Recipes

As I was talking with some of my colleagues this morning, the subject of recipes came up.  Being busy educational professionals, we were all interested in something that was tasty, easy, and FAST!
My mom's fool-proof Bisquick Quiche quickly came to mind.
The thing that keeps a lot of people from trying a quiche on their own is the dreaded crust!!!
Well, in this recipe, there is NO crust to make.  You simply add Bisquick to your quiche mix throw it in the oven (not literally, your quiche container may break), and the Bisquick settles to the bottom to form a "crust".

So, I'm sharing it here:

Ingredients:

1-2 c. fillings of your choice (e.g., broccoli, mushrooms, ham, green chilies, etc.)

1 c. shredded cheese

1/4 c. chopped onion (optional)

2 c. milk

1 c. Bisquick

4 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease 10" pie plate or 8" square.
3. Sprinkle fillings, onions and cheese in plate.
4. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth and pour into plate.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean.
6. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

It's so yummy and so easy, I think you'll LOVE it!

Office Halloween 2013

Each year at my office, we celebrate Halloween in a BIG way!  There is stiff competition with the hopes of winning in one of the four possible categories.  Best Costumes, Best Food, Best Pumpkin Carving, and of course the most prized, Best Overall.

When I first came, the department had just won the previous year for Best Overall the year before (2009), then in 2010 we won for Best Pumpkin for our "Cafe Macabre"

(2010)

The following year in 2011 we won for Best Costumes, thanks to my ordering of matching shirts for our roller derby team, The Royal Rollers, I was "The Duchess, Skate Middleton"

 (2011)

(2011)

In 2012, we went all out, trying to get the Best Overall with an airport, we all dressed as flight attendants from different airlines and we even had a ground crew of baggage handlers... we were ROBBED and did not get ANY prize that year.  It was still lots of fun, but the awards ceremony was a disappointment.

(2012)

This year, we made our GRAND comeback!!
We did The Nutcracker Suite.  We had a Nutcracker, Clara, Sugar Plum Fairy, Flowers, Ethnic Dancers, etc.  We ROCKED our office and decorated beautifully and even did a little performance and when it came time to announce the winners we were NOT disappointed.  We were awarded BEST OVERALL 2013!
And we will gladly take it.

(2013)

We worked very hard and are so happy that the judges noticed and awarded us accordingly!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Lisa

Penny Activity

Here's a fun activity for professional development!

We all came together for a consultant meeting today and we were met with a cup of pennies. We were asked to take a penny out of the cup and look at the year, then share with your table group something significant that happened to you either personally, professionally, or other historical event!

First I picked up a penny from the year 2000. In the summer of 2000 I travelled to Europe with my mom. Then I picked up a penny from 2009, that year I lived all over the country: Ohio, California, Indiana, and Alaska!

This activity was a hit and I think you will like it too!

-Lisa

Resource for Administrators

This is a link to my friend, Claudia's blog.
She is a former superintendent of a unified school district in Northern California and is currently heading up a program for new administrators.
As part of this new program, she has started a blog for the Administrative Credential Candidates called "The Well-Read Administrator"
Whether or not you are an administrator, these can be very helpful books.
She will recommend reading materials and give her own insights on the works.

You can find it here:
CLICK
(TheWell-ReadAdministrator.blogspot.com)

Happy reading!

Where Do I Come From?

My mom recently did a little family digging and was rewarded when a cousin produced some stories about our Scottish ancestors.  And he was even able to produce pictures!

My Great Grandmother, Barbara Soundy was Scottish.

Charles Archibald Smith and Barbara Dawson Smith 1888

Her parents were Charles Archibald (C.A.) Smith and Barbara Dawson Smith. They came over from Scotland in the late 1800s.

C.A.'s parents were George Smith and Ann Archibald-Smith of Tarland near Aberdeen.  Smith and Archibald are both surnames that have been associated with Clan MacPherson.

Barbara's parents were George Dawson and Jane England-Dawson of Peterculter near Aberdeen.  Dawson is a surname associated with the Clan Davidson.  England does not have a known Clan affiliation.

C.A. and Barbara with Jim and George (two of my great grandmother's brothers)

The Smith Family around 1905 in the back row is Jim, George, and Paddy, the middle is Barbara, C.A., Jeannie, Frank, and Sydney.  On Barbara's lap is my great grandmother, Barbara Elizabeth Smith, and her twin brother Stanley

The Smith Family around 1925 (my great grandmother is with her beau, Frank third and second from the right in the picture.)

The Smith Family, all grown up.  Back row Sydney, Jim, Paddy, Frank, and Stanley.  Front row Jeannie, C.A., Barbara, Barbara Elizabeth, and George.

And here are C.A. and Barbara in the mid-1930s

The Smith Family lived in Goleta, CA after moving here from the "Old Country".  They rented and farmed land that sits on where UC Santa Barbara now stands.  Charles and Barbara raised 8 children and with the exception of George's early death, all the children lived long lives, and Jeannie Smith-Pitts even lived to be 105 years old!

Barbara Elizabeth married Frank William Edward Soundy in 1928.

He emigrated from London, England as a child.  Next, I hope to find some information about my British roots through the Soundy family.

Dig into your family history... what will YOU find?

Tumbleweed Elementary

My boss and I went on a site visit today. We drove approximately 77 miles each way to visit a school in Palmdale, CA. Not long ago, an article was published about Tumbleweed and how they enhance student excellence by incorporating expanded learning time.
They have an extra hour each day and added 7 days to their school year. It was an amazing visit!
The principal, Jezelle, showed us around the campus and talked about the Professional Learning Communities she has created on her campus.
What a model of a great school site culture!!
A+ for Tumbleweed!

American Girl Dolls

Growing up I so wanted to have an American Girl doll. I loved Samantha, Kirsten, and Felicity. I remember cherishing the catalogues when they came. I would spend hours and hours looking at all the dolls and outfits dreaming about the day when I would have my very own.
That day came all too late for me. I was an adult before I purchased my first AG doll for myself while visiting American Girl Place in NYC. I was in college. I didn't get that childhood playtime I dreamed about. But I made a list of dolls I wanted for my collection and slowly I am acquiring them. Only three more to go!
This is what I believe initially started my passion and drive to learn more about history, and not just America's history, but the history of cultures much older than ours.
I found some pics of old Pleasant Company catalogs I'll share here.
So feel free to fall back into your childhood and open your mind to the dreams of your past!

Best Regards,
Lisa

Easter is Coming

Easter is upon us! I decided Arabella should dress for the occasion.