Saturday, February 27, 2010

In like a lion...out like a lamb...



Thoughts on Valentines Day (which is over and done with):
I don't place any value in Valentine's Day as a day to celebrate love. As hard as it might seem, you have to do that daily. I do love red though, and hearts, and cards. So in some ways I like being reminded that I should cut my cookies out into heart shapes (though I wish I did it more often), and use red sprinkles. I made these delicious cookies from Everyday Food for my class. I was scared they wouldn't like the deep dark chocolate flavor, so I added a buttercream icing and sprinkles. Yum. I knew I would barely have enough dough to make the 19 I needed. I miscounted ate two that night, and as I was putting them up to take the next day, I counted and only had 18. I had just enough dough to bake a round cookie about the size of a silver dollar. I was thinking of all the excuses I would have to give the next day, how I would make it up. Luckily, a student was absent and I got stuck with the little sad cookie. I have this one student who always saves any candy or baked good I bring in to take half to her mom. I think that's so sweet.




I cannot wait until spring. I think I've said that a thousand times this week. I took this picture last year when spring started to creep up around my parent's house. This year dad is going to plow a small plot for me (since Matt has declined to participate in the garden project) to attempt to grow my own vegetables. I could mooch of their garden and help out here and there, but I want to try this out on my own. I want to to learn all I can, and do plenty of hard work. I can't let all the knowledge my parents have stay just with them and go with them. It's valuable and useful. I want to have that knowledge too. I want to do it all. Which is why I'll start off very small. I want to have three varieties of tomatoes, including romas, beefsteak, and a heirloom variety, two zucchini plants, two squash plants, three bell pepper plants, and a row of cucumbers, two basil plants, thyme, cilantro, parsley, and dill. Too much for a small garden? Probably. I'm not a huge fan of beans, so I left those out. Dad will plant an obscene amount of hot peppers and corn, so there's no need to plant any of those.
Watermelons? Cantaloupe? I don't know yet. Still pondering.


Reasons to pine for spring: dirt, skirts, birds, noise outside, sun, green, buds, flowers, spring break = time for projects.

I get five weeks off for summer since my school is year round. My big project for summer is a quilt. Researching patterns and how to. Luckily my mom and Matt's mom know tons about the subject.