What I wish I could do...

My favorite meal we had on vacation was a perfectly prepared white fish called Opah. And it didn't hurt that it looked good on the plate too. It had a spicy seasoning and it was lightly blackened. Yum!!

I can bake salmon and that's about it as far as fish is concerned, and it never looks pretty either. Does anyone know some secrets to grilling/preparing fish?

Here's a couple of other photos from that same night... my friends Heidi and Amy got King crab legs and they were awesome!

Baking Bears

I meant to post this awhile back... but time has escaped me. We've been really busy lately. After graduating, there was a flurry of activity. Friends in town, Graduation weekend, followed by my birthday. Then more friends in town, the 4th of July, and then a wonderful trip to Maui. Now that we're back, I'm working a short teaching job Monday through Friday for the next 4 weeks. Then I'll go straight to my new permanent teaching job. It's a good summer, but very busy!

So back to my original point... during the last few weeks of school, I was able to do some substitute teaching at the school I spent a lot of time at this year, which was so much fun. My first grade classroom from student teaching also wanted to celebrate my birthday! That meant I would get to bring treats in and see all of my students for one last time before school let out for the summer. I decided to make cupcakes, but wanted to be a little more creative than using the box mix and frosting I had in my pantry already... (a friend of mine did something similar for her son's first birthday party) here is the result:
















They are supposed to be bears... I think they turned out pretty cute! All of the kids really liked them. They also liked picking off the candies and altering the bears faces.
Besides chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting, I used:
-Brown sugar crystals
-Jelly Beans
-Marshmallows
-Milk and carmel chews
-Chocolate chips

My last class... really this time

Tonight was the final class I had to attend today at Seattle University in order to finish my Masters degree. In the last few months I've had my last day of student teaching, my last class as a whole cohort of 50 students, and I presented my Masters project. All of these were very big milestones, but today was another one. Each student must take an elective class that meets in the evening once a week. It was a drag going to them and while the instructor and class material was great, I dreaded going each time.

This last class was different from most I've had and included a short presentation and then a class potluck. I made Szechuan noodles recipe courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa and my friend and mentor teacher, Krysta. It was a fun class.




I forgot to take a photo of the noodles beforehand. This is the after:

Here is the recipe:
6 garlic cloves
1/4 c. chopped ginger
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. sherry
1/4 c. sherry vinegar
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. hot chili oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4. tsp cayenne/red pepper powder
->Combine above ingredients and puree in a food processor or blender
1 pound spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
4 scallions sliced diagonally
-> Cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain and place in serving bowl.
-> Toss w/ 3/4 of sauce, then add the peppers and scallions.
-> Add remaining sauce if needed.

I love this dish because it can be served hot or cold, and you can add so many different things to it.... chicken, tofu, prawns, etc. The sauce keeps well and can be made well ahead of time, so it is easy to throw together at the last minute.

Now, there is nothing more required of me. I do get to walk across Qwest field on Sunday with a funny cap and gown.

Road Trip

Two weekends ago we spent five days or so out of town while we trekked to Hamilton, Montana for a family wedding. Noah's cousin got married and we caravanned with his parents... making a stop in Spokane the first night to say hello to my mom and step-dad. The trip included a detour at my favorite chinese place in Spokane for some take-out, many, many pit-stops and gas-ups (we took 2 trucks... isn't that economical? :) It was comfortable though so we didn't mind spending a bit more on gas). The whole trip was fun and I was really able to relax and take a breath after presenting my master's project the week before. I did get a little sleep deprived... even owing apologies for some uncharacteristic fits of crankiness... so I was definitely ready to snuggle up at home by the end of our trip. Regardless, it was so exciting to visit a new place and take in the sights along the way. Here are a few shots from our trip plus a look at the natural beauty of "Big Sky Country"