Fun with the family!

Patrick and I have enjoyed numerous opportunities to spend time with my family. We thoroughly enjoy getting together with them while making memories! This past July, we spent the 4th and the weekend of the 13th with my family.

On the 4th, we attended the local parade. As much as I love Saukville and aad ukville, their parade needs an impworshiped rovement. A 5 minute gap every 5 minutes makes for one, long, drawn out parade. Despite the fact, my family and I always make the best of it. We cheer for EVERY float that passes by. In doing so, we get all the candy, brochures, and free food, which included beer. Yes, beer! Who gives it beer at a parade?? 

After the parade, had an amazing grill out. We enjoyed a game of bocce and Setters of Catan. We ended the day by watching fireworkse (Saukville's are better than Port's) and prancing in the yard with sparklers .

The weekend of the 13th, Pat and I joined the family camping at the annual Open Door Bible Church Campout. The campground is filled with memories that have been made over the years. This year we enjoyed swimming while jumping off the raft and catching Frisbees.  We   played Settlers, bocce, and the famous game of The King of England. We worshiped God and deepened relationships.  God brought the right people camping and He was present through conversations and songs.  The weekend always goes by too fast! 

Michelle is Home!!

One of the better reasons to be a nanny is you get random chunks of time off. When the family is on vacation, no work for me!!! This past Monday, July 1st, I was able to spend some time with Naomi at Fiddleheads. It was the first time I have been to this Coffee Shop. We sat next to the river sipping coffee and exchanging wonderful conversation. I also went to Chicago with my Mom and Carleah to pick up Michelle! Michelle had a wonderful opportunity to go to Paris, France with CRU. She thoroughly enjoyed her time there.

Mom and I waiting.

Mom sees Michelle!

There she is!

:)

Carleah and Michelle embracing.

Michelle saying Goodbye to her team.

The past week in the Harris House

Patrick and I both have cabin fever. However our schedules are never aligned enough to enjoy significant time outside and when the schedules align its always raining or really cold.

Saturday: We both had days off. I made Pat, his favorite French Toast. French Toast was the first meal that I made for Pat when were dating. I must say that this meal blew him away, that he knew I was a keeper. I will post my secret for French Toast in a later blog. We spent the rest of the morning rummaging. The only success item was a FIRE PIT!!!! We have been looking and wanting to buy a fire pit for a while. So we were really excited about finding it. That night we met up with Tim and Grace. We made Pizzas with Flat bread and then played Settlers of Catan. In which, I won the first game!!!

Sunday: We went to church together. We spent the afternoon grocery shopping and lounging around the house. We actually starting watching Star Wars. Yes, I caved. It was only because I love my hubby. The evening was spent at Small Group learning about Heaven.

Monday: I worked!!!! I seriously celebrate each day I work. I came home and finished season 6 of Grey's Anatomy. I cooked black bean burgers with fried sweet potatoes and regular potatoes and steamed broccoli. Patrick loved the meal. Morgan and Andy came over to play City and Knights Catan, we finally purchased the expansion! Patrick sneaked in and won the game.

Tuesday: I worked!! Two days at the same placement, score!! Dad, took Pat and I out for dinner. I always enjoy seeing my dad during the week. We went to Pernell's, a restaurant my 5th graders suggested. I ordered a T-bone steak covered with horseshoe onion rings with a side of garlic potatoes.

Wednesday: I worked, back at my school that I student taught in. Most days, I thoroughly enjoy teaching there. I re-had a group of students. I get to walk home instead of taking the bus, a huge plus!! Patrick closed tonight and I had youth group. It was my second week helping out. Youth group was a lot of fun. I am still amazed of all the students that attend youth group.

Camping

Patrick and I have started a new hobby. It has been a lot of fun to obtain items for our hobby. The new hobby is CAMPING!!!!!

On Memorial Day Weekend, we went out to Pine Lake, in Westfield, with 2 other couples from our small group. Pine Lake (Wildwood) has been a favorite camping spot for my family. I have been camping there at least twice a year for the past 15 years!  Patrick and I had a blast, this camping trip, despite the cold weather, and forgetting many items (pillows, tarp, hot dogs...and the list goes on). On the camping trip, Pat and I stayed patient with each other and worked as a team to complete the tasks around camp. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it! Well all, expect being woken up at 5 a.m. from the neighbor woodpecker. I was also able to take my friend fishing! We both caught one fish. We went hiking and attempted the ropes course, as well.

On the way to camp!!!

Playing Settlers of Catan - Cities and Knights

 Pine Lake cut down trees that were dead and diseased. The once wooded, isolated campground is now clear and visible. The campground does not look the same as it used to. The pictures show all the trees down and the piles of wood that still need to be cleared out.

This used to be a campsite.

Add caption

The road from the bathroom to Loop C. See NO TREES LEFT!!

Updates in the Harris Home

- Patrick turned 26!!! I am so happy to be married to that man!!!!!!!!

- I attended a Ladies Retreat with my church. It was an amazing weekend of fellowship, God and worship!

- Patrick and I went to Saukville to celebrate Mother's Day. We thoroughly enjoy spending time with my family.

- I have been applying for teaching jobs. I had one interview at Oshkosh Christian School, I am waiting to hear back from them. 

- I have joined Community Student Ministry, youth group, at my church. I have enjoyed being involved as a leader and getting to know the students. 

- Patrick got promoted back in April at Van Heusen. He is now the Assistant Manager. God is continually blessing Patrick with his job.

- Patrick has joined the worship team. He is on rotation once a month. He has been learning the church's system and growing in his talents.

- I was able to watch Carleah's Spring Choir Concert on the 23rd. I must say, it was weird being back at PWHS. She did wonderful!!!!

- I was able to see my cousin, Cassi, on her birthday and spend the day with her!

- Pat and I went on our first camping trip to Pine Lake, in Westfield. We forgot so many supplies, but it was still a blast. We went with two other couples from our small group.

- I will be working as a nanny this summer for a family of two boys. 

Games and more Games

Patrick and I have recently embraced the fact that we are and will always be a gaming couple. I am not talking about video games, D&D or monopoly. I am talking about Spiel des Jahres games. Games that require creativity and  strategy. Below is a list and my thoughts/description of each game.

Settlers of Catan
Settlers of Catan is a longer game 1-2 hours. This game is great when learning about trade and the economy. I have heard of students playing this game in a business classes. In Catan, you want to expand your Settlements, Cities and Roads to gain access to more resources. Resources in this game include Wood, Brick, Wheat, Ore and Sheep. Resources in this game allow you to build settlements, cities and roads. You compete with the other players for resources and points. The game has other components that help aid and hinder in expanding your settlements, cities and roads.

The Cities and Knights expansion adds more rules and more strategy to the original Settlers of Catan game. I love this expansion!!!! During this expansion, the normal play of Catan happens in addition to protecting Catan from the Barbarians and collecting Commodity Cards. Cities in this game produce their own resources called Commodities.


I have also played Settlers of Catan with the expansions Cities and Knights, Seafarrers and aspects from Traders and Barbarians. Mixing all the expansions together is very fun, especially when everyone know how to play.

This game requires at least 3 players.

Carcassonne

Carcassone was introduced to me one weekend while visiting Patrick at TIU. I enjoyed the game so much that Patrick bought it as a gift for me for Christmas. This game is never the same. Each time I play I use different strategies depending on the other players and the layout of the game. The point of this game is to have the most points at the end, when the tiles run out. You get points when you finish building roads, cities and cloisters. On your turn, you pick a tile and place it on the board. You need to match up the city, road or farmland to a piece already laid. You can choose to claim anything on that tile, if it's not already claimed. You claim tiles with Meoples, colored people pieces. This is a fast pace game. If you are playing with people that know the rules, a game can take 20 minutes.

We have recently bought the expansions Rivers and Cities and Cathedrals. The River expansion creates a barrier in the begining of the game while placing tiles. The Cities and Cathedrals expansion creates more points to gain while completing cities and roads.

You can play this game with 2 people!!!! Pat and I play this game very often. We have learned how to be civil while playing. We have also learned that placing tiles that help the other person makes for a more relaxful evening after the game is done.

Ticket to Ride (we sadly don't own this one)
Ticket to Ride requires strategy but not as much as Settlers of Catan. The board is the same each game. The variations come with Tickets that need to be completed. Tickets are destinations from cities in the USA, that when completed give you extra points.  At the beginning of the game, everyone chooses at least 2 of 3 tickets. The rest of the game is trying to complete the tickets by claiming routes between cities. In oder to claim a route, a set number of train cards is needed. The board of this game is of the Unitied States with cities connected by colored train routes. A average game length is 1 1/2 hours.

Can be played with 2 people but is more fun with at least 3.

Last Night on Earth
Last Night on Earth is a zombie board game which I played for the first time 2 weeks ago. This game has different senarios/game variations to choose from. Each senario has two teams, the zombies and the heros/humans. The senarios require team work and strategy in order to complete the designated task before the sun rises.

Can be played with 2 people.



Highly Recommended Games from Patrick
Dominion
Munchkins

Games that I would love to Purchase
Killer Bunnies
Ticket to Ride
Cities and Knights, Settlers of Catan expansion

We enjoy learning new games and sharing our love of games with others. If you have any suggestions or games that we should try, let us know!!!!


 

New recipes

I really enjoy trying new recipes. In the past month I have tried some yummy and some not so yummy recipes. Here are the ones that my husband and I enjoyed the most.

• No-Bake Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
• Slow Cooker Pork Sirloin Roast with Spicy Peanut Sauce
• Cake Batter Fudge

No-Bake Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

 This was a crowd favorite. The bars are very sweet but the salt and sweet mixture is perfect!

Prep: 15 mins

Cooking: 5 mins

Cooling:180 mins

Yields: 30 servings, 2 pieces each

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4 cups (roughly ½-inch pieces), broken small pretzel twists, divided
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided

Directions

LINE 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

BEAT 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Stir in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 cups pretzel pieces and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

MICROWAVE remaining 1 1/2 cups morsels and 3/4 cup peanut butter in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 45 seconds; STIR. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread chocolate layer evenly over powdered sugar mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining pretzel pieces, pressing down lightly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; peel off foil. Cut into 60 pieces. Store in covered container in refrigerator. 

 

From: Very Best Baking

 

Slow Cooker Pork Sirloin Roast with Spicy Peanut Sauce

This pork had a unique and delicious flavor!! I will most definitely make it again. 

Makes 4-6 servings, depending on the size of the pork roast. A Crock-Pot 2.5-Quart Slow Cooker was used for this recipe. Use the smallest size you have that will fit the roast.

Ingredients:
2-3 lb. pork sirloin roast, fat trimmed
1 tsp. Penzey's Pork Chop Seasoning, for seasoning the pork before it's browned (or use any seasoning blend that's good on pork)
2 tsp. olive oil

Sauce Ingredients:
1 T minced fresh ginger (ginger from a jar is fine for this)
1 T minced fresh garlic (garlic from a jar is fine for this)
1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter (choose peanut butter with the least sugar for South Beach Diet)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
3 T soy sauce
3 T sugar, Splenda, or Stevia in-the-raw Granulated (use Splenda or Stevia for South Beach Diet)
2 tsp. Chile Garlic Paste (or more if you really like it spicy)
3 T chicken or vegetable stock

Instructions:
In a food processor or the bowl attachment of an immersion blender, combine the minced ginger, minced garlic, peanut butter, and tomato sauce and process until the ingredients are well-combined. Add the soy sauce, sweetener of your choice, Chili Garlic Paste, and chicken or vegetable stock and process again until everything is mixed.

Trim any visible fat from the pork sirloin roast; then rub the roast on all sides with Penzey's Pork Chop Seasoning, or a seasoning mix of your choice that's good on pork. (You could use just a blend of garlic powder, salt, and pepper if you don't have anything else that will work.) Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over high heat and brown the roast well on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Put the pork roast into the smallest slow cooker you have that will fit it; then pour sauce over. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, or until the roast is tender and internal reaches at least 145F (shown on a meat thermometer.) I stirred the sauce a couple of times and scraped down the side of the slow cooker.

When it's done, remove meat from the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes. If the sauce looks separated, whisk it for a minute to combine. Slice meat into slices about 1/2 inch thick and serve with sauce drizzled over.


From: KalynsKitchen.com.

Cake Batter Fudge 

My friend, Sherry served me this fudge and I loved it. So I decided to make it for some friends. Very delicious and very EASY fudge!!! I am going to try to use different cake batter next time.

• Prep Time: 10 mins

  

  Photo by NancyB

• Total Time: 12 mins
• Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 2 cups yellow cake mix
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons colored sprinkles (optional)

Directions

1. * Stir cake mix and powdered sugar in microwave safe bowl.
2. * Cut butter into small pieces and put in bowl.
3. * Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
4. * Stir until well mixed. If it is too think to stir, add 1/2 tsp milk at a time until it is well mixed (should be thick but stirrable).
5. * Add sprinkles, if desired. But do it quickly as they will melt in the hot batter.
6. * Spread in a greased 8x8 pan. Refrigerate for an hour to set. Cut and serve

 

 From: Food.com

 

Happenings in 2012

I am aware that it is no longer 2012. I really enjoyed this past year and since I just started blogging that I wanted to recap what happened in 2012.

Febuary

My boyfriend of 1 1/2 years proposed and ask me to marry him. The way he proposed was so special and unique. He led me on a scavenger hunt with notes around Oshkosh. Each place was special to us. During the scavenger hunt Patrick asked me to record myself as I read the notes in each location. This is the video that I composed afterward.

July

My fiance and I became husband and wife on the 28th. The whole day was so joyful and filled with love while celebrating with family and friends. I couldn't have asked for a better way to start our life together as one. 

Photography: Michelle Arenz

https://www.facebook.com/MichelleArenzPhotography

August 

After our wonderful but short honeymoon to Door County, we moved into our new home in Oshkosh. I was carried acrossed the threshold and suprised with flowers.

December

The 4 1/2 years of classes, exams, lesson plans and observations came to an end. I graduated and celebrated by walking across the stage infront of thousands of people. The celebration continued with lunch in Steven's Point then dinner at Grandpa's house.

Subbing

The life of a Sub is never dull. I constantly have to be on my toes in the classroom but also in the morning prior to going to school. I can get a call anytime in the morning starting at 5:45 to work that morning. It was hard to adjust. I was in a 5th grade classroom over a week ago. The teacher ran a tight classroom and had high expectations for students. The one classroom management piece that I like was these sayings. If the teacher said, "Subway" then, then students would respond with "Eat Fresh." The class had 3-4 different sayings/slogans that they used. After the students responded they were expected to be quiet and be ready to listen.

I have noticed that each classroom in the grade levels act differently. Some classes in middle school are great and others the students are very disrespectful. The same goes for elementary students. I was wondering what causes the students at same grade levels to respond and act differently even though they are the same age. The main difference is their teachers. If the teacher in the classroom has a management system that gives the  students the ability to have a routine and guidance when there is a sub, then the day will go great. But if there is no structure present or if there is structure and I, the sub do not have an idea of the management then the day will also be chaos. I really appreciate the teachers that leave management tips on the days they are gone.   The tips give me an idea of what the normal day looks like. I could have bad lesson plans but the management tips would make up for what was missing.

At the moment, I have been subbing 4 days in a row, which is a huge praise and stress relief, for the same teacher. The teacher just found out that she has breast cancer. My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family. Some placements that I get are not always for the best circumstances. This makes it hard to enjoy working for this teacher. I am glad and appreciate that I am able to make a difference and help out in bad times.  



The month of February has many important dates.
1st - Michelle's Birthday
13th - Patrick and I's 2 1/2 year anniversary of when we started dating
18th -1 year anniversary of when we got engaged
25th - Patrick's Mother's Birthday

New Pancake recipe

Today I didn't receive a call to sub, which was fine because the hubby had the day off. I decided to make him a good breakfast. I went straight to Pinterest to find a pancake recipe. I came across many recipes containing ingredients that were not in my pantry. I finally came across one that worked perfectly. The recipe is for Peanut Butter Pancakes. The recipe was easy to follow and the pancakes turned out delicious! The hubby loved them and insisted on making them again. The pancakes were dense but had such a great taste. Next time I may put chocolate chips in the batter or even top off the pancakes with Hershey's syrup instead of Maple syrup. Enjoy the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 C flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
• 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 C milk

Instructions

• In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• In another bowl mix together peanut butter, sugar and oil until smooth
• Add in egg and milk.
• Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until blended. Do not overmix.
• Grease griddle and heat.
• Pour batter onto griddle and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and then flip. Cook on second side for a few more minutes.

Copyright © YourHomeBasedMom

 

The recipe came from Your Home Base Mom http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/peanut-butter-pancakes/ 

Starting Fresh

Today was a first...I realized that I have tons of time on my hands due to different changes that have happened to my life. I also don't like sitting and watching TV night after night, sadly the Bachelor is only aired on Monday nights and I still haven't figured out how to watch season 2 of Once Upon A Time with out paying money. In addition, I don't have homework! I don't have to plan lessons (one perk of being a sub)! I don't always have a car to bum around town in due to the fact that I share the car with my hubby! SO...I decided to bring up my old blog which I started for a school projected 2 years ago and actually try to see where this leads!

I am definitely up for the excitement and entertainment with everything that is included with blogging. I have not decided if I am going to stick with one topic or write about the distinct happenings in areas of my life. We will most certainly see what happens!

I have also started "working out." I use the quotations because I am just building muscles. I have heard that people usually gain weight when they get married. Its been at least 2 or 3 months since I have weighed myself. I am most certain that I have gained some pudge. Today I began a workout. It was from a Pinterest post which I liked a while back. Well that post led me to this fun workout website, Tone It Up. On the website I search for a routine that would be easy for someone who is seasoned. I came across this fun set Tone it up Tuesday Routine. I struggled near the end and I only did the set once instead of three times. Maybe tomorrow will bring me some inspiration!