Grab and go breakfast

After a week off for school February break, it’s time to start thinking about heading back. Reading over student essays, designing some new math activities, some professional reading, and lesson plans are on my to do list. While procrastinating, (and watching Bravo!), I whipped up these cuties. Yummy, gluten-free, and chocolate for breakfast makes these a grab and go win.

There are many versions of these online. Here’s the basics: Banana-PB-Chocolate chip mini muffins In a blender, combine: 1 medium over-ripe banana 1 egg 1/2 heaping cup PB 3 T honey 1 T vanilla extract (as Ina says, “good vanilla”!) 1/4 t baking soda A sprinkle of cinnamon You can also put a pinch of salt-I leave out Blend all above on high speed until nice and creamy. Add 1/2 cup (or a bit more) mini chocolate chips and stir in, don’t blend! Then use a small cookie scoop (spray with PAM) or tablespoon into mini muffin pan (pre-spray this as well!) Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 8-9 minutes, until knife blade inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool. Makes 2 dozen mini muffins. Yum!

Valentines Day

So this morning my kids come in with a Valentines buzz, chocolate heart and cards left on my desk, dropping paper hearts in each other's cereal box mailboxes...I come around a desk to find a sweetie crying below her desk. I thought she was hurt...I scoop her up on my lap...she says between sobs that she not hurt..she's just having a bad morning.:( I hug her and tell her it's Valentines Day and that she's my Valentine and there's no crying on V day....she cries a bit more, then goes to wash her face and get a drink of water...later she brings me a hand made, glued and glittered Valentines card...she says, "this is why I was sad this morning...I was making this for you and I was making my mom late getting out of the house.":love: I love my kids

Basil Bounty

We had a VERY hot summer in Northern NJ. My lawn suffered. Weeds flourished. I worked for brief periods on maintaining the gardens only to hear my name being called by margaritas and chilled chardonnay... But fear not! The herbs evidently LOVE LOVE LOVE the heat.

With fall approaching, I know my days of stepping out my back door and clipping fresh herbs for my cooking are waning. Time to use them up, dry and bottle some, and to dream of next year's plantings.

My absolute favorite use of this summer's bounty is making basil pesto. I'll use some on pasta and chicken dishes this week...or maybe on baked potatoes or toasted baguette slices. The rest will be scooped into zip bags and frozen for later...I just love a pesto dish on a cold and freezing winter night. Tastes like summer while the snow piles up outside.

Try the following from 'Simply Recipes' with your own basil bounty:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil *(I use 1/4 c. olive oil and 1/4 c. chicken or vegetable broth)
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Bakery sign

I think this is what became of Bullwinkle.

School Supplies

OK, I admit it. I'm a school supply nerd. I love cruising the aisles of office supply stores this time of year- touching and feeling all the new 'stuff'.

Today was 'Teacher Appreciation Day' at my local Staples. Teachers were given a binder filled with looseleaf paper, a pencil case with some markers, pens and cool Avery 'note tabs' (I LOVE those things- little stickies you can put on book pages to make notes for yourself, save passages you want to refer to later...I keep trying to convince my college son of the fabulousness of these and that he NEEDS to use these when studying. He just looks at me and shakes his head...obviously he didn't inherit the school supply nerd-ness gene).

In addition to the notebook, they had Dunkin Donuts munchkins!!! There were jelly donut munchkins on top, so I popped 'at least' one in my mouth in record time...I really think when snacks are so tiny there really aren't any calories in them. (I know, let me live in my jelly donut dream world haze just a bit longer...)

I checked out all the new supplies and shopped for a few supplies for the aforementioned college son (he DOES like mechanical pencils!!). As I was walking to my car in my 'happy jelly donut and new school supply euphorium', I encountered another teacher on her way to her car. I smiled and seeing my fabulous free notebook in my hands, she said "Teacher Appreciation Day was so much better last year. We didn't get too much free stuff this year." I gave her my best 'teacher look' (I have to stay in practice, afterall, school does start in 2 weeks) and said, "It's an uncertain economic climate. We should all APPRECIATE being appreciated in any way. I'm thankful for my goodies." Then I smiled and wished her a happy back to school in my best 'read-between-the-lines-but-still-sound-sunny-and-happy-voice'. I don't think she got it.

To the rest of you, (in my 'most-meaningful-sincere-voice'):

"I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."

(From 'You've Got Mail')

:) Cza

‘So Much to Say: the abridged (!) biography of a Jersey Girl

William Butler Yeats said that, "Education is Not the Filling of a Pail, but the Lighting of a Fire" For me, it captures what lies at the heart of who I am as a wife, mom, sister, friend and teacher... passion and fire.

I went to college in NJ where I majored in marketing (and socializing!). I should have known when I was ignoring my accounting homework to help create ‘learning centers’ for my ed major friends, that maybe the business world wasn’t exactly going to be my passion in life, but hey, it was the 80’s and women were breaking the glass ceiling and all that, so I majored in what I thought would be a ‘lucrative’ field!
While in college, I met my husband who at the time was a senior at the Naval Academy.
What is it about men in uniform? I was smitten! We've been married 26 years. We have 2 children, born at opposite ends of the country...courtesy of the US Navy.
When my older son was in kindergarten, I was the ultimate school volunteer. I helped in his classroom, with the lunch program and ran the fund raising for the school. My son's kindergarten teacher watched me one day as I worked with some kids engaged in a literacy learning game. She said to me, “You should be doing this.” I responded, “Yeah, I know.” The fire was finally lit...

I pursued my Masters in Education in Norfolk, Virginia when we were stationed there. When my husband retired from the Navy, we moved back to NJ(imagine that!) and bought a house in my old ‘hood’. After some time in private school and preschool, I found my dream job in a district that fit perfectly with my philosophy of education- that I want to foster a classroom where kids are engaged in their work, are excited about what they are doing, learn from each other and talk with enthusiasm about their discoveries. I’m passionate about what we do as professional educators and love sharing that enthusiasm. I’ve mentored student teachers and new colleagues and have taught a graduate class in early childhood language and literacy.

In my spare time, I love gardening, painting, and cooking. My yard is kind of an over-grown perennial mess- weeding is my life. I love any days I can spend at the beach. We love the Yankees, going to sporting events and concerts. (My favorite? Springsteen!! I told you I’m a Jersey Girl!!)

I'm a life-long learner. Whether in the classroom, laughing with my family, pondering politics and current events, discussing the latest best-seller...I'm passionate. I live my life with a need to try new things and to learn something new everyday.

What is it that lights your fire? I look forward to continuing this journey with you and to learning together.

:) Cza