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! 

Back in Austin!

Hi!

I've been MIA on the blog scene lately because we've been in the process of moving.  The first week back to work at Rice was busy because they started back to school on January 5 (incredibly early compared to other universities) and there was a  grant deadline for the DOD.  

Lockstep is a professional when it comes to moving.  We had everything wrapped in newspaper, boxed up, and labeled by Saturday.  Lockstep's dad and Matt came over to help us load into the Uhaul truck on Sunday.  Then Lockstep's dad and Jordan helped unload everything when we moved in on Monday morning.  Moving went so smoothly!  Kudos to Lockstep who made sure we had cable/internet/and our office set up by the end of the day on Monday.  :)

In Austin last week we spent our time unpacking boxes, going to orientation at St. Ed's, hanging out with Bailey Jane, going to Trivia Night at Pluckers with Bailey Jane, and watching Lost.  

Today we went to church at EV Free and there's NFL on TV.  I'll try to get some photos, recipes, and more Austin/Houston info on the blog this week!  

School starts on Tuesday!

Cooking - German Style

The last meal I cooked for Erik in our apartment in Houston was German cuisine. Lockstep is quite proficient in the German language.  I'm learning - audio discs in the car and have a couple of books (German in 10 minutes a day :)  It's something I'd like to work on more often.  For our next vacation we'd like to visit Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  So I'd like to be more familiar with the language by the time we plan to travel. Our last name is German... Hensarling... came from Heinzerling (phonetically, I need to learn the spelling of the great-grandfather's name).  They changed the name at Ellis Island. 

Dinner:

Grilled Bratwursts

Roasted German Potato Salad

Sauteed Sauerkraut with Caraway Seeds

The Roasted German Potato Salad I've been making for about a year now.  The index card that I wrote the recipe on says that it came from cooks.com in April 2008.  This isn't my favorite potato salad ever, but Lockstep really likes it and it goes well with the bratwurst and sauerkraut.  

Recipe:  Roasted (German) Potato Salad

Notes:  

-Amounts are approximate.  Depends on how many potatoes I have in the pantry. 

-I usually make extra of the dressing part.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes

1 clove garlic or 1/8 tsp garlic powder

5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon grainy mustard

2 teaspoons minced chives

1 teaspoon rosemary

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

-Spray baking dish with Pam. 

-Scrub potatoes, cut into quarters, and place in a single layer in a baking dish. 

-Mix together 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic, salt, pepper.  Scatter over the potatoes.

(Note:  Sometimes I put the potatoes in a bowl and toss with the olive oil mixture.  Then I put the potatoes on the baking dish.)

-Toss and roast for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. 

-Beat the vinegar and mustard, and whisk in the remaining olive oil until smooth.

-Add roasted potatoes and herbs.  Cool to room temperature and serve. 

Yield:  Serves 6

Quotes

-----------------

from helping skills by clara hill

the one who listens is the one who understands. 

-afrikan (jabo) proverb

-he who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. 

-nietzche

ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.

-leo buscaglia

---------------

if you life to be a hundred, i want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so i never have to live without you. --winnie the pooh

your boots may be made for walking... but mine are in case I need to kick your ass. 

 --erin smith

five simple rules for happiness:

1. free your heart from hatred. 

2. free your mind from worries.

3. live simply.

4. give more.

5. expect less.

--unknown

very little is needed to make a happy life.  

--unknown

into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work, hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest, prayer, meditation, and one well-elected solution. put about one teaspooonful of good spirits. a dash of fun, a pinch of folly,  sprinkle of play, and cupful of good humor. 

--pottery barn, page 96, january 2009 issue, writings on a chalkboard

Cooking - Basic Beer-Cheese Bread

Recipe:  Basic Beer-Cheese Bread  or just Basic Beer Bread

From:  Cooking Light

Link to recipe.

Picture:  Will add later when I upload from the camera. 

Notes:  

I've made this bread twice in the last couple of days.   So easy!  So good!  I've made a couple of changes to the recipe to fit with what we have in the pantry. 

One time I substituted jalapenos for the onions.  

One time I left out the onions and cheese parts entirely and just made the basic bread part.  

Recipe below is copy/paste directly from the website.  In parenthesis are details that I added.  

Ingredients:

• 
  
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
  
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped yellow onion  (I used jalapenos)
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  garlic clove, minced

(I've also made this bread with just the ingredient items below)

• 13.5  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
• 3  tablespoons  sugar  (I used splenda-sugar blend)
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese  (I used the 2% milk Mexican blend cheese)  (I've also made this bread without including the cheese at all)
• 1  (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)  (I used Coors Light)
• Cooking spray  (or just butter the pan)
• 2  tablespoons  melted butter, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

(Lockstep and I like the bread really soft and just barely done on the inside, so I baked the bread for the 35 minutes and then only 15 minutes.)

Yield:  1 loaf 

Recipes and Moving

Happy New Year!  

I'll be posting some recipes from the last couple of weeks soon.  We made Neiman Marcus Cookies/Rice Krispy Treats for Christmas Eve and Queso/Quesadillas for New Years Eve, so I'll post those recipes and photos.  

Lockstep and I are moving to Austin in a week!  So, we are trying to eat/cook everything in the kitchen so that we don't have to move it.  I've planned to make some more bread and cookies to use up the flour and butter.  We just used up the last of the eggs, bread, and cooking spray.  Recipes will have to start getting more creative as the week goes by!

They grow up so fast (part 2)!

Flashback photos of Monkey as a kitten (2007)

They grow up so fast!

Flashback photos of Avery as a kitten (2006)

Butter vs. Margarine

I recently switched from "margarine"  to "butter"  for cooking and baking.  I've made the apple-cinnamon coffee cake and the cinnamon rolls using butter.  I just laid out 4 sticks of butter on the counter (letting it soften to room temperature) for baking Neiman Marcus Cookies (one of the cookies Lockstep likes;  taking a bunch of these cookies to the in-law family Christmas Eve).

I'm still not sure which is better - butter or margarine.  I know there is much debate.  We don't eat enough butter/margarine on a daily basis to be too worried about it.  But I'd like to know if one is better than the other for baking.  

I'll stick with butter for a while - test some recipes and see if there's a difference. 

So the jury is still out:  Butter or Margarine?  

Cooking - Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe:  Cinnamon Rolls with Icing

From:  The Pioneer Woman (cinnamon rolls); Betty Crocker (icing)

Click here for the recipe link. 

Photo credit:  Lockstep

Notes:  

This recipe - 

• The recipe makes A LOT of cinnamon rolls.
• I didn't prepare the maple frosting from The Pioneer Woman's recipe because Lockstep requested "regular icing."  Plus, neither of us is real big on maple-flavored stuff anyways. 
  
• The dough is really sticky. 
• You need a lot of extra flour and extra space to roll out the dough. 

This time - 

• I prepared half of the recipe and still had 2 pans of cinnamon rolls.  
  
• This was my first time working with live yeast.  (I've been hesitant to try anything that requires yeast or a lot of kneading.)   Now I know that it's really not hard to make things with yeast!  
  
• The cinnamon rolls turned out delicious - Lockstep and I have been eating cinnamon rolls for days!
  
• For the icing:  powdered sugar, skim milk, vanilla.  Whisk together (and add more powdered sugar or milk) until get the consistency desired. 

Next time -

•  I'll only make 1/4 of the recipe (so only 1 pan of cinnamon rolls).
  
• Keep practicing with the cinnamon rolls - rolling/slicing the dough and neatness with come with practice.  Practice makes perfect, right?! 

Twilight Love

Cafe Press has some really cool stuff.  If you're having a slow day at work, then it's a fun site to shop around..

I love this:  "For the love of God Edward, Bite Me!" 

Tortilla Soup

Recipe: Tortilla Soup

Notes: This is a basic tortilla soup that we enjoy.  What we have in stock determines what goes in the soup.  It varies every time we make this soup.  

Ingredients:

chicken broth

roasted garlic (or minced)

chopped tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes)

onion, chopped/diced

jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings

dried oregano, cumin, chili powder

shredded, cooked chicken meat (or leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded)

limes, juiced

extras:  

mexican blend cheese

sliced avocado

corn tortillas or chips

Directions:

--In a heavy pot, bring the broth to a boil.  Add garlic, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and spices to the stock.  Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.

--Then add lime juice and chicken to the soup.  Simmer until chicken is heated.

--Pour soup into bowl and add optional/extra ingredients.

Stephanie Plum

I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich  (fun, easy reads).  This month's "Character Profile" includes reader recipes.  There are more reader recipes at the bottom of the page from previous years (around the holiday season).  Here's the link to the author's website with the reader recipes. 

cheetah

the cheetah is awesome.

cheetah conservation fund