The "New" Kitchen!!

Well.....I have waited a long time to reveal my new kitchen.  The reason is mostly that with football season and Homecoming activities and planning, I really haven't had too much time to use it! I have to say, that I am LOVING it!  When you take a step back, you realize that there really wasn't too much work done...however, the new space, paint, and connivence of it all makes it a wonderful place to be.

We had a wonderful contractor: Ariel Wannemacher of 10:31 Builders.  If you are in the DownEast area and need something built, fixed, painted, or created, these guys are who to call.  They did wonderful work, cleaned up every night after themselves, they were accommodating, and super friendly.  I also felt they were reasonably priced for the job.  They come highly recommended from me!!  I have to admit, I am probably not the easiest person to work for and living for a week without a kitchen turned out to be a bit of a big deal.  But, the 10:31 Builders put up with me, so they must be good!! It was great that we could get some stuff back into the kitchen even though they guys were still working.  Cooking my first meal on my new stove was heavenly!!

Not done...but getting closer!

So, without further ado...here are some shots of the new digs...

We really didn't have a whole lot of space to work with.  The kitchen counters and appliances were like U shaped...thus making it difficult to make the space for the new oven/stove.  Coach was hoping that everything would be an easy fix - take the old counter top stove out and put the new one in.  Not so much, turns out we had to move the dishwasher and plumbing over to the other side of the sink.  Then, we (and by we I mean the carpenters that knew what they were doing!) had to make the old dishwasher space big enough for new oven/stove! Ariel got rid of some cabinets and even made me a brand new cookie sheet cabinet!!  After the figuring of what goes where came deciding on paint.  I had the paint color picked out in August...truthfully, I've had the paint colors picked out since last August!  The dark woodwork would now be a very soft yellow called: Sugar Bowl...it's more white then yellow, but you can definitely see the yellow.  Gone is the wonderfully tacky red and green apple wall paper complete with trim.  In would come an awesome bright yellow named Cornmeal.  The final touch was to decide on a color for the cabinets.  I wanted something that popped and would literally brighten up my day...I came up with Strawberry.  It is bright and cheery and makes me happy each time I see it!  Both Coach and Ariel were not sure of my color choice...but, I had a vision...and once the paint dried, they both understood!!

My screen door cabinets!

You will notice in the picture to the right - the messy countertops, but also that we did something a little different with the cabinets.  I really think this is something that I dreamed up.  I haven't been to any other kitchens that have done this...but I am sure it is not a truly original design!  When I told Ariel want I wanted, he too thought it was a neat idea and definitely something he hadn't seen before.  The rectangular cut outs are covered with screen.  That's right, good old porch screen door screen.  The guys cut the shape out, stapled in the screen, and painted.  I think they look wonderful!  The upside is that I now have to keep my shelves neat, since everyone can see inside them now!  I love the look of it!

My favorite spot!

This is probably my favorite space in the whole kitchen!  This is where my old counter top stove and ancient wall oven were located.  Out came the countertop and the cabinet beneath it where all my pots and pans were.  In went the new dish washer, and an AWESOME butcher block cutting board.  When the stove came down, Ariel made a shelf.  I had originally thought I was going to put my microwave up there, but then voted against it.  On the upper shelf I am now using to display my Pyrex mixing bowls.  The lower shelf is where i am put my new dish sets, which I purchased at Walmart for $25.00.  I got a red and yellow set...unconsciously, my kitchen's theme is Griffindor House at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Behind that cutting board, are my spice rack (totally awesome old milk glass spice bottles!), knives, flour, sugar, and popcorn kernels (obviously!).  I love working in this space...close to the sink and accessible to the stove!

Speaking of the stove....here it is!!  This beautiful baby is a GE traditional and convectional oven!  It is a flat top with 5 burners.  I've never had a flat top, I am getting used to it.  Since we've lived in our beautiful house, we have not been used to using appliances that actually work as they are supposed to!  The burners get HOT and the oven doesn't burn everything...heavenly!!  I was a bit concerned that I wasn't going to get my tallest pots on the stove without having an issue withe the cabinets to the right of the stove.  However, I tried out all my pots...turns out, everything is just right!

We removed a small table we had in the kitchen and replaced it with a dry sink.  What's a drink sink, you ask?  Well, honestly, I think it looks like a baby changing table.  Traditionally a dry sink was used in the days before indoor plumbing for people to preform simply hygiene duties like shaving or washing your face.  You might have found them in a kitchen, a bedroom, or a washroom.  Today, they are mostly decorative and used to storage.  In the case of our house, it is holding my pots and pans.  It has made morse lots of extra space and it's nice to look at...I must remember to post a photo.  So, that's it!  I wish I had the ability to post a panoramic picture so you can take it all in...maybe one day!  I am still working on the finishing touches here and there...slowly making it my space.

The first meal I cooked in it was burritos you can find that recipe here.  The second meal I cooked was Chicken Parmesan.  This is one of Coach's favorite meals...I think it was one of the first meals I cooked him when we moved in together many moons ago.  This is super easy and so yummy

Chicken Parmesan

What you will need:

Chicken Tenders (I buy the Hannaford brand Inspirations tenders when they are on Manager's Special)
Italian Panko* (you can easily find this in the bread crumb/shake and bake aisle of your Hannafords!)
Gravy (Yes, I said it, GRAVY.  This is what us Italians are referring to when you are talking about Pasta sauce.  In this case, I used some of my home made.  You can certainly use a can/jar of your family's favorite!)
1 egg
Grated Parmesan
Shredded Mozzarella
1 pound penne or any type of pasta your prefer

The breaded tenders

What you do:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
First, take the chicken out of its tray and rinse off.  In a small bowl crack your egg and whisk it.  Get out your deep baking dish....I typically use my small Pyrex one, it is prefect for this type of meal.  Put a little gravy in the bottom of your baking dish.  On a plate, dump your Italian Panko (* If you don't want to buy the "Italian Seasoned Panko" it is easy enough to enhance your plain panko.  Just add basil, oregano, garlic salt, and pepper.) Dip your chicken tender in the egg and coat in Panko.  Place the chicken tender into your greased baking dish.  Continue to dunk and bread your chicken until they are all covered.  Once the chicken is in the baking dish, sprinkle some grated Parmesan over it.  Next, pour some gravy/sauce over and cover the chicken.  The final layer should be your shredded Mozzarella.  Coach likes the Parm cheesy...so I walk the Mozzarella right to it!

Let the Chicken Parmesan cook for about 35-40 minutes.  If you want the cheese to be crispy, then leave it in for the full 40 minutes.  In our house, I really like the crunchy bits, so the more time in the oven the better for me.  While the chicken is cooking, I boil up some water and cook my pasta.  One pound of pasta is a lot of 3 people, but we will use both the left over chicken parm and pasta for lunches throughout the week.  I also like to serve this is a loaf of that super easy, already made, just pop in the oven garlic bread that Hannafords has in the bakery section.  You just put it in the oven for the last 20 minutes that the Chicken Parm is cooking and you will be all set!


I don't have a picture of the final product, but I can assure it that it was DELISH!!  It wonderful to finally use the oven and move around the new kitchen and have fun!  My old kitchen wasn't all that bad...but now, I really like being in a more accessible space that is appealing to me!

Well...thanks for checking in and checking me out....

The High Light of Homecoming...

Boy, I am seriously a blog slacker!  I didn't realize how much time my life takes and how little time I can designate to my blog.  But, for the three of you loyal fans out there (kate, vanna, and lea!)  I am going to keep on posting...when football is over - I will have a lot more time!

I told you last time that we celebrated Homecoming at our school a couple weeks ago.  I was so busy running around and doing things for Homecoming, it was hard to breath.  I was lining up the parade on Friday night, when from the corner of my eye I saw a girl I knew...but, not a DownEast girl!  It was my girl Kate!!  What a sweet surprise!  Since I literally live at the end of the earth - we don't get many visitors.  So, when someone does pop up, it is a big deal.  She came down with her mom - Mary, professional announcer, and stayed for the game and came over for a little while after.  It was so wonderful to see her...

While Kate was in town, she was able to take some great pics from the game!  The game was clearly NOT a highlight of the weekend, but having Kate there was a highlight for me.  I have to admit, it is a hard sell trying to get a grownup to enjoy high school sports as much as I do.  Going to a game with me is not about sitting in the stands and being a spectator.  The Babes and I are typically on the sideline and  roll up and down following the ball.  It's hard for me to go to the game with someone because I want to be apart of the action (...yes, I realize how pathetic this statement is.)  Anyway, Kate stuck with me and I hope she had fun!!  Since it was Homecoming, the King and Queen got to ride in the front of the parade in an awesome Mustang.  After the football game the Queen came down and turned over her crown so that we can use it next year.  Kate was appalled that she had to relinquish her crown...however, Kate had no problems walking around for the rest of the night re-living her youth!!  She had crowned her self Homecoming Queen...and proceeded to take pictures of herself in her regalia.

Queen for the night!

After the game was over, Mary and Kate came over to my house to check out the new kitchen and hangout for a bit.  It was great to have them over, even though the visit was brief.  Kate won't be able to make it to the Babes baptism which is this coming weekend, that is why she decided to pop in for the surprise visit.  I was really excited to have them over...sometimes living at the end of the world is a lonely place.  It's nice to be reminded of how good friends can just make your day!

I'm sorry that Kate won't be able to make it to the Baptism...however I am looking forward to having a crowd of people down this weekend to celebrate.  Will be doing lots of cooking and baking...first have to scrub the house, have a team dinner on Thursday, game on Friday, Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, and the Baptism with luncheon on Sunday....it never ends here at the end of the world!!

I wanted to add one more picture that Kate took at the game last week.   It's me and the Babes.  The end of the game was getting near and I was crouched down near the sidelines watching the time tick away.  She walked over to me and crouched down next to me...same pose...too cute. When Kate sent it to me, she entitled the photo, "Sassy Butts."

Sassy Butts

Well...thanks for checking in and checking me out!  Next up is a couple a great recipes...

Busy Busy Week...

Hey folks....it was a very busy week in this household!  Monday brought the start of Spirit Week and Homecoming celebrations.  I work with the Alumni Association for my school and helped to coordinate the Spirit Week festivities.  It was a lot of work, but it was so worth it!!  Each day had a different theme and the students who participated earned one point for their class...at the end of the week, the class with the most points win Homecoming!

Tuesday was Twin day.  Coach and I rocked it out!  We were definitely matching physical education teachers.  I thought it would be so amazing to wear wind pants to school for the whole day.  It was only ok...those suckers get hot!! However, it was cute to be twinning with my hubs!

Probably the best day of the week was Wednesday, which was  Superhero day.  The kids went all out!  They did a great job....I wish I had some pictures to show you, but I didn't get any :(  The week culminated in a pep rally - I was the MC.  It went well.  The kids were loud and really showed their school spirit.  We have to work on some things.  I don't know what it is, but these kids are lacking some spirit skills!

Unfortunately, Homecoming came to an end on Friday night in a really big loss for our football team.  We played Dexter, who we beat last year at their Homecoming.  They have a new coach and a new attitude!  They beat us...and I mean beat us 49-0.  So sad.  I feel the most bad for Coach...he is feeling pretty defeated.  I just remind him that he gives the kids the tools that they need and that he can't get out there and battle with them.  They have to put in the work and dedication.  They also need to keep fighting!  Sometimes, it is easier to give up...football is a game of finishing though.  You need to finish each tackle, finish each pass route, finish each play...you can't give up!!  Hopefully, this coming week games will prove successful for us!

Homecoming King and Queen!

Fan Tunnel

The highlight of Homecoming week for me was the students enthusiasm.  On Friday after school, I stayed and helped the classes put their floats together for the parade.  The Homecoming King and Queen got to ride in the front of the parade in and awesome Mustang convertible.  I am pretty sure they enjoyed the experience of leading he parade in a totally BOSS ride!  We had a really large parade this year.  All the classes had their own floats and then a bunch of the schools clubs joined in on the fun!  The football team joined the end of the parade and were escorted to the field by a police car.  All of the people who walked, created a fan tunnel for the team to run through.  Call me a geek, but I love the click-clack of cleats on the pavement...gives me chills!

The cheerleaders went wild with the decorations around the field for the Friday night game.  They had all sorts of balloons and even decorated the fence with Coach's motto: Be the Hammer.  Even though the game did not work out for us, I truly do feel like we came together as a school to support one another during Spirit/Homecoming Week.  It was a lot of work organizing and coordinating, but it was well worth it!

Be the Hammer!

I have a lot to catch you up on!  Now that I feel like I have a moment to breath, I can do that!  My next post will feature the "new" kitchen and a yummy recipe that is a family favorite!

Thanks for checking in and checking out my blog!

2-3...Let the Good Times Roll!!!

Oh it is nice to win!  It is nice to be in my house when the W is on your side of the field....and for the second week in a row - it was!  We beat the Eagles 35-0!!  

It was lovely to get back to a game...having taken last week off, I missed the atmosphere and all the hoopla that comes with it.  The Babes and I were lucky enough to have someone come with us to the game - a fellow teacher.  It's nice to have a co-pilot to drive home with on those late nights.  This time was especially nice because it RAINED THE ENTIRE NIGHT!  The game was in Ellsworth - which is about an hour and 15 minutes away.  It started raining on our way there and never stopped until Monday...beleive it or not!

The game was awesome!  We scored on the first kick off and it was all up hill from there.  The kids had a blast and it was fun to see Coach and his assistant coaches having fun on the side lines.  The down side was the constant rain...I was worried that the Babes would be freezing and get sick.  She had a blast.  She was well covered by her stroller and an umbrella.  She followed that ball up and down the field...she cheers and claps and does the breakdown when the team does it!  In the beginning of the game during warm ups she insists on going on the field to give Coach a kiss and hug.  She also goes out at half time now to play catch and get some mid game squeezes from Coach.  Too cute!

For me, the game was made even better when Coach got home.  He told me that a couple of the Eagles had approached him after the game and told him that his players were some of the most respectful players that they had played all season.  This may not seem like a big deal...but...the Eagles have been losing to teams by many, many points - as a result other teams get cocky.  I think it is a real testament to Coach and his staff that our kids were respectable.  Last year we did win the Sportsmanship Banner for our conference...kind of a big deal!

I do have pictures, but I can't upload them right now...I will add them later.  These past 2 weeks have been more busy then I thought they would be.  I am coordinating the Spirit Week portion of Homecoming for my school and it's been a lot of work and planning....Monday, Spirit Week started and tomorrow marks half the week over!!  It's been a lot of fun so far!  We have a pep rally, parade, and football game on Friday night.  Really looking forward to the game.  We are playing the Tigers.  They will be a tough opponent...

I am going to try my best tonight to get a post going about my new and improved kitchen!  I am in love with it...hopefully I can get to that!  Also, cooking up some super easy Chicken Parm that I want to share with you all!

Anyway...thank you for checking in and checking out my blog!!

1-3...Holy Cow!!

Oh my word!  It has been too long since I've actually been able to sit down and do this.  Last week was a lot more trying then I thought it would be.  Home renovations are no fun at all....but the outcome can be wonderful.  Living for a week in a construction zone was enough to almost set me over the edge.  It actually forced me to do something that I've never done before...miss a football game!  Wouldn't you know it, the game that I miss is not only their first victory, but a totally exciting barn burner!

Because of the work being done to the kitchen and not really being able to get into the kitchen until 4:30 or 5pm most days, cooking meals didn't really go as planned.  We spent a lot of time and money going out to eat 4 nights out of 5...BOO!!  When Friday rolled around and the guys were still in and out of the house, I didn't think it would be right to not be there.  So, the team left school at 130pm that afternoon and the Babes, Poocher, and I stayed home and frantically awaited text messages from both of my Mothers-in-law.

We played MCI.  They are located south of Bangor.  For us, it was about a 3 hour ride.  The Babes was asking all day about football...it would have been too much for us to go and really late coming home.  Not to mention that she would have slept through half the game and I would be driving home by myself.  So, instead the Babes, Bob, and I went for dinner and had a nice evening at home after.  We, the Babes and I, cuddled on the couch and watched Annie.  Cuddling on the couch and watching movies is usually reserved for just her and Coach, she usually won't let me on the couch when they are!

I probably received over 100 text messages that night.  The game was THAT exciting.  I couldn't give you all the highlights now.  But I could tell you this: the game came down the the last seconds and we were losing.  We kicked a 46 yard field goal for the win by 1 point...as time expired!  It really doesn't get any more thrilling then that!  The kids were so excited and the sidelines were electric.  I know this because they were the lead off story for most of Maine's 11 o'clock sports news coverage!  When I finally got ahold of Coach, he was so excited you could hear it through the phone!  The kids were going nuts in the background. I could not have been happier...except of course if I had been there!  Some of the faithful parents who made the trip told Coach that I can't go to any more games!!  I couldn't imagine missing another one!

They finally got home at 130am...a really long day but thank goodness it had a happy ending!  Next Friday is our last away game of the regular season...we take on the Eagles.  I am really looking forward to wheeling the baby up and down the side lines - where I belong!

Coming soon...kitchen updates and a few recipes!  Wait until you see the final product of my new beautiful kitchen...I really think it is a thing of beauty!

Thank you for checking in and checking out my blog!

HOLY HANNAFORD...

No, this isn't an episode of Hoarders...this is my dinning room.  Yep, it really is.  Fortunately, it doesn't look like this all the time.  We are having some work done to the kitchen.  I have dreams of an endlessly big beautiful kitchen that I can bake in and cook delicious meals.  However, my dreams come with a hefty price tag, that I can't afford.  So, we are doing a couple upgrades.

This is a picture of piece of my kitchen on Sunday night, after we had emptied everything out of it and got it all ready for the upgrades.  As you can see, my stove is a counter top stove.  Only 3 of the 4 burners work...well 3 and 1/2.  One of them is temperamental.  Above my stove, you will notice my oven.  Yes, that is my oven, not a microwave.  Everyone thinks I have the biggest microwave they have ever seen.  Truth is, it's the smallest oven they have ever seen!  I can't fit my Thanksgiving turkey in that thing.  The handle fell off about a month after we moved in.  This dinosaur burns everything and undercooks it at the same time...hmmmm, interesting!  Since I love to bake and cook, I almost felt like  I was being tortured. This maybe a little over dramatic, but if you don't have the right tools to do what you love, it really stinks!

We talked to a couple of contractors and found a great guy to do the work.  Basically, they are taking out the stove and oven and making a shelf for my microwave and putting the dishwasher where the stove was.  Next, they are going to make a new spot for the oven, where the dishwasher was.  The dishwasher is to the right of the sink.

Sunday was a rough day.  I was feeling sick and had to drive back from Bangor.  Also, go grocery shopping, and do laundry.  The coaches were coming over for a coached meeting at 2 and the Pats were on at 1.  The biggest task was to empty the kitchen out...that's hard work with a 2 year old running around and a house full of coaches.  I had to do something really easy for dinner.  I went with homemade turkey meatballs in the crock pot.  We had meatball subs!  They actually were lovely.

Homemade Turkey Meatballs

Here's what you need:

2 pounds of ground turkey meat
2 eggs
grated Parmesan cheese
Italian flavored bread crumbs
dried basil, oregano, and other assorted Italian seasoning
salt and peper to taste

Here's what you do:

In a big bowl, put the turkey meat and all the ingredients listed above.  Once you have everything in the pool...get in there with your hands and mush it all up.  I highly recommend taking your rings off before you do this task!  When it is ready to roll..literally, start taking chunks of your meat mixture out of the bowl and roll between your hands.  I like to make a nice medium meatball.

Now, if you are a true Italian, you take your meatballs and put them in olive oil and try them up in a pan.  My grandfather would kill me if he knew, but I don't fry them.  I typically put them on a pan and throw them in the oven.  This time, I put them in the crock pot with a couple of cans...grandpa rolling in his grave right now...of sauce.  I set the crock to 2 and a half house and let those babies cook.

For the meatball subs, I bought a couple of bags of rolls and some shredded cheese.  The coaches and their others really enjoyed it!  The Babes LOVES meatballs...so, this meal goes over well in our house!

I didn't take any pictures this weekend...next weekend I promise!!

Well, I hope this week and the construction goes by fast...I'm not sure how long I can live like this.  I will keep you updated with photos and we decided to try to eat at home all week in the construction zone...so I will be posting some recipes for you to check out!

Thank you for checking in and checking me out!  Feel free to leave a commnet!!

0-3...heartbroken...

I need to apologize to anyone out there actually keeping up with my blog.  I have not been able to get to writing in a while.  Life has gotten a little bit crazier then usual...more on that to come.

Last Saturday night, we played a very good game against a very good team - The Crusaders of John Bapst.  The game was played at their field which they share with Bangor High School.  The stadium is beautiful.  It has a huge bleacher section that towers over the field.  They also have a really nice track that goes encircles the field.  This was JBMHS's Homecoming.  Of course it was, every school likes to play us on Homecoming because they think it will be an easy win.  Well, this one did not come easy - even though the score would tell you other wise.

Because the game was a Saturday night and in the big city of Bangor, I decided to go up Saturday afternoon and spend the night at Coach's grandparents house.  They are the nicest, most loving, and caring people you could ever meet.  They are overly generous and just love to spend time with their great-grand daughter.  I swear being around the Babes takes years off of those too.  Before we headed for the big city Coach, Babes,  Poocher and I did the Down East AIDS Network AIDS Awareness walk through town.  It was lovely.  There was a good group of people, other babies in strollers, and even one or two crazier dogs then our Poocher.  It was a wonderful event and we are happy that we participated!  After the walk...the Babes and I headed to Bangor.  We left Coach to dwell in his own pre-game madness.  

Of course we had to stop at Target before we made it out to Gram and Gramp's house.  Oh how I love Target.  I wanted to get the Babes a pair of jeans and I wanted to get myself a couple things for my new Kitchen...more on this later!

Gram and Gramp made us hamburgers and then we hightailed it to the field.  The atmosphere of the stadium was electric.  The Babes was so happy to be at a football game!  She just loves the whole thing...the kids, the noises, the excitement!  She also loves that her doctor is also the team doctor.  They play together before the game starts...this week they played some catch.

She really enjoys football.  I know that I am somewhat bias being her mom and all...but, she really enjoys and follows the games.  All day long she say, "football!"  If a highlight reel comes on, she screams and giggles in delight!  I think it is mostly because she associates football with her dad...which is great!  I almost feel sorry for her because Coach is gone so much during the season.  It really does stink.  We spend all summer together and then preseason starts and we don't see Coach for about 10 hours of the day.  Even with school starting and the Babes being at day care...Coach doesn't get home until about 6pm every day and that's only about an house and a half of time they spend together.  I do make him give her her bath very night...so that is their time!  They enjoy it...they are always laughing and playing around. Lately, her big thing in the tub is bubbles...she has a blast with them!

Anyway....back to the game.  The first half of the game was unreal.  We did everything right and executed all the plays perfectly.  Our team was playing both great offense and unreal defense.  This is something that hasn't happened in recent games....the kids looked real good.  JBMHS has had a football program for many years...they are well seasoned.  They have won a few state championships.  We held them to 7 points in the first half.  That is pretty amazing!  

After half time...they came back, with force.  We ended up losing the game 40-0.  Such a sad night.  I really felt heart broken...It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know how much behind the scenes work goes into each game.  It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know how hard the kids push themselves.  It really makes my heart hurt.  However, the upside of this sitich is that the kids know that they played a really good first half...we just need to learn how to finish!

Next Friday night, we take on the Huskies of MCI on the road.  I'm not sure I am going to make the trip...which would be a bummer.  It's a long drive and I will have a kitchen that I need to put back together.  

Thanks for checking in and checking me out!

The Rewards!

sweet note from a former student!

Sometimes being a teacher can be a very thankless job.  It is very easy to be running around with your fingers in everything at the school and realize that no one has said thank you for anything!  If you are a teacher, this is not why you have chosen the profession.  You already know that no one will say thank you and in some cases even recognize the hard work that you put in.  You just keep on going and try to  help kids to the best of your abilities.

All of this being said, sometimes something just catches you off guard and fills you with sunshine.  Earlier this week I dashed out of school quickly because I had an appointment.  Went to the appointment, prepped dinner, walked dog, picked up Babes, walked dog and Babes around the neighborhood, cooked dinner, set table, served dinner, ate dinner, cleaned off table, did dishes, cleaned kitchen, made lunches, put Babes to bed, finally had a moment to myself....felt worn out!!!!  The next day we did the daily routine and got out of the house in one piece.  I made it to school and got into my classroom and found the sweetest note from a former student on my board.  You can see the note in the picture above.  This student was one of my favorites!  She is in college now and moved away from the nest.  It was so nice of her to stop in and see me and I'm truly sorry I missed her!

Seeing this note really made my whole day.  Sometimes you never know the impression or effect you have on a student until they are gone.  This student was a joy to have in class and although she often didn't say much, when she did it was very meaningful.  She was always very thoughtful...even bought the Babes a Christmas gift last year!  So kind!

In education, it truly is the little things that make all the difference in the world!  I really love my job and although everyday isn't always a walk in the park, helping kids makes it easy to get out of bed!!

Honey Dijon Rosemary!!

Typically on Mondays we sit down and have a nice family meal together.  The weekend is over, football is on the back burner for one day.  Monday's are a good day in my house.  We started a trend last year in eating fish on Mondays.  Like I've mentioned, we go grocery shopping on Sundays - so buying fish on Sunday and eating it on Monday was the only option for me.  I would never leave fish in the refrigerator for more then a day...call me crazy, but that's how I roll.

We both agreed that the catch of the day would be Salmon.  I love Salmon.  I love it grilled, pan fried, broiled, and most of all - I LOVE it raw!!  Coach has tried the Sushi, he isn't a huge fan...but he will humor me and take me on a Sushi date every once and awhile.  To be fair, he gets elaborate rolls and I get sashimi...which I believe is the only way to eat raw fish.  Coach calls sashimi bait!

The bowl is dirty because I made 2 portions of sauce
1 for the fish to cook in and 1 to pour over when it's
done cooking!!

Salmon is an easy fish to prepare and cook.  You don't have to have much talent and you don't have to worry too much about it once you throw it in the oven.  Salmon cooks quickly and you can put just about any sauce on it and it will complement the fish well.  I have really been enjoying the sauce that I am going to share with you.  It is super easy to prepare and you can use it on chicken, pork chops, and even pasta if you are daring enough!

Honey Dijon Rosemary Salmon

What you need:

Dijon mustard
Honey
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Apple Cider vinegar
Rosemary (fresh or dried)

Here's what you do:

This recipe is kind of a throw it in the bowl, mix, and use recipe.  I don't worry too much about the amounts that I use...I just taste test once I am done mixing!

First drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil into a bolw.  Next, add about a 1/2 cup of dijon mustard.  Using a whisk combine the oil and mustard until it is well mixed.  Next, add 2 (get this...) cap fulls of apple cider vinegar.  The vinegar loosens up your sauce and the tartness of it adds a delish taste!  When the vinegar is well combined, add about a tablespoon to the bowl.  Mix well and taste test.  At this point you might decide to add either more mustard or more honey.  I like it a bit sweet, so I typically use 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. The last step is to add your rosemary.  This summer I planted rosemary, so I'm lucky enough to use the fresh stuff.  Didn't plant this spring?  No worries...I've made it 1,000 times with dry rosemary and it's just as delish.  You wan't about 1/2 a tablespoon of rosemary.

Naled salmon!

Here's what she looks like all mixed up!  Notice the honey in the mason jar in the back ground.  I'm proud to say this honey came from my Uncle Brian's hives from the Hill in Hiram!  It's really good stuff and I'm down to my last half a mason jar...booo!


Like I said, you can put this sauce on anything!  But tonight, we chose salmon.  To cook the Salmon, I chose to throw it in a foil bag and put it in the oven.  To use this technique simply preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Next get a baking sheet and cover with a large piece of foil.  Put your salmon portions on the baking sheet and cover in sauce.

Once the salmon is good and covered, I like to cook it in a lot of sauce, but that's just me!  Add another layer of foil over the salmon and fold it over to make a pouch.  The last thing I do is make sure there is a little pitch or point in the center of the pouch to keep the air circulating while it is cooking.

If you use this process to cook the salmon it will take anywhere from 25 to 35 minutes!  It is so moist and flavorful when it comes of the oven!  Which reminds me!  When you open the pouch, be careful of the hot steam that will come out and bit you if you are not paying attention!!

Headed into the oven! Next stop...dinning room table!

I forgot to take a picture once it was done cooking! Sorry folks!  But, I can tell you it was very good and there wasn't a bite left on anyones plate.  I served this with brown rice - which I cooked in the mini rice maker that my friend Steven gave me last year and asparagus...which was on sale at the grocery store on Sunday!  All around, this was a great Monday night meal!

Well, it's already Wednesday and this week has been a whirlwind.  I had multiple meetings after school last night and Coach had practice and also wanted to stay at school to watch the middle school football teams game.  We didn't get off campus until 6:30pm!  We decided that Tuesday would be our one night of the month that we got to eat out!  The babes asked for pizza but ate a butter packet, a few peas, chocolate milk, and a small container of blue cheese dressing!  This makes it understandable as to why she was up all night with a tummy ache! Booo to no sleep but, she was up and running around this morning like nothing happened!

Headed on the Road Show this week to the big city of Bangor to take on the Crusaders...stay tuned for game updates and other fun stuff I have planned!

Thanks for checking in and checking me out!

Sunday Funday!! Welcome back NFL!

SOOOO happy this day has finally come! The NFL is back on the tube and it's like all is right with the world!  Woke up this morning went to mass, the grocery store, and came back and started cooking up a storm!  Love these kinds of Sundays!

For the coaches meeting this week I decided to go with my Chili and a Pumpkin Crunch Cake.  Chili is a very person thing I think.  Everyone has their own way of making it and their own secret ingredients that they use.  I've heard of people using different combinations of meat like pork, lamb, and even venison.  I myself have made a Chili with bear meat before.  I've heard of people using dark beer or whiskey, specially grown hot peppers, and even secret spices.  When Coach and I moved in with each other I quickly learned that he was a meat and potatoes kind of guy.  And, that meat had to be Red Meat.  I explained that except for the occasional hamburger that I craved - I really didn't do red meat.  I told him I would be happy to make chili using turkey meat.  Coach told me in so many words that he wouldn't be eating anything made out of ground turkey meant and he wasn't sure he would even let me in the house with it.  Fine...no worries.  I went out to get the stuff I needed when he was at his own coaching meeting and had the pot of Chili cooked and simmering when he got back for the 4pm Pats game....After about 4 bowls of Chili, I asked him if he like it?  He proclaimed that he LOVED the chili and couldn't wait to have it again.  You should have seen his face when I told him that that Chili he loved so much was made out of turkey meat!!!!  Hahaha...

We use a lot of turkey meat in our house.  The Babes likes it and it really is a healthier option then red meat.  I use it in meatloaves, burritos and tacos, burgers, and even Shepard's Pie.

Turkey Chili

What you Need:

1 pound Turkey Meat (I use the 93/7 blend)
2 cans Red Kidney Beans
2 cans Black Beans
Chili seasoning (I make my own, but you could use the kind you find in the packet too!)
3 cans Diced Tomatoes
1 Red Onion sliced.
pretty simple...

Here's what you do:

This is a one pot chili and it's pretty simple.  I put a large pot on my range and put the burner on high.  Then, slice up your red onion and put it in the hot pot.  On top of the onions, put your meat.  I use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and stir those yummy onions into the meat.  Now you add your chili seasoning.  Let your meat, onions, and seasoning cook together for about 10 minutes.  At this point, I also add a little splash of water to the pot to help the seasonings really get incorporated into the meat.  Once the mixture is cooked well...it's time for the beans.  I do drain and rinse the beans but when I open the cans I add a little bit of both the red and black bean 'juice' to the pot.  I throw the beans in the strainer and give them a good rinse and add them to the chili pool!!  The last goods to go in are the diced tomatoes.  I do not drain the tomatoes because I want all of that juice to eventually become a thick chili sauce!  I let my chili cook for a couple of hours and stir it whenever I go back into the kitchen to get a beverage.  I serve the chili with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and tortilla chips of some variety.  Coach likes his chili with saltines...different strokes for different folks I guess.  I will mention that when I am making chili for a crowd of people that like heat...I can really kick it up a notch!  I use Sriracha - a really spicy and lovely Asian hot sauce. If the crowd isn't into the heat I just use my chili seasoning - which is pretty mild and set a couple different types of hot sauce out.

The final product!

For dessert I whipped up one of my favorite fall treats Pumpkin Crunch Cake.  I originally got the recipe from Pintrest but I've made a few modifications to it and now, I think it's really good.  

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Here's what you need:

soooo good!

1 box Yellow Cake mix

1 can pumpkin

1 can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 and 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp of salt

1 cup butter soften

cinnamon

cloves

allspice

ginger

anything else for Fall spices that you like

Chopped pecans - optional

Here's what you do:

Preheat oven 350 degrees and grease a 9x11 pan...I used my Pyrex (obvi).  In a bowl mix together the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and spices.  Make sure that all ingredients are mixed well!  Pour the mixture into the greased pan.  Next, get your KitchenAid mixer out and plug that baby in...put your cake mix in the bowl and add the 2 soften sticks of butter.  Mix your butter and cake mix until you get a dough.  Depending on how soft your butter is - your dough will either be thick like dough or more like batter...truly it doesn't matter.  Once the butter and cake mix are well incorporated drop dollops of the dough onto the pumpkin mixture.  Before you put that yummy cake in the oven, if you want to add the pecans, now would be the time!  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.  

This is a crowd pleaser...if you make this, you will be asked to make it often!

Ok, I have to go and partake in my least favorite Sunday chore...folding laundry...ewww!  I hope you try out these recipes and enjoy...let me know what you think!  Come back this week for some more insights on the life of high school football coach...also, more recipes and maybe even an easy craft or two!

Thanks for checking in and checking me out!

 

ARRRRugh You Ready for the Pirate Festival?!

Since the team lost on Friday and Coach decided not to go scouting, we actually were able to have a rare family day during football season.  Coach had to go to school in the morning to help with a Youth Flag Football league sign up.  He was nice enough to take the Babes with him.  I stayed up and did a little bit of cleaning and was also able to watch an episode of Dowton Abbey!  All the ladies at school are really into Dowton and I knew that I would be too...but I hadn't been able to sit down and watch a single episode.  WOW!  What I have been missing this whole time!!  I love it...obviously!!  Anyway...after Coach and the Babes got back and we took care of the poocher we headed to Eastport for the Pirate Festival!!  What a blast!!

Drove around for a bit and finally got a good parking spot on the pier.  This is what was parked on the other side of the pier!  The whole town was ready to party...there were Pirates everywhere!  Kids dressed up as pirates and even dogs dressed up as pirates.

We made our way down Main Street and there were tons of vendors all about.  We all were starving so we got on line for the chicken tenders and ruffle fries.  You need to have the ruffle fries at a fair sometime in the very near future.  They are cut like potato chips and fried...they are SO good.  This particular vendor made some delish chicken tenders too.  They were breaded in a nice light breading and then fried...they were sort of like the tenders I make at home with Shake and Bake.  They were not a heavy breaded and fried food.  Good eats!

The highlight of the day was the Parade!  There were so many floats and pirates.  The Babes was loving it.  She didn't fully understand what was going on, but she loved all the noise and fun stuff to look at.  She was really excited to see and pet all the poochers on the street.

Funny Pirate!

The gold!

This guy was great!  He was one of the first pirates in the parade.  He was happy to pose for a picture.  The fun thing is that all the pirates were really into it...they spoke in that funky pirate lingo.  I asked if he wouldn't mind if I took a picture for my blog. He said, "Arrrr...what's a blog?  Is what you are speaking of like a grog?" He held up his stein and stood there for the pic.  After he gave me a piece of pirate gold!

The Travel Channel was there.  I spoke with the woman that looked like she was in charge of the whole deal.  They had a couple camera men and they were all over the place.  She said that the Travel Channel was doing a new show called The End of the Earth ( I think).  Fun stuff!!  After the parade we walked around for a bit and grabbed some ice cream on the way out of town.

The Babes favorite part of the day was meeting this guy...what a big sweetie.  He was the sweetest Newfie and was so happy to be hugged and kissed by a 2 year old!  His owner was a really nice lady that was also more then happy to allow the Babes to hang out.  I have to say, everyone in Eastport was having a good time and very welcoming!  We definitely will go back next year.  We even talked about maybe getting a room and spending the night...maybe we'll get a babysitter though!  The salty dogs really come out at night!

Just wanted to include one last very enthusiastic couple we saw on the streets of the Pirate Fest.  Their clothing was spot on and the guy even had false gross teeth!  They were happy to pose for the shot...really nice folks!

It was really nice to spend the day with Coach and the Babes.  Days like this are few and far between during the season.  We really don't get to have a whole day together.  Our student that is staying with us decided to stay home and enjoy sleeping in.  I can't say that I blame him, but it was really nice to get out and enjoy the sunshine and Pirates!


Thanks for checking in and checking out my blog!

0-2...

Nothing great to report this weekend.  I feel so bad for our team and the coaches.  We really were working hard and looking forward to taking on the Hawks.  It was a perfect foggy night for football and the lights made the field look good.  We came out strong and looked really good....but in the end, the bad guys won :(

Roll Call!

We had control of the ball and scored first.  It took a while for the Hawks to answer, but they did.  Each team had a touchdown called back.  The game was fairly exciting...but I couldn't help but be almost broken hearted at the final whistle.

The Starters

The kids played with enthusiasm and the cheerleaders and fans were into the game.  Actually, we had a pretty good crowd in attendance.  One of the highlights of our home games these days is our AMAZING announcer Mary Cady.  Back in the day, she used to announce Coach's home football games.  She pretty much is a legend-waitforit-ary.  She really does us a favor coming all the way DownEast, but secretly, I think she likes hearing her voice over the PA system...echoing through campus.  Mary coming down for the games has really helped the community get into football.  She really knows her stuff and since a lot of people don't - Mary helps to explain the game, penalties, and flags...our fans really enjoy having her and I hope she will continue to shlep on down Route 9 for our remaining home games.  

At half time, I had to bring the Babes with me to pass out fruit to the team.  Typically there is a family member or student around that I will leave her with, but not this time.  It worked out just fine.  We headed over the end zone and I started to pass out the goods.  The Babes was very helpful bringing fruits over to the kids.  I am usually done my duty before the coaches make it over for their half time talk.  Not this time, I was just getting to picking up the garbage when the coaches came down.  Of course the Babes was excited to see Coach, so we stayed for the half-time speech.  I have to say, I thought it was pretty inspiring.  

The Babes and Coach, coaching them up at half time.

I feel like I should have been on the side line, but how could you pass up a photo op like this one!  Too cute!  She was right next to him the whole time and she was really into what Coach was telling the kids.  

The final score was 28-12.  The kids walked off the field heavy hearted.  Coach was pretty upset.  I stopped at Subway and got him a sandwich, put the Babes to sleep and waited up for him to get home.  He really didn't want to talk about the game...which was understandable.  After a little chat, I just went to bed.  The upside of the loss for the Babes and I was that I knew that Coach wouldn't go scouting on Saturday.  Could there be potential for a family day on Sunday??!!  

Well, hoping the kids will come together and work hard this week.  We go against a pretty good team on Saturday...the Crusaders.  The nice thing is that we play on a Saturday and in Bangor - so that's one more day of practice for the team and an opportunity for me to shop a little bit when I go to the big City!

OK, thanks for checking in and checking me out.  

Pre-Game Dinner...

The Babes and Coach diggin' in!

Well Thursday nights before a home game allow for me to have a welcomed night off of cooking!!  I do love to cook meals for my family...but I HATE cleaning the kitchen afterwards.  The Pre-Game dinner is a wonderful opportunity for us to get out of the house and eat someone else's delicious homemade creations.  Every eve before a home game the mothers of players as well as the cheerleaders come together and cook and serve dinner for the football team, coaches, and well...me and the babes.

The dinners are a really great community effort.  The parents are asked to bring in a casserole, bread, and milk.  The cheer leaders bring in dessert.  After practice the team changes up and heads upstairs to the caf and Coach makes a little speech thanking the parents who cooked and came to help serve.

Here are some of the delish hot dishes that parents brought in.  Last night we had a really good Baked Zitti, a Penne Pasta with sausage and a cream sauce.  There was also an Alfredo dish that was very good.  The most different but very loved dish was a Buffalo Chicken Pasta casserole.  I really enjoyed this one!  It had big chunks of Buffalo Chicken, a spicy cheesy sauce, bacon, and pasta...how could you go wrong with that?!!  The parents are also mindful enough to provide a nice big fresh green salad...we have to remind the kids to eat their greens!

I think for one of the next pre-game meals we will try breakfast for dinner.  Coach wants the kids to carbo load the night before a game...so what could be wrong with pancakes and waffles?!!

The Cheerleaders are so nice to volunteer to make dessert for the team.  Up until last year, we only had Cheerleaders for basketball season as well as their own competition season.  Now, we have them on the sidelines for all of our home games and a few of our away games.  It is really nice to have them there because they help to get the crowd into it.  The community we live in is not really a football community.  Soccer and basketball have been king here for a long time.  It's sort of neat to see the fans at our games because they sort of know what's going on but sometimes I have to remind the Cheerleaders when we are on offense and defense!  It has really been a learning experience for all of the people around here to embrace football.  This year they built two towers on each side of the field.  One is for the person taping the game for Coach and the other sides tower is for our wonderful game announcer Mary Cady...she kills it!

Cheerleader Treats!

Tonight should be an interesting match up...We are taking on the Hawks.  We should have beat them last year but because of a things out of our hands it didn't happen.  It was a great game and I am really looking forward to the rematch.  It's been a dark and dreary day Down East...but it's still a good day for football.  The babes has been chatting about it all week.  She gets so excited when there is a commercial for football on TV or when Coach is watching tape at the house.  Last night at the dinner she was so happy when the team came in and they had her jerseys on...Ya never know she could be the next female quarterback.  I love to see her so excited about something...

Some of the team pigging out!

Well...I suppose that is all for today.  Really hoping I come back tomorrow with a very happy post to update you on tonights game! This weekend looks like it might be pretty busy.  Coach says depending on how we play tonight, he might go and scout a game about 2 and 1/2 hours away.  Scouting high school football games? you say...oh yes, welcome to my world!  The babes and I are going to go to the Pirate Festival.  I can't wait to see the babes face when she sees the craziness!  And FINALLY NFL football is back on TV!!  I can't wait to watch the games this Sunday.  Haven't really given a thought to coaches meeting meal yet...maybe something will come to me tonight!!

Thanks for checking in and checking me out!

Off and Running...

Well...hard to imagine, but the school year has officially started!  Yesterday, we had a New Student Orientation and today is the first day for all students.  It was busy getting out of the house this morning. It's funny the routine you get into when you have a regular schedule.  We have a student, Bob, from China that will be living with us for the school year.  I am so crazy in the morning making sure that we are on some sort of time that I actually knocked on his door at 6am this morning to make sure he was going to get up.  Poor kid, Coach is happy that someone else will be there to feel my morning wrath!

We did make it out the door on time and to school in an orderly manner...it's really fun to see the faces of all the students on the first day.  They all have fresh kicks and the latest styles.  I'm wearing a dress that I probably bought 7 years ago at Old Navy.  The upside to that is that the dress still fits!

In the spirit of getting up early I'm going to share a recipe that I got from Pintrest the other day.  The recipe is for Pumpkin Spice Syrup that you can put in your coffee.  I don't know about you, but I have the tendency to spend a decent amount of money at Dunks when the Pumpkin Spice coffee comes out in the Fall.  I figured I would try to make my own so that I can save a little bit of money!

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

What you need:

1 cup water
2 tablespoons of Pumpkin
3/4 cup dark (I used regular) brown sugar
1 whole nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
3 4 inch cinnamon sticks

Here's what you do:

Messy desk and it's only the 1st day!

Place all of the ingredients in a pot and place over medium heat.  Stir everything together well and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.  Do not let it boil.  The smell coming off your stove will be amazing!  The syrup will begin to get thicker...you want to stir occasionally.  Once the 15 minutes is up, take the pot off the heat and let it cool to room temp.  I let it sit for about an hour or so.  Next, using a fine strainer, pour the contents of the pot into a jar or air tight container.  I used a mason jar.  Once you are done straining, place your syrup in the refrigerator!  When you are ready to use it, shake it up and pour in your hot or iced coffee.

A few notes:

I really like the pumpkin flavor so I put more then 2 tablespoons...I used 4!! I am on pumpkin overload...between Pumpkin Spice being out at Dunks and Candy Corn at the grocery store - I am so ready for Fall!!

Also, it is a fairly sweet syrup.  You might want to use less sugar or if you are so inclined, you could use a sweetener product like Splenda.

That's all I have for today.  I also started my first day of classes yesterday.  I am working on a Masters in Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction.  So far, the class is pretty good!  I will keep you posted.

We have a pretty big home game coming up on Friday against the Hermon Hawks...the kids are looking forward to it and actually, I am too!

Thanks for checking in and checking me out!

0-1.

Well, we took it on the road last night and traveled to take on the defending State Champion Golden Bucks.  We did not have school on Friday, so there was a lot of tension in the house.  Coach isn't always the nicest guy to be around on game day.  At least when school is in session, he can focus on school and not football all day.  He actually asked me to leave the house at around 11:30am.  So, I finished up packing and ran some errands...picked up the babes and headed to the loveliest place to spend some time...The Jake.

This beautiful piece of Maine real-estate is owned by my friend Kate.  She bought it last summer and since then this camp has become relaxation center!  She was nice enough to let Coach, babes, and I spend a whole week there while she and her family were celebrating her brothers marriage this summer...it was wonderful!

Being able to spend some time here on Friday before the game was a good way to take my mind off the game too.  I typically have just as much pre-game jitters as Coach does, but I don't let it slip as much as he does.  When I got there, Kate's mother Mary - football game announcer extraordinaire was there as well as Kate's friend Alison.  The poocher was able to run around with Mox and go swimming...one of her favorite pass times.  The babes also enjoys running around and frog hunting as well as sitting on the hammock and sun bathing!  Mary is a wiz in the kitchen and cooked up some chicken pot pie and potatoes...good eats!

Finally we were off to the game...The Golden Bucks have a beautiful field and facility.  This place is a real football school.  The team gets lead up to the field by a police car escort...pretty fancy!  It was a beautiful night for football and it was nice to have a good number of Raider fans there as well as my friends!

I forgot to take pictures at the game...sorry!  I was too busy wheeling the baby up and down the side lines, filling water bottles, and passing out fruit.  We didn't get off to a bad start, but the end result wasn't in our favor.  The final score was 41 to 16.  By half time we hadn't scored and things were looking glum..  However, I was proud of our kids for sticking with it and the sportsman ship that they showed throughout the game.

It's hard when a game doesn't go in your favor.  After a losing game, being in the house after is sometimes pretty tough.  If I thought Coach was cranky before the game, after the game can sometimes be worse.  Although, babes and I spent the night at camp...so by the time we got home today - coach was calmed down.  He had watched the game films a couple times.  He made the notes he needed to make and did the stats.  He remarked that the mistakes they made were fixable, which is a very good thing!  He is looking forward to meeting with the coaches tomorrow at our regular coaches meeting and working the kinks out this coming week in practice.  I would also like to note that he ran the dish washer and made the bed - was nice to come home to a house that was clean-ish!!

I am looking forward to cooking up a storm tomorrow for the meeting...haven't figured out exactly what I am going to make yet, but I am ready to dip into the recipes.  This week is a big week for us.  We start school on Tuesday, so things are going to get hectic...but we can handle it!

Thanks for checking in and checking me out!  Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!~!

Happy Birthday Babes!

Hard to imagine that the babes is already 2 years old!  I wasn't sure I was going to make it after the first couple weeks...But, with lots of support from Coach and other family members here I am today - the mother of a 2 year old!

Toddler with a Tiara

Coach and I met 6 years ago.  We had an interesting courtship.  We were working at the same school and in the same department.  We spent a lot of time together and I thought it would be fun to hangout out side of school.  He had other ideas!  At the time, he was the freshman, junior varsity, and assistant varsity football coach at the school.  Needles to say, he really didn't have a lot of time for hanging out - also, I was working 4 jobs and finishing up my masters.  But, there is always time for love!!

One day on a Wednesday, I was determined to make a move and see about going out on a date.  If I had waited for him to a make a move, I would still be there....waiting!  So, I waited until Friday which was the start of the long Columbus day weekend.  I approached him and said, "We have Monday off, would you like to go to a movie on Sunday?"  He sort of took a step back and looked at me.  I thought to myself, 'well, that was a bad idea.'  Finally he spoke: "Yeah, but it depends on when the Patriots are playing on Sunday."  UMMMMM....I was dumbfounded.  You will go on a date with me, but you have to watch a football game first or after? Hmmmm.... I just looked at him and said, "OK, well I am available at 2pm so let me know."  Then I just ran away and headed for my car.  I had left out a very important step...we didn't exchange numbers!  Well, the weekend ticked away and I worked a couple shifts at the restaurant and wondered if this date would ever materialize.  Low and behold on Sunday, my phone rang and it was a number I didn't recognize. "Hello, Mathy? This is Coach.  The Pats played at noon so do you want to go to the movies tonight?"  I was over joyed and accepted the invitation.  Turns out he got my number from his brothers girlfriend - who also worked with us!  Too cute!!  So, we went to the movies and from there started hanging out more and more and eventually, became an item.  That summer, we moved in together, 2 years later we were married and a year after that the sweet babes!

You know early on in a relationship when you are asking all of those awkward questions like, "Do you want to get married some day, see kids in your future...etc?"  Well, we had that conversation.  I asked Coach if he saw any of that in his future and he said yes.  I took it a step further and asked, "What happens if we have a baby and I go into labor during a Friday night football game?"  Coach looked at me and said, "Well, it's a good thing that your mother doesn't live too far away.  She could be in the room and then I'll take over after the game!"  He claims to have been joking and I am sure he was...but there is a little truth in every joke!  Actually when we had the babes, he was there the whole time and actually missed the first 2 days of football preseason.  When we got home from the hospital, the next morning he was back on the field and that weekend - we were on the side lines cheering him on!

Just the other day I told him that I had set the date with the priest to have the babes baptized.  The date is later in October.  He said, "Ok, thats fine, but just keep in mind that I could be preparing for a playoff game."  Really?  Geez...I mean, I hope that he is, but come on.  All kidding aside, Coach does a great job taking care of his family and being here for us when we need him.  However, sometimes football is like another woman!  You have to make sure things get scheduled around her or Coach won't be there. Sometimes, even if he is there...he isn't...always thinking about those x's and o's.  It's a good thing the season is only 10 weeks and it's a good thing I love him as much as I do!!

Well...today we are on the road against the Golden Bucks.  Headed out in a little bit to spend some time on the lake before the game.  Looking forward to seeing family and friends at our first regular season game...GO RAIDERS!  Come back tomorrow and find out how we did!!

DIY Wednesday

Well I didn't think that I was going to get to anything today because we had our first day of school.  Actually, only the teachers had to report today for day long meetings and organizing of the class rooms.  We will be meeting again tomorrow for the day....The kiddos don't return until Wednesday.  So, the summer will linger with a long weekend and then the grind will be back in full force.

This morning when I was taking this sweet poocher for a walk at 4:45am, I found a empty frame on the side of the road.  Let me back track...yes the dog, whose name is Maggie was actually up at about 4:15 am...Coach will NEVER get up to take her out in the morning, that is my job.  She is really a sweet girl, but 4:15 in the MORNING??!!  I guess if you gotta go, you gotta go.  Luckily, I could get her to stay in bed until about 4:45 and then I gave in and had to get out of the comfort and warmth of my bed and took the sweet girl out side.  I guess it was a good thing that I did, because I found the inspiration for my DIY!!

Maggie...the early riser!

So, I found this frame and took it home.  When we were all finally ready to leave the house...Coach was wondering why I had a ball of twine, nails, a hammer, and of course the frame in my hands!  I feel like stuff like this happens a lot in our house...I am typically always up to something and he doesn't really ever question it anymore!  Better off that he doesn't and just enjoys the final product.

Basically what I created was a simple wall hanging to put important papers, best works, or papers with no names on them.  Here is what the final product looks like:

New wall hanging...Yes that is David on the chalk board!  He is always watching!

It was really very simple...I am sorry that I did not take a close up picture.  I will take another one tomorrow and post it.

SO, here is what you will need:

Twine
Clothes pins
Frame (the frame that I found on the road looks like it might have either had a mirror in it or maybe a print.  The frame was nothing special and actually needed a little TLC...if you can find something cheap at a yard sale you'd be all set.)

The first thing I did was cut a length of twine and tie it to the side of the frame.  Next, I wrapped the twine around the frame a few times.  When the twine felts secure I continued the same steps in a zig-zag pattern.  You really could go with any pattern that you like, but, zig-zag worked for me.  Remember to wrap the twine at least 3 or 4 times around the side of the frame.  If you wanted to use hot glue on the frame and then wrap the twine...you certainly could.  I didn't feel it was necessary...and I didn't bring my hot glue gun to school!  

Here is what the frame and twine looked like before I added the clothes pins.  If you don't want to use clothes pins, you don't have to...maybe paper clips or binder clips - to fit with the school theme - would suit your fancy more!

The last step was adding the clothes pins and hanging it up on the wall!  I was thinking that I was going to have to secure the clothes pins with glue on the twine...but I didn't!  I just pinned them on and it works just fine!  Now I have a spot to hang papers and it just looks a little more interesting!

I guess it wasn't so bad getting out of bed so early this morning to take the poocher for a walk!  I walked right into inspiration!!







In football news...Coach said the kids had a good practice today.  We have one more practice day left before we take it on the road for a true test on Friday against the Golden Bucks.  I am looking forward to going to the game and also getting to visit with my friend Kate and her family at her fabulous camp on the The Jake.

Stay tuned for at least two more posts this week...I'm working on one in my head about what it is like to lose your husbands attention for sport!  Obviously, I will also give you the play by play for the road game on Friday!  Thanks for checking in and checking me out!!