Last weekend marked an entire month of busy summer weekends. We have one more weekend, the long weekend, before we have a weekend at home in five weeks!
Last week before leaving for camping I received the phone call I had been waiting for – I had an interview with the school district for teaching!
I was in class at the time, and I would have missed the call if my friend hadn’t seen my phone, on silent, light up with an incoming call. She recognized the number because she had a call from human resources earlier that day. I ran out of class to answer it. I don’t even remember what the first few moments of the call were about, I just remember repeating the day and time and the name of the interviewer. Once I hung up my friend and I both jumped for joy in the hallway before slipping back into class.
We both did our practicums together, and played baseball together this year. It was amazing that we also received phone calls the same day and had our interviews booked back to back.
I nervously began creating my educational portfolio to bring with me while still trying to complete assignments before leaving for camping that weekend. I had almost hoped I wasn’t going camping so I could stay home and worry, like usual, about the interview. As most people know me I stress out, a lot, before every quiz, test, assignment and project only to reply ‘it was fine’ immediately after it is finished. Adam always tells me it will be ok, but I am an over-preparer.
Well, I guess my worry and preparation paid off, or, I didn’t need to be worrying in the first place as usual because…
I am HIRED!
After years of schooling, and I mean yeeearssss (it took me 6 years to complete my BA, and another year for my teaching certificate and B.Ed) so 7 all together (isn’t that how long it takes to be a doctor??!), I am finally a teacher.
It is really a life long dream come true. I fondly remember pretending to be a teacher in kindergarten, and always told everyone I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I was so blessed to be interviewed by someone so kind, and whom shared a loss as I have. She had told me about her husbands passing when her children were 7, and I replied that I also lost my father when I was quite young. I told her that it was during the summer, and when I had returned to school in the fall I was happily telling an uncle all about my new courses and he said “if I knew school was going to make you so happy, I wished you had gone sooner.” It is true, school is my passion and I am happy when I am there, both as a student and now as a teacher.
I found these bars on one of my new blog finds, Peanut Butter Runner and they looked delicious. I love anything peanut butter and chocolate, even with a slight peanut butter allergy. However, when I went to Trader Joe’s they had no almond butter. So, I’ve been stocking up on peanut butter.
Cousins Camping Trip ’13
These are delicious and perfect for camping. I brought them along with us this past weekend to our cousins camping trip. I suggest checking them at 20 minutes, and then increasing it in 5 minute increments if needed. You want the middle slightly chewy.
I made them with quinoa flour as Bob’s Red Mill had sent me a package of wheat-free flours to try and I had really wanted to try quinoa. It has a nutty flavour which is great in something like these peanut butter bars, it really enhances them.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs *I also made these with two flax eggs if you're Vegan! +swap out the butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill quinoa flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8 x 8 pan that's been lined with parchment paper. (Note that recipe can easily be doubled for a 13×9 but increase baking time.)
- 2.Whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream butter and peanut butter together on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the sugars until mixture is lightened in color and fluffy.
- 3. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition and then add vanilla. Reduce mixer to low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate, stirring until combined.
- 4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. You don't want to over bake them.
- Yield: about 20-25 small squares
