A Teacher Needs to Eat: Part 4

I was thinking, really how much can a teacher write about food?

The answer?  A lot.  

The reason why this story is resonating with me so much is because it's really a piece of self care for me.  When we have food that is prepared and available to eat, I feel like I've taken care of myself and my family.  

 I know this idea of self care can look different in 800,000 different ways.  For us, it's good food.  

So, here's what's up.  

It's Sunday.  I did a little Sunday-Funday with my two Doris's.  More self-care.  We split a pizza and enjoyed some Sunday fun.  

But alas, a family needs dinner, but I was excited to get home and cook it.  

These are enchiladas.  

This sauce is next to heaven.  

Here's what to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

Brown some protein.  We used a pound of ground turkey.  

Add 1/2 cup of this delicious sauce to a bowl, also 1 cup of shredded cheddar jack cheese.  

Stir in the protein into the mix with the sauce and cheese.  

Scoop a 1/4 of Cup of the mixture onto a tortilla.  Fold the tortillas up and put them seam side down.  

Put the rest of the sauce on these tortillas.  And some more shredded cheese.  Yum.  

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are heated through.  

Verdict:  Make these again.  

For the rest of the week:

Monday:  Chicken with Wildtree Thai Chili Sauce.  We made this a couple of weeks ago.  And we liked it.  

Tuesday:  Pasta with peas and sun dried tomatoes.  

Wait!  You may notice that we had this on our menu last week.  Because I know that you are monitoring every menu I write.  (I am fluent in sarcasm too...)  But seriously.  

Sometimes you just need your husband to bring home tacos and crispy potatoes.  And he's a keeper if he brings home the melty cheese without you asking.  (And he did...)  So we didn't make the pasta last week.  

Wednesday:  Grilled cheese.  

My secrets here?  I use texas toast, because it's thicker.  

I season the bread with a little garlic.  

Depending on the cheese, sometimes we serve them with a red sauce.  I like to soften a little cream cheese and mix it with mozzarella.  

Thursday:  Macaroni and cheese.  

I bought cavatappi noodles for this occasion.  And New York Extra Sharp White Cheddar.  

Let's see how this goes.  

Friday:  Pizza.  Always carry out.  Because it's Friday.  

Just a reminder that I don't get paid by Wildtree, nor do I sell it.  I just love their products and use them a lot.  :)

What groove are you in with dinner?  Do you plan out meals ahead of time?  

Joy!
Kendra

Celebrate: The Wonderful Among the Weary

Make no Mistake. 
Parenting is not for the weak. 

This week it has left us feeling weary, off-kilter, wondering about our every move, lonely, and a little angry.  

I think that is what true love does to you.  It brings out the wonderful and the weary.  

I was watching him on Saturday and thinking about what I love about him:

He Loves Animals.  Every fact, their well-being, how to care for them, all of it.  We are blessed to be in a town where there is a zoo, so he can observe and ask more questions.  

A new giraffe barn.  Yes, we go to the zoo in the winter.  

He Loves The Game.  

In this season, he wants to watch it, analyze it, play it, keep up with bigger people in his life.  We are so thankful for dedicated coaches.  

Dedicated coach.  I could hear coach asking him questions and just spending time with him.  

He's funny.  Take the pop cans out?  Okay.  No trips needed.  And I'll smile underneath all that.  

He gives the best snuggles.   To humans too.  

So.  I'm celebrating the wonderful among the weary today.  

If you ask me how I'm doing, you may get that as a response.  Don't be alarmed.  

"Wonderful among the weary."

Joy!
Kendra

Slice of Life: Writing like a 9 year old...

Slicers.  I'm at the table tonight with my 9 year old.  He's been given a writing assignment.  I'm watching him write, and I'm learning he writes like me. 

Talk about it a bit.

Get up and see what the dog is doing.

Change the music.

Talk to the family.

Write a little.

I thought for sure I would write an earth shattering slice while he did his assignment.  But I was stuck.  And as I'm watching him write, I thought, "I need to try this assignment."  It's good for me to put myself in his shoes.  

The directions:  Roll a dice to determine the setting, character, and plot.  Write freely for 15 minutes.  (I'm already wide-eyed because I'm looking at this outline below.  What?!?!?!)

Setting:  A sail boat at noon.
Character:  A talking gorilla
Plot:  Going to a country Western Concert. 

A Midwestern Kerfluffle
In the floods of the summer before I turned 40, I took my sail boat at noon down to the local taco stand to hang out with my friends. 

(Side bar:  my family is with me.  Country Western music is already blaring through my kitchen.  We also have sing alongs when we write.)

As I slid up to the bar, I noted that a Gorilla was behind the bar with a western hat ready to take my order.  

I ordered my spicy shrimp tacos (crispy, not fried) and a beer-because hey, It's 5 O'clock Somewhere.  (Now we're discussing how we can see Jimmy Buffet this summer.)

"Everything to your liking, Miss?"  asked the Gorilla.

"Why, yes, it is!"  I responded, chewing with my mouth slightly too full.

"I happen to have these three tickets to the Jimmy Buffet/Eagles concert.  200 dollars total."  

"Oh My!" I exclaimed.  "I can take my sister and my Auntie with me!"  

"I aim to please," shared the Gorilla.

I scarfed down my tacos and beer and ran to call my sister.  We broke into a refrain of "Margaritaville."  There was peace on earth.  The teacher, and the sister, and the Auntie lived happily ever after, even though the concert wasn't completely Country-Western.  Because hey.  Even though we live in Iowa, we don't always want to do that.  

The End.

What I've learned:  

I need to write with my family more.

We all need to be writing our assignments that we give our students.

(This was a good reminder for me.)

A little creative writing isn't a bad thing.  I hardly ever do it.

(See Exhibit A above for my reasons why.)

Do you write all your assignments?  

Joy!
Kendra

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who links up.

Last week, we were out of school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  There was a 2 hour delay the next day.  Throw in a snow day the week before, I just didn't want to rush through important lessons on compassion, equality, and friendship.  

So this is the week.  Here's what we are reading to discuss compassion and equality.  We have also started brainstorming what we can do to change the world and promote compassion in our community.  

These are just the beginning and for this week.  I'll keep adding to the stack.  What do you have for recommendations?  So many important reads!  

Joy!
Kendra

A Teacher Needs to Eat: Part 3.

Let's start with dinner tonight.  :)

I love using the Crock-Pot.   On Sundays it just feels lovely to get dinner going, and then leave it for the day.  

I'm still working on my food photography.  Hang with me.  :)

Spaghetti noodles underneath.  In the Crock-Pot I cooked some chicken breasts.  Then about an hour before we ate, I added some organic Alfredo sauce and some frozen broccoli.   

This week has one basketball team ending their season.  We are in a January thaw.  Things are looking good!  Let's eat.  

Monday:

Homemade Lunchables.  I wrote about these here if you need to see that.  It is my go to when we won't get home until late.  It keeps us out of the drive through.  

Tuesday:

Wildtree on deck!  Orecchiette pasta with peas and Sundried tomatoes.  

Wednesday:

 A 30 minute Chicken Noodle Soup.  

We make this soup a lot.  We use egg free wide noodles.  You can purchase those at our grocery store!  

Thursday:

Leftovers.  Also, my Mr. mentioned a lovely BBQ place that we love.  

Friday:

Time for pizza.  

Joy!
Kendra

Celebrate: Grace in my Writing.

So.  In January I set off to write for 31 days straight.  

On January 15th, my sinuses had other ideas.  

Oh this week has been a struggle to keep up.  So I just stopped.

And rested.  

Because there is Grace in writing.  So as I bounce back, a link from some writing I did on Tuesday.  

If you pray, I would take prayers for healing.  These sinuses aren't messing around, even after a week of antibiotics.  

Thanks friends.  

Meanwhile, I'm still celebrating Doris.

Joy!
Kendra  

My Doris-es: A Slice of Life

I'm blessed to have two.  Doris-es. 
Read here to learn more about what that means. 
After I read this post, I've decided, I'm just going to name my Tribe?  Doris. 

The friendships are years old.  Before children, if there was such a thing.  One entered my life when I was wandering with one foot out the door of my church, feeling isolated after a food allergy diagnosis for my youngest. 

We have seen: (Not an exhaustive list...)

• marriages
• babies
• houses.
• more babies
• more houses
• aging parents
• jobs
• no jobs
• new jobs
• growing kids
• kids who do things that aren't in the books
• babies
• medical things that only a tribe would show up for 
• hard things.  We do those.  

And here's what I know about these ladies:

At any given time they are there to speak truth and love to me.  (And the world.  But I'm so blessed, they share it with me.)  I remember sitting at my table, again with one foot out the door of the church, and a Doris holding my hand and saying, "This hurt isn't what God wants for His people.  He is Not rejoicing in this."  That statement kept me in the door honestly.  Why?  Because I felt treasured at that moment.  Not only by God, but by His People.  

And the other one?  Reminded me once that I don't say Yes to everything, because other people have gifts too.  So save your Yes's for things you are truly gifted for.  That encouragement is given to lots of people, and shared freely.  She's also a story teller, and reminds me that God's people aren't always pious and quiet.  Sometimes they wear overalls to church, dress up as Santa, swear a little, and laugh a little too loudly-if there is such a thing.  

My Doris-es also are constantly reaching out to those who might not be seen, who need their story told, who just need a friend.  These ladies love Jesus so much, they can't help but love others too.  

I'm so glad they love me too.  

Joy!

Kendra

A Teacher Needs to Eat

So last week, I talked a lot about what I was doing at lunch time.  

Dinner is important too!  I do meal plan our dinners, because let's be honest, if I didn't, we'd eat out all.the.time.  

You'll hear me reference Wildtree a lot in this post.   A little reminder, I don't sell it.  I'm not getting paid or anything to write about it.  I just love it and it's helped us a lot to keep dinner moving forward!  

First of all, I usually consider Monday the first night of my week.  But I want to write a bit about tonight.  

This is brown rice with chicken and Wildtree Thai Chili Sauce.  

The chicken was prepped and in our freezer.  I pulled it out and baked it at 375 for about 45 minutes.  

We had some brown rice, and so we just made that up and put the chicken and the rice into a bowl.  The chili sauce was a mostly sweet with a little spicy.  Everyone here ate it up!  

So onto the rest of this week:

Monday:  Wildtree again!  I'm making a Beef Goulash with Egg Free Wide Noodles.  (Chicken for the one with a beef allergy.)

Tuesday:  We are going out.  Honor band is about 40 minutes south of here after school.  

Wednesday:  Pasta Bar!  I make the noodles.  I keep them plain.  I heat up red sauce, organic Alfredo sauce, meatballs, chicken tenders.  I also get out the Parmesan cheese.  I put all these in bowls in a buffet style on our counter and everyone builds a plate that works for them.  This is great for accommodating food allergies and preferences.  

A side note:  Lord Have Mercy with the diet resolutions.  For the first time ever, I went to the store to buy turkey meatballs and they were out!  When you are done buying them please let me know!  Thanks.  Hugs and kisses from a  Food Allergy Mama.  (Who doesn't like to break her routine!)

Thursday:  Homemade Lunchables.  Sliced Deli meat, a cheese tray, snack crackers, fresh veggies, sliced fruit, some chips and candy for fun.  Why?  Because Thursday is another drive all over the metro day.  This day we'll be coming from the north.  Homemade lunchables are set up just like a pasta bar!  We put the choices on the counter and each person can choose based on allergies and preferences.  

Friday:  Always Pizza Night.  One is always cheese.  The other one rotates, but is usually pepperoni.  

So there it is.  A Menu to feed a teacher and her Family.  Stay tuned next week for updates on successes!  

Joy!
Kendra

Celebrate Link Up: An idea of a Bigger Table.

Okay, so it's been 24 hours since the sh1thole remark.  I just can't even stay quiet anymore.  And I'm probably going to wind and turn a lot in this piece.  And here's why:

John 1:46- Can anything Good come out of Nazareth?  

Spoiler:  That's where Jesus was from.  Nazareth was small, there was A Lot of political unrest in the area when Jesus was young.  

This verse just sits on my heart when I think about the potential of people and how beautiful they are.  The end.  

But there is more:

Before this remark, I had neighbors on my heart.  Specifically women.  But after yesterday's remark, the idea of all people are swirling in my heart really.  

It started with a chance meeting at a restaurant with another lady from church.  (Okay!  It was a pub!  I like a good Cider!  So did Martin Luther! )  We greeted each other and began to ask each other about this new place that we were in.  

Then we mentioned another place we wanted to try, but hadn't been to yet.  It has gloriously long tables that look kind of like this:

Then we went about our night.  But as I was sitting among our friends, I couldn't help but wonder:

We should all be connecting in this moment.  We should have chairs pulled up around the table and we should be getting to know each other. 

I bothered her in church that Sunday.  I told her we needed to get women together that don't know each other, so we can start forming friendships and offering support at the community level.  

So, now I'm dreaming and celebrating my gloriously long table that doesn't really exist yet.  I'm celebrating the women and neighbors who don't feel like they are being seen or being heard.  

I know lots of leaders talk about getting people around tables so their voices can be heard. This isn't a new idea by any means.   I guess I'm dreaming more of connecting so our communities can be impacted.  At the grassroots level.  

I'm not sure how that goes.  You bring a friend and I'll bring a friend?  We just meet for lunch and go from there?  I have no idea.  But I know I have to try.  Even if it reaches one woman, one neighbor  with friendship and support if they need it, then we've accomplished a goal.  

Will it work?  I have no idea. 

But I have to try.  

Let's Celebrate Humans and Possibility.  

Joy!
Kendra

Currently

Thinking:  What to say politically.  

Enjoying:  Popcorn that my 9 year old made.  

Feeling:  Swirly.

Wearing:  Jogger pants and a running shirt.  

Needing:  A massage.

Wanting:  My puppy to lie down.

Listening:  to some jazz music.

Making:  A plan for the weekend

Eating:  Popcorn and M&M's.  

Drinking:  Hot Tea.  Lemon Flavored

SayHi. An App You Must Have.

Do you know about this app?  I think it is a Must for All of us.  And I want to tell you about it.    

A Bit About How it works:

1.  You can download the app for free.  

2.  Once you open the app, you can choose the language that you want to communicate in.  Here's a screen shot of how I used it today:

See the microphone in green?  There is drop down menu that you can choose other languages from.  I have a dear friend who is from Panama, and she practiced using the app with me before I started using it with other friends.  She assured me that the translation is done well for the most part.  

3.  It's so easy.  I use the English side to communicate my message, and the app translates my message into Spanish.  (Which is the only language I need to consider this year.)  Just tap on the microphone and begin speaking.  You can also hold the microphone down for 1-2 seconds and it will allow you to type your message as well.  

4.  I also screen shot and text messages as needed.  I sent this one today for our snow day! 

Why:

I am thinking of two times this year when I wished I was more fluent in Spanish.  (I'm practicing, but just not there yet!)  One was I couldn't communicate what I needed to about a child!  It turned out to be okay.   But not being able to effectively communicate with the family was so stressful!  I knew I had to do something different.  

I was standing in a group of ladies who spoke a combination of Spanish and English among us.  As two ladies were speaking to each other in English, I watched my friend who speaks Spanish try to follow along.  I grabbed my phone and spoke a translation into the app so she could understand what was happening.   When I think about inclusiveness, and ensuring that all feel welcome, this app essentially takes away the language barrier.  It opens up the opportunity to getting to know all our neighbors.  

What other ideas do you have for this app?  

Joy!
Kendra

Thankfulness

Okay, it's day 10 of the writing challenge.  I'm a little stuck.  So I went back to what I've read and written today so far. 

This book?  It's a great devotional.  It's thoughtful, yet accessible. 

Today, this quote from the book:

"The DNA of joy is thankfulness."  

So What am I thankful for today?



This book came from our professional lending library!  I was so happy to see it was delivered to school today.  I wasn't ready for it though.  It's a reading emergency!  I'm so excited to dig in and read it. 



The guys at school grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch today.  Outside.  On the grill. 
Yum.  Yes I did leave my very healthy lunch in the lunch box and I ate the hot dog!  I'm not sorry either. 


I saw my neighbor tonight.  A little kitchen table time is good for the soul.  Get to know some neighbors.  She also shares Herbalife with me, which I like to put in my smoothies. 

It was fun to watch Griffin find a bone to chew.  

What are you thankful for tonight?

Joy!
Kendra

Strictly No Elephants and the Rules of Friendship

Two Writing Teachers are hosting Slice of Life.  Join us!


Oh.  Friends.  First of All, A Long Lost Hello.  It just happens sometimes, and I've been writing so long that it is starting to wax and wane, just like my running!

But let's get right to business, shall we?

So after the fire drill we had like 7 minutes until lunch.
"Mrs. Limback, will you read to us?"

(Mrs. Limback proceeds to happy dance inside and outside and runs to her bookshelf.)

I pull off three books and L. chooses one.
He chooses this one.

Oh.  Friends.  I had no idea.  As I'm reading this book to my people, I am getting all swirly, because there are so many life lessons in this book.  And it's beautiful.  And I'm so happy I found it, even if it took 3 years!  I kept thinking about love, life and living together as I read this book.  And for the rest of the afternoon.  And while I was on my treadmill.  

So, very humbly I share my thoughts on Friends after reading Strictly No Elephants.  Everything written in bold from here on out are Lisa's words, not mine.  Mine are not bold.  And they are a bit of a creed as I write tonight.  

That's what Friends Do, Lift Each Other Over the Cracks.  

My kid threw up.  My dog got out.  Can you feed my fish when I'm on vacation?  I need you to watch my class so I can go to the bathroom.  I'll bring you groceries that you need when you have your tooth pulled so you have some food to eat.  My baby turned 13 and I wasn't ready.

Listen.  Life happens.  It's full of cracks.  We have to lift each other over the cracks so we can continue to coax each other along.

That's What Friends Do, Brave the Scary things for you.

Now that I'm 40, I really wish that I didn't have to brave scary things.  Friends in crisis.  Friends who have lost everything.  Friends who are full of fear and anxiety.  Friends who lash out because they don't know any other way.  I just think when you start to listen to the story of the world around you, you can encounter some very scary things.  But when I've needed these friends, they have braved scary things with me.  And I hope they see I'm trying to do the same for them.  

Because that's What Friends Do, Never Leave Anyone Behind.  

There is a new place in town to eat and drink and hangout with gloriously long tables.   It hit me on Friday night.  We need to get as many neighbors around one of those tables.  And soon.  Who is being left behind in your community?  Seek them out and make sure it doesn't happen.  I grabbed a girl after dinner and said, "I dream of women getting together around this table, we need to bring our women together."  And she said she would go with me on this journey!  She's lifting and braving and going with me!  Maybe for you it's not women, but there are people in your community who need you to champion them.  Makes sure they aren't left behind.

Friends, in case you couldn't tell, I couldn't get enough of this picture book today.  Find an indie book store, or any book store and buy this one please!

Joy!
Kendra

It's Monday! What are you reading?

isit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who links up.

Hi Friends.  It's me.  :)

I'm working on reading 40 Books this year!  Because in the words of my 9 year old, "You need to celebrate 40 more Mom!"  

So, these are the 3 I'm working on for that goal this week:

So, my 9 year old is reading these right now.  And he asked me to read them when he was done.  Um.  Yes please.   I'm pretty sure I've read Sisters before, but that's just a minor detail.  And I've been wanting to read Drama...so this is perfect.  My heart is bursting because Li'l T and I can finally share books together.  

So, discipling is quite a trendy topic among churches these days.  (And I'm in church work now, so I have to pay attention.)  Honestly, the books, sermons, articles, etc. that I've read up until this point were discouraging.  Too guilt-oriented.  But this book.  Approaches this topic in such an authentic way.  (And I was Skeptical.  With a capital S.)  But it was exactly what I was looking for.  

In my classroom these past few days we've read:

We've been studying Eric Carle as an mentor author.  These are two that we've read to look at how authors use patterns, time, and themes to write stories.  

My kids love this book.  We've also been looking carefully at story structures and how we can use them to discuss books.  Beyond discussion problem and solution, it was a great conversation about staying true to who we were created to be!  

One more.  I love cookbooks.  Mostly I check them out from the library in stacks because it wasn't feasible to continue purchasing them.  But this one was an impulse buy at the bookstore.  (We had gift cards and it was 40% off!  You would do it too...)  

There is a lot that I'm excited to try.  Recipes for me are also like book stacks.  There is always room for another one!  

Friends, to re-catch the writing bug, I have challenged myself to a 31 day writing spree.  I won't be tweeting everything I write, but would be honored if you swung by and took a look.  Thanks.  

Joy!
Kendra

A Teacher Needs to Eat.

I.Love.Food.  I love to share food with friends.  I love to eat meals at restaurants and try new things.  I adore the holidays, because there is good food to eat and share with people I love. 

It's not only about the food you see, it is about the fellowship and hospitality too.  I also think it's decadent to eat snacks, and enjoy what you are eating.  I certainly don't make perfect choices by any means.  I just love hearing about what people are eating. 

But as we all do, I also need to be mindful of what I'm eating to fuel myself everyday.  Here's a routine that works for me as a rule of thumb:

• A fruit smoothie in the morning for breakfast.  I use frozen fruit, a banana, some low sugar greek yogurt, and unsweetened almond milk.  Depending on what is on hand, I'll use protein powder and meal replacement powder from a company I like.  Or I'll add quick oats and quinoa.  
• Lunch is usually in my lunch box.  Sometimes I'll eat at school.  But I try not to do that too often.  
• Dinner is pre planned with my family.  I meal plan each week and we try not to grab the fastest thing we can find on the road when we are rushing during the week.  

One thing that worked for me last spring when I was jump starting some healthier eating was sticking to food that God makes.  :)  It mimics Whole-30 and Paleo a bit if you need a comparison.  Here's what I'm prepping tonight to eat for lunch this week.

1.  Vegetarian chili.  Now.  Already I have strayed a bit from my guidelines.  It's from our local grocery store.  All I need to do is heat it up.  But it is loaded with veggies and a great source of fiber, and not too high in sodium.  (No pictures. I'm not a food photographer and photographing this chili did NOT go well.)

2.  Scrambled eggs.  No cheese.  But I seasoned them with an onion blend from Wildtree seasonings.  (I don't sell Wildtree.  I'm not getting paid by Wildtree.  I just Love their seasonings.)  Here it is:

3.  Butternut squash.  Alright.  Does anyone know how to prepare these things?  Every time I'm preparing one of these, I feel like I'm a wrestling match.  They are so hard for me to cut!  In November, I was cutting one and it shattered the cutting board and went flying across the kitchen!  

No shattering tonight, I received 3 cutting boards for Christmas.  None were made with tempered glass.  

So after I cut this friend up into cubes, I seasoned it with Wildtree Grapeseed oil, and Garlic Galore Seasoning Blend.  

I've been roasting it for about 30 minutes now, along with some organic chicken sausage.  

What are you eating this week for lunch?  Do you think about this before hand?  I'm trying!  

Joy!
Kendra