Salmon with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This is a really weird week for me.  I only teach 3 out of the 5 days because tomorrow there is an ACT for the 11th graders so I am just proctoring and on Friday we have Student Led Conferences where students present about themselves to their parents.  It is a nice change of pace, but it gives a weird momentum to what we are working on in class.  Because of this, on Thursday, we are doing a "fun" activity where students are going to work in teams to investigate a "murder."  The idea is you can figure out the time of death of a body based on its rate of cooling.  I'm pretty excited to 1. see the students act out the murder story and 2. see them work together to solve a real world situation with math! 

Also, we are TEN DAYS away from closing and moving into our condo.  I can't believe it is finally so close! We have boxes EVERYWHERE (which Benny and Nigel are big fans of) and we still have so much more to do.  I am so excited!  

I just adore brussel sprouts.  They are super fantastic.  I was never a fan growing up because my mom didn't like them either! Now, both of us love them!  Go figure!

This dish is super duper easy to make and it has become one of my go-to dinners for a weeknight when I don't have a ton of time or feel tired after school.  All you do is throw everything onto a pan, stick it in the oven, and I make enough for a couple nights so that I have another dinner or lunch for school!  

Salmon with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

2 pieces of teriyaki glazed salmon (5 oz each)

1/2 lb. brussel sprouts, halved

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a pan with tinfoil.  Lightly grease the tin foil

2. Place salmon on the pan and brussel sprouts around the salmon.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Drizzle with honey, mustard, and lemon juice.

3. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is done.  About halfway through, toss the brussel sprouts around so that they flip and don't stick. 

Enjoy :)

Triple Mustard Chicken and Brussel Sprouts

Today is Good Friday and I am pretty sure I am the only teacher in Chicago working today.

With that being said, I also only have about 1/2 my students in class today.  So, today is a pretty silly day.  The students are catching up on any work that they have going on and I have been able to catch up on all of my grading.  It is a nice and relaxing day, but I am really excited for it to be over.

Tonight, Wisconsin is playing in the sweet 16 basketball tournament.  I am not a huge sports fan, but since I went to Wisconsin for college and my cat is named after one of the players I am pretty excited.  We have big plans to order in some delicious pizza and then just sit around and watch the game.  I can't wait!

Last night, I made this delish chicken dinner.  I am trying to use up all of the food in our place because we are moving in two weeks!  I was inspired by THIS recipe and then I just adapted it to work for what I had lying around and what I wanted to get rid of.  The result was super yummy.  I just love brussel sprouts and they tasted so good alongside the chicken.  I just had some of the leftovers for lunch and it was just as amazing a day later!

Triple Mustard Chicken and Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 cup red wine

1 cup chicken stock (I actually used veggie stock)

2 tbsp honey mustard

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp yellow mustard

2 tbsp honey

1 lb brussel sprouts, stems cut off and halved

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 400 and heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.

2. Wash chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  Mix the spices in a small bowl and then sprinkle generous amounts of the spices over both sides of each piece of chicken.  Use your hands to rub in the spices.  

3. Place the chicken in your skillet and let cook for a few minutes on each side.  

4. Add in the red wine and let cook for another few minutes.  

5. In a small bowl, stir the stock, mustards, and honey.  Pour this over the chicken.  Then place the whole skillet (covered) in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 

6. Place the cooked chicken on a plate to rest.  Place the skillet (with the juices) back on the stove over medium heat.  Add in the brussel sprouts and allow to cook for about 8-10 minutes.  Serve with the chicken.

Enjoy :)

Avocado Egg Salad

How are your new year's resolutions going?

I am not a huge fan of resolutions.  I like to think of them more like lifestyle choices.  I decided that since my wedding is in less than 200 days, I am going to work on being healthy, eating well, and getting in great shape.  So far, I have lost some weight and I've been doing more strength training.  I feel great!  I am also watching my students take their last final right now and so I am getting focused on starting fresh with them next semester!  I can't believe I am already entering second semester...before you know it, it will be the end of the school year and time for summer!

Today I am sharing a recipe that has helped me stay focused on my goal of eating well.  I saw a recipe for egg salad that used avocado instead of the typical mayo/egg combo.  I love avocado and I figured this would be amazing!

I also saw an idea for a smoked salmon sandwich that had avocado on it.  So, I got to thinking:  What if I used my avocado egg salad to build a yummy salmon sandwich.  This way, I would get some great nutrients, lots of good protein, and it would be delish.

Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients:
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 whole avocado
1 tbsp non-fat, plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp chopped chives
fresh ground pepper
dash of lime juice

Directions:1. Place chopped eggs in a container.  Then, add in the avocado and mash with a fork until well combined.  Then, mix in the rest of the ingredients.

My smoked salmon sandwich! Avocado Egg Salad,
Smoked Salmon, and Cucumbers :)

Enjoy :)

For more avocado ideas, check out this page: 13 Health Benefits of Avocado

Quinoa Salad with Corn, Tomatoes and Red Pepper

Let the countdown begin! There are only 9 more days of teaching and 3 days of finals until the end of the school year! I can't believe I am at the end of year 2!  I have gained so much confidence and experience in these past two years and I can't wait to embark on year 3. But first, summer!

This is a great, light summer recipe.  Quinoa recipes are awesome becasue you know they are a little healthier and gluten-free!  I have quite a few friends who can't have gluten and so this is the perfect recipe for a picnic or BBQ with them!  I was inspired by a recipe from Fitness Magazine.  This site comes up with great ideas for lighter recipes and with summer right around the corner I know these kinds of recipes are on my mind.  I am eating healthier because I am going to start wedding dress shopping soon! 

Quinoa Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, and Red Pepper

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijion mustard
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups corn kernels
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, dijion mustard, and vinegar.  Whisk in the salt, pepper, chopped shallot, and minced garlic.
2. Place quinoa and 3 cups water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cover.  Let simmer for 20 minutes and then use a fork to fluff the quinoa.  Place cooked qunioa in a large bowl.
3.  Add the pepper, corn, and grape tomatoes to the quinoa and toss to combine.  Pour in about half of the dressing and toss.  Add more dressing as needed.  Let the mixture chill in the fridge.

Enjoy :)

Winter Squash and Brussel Spout Salad with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Our trip to Cancun was absolutely amazing.  We didn't do much and it was amazing.  Plus, I actually got some color on my uber-pale arms and I look like I actually traveled somewhere!

Now, it is time to come home from this beautiful place.  After days of laying by the pool, yoga on the beach, countless, delish margaritas, and a trip to Tulum to see some historic ruins, I feel like I am finally ready to return to reality...

Actually, that's a lie.  I love it here and we have had such an amazing time.  I know that you can't do "nothing" forever, but I could probably handle a few more days :).  The real reason I can't wait to come home is; Benny.  Yes, I miss my cat!  I am also pretty excited to see my family for some fun Christmas Eve celebrations.  However, I just notice that it is 81 and party cloudy here and 36 with thundersnow in the forecast there.  Yuck.

Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite salads to make with some typical winter ingredients.  I love roasting some squash and Brussel sprouts and then throwing them on top of a bed of greens for a yummy school, lunch salad.  I could also use a few days of this salad as a detox for all the crazy eating I've done in Cancun...

Winter Squash and Brussel Sprout Salad with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 cup Brussel sprouts, peeled and cut in half
1 cup Butternut squash, cubed
olive oil
salt and pepper
chili powder
1 bag of baby spinach
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup almonds (or other favorite nut)
1/4 cup feta cheese (or other favorite cheese)
Dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a baking pan with oil.
2. In a large bowl, place prepared squash and sprouts.  Drizzle with a few tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder, to taste.  Spread out on baking sheet and place in oven for about 30 minutes.  Toss after 15 and 30 and continue to cook longer if you would like softer veggies.  Remove from oven and let cool.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and honey.  Season with salt as needed and drizzle in about a tbsp of olive oil while whisking.  Add more olive oil if you want.
4. Place spinach leaves in bowl.  Toss with the cranberries, almonds, feta and veggies.  Use as many ingredients as you want here, its your salad!  Flavor with dressing (again, as much as you want!)

Enjoy :)

Graze Restaurant, Madison, WI

Phew! Just finished a quick 4.5 mile morning run and now I am here to tell you about a fantastic new restaurant I discovered in my last week in Madison.

My last week was super fun because Bri and I went to a million new places and did a bunch of the things that I've always wanted to do, but never got around to.  For example, we took a walk in the Arboretum together, went to the terrace to watch a hockey game and share a pitcher, and tried a ton of new restaurants.

Another little family out for a stroll
in the Arboretum

Graze, is known for being one of the best restaurants in Madison.  Their chef is constantly switching up the menu to incorporate fresh, local ingredients that they buy at the farmer's market just outside their front door on the weekends.  They are located on the square and have a wall of windows so that you can look out at the beautiful capitol as you enjoy some crazy good food.  You can go there for lunch, brunch, or dinner.  We went their for dinner.

Appetizer: Hot Pretzel with 3 Mustards and Cheese 

Drinks :)

We started out sitting at the bar while we waited for our table and we each enjoyed a drink and split a hot pretzel with mustard and cheese as our appetizer.  So far, we were pretty darn impressed.  The mustards were yummy and the cheese (of course from WI) was amazing.  The pretzel was one of the best I have ever had!  Then, we sat down and ordered our dinner.  I ordered the Tofu Bibimbap (tons of fresh veggies and rice with tofu in a spicy sauce and topped with a fried egg) and Bri ordered their Homemade Veggie Burger (a beet based burger).  Everything was delicious. I loved my meal and Bri thought it was one of the best veggie burgers he had ever had (and this is impressive considering how many he has tried).  For dessert, because we had to get dessert, we split their freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk.  It was an adorable and comforting end to the meal.  We will definitely be hitting up this restaurant in the future!  If you are ever in Madison, put Graze on your list of Must-Eat-Restaurants.  

Tofu Bibimbap 

Veggie Burger

Dessert!

Sweet Potato Encrusted Chicken Fingers

I just had the most overwhelming weekend of my life.  I graduated from the best school ever and on Sunday when I realized I was an official college graduate, I freaked out a little.  I felt very overwhelmed by how many goodbyes I had to say and very nervous by how little I know about my future.  I know that these are perfectly normal emotions, but it doesn't make it any easier to process all this.  I am glad that Bri is hanging with me now that he is all done and graduated too.

When I woke up Sunday and I couldn't decide if I was happy or if I was about to burst into tears, I went for a run.  I love running and it always helps me to think and clear my head.  On my run, my very smart and impressive friend, Katie, called and we talked a little about this whole graduation thing.  She made me feel much better.  I am always so impressed by her grace and ability to say the perfect thing.  She told me that while she was studying abroad in Spain she had a postcard with this quote: "Adventure may hurt, but Monotony will kill you."  This is so true.  While I may be terrified about the future, I am also excited about what it will bring.  As a math teacher, I want so badly to "change the world" and enable all students to succeed.  I want to contribute to my school and community, I want to inspire students to become passionate learners, I want to do everything I can to embody everything I love about education and teaching.  

I know that by focusing on my passions and ensuring that I am happy and calm, I can focus my time and energy into these goals.  Therefore, I run and I cook.  Right now, while watching Indiana Jones, I am also planning some meals for Bri and I to cook together and considering my lessons for this week.  I ran 9 miles this morning because it made me feel amazing and helped me refocus.  I lost sight of my passions and purpose for a bit because of my fear, but by realizing this, I know that I can be successful with whatever the future throws my way. 

Oh, and by the way, my Half Marathon is NEXT WEEKEND! It's on this coming Sunday! Woah! How did that happen?  I feel pretty darn ready and excited about it.  My family is coming back up for another fun filled weekend and my runner besties will be back in town to run with me.  So, I guess a bunch of those sad goodbyes were really "see you soons."  I can handle that for now.  Today I have a fun and cute party recipe because now that I've graduated, I gotta party a little! Enjoy these homemade chicken fingers! 

Sweet Potato Encrusted Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:

14 oz chicken strip pieces

2 cups crushed sweet potato chips

2 eggs

2 tbsp mustard

2 tbsp honey or agave nectar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

2. In a small bowl, beat eggs with the mustard and honey.  Place crushed chips in a wide bowl.

3.  Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then roll in the sweet potato chips.  Place on pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your chicken strips are.  Serve with BBQ Sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy :)

Grilled Spinach Apple Cheddar Wraps

With graduation just around the corner and the job-search in full swing, I have been constantly thinking about the future.  This usually makes me feel like I am about to cry/I can't stop smiling.  I've been on one crazy emotional roller coaster.

I have also spent some time each weekend trying out a new recipe because I really want to get good at coming up with healthy recipes that I can take with me for school lunches.  I like to come up with things that are very tasty and comforting while also nutritious.  Today's recipe is all of these things! Bri and I made these Grilled Spinach Apple Cheddar Wraps last weekend and they were awesome! I made extras and took them for lunch during the week.  The flavors here are amazing.  I used a mustard that had quite the zing to it then added the comforting, melty cheese, healthy spinach, and tart/crunch apples.  It was awesome how simply eating lunch could brighten my day because I made that lunch and was proud of it!

Grilled Spinach Apple Cheddar Wraps

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat flatbread wraps
4 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1 granny smith apple
butter (I used Brummel & Brown)

Directions:
1. Spread a layer of butter on one side of the flatbread.
2. Spread 1 tbsp of mustard on the other side.  Then, place some spinach and apple slices on top.  Finally sprinkle about 1/4 cup of cheese on top.  Roll up into a wrap.
3. Place wrap in a pan and heat over medium heat for about 4 minutes.  Turn over and heat for another 4 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Hard Cider Mac and Cheese

So, there might be another snow day tomorrow.  I know right? Another one! I am excited, but also a little overwhelmed about re-planning for the next day.  However, I am planning on getting a lot done if there is a snow day and I might even cook or bake! Who are we kidding, I'm definitely going to make something sweet.

Anyways, today was sort of fun since we played with puzzle pieces in Geometry and learned about central angles and interior angles of polygons.  It was a fun lesson that was accessible for everyone and that was really nice to see.

For lunch, I brought some of the Hard Cider Baked Macaroni and Cheese that I had left-over from this weekend.  I was in Madison this weekend and did not have a ton to do.  So, I cooked! It was really great and now I have leftovers to bring for lunch!  This macaroni and cheese is super tasty and you should all give it a try.  Instead of the Woodchuck Amber that the original recipe called for, I used the new Woodchuck "Spring" Blend.  This added a sweetness that was really great with the apples, onions and cheddar cheese.  Okay, lets also talk cheese.  I go to school in Wisconsin and so I have access to some pretty fabulous cheese.  For this recipe I used Sharp Aged Babcock Cheddar.  This is the stuff that is made on campus and it was awesome.  Enough chit-chat, here is the recipe for Hard Cider Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Hard Cider Baked Macaroni and Cheese (adapted from Bakeaholic Mama)

Ingredients:
12 oz whole wheat pasta
16 oz Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Woodchuck Hard Cider
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta according to directions until al dente, drain and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and toss in onions and apples.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until onion is translucent.  Toss in the flour and stir to coat.  Things should look crusty.  Pour in the cider, milk, and cream and bring to a boil.  Stir in abou 3/4 of the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Pour cheese sauce over the pasta, stir to combine and place in 10 or 12 inch skillet or oven-proof dish.

4.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Guest Post: Honey Mustard Breaded Chicken

Today I am very excited to share a wonderful guest post with you.  I have been so busy teaching that I really don't get a lot of time to cook.  However, Bri's roommate has been cooking up a storm and even invented his own recipe! He is here today as my special guest to share his new and exciting dinner with you!

Hi everybody, I'm Stephen Hayes-- Bri's roommate back in St. Louis. I've been following the cooking blog for a while now, and just recently I developed a recipe that is pretty much all my own so I thought I might share it with you all.

Every week or so, I try out a new dish for my girlfriend's parents (who live in town) to thank them for the constant stream of food, gifts, and support they send my way. Last week, I tried out a baked shrimp scampi meal that, while delicious, was so garlicy and spicy that I was literally tasting and smelling it for days afterward...not the most fun experience. So, this week I decided to try something a little more mellow: baked chicken. The way I figured it, there's no way that baked chicken could go too far wrong. After looking online at everything from Weight Watchers to Paula Deen, I found a couple of recipes that I thought might be relatively tasty. One mentioned marinating the chicken beforehand, which I thought might be a great idea, and one recommended using bagel chips for a change in texture. After Frankensteining several recipes together, I developed one that I was relatively happy with, but I wanted to throw in my own personal flair as well. The recipe called for Dijon mustard, which is all well and good but I thought that there might be a better way to really amp up the flavor: honey mustard. So, I used honey mustard and mayo to soak the chicken, threw them in a batter of Corn Flakes (which I'd used with fish before), bagel chips, and a couple of spices, and baked them. Turns out, it was pretty tasty. The tartness of the lemon juice from the marinade went really well with the sweetness of the honey mustard. This recipe serves 4, but can easily work for more or less people. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Breaded Chicken 

Serving Size: 4

Cooking Time

Preparation: 30 minutes (with minor prep required 2 hours before)

Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Corn Cereal (I used Kellogg's Corn Flakes)

1 cup Broken Bagel Chips

1 cup Skim Milk

2 Lemons (or 4 tbsp lemon juice)

1 tsp Granulated Sugar

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (1/4 tsp. for marinade, 1/4 tsp. for crust)

2 tsp Rosemary

2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Sweet Paprika

1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup Light Mayonnaise

1/2 cup Honey Mustard

1 Large Egg

4 Large Skinless Chicken Breasts (or more, depending on desired serving size)

Directions:

1. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk, sugar, and cayenne until the sugar and cayenne are dissolved. Add rosemary. Pierce each chicken piece several times with a fork, add to the milk mixture, turning to coat well. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. 

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Preferably, set a rack on a foil lined baking sheet and spray the rack generously with cooking spray. You can use just a baking sheet, but a rack helps reduce grease without sacrificing flavor.

3. Finely grind the cereal and bagel chips in a food processor (or crush with hands and/or a rolling pin if you don't have one handy). In this particular case, I didn't have bagel chips, so I put a bagel in the oven at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes to get the same effect. Transfer crumbs to a large gallon size plastic bag. Add the salt, cayenne, paprika, and ground pepper and toss to mix thoroughly. 

Making Bagel Chips

The Breading

 4. Whisk the light mayonnaise and honey mustard together with the egg in a medium shallow bowl. Add chicken to honey mustard mix and turn to coat all the pieces evenly. 

Honey Mustard and Mayo

All Mixed Together

 5. Drop the chicken into the plastic bag, seal and shake until each piece is evenly coated. 

Chicken Breaded and in the Oven

6. Place coated pieces on the prepared rack. Spray the chicken pieces evenly with cooking spray, and bake until the coating crisps and browns and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pieces registers 160 degrees F, which should take roughly 32-37 minutes. Take the chicken pieces out of the oven, drizzle with honey mustard, then serve.

Yum.
Enjoy :)

Baked Crispy Chicken Fingers

Another Snow Day!

This is getting ridiculous.  And today was especially strange.

I woke up at 5:30 since I had to be at school early for a department meeting.  Following breakfast, I got a text from my cooperating teacher.  The text was about how there was going to be a late start to school because of the icy road conditions and that we should get there around 9.  Since it was not yet 6:30, I decided to get in my 3 mile run for the day.  I slipped and slid my way to the work out center and, after successfully not falling, I got in a nice run.  I returned home, showered, and then got dressed in an adorable dress with tights.  Then, I saw my phone.  I proceeded to freak out because my phone had a text about the department meeting being at 8:15...it was 8:20!!! I grabbed my coat and called my cooperating teacher. I apologized and told her I was on my way. She then said: Wait, don't leave, they just cancelled school.

I was out of my tights and dress within seconds and into my leggings and oversized sweater.  Then, I got my baking supplies and headed to the kitchen to make some cookies! I was so excited!

Now, it is finally the afternoon and I have already baked not one, but TWO treats, gone over lesson plans for tomorrow and next week, cleaned my room, worked out, and finished laundry! I love that I have had so much time to get everything done and now I get to tell you about a yummy meal I made for the superbowl this past weekend!

For the superbowl, I watched with the only two people who get me remotely excited about sports: Tamara and Courtney.  We all got together and had my Light Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Veggies, other snacks, Cookie Dough Dip, and for our main course, Baked Crispy Chicken Fingers.  We wanted to have "sporty food" but also "healthy food."  Baked Chicken Fingers were a great idea and super yummy.  And, those dips use non-fat greek yogurt in place of sour cream or butter!  It only took a few ingredients and very little time.  This was a really yummy dinner that I will definitely be making again.

Skillet Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Strawberry Dipped in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Baked Crispy Chicken Fingers (adapted from Fitness Magazine)

Ingredients:
24 oz chicken strips
4 cups corn flakes, crushed
2 eggs
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp mustard

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In small bowl, mix the eggs, honey and mustard.
3. Place corn flakes in a separate bowl.
4. Dip chicken strips in the egg mixture and then roll in teh corn flakes until coated.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-18 minutes depending on how thick your chicken strips are.
5. Serve with various dipping sauces! We had BBQ sauce...mmm!

Enjoy :)

Maple Glazed Salmon

In yesterday's post on Roasted Vegetables, I included this not-so-fantastic photo at the end of it. 

This was one of my dinners back in Madison and it was amazing! I had the Roasted Vegetables as a side with some Maple Glazed Salmon.  I LOVE salmon.  It is so good and so easy to make.  Basically throw whatever you want on top and stick it in a pan or the oven until it is cooked.  This salmon recipe was done in the salmon and ends up being super flavorful and delicious.  It is sweet from the maple syrup and savory from the mustard.  It is simply perfect! Last night I had my last piece and I am sad to see it go.  I will have to whip up another amazing salmon dish soon!

I'm also excited to share that I am feeling pretty good today.  Last night, I got to see some of my best girlfriends at Forever Yogurt and then today, I had a good day teaching and yet another good day working.  We are wrapping up our Looking for Pythagoras Unit in math and it is fun to see how far the students have come since day one.  We went from learning about square roots, to discovering the theorem, to applying the theorem.  Tomorrow we are doing a great activity where the instruction is differentiated and students can work on problems that vary from hard, to harder, to hardest.  They get to choose their level of difficulty, but all of the problems are about the Pythagorean Theorem.  I am excited to see how it goes!

Work was strange today because it was my last shift at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.  I still have one more shift at Union South, but it was still sad to think that I am almost done with this job.  I have loved working for VIP and I will miss all of my co-workers very much. I learned a lot through this job about working with others and providing excellent customer service.  I also learned a ton about the University in general.  This job has truly made me feel more at home on this campus, more connected to the campus, and even more in love with Madison.

Tonight, I am excited because I was invited over to Tamara's house for a home-cooked meal! I can't wait! It is always so nice to be in a  house with a yummy dinner.  It is going to feel a little bit like going home for an evening and I can't wait! Maybe that is why I am so excited to share this recipe for Maple Glazed Salmon, it also makes me feel like I am home :).

Maple Glazed Salmon

Ingredients:
2 lbs. salmon filet
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a pan with parchment.  Wash the salmon, pat dry and place on parchment.
2.  Cook the salmon for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.
3.  While salmon is cooking, place the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.  After 10 minutes, spread the mixture over the salmon.  Place the salmon back in the oven for about 20 minutes or until done.

Enjoy :)