Why I Heart Trader Joe's

I know people are tired of hearing about it, but I don't care!! I have been waiting for this day to come ever since I moved back from New York. Finally, I no longer have to resent Omaha for getting one first. Finally, I can eat healthier daily without going broke. FINALLY. Some people say they don't get the hype, and that's alright. I don't want the store crowded up with people who aren't really invested anyways! But they truly are missing out. I have planned lunches and dinners for the whole week (cooking for two at dinner time)--all well-balanced meals with an entree, some type of fruit or vegetable and usually something else, like bread, on the side (and don't forget the necessary dinner wine)--all for under $65 for the week! Amazing!! With my new job, during the school year I won't get off of work until 7pm Monday through Thursday. Trader Joe's gives me options that are quick to whip-up, while still having a nutritious, balanced meal. If it weren't for them, I would probably be eating Easy Mac four times a week! If you are a TJ's rooky, I thought I would share some of my favorites with you that I picked up last time I went. All of them come highly recommended, are low in fat, organic (or at least all natural) and high in nutrients! I know I will discover more treasures as I go back over the months, so I will be sure to repost when I find them!

Asparagus Risotto

Egg White Salad

Sliced Mangos

Vegetable Samosas

Artichoke Ravioli

Cilantro and Jalapeno Hummus

I just realized that everything I posted is vegetarian! Not on purpose!! I am not a huge meat-eater, so that's probably why, but Trader Joe's does have plenty of meat options as well!

Traveling and Transitions

Well, it's happened. Southwest is now behind me and I have moved on. I'm sure many of you will be happy to no longer have to listen to the constant rants and raves. The last days at school went smoothly with only a few tears as I said goodbye to my adorable students. I promised each of them I would be back to visit in the coming years as well as to see them walk across the stage to receive their diploma when that day comes. It was the most bittersweet I have ever felt, and even now as I have started my new job and settled into my new routine, I find myself thinking about the school and the students often. It's a feeling of nostalgia that I'm sure can only be expected when you make a hard but necessary decision to leave a place you love (feelings I very much identify with how I felt leaving New York to move back to Kansas City).  Here are some pictures from the last day of school with the student's who will always have a place in my heart...

3rd Hr: Deshaun, Eric, Abu, James, Essense, Estefania, America, and Tuong

7th Hour: Vonzell, Devin, Jorge, Frashonda, Angel, Trayvonna, Wedline, Rabao

Jarrin and Mary

Rabao and me

4th Hour: Brittney, Sabrina, Joquisha, Josh L, Josh R, Anthony, Alex, Nix, Brittney, Daejah, Keisha, Ivan, Hector, Duy, La'Monica Ana, Angelica, Melissa

1st Hour: Brandy, Rubi, Isoke, Danielle, Joshua

8th Hour: Deaja, Binh An, Jesse, Brandon, Delyce, Devin, Darius, Raven, Rahma

My seniors: Lily, Richard and Geno

Cheerleaders at pancake breakfast fundraiser: Angel, Jarrin, Wedline, Rubi

So on to the next...

I have been working at Kauffman Scholars now for two weeks and I feel really good about it. I was dreading the first few days a little bit because they are always somewhat awkward--asking questions every five minutes, not knowing what your are supposed to be doing throughout the day, explaining to each person that says hi to you that it's "HAL-ley" not "HAY-ley", etc. But it was actually very easy for me to just jump right in. Since it is summer, we spent these first two weeks teaching 8th and 9th grade students for full days. I literally started teaching on my second day. They handed me the curriculum and showed me my classroom and that was it. For me, this was the best way to do it. I am certainly in my element and most comfortable while teaching. Even after just two weeks, I really started to connect with the kids. I won't see this particular group again until the fall, but will teach a group of 10th graders a few times in the coming weeks. Summer is super crazy, my schedule is different everyday. Sometimes teaching all day, sometimes in the office all day, sometimes half one and half the other. Also, every summer, we take a group of students to a University for a week where they get to stay in the dorms and experience various campus activities. I leave next week and will take a group to Emporia State. Hopefully, when I'm no longer the low-man on the totem pole, I will be able to take a group to a larger university like MU, or Nebraska, or KU!!!! For now, I'm just thankful I was NOT given Rolla as my college...that place sucks! My coworkers have been very welcoming. Most of them are young, which makes it all the more fun! We already had a happy hour last week :) I am also adjusting to having an office where I spend a lot of my time. During the school year, I spend the majority of my day in the office, and then just a few hours teaching the kids after school. It's so weird! I never thought I would have a cube! It is also the strangest thing to work in a building that is actually sanitary, where you can go to a nice, clean bathroom whenever you need to, can go down to the dining room to get lunch or a diet coke whenever you want, and where no students are screaming up and down the halls throughout the day distracting you from your work!! To most of you this is normal, to me it is SO WEIRD!!!!!!! All of my coworkers have been telling me it is a great organization to work for because although we work really hard and put in a lot of hours, the perks are also really great as well (like half days every Friday, lots of extended holiday time, various tickets from the foundation, etc.). In fact, we got this whole week off for our "midsummer recess" because August is a crazy month when the kids start school and we induct the new cohort of Kauffman Scholars.

This is the Kauffman Foundation building where my office is...just east of the Plaza and just north of UMKC

My cube...lots of pictures already, but still needs some work!

It's official!! I'm a Kauffman employee!!

In other news, we are doing a lot of traveling thing summer! So far we took a trip to Omaha to visit Tom's family and then also to Chicago for my friend, Johanna's, wedding.

It had been since Christmas since we had been to Omaha to visit the French's. In January, Sam got pregnant so we had to see her and her cute little baby bump! We had some girl time with pedicures and shopping, got to see pictures from Tom's parents' trip to Italy, saw the nursery where Tom's nephew, Easton, will sleep, and set off LOTS of fireworks since it was the weekend before the 4th of July! I always have such a great time when we go there, I feel so lucky that Tom's family is so loving and inclusive...I hear all these horror stories of in-laws and I feel sorry for those people because I know I will never have to deal with any of that! His parents and sister are like second family to me and I am very fortunate to have them in my life.

Sam's baby bump and Easton's room!! Brian painted that wall, it looks awesome!

Tom and I with future mommy and daddy, Brian and Sam...before setting off fireworks in the backyard!

For the 4th of July weekend, we were in Chicago because my friend, Johanna, was getting married. I met Johanna when I lived in NYC. She was a Math Fellow in the NYC Teaching Fellows program with me, so we spent the whole summer of '07 together in day-long education and math classes. She quickly became one of my closest friends throughout the year I lived there and we have stayed friends since despite our distance. She still lives and teaches in NYC, but is originally from Chicago, which is why she had her wedding there. Her husband, Chad, teaches at the same school as she does which is how they met!

Her wedding was absolutely adorable!! They got married in an old mansion in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst. Both the ceremony and reception/dinner were held there. What I liked most is that the wedding really seemed to reflect who they are as a couple. I think a lot of weddings these days are just about putting on a show and trying to impress others rather than being an authentic celebration of the newlyweds.

Wilder Mansion

Tom and I with the newlyweds, Johanna and Chad

The wedding was Sunday, so Tom and I got to do some other things while we were in town. We stayed in downtown Chicago so that we could see the most of the city. Saturday, we went to the Taste of Chicago first thing in the morning. It was awesome! They had streets lined with vendors from Chicago area restaurants and you could get samples of unique things that each restaurant served. It was by far my favorite thing we did. We also did some shopping on Michigan Avenue. Later, we met Tom's friend Josh and his girlfriend for dinner at a gourmet burger restaurant (a la Blanc Burger) in Lincoln Park where Josh lives. We also got to spend some time with some other KU friends on a rooftop in Lincoln Park. Between the time we had pre-wedding and pre-flight on Sunday, we also got to see a show at the Adler Planetarium and explore the Museum of Science and Industry. Both I would recommend! We also walked around Navy Pier, but that place was way too crowded and touristy for my liking :) We had a great time exploring the city, especially once we decided to stop taking taxis and just take advantage of the public transportation. I love not having to use a car! KC needs to step it up in that department...we also didn't forget to eat some authentic deep dish Chicago pizza while we were there. Delish!!

Entrance to the Taste

Adler Planetarium

Nick, Josh and Tom on the rooftop in Lincoln Park

And now??? Waiting for Trader Joe's to open....

Quinoa Salad with Pistachios and Cranberries

My mom made this salad recently and I just had to get the recipe from her. It is such a great summer dish!! My one suggestion would be keeping the pistachios separate from the salad and mix them in right before you are ready to serve...otherwise they get soggy, especially if you have some leftovers!
For the sherry vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) medium extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons water

For the quinoa salad:

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces by weight) pistachio nuts

1 cup (6 1/4 ounces by weight) quinoa

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) water

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 stalks celery, sliced

3 scallions, green tops removed, sliced

1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces by weight) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 recipe sherry vinaigrette


Directions:

Make the vinaigrette

1. Put the shallots, vinegar, salt and a few grindings of pepper into a small deep bowl, a coffee mug, or a 1-cup measure. Slowly pour 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil into the bowl, beating constantly with the fork. Beat in the water, then the remaining 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for seasoning.


Make the quinoa salad

1. To toast the pistachio nuts, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Arrange the pistachio nuts in a single layer in a small pan and roast until you can just detect their aroma and they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Let them cool to room temperature, then chop them coarsely. (This can be done ahead.)

2. Toast the quinoa in a medium skillet over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until it lightly browns, starts to crackle, and smells a bit toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a pot, add the water and the salt, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa is soft but still has a little bite, about 15 minutes. The water should be gone.

3. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and let it cool. Add the pistachio nuts, celery, scallions, and cranberries and toss everything together.

4. Dress the salad with sherry vinaigrette.

5. If not serving immediately, refrigerate the salad, but bring it to room temperature before serving.

When It Rains, It Pours

Back in October, when things started to get really bad at Southwest (namely, when the principal I felt was Southwest's last chance resigned) I started urgently looking for new jobs. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, I just felt I had to get out. I found a few things that I thought would suffice, applied and waited. Nothing came to fruition. I kept trying. I looked weekly, daily, hourly. Then in February, while looking through the updated postings on Nonprofit Connect's website I saw a posting for Kauffman Scholars. This organization is one I was familiar with because it works directly with urban schools in the Kansas City area, namely Southwest. The organization is small with very few staff members who work as a branch of the Kauffman Foundation to help students from low income families be successful in high school. Once they apply to college, Kauffman pays their tuition. It can be any college, anywhere. It can be an Ivy, it can be a private...doesn't matter. Kauffman also stays in contact with the students throughout their four or more years in college--mentoring them, helping them with resources they may need throughout their program, you name it. In a nutshell, my dream job. So when I saw this posting for an open position, my heart stopped. I immediately polished my resume and wrote my cover letter. It was the easiest letter I ever wrote, because it was driven from my passion and experience. Once I submitted these, I pushed it to the wayside. I knew deep down, especially in this economic downturn, that it would be a highly competitive position and that I could still be considered a rookie in my trade. I knew that for every person like me, there were probably two with doctorates, administrative backgrounds, or more years of teaching experience. Instead of waiting, I kept looking. I kept applying. It was spring time, so I knew this was when I needed to be actively searching for other teaching positions. At the end of February, Kauffman called me for an interview. I was ecstatic. I interviewed in a room of four staff members and a director in a small conference room. They told me at the end that there were several more steps in the interview process and that they would be in touch. I sighed as I left and pushed it out of my mind.

I ended up getting an interview for a Special Ed position in a math classroom in the Kansas City, KS school district in March. I was excited about the opportunity to stay in an urban district that had a much better reputation than Kansas City, MO. I went to the interview and was offered the job on the spot. I was relieved to finally have my ticket out of my current job. A few weeks later, I went to visit a potential placement school and meet the principal. It was an amazing school and I could see myself fitting in. I was informed the next day that I would be placed at that school. I accepted and forgot about Kauffman.

But then...they called. They wanted me to come back and do a sample teaching lesson to a group of 8th graders in their program. I teach for a living, but I have never been so nervous in my life. After it was over, I thought it went well, but I was still insecure. A few weeks later, while sitting at my desk, I received an email from them telling me I had made it to the third round of interviews. This time, it was in a room of three different Vice Presidents from the organization. They told me that the candidate they chose would start in early May. I told them that my school did not get out until June 15th, and I was not willing to break that committment. Again, I sighed as I left and thought to myself, "That was it. I'm out."

By the way, I am petrified of rejection. I read an article from a magazine during this process that talked about disappointment. It said that believe it or not, the actual feeling of disappointment is never as bad as the anticipation of it. I started thinking about this and how oh-so-true it was. I reminded myself of this over the following few weeks to prepare for not getting the job I so desperately wanted and I think it's what got me by.

But then...they called. They told me that they had a different position opening in June and that they had selected me to take the spot. I still needed to meet with the President, because he had to formally "okay" each candidate. I met with him yesterday. The last two words out of his mouth as he shook my hand were, "Welcome aboard".

I felt bad telling KCK that I had to decline the job, but knowing I was given a chance at a dream career, I could never turn it down.

I now sit here thinking about how truly, everything happens for a reason. Had I never had a horrible year at my school, I never would have been searching for a new job. I never would have stumbled upon one of Kauffman's rare openings. Life is a true blessing!

June 20th I will start a new chapter of my life. I can't wait!

Oh Joy for Oh Land

Oh Land is a group I just stumbled upon and who really made my day! Check it:

Wolf and I--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzXUfg04gdw

Rainbow--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AekZ_RZ6SE