Love

I have a love/hate relationship with my job. I am a preschool teacher, and am currently working in the infant/toddler room. I love my babies and toddlers, but sometimes I have a hard time being enthusiastic about my work. Why, you ask? Because as an industry, mine is not nearly compensated for the amount of work we do. We are over-worked and under-paid. The scheduling sometimes sucks, and working with a staff of all women can be wearing on the brain and the soul.

Why be a preschool teacher then? Why put myself through the stressors I do? Because of days like today.

My favorite kid (we're not supposed to have faves, but whatev.... I do) is so dang cute. We'll call him "M." Tonight, at pick-up time, said "favorite kid's" mom came to me and told me a story that warmed my heart and reminded me of why I do this job.

She told me that she was put "M" down for bed last night. He stretched his arms behind his head, put his pacifier in his mouth, and started to drift off, while looking dreamily at the ceiling with an inquisitive look on his face. When she leaned in and asked him what he was thinking about, his little voice whispered, "Lori."

I think my heart simultaneously grew three sizes and melted. I love that damn kid.

And I love being a preschool teacher. Most of the time. ;)

Happy Birthday, Tito!

I never understood people who did not treat their pets like little family members. Hello..... they are like little people! My little man, Tito, is like my baby. He is sweet, lovable and oh-so-cute. One of my favorite times of the day is the moment I walk into the house after a hard, long day of work.... that tail wagging like crazy, with a big wet doggy smooch to welcome me home. So today, we celebrate my sweet pup's 6th Birthday. He's getting so big (figuratively, or course.... he's a chihuahua..... he doesn't really grow bigger)!

To help T enjoy his big day, I made him a special doggie dinner. He scarfed down a dish of eggs, rice and carrots. I take it by the bowl I found in the kitchen licked clean, that he liked it!

Happy Birthday, Tito!

Here's to many more years of fun,

love, and big wet doggie

smooches!

MYOTO (thanks, Rachael Ray)

I made a recipe the other night, which would easily be a fabulous stand-in for my usual Chinese take out. It's a "Make-Your-Own-Take-Out" meal (aka MYOTO, a term coined by Rachael Ray of Food Network). I am a bit obsessed with the Food Network, and Mizz Ray, so don't be surprised if you see a bunch of their crap peddled around this blog. It's a sickness for which I wish no cure.


I found this recipe in a recent Cooking Light issue, and fell in love with it. It's a Chicken Kung Pao, minus the fried greasiness. I love spice, so we ended up putting in twice the amount of red pepper flake that was called for! By using red pepper flake, the spice quota can be tailored to anyone's taste, simply by changing the amount. This recipe did not disappoint! I highly recommend it. My broccoli loathing hubbie didn't even mind the broccoli. That's how bomb it was. Take that!

Kung Pao Chicken
courtesy of Cooking Light

Prep Time: 9 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup chicken mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Dinner and a Fingernail

Sounds scrumptious, no? Tonight while making this yummy recipe I decided that a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese would be great on top of the pasta. I pulled out my trusty grater...... the super sharp, micro plane type chef's grater. And instead of creating perfect shavings of cheese, I created perfect shavings of cheese with a bit o' fingernail mixed in. I was overly confident with my mad chefin' skills and grated my damn thumb. Thank goodness there was only a bit of nail-shed instead of bloodshed. Below is a picture of said nail.

Don't worry, I threw out the cheese. At least the food was good.

I know, right?

A new blog. I really don't know why I do this every year, thinking that THIS blog will be the blog I keep up with. We'll see if this one sticks. In the meantime, hello to all who still mercifully read my musings. I love ya.

Welcome 2010, man oh man, did I need you. A clean slate, a fresh start, a new beginning. Along with the new year, usually comes the dreaded "resolutions." However, after half of the world decides to join a gym, stop smoking, read more books and watch less TV, February is usually filled with couch potato, chain smoking, reality-TV-addicted crazies. These people wonder why they deprived themselves of the joys they cherish. Duh, because of the need we all feel to start a new year off on the right foot. This year, instead of trying to stick to a bunch of crazy resolutions that will undoubtedly leave me feeling like a big, fat failure come springtime.... I instead have compiled "2010 Goals." Not items I wish to change, but items I wish to add to my life. Here they are, in no paticular order:

- Stop drinking Diet Coke like water, and to actually replace it with water.
- Plant a garden.
- Eat a more clean, healthful diet.
- Read 100 new books. Or re-read 100 old ones.
- Expand my career goals. (vague, right? this one needs clarification and direction.)
- Cook more, because I absolutely love it.
- Voluteer.
- Become a more economically savvy lady.
- Make my weekends count.

Wish me luck. Lots of it. I'm sure I will have more goals to add as the year progresses, but these are some core ideals. We will see what happens.