>Not scary at all: vote for my school in this grant competition!

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Daisy

2011 Project Innovate is a program sponsored by Cellcom that allows school supporters to vote for one school in the surrounding area to receive prize money for the purchase of technology. It is WCA’s desire to help each student maximized his/her potential and meet the highest proformance standards. While WCA does everything they can be provided the best education possible for your student, there are many great tools out there that could assist with accomplishing this goal. This contest is simple. Vote for WCA. Each individual can vote one per email address.

Grand Prize: $30,000 for the purchase of technology

First Prize: $15,000 for the purchase of technology

Second Prize: $5,000 for the purchase of technology

The best part is that there are only 8 local schools participating.

The project ends at 11:59 p.m. on November 22, 2011. To vote for WCA all you need to do is go to http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/164554 (or Cellcom.com, click on Project Innovate).

Please pass the link on and encourage others to vote for Wisconsin Connections Academy.

>Yet another Apple Crisp recipe

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Daisy

>It’s autumn. It’s apple season. It’s been a productive apple season, too. I adapted this from a pie recipe by making the filling without fussing with the crust. If I master the art of crust-making, for pies or pizza, bloggy friends, you’ll be the second to know. My family will be first; they’ll be eating the results.

Back to the topic. Apple recipes are tastiest when they consist of two or more kinds of apples, preferably a mixture of tart and sweet.

Ingredients

3 medium tart apples, pelled an thinly sliced

3 medium McIntosh or other mild apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Topping

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 Tablespoons orange juice

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the ingredients without the apples.

In a 2-quart casserole dish or 8 x 8 square baking dish, place the apples on the bottom and top with the topping.

Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Top will be golden brown and have crispy spots.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. Mmm – fresh apples.

>Touring Lambeau Field, Daisy style

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Daisy

Field trips are different in a virtual school. We arrange field trips in different locations in the state, and families sign up to meet a teacher or two there. Several families met two teachers, Mr. P and me, at Lambeau Field for the stadium tour and the Hall of Fame.

My photos were a bit different, too. I took several of the families that came, trying to balance the atmosphere with the faces. These turned out quite well, I thought.

My own personal pictures took a rather different angle, too. I didn’t need the standard Green and Gold; I’ve seen it and internalized it plenty of times. Instead, I noticed the Wall of Opponents. All they need now is an extension of this for our Eating the Opponent project! That would be a great addition to the hall of fame, or even to the menu at Curly’s Pub, in my perspective.

The Wall of Opponents is rather long and curved; it’s tough to fit the whole thing in a standard picture. The menu would take up an additional wall.

Then there was the Packer trivia game. I got a few wrong (doh! I should have known the answers), but I still made the High Scores list. What? You doubt me?

I compared spirited socks with one of the girls along on the tour. Mine are on the right. I could be convinced to pick up a pair like hers. Socks like these would coordinate perfectly with my pink Packers polo shirt.

And I seriously coveted the tour guides’ shoes. I know, these are men’s shoes. But they could be made in women’s sizes, I’m sure. Couldn’t they? I mean, the Pro Shop carries Super Bowl XLV sweaters for dogs; they could make tour guide shoes for women.

These shoes are standing on hallowed ground: The Tunnel. Come the next home game, I’ll have a new perspective as the team comes out of the tunnel onto the field.

Go! Pack! Go!

>Eating the Opponent: Minneso-ta style

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Daisy

It was fried ravioli with Shock Top beer last week.

Amigo had his with Mello Yello.

This week, it’s Minnesota. The guys in purple. The Northern team that plays in a (snort) dome. The dome that couldn’t handle the snow last year and actually collapsed. No players in purple were injured during the perilous storm, but the Vikes had to play their next home game in an outdoor college stadium. Pardon me while I giggle a little at the irony of the whole disaster.

Back to the topic at hand: a Minnesota staple food. I asked my Facebook friends to help, but the two who live in the Twin Cities remained silent. I blogged a plea for ideas on Monday, and two chimed in. So…. we’ve narrowed it down.

We haven’t decided or shopped for ingredients yet. Well, folks? Wild rice? The ubiquitous Minnesot’n hotdish? Lutheran-style after-church pie?

There is still one Farmers’ Market left. I might buy my pie from the Amish baker. She makes delicious – well, everything. And almost next to her booth is the cheese vendor, the one who sells the freshest cheese curds I’ve ever eaten. Oh, wait. Cheese curds are Wisconsin, not Minnesota. Or are they also eaten west of the Mississippi and the St. Croix?

Meanwhile, let’s not forget the whole reason for the Eating the Opponent routine.

Go! Pack! Go!

>Oh, the Gatekeepers!

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Daisy

>Gatekeepers, also known as receptionists and schedulers, that is.

First, there was the gatekeeper at the ENT who thought she could decide who got to see the doc and who didn’t.

Then there was the gatekeeper who couldn’t correct a scheduling error and therefore put me back on a waiting list after six months of waiting already.

I could also mention the gatekeeper who tried to talk me out of even asking for a new doctor for Amigo. She sounded quite surprised when New Doc said yes, of course, he’d take Amigo as a new patient.

This time, the schedulers are not talking to the schedulers and the left gatekeeper doesn’t know what the right gatekeeper is doing.

I had a November appointment set up to review meds and check on my progress in recovering from the deepest and longest depression of my life. Recovery is going well: slow but steady, a marathon rather than a sprint.

Then I had to schedule a pre-op physical before the removal and replacement of my cataracts. Given that opportunity to touch base and review my health in general, Family Doc said I could cancel the November appointment. “That’s the day after Thanksgiving. Go shopping,” he teased. “The mob scene? No thanks. I’ll be shopping online,” I laughed.

So…the nurse came in, gave me my annual flu shot, and the logged onto the computer and pulled up the schedule. Lo and behold, my November appointment wasn’t even listed. We were both confused, but shrugged our shoulders and decided it was all for the best.

Two days later I got a letter in the mail from the Clinic That Shall Not Be Named. “Dear Daisy; we need to reschedule the following appointment(s):” followed by the information of the already cancelled November date. Huh??

This time, at least, the failure to communicate doesn’t interfere with my health care. It does, however, lower my level of trust in the Clinic That Shall Not Be Named. I still trust the medical professionals who’ve treated me; I’m just losing trust in the system in which they work. Oh, and the gatekeepers who guard the palace doors.

>Yet another Zucchini Recipe

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Daisy

>You guessed it, readers. I am presenting to you one more way to use up the last few zucchini. I liked this as a vegetarian main dish; Chuck preferred it as a side. Either way, it’s delicious.

Cheesy Zucchini Squares

Ingredients:

3 cups grated zucchini

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

3 eggs or 3/4 cup egg substitute

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Spray 8 by 8 baking dish (or similar sized pan) with non-stick spray.

Stir together the zucchini and salt in a colander and let drain 15 minutes. Press out the liquid; let drain another 15 minutes. Pick up small handfuls of zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to small bowl.

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then stir in flour mixture and mix well. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the zucchini, onion, and cheese. The batter will be stiff. Pour into baking dish and press evenly into all corners.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes; serve warm.

By the way, this heats up well as a planned-over. In true Wisconsin fashion, I’m considering dusting the top with grated mozzarella or Parmesan when it comes out of the oven. I didn’t add nuts and twigs to this dish, either. The possibilities for variation are endless!

>Meal planning, Daisy style

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Daisy

A typical week looks like this in the OkayByMe kitchen:

Monday: Chuck works late, Daisy makes an omelet.

Tuesday: something good for two.

Wednesday: something good for two.

Thursday: something good for two. Can you tell we’re enjoying the empty nest during the week?

Friday: Crock Pot or other easy dish to accommodate Amigo’s pick-up time around five.

Meanwhile, eating the opponent continues on Saturday nights.

St. Louis Toasted (fried) Ravioli was delicious, but high maintenance. Chuck said “Never again.” I said, “Let’s leave it to the restaurants.”

Next week, Minnesota Vikings. Last year we faced this dilemma, too. No lutefisk, I declared, not in my home! So instead, we made a stuffed meatloaf (good hot-dish, Lake Wobegon style) and bought a can of Spam. Breakfast featured turnovers in honor of former Packer turned traitor, er, Viking, Brett Favre.

No one liked the Spam.

But anyway, we’d like to expand on eating Minnesota next weekend. A search through Swagbucks turned up recipes with rhubarb (too easy), wild rice (a strong possibility), and the ubiquitous hot dish. Hot dish, for the uninitiated, is another name for a casserole. Meat, veggies, pasta or potatoes, all in one pan, stirred with a can of cream soup to hold it all together. Many hot dish formulas call for a can of tuna or a pound of browned ground beef.

We could make a ground beef and tater tot casserole using tater tots made in Plover, Wisconsin.

We could make a wild rice dish with fish or other wild game meat.

Turnovers? Not necessary this year. Take that, Brett.

Well, readers, what do you think? Minnesota friends, weigh in, please. What should we serve for Eating the Opponent when our Packers play the Vikings?

>Eating the Opponent: meet me in St. Louis, Louis!

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Daisy

Last weekend we had peach cobbler for dessert and cornbread with peach jam with the meal. We tried Coke with peanuts later in the evening and made grits with maple syrup to go with brunch.

This time, we’re looking to St. Louis. The Brewers were up against the Cardinals, and the Packers are playing the Rams. My sister-in-law lived and taught in St. Louis for several years, so she joined Earth Muffin in recommending some good local fare.

Our tentative plan: Fried ravioli. Chuck will find a beer (not Budweiser, by the way) with St. Louis or at least Missouri roots. We weren’t willing to fry a cardinal – that’s another sport entirely. Besides, I hear cardinal tastes like chicken.

Some of the fun in this project comes from the research. We get ideas from friends and family, we look things up on the Internet, and we get creative to add a bit of Wisconsin to some. Adding maple syrup to the grits was one nod to my state tree, the sugar maple. The peaches in the jam were Wisconsin and Michigan produce, not Georgia, to be honest. It’s the spirit of the project that counts. So on we go, eating our way (we hope) to 6-0!

Readers coming from Plurk or Twitter might know that I’m having my first cataract removal surgery today. Yes, of course I’m nervous. I’m using my irreverent sense of humor to survive it. No coffee in the morning before surgery? I’ll convince Chuck to drive through Starbucks on the way home.

>Top Ten Reasons to enjoy teaching online

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Daisy

…or… Top Ten Reasons my new job is right for me

10. It lets me unleash my inner geek.

9. I can have a bad hair day and no one will know.

8. I step into the hall and breathe the rarified air of administration (we’re on the same floor as Student Services, Special Ed., and Title I, among other powerful offices)

7. I get to work with a bunch of other teachers unleashing their own inner geeks.

6. I can play with clip art and pretend I’m working.

5. I’m a good independent worker. Bloggers & writers are often self-motivated types, and I’m both.

4. Those headsets with microphones look oh so fashionable with my hearing aids.

3. I never need to leave sub plans! Well, that’s both a blessing and a curse.

2. My “Teaching Wisconsin to Read” coffee cup can sit by my side, full, all morning.

1. I can use the bathroom any time I need it and not have to wait for a recess bell!

>Fun with a Can of Baked Beans

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Daisy

>We keep a few cans of beans in the pantry in case we need a side dish for a simple meal. We almost never make the can plain, as sold. It’s not that they’re bad; they’re quite good. It’s more like gee, we could have fun with this. Let’s make that can of beans into —

Denver (no omelet) Beans

1 can (28 oz.) Bush’s original baked beans

Sautee ingredients:

green pepper

red bell pepper

red onion

Spices:

lemon pepper

cayenne pepper

cumin

white pepper

salt

smoky Tabasco sauce

minced garlic

Simmer beans in medium pan over low heat.

Saute peppers and onions in olive oil until soft. Add to simmering beans.

Add a dash of each spice to simmering beans.

Simmer until warmed through.

Serve with fresh chopped tomato on top to balance the spiciness.

Calico Beans

One can (28 oz.) Bush’s original baked beans

One can (14 oz.) butter beans

Touch of brown sugar

Dash of balsamic vinegar

Mix both types of beans, sugar, and balsamic vinegar, and simmer in a medium pot until warm.

Beans and Weenies

Leftover beans, plain or either of the kinds above.

1 leftover hot dog, bratwurst, or any cooked sausage. Best if grilled.

Slice sausage. Mix into beans. Heat until warm. Serve for lunch or solo supper; a classic leftover.

This is one of Amigo’s favorites. He makes it himself.

Compost Happens

Taking care of family, garden, and coffee and sharing it with the online world

Monthly Archives: October 2011

>Not scary at all: vote for my school in this grant competition!

>Yet another Apple Crisp recipe

>Touring Lambeau Field, Daisy style

>Eating the Opponent: Minneso-ta style

>Oh, the Gatekeepers!

>Yet another Zucchini Recipe

>Meal planning, Daisy style

>Eating the Opponent: meet me in St. Louis, Louis!

>Top Ten Reasons to enjoy teaching online

>Fun with a Can of Baked Beans

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