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.