Family Favorite...Beef Stroganoff

Well its been a while since I've last cooked. I don't know about you, but we eat in cycles. We'll eat out for a while, then we'll get sick of it and start eating at home. I'm glad we're back on the "at home" cycle. Tonight's meal: Beef Stroganoff. This recipe has been in my family FOREVER and we love it!! Enjoy the recipe and if you make it, let me know what you think!

1 lb round steak
Cut into small cubes. Completely cover the meat with flour (and I season it too) Put into a skillet with the bottom coated in hot oil. Salt and pepper. Add two cloves of garlic. Let each side brown. When all the meat is brown, add water, just enough to cover the meat. Add two bouillon cubes. Cover and let simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. (Checking to make sure the meat is not getting too dry) Turn heat off and add 8 oz of sour cream. Stir.  Pour over rice. (I love it with corn on top) :)

Teacher Idea Thursday

This might be a weird "Teacher Idea" post but you never know...it could be useful to someone out there. If there is anyone out there even reading this. We just finished up the BEST fundraiser ever. Our 5th graders are taking this amazing field trip and are having to raise close to $9,000! We made about $4500 on this AMAZING fundraiser. 

GLOW Scented Candles (click the picture to go to their site)

First of all I should mention that I was given a GLOW Candle as a Christmas gift last year from a student and fell in love with it! It was by far my most favorite candle ever! I googled it and found out the candles were part of a fundraiser, so I knew next time I did one it would be candles! 

It was so easy and painless. We made 50% profit and it wasn't hard to sell them because they are just THAT good. I think 78 kids actually sold candles and we had 615 candles ordered! WOW! So if you're looking for a way to make money, consider these people. Minimum orders are like 24 so it can be done on a very small scale too. 

Fun Fact Friday

Triclosan. Have you ever heard about it? Do you know what it's in? Yeah, me either...until now. 


My mom sent me an email yesterday about my dad that was very eye opening.  His doctor told them that they need to GET AWAY from any antibacterial products that contain the chemical Triclosan. It is found in our Bath and Body soaps, and in probably everything imaginable. It has been linked to renal cancer, along with many other cancers.


So, I went around my house looking and sure enough Bath and Body Works main ingredient is Triclosan. I have done a little research today and mainly just found big time environmentalists debating and using a lot of big words I've never heard of. But the moral of the story is Triclosan is a pesticide registered by the EPA and it's linked to causing cancer. (esp. renal cancer) I just checked Germ-x and Purell's website and they both claim to be Triclosan free. Kind of scary though...

For your info...

18 brands that don't use triclosan

1. CleanWell
2. LUSH
3. Nature’s Gate
4. Vermont Country
5. Naked Soap Works
6. MiEssence
7. Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer
8. Ivory
9. Paul’s Organic
10. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
11. Tom’s of Maine
12. The Natural Dentist
13. Listerine Essential Care
14. Peelu
15. Weleda
16. Toxic Free Basics
17. Aveda (products contain no triclosan, according to company representatives, but the company has no policy regarding use of triclosan)
18. Germ-X

Four retailers that sell triclosan-free products

1. Ikea -- sells only triclosan-free products
2. The Body Shop -- sells only triclosan-free products
3. Whole Foods -- sells triclosan-free products, but read the label first
4. Trader Joe's -- sells triclosan-free products, but read the label firs

Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704621.html

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/147/16-hand-soaps-that-do-not-use-triclosan.html

Teacher Idea Thursday

Today's topic is College Week. I started this up at my school last year after talking with a lot of other schools in my area. The purpose of College Week is to get kids interested in college at an early age and get them thinking about their future. We hope parents will talk about college at home with their children and discuss family plans for the future. All the teachers decorate their doors or hallways for their alma maters and we all wear college apparel all week. It's a ton of fun! Here are a few pictures from our hall. I will have to admit, I didn't go all out this year like I did last year...but I think it still turned out neat. 

These are the flags leading into our hallway. This was taken at the beginning of the week. The kids all did one for the school they want to attend too. 

This is our 5th grade teacher college wall. 

Diaper Cakes

I have had sooo many people ask how I made my sisters diaper cake. I figured it would be a good blog topic...so here is my
How To Make A {very cool} Diaper Cake...

Before I start, I cannot take credit for this...my good friends Beth and Stephanie are like pros at this...so they taught me their secrets. :)

What you will need:
About 180 newborn diapers (I bought the 3 pkgs of the Walgreens brand with like 60-70 in each)
White curling ribbon
A round pizza pan
Lots of fun ribbon (wait for the Hobby Lobby sales...you can get it for cheap)
Fun little things to decorate the cake with (rattles, bows, shoes, decorative things)
A friend to help hold the diapers :)

Step 1:
Roll one diaper and tie a ribbon around it. This will be your center piece. You are going to wrap diapers around the rolled one. Keep the diaper flat, (like they are when you pull them out of the package) and overlap each one with about 2 inches of each diaper still showing. Every 7-10 diapers, you will need to have your friend wrap the ribbon around what you've done and tie it (so it can slip off) Keep going until your bottom layer is the same size as your pizza pan.

{Repeat this step for each layer...making each layer a little smaller}

Step 2: 

Pick out your favorite combinations of ribbon and hot glue them to the diapers, covering your white curling ribbon.

Step 3: 

Start adding all your decorative items. There is a trick to getting them all to stay. I tied curling ribbon or twine to the ends of all the things. (For example a rattle to one end of the ribbon and the cross to the other end) Then I would lift the layer and place the ribbon in between so they would just hang. 

 ...Ta-da!!!

It was the hit of the party and way cooler than the average diaper cake. It really is easy to make and will be something the mom-to-be will never forget. :)

No Matter What

Thank you all for your prayers over the last week and a half! Please keep them up...we should be finding out what the pathology report says Tuesday.  Today I've posted the lyrics to a song I heard for the first time the morning I left to go home. It gave me such a feeling of peace listening to it and completely calmed me in a very uncertain and scary time. It's funny, because like I said, I've never heard it before on the radio and now, in the last week in a half I've heard it about once a day.

No Matter What

Kerrie Roberts

I’m running back to your promises one more time, Lord that’s all I can hold on to, I gotta say this has taken me by surprise, but nothing surprises you. Before a heartache can ever touch my life, it has to go through Your hands, and even though I, I keep asking why, I keep asking why

No matter what, I’m gonna love You, no matter what I’m gonna need You, I know that You can find a way to keep me from the pain but if not,if not, I’ll trust you, no matter what, no matter what. 

When I’m stuck in this nothing-ness by myself, I’m just sitting in silence, there’s no way I can make it without Your help, I wont even try it. I know You have Your reasons for everything, so I will keep believing, whatever I might be feeling, God you are my hope, and you'll be my strength, 

No matter what, I’m gonna love You, no matter what I’m gonna need You, I know that You can find a way to keep me from the pain but if not, if not, I’ll trust you, no matter what, no matter what. 

Anything I don’t have You can give it to me, but it’s ok if You don’t, I’m not here for those things, the touch of Your love is enough on its own, no matter what I still love You and I’m gonna need You

No matter what I’m gonna love you, no matter what I’m gonna need you, I know that You can find a way to keep me from the pain but if not, if not, I’ll trust You, I know that You can find a way to keep me from the pain, but if not, if not, I’ll trust you, no matter what no matter what no matter no matter what

I Love you Dad!

Missing the Milestones...

Living 350 miles away from my niece just sucks! Living 280 miles from "home" is equally as bad. I've been pretty homesick for my family since I left them last weekend...Look what I missed out on today. Harper had her first bowl of cereal. Before I know it she'll be eating pizza!

She loved it!!!

I just don't know how long I'm going to be able to take living this far away. I miss my family :(