More Summer Fun

     When you were a kid, did you ever wonder what your teacher did after all the kids were gone for the day?  Or better yet, what she did over the summer?  It's sometimes hard for kids to picture their teachers out of context, and it's always fun for me to ask my munchkins to think outside the box {or rather, outside the classroom} and find out what they think I do when I'm not at school teaching.  One of my back to school activities this year is going to be to have the kids share what they did this summer and write about what they think I did.  {more on that in a later blog post.}

     So, what AM I doing this summer?  Besides going to workshops next month, doing DIY projects around the house, and making recipes and crafty things I found on Pinterest, I've been busy relaxing and having fun with Wagner, my dog.

 Wagner loves to relax in the air conditioning.

He also loves to watch the Today Show.  Especially when they show animal videos.

 

 

 

 

     Earlier this week I went with nine of my teacher friends on a white water rafting trip.  That's right... White. Water. Rafting.  I was leery of it at first, having never done anything like it before, and realizing that I could be seriously injured {or worse}.  Once we got to Outdoor Adventure Rafting on the Ocoee River, I started to feel better because they were very professional and took WONDERFUL care of us.  We got a safety lesson, our helmets, paddles, and PFDs {NOT a life jacket, it turns out!}, then loaded the bus.  Then we went rafting.

      We had 5 people on each boat, and went through several class 4 rapids.  It was so much fun!

     A special thanks to our guides, Taylor and Donnie, who took such great care of us out on the Ocoee River.






     We laughed the whole time, even during the scary parts!  I would go back and do it again in a heartbeat!  We were able to eddy out and go swimming in one of the calmer parts of the river, but the fun part was getting back into the boat.  One thing I learned is that it's really hard to swim upstream and pull each other into the boat when you're laughing hysterically. 



     On another note.....

 

     I'm really excited to reveal my super-secret crochet project I've been playing with.  I haven't told ANYONE about it because I wasn't sure I could get the pattern to work out correctly.  I was cleaning out a closet a couple of weeks ago and found some skeins of variegated yarn, and I decided to see what I could do with them, and here it is--my new bag!  I've never made anything before without using a pattern, and I had to try it a few times {and take it out again} before I got the hang of it.  I love the way the spacing of the colors makes a plaid pattern on the sides.  It's the perfect size to take to the library with me and use for selecting new books to read {I heart the library!}.

  I promise that next week's blog post will be more school-oriented, but I'm having trouble staying focused with all the fun going on!

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Summer is . . .

   . . . a time to relax and recharge after a long, stressful, and sometimes grueling school year. 

   . . . a time to take a vacation and get away from the daily grind.

   . . . a time to catch up on housework, DIY projects, and crafts I've been meaning to do.

     Well, two out of three ain't bad.  I'm not going anywhere farther than my sister's house and my boyfriend's house this summer, so I'll have plenty of time to work on the other two items on my summer list.

     I've been spending time hanging out on the couch and in the backyard with Wagner, my dog.  We've been weeding the garden, cutting back all the overgrown plants, and gazing at the local flora and fauna.  Wagner has made it an Olympic sport to try to keep all the squirrels out of the yard.  He's tried to make friends with the rabbits, but they don't seem to understand that having a 70 pound dog running at to them is a gesture of friendliness. 

giant leopard moth

     As far as crafts and DIY projects, I've been busy with those, too.   I finally replaced the leaky faucet in the kitchen.  I've never done anything like it by myself before, and it was very rewarding to see it complete (and no leaks!).

The boyfriend trying to loosen the bolts.  Unfortunately we didn't have the right tools and had to stop that day.  He had to work the next day, so I finished by myself.

After finally getting the old faucet off. I had to stop and go back to the store to get longer connections since the old ones were a half inch too short.

 Yay!  A new working faucet!

     The next craft I tried came from a crafty blog I found on Pinterest.  It's called Creating Laura {I LOVE the name :^) } and it has some great ideas.  I have a ton of old t-shirts that I can't throw out because I keep thinking I can use them for something.  I decided to make a no-sew workout shirt using this pattern, and it worked out really well.

before - an old, super large t-shirt I got for free somewhere

after - my new workout tank

      I've also been working on some school stuff {which I've added to my Teachers Pay Teachers and Teachers Notebook stores} that I'll  highlight in a later blog post.  For now, I'm going back outside to work some more in the yard and throw Wagner's toy with him.

    

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It's Wednesday... Let's Share a Recipe

     I have to admit, I'm ADDICTED to Pinterest.

     I've gotten so many teaching ideas, I'll never be able to accomplish them all.  So many party themes, I'll have to celebrate every day to use them all.  So many decorating ideas, my house will look like it should be in Southern Living if I try them all.  And I'd be completely broke if I tried them all.

     I have found quite a few recipes that I REALLY want to try, but since I don't have kids to use as guinea pigs, I end up not making new dishes or changing them a lot so that I'm not buried under leftovers of something I don't really like.

     The latest recipe I adapted came from The Enchanted Cook.  The original recipe was called Parmesan Crusted Chicken, and used mayo, italian breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese to season the chicken.  I used pork chops and some additional spices, but the rest of the recipe stayed fairly close.

     I used 4 thin-cut pork chops (not pictured), plain bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Smart Balance mayo, thyme, onion powder, paprika, marjoram, and garlic powder.  You can use whatever spices you want to change the flavor to your liking, as long as you use the mayo (to keep it moist), and the parmesan and bread crumbs (for the crust).

     

     Mix the mayo and spices together with the parmesan cheese.  No, the end result isn't pretty, but it'll be covered by bread crumbs so don't panic.  I used the "powdery" kind of parmesan, but the shredded kind works well also.

     Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (I used my little one for the toaster oven) and place pork chops on top.  Then cover the chops generously with your mayo/cheese mixture.

     Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.  I used a lot, and you can see where my fingers patted the crumbs into the mayo so it wouldn't fall off while being transferred into the oven.

     Bake for about 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chops) in a 425 degree oven.  I used my toaster oven so I wouldn't have to heat up my big one, and it worked really well.

     Serve with any green veggie and a side of your choice.  I had broccoli and a baked potato, but these would be yummy with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, or asparagus.  It just depends on the season, your imagination, and whatever you're craving!

Recipe:

     Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• 1/2 cup mayo (any kind will work, but for low/no fat, you can use Smart Balance or light   mayo)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme
• 4 pork chops or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 teaspoons bread crumbs (I used more for a thicker top)

     Combine mayo, cheese, and spices in a small bowl.  Lay chops or chicken breasts on a lined baking sheet and top with mayo/cheese/spice mixture.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

     Bake for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked and juices run clear.

     The mayo keeps the pork chops moist, and the bread crumbs add a nice crust.  The crust isn't super crispy and it's only on the top, but there is enough flavor to go around.  I LOVE this recipe.  It's fast and easy, and I already had all the ingredients on hand.  It also got rave reviews from Ken when we had the leftover chops the next day. (I popped them into the oven to reheat, and they stayed moist inside, which almost never happens with pork chops.)


     Do you have any tried and true pork chop recipes you love?


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Some Light Summer Reading

     I'm now two weeks into my summer break, and I decided to do some 

light summer reading.

amazon.com 

amazon.com 

 

amazon.com 

Ha ha.

     I've been working my way through these three page-turners.  I know that my small group reading time is one of my weaknesses, so I decided to use this summer to do some research and get some inspiration for the upcoming year.  

     The two books with Guided Reading in the title are great, but I actually got the most practical information from Small Group Reading Instruction.  It claims that it's NOT guided reading, but it shares a lot of the same teaching points.  Small group reading includes more word study and phonics instruction, but otherwise they're a lot alike.  I like the fact that the last third of the book is made up of reproducibles, forms, and sample lesson plans (along with scripts of some sample lessons).  

     {FYI-- I have also been speedily reading my way through the Hunger Games trilogy, so I'm not all work and no play this summer.}

     Do you have any hints, tips, and tricks for successful small reading groups?

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