The Sad Beermaker

The Sad Beermaker, a photo by ironicteachings on Flickr.

Homestyle Ratatouille

This is for TeamPhotoblog Challenge #4.

Let me start by saying this: If you're expecting a ratatouille that looks like the final dish Remy makes in the film of the same name, you're going to be disappointed. This is a homestyle version of the recipe where the vegetables are cubed instead of sliced.

This dish is for the vegetable lover as it incorporates ten different vegetables (if you count different colored peppers as different vegetables...which I do).

What you'll need:

A stock pot to cook it all in
A skillet to brown the vegetables in
1 green pepper: cubed
1 red pepper: cubed
1 yellow pepper: cubed
1 orange pepper: cubed
1 medium sized eggplant: cubed (for this recipe, I used a larger Japanese eggplant)
3 cloves of garlic: diced
2 onions: sliced into thin rings (I used sweet onions, but red or white are just as good)
2 green zucchini: cubed
2 yellow squash: cubed
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
4 roma tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup of olive oil

Begin by chopping up the vegetables. It's a long, arduous task that requires good knife skills (and a good knife. I like using a Santakou for this).

Take the stock pot and put 1 & 1/2 tablespooons of oil in it. Heat over medium-low heat.

Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.

As that's going, take the skillet and heat 1 & 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini in batches until browned.Saute all the remaining vegetables one batch (peppers, eggplant) at a time, adding 1 & 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. Once each batch has been sauteed add them to the stock pot.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the bay leaf and thyme and cover the pot.

Raise the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the stock pot.

Cook for another 10-15 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Remove the bay leaf, plate, and enjoy.

A nice twist to this dish is to cut up and fry polenta. Then serve the homestyle ratatouille on top. Another way is to cut up and bake some french bread, then serve on top. In any way, this is a delicious recipe that's easy to make and healthy too.

Missing the Green

I grow grapes on the side of my house. I really miss the green and am excited to get back to gardening.

Laying in Wait

I'm a fan of Sopheava, so when she asked for people to participate in her Photo Challenge, I decided to join in.

So, here is my first entry.

Face Plant

This is sadly how I feel about many of my classes lately. Really good setup. Everything looks like it's working, and then they take the tests....Oy.

Life Alert

While Albert Haynesworth is totally worthless, this is also how I feel about my staff meeting today.

We gathered, as we always do, in the auditorium of my building. Unsure of what we would be discussing, we waited, graded, and talked to each other. This would be the last moment of positivity for me.

We had five kids who graduated last year speak to the staff about how the International Baccalaureate program made their lives better and college easier. While it was great to hear they're saving money and are ahead in classes, the problem was in the delivery.

1. It felt like a giant commercial. "Here's why IB is great. We should all love it." All it was missing was white tigers and fireworks.
2. What about the teachers who don't have IB? Are we to feel horrible because our students aren't doing the same thing?
3. One of the students completely ripped AP (Advanced Placement). I understand that my school no longer teaches AP, but it was uncalled for, and angered me as I had done some AP classes. Her words ("AP is useless compared to IB") were born of ignorance, but she was praised as though her words were gospel.

The rest of the meeting was a midyear check up that ended with us being told to buck up and chill out from our stress. In all, it felt like the Haynesworth gif above:

Tons of promise that ended with nothing more than disappointment.

Namaste.

Broken Wings

This is my son's reaction after finding out our plane was delayed...again. (Note the sweet Hartford Whalers hat.)

Resolute

Hello there, dear reader.

Happy New Year.

I'm going to try and write more this year. That was the first resolution I made. I love writing, but it has been hard trying to find time with two children and my career. That will change.

The second resolution, however, will seem strange when compared to most resolutions made:

I'm going to be more selfish.

You aren't reading that wrong. I'm going to be more about myself and less about other people.

Now this leads to the question a few people have already asked me: "Why? That's horrible."

I have worked very hard for other people the last few years, and, honestly, I have been burned a great deal for it. People I have considered friends have taken my good faith and left. Others that I have moved Heaven and Earth for never said, "Thank you," or showed gratuity. As one of my neighbors put it: "People use you, and you let them."

Well, I resolve to not let that happen anymore. I'm tired of people using me. I'm tired of people telling me that my feelings don't matter. If it means that I'm alone, then so be it.

At this point, other than family, there are only two people I will go above and beyond my means for. Those two know who they are because I consider one family and the other my best friend. Everyone else just has to hope I'm in a good mood and not busy.

I hope, dear reader, that you have a fantastic 2011.

Namaste.

George Lucas's First Failure

The Star Wars Holiday Special.
Campy, horrible, and just plain ugly.

Enjoy.

Brilliant Marketing

Showing that people are really idiots when drunk, a young woman who happens to be a Boston Bruins fans kicks in a column in the bathroom (seen here).

Now regardless of the fact that my mind slightly melts at the fact that they would upload a video with their faces which is them performing vandalism on public property, the Boston Bruins really impressed me.

You see, they have this bear (known as The Bear) who gives the rules of right and wrong for hockey fans.

The Bear posted his response to these women today.

Absolutely brilliant. It also makes me want to go and look at other Bear videos (I did).

Keep up the good work, Bear. And defend that Garden. And that's coming from a Rangers fan....

Namaste.

Have We Met?

Hi.

So, dear reader (and at this point I'm assuming there's only one left), I've been writing for five years now.

And I'm not sure what to write about now. See this is what's happening in my head:

Hey, you could write about work .

No, I can't. See, I'm a teacher, and while there would be wonderful stories about the frustrations of the job, the kids, and more, the issue is that my colleagues would get wind of it, read it, and then come after me. It's happened before...so, while I would love to vent, I can't.

Ok, how about your life?

In truth, my life isn't that interesting anymore. When I started this blog, I was looking to use the things that had happened in my life as a way of creating moralistic stories (hence the title). I did a great deal of stupid stuff and there was fallout. The problem is that I have become just another person. I'm married, have kids, and work. As such, I don't go out and do crazy stuff anymore. I can't. I need to be a better role model for my kids. Which is ironic as I suck as a human being, but that's only what two bosses, a few exs, and some other people have told me.

So what do you want to write about now?

Well that’s the issue, isn’t it? I’m not sure. I don’t want to be one of those bloggers who just writes about his kids, and I can’t write about work (even though people would love to hear about how crazy I, the kids, and my colleagues are).

I’ve been thinking about micro-fiction, but Michele did that really well and I feel like I’d just be copying. Seriously, go read her stuff. She’s really good. I’ll wait….See? Awesome.

I want to keep writing, so I’m not sure yet what it will be, but the blog will be here until Blogspot starts removing people it doesn’t like, and I am tossed aside.

Anyway, dear reader, there you go. That’s what’s been happening. I’ll try to get better as I was (for some reason) Blogger’s blog of note for a day. I’ll need to try and live up to that.

Namaste.

Winds of Change

It was a gorgeous day today, and Little Leab (as opposed to Leab 2.0) had a birthday party to attend. This is the neighbor's tree saying, "Hello," as we headed out.

Fall is most definitely here. Isn't it wonderful?

Toes on the Edge

This is always how I feel right before school starts. This year will be interesting. I have a full Freshman schedule and a student teacher. The issue won't be the material; it will be if my brain explodes or withers from the possible boredom of teaching the same thing all day.

However, I am grateful to have a job. So, with toes on the edge, I will leap off.

Good luck on 2010-2011, my fellow teachers.

My Hero

In many ways, he is.

Safe

Quick, what store in downtown Minneapolis has a bank vault in the back? A random bank vault, which has nothing to do with the store itself?

Modern Playtime

I'm an adult...and this is how I play now. You can say it...NERD!

2814

Quietly protecting my daughter from intergalactic bad guys while she sleeps.

A Little Cooking Insight

The lovely Sopheava has started a new cooking site for those of us who need a little...help.

Not everyone is a master chef, so it's always nice to hear stories from others who like to cook.

No, I'm not just mentioning the site because I just happen to be a contributor as well. There are many folks who have some wonderful ideas on there.

Go and enjoy.

Namaste.

Watch Your Step Out There

Originally uploaded by alecks(zander)kwin

Because you just might step on a Squirtle or a Bulbasaur.

How great would this be to stumble across. Pokemon out in the real world.