Sunday, January 31, 2010

I just couldn't wait!!!

Ok, so I just finished cleaning up dinner and had to share what I made because is was DELICIOUS!! Well, I made the Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce and it was so amazingly yummy!! So here it is!



Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce

(Recipe taken from Eatingwell.com)

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup heavy cream (I used milk, and it turned out just fine.)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided, plus more as needed
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh tarragon or dill, plus sprigs for garnish

Directions

Combine lemon juice and cream in a small bowl. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mash 1 teaspoon flour and 1 teaspoon butter in another small bowl until a paste forms. Set both bowls aside.

Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and white pepper. Dredge lightly in the remaining 1/2 cup flour, shaking off any excess. (Discard leftover flour.)

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken—do not crowd the pan. Cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Add 1/2 cup broth, reduce the heat and cover. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. (Check to make sure the pan juices don’t run dry. If necessary, add more broth, a tablespoonful at a time, to prevent scorching.) Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and tent with foil.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the reserved lemon cream and bring to a simmer. Gradually whisk in the reserved butter-flour paste, a few bits at a time, until the sauce coats the spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in peas.

Reduce the heat to low and return the chicken to the pan along with tarragon (or dill). Turn to coat with the sauce and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Slice the chicken and serve with the sauce, garnished with sprigs of tarragon (or dill), if desired.

Review:

Like I said, this was AMAZING!!! I served it over rice (that I cooked using chicken stock instead of water to add more flavor) with some roast carrots. The carrots turned out better than I thought they would! My grandma makes a carrot casserole that is absolutely delicious, but not exactly healthy. These roast carrots tasted almost the same as her casserole, with a lot less calories!! All I did was take 1 bag of carrots, peeled and sliced them, then chopped 1/2 of an onion, and 3 cloves of garlic. I combined all of the ingredients in a bowl and drizzled them with olive oil and tossed it all together with salt and pepper. I then spread everything out onto a baking sheet and roasted in the oven at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes. I could have eaten the entire pan by myself!!! Try them for yourself....you won't be disappointed!!!

Wow....what a week!!

I don't even know where to begin about how this week has gone. It has been one to remember.....that is for sure!!! Let's begin with a laugh...because at this point I think that is about all I can do about it.

On Tuesday I took my kids on a field trip to Discovery Gateway. It was fabulous, but exhausting!! I love taking them places to experience new things, but they take a wear me right out. Mostly because of the stress of being responsible for 20+ 5 and 6 year olds. Well, we had a lot of fun.....and only 2 issues with some naughty kids! I think had the morning field trip gone any differently, the events of the afternoon would have been less amusing! Shortly after lunch, one of my students (we will refer to her as "K") had a little accident. My aid took her to get some dry clothes from the clothes closet, and took her the change in the bathroom in the hall since mine was occupied by another student. Well, another student in the mean time decides she needs to use the bathroom.....and RIGHT NOW (we will refer to her as "J")!! So, I let J also go use the hall bathroom, where K was changing out of her wet clothes. Well, I assumed K would return first since she was the first one to go to the bathroom.....I was wrong. J returned pretty quickly.....which is out of the ordinary for her. I have K a few more minutes to come back, and when she still hadn't I decided to go see why she was still gone. Well, I saw quite a picture when I walked into that bathroom......there was K standing in front of the mirror trying to button up her pants (that were WAY too small). She would suck in her stomach.....button her pants..... then breath out, and her button would bust open. It was pretty funny! I told her we'd go and get her some clothes that fit, and to pick up her wet clothes, put them in the plastic bag I gave her, and come back to class. "Mrs. Romero, my clothes aren't here anymore" was her response. I responded with "What do you mean the aren't here anymore?". "J took them," she said. I could not figure out what was going on.....so I looked around the bathroom for them just to make sure she hadn't missed them by mistake, and did not find her wet clothes. So, I went right back to my classroom, after checking the garbage cans in the hall, to ask J what she had done with K's clothes. "I don't remember where I put them" was J's response to the missing clothes. Seriously!??!?! First of all, why on earth would anyone want to touch someone's pee pants! Second, how do you forget in a matter of minutes where you put those pee clothes?!?!? So, I had to go on a pee pants hunt around the school to figure out where J put K's pants. As I was walking out of my classroom, J comes running up to me and says "I remember when I put K's clothes!". "I threw them outside!", was her response. Outside.....are you kidding me?!?! So, I grabbed K, because there was no way I was going to pick up her pee pants, and took her outside to look for them. Well, low and behold.....J was right! She had thrown them (underwear included) out the back door on to the playground!!! Well, to bring this story to a close....I was not quite sure how to deal with this issues, so I was glad as soon as I got back to talk to J, the office called to have me send her J down because she was being checked out of school early. Wow....what a way to start a week!!

At lunch Tuesday.......the same day as the beloved pee pants story, I got a text message from Cameron that said "Are you ready to have your mind blown?". Ummm, ok. So I said yes.......and this is the picture message that soon followed.......

Yep, that is a placenta that he is holding! I about fell off my chair!! I was not expecting to get a picture of my husband holding a placenta!! I don't think I would have a smile on my face if I were holding a placenta! Well, Cameron is liking school this semester....which is a great thing!! I was worried with him having 3 clinicals this semester he was going to burn out really fast! But, to my surprise, he has done amazing, and is already finished with his clinical at Primary Children's! He has had some amazing experiences caring for patients, and I love hearing about what he does. I love that he is happy about going to school.....even if he doesn't show it when he is getting up at 6:00 in the morning to go to the hospital.

Along with his placenta experience this week.....if you know Cam, you know how excited he was to for Apple's event on Wednesday. We all know that Cameron is a self proclaimed Apple addict....so was obviously so excited about the unveiling of the iPad. After the unveil, Cameron actually made a to scale and weight model of the iPad to show me exactly what I would be getting in April....yes, we are already planning on getting 2 the day that we can. If you don't know what the iPad is, click here to read all about it.....it is pretty amazing! I am excited to the iBook feature.....you know how I love my books!!


On a high note, last night we did out taxes and are getting a pretty nice return....for once!! Last year we had to pay, so we were a little nervous about what this year had in store for us. I guess since both of us are students we are getting a little break. So, I say "Thank you Uncle Sam for providing us a fabulous tax return so we can buy our iPads!"


Now, on to my recipe recaps......first up:

Portobello Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups.


Recipe from Food Network host Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:
12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 3/4 pound)
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups marinara sauce (I used Newman's Own Mushroom Marinara)
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 ounces grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2/3 cup)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain them well and spread them out onto aluminum foil or waxed paper to prevent them from sticking.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few turns of pepper, and nutmeg.

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto a lasagna noodle. Top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture, roll the noodle and place it into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the lasagna rolls. Top with grated cheeses, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Yield: 6 servings

Review:

I really like this, but thought it needed more sauce (I realized after I made it I didn't buy a big enough jar of marinara)., and more seasoning in the filling. Cameron on the other hand didn't love it. He didn't like the whole wheat pasta, and he has a hard time with recipes that have no meat. Vegetarian dishes aren't his thing. So, I guess next time I make this I need to add some kind of meat for him, use enough sauce, and season the cheese filling more liberally. I didn't add very much mostly because I salted the pasta water a lot, and didn't know how much salt they would absorb.

Next up on recap.......

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

(I know I said I was making Chicken with a Tarragon Cream sauce......but Cameron requested I make this for him again.....he LOVES this recipe!!!)



(This is a Rachael Ray recipe.....again, I love her!!)

Ingredients

Salt
1/2 pound orzo pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces
Pepper
2 tablespoons butter
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
12 white mushrooms, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it (I used more like 2 TBS.....I thought it needed more, but I LOVE balsamic vinegar!)
3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan (I just used the skim milk I already had, and it turned out great, and saved a lot of calories!)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente (I don't like al dente pasta, so I cooked it all the way through).

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.

To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.

Review:

AMAZING!! This is something I will make, and make often.....it is than good!! You know if Cameron asks for it, that it is good! Try it, you won't be disappointed!!

I haven't decided what I will be cooking this week.....so you will just have to be surprised when I post my latest creations!! Happy cooking!!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Tomorrow is Friday......and You Know What That Means!!!

I will be doing my "Friday Happy Dance"!! And, I will be wrapping up my unit on polar animals (hence the picture). Next up.....dental hygiene!!

Happy Friday!!!!!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

What's for dinner?

Well, I've tried a few of my new recipes this week. Some have been really good.....and one not so much. So, here is my "Recipe Recap" for the past few days.....

Sunday: Chicken, Tomato, Spinach, Alfredo Braided Pizza

I got this idea from Karine.....I bet she never thought I would use some of her recipes!!! Cameron grew up loving when his mom made braided pizza for dinner, so I decided to make some for him and add my own little twist. Unfortunately, Cameron was sick and didn't get to enjoy the deliciousness of this dinner. So, here is the recipe:

1 Rhodes Frozen Loaf of Bread Dough (unlawed, and raised for 3 hours at room temperature)
1 Pkg of Precooked Grilled Chicken Strips
1 Tomato (seeded and chopped)
1 Cup of Fresh Spinach
1/2 Cup of Alfredo Sauce (I used Bertolli)
1 1/2 Cups of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using a rolling pin, roll the pizza dough until it is about 12 inches long, and 5-6 inches wide. Spoon the Alfredo sauce onto the dough, and spread it evenly in the center of the dough, leaving a 2 inch boarder on each side, and a 1 inch boarder on the top and bottom. Then, layer the chicken strips, spinach, tomatoes, and cheese on top of the sauce. Using a sharp knife, cut 2 inch slits on each side of the filling. Then take 1 piece of dough from each side, and "braid" them together (you really just alternate going over, under, and pressing the dough together). Transfer the braided pizza to a cookie sheet, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes (depending on your oven)

My Review: DELICIOUS!! It wasn't healthy....by any means.....but was really good! I ate a salad along with it, and made more than enough for leftovers....well, maybe not if Cameron would have eaten. Thanks Karine for a little inspiration!!


Monday: Chicken, Mushrooms, and Rice Casserole

1 TBS Olive Oil
1 Cup White Wine (Don't be afraid to cook with wine....and I mean real wine. Not that cooking wine (alcohol freed) garbage. Those varieties only add a lot of salt, and not a lot of flavor. I promise, you won't regret cooking with the real stuff in any recipe)
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup (I used Campbell's Healthy Request)
2 Cups Sliced Mushrooms
4 Chicken Breasts
1 1/2 Cups of Rice (I used brown rice....I would not recommend using that though)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and add onion. When onions begin to soften, add mushrooms and cook until golden. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Push onions and mushrooms to side of pan and brown chicken skin side down (I used skinless breasts) for about 4 minutes on each side (you aren't cooking the chicken through since you are going to transfer everything to the oven to continue cooking). Remove chicken to plate. Stir in rice and cook with onions and mushrooms for 1 minute. Stir in wine and let simmer for 1 minute. Stir in soup and 1 1/2 cans of water and bring to a simmer. Pour rice mixture into a greased (I use butter flavored Pam) casserole dish. Place the chicken on top of rice, and cover with lid or foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until rice is tender. If necessary, stir in more water 1/2 cup at a time if all the liquid is absorbed before the rice is tender.

My Review:
This dinner was not so great. I really think it was because I used brown rice. It never really absorbed the flavors of anything. And, I just felt like this recipe was really missing something.....garlic maybe? or a little poultry seasoning? I am not sure. But I don't know if I will make this again. If anyone tries it and has better success by adding additional ingredients, let me know!!


Tuesday: Spaghetti....from Italian Village
Okay, okay.....now I know I didn't make this. But, let's be honest....Tuesday I felt like garbage and just couldn't bring myself to cook. So, we got take out...and then I went to bed at 7.....lame I know, but you gotta do what you gotta do!! Either way, I heart Italian Village, and this time did not disappoint!


Wednesday: Chicken Cacciatore
3-4 Chicken Breasts (use 4 if the pieces are small)
Salt and pepper to season the chicken
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Portobello Mushroom Caps, thinly sliced (wipe any dirt off with a damp cloth or paper towel....NEVER WASH A MUSHROOM!! They turn into sponges.)
4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 of an Onion, thinly sliced (The original recipes did not have this ingredient, but I think any red pasta sauce needs onion.)
1/2 Cup Beef Stock
1 (28-ounces) Can Crushed Tomatoes
A handful of Flatleaf Italian Parsley, chopped
1 pound egg ribbons or egg fettuccini (I used whole wheat penne)

Directions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the extra-virgin olive oil and brown chicken breasts for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and season with salt and pepper.

Return the pan to stove, reduce heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add crushed pepper, sliced mushrooms, and garlic. Season with salt (salt is a magnet for drawing out liquid). Cover and cook mushrooms 5 minutes or until mushrooms are dark, tender and have given off their juices. Add about 1/2 cup of beef broth to intensify the wild mushroom flavor, then stir in the tomatoes and parsley. Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks or slices and add to sauce. Simmer sauce 5 minutes to finish cooking chicken pieces and to allow the flavors to combine. Toss pasta with the sauce and enjoy. (This recipe came from foodnetwork.com. It's one of Rachael Ray's.....I love her!)

My Review:
I really like this recipe. It had good flavor, and a little kick from the red pepper flakes. And, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole wheat pasta. I love pasta, so I was looking for something that would taste and have a similar texture to regular semolina pasta.....and it did! Good thing because my recipe is uses whole wheat lasagna noodles!! I will make this again for sure, and maybe add a few more veggies!


Well, I hope someone out there can benefit from my experimentation! Here is what is on the menu for the rest of the week:

Thursday: Lasagna Roll-Ups
Friday: Chicken w/ Tarragon Cream Sauce (sounds crazy, but I got this from a healthy recipes list from foodnetwork.com!!)

Stay tuned for more recipe recaps!!!

This makes me happy in my heart!

"The idea here is simple: instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform – reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from r...ural communities to inner-cities."--President Obama (Taken from the 2010 State of the Union address)

I am so happy that finally someone understands what education needs. Now, let's hope that our state government sees the importance of education reform, and doesn't cut our funding!!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Chocolate Cake.....in a Mug? and a few other things :).

I figured while I am home with my sick husband today, it was high time that I updated the blog. Let me begin by saying how much I hate it when Cameron is sick. Not just because being sick is no fun, but I hate to see him miserable. And boy, is he miserable. Let's hope it is just a 24 hour bug!! Get better, and I promise this time I won't run away this time! (He got food poisoning last Christmas, and I ran away to my mom's house for the day....mostly because I fear throw up.)

Everyone knows I am a sucker for sweet treats. I will admit it, I am a chocoholic. When I heard about this "5 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug", I was skeptical. Especially, because it cooks in the microwave, and I am not one to bake in the microwave. But, because I will try to make anything once, I decided to try it. It surprisingly turned out pretty good! By no means is it the best cake I have ever had, but it was better than I anticipated. It has incredients that most people have in their cubbards, so when you have a hankering for something chocolate, give it a shot! It is more than enough to feed 2 people....or one if you have a MAJOR sweet tooth.

5 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug
4 TBS Flour
4 TBS Sugar
2 TBS Coco Powder
3 TBS Milk
3 TBS Oil (or applesauce to cut down on the calories and fat)
1/4 TSP Vanilla
1 Egg
3 TBS Chocolate Chips (optional)

Combine all incredients in 1 large mug (or split into 2 standard sized mugs). Microwave for 3 minutes (or 1 1/2 minutes if you split it into 2 snall mugs). It will raise up over the rim of the mug, but will settle back down. That is how you know it is done. Let is cool for 5 minutes, and turn out on a plate, or eat it right from the mug.


Try it out, and let me know what you think!

Not a lot has been going on in the world of Cameron and Lindsey. Work, school, and work and school. That is pretty much the name of our game at this point. I will say that I love this time of the year for one reason.....AWARD SHOWS!!! I love entertainment.....movies and television especially. So, therefore the Golden Globes are my favorite award show! This year was fantastic!! The laughs, the tears, and all of those amazing dresses!!! I love it. There is just something about celebrity glamor that make me happy. I was also so happy with the winners this year! Almost everyone I wanted to win, won! Here are my favorite winners of the night! We will begin with TV..........

Cam and I are big Dexter fans.....and not the CBS version......the legit Showtime version. I mean, how can you really portray a serial killer properly on network television? So, naturally we were thrilled when he won for best actor in a television drama. He is a phenomial actor, and hopefully he can beat cancer and return to play our favorite serial killer! Since we are Dexter fans, we were also thrilled when John Lithgow won for best supporting actor in a dramatic series for his role as the Trinity killer on this past season of Dexter! If you have never seen the show, rent it, or download it....because it is awesome!

My next fav going to Chloe Sevigny for her role as polygamous sister wife Nikki Grant on HBO's Big Love. It takes a lot to play a role of that calibre, and she does a fabulous job at making you love and hate her manipulative and sneaky ways. Please, no judgemental comments on me having watched Big Love. I know the controversy surrounding it......enough said.

And Glee!! I love it!! Sooooo glad it won!!! I was very skeptical of it at first since I am really not a fan of musicals, but it proved me wrong. Secretly I wish I could break out into song at any given point in my day. And, secretly I think I am a little evil like Sue :).

Now, on to the movies!


I know I bashed Sherlock Holmes the first time I watched it.....well, I decided I didn't like it because I slept through it the first time I watched it......it was Christmas Day people.....I was BEAT!! Well, Cam and I went and saw it again, and changed our minds! We are big Robert Downey Jr. fans, so naturally we were THRILLED when he won! He deserved it! And, his acceptance speech made me happy in my heart! And, Sandra Bullock....who doesn't love her!! It made me cry when she told her hubby....Jesse James.....that her work only has gotten better since she met him. LOVE THEM!! I'll be honest, I have yet to see The Blind Side, so I can't say she deserved to win for her role, but she is just an all around fantastic actress so I am sure she deserved it!

What is there to say about Avatar? It is a phenominal movie, and one that everyone should see....and in 3D if possible! I had no interest in seeing it whatsoever, but being the good wife that I am, went with Cam. And boy am I glad that I did! GO SEE IT!! You won't be disappointed. The visual effects alone are worth it!

Now, on to a recap on a few of my goals for 2010......

Guess what I bought.......you guessed it, the Biggest Loser work-out DVD's!!! They will be here Tuesday, so by next weekend, I will have a reivew for you! Hopefully, it helps me achieve my goal of better health in 2010!

I have been reading a lot more as well. I haven't finished a book yet, but I am trying to make time each day to read for my enjoyment. I am reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol right now, and it is AWESOME!!! I hope to finish it in the next week or 2. My next read will be Eclipse......no, I have not read it yet. I have re-kindled my love of reading, and love spending time each day doing something just for me.....because ultimately 2010 is the year of Lindsey!

My cooking skills are improving, and I have tried some new and really great new recipes!!! Yesterday I researched 7 new recipes to make for dinners this week! I am really excited to try them all. I am going to try and post them here each night with a picture and a review. I know I am always looking for new things to try, and know that many of my readers are always looking to try new things, so hopefully this will inspire some creativity in your kitchens!!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Resolutions?

Well, I figure it is high time I discuss my progress on my New Years Resolutions.......so here it goes. I think I have done pretty well for myself....given I don't have the best track record with sticking to my resolutions.

~ Get closer to graduation (for both of us):

Well, I began another class on Thursday, and Cameron starts school on Monday, so progress is being made!


~ Reading more:

I have made no progress here. I have yet to open my new copy of Dan Brown's new book "The Lost Symbol", and I still haven't finished the Twilight series....SHOCKING, I know!! I vow to read at least 3 chapters of either "Eclipse" tomorrow or "The Lost Symbol".


~ Blog more:

I think I am accomplishing that goal as we speak!


~ Taking more pictures of our life adventures!!:

Well, I took pictures of my class on our field trip this week.....but none of either Cam or I. School is one of my adventures, so I guess I am working to accomplish this goal. Unfortunately, I can't post any of them here.....since they are of my students. I promise next week I will have some pictures of us!!


~ No longer being a provisional teacher:

I received an email this week from the Human Resources Dept. at the district office telling me I have fulfilled all of the requirements for relicensure!!! WOOOOO!! I now just have to wait until I have a spare $150-200 (can anyone say TAX return!) so I can pay to renew my license and get yet another background check done!!


~ Trying new recipes, and refining my cooking skills:

This is one thing I have done really well with! I tried a new cookie recipe, and tonight I made risotto for the first time (both which turned out AMAZING I might add)!! And, I have a new chicken recipe I am trying out tomorrow. I absolutely love to cook, so I know this will be an easy resolution for me to keep.


~ Be more healthy:

Cam and I are doing this together, so this hasn't been too hard. We went grocery shopping the other day and bought a bunch of healthy and delicious food, and are both of us are working on moving more. My next move will be to buy the Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout videos to do at home. I will be honest, I HATE the gym, so the more exercise I can do at home, the better I will be. I will let you know what I think of it!

All in all, I think I am headed down their right path to accomplishing my goals for 2010! What are your goals?