Little Free Library

I'm getting my own library!  And I am so excited!

Little Free Libraries is a not-for-profit that tries to put books into as many hands as possible.  I love reading and I love discussing books, so, these little libraries are PERFECT for me!

A good friend of mine is building me my very own library that we're going to stock with books.  We've already created a budget for books--$50 a year.  I'm also hoping to have books donated to the library.  Since I'm a teacher, I really want to have a wide mix of children's, young adult, and adult books. 

My little library has walls now!

My biggest "issue" with Little Free Libraries is that a lot of times the books seem to be outdated.  I am going to work very hard to make sure that the books are readable and that people in the neighborhood make my Little Free Library a regular destination.

If you are interested in learning more about Little Free Libraries, their site www.littlefreelibrary.org has great information (please you can see where Little Free Libraries are located in your area).  Of, if you want to help me stock the shelves of my Little Free Library, please let me know.

Happy Reading!

Happy Graduation Day, Class of 2013!

Today is graduation day at the school where I teach.  I've always had such an issue on graduation day because I get so darn sentimental.  This year, especially, I'm really going to miss the students.  I have a lot of seniors in the activities that I advise and I had a senior homeroom this year.

So, to get my mind thinking positive, instead of being gloomy, I decided to make a little care package for my students.  I was able to get all of the supplies for around $20 at the local dollar store, and it only took me about 30 minutes to put it all together.

The students really seemed to like the care package and the little words of wisdom.  I think I'll make this a tradition and do it every time I have a senior homeroom.

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day Weekend has got to be one of my favorite weekends of the year.

I love the start to summer, the extra time at home, the visit from one of my best friends, and the parades!  Mostly, I love the time spent paying tribute to all of our veterans.  Can you think of a better country to live in then the USA?  It is an honor to spend time showing my gratitude to the sacrifices so many individuals made on my behalf. 

On Memorial Day growing up, we'd always wake up in the morning to this Rhubarb Coffee Cake.  It always seemed to be the kickoff to summer.  Now, I make this coffee cake for my family every year.  Oh, how I love it!  Plus, it's a nice festive red color to kick off the patriotic holiday.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Ingredients (part one)
1 c flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 c oleo
1 egg plus milk to make 1/2 c
2 1/2 c rhubarb
Small package strawberry jello

Directions (part one)
1. Mix together dry ingredients, cut in oleo.
2. Stir in the egg/milk mixture
3. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan
4. Sprinkle rhubarb over crust
5. Sprinkle dry jello over rhubarb

Ingredients (part two)
1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c oleo

Directions (part two)
1. Mix together dry ingredients, cut in oleo
2. Sprinkle on top of crust and rhubarb/jello
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees



This is the recipe card--I LOVE recipe cards.  I love the handwriting on them from the person whose recipe I "stole" (in this case, it's my mom's) and I love the little smudges of sugar and flour and vanilla.  I'll have this recipe card forever and will always think of my mom when I use it.

Asian Style Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussels sprouts! They are a new "thing" for me.  It wasn't until last year when we were at a local supper club and I had these as a side that I fell in love with them.  And now, I'm finally feeling comfortable enough to make them at home.  If you haven't tried Brussels Sprouts before, give these a whirl, I promise that you'll be coming back for more!

 

 

Asian Style Brussels Sprouts
2T Safflower Oil
1t Ginger spice
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
2T Soy Sauce
1lb Brussels Sprouts
Pinch of Sesame Seeds
Dash of wine (I used red)
1/4 c Honey

1. Heat the oil, spice, ginger, and red pepper flakes on a medium setting for a couple of minutes
2. Add the Brussels Sprouts and allow to cook over medium heat for at least 10 minutes (I threw a lid over it at about the 8 minute mark to speed up the cooking). 
3. Toss the sesame seeds and wine and allow to cook for about two minutes, pour on the honey and heat a minute before serving.

**You don't need a lot of the red pepper flakes--a little goes a very long way
**Just poke a fork through the Brussels Sprouts to see if they're done

Please try these out and let me know what you think.

Date Day!

A good friend of mine was telling me that she and her husband go on date days once a month.  They flip back-and-forth in the planning of the days and it is always a surprise to the other person.

 

So, like any good friend, I decided to copy her.

 

And I'm happy to report, our first date day was a success! 

 

JD trying a Five Guys burger.  He's been trying to get me to go hear for years and we finally  made it!

Here are the rules:

1. It must be a surprise

2. You need to tell the other person what time to be ready to go and what to wear (i.e. we'll be walking a lot, so wear good shoes -or- we'll be inside in air condition, bring along a sweater)

3. Pick a yummy place for lunch/dinner

4. Do something fun and out of the ordinary!

My first hole in one EVER!

Date Day: Mini golfing and go-karts!

 Over the course of our date day, we started talking about kite flying (random. . .).  This led JD to buy a kite for us the next day and our date day/weekend continued!

You can tell the dude picked out this kite.  Had I been along, we would have bought a Barbie kite.

One Word Wednesday: Pink

It's spring!  This means more time to:
1. be outside
2. read books
3. grill
4. ride bikes
5. eat smores
6. BLOG!

I love my job as a teacher but it means that September through April is kinda crazy.  But with May comes the light at the end of the tunnel and more light in the day :)  I feel as though I have so much more energy to do a lot of the "things" I enjoy.

So, I'm jumping onto the One Word Wednesday band wagon.  This challenge allows individuals to think of one word throughout the week and try to photograph it.  Today's word is PINK!

My pink is just a little flowering bush in my backyard.  This past week when we were eating dinner outside, I noticed that it is finally in bloom!  After a looonngg winter, this beautiful bud is just screaming "SPRING IS HERE!"

Next week's word: project.

Happy One Word Wednesday to you!

A Thought Provoking YA Read

Wow. . .I just finished reading "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys.  What an incredible book.

As a high school teacher, I like to read some young adult fiction to stay up-to-date on what my students are reading and to have another conversation tool.  I saw a couple of students reading this book last month and decided I should try it out.  I am so glad I did!  Not only was this book a great piece of fiction, it also taught me a lot about what happened in Lithuania during World War II.  The Soviet Union rounded up millions of people and either murdered them, sold them as slaves, or sent them to work camps.  This happened for over 15 years!  Once the Lithuanians were released (in the mid-1950s), they were not allowed to speak of what happened to them for fear that the KGB would imprison them.  It was not until 1991 that Lithuanian was once again their own country and out of the control of the Soviet Union.

I would highly recommend this novel for both teenage readers and adults.  It was very well written and brought to light an issue that many are not aware of.