I am La Salle.

La Salle University just made it into the Sweet Sixteen.  The end of the game was so intense that I was hiding in my La Salle blanket because I just couldn't watch.  Only Jason counting the seconds aloud and the cheers that went up let me know the game had ended in our favor.

I have always enjoyed college basketball.  My father attended a school that went to the "Big Dance" from time to time, and we went to a Mount or La Salle game occasionally.  I went to maybe 4 La Salle games in my time there, partly because I was just so busy, and the energy around the team didn't pull me in.  I went to a few games while I taught, mainly as something to do while J was at work.  One of my colleagues in the history department is the team's "spiritual advisor," so I went to the game honoring  him last year.

The team was on fire this year.  Big upsets, exciting games: It made me miss being on campus.

Most people where I live now hadn't heard of La Salle until A) they met me or B) this past week.

They have now.

I'm so excited for the possibilities the Big Dance opens up for a school like La Salle.  Alumni donations, enrollment, recruitment, and the positive PR is something a long time coming for this wonderful school.

Now that folks have heard of our men's basketball team (GO EXPLORERS), they may now hear about the nurturing community, award winning Honors Program, and all of the other perks that come from a La Sallian education.  Schools like La Salle don't live and die by a sports program (although it doesn't hurt).  We rely on something deeper, something bigger than ourselves.  The values of St. John Baptiste de La Salle tie us together in ways that sometimes take us years to realize.  I can list at least 20 people that I know who found their spouse at La Salle (myself included).  Friends made here are friends for life.

2013 marks the school's 150th anniversary, founded in the midst of the American Civil War.  We have survived wars (when our students were only men); we have reached out all over the world to make life better for the less fortunate; we have academic credentials that impress (98% med school acceptance rate and 50 Fulbright Scholars, to name two).

In short, I hope the Big Dance shines the light on a school that deserves a second look.  I loved my times on campus (student and faculty), and I am eager to return one day (either as faculty or as a parent).

In all my actions, I am La Salle.
In association, we are La Salle.

GO EXPLORERS!

LLP and I leaping for joy on campus, 2009.

Graduation, May 2008.

 - M., class of 2008.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I'm not a fan of pre-made spaghetti sauce (or gravy, as my Italian friends call it).  My mom has almost always made spaghetti sauce herself, and the recipe she has is easy and so so so tasty.  In another installment of my recipe sharing:

CARMELLA'S* SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Ingredients:

Sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves fresh)
Sweet Italian sausage (optional)
3 lbs. crushed tomatoes (2 of the really big cans)
3-6 oz cans tomato paste
Basil (fresh or dried
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. thyme

Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (85/15 or 80/20 suggested)
1 egg
1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. parsley (dried)

Procedure:
1. In a large sauce pan, pour olive oil.  Brown the garlic.
2. Cut the sausage on an angle into 2" chunks.  Brown in the olive oil / garlic mixture.  Remove the sausage, put in a dish, and refrigerate.
3. Add crushed tomatos and tomato paste.  Add three 6-oz cans of water.  Add spices, stir, and simmer.
4. Preheat the oven to about 425 degrees F.
5. Mix the meatball ingredients together by hand (it's super cold...be aware).  Make the meatballs into whatever size you like.  For me, this usually makes 12 meatballs.
6. Replace the sausage and meatballs into the sauce and let simmer for a few hours.

My mom and I always agree that the sauce actually tastes better after it has been refrigerated over night and reheated on the stove.  We don't know why; it just does.

Hope you enjoy!

- M.

Strawberry Chicken Spinach Salad

Last night's dinner was a delicious and fresh change from a lot of the wintery foods we've been eating.  I'm so happy to go into the produce aisle and see some of my favorite fruits back in season.  Strawberries are a favorite of all three of us, especially E.

All the ingredients, minus the chicken, which was cooking.

As promised, here is the (very very easy) recipe:

Ingredients:
 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 per person, really)
 - 10 strawberries, washed and sliced how you please.  Obviously, since this is a salad, you can use as many or as few as you like.
 - Goat cheese (we didn't have this last night, but I've used it before to great success)
 - 1 bunch of spinach (again, as much as you please.  This is your salad base)

(For the Poppy Seed Dressing)
 - 1/2 cup sugar
 - 1 cup vegetable oil
 - 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
 - 1 t. salt
 - 1 T. poppy seeds

Not from last night, but just a vision of amazing strawberries.

1. Grill the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.  We discussed potential marinades last night, but didn't have a chance to test any.  Let us know if you try one!
2. Wash and slice strawberries.
3. Wash and dry spinach.
4. Mix dressing ingredients into a bowl or salad dressing container.  Be sure you can re-seal it, because it makes a lot of delicious dressing.
5. Plate your food: Spinach, strawberries, sliced chicken, cheese, dressing.

Done!

The longest step for us was defrosting the chicken.  It's easy and fresh, and a whole meal on one plate.  We gave E pieces of the meal, and supplemented with some other easier to eat foods (grilled chicken is too chewy for him still).

 - M.

Meal Planning

My crazy schedule, which just got a little nuttier, doesn't allow me to eat at home much during the week.  I have dinner on Monday and Friday at home and lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We usually plan a home-cooked meal for Monday and order in on Fridays.

This week, however, is spring break, which means that I am home all day, everyday.  I decided to plan some meals so we'd have left overs for next week.  In addition to sharing our plan with you, I'm also going to share the recipes!  I'm not a confident or adventurous cook, so rest assured these are pretty simple.

Here's our plan:

Monday: Strawberry Chicken Spinach Salad, with home-made poppy seed dressing

Tuesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs (and side salads)

Wednesday: Cheesy Crab Soup (probably the last one until the fall)

Thursday: Chicken Broccoli Divan

Friday: Oh...we're still eating out.  Probably Neato Burrito.  It's a local chain that's kinda like Chipotle.

I'm going to try to make some different snacks with left overs.

Today, Elliott and I enjoyed Pillsbury crescent rolls with peanut butter and Nutella in them.  Mmmm.  Sweet, but the peanut butter packs protein!

Hope you enjoy this series.  I'm also trying to get a handle on my school work and teaching.  I was assigned an "emergency" class, so I'm prepping for that.  I know life will be crazy this month with new classes, club events, and conferences (two!), so the more I get done in advance, the better.  Even if I get nothing else done, what I've finished so far this weekend is going to set me ahead.

Happy Spring Break!

- M.

Irish Soda Bread

I'm divulging a McGee family recipe today that I think you will really enjoy.  With St. Patrick's Day coming up, it's always nice to enjoy a sweet treat in between all that corned beef, cabbage, potato, and green beer.  Irish Soda bread is a good breakfast treat, or something for the end of the day.

The keys to amazing Irish Soda Bread.

Ingredients:

(Dry)

Mixing the dry ingredients.

 - 3 cups unsifted flour
 - 1 tsp. baking soda
 - 1 tsp. baking powder
 - 2/3 cup sugar
 - 1 tsp. salt
 - 1 1/2 cups raisins

(Wet)
 - 2 Tbsp. melted shortning (or unsalted butter)
 - 2 eggs, whipped
 - 2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, or can't find it, here is a substitute.  Make enough to substitute 2 cups.)

Buttermilk.

Steps:
1. Remove all refrigerated ingredients to allow them to come to room temperature.
2. Preset oven for 350 degrees F.
3. Mix dry ingredients together.
4. One at a time, mix wet ingredients into dry mixture.
5. Grease your dish.  I use dark brown glass dishes; one is a loaf pan and the other is an 8" x 8" dark brown glass dish.  They seem to use the batter perfectly.  My mother uses small aluminium or metal loaf pans to give the bread as gifts. A single recipe makes about 4 small (5" x 3") loaves, while a double recipe makes about 9.  Fill the container about 2/3 full.  They will get bigger, so don't overfill!
6. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Check with a toothpick to ensure the bread is cooked through. (If you are using smaller containers, cook for about 35 minutes).

You're done!  I enjoy Irish soda bread with the smallest amount of unsalted butter.  It's what my grandma used to put on top, so its nostalgic.

Happy (early) St. Patrick's Day!

I Have to Wonder...

The room that needed the most rehab this year is our office.  It is, to be blunt, a hot mess.  I do very little work in there because it is too cluttered and too distracting.  I've been working on it little by little.  The main question I ask myself in this situation is "why did I EVER save this?"

I talked about why our lives are cluttered in this post from last year, and the clutter in my office definitely falls under the category of "emotional clutter."  It's old school notes that I never intend to look at again (although I organized the ones that will help me in the future).  It's random handouts and flyers and posters for events that don't even warrant a page in my scrapbook.  There is at least 15 pounds of paper waiting to go out in the recycling tomorrow.

I'm on Spring Break right now; I'm hoping to get caught up on both schoolwork and organizing this week.  I definitely need the break.

- M.

Eyes and other things.

My last post indicated the intention to get sh-tuff done this week.  I can't tell you how disappointed I was when the rest of my life had other plans.

On Monday night, my right eye was itchy and watery.  I just assumed it was tired, and I put some drops in it.  Tuesday morning, it was swollen shut and painful.  I knew what this was.  Another corneal abrasion.  A trip to the doctor confirmed it, but I had to be referred to a specialist because one is not supposed to get random cuts on ones eye.  Eww.

I have relied on the kindness of parents, in-laws, siblings, and friends to get through my week.  I couldn't drive, which I only discovered after getting to school on Wednesday, so it's been a rotating series of drivers taking me to appointments, class, and work.  When I was home, it took all of my energy to do things around the house, because light, screens, and general movement aggravated my condition.  I should be in tip-top shape come Monday, but I am definitely more committed to keeping my eyes healthy anyway I can.

Suffice it to say, 40 Bags got a little turned around.  I took Friday off from life.  E went to his usual Friday haunt, and I slept, recovered, and starting getting back on track with everything.

We'll just pretend things happened when they were supposed to: (because they did get done at all)

Wednesday: Electronics.
 - Removed all of the apps I never use (or have on my tablet, which is what I use for portable internet access).
 - Removed music that I always flip by
 - Removed playlists that were created for no reason.
 - Loaded some sweet Sesame Street tunes for the little man.
 - Created some better play lists so I can make my battery last longer (by not flipping through the library).
 - Before adding the playlists, I freed up over 1 GB of space!

Thursday: Needlecraft supplies.
 - Detangled EVERYTHING.  I feel like yarn has a mind of its own and tangles with the other skeins in the drawer when I let them alone too long.
 - Reorganized the yarn by fiber.  One (very full) drawer of cotton; one of worsted; one bag of scratchy worsted; one drawer of higher end yarns; one drawer of other acrylic weights; one drawer of miscellaneous; and one drawer of finished projects awaiting shipping, purchase, or gifting.
 - Put my unfinished projects in shallow boxes on top of the drawers so I see them and get the itch to work on them.
 - Put the huge skeins of yarn in plastic bags and hung them with hangers from the bar in the closet.
 - Cleaned out my notions caddy and took stock of my hooks (all accounted for except F...I'll find it).

Saturday - Sunday: Kitchen.
 - Cleaned and stored Elliott's bottles.  We are officially off bottles.
 - Moved mugs, tea, coffee, and sugar to a cupboard next to the coffee maker.
 - Opened up two shelves.
 - Threw away a bunch of expired hot drink mixes.
 - Re-arranged Jason's baking supplies.

I also went shopping on Saturday with my mom and sister, and I found the storage pieces I've been seeking for a while.  I found a storage box for toys (that can double as a seat), two cute basket hampers for blankets, and an umbrella stroller (which will open up a lot of room in my trunk!).

*This post is crazy late, but I really haven't had the time to type it up.  I'll talk about this past week ASAP*

- Meg