Happy Leap Day

Since today was an extra day thrown into the calender I thought I'd actually take advantage of it. Recently on my days off I just sit around my house and read. Usually I'm okay with this but I am now beginning to feel the spring fever (it was near 70 today!) so I thought I should be productive.clothing to help the family.

Technically, I was also forced to be productive today because I finally got a hold of the student's mom that I had collected clothes for. If you don't remember one of my student's family was the victim of an arson. They lost everything. I am truly blessed with amazing friends who offered to pitch in and donate some of their old
The picture does not do the amount of donations justice. My entire trunk was packed, as well as half of the back seat. I had this stuff since November, I believe. Her mom lost my number in the midst of moving and I gave my number to my mentor teacher to deliver, but he must have forgotten too. Anyway, my friend, who also interns at the school gave her my number and I was finally able to drop of the clothing.

By the way their house is adorable. They have fixed it up and it looks really nice. The mother was so excited because two of the pillows I gave them matched my student's room and she said she was going to love it! Her mother was so thankful and it made me so happy I could help them out.

Afterwards, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I got dressed and went to Kroger and picked up my friend, Katy, to make lunch. I found a recipes for Spinach and Feta Quesadillas and Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad. I struggled real bad with these recipes. For some reason I always screw up when I cook with someone in the room. Anyway, they turned out all right seeing as I forgot to add the feta to the quesadillas and didn't have a food processor, accidentally added part of the quesadilla mixture to the salad, and forgot lime juice. Trial and error, I guess.

I also finished the book, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This brings my February book list to 5, and it means I have 15 more books to read to complete my New Years Goal. I was really determined to finish the book in February (Thank you leap year!). I really want to watch the movie for Never Let Me Go. Unfortunately, it is not on instant Netflix so I have to find some other means of obtaining the film. You can watch the trailer below which will give you an idea on whether or not the book would be something you were interested in reading. I do recommend it though if you don't want to watch the trailer!

Tonight I plan on watching more of season two of The Walking Dead because I heard the new episodes are really good!

The 100th Post

I wish I could make this post more exciting, but I can't. Sunday was a pretty good day for me. It was my first day off in several days after working for almost two weeks straight. I did wake up sick, but I drank a lot of tea to help me recover. I love tea.

My friend and I went to Marshall's and Walmart because he broke a plate trying to warm up his omelette. I said I would go with him because I wanted some tea from Marshall's. It turns out the Marshall's in Surrey Square doesn't have anything, so that is why we ended up at Walmart. 

I then came home and made banana bread and tried looking up something to make for dinner. It took me forever to find a recipe. I didn't even get to read last night, but that's okay because that is what today was for!

I ended up going back to Walmart (a different one this time) to get dinner supplies. I went back to my friends house and I made him dinner and we watched Inception. I was surprised how much I didn't remember from Inception. 

Pictures from my Sunday:

If you didn't know my hair is naturally curly, but I almost always straighten it. I left it curly yesterday because I didn't feel like straightening it.
3 things you need to do to get my curls: 1. Have curly hair; 2. Put in mousse and don't brush your hair when you get out of the shower; 3. Finish it off by using a diffuser on a hair dryer if it's too cold to leave it wet.

For dinner I made salt and pepper chicken (found here) and Lemon Thyme Rice (found here). The vegetables were just the pre-made frozen steamer vegetables. They were good though! I loved loved loved the rice and the chicken would have been better had I not used so much salt. I used the recipe for only 2 chicken breasts. Believe me, you don't need that much rub on the chicken!

All in all it was a good relaxing Sunday. I hope you enjoyed your Sunday as well!

Banana Bread

Not being in school or working really puts a damper on life. I'm still working at my part time job (I actually put a lot of hours in recently), but I'd really like an adult job. Anyways, life must go on and so I decided to make some banana bread. Now, I used to make this like every other week, but I haven't made it in a while.

What you will need:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 325 F. Butter or spray a 9x5x3 in. loaf pan.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
   
3. In a small bowl mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in milk and cinnamon.
   
4. In another bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.
   
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes
   
7. ENJOY!
   

How to Perfect the Cleveland Accent

I wrote this back in 2009 and decided to resurface it. I don’t really get made fun of for the way I talk anymore, but I also haven’t been in contact with people all that often lately. Anyways, enjoy it!

So, until I moved to Cincinnati I never realized how distinct my “accent” really was. Or the way I talk, for that matter. People always make fun of me, or correct my sentences because I usually say things like “Where’s my phone at?” instead of simply “Where is my phone?” In light of this, and my love for Cleveland, I researched what the accent really is and will now teach all of you in case you ever wanted to make fun of me when you hear me talk.

The list of how to perfect that accent:

• Put unneccessary prepositions at the end of sentences. Ex:Where’s the pencil at? 
• Say, “You guys” a lot. I never knew, until now, that this is a Cleveland thing. I really do say “you guys” a lot. 
• It’s all about the prepositions. Use the preposition over in the middle of a sentence. Ex: I’m going over to my friends houseinstead of I’m going to my friends house. 
• Sound nasally. I don’t understand this one, but apparently the way we talk it sounds nasally. 
• IT’S ALL ABOUT STRESSING THE A’S! This one is a biggy! I get made fun of for how I say my’s A’s. Especially in words like “accent.” Make sure it’s a long A sound as if there were another vowel. Draw out that A. Ex: Aaaaaccent! 
• Stress O’s also, but not as important as that A sound. Also, because you love that A you tend to say dawg instead of dog or maaawm instead of mom. 
• Talk fast. 
• Since you talk fast make sure you combine your words. Ex:Wassup instead of what’s up? 
• Drop that g. Ex: “How are you doin’?” instead of “How are you doing?” 
• Please, never say soda. It’s POP! 
• Sound Canadian by using “eh.” I was told I sound Canadian once. 

This was fun to write! I hope you all perfect that Cleveland accent! ;)

Today's Highlights

1. I didn't have a concussion yesterday and woke up fine for work!
Back story: Yesterday I was at work cleaning the steam table. I twisted my body around the side to make sure it was turned off, but at the same time I was also draining water.  In order to make sure the water wasn't going to over flow (moments before it did) I whipped back around not realizing that the plastic protector was sticking out and in my way. I managed to knock my head, near the temple, right into it. I had to stop everything for a few minutes then I started to lose hearing in my right ear. Luckily, the hearing loss only lasted about 15 minutes. I filled out a incident report, but today I only have a headache!

2. Received a letter from a friend!

3. Had a 10 year old tell me that he had a crush on me, "but not in that way."

4. Drank massive amounts of tea!

5. Was reminded of my trip to San Francisco, and it made me really want to go back.

6. Continued reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

My Weekend In Pictures

Worked here:

Made this:

Ate this: 

Watched this:

Read this:

Saw:

Her and her!

It was a very good weekend in my opinion, except maybe for working. Hope you all had a spectacular weekend as well!