I'm an Addict...

Pin It Really.

Do you remember when I made this little list?

Of those most favorite things I had in life, Sundried Tomato and Basil Wheat Thins had clearly made the list—most especially because they are…how do I say it?

Amazing?

A party in your mouth?

Akin to heaven and all that is good in the world?

Regardless, it was about two months ago that this particular variety of Wheat Thins was on sale, and at an unbelievably cheap price at that.

I was shaking my head in disbelief as I found myself walking out of the local grocery store with twelve boxes of them packed away into shopping bags. I was thinking at the time just how crazy I was; after all, there would be no heavenly way I could eat all them before their expiration date in April.

Fast-forward to this afternoon.

The pantry had been emptied, the last box having surrendered its last dregs of wonderful, basily goodness. Not a single one of these little, golden delights was in sight. I purchased three more boxes at a not-so-good sale price. I can only ask myself why I didn’t purchase an additional ten boxes two months ago…

Then I remember the fourteen boxes of cereal I threw out over the weekend—some of it having expired back in 2008.

Yeah, I’m kind of like that.

If I keep this up I just might have to start attending Wheat Thins Anonymous.

Jumping on the Bandwagon: The Recipe & Process

Pin It

Okay, since everybody else seems to be explaining how to make either this or that, I figured that I'd take a crack at the realms of food preparation and share this delightful dish which will strike a chord with ALL the members of your family. Sound too good to be true? Well, it's not.

First off, you'll need a bowl. I recommend using whatever is in the cabinet. Luckily, I have one clean one. Old plastic butter containers work for this as will an old cocoa mug in a pinch. The container is not really that important...you just need something to contain the goodness.

I recommend putting the container you are using on a solid surface. The counter works well for this though some people prefer using a table.

Next, you'll need a utensil. Though there is a plethora of choices and options, I would urge you to use a spoon. It can either be of the larger or smaller variety...it all depends on the size of your mouth. A fork or knife is not really the tool of choice because it would really slow you down.

Don't worry, you'll understand.

As you can see, I have chosen to utilize a smaller spoon for this particular project simply because I wanted to.

A good idea is to put the spoon next to the bowl so that it will be handy, this way, you'll also not forget where you placed it. This step is not absolutely necessary, but highly recommended.

Next, you should check your pantry, cupboard, or wherever you keep your breakfast fare. I keep mine in the pantry mostly because there is a lot more room next to the Oreos and chocolate chips. I can also choose to change my mind when I see the options available on the other shelves.

While your varieties might be different, these instructions will work just fine for any one of them. Here were my two main options for today:

I decided on the Cinnamon Toasters for today. These are the knock-off brand which tastes just about the same as Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and they are a heck of a lot cheaper.

Some people pour with their left hand, while others pour with their right. You are more than welcome to pour with the one which is most comfortable for you. If you choose the other hand that you don't normally use, you might spill.

The next step is to get the milk from the fridge. While this is my fridge, yours might look a bit different. Don't look for a fridge in your house exactly like this one, or you'll never get past this step. Just look for the large appliance which keeps your food cold. Usually these tend to be of a whitish color.

Now, you'll need to get the milk from the fridge for this next step. If you're like me, you will probably open up your refrigerator and then suddenly realize that you forgot to buy milk yesterday, and today is now Sunday. If you have any favorite expletives, feel free to use these now.

If there had been milk in the fridge, there would have been a few other steps going in that direction; however, with the lack of this delightful white beverage, we will take the other route.

Grab the cereal from the bowl with your bare hand and eat it dry. It's not bad, and the sugar helps you to believe it's really some type of candy.

Once the cereal is gone you can either put the bowl and spoon back in the cupboard (since they weren't really used) or put them in the sink with all of the other dirty dishes that you plan on doing later, but will probably not get around to for quite some time. I opted to put the bowl in the sink and the spoon back in the drawer.

There you have it, my friends. If there were any questions you had on any of these steps, please make that in the comments section or feel free to email.

Cheerio.

Making Memories

Pin It When we don’t have plans we can either wait for someone to make the magic happen, or we can put the magic into motion ourselves. This Friday night I had no prospects, so I called a few friends of mine and put something into movement.

A group of old and new friends met at “The Trolley” down in Art City last night. We laughed for hours. We reminisced of yesterday. We spoke of the future. We had a wonderful time.

We all need good friends.

Second of Seven

Pin It Second of seven, you ask?

Undoubtedly you wonder: just what could this mean? No, I’m not speaking of the exceptionally attractive Borg goddess from Star Trek: Voyager; after all, her name is Seven of Nine.

What I speak of today is the BIG number two. No, not that number two either.

I speak today of…

Gluttony.

Glut`ton*y \ , n. ; pl. Gluttonies: Overindulgence in ingestion; excessive immoderation of the desire for food; self-indulgence.

He was quite the glutton when he gluttoned himself gluttonously with the insatiable gluttons at the feast.

Teachinfourth’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 2009, 2009 MICRA, Inc.

It all happened just a few days ago. I was at the store, minding my own business. In fact, I was only there to get one or two items; however, one can never be too sure of one’s needs, so I grabbed a cart on my way in just in case.

I wandered up the aisles looking at the assorted items, when—to my dismay—I found the way ahead barred by two elderly women with overflowing shopping carts. Carts heaped with cans of cat food, reams of toilet paper, and veritable troves of case-lot sale goods.

Instead of becoming a part of the rapidly-building bottleneck, I opted to detour down an entirely different aisle which I usually tend to avoid. You know this aisle—it’s the one containing all of the holiday ‘items’ which is rotated month to month—save Christmastime when the same items burgeon the shelves from the day after Halloween until two weeks after New Year’s.

As I hurried up the aisle, a glint of bright, orange packaging caught my eye.

I shouldn’t have stopped.

But I did.

I found myself facing the rows of wicked indulgences to which I usually take no heed to. Nevertheless, this particular one seemed to be calling my name…

“Teachinfourth…” it whispered.

I looked around me, and removed one of the earbuds of my iPod.

“Take me home…I’m delicious.”

I could not be swayed quite that easily; I ignored the thought, and made ready to walk away.

That’s when the voice spoke again, “I’m on sale...”

I stopped. I checked. It was.

How in the world could I let something so extraordinary remain in such a place when it was half its regular price?

I am not a Grinch; I do not have a heart made of stone.

I made said purchase and departed; my arteries hating me.

It was delicious.

Gluttony.

Gotta love it…in small quantities; or in quantities slightly larger.

Happy Belated Easter to me…

Mr. Z Day

Pin It Today was “Mr. Z Day.”

I decided this last night.

So, what is Mr. Z Day? Well, in actuality, it can be just about anything I would like—hence the wonder of this magnificent holiday.

As many of you know (or may not know) I eat lunch nearly every day with my students—this is something I’ve done for nearly 6 years as an educator. The kids take pleasure in their teacher eating with them, and it saves me from that dreaded facility room (or the exile of my classroom…which is a welcome place to eat occasionally).

Today I took chicken nuggets and tater buttons to school.

However, I wanted to have a lunch that was a bit classier. It always amazes me what one can do when they add a modest amount of ingenuity, a place setting mat, silverware, and garnish it all off with vegetation.



I received quite a few inquiring looks, many compliments, and even a few shocked questions. All of these were deflected—or accepted—in the name of Mr. Z Day.

“Why are you cutting your chicken nuggets with a knife and fork?”

“Because eating with one’s hands is so déclassé. And I prefer them to be called, ‘Chicken a-la Nugget.’ They taste so much better this way; Ah, the wonder of Mr. Z Day!”

“Why don’t you drink your pop from the can? Why are you dirtying a glass?”

“Because the fine goblet enhances the exquisite taste of the beverage. Ah, the beauty of Mr. Z Day!”

“Why do you have flowers at the table, Mr. Z?”

“It adds to the ambience.”

“What’s an ambience?”

“The general feeling of a place…the mood.”

“It sure makes it prettier.”

“Indeed it does. Mr. Z Day…enjoy it!”

“So, just when IS Mr. Z Day? If we’d have known, we all could have brought fancy things to eat with, too.”

“I never quite know when it happens…it just does.”

One of my students raised her milk carton, “To Mr. Z Day!”

“To Mr. Z Day!” Several others all repeated as they raised their cartons—and I my fine crystal glass of soda—all in order to commemorate the moment.

I think tomorrow will be Mr. Z Day as well…

I promised myself

Pin It I stepped out of my warm home into the swirling of white flakes in the breaking of first morning light.

The mountains flanking the valley were blanketed in an array of ashen blue.

The call of the daybreak filled me with exhilaration…

I felt energized for the day.

I was excited for work.

I found myself thrilled with the fact that I’d be seeing my students.

I was going to get bagels at Einstein.

This thought had percolated in my subconscious mind yesterday afternoon…I was thinking of these fabulous bagels—possibly the best on the planet—and I decided to stop and get a few after work.

Unfortunately, they were closed for the day.

Curses.

I made myself a promise that I’d go back today before I went to work.




I made good on my promise, and am glad that I did.

I have a memory

Pin It Isn’t it odd just how often our memories can be triggered by a song, smell, or a taste of something from that time we’d left so many years before?

That’s so often how memories are for me.

I was walking through the halls of my elementary school a few years ago, and from somewhere I caught the scent of something I’d not smelled since my own elementary days. It was the smell of bamboo air freshener.

I was instantly transported back to Freeman Elementary School, in the first grade hallway walking to Mrs. Woodbury’s classroom. A moment later I’d returned to the present. However, the experience was so real, so vivid, and fantastic that for a moment I thought that I’d stepped through a conduit of time and space.

This also happens time to time when I hear a song, or eat something associated with a distant memory. It is this which brings me to my present post.

A dear friend and I were chatting not too long ago, and I mentioned these Hostess donuts my parents used to buy when I was a kid. I’m sure you’ve seen of them…they’re those nasty raspberry powdered kind.

As a kid I loved them.

My friend thought it would be fitting to bring me a box of these sugary delights. I opened the carton and a whiff of powdered sugar filled my senses as I reached in and lifted one from the container.

As I sank my teeth into this powdered delicacy, I was transported to the Columbia River…


The car was loaded with towels, an ice chest with lunch, and our swim gear.

Walking to the cold water over the scorching sand.


Catching minnows in a plastic cup.

Swimming to the floating dock.


Looking into the river depths and seeing shadowed reflections.

Floating on inner tubes and the smell of pine trees.


The asphalt parking lot strewn with pine needles.

Walking the logs and feeling brave, even though I never made it past the first one.

Campfires and the roasting marshmallows and hot dogs.

Riding in the canoe and smelling the sweet odor of the outdoors.


Warm summer breezes, and the sound of the pines rustling songs without words.


A moment later I was back in the present time, in my classroom. My students were at lab and would need to be picked up in a few minutes. I stood, as I did I looked into the box where now only two donuts gazed up at me.


Thanks, good friend, and thanks Hostess for a trip back to innocence.

Dinner with a friend

Pin It

I met with my dear, old friend tonight.

We drove to our favorite place.

As we ate, a solitary stream of sunlight reached longingly from the distant window to warm our table.

It was a welcome visitor.

Busy day so far...

Pin It I got another headache yesterday.

I know what you’re thinking…

Again?

Yep.

I decided to go to bed around 7.

I woke up at midnight. However, my headache was gone.

I stayed in bed until almost 2.

I couldn’t sleep.

I got up and started to work on my website.

It’s looking great.

Still a lot of work ahead though.

I made cinnamon rolls.


Why?

I was hungry.

Still working on the website.

It’s 5:30.

Drink it, Doctor's orders!

Pin It Remember when I said that Mt. Dew was the nectar of the gods? Well, it is clear now that I was mistaken…I’ve since discovered that the true nectar is really Dr. Pepper.

I should say that I only have it in my home for medicinal purposes, however, this would be a sordid lie as it has become a recreational beverage as well as a “doctor” of sorts.

In fact, about a week ago I had the same breakfast for about three days straight, and the doctor was a part of it.

I know, I’m wicked.

But who knew wicknessness tasted so good?

Conferences again

Pin It

I stayed late at school tonight; I was trying to get ready for parent conferences and get scores entered…all of that stuff.

A good friend of mine called up and asked if I wanted a maple bar from Macey’s. I was so excited I could hardly breathe. I really needed a maple bar. She was already out in the parking lot with it.

Thanks, secret maple-bar-loving friend. You have no idea how much I needed that!

This is all I have time for blogging tonight…I still have a lot of work ahead of me before I get to go to bed.

It looked like radiator fluid

Pin It ...only with bubbles.

I remember hating all sodas except for Sprite or a root beer when I was growing up. Dr. Pepper made me want to vomit and Coke or Pepsi made my stomach turn. Maybe this was because what we usually had to drink was diet caffeine-free Coke. NOT a pleasant drink. I remember trying regular Pepsi at my cousins’ house once when I was growing up and I couldn’t take the sugary sweetness of the soda…it was just way too much.

I liked root beer.

I dated a girl for awhile when I went to the Y who got me swear off soda and only drink water. We were both runners at the time (not me anymore, though) and I found I had greater endurance when I was not drinking soda.

I came to love water.

Water bottles were in my car, my house, in my classroom, in my backpack. I craved icy-cold water and I will admit that I felt much better when I was drinking a lot of it.

I found a recipe. It was one I had while on a white-water rafting trip last summer. The base for the marinade was Mountain Dew.

The other day I had a craving for this barbecued delight and went out to buy some Mountain Dew. I felt like I was buying beer. I snuck it into my cart and put a few other items over it as I walked around the Springville Wal-Mart…just in case somebody I knew saw that I was buying it. Upon arriving home I used some of it, while the rest sat in my pantry. A few days later I had a screaming migraine and a friend of mine recommended drinking a Mountain Dew. “The caffeine will help knock out your headache.” He’d said.

It looked like radiator fluid, but that is not how it tasted. I remember pouring the contents into a glass with ice. The way it foamed up to the top of the glass with a quiet bubbly sound, the deep amberish-green color of the beverage which had a slight lemony-limeish taste. My friend was right, it did indeed knock out my headache like a heavyweight boxer in a death match. Oh, Mountain Dew, how wonderful you are.

I still have the case in my pantry which I do use occasionally, but only for medicinal purposes…

Mostly.

Tortellini Soup

Pin It I got this really great recipe from a friend of mine recently. I actually got it two years ago and never actually made the soup. I guess I was just always hoping that it would get made by my friend, who would then usually send some my way (which was usually the case).

Well, I suddenly felt this craving for tortellini soup and decided that I’d better take a crack at making it myself. I will admit that a part of me never made this before because of fear…I was afraid that it would probably be horrible-tasting and also a colossal waste of my time when it didn’t turn out.

Well, last Sunday the call was much too great and I gave into my desire for tortellini soup. As the smells of sautéed mushrooms and basil wafted about the kitchen mingled with the odors of Italian sausage and onions, I knew I’d made an EXCELLENT decision.

The great thing about it is that I now have four great recipes of things which I could make should I ever want to impress somebody.