This Week in Pictures

Last Thursday through this Wednesday I was a visiting student teacher at Scera Park Elementary School in Orem.

On Tuesday I taught about daily lives in Revolutionary America. I had them switch their shoes on their feet to experience not having form fitting shoes as it was in the 1770s.

We also made butter -ineffectively but I know what to do next time I do this.

I showed them and example of embroidery and we smelled tea in bags. I had them smell it before I told them what it was. It was a fun inquiry lesson, they all had great ideas as to what it was.

Then I played a song for them, and then we sang a song together called "Soldier, soldier will you marry me?" I couldn't sing on key (from nerves I guess) but we all had fun and no one minded that I didn't sound perfect. One girl told me I was awesome for playing the guitar. :)

I love teaching.

Wednesday night Matt and I went to see Tartuffe on BYU campus. My friend Rafe was in it. We had a lot of fun (mostly taking photos of ourselves) but the play was really awesome.

The stage set up

Matt with his laser eye (shooting Voldemort in the background)

After about 30 shots of Matt making a dumb face we got one where we both look good.

Friday (today) we went up to Brighton Ski Park for night skiing with Matt's Dad and roommate Seth.

It was super cold, but I was carving up a storm on that mountain.

The snow was super different from Shasta -it was dry. It was almost too dry and I kept catching my edge in this fake feeling snow. There were some places where it was icier and it was much easier to carve. I had a lot of fun and I did not get hurt. Seth and Matt and Matt's Dad wiped out a few times fairly badly. I did not wipe out once. I fell a few times and got stuck on the flat part of a run 3 different times, but I escaped injury-less, besides a skinny bruise across my entire back where a girl plowed into me as I was strapping on my binding...

Let me stress that it was ridiculously cold. I was not properly warm until after we gorged ourselves at In-N-Out and I had a bath.

I think this is an especially flattering photo of the two of us, so it had to be included. Guh...

must... stay... awake...

need to finish econ... kill me... all the work... so little recognition... i'll probably fail this class... too bad it's a requirement for my major... curse my love of social sciences...

From the Kitchen

Spicy Chicken & Hominy Soup
Unfortunately no picture of the food, just a picture of me eating it.

I was basically cleaning out my fridge and made this delicious concoction. Beware: Very Spicy.

3-5 Chicken tenderloins (chopped)
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 Yellow Onion (roughly chopped)
1/4 Celery Root (roughly chopped)
5-10 Baby Carrots (coined)
1 can Golden Hominy (available in most Hispanic food aisles)
2 Chicken Bouillons
3-5 c Water
Red Pepper Flakes, Ground Black Pepper, Salt (to taste)

Salt and Pepper (both peppers) the chicken. Saute chicken and onions and garlic in 2 tbs olive oil over medium so you don't burn the garlic.

When thoroughly cooked and onions soft, add the drained can of hominy. (Hominy is a special way of preparing corn, the kernels are cooked and soaked forever [in the old days they used lye and wood chips to help cook them] until the turgor pressure breaks the cell walls and they are huge and swollen. They have a very starchy taste quite unlike corn.)

Add the coined carrots, celery root, and a lot more pepper (to taste). As for me and Matt, we like it super spicy. Add enough water to cover everything plus a little more -depending on how much broth you like- and the bouillons.

Cook over medium-high until it just comes to a boil. Do not make the mistake of tasting it at this point as I did this morning. Wait until it cools and enjoy.

White Hominy

Weird Love

On Thin Ice

Matt and I went to Utah Lake the other night as part of our date. It looked like we had accidentally stumbled upon the Arctic. Utah Lake was almost completely frozen -at least as far as the eye could see. We went back today with some of his former roommates and it was lovely. Also we all decided to be stupid and we walked on the ice. I can't believe it. It was so scary. We threw huge rocks onto the ice that just bounced off so we knew it was really thick, but honestly we were just a few inches away from almost certain death. It was a bit foolish, and scary, but really exhilarating. I don't think I'll do it again though, and I know that I would probably have a heart attack if I saw one of my children doing this. But, thank goodness we had a camera -though a less-than-adequate one. If we had mine the photos would have been way better. :)

Goodmorning Blog

I've been awake for 2 hours now... I've done no homework. I have, however, updated my blog sufficiently... Time well wasted I think.

New Name

I fixed it so you could all see my new title and font the way that I want it to be. So my blog is now named Baking Needs. Matt thought it up when we were grocery shopping. I thought it was fitting. For those of you who follow my blog, PLEASE change the name on your blog sidebar. Many of you still have my blogged named "If it's meant to be." It hasn't been named that in OVER A YEAR! So, just a little updating.

Can anyone see my changed blog title font?

Waldon, Cookies, Cream & Poulet

This past week was my first week observing at a local school in Provo. I went to Walden Charter School. I loved it there. It was a bit 'liberal' and some have considered it 'unruly' and 'wild.' I, however, loved it.

I felt that while the students may have traditionally less respect for authority, they seemed to have more respect for people. They treated me as a person from whom they could learn. They were interested in what I could teach them.

I got three opportunities to teach this week. I co-taught two periods of Financial Literacy for 11th and 12th graders on the basics of banking. I really enjoyed it and the students seemed to like it as well. Today I taught a cooking class. We made homemade oreos (my sister's recipe) and we reviewed convection, conduction, and radiation. I LOVED IT! Can we talk about the MOST PERFECT JOB EVER?! Teaching and Cooking. My loves combined. If only that also involved travelling somehow... It was amazing. I loved it.


In other news, I made this really great chicken for my roommates when they came home from Christmas break. It's called Poulet aux quarante gousses d'ail. (Chicken with forty garlic cloves.) It was delicious. We all watched a movie and feasted. I also made raspberry scones with clotted cream and fresh raspberries for breakfast. Uhm, tasty. Luckily Matt came home early so he could enjoy some as well.

all the garlic skins...

Have I ever mentioned that I love cooking? Well, I do.

Why can't I get a loan?

Why is it so hard to get a loan?

I can't qualify for a Private Student Loan because I make less than $12,000 a year, and my mom has bad credit so she can't cosign.

I spent an hour on the phone trying to get a personal loan through Wells Fargo, and when I was finished I was declined, and of course the "personal banker" was not at liberty to tell me why.

I never qualify for Federal Aid because my mom's husband makes too much money, but guess what? I never see a penny of that money, so I'm NOT receiving income from my EFC.

My only option is for a Stafford Loan, but that means I have to spend hours filling out the FAFSA and that money can only be used for BYU.

I was given an opportunity to go to India with the Walden Charter School. I would have received practicum credit and a good rapport with that school in case I wanted to apply for a job there someday when I graduate, not to mention good life experience.

Now I don't know what I can do, and I have a headache, and I'm not going to India. And, I'm penniless, so I have to get a loan somehow. I may have to not go to school this summer and try to make a lot of money just working non-stop to pay for school, because my school money is absolutely gone.

Adventures in Sourdough

I've been fostering a little sourdough starter for a while. (At one point it got over=active and exploded all over Paige's side of the pantry, whoops.) My first go didn't go. It was hard as a rock and while it tasted good, it was hard as a rock.

I made sourdough pancakes for Becky and myself. They were delicious, if I say so myself.

I found a great recipe for sourdough bread here. I followed it exactly, including waking up at 3a (at the 14 hour raising mark) to punch it down, and then again at 8a to bake it. It was perfect. It was worth all the effort. The HUGE loaf was gone within the day. I was so excited over how perfect it was that I forgot to take a photo. Let me tell you though, Bread recipes are specific for a reason. Do NOT try to cut corners, its chemistry and it has to be done with exactness. It was well worth it. (Even though I secured second-degree burns on my thumb and index finger)

Well worth it.

Sophie woke up from a dream about her father making bread (he does that a lot) and, surprise, it was me.

I think playing with sourdough is my new favorite thing. I did cheat a little though, it's not purely Provo sourdough (since sourdough uses the natural yeast in the air it is different in different regions) It is so cold in my house I had to help it along a little bit with some dry-active yeast.

My boyfriend's family blogstalks me

We know you do. So here's something for you:


He's the best boyfriend I've ever had. He's unbelievably considerate and wonderful. He makes me so happy. He's quickly becoming my best friend and he makes everything better. I am comfortable to be exactly as crazy as I want to be at any given moment with him (those of you who know me know that I can be pretty insane) and he seems to like me all the more for it. He is amazing.



On another note, I am insanely busy. School has started and I had to drop french to make time for econ. My Teaching Social Science class is my favorite. Tomorrow I start my first week of actually being in a school helping a Social Science teacher. I'm pumped. It's in this crazy charter school called Walden, we got to hear all about it and it sounds like it is going to be a festival of strangeness. But I'm very excited. I can't wait to actually be a teacher.

But the point that I wanted to bring up is this: we are extremely lucky. Lauren and I were talking about this, she brought up how lucky we are to have eyeballs intact. :) No matter how hard and busy things get, we are so blessed to have everything we have. I was exhausted from work and my neck was killing me and I had to be there an hour later than planned, but I actually have a job, and one that I love. School is hard and costs me WAY too much money, but I love BYU and I'm blessed to go here. I am healthy, and I am intelligent, and I have so many opportunities available, I should never find reason to complain. Heavenly Father has given me way more than I deserve, and I think that I am often too ungrateful.

So I didn't really make any New Year's resolutions, but I think as a life resolution I should try to remember how blessed I am and to always be grateful. It will make the tough times seem easier if I remember how good I have it. Like I said before, in my life, I honestly should never complain. I'm so beyond blessed it is borderline disgusting. But I do realize it and I am thankful.

I also love my roommates, I just wanted to add. I've never had such good friends. They mean the world to me and again, I'm so blessed; I live with my four favorite girls on the Wasatch Front. I've never been closer to a group of girls and each one of them is such a blessing to me and a good example.

This is a weird post, just a lot of thoughts. I'm very sleepy. Goodnight.

Happiness is a...

boyfriend who comes home several hours early as a surprise. I got a text from Matt yesterday afternoon asking me to check something in my car. When I went out back he was standing there. I nearly had a heart attack. I was so surprised. He wasn't supposed to be home until nearly midnight! He is way beyond wonderful. I've never known someone to be so thoughtful. He is incredible, and the best man I've ever dated.

Plus, my roommates love him. He is part of the group. I really really like him. He waited 3 months for me to give him a fair shot, I'm so happy I finally did, and I'm so happy he waited.

<3 <3 <3

"The simple lack of her is more to me than others' presence." ~Edward Thomas

I wanted to post the unprovoked letter that Matthew sent me listing what he likes about me and how he feels about our relationship, but he has twisted my arm not to do so out of fear that his family members will read my blog (apparently you lot are regular readers) and then grill him about it later. So out of respect to his wishes I will not post it, and hopefully I will save him from some harassment. Things are good though. I am very happy.

And on another note, I wish that everyone would hurry up and come home, I've completely maxed out my capacity for Gilmore Girls viewing -6 discs 4 days.