Thursday Dinner Round Two

Three posts, one day? I really am turning over a new leaf with this blogging thing. And while I still have a to-do list that is a mile long (though it’s full of relatively fun things), I feel like my mind can finally concentrate on other things. So, that lends itself to more time for one of my favorite hobbies – writing.

And because Dylan was such a star throughout this semester, treating me to our first and only Thursday night dinner of the semester the day I finished my student teaching, it was the least I could do to return the favor. And lucky for us, it happened to be another Thursday night.

Workout

Before dinner, though, I did hit the gym for yet another evening spin class that didn’t let my legs rest even for one minute. Thomas tends to focus on speed work in his spin classes, which is always tough for me, but it also always makes me feel pretty great afterwards. So, I pushed myself to exhaustion for those 50 minutes, knowing I would be able to reward myself with a delicious dinner later that night.

Dinner

After spin class, I headed straight home to shower, finish the pop tarts, watch some of the NFL draft, and get ready to pick up Dylan for dinner once he finished with his final. We didn’t leave to go to the restaurant until close to 9pm, but we got there pretty quickly, and were seated at a table by the water immediately. The restaurant I chose was Chavez, which is a recently-opened restaurant in the same family as Olive and June and Parkside, so I had a pretty good feeling that we would like it.

We started out by ordering something off the drink menu – sangria for me, and an old fashioned for him. The old fashioned was a little strong for my taste, but I was a huge fan of my sangria. Though I started feeling it pretty quickly (classic case of drinking a little too much before the food came), it subsided quickly and I was able to finish it off like a champ.

Appetizer

We had decided on the guacamole board, but our California waiter sold us on the Sopes de Carnitas, which were filled with pork, black beans, tomatillo, and lime. No cheese, though, of course.

I’m going to go ahead and say that we made a great decision, because they were excellent, and I would love to learn how to make things like this.

Entrée + Sides

For our main dishes, I went with the Herb Crusted Mahi Mahi, which was seasoned with pineapple, salsa negro, turnips, and scallion.

I loved it, and I was a bit disappointed in myself for not being able to finish all of it off. That might have been a result of the side of Brussels sprouts that I essentially ate all by myself (oops), but even though they were a little bit salty, I clearly still loved them. And let’s not forget that Dylan is the one who introduced me to what is now one of my top three favorite vegetables.

For his entrée, Dylan went with the Carne Asada, which looked incredible. What I love about this family of restaurants is the presentation of the food as it is brought out to the table. It’s perfect for someone who loves to capture food pictures.

And I didn’t feel quite as bad about the fact that I ate most of the Brussels sprouts, because I let Dylan enjoy the full effect of the ranch beans and cornbread, which he said only got better the more that he ate.

I’d call it a successful dinner date, and to Dylan (because I know you’ll read this), I am so very proud of you and all that you have accomplished this year. And the fact that you went out to dinner on the night of the draft? I’m honored. And now I'm for real signing off until tomorrow. Enjoy your Friday evening!

Homemade Pop Tarts Recipe

I told you guys I would be back with the recipe for these award-winning pop tarts! I used to LOVE pop tarts as a child - the s'mores were my very favorite - and it seemed like a pretty lofty goal to try and recreate this sugary breakfast, but why not give it a shot? I can’t actually take any of the credit for this recipe, only for taking bits and pieces of recipes I found online, but I present to you some strawberry, blueberry, and s’mores pop tarts.

Because I knew I would be in a time crunch yesterday, I made the dough one day prior and let it chill in my refrigerator overnight before following through with the rest of the recipe after returning home from an evening spin class.

And as I mentioned in my last post, these pop tarts were made special for Dylan who, with the completion of a physics final last night, is completely done with his junior year of college. And I have to make an addition to Wednesday's post, as I did him a disservice by not giving him a special thank you shout out. This guy has not only hung with my crazy schedule, my stress, and my probably too many complaints, but he has done it all by encouraging me, believing in me, and best of all, not letting me throw myself a pity party. I'm so very thankful for his CONSTANT support through student teaching and the job search process.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons ice water
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

Filling

• Strawberry preserves
• Blueberry preserves
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• Nutella
• 1 egg

Toppings

• Powdered sugar
• Chopped strawberries
• Blueberries
• Chocolate chips
• White chocolate chips
• Mini marshmallows

Directions:

For the dough -

1. Combine and whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl

2. Using your hands, work in the butter until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it

3. Add the ice water and form dough into a ball

4. Divide dough in half and place each half in its own Ziploc bag and refrigerate (for up to 2 days)

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to soften (about 15 minutes)

6. Roll each ball of dough onto a floured surface and cut into 9 equal rectangles

7. Place rectangles of dough onto a sprayed or parchment-lined baking sheet

8. Beat egg and baste onto the entire surface of one half of the squares (this is to help "glue" the lid on)

9. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling onto the center of each rectangle, spreading and leaving a good 1/2 inch perimeter bare

FILLING OPTIONS

1. Strawberry preserves
2. Blueberry preserves
3. S'mores (melted marshmallows + Nutella)

10. Place a second rectangle of dough on top of the filling and seal around the edges first using your fingertips, then using the tines of a fork

11. Using a fork, gently poke a few holes on top

12. Repeat with the remaining dough and place (uncovered) in the refrigerator for 30 minutes

13. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

14. Remove pop tarts from the fridge and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are a light golden brown

Toppings -

15. Gently sprinkle powdered sugar over pop tarts
16. Top with strawberries, blueberries, (white) chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows as desired
17. Enjoy!

What a fun way to recreate a childhood favorite, and an even better way to celebrate the successful completion of another year!

*Recipes adapted from: Smitten Kitchen, and Epicurious.

Things I'm Loving Friday IV

Friday, how SWEET the sound! You guys know that I am a naturally early riser, but I am so looking forward to not having to set an alarm tomorrow, and just waking up when my body wakes me up. It is also such a relief to not have to drive home to Houston this weekend – it is my first weekend in Austin since the very beginning of April. It’s been a whirlwind!

Anyway, let’s move on with another rendition of Things I’m Loving Friday. This just might take the place of Survey Sunday (since I have clearly taken a break from that one), so it’s something new to look forward to.

Harry Potter Stamps

I can thank my volleyball coach for letting me in on this little secret. She knows that I am, and I will certainly not deny this, a huge Harry Potter nerd, so when she found out about the USPS release of limited edition Harry Potter Forever stamps, she quickly informed me. I wasted no time in ordering a packet of them, because I knew they would come in handy with my love of letters. They have come in handy lately, as I have been writing some thank-you notes here and there, so you better believe I have been using them to stamp my letters. We may be 8 days away from graduation, but that doesn’t mean I have to grow up, right?

20 Things I'd Tell My 2o-Something Self

I’m not sure if I’m truly a sentimental person, or the fact that graduation is so close is getting to me. Maybe a little bit of both? Whatever it is, I love reading articles such as this one, where people who have been there, done that reflect on what they would say to their 20-year-old selves. This entire article is worth a read, but here were a few of my favorite points:

1.       You can be good at lots of things.

I particularly liked this point because English and fitness are two very different things. However, this blog has allowed me to combine my love for the two. I’m allowed to be passionate about both things; I don’t have to choose just one.

2.       Read the historical markers.

Savor even the seemingly insignificant moments.

3.       People aren’t thinking of you nearly as much as you think they are.

This one hit home for me, as I constantly struggle with the idea that I have to live up to certain expectations that no one but myself has placed on me. And what’s more, it’s not that people don’t care, but they are far more worried about their own problems.

4.       At the end of the day, it’s between you and God.

Life is fleeting. God is not.

Brooks TranscendRunning Shoes

I told myself that after my half marathon, I would treat myself to a new pair of running shoes. So, when Dylan and I found ourselves at Dick’s Sporting Goods one afternoon, I couldn’t help but check out their selection of running shoes. I tend to over-pronate when I run, which means I require shoes with a little extra support (which typically cost a little extra money). They’re well worth it, though, as these shoes are extremely comfortable, provide that necessary support, and come in a very electric pink color. I have never worn Brooks before, but I am slowly learning to step out of my comfort zone, and not buy the first pair of shoes I try on.

 

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Elementary School Friends

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in college, it’s that keeping up with people is hard. It takes work. It’s not as easy as seeing your friends every day at school, even if you do attend the same college. This is the case with a lot of my old friends, as we are all so busy, and our schedules just don’t quite match up. So, it is always nice when schedules match up, and you are able to enjoy some long-overdue catch-up time. It's even better when it happens by the lake on a beautiful evening!

Homemade Pop Tarts

Completion of the 15th grade calls for something sweet, right? Dylan NEVER lets me bake him anything, so when he said he would accept baked goods once he was finished with his last final, I was not going to pass up that opportunity. I was inspired by the homemade pop tarts at Ted's Bulletin in Washington D.C., and though mine certainly aren't that pretty, I was assured that they tasted good, and that's all that really matters, right? Recipe to come later today!

Enjoy your Friday - I hope it's a great one! Check back in a little later today for a new recipe!

Return To Normalcy

“Happiness is only real when shared.” – Into the Wild

WOW! Before I go any further with this post, I just want to extend a very heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who took the time to read yesterday’s post (I had quite the spike in page views J), and who offered up congratulations and shared in my excitement. Y’all made it so much fun to share the news, and I could not be more grateful for all of the incredible people I have in my life. Y’all are awesome, and my blog thanks you, too!

 

Thanks for reading, and for sharing my excitement! :)

Anyway, I’ve taken a little hiatus from my regular fitness and food posts, so let’s get back into that, shall we?

Workout

I have been doing quite a bit of swimming lately, just because it’s so easy to walk there after I get off work at SRD (now that I no longer have a bike to ride – but that’s a story for another time), the weather has been just perfect, and I love the fact that swimming is a low-impact cardio workout that activates all the main muscle groups in the body. Sometimes a little break from running is so necessary! Anyway, I decided to do something a little different yesterday, so I did a 30-minute upper body workout that focused a lot on  biceps and triceps, so you better believe I am feeling it this morning (though that might also be attributed to the fact that it’s been a while since I’ve done any sort of upper body work).

I followed that up with a spin class that left me nice and sweaty. I really enjoyed this spin class (as much as you can enjoy a spin class, right?), and time seemed to fly. This 20-minute segment was probably my favorite, as we started out finding a level four on the bike, and maintaining a decent speed – not quite a sprint, but faster than a casual pedal stroke – for one minute. We got one minute of rest after that, and continued on with round two, which was the same first minute as round one, followed by one minute of a standing jog. Again, we got one minute of rest before moving onto round three, which was round two plus one minute of a seated climb. One minute of rest preceded round four, which was round three with a final minute of jumps, which alternates between a seated and standing position. So, we would sit for four seconds, and then stand for four seconds, doing that combination for a minute. Again, we had one final minute of rest before our final round, with a surprise fifth minute. Minutes one through four were identical to the first four rounds, with a one minute sprint on a hill to end that chunk of the class. Like I said, time flew by, and I left feeling like I got in a great workout.

Breakfast

I absolutely planned on blogging about last night’s dinner, but I guess I got too hungry and wasn’t about to pause in order to take a picture. So, let’s go with breakfast instead. Today’s breakfast was the same ol’, same ol’ – scrambled egg whites with spinach, paired with a side of strawberries.

Maybe one of these days I will become more adventurous with my breakfasts, but that day is clearly not today. I also hope to have a few new recipes for you in the coming week, so let’s hope I keep my word on that one!

H I R E D

Happy Wednesday to my faithful followers. And what a happy Wednesday it is, because I am officially EMPLOYED. What that means, I'm not entirely sure, but hey, it sure feels good to say! My parents can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that paying for college was certainly worth it. I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that these past four years of stress and chaos were absolutely worth it, and though I had my days of doubting whether or not I was in the right major, ultimately, I can say I picked the right major. My car can breathe a sigh of relief because I will be holding off on the Houston trips for at least a short while, and I don’t think I have stopped smiling since yesterday afternoon.

So, I won’t leave you guys hanging, because I know you are hanging on the edge of your seats with anticipation, but I will be teaching English at Bellaire High School (my mom’s alma mater - talk about the circle of life!) in the Houston Independent School District. Though many of you might stop reading right about now, I will go into the long drawn out story for those of you who want to know.

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I’m not going to lie, Bellaire High School wasn’t really on my radar going into this job search process. Not that I was against going there, I just hadn’t really considered it. Anyway, I received an email from my UTeach professor one day that told me a representative from HISD would be speaking to our class, and there would be time to meet with him afterward if we were at all interested. I knew that I wanted to be back in Houston after I graduated, so I planned on meeting with the representative. It turned out that I was one of the only ones to do so, which certainly worked in my favor. He asked what I knew about HISD, and I admitted that I didn’t know much (he was also a Stratford grad, small world, right?), but that my mom attended Bellaire High School. He asked me if I would be interested in teaching there, and though I hadn’t given it much thought, I kind of liked the sound of that, so I told him that I would love to. He took down my information and told me he would be in touch with me in the coming weeks if he learned of any job openings at Bellaire High School.

Not even a few days later did I receive an email saying there was in fact an open English position at Bellaire High School if I wanted to act on that. I began filling out my HISD application, and the representative told me he would pass on my information, and that he would be at the career fair at the Frank Erwin Center the following week if I had any additional questions. The day of the career fair came, and I found that same representative so that I could thank him for all of his help. It took me by surprise when he told me that the Bellaire principal was actually at the job fair if I wanted to meet him and put a face to the name. I went up and introduced myself, and had an impromptu mini-interview with him. Since we already know the ending to this story, it obviously went well, and I was so excited to get a call about a week later in regards to coming in for an interview. I had actually been in Houston the entire weekend, and returned to Austin on Monday, but on Wednesday, I put on my red heels and made the drive back to Houston. The drive was a breeze, and the hardest part of it all was finding a place to park. I ended up parking my car in one of the surrounding neighborhoods with a note that said I had an interview at Bellaire High School and to PLEASE not tow my car. Praise the Lord that actually worked! I headed inside with enough time to find the main office, where I was then led to the library to complete a preliminary “test,” if you will. I was asked to analyze the theme of a poem, explain how I would use it in the classroom, and take a portion of a released SAT exam. Bellaire certainly meant business!

The sweet view I had driving back to Austin that night, reminding me that I was never alone

That portion of the interview took a little less than an hour, and I was then brought in before a group of five individuals – an assistant principal, the English department head, and three freshman English teachers. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I was likely being considered for an English I position. This might sound crazy, but I had a great time in my interview, and I felt as though I really connected with the other teachers in the interview. The school has such a high student success rate, and it was very easy to see why that was. The teachers I spoke with are passionate, enthusiastic, and dedicated. I walked out of that school (trying to remember where I parked my car) knowing that Bellaire had just become one of my top choices. I had a hard time admitting that to people, mainly because I knew getting the job there would be a long shot, and it’s hard for me to be vulnerable when I know that I could be let down, but it was also hard to hide the fact that I really wanted to get the job at Bellaire.

My freshman English class

Last day of freshman year

  

When I didn’t hear anything for about a week or so, I told myself that I probably didn’t get it, and that was okay, because I am about to be fresh out of college with student teaching being my only classroom experience, and hiring a 22-year-old at such an established school is certainly taking a risk. So you can imagine both my surprise and excitement when I received an email from the principal while I was in Washington D.C. asking me to let him know when would be a good time for a follow up phone call with him. Said phone call happened the following Tuesday afternoon, and I was told I would likely hear yes or no within 48 hours. Well, Thursday afternoon (and evening) came and went, and I didn’t hear anything, so I decided it was probably time to hit the road to Houston, as I had an 8am interview the next morning. I was bummed that I hadn’t yet heard anything, but I felt confident that I would be called whether I got the position or not. However, being the overeager person that I am, I emailed the Bellaire principal at 7:15am on Friday morning, hoping I would hear back one way or the other, just to put me out of my misery. Friday came and went, Saturday came and went, and on Sunday I received an email saying the final decisions would be made on Tuesday, and that I would hear back for sure by Tuesday evening.

A little chocolate to calm my nerves - thanks, Dyl (who might have been just as nervous)!

So here we are on Tuesday. I am pretty much doing whatever I can not to think about the fact that the phone call would be coming today, whether I was ready for it or not. Around 1:30pm, my phone started ringing with an unknown 713 number. I knew this was it, so I answered it, ran outside SRD, and proceeded to take the phone call. In all honesty, I can’t tell you a lot of what was told to me (that’s what contracts are for, right?), because I wasn’t sure in which direction we were headed, but at the end of the phone call I was offered a teaching position at Bellaire High School. I am not sure what grade I will be teaching, likely a combination of English I and a reading class, but as soon as I do know that information, I will absolutely pass it on to you guys. I sounded like a complete nerd on the phone as I rambled on before actually accepting the offer, when I was met with a “Welcome to the Bellaire team,” and to say that I have felt total peace about my decision is an understatement. I know I have shocked quite a few people when I tell them that I picked Bellaire before waiting to hear back from Stratford, but it was an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I know that I will be so happy at Bellaire. And I know there will be tough days, and the traffic on 610 might get to me sooner than I think, but I am so excited to see how God writes this next chapter of my life. Many people have told me that “I so deserve this,” and in all honesty, I am so incredibly undeserving, but I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity. I also can’t tell you how great it feels to know that I can walk across that stage in less than two weeks knowing exactly what I will be doing. I feel like I have been one constant ball of stress because though I have attended many career fairs, sent countless emails, and even had a few interviews, nothing was secured, and it feel as though a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I can finally relax and truly enjoy these last few weeks of college, because I do not have a worry in the world right now. There are not enough thank-you’s in this world to thank all of the people who have helped me along the way, but I’ll sure try.

 

Believe it or not, this is the exact outfit I wore to my interview

Here’s a big thank you to my parents (froomies!) for not only paying for my college education, which is enough in itself, but for answering every frantic phone call, freaking out about what to do next, for proofreading my resume and cover letters and every single email I ever sent, and most of all, for believing in me every step of the way. Even when I started doubting, they never stopped believing in and encouraging me, and for that, I am so grateful. Here’s to moving back in with them! Thank you to my professors at UT, my cooperating teachers in the UTeach program, and the countless number of former teachers and coaches who truly taught me something new every day, who wrote reference after reference after reference, who put in good words for me, and who inspired me to sign up for what I have just signed up to do. Y’all rock. Thank you to the parents whose sons and daughters will be sitting in my very classroom this fall. You guys probably don't know what you're about to get yourself into (nor do I, really), but I'm excited to begin this journey with your sweet kids. And finally, a huge thank you to my sweet friends who have put up with my weird hours and endless stress, who have shared my excitement and lived every single step with me. I have so many wonderful people in my life, and that made it all the sweeter to share this exciting news. So, here’s to shedding my beloved green and white (though I will always bleed green) for a crisp red and white. Go Cardinals! And real world, I'm finally ready (or maybe not) for ya!

Last Club, Best Club

This is certainly a season of lasts, and while some of the lasts are celebratory (the last presentation, for example), others are on a more sad note. One of those being my final YoungLife club, which happened last night. I was somewhat involved with YoungLife in high school, moreso going to camps and weekend retreats than club and campaigners, as I had volleyball practice on Monday and Wednesday nights, the nights of club and campaigners, respectively. 

Wilderness Ranch '09

So, I wasn't the most active YoungLife attendee, so I wasn't even aware that YoungLife was a thing in college. Well, that all changed when I got a call from a woman named Jordan, asking me if I wanted to be in her small group. Not really knowing what I was agreeing to, but wanting to quickly get involved in things, I said yes, and she said she would be in touch about a weekly time to meet. Small group led to club on Sunday nights which led to leader training which led to me being placed on a YoungLife, or more specifically, WyldLife team in Northwest Austin. I have posted about this many times before, but YoungLife club on Monday nights became a regular part of my college experience. Singing crazy songs, playing outrageous games, making middle school and high school kids eat or drink weird things, dressing up in bizarre costumes - this might not sound like the normal college experience, but it quickly became a very normal part of mine.

And as many times as I was stressed out with a million other things that I felt like I should be doing, I always ended up having a great time just being a kid with my sweet girls. Last night was my very last club, and it was honestly one of the very best. So many of my girls were there, the backyard where we had it was sweet - complete with an in-ground trampoline, volleyball net, and inflatable water slide. The perfect weather made for such a sweet evening with so many wonderful people. It has been a privilege to walk alongside these girls, watching them grow from quiet, crazy seventh graders, unable to stay focused for longer than 10 minutes at a time, to confident, adventurous ninth graders who ask tough questions and have learned to take ownership over their faith.

I can't wait to see where the next three years take them, and if any of you girls are reading this, know that last night was not good-bye, only a see you later, and each and every one of you is always welcome in Houston. More on that later! Anyway, I am thankful for the organization that is YoungLife, the leaders I have gotten to plan and lead with, and the sweet girls I have gotten to lead. If they have learned even half as much from me as I have learned from them, then we're all doing just fine. What a sweet ride it has been, and it couldn't have ended on a better note.

Things I'm Loving Friday III

Happy Friday!

I write this from my couch in Houston (I feel as though I have been saying that a lot lately), as I am Houston for another interview that took place this morning. I took my car to the shop, as I was quite overdue for my inspection, and it turned out that I was also in dire need of some new brakes. Perfect timing!

Anyway, I didn't do much today after my interview - I guess those things just take it out of you! The plan is to head back to Austin sometime tomorrow, and all that's on the agenda for tonight is cheering on the Rockets to what is hopefully a game six victory. But without further ado, I will take another step in getting back on my blogging game with another round of Things I'm Loving Friday.

Life of Pi

I purchased this book way back over spring break, on a whim when Dylan and I were in Barnes & Noble and he told me I would like it. I purchased it, mainly because it was on sale, but I didn't think much of it until a few weeks ago when I saw it on my shelf in my room. I picked it up, took it to work, and couldn't put it down. Though I didn't necessarily like the fact that Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam were all considered to be "the same," in that they all believe in God, my main takeaway from the book was that things aren't always reasonable, and that we just have to have faith. The symbolism in the book is just beautiful, and the next item on my list is watching the movie.

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Simple Pleasures

This article from Thought Catalog encourages us to celebrate the simple joys rather than focusing on the negativity.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Luna Bars

I mentioned in my last post that I fell in love with Chocolate Dipped Coconut Luna Bars while in Washington D.C. So much so that I ordered a 15-pack of them to be delivered to my house in Austin. You guys probably know by now that I a big-time chocolate fan, and I have recently acquired a liking for coconut, so a combination of the two is basically unbeatable. And it contains the "Core Four" vitamins and minerals - Iron, Calcium, Folic Acid, and Vitamin D. Even better!

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Tuesday Dates

Dylan's and my schedules this semester have been so totally opposite, thanks to work, student teaching, and Thursday night class for the both of us. So our weekly Thursday dinners turned into sporadic meals together (not that they weren't special, nonetheless). So, I've been a little bit spoiled these past two Tuesdays when the stars aligned and we were able to have a lunch date at The Steeping Room in the Domain,

and a quick dinner date at Maudie's Tex Mex in the Triangle. 

Skinny Sheryl's

I'm always thankful for a shared meal with him!

Dairy-Free Chocolate

I have been very vague about the specifics of interviews and career fairs, only sharing that I have had a couple of them, but that is because I don't want to jinx myself - I promise that when I get hired I will share the excitement with all of you. Meanwhile, this is a whirlwind of a season for me, and I will never turn down some dairy-free dark chocolate with a little added flavor to it as a coping mechanism for any stress or anxiety I may experience throughout the process.

And with that, the Rockets game is calling my name. I hope your Friday kicked off what is sure to be a great weekend!