Lanters

I created this lighting feature in my living room from lanterns and a shower rod that I bought at IKEA.

Under $20.00

I strung the lanterns using thin wire from the hardware store that I spray painted to look like hammered metal.  This is the same spray paint used on the shower rod that I attached to the wall.

Winter Foodie Favorties

Do you have a recipe that brings back feelings of holiday cheer?

Here are some of my favorite belly warming dishes for the holiday season.

1. Biscuits and Jelly

My mom used to make these for my sister and I.  Take a canister of biscuits or whip up your own if you're fancy like that and pack them tightly together in a greased pan.  Use your thumb to make a depression in the center of each biscuit and fill with one teaspoon of your favorite jam, jelly, or preserve.  Back at temp. indicated on the package until biscuits are brown.  Serve and eat immediately, as if you could wait any longer!

Tip: Line pan with foil for easy removal.

2. Tamales

 Everyone's tamale recipe is different.  I didn't grow up making tamales but I made these with my best friend this year and they were phenomenal!!!!!.  My favorite are green chile and cheese.  It is definitely a labor of love, so call on the loves of your life and create an assembly line of fun.

3. One pot meals: Corned Beef and Potatoes

The spices of corned beef and 2 cups of chicken stock flavor the potatoes and carrots beautifully.  Served with a bright spinach salad tossed in a light vinaigrette dressing.   Hearty and Flavorful!

1.)100 Dollar Bill-ism

In 1980 or 1981, I'm not sure which,  my grandma married Frank Faselli.  This would be the only grandpa I'd ever know as I was born in January of 1980.  Both Frank and Jennie were widowed and met years before while he was married to Rose.  For years my Grandpa Frank wooed my grandma and as stubborn as she is/was, she wasn't havin' it.  But she could only play this game for so long.  He absolutely loved and adored her and just wanted to care for her.  He had no children of his own and just loved her family.  Through the years there have some many cute little Frank or Jennie "-isms".  Hopefully you find them as entertaining as I do.

When my Grandpa Frank was married to Rose, "she took every dime they had", according to the way my grandma tells it.  Living that way taught my grandpa to be very frugal, as well as living through Depression.  He crushed cans and recycled them for most of my childhood.  It was actually something that he and I did together after dinner.  I always thought it was great one-on-one time, he just couldn't throw them away.  Although Jennie Mae gave Frank a terribly hard time, she showed her love and adoration for him in her own way, most times in ways that no one but the two of them knew.  My grandma never wanted Frank to feel the want for anything, to feel that he didn't have two dimes in his pockets.  To ensure that he never felt that way, one day she gave him a $100.00 bill to keep in his wallet.  He never spent that bill but he always knew that he had far more than a few dimes in his pocket.  I never knew this until years later.  I just smile at the idea that that small gesture made him feel rich with love.

-isms.............
Frankie Mae

Holiday Cheer

So, Jimmy Kimmel has been hosting video challenges for his viewers.  For Halloween, parents were encouraged to send in video of their child's reaction to the lie "I'm sorry, but I/We/Daddy ate all of your Halloween candy".  The screaming and crying that ensued was absolutely ridiculous and comical.  YouTube it!
Halloween Candy
Now, the Christmas videos were not quite as entertaining as they were disturbing.  They also brought to mind a family story that I'll get back to later.  So, parents wrapped up half-eaten sandwiches, bananas, etc. and sent in the video of their child's reaction.  To my surprise, there weren't many tears but there was a lot of "are you NUTS? Crazy?" and my personal favorite, "Jimmy Kimmel can suck my balls". YouTube it!
Christmas Gifts

So now for the family story (by family, I include friends, partners, and other extended members):  In my family there was once a child who responded to opening some very nice clothing items with "Were you HIGH?"  This was followed by throwing other siblings presents out of the windows.  What is happening?  Forget the presents for the kiddos, buy the following......... it is WAY cheaper!!!

Happy Saturdays

• Grand Lake Farmers Market
• Cana
• Heart and Dagger

This day could not have been better!  We started off by heading to the farmers market in our neighborhood to meet up with the cousins.  We normally would have found a soft place on the grass and soaked up the sun but we were on a mission for some nearby food at Cana.  Two words............... Cuban Sandwich (roasted pork, two slices of ham, melted cheese, sliced pickle all on a mojo slathered, toasty roll).  My girl had the picadillo empanadas, as usual, delicious!  After lunch istwas 5 o'clock on the other coast, so it seemed that heading to the Heart and Dagger was an appropriate place to take our caravan of family and friends that had grown to an octet.  But what would a relaxing afternoon on  the back patio of said Saloon be without a little sweet and savory kettle corn?  Snacks and a Tallboy to finish off the afternoon was just what the doctor ordered for this teacher on her first day of Thanksgiving break.  I am thankful for friends, family, local farmers, Cubans, popcorn, and $4.00 tall cans.

Living thankfully,

Frankie Mae

Interested in any of these spots?  Check out the links at the top of the post.

Dodgeball Thursdays

I'm finally not feeling any soreness in my body after last Thursday's 2 hour, marathon of dodge ball.  Let me tell you how amazing it was!!!!  Playing dodgeball with my co-workers and friends was the highlight of my week for the following reasons:

• Showed up to find out that girls play for FREE
• 30 people, 9 balls, 2 hours of fun
• 7 school teachers taking out their aggression by pummeling strangers with what they call "no sting" dodge balls (that's a lie, by the way)
• Playground rules like "JAIL BREAK!"
• 4:30 Female to Male ratio and they didn't let up on us one bit
• Hatcher getting smacked in the face, followed by an 8 second recovery period for anyone who gets hit in the head
• Soren, the Harvard BEAST............. he moves with such grace and he went to Harvard!   What?! That is my 6th grade counter part!
• Parra, catchin' balls all day since 1990.  Hoodball Champ!
• Bonding and feelin' fierce while throwing the hell out of a ball over 100 times with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre as the soundtrack

This week we're up for it again....................... more to follow

I'm taking the picture so you don't see me,

Frankie Mae

Karaoke Mondays

I can not emphasize how important it is to develop strong relationships at work.  For that reason, I have taken it upon myself to institute a weekly bonding ritual that I like to call Karaoke Mondays.  Each Monday, my co-workers and I meet in my classroom from 12:25-12:50 and use YouTube to find the karaoke versions of our chosen songs.  This week's highlights, A Veritable Smorgasbord from Charlotte's Web.  Nick made an excellent Templeton.  But, "who stole the show?" you might ask.......... it was Parra and Soren who sang A Whole New World from Aladdin.  Now let me remind you that I'm a teacher so these are all teachers singing during a staggered lunch.  How cool would it have been to hear some of my teachers singing Disney tunes down the hall when I was in school?  We will miss next Monday due to T-Day but we will make up for it the following week with a double header, a little Gaga and R-Kelly.

Did I mention we have a dodgeball team too? Work hard, Play Harder!!!!! More about that later......

Oh my life

Frankie Mae

Banana Pancakes

I love to cook!!!!!  I recently made these for my wifey.......... they were delicious!

I made banana pancakes and I thought you might want to try them out for yourself.  Here is a picture and the recipe.

I use Buisquick for pancakes.........

add one mashed banana to 2 servings of pancakes and cook as directed

for the topping:   Caramelize one sliced banana in butter and 2 tbs. of sugar

top with freshly sliced bananas and maple syrup

Try them out, and tell me how it goes.

Frankie Mae

Friends

So many people are under the impression that having a huge friends list on a social network or hundreds of numbers in the contact list of you Iphone is the mark of a full life.  I respectfully disagree.  This isn't a numbers game.  If you have 100 "friends", I hope that they are all true and real people that appreciate you for the gifts you have and struggles that challenge you daily.  Take time to be one of these people and to seek out others like you.

Just some thoughts........
Frankie Mae