Lesson Learned

Here I am, blogging at 12:45 am because I can't sleep.  The problem is I was pinning things on Pinterest way too late.  This happened when I first started pinning.  I should have learned my lesson.  But nooooo...  Pinning is like drinking caffeine.  Don't do it late at night.  I am trying to sleep while images of chalkboard paint and modge podge crafts dance in my head.  All the quiet and darkness get crowded out by recipes and decorating ideas.  Then I start talking to YOU in my head, writing a virtual blog post.  Finally, I decided the best thing to do would be to write it out.  Let the images slide out of my head onto the computer screen.  Maybe that would help.

Today for lunch I tried a recipe from Pinterest that was easy and yummy.  Not an over-the-top, knock-your-socks-off kind of dish but a good staple for weeknight dinners.  Here's the recipe:

4-6 raw chicken breasts

new potatoes

green beans (Broccoli is good, too). 

Arrange in 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with a packet of Italian dressing mix and then top with a stick of butter. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.

Yummy results!

Since I will be teaching again this fall, I am trying to get organized with menu planning.  I am thinking this will help:

Who wouldn't get excited about planning ANYTHING on cool chalkboard peel and stick paper?  Then of course, you need these:

 So now my mind is racing as to where to set up this magnificent chalkboard.  Of course, the moment of putting chalkboard marker to chalkboard will be a huge stress- wishing I could write in a fabulous font.  Which led me to thinking about being a fifth grade girl.  Do you know what the best thing about being a fifth grade girl is?  Time.  Time to play with your handwriting.  I remember reinventing my handwriting over days and weeks.  It felt like I was reinventing myself every time I practiced a new slant or style.  I would get lost in the swirls and curves of the letters.  What a fun indulgence!  I remember thinking a teacher or a friend's writing was cool and I would choose elements of their style to copy.  In seventh grade, I practiced writing a capital H just like my teacher and I still write it that way today.  I often think of Miss Hingle when I do. 

Okay, back to meal planning.  I was thinking I would come up with 30 meals and write each on a post-it note.  I would cover my paper calendar this month with the post-it note recipe titles then as the days pass, I could just transfer them to the next month.  That way my meals are planned as I go along.  The point of the post-it notes is not only to use them again for a few months but also to rearrange when the schedule doesn't work with the meal I planned.  That gives me flexibility within the week.  I definitely plan to write PIZZA on one post-it note and maybe SANDWICH NIGHT or RAID THE FRIDGE on another.  Then I could write the weeks menu on my fancy chalkboard.  I'll give you a report when the system is up and running.

Well, now that it is 2 am, I hope I dumped enough out of my brain onto this blog so that I can finally sleep.

Zzzzzzz...
Dina