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I work at Williams-Sonoma on the weekends...yes, I have been called a workaholic (teacher by day, sales associate by weekend)...but I love working at WS and I LOVE the discount. Win, win.

It is tempting to buy everything in sight.

But I hold myself back. Or at least, I try to hold myself back.

Here are a few items that have me reaching, or wanting to reach, for my white card (discount) and credit card (payment of choice):

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All Clad d5 Stainless Steel

(everytime I sell pieces to the customer, I convince myself that I need to own these pots/pans someday soon)

DuraClear Pitcher

(removeable insert for ice so your margarita doesn't get watered down...)

Best pasta sauce...and perfect for pizza, too.

Set of Glass Bowls

Heritage Bundt Cake Pan

Certainty.

"There are two things that are certain in life. Death and taxes."

...

Re-told by the Heinz family?
"There are three things that are certain in life. Death, taxes, and daily dessert."
Seriously. Have you ever come over and not found dessert in our house? Living on my own is going to be rough.

Quote

When completing their "Me" poems, the students had to complete the sentence "I am afraid of _____".
Alice's response? "I am afraid of killer clowns, the dark, and alien ships that look like the circus."

Colo-RAD-o

Today marks the conclusion of my spring break. Tomorrow, I return to the classroom and there I will stay until summer sets me free...although, the freedom will only last for two weeks, and then I will teach summer school, but let's not talk about that.

I will miss what was Spring Break 2010. One week of travel, friends, late nights, "wild child" activities, concerts, sun, and relaxation. Bliss.
For 4 of my 8 days off, I was in beautiful Denver, Colorado. If I didn't love the beach so much, I would move to the Denver area in a heartbeat. Here's to the fabulous food eaten in Denver: Osteria Marco and Snooze. I am almost drooling just remembering them...

Osteria Marco is an Italian restaurant with fabulous "eat as you go" atmosphere, homemade cheeses and cured meats, good wine, and unique bar seating. It was a random find (thanks to a kind restaurant bouncer) but it was one place I would definitely re-visit. My advice? Go to downtown Denver, wander around until it is dark, find this little snack of a restaurant, sit at the L-shaped bar, and order the pastrami panini. Oh, and make sure you have a friend with you...convince them to order the butternut squash pizza so you can have a piece or two (it is heavenly).
Snooze is a hoppin' breakfast restaurant that I wish I could somehow transplant to Santa Barbara. Actually, for the sake of my clothes fitting, perhaps I don't want it nearby. If you are in Denver, you HAVE to eat here. It is inexpensive, you get to drink out of cute yellow coffee mugs, the Guatemalean coffee is out of this world (or country?), the circular booths are super fun, and the food is fantastic. Pancakes? The best I have ever eaten. When I have a free weekend morning, I plan on recreating the cherry cobbler pancake and I hope that I can recreate something that tastes as good as Snooze's, otherwise I really might have to ditch the beach and head east.

Food people...

The ticket to getting kids to eat their fruits and vegetables...

I introduce to you: Lucy-girl and Sarah-girl.

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Chimichangas

We call them Chimis, perhaps because we are so fond of them that we have to give them a nickname. My mom doesn't like to make them without me; she says I have the magic burrito rolling touch...whatever that means...so when I have time, I gladly make them for my family because, secretly, they are my favorite, too!

Yes, technically they are "fried"...but get over it. "Fried" or not, they are fabulous.

Chimichangas:

Brown 3/4 pound of ground turkey; set aside.

Saute 1 bell pepper (diced) and 1 onion (diced); add 1 clove diced garlic and saute until pepper and onion are soft.

Mix turkey, onion/pepper, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1 can refried beans, and 1 Tbsp. chili powder in a bowl.

Warm 7-8 tortillas in the microwave and place filling evenly among the tortillas. Roll tortillas into right burritos (fold sides in, then wrap up).

Place 1/2 inch oil into a pan and heat until it sizzles. Place 2 or 3 burritos in the oil and fry until golden brown, then flip to brown the other side. Take chimis out of oil, pat with paper towel and either serve immediately or place in a warm oven until you are ready to eat!

Serve with sour cream, avocado, and/or lime!!

Ageless.

Surely, these people do not age:
1) Mrs. Beckstead

2) Diane Sawyer

3) Eddie Murphy

4) Vanna White