West Fest 2012

I have been attending West Fest in West, Texas as long as I can remember. It's every Labor Day weekend on rodeo grounds. For the entire weekend there is nothing but Polka music, food, and pivo (beer). My dad's band, Jodie Mikula Orchestra, has been playing at the festival for years. We used to go for the day that my dad played and then go home. In the past few years, a group of us have started to stay the entire weekend either at a hotel or the KOA campgrounds. We always wanted to stay on the West Fest campgrounds, but never put our names on the list and always heard that it was hard to get a spot because most people never stop going. I put my name on the list last year thinking that it would be a few years before we got a spot. I got a call in July saying that there was an opening and we took it. We rented a camper and 7 of us loaded up for the big weekend. This was our spot for the weekend just before the camper arrived.

Our humble abode

It was a bit tighter quarters than in a hotel room, but it was nice to be on the grounds and have somewhere to relax throughout the steaming hot days. Me and Lauren enjoying our campsite.

 On Saturday morning of the festival, after the parade, we go to a local bar to kickoff the weekend. The group at Mynar's bar

 Jodie Mikula Orchestra played Saturday and my grandma came to listen. I'm so glad she came and we got to see her enjoy another West Fest. My brother, myself, Grandma, and sister at West Fest 2012

We also went to Mass on the campgrounds. It was bit different than a typical Mass, but we praised God and thanked him for West Fest.

 Saturday night Brave Combo took the stage and brought in this huge crowd.

 Grilling our klobase for breakfast Sunday morning

Our collection of West Fest mugs

 Enjoying a lazy Sunday morning

 Chris and I bought West Fest tshirts. Mine says "Pivo Polka People" and Chris' looks like a German outfit with suspenders. (He tucked in his shirt to give it a bigger effect)

Chris and Randy got the same shirts

 You can't see us too well but we took a group pic in front of the West Fest sign

I tried a fried cherry cream cheese kolache and it was delicious. I'm pretty sure I gained 5 pounds by just looking at it, but it was worth it. I hope they have these again next year.

 These guys all decided to buy custom-made cowboy hats Sunday night.

 Chris' first cowboy hat

 We look rough, but I wanted a picture with my cowboy

 He got so much into the cowboy mode that he learned to two step with a friend of ours

We had a great and memorable West Fest 2012. I'm calling the campgrounds this week to reserve our site for 2013 for another good time.

Classroom Ideas

Since I knew what I was going to be teaching, more than 3 days after school started (that's what happened last year), I decided to get craftier and use my knowledge of Pinterest to help me organize my classroom.

Last year, I bought these really cute hall passes from Canton and spent more money than I should have. It was about halfway through the year that I realized that they were not working out. 1) The kids constantly knocked them off the wall 2) Half the time they would leave them in the restroom (ICK!!) 3) I had no idea what the passes were touching in the bathroom (MORE ICK!!) While I was debating on asking maintenance to put in some new nails in the wall for my passes, I thought that although these passes were pretty, they weren't very functional or hygienic.

I looked on Pinterest and found this:

Source: 4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

This person used inexpensive clothespins to clip on the student's clothing when they leave the classroom so they aren't germy or lost! This will solve my problem of hall passes!! Mine aren't that cute yet, as I only wrote my last name and the type of pass with a sharpie marker, but I will work on that later.(Note: While typing this I decided to spray paint the clothespins so they would have some color to them...I couldn't help myself )

Also last year, I kept all of my students' names in a tiny box that was split down the middle with construction paper to distinguish classes for picking names. I didn't really like it and it won't work for my 5 different classes this year so, I had an idea. Luckily, my husband is Bohemian and keeps everything that normal people would dispose of, i.e., spaghetti jars, aluminum foil, medicine bottles, etc. I went looking through the cabinets and found several Planters nut cans.

I had some chalkboard paint in the garage and painted five of them. I used the chalkboard paint so I could change the class names for years later.
Here they are

I put all of my students' names in the cans and displayed them in my classroom today. Now I know which class is which and can change out the cans for something else down the road. Honestly, I did this in 30 minutes between getting home from in-service and going out to dinner.
You can see on the left side that I took one of those spaghetti jars and put hard candy in it for my students.
There are still a few more things I would like to implement this year, but sensing that this is going to be a busy and stressful year, it might have to wait for next year.

Remembering Meme

My Meme, my mother's mother, died in 2007 and left a legacy of recipes that will never taste the same. About a year ago, my Grandad decided to go through the kitchen items and give away some things that he doesn't use anymore. In the piles of kitchen utensils and gadgets I found two handwritten recipes and a typed recipe from Meme. I kept them and just assumed that I would stuff them in one of my cookbooks. But after looking at them, I really wanted them to be seen and become a part of my kitchen.

As a summer project, I decided that I would frame them and put them up on one of the kitchen walls. I spray painted some frames red and put the recipes in them with brown construction paper behind them. It wasn't until after spray painting the frames that I realized that there were no hooks on the back to hang them! (I should have looked before, but like always I was impatient and just wanted to paint them.) Chris thought about putting them on a shelf instead. He grabbed some old wood out of the garage and started to put it together. (He is definitely the creative half.) To give it a more "beat up" look, he scorched the sides with a torch. I remembered that not only did I get Meme's recipes, but also her old cheese grater. I had also gone to a garage sale the day before and bought an old nut grinder for $1. I added them to the shelf and voila!

Here are the pics honoring Meme in the kitchen

  I love that there are grease stains and mark outs of ingredients that didn't work

 Meme's cheese grater with her recipes for Peach Cobbler and her famous I-45 cookies/bars

The nut grinder with her Peach Cobbler and Lemon Meringue Pie recipes

Such a great addition to our kitchen. Now all we need is that farmhouse table....Chris is in the process of making one, but that will be a whole other post.

Reuse, Recycle

I had talked with my Aunt Joan a few months ago about making these toilet paper wreaths.

Source: seeyoutheredesign.com via Savannah on Pinterest

Sounds crazy to make something so beautiful out of something that is mindlessly thrown away. It took me a few months to gather so many toilet paper and paper towel rolls.

It was a bit hard to figure out how to make the wreaths, but once I got started it became easier and easier. We used hot glue to keep the rolls together and a salad plate to give shape to the circle.
Here is my first. It's not my favorite, but I kept it because Aunt Joan made some awesome wax paper flowers that made it look fantastic.

Here are the other two that I made

I gave the last one to Aunt Joan. It reminded me of the wreaths the athletes wore in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

I put the first one in my entryway.

 I think it is perfect and the white flowers really make the wreath "pop".

I got a little crafty with the other one and added letters to it.

This one now hangs in my classroom.

The only little problem I have with these wreaths is that they are pretty flimsy. I searched online and the only way I could find to stiffen them up was to spray paint them. I really liked the natural color and didn't want to spray paint them. I went to Michael's and found a thick gloss that can be used on crafts. It stiffened the rolls a little, but not very much. I made sure that I had at least two nails holding the wreath in place so that it stays.

In my next post I will show a creative way of displaying family recipes!!

Getting Crafty in the Kitchen

I had said a few posts back that I would give my reviews on a few Pinterest recipes. I will remind you, again, that I am not a complicated cook. I like simple recipes that call for less than 5 ingredients, but are so delicious that you want to make them again and again.

This first one was Taco Ring. 

Source: extremesavingswithdivadesirae.com via Savannah on Pinterest

I found this one to be very easy and quick for a party or appetizer. I don't think it was enough for my husband to qualify it as a meal.

 I garnished it with rice and fixin's.

The next Pinterest recipe I made was Crockpot Beer Chicken

Source: mydailydish.com via Savannah on Pinterest

We had just got back from our trip to England and I wanted to make this. It called for ANY beer to be used. I went to the garage fridge and saw that all of the light beer was gone.(I found out that my cousin, who was house-sitting for us, had a party while we were gone.) The only beer I had was Guiness and Shiner Wild Hare. I went for the Wild Hare and soon regretted it. The beer was so heavy that it tasted like you were eating beer. If I make this again, I will definitely use a lighter beer. Needless to say, the majority of it went on our compost pile.
I also made Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Source: skinnytaste.com via Savannah on Pinterest

This was just like tacos only using turkey meat and lettuce leaves for shells. This would have worked perfectly if my lettuce would have cooperated. I would try to tear a big leaf and it would rip in half. We finally just made it into a salad. It was still good!

My worst mistake was making Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Source: celebrations.com via Savannah on Pinterest

It was not the recipe's fault, but the cook's fault. I take full responsibility for this one. This recipe called for chicken broth, which I didn't have. I called my mom and she said she had chicken bouillon. She told me that I needed to add it to water to make a broth. I knew this as I was putting the ingredients together, but my mind slipped and I put in 1 cup of bouillon in the recipe. I knew something was wrong when the sauce started to look like this

Looks gross, doesn't it? Well it tasted worse than it looked. It was so salty that I gagged. I had to put that on the compost pile, too.

Baked Pesto Chicken goes in the Top 5

Source: mykitchenescapades.com via Savannah on Pinterest

This was scrumptious!!! So simple, quick, and easy! I made this and served it in a matter of 20 minutes. The only change I made it to it was the cheese. I didn't have mozzarella, but I had Muenster. The Muenster was really tasty on top of the pesto chicken. I cannot speak highly enough of this meal.

The last meal I have made is Crockpot Italian Chicken.

Source: homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com via Savannah on Pinterest

 Chris raved on this one so much last night. I used frozen chicken and put it on high for 4 hours. I also used Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese. We couldn't tell the difference. Once it was cooked, I added noodles and covered it for another 15 minutes.  I will make this one again.

I used to be so afraid of cooking and one of my favorite sayings was, "If it doesn't have directions on the back, then I don't make it." That is not true anymore. I just keep trying recipes and even some with ingredients I have never tried before. Yes, as you can see, I mess up and have to throw some things out. But, I keep going and find something that works for my appetite. My suggestion to anyone scared of trying new recipes is to find a recipe that has at least 3 ingredients that you know and like and try it. You just might like it!

I look forward to finding more recipes on Pinterest and also seeing if you have tried any of these or changed them.

Our Trans-Atlantic Honeymoon Part 2

 We woke up to a pretty morning and decided to walk out and enjoy it!

 The roads were so tiny and blew my mind how people will speed right through them. My heart was in my throat most of the time we were on roads like this.

 The only time we saw horses. They reminded me of Texas

 We took a trip to Holkham and viewed Holkham Hall. This hall was different than Blickling Hall because it had been in the same family for centuries and had a line to royalty. In fact, Lady Anne, of the family name Coke, was a bridesmaid at the Queen's coronation. They had her bridesmaid dress on display at the house, but Chris snapped that picture on his phone.

 I wanted this bathroom so bad. It had paintings all over the walls, a fireplace, and a huge bathtub.

 All over the house, they had family pictures which gave it a feeling that it really was a house where people live. We toured during the months that the family allowed visits.

 And on one of the tables was a picture of the royal family that was signed.

 This was the cutest VW bug complete with daisies and eyelashes.

 While we were in the city center, Chris decided to get a hair cut.

 On our last Friday night, we met up again with one of Chris' oldest mates, Steve, and his wife, Leigh-Ann. They took us out to an Indian restaurant for my first taste of Indian food. I cannot remember the name of the Indian food that I had, but I was pleasantly surprised.

 Chris trying out his new hair cut and apparel, with my KJZT sunglasses. These KJZT sunglasses were the best thing. I wore these everywhere and of course, with free sunglasses, I never lost them.

 I tried Pimm's for the first time. It went really well with Sprite and a lime.

 We were at the grocery store and they had a bunch of mixed drinks in cans. We don't usually see these in the States so I decided to take a few pics.

 On Saturday night, we had a barbecue at Chris' stepsister's,Shauna's, house. It was a beautiful evening with lush green grass and friendly bugs. We had hot dogs, potatoes, "crisps", and a special chocolate cake and cheesecake!! Shauna did a superb job!

 Chris' sister, Kate, and his nephew

 Uncle Chris and Billy horsing around

 Sunday morning, we went to Mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Norwich. It was beautiful and very special. It is really amazing to go to a church so far from your home, but still hear the same readings, prayers, and Eucharist.

 Later that afternoon, we went to the Norfolk Mead Hotel for a very nice dinner celebrating Chris' grandfather's 90th birthday. If these cars don't tell you how nice it was, I don't know what will.

 Billy and Mason hanging out in the Drawing Room. They wouldn't take a picture if they knew you were taking it.

 Enjoying capers and drinks with Chris' mom, grandfather, stepfather, and stepsister

 Kate and her boyfriend, Ian

 Our scrumptious feast:  my appetizer...I forgot the name, but I know it was salmon.lol

My entree: Chicken... a ton of chicken. I had to pace myself and it also came with vegetable sides

And for dessert: Treacle tart and ice cream

 The pavlova looked delicious too!

 Chris talking with his grandfather and mom

 The biggest kid carrying the littlest kids

 After lunch, we decided to head to London for our final two days in England. It wasn't exactly planned, but somehow we managed to go through the main part of London and see some big sites. This is the London Bridge

 Since the Olympics were just a week away, we saw plenty of preparations for them. This was a lane specifically for Olympic personnel, but no one was looking

 A billboard with the Royal Family on it

 The Eye

 And Big Ben...Parliament. If you've ever seen National Lampoon's European Vacation, you got that joke.

 

We found this hotel online and it was a nice quaint place in the Kensington area. Each room is different and came with free WI-FI. Since we had our iphones, we put them in airplane mode and strictly used WI-FI wherever we could get it for maps, information, and Facebook. 

 Out of all of the different drinks I had in England, this one is my favorite. Kind of funny that we have the same name. It was just the right amount of sweetness and lightness of a cider that I like.

 Funny story with this picture. Our hotel had complimentary breakfast, but only if you went downstairs to get it. Chris went downstairs to repark our car and I stayed in the room to finish my hair. I heard a knock on the door and it was room service with this tray filled with food. I told them that I didn't order any so he ran downstairs to double check. He came back and said that my husband had ordered it. I took the tray and thought of what a sweet husband I have. I drank a little bit of the orange juice and then waited for Chris to come back to the room. A few minutes later Chris came back and asked where all the food came from. Uh-oh! I told him the story and he said he never said that. We took it downstairs, so that we wouldn't be charged, and ate in the breakfast room. The front desk said that another room had called for it and they were sorry for the confusion. They immediately took the tray back upstairs. I couldn't help but think about the person who was going to drink the orange juice after me! We didn't tell them that I drank any, in fear that they would charge us.

On our last full day in England, we decided to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum. This was an old choir book used in the Medieval and Renaissance period

 The really cool thing about this museum was that they encouraged the visitor to interact. They had tunics to wear, so Chris got into the act to look medieval.

 There was also a puzzle with tiles and you had to try and assemble so that everything matched correctly.

 In the Medieval and Renaissance part, there was an abundance of religious artwork. This was one of my favorites.

To make the most of the day, we only stayed for a bit and then headed to the Natural History Museum. This was a statue of Medusa.

 It was neat to go up the escalator into the world

 And one of the most exciting attractions was Dippy the dinosaur. This part of the museum really made me feel like I was in a movie. The museum was so huge and just had an overabundance of artifacts and information.

Our last stop of the day was to Harrod's.This was a department store beyond belief. It had so many well known, and expensive, designer name brands. It even had a fancy grocery store inside it. It was nice to dream in that place. I had to take these pictures for my sister. She is a choc-aholic and I had never seen anything like this.

 Chocolates

 And truffles

 We saw these cupcake liners and decorations.

For our last meal, we walked to a restaurant and had one last cider and some pasta.

We enjoyed our time and look forward to going back again. We told people that we weren't saying goodbye, but see ya later. So see ya later, England xx