Chimichurri

Raise your hand if you love cilantro!  I love it, a lot of people hate it. Someone I know thinks it tastes like soap... Weird.  Anyway, if you love it, this sauce is totally for you. It's nothing new, but I never realized how many different uses it has!  All chimichurri recipes are pretty similar, but this is what I have been making.

Chimichurri

1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Giant pinch of salt

Blend it all together in a food processor and enjoy!  I would let it sit for a while to let all of the flavors combine before you use it.   It's such a beautiful vibrant green color!

I made this Indian turkey kebab dinner the other night and I not only stirred in the chimichurri into the corn, but also the brown rice. It was heaven on a plate. You have to try it!

Happy eating!

Grapfruit Fizz

I don't know why, but I have been on a cocktail kick. I always love getting fancy cocktails out and about but usually I don't make them at home. Not anymore!  I saw a recipe for this one and changed it a little, but it's based off of it.

Grapefruit Gin Fizz

2 ounces gin
1/2 to 1 ounce simple syrup* depending on how sweet you want it
Grapefruit juice
Club soda
Lots of ice

Combine the gin and simple syrup together. Add plenty of ice and splosh in some grapefruit juice. Top it off with some club soda to make it fizzy.

This is so delicious and refreshing for the hot summer time. It helped with this situation happening here...

*Simple syrup is super easy to make and I use it in a lot of different cocktails. Just dissolve equal parts of white sugar and water (I usually do 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water). Heat it up until all sugar has dissolved, cool it down, and then store it in the fridge for up to a month for a variety of uses!

Heeeere's My Week!

I can't believe it's already Friday ~ this week flew by! Here we go...

1. Had a delicious meal in my last night in Austin with my parents at Max's Wine Dive. Holy cow deliciousness. We all ordered different stuff so we could try everyone's. I got shrimp and grits with this delicious butter sauce, mmmm heaven!
I've realized I get a little bossy with people I dine with because I never want anyone to get the same thing as me so I can taste as many dishes as possible. Oh you didn't want to share? Apparently not an option when eating with me.

2.  Drove home safe and sound! Sad to leave my parents, it always is.

Closer...

Closer...

Closer...

Heyyyyy Arizona!

3.  My record player finally came and I am completely in <3.  My dad generously gave me some of his records from his collection to try it out. Thanks Dad!

4. My veil came in the mail for the wedding! 134 more days to go!

5. I bought a HUGE watermelon the other day and am trying to find different ways to use. I've eaten it plain, in a watermelon feta salad, and in a watermelon basil mojito. Yummy! Don't mind if I do...

Don't forget to link up to share about your week!

Monday Made It!

Hey y'all!
Yay for Monday Made It! I have been working on some stuff for school and hopefully one of you all can use it! These were made in mind for other middle school teachers like me who have agenda boards for their students. Since I am teaching science and social studies only (I know, right?! I am pretty much the luckiest teacher for next year), I will have some days of the week dedicated to science and some days dedicated to social studies. Once I get into my room, I will take a picture of the finished vision!
Are you impatient to see? Me too! Here is what it could look like, just you know, ignore the dining room table and pretend it's a sectioned off white board.

WARNING: I was having some technical difficulties, I am not sure if you will be able to notice...

You could do this...

Or this...

Or this...

WARNING: Technical difficulties are over.

Just cut 'em out, laminate those suckers, and stick a magnet on the back. Voila, a nifty agenda board! 

Here's the varieties:

Science Agenda Board Sign

Social Studies Agenda Board Sign

Math Agenda Board Sign

Writing Agenda Board Sign

Reading Agenda Board Sign

I know it's nothing compared to come beautiful masterpieces that I have seen other bloggers create, but hopefully someone can use them! :)

Click {HERE} to download.

Have a wonderful Monday and don't forget to link up Tara's Monday Made It!

Toothpick Holders

Good morning, everyone!

If you caught my last blog post, you know that I am in Austin with my parents in their newly moved in house. I have been helping them unpack and decided to tackle the dreaded toothpick holder collection.

BACKSTORY: My great grandmother started this collection many, many years ago. Why toothpick holders? I have no idea! But now this collection has been passed down to my mom. It is pretty cool and when they are all wrapped up nice and pretty in a cabinet, it just becomes an eclectic piece of furniture. There are hundreds of them, and I mean HUNDREDS.

Here was the cabinet before:

During: I have everything under control... Right?

A significant amount of time later.... Whew, done!

 

Throughout this journey, I actually got attached to the nuggets. They are pretty cool and definitely have a personality of their own.  I have a little plan involving them for my wedding that I will let you all in on later if I decide to go with it.  I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!

My Week - H54F and Five for Friday

Happy Friday!

I love linking up with these linky parties because it makes you think about your week and take photographic evidence, haha! It's like a diary, but way better because let's face it, no one ever remembers to write in a journal past the two week honeymoon stage. Don't forget to link up!

1. Traveled to Austin, TX to visit my parents! I hadn't seen their new house yet since they moved more in town and I am loving their new location. Since they already live in one of the coolest cities, that just adds to its appeal even more!

2. While in Austin, my dad and I went to Alamo Drafthouse. Has anyone ever been there? It's one of my favorite things to do. Watching a movie and eating fabulous food? Nothing's better. It has a wonderful weirdness about it that is just fantastic.

3. Dressing my dog up in clothes makes me laugh a little bit too much. Doesn't everyone take time out of their busy days to set aside for a little dress up session?
 

4. Before I left, G and I went to go see a concert at the Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale, AZ. I have never been there and was completely amazed at how beautiful the space was. Not to mention the music was fantastic. We went to go see Sarah Jarosz and it was incredible. Highly recommend it!

5. I finally got to witness this act from my other dog, Milo. I have always been so frustrated when I have seen the dog's bed in the middle of the hallway or the room. This frustration led me to constantly blame my fiance that he must have moved it in these inconvenient places (Why would he do that? I never claimed to be a rational thinker). So without further ado, my wee little furniture mover.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Monday Made It - Home Edition

Howdy everyone!
I hope that your weekend was fabulous! Mine was busy busy busy - in between Father's Day dinner with my fiance's family, going to Tucson for a night, meeting up with a friend, and a concert - I'm pooped! Good thing for summer vacations to recuperate on Monday...

It's time to link up for Tara's Monday Made It!  After my vigorous Pinterest searches, I found this pin and knew it would be the solution to my drab walls.

I went to Goodwill on their 50% off sale day and picked up some horrendously ugly frames. I already had the spray paint so the total cost of this wall art project was around $7, score!

 

 

I love how they turned out! It was super easy and has a big impact on a big empty wall.  I wish I could have found some frames that had some different shapes, but beggars can't be choosers. 

Just remember to take ALL of the staples out. I was a little too lazy to get the needle nosed pliers out again on the long rectangle and now every time I walk by this it drives me NUTS! Don't be lazy, don't be like me.

 Have a great week y'all! 

Breakfast

Lazy weekend mornings are my favorite! I love making breakfast for my G and myself and this one was a new recipe based on one I had seen on Pinterest. This keeps your super full and is protein packed.

Oatmeal Banana Pancakes (based from Sophie's Sweeties OnSugar blog)

 Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 of a banana, mashed
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbs. maple syrup (or one packet of sweetener)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbs. almond milk or milk
• Oil spray or coconut oil
• Various berries, banana, maple syrup, coconut, nuts, or whatever for toppings

Tip: I mash up my banana on a plate with a fork and that makes it super easy. 

Mix all ingredients up. It's going to look a little gross, but trust me, it does turn into a pancake.

Spray your pan down. I have also used coconut oil and melted it in the pan first which works just as good.

Cook on each side over medium heat for around 4 minutes. Flipping it is a little tricky because the pancake is huuuuge.

Add berries or bananas.

If you want to be really naughty you can add more maple syrup. You know you would've too, don't lie.

This a fast recipe that you could probably make even on a weekday morning. If you don't like oatmeal, you definitely won't like these. I know that sounds obvious, but the texture is very "oatmeal-ish".

Nutrition Information (without berries or additional maple syrup as toppings)
Calories: 180 
Fat:  1
Carbs: 34 
Protein: 11
Sodium: 129
Sugar: 23

Monday Made It

I saw this on Pinterest and knew that I had to replicate it!  It's from Erica Bohrer's First Grade.

Even though I teach 6th grade, my kiddos still get down right giddy on their birthdays and love it when others acknowledge their birthdays. Who doesn't?? We have a huge bulletin board outside in the hallway. My team and I realized that if we put this out there, not only will this be a reminder of whose birthday it is, but it will also be a year round bulletin board! Woohoo!

I have also seen this idea to put letters on decorative party plates as letters and thought that it would be perfect here.

Got out my handy dandy Silhouette machine and went to work!

After they were cut out, I just took a basic glue stick and glued on the letters to the plates. I had two different patterns and was going to alternate the pattern, but I thought the multi-colored one would be too busy so I just stuck with the yellow.

I made a PDF for ya'll because I love ya. These are for you to use for the kiddos to hold up when their pictures are getting taken.  Click the picture below for the download.

I will take a picture in August when the bulletin board is all set up and ready to go. I haven't decided what to do with the new kids that come in throughout the year. Any ideas?

Don't forget to link up with Tara at 4th Grad Frolics with her weekly Monday Made It!