"In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have." (Lee Iococca)
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory...
"The only people you need in your life are the ones who prove they need you in theirs." (Unknown)
I don't remember where I first heard this quote, but it has really stuck with me. I guess it is because I struggled for many years with friendships where I felt I always valued the friendship more than the other person and that they were more important to me than I was to them. I try to keep this quote in mind when I start feeling this way and to let people go who don't value me the way that I've valued them.
"Your clothes should be tight enough to show you're a woman, and loose enough to show you're a lady!" (My Grandmother)
I felt a funny quote was in order and this one is something that all ladies should live by :)
6.08.2011
5.24.2011
Day 04 - Worst Movie I Ever Saw
It might not be the worse movie I EVER saw, but it is the worse one I've watched recently. Downright offensive even once they go abroad.
(I will update if I think of something worse.)
(I will update if I think of something worse.)
5.22.2011
Healthy Cupcakes?
One of my cupcake recipe books has a section of "healthy" cupcake recipes. While they still include butter and sugar, they all have some healthful element added in. As a vegetarian always looking for new ways to get the protein I need, the recipe including quinoa particularly interested me as it is high in protein and essential amino acids.
Additionally, one of the teachers I work with is on a very restrictive gluten and dairy-free diet. I have been wanting to try to make a cupcake that I could share with her and not just the other teachers. While my quinoa cupcake recipe called for white flour, I had some soy flour on hand and have used it in a pinch when baking bread. I looked up the conversion online - 3/4 soy flour to 1 cup white flour - and got ready to bake.
The original recipe is as follows:
Quinoa-Walnut Cupcakes
2 1/2 C white flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 C butter at room temperature
1 C sugar
3 T maple syrup
3 eggs
1 C cold cooked quinoa*
1 C coarsely chopped walnuts
*To prepare the quinoa you will also need 1 T oil, 1/2 C dry quinoa, and 3/4 C water.
Begin by preparing the quinoa. In a medium pot, heat the oil for about 1 minute, then add the quinoa and stir for about 1 minute. Add the water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover pot. Cook over low heat for about 8 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and leave covered for about 5 more minutes until transferring to a bowl to cool completely.
When you are ready to begin, preheat oven to 325 degrees and place liners in pan. For the cupcake batter, first mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl then cream the butter, sugar, and maple syrup in a bowl until light and airy. Then reduce the mixing speed to low and add eggs one at a time until well mixed. Gradually add the dry ingredients previously mixed together until you have a smooth batter. Then add the cooked quinoa and walnuts, mixing well. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cupcakes should be springy to the touch when done and left to cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.
(Recipe taken from Cupcakes, Cupcakes & More Cupcakes by Lilach German)
Even using the soy flour they turned out quite tasty! They were sweet with a cornbread-like texture because of the quinoa. I left the walnuts out as my co-workers daughter has a nut allergy that prevents her from eating nuts. I also made a maple syrup butter cream for those of us who can have dairy and it went nicely with the coarse cakes. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone looking for a "healthy" cupcake to enjoy!
Additionally, one of the teachers I work with is on a very restrictive gluten and dairy-free diet. I have been wanting to try to make a cupcake that I could share with her and not just the other teachers. While my quinoa cupcake recipe called for white flour, I had some soy flour on hand and have used it in a pinch when baking bread. I looked up the conversion online - 3/4 soy flour to 1 cup white flour - and got ready to bake.
The original recipe is as follows:
Quinoa-Walnut Cupcakes
2 1/2 C white flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 C butter at room temperature
1 C sugar
3 T maple syrup
3 eggs
1 C cold cooked quinoa*
1 C coarsely chopped walnuts
*To prepare the quinoa you will also need 1 T oil, 1/2 C dry quinoa, and 3/4 C water.
Begin by preparing the quinoa. In a medium pot, heat the oil for about 1 minute, then add the quinoa and stir for about 1 minute. Add the water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover pot. Cook over low heat for about 8 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and leave covered for about 5 more minutes until transferring to a bowl to cool completely.
When you are ready to begin, preheat oven to 325 degrees and place liners in pan. For the cupcake batter, first mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl then cream the butter, sugar, and maple syrup in a bowl until light and airy. Then reduce the mixing speed to low and add eggs one at a time until well mixed. Gradually add the dry ingredients previously mixed together until you have a smooth batter. Then add the cooked quinoa and walnuts, mixing well. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cupcakes should be springy to the touch when done and left to cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.
(Recipe taken from Cupcakes, Cupcakes & More Cupcakes by Lilach German)
Even using the soy flour they turned out quite tasty! They were sweet with a cornbread-like texture because of the quinoa. I left the walnuts out as my co-workers daughter has a nut allergy that prevents her from eating nuts. I also made a maple syrup butter cream for those of us who can have dairy and it went nicely with the coarse cakes. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone looking for a "healthy" cupcake to enjoy!
5.21.2011
Day 03 - A Song That Makes You Cry
If you know me, you know this one is a toughie. I love music and many songs, even ones that I don't personally relate to, can make me tear up, both because they are so sweet and because they are so sad. Today though I think I'll focus on one that made me cry in a good way.
I have always loved - no adored - the song "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes. It is simple and sweet, and most importantly, it is honest. It doesn't paint a picture of a grandiose, fairy tale kind of love; it speaks of real and imperfect love. When I met my husband he knew about Bright Eyes, but I don't think he was a big fan of the band the way I was. Despite this, for our first Christmas one of my gifts was a special single edition of the song. When he put it on and the song started playing, I started crying and I think I scared him - he thought he had done something wrong. But then I explained the reason for my tears. Yes, it was his fault, but it was not because he had done something wrong. It was because he had given me what I heard about in that song for so many years.
"First Day of My Life" now holds a special place in both our lives. On October 3, 2009, we danced our first dance as husband and wife to this song. Any time I hear it I both instantly smile and get a little teary. And sometime I don't even have to hear it to feel that way - I feel the same way when JR is out somewhere and hears the song and I get a text message saying "Our song is on!" In fact, I must admit that I've gotten a little teared up sitting here writing this.
Enjoy...
I have always loved - no adored - the song "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes. It is simple and sweet, and most importantly, it is honest. It doesn't paint a picture of a grandiose, fairy tale kind of love; it speaks of real and imperfect love. When I met my husband he knew about Bright Eyes, but I don't think he was a big fan of the band the way I was. Despite this, for our first Christmas one of my gifts was a special single edition of the song. When he put it on and the song started playing, I started crying and I think I scared him - he thought he had done something wrong. But then I explained the reason for my tears. Yes, it was his fault, but it was not because he had done something wrong. It was because he had given me what I heard about in that song for so many years.
"First Day of My Life" now holds a special place in both our lives. On October 3, 2009, we danced our first dance as husband and wife to this song. Any time I hear it I both instantly smile and get a little teary. And sometime I don't even have to hear it to feel that way - I feel the same way when JR is out somewhere and hears the song and I get a text message saying "Our song is on!" In fact, I must admit that I've gotten a little teared up sitting here writing this.
Enjoy...
5.15.2011
Day 02 - A Place I Hope to Visit
5.14.2011
Day 01 - A Celebrity that Inspires Me
Reading about his early life and career really inspired me to work hard and to stay true to who I am. It also showed me that sometimes to get what you want you might need to temporarily compromise.
5.10.2011
The end of an era...
Today marked the end of another era of my life: the grad school era.
Now I'm not saying I'm done with grad school for good, and anyone who knows anything about teaching (which given the news lately is probably not many) knows that I don't really have a choice about not continuing my education. But my time as a true grad school student has ended (successfully I might add) and I am feeling so relieved. I am relieved that I will have less stress and more free time. I am relieved that I won't have to write any more 36-page research papers any time soon. I am relieved that I can finally just focus on my teaching and my own personal life.
But, I must admit, I am also a little sad.
Though some may not know it, I actually began this degree quite some time ago. Back in 2006, with a newly completed bachelor's degree and no real job, I could still attend Kent State tuition-free thanks to my dad's full-time employment there. I started with some basic graduate education course online and then began coursework to earn a Master's degree in Gifted Education. Then I ran into a problem: the GRE. In order to be accepted into this program at Kent, I had to take the GRE. The GRE has math on it. I hadn't taken math since junior year... of high school. So after 12 hours of graduate work - the most you can complete on a guest admission - my grad school career ground to a halt. Luckily by then I had an ok job and was moving forward with my life.
Then came Rootstown. When my alma mater hired me, I was to teach both gifted and public speaking. As I did not have a degree in gifted ed, I was required to begin coursework again in order to be licensed to teach it. As the math portion of the GRE still had me scared stiff, I began to research my options. Hello CSU. Because of my undergrad GPA and my confidence in my ability to maintain a high GPA in grad school, I was able to join the graduate gifted program at CSU without having to take the dreaded test.
That was in Fall 2009. Two years later, I am officially done, and though the relief is washing over me, I am a little sad that it is the end. Grad school has consumed so much of my energy and my time over the past two years, that I can't help but miss it a little. Notice I said a little.
That being said, I am quite proud of my accomplishment. It really hit me this morning how much I have accomplished. I have grown so much since I began this process. I am now (at least I hope I am) the type of teacher I always hoped to be, but only dared to dream I actually could. And I am so proud of myself because it has not been without hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. That is not the only reason I am proud though. This morning it also hit me that, as with my bachelor's, I am the first person in my dad's bloodline to earn a Master's degree. And in my family, that's kind of a big deal.
To the end of an era...
and on to the next. I hope it brings me half as much satisfaction as this one has.
Now I'm not saying I'm done with grad school for good, and anyone who knows anything about teaching (which given the news lately is probably not many) knows that I don't really have a choice about not continuing my education. But my time as a true grad school student has ended (successfully I might add) and I am feeling so relieved. I am relieved that I will have less stress and more free time. I am relieved that I won't have to write any more 36-page research papers any time soon. I am relieved that I can finally just focus on my teaching and my own personal life.
But, I must admit, I am also a little sad.
Though some may not know it, I actually began this degree quite some time ago. Back in 2006, with a newly completed bachelor's degree and no real job, I could still attend Kent State tuition-free thanks to my dad's full-time employment there. I started with some basic graduate education course online and then began coursework to earn a Master's degree in Gifted Education. Then I ran into a problem: the GRE. In order to be accepted into this program at Kent, I had to take the GRE. The GRE has math on it. I hadn't taken math since junior year... of high school. So after 12 hours of graduate work - the most you can complete on a guest admission - my grad school career ground to a halt. Luckily by then I had an ok job and was moving forward with my life.
Then came Rootstown. When my alma mater hired me, I was to teach both gifted and public speaking. As I did not have a degree in gifted ed, I was required to begin coursework again in order to be licensed to teach it. As the math portion of the GRE still had me scared stiff, I began to research my options. Hello CSU. Because of my undergrad GPA and my confidence in my ability to maintain a high GPA in grad school, I was able to join the graduate gifted program at CSU without having to take the dreaded test.
That was in Fall 2009. Two years later, I am officially done, and though the relief is washing over me, I am a little sad that it is the end. Grad school has consumed so much of my energy and my time over the past two years, that I can't help but miss it a little. Notice I said a little.
That being said, I am quite proud of my accomplishment. It really hit me this morning how much I have accomplished. I have grown so much since I began this process. I am now (at least I hope I am) the type of teacher I always hoped to be, but only dared to dream I actually could. And I am so proud of myself because it has not been without hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. That is not the only reason I am proud though. This morning it also hit me that, as with my bachelor's, I am the first person in my dad's bloodline to earn a Master's degree. And in my family, that's kind of a big deal.
To the end of an era...
and on to the next. I hope it brings me half as much satisfaction as this one has.
5.08.2011
Wanted: A new look
So I want this thing to get a makeover... Tips for customization would be a plus.
I want purple to look like it threw up on this thing :)
I want purple to look like it threw up on this thing :)
3.27.2011
Cleveland Bucket List
I have lived in Cleveland for close to two years now, but because of my grad school and work schedule I don't feel like I've gotten to know this city the way I would like to. So this summer I'm going to conquer what I'm calling my Cleveland Bucket List. Please help me add to it!
Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop: http://www.sweetmosestreats.com/
A Christmas Story House
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Lake View Cemetary
Beach it at Edgewater Park
See something at Severance Hall
Explore the Emerald Necklace
Steamship William G. Mather
Western Reserve Historical Society
MOCA
International Women's Air and Space Museum
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
Malley's Chocolate Factory
Explore Little Italy
Holden Arboretum
Ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society
Crafty Goodness: http://www.craftygoodnesscleveland.com/
Fridays @7 with the Cleveland Orchestra: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/tickets/subscriptions/Fridays-at-7-Series.aspx
Tea House Noodles
Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop: http://www.sweetmosestreats.com/
A Christmas Story House
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Lake View Cemetary
Beach it at Edgewater Park
See something at Severance Hall
Explore the Emerald Necklace
Steamship William G. Mather
Western Reserve Historical Society
MOCA
International Women's Air and Space Museum
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
Malley's Chocolate Factory
Explore Little Italy
Holden Arboretum
Ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society
Crafty Goodness: http://www.craftygoodnesscleveland.com/
Fridays @7 with the Cleveland Orchestra: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/tickets/subscriptions/Fridays-at-7-Series.aspx
Tea House Noodles
8.12.2010
I'm baaaaack! And with a tasty recipe!
I have obviously been blog-MIA, but my summer classes and some new responsibilities that I took on took over my life and I haven't had much time for fun. But I am back with lots of stuff to share, starting with a tasty recipe for Strawberries & Cream Cheese Brownie "Cupcakes"!
Before you begin the brownie batter, you will need to make the filling so it is ready when it comes time to "assemble." This time I used a whole package of cream cheese, but had leftovers, so half a package would be plenty (just halve the sugar too). Mix about 1/8 cup of sugar with the softened cream cheese using a mixer, and then stir in fresh diced strawberries. Set the filling aside for later.
Before you begin the brownie batter, you will need to make the filling so it is ready when it comes time to "assemble." This time I used a whole package of cream cheese, but had leftovers, so half a package would be plenty (just halve the sugar too). Mix about 1/8 cup of sugar with the softened cream cheese using a mixer, and then stir in fresh diced strawberries. Set the filling aside for later.
FFresh strawberries! Yum!
Completed filling
Now it is time to make the brownie batter! I got the basic recipe from the Nestle website, but have made a few dietary adjustments. To make the batter you will need:
1 2/3 C sugar
3/4 C melted butter
2 T water
1/2 C chocolate soy yogurt
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/3 C flour
3/4 C cocoa
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Next you will need to grease and flour your cupcake pan, or use liners. Cooking spray works, but your brownies are more likely to stick, so I really recommend the old fashioned vegetable shortening with a dusting of flour if you aren't going to use the liners. If you use liners, I recommend foil for ease when eating.
Next combine the sugar, melted butter, and water using a mixer. Milk can also be used in place of the water, but doesn't make much of a difference. Next stir in the soy yogurt and vanilla. The soy yogurt is a substitute for eggs (1/4 C for each egg), and I like using the chocolate soy yogurt because I'm making brownies. In baking I have found soy yogurt to be the best egg substitute, plus it gives you some extra protein that other egg substitutes don't.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and then gradually mix them in with the wet ingredients to form the brownie batter.
Dry and wet ingredients before combining
CCompleted brownie batter
Once the batter is ready spoon a small amount into each cup of the cupcake pan. I recommend using about one heaping tablespoon. Next put a small amount of the cream cheese filling on top.
To encase the filling, put another small spoonful of the brownie batter on top.
Complete the process by using a clean spoon to smooth out the top layer of batter and "hide" the filling. Using the filling in this manner will give you more of a cheesecake brownie when you are finished. In the future, I may also try making the brownies as "cupcakes" and then using a pastry bag and tip to fill them after they are cooled for more of a fresh cream cheese taste.
Ready for the oven!
Pop them in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are firm and dry.
They will need to cool for quite awhile before they are ready for topping. Due to time constraints I had when making these I used a store bought chocolate fudge frosting and stirred in some diced strawberries. It tasted fine, but in the future I think I will make something from scratch.
I put a small spoonful of the frosting with strawberries on top of each cooled "cupcake" and then used a half of a strawberry slice as a garnish!
YUMMY!
Even though my picture of them didn't turn out too well, the "cupcakes" turned out delish and I got rave reviews at the meeting I took them too. These are a definite "make again" item!
Check back in soon for more updates on what I've been up to while I've been MIA, and what I'm doing while preparing to go back to school :)
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