If I believed in that sort of thing, I would say I must have faced starvation in a past life. Why else would I be so neurotic about throwing away food? Of course, R giving me post-apocalyptic novels to read seems to have only increased that drive to save and hoard food.
In any case, homemade bread crumbs are certainly a more normal expression of that making-food-out-of-leftovers drive. Plus, it totally removes the guilt associated with the heels of bread (or, in this case, a couple of orphaned hot dog buns and some old pita bread).
I'd normally write out the directions for you, but I didn't think I could top the step by step guide, with pictures, I used. The bread crumbs turned out quite nice and crispy, and the whole thing was quite easy. I don't think you'll be seeing me buying breadcrumbs ever again.
Recipe Review: Homemade Bread Crumbs
Turning students into cacti
No, I haven't discovered some sort of magical formula for turning troublesome children into passive vegetables (aside from TV, that is). I suppose a more accurate statement would be "turning students' money into cacti" or possibly even "obtaining money from your students for fun and profit."
At the bottom of this convoluted chain is the fact that my 6th graders are never ever prepared for class. There are always a few in need of writing utensils, and I'm certain that the majority of the class does not have a sheet of paper to their name. I've got a small supply of writing utensils, many of which I've collected from the classroom after the class has been dismissed, but my students were constantly forgetting to return said utensils after they borrowed them. After a while, I started asking for collateral.
Now, I've heard of some teachers making students leave a shoe when they borrow a pencil, but I really wasn't interested in having a desk full of stinky kid shoes. When they asked what I wanted I simply specified that it was to be something that they would miss, leaving them to figure out what to leave with me. Frequently, I get backpacks and binders, but on one occasion a student gave me their cell phone.
A couple of weeks ago, one of my more chronically unprepared students started using money as collateral. Generally he'll give me a dollar, but on one occasion he gave me five. Unfortunately for him, he's also fairly distracted, so he wound up forgetting about his money on two occasions, leaving me with two dollars. Had he brought me a pencil the next class session, I would have gladly given it back, but he seemed to have forgotten all about it.
So, there I was with two dollars of student money that I didn't really know what to do with. I would have felt a little odd spending it on myself, but at the same time the student gave me the dollar for the express purpose of repaying me for the writing utensil he took. Lucky for me, my guilt was alleviated by another one of my students, who was selling cacti for two dollars as a fund raiser for the softball team. Putting the money back into the school seemed like the most appropriate use for it, plus I got something cute for my garden.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you turn students into cacti.
Pardon the mess
I've decided that it is time for a snazzy new template. Things will be nonfunctional for a bit, but I will get them back to normal as soon as possible.
P.S. If there is any more Spanish text hiding around the site (aside from the credit at the bottom), please tell me.
Recipe Review: Infused Vodka
I'm not much of a vodka drinker myself, but a friend's birthday provided the perfect excuse to try infusing a little bit of flavor into alcohol. Out of all the berries at the supermarket, the raspberries were the most fragrant, so I decided that they and a couple of moist-looking vanilla beans would make a nice combination.
I've got to warn you, though, that you really should check this concoction regularly. Due to school and the rigorous cat medication and feeding routine, I completely forgot about this for a week. Although it had turned a lovely raspberry color (sucking the pigment right out of the raspberries themselves), the dominant flavor wound up being the vanilla. Perhaps one bean would have been enough, but I suppose it will make a nice flavorful mixer.
Vanilla-Raspberry Vodka
Adapted from wikiHow
750 ml medium grade vodka
1 punnet fresh raspberries
2 vanilla beans
1 1-qt. mason jar
1. Wash fruit and split open vanilla beans. Place the fruit and vanilla beans in the clean mason jar
2. Add the vodka and seal the jar. Put it out of the sunlight (perhaps in a cabinet), but somewhere where you won't forget about it like I did.
3. Wait a week or so, testing the flavor every day or two. You might want to take out the vanilla beans a few days before the raspberries finish infusing.
4. Filter liquid back into the bottle (I used a coffee filter I liberated from my school's lab supply closet) and enjoy. One could also turn the pale raspberries into a rather potent smoothie, if so desired.
Of course, now that I've done that I find myself wanting to try other projects (and am pining over the associated tools).
Recipe Review: Kumquat Marmalade
The trees in my backyard are dripping with citrus, and even after a month of furious eating I'm still drowning in orange fruit. Coincidentally, I recently saw a recipe for kumquat marmalade, so I dedicated this past weekend to making various types of marmalade.
Even though I think I may have overcooked mine a little and added the lemon juice before I was supposed to, this marmalade still has the most wonderful flavor. Sweet, but not cloying, and bursting with kumquat-ness. It's quite good in a crepe, let me tell you.
Kumquat Marmalade
Adapted from Charcuterista (who adapted it from Chez Panisse Fruits)
- 1 1/2 lbs kumquats
- 3 c sugar
- 1/3 c fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1. Cut off the stem end of the fruit, then split each lengthwise. Slice each half into 1/8" moons, removing and discarding the seeds as you slice.
2. Place the kumquats and lemon juice into a small saucepan and just cover with water. Add sugar and bring to a boil over high heat for 15 minutes, skimming off any foam that comes to the top.
3. Reduce heat and continue simmering until the marmalade thickens to the consistency you like (be warned, it will still be liquid and will solidify more later). Let cool, then put in a jar and refrigerate (I suppose you could also can it if you feel so inclined).