links and wordles

great fun - 

101 exercises  (Found this one through: 100 Best Blogs for the Mind, Body, and Soul)

Wordle

wordle #1:

wordle #2:

Quote - Learning

This is a poem from my class notes in an Introduction to Counseling class that I took during my senior year of college at UT in 2006.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters; by: Portia Nelson

Chapter 1

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost . . . I am helpless.

It isn't my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in. . . it's a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter 4

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street.

From: Stark, M. (1994). Working with resistance.  Northvale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, Inc., p. xxi.

lolcats

kittens as counselors like me!

lolcats - icanhascheezburger homepage.

Graduate School - February Update

Graduate School 

Other than the massive amounts of reading... Here's an example of what I've been up to lately. 

Books are also posted on my GoodReads. RSS.

Recently completed assignments: (remember school just started January 19th-ish... was that really only a month ago?!)

College Student Development - Leadership/Mentoring/Training 

-Scholarly Article Summaries/Presentations: 

WICS Approach to Leadership by Robert Sternberg

Teaching Leadership by Susan Leshnower

-Reading/Researching other articles on leadership

-Textbook  for first half of class

-Workshop development - will be leading 60-90 minute leadership training workshop to Resident Assistants at the end of April 

Counseling - Skills and Techniques

-Textbook 

-First video, transcription of every word said in the video, table for transcription observations/comments/intentions; and critique paper 

(worked in groups; Turned in the 20 minute session that I served as the therapist)

Counseling - Multicultural Counseling and Diversity

-Reading times ten million - textbooks, articles, outside readings on Blackboard

-Cultural Autobiography - Scholarly critique paper, at least 10 sources, 25 pages 

-Diversity Project - ongoing throughout semester (will blog about this later)

-Collaborative Wiki - researching populations, creating a chapter on specific population

I've found some cool articles (Seven Habits of Highly Effective Health Educators) and some cool quotes in my readings.  I hope to share more of this type of thing soon. 

Cooking Related Lately

Other things we've been cooking around here this week are the usuals - 

Meatloaf and Tortilla Soup (variations of previously posted recipes)

And on the baking side - 

Chunky Apple Cake (Note - Lockstep likes this one, but it is not one of my favorites)

Beer Cheese Bread  (made with Coors Light and Mexican blend cheese)

Beer Bread (made with  Ziegan Boch Amber)

Now that I'm in school full-time we have more frozen foods for meals. This week we had some Marie Callender's and Gorton's Beer Batter Fish.  I'm looking forward to having the pizza that is in the freezer box, too!

Link to list of Marie Callendar's frozen meals. We like these because of the size and it includes vegetables (as compared to other frozen dinners like Boston Market or Hungry Man that usually have mostly meat and potato).

Lockstep is a fan of the Honey Roasted Chicken, Honey Roasted Turkey, Turkey with Stuffing, and Chicken Pot Pie among others. (Lasagna and Meatloaf are pretty good, too). 

Lockstep enjoyed the Beer Battered Fish last night.  It made the apartment smell like Long John Silvers though!

This blog - frozen food journal -is website looks cool.. May have some good info/opinions. I  hate having so much frozen food, so I'll have to work on the meal planning/organizing.  Seems like some weeks are busier than others, and some weeks I feel like cooking more than others. 

In the cooking/baking queue:

King Ranch Casserole

Lasanga - Meat or Spinach (I've made this Spinach Lasagna recipe before, and it was really good/easy). 

Pancakes 

Snickerdoodles/Cookies (either Betty Crocker's recipe or a Mrs. Field's Recipe- 

Top Secret Copy Cat Recipe;

Cookie Recipe Club 

Brownies (Looks like an easy/quick recipe and doesn't use a lot of prep measuring tools, and I've usually got all of these ingredients).

And this looks pretty good, too - Mexican Potato Omelette from Martha Stewart

Cooking - Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

Recipe:  Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

From:  Nicole at Baking Bites

Notes:  I've made these a couple times and really like them.  They are a chewy and soft cookie bar.  Definitely don't overbake these!  They are super easy, quick to make, and doesn't use a lot of bowls/spoons/etc in the prep process. 

Recipe Link: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

Ingredients: 

1 cup all purpose flour


1/2 cup sugar


1/2 cup brown sugar


1/2 tsp baking soda


1/2 tsp salt


1/2 tsp ground cinnamon


1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg


1 tsp vanilla extract


1 large egg


1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled


2 cups quick cooking (not instant) oats


1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Take 8x8 inch pan and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.


Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in vanilla, egg and melted butter until smooth. 

Stir in oats and raisins until they are evenly distributed.


Pour dough into prepared pan and spread into a even layer with a spatula.

Bake for 22 minutes, or until bars are set and the center no longer looks wet. Edges will be golden brown. Cool pan on a wire rack before slicing.
Cut into 18 rectangular bars to serve.

Yield:  

18 cookie bars

MIA - Update

Hi!  I've been MIA on the blog scene since the move to Austin.  Things have been so busy.  I'm a full time graduate student and working.  I love my classes this semester, but I should have only taken 6 hours instead of 9.  I don't have enough time get get everything done!

School Related - 

The classes I'm taking this semester:

College Student Development - Leadership, Mentoring, and Training

Counseling - Skills and Techniques

Counseling - Multicultural Counseling and Diversity

Cooking Related -

Recently I made this pumpkin bread from Betty Crocker and it turned out pretty good. And, I made peanut butter cookies using this peanut butter cookie recipe from Cookie Madness, It was really easy and delicious (I loved looking through her "one bowl" cookie/brownie recipes).

I'll probably be making Snickerdoodles (haven't decided on a recipe, yet) and Apple Bread (that chunky apple cake recipe from Eat Better America.com) sometime this weekend. 

Austin Related -

Lockstep and I are loving Austin.  We go running almost daily at Clint Small Middle School. We go to Austin Stone for church on Sunday evenings.  Of course Maudie's breakfast tacos are a regular staple in our weekly routine as well.  

Ok, considering I have 3 big assignments due next week I should stop procrastinating and get busy.  Have a great weekend!