South Korea or Bust!

My mom's neighbor's friend (how's that for a connection?) shared some fresh basil from her garden, and I have about 2 cups of the lovely smelling leaves in my fridge now. I love pasta, and I love to make sauces, but I have never made pesto. Seen it done on TV... does anyone have tips or recipes for pesto? Besides evoo, what do you put in it?

Our bananas were getting a little overripe, and there were 2 of them, and that means just one thing: it's time to make my favorite banana bread recipe. This recipe is the easiest (and easiest to eat) that I've ever made, and I have made a LOT of banana bread- it's a family favorite. This is lower in fat than most recipes because it uses applesauce, which makes it incredibly moist. My mom jazzes hers up with a streusel topping, but this is just lovely without the topping. Here is the recipe:

1/2 c. veg. oil

1 1/2 c. sugar

Cream these together, add:

2 eggs

Mix well, add:

4 T. milk

1 c. applesauce

2 mashed bananas (seriously overripe ones work best!)

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional- I like no nuts, Mom likes walnuts, brother prefers pecans)

In a separate bowl, combine:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Spray 24 muffins tins with cooking spray, fill almost to the top of each. bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until evenly brown on top. Let cool for 15 minutes, then remove from pan (if they stick, use a fork to coax each muffin out the tins). If you prefer to make it in a loaf pan, grease and flour the pan and bake for 70 minutes instead. I like making it in muffins so I can grab one on the way out the door!

If you try this recipe, please post your thoughts! Or send along your favorite banana (or zucchini, pumpkin, or other)bread recipe- Thanks so much and enjoy!!! 

What do you absolutely refuse to eat?

Shrimp, lobster, shellfish of any sort. I have a personal policy to always try something once, just so I can say that I KNOW I don't like it, and I can tell you right now that I do NOT like the texture of shrimp! If for some reason I end up eating it I try to swallow it without chewing.

Clams remind of 9th grade Marine Biology, and disecting them. When you opened the clam, it was filled with several ounces of formaldehyde, and the stench was awful- urgh!!! Lucky for me, I had it 1st period, my friend had the same class at the end of the day, and by the time you got through 6 rounds of clam disections the entire biology wing was practically unbreathable! That was a really fun class, formaldehyde notwithstanding. We also disected starfish, crawfish, and sharks- so cool. I wanted to become a marine biologist for a few months then!

Who are the last five people you called on your cell phone?

I'm a boring person: voice mail, work, Dad, Mom, Nicole (my best friend). 

What time is your alarm clock set for?  Do you use the snooze button?

Snooze button? Heck yeah!! This chickadee is not an early bird! My alarm clock is generally set for 4 hours before I need to go to work- usually 8:30am- I work at 12:30. My cell phone is set for a half hour later that that, and my second alarm is set for 10:00. If the second alarm goes off and I'm still in bed, it's my final wake-up call. Does it work? Usually... LOL!

What set you apart from the rest of the kids at school? 

That would have to be my "survivor" status. As a child I was diagnosed with a very deadly form of cancer called Neuroblastoma, which I beat against all odds. I went through 2 surgeries, 3 years of chemotherapy, and had a catheter in my chest. Not your normal kid- I was tall, gangly, stick-skinny and bald! I did not get to go to school all the time- an outbreak of chickenpox could be deadly, since my immune system was so low. On the bright side, I never had to do PE! To learn more about my story go to www.caringbridge.org/or/rachel. To learn more about Neuroblastoma go to www.cncf-childcancer.org.

This is my first post, hopefully the first of many. If I am accepted as a teacher overseas (and I really don't see any reason why I wouldn't be- my education and experience is all in line for this sort of thing), this blog will be a lifeline for me. But since I don't really know what to say, I think I will start with Vox's QotD- Question of the Day: 

 

What are your top 10 most-played songs currently?

Chasing Cars- Snow Patrol (my absolute favorite)

Not Ready to Make Nice- Dixie Chicks (love them- even in the rough places!)

How to Save a Life- the Fray

Suddenly I See- K.T. Tunstall

Move Along- All-American Rejects

Wasted- Carrie Underwood

Home- Daughtry

Collide- Howie Day

Stupid Boy- Keith Urban

Promiscuous- Nellie Fertado