"My Dad is so...

MEAN!!!"

                                                                 -Coda

Another year...

 

Another group of kids to interview.  This is probably one of the biggest things that could happen to these kids and I am fortunate enough to have the privilege of getting to be a part of that.  It was, wow!, so many years ago that I sat in the hot seat these kids will sit in tomorrow!  I faced a bunch of adults, I felt lousy with a cold, and I answered questions based on an application I hadn't read or totally thought about in a number of months.  It was a long day -- a day that started with me attempting to "chill" with a bunch of kids I didn't know -- that included interviews, both individual and a group.  About 2 weeks later I received a hall pass in class telling me that my mom would pick me up. With trepidation I went to the office, signed out and went to the car.  (I still have that hall pass!)  There it was, sitting on the seat.  THE envelope.  I didn't want to open it, I couldn't wait to tear the letter out.  I WAS ACCEPTED TO GO TO GERMANY!!!  More paperwork later, I am assigned to join Manfred, Ellen, Britta and Julia in northern West Germany (yes, there were two Germany's then!).  I tried to call them but only got a recording -- that I couldn't understand!!  What ever was I going to do?  All of my school German was failing me miserably!  Fast forward the end of July, the family vacation consists of a cross-country drive to D.C. where I would say good-bye to my family for 11 full months.  Wow.  The beginning of HUGE change.  Eleven months alternately crawl and fly by.  At the end, I can say, they FLEW at supersonic speed.  That year changed me.  In some ways just very subtly but in others very profoundly.  I love the city, I love to travel, I'm drawn to foreigners, I love historical things more than ever.  I expanded.  My thoughts expanded.  My heart expanded.I have friends and "family" who are forever.  Tomorrow I hold in my hands the power to change another person for I have the power to send them in search of themselves in this great big huge world that we live in - this huge world that is shrinking as I write this!

1988

Ellen, Omama, Manfred, Julia and Britta

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

To the Coolest, Hippest Dad a girl could have:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Finished Project!

Some lucky kid's going to have a serious sugar high with this gift!!

The Sound of Silence!!

It's been a good day!  With no music, no noise, nothing but the wash machine and dryer hum, I've managed to get a TON done!  I pretty much have my English essay done, I got cookies decorated, the bathrooms clean.  It's good!  The coolest part though?  I get to have 3 teenagers at the house right now.  They are working on a project for world history regarding child labor.  Tristan is filming and Sidney and Tiana are child laborers.  The VERY best part?!  The girls' mouths are duct taped!!  LOL!  Very clever!  Very powerful statement they are making, but the mom in me is giggling!  So beautiful!

I'm lovin' it!

No, I'm not talking about McDonald's!  You know, the greatest things are sometimes the simplest!  I'm making a project for Tiana to take to a Valentine's Get Together this weekend.  It involves sugar cookie dough.  On the recipe that I'm using, the suggestion was made to roll the dough out on parchment and then cut your cookies out, remove the scraps and then just slide the parchment onto your baking sheet.  Or, roll them out directly on the parchment on the cookie sheet.  Well, WHAT A NOVEL IDEA!!!  I have the Sil-Pat and it's corresponding baking sheet and if I use the sides of the pan as my rolling pin guide, not only is the idea PERFECT, but now my dough is also EVEN!!!  Let's just say, there are some BIG smiles in this kitchen today!  I'll post pictures of the project when I'm finished -- probably tomorrow!  Oh, and another suggestion was to use powdered sugar to roll it out with instead of flour.  You add that much more flavor!  Fantastic ideas all of them!!

It's a Keeper!!

One thing that I love to do for my family is to cook a nice Sunday meal.  I don't do it often - frequent Sunday morning openings at work prevent that - but when I do, I want it to be nice.  Today I tried a new recipe.  It's very simple!  I didn't even prep anything before Meeting!  Even better!!  I hope you like it!  I served it with pesto pasta, oven-roasted asparagus and red pepper and garlic bread.. YUM!

Garlic Lover's Chicken
from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking

½ c.   dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
½ tsp. salt, optional
1/8 tsp. pepper
¼ c. milk
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¼ c. butter, melted
1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tbs. lemon juice
paprika

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine first five ingredients.  Place milk in a shallow bowl.  Dip chicken in milk, then shake in the crumb mixture.  Place in a greased 13x9x2" baking dish.  Combine the butter, garlic and lemon juice; drizzle over the chicken.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

I used Italian bread crumbs and omitted the fresh parsley.  I also, per hubby's standing request, pounded the chicken breasts flat.  For the 3 of us I used 2 breast halves and ALL of the crumbs and butter mixture!  DELICIOUS!!!