Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin

Tonight I pan seared some Apple Bourbon pork. It came in the marinade so I cannot take credit for the sauce. It was good, but a tad too salty. On the sides I had steamed asparagus with butter and lemon juice and brown rice. It was a delicious meal accented with a sparkling wine (Dolce Veritas) from Coronado Vineyards.
There would have been baked potatoes instead of rice, but my oven started smoking like crazy. The kitchen and living room were filled. Oops, hehe

Beet Onion Pasta?

Every October, Art in the Park sets up in our town's main city park. Every year our goal is to buy pasta and garlic from 2 specific vendors. This year we purchased beet onion pasta. I thought, "This will either be really good or just plain awful."
Last night, I boiled it up and by the end it had lost its red hue, but had a wonderfully light onion flavor. I poured the pasta over some roasted brussel sprouts. To this I added some mild Italian sausage. I used the drippings from the sausage to make a sauce with about 4 tablespoons of whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and pepper to taste. It was delicious!

Blogging Again? We'll See.

So a friend of mine mentioned today that I should be blogging about all my cooking and baking I have been doing lately. Apparently, several of my Facebook friends have been following my food related status updates. When I see them in the real world they ask me what I've been cooking for dinner lately. Now, I wouldn't say that I am any where near Julia Child or the blogger, Julie, who recently had a movie released about her foodie adventure. No, I just love cooking and happen to like writing recipes and now find myself dabbling in cake baking. Just today I was paid $30 for a trio of mini cakes I baked for a friend's mother. When she asked me if she could purchase a cake from me I thought, "Oh my gosh! Someone actually wants to pay me for what I love doing?!" The next day I was substituting in a 5th grade classroom which contained perfectly lovely students. Really. I am not being sarcastic, I promise! However, I found myself thinking, while supervising a Social Studies quiz, "I could be baking cakes right now." The thought surprised myself. I love teaching, but to get paid for baking sounds wonderful as well! So I guess, I will just continue to blog about my cooking/baking and see where this path leads. I would love to become a baker.

Newsflash...not really, just an update.

My new job is...uh...interesting. I am not cut out to be an elementary teacher. It has its ups and downs and is not horrible I would just rather be in a classroom with older kids. But you know, I think there is this whole question of perspective. You know the old cliche, "The grass is always greener..."? For some reason wherever I am I think something else would be better. I don't think this is healthy. I really believe I need to flip the lenses in my life vision and find things to be grateful for rather than sit around feeling sorry for myself.
For the first several weeks of my job I came home crying and upset because this wasn't my old job. Well, I can also remember wanting an out from my old job! Kind of crazy I think when life gave me an out, but I spent so much time complaining about what I had been asking for. Make sense? Probably not.
I wanted change, but I wanted done my way and this is certainly not my way. However, when is change ever done by the rules we write for ourselves? Life would probably be really uninteresting if I was allowed to write my own script! Granted I am not where I want to be, but I suppose it could be worse, right?
I am certainly not where I thought I would be when I looked ahead on my life when I was 17. When I think of the innocent ideals of life I thought I had in my future then I certainly giggle a bit. My life really is good.
Now if only I could blink and live in Portland already AND have the "perfect" job (AND of course be married to Joe!). I suppose I will look back on this time of my life when I am 40 + and think, "Wow, I was still pretty clueless about life when I was 31."

How Do Other People Do This?

I was sitting in my house yesterday, Sunday evening, wondering what I could do. I realized that in the past several years I have been busy creating lesson plans, preparing for projects and lectures, and being just plain busy with teacher work. There I was last night without any of the normal routine to which I have become accustomed. I remember being in the midst of constant work and wondering, "when will this teacher work end?!" Now, on the other side, I wish I could have that work back. It is alien to me to not have homework.
After graduating high school I went to college. I did take a short break from school in 1997, but I was working two jobs, one of which was in a school. After this break I attended Texas Bible Institute. I worked very hard there as students were the main labor for running the retreat/camp center at the school. After that I accidentally became a teacher out of an emergency need in 2000 when a teacher became ill and they needed a substitute. My position became permanent and I found myself working 2 jobs and a volunteer ministry position with the youth group at my church.
In 2001, I decided to go back to college and that lasted five years. Throughout college I maintained at least one job. I was always busy doing something. After graduating in 2006, I taught until this past May. So what am I saying?
I have always been busy and now I find myself with one job that does not require me to do anything outside of the work hours. Some if not most of you reading this probably think I am crazy, but I miss my busy days. Will I ever get used to this?
I began to wonder, "what does everyone else do after work?"
I guess I could go out drinking, but I would rather drink at home with friends over dinner. Ok, so where are my friends? Busy. Hm.
So the next option I came up with is a hobby. Yes, a hobby. My newest thing is trying to enhance my cooking skills. I have been cooking meals out of a cookbook and creating menus for about a week now (the length of time I have lived in my new house). My boyfriend enjoys it, but let's face it, I can't spend all day cooking. My figure is already on the plus side so I don't exactly want to spend an over abundance of time in the kitchen. So what is another hobby?
Well, my mom did buy me that sewing machine. It sits on the table next to the computer mocking me. Then, I begin to see images of high heels, calf-length skirts, and pearls and ask myself, "am I living in the 1950s? Am I really going to turn into Donna Reed?"
It wouldn't be a horrible thing. Maybe I would excel at sewing. Maybe I could turn it into a business. So then my mind turns to business opportunities. I could sew, take photographs, and make, you know, stuff. I could rent a booth every October at the Art in the Park and get rich! Yes! I could do all that; couldn't I?
What does everyone else do with their spare time?
Cook, clean, weed the yard, clean the car, repair the car, pay bills, sleep, lather, rinse, repeat...

What I Did During My Summer Vacation.

Looked for a job!!! I was in such denial with my previous job. I thought my school would be open forever and explode with enrollment any day. However, reality crashed my fantastical party, pointed directly in my face with its giant grubby finger and shouted, "Nanny nanny boo boo! You lose, I win! Your job here is over!"
So there I was, the last week of May, face to face with my new "friend" Reality. I took the hand of my new friend somewhat grudgingly and went on the path of employment. The thing about reality is that he (or she or it, whatever you prefer) is not a prognosticator; he does not tell you what is going to happen only what is happening right now. I thought I was going to be able to find a job no problem. I still wasn't fully embracing my new friend, you see.
I marched into a new school, fully expecting them to say, "Oh yes, we have heard about you and would LOVE to have you on our staff!"
Yeah, that did not happen. And it continued to not happen time and time again. I did have one principal tell me he thought I was great and would fit right in, but did not have a position open. Um, why did he interview me then? I still do not know the answer to this question and hope perhaps it will show itself fruitful at some point.
You know interview questions right? The infamous "what are your strengths and weaknesses?" Would you like to know my weakness? INTERVIEWS!!! I learned I hate them. I get the sweats, my mind goes blank, my tongue twists up and meanwhile reality comes in and whispers, "You aren't certified. They want someone who knows about IEPs and all their fancy educational verbiage and programs." (shutup reality!)
The best interview was the one that started out with, "Originally, I had put your resume in our 'no' pile." Really? Thanks for the tidbit of information buddy.
Well, by the end of summer I did end up finding a gig. I now work with kids that are about 2 to 3 feet shorter than my previous teaching job. I am not the lead teacher, but I am excited about the learning possibilities.
What did I learn this summer...
1. Don't fall out of doors and hurt your ankle when you are uninsured. (another great story from my summer)
2. Always be prepared to further yourself. In my case, getting a Master's degree and certified.
3. God takes care of reality.

Milli Vanilli Started It

I have a Facebook page and had made a comment about Milli Vanilli. Then I ran across my silly picture which is posted above (just in case you didn't notice). I began to think about how fun music was when I was in junior high circa 1990. In that same moment in time I lived in Germany; Rhein Main Airbase to be exact. My dad was in the Army (hoohaa or whatever it is they shout) and he was stationed to a very small little unit in the middle of the forest of Shwanheim. This location was closer to Rhein Main than Abrams Army Post so we got to live it up in Air Force housing for a couple years. I loved living there...when I was not in a hormonally charged preteen state of huff.
I am so grateful for my time from birth to 23 (that is when they took away my ID card and DODD benefits) when I could call myself an Army brat. I cannot imagine having to live in the same town my whole life. I can say I have been to 8 countries (Panama, Mexico, Belize, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Italy); all of these with the exception of 2 are because of the United States military. I guess even the other 2 were as an indirect result of the military because I wouldn't live in Arizona if it wasn't for the Army. I would have been raised in Iowa!!! The irony of life now is that I have thought about moving to Iowa to settle for a bit.
My mom married my dad while he was on leave from Germany. They had known each other for several years and were engaged already, but dad had been stationed to Manheim, Germany. So, she was whisked away to the adventure of a lifetime. After there first stay in Germany I came onto the scene and by 1980/1 we ended up in Arizona for a short stay.
While a kid I didn't appreciate the moving too much. I especially freaked out when we moved in August 1991 from Germany to Oklahoma. "Oklahoma?" I rememer thinking, "What in the heck am I going to do there?!"
I was making a good group of friends, I was enjoying school, and was just falling into my own with PYOC (Protestant Youth of the Chapel, I know...). Then we moved to "redneckville". It ended up being alright, but that was the hardest move for me.
Growing up in the military is probably what made me live and breath history. I now teach high school kids history and I can say things like, "Today we are going to discuss the Renaissance which blossomed in Italy and more specifically Florence, Italy. I've been there."
Did I enjoy the trip to Italy when I was a kid? There were moments, but it is on the top 3 of most challenging family trips ever. Do I appreciate it now? Oh yes!
Speaking of my job...I need to go to work now. :)