Livin' the Dream in Lima

Christmas-time is here!  My Business Man and I had a wonderful family-filled Thanksgiving break. We traveled back to Illinois, and got to visit lots of family and friends. We squeezed in a lot of eating, some shopping, and even a 4-mile road race! 'Twas a great time of rejuvenation and cheer.  Before we left the Bean Town, we went ahead and put up our Christmas tree, so it would be all ready for the Christmas festivities when we returned. While we were home, we picked up all our ornaments and decorations that had still been living with our parents so we could decorate! Last night was the perfect cozy night for some tree trimming. We started off with a comforting casserole for dinner, Company Casserole. My mom used to make this for me growing up, and it's the perfect winter meal. The recipe actually came from her aunt, I believe. I changed it a little by adding the spinach. (Gotta get those veggies in somewhere!) I think it is virtually impossible to take an attra...

So, as you all know, last week I was privileged to attend a Taste of Home Fall Cooking Show. (See the recap here . By the way... whenever you see "TOH" that means Taste of Home. Just so ya know.) Ever since, I have been inspired to kick my game up a notch in the kitchen. Lately, I have begun to rely on the same quick easy meals. (Grilled cheese & tomato soup, BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Tacos...) Also, my Business Man and I had a rare weekend in the Bean Town with not much planned. So why not devote my whole Sunday afternoon to cooking a scrumptious meal? We decided that we'd have our own mini-Thanksgiving. Minus the turkey. (Neither of us is the biggest fan of turkey. It always seems to be dry or tough.) On the Menu:      Spinach Salad with Cranberries & Feta      Pear-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (from the TOH cooking show)      Green Bean Casserole with a Twist (a TOH recipe)      Cranberry Sauce      Golde...

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty awesome day.  First things first, it started with a fog-delay. Woo hoo for starting the school day at 10:18am and still finishing at the usual 3:04pm! It was so nice to have a leisurely morning at home. I got my run in early, and got to watch Saved by the Bell instead of the usual Family Matters. When I came home from the gym, I didn't have to rush-rush-rush to get out the door. I actually ate my oatmeal at home, instead of in my classroom. And , I got to sip my coffee while watching the Today Show! What a wonderful morning. The fun didn't stop with the fog-delay. Later that night, the Lima Civic Center had a very special show. Taste of Home Cooking School!!! Right up my alley.  My Business Man was so nice to get tickets, and even to accompany me to the show. Just one of the many reasons I married that man... Not only did he take me to the show, but even out to eat before-hand. We hit up one of our favs, Panera Bread. Nothing bett...

As I have gotten more accustomed to the demands of my first year of teaching, I have had a little more free time than I did at the beginning of the school year. It also helps that cross country is over, so that's an extra hour and a half back to my day. I 'joined' a book club of teachers at my school. It's a group of 10-12 women, and each month they read a book--then, get together and talk about it! Sounds like fun to me. For November, the book chosen was "The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes" by Diane Chamberlain. I had already read another novel by Chamberlain over the summer (post-wedding, pre-teaching job), "The Lies We Told". I enjoyed it very much, so I looked forward to reading this one. Synopsis:  (Taken from  http://www.dianechamberlain.com/chamberlain-secret-synopsis.htm ). Twenty-eight years ago, a North Carolina governor's young, pregnant wife was kidnapped. Now, her remains have been found and a man charged with her murder. Only o...