Last month I went to Houston with my husband to attend the Houston Safari Club Foundation Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Centre. We stayed at the Hilton and ate at Pappasito’s Cantina and Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. It was an amazing trip even though WestJet didn’t load our luggage and then was a total nightmare to deal with. I finally had a moment to go through the MANY photos I took to put together my recap post. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup Orzo
2 cups Water
3 Tbsp Dried Cranberries
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 Zucchini (small; halved and sliced)
2 Garlic Cloves (diced)
1 tsp Cumin
1/ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
¼ tsp Cinnamon
540ml Chickpeas (drained)
1 cup Grape Tomatoes (halved)
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Directions
1. Cook orzo in water until tender; drain and keep warm
2. In a large pan add oil; cook zucchini for 3 minutes over medium heat
3. Add garlic and spices and stir for 30 seconds
4. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, cranberries and cook for another 3 minutes
5. Stir in the orzo and mix well
6. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice
Think back to your childhood. Write about an article of clothing or an outfit you remember one of your parents (or another influential adult figure) wearing.
My dad always wore a plaid flannel button-up shirt; with a white undershirt. There were never buttons only snaps. If it didn’t have snaps he wouldn’t wear it. The sleeves were always rolled up to his elbows, exposing the many scars on his arms from his industrial accident and subsequent surgeries. I think the shirts were always from Mark’s Work Warehouse. He always wore blue jeans (medium dye). And of course, he wore the typical “dad running shoes” and black socks which I remember my mom often darning them while sitting in her rocking chair. He had steel rimmed bifocals. And, he either wore a black leather belt with a buckle remnant of his past or blue thick suspenders. More often than not he wore both of them together. I see him clearly in my mind standing in his “uniform” with his thinning black hair combed back even though he’s been dead for 21 years. Wow Vivid his appearance is ingrained in my mind!
What about you?
From Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompts
Public opinion is divided on fidgets in the classroom; but it makes my kids happy and they follow the ‘rules’ associated with their use in my classroom; ultimately –don’t throw them, don’t hit other kids with them, no fighting over them and put them away when finished.
Fidgets aren’t cheap; however, if you wait for sales, conventions or buy multi-packs, its not so bad. Also, lets face it, we are teachers we will spend whatever if it helps our kids. And, we’re well aware of and used to funding our classrooms with our own money.
Here are my kids’ favourite fidgets…
Tangle
Mini Loopeez
Boinks
Liquid Motion Bubbler
Theracubix
Sensory Slug
Senso Sphere
Snake IQ Cube
Stress Relief Magnet Rings
PopIts
Stressballs
Ingredients
1 cup AP flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 egg
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Directions
1. Sift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl
2. Add yogurt and mix until dough comes together
3. Roll into a ball and divide it into four parts and turn out onto a floured surface
4. Form into four balls; poke a hole in the center and gently work the dough until it resembles a bagel
5. Put bagels onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet
6. Brush with egg wash
7. Sprinkle with seasoning
8. Bake at 350F for 23 minutes
Have you done any research into your ancestors? What interesting surprises have you discovered?
I have always been interested in my ancestry, my paternal grandma was the gatekeeper to this information but sadly we became estranged and she died. Therefore I am cut off and disconnected from that part of my family tree. However, she always claimed we were descended from Lord Lovat of England and that there were many generations who were mayors in a town in England. Apparently, her parents immigrated to Canada because they wanted to live a life unencumbered by their “positions.” I am assuming perhaps there was a falling or or some sort of scandal but there was no way my prim and proper, “stiff upper lip” grandmother was going to divulge that.
My maternal aunt is the keeper of knowledge for that side of my family tree. I tried to do the www.ancestry.ca thing; they always have a special offer around Remembrance Day but I can only get so far back because the record keeping in the “Old Country ” wasn’t the greatest and I supposed when you flee your country, you leave a lot of stuff behind. Both sides are small; many died or couples had few children than would have been expected at those times. My grandmother and her sister married men who were brothers; so they had the same in-laws. And, interestingly enough all the women tended to outlive the men by decades; so there is a long history of lonely widows and zero divorces.
What about you?
From Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompts
For this year’s edition of my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide I went with some luxurious tokens of love.
Candle
Baccarat Rouge 540 (Maison Francis Kurkdjian)
Jewelry
Yours Truly Pave Heart Studs (Kate Spade)
Flowers
Petit Heart Box (Venus et Fleur)
Chocolate
Signature Chocolate Truffles Gift Box 24Ct (Godiva Chocolatier)
Sleepwear
Pure Silk Lace Flower Trim Pajamas Set 2Pcs (SilkySilky)
Technology
Rivo Nano-Glow Facial Steamer (Indigo)
Ingredients
1 tsp Olive Oil
900 ml Campbell’s Vegetable Broth
2 Carrots (diced)
2 Celery Stalks (diced)
1 Onion (diced)
4 Garlic Cloves (diced)
540 ml Diced Tomatoes (with juice)
¼ tsp Salt
540 ml Cannellini Beans (drained)
1 cup Rotini (uncooked)
¼ tsp Parsley
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Directions
1. Heat oil in a pot and cook vegetables (carrots, celery & onion) until tender
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute
3. Add broth, tomatoes, salt and beans; bring to a boil
4. Simmer on low for 6 minutes
5. Add pasta and continue to cook until pasta is tender
6. Stir in parsley and parmesan cheese
Having bid 2022 a long overdue “adieu,” I spent some time thinking about what I wanted 2023 to be. Every year I tell myself that “this is my year, this is the year I’m going to get started.” Started on what?, I am not sure. 2022 was another tough year, the heartbreak often overshadowed the incredible moments. I lost momentum a lot in 2022; it seemed like the second I dusted myself off, something else hit me hard. Two steps forward, one step back. Most resolutions have been abandoned by now, so I didn’t make any. Instead, I decided that each month I am going to set a series of THREE different challenges or goals.
The focus of January was Physical Health: moving my body more, drinking more water and snacking less. I am going to try and continue on with those goals but I am going to add the following…
February 2023: Mental Health
1. Journaling
-I’m going to spend about 5 minutes each morning filling in a writing prompt.
2. Reading instead of Scrolling
-To quiet my brain before bed; I am going to read at least ONE chapter of a book instead of scrolling on Instagram for extended periods of time.
3. Meditation
-Each day I am going to do a breathing exercise; I really don’t have any excuse –I can access this on my Fit Bit. Ideally, I’d like to do one in the morning and evening.
Wishing you all the best this month!
Ad·dic·tion
/əˈdikSH(ə)n/
noun
the fact or condition of being dependent or “hooked” to a particular substance, thing or activity.
Book:Marple: Twelve New Mysteries
Music: Sam Smith’s Gloria
TV Show: Only Murders in the Building (Disney+)
Movie: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
Food: Everything Cheese & Pretzel Bites (Whisps Cheese Crisps)
Cosmetic: Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips (Bioré)
Clothing: Seamed Ponte Dress in blueberry (Kate Spade)
Accessory: Anne Klein Boxed Pearl Bow Pin (The Bay)
Product: Milk Frother (Indigo)