The Grape Adventure

Despite the fact that I had just seen my family about two weeks ago or so the timing was perfect for another adventure.  This adventure I like to call The Grape Adventure! 

Mom and I have always had a dream to stomp grapes.  Dad has wanted to take a trip to the Iowa State Fair since the last time we went was nearly ten years ago.  We made our own itineraries, combined them and ended up at the Grape Stomp. 

I lost all hope when we had to sign up and they choose us by a bingo ball!  There were two pages for the 2:00 grape stomp.  It looked like our dreams would have to wait until another day.  However, the cycle for the Grape Stomp goes as follows; three stompers are chosen and they chose who their designated mucker will be to assist them,  the stomper stomps for 3 minuets,  then the stomper takes and squishes the grapes back and all the juice out while the mucker keeps the whole clear for the juice to run into the bucket, this happens for another  3 minuets.  Afterwards the juice is measured and the ribbons are awarded.  The Grape Stomp officials clean up and the cycle repeats.  This is done three times every hour.  Our luck came back when after the first three stompers were called everyone left!  Not us!  Mom got called to stomp in the second set, and of course I was her mucker.  Then I got called for the final set, and then she mucked for me!  Dream come true!  Mom managed to snag first place in her group of three with a total of 7cm of juice.  I got second in my group of three with 9cm of juice.  Many more fair activities ensued throughout the day.  We left to hit up another new experience, Joe's Crab Shack!  The family loves sea food, I don't eat it.  However, I knew they had to have some kind of non sea food options and if not...I would just have dessert :). 

Once again, success!  I only got hit with flying crab three times during the meal and the atmosphere and food were very enjoyable.  

This trip to the fair ended with heading back to my place to sleep off our food coma and leave in the morning for Northwest Iowa.  A family picnic was planned and some minor work needed to be done on my car. 

The food, family, and fun was a great way to end the summer.  Yes, end the summer.  This week starts the final stretch in preparing for the school year.  I realized a few things this weekend but mainly, I love my family.  



I'm not Greek, Italian, or Irish, I'm DUTCH and this is how we do corn!

Iowans all throughout the state are eating sweet corn like it is going out of style...well it is you know.  Ever since I was little we have always had sweet corn in August.  Mom would wait until the perfect vendor was sitting at the park and go snag a sack full!  Well, I learned quickly that in my new home there is one family known for its swee tcorn as well as its overall produce at the farmer's market.  I have been craving some but didn't know where to get any.  Then one day on a drive to pick-up some supplies for the classroom before hitting up the gym, the skies opened up, the seas parted, the storm settled and there it was....WESTRUM SWEET CORN!!!  I don't know these people, I know of them (typical dutch saying right) but they sure do know how to grow some produce.  I contained myself and only went for a 1/2 dozen I love sweet corn but a whole dozen for myself...way too much corn.  Then the fun, of shucking the corn and getting all the little hairs off of it.  I get so anal about getting all the hair off but realized tonight that when in the moment of devouring the it, I could careless if the whole thing was covered in the little hairs...it's so good! 

Now the cooking it.  Mom would boil water, put in corn (not sure for how long) take out steaming hot put on table.  Take some clean nails stick 'em in each end, handles people so you don't burn your hands, and roll it in a stick of butter, next coating it with a layer of salt. and there you have it...perfection! (Or a heart attack but we do this for one month out of the year I'm sure we will all be fine!)  This famous way of cooking, boiling, didn't seem like the best idea for one poor piece of corn per meal for me.  Them my mom told me a family secret for an alternative way to make it.  Ok not a secret but it did come from my aunt so it's in the family. 

The Easiest Way Ever to Make One Ear of Sweet Corn
-take shucked ear place it on a large piece of wax paper
-butter the entire ear of corn
-add some salt and pepper for flavor
-wrap so entire ear is covered by wax paper
-place in microwave for 3 min.
-carefully remove from microwave
-ENJOY!!!

Seriously so easy and tastes just like the hard, time consuming, heats up the whole house with boiling water, previous version. 

So in addition to my pasta that I made on Sunday and a light salad on the side the corn made the meal complete! 

And I'm back in the game!

If you have ever seen the movie, 10 Things I Hate About You, you might be familiar with the title of this post.  It's a quote from the movie.  If you haven't...stop reading and go watch the movie.  It is a necessity for any person who ever lived to see the 90's.  I pretty much have the movie memorized since it was watched at every single slumber party, that and A Knights Tale.  Oh Heath Ledger... anyways I digress, but I did find something to do tonight! HA

I am back in the game, because I am no longer just eating hummus for lunch and grilling some veggies, putting it on some bread with some extra greens and sweet potato fries on the side and calling it a meal.  No!  Instead I have a breakfast cookie..yes please (recipe coming soon)! with some hummus for lunch (it's a staple in my diet I must confess so easy to take to the school and eat quickly!) and then a casserole or new dish for the evening. 

With that being said let's check out the dish for the first part of this week.  I was reading another blog (surprised?) and they were talking about how they loved to go out to eat at the mall food court with friends when they were younger.  Of course those were also the years when you ate something and for some people it would shed right off you due to the athletics or on-the-go constantly life of high school.  However, those foods...not so good for you.  I know, a real shocker there people.  Anyways she came up with a dish to mimic a dish from Sbarro, a Baked Ziti dish.  Hers was changed a bit to meet the needs of her kitchen as was mine.  Why do I have soo many kinds of pasta but no Bow Tie or Penne noodles?

 
  Why I find the need to have angle hair pasta as well as spaghetti noodles I will never know...occupy space I suppose. 

Anyways so mine is Rigatoni Cheesy Pasta Bake.  Note this is also the debut of me going on my own to make a dish, this should be marked in history I swear but who cares...I see a lot more of this in my future! (If this is your first time reading, I am my mother's daughter, I love to cook, bake and spend lots of time in the kitchen working on perfecting dishes that as my Dad says were perfected  a long time ago and we should just stick to the original....Super Mom and I agree, that would be no fun at all!)

Rigatoni Cheesy Pasta Bake

6- 8 oz. Rigatoni Pasta- Half a box of some pasta
1-2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Garlic Salt
Pepper
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 jar marinara sauce

Boil pasta until soft, drain.  Season chicken breasts with garlic salt and pepper and cook in a skillet.  After preparing the pasta and chicken, in a mixing bowl combine pasta, chicken, 1 c. mozzarella cheese and 1/2 jar of marinara sauce.  Stir.  Spray an 8x8 pan or a medium sized casserole dish with non stick cooking spray and add the mixture.  Top with remaining  1/2 c. mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 20 min. at 400 degrees or until heated through. 

So there you have it!  It was mighty cheesy and pretty good.  However, not perfect yet...next time I see a can of green chillies in dish's future.  Hmmm...Maybe I will add some when I re-heat to eat this week...

The story behind the dish.  I had a 1/2 jar of marinara sauce left over.  My freezer is too full, aka things come sliding out at me when I open it, so one bag of cheese and a frozen chicken breast just had to go and my cupboard is being taken over by pasta.  Add all that to some blog reading and you get....RIGATONI CHEESY PASTA BAKE.  Until next time folks!

Teachers teach more by what we are than what they say.

For the first time ever this blog entry was written in Microsoft Word, read and reread, analyzed over, erased, rewritten and spent a lot of time on to get the words just right. 

I have only done a tribute one other time on this blog, see the mother’s day entry.  This blog entry is a tough one to write.  I would love to tell of the wonderful time in Colorado and the half marathon, but something much bigger has been laid on my heart for this one. 

This week a respected, loved, inspirational, cheerful, woman who is listed in my book of one of the greatest teachers passed away.  Mrs. Bleeker was our high school English teacher.  I don’t know the statistics for how long she had been teaching, what her previous locations or positions might have been, but the image that was witnessed at the YMCA in Estes Park when we received the news that the time was drawing closer and closer are worth so many more words then could ever be written in a eulogy.  Picture with me a mass of 2000+ students exiting a building and then nearly 200+ students breaking away to  congregate in a parking lot surrounded by mountains praying for comforting arms for her family and escorting her to our father.  This was followed by memories shared, tears shed and grizzly bear hugs exchanged.  Allow me to share with you a favorite that I heard while observing.  “Mrs. Bleeker would always say, ‘when those college professors give you too hard of a time and you can’t figure it out just yell out MRS. BLEEKER!’  It might not solve the problem but it will make you feel better.”  For those of you that knew her and can still hear her yelling voice three classrooms over, reread that quote with that voice.  You can’t help but smile and laugh. 

I haven’t figured out if it is because I am a teacher now or the simple saying, “you don’t know what you have, till it’s gone” that makes me realize how great she was.  When you look back on how she executed her classroom, it was done with perfection!  In college we heard, relationships, relationships, relationships.  You can make any student want to work for you, if you have that relationship with them.  I don’t know her “F” record, but it couldn’t have been too high.  Mrs. Bleeker can be given full credit on changing my literary status from, never reading, hating it, to enjoying reading for a good grade to reading nearly every book she suggested to me during my junior year of high school.  Let’s not forget Mrs. Bleeker’s ability to make anyone feel comfortable in her classroom that even the quietest student, not me, would feel secure enough to present a speech, in speech class.  Even when we would completely mess it up and prove to her that we had written it in the study hall before she would never be too hard on us.  Simply allowing our peers to critique us followed by “The Bleeker Expertise” that was always welcomed and shared in the most caring/ humorous ways possible.  Part of why we felt so comfortable with her was because of her classroom.   The walls painted a comforting color, decorated with student work.  I remember having a conversation with a high school friend in her classroom.  I said, “If I ever would be a teacher, which I won’t, J I would paint my classroom and let my students help me decorate, so they can feel like it is their classroom and be comfortable like we are here.”   Well Mrs. Bleeker, not sure if this school district will allow me to paint my classroom, but I will make it just as comfortable and welcoming as your classroom always was.  If only someday I could have hundreds of students talking about how great I was.  You were called, you served and you will never be forgotten. 

******************************************************

It was kind of ironic that on the same day we got the news, I had taken a bus ride down to Denver to supervise the water park activity.  We took a charter bus down and there were three bus drivers.  One driver, and  two others that had family in Denver they were visiting while we were at the water park.  For some reason we got on the subject of funerals.  They were remembering a funeral of a man who at his funeral they had people speak and the speeches were given by big football players, giving praise, sobbing and speaking of all the great things this man had done.  I mentioned that one of our speakers at Rocky Mountain High was encouraging us to evaluate our living.  A pastor doesn’t write our funeral, we write our own funeral with everything we do and every person we meet.  Mrs. Bleeker definately wrote her own funeral.  With the news of her passing, instantly conversations were flowing with memeories.

  Then the conversation got on a new track, one bus driver was talking with his son who has recently been questioning his faith.  His biggest question was what if the is no heaven?Why do we do all this if there isn’t?  His response was…What if there is!  For me the question of what if…has only crossed my mind for a split second and then is replaced with a vivid image of white pearly gates, with every one of my loved ones waiting for me.  I don’t live with the “what if there is no…” I live knowing there is.  I must say I am not finished writing my own funeral, however for the first time, I am a little jealous of Mrs. Bleeker for experiencing the "what is…”

“Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God.  Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the examples of their faith.”  Hebrews 13:7

Be a Fruit Loop in a bowl of Cheerios.

My apologies.


I have been neglecting this blog for a while. Not sure why. I haven't felt like it would be the best response. While I still don't feel like writing I have been urged by one of my readers, probably the only one, to write and give an update of my life. Here it goes.


I moved a few things into my classroom. It wasn't cleaned yet so I couldn't decorate or leave things out in the open but I was able to get some cabinets straightened out and make some mental notes and make ideas for the future.


I have gotten my next steps for employment done. As I have said before I will be teaching in a high school BD/MD position. However, I am not endorsed for that level of special education, so I have to take some classes. I have decided that Morningside will be the easiest and cheapest route to go and have gotten my paperwork in for that. Now I’m just waiting for a response to make the next steps.


I have completed my latest goal and therefore will be purchasing my NEW BOOTS soon! Yes, I completed a half marathon. It was awful! However, not horrible sooo...I will attempt it again next year :). My goal was to complete it in less than 2.5 hours. My time was 2:28:43, goal accomplished! The first three miles were a blast there were six of us girls, all the same age, chatting it up and setting a good pace. Then we hit a detour, due to massive amounts of rain in NW Iowa, and we were doing some road running, completely exposed to the sun. Oh, did I tell you I decided to do my first half marathon when a heat wave was hitting Iowa. Yeah, it was hot! The next 3 mi. I was a robot. At mile 7 it hit me...I am only halfway!!!!! That is when I decided I deserved a bit of a walk. I did the walk/ run part for the remainder of the next three miles and by the time I hit the last three I was ready to go. I knew I had run 3 miles several times before and this would be no different. However, it was different the previous 10 miles made this a whole new story. Same ending, a strong finish and an amazing feeling! The worst part of the race for those of you curious is the fact that you want to chug, guzzle, drink the whole ocean of water. There are several water stations set up, plus the kind people of Okoboji have tables set up on driveways. You need to tell yourself to let it hit your tongue and spit it out, you cannot drink too much or you will want to die! But all you want to do is drink, drink, drink. The will power to keep going is nothing compared to the will power needed to pass up a drink station. As soon as I passed that finish line I was taking off my fuel belt and hitting the water/ PowerAde tubs. It was glorious!

Ready to Run! Thanks for the photos mom!

 217 Runners in Half Marathon. Nearly 1000 participants in U of O races this year. 

A little over halfway...wanting to die.

Finaly!  The girl in the orange behind me had a consant battle the last four miles...I win!

Give me water...now please.

 Thumbs up, yep I'll do it again. 

Yeah, I have been told I am the odd one for paying to run 13.1 miles.

In upcoming events, I will be in Colorado for nearly 9 days!!! Working at a church retreat at a YMCA called Rocky Mountain High. It is sponsored by the Reformed Church of America, Synod of the Heartland every three years. It is filled with music, comedians, activities, recreation, amazing speakers and some pretty great staff members too (ahem). Yes, it is volunteer. I attended it when I was in high school and worked at it three years ago. My parents have worked it for several years. We really do look forward to it every three years.


Upon returning home it will be time for school mode. Have you notice the back to school lists in front of Wal-Mart or other stores. The cool new clothing adds. Despite the summer temps, these are all clear indications that summer is winding down.

Vivo!

(I live!)
I have not dropped off the face of the Earth.  I did not fall into a black hole I am still around and just too darn busy to get on here.  (That may be a bit of a lie)  The truth is I have been doing nothing lately that I feel is blog worthy.  I read blog after blog in my spare time learning how to cook vegan, do-it-yourself (DIY), top summer reads, and everybodies families and what they are accomplishing in these precious summer months.  (Note: the families I read about, no connection at all, I simply hit the Next Blog button and see who I can learn about next.)  At first this felt a little weird, but then I realized if you have  blog, it's because you don't mind if people read it therefore...I read on!

The recent biggest things to happen lately are the quest to read, read, read this summer as well as run, run, run and a little bit of whatever floats my boat. 

Read, Read, Read. Some of those things are: The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch and Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  Both which have been very good so far, who knows maybe a book report when summer's done? No, I won't put you through that agony.

Run, Run, Run.  Yes, several people in this little town have mentioned how they see me all the time!  Usually running, Do you ever stop?  has been the question most asked.  The answer, yes.  This week the Crazy Iowa weather statement has never been more accurate.  Sheets of misting rain early in the week, followed by unseasonably low temps towards the end, following with mild temperatures and a chance of rain for the weekend.  Are you kidding me?!? Therefore I have taken my workouts indoors.  Not my favorite thing to do.  You try running more than five miles on a treadmill and see if you still have your sanity!  Therefore I decided to spice it up.  I had read a blog on Treadmill Dancing.  You  may have seen this on several Ok Go! music videos.  Well the mother of a blog has taken the time and guts to put together a few dancing treadmill routines. 

Inspriation for my latest workout techniques.  Please enjoy!

When attempting this is it crucial that you do it with very few people around and at a very slow speed, very slow.  I attempted this at my local gym.  Where there were two elderly men working out as well.  One on a bike, one on a treadmill.  These two men and I had a pretty good laugh at my attempt to tackle this new workout.  They were so cute with how concerned they were for my safety.  They were constantly making statements about how impressive it was but
immediately followed with a "you be careful".  It was fun, we had a good laugh and the best part...I can feel it today.  After my usual run I can feel it in my hips or calves but never in my thighs.  Oh, today I feel it in my thighs.  Something about doing grapevines on a treadmill screams...you're going to feel this in the morning. :) 

I would like to report that the whatever floats my boat portion of my life has been devoted to getting set-up for next year at school.  However, don't be confused I am very excited for next year and also very scared.  I recently turned in my middle school keys to upgrade (I suppose) to high school all access passes, aka...master keys!  I have gone there once.  The emotions to let out a squeal of excitement mixed with the holy **** I want to cry I cannot do this!  Is a bit too much to handle while still trying to enjoy my summer off.  So instead my whatever floats my boat is usually sitting by a pool with co-workers, laying out, doing crafty things, hitting up some farmer's markets and chilling with friends.  Along with more vacations to come! 

Pupusas from the Farmer's Market.  Who cares that it was 9:30am when I attempted this bad boy.  It was so delicious.  The day I figure out how to make this at home is the day my cooking quest will be complete!

Stay tuned for an end of the summer what I learned list.  It might really be impressive to see all the things I have learned to cook with, DIY and the realizations that might come with completing a 1/2 marathon.  Well off to enjoy entertain another summer day!
 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

After almost a month of trying to coordinate moving schedules with my family, I now live in only one place and it feels sooo good!

The end came when my mom so graciously came down to help me with the "big stuff".  She came down Friday and had nearly perfect timing, right in between rain showers, mother's intuition I swear.  After a great "mother/daughter workout" moving up flights of stairs, we patiently waited (more anxiously than patiently) for a phone call from my aunt or cousin or brother.  You see,we planned this so perfectly they had planned a bike ride down to Boone and I am right on their way so, they stopped for the night and we went out to eat and then traveled with them to Boone to ride the train.  My aunt took one for the team and rode in the Vue with mom and I got to ride in style (on the new Harley) with my uncle!  What should have taken us a half hour or so took us nearly two hours!  We weaved our way through towns and roads I have never been too!  I feel it is only fitting that on moving weekend I am taken around the area to acquaint myself with these woods.  Seriously we went through some pretty woody areas! 
We reached our destination around noon, scoped out the area and then found some food.  Returning a short while later on full stomachs ready to ride the train.  The ladies decided to go for the covered train while the boys rode on the outside.  Let me break down the ride.  Full stomachs + narrow path= a bit of motion sickness while adjusting.  turns into...beautiful scenery + causal convo with the mom and aunt= forgetting you are even on a train and all is good.  turns into...ride back + the gentle rock of the train + the cool breeze (me hanging out my window= nap time.  :)
The day graced us with some perfect weather!  After the ride we all went our separate ways.  They headed for Freedom Rock  http://thefreedomrock.com/index2.php#/home/ .  While mom and I headed back to my place.  The night was then filled with some local restaurants and a movie on my current 19 in. television and get this the movie we chose, Morning Glory, was in wide screen.  Our already small image became very small.  Good news though we just moved the patio chair the television was sitting on a bit closer to the sofa.  :) 
It was a great weekend with my family.  Very thankful for them and that they come to visit me!   Now feel free to enjoy some views from the train!

On the high bridge.  I don't remember the actual height...it was high enough.



Looking back after crossing the high bridge.  Do you see the two caps...yup the boys made the picture (sneaky!)



Passing another bridge, not as scary.

Engine coming back to get us.  Please pick us up, please pick us up!

and back we go!

So there you have it.  Not a lot of people know of my slight fear of heights so this was a definitely an adventure.

Also this weekend I discovered how to get pictures off of my phone and onto the computer without having Internet on my phone so... for your viewing pleasure an old photo from our family vacation to Duluth, MN nearly two years ago!  I love my family!

Who can stay in the freezing cold water the longest??? I definitely lost :)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! Phillippians 4:4