We had some of my work friends over on Mardi Gras for vegan gumbo, king cake {Brandy found the bean} and butter pecan ice cream, and Southern Comfort punch. I still can't believe we managed to get 10 people in our tiny condo.

 

Just popping in to tell you about the most wonderful dinner we had this week. I found a recipe for walnut miso noodles. I completely forgot walnuts. I'm always forgetting one ingredient! I used almonds instead, and it turned out great. I can't wait to try walnuts. We were also able to try chard for the first time, and I like it as much as I like kale, which is a lot. You cook it the same way, except the stems are so tender and not bitter.

On a fun note, Bailey came to school this week. We are doing a novel study about a dog, and some of my students expressed an interest and need for proper dog training techniques, so I invited our trainer and brought my dog in for the demonstration. She was a little overwhelmed at times, but super sweet. She was exhausted when we brought her home. Eating all those crumbs on a classroom floor will do it to a girl.

I learned to make vegan crêpes this weekend, while Jason was able to stay in bed and snuggle with Baxter. I tried to flip the first two too soon, but I got the hang of it after that. I love them so much more than pancakes.

classroom tour

I've been meaning to do a classroom tour vlog for a while now. I wish I had one for each year I've taught, because my room changes every year. I also LOVE to see other teachers' classrooms. I mentioned on my video that I have a cooking theme in my classroom. It's pretty much everywhere. It's how I introduce to my students that I'm vegan. I even make vegan chocolate chip cookies for them at Open House. Also, I forget to mention in the video that I don't actually sit at the teacher desk that is part of my writing center. I use the smaller table when I work, so that I can pull students around me to help them.

I do not like walking the dogs in the rain. The rain doesn't seem to bother them, but I just want to hibernate inside with hot chocolate and a book. I decided to take my camera, tucked safely into my coat, for a walk in the rain. I can't get over all the flowers and trees that are already starting to bloom. I have always said I wished it would snow between Christmas and the New Year, and for spring to come as soon as the ball dropped. Looks like I got my wish this year, minus the snow. What if I say, I don't think I'm going to get my one snow day this year. Think I can jinx it?

After skating all day, and me trying to hold back tears reading The Art of Racing in the Rain at the skating rink, we made nachos and had a game night. We played my favorite, Operation, and Monopoly Junior. There were tears {Kaden}, but overall, it was super fun and a great learning experience.