Why I do my job.......

In search of my whys, I thought I would add why I do my job. As I have mentioned before, I'm a teacher. I work in a small, low performing, low socioeconomic, mostly non-English speaking district in a large urban area. To say that my job is challenging is describing a good day. To say that I sometimes feel helpless to make change happen is an understatement. I don't think I've ever felt so loved and so hated all at the same time then when I started my career as a teacher. But this really isn't about me today, because I could go on forever!

This time of the year as a teacher always becomes chaotic. It's inevitable. Nice weather, graduating seniors, kids gone wild. Yesterday, however, was a day worth noting. It was my answer to why I teach. Hell, I'm even tearing up thinking about it now. Yesterday our seniors had to present their graduation projects. Listening to these kids, our future, talk about their dreams and hopes and plans always gives a teacher hope. But our kids take it a step further. Our kids are immigrants, often illegal. They come from families who have very little but the wish for a better life for their kids. And they come from families who don't want them to go to college. They come from families who love them immensely. And they come from families who don't or can't show up to their presentations, their graduation or scholarship award ceremonies. They come from families who don't care if they make it, who don't value their safety or health. And they come from families who are with them every step of the way. It is such a dichotomy. To see these kids make it, despite everything they are up against always makes my year.

Of course, writing this I have a student in mind. Our valedictorian. I doubt that she has a 4.0 for all her years of studying, especially with her rebellious freshman and sophomore years as big failures on the books. But this kid is our valedictorian -- and rightly so. This kid came to the US as young kid, mastered English, took charge of her life and made a difference in her school. Her parents told her that they didn't want her to go to college but she went out and got full ride scholarships to some schools and applied for every scholarship she could to fulfill her goal of becoming a doctor in the Latino community. But, she's illegal. So she had to turn down her acceptance to her dream school because she can't get loans to cover the difference. But has she given up? No. She'll get there because this kid doesn't give up -- despite horrible things that have happened to her in her life, a family who doesn't care if she makes it, and a system that is working against her. This kid will make it because she has her why. And she won't take no for an answer.

So I don't want this to be a political blog. But... I can't seem to help it today, especially after watching students who stood up in all their illegal glory, with college acceptances in hand, scholarships received, and outlined their plans to become a doctor, an architect, a teacher and a Peace Corps volunteer. And all I could think was: wow! These kids are going to make a difference in the world. And we are damn lucky to have them here, in our country, with their energy and drive and desire to make change. All people seem to see from our border dilemma is unwanted baggage. We get so much more than that. We, the United States, get their children, their future. Now let's help them attain their dreams of getting to college so that we have one more Latino doctor and another bilingual teacher working in our communities to make change.

FGS

What's your WHY?

Only 17 more days of work! If you haven't guessed, I'm a teacher and work is almost over for the summer. For those of you nay-sayers out there who think teachers don't need a summer break, well don't get me started! I for one know that if I didn't have a summer break, I'd go insane. You try being in a room with 30 mouthy, needy children for 182 days......

But I digress.

Yesterday was run a mile day. I didn't get to run because a)I'm having a hard enough time managing work commitments and actually getting sleep and b)I'm just super tired. Excuses, excuses. I should have been running 20 miles after eating that Pastel de Tres Leches one of my students brought on Monday! She decided we needed to have a Cinco de Mayo party in my classroom and so told her sister that she needed to bring a cake. Crazy kiddo! It was a fun and impromptu party and if you've never had a Tres leches cake, I strongly advise you NEVER NEVER NEVER to do so. It is quite possibly the most amazing cake I've ever had -- and I'm generally a chocolate fan so that is saying a lot!

And the tangent queen strikes again........

Back to the whole point of this blog! What's your WHY? Weird title. Yesterday during the run a mile day coverage on my local news network, this professional runner/trainer guy was on talking about exercise and getting healthy and losing weight. And he said something very subtly profound. He said something to this extent: we all have our who's, what's, when's and how's of our exercise and weight loss plans but often times we end up with really shaky WHY's. And at the end of the day, if you don't have a really good WHY (like one Fat Grl I know right now!), it gets hard to stick with the plan. How true are those words? I think we often underestimate the power of why we do things. I realize that that's one of the main reasons I've been treading water -- I've forgotten my why.

Thank you all for your kind words and support these last few weeks of me floundering. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get a random email in my inbox with kind words of support or kicks in the arse. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Humbly yours,
FGS

Treading Water

I am treading water.

Yup. Stuck in limbo land -- not gaining, not losing, not moving forward, not totally standing still. Just living in limbo. I am somewhat okay with that. This time of the year is generally abysmal and horribly stressful. It's the nature of my job and I do my best to cope. I am sticking to my goal to maintain though. And most importantly, I'm not, NOT giving up.

I've also decided to start another blog to be more accountable about my finances. Something about blogging everything makes me stick to my plans and goals. I don't want to be in debt for the rest of my life, just like I don't want to be fat for the rest of my life. So, a new blog is born -- made by the financially clueless, for the financially clueless. I'll post details when it is up and running!

As for the other thing, those lingering pounds, well June 1st I'm coming for you......................


FGS

Sunday, SUNDAY, Sunday!!!!!!!

"Your life is an occasion, rise to it. "

I love it. And I'm rising! Just like the yummy hunk of pizza dough in my kitchen... I'm rising because this is my one shot -- to change, to grow, to learn, to be great, to make mistakes, to everything.

You have to love Sunday's. I certainly do. They usually mean a serious spinning class followed by a leisurely breakfast and heaps of coffee. Today it has been another sunny and glorious day and I've just finished my last cup of coffee (yeah, I might be up all night.....). I had all these great plans to mow and dig and water. Yeah, not so much. But I have done all the dishes and my laundry so I count myself ahead, for now at least. I suppose I should get out there and drag the hose out. Especially since it is supposed to be HOT tomorrow. Yeah like 76 degrees. So that's not really hot but I'm sure my garden would appreciate a little TLC.

I had forgotten what a pain it is to haul out the hoses for the front garden. Sigh. Someday, I'll win the lottery and will be able to afford a proper irrigation system. Someday. Of course, this summer, life is looking a bit bleak when it comes to money and home improvements. But, I'll make it through. I always do. And somehow, I'll figure out a way to sort it all out!!!

******************

Speaking of change and total randomness, Jenna over at Eat, Live, Run posted a pic of vegan nachos with this amazing looking queso sauce (this is the link to the recipe)made with nutritional yeast. Yeah, weird! But her yummy looking sauce and accompanying link inspired me to be brave and channel my inner veg. Alright, so I barely have an inner veg but in a commitment to eating healthier, I hauled myself to Vitamin Cottage in search of nutritional yeast. Turns out nutritional yeast is pretty darn amazing. A whopping 8g of protein per serving and heaps of B vitamins in the form of potassium. Now, I grew up in Vermont which is pretty much a dairy state and I love me some cheese (including the kind that comes in a can) so to say I was a little skeptical about this cheese sauce was an understatement. Boy was I impressed!!! I made the best nachos ever!!! I omitted the butter from this recipe with no problem. When cooked, it has the consistency of Velveeta and Rotel and tastes pretty similar to it. So if you are feeling a little adventurous, try it!!!

I also bought some spouted grain English muffins which are amazing, some almond butter and some muesli. Despite my general belief that the health food store costs more, I felt that Vitamin Cottage was quite reasonable and think I'll head there next time I need to stock up on random things the normal grocery doesn't carry.

And I was a good girl and brought my shopping bags with me!!!

Sigh, maybe there is hope for me after all........I still have a long way to rise!

Love yaz,
FGS

Friday thoughts....

Well the weekend is almost here! Thank goodness. What a week! But hey, I'm still standing!

I wanted to start the weekend with this thought:


Yes...I will try again tomorrow.

Have a good Friday my lovelies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FGS

I AM the Biggest Loser!!!

In sooooooooooooooooo many ways…

Right now, I am working on getting back to being the biggest loser when it comes to my weight. Managed to catch up to ye olde weight loss wagon, now I’m just figuring out the best way to haul my tuchus from the galloping horse I’m riding on over to said wagon. Not easy I tell you – especially since I think my horse is headed to Taco Bell……

Anyhooooo, life goes on. Tonight is my last session with PT. Sigh, another ending. But the perfect time to start a new beginning. Tomorrow morning before my crack of dawn workout, I’m going to measure myself again and track my progress aPT (after PT). I haven’t tracked my stats in forever. I’ve become a wee bit complacent and have been resting on my laurels and the fact that all my clothes fit. Good thing summer is almost here and I can go back to working out twice a day for a while to kick it into gear. 40lbs to go peeps, 40lbs to go! I always seem to hit this weight where I’m at and get stalled. I’ve been losing and gaining the same 5lbs for the last month. Good times I tell you, good times. Time to shake it up. Time to get back to those crazy morning swims and starting to take the dog for walks in the evening again. Time to remember what my goals are. Time to stop being so stuck in a rut….heck at this point, I feel like I am the rut. Rutty rut rut rutsky. So here I come, one Fat Grl, shaken not stirred…

In other interesting news, I’m a sushi addict. I’m just glad in my current financial state that I know how to roll my own. Raise your hand if you are sick of being broke!!!!!! But hey, as long as I have some sushi and enough coffee to keep me happily buzzed, this Fat Grl is a happy camper!

I'm glad it's almost Friday.....

FGS

Viva!!!

Alright, it is Sunday and I'm a spinning slacker. Shhhhh. Again, not a peep. I've made a deal with myself that if I don't spin (which I've already bailed on) that this house needs to be spotless and the yard needs to be mowed.

But first, a minor diversion!!!

Anne-Marie over at This Mama Cooks! put out a call for healthy Mexican recipes. Of course, since once upon a time, I used to live in Mexico, I have to represent! Especially since the American version of most Mexican foods is horribly fatty and not at all what it is like in Mexico. So here is my recipe for Sopa de Tortilla (sometimes called Sopa Azteca).

Sopa de Tortilla is perhaps one of the simplest soups to make with the longest list of ingredients. It is yummy and surprisingly light and is a great way to use up leftover chicken. Though there are a multitude of ways to 'fatten' this soup up, the version below (minus the garnishes) is quite points friendly.

Fat Grl's Sopa de Tortilla
2 pasilla chilies
2 ancho chilies
(note: both pasilla and ancho chilies can be purchased dried and reconstituted. Check your local supermarket in the Mexican food aisle. They are usually in a bag. You could also substitute with chipotle chilies en adobo (in a can) but don't go overboard because they have a very strong flavor)
1 can of diced, no-salt added tomatoes
1 white onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely
1 Tbsp olive or corn oil
2 sprigs of epazote (a Mexican herb which can be replaced with cilantro)
2+ quarts of chicken broth (I usually make my stock using bouillon so I don't always measure precisely -- my rule of thumb, if the stock taste too strong, dilute a bit)

Reconstitute the chilies in hot water. When they are soft, remove stems and seeds. In a blender or food processor, blend chilies, onion, garlic, tomatoes and some of the epazote or cilantro. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed. You can strain this mixture if you prefer, but I find it to be an unnecessary added step. Strain if you prefer a clear, chunk free broth.

In a large stock pot, heat 1 Tbsp of oil. Add the mixture of chilies and cook until it has thickened. Add the chicken stock and epazote. Simmer for 25 minutes or until hot. Remove epazote prior to serving.

But wait, this is Sopa de Tortilla! Where's the tortillas? Patience, young grasshopper!

No Sopa de Tortilla is complete without the accoutrements! Warning, this list may seem long, but it is dang easy to assemble...

As the broth is simmering away, gather up the following:
limes, lots of limes! Cut into wedges
diced or shredded chicken breast (or whatever you have leftover)
cooking spray
12 corn tortillas (the small ones)
2 avocados, diced
1 cup of cheese -- traditionally this soup is served with panela cheese, I like queso fresco. (Recently both of these have started showing up in my local supermarket. A mild feta or a 2% cheddar would work too.)
Crema mexicana or it's healthier cousin, low-fat sour cream

Turn your oven broiler on high. Slice the tortillas into approximately 1/4 inch strips. Cover a cookie sheet in tin foil (easy clean up). Spray foil with cooking spray. Lay a single layer of tortillas on the cookie sheet then spray again with cooking spray. Broil until crispy, turning halfway through.

To serve:
Add diced chicken to a soup bowl. Ladle hot soup over the top. Top with avocado, cheese, crema and tortillas. Give a generous squeeze of lime.

Approximate points value of the broth is 0.
Point value of the garnishes and chicken just depends on what you add. You can easily keep the value between 6-8pts for a generous serving. Keep in mind, the broth is extremely flavorful and you will not need a lot of garnish (cheese and cream).

Enjoy!

A note about Fat Grl's cooking: I am not, NOT, a perfectionist. I add a little more of this, a little less of that. This is the bones -- change it how you like!

And that is my healthy Mexican recipe!

Have a great sunshiney day!

FGS