Please Stand By

You guys....I have two weeks left of summer. 2 WEEKS! I have two weeks until all hell breaks loose with the start of my last semester. I will be student teaching AND working on my senior art project. The rest of this year is going to rock and roll and I really just want to enjoy my last two weeks. That means I am not going to blog. I'm not really going to spend a whole lot of time on the interwebz in general. I am going to do some last minute sewing projects, take Fletch on some more adventures and relax. Fletch will be heading to Kindercare 5 days a week when I start in the fall, so I want to enjoy our time together.

Not sure when I'll be posting...but I'll keep everyone updated on my senior artwork and how student teaching is going too. Wish me luck! See you soon :)

Day 4 & 5 Photos

Day 4 was dedicated to clouds. It was actually cloudy all day, but not the kind of cloudy that makes for great pictures. It cleared up a little in the evening and I shot this from the balcony.

Not very spectacular, and all the electrical wires make my eyes see the bottom of the picture curved.

Today is day 5 and the subject is green! Green has made a comeback in my life. Especially bright greens.

I did not get out of the house today, except for the two daycare facilities I checked out for the fall. Woo! Exciting stuff :) So I relied on all the green around our house.  Like my water bottle!

I'm trying to remember to dring more water. Why is it so hard?

ATK Challenge: Roasted Barbecue Short Ribs

This is my, "I'm about to get serious with some huge chunks of meat" face.  The hubbster and I went to a local wine spot, that also has a restaurant, for his birthday in May. The wine was excellent and I had some short ribs that night. They were so tender and flavorful. I've never made short ribs, so I was excited to try them out.

That is some serious beef right there! The short ribs I had at the restaurant were braised, but this recipe cooks them medium to medium-rare. I think I prefer them braised. The meat just falls apart that way. These were good, but I think the longer cooking method makes them taste better; but that wouldn't be a quick and easy meal, would it?

RATINGS:

Flavor:    ★ ★ ★ ★
Easiness: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Time Spent: 25 minutes
Repeat Dish? It might be

Hubby's Comments: "DELISH!"

Also, yesterday was day 2: what you wore today. Here I am, meat handling, in my apron.

This apron used to belong to my mom. She was a special education teacher's assistant. When she had to go to cafeteria duty, she would wear this apron and carry things the kids would need in the pockets, like straws, napkins or utensils. She also painted the hot air balloon on the front :) I think I will use it for the same purpose when I start teaching. Being an art teacher, I will probably be wearing it in my classroom instead of the cafeteria. It is one of the ways I still get to be close to my mom.

So that means I need to get myself a new kitchen apron soon! I may make one, but there are so many cute ones available online. I really like Retro Revival's aprons. I'm a sucker for retro stuff. My favorite is the "Chocolates & Flowers" 1940s Retro Apron. I am a sucker for paisley and I love that style apron. I just added it to my wish list ;)

Food and Flicks

My cousin-in-law, the lovely Louise, is embarking on a 30-day photo challenge. I took one look at the list of daily prompts and I wanted to play along too!

Some of you may know about my failed attempt at a 365 project for myself. I did however complete one for Fletch. This 30-day challenge is much more along the lines of my current commitment level. Consider it my end of summer picture-spree. I start my last semester of college the last week of August!

Today was menu-planning and grocery shopping day. So I decided to use that opportunity for Day 1. Here I am going through my current go-to cookbook, picking out recipes for the next two weeks.

That's me...before a shower, no make-up and stressing over what to make for dinner for the next couple of weeks. My dear mother shook her head in exhaustion after every school photo because of those fly-aways you see. They are always there, unless I shellac those babies to my skull.

So you wanna see what's on the menu? Here goes:

Roasted Barbecue Short Ribs (p. 120)
London Broil with Steakhouse Beans (p. 119)
Soy-Glazed Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw (p. 174)
Broiled Salmon with Potato Chip Crust (p. 178)
Southwest Salmon Cakes (a repeat dish - p. 181)
Garlic Shrimp with Basil (p. 191)
Skillet Sausage and Peppers (p. 158)
Sauteed Pork Chops w/ Pears and Blue Cheese (a do-over - p. 141)
Naan Pizzas (my own recipe)
BLT Salad (repeat dish)
Quick Turkey Enchiladas (skeptical - p. 97)
Chicken, Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tostadas (p. 91)
Crispy Cajun Chicken with Bell Pepper Slaw (p. 81)
Sauteed Chicken with Mustard and Dill Sauce (p. 71)

And now I'm hungry. So what do you have going on the last month of summer?