Beautiful Home

Takes my breath away and warms my heart at the same time.  Completely God's country!  Yes, it's a photo, not a painting.... absolutely incredible!  (Photo taken by Josh Tarr)

Amazing Partner for The Amazing Race

I absolutely LOVE the show "The Amazing Race".  I have wanted to go on it forever!!  But, finding a partner is harder than I thought it would be.  You have to find someone who can yell and take being yelled at, but not get upset or be sensitive about it.  Someone who likes adventure, but also knows how to think and plan ahead.  Someone who dreams big, but pays attention to details along the way.  Someone you can get along with for a long period of time in all types of stressful situations.  But most importantly, you need someone who is competitive and truly believes we will win.  It's definitely on my bucket list to try and apply to this show.  Anyone want to join the ride?

http://www.theamazingracecasting.com/

Kony 2012

Ever since my trip to Uganda in 2008, my heart has desired to do more, be more, and never be afraid of something God is calling you to do.  Once again, my heart began to beat a speed that makes me want to pack my bags and help.  Please take 30 minutes and watch the video below:

http://vimeo.com/37119711

What do I do now?  Spread the word.  Pray for everyone involved.  Act NOW!

http://www.kony2012.com

Craving Vitamin D

I am CRAVING some Vitamin D!  I just need some sunshine and heat to touch my skin.  I just need a little glow that comes from that natural sun.  For Spring Break, I'm headed to San Diego with mi madre!  It's going to be a short and fast trip, but one that is long overdue and one that will definitely give me a little fill on my desire for some sunshine!  The multi-vitamins and extra milk just isn't cutting it ;)

Cauliflower French Fries... SUCCESS!

The recipe completely worked!!  It took forever to bake, and they didn't get quite as "crunchy" as I was hoping, but I think I'll use less olive oil next time.  I'm excited though to know that I can cook up a healthy veggie and fool my mouth into believing it's something yummier!  Here's to trying new things!

Super Bowl Foods - Fresh & Healthy Twist

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl and of course, as much as I absolutely LOVE all the regular yummy finger foods, I'm taking a new approach this year.  I'm going to try and cook healthier options, but that still contain that "football food" taste.  One of the things I'm going to try is Roasted Curried Cauliflower Recipe.  I saw it on Pinterest and have heard from a couple of people who've tried it that it totally works!  The recipe is below.  I'll update to let you all know if it worked or not.  I'd love to find something fun like that to trick my tastebuds.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower Recipe

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower (or several small ones), ~2 lbs
• Curry powder
• Olive oil
• Kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Break cauliflower into medium-small florets and place into large bowl or baking pan. Be sure the pieces are as evenly sized as possible, or they will cook unevenly. The smaller you make the pieces, the quicker they will cook and the more caramelized they will become, which I consider a good thing.

Drizzle cauliflower pieces generously with olive oil and season well with salt and curry powder. Distribute evenly in a single layer at the bottom of a baking pan. If necessary, use a second baking pan to be sure the pieces aren’t too crowded.

Cover the pans with foil and place into the oven. Roast, covered for 10-15 minutes. The cauliflower should be slightly soft and start looking translucent. If not replace foil and cook another 5 minutes.

When the cauliflower has finished steaming, remove the foil and toss with tongs. Continue to roast, stirring every 8-10 minutes until the tips of the cauliflower begin to brown and become crisp as pictured. Approximately 30-35 minutes.

Adjust salt to taste (you will probably need another sprinkle) and serve.

Snow Days... Count 'Em...1...2...3

We've now had three snow days in a row.  Part of me loves it!  I've gotten so much done and feel so productive!  Then, the teacher side of me kicks in and I begin to stress out about how much work time we've missed and how much we're going to have to make up.  But... I keep reminding myself that there's absolutely nothing I can do about it.  So I better soak it up and enjoy the fact that I'm  being given days at home to get things done.  I miss my students, but know they're LOVING the days home to be complete snow bunnies!