Back to Back Snowdays!!

First off - I have not blogged in so long that I had forgotten I had changed my background. And, it totally does not go with my hope that spring it coming seeing as how I look out the window and see snow sitting "high" on the deck. I can't believe that I haven't blogged in so long, but really, there is nothing to interesting going on in my life right now. Some kind of interesting things going on (a stretch):

1. We got a monster snow storm through Roanoke. And when I say monster I mean that we got ~4-6 inches, but out of school for two days!! This is awesome because we are on the long stretch to spring break (ah) which is in April. I also have tomorrow off because I get to go to court, leading me to number two.

2. Tomorrow I go to court about my car "accident" if you call it that about a year ago. Basically last April I was pumping gas in my car. The car perpendicular to me pulled out fast, hit my car, paused, then drove off. Long story short - it took forever for insurance to go through because they suck at life. SO tomorrow the city is taking them to court on a "hit and run" charge. I mean talk about dumb, you are at a gas station, with cameras. wow.

3. I have going to the gym consecutively for over a month now! I go with some lovely ladies Sundays through Thursday. It's really fun, sweaty and exhausting - typical gym stuff. I also got new shoes, which is very exciting actually.4. We have booked our flight travel arrangements to go to Boston in June for Ricks high school graduation. Last one of the bunch, eight years after me, he will be graduating and going to Washington & Lee in the fall!! Smart boy, coming so much closer to his big sis. Speaking of big boys, that one turns 18 tomorrow. Happy Birthday Stick!!

Exam week is over

So this week, I thought, was going to be pretty easy since we were just having exams throughout the week. Not so much. We had the whole inauguration to watch - which unfortunately not many of my kids wanted to watch - so I forced them to. Again, surprising since my school is predominately AA (African-American, not alcoholics, although that does apply to some). Along with exams I have also started with my friend/fellow teacher to attend some fitness classes a la Golds Gym. This has left me progressively sore and chair bound to some extent. My favorite part of this week has been trying to abide by our electronics code that has been in place for exams. Students could not have any devices on them or check them at all during class otherwise their exam would be taken and they would get a zero. You should see what these kids pull out of their pockets for me to hold on to - phones, iPods, Playstations, I was waiting for some game cube to come out of a pocket somewhere. Oh yeah, we also had a bomb threat - again. However it was apparently determined that it was not really a threat so we took exams anyways.

Last week we beat our rival in town high school in basketball - a feat not done is ten or so years. The next day we had a bomb threat, and since it was to cold to wait out the check on the football field we divided our school in half and went to neighboring middle schools for five hours. Kids got picked up, anxious, pissed, etc for the duration of our visit. The middle schools also had to be on lock down because we were all there. Good times.

A recap of great moments in my teaching career thus far:
- being called a bitch
- being called a f***ing retarded piece of shit
- asked if I offered in home private tutoring
- being elbowed across the face, partially on accident (?)
listed to be continued as the good times roll

This is all the excitement I have so far - I am going to go IcyHot myself before bed.

Hello!

So I realize that I have fallen off the face of the earth for approximately three months or more...probably more. Anyways, I promise that I am going to make a major attempt to post more often. It's one of those New Years things - you know, post more on my blog, go to the gym, attempt to carpool with Dony, etc.

So please come back and check every once in a while because I will now start posting interesting slash somewhat humorous stories from work and other such occasions.

Where have you been?

Yes, it is true, I have been gone for a while. Ok, a forever long time. Teaching has become my obsession - my life, gasp! I have barely been doing much cooking, gasp again! When I come home after work I love to . . . . sit, I love it.

Here is what work is not . . .

Here is what work is . . .

Humorous, everyday, I love it.

The Cheesecake Fiasco

It’s funny that Graceful of A Southern Grace had a rebirth of her s’mores bars around the same time that I had to do the cheesecake scramble. As I have posted previously, I love to make cheesecakes, just not consume them – I am strange that way. So with Carlie’s birthday coming up, I knew I would be making her fave – brownie chocolate chip cheesecake. So, after my teaching workday I scooted to grocery store to pick up the necessary ingredients I did not have on hand – “brownie mix,” three bars of cream cheese, and unsweet condensed milk. Took everything home to make that night.

So I prepped the “brownie mix” according to the box, eggs, water, oil, etc and plopped it in the springform pan and into the over for thirty minutes. As I poured the mix into the pan it did raise quite high, but not having made this in a while, I figured it would condense back down. While that baked I prepared the filling – cream cheese, condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla. As the time drew near to the brownies being done I peeked inside the oven. Well, not so much a peek, the window into the oven is less than transparent so I have to open the oven. Much to my surprise, shall we say, I saw a huge mass growing in the oven. What was this? I really should have grabbed for the camera but I was in panic mode – I had just made a chocolate cake instead of brownies! While in my “oh shiest” mode I tried to figure out what to do with my half baked half risen cake and my already made filling. I did the only logical thing to do – I scooped out half of the cake, spooned some of the uncooked batter on top of that and then poured in the filling. I topped that with chocolate chips and popped that in the oven hoping it would turn out ok.
While it baked I was trying to come up with a back-up plan. I couldn’t make another cake tonight, it was already late, and there would not be enough time after I go home from work before the party. I decided that I would just have to buy something – gasp! – on my way to the party if it didn’t work out.

When I pulled the cake out of the oven, it looked normal. I couldn’t completely get it off from the sides of the pan, hence the crack. But no fear, I do not worry about my cracks. Why you ask? Because I have a most delicious topping to fill any crack and give the cake a nice polished look.
The topping – chocolate chips, a little water, butter, and a new addition, some Godiva chocolate liqueur. Melt everything and pour overtop and let harden. This covers all bumps, cracks and crevices. So I took my fake brownie chocolate chip cheesecake to the party put candles in it and sliced it up. The verdict? People loved it even more than when I had made it with the brownies and others never even noticed the difference. The entire thing was consumed very quickly. This pleased me greatly since there was also a devils food cake and an ice cream cake from Maggie Moos to choose from. So, I guess I have a quasi original recipe – who knew it would work out so well.

Katie in real life.

So I haven't been blogging recently mainly because I have been busy and not cooking anything really original - my usual motivation to post. Busy you say? Yes I know. Perhaps not in terms as some of my fellow bloggers which I read tons of who have many little ones running around - but yes, I have been busy.

I think it is always interesting to read about what everyone cooks and bakes and to see who they are - you know - in real life. So what am I? What do I do besides be a wonderful wife, personal chef to the Dony, launder numerous amounts of clothing and keep the house clean? I am a teacher. A first year high school biology teacher. That's right folks, I love science and I am darn proud of it. I have had some new teacher training which has completely overtaken my days. Tomorrow I have faculty (hee hee, me, faculty - oh that rhymes) meeting and I get to try and organize/re-vamp my classroom. Very exciting.

Anywho - no I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I just have a couple other things going on. I will be posting another cheesecake recipe this week as it is my sister-in-laws birthday.

Happy Birthday Carlie!!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone for all the great frozen meal ideas!

We went to the lake this weekend, so no cooking!! Woo hoo!!