My kitchen

I have been enjoying my kitchen this year. It Has definitely been fun. The first dish I cooked last night was a squash casserole with onion, garlic, summer and zucchini squash, tomatoes, olive oil, fresh rosemary & thyme, 1/2 cup of parmasean and cheddar cheeses.  Delicious. The only thing I will do differntly next time is let the dish marinate overnight for more flavor. 

The second dish I made was my husband's gramma's "Hot Dish Casserole". Another great recipe with ground beef, cream of mushroom and chicken soups, chow mien and celery. It was deiffernt than our normal routine, but very delicious. 

For my husband's 32nd birthday, I bought him a pressure canner. He has been wanting for years and I finally bit the bullet and purchased one. We are going to can everything we can this year to save on money. We need to buckle down on our budget and I have found the perfect ways to do it. I am very excited to make jams, sauces, soups and other foods from staple items. Pinterest has helped me out a lot with learning the basics and I'm eager to start. 

Change. (continued)

This quote goes along with my previous blog. However, it's words are so inspirational, it needs it's own post. Enjoy!

Change. (Edited 1.2.2014)

It is very hard to grasp the concept of change, especially a change like a new year. The change is so slow, so gradual, that we do not notice it. It's our job to embrace it, welcome it, and make the best out of it. Change is something that I am excited to embrace this year. 

It will be my last year of school. I student teach spring of 2015 and will graduate in May. Time flew by so fast. People say "times flies" all the time. I don't notice the time until it is already gone. 

Like today, for example. I have spent the last month prepping for my speech and drama meet I am hosting on Saturday. First time hosting a meet, ever. I am nervous. I spent all day worrying about Saturday that by the time it came to take everything to the school to prep, I had already wasted two-thirds of the day. 

Time is precious and I feel like I am not getting things accomplished when I should. This is where embracing change comes in. Although I have not announced it yet, I believe I am done coaching speech and drama. I have been doing it for 6 years. I love it because it keeps me busy and it is great for the kids. However, I may not be at this school in 2015 and I am so busy trying to earn my degree that I am not spending quality time at home with family or with friends. What are friends? I never see mine anymore and I am starting to feel like I have none left. Sometimes I wonder if my husband will be home when I get there. I have way too much on my plate that I am not focusing on my passions or my people. I need my people. 

The only thing holding me back from this change is the kids. One: it's a great program. Two: my kids will all mostly be seniors. Quit? On their last year? Does this make me a Bad coach or a bad person? Three: I recieve comments all the time from community members. "Keep up the good work".  "You're great with kids". And "without you there wouldn't be a program." Inspiring. Worth it. But what about embracing change? What about it? The answer isn't time management because I've tried this and not everyone benefits from it and, most importantly, I don't benefit from it. 

The last thing I have to say is change is important to embrace because people spend so much time in the constant that they forget to look at the view around them. They forget about diversity. Thy forget about choice. They forget about each other. People spend so much time in the fast lane they forget to just sit back an look at the view. 

I want to make a positive change in my life to understand myself, be kinder, be passionate, be active, and just hang out with the people I love. 

~embrace change~

 & look at the view