, the reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas at bedtime after we put on our
5. Brand New Christmas Pajamas!! This isn't really Santa related, but it is so much fun! And this year's pajamas had Santa on them, so it fits.
6. An old German Tradition - Saint Nick. I grew up with Saint Nick. Prior to Syd coming along, Steve and I tried to use Saint Nick, but it was difficult to make it as special. Now, having a little one stumble upon a toy left out the night of December 7th and telling him Santa came to check and make sure he was being a good boy makes it so much more fun. As he gets older, we'll actually incorporate setting his shoes outside his bedroom door, as the tradition dictates (the small gift is left in his shoes, not under the tree, etc.).

The season is riddled with traditions. Some are born with having a child, some are thrust upon us, and some we deliberately begin. Other traditions that we follow this time of year are:

1. The dinner out and nighttime drive to the Elk's National Home to view their beautiful, extravagant holiday light display. This year, we incorporated doughnut holes after dinner. And we thankfully went during the week (last day of school!) so the crowd was far less than on the weekend. This simply means we got to drive through it twice without putting anyone else out.
2. Dinner and family time with PawPaw a few days before Christmas. The cousins had a fabulous time playing with each other and visiting was so nice.
3. Christmas Eve at Meemaw's house. The opposite side of the family is huge, and the Happy Chaos is necessary to make it feel like the holidays. Musical chairs are accidentally played, as anyone who gets up loses his or her seat. Food spills over off of every surface. And the sounds of  laughter are plenty and varied. It is one of those lovely occasions where you have to open the doors, regardless of temperature, to bring in fresh air because the sheer mass of bodies gets rather warm. 
4. A quiet morning at home with breakfast and opening our gifts, then lunch at Nanny's house and more gifts, more family, more visiting, more laughter, more. And subsequently, after we get home and Syd is in a holiday coma, he snoozes, contentedly. 
5. The evening is filled with a quiet dinner at home and playing with toys, games, and music. 

Holidays leave us with plenty of room for growth in terms of traditions. Tradition allows us to think the chaos has some sort of order as well as reminds us how special family and friends are, and how important they are to use year round, not just during certain occasions. Steve and I are happy to consider ideas for other traditions we want to instill in our lives, but it ultimately comes down to family. May your holidays, and every day, be rich with family, love, and laughter, and the traditions that help make them all so memorable.

Addendum

I found the drawing of Poe a former student drew. It wasn't for me; it was for an art assignment. However, Jacob was eager to pass it on to me after he got credit for it in his art class. It is now awaiting lamination and then it will be returned to my room. It is a wonderful rendition, in my opinion, and I am tickled he thought enough of me to give it to me. 

Making a Name for Myself

One way celebrities know they've "made it" is when they're finally spoofed on Saturday Night Live. Teachers have a 'tell,' too - You know you've started to make a name for yourself when students you don't even teach bring you items that follow the same theme.

This is my classroom door.

I started this year printing off English-themed jokes and cartoons and taping them onto my department co-workers' doors every Friday. What started as a way to lighten the year grew as students added to my  collection, many times anonymously.

Over the years, students have begun to associate me with Edgar Allan Poe. Once students find something to attach to a teacher, it is amazing what will be given or gifted to her. The Yoda Poe is one I found; however, it was quickly joined by others.

A gift from an anonymous student. Everyone loves Pooh. 

A gift from a current student. Every time I read this, the song gets stuck in my head, but you cannot go wrong with Queen.

More gifts - Harry and Po, from two different students.

This was texted to me.

Today.

I have a feeling this is what started it all. A former student who is now in Afghanistan painted this. He didn't want it, so I eagerly snatched it up.  I put it up every year.

Shortly after obtaining the above portrait, I found this in the UVA Bookstore.

Another former student found the soft doll and gave it to me for Christmas several years ago. I found the Raven puppet last summer and purchased that primarily because Syd fell in love with it, but also to use when I teach the poem.

This is just plain funny. 

I am, after all, a self-confessed English nerd.

I have two more drawings from artistic students who have graced my room and subsequently graduated . I took one home to laminate it, so if I remember, I'll snap a picture of it tonight.

My point to this post is that, having spent nearly 8 years in these halls, and finally moving on to the younger siblings of students I've already taught, I am seeing some of the effect I've had on my students' lives. I love my job. I enjoy teaching a great deal, and I cannot express, enough, how much I enjoy their enthusiasm for darkening my room with Poe. The truth is, I enjoy Poe a lot, too, but I'm by no means an expert on his writings. However, it appears that what I say sticks with them, and that is all I could ever ask.