Blue Jays Fever!

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!  I just saw a new Toronto Blue Jays commercial, and had to blog about it!  Friday is opening night (which is SOLD OUT!), therefore the Canadian channels are going strong on Jays stuff.  (Which I love!)

For me baseball always meant the start of Spring, and a reminder that Summer is close behind. 

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I know I have a ton more pics of myself, and others at Jays games, but I can’t find them! 😦

I know many people who think baseball is boring, but for me it’s the whole experience.  The roar of fans, the smell of fresh popcorn, the sight of younger children running around in the stands, and of course our “boys of summer” playing on the field.  It’s taking the train in from Hamilton, pushing your way through the ticket stalls, and making sure you’ve got your Jays paraphernalia on.  I LOVE IT!

I can’t wait for the 2011 season to start!  <– Watch this for sure!  Seriously!  And I can tell how many people click on links, so I’ll know if you didn’t watch it.  😛

Monday Meal!

Yay for a Monday Meals that actually occurs on a Monday!

So, thanks to Laura McD. who sent me this recipe AGES and AGES ago, I present to you:  Root beer Pulled Pork!  (aka the easiest meal ever!)

Cooking in the root beer

So here’s what you need:

1. About 2 2L bottle of Root beer.  Any brand will do.
2. Some pork.  Small enough to fit in your slow cooker, but big enough so you’ll have lots!
3. A slow cooker.
4. Onions.
5. A bottle of BBQ sauce.  (I used Diana Sauce)

Ok, so now you have all that yummy stuff, you can start!

So put the pork into the slow cooker.  Pour in root beer until the pork is completely covered.  Depending on how big your slow cooker, and pork roast is you may need less, or more than just one 2L bottle.  I only needed one.  Next you put it on high for 5 hours, or until the pork comes apart real easy with a fork.

Pulling the pork.... that's what she said? (I think I'm reaching for that one!) 😛

After 5 hours, drain the pop out of the slow cooker, and pull apart all the pork. It should come off super easy.  And it did kind of come off easy for me.  I probably should have cooked it on high for a bit longer though.  Next, when it’s all pulled apart, pour in your bbq sauce.  If you like it saucey, then put in lots, if not, use your own discretion.

If you want to put the onions in, you can now…again if you like onions, put lots in, if not, don’t put any in.  Mix it all around, and keep it on warm until you eat. Yummmmmmmmmy!  And so super easy.  I mean all you have to really do it cut onions, and pour things out of a bottle.  Easy peasy.

Put it on a bun, eat it straight- it’s so good I actually did that for lunch a couple days in a row! 🙂

There ya have it folks, a fool proof Pulled Pork recipe.

BBQy pork! Mmmmmmmmmmmm

Until next time,

Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.     -Who can tell me where that line is from?! 🙂

Earth Hour- if we can do it, you can do it.

Turn off those lights! And any other power reliant things too for that matter!

So. 

In case you did not know, tomorrow (Saturday), at 830pm it is Earth Hour.  If you’ve never heard of Earth Hour before, it’s when we all turn off our lights to conserve energy.  Since I decided to write about it today, I figured I should find out a little bit more about it.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Australia.  A whole 2.2 MILLION people, not to mention 2000 businesses in Australia turned off their lights for that one hour to show their support for stopping Global Warming.  Since then, the protest (I guess you can call it that!)  has grown to a world-wide event, with last year’s Earth Hour having 128 countries participate.  That kind of makes me feel all tingly inside. 🙂  This year, WWF (no, not the world wrestling federation- it’s the world wildlife fund) is actually asking people to for sure participate in the hour, BUT also try for longer.  If you can do the hour why not do more, is their logic.  I think it’s a faaaaaaantastic idea! 

Last year I was unfortunately working at my job with a large drugstore chain.  And guess what?  No, we didn’t turn off all the lights, which then caused a fierce rioting mob of looters, but we did turn off all non-essential lights (about half to 3/4 of the main lights), as well as washroom, office, and staffroom lights.  If all those stores nationwide did the same thing, that alone is a heck of a lot of power conservation.  And that’s just one business!

Since Earth Hour is on a Saturday, the school board I work for decided that today we would participate in Earth Hour.  Yes, the classrooms were still pretty light, as it was during the day, but many classes were affected.  Not only did we just turn off the lights, but all classes turned off computers, smartboards, and any other technology being used.  To be honest, it really did affect our class.  We were scheduled to have gym.  Picture it.  The gym is in the middle of the school- no windows.  Did I let them run around screaming in the dark?  No.  We went back to the classroom and played desk volleyball in the darkened classroom.  They still had a blast.

My point?  An hour isn’t going to kill anyone, and it will make a difference.  Does it suck to lose your gym period?  Maybe, but we got over it.  Will it suck to not be able to go on Facebook or twitter for an hour?  Perhaps, but everything will still be there when it’s over.  Light some candles.  Have a romantic dinner.  Play a board game.  Read a book by flashlight.  There’s lots to do- especially when it comes to the environment.  Do your part! 🙂

Ok, I feel like this blog might be a little preachy.  Sorry guys.  It’s just so easy to participate!

Update me on how you spent your Earth Hour!

Lates.

PS  My friend Sandra DID start her own “green” blog- It’s called “Save Money, Be Healthy, and Live Sustainably” and it’s great! Read it- you’d be silly not to!

Erin’s 30th Birthday Trip- Part 2! NOLA

Heeeeeyyyy!

So wow, this is like the 4th post this week.  Cool huh?  I think I could keep this up.  Assuming you all continue reading!

Alright, so let’s continue from where we left off shall we?

So I’m in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana!),  and I’m visiting Sandra and Derek (who FYI either moved today already, or are moving tomorrow, so good timing!) who have been there for a year (Derek), and about like 4 months (Sandra).  Before I came Sandra told me it was cold, and I didn’t believe her.  When I got there, I still didn’t believe her!  It was sunny, I only wore a sweater to dinner (and we walked!), and even the second day it was warm and sunny, and only required a sweater.  Then came Monday.  The only day we picked for a walking cemetery tour was so F-ing cold we had to buy gloves.  And I still froze.  Our tour guide was dressed up in a toque and gloves too!  It was also super duper cold at night.  So cold, that I (someone who sleeps with a fan and always half way out of the covers) friggen froze, and definitely needed a second blanket!  Cemetery tour was cool, regardless of the weather.  Very old, very neat.  Interestingly enough these above ground cemeteries pop up all over the city right in the middle of urban/residential areas.  The one we visited was directly beside a ghetto.  Seriously.  If we were in London, this cemetery would have been EOA.  You London people know what I’m talking about.

Alrighty, so cold, in the ghetto, but in a pretty neat cemetery (oh FYI Nicholas Cage has already purchased and built a pyramid style grave thing in this cemetery in case you’re looking to spend eternity laying next to him!), and we come to the end of our tour….at a voodoo priestess temple.  I don’t really know what Sandra and I were expecting…but let me tell you, it was not this.  First of all the lady does not seem like a voodoo priestess.  Not that I’ve ever met one, but she is about 65, wore bright old lady clothes, and always had a smile on her face.  Second, she told me my voice sounded like I was a singer.  What?  Anyways, she also told us nothing about voodoo.  She led us to her temple, and scolded us for not listening, then basically lectured us about the economy.  Weird.  That was our experience in a voodoo temple.

How can my time in NOLA get better than that day?  Well my friends, it just did.  The next day Sandra and I headed to the insectarium.  That’s right, we went to a museum full of dead, and LIVE insects!  It was actually pretty neat.  We also got to eat some insects.  I ate something called a wax worm.  It did not taste like nothing.  It tasted gross.  Sandra had a cricket, and said it was just crunchy.  We also saw a tiny Alligator, which was so friggen cute, but all by itself in this massive tank full of insects and water.  Also weird. 

Since this was my last night in NOLA, we HAD to have King Cake.  I like to call it baby cake because they used to put a little plastic baby in the cake for someone to find as a prize.  Some people say if you get the baby you buy the next cake, some say if you get the baby you will have a baby next.  Either way, they don’t put them in the cake anymore, they put it in the package, and you can put it in the cake, or keep it for yourself.  It’s up to you.  Anywho, this baby cake is so friggen good.  It’s like really thin cinnamon buns that are shaped in a cake, and stuffed with cream cheese icing (not sweet icing though, just super fluffy good icing).  You can get them plain, or filled with fruit and stuff,  but Sandra said the cream cheese was the best.  It was so good!!!!  They only make these baby cakes close to Mardi Gras, so I was just in time! 🙂

Ohhhhhhh, before we leave off here, I forgot to tell you about a couple things!  1. Bourbon Street- the infamous French Quarter Street in NOLA which is full of bars, strip clubs, and touristy stores.  It’s seedy, and gross, and smells like a combination of pee and puke.  Seriously.  I’m sure if I was with a group of people at night and we were bar hopping like 5 years ago, it would be great, but I saw it in day light.  Almost like when they turn the ugly lights on in a bar at 2am. ugh.  We even saw a stripper having a cigarette outside a club in her thong.  Classy!  2.  They have drive through Daiquiris bars.  For real!  I guess driving with open alcohol isn’t such a big deal!  We didn’t go through a drive through one, but we did end up going to a regular bar/store and they had a bazillion flavours that pour out of slushy machines and are served in MASSIVE styrofoam cups.  Ridiculous!  3.  In the French Market I purchased an Alligator claw backscratcher with a real alligator claw on it.  They farm alligators for meat here, and end up selling the other parts (feet, hands, claws, heads, etc.) to tourists like me in the form of key chains, backscratchers, and other weird items.  My horribly bad pets promptly got a hold of it when I got home and ate it.  (seriously, and it was gross)  So it no longer exists.

Ok, lets fast forward back to the last day again!

Sadly, my time in NOLA felt like it was over before I knew it.  Early morning flight meant an uneventful night of baby cake and Pet hoarders on tv. 

Here are some of my more interesting pics of NOLA.  🙂

Bourbon Street

An impromptu Jazz Concert? But of course!

Mmmm! One of my many delicious meals- french toast stuffed with banana cream cheese, and topped with a rum caramel sauce!

Alligator heads for sale!

Cable car!

Super cold cemetery tour with our tour guide. He's in front of a tomb where a voodoo queen is buried!

Cemetery

More cemetery.

Voodoo temple!

More voodoo temple

Me and the beignets from the famous Cafe du Monde! They are small deep fried balls of dough that are covered in powdered sugar! Delicious!

Massive daiquiris. Mardi Gras beads. Alligator backscratcher. Can we say TOURIST?!?

Sandra is eating a bug!

I'm eating a bug!

Baby Cake!

Mmmmmmm baby cake!

 

Alright.  So that’s it for NOLA.  It was fun.  And cold.  Also delicious. 

Next up- Part 3: San Francisco Bai! 🙂

Peace out.

Help!

For those of you that read my blog yesterday, you may have noticed it changes colours/themes/header picture thingys like a bazillion times!  I can’t make up my mind!  Sooooooooooo, you tell me- what do you like better?  This new theme, the old theme, something more simple, lighter, brighter?!  What!?

I can’t make up my mind!!!!!

Monday meals….

Ok Monday meals is delayed due to a missing cord that connects my camera to the computer. :@

and I’m leaving on a jet plane!

what up yo!

It’s Friday at 419pm, and I am about 12 hours away from being on a plane en route to Chicago.  What’s in Chicago?  Another plane that is waiting to take me to New Orleans!! 😀  haha

That’s right y’all, I’m headed to New Orleans for a couple days, then the San Francisco Bay area for another couple days.  I’m super pumped, and a little anxious all at the same time.  I’m travelling by myself.  Yes, I’ve done it before, but not in a long time.  I guess since I like to sleep when I drive/fly/train it anywhere, there won’t be much difference will there?

Anywho, can’t wait to be in a bit warmer weather even though I’ve been told New Orleans is very cold right now.  So cold, my friend has been wearing 3 layers daily.  yikes!  I will take it though in place of driving in the snow…..

I am also still not feeling 100%, hence the missing 2 posts!  Here’s a catch up one, AND I’m hoping to update at least once from New Orleans, and once from San Fran.  Ohhhhhhhh maybe my friends can do guest posts while I’m there!?  That could be fun!

Ok, I have more to pack! :S

Check ya lata 😛

Daaaaaaamn. They didn’t lie when they said Buckley’s tastes awful!

sigh.

Did I post the other 2 blog posts I said I would do by the end of last week?  No.  With good reason though, I swear!

I have been in bed sick with a Naaaaasssty cough that rivals anything I have ever had.  For reals. 

For those of you who know me, you might not believe it, as my coughs have normally been given such endearing nicknames as “Kennel cough” and “Smoker’s cough” (no I’m not a dog, nor a smoker!). 

This one rattles my whole body with every cough, and has actually made me wake up sore the last 2 mornings from I guess shaking me so much, or using so many muscles to combat the actual coughing?!  Either way it sucks.  I feel like I can’t think straight.  This post is taking me like way too long too.  Seriously for about 3 minutes I sat staring at the keyboard looking for the apostrophe.  Seriously.  (no seriously)  (It’s 2 buttons to the right of the L in case you were wondering yourself)

My arms are actually exhausted from typing this, and I’m somehow out of breath.

As soon as I feel up to it, I will pump out at least 2 new posts.

Here’s hoping you don’t get what I get!

– erin

short & sweet

Hello all!

For some reason I have had no motivation to post over the last 2 weeks or so…. could be due to the insane amount of supply work I’ve been doing!  AND not to mention I do still have a part-time job on top of that?!

Anywho….

I’m just here to reassure you all that YES!  I am still alive, in case you were wondering! 😛

AND

YES! I have done a new Monday Meal….  I definitely do not have time to post it right now.  Soooorrrrrryyyyy!  It’s 1130 pm, and I need to get up at 630am so I can 1. volunteer in Hamilton all day, and 2. work again at my other job until 9pm. booooooooooo to that.

Not looking forward to the working part of the day, but excited to get back into the school I’ve been volunteering at!

Also- it is a day of pink celebration thing at the part-time job…we are encouraged to wear pink along with our uniforms to show support for the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers.  No, it’s not this weekend, but the sign up starts tomorrow I think, and we’re promoting it… kind of.?  (I looked into it, and the sign ups don’t start tomorrow, they have been going on for a while…I guess we’re really just promoting it.) Anyways, that’s something to look forward to tomorrow night.  I bought pink headbands just for the occasion! 🙂  Interested in the walk/run/charity event?  Click here!  I thought about doing it, but not sure if I really could.  I would however like to look into volunteering for it!

Ok, I really need to go to bed.  There’s so much more to tell you about though!  I PROMISE I will have 2 more posts this week! (lucky you!)

Ok, see ya later alligators.

$h*! my Students Say.

As a supply teacher, I get to meet many different children of all ages, on a daily basis.   I also get to hear many questions, statements, opinions, and thoughts in general that are quite ridiculous/hilarious/shocking/and just plain awesome.  This blog post my friends, is an homage to those students and their thoughts….

• “Ms. F you look like you’re a lot younger there.”  (after seeing a picture of me at my wedding (a month before)…back-handed compliment, or just sad about how I look on a daily basis?! haha
• student: “Erin!”  me: “Oh, we can’t call me by my first name today- I’m your teacher!”  student: “Oh, ok.  Everyone this is my aunt, Mrs. E”.  (After teaching my niece for a class)
• “F*ck off.”  (for real, and quite a bit actually.)
• Me: “I don’t want to hear your voice for the rest of the movie.” Student: “I don’t want to hear yours either.” (Maybe my favourite.)
• student: “and I was like whatever bitch”  me: “Ummm, did you realize there’s a teacher right behind you?”  student: “Oh sh*t sorry!  I thought you were a student!”  (lunch room duty in a grade 8 class)
• this one didn’t happen to me, but a friend….  student: “I don’t like the sound of your name, but I sure do like the look of you” (a grade one said that beaut.)
• “Hey Mrs. Flowery!”  (last name = Flattery)
• “Maybe I’ll listen to you when you’re a real teacher.” (Another wonderful grade 8 student)
• “Ohhhhhh.  Your scarf is just beautiful!”  This was a kindergartener (boy!) who said this as he was stroking the scarf in his hand.
• “Are you and my real teacher sisters?  Cause you look the same, but she’s got wrinkles, so she must be older.” (grade one)

These next 2 aren’t from my students, but my nephews on Christmas this year…

• “All I wanted was money.  I just wanted money!”  (4 year old boy after getting some Mac trucks as his gift.)
• “How did you know?!”  (different nephew after we gave him DS games for the DS Santa gave him that morning!) 🙂

I know I’ve got soooooo many more, but do you think I can remember them now that I want to?  nope.

If any of you teachers have some of your own funny comments from kids, reply!  We’ll see how many we can add to the list! 🙂