Monday, February 20, 2012

I Don't Want This Weekend to End

This weekend was one of the best I've had since being at college.
Seriously though, any weekend that involves

Ice Skating
All State Speech Festival
Visits at Work
Bar Hopping with Parents
Shopping Trips 
Brunch Dates and
Afternoon Walks

is bound to be an awesome weekend. 
 

 First, a bragging moment.
Our speech team got 5 All State Speech Nominations.
FIVE
When I was in high school, we were lucky to take three events districts
But thanks to an amazing coach, a new assistant coach
additional help from speeech alums {Emily} 
 the team finished incredibly strong. 


Three of the nominations were performing,
so early Saturday morning {TWO} buses headed to Ames.

All three performances were excellent
and brought back awesome memories from my speeech days.


In addition to the SPEEECHIES coming to Ames, my parents came on Saturday to attend a Men's Basketball game with some other couples, and then spent the night at my house so we could all spend some time together on Sunday before they headed home. 

Saturday night, Mom, Dad, B and I all headed out to Outlaws,
my favorite country/western bar.

Mom and Dad have been there before, but never stayed too too late. 
It was a fairly quiet evening when we got there,
and we were all having a great time just talking and listening to music. 

Then, my neighbor boys showed up 
(old picture of some of the neighbor boys for reader who haven't heard of them before...)


 They immediately welcomed my parents, and started talking to them.
Before we knew it, it was 12:30!
Mom and Dad called it quits a little before one,
but still got a chance to do a little dancing before they left
{kicking myself for not taking a camera}

I'm so blessed to have parents who are so comfortable hanging out with their college daughter in an incredibly college setting. 
They rock. Period. 

Plus, they take you to breakfast in the morning after church, 
where the three of you 
laugh about prior Perkins visits
joke about Ginny 
catch up on life happenings
drink coffee {Mom and I}
and eat too much {all of us}




Needless to say, Sunday night was a little sad. 
It's hard to let go of such a great weekend
even if you've got 75 7th graders to look forward to on Monday. 

{Cheers for a four day week - hello 3 day weekend, you've been a long time coming!} 


Saturday, February 18, 2012

No Falls Friday

In college, the word Free is a most welcome sight
Free Food
Free Movies
Free Fun
etc...

Friday night was an {almost} free activity
With two cans of food, you could get skates and skate for 2 hours! 

Practically Free, right?
Plus, it was earlier in the evening that most 'free' skating events.

So B and I, along with some of our friends headed off to the rink 
for some fun on the ice.
 And I'm proud to report there weren't any falls....

 Well not too Manne.
{Extra points to those readers who get it}

But there was certainly a lot of laughter
funny faces
interpretive dancing 
creative skating moves




 One of my friends even timed his monthly trip back to Ames
so that he could come ice skating with us. 
So glad he could make it back 
{especially after our last attempt at free skating failed}

Not a bad way to start off the weekend.

I'm off to see my SPEEECHIES perform at the Iowa All State Speech Festival. 
5 All State Acts, 3 Performing, 2 Non.
One proud SPEEECHIE Alum here. 

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Sunrises

5:50 alarms come early.
And when I first started student teaching, 
getting up was REALLY HARD.
I was usually on the road before the sun was up,
and often not reaching home until dark. 


 However, as the weeks have passed, I've grown to appreciate mornings.
Mostly because of beautiful sunrises.

There have been mornings I've wanted to turn around
just to get a camera.


Like yesterday morning, 
when the rising sun was partially covered by a heavy layer of fog.
It honestly looked like an African sunrise,
one where everything is a little hazy because of the heat.

Kicked myself for not bringing my camera. 
The picture on my phone does not do it justice. 

So this morning, since today wasn't my day to drive the carpool {thanks Misha!}
I made sure to bring my camera along. 


And I was rewarded with a clear morning 
and a brilliantly colored sky. 

Taking pictures from a moving car, 
through the drivers side window
with multiple obstacles flying by that block your view
 make setting an amazing shot a bit tricky.


So while these aren't exactly amazing pictures I'm featuring, 
they still capture the essence and beauty of the rising sun.
Check out some of the gorgeous colors!

I guess what I appreciate about seeing the sunrise so much
is the constant reminder of God's presence everyday.

His amazing grace
His unabounding love
His breathtaking creations
His constant presence
It's all evident in a sunrise.


And sometimes, I just can't help but stare out my window, amazed
at the daily unique and changing sunrises.
 
It's not a bad way to start off my day.
Optimisitcally
Faithfully
Filled with beauty and life
and the promise of what's to come


 "Every day is fresh, with no mistakes in it."

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Mmmmm..... Gelato

Photo Courtesy of Capanna Coffee in Ames




Pineapple gelato
 a couple hours away from schoolwork
good conversation
 lots of laughter

 I'd say Valentine's Day was a wonderful success.
This year was certainly one of my favorites :) 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Weekend Snapshots

 A weekend home is always a welcome trip - even if it's really short. 
Here's a few photos from the weekend - 
 My Stephie - love her to death!

Weekend's not complete without photos of the pup -chasing cats or trying to get in the house!

 Lazy Saturday afternoons
Cookies with Mom!  
 and board games after dinner
We're talking intense gaming here people
See those expressions? 
{But no one can beat team Chloe/Erin!}

It may have been one of the shortest weekends home
But it was certainly one of my most enjoyable. 
It was packed full of fun with family and friends

Dinner at the AMAZING Tappa's Steak House 
{celebrated 30 years in business too!}
A night on the town with one of my besties and our friends
A wonderful coffee date with my parents on Saturday morning
Dinner and games with B's family on Saturday night

Coming back to Ames was bittersweet.
But now I can look forward to next weekend
when this amazing duo comes to Ames! 
Too bad the one in the middle won't be coming with....

Enjoy the week 
{and snow, if you've gotten some too!}

Thursday, February 9, 2012

CHEESECAKE

Birthdays are important.
And I believe they should be celebrated.
Even if it's incredibly low-key. 

I never was able to figure out what B's favorite cake was.
BUT
he did drop "chocolate coffee cheesecake" in conversation.

So, of course I jumped on it. 
A little research, a new recipe, and a grocery list later
I started out making my very first Cheesecake.


And it turned out nicely.
Approved by B, his roommates, and a few of their friends. 
Besides, when you have one piece and are full, you know it's good. 

So, I present:
Chocolate Coffee Cheesecake with Mocha Sauce


Recipe from Southern Living 

Ingredients:
3 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers (about 20 sheets) 
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 
PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray 
4 (8-ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 
1 cup DOMINO Granulated Sugar 
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs 
4 (1-ounce) bittersweet baking chocolate squares
Mocha Sauce

Preparation

 

1. Stir together crushed graham crackers and butter; press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch  springform pan coated with cooking spray.

2. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool crust in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

3. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add coffee liqueur, coffee granules, and 1 teaspoon vanilla, beating at low speed until well blended. 
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition.

4. Remove and reserve 1 cup cream cheese mixture. Pour remaining batter into prepared crust.

5. Microwave chocolate squares in a medium-size glass bowl 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds; let cool slightly. Stir reserved 1 cup cream cheese mixture into melted chocolate, blending well. Spoon chocolate mixture in lines on top of batter in springform pan; gently swirl with a knife.


6. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

7. Remove sides of springform pan. Serve with Mocha Sauce.
 And to top it off, make the delicious, 
Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder 
1 cup milk chocolate chips
( I only used 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, and 2 T of instant coffee since I didn't want to go out and buy espresso powder - B said he couldn't tell the difference) 
Preparation
1. In a microwave-safe container, heat cream until boiling. Stir in espresso powder until dissolved.
2. Pour chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. Pour espresso cream on top and stir.
Easy peasy! 
I know I enjoyed taking a couple pieces to school for lunch. 
And that was after leaving several pieces in B's fridge to enjoy later. 

Overall opinion - I would definitely make Cheesecake again. 
Especially with coffee. 
And chocolate. 
MMMM!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Gone from the face of the Earth

Somehow
I've neglected my little blog here over the past week. 
I never managed to post updates
about my very FIRST Cheesecake

about my fourth week of student teaching


about delicious Superbowl snacks


or my fun Friday reconnecting with my favorite neighbors.


It's depressing, you know? 
Especially after I've been doing better at posting every few days.

Shoot, I've even been remembering to take pictures! 
{big step for this girl here - bit forgetful}
Every day though, 
I'm getting a little better at managing my time
balancing
teaching
lesson planning
grading 
and
researching 
with 
family,
physical and mental health,
social life,
cooking,
weekends, 
and 
faith.

I learn daily what works,
and what doesn't work. 
But I'm still here.
Alive.
Trying.
Laughing.
And Growing 

{and tonight,  fascinated with lists apparently}

Thanks for staying with me during this journey.
I appreciate all the support and kind words!

P.S. Stay tuned for some belated posts - hopefully they'll show up before this weekend! 
 

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A Tuesday Visitor

I've been looking forward to Tuesday for a several days now. 
Ever since my Dad called and said
"Hey, would you like a visitor on Tuesday night?"
Am I really going to say no to that?! 

I was thrilled to have him in Ames for the evening. 
It's been almost a month since I last saw my parents,
and although I'm not near the homebody I used to be, 
I still love to see my family. 

It's a special treat. 
And that first hug when he {finally} got out of the car - 
priceless.

I'm so blessed to have him in my life.

We went out to eat at a little Mexican restaurant that's delicious. 
La Fuente's! 

We had a great time chatting, 
swapping school stories (me) and dog stories (Dad)
laughing, 
eating,
and just catching up on life in general. 

It was so relaxing and comfortable. 
No hurry.
Nowhere to be.
Just me and my Daddy bonding. 
Perfect. 

After supper, we came back to my house and hit the books. 
Dad studied and took a quiz for his first responder course, 
and I graded some quizzes that kept making me giggle with the funny answers. 

Sometimes, I wonder if the kids even bother reading their sentences to see if they make sense. 
But it sure kept Dad and I entertained....


Well, almost. There's only so much excitement the two of us can handle
 on a weeknight.
:)