Garden Omelet

I love omelets! You can put almost anything in an omelet for a nice brunch. Today I made a garden omelet and it was probably the best I have ever eaten. This recipe makes two generous servings.

Materials:
4 slices turkey bacon
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced bell pepper
1 medium zucchini
1 oz of fresh grated cheddar
3 eggs
pat of butter
salt
pepper

Method:
In a cast iron skillet, fry the turkey bacon. Remove to a plate.
Add onion and bell pepper to pan and cook until almost tender. Add zucchini and cook until heated.
Remove the veggies to a bowl.
Add a pat of butter to the skillet and let melt.
Scramble the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add eggs to the skillet, then add the veggies back, keeping them to the middle of the eggs and in a thin layer. Grate your cheddar on top of the veggies.
Let the eggs cook until the bottom is no longer runny. Fold the omelet over itself and let it finish cooking.

I like to serve this omelet with a few slices of avocado and a generous spoonful of homemade (no store bought please!) salsa. You can serve with fresh fruit with a balanced, nutritious breakfast. Enjoy!

I don't believe in Tattoos

 I can't even fathom defacing my skin with ink...but I will rock some nail art! :)   I love having my nails done. It just makes me feel more put together. Plus it keeps me from chewing on them which is a very nasty, horrible, bacteria ingesting habit!!! Here are some of my more recent, favorite designs I have had on my nails:

 

 

Stir fry: An easy, healthy meal

I have been struggling this week with how to incorporate my love for cooking and baking into a healthy lifestyle. I have started working out twice a week with a Crossfit coach and he is constantly reminding me that "We can't out train poor nutrition!". I love to cook and so tonight I decided to make a stir fry that follows the nutritional guidelines found here.

Stir fry is one of the easiest ways to incorporate more vegetables and lean protein into our diets. It is so versatile that you can literally use whatever you have on hand. For example, tonight I used leftover beef steak. I almost always cook my steak rare, partly because I like rare meat and partly because it makes it easy to use in a second meal without over cooking the meat.

     

 

                                          

Easy Stir Fry:

 

minced garlic
sliced onion
cabbage (finely shredded)
yellow squash
zucchini
bell pepper
mushroom
left over steak
1 tbs oil
sunflower seeds
Stir fry Sauce Recipe at Eat Live Paleo

Heat your wok over high heat. Add oil by pouring down the side of the pan and swirling to coat all sides.
Cook garlic for a minute or so until browned.
Add onion and cabbage and allow to cook until onion starts to soften.
Add the remaining chopped vegetables and rare steak. Cook until heated and tender crisp.
When almost done, make a hole in the middle and add in a little Stir Fry sauce (see link above for recipe). I also sprinkled on a few sunflower seeds at this point for crunch.
Serve and enjoy!

Making a word art using Wordle

Every now and then I learn something at school that I think it pretty cool. This week in my Educational Technology class we learned about making word art using Wordle. Part of the assignment was to reflect on how we might use this in our classrooms when we become teachers. I think it is a great idea for a classroom or even for use at home with kids. I am including my completed assignment along with a summary reflection with some ideas on how word art activities could be educational and fun.

 

 

Reflection of Word Art activity:

This word activity relates back to ISTE NETST by incorporating several of the standards we discussed in class. For example the activity worked to inspire student learning and creativity. This was done by the student picking their own descriptive words and then being able to creatively choose how those words would be displayed. It also served to design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments and also modeled digital age work and learning. The processes encouraged students to collaborate with one another on ideas for words and also to communicate by assisting other students who were not as familiar with technology. This also provided an opportunity to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility by allowing students to work together without them violating academic honesty or stealing intellectual property.

I would use this word art activity in several ways in my middle school classroom. A few examples:

1.       working in a small group, develop a word art using 15 vocabulary words from a science chapter on cell division. Be prepared to define a few of the words when your group presents the word art to the class. (ex: earth science astronomy words: orbit, galaxy, rotation, constellation, …)

2.       develop a word art using words to summarize the plot of a book  as the cover page of a book report. (ex: The Hunger Games words: Kat, lottery, game, poverty, laws, danger, teamwork, …)

3.       develop a word art using the order of operations words for a math class review. ( ex: multiply, divide, parenthesis, additions, …)

4.       develop a word art using 10 positive words from the classroom rules at the beginning of the school year.  (examples of words:  listen, help, prepared, prompt, kind, attentive, …)

Think of fun ways you can use Wordle to create word art with your children or students. It is also just plain fun. I am thinking about creating a word art and using my Silhouette to cut it in vinyl. Maybe one with a family theme for the living room or food words for the kitchen? Share your ideas in the comment section below :) 

New holder for Nike Sensor and a calibration

I decided that my Nike+ sensor needed to be calibrated the other day. I started wearing New Balance shoes instead of Nike's. The Nike's had a pouch built into the inside sole of the shoe for the sensor. I had been duck taping the sensor to the outside of my New Balance shoes until my nifty sensor holder came in last week.





 You can order a Switch Easy by going here.
They are one of the best Nike+ holder I have seen and fit very secure on my laces. There is an easy access button to turn the sensor off as well so that the non-replaceable battery last longer. And it is easy to switch to a different pair of shoes. I recommend it :)



So with all of those changes, I knew that I needed to recalibrate the sensor so that it would read true.
I have an extensive background in calibration from my previous professional life. I even took this 4 hour exam through the American Society for Quality (ASQ) to become a Certified Quality Auditor. This training tells me that when you calibrate a variable readout instrument that you must verify that calibration so ensure the accuracy of any future measurements. Sounds easy enough, right?


Well I decided to do a little two mile walk at the track the other day. No problem, right? At the end of the walk I told my sensor to calibrate that walk as 2 miles. Then it hit me: Hey fluffy chick, you now have to drag your tired tail around the track for another mile to verify the calibration.  Grrrr.. Dang ISO standard brainwashed me.  But at least I know that my sensor is reading true now. And I got in a 3 mile walk on Saturday. :)

Dried Fruit Snacks

I put some strawberries and bananas in the dehydrator tonight and wanted to share how I dry fruit to make super yummy and all natural fruit snacks.

You need to wash your fruit well and take the time to prep it correctly. Try to make all your slices a uniform thickness so that the food will dry evenly. Any food that turns brown shortly after you cut into it like apples, bananas, or pineapples will need to be treated before they are dried. You can do this by mixing lemon juice and water and tossing the fruit or you can use a commercially available product such as Fruit Fresh. Place the sliced fruit evenly on the drying racks. Leave a little space between each piece so that the air can circulate.

 
I usually put my fruit in the dehydrator overnight and check it first thing in the morning. You want to make sure it is dried out thoroughly. I like to put mine in a zip lock because I will eat it fairly quickly. You can also vacuum seal it and it will keep for at least 6 months. Enjoy!

School and Sammis

Remember when you were a kid and you came home from school and felt like you were STARVING? Yeah, that also happens when you go back to school as an adult. And I decided this week to give up my beloved diet soda. Do you know how hard it can be to drive past Sonic during the peak of happy hour???
Alright, enough whining and on the sammi. I was starving hungry when I got home so I wanted something quick for supper.

 

 

Turkey, Avocado, and Feta Pita Sammi

 

For each half sammi, layer in order:

1 pita pocket

1 big leaf romaine lettuce

1 smear of home made guacamole

2 thin slices of turkey

1/2 Roma tomato chopped

1/8 cup feta cheese

1/2 tablespoon Greek dressing

 

This is so filling and has great flavor. It was also quick to fix and didn't dirty any dishes other than the cutting board and a knife :)

 

What is your favorite sandwich?