Break In versus Bakin'

"Break In" versus "Bakin'"? I'd rather have the latter, thank you very much...

Marisa put our South Bend Sunday predicament in a thoughtful, hopeful light - there's really nothing to add, so I invite you to wander over to her blog today (in terms of familiarizing yourself with what happened).

Here are some pictures, though, from the car break-in (& patch up):

What can I say? We have some pretty amazing family and friends we can count on at all times. (And my car window is scheduled to be fixed on Wednesday - not too bad...)

On a lighter note, though, sometimes you just have to throw yourself into something else to get out of the funk of an event like this...something like baking! (Well, these are technically "no bake" cookies, but this totally counts in that category.)

So much sugar...

...and butter...

and cookie butter...

before forming the cookies - just add oats!

clean up was DELICIOUS

Who will help me eat the cookies? (Hopefully my co-workers...)

Well, I'm back at it, folks. It's time to finalize that 6th grade Religion quiz and this week's class slides. Hope you're enjoying a restful Labor Day!

The Kitchen Trials

After a full day of teaching followed by the first day of fifth grade volleyball practice (and then more school work preparations for tomorrow), it was time to go home.

Too tired to run...but in desperate need of using up some groceries I bought this past week, I decided to get cooking. Mixing chicken breast, broccoli, zucchini, diced onions, pepper, garlic, sea salt, balsamic, and olive oil, I baked it in the oven for 35 minutes (adding cheese in the last 10-12 minutes)...

Here's what happened after some oven magic:

Things were looking so good, I decided to put in some cookies into the oven afterwards...

And another success was achieved! Yay for boxed chocolate with mint chip cookies from Target!

Some days teaching takes it out of you...but you can still live it up cooking in the kitchen...

Cookie Butter Cookies - mmm, mmm, good

Mmm...mmm...good! And not just by my lil' tastebuds but to my coworkers' liking as well. Cookie butter cookies - see for yourself:

the ingredients

I recommend using a larger saucepan - the cookies will set faster

2 containers full - ready for the teacher potluck

ready for the close-up (and tasting!)

Second time around - just as good as the first. I highly recommend them...just don't focus too much on the ingredients you put into them, or you just may find yourself in a sugar coma...

That's a First...

Today was my sister's students' big day - First Communion...

They were all decked out in their finest - the girls in dresses fit for a Quincinera, and the boys in little suits and ties. The girls had their hair up in fancy do's, and each one had a veil.

And when I walked into the room where they were gathered before heading over to Church, I felt like a magnet. "Miss Kelly!" they all called - and then they clumped. From my vantage point, it was pretty darn cute.

I'm glad I went (even if it was a nearly 3 hour service) - the kids were genuinely excited to receive Jesus. (I wonder where, as teenagers and adults, our excitement for receiving Jesus' body and blood goes? ) And it was nice to spend time (for the second day in a row) with my sister and her co-workers.

Alleluia! He is Risen! And He is present each time we receive the Eucharist. (We would all do well to remember that...)

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On an unrelated note, I made some no-bake cookies tonight - the only differences to the recipe were that I substituted unsweetened almond milk for the whole milk and that I used cocoa swirl cookie butter instead of the original kind.

One of the first things I did after they cooled (besides taste them, of course!) was to transfer the recipe onto my "food I've actually made" Pinterest board. We have success!

To-Do List for Today

With one week left until Christmas break, I've actually taken the opportunity to not bog myself down with work, lesson plans, grading... 

And it's been glorious.

I must admit, though, I do have a to-do list for today - it's one that I have found most rewarding, peaceful, and helpful -->

[Maybe baking those gingerbread cheesecake bites to share in the teachers' lounge tomorrow helped lessen any stress or worries as well. (And, having already "taste-tested" the ones that "fell apart", I can honestly say that they are delicious!)]

Still breathing - Mass tonight (followed by the young adult community Christmas party) is pretty much all I have on the docket for the rest of the day. Looks like I might get some time to delve a little further into The City of Ember. Yes please...

A Hobby for a Sunday

Everyone has 'em - they are fun; they keep us sane; they bring us joy.

The list goes on.

Yep, you gotta love a good hobby.

Today, mine was baking. I've been dying to try this pumpkin bundt cake recipe - I was going to make it for faculty potluck last week, but, alas, I didn't have the instant butterscotch jello mix. (Who would have thought that would have been the hardest thing to find?) Needless to say, that day I settled on muffins (which, let's face it, are not quite as exotic).

But, lo and behold, after going to Target yesterday, where, by the way, I purchased two packages of instant jello (not to be thwarted again!), I decided to put my baking skills to the test.

Here's the evidence/process:

all ingredients combined, pre-mixing - guess I need a bigger bowl next time

post-mixing, in the process of adding the mix to the bundt pan - yes, there was a little mix left over - darn...

in the oven - and lookin' good...

the final product

all wrapped up for tomorrow

The final test will have to wait until tomorrow. (I'm hoping it's not as dry as it looks!) At that time, we will see if, as they say, the "proof of the pudding is in the eating"...

Or, um, in this case, of the cake.