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Comfort Food = Chocolate from Home

Welcoming Wednesday

Central's Foreign Exchange students were formally welcomed at a reception after school. This is our Line, with her friend, Helen, from the Ukraine. (Helen is her new American name!)

First, an official welcome from our Principal Uttermark. He is also a graduate of CHS and one who 'bleeds blue and gold'...you know what I mean!

Each of the 12 students stood to introduce themselves and their host family. They told us about their family at home, their parent's occupation, their hobbies, interests and their school activities.

This is Emilie from Oslo. She and Line have become good friends. We have carpool arrangements with their family, as they live about two blocks from us. This is Hubby's week to drive the girls to school.

...which...by the way...was a much nicer commute than yesterday....

Tuesday's Tip of the Day

So...if you are caught in the rain without an umbrella, a plastic bag for your head is the next best thing.

This morning, I got ready as usual, applied makeup, ironed my clothes, curled my hair, and packed my bags. Then...it started pouring.

As most of you know, I teach Basic Foods at Central and my morning routine includes a stop at the supermarket to get lab supplies before school. Here is the view of the store from inside my car...see, I parked right by the cart corral. Well, lucky for me, I had my track/cross country rain gear in the car...but, even then... by the time I had the groceries in my car and then the groceries hauled into the school, I was wet...

Was it worth it? Here's what we made today...

Cheesy Pizza Puffs

1 tube Refrigerated Biscuit Dough

Dried Oregano, crushed

Garlic Powder

5 oz. Mozzarella cheese

Pizza Sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Separate biscuit dough into 10 pieces. Make an indentation in the center of each piece with your thumb. Lightly sprinkle with oregano and garlic powder. Place 1 cheese cube in the center of each indentation. Pull dough over cheese and firmly pinch together to completely cover the cheese. Place seam side down, 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with pizza sauce.

Happy Labor Day

Line, our foreign exchange daughter, is happy to have a day off ... but she askes ..."What is Labor Day?"

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer.

Best Wishes for a Happy and Safe Labor Day with your Family and Friends.

Stitching and Stewing on Sunday

Well, not so much...This is my view from my spot on the couch. Today, I am not feeling so swell. I have a headache, a slight fever, a headache, a runny nose and a headache. Now...I ususally don't get sick. Last year I used only one sick day and that, I believe was due to stress. (Remember the naughty boys that did intentional damage in my classroom and I was not sleeping at night?) I have not had a bad cold...since...can't remember when. So I am on the couch and Callie is showing her support from the loveseat across the way...See the look of concern on her face?

Now if I was up to going somewhere, my sister-in-law is having a little BBQ at her place. We were to bring a dish to pass. My plan was to make my Zucchini Casserole, but I'm sure no one wants to eat anything that I have touched...But here is my recipe anyway...

Zucchini Casserole

INGREDIENTS
6 cups sliced zucchini
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream, lowfat
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
1 (6 ounce) package herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix (I have used my own dried seasoned bread cubes here to reduce the sodium)
1/2 cup margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook zucchini in lightly salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl. Stir in the condensed soup, sour cream, onion and carrots.
In a small bowl, Mix together stuffing and melted margarine. Spread half of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of the casserole dish. Add the zucchini mixture, and top with remaining stuffing mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden.

Things in my House Thursday

In June, I showed you my lovely birthday gifts from my family and friends. As promised, I am elaborating on the Salad Serving Set that I received from our daughter Amy. I knew in an instant that this was not an ordinary set...this set is handcrafted from olive wood, grown in Kenya. The handles are inlaid with cow horn, adorned in traditional African designs. Amy purchased this with the help of one of her friends that she met during her UNL undergrad years. This salad fork and spoon set was handcrafted in Kenya...and sold under the name Woodsmoke. This purchase actively supports an African artist and her family. The design illustrates the love, the longing, and the pull that Africa has on our hearts.

Meet Miriam Kamanthe
She started her business selling curios in 1995 as a means to provide for her family. She has two children, a son Christopher who is 15 and a daughter, Dorothy who is 18. Her husband is unemployed but helps her out every day with her business running errands for her. Her business supports her family as well as pays for rent, utilities and school fees for her children. In a good year her business would make about $2,600, but this year due to a drop in tourism business has not been that good and she has made only $650.
In the future she would like to open her own store where she would not have to daily move merchandise to and from the shop. In order for this to happen she would have to make $3,850 a year and this is where Woodsmoke has come to partner with her. We want to provide local African artisans with an international market thereby increasing their ability to make a profit and in turn improving their lives and helping them to achieve their dreams.

Whatcha Workin on Wednesday?

We have had just one week of school...but with block scheduling, we have covered two weeks worth of curriculum. My book bag overfloweth...It seems there is always something to correct.

Since I finished my Halloween Pillows, my Pumpkins and my Thanksgiving Turkeys...I was in the mood for a completely new project...