Family visited this weekend. My sister hadn't seen where I live yet, and my parents hadn't been here since I actually started teaching. I'm more settled than I was. More comfortable with where I am. Less stressed-out by what I'm doing. Not that I'm excellent by any means, but that I'm doing a whole lot better. That's reassuring to remember.
On Saturday, we visited one of the "local" tourist destinations. After driving two-and-a-half hours to get there (and drive around some more), I think mom and dad realize why I'm getting used to driving by myself everywhere. The 45-minute drive to their hotel didn't hurt either. I don't think I realize how much I've changed here, but adjusting to distance is still something that I'm working on.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Good Friday
I'm getting ready to head out to be adopted for Easter. Leaving the computer here (it comes with too much work attached). I'm not sure my cell phone will work. So to everyone, I hope you have an Easter filled with the meaning and blessings of the holy day.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sweet Tooth
Yesterday my sweet tooth was wanting attention. I didn't quite want cookies. Didn't have time to make a cake. Missed ingredients to make a pie.
But I looked through some cookbooks and found a recipe for lemon squares. It sounded perfect, and it more or less was.
It should be noted that I love lemon bars, but I don't like the ones that are more crust than lemon. This one was amazing. Somehow the crust ended up on top. I need to repeat it to get a better sense of how it works. That shouldn't be too hard, I just finished the last piece and already want more.
It should also be noted that this is from a cookbook put out by the library of a small, southern town. (Other treasures in it include grits casserole, liver nips, fried chitterlings, at least three fried chickens, General Lee Bread, biscuits, biscuits, and more biscuits, and--my favorite drink name--"hop, skip, and go naked.")
I didn't have lemons on hand, so just used juice from a bottle. Didn't have an 8 x 8 pan, so I just used a pie plate. (Decided there was enough butter in the crust that I didn't need to grease it.)
Here's the adapted recipe.
Lemon Shapes
6 Tbs butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup and 2 Tbs flour
2 eggs
2 generous Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 350.
Use electric mixer to beat butter for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour. (Beat with mixer and then use fork to finish mixing.) Pat dough onto bottom of pie plate. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
While baking, beat eggs. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbs flour, lemon juice (original called for 2 Tbs, I like lemon, so I used ~2.5 Tbs), and baking powder. Beat for 3 minutes (yay electric mixer) or until slightly thickened. Pour over baked crust. Bake in oven (still at 350) for 25-30 minutes. Until the edges are a golden brown and the center is set.
The hard part is letting it cool. But really, it's too gooey right out of the oven to eat without a spoon.
Cut into whatever shapes you're going for and serve.
But I looked through some cookbooks and found a recipe for lemon squares. It sounded perfect, and it more or less was.
It should be noted that I love lemon bars, but I don't like the ones that are more crust than lemon. This one was amazing. Somehow the crust ended up on top. I need to repeat it to get a better sense of how it works. That shouldn't be too hard, I just finished the last piece and already want more.
It should also be noted that this is from a cookbook put out by the library of a small, southern town. (Other treasures in it include grits casserole, liver nips, fried chitterlings, at least three fried chickens, General Lee Bread, biscuits, biscuits, and more biscuits, and--my favorite drink name--"hop, skip, and go naked.")
I didn't have lemons on hand, so just used juice from a bottle. Didn't have an 8 x 8 pan, so I just used a pie plate. (Decided there was enough butter in the crust that I didn't need to grease it.)
Here's the adapted recipe.
Lemon Shapes
6 Tbs butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup and 2 Tbs flour
2 eggs
2 generous Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 350.
Use electric mixer to beat butter for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour. (Beat with mixer and then use fork to finish mixing.) Pat dough onto bottom of pie plate. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
While baking, beat eggs. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbs flour, lemon juice (original called for 2 Tbs, I like lemon, so I used ~2.5 Tbs), and baking powder. Beat for 3 minutes (yay electric mixer) or until slightly thickened. Pour over baked crust. Bake in oven (still at 350) for 25-30 minutes. Until the edges are a golden brown and the center is set.
The hard part is letting it cool. But really, it's too gooey right out of the oven to eat without a spoon.
Cut into whatever shapes you're going for and serve.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Inhale
Break was lovely. (Isn't it always? At least this year?) Getting out of town. Spending time with an amazing friend. Being spoiled by her mother. (Listed because that's the order of how things happened.) Thank you, lovely.
And now three and a half days of school. Easter. More school. Family visit. And then a lot more school before the year's over. By lot, I mean that I'll have ~8 weeks after my family leaves.
Then my road trip home. If you want to be visited en route, let me know. I'm actually beginning to think about plans. Oooh.
And now three and a half days of school. Easter. More school. Family visit. And then a lot more school before the year's over. By lot, I mean that I'll have ~8 weeks after my family leaves.
Then my road trip home. If you want to be visited en route, let me know. I'm actually beginning to think about plans. Oooh.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I'm not sure I should be this excited over a countdown
24 hours from now I will be elsewhere.
I'm not sure where I'll spend the night tomorrow, one hotel or another en route. But by this point tomorrow I will be on the road. Probably watching tv. Or eating out (and not at McDonald's because it's the only place open). Or at the mall (or some other consumeristic place).
I'm psyched. Too many recent weekends in town. It's time to get away.
I'll have to do some grading over the break. And planning, as always. But yay break! (And it only makes me look forward to summer more.)
I'm not sure where I'll spend the night tomorrow, one hotel or another en route. But by this point tomorrow I will be on the road. Probably watching tv. Or eating out (and not at McDonald's because it's the only place open). Or at the mall (or some other consumeristic place).
I'm psyched. Too many recent weekends in town. It's time to get away.
I'll have to do some grading over the break. And planning, as always. But yay break! (And it only makes me look forward to summer more.)
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Stircrazy
I've been in town the past three weekends. Really, I haven't been farther than the grocery store (which, granted, is 45 minutes away) since President's Day. And I'm getting restless. I did my lesson planning this morning so I'd have the afternoon off, but then didn't know what to do. I ended up driving to the town with the grocery store, even though most everything is closed on Sunday afternoon.
Three days of school and then I get two days off for spring break. You can bet that I'll be on the road Wednesday evening. I'm visiting a friend a couple of states over. It's about an eight hour drive, so I won't make it there after putting in a day at school. But the cost of the hotel room is totally worth getting away.
I miss being able to window shop in the boutiquey stores. Miss coffeeshops (that I never went in). Miss libraries (that were open when I wanted to use them). And so much more.
Three more months and I'll be through my first year. I'll be back next year. But wherever I end up after this will be more urban. (Though I'm honestly not sure that I could get much more rural in the continental states. It would take some effort. Going more urban, well, if grad school's my next step that's enough.)
Three days of school and then I get two days off for spring break. You can bet that I'll be on the road Wednesday evening. I'm visiting a friend a couple of states over. It's about an eight hour drive, so I won't make it there after putting in a day at school. But the cost of the hotel room is totally worth getting away.
I miss being able to window shop in the boutiquey stores. Miss coffeeshops (that I never went in). Miss libraries (that were open when I wanted to use them). And so much more.
Three more months and I'll be through my first year. I'll be back next year. But wherever I end up after this will be more urban. (Though I'm honestly not sure that I could get much more rural in the continental states. It would take some effort. Going more urban, well, if grad school's my next step that's enough.)
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