My sad attempts at being more domestic...continued :)

So, the last week in January, my school participated in a county wide initiative to get students excited to read called Literacy Week. So naturally, I just HAD to participate because I am a sucker for anything to get my wayward students to even remotely think about reading in a fun manner. We teachers could choose different ways that we could actively, voluntarily participate and one of our options was to decorate our classroom door with a character or a book that we enjoyed. After much thought, sketches, and plans and coming off my completion of Harry Potter, I decided that I needed to honor the Hogwarts spirit by theming my door Potter pretty! I decided that I would create a tribute to all the Gryffindors at heart and came up with the idea of hanging a Gryffindor flag, with a golden snitch and the Hogwarts train station sign on and around my door. I didn't want to emblazon HARRY POTTER so obviously on my masterpiece, so I opted to create a conversation starter door, one in which my fellow Muggles would understand and appreciate and also one that the other students who weren't on the Hogwarts Express to loving Harry Potter could ask me questions about, which would hopefully inspire them to read it. Here are some pictures that I took of my labor of love. I didn't win the best door contest, but having the kids excited, if only for one week, about what I was reading and what they wanted to read was totally well worth all the glitter! (I figured this was a post worthy of being called being domestic! :))

List of Accomplishments in 2010!

So, I started blogging a list of things that I am proud to have accomplished over this year. I am making an addition to the information that will be on that list, which will include things I have done in 2010. I am making a well-waited for addition to my list today, so here goes:

1. Finished the Harry Potter series

2. Attended a concert of a musician that I reallllllllly love- JOHN MAYER!!!!: Let me explain. My sweet husband surprised me at Christmas time with tickets to go see John Mayer in concert in Jacksonville in Feb. Over the moon doesn't begin to explain how excited I was for that gift! You have to understand, mine and John's relationship - full of passion, repairing, love, building relationships, laughing, crying, sleeping; of course all under the umbrella of his music, not literally together, he and I. :). So I really love John Mayer's MUSIC (he's a little too weird to ever be my friend). So that gift that Marcus gave me just was overly excellent. So, Feb. 6, Marcus, John and I had a, like, 3 hour date. Needless to say, I LOVED the concert and I am sooooo happy that I can finally say that I have seen that musical Mayer in concert. So that is why this is a very worthy addition to my list, and I have my sweet, wonderful husband to thank for it! :) Here are a couple of pictures from the concert. It really was an awesome gift! :)

List of Accomplishments in 2010!

I've decided that this year, I want to track the accomplishments that I have achieved so that when I look back on this year, I have something to show for it! So here is my start of my List of Accomplishments for this year:

1. After probably a year of reading, I have FINALLY finished the Harry Potter series (all 7 books) and I will say, I loved it! :) I will now be able to wear my Invisibility Cloak and black rimmed glasses at the next premiere with not an ounce of shame! :)

My sad attempts at being more domestic...

While searching for a recipe to use some italian dressing mix I had, I stumbled upon kraft.com, which I now really like to refer to in cooking. (This site really does have great links that help you save money at the grocery store, plan out your meals for a week that are cost efficient, etc. Just check it out.) Anyways, as I have a very weak sweet tooth, I happened upon the link for desserts under a dollar. So I clicked and found a very cute but tasty recipe that I wanted to attempt to make. Here it is (taken strait from the kraft.com site):

Watermelon Pops

Prep Time: 35 min Total Time: 4 hr 35 min Makes: 16 servings
What You Need!
1 cup sugar, divided
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Lime Flavor Gelatin
2 cups boiling water, divided
ice cubes
1 cup cold water, divided
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
3 Tbsp. miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 pkg. (4 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

MIX 1/3 cup sugar and lime gelatin mix in medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to 1/2 cup cold water to measure 3/4 cup. Add to lime gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. Refrigerate 25 min.

MEANWHILE, repeat Step 1 using strawberry gelatin mix and omitting the refrigeration step. Pour into 16 (3-oz.) paper cups. Freeze 20 min. Stir 1/2 tsp. chocolate chips into gelatin in each cup.

BEAT cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in COOL WHIP; spread over gelatin in cups.

POUR lime gelatin over cream cheese mixture. Insert wooden pop stick into gelatin in center of each cup. Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Remove pops from cups just before serving.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Look for wooden pop sticks in craft or hobby stores. If you don't have pop sticks, you can use plastic spoons for handles instead.
How to Easily Remove Frozen Pops from Cups
Dip cups in warm water for 15 sec. Peel off cups.(Do not twist or pull pop sticks.)

MY recommendations from my experience making this:

Okay, for make SURE you get the RIGHT size cups, which I think is 3oz., otherwise, the proportions won't turn out right.

Also, make sure the cream cheese and cool whip mixture is VERY much room temp. and soft, or else, when you spread it over the strawberry jello, it will bleed into the jello, making the pop not so pretty, still tasty, just not quite the look you might be going for.

But I will say, this treat it very tasty, especially on a hot day and I think it would be a VERY cute treat to make with kids!

Here is my very sad, but again tasty attempt at this treat: