The Daily Show, "WOC"

Learning, Always Learning

Thanks to principal Gary, I've worked in kindergarten as an assistant since 1988. During those 25 years, I've had the pleasure of working with over twelve very different teachers, in two different towns.

Lucky me, my first year I was able to work with the teacher who taught my eldest in the first grade--June. She'll always be my ideal kindergarten teacher. Well, okay . . . except for my own personal first grade teacher, Mrs. K. I imagine Mrs. K (Minnie, who taught me to read), would have been an amazing kindergarten teacher.

What a roller coaster these past 25 years have been! I wish I knew how many children's hands I've held--whether it was to hold a pencil or lead a recess line. I've worked with strict teachers, (what we call) loosie goosie teachers, warm hearted teachers, single minded teachers, imaginative teachers, creative teachers, but most fall into the category of "never stop learning" teachers.

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that my preference are the teachers trained to teach kindergarten. People will try and convince you otherwise, but kindergarten is a specialty. It's a child's first school experience. They learn how to stand in line, hold a pencil and scissors, sit next to another child on the carpet, follow directions and solve problems. And hopefully, if they haven't learned already, that there are other people in the world and consequences for their actions.

Not sure where I was going with this, other than pondering the past years after trying to model something  that I hadn't done for 8 years to my teacher. She was moved (voluntarily) from third grade to kindergarten, at the end of the 2012-13 school year and has been working hard to find both her comfort zone and what's best for the children. Sadly, I forgot several important instructional details and (evidently) hurt the feelings of the person who gave me permission to take over for 20 minutes.

Navigating the puzzle of people has never been my strength. If I ask permission to show a fellow educator something I know will help them and they assure me they're comfortable with it, I tend to believe them. Though I only have the body language and actions of the other person to go by, I'm certain I overstepped today. And so, I'll leave it to the experts from now on.

An Accidental Dinner to Remember

"Hurry! Write this down before you forget!", I nagged myself.

How it began: I didn't want to forget to use the leftover rotisserie chicken from the night before. Since I was home alone (chef F was gone), I used google to find recipes using cooked chicken. The search was over quick, once I spotted the one below. That spinach needed to be finished off yesterday.

The name of the recipe that inspired dinner is:
"Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine"

BUT I only used

• half the mushrooms, 
• half the spinach, 
• much less oregano, 
• traded 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt for the cottage cheese and milk,
•  used a cup of Gruyere and Parmesan (no cheddar), 
• NO cream of chicken soup--instead we used about a cup of chicken broth and 
• a couple splashes of dry vermouth. 

So, yeah.
Pretty much a totally different recipe, but it did provide inspiration. :)

Spinach Salad with Bosc Pears, Cranberries, Red Onion, and Toasted Hazelnuts

I have mixed feelings about discovering I can search my Google history and come up with what we were looking for a year ago. I'm thankful to have found the following recipe link and yet . . . 
Okay, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I'll stop at thankful.
This one is a keeper and now we have it for next year:

Spinach Salad with Bosc Pears, Cranberries, Red Onion, and Toasted Hazelnuts
Epicurious | November 2009
by Diane Morgan
The New Thanksgiving Table

yield:
Serves 8
ingredients
Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Notes) and chopped
preparation
To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.
In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.
To assemble the salad, place the spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top(s). Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes
Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts) with the brown, papery skins removed as well. To toast, spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375°F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes until lightly browned. If the nuts still have the skins on, transfer them while they’re hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don’t mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off).
You can substitute unsalted cashews for the hazelnuts. Toast cashews, as directed above for hazelnuts, for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Source Information
Reprinted with permission from The New Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan, (C) October 2009, Chronicle Books
Do Ahead The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. The nuts can be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. The onions and cranberries can be prepared up to up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.
Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-Salad-with-Bosc-Pears-Cranberries-Red-Onion-and-Toasted-Hazelnuts-355430#ixzz2lrNrY18m

Sausage & Rice Stuffing -- Oregonian Food Day 1984?

Thanks to a local tweep's question this morning, I was reminded of an old scrap of newspaper I keep in a recipe binder. It's been a few years since I've made this stuffing recipe. No reason other than forgetfulness.
Just be warned, it's not easy to resist seconds.