Magic Salad

 

 

This delicious concoction was adapted from a recipe I saw on Blooming on Bainbridge. The voice of that blog, Teresa, is one of the most positive voices I have come across in the blogosphere. She knows how it's done and her Pink Salad is amazing. Since trying this in its original form, I have adapted it to my family's preferences, changed it's name to reflect those changes (and how incredibly easy it is to make), and have played around with some of the ingredients. The Missus and the Boy love it. I have taken it to work a few times already (teachers love treats!) and my work pals are insane for it!

 

 

 

The Ingredients:

• 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits- drain off juice
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 21 oz. can blueberry pie filling- the original recipe calls for cherry, which is delicious. I have also used strawberry which is off the rails as well.
• 8 oz. Cool Whip- I used the "lite" kind. Allow to soften a bit.
• 2 cups of mini marshmallows- slightly less than half of a 10 oz. bag.

 

 

 

Start with a large mixing bowl. Drain the juice from the pineapple tidbits and pour into the bowl.

 

Next, add the sweetened condensed milk. I love anything with sweetened condensed milk. In fact, I could eat this as it is.

Add the pie filling.

Stir in the slightly thawed Cool Whip.

Combine ingredients together.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, add the marshmallows.

Stir to combine.

Find a serving dish. I use this cool trifle dish I got as a present.

*Tip: for the serving dishes we don't use every day, the Missus covers them with plastic wrap after they've been washed and thoroughly dried. That way, they are always sparklingly clean when we want to use them (even if we haven't used them in months). Awesome!

Chill and enjoy!

 The original recipe on Blooming on Bainbridge gives directions for serving this dish frozen which would be great for summer. Check it out!

 



Blogs To Take A Shine To: Ironic Mom



Another blog to take a shine to is Ironic Mom. The voice behind this blog is published author Leanne Shirtliffe. I have had the pleasure of reading Leanne's new book, Don't Lick The Minivan, and can't recommend it highly enough. It's a hilarious and frank look at parenting twins. Thank you, Leanne, for taking the time to let us get to know you better.

 

 

Please tell us all about your blog! Why did you decide to start a blog? What can readers expect when visiting your blog?

I started a blog because an agent at a writing conference told me that I needed one if I ever hoped to become a published humor author. She was right. But that isn’t what keeps me blogging. The fantastic community of people and the desire to capture in-the-moment, humorous snapshots are what feeds my muse. 

 

Tell us about you! Jobs (former and current), general geographic location, home life, etc.

I’ve been a classroom teacher for 18 years. I’ve taught in Ontario, Bahrain, Thailand, and Calgary. Currently, I teach 8^th and 9^th grade English; next year, I’ll be teaching 10^th -12^th grade English. I’m also a writer.  

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started your blog?

It’s going to change your life in ways you cannot fathom. And it’s way more fun than work.  

How do you find balance between your everyday life and your cyber life?

My husband is a recovering librarian and a stay-at-home dude. So he does the laundry, the shopping, and the cooking. We can’t afford tropical vacations, but it affords us a good quality of life and it affords me the time to write. Balance, however, is something I struggle with, especially since I love to work. I’ve learned, however, that multitasking is inefficient; I try to be present when I’m with my kids, even if they’re carving their names into our minivan. I also shut off social media when I’m serious about writing.

When your child describes you, what would you like him/her to say?

That she’s loving and funny. When they were toddlers, my kids described me as a comeback-er woman, because I always went to work but I always came back.

What do you imagine yourself doing ten years from now?

In ten years, I imagine myself phasing out of formal classroom teaching, and into a career involving speaking and writing and laughing. If not that, I’ll be in therapy every day.

What three words would you use to describe the last three months of your life?

Chaotic. Fun. Circus-like.

 

 

What is the worst advice you’ve ever been given?

Read everything you can about parenting.

If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell?

In my book, Don’t Lick the Minivan, my final chapter is a letter to my pre-pregnant self (i.e. the stretch mark free one).

What’s the best part of growing older?

Being able to love, laugh and dance freely and confidently, without giving a darn about what others say.



• To order Leanne's new book, click here!
• Be sure to follow Ironic Mom so you won't miss any of his posts!
• If you know a great blog you'd like to see featured here (or if you'd like your own blog featured here!), please let me know!
• Be sure to follow Writing Pad Dad and subscribe by e-mail so you won't miss any blogs featured or my own posts about my misadventures as a Dad, Husband, Teacher, and amateur home cook! 

Blogs To Take A Shine To: ReWriting Dad

 

Another blog to take a shine to is ReWriting Dad. The voice behind this blog is Chad Miller. Thank you, Chad, for taking the time to let us get to know you better.


 

 

1.  Please tell us all about your blog! Why did you decide to start a blog? What can readers expect when visiting your blog?

ReWritingDad launched at the end of January 2013 after spending 8 months learning the basics of Blogging with ChadMillerBlog. I originally started blogging to provide content and lessons I had learned in all areas of leadership. It wasn’t long before I realized that real leadership began in the home and I began thinking about how I could use the leadership principles I used in the workplace at home.

My blogging opportunities with ReWritingDad began to build real momentum during the first two months following its launch. I had received an invitation to Dad 2.0 Summit in Houston, and following my return from the event, I began receiving invitations for guest blogging opportunities, including my first paid article, and even my first public speaking engagement. It was certainly an exciting time.

Unfortunately, I began to lose focus in the areas of my life that really matter. I wasn’t living the life that I was writing about and found it difficult to write honestly and without hypocrisy. Fast forward to today – after declining many requests for guest posting opportunities, and removing myself temporarily from contributing to a few great parenting sites, I’m ready to begin writing again.

Readers can expect an open and honest dialogue about marriage and parenting. I hope to expose a community to vulnerability and humanity while sharing my experiences with mercy, grace, love, and hope. Of course, they’ll continue to find the same nuggets of humor that have allowed me the opportunity to be published in books like Life Well Blogged: Parenting Gag Reel. My hope is that I can serve my readers, and build a community by sharing helpful content to make better choices as a spouse and parent.

2.  Tell us about you! Jobs (former and current), general geographic location, home life, etc.

My beautiful wife and I raise our son and daughter in a town about 30 minutes South of Dallas, Texas (we never give directions in miles in Texas; it’s always based on time). Currently I’m a project manager for a rapidly growing charter school that focuses on building leaders for the 21^st century. It’s a great environment for me as we place emphasis on character development and parental involvement.

Home life is beautiful chaos. I’m sure it’s much like most families. We have our struggles followed by laughter and continue to learn more about serving each other as we carve our path in the world. 

3.  What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started your blog?

Unfortunately, I still don’t know what I don’t know! I’m still learning the discipline of consistency and balance. I wish I had known how vast the landscape of helpful people there are in the blogosphere. So many great individuals are willing to help and provide advice, direction, and technical expertise. We are not alone.

4.  How do you find balance between your everyday life and your cyber life?

I’ve learned that there is no such thing as perfect balance. Our time is divided and shared between so many events that we feel obligated to tend to.

I’ll share a little secret. It’s one of those things that when I first started being intentional about really frustrated a lot of my friends because they couldn’t get a hold of me.

My balance is found between the hours of 5 and 8 o’clock at night. When I get home from work, my iPhone is switched to silent, plugged in to charge, and I forget about it. Given only 3 hours of time with my family is more important that any retweets, mentions, or comments that I will ever get.

5.  When your child describes you, what would you like him/her to say?

Authentic. Vulnerable. Inspiring. Lead with mercy and grace. Encouraging. Firm yet kind. Loving.



6.  What do you imagine yourself doing ten years from now?

Continuing to pursue my wife and love her recklessly. I’ve learned that when you do this, not only is it the best way to parent, but everything else seems to fall in line. Somehow, home, career, goals, balance seem to find their way into that elusive balance when a man focuses on loving his wife.

My readers will find that I’m on a journey of restoration and healing, and part of that is the reckless pursuit of my wife. Ten years from now, I will be sharing a message of a strengthened marriage and family.

7.  What three words would you use to describe the last three months of your life?

Exposed. Humbling. Vulnerable. (Summed up to one word, Loved)

8.  What is the worst advice you’ve ever been given?

Wow! Tough question. I’d like to say that my bad decisions weren’t based on bad advice, but my own selfishness and not seeking and evaluating at all available options.

9.  If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell?

Similar to #6, never stop pursuing your wife. Never stop loving her recklessly.

Life will seem robotic and routine and you’ll long for excitement and youthful spontaneity. Never let that cloud your judgment or cause you to lose focus of your spouse. Always remember your wife loved you before the kids. There is no greater model of love you can show your children than to love their mother with abandon.

10.      What’s the best part of growing older?

The journey…

• Be sure to follow ReWriting Dad so you won't miss any of his posts!
• If you know a great blog you'd like to see featured here (or if you'd like your own blog featured here!), please let me know!
• Be sure to follow Writing Pad Dad and subscribe by e-mail so you won't miss any blogs featured or my own posts about my misadventures as a Dad, Husband, Teacher, and amateur home cook! 

Testing...1,2,3...The Debacle That Is Standardized Testing In Our Public Schools

 

Most people haven’t had the pleasure of being a teacher and administering a standardized test to students. You know the all-important test that decides if someone is a "good" teacher, how much a teacher gets paid, and if a teacher is hired to teach another year. If you listen to the news, you might be convinced that the results of this test determine a teacher's very worth as a human being.

“Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.” -Chinese Proverb



Just for fun, let me walk you through what it's really like to give this test by sharing some of what happened over the two weeks I gave the test to my students this year:

• On the first day of the test, one of my students came to school late because, even though several notices and reminders went home, his Mom didn't realize we were testing and took him to get a haircut "real quick" before dropping him off at school.
• As I circulated around the room, one of my girls was filling in the answer bubbles on the wrong part of the test.
• Ten minutes into part 1 of the math test, one of my boys raised his hand to tell me that he had completed and double-checked his work on the 45 question test in 10 minutes flat! Honest.
• Another did the math portion of the test without once using her scratch paper.
• On day 3 of the test, one kid slumped in her seat because she was so sick. We called her mom and she came right to school, picked up her child, and gave her lots of TLC and Motrin at home. Not really. Her mom said her daughter will just have to tough it out because she can't miss work. We weren't able to contact dad at any of the phone numbers he provided the school.
• One of my boys left his glasses at home. He can't see well enough to read anything without them. We called his stay-at-home mom who rushed right over to school with his glasses. Just kidding. She did say that she'd look for them "soon". During the two weeks we tested, he had his glasses once. On the last day of the test.
• And then there was my favorite moment of testing this year. One of my cherubs, whose mother should be publically flogged, came up to me and said, "I was really nervous to take the test, but my Mom said not to worry about it because the test isn't testing me, it's testing if you are a good teacher or not."

Why all the ridiculous behavior from the students and the parents? The answer is so simple: it doesn't cost them anything. Seriously. If a kid doesn't do well,  do they have to repeat the grade they're in? No. Are they required to attend summer school? No. Are the parents of these kids required to cover the cost of their kid repeating a grade? No. Are the parents of these kids forced to cover the cost of providing summer school? No. How about the parents paying for tutoring for their child? No. So to recap, everything is on the line for the teacher, but the students and the parents hold most of the cards. I can hear some of you saying, "well, that's just how some parents are". You're exactly right! If we as a society are saying we can't do anything about some parents, why are we expecting teachers to be able to?

That egotistical fool, Michelle Rhee, and other so-called education "reformers", clearly have agendas that don't involve ensuring a quality education for every child. If that was really their motive, they would be pushing a three pronged approach for real improvements in public education by saying that teachers can't do all the heavy lifting on their own. Parents need to be held accountable. Same goes for the students themselves. 

Teachers, please share your experiences and frustrations with the testing insanity that in currently infecting our schools by leaving a comment below! I look forward to hearing from you!

Blogs To Take A Shine To: HoJo's Teaching Adventures

The eighth blog to take a shine to is HoJo's Teaching Adventures. The voice behind this blog, Heather Whetham, is a teacher and developer of curriculum for teachers. Thank you, Heather, for taking the time to let us get to know you better.

1. Please tell us all about your blog! Why did you decide to start a blog? What can readers expect when visiting your blog?

My blog is geared toward elementary teachers in grades K-6. I enjoy sharing teaching techniques that have worked well for me, freebies that I find or create, and an occasional random snippet from my own life.

I started my blog because I enjoyed seeing all of the other blogs out there. I've always enjoyed finding high-quality resources, and I wanted to share these with more than my colleagues. (Of course I always give credit where it is due by linking back to the original creator!) Also, my teaching position at the time was not as rigorous as others I'd had, so I wanted to give back to the education world in some way. Hence HoJo's Teaching Adventures was born!


2. Tell us about you! Jobs (former and current), general geographic location, home life, etc.

I have lived in South Dakota my entire life, and I love teaching here and giving back to the state that has made me the person I am. My teaching career started at a Hutterite colony, then an Indian reservation, has included some special education work, and now I'm in an inclusion 6th grade general education classroom. My work outside of the classroom has included creating masks working overnight in a factory, working in retail for over a decade, numerous jobs involving young children, selling fireworks, and about any other random position you can think of outside of waitressing.

I have been dating the love of my life for just over a year, and I know he's the man I'll spend the rest of my life with. We conveniently live between our parents, but it's also far enough away that we have our own lives. Once we have children, I'd like to be closer - so we'll see what happens with life...



3. What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started your blog?

I still don't feel like I know anything! Some days I can write a post that hardly anyone reads, and the next post that I think will bomb is a total hit with thousands of views. But a few things I'm finally getting the hang of include putting my logo on pictures, creating collages of photos that go over well on Pinterest, and posting regularly.

4. How do you find balance between your everyday life and your cyber life?

Right now balancing my everyday life and cyber life is not too hard, but I also live alone and have no children. I know there's going to come a day when I have to use my time MUCH more wisely. But for now, I schedule out Facebook updates about a month at a time, and I always like to have at least two weeks of blog posts ready to go. I also try to unplug occasionally to keep myself from getting too caught up in the online world.

5. When your child describes you, what would you like him/her to say?

Not having any children yet, I hope that my future children will view me the way I view my parents. They could be very strict at times, but they always loved me and were there for me 100% of the time! For now, I'll settle for my students knowing that I truly care about them and want the best for their futures.



6. What do you imagine yourself doing ten years from now?

Ten years from now, I hope to be continuing in the education world. I'm not sure I'll be in the classroom yet, but working at the college level has always been a dream of mine! However, I also know by then I'll have a little goober or two running around - so only time will tell what the future holds...


7. What three words would you use to describe the last three months of your life?

Busy, fulfilling, and a learning curve :)

8. What is the worst advice you’ve ever been given?

I can't think of truly bad advice that I've been given. I guess I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I don't like to take anyone's first opinion or idea too seriously. I always look into more options and over-analyze everything, so I don't take advice that is freely thrown out. This had advantages and disadvantages...


9. If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell?

Live life to the fullest. All it takes is one misstep or accident and everything could come falling down. You don't have to rush every moment. Sometimes I wish I would have slowed down a little and enjoyed the roses more. Oh, and travel more! But I guess that's more than one thing...

10. What’s the best part of growing older?

Having more experiences to look back on! It's nice to not have every experience be a new one, but to have experiences to fall back on.

• Be sure to follow Hojo's Teaching Adventures so you won’t miss any of her posts!

If you know a great blog you’d like to see featured here (or if you’d like your own blog to be featured here!), please let me know!

Be sure to follow Writing Pad Dad and subscribe by e-mail so you won’t miss any blogs featured as well as my own posts on my misadventures as a Dad, Husband, Teacher, and aspiring genius in the kitchen!

Blogs To Take A Shine To: Jes' Delights

The 7th blog to take a shine to is Jes' Delights. The voice behind this blog, Jessica Peterson, is a married Mom of one (with a hyperactive dog!). Thank you, Jes, for taking the time to let us get to know you better.

 

1. Please tell us all about your blog! Why did you decide to start a blog? What can readers expect when visiting your blog?
Jes’ Delights is a creative outlet for me. I started the blog before going back to work after the birth of my son as a way to share my thoughts and connect with others about the challenges of raising a child and working, and trying to live a healthy lifestyle in a busy world.

What I hope readers can expect from the blog is honest advice about work-life issues, ideas for juggling competing demands, tips for healthy living, DIY projects, and a comfortable place to engage in discussion about parenting without judgment. I also love to blog about our travels, sailing, and since we are a family that documents a lot with our camera, there are usually a lot of photographs to share. 

2. Tell us about you! Jobs (former and current), general geographic location, home life, etc.
I work for a non-profit in DC, which allows me to use my graduate training in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in a way that helps others. I have also worked in hospitals, pharmacies, public policy and public health research, and did a brief stint at a pet store in high school.

My husband and I live in Annapolis, Maryland with our two-year-old son and hyperactive dog. We live in an eclectic little neighborhood tucked back in the woods and we love walking down to the community beach or going on bike rides. It’s exactly what we need to maintain our sanity since we both have demanding jobs with long commutes. Nothing beats coming home to a place you love (well, except the people you love)!

 

3. What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started your blog?

I wish I would have bought my domain name/url from the start. Also, once I had reached a point of the blog being sustainable (read: people other than my mother reading the blog), I should have paid a designer to work on the layout and design instead of spending so much time on it myself. That way I could have focused more on writing and generating content. Although I have learned a lot, it’s challenging to manage a full-time job and blogging outside your professional life (I also blog and write professionally), which, would you look at that, leads us to the next question…


4. How do you find balance between your everyday life and your cyber life?

It’s not easy to find a happy medium, but we have house rules that help, like no electronics at the table during meal times. And we make a point to get out of the house and keep active – the more incompatible with our iPhones the activity, the better, like kayaking or cycling. 

When it comes to blogging, I attempt to balance it all by planning ahead and asking for help along the way. Before I started Jes’ Delights, I created a “blog development plan” that includes short- and long-term goals. I also generated topic ideas and wrote a stash of evergreen posts to have on hand. I try to refresh my development plan and replenish my arsenal of go-to posts every couple of months. Also, I have managed to dupe my husband into writing some posts, which is genius because he is wittier than I am and it’s less work for me! My sister also proofreads almost everything I write (I know, I am lucky, plus I have another sister who is very supportive). I couldn’t do it without them.

 

5. When your child describes you, what would you like him/her to say?

“My mom is loving and kind and she always makes time for me.” Although he is only two, so “Momma is fun.” would be ok too ;)

6. What do you imagine yourself doing ten years from now?

Traveling with the man of my dreams (yes, that’s my husband) and our son and teaching him about the world. I hope to be working in a leadership position at a job I enjoy, making a positive difference. Although I would love to move abroad again, wherever we are geographically in ten years, I know that it will be close to the water in a home full of love, dreams, and amazing memories. 

7. What three words would you use to describe the last three months of your life?

Fulfilling. Challenging. Bewildering.

8. What is the worst advice you’ve ever been given?

“You can’t plan for everything.” Of course we can’t, but it won’t stop me from trying! It can be comforting to have a plan, a course charted, and if the journey takes you in a different direction, you can always adjust your sails. 

9. If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell?

“Be confident in yourself.”


10. What’s the best part of growing older?

A greater appreciation for what really matters in life – family, friends who are like family, and making your life the adventure you want to live. When I was younger, I never questioned the drama or negativity I allowed into my life and spent precious time and energy on. I feel like growing older makes you wiser because you learn to filter out the fluff and focus on what makes you happy and grow as a person. Becoming a mother has also made me more grateful of everything, especially the little delights in life – I have learned that from my son.

• Be sure to follow Jes' Delights so you won’t miss any of her posts!
• If you know a great blog you’d like to see featured here (or if you’d like your own blog to be featured here!), please let me know!
• Be sure to follow Writing Pad Dad and subscribe by e-mail so you won’t miss any blogs featured as well as my own posts on my misadventures as a Dad, Husband, Teacher, and aspiring genius in the kitchen!

Big Brother and Healthcare



Do you see the recent article on Forbes.com about healthcare? Apparently, CVS started a whole kerfuffle by asking employees covered under their health insurance plan to disclose certain facts about their overall health such as weight, body fat, and blood pressure. Refuse to do so, which is your right as an American, and you pay a $600 fine. Call me crazy, but I think this is an idea whose time has come.

We all know that we spend a lot of money on healthcare in this country and that the cost of healthcare goes up each year. There are a number of factors that are contributing to this, but how much of this is due to how unhealthy we are? We all know that certain choices people make contribute to the majority of the health issues we see today. For example, being overweight causes a plethora of health issues which are expensive to treat and are ultimately deadly. Same goes for smoking. Both smoking and being fat are preventable and within each individual's control.

I have a relative whose dental insurance coverage works like this: if you go to the dentist as directed every six months, your co-pays are zero. That's right. Zero. If you choose not to go every six months, which is your right as an American, you also choose to pay a co-pay. The longer you go between visits, the larger the co-pay. Why? Well, if you go every six months the likelihood that you'll need expensive (and painful) dental procedures is dramatically lower. When you go to the dentist infrequently, or only when your teeth hurt so much you can't sleep, there's a very strong possibility that you are going to need expensive (and painful) dental procedures. A simple, but brilliant plan, right?

Why couldn't we apply these same principals to our healthcare system as a whole? Seriously. What if we had a basic tiered system that encouraged Americans to be healthy? What if we all started at a relatively inexpensive tier. You go for a physical and the doctor says you need to lose weight. She tells you that a healthy goal is to lose 12-15 pounds in the next 6 months. You would be faced with a decision to make. Decide to make some changes, get healthier, and shed some excess pounds, and you stay in the preferred, relatively inexpensive tier. Decide to do nothing, which is your right as an American, and at your 6 month check up you are moved to a more expensive tier because you are choosing to stay fat and unhealthy. What's unfair about that? More importantly, how much lower would the cost of healthcare be in this country?

Before you leave me a comment about people who have cancer or some genetic disorder, please know that I'm not talking about things people have no control over. Bad stuff happens to good people who didn't do anything wrong. Being fat and smoking are not two of those things. And, I say that as a person, whose doctor would make me lose weight to stay in the preferred group. Also, the author of the Forbes article does make a good point that it may be time to separate health insurance from employers as your health isn't any of your employer's business (unless they pay for your insurance). But, beyond that, I think he missed the point that merely encouraging people to get healthier isn't working. When something lightens your wallet, people start to pay attention and make changes. What do you think?

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