Valentines 5.0

I'm sure some of you avid Pattiwagoneers have been waiting with bated breath for this post. (right? RIGHT?) If you're a new Pattiwagoneer, my family and I have a tradition of making each other Valentine's Day cards every year. You can see previous Valentine posts 

here and here and here and here. 

I went with an old-school theme this year. The front of each card was a simply a heart, and here are the outsides: 

For my dad,

 And my mom,

 And my sister,

For this one, I found a light up button, and put it in the back, so she could turn it on. I was worried about it actually working after being shipped, so I also painted the heart with glow-in-the-dark paint.

And here are the ones I received: 

From my mom, 

The poem is an allusion to the world's most resilient Christmas tree ornament. It is a real ice cream cone that has lived through five presidents (i.e., 27 years). And it still looks like this. I think it has super powers. Or just a lot of additives. 

From my dad,

You can never go wrong with a UK-themed card. Especially in a year when they're 31-0.

And from my sister,

Do you remember where you were when you found out that SkyMall was going bankrupt? I do, and it felt like a little piece of my heart died. And so when I opened up this card with ACTUAL PHOTOS FROM ACTUAL SKYMALLS, that little piece of my heart was filled with a special kind of joy, equaled perhaps only by solving Fermat's Last Theorem or birthing a baby. 

And of course, here's a Valentine's Day bulletin board for all your oohing and aahing. 

Books of 2014

In keeping with tradition, here are my 17-word review for 2014's books. See my previous posts here: 2012 and 2013.

Not a great year for reading. I blame that on having a TV for the first time in three years. Here's to 2015 being a bit more philosophical and bit less philistine.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Challenging plot; confusing timeline; Sliding Doors-esque, I think; something about Hitler; January was a long time ago. (Liked it, maybe)

Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

Dr. Dutch Misanthrope vacations with beautiful family, yearns to commit infidelity; terrible things happen. Explicit. Medical. Descriptions. (Liked it, but had to skip some of aforementioned)

The Expats by Chris Pavone

More infidelity, this time in Luxembourg, former spy targets husband as criminal, something about killing someone important. (Liked it, maybe; again, January was a long time ago.)

A Miracle of Catfish by Larry Brown

Memorable characters live in small town Mississippi (?), eat hotdogs for every meal, discover life's tragedies and miracles (LOVED it; note: book is unfinished, as the author died whilst writing.)

American Childhood by Annie Dillard
Vignette-ish description of comfortable childhood and its typical adventures; lots of philosophical musings, little plot; no thanks. (Didn't like it.)

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Here we are again, Rex keeps getting crazier, Rosemary, delusional-er, Jeannette and the kids, tougher; movie, please! (LOVE it. Seriously, JLaw, get on that movie.)

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Another fav, Dickens was a genius, current favorite character: Pumblechook and the advent of the adjective Pumblechookian (LOVE it. And, yes, it will be on 2015's list as well.)

The Informationalist by Taylor Stevens

Lisbeth Salander 2.0 is hired to travel to Africa and find a missing girl; plot twists ensue. (Liked it, but c'mon Taylor, you're no Stieg.)

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Who knew Lloyd Wright was such an a**hole? Historical fiction about his mistress. READ UNTIL THE END. (Liked the book, hated the characters)

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Mystery in Arkansas about a teenager's search for his brother and a town's search for a bird. (Liked it, YA, FYI)

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Eye-opening account of POW's experiences in WWII, prison camps worse than stranded at sea; thank you veterans. (Liked it.)

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Teenybopper drama at boarding school. Melancholy and saccharine, but Green always gets a pass, Paper Towns next. (Liked it, for what it was, a tear-soaked John Green hook dangling in front of teenagers everywhere.)  

Tres Años! Drei Jahre! Trois Années!

Happy Three Year (+three weeks) Blogiversary to me! Yes, I have been quite remiss in the past months on the blogging wagon. I know. "My" internet has been unreliable, but I'm here today. So, hi! For those still with me, thanks for reading! You're the real MVP of this blog.

I thought I'd hit some odds and ends around here today. Check back for my annual book post soon. And you know there are sourdough and oatmeal posts lurking around here somewhere, because roots (as in, those are mine). 

Bulletin Boarding

You knew a new post wouldn't be without a new bulletin board. Frozen's popularity isn't just reserved for 2nd graders. The kids and teachers loved this geometry puzzle.

Ceramics

The ceramics teacher at Lewisburg very kindly offered a lesson to teachers last semester. Based on the work he displays, he is a phenomenal teacher. We teachers all made mugs, and I'm so pleased with mine. It brought me back to Mrs. Doolen's ceramics class at Harrison High School, where I created a multitude of misshapen vases, which now decorate the homes of my family members. (They must love me.) Sorry, but this mug's for me.

 

 

Sewing
I sewed like crazy the week before Christmas, making a few gifts. Casserole carriers for my mom and sister and a fuzzy poncho for Michael and Corrie's baby. (Look at all those blogs. Bloggers = cool people)

Spaghetti Squashing

I went to Chipotle for the first time a couple weeks ago, and all I have to say is yum. After having spent a long time on an Asian kick, Chipotle inspired me with its burrito bowl. I set out to recreate the bowl as a healthy dish.

Enter the spaghetti squash. This was my first time cooking/eating/seeing a spaghetti squash, and man, I've been missing out. Here's what I did to make my bowls:

Slice the squash length-wise, scoop out all the innards, coat the cut edges with olive oil, put face down in a baking dish, and bake for about 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cook times vary based on the size. You really don't want to overcook the squash, as it will turn the beautiful strands of spaghetti into mush. It should feel soft on the outside but not totally collapsing.

Let the squash cool, and then scoop out all of the spaghetti. You now have a canvas, on which to paint your taste buds' dreams.

I started with some of the leftover chicken I normally use in these enchiladas. (It's shredded chicken, cream cheese, and green chiles heated and mixed together.) I also layered on kidney beans (heated on the stove with some mexican spices), fajita style peppers and onions, the scooped out squash, and of course cheese. Lots of cheese. (It was very steamy in my kitchen when I took these pictures.) 

When I filled the bowls, I topped then with even more cheese and then baked for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. If you're concerned about cheese brownage, feel free to cover with foil.

And tada! Mix together any leftover ingredients, put in a small baking dish, top with cheese, and you've got another bowl or two. All I have to say is yum.

After making these a couple times, I decided to go Italian with my spaghetti squash. I cooked chicken breasts in the oven (smothered with a mayo, parmesan cheese, pesto mixture). I chopped it up and added quite a bit more pesto. (You could also add some cream cheese here.)

I layered my squash bowl with spaghetti sauce, the pesto chicken, mozzarella cheese, and the scooped out squash. (This one I topped with mozzarella, but parmesan would be a better choice.) I cooked in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. All I have to say is yum.

I also used the leftovers here to make a casserole. Yep, all I have to say is yum. 

All Aboard the Presleywagon!

Pattiwagon, meet Presley. She is the daughter of my dear friends Corrie and Michael, and she is a doll. I've never met a happier, cheerier, more go-with-the-flow baby. And she doesn't mind when we use inappropriate trivia names. What's not to love? 

Presley celebrated her first birthday last weekend, so I figured, with such beautiful red hair, who wouldn't need another green dress? 

I did not go about making said green dress in the Pattiwagon way, that is I actually went to Hancock Fabrics. I looked at the pattern books. I selected a pattern. I read the directions. I followed the directions. I bought recommended fabric. I measured exactly. 

I used a very basic pattern, and the seersucker I chose was a dream to work with. The stripes helped in keeping things even, but I didn't feel the pressure to match everything up perfectly. 

I learned how to make a button hole on my machine, and while they are the buttonholes of a novice, I think they're passable. I had the initials monogramed at a local shop. I'm really pleased with how everything turned out. 

Feeling confident, I decided to tackle the matching shirt and pants that were also available in the pattern.

                                                 

I followed all of my anti-Pattiwagon steps, and everything was going well until I got to the neckline. The train derailed there. I started to list all the problems here, but you're already bored. I need to do a model fitting and take it to my sewing sensei at Thanksgiving for a serger tutorial. Maybe problem #1 (the fact that it is HUGE) will be resolved by the time I actually give it to Baby Presley. 

Happy Birthday, Baby P! 

Speaking of model fittings, have I ever gotten into Project Runway this season!?! Team Sean! (Or Kini!) Season finale is on Thursday! 

Fall Notes

Some things I've been up to lately:

1. Enjoying Germany and everything German. This is the first semester I've taught German I in a couple years, and I have rekindled my love of Germany with this group of students. They are so curious and hungry (both figuratively and literarily) for knowledge of Germany and its customs. This has inspired me to embrace Germany this fall. I've made spätzle, this peach kuchen, and bratwurst with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes (a fav of mine). I went to Schweinehaus, a new German restaurant in Memphis for an Oktoberfest celebration, taking in the food, drink, and Masskrugstemmen (stein holding contest). Here are some photos! (Can you guess which dinner I made and which dinner Schweinehaus made?)

 2. Book clubbing. My book club took an extended summer respite, but we're back on, and I'm glad for it. We just read The Informationist by Taylor Stevens. It's a quick international thriller, not super eloquent, but very engaging.

3. Pottery Class. The ceramics teacher at my new school offers classes for teachers after school. Sign me up for every single one until the end of my career, right? In our first class this year, we made mugs. Once I get it fired and glazed and am enjoying coffee out of it, I'll do another post, but here's a tease.

 4. Map My Running. I am notoriously late to the party when it comes to technology, especially running technology. (I only recently even started running with headphones.) I have discovered the Map My Run app, and I see it as a watershed moment. No longer am I chained to my preordained route, as measured by my car odometer. I can track my pace and splits and distances! WATERSHED! I'm running in a half marathon in one week, so we'll see if it watersheds my time as well.

5. Bulletin Boarding. Avid Pattiwagoneers know that I would quit my job tomorrow if I could become a professional bulletin boarder. My new school does not have community bulletin boards. Travesty, I know. But where there's a wall, there's a way. I volunteered to make this GIANT sign for the cafeteria. (The arrow moves w/ velcro, and the X comes off as well.)  It's 14 feet tall, no joke. I'm happy with it, but it did take approximately forever to complete. I'm in the process of turning a community dry erase board into a bulletin board, so hopefully I'll be able to continue my quest to become the most decorated bulletin boarder in Pinterest history. 

Two for Thursday: Easy Dinners

Yes, as the leader of the Pattiwagon, I promote taking time to cook delicious food and enjoying the process of creation. Why buy cheese when you can make it? Even it it takes 36 hours? Why buy honey when you can find it? Even if it involves the stickiest mess this side of La Brea. 

But sometimes, I just want dinner now, or better five minutes ago. And I imagine that you do too. So here are two excellent recipes for those busy fall nights. 

Recipe #1: Shrimp Curry

This recipe is totally inspired from my trips to VH Foods, but even if you don't have an awesome ethnic grocery store, I'm sure you can make it work. 

Ingredients: 

2T red curry paste

1t vegetable oil

1 16 oz can coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

variety of cut up vegetables (Zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, and peppers seem to work well.)

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1/2 pint of slurry (basically crushed tomatoes)

heavy-handed dash of fish sauce

rice noodles

Process: 

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the directions. I put them in a big bowl, then pour boiling water over them, and allow them to cook for about 10 minutes. However you do it, just make sure to keep them very al dente. They will cook more when you add the sauce. And no one likes mushy noodles. 

2. Put the oil in a big pot on the stove on medium. Add the curry paste and stir it around a bit to "saute" it. Add in the coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. 

3. Add in the sliced veggies, keeping in mind that their cooking times might vary. I like to add the peppers last, as I find mushy peppers as abhorrent as mushy noodles. Let the vegetables cook for 3-5 minutes, or until they have just started to soften. 

4. Add in the shrimp and let cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until they curl up and turn opaque. 

5. To finish, I add in a half pint of slurry (from our canning camp) and some fish sauce. 

6. Serve over the noodles. (Or over rice. Or just ingest with a straw.)

Recipe #2: Chorizo Sweet Potato Skillet

This recipe is stolen from Budget Bytes. The combination of sweet and spicy is so flipping good here. The only adaptation I did was precook the chorizo and omit most of the cheese. You should make this recipe tonight. And then again tomorrow. I'll say two words: you're welcome.