Since September?!

Well, school started.  And instead of just substituting for elementary music, I'm hired and teaching elementary music.  And life actually hasn't been as busy as the last couple years.  That's why I'm so surprised to see my last post from SEPTEMBER!  I PROMISE I haven't been living at school like I did my first two years of teaching!  PROMISE!!!

Since the holidays have come and gone and I didn't post a single time, I'll do a tribute to my holiday baking.  When I have spare time (aka my FAVORITE holiday ever, Thanksgiving and then Christmas), I bake.  My favorites this year come from several places...but all from friends and family.  These recipes are the best of the best when it comes to my baking, so enjoy!  But make sure you have people to help you eat these tasty treats...otherwise, it'll be really hard to keep your paws off of this goodness and your new year's resolutions will be DONE FOR.

In the order that I learned these recipes....drum roll, please...and by the way, this will completely make up for my lack of blogging as I will share one recipe for every month I was "gone"...oh boy!.....here we go!......

7 Layers

Oreo Truffles

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Apple Pear Crumb Top Pie

7 Layers: These little bars have been made every Christmas since I can remember...reheat them in the microwave for 14 seconds for a little gooey goodness and man, oh man......

Ingredients: (7 of them, of course)

1 stick butter

1 pkg. graham cracker crumbs (1 ½ C)

1 sm. Pkg. butterscotch chips

1 sm. Pkg. chocolate chips

1 sm. Can coconut

1 C pecans

1 can Eagle brand milk

Directions:

Melt butter in 13x9x2 inch pan; sprinkle crumbs over butter. Layer chips, coconut, and pecans. Save a little coconut and pecans for top. Put Eagle Brand over top, then sprinkle coconut and pecans on top and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.

 

Oreo Truffles: College roomies helped with this one!  I'm almost ashamed to tell you how easy these really are for how delicious they really are.  Now, they are a royal PAIN to roll in the chocolate, but trust me...they're worth it.  And once you drizzle a little white chocolate on top, you'll look like a pastry pro.  Cover up all your chocolate melting mistakes.

Ingredients:

1 package of Oreos

1 package of Neufchatl cream cheese

1 pack chocolate chips (good to have more on hand just in case you need more)

small amount of white chocolate (just a baking bar is great)

Directions: 

Blend oreos completely.   Mix with cream cheese and get your hands messy.  Roll into small balls.

Melt chocolate (double boiler is great for this if you have one.  otherwise, microwave it).  Roll oreo balls in chocolate and place on cookie tray (line it with wax paper for less cleanup).  Place tray in freezer to harden.   Melt white chocolate & dribble white chocolate over hardened bon-bons.  Done.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies: The best. holiday. cookie. period.

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted softened butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c. dried cranberries
6 oz. white chips

Directions:
Oven 350. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda. Add oats and mix until just combined. Stir in cranberries and chips. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 min and let finish baking on cooling cookie sheet.

Apple pear crumb top pie: My newest addition and my favorite pie as of now.  This pie is so incredibly delicious and perfect.  Lets just say, there have never been leftovers and I've made it on five occasions since Thanksgiving.  It's January.  Can we say addicting?! crowd pleaser?! best thing to impress friends and family since those summer hand fruit tarts?! It's that good.

They wish they could have some. And I really don't have a picture of this one.  Take it as a testament to how good it really is.  It disappears before I can even capture it on camera.  The focus is 110% on eating it, not staring at it. So. good.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup crushed Nilla wafers (about 24)               
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted                        

1 ready to use refrigerated pie crust...or of course, make your own!

4 oz. (1/2 of 8 oz) Philadelphia cream cheese

2 large baking apples, peeled and chopped
1 large pear, peeled and chopped           

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup of flour                                                     

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Mix wafer crumbs, brown sugar, and butter until well blended; set aside.  Place pie crust in 9-inch pie plate. Spread cream cheese carefully onto bottom of crust; sprinkle with half of the crumb mixture. Set aside.
Combine fruit in large bowl.  Add granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon; toss to coat.  Spoon over crumb layer in pie crust; sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake 35 min. or until fruit is tender and crust is lightly browned, covering loosely with foil after 25 min. if necessary to prevent crust from overbrowning.  Cool (if you can take it) and devour. 

Crab Season

Moving to waterfront Maryland, we immediately bought our crab pots and started catching Maryland blue crab that abound in the Chesapeake Bay.  We've only missed a couple weekends since moving here...so we've had fresh crab every weekend for almost 3 months now.  We love it.  The Maryland way is steamed with tons of Old Bay and salt, optionally dipped in vinegar.  It's so much work to pick the meat out, so it becomes more of a social event than anything.  Sit around for hours, have something to eat other than crab, and then pick at the delicious crab in between.  And for the diligent workers that have the determination to pick even after dinner is over, there are CRAB CAKES!  In honor of the time I've spent digging in the gills, mustard, and claws of these creatures, I will post our favorite crab cake recipe thus far.  It's a Donald Barickman recipe (owner of Charleston restaurant Magnolias)...we've played around with it some...added an egg and more or less ingredients dependent on the amount of crab meat you actually have.  And for those non-crab eaters out there, I'll post a favorite side dish (besides the mandatory corn on the cob with fresh basil)...cheddar chive biscuits.  

Life is great on the Chesapeake Bay....taken from our bedroom window!  Good morning crabs!

Crab Cakes
1/2 C minced red onions
1/3 C minced red bell pepper
1 tbl minced fresh tarragon (we've also tried cilantro and parsley)
1/3 C mayo (don't skimp on this...it's just not the same...tried it...)
1 lb crabmeat (good luck)
3/4 C panko (the Japanese bread crumbs...also used for making mozzarella sticks!)
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne (Josh does more)
6 tbs olive oil

Place onions, bell pepper, tarragon, and mayo in a mixing bowl and combine.  Fold in the crabmeat.  Add the panko and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes as the panko will absorb some of the moisture to hold the mixture together.  Form the mixture into 8 equal size 3-oz cakes.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.  Preheat oven to 350.  You can then sear the cakes on a frying pan and then bake or just fry them or just bake them.  The least messy (and still very very tasty) is baking.  I love these.

 Cheddar Cheese Chive Buttermilk Biscuits
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar
1 tsp cracked black pepper (I use a little more)
1/4 C chives
1/2 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425.  Combine dry ingredients.  Blend in butter with your fingertips.  Add milk and stir until a dough forms.  Knead dough.  Form biscuits (makes 8 large biscuits) and bake 12-15 minutes.  Devour!  Life couldn't be better!

Free Time

The last time I remember being bored was in 2nd grade. It was a summer day, and I didn't know what to do with myself. We weren't going to the pool that day, I didn't want to play outside for some reason, and my mom didn't want me to make a mess with paints or play dough. I'm sure I had already practiced piano for 20 minutes and finished all of my library books. We didn't watch t.v. at the Hedrick household, and I must have been "nerf-gun-war"ed out. I was bored. One day.

Fast forward to the present day and I find myself finishing a summer where I actually had some free time. A chance to be bored...my only chance since that 2nd grade day. I'm one to live life to the fullest...and by fullest, I partially mean, a slam-packed schedule. I've had jobs from middle school on, from babysitting to teaching dance to summer camps to church pianist. I don't know life outside of school, whether taking classes or teaching them. Outside of work, we're always trying to get together with friends or get involved with the community. No boredom, no free time.

This summer was the first time since that second grade day that I could have been bored. I had not even given myself the chance to be bored with the non-stop activities through middle school, high school, grad school, and the first years of teaching. It was hilarious to think that I could find a hobby. Time for a hobby?! What?!! Outside of music?!!! What?!!! I've never had a hobby!

I decided if I had the time, I would try to do the things I never wanted to do in my "tomboy" days...like cooking and sewing. I wanted to learn more recipes, learn to garden, learn to can & preserve, learn to make curtains & pillows & stationery. Of course, I haven't had time to do ALL of these things, but they're in my long range plans. If I still have time, I would like to learn a new language, learn SOMEthing about art or pottery, and learn to sail.

So this little post comes down to this...I haven't made time for free time or hobbies in my life. I thought I didn't even have a hobby. I think I may have even been afraid of the idea of free time or being bored. But, this summer when I had the free time and I went to decide what my hobbies would be, I realized I DID have a hobby. My hobby is for learning. Learning something. anything. but something. All along I've had a full schedule with so many things to do, that often revolved around learning. And when I found myself with a break, I wanted nothing more than to learn something else. Learning for learning's sake...a fantastic hobby! School starts again tomorrow, so I'll have less free time, but lucky me, I still get time for my hobby! Whoo hoo!

School's Out...oh, wait.

I can not believe it's that time of year again. Summer has yet again flown by, and here we are with the first days of school. I've been thinking of school for several reasons...my Oklahoma school started back yesterday and my Maryland school starts training on Monday. The kids I've taught have been on my mind, particularly the last couple days, and I've been thinking of so many lessons I learned from teaching middle and high school students. There are so many...so here are a few...
*Take time for conversation.
*Work from bell to bell...there's nothing wrong with making use of every minute you have.
*You can make a lot of people happy...a lot. (but not everyone)
*Student's need to know that "can't" is a bad word, just like my parents taught me. :)
*It's more than okay to smile, to have fun.
*People think Music Appreciation is a blow-off class. Ha.
*Kids really CAN enjoy non-pop music. (!)
*Don't "save" good ideas for later...now is always a perfect time to use those ideas.
*Experiment. Try. Fail. Try again.
*The best thing about music is not found in the notes.
*Schools need classrooms where students aren't judged.
*Silence is needed. Silencing the world around you is needed.
*It's a beautiful thing to see students act selflessly. I love, love, love fostering encouragement and growth and to see students doing this with other students.
And to think...now I'm going to have stories and lessons from elementary school?! Somebody wake me up from this crazy dream!!! I NEVER thought I'd say yes to teaching the younger ones! That's what I get for saying "never!" More lessons to come...

The Chase of Food

I don't know what happened in the last three years, but SOMEthing happened when it comes to food in my life. Josh, in flight school, used his down time to study up on food, cooking, and chefs. Not a bad deal for me, right?! Well, he's rubbed off on me, and now both of us have been on the hunt for great food. We love trying new recipes and restaurants, learning about cooking from scratch and from quality ingredients. It's just about every day or every other day that we try something new, and I love it.
Now, don't get me wrong...we've always been passionate about our food. But when we're talking about being from Lexington, NC, our food was always BBQ cooked Lexington pit style, of course, and Cheerwine. You can't go wrong with BBQ and by BBQ, I mean a pork chopped sandwich with slaw, extra dip, and maybe even skins from the Monk...and served with Cheerwine with the good ice. Ohhhhh, home. My heart is there.
And even when we've lived or traveled to different places, we have always tried to find the hole- in- the- wall joints where the locals go. We avoid most chains and go for the "real deal." So in Annapolis, we ate crab; in Pensacola, it was McGuire's and fresh fish markets; in NYC, it's Grimaldi's; in Tallahassee, Gordo's, MoMo's, and KoolBeanz; and in Greenville, it's Pete's or Stax (haha!). In Oklahoma City, we went crazy over the restaurants we found, and if you're still living there check out: *Victoria's (of Norman) for the best Italian, fresh pestos, to die for garlic cheese bread and lasagna rolls; *Tarahumaras (also in Norman) for our favorite Mexican; *Cheevers (downtown OKC) for upscale southern cooking & the best chocolate cake hands down of any restaurant EVER...owners also have Ironstar (more casual) and Red Prime (special date nights) that are also equally but differently delicious; *or one of the bazillion cupcake places that are so fun! (Cuppies & Joe, Sara Sara, Pinkitzel, etc.)

Fast forward to our summer vacation where we even chose the location based on food reviews...what in the world?! Haha! We traveled to Napa Valley and San Francisco for some fantastic chowing down! Gorgeous vineyards and beautiful meals! From bakeries to fine dining, we had it all, and it was a vacation to remember. One of my favorites was Wayfare Tavern, where you can order deviled eggs (not like momma makes em!) for an appetizer and the best organic fried chicken you could ask for.
You may be asking at this point, "What's the big deal? Everybody eats. What's so special about it?" But I'm saying that if we all have to eat, why not do it well? And why not have fun with it? I've always had a "better be fun if it's worth doing" attitude about most things in life (including life itself), and I'm feeling that way more than ever about food. There's nothing better than sitting around the dinner table enjoying family, friends, conversation, and bonding over a well cooked meal. And building a skillset in cooking is a fun way to continue learning post-college. There are so many blogs (and if you watch tv or have cable, tv shows...but we just have 4 antenna channels, so that doesn't work for me) and books, so even if you have no prior experience, you don't have to feel intimidated. Jump in and try something! Enjoy yourself, relax, and enjoy your food. A little pleasure never hurt...and it definitely doesn't over the Sink table! I'm off to check our crab traps...our newest fresh Maryland meal!

SWEET Memories

Time is flying by. We have only one week left in Oklahoma...the kids at school have been incredibly sweet...and emotional. Whew. These last few weeks have been one performance after another, one crying fest after another, one doughnut after another (to cheer us all back up, of course). They are awfully special!

Tomorrow marks 2 married years with my best friend....and 9 "together years" :) Since being married, we've been doing a lot of cooking. I should have been sharing all of those recipes along the way, but some are Josh's prized treasures, and I don't know that he wants to release them yet! haha! But, in honor of our relationship, I'll post a new favorite dessert. Sweets always go along with good times. I actually made them for a shower for my 2 best friends at school...who was/is expecting 2 little girls! So excited for Megan & Lorryn!
And now, for the most moist, delicious cookie sandwiches you could ever, EVER ask for...whether you're celebrating times together, an anniversary, a baby, or summer time!

Zucchini-nut-bread Cookie Sandwiches

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt into a bowl.
Beat 1 stick butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
2. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix in zucchini, oats, and walnuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Using 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (2 tbl), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Bake until edges are golden, about 17 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. Beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon filling onto the flat side of 1 cookie, and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies.

Makes about 14 cookies. So, take it from me and make 2 batches because you're really going to love them, and so is your neighbor.

Wanting to be

As of last week, I have a bit more "free time" in my life. Not a whole lot, given my current job of teaching at two schools, but more than the last 2 months. Deer Creek just finished it's run of Disney's Beauty & the Beast. The tale as old as time had a fantastic showing. The students met our expectations to the fullest, and really made the most of every detail, whether they were a dancing spoon or a percussionist in the orchestra or a stage hand moving the set. Can't say enough about those kids...but now on to the post topic...Wanting to be.

Ever since I was in 1st grade and Beauty & the Beast hit VHS around America, I became obsessed with Belle. Oh, how I wanted to be Belle. She was perfect. She had big eyes, long brown hair, sang her heart out, and loved books. The perfect combination of beauty and nerd. I loved it. I wanted to be Belle.

1st grade turned to 2nd grade, and I loved reading more and more every day. I honestly don't know if I was trying to act like Belle or just be myself, but I read books as I walked. I'm talking, read as I walked around the house, up and down the aisles of grocery stores, waiting for dance class...anywhere & everywhere was fair game. Needless to say, it made me proud when my brothers rolled their eyes and commented about the Belle in their house that couldn't put her book down.

Fast forward to present day, and I still get a twinge of "I want to be her" when I think about Belle. When the kids were auditioning for the musical, they knew that "Mrs. Sink is the competition for Belle!" If there were no standouts, I was just going to "have" to take on the role. And feel sorry for the poor girl who landed the role. She knew that come tech week there was always the chance of something just "happening" to her and that we didn't doublecast on purpose.

Of course I did not play the role of Belle in our high school musical and I no longer walk around with book in hand, but forever I will say that if I had the chance to be any fictional character, it would have to be...Belle!

*2 sidenotes:

1- Gaston really does disgust me, and if I met him in reality, we would butt heads terribly.

2- My dream job when I was younger was to be a dance teacher & a librarian. I thought I could actually read every book on the shelves. I would, in an organized and progressive manner, start from one end of each collection and work to the other. Simple. I was obsessed with the library Beast gave Belle...lucky girl. (Good thing Josh wrote me a book as part of the engagement!)