My First Ten on Tuesday

A fellow blogger, Erin, always does Ten on Tuesday and I always read it... after Tuesday. I've always wanted to participate, but like I said, I always read it after Tuesday and by then it's too late! So here we go, my first Ten on Tuesday. Unfortunately it's about cooking... something I don't do a whole lot of.



1. What is a food that you never thought you would try, but then tried and liked?

I never thought I'd try kangaroo. Or alligator. But I've tried both in the past year (kangaroo in Australia and alligator at the folk festival back in Maine) and actually liked them.


2. Do you subscribe to any foodie publications? If so, which ones?

I, for some reason, receive Rachael Ray's magazine in the mail. I don't know why, exactly. I've never been billed for it though. (Thank goodness! I'm not a huge fan, so it's definitely not something I'd pay for)


3. What ingredient do you find yourself reaching for the most when you cook?

Green peppers and onions. Most of my favorite meals have both of those.


4. Are there any foods that you hated as a child, but then learned to like as an adult?

Oh, you name it, and I probably hated it as a child! Most of them I like a lot now though. I specifically remember wanting to try sushi on my 16th birthday. We were at the beach, and for some stupid reason we decided grocery store sushi would be the way to go (We were at a beach! We probably could have gotten delicious fresh sushi someplace really good, but we didn't) and I HATED it. Then a few years later, Danny took me for sushi, probably at Green Tea, and I loved it. Still not a huge fan of raw fish sushi though.


5. What do you like to eat that others may consider weird?

Hm. Not so sure about this one.


6. What is the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever cooked with?

I'm not super adventurous when it comes to cooking... probably because I'm so bad at it!


7. Do you have any major food allergies?

Nope! Thank goodness. I have a sensitivity to MSG though.


8. Is there an ingredient that you would like to cook with, but are intimidated to try?

I'm intimidated by spices. My roommate makes fun of me for buying seasoning packets for things like chili and fajitas when we have tons of spices here, but I just don't know what tastes good/right together.


9. Do you bake?

Yes. Mostly boxed mixes. :-D

10. If you could go on any “foodie” show to compete, which one would it be, and why?

Not sure! One where they teach you how? Haha

Preview of New Items for My Etsy Shop!

I've decided to post my two newest handmade items that I intend to list in my Etsy shop here first, so that I can get people's opinions. They're both projects that were my first attempts ever at a new skill - sewing from a pattern and crocheting an amigurumi. I had a lot of fun with both of these projects, and I'm very pleased at how they came out.


First is the Bumblebee Mini Tote Bag

The dimensions of this bag are 12.5in(32cm) x 4in(10cm) x 8in(20cm). It has pockets all the way around the outside of the bag, with a total of 6 pockets. It can easily hold 2-3 hard covered books and would make a great purse.

You can purchase this purse here



And here is my first amigurumi - And trust me, I will be making many more of these! I've found a pattern for a turtle that I really like, and I'm looking for a lion as well. (Although, if anyone knows of any patterns for any other cute animals, please do share them!!)


My little koala!

 

I'm so very proud of this! I'd never considered crocheting animals before, but I found this pattern and it didn't look beyond my skills, so I went for it!! And I'm so happy with it. I don't think the photo does this guy justice. He's absolutely adorable. 

He's 7 inches(18cm) tall and his eyes are made of glass pearls.

I think when I sell him, he'll come with a little bow made of either pink, purple, or aqua ribbon. :)

You can buy this little guy here

Okay... so any ideas of what I should sell these things for?

EDIT: The items have been posted and priced, but feedback (on this blog post please) is appreciated. 

Sad Attempt at Blogging, but Some Good News

So, it's been nearly two weeks since I blogged. So much for jumping back in full force. I guess it will be a slow transition back, but I'm still here. I'm still doing it.





So here's what happened lately.






Dan started his new job. It's been a little rough with scheduling, but hopefully that will get worked out.


I've substituted for a total of two weeks. I absolutely love it. The people that I work with are awesome, the kids are bright and cheerful, and I actually enjoy being at work. This is something you probably would not have heard from me at my previous job. Even my first days at my old job were rough. There really wasn't a honeymoon period there... it was fairly unpleasant from the beginning, I had just hoped that with time things would get better.


Anyways, it turns out that after next week, I will not be subbing anymore. That's right. After just 2 weeks, I have been offered a permanent position. I don't know my actual job title, but I will be floating between 3 different classroom to provide additional coverage. I'll be working 11-5:30, which is considered part-time. It's not a TON of hours, but it's guaranteed hours, and I will get more in the summer. Also, as soon as I'm teacher qualified (end of March) I will be able to be considered for a full-time teaching job, if one opens up. Fingers, toes, and everything else crossed that that happens. I could definitely see myself teaching preschool at this center for a couple of years. I have not given up on teaching elementary school (I did put 4 years of college in for this) but I feel like this would be a good transition.


Hopefully this means that our financial situation will be becoming more stable. As of right now, we have no idea when we'll be moving into our own place. I think it's best to not put a date on it right now. Too many variables, and I don't want to set myself up for more disappointment. This might mean that we won't be able to get the puppy after all, but hopefully we can work something out so that we can. I'm already attached!