[ end of work....beginning of summer ]

Don't get me wrong - I love my job. However, I'm thrilled that tomorrow is my last day until August. The last three weeks have been beyond rough and I'm more than happy to have a break from everything. I don't have to go back until August 11th!

Here's what's happening in the meantime:

[June 21st - 28th] Connell UMC Youth Group Mission Trip to Salt Lake City, UT
[June 30th - August 2nd] Priest Lake Vacation
[July 25-26] Lake Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater (watching my cousin Craig perform!)
[August 2nd] - Junior Miss State in Pullman

Nothing much...but man, I've been waiting since March to go to Priest Lake. I absolutely cannot wait!! Hopefully, I'll be able to read a few books, catch up on sleep, scrapbook, swim, cross stitch, kick butt in numerous card games, & just entirely relax.

So - if I'm MIA between now and August, you'll know why. :)

Have a great summer!!

[ delicious coconut chicken ]

a friend of mine (hi Jamie!) always posts these amazing sounding recipes - none of which i've tried yet, but they sound (and look) good! (side note: how do you always remember to take a picture before you dig in?!)

anyway - i am not a cook. i think it's a waste of time and i'm just not creative enough to think of different things. i'm a nachos kind of girl - they're easy and you can add whatever you have in the fridge - plus they taste great!

well, for a while now, i've been craving this casserole type dish that we ate in Mexico - with chicken, my favorite cotija cheese, and tortilla chips. in my search for this recipe, i came across another recipe for [ coconut chicken ] and actually tried it! i shredded the chicken and we had chicken tacos the other night with corn tortillas, diced tomatoes, homemade guacamole, cotija cheese, and cilantro. not your ordinary tacos - but man, they were delicious!

anyway, here is the recipe if anyone is interested. i'm thinking about making a whole bunch and freezing it. do you think that would work??

INGREDIENTS
2 whole chicken breasts, cut bite size
2 onions, peeled and cut into eighths
1 clove of garlic, minced (i used garlic powder)
4 bay leaves (i didn't use these)
black pepper or chili powder
1 pinch of turmeric (i have no idea what this is...so, didn't use it)
1 pinch of cumin
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon of ginger paste (i used ground ginger - what's the difference?!)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 can of coconut milk (this can be found in the beverage aisle - by the grenadine and wine)
1/2 cup of water

PREP WORK
Cut the chicken up into bite size pieces.Peel and cut the onions, mince the garlic.Assemble the rest of the ingredients and you are ready to start cooking.

HOW TO MAKE AT HOME
Sauté the onion in oil until translucent.
Put onion into blender and add tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, cumin, sugar, ginger paste, coconut milk, water and blend smooth.
Put the chicken in the sauté pan, add the blender ingredients and bay leaves. Cook until the chicken is white inside and the liquid is creamy. (45 minutes to an hour)
Remove the bay leaves and serve with white rice.

I didn't cut up the chicken - I used the whole chicken breasts then shredded them with two forks.

If you try this, let me know and I'll come over! :) I'm craving this constantly now!!! Enjoy!

[ graduation ]

graduation was last night...it's hard to believe a whole year as gone by. it seems like i was just gearing up for the first day of school. i am really going to miss this class - i'm going to miss them stopping by my office to chat, sharing a good laugh, putting post-it note messages on my bulletin board, and just being at school in general. hopefully they'll share some of their pictures with me and i can post them.

also at graduation, i received an incredible honor:

2007/2008 Connell High School

Teacher of the Year

I was shocked!! It means a lot to me to receive this award. I am so very honored.

congrats class of 2008.

Tagged

I have seen this on some other blogs and I've never done it...add that to being a little bored watching a movie, and here we are...

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago... I was a junior in high school...getting ready for summer. I worked at Connell Grain Growers that summer weighing wheat trucks. I also went to church camp as a counselor and spent time at Priest Lake!! (sounds a lot like this summer minus the Grain Growers!)

2. What was on my to-do list for today? I skipped church, went to brunch with my family, took a 3-hour nap, played with Samson, made graduation cards, went to Burger Factory with Melissa for our Sunday night milkshake, slushie float, and fries, and am now watching "Bobby" with the fam.

3. What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire? I'd like to believe I'd still work, I'd take my family to Guanajuato, buy my Grandma's place at Priest Lake so she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore, take my family to Switzerland, buy a car, donate money to our church & the charities I support, pay off my student loans, & buy a house.

4. 3 Bad habits... a Pepsi a day, not exercising or eating right like I should, always being busy

5. Places I have lived..... Tacoma, Spokane, and Connell (the only three places I've lived)

6. Places I have worked... Connell Grain Growers, All State Auto Electric, B&R Crop Care, Piper Jaffray, AT&T Wireless (for a week!), Whitworth School of Global Commerce & Management, Riverside High School, North Franklin School District (substitute teacher), Connell High School

7. 3 Things people don't know about me....

1) I am shy around people I don't know & I am uncomfortable making small talk.
2) People think I'm creative, but I don't think so - it's embarassing! I wish I were though!
3) When people complain about other people's quirks, habits, or personalities, I always wonder if I have any of those annoying characteristics...I hope not!!!

If you haven't done this, then I tag you! :)